by 
© 2023 United Church of God Australia
All correspondence and questions should be sent to . Send inquiries regarding the operation of this Web site to .
Halloween - harmless fun or human folly
Articles tagged with: God's Holy Days
A night to be much observed
by Drew Efimov
Is there an event or celebration in your life which you particularly remember fondly? The night after the Passover is of special significance and observance to many Christians. What is this night to be much observed?
A New Year’s Challenge for You
by Reg Wright
Have you made any New Year’s resolutions so far this year? Are you up for a New Year’s challenge which will set you on a life changing experience and a journey of discovery?
Read on!!
Seeing the old year out and the new year in
by Reg Wright
This time of the year is a festive season, with Christmas just passed and preparations for New Years’ eve celebrations next on the minds of many.
1st January 2018 starts a brand new year. The calendar is the time keeper for what we do in life. The calendar determines for us – those who use the Gregorian calendar - when we see the old year out, and the new year in.
But do we ever stop to give consideration as to how time began? For the Christian, whose foundation of belief is the Bible, we believe God created time.
It is Unmistakably the Season of Christmas.
by Reg Wright
Have you been looking forward to the Christmas Season with all the Christmas cheer this time of the year brings – Christmas light displays, Christmas songs in all the stores and shops or maybe the carols by candlelight? Would you be interested to learn more about the true meaning of Christmas? My wife and I some fifty years ago made the decision not to observe Christmas. Does this surprise you? We were raised in Christian families and Christmas had been a part of our religious celebration but we had taken for granted that Jesus Christ – our Lord and Saviour – was actually in Christmas.
Trick or treat .... Is It harmless?
by Reg Wright
Australians are indeed embracing Halloween in greater numbers and spending more money on this festival. Halloween decorations are more readily available in the shops and online and people are embracing this festivity with greater enthusiasm.
It all looks like so much fun and seems so harmless.
But is Halloween really harmless?
The Miracles of Jesus – A Foretaste of God’s Coming Kingdom
by Roger Waite
Even those who are not Christians know of the many wonderful miracles performed by Jesus Christ throughout His human ministry which are recorded in the Bible. However, how many understand that these remarkable good deeds – which were too numerous for all to be recorded – demonstrate the kind of world He will lead as King of Kings and Lord of Lords in the coming Kingdom of God?
Events of the end and beyond
What events are we witnessing now? Are things getting better, or rapidly getting worse? Are we heading for the time of the end and beyond?
Gone before us in suffering
Didn’t Jesus the Christ understand human weaknesses and needs before He became the son of man? Of course, He did. But He experienced them Himself. There is a difference.
Judge ourselves
by Bruce Dean
I think we would all agree that it is easier to judge someone else than to judge one self. However we know that Jesus Christ teaches that we are to remove the ‘plank’ out of our own eye before trying to take a ‘speck’ out of someone else’s. Have you heard the story written by Ruth Knowlton?
Is it alright to compromise with God?
by Ken Murray
Does it really matter to God whether we adopt just any customs of the world? God loves pagan festivals; His love excludes no one, nor their festivals .... right? Let’s consider what God reveals in His Word – the Holy Scriptures.
A shadow of things to come
by Roger Waite
Are you amongst those who are genuinely seeking the truth or a church that is teaching the true beliefs of the Bible? Have you been challenged regarding the origin of christian festivals such as Christmas and Easter? You may have heard or read that these festivals were introduced into christian worship in Rome around the 4th century AD. Given their late establishment, this obviously meant that neither Jesus nor any of the apostles kept these days.
If so, then what days did they keep as festivals? What are the Festivals of God?
Feasts of the Lord
Are you making excuses to not keep the annual Holy Days of God? They are inconvenient to your work schedule, holiday time or interrupt other of your commitments? God’s commands for His people will always be in conflict with the way of life the world demands. What would your commitments be that God’s commands can be ignored?
Don't lie to your children
by Reg Wright
Are some lies really acceptable? As parents we may teach our children not to lie but what kind of message are we giving our children when we lie about the reality of Santa. When they eventually learn the truth, do we really understand the implications this lie has on our children's development of trust in us as role models.
Don't let it run your life
by Reg Wright
Christmas is known as a time for the giving of gifts especially to ones children and loved ones. Because of this there is a subtle pressure that we must give Christmas presents whether or not we can afford them.
We wouldn't want to disappoint our children or loved ones, would we?
Have you felt that pressure? Are you really sure you can afford to celebrate Christmas?
It is time we took a stand and not let Christmas run our lives.
The Feast of Ingathering
by Roger Waite
Most people are unaware that God has given us seven holy festivals to celebrate throughout the year. Mainstream christianity keeps festivals such as christmas and easter which were never celebrated by those names until centuries after Jesus Christ had lived and died. In fact Jesus and the apostles in the decades following the crucifixion didnot keep christmas or easter but kept the holy festivals commanded by God. What do you know about these holy festivals in particular the Feast of Ingathering?
A fast commanded by God
by Reg Wright
This past Saturday was a spiritually uplifting but physical challenging day. Why, you may ask. Not only was it a weekly Sabbath but also an annual Sabbath of God – the Day or Atonement. Did you know we are commanded to fast on the Day of Atonement?
The Feast of Trumpets: A turning point in history
by Ken Murray
Today is the Feast of Trumpets. Why is the Feast of Trumpets so valuable to you personally, and for all humankind?
Did God ever command us to observe a Holy Day about trumpets and their significance to God's plan? Why do we call this Holy Day the Feast of Trumpets?
The blessing of fellowship on the Sabbath Day
by Roy Holladay
I learned about the Sabbath and Holy Days when my mother, twin sister and I observed them for a year at home before I attended College. The Sabbath – the seventh day of the week - was the highlight of my week.
God created the Sabbath to be a blessing for us. One of the blessings of the Sabbath is the opportunity to assemble together on that day. Fellowshipping with the people of God is truly a great blessing from God that the Sabbath day affords. 1 John 1:3 reveals that we also have fellowship with the Father and with Jesus Christ. The Sabbath is also a special time of fellowshipping with God. In God's word He describes of a time in the future when all humankind will worship God on the Sabbath. What a wonderful day that will be!!
Physical observances demonstrating deep spiritual lessons
What will you be doing next week? Anything special? Or will next week be just like any other week? My family and I will be observing one of the most important commands of God.
Next week begins God's Holy Day calendar with the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread. Does God really require us to follow physical observances like these?
The real you - worthy of God's love?
Do you sometimes feel inadequate or unworthy? 
by Joe Rivers
Do you sometimes feel inadequate or unworthy? Lots of self help gurus attempt to address questions like this one but the true, life changing answer isn't found in the latest best seller. It's found in a simple little story you were told as a child.