Revelation 2:1 lists the first church to be evaluated as Ephesus. It was called the "loveless" church, because they left their first love - God and His truth. They did not have perseverance or endurance. The second church is Smyrna, the persecuted church, which had fear of suffering. Third is Pergamos, the over-tolerant church, which displayed doctrinal defection. Fourth is Thyatira, the compromising church, which had moral problems. The fifth is Sardis, the sleeping church, which displayed spiritual deadness. Sixth is Philadelphia, which is the church with opportunity, but it did not hold fast. And the seventh is Laodicea, the complacent church, which was lethargic and luke- warm.

Why am I telling you this? Because God's scattered spiritual ekklesia [church] today and it's leaders are in need of repentance! Five of these seven spiritual churches of God are told to repent: Ephesus: Rev. 2:5, "Repent and do the first works." Pergamos: Rev. 2:16, "Repent [of doctrine of the Nicolatians]." Thyatira: Rev. 2:22, "I will cast her [Jezebel] into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they Repent of their deeds." Sardis: Rev. 3:3, "Remember therefore how you have received and heard, and hold fast and Repent." Laodicea: Rev. 3:19, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore, and Repent."

Of the seven churches listed, Smyrna and Philadelphia, are the only to receive unmixed praise. However, both of these churches are cautioned and made aware of the Synagogue of Satan. To Smyrna the promise is that the "synagogue of Satan" should not prevail against her faithful ones. Likewise, Philadelphia is told that she will win over some of the "synagogue of Satan" who say they are Jews, but are not. Philadelphia's name expresses "brotherly love," which reveals that God's truth is in her, but is in conflict with and in bondage to Jewish legalism. Most all churches of God today teach and practice mixing religions [syncretism]. They want you to go back to and follow Jewish roots, which is the synagogue of Satan. These are the twisted roots of Judaism, that God condemns through out the Old and New Testament.

Smyrna is warned, "I know your works, and tribulation, and poverty, [but you art rich] and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan" (Rev 2: 9). And Philadelphia is told very much the same thing in Revelation 3:9. "Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie...." The message to both Smyrna and Philadelphia also speak of a crown: To Smyrna, "A crown of life" (Rev. 2:10) and to Philadelphia, "Let no man take your crown" (Rev. 3:11).

In reviewing the personality and character background of God's churches, do we periodically examine our practices and beliefs? Has the Church of God, In Truth challenged your spiritual habits? Have we - you and I - discarded error to follow truth? Have we been growing in grace and knowledge of Christ's ways? We find in the Apostle Peter's letter, a spiritual finger pointing at us [in a polite way] saying: "You therefore, beloved, seeing you know these things before, beware lest you also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness"(2 Peter 3:17). The knowledge that there will always be false teachers who corrupt and imitate the truth should keep us alert. This is why Peter encourages us in verse 18 to "grow" in grace [continue our spiritual growth in graciousness] and in the knowledge of our Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever" (2 Peter 3:18).

The word of knowledge is God's unveiled truth. It is information that has been spiritually revealed. Having this knowledge of truth, we must be constantly on guard against the perils of error. It is this "peril of error" – like syncretism [mixing religions], that separates us on God's Sabbaths and Holy Days from many we have fellowshipped with in the past.

Joyce and I have been asked, "Why don't we visit other Churches of God?" Our answer is: mainly because we feel knowledge and new truths from God's Word did not stop when Mr. Herbert Armstrong died [1986]. We feel most of God's Churches are just teaching from rote, i.e.: If Ambassador College did not teach it, it should not be taught. We feel God is responsible for the scattering of the Holy people. Most other Churches want to "unite." But God says in His word, "It shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when He [God] shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the Holy people, all these things shall be finished" (Dan. 12:7). We have to ask, "Who do we believe? God or man?"

The Church of God, In Truth, believes that God's Word is the source of all authority. His words are what we should follow. In His word it says we are to give three commanded Holy Day offerings a year. These are to be taken up during the Days of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles! "Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which He shall choose; in the Feast of Unleavened

God's Word teaches we should not buy and sell on God's Sabbaths - the weekly Sabbath, or His Holy Days. "And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the Sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the Sabbath, or on the Holy Day...." (Neh. 10:31). "Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the Sabbath day? Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? Yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath. And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the Sabbath day" (Neh.13:17-19). The church used to teach and practice what God's word taught, but when the liberal era came in this all changed.

We, the Church of God, In Truth, believe that we should keep the beginning conjunction of the moon and sun [the beginning of the dark moon phase] as the first day of the new month. "He appointed the moon for [appointed times] seasons: the sun knoweth his going down" (Ps 104:19). The harmony of sunset and the beginning of the dark moon phase [new moon], fit in God's creation and plan. The setting of the sun [the beginning of a new day], sets the precedent for beginning the new month, at the beginning of the conjunction. We do not believe the full moon, astronomical or mean [middle] conjunction, or crescent moon is the first day of the new month! We do not believe that we should "postpone" God's Holy Days as taught by the Jewish Hebrew Calendar. The word "postpone" is not found in the Bible!

We do not believe Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong was the "Elijah" to come. We believe more truth is yet to be restored. "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom you delight in: behold, He shall come, saith the LORD of hosts. But who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth? For He is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap" (Mal 3:1-2).

We do not believe in voting! According to the New Testament, when they chose a new Apostle, they used lots. "And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles" (Acts 1:23-26).

We do not believe birthday celebrations are to be observed. The Bible only records bad things happening at birthday celebrations: "But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John the Baptist's head in a charger. And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother"(Matt. 14:6-11). "A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one's birth" (Eccl. 7:1).

We do not believe man has the authority to bind and loose. Only what God has bound and loosed in heaven can make changes in our lives. "TRULY I SAY TO YOU. WHATEVER YOU BIND ON THE EARTH SHALL OCCUR, HAVING ALREADY BEEN BOUND IN HEAVEN. AND WHATEVER YOU LOOSE ON THE EARTH SHALL BE, HAVING BEEN ALREADY LOOSED IN HEAVEN" (Matt. 18:18 "Interlinear New Testament," by Jay P. Green Sr.). These are just some of the errors we have found when studying God's word.

In a letter to Timothy from the Apostle Paul, it is written, "Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15). There is a vast difference when dividing the word of truth from error - between spiritual winners and spiritual losers! We can read an example of a spiritual winner in the book of Genesis: God saw in Abraham a man that had potential, talent and leadership abilities. "Now the Lord had said unto Abram, get you out of your country, and from your kindred, and from your father's house, unto a land that I will shew you: and I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shalt be a blessing" (Gen 12:1-2). God gave Abraham a command to leave his fathers house, his family, school buddies, friends and the town he grew up in. Verse 4 tells us: "So Abraham departed." Abraham obeyed God without question. He did not stop and whine, argue or reason. He did not say, "Let's discuss this request because I'm not sure this is the right move. Here I am in Ur - the area of Babylon which is the center of all the world's commerce and where society lacks nothing! There are riches and plenty everywhere. Everything is pleasant and alluring. Why would I want to leave all this and go to a small, poor and un-popular area to settle?" Abraham's action showed God his answer! There was no arguing, no human reasoning, no foolish questioning. There was no stopping to say: "Well, here is the way I look at it!" No!! Abraham simply departed as God instructed.

We can see there is a vast difference between obedience and dis-obedience – between winners and losers! We are not asked by our Eternal Creator to leave our home and kindred and move to another town. But we are asked to build character and prepare ourselves for His kingdom. This is why a spiritual winner is one that wants to build Godly character and says: "Let's find out – search, study, pray, fast, "Prove all things." A spiritual loser says: "I'm not sure. It's a lot of trouble to go to. It takes too much time to study, pray and fast. It's not a popular thing to do, after all, my friends might not like me anymore and besides, the "scholars" are not sure either, so why bother."

Christ told His disciples, "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Gain and win in Greek are Strong's # 2770 - "kerdaino." "For what is man profited, if he shall gain [or win] and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works [his actions]" ((Matt.16:26- 27). A man's ambitions, or a churches' ambitions can not be " Wishy – washy!" Being wishy – washy is the mark of a spiritual loser. Spiritual losers are like the five foolish virgins. They did not have their lamps filled with truth, wisdom, instructions and understanding as they were instructed to do. "Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding" (Prov. 23:23).

Spiritual losers, be it a church group or an individual, never comes to grips with their troubling problems. They keep repeating and asking the same questions, making excuses and vacillate on promises made. Their struggle to commit to a "yes" or "no", is seen from God's word as coming to evil. Christ clearly instructs us, "But let your communication be, yea, yea; nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil" (Matt. 5:37). Having a wishy – washy, neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm, Laodicean attitude when it comes to making a commitment to God's truth is called "coming to evil" in God's word.

Spiritual winners dig out the truth like the Bereans. They are not automatically turned off when they hear something new! Spiritual winners speak positive, confirming truth based on God's Holy scriptures. They build their "yes's" and "no's" upon the solid foundation of God's word. They do not build their spiritual beliefs - their foundation, on people like Maimonides, Eudebius, or Josephus. Christ says, "Why call you Me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to Me, and hears My sayings, and does them, I will show you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built a house, and digged deep, And laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.. But he that hears, and does not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great" (Luke 6: 46-49). A spiritual winner's foundation is built on "yes's" and "no's," not vacillating "yes's" and " no's" and "maybe's" and "not sure's!" "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind." (2 Tim. 1:7)

Isaiah tells us that truth is found by those who seek the Lord with all their heart. "Seek you the Lord while He may be found, call you upon Him while He is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon" (Isa. 55:6-7). God calls those "wise" who are corrected by the truth they find in His word and will admit they are wrong and repent.

In the book of Proverbs, whose theme is wisdom we read: "A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools [like the 5 foolish virgins] despise wisdom and instruction" (Prov. 1:5-7). As church going individuals and groups, we need to think on and digest spiritual food such as this.

In the following proverbs, God warns spiritual losers and shows them how to become spiritual winners: "Those who cover their sins won't prosper but those who confess and forsake their sins shall have mercy"(Proverbs 28: 13). "Happy is the man that fears always: but he that hardens his heart shall fall into mischief" (Prov. 28:14).

Admitting guilt is an expression of truth, denying blame is lying. This is clearly stated by the Apostle John: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us"(1 John 1:8-10). Fellowship with God requires that we acknowledge the truth concerning ourselves. When we confess our sins we must believe on the authority of the word of God that He forgives us, and if He forgives us, we must be willing to forgive ourselves.

Our spiritual attitude should harmonize with God. We must be absolutely honest about our spiritual condition when coming before God in prayer, study, fasting and meditating. Spiritual losers often have a fear of becoming a winner, so they come up with a "losers limp." All of us have known of someone who began in the way of truth only to stumble and fall, again and again! They are not able to break away from Satan's grip. They have chosen to do things their own way, not God's way – making themselves a spiritual loser. "I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not." Those who are unstable in God's ways will never come to God's truth.

Spiritual winners know perfect love casts out fear as we are told by the Apostle John. "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love" (1 John 4:18). Spiritual winners may get knocked down, but they get right back up and carry on the battle. Spiritual winners do not get locked into defeatism like Mrs. Job did. ‘Then said his wife unto him, [Job] do you still retain your integrity? Curse God, and die. But he said unto her, you speak as one of the foolish women speaks. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips" (Job 2:9-10).

A spiritual winner makes commitments, and a spiritual loser vacillates when making promises. A spiritual winner is a person of action, a doer! "Be you doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholds himself, and goes his way, and straightway forgets what manner of man he was. But who so looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed" (James 1:22-25).

A spiritual winner translates the Bible, God's word, into action! When physically looking into a glass mirror, it silently instructs us to wash, or shave, comb our hair, brush our teeth or change our clothes. Both God's word and a mirror are telling us something to do. Ignoring what we see in God's spiritual mirror, leads us to forget and live as if we are already perfect in our own eyes. Spiritually, this type of self satisfaction prevents spiritual progress and will eventually produce spiritual losers.

A study of the Apostle Paul's life demonstrates that he was aware of the existence of a prize. "Know you not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that you may obtain. And every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beats the air: but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: Lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway" (1 Cor. 9:24-27). Paul is showing us that our spiritual and physical life requires self-discipline. It calls for strenuous effort in decision making and it demands we have a faithful purpose. Paul's words' of commitment are extremely serious and should cause us to search deep into our own heart.

In the book of Luke, we find a classic contrast of a spiritual loser and a spiritual winner. "And He spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank you, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. For every one that exalts himself shall be abased; and he that humbles himself shall be exalted" (Luke 18:9-14).

Spiritual losers are always comparing themselves with others and then, comparing "others" with "others"! We are told by the inspiring words of Paul that this is not wise! "For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: But they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise." It is God the Father and Jesus Christ we are to compare our self with, not another human being! Study the parables of Jesus, such as Matthew 25: 24- 46, concerning the "talents" and righteous conduct. They are fine examples of winners and losers!

Spiritual winners are vibrant and alive, anything but lethargic and lazy!! They don't spin their wheels, wasting valuable time on fables, genealogies and striving over words. These were things Paul instructed Timothy on. "As I besought you to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia , that you might charge some that they teach no other doctrine, neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do" (1 Tim. 1:3-4).Our conduct must become flawless and kind so that we can gain our brother and sisters who have strayed from God's truth. If we are to win eternal life for ourselves, we must help other win also! Sometimes we have to bend a little [but never comprise with God's word], in order to gain people to God's truth. By that I mean don't feed them more than they can digest at one time. Ministering God's truth needs to be done in a cautious way. We see this principle in Paul's writings. "For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you. Know you not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that you may obtain" (1 Cor. 9:19-24). Our calling has put us in this race and just like the tortoise in the tale of the hare and the tortoise, we must "keep on keeping on," never giving up! We must finish the race and strive diligently to be in God's spiritual winners circle!