United Church of God

Letter from the Chairman: August 1, 2019

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Letter from the Chairman

August 1, 2019

With all the bad news in the world, we sure could use some good news today! As I was meditating last night, after I had watched the Democratic presidential debate, I asked myself: What is the main thing that each person in the whole world needs at this time? Is it words on understanding world conditions? Or is it help in facing the great trials that every person on earth is facing at this critical, crucial time in human history? I came to the conclusion and belief that every person in the world needs encouragement and comfort at this time. We need the strength and will to keep on keeping on, regardless of our problems or the problems that the peoples of the word are facing.

Then you stop and ask yourself: What can I say that will provide comfort and encouragement? So often I feel that I am in need of the same. Then I realize that we all need to be encouraged along the way. We live in a super judgmental and negative age, in which every nuance of speech and body language is scrutinized, critiqued and aired abroad. But we can say no to negativism and claim the promises that God extends to those who seek Him. We must look to the Source of comfort and strength. We can all be filled with courage, strength and joy unspeakable if we are in tune with the Giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17-18).

God communicates His will and way to us through His Word. Note the words of Jesus in John 6:63: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” Life is our most precious gift, and being called to eternal life is the greatest calling of all. In John 6:63 Jesus is equating His words with spirit. It is the Spirit that gives life and the words He speaks are words of life. If you want to be filled with spirit life then you must have the Word of God in your heart and mind so it becomes the foundation for what you think, say and do (Psalm 119:9-11).

The Word of God must become our meditation as the psalmist writes: “Oh how love I your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97, King James Version throughout). Meditation means to think on, to dwell on, to reflect on. What should meditating and thinking on the Word of God do for each one of us? It will help to get our thoughts off of ourselves and our problems, and focus on the things that are eternal. It will help lift us up out of the pity pits of despair and think on the many precious promises that God has given us. It helps us redirect our thoughts to those things that are eternal.

In Psalm 77 we see the description of one who is in great despair because his thoughts are continually directed toward his problems. In verse 3, the Psalmist goes over his problems and his spirit becomes overwhelmed. In verse 6 he goes over his problems again. In verses 7 through 9 his faith begins to wane and negative thoughts flood in—because his focus is on his problems.

But then in verse 10 he comes to his senses and realizes that his problem is his problem: “And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High” (Psalm 77:10). He then turns his focus from his problems and begins to focus on God and His ways: “I will remember the works of the Lord: surely I will remember Thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all Thy work, and talk of Thy doings. Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?” (Psalm 77:11-13).

All of these verses are telling us to keep the big picture burning brightly in our minds. Don’t forget these words: “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

We are engaged in a quest for eternal life in the Kingdom of God. We must not settle for anything less than eternal life in God’s Kingdom. The apostle Paul further admonishes us to cast out thoughts that war against God’s precious promises: “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). We must not let the news of today—or any other day—turn us from God’s precious promises.

One of the great keys to being encouraged is to encourage others. God wants us to encourage one another, to lift one another up. The three main purposes for prophesying are to edify, exhort and comfort (1 Corinthians 14:1-3). Notice what the apostle Paul writes concerning love and sharing one another’s burdens in Galatians 6:1-6. The word translated communicates is koinoneo (koy-no-neh’). It means to come into communion or fellowship with, to become a sharer, be made a partner. The secondary meaning is to enter into fellowship, join one’s self to an associate, make one’s self a sharer or partner.

We all have within our power to encourage one another through words and deeds. “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver” (Proverbs 25:11).

The living sacrifice chapter of the Bible, Romans 12, is one of the most encouraging chapters in the whole Bible—because it teaches us how to encourage one another. It is through becoming a living sacrifice that we learn to comfort and encourage one another with the same consolation that Christ provides for us in our trials: “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

The choice of whether we are going to wallow in the pits of self-pity, or whether we are going to look to the hills for strength and encouragement, is up to us. No knight in shining armor is going to come along and pull us out of the pity pits. But there is One who is coming on a great white horse, who is currently sitting at the right hand of the Father—One who ever lives to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25). Let’s get our focus off ourselves and our problems, and put on the whole armor of God—that we might be able to defeat all the fiery darts of Satan and bring into captivity every thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. Let’s gird up the loins of our faith and fight the good fight of faith!

Let’s keep God and His Word in the foreground of our minds. Let’s think on His name and all that His name represents. Let’s meditate on His Word and put on the helmet of salvation—which is hope—by keeping the big picture burning brightly in our minds and hearts. Let’s hide His Word in our hearts and minds for they are spirit and they are life.