Mr. Roy Holladay of United Church of God posted about lessons from the book of Jonah regarding the Church's work of preaching the gospel and a warning message to the public. You can read his post here:
http://realtimeunited.wordpress.com/2010/04/30/pre-sabbath-letter-to-brethren-from-roy-holladay/
I thought the post is good, and it helps to show why the Church of God needs to have zeal for preaching the gospel to the world and the Ezekiel warning to Israel.
God planned a punishment for Nineveh, but was determined that Nineveh would have a warning first, and sent Jonah to deliver the warning. Jonah refused at first, but God was determined to give Nineveh a warning before He punished them. God made sure that the warning was delivered, and Nineveh BELIEVED the message and repented, so God withheld the punishment He had planned for them (Jonah chapters 1 through 3).
Why was God determined to get a warning message out to Nineveh? The answer becomes clear in Jonah 4:11: "And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?"
God's motive was love. He loved the people of Nineveh. Jonah didn't, but God did.
God hasn't changed. He is still a God of love. That is why God wants a warning message to go out to all Israel in our time. And if we love God and love our neighbors, we should be filled with zeal to get that message out to the nations who need to hear it.
"You shall love your neigbhor as yourself," is one of the two great commandments (Leviticus 19:17-19, Matthew 22:37-40, Mark 12:29-31). An application of this law is given in Proverbs 24:11: "Deliver those who are drawn toward death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter." The only way we can save and "hold back" those in our nations who are stumbling to the slaughter because of their sins is to warn them.
Teaching is an act of love, an act of kindness and mercy. When John the Baptist questioned if Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus told John's disciples to tell John, "The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them" (Matthew 11:5). What does preaching the gospel to the poor have in common with healing the blind, the lame, the deaf, and the lepers, and raising the dead? They are all acts of mercy and compassion.
One of the applications of God's law of love is that we do to others as we want done to us: "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets" (Matthew 7:12). Do we want to be warned and taught? Are we glad that God warned us and preached the gospel to us through the sacrifices of others before us so we can know the truth? Are we glad to have the truth we have because of Mr. Armstrong's zeal and the zeal of the membership of the Church of God in Mr. Armstrong's day, to get the gospel out over radio, TV, and magazine publishing? If so, we should likewise sacrifice so others can have that same truth. But if not, if we do not appreciate God's truth, God is able to take it from us.
Suppose you were driving on a dark, winding road. There is a stalled car up ahead, and it could cause an accident. Would you not want someone to put up flares so you can be warned and slow down and avoid a crash that might injure or kill you and your loved ones? Would the person putting up the flares be showing love to you, his neighbor? Or suppose you live in an apartment and the building is on fire while you are sleeping. Would you not want someone to knock on the door to warn you and your family to get out?
Giving a warning to those who need it is an act of love.
Notice Jesus' compassion towards the crowds, and how He expressed that compassion: "And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things" (Mark 6:34). Jesus expressed love and compassion towards the people by teaching them.
Preaching the gospel to the world as a witness, giving the Ezekiel warning, "public proclamation" as it is called, is an expression of love towards our neighbors and a fulfilling of the second great commandment.
But it also shows love towards God.
Giving a warning message to all Israel before the tribulation begins glorifies God's name because it demonstrates His fairness in giving a warning while there is still time to repent. As I point out in my website, Preaching the Gospel, when the tribulation begins, our people will not be able to blame God, saying, "we never had a warning." They will remember our message, and they will know that God was fair to give them a warning, which they did not heed. That will make it easier for them to accept responsibility, saying, "I should have listened," rather than blame God, saying, "I never had a chance." Accepting responsibility for their choices is a first step towards repentance.
In chapter four of my book, I give many quotes of Holocaust survivors who went through the Nazi concentration camps, and in many cases those who believed in God lost faith in God because they could not understand why God would allow it. Our people could react the same way in the tribulation if they do not hear a message explaining what will happen, why it will happen, and what they need to do.
The Church of God needs to be on fire with zeal, motivated by love towards God and love towards neighbor, to make sacrifices and to go all out to preach God's truth to the public. In this matter, Mr. Holladay is right.
Here are links to related sections in Preaching the Gospel:
The Responsibility of a Watchman, Chapter 3
The Ezekiel Warning, Chapter 3
Why the Gospel Must Still Be Preached to the World, Chapter 4
Is the Church Commissioned to Preach the Gospel to the World?, Chapter 5
The Effect of the Holocaust, Chapter 4
The Two Witnesses and God's Fairness, Chapter 4
Showing posts with label Ezekiel Warning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ezekiel Warning. Show all posts
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Preaching the Gospel - We Reap what we Sow
I recently listened to a sermon given by Mr. Richard Ames of the Living Church of God a few months ago entitled "Are You Growing Spiritually?" In that sermon he pointed out what Herbert W. Armstrong said about those who grow spiritually being those who have their heart in God's work.
I think it is absolutely true that those whose heart is in God's work tend to grow spiritually. As Mr. Ames reminded me in his sermon, it was Jesus's food to finish God's work (John 4:34). Mr. Ames said that he thought that the reason that some ministers who seemed very solid later went into heresy is that they did not have their heart in God's work.
I agree, but why is that true?
There is a principle involved that we reap what we sow. This is an active principle that can apply to many aspects of God's way of life. For example, in this same sermon, Mr. Ames quoted Proverbs 19:17, "He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, And He will pay back what he has given," showing that when we sow mercy by giving to the poor, God will pay us back by giving a blessing to us. It is a particular application of the general principle of "whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" (Galatians 6:7-10, Romans 2:6, Job 34:11, Psalm 62:12, Proverbs 24:11-12, Jeremiah 17:10, 2 Corinthians 9:6).
We can see the application of this principle in the examples written in the Bible for our learning (1 Corinthians 10:11). For example, if you study the life of Jacob, you will notice that he had a problem with lying. He deceived his father by lying to him to obtain a blessing (Genesis 27:1-35). Did God cause him to reap what he sowed? After this, Jacob several times became the victim of the deceptions of others. He was deceived by Laban concerning his wife (Genesis 29:15-30). He was also deceived by Laban several times concerning his wages (Genesis 31:7). He suffered for years mourning for his son Joseph, thinking he was dead, because his sons deceived him (Genesis 37:12-36). So it seems God caused Jacob to reap what he sowed. He sowed deception when he deceived his father to obtain a blessing, and he reaped deception when he was later deceived by Laban numerous times and by his sons when they deceived him about Joseph. No doubt God did this to teach Jacob a lesson about the consequences of lying.
How does this apply to having our hearts in the work of God of preaching the gospel to the world?
Our relationship with God is based on the knowledge of the truth that God has given us. We have that knowledge because others have sacrificed to give us that knowledge. We have been able to learn the truth because Mr. Armstrong and many members in the Church of God and co-workers were zealous and sacrificed to produce the Plain Truth magazine and to broadcast the truth on radio and TV. Either we learned of the truth through the broadcasts and literature, or we learned from others, perhaps our parents, who learned from the broadcasts and literature. Those broadcasts, magazines, and books and booklets were possible only because those who were before us had their heart in the work to the point that they were willing to give up some of the nicer things in this life - restaurant meals, nicer homes, nicer clothes, vacations, etc. - in order to give the truth freely to others as they received freely. There is a principle of reciprocity involved. As we have freely received, we should freely give (Matthew 10:7-8, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, John 4:35-36).
We know the truth because others have had their heart in the work before us, and we have an obligation to pass that blessing along, to have our hearts in the work and to sacrifice so others can receive the truth as we have received it.
And if we don't?
If we selfishly hold on to the truth for ourselves but do not sacrifice to help give it to others, what then?
I think in that case, God's principle of causing us to reap what we sow goes into effect. What we sow is the decision to not be zealous and sacrifice to pass the truth on to others. What we reap is the result of that decision according to God's judgement. We may receive the fruit of our decision.
What would have been the fruit or the consequence of the decision of others before us if they had decided not to sacrifice to preach the gospel to others? We would never have learned the truth. We would have continued in the world, deceived by Satan. That is the fruit of not having one's heart in the work of preaching the gospel to the world.
And if that is our decision, if we decide not to support the preaching of the gospel to the world, God can take from us the knowledge we have. God could put us in the state we would be in if those before us did not sacrifice to give us the truth. We can fall away from the truth. And I think that may have been what happened to ministers who had a solid foundation in the truth, yet lacked zeal for the work of God, and then fell away.
There is also the scripture in Revelation 12:10-11: "Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, 'Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.' " Notice that one of the ways Christians overcome Satan is by the word of their testimony. This can apply to giving testimony under threat of martyrdom, as the context seems to indicate, but I think the principle can also apply to giving testimony by sacrificing to support the preaching of the gospel to the world. That is one of the ways of overcoming Satan.
We need to sacrifice to support the preaching of the gospel to the world to pass the blessing of God's truth to others as those before us have sacrificied so we could learn the truth. That is a direct application of God's command to love our neighbor as ourself (Matthew 22:37-40) and to do to others as we want them to do to us (Matthew 7:12).
Here are links to related sections in Preaching the Gospel:
The Church, Chapter 4
How Could Trained and Experienced Ministers Be Deceived?, Chapter 5
Will Focusing Exclusively on Feeding the Flock Heal the Church?, Chapter 5
Is the Church Commissioned to Preach the Gospel to the World?, Chapter 5
I think it is absolutely true that those whose heart is in God's work tend to grow spiritually. As Mr. Ames reminded me in his sermon, it was Jesus's food to finish God's work (John 4:34). Mr. Ames said that he thought that the reason that some ministers who seemed very solid later went into heresy is that they did not have their heart in God's work.
I agree, but why is that true?
There is a principle involved that we reap what we sow. This is an active principle that can apply to many aspects of God's way of life. For example, in this same sermon, Mr. Ames quoted Proverbs 19:17, "He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, And He will pay back what he has given," showing that when we sow mercy by giving to the poor, God will pay us back by giving a blessing to us. It is a particular application of the general principle of "whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" (Galatians 6:7-10, Romans 2:6, Job 34:11, Psalm 62:12, Proverbs 24:11-12, Jeremiah 17:10, 2 Corinthians 9:6).
We can see the application of this principle in the examples written in the Bible for our learning (1 Corinthians 10:11). For example, if you study the life of Jacob, you will notice that he had a problem with lying. He deceived his father by lying to him to obtain a blessing (Genesis 27:1-35). Did God cause him to reap what he sowed? After this, Jacob several times became the victim of the deceptions of others. He was deceived by Laban concerning his wife (Genesis 29:15-30). He was also deceived by Laban several times concerning his wages (Genesis 31:7). He suffered for years mourning for his son Joseph, thinking he was dead, because his sons deceived him (Genesis 37:12-36). So it seems God caused Jacob to reap what he sowed. He sowed deception when he deceived his father to obtain a blessing, and he reaped deception when he was later deceived by Laban numerous times and by his sons when they deceived him about Joseph. No doubt God did this to teach Jacob a lesson about the consequences of lying.
How does this apply to having our hearts in the work of God of preaching the gospel to the world?
Our relationship with God is based on the knowledge of the truth that God has given us. We have that knowledge because others have sacrificed to give us that knowledge. We have been able to learn the truth because Mr. Armstrong and many members in the Church of God and co-workers were zealous and sacrificed to produce the Plain Truth magazine and to broadcast the truth on radio and TV. Either we learned of the truth through the broadcasts and literature, or we learned from others, perhaps our parents, who learned from the broadcasts and literature. Those broadcasts, magazines, and books and booklets were possible only because those who were before us had their heart in the work to the point that they were willing to give up some of the nicer things in this life - restaurant meals, nicer homes, nicer clothes, vacations, etc. - in order to give the truth freely to others as they received freely. There is a principle of reciprocity involved. As we have freely received, we should freely give (Matthew 10:7-8, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, John 4:35-36).
We know the truth because others have had their heart in the work before us, and we have an obligation to pass that blessing along, to have our hearts in the work and to sacrifice so others can receive the truth as we have received it.
And if we don't?
If we selfishly hold on to the truth for ourselves but do not sacrifice to help give it to others, what then?
I think in that case, God's principle of causing us to reap what we sow goes into effect. What we sow is the decision to not be zealous and sacrifice to pass the truth on to others. What we reap is the result of that decision according to God's judgement. We may receive the fruit of our decision.
What would have been the fruit or the consequence of the decision of others before us if they had decided not to sacrifice to preach the gospel to others? We would never have learned the truth. We would have continued in the world, deceived by Satan. That is the fruit of not having one's heart in the work of preaching the gospel to the world.
And if that is our decision, if we decide not to support the preaching of the gospel to the world, God can take from us the knowledge we have. God could put us in the state we would be in if those before us did not sacrifice to give us the truth. We can fall away from the truth. And I think that may have been what happened to ministers who had a solid foundation in the truth, yet lacked zeal for the work of God, and then fell away.
There is also the scripture in Revelation 12:10-11: "Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, 'Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.' " Notice that one of the ways Christians overcome Satan is by the word of their testimony. This can apply to giving testimony under threat of martyrdom, as the context seems to indicate, but I think the principle can also apply to giving testimony by sacrificing to support the preaching of the gospel to the world. That is one of the ways of overcoming Satan.
We need to sacrifice to support the preaching of the gospel to the world to pass the blessing of God's truth to others as those before us have sacrificied so we could learn the truth. That is a direct application of God's command to love our neighbor as ourself (Matthew 22:37-40) and to do to others as we want them to do to us (Matthew 7:12).
Here are links to related sections in Preaching the Gospel:
The Church, Chapter 4
How Could Trained and Experienced Ministers Be Deceived?, Chapter 5
Will Focusing Exclusively on Feeding the Flock Heal the Church?, Chapter 5
Is the Church Commissioned to Preach the Gospel to the World?, Chapter 5
Friday, February 19, 2010
"Such a nation as this..."
Does God punish nations for their sins? I mean generally, not just Israel, but any nation that sins against God.
There are many passages in the Old Testament that describe God's punishment of ancient Israel for breaking God's laws and breaking God's covenant with them.
After God brought Israel out of Egypt, He proposed a covenant with them and promised them blessings if they would keep His covenant. Israel agreed to the the covenant, and it was ratified and became binding (Exodus 19:3-8, 24:1-11). God promised blessings for obedience if Israel kept His covenant with them, but curses if they broke His covenant and disobeyed Him (Deuteronomy 4:1-31, 5:32-33, 7:12-15, 8:18-20, 11:26-28, 28:1-68).
The history of Israel after that showed a re-occurring pattern of disobedience and punishment - see Judges, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, and 2 Chronicles. Finally, God sent the house of Israel and the house of Judah into captivity for their persistant unfaithfulness in breaking God's covenant (2 Kings 17:5-23, 2 Chronicles 36:15-21).
God specifically mentions covenant breaking as a cause for his punishment of Israel (Jeremiah 11:9-13, Hosea 8:1-14).
But God did not just pronounce judgment against Israel. He also pronounced judgment and punishment against many of the known nations of that time, nations that never had a covenant with God, never agreed to keep God's commandments, and never knew God and God's laws (Amos 3:1-2, Jeremiah 25:12-33, Jeremiah chapters 46 through 51, Amos chapters 1 and 2). He said He would punish them for their sins even though they are not Israel.
The examples and teaching of the Old Testament are given for our learning (1 Corinthians 10:11). Those examples show how God thinks. And the examples given in the Bible show that God punishes nations for their sins with war and other disasters. Not just Israel.
Now look at God's rebuke of Judah and Jerusalem in Jeremiah 5:9 and Jeremiah 9:9: Mentioning idolotry and sexual sins, God says, " 'How shall I pardon you for this? Your children have forsaken Me And sworn by those that are not gods. When I had fed them to the full, Then they committed adultery And assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses. They were like well-fed lusty stallions; Every one neighed after his neighbor’s wife. Shall I not punish them for these things?' says the Lord. 'And shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?' " (Jeremiah 5:7-9). Then mentioning the sins of lying and deceit, God says, " 'And like their bow they have bent their tongues for lies. They are not valiant for the truth on the earth. For they proceed from evil to evil, And they do not know Me,' says the Lord....Everyone will deceive his neighbor, And will not speak the truth; They have taught their tongue to speak lies; They weary themselves to commit iniquity. Your dwelling place is in the midst of deceit; Through deceit they refuse to know Me', says the Lord....Their tongue is an arrow shot out; It speaks deceit; One speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, But in his heart he lies in wait. Shall I not punish them for these things?' says the Lord. 'Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?' " (Jeremiah 9:3-9).
After rebuking Judah and Jerusalem for the lying and sexual sins, God says, "And shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?" (Jeremiah 5:9, 9:9). Notice, not just Israel because Israel broke God's covenant. But "such a nation as this." What kind of nation? A nation that practices lying and sexual immorality.
Is the United States such a nation? Do we have sexual sins? Do we lie to each other, in the workplace, in business, in the home, even to our children? You be the judge. But if we are such a nation, God asks the question, "Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?" Not only because we are Israel and have broken God's covenant. But because we are a sinful nation and God punishes nations for their sins as the examples Jeremiah and Amos show.
The United States is in a state of moral, spiritual, and material decline. We are spending our way into a debt we cannot get out of without bankrupting ourselves, and this in world that is becoming more dangerous by the year. Those who have spiritual discernment and are willing to face hard realities can see that we are heading for disaster. We are digging a hole for ourselves that we will not be able to climb out of by our own power. Our only hope is help, protection, and rescue from God. But will God rescue us without our repentance? Will He rescue us in our sins so we can continue sinning? Or rather will He punish us for our sins as He punished ancient Israel for her sins and as He punished Gentile nations for their sins? I think the examples in the Bible indicate the latter.
The Church of God should have the discernment to see where this country is headed, if our people do not repent. And God's word teaches us to warn those heading towards disaster (Proverbs 24:11-12). The knowledge and spiritual discernment that God has given the Church, along with the command in Proverbs 24:11-12, in effect, makes us a watchman for the United States. That is the effect of what we know. Our knowledge puts the watchman responsibility on our shoulders, and this is God's doing (Ezekiel 3:16-21, 33:1-20).
The Church of God has a responsibility to warn the United States to turn from its sins before it is too late, and to give a warning of the disaster that will come upon us if we do not repent. We need to be zealous to give that warning, motivated by love (Matthew 22:37-40, Matthew 7:12, Leviticus 19:18). The leadership and ministry of the Churches of God should do their part to take advantage of every opportunity to take the true gospel and the Ezekiel warning to the public through television, radio, print media, and the Internet, and to teach the membership of their responsibility to support that effort through their prayers, financial sacrifices, and service.
Here are links to related sections in Preaching the Gospel:
The Ezekiel Warning, Chapter 3
Will Focusing Exclusively on Feeding the Flock Heal the Church?, Chapter 5
Is the Church Commissioned to Preach the Gospel to the World?, Chapter 5
There are many passages in the Old Testament that describe God's punishment of ancient Israel for breaking God's laws and breaking God's covenant with them.
After God brought Israel out of Egypt, He proposed a covenant with them and promised them blessings if they would keep His covenant. Israel agreed to the the covenant, and it was ratified and became binding (Exodus 19:3-8, 24:1-11). God promised blessings for obedience if Israel kept His covenant with them, but curses if they broke His covenant and disobeyed Him (Deuteronomy 4:1-31, 5:32-33, 7:12-15, 8:18-20, 11:26-28, 28:1-68).
The history of Israel after that showed a re-occurring pattern of disobedience and punishment - see Judges, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, and 2 Chronicles. Finally, God sent the house of Israel and the house of Judah into captivity for their persistant unfaithfulness in breaking God's covenant (2 Kings 17:5-23, 2 Chronicles 36:15-21).
God specifically mentions covenant breaking as a cause for his punishment of Israel (Jeremiah 11:9-13, Hosea 8:1-14).
But God did not just pronounce judgment against Israel. He also pronounced judgment and punishment against many of the known nations of that time, nations that never had a covenant with God, never agreed to keep God's commandments, and never knew God and God's laws (Amos 3:1-2, Jeremiah 25:12-33, Jeremiah chapters 46 through 51, Amos chapters 1 and 2). He said He would punish them for their sins even though they are not Israel.
The examples and teaching of the Old Testament are given for our learning (1 Corinthians 10:11). Those examples show how God thinks. And the examples given in the Bible show that God punishes nations for their sins with war and other disasters. Not just Israel.
Now look at God's rebuke of Judah and Jerusalem in Jeremiah 5:9 and Jeremiah 9:9: Mentioning idolotry and sexual sins, God says, " 'How shall I pardon you for this? Your children have forsaken Me And sworn by those that are not gods. When I had fed them to the full, Then they committed adultery And assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses. They were like well-fed lusty stallions; Every one neighed after his neighbor’s wife. Shall I not punish them for these things?' says the Lord. 'And shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?' " (Jeremiah 5:7-9). Then mentioning the sins of lying and deceit, God says, " 'And like their bow they have bent their tongues for lies. They are not valiant for the truth on the earth. For they proceed from evil to evil, And they do not know Me,' says the Lord....Everyone will deceive his neighbor, And will not speak the truth; They have taught their tongue to speak lies; They weary themselves to commit iniquity. Your dwelling place is in the midst of deceit; Through deceit they refuse to know Me', says the Lord....Their tongue is an arrow shot out; It speaks deceit; One speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, But in his heart he lies in wait. Shall I not punish them for these things?' says the Lord. 'Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?' " (Jeremiah 9:3-9).
After rebuking Judah and Jerusalem for the lying and sexual sins, God says, "And shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?" (Jeremiah 5:9, 9:9). Notice, not just Israel because Israel broke God's covenant. But "such a nation as this." What kind of nation? A nation that practices lying and sexual immorality.
Is the United States such a nation? Do we have sexual sins? Do we lie to each other, in the workplace, in business, in the home, even to our children? You be the judge. But if we are such a nation, God asks the question, "Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?" Not only because we are Israel and have broken God's covenant. But because we are a sinful nation and God punishes nations for their sins as the examples Jeremiah and Amos show.
The United States is in a state of moral, spiritual, and material decline. We are spending our way into a debt we cannot get out of without bankrupting ourselves, and this in world that is becoming more dangerous by the year. Those who have spiritual discernment and are willing to face hard realities can see that we are heading for disaster. We are digging a hole for ourselves that we will not be able to climb out of by our own power. Our only hope is help, protection, and rescue from God. But will God rescue us without our repentance? Will He rescue us in our sins so we can continue sinning? Or rather will He punish us for our sins as He punished ancient Israel for her sins and as He punished Gentile nations for their sins? I think the examples in the Bible indicate the latter.
The Church of God should have the discernment to see where this country is headed, if our people do not repent. And God's word teaches us to warn those heading towards disaster (Proverbs 24:11-12). The knowledge and spiritual discernment that God has given the Church, along with the command in Proverbs 24:11-12, in effect, makes us a watchman for the United States. That is the effect of what we know. Our knowledge puts the watchman responsibility on our shoulders, and this is God's doing (Ezekiel 3:16-21, 33:1-20).
The Church of God has a responsibility to warn the United States to turn from its sins before it is too late, and to give a warning of the disaster that will come upon us if we do not repent. We need to be zealous to give that warning, motivated by love (Matthew 22:37-40, Matthew 7:12, Leviticus 19:18). The leadership and ministry of the Churches of God should do their part to take advantage of every opportunity to take the true gospel and the Ezekiel warning to the public through television, radio, print media, and the Internet, and to teach the membership of their responsibility to support that effort through their prayers, financial sacrifices, and service.
Here are links to related sections in Preaching the Gospel:
The Ezekiel Warning, Chapter 3
Will Focusing Exclusively on Feeding the Flock Heal the Church?, Chapter 5
Is the Church Commissioned to Preach the Gospel to the World?, Chapter 5
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