One of Sarah's daughters
on March 13, 2026 at 6:07 AM
Reading this passage with the references to ancient Israel wandering in the wilderness, I can’t help but compare yet again to the 40 years that the current COGS in the wheel of Gods church have been in our type of spiritual wilderness. We lack one strong physical leader (we still have Christ though) as we had in Mr. Armstrong who, although not perfect, I believe, was strongly used by God to restore truths and pull the people together. I feel we must hang on to truth.
I was almost in tears the other day, thinking of how we are all separated. Leaders are marked, groups change, and suddenly you have a spiritual hole in your heart… your friend who you saw every week, visited their house, shared almost everything for 20 years, is gone. You try and reach out, but the gulf between you is vast, the correspondence is often cold, there is no more weekly Sabbath hug and chats.
My husband pointed out its just like a divorce. Over and over again.
Rumors run, founded and unfounded. Many spiritually beat up and destroy each other on internet chats, perhaps anonymously.
Its like when your parents leave you for awhile and your big brother is in charge. He wants to do something wrong, he’s pushing the boundaries and wants to take you with him. You just want to do the right thing. All you can think is “I wish Dad would come back”.
The Greek of verse 9 is more literally, “Your fathers put Me to the test with testing.” God invites us to put His words to the test, but at a certain point, He expects us to believe based on those results. The evil heart of unbelief comes about when we never let the proofs of God’s goodness and greatness change how we look at Him—we just keep testing in unbelief.
12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;….
14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,
15 while it is said:“Today, if you will hear His voice,Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
Guard against:
An evil heart
A hardened heart
A heart of unbelief
This requires much reflection deep into my inner heart, mind, and being
Reading this passage with the references to ancient Israel wandering in the wilderness, I can’t help but compare yet again to the 40 years that the current COGS in the wheel of Gods church have been in our type of spiritual wilderness. We lack one strong physical leader (we still have Christ though) as we had in Mr. Armstrong who, although not perfect, I believe, was strongly used by God to restore truths and pull the people together. I feel we must hang on to truth.
I was almost in tears the other day, thinking of how we are all separated. Leaders are marked, groups change, and suddenly you have a spiritual hole in your heart… your friend who you saw every week, visited their house, shared almost everything for 20 years, is gone. You try and reach out, but the gulf between you is vast, the correspondence is often cold, there is no more weekly Sabbath hug and chats.
My husband pointed out its just like a divorce. Over and over again.
Rumors run, founded and unfounded. Many spiritually beat up and destroy each other on internet chats, perhaps anonymously.
Its like when your parents leave you for awhile and your big brother is in charge. He wants to do something wrong, he’s pushing the boundaries and wants to take you with him. You just want to do the right thing. All you can think is “I wish Dad would come back”.
The Greek of verse 9 is more literally, “Your fathers put Me to the test with testing.” God invites us to put His words to the test, but at a certain point, He expects us to believe based on those results. The evil heart of unbelief comes about when we never let the proofs of God’s goodness and greatness change how we look at Him—we just keep testing in unbelief.
Hebrews 3
12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;….
14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,
15 while it is said:“Today, if you will hear His voice,Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
Guard against:
An evil heart
A hardened heart
A heart of unbelief
This requires much reflection deep into my inner heart, mind, and being