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New Year's Resolution
January 4, 2014

We ended 2013 with a review of a Statement of Beliefs for those who identify as First-Century Apostolic Christians, those of us who believe our practices are closely aligned to the practices of the first-century church. For those of us who were formerly aligned with the Worldwide Church of God, we have seen splintering and further splintering of congregations for various reasons. While we pride ourselves on our knowledge, our knowledge has not served us well. Perhaps we need to return to a time of simpler faith, one that has been given since the very beginning of the church. I fear we are more desirous to learn than to put into action what we have learned. That's probably one of the reasons why our churches have floundered. It is through us and what we do that God builds his church. We have given God very little to work with and yet we claim to practice brotherly love. Paul warned us to avoid always learning and never coming to the power or the truth. It is time for those who have been placed in leadership positions to lead or get out of the way and to surrender issues of faith to those to whom it has always belonged, Christians.

2 Timothy 3:1-9
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

Paul warned Timothy that in the end time people would become self-absorbed and develop habits contrary to what is needed by faithful Christians. He advised Timothy these people would have an appearance of godliness, in today's language the optics would provide a Christian experience. He warned Timothy that those who only have an image of godliness, are corrupt. These people would always be learning, but never come to the knowledge of the truth. What they learn is useless because it provides no benefit. Those who trace their Christian history through the Worldwide Church of God may remember that Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong would say that knowledge has no value until it is put to use. Very similarly, the Russian physician, writer, and philosopher Anton Chekhov said that knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice. My thought is we are not putting our faith into practice, and unless we do, we will continue to see splintering and disorganization of the church. Paul based his teachings on the teachings of Jesus, and among the many concepts that Jesus taught there was one that was so significant, that Jesus presented it as a New Commandment.

John 13:34
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

Having this brotherly love is a foundation of our faith. Without this brotherly love we have nothing. When we have to grasp difficult situations, it is brotherly love that will get all of us through. Knowledge may help us see the path we need to take; brotherly love will keep us all on that path. The path need not be wide or complicated. James explained how simple the path may be.

James 1:27
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

If we practice pure religion as we think we do, we will keep unspotted from the world and the evils that are in it, and we will take care of those who are unable to care for themselves such as the fatherless and widows. I believe if we focused on those two main thoughts given by James without surrendering any knowledge we may have, our knowledge will help us see the path we need to take, and brotherly love will keep us all on the same path. My new year's resolution is to return to a time of simpler faith, and I invite you to join me.

All verses are from the King James Version.
This site provided by Tom Laign. To all who may believe differently, I also extend peace and love.
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