Another year has passed into eternity and the Lord in His mercy has granted us still time to finish His work on earth and to prepare ourselves for His coming. During the past year we witnessed many significant events which show us the nearness of the end. Especially, there are the preparations and demands for the Sunday laws by the ecclesiastic and the civil powers. It is very likely to see the fulfillment of these prophecies during this year.
The church of God has experienced a time of peace for several years, but according to Bible prophecy, it will end suddenly and we will be in the midst of the time of trouble such as never was seen before.
If we would understand the seriousness of the time of which we live, we would not sleep spiritually. We would not waste time in seeking worldly security and comforts. There is a great danger, that when our time suddenly is up, many will be unprepared and unsaved.
It was at the cost of the blood of His Son that God purchased this new year to us. It was not purchased for a little more enjoyment in the world, but for the saving of our souls.
A year ago a call was made to make the year, 1998, a year of Reformation. How many took this call seriously? How many of us made progress last year in our spiritual condition?
If it had been the last year of mercy for us3 how many would have been lost? Now the same applies to the year 1999. This may be the last year of mercy to us. Then are we going to do the same as last year or are we going to do better?
The most important question is, am I saved or in a lost condition? Christ is our standard; compare yourself to Him and to His life. Is your faithfulness equal to Christ? Is your love fervent as His? Is your missionary spirit the same as His? Check your faithfulness in tithes and offerings, your Sabbath keeping, your diet, your humility and every other point.
If you find that you don’t measure up to the standard of Christ, it means that you are still in a lost condition. If you have Christ’s righteousness, then it must be the same as Christ had during His life on the earth. Our standard is high, but it is attainable. No one needs to be lost. The angels are anxiously waiting for us to make a full surrender to God and to work out a thorough reformation in our lives.
Satan knows that the time is short and therefore he is trying his utmost to keep us back. But a promise to us is sure, when we resist him, he will flee from us.
Let us begin this year with a plan for missionary efforts and also to motivate others to join with us in it. Let this be a year of prayer and Bible study. Also now is time to sacrifice our means to the cause of God because the time will come when we cannot use our means anymore.
May the Lord bless all of us that His prayer may be fulfilled this year, “That they may be one, even as we are one.” John 17:22.
The Editors