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Dear Brethren and Friends, 

Living in Colorado, I frequently see air quality alerts in the weather app on my phone. The source of air quality problems varies throughout the year, depending on what is happening in the environment. Normally these alerts indicate that the air pollution originates from automobile emissions, pollen, ozone, or smoke, among other things. They all affect the quality of the air in ways that can make it hard for people to breathe, especially for those who are sensitive to contamination in the air.

Most of the time, the degradation of air quality is imperceptible through our senses. We cannot see or smell the problems in the air, unless there’s heavy smoke from nearby forest fires. However, quality problems are there, and they affect anyone who breathes.

What the weather app does not measure is the effect on air quality that originates from Satan’s influence! Rather than cause difficulty breathing, the air quality problems caused by Satan’s influence result in sin. “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:1–2). Satan’s spirit of sin pollutes the air in a way that is much different than other types of air pollution. His emissions affect people in the world everywhere, convincing them that the way of sin is right and good, to the detriment of their spiritual health. The job of the Church of the Eternal God and our international affiliates is to sound the alarm, because the spiritual air quality in this day and age is utterly terrible.

We don’t have to look very far to see the effects of the evil influence upon the world right now. During this presidential election year, rhetoric pollutes the media in ways that polarize the nation, pitting ideologies against each other and breeding animosity. It is not uncommon to hear commentators say that civil war is closer than it has been since Abraham Lincoln became president. Hatred as the cause for a potential civil war is not godly. It results from an evil influence. 

The moral degradation we see today is reminiscent of Sodom and Gomorrah, which directly results from the lies that Satan causes people to believe. People parade their pride in lifestyles that the Bible explicitly condemns. The mass media and prominent voices applaud the abominable behavior as well. People are deceived to believe that the murder of unborn children is a human right. Holidays that have pagan origins have been assimilated into religious worship that God condemns. The list of wrong things that people are convinced of as being right is inexhaustible. All of it is a result of spiritual air pollution.

We can learn lessons for today from Lot’s experience about 4,000 years ago. In his time, the society in which he lived was so corrupt in their thinking and values that God had no choice but to destroy it. Satan polluted the air with so much of his spiritual garbage that God could not even find ten righteous people (compare Genesis 18:32–33). Satan’s influence upon people to love the way of sin was so strong upon the culture of Sodom and Gomorrah that even the wife of righteous Lot looked back longingly to her corrupt home environment as angels led her away to safety. This caused her ultimate demise, leaving her as a pillar of salt (compare Genesis 19:26). We cannot see or smell the subtlety of spiritual corruption in the air, nor can we detect it with any other physical sense. But it is there surrounding us. If we are not careful to respond to the spiritual air quality alerts, Satan’s influence will affect us. 

Knowing that we live in a spiritually polluted environment, what can we do to protect ourselves? The answer is to control our exposure! The Bible tells us to be sanctified by the Truth—to be set apart from the rest of the world. We use the Truth of God to help us distinguish the lies that surround us. Jesus Christ knew that His disciples would remain in this corrupt world, and He prayed to God the Father to equip them for success in overcoming its influence: “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:15–17). This prayer applies to us today. Maintaining our love for the Truth and abiding in it helps to protect us from the influence of evil.

As God calls us to learn the Truth revealed by His Word, we become accountable to live by it. The world may be corrupt with spiritual pollution, but we work to remove ourselves from it through the practice of righteous obedience. The Bible offers this warning and instruction, “And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities’” (Revelation 18:4–5). To avoid the detrimental effects of sin, we work to repent, detoxifying ourselves from sin. We grow to love the Truth. We protect ourselves against contamination by bearing the fruit of righteousness.

It is the earnest desire of the Church of the Eternal God and our international affiliates to fulfill our commission. We are responsible for warning people about the spiritually polluted environment they are in, as well as equipping them with the tools to remain protected. With our modest resources made available through your tithes and offerings, we work tirelessly to produce material to edify, inspire, and strengthen you to withstand the evil that is so ever-present in this age. Please take advantage of it! We may live within a polluted environment, but we are empowered by the Truth, staying faithful to the end.

In Christ’s Service,

Eric Rank

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

Continually doing the Work of God by effectively preaching the Gospel and feeding the flock is our ongoing goal. However, a few questions have come up in addition to this purpose. What sets us apart from all the rest? How do our efforts differ from other Church of God groups? Are we that much different? 

We have consistently expressed the importance of unity in our organization, especially during our annual conferences when doctrinal topics are addressed, as well as other methods to continue and improve our efforts in continuing the Work for the very goal of speeding up the return of Jesus Christ to establish His Kingdom on earth. The work that we do NOW will benefit all of mankind when they will later have the opportunity to understand what their potential is, what we in the Church understand now. Our purpose is not to make this current world a better place, for the only One who could do that is Jesus Christ when He returns. Until that happens, we have a specific job to do. 

We have just finished this year’s conference of 2024, and we have seen fruits in our abilities to get the word out through our Google advertising campaigns and distribution of our booklets. We have had continuous success advertising The Fall and Rise of the Jewish People booklet to English-speaking nations as well as the booklet The Rise and Fall of Germany and Europe in both English and German-speaking nations. We have also continued with the advertisement of the German Ten Commandments booklet, leading to reprints and further reprints of the above-mentioned booklet, along with some other booklets. Due to our advertising, our online viewership has gone up and our subscription list to the English Update has also increased from 700 to around 1060 since last year. In addition, we plan on creating a subscription list to the German Current Events (Weltnachrichten).

When it comes to the internet and our websites, we discussed ways to increase our website recognition through Google ads and also additional avenues to promote our booklets. We have successfully launched a Spanish site www.dioseterno.es where we have so far posted 8 translated booklets, along with Q&As and editorials, and plans to create videos to promote these booklets are upcoming, along with a Spanish YouTube page. Plans for creating a French website are also in the making. 

Continuing with booklet advertising, we have begun promoting the booklets we have available in English through video ads which are sent out to all our subscribers. The plan is to promote a booklet each month through one of the 23 video ads we currently have. Booklets advertised so far include The Rise and Fall of Germany and Europe, God Is Our Destiny, and God’s Teachings on Sexual Relationships.

Further plans for additional booklets to be translated into German include the booklets The Fall and Rise of the Jewish People and Middle Eastern and African Nations in Bible Prophecy.

The Feast sites for 2024 have been established for Tempe, Arizona, in the United States, and Kalkar, Germany. We will also shortly produce new pocket Holy Day calendars for the next ten years.

When it comes to doctrinal issues, we discussed at length what the distinctions are between the Church of the Eternal God and its international affiliates, and other Church of God groups and our thoughts regarding attending other groups. There is a unique focus through the work we are doing, and we believe that we have the most solid doctrinal understanding compared to others. The StandingWatch and AufPostenStehen programs we produce are our unique identity which we use to preach the Gospel to the world. We give benefit to other members in the body of Christ who look for this kind of information. 

There seems to be a lack of unity in other organizations, a trend of liberalism, and a lukewarm attitude which is what we are doing our best to avoid by doing the job that God expects of us. We should never underestimate Satan and how he attacks even the “smallest things,” and if we begin to compromise, one thing will lead to the next. Attending other groups for church services or events where religious activities would be included that differ from what we believe and teach, would be inadvisable. 

When it comes to anointing through other Church of God ministers who are not in our group, that would also not be advised since we have our own ministers who could even send an anointing cloth, unless under extreme circumstances where there is absolutely nobody around who could provide anointing.

What do we do in the case of the death of our leading ministers? We are a small group, and the reality of mortality has set in as leading ministers are getting older. Under Mr. Armstrong at the time shortly before his death, he chose the one who he thought would keep the Church together, not because of doctrine per se. Yet from a human standpoint, putting Mr.Tkach in charge was the worst decision, but it happened this way to fulfill prophecy. God is very aware of the situation we are in, and He has a plan as the Work has to continue. 

Training others for backup duties is vital in continuing the Work when focusing on technical matters and the broadcasting of our services, behind-the-scenes work with recording, uploading, and advertising, as well as all the other work that is involved for the success of the Church. Our younger generation is beneficial in this aspect, as well as women in the Church who also have a crucial job in helping out as much as they can, as appropriate.

Continuing on that topic, we discussed what specific roles women have in the Church of God in distinction to women in public affairs, in politics and as leaders. We have a Q&A titled “Sermons by Women?” which goes into the specifics of what women can and can’t do regarding roles in the Church. Women in politics or in the business world are separate from what the roles are of women in the Church. The ideal situation for women to stay home while their husbands work is not the case anymore. In today’s society, it is almost impossible for married women with children not to work. The societal impact turns things upside down and is inverted. Women in the Church are supposed to be supportive and they can have a business, as Proverbs 31 proves. The woman is able and allowed to do what she is doing with responsibility and trust as it is also beneficial when both spouses complement each other in a work environment with unity when they trust each other, which also goes beyond the family and society. 

Another way is helping to raise and teach the young. In Germany, one of our members has been making short private YouTube videos that are available to families with children. They go first through an approval process by the ministry, also making sure that Jesus is not displayed in any way. In addition, we have been creating the Bible Story in PDF format in German (2 volumes so far) strictly for Church families and their children.

We also discussed how we address new people who are interested in us and want to know more. When it comes to visiting our services, we need to make sure they understand what we teach and what our dress code is. We ask specific questions for their own good and to know all we can before someone attends our services for the sake of our membership and the consistency of our Church teachings. As we state in our “About Us” section on our website, “We emphasize that our Church services in local congregations and at our annual Feast sites, as well as during our live broadcasts are holy and sacred convocations. Participants in person and over the Internet should conduct themselves appropriately during services, and this includes proper dress when we are appearing before God. We would encourage any person interested in our services to contact the ministry to receive guidance and answers to any questions. In general, we welcome guests to our Church services, as long as they are not contentious and worship with us in peace and harmony and in accordance with our doctrines and practices.”

The question was asked about 2nd Tithe and how we are to spend it correctly. A Q&A was written on November 23, 2023, about this and has been subsequently translated into German and posted on our website. The bottom line is, that the principle of 2nd Tithe is for the Feast of Tabernacles and to be used there. One could also use some of the 2nd Tithe for travel and food on other Holy Days and/or on the Sabbath, but we need to make sure that enough money is still available for the Feast of Tabernacles. When deciding how to spend our Second Tithe, we need to be honest with ourselves when getting gifts or purchases that can or cannot be used for the Feast.

In regard to conspiracy theories and their lack of relevance, the government, for example, provides misinformation regarding Covid and woke theories and we have a duty to speak out. Other examples include the moon landing, the flat earth concept, the holocaust, and conspiracies on 9-11. We as a Church don’t need to address these theories unless challenged or when they can negatively affect Church members. 

We discussed Matthew 24:13 which states that “he who endures until the end shall be saved” and what this means for someone who is called but suffers from a disease like dementia. Did they finish the race before the sickness occurred, before they “lost their mind”? Death of the mind is not necessarily the death of the body, for God is the God of mercy. He will not let someone die being uncertain whether they will be in the 1st or 2nd resurrection. In the case of King Nebuchadnezzar, he wasn’t responsible during that time when he “lost his mind.” If a person gets dementia or other similar sicknesses where strong medication is needed, they should not be held responsible as they are not in control of their actions. God allows sicknesses that Satan inflicts, as was the case of Paul’s thorn in the flesh for he knew he had to suffer and endure afflictions to be successful and he was also confident that he would make it (compare 2 Timothy 4:5; Philippians 1:4-6). We will address this situation in an upcoming Q&A.

The question of whether God can or cannot change was answered that God can change His mind. He doesn’t change His law of the 10 commandments but certain ritual laws have changed. Prophecies can change because of circumstances, depending, for instance, on human repentance.

We also revisited the topic of adding and deleting biblical concepts with an emphasis on Worldwide teachings and how we should go about changing our teachings if needed. As we said in the past, it is wrong to speculate when there is no biblical support; especially, when it is contradictory to Scripture. When it comes to prophetic speculation, we need to emphasize that it is such when the Bible isn’t clear on it. When it comes to what Mr. Armstrong taught, if there is something that can be proven from the Bible that what he taught was incorrect, then we would change it. Our premise is to prove that he was wrong in order to change it. There are also many different teachings that we established on what Mr. Armstrong taught and based on his fruits and Scripture, we teach what we understand to be correct. At the same time, we also don’t dogmatically state something that the Bible is not 100% clear on, but we use terms like “appear” and “might”, for example. We need to be cautious about what we say and don’t say. Isaiah 55:8 shows our limitations on what we know and don’t know.

Once again like last year’s conference, we can see from this year’s conference, there was a lot that we covered—things that needed to be addressed and revisited. We need to be unified in the faith and understanding of what this Church represents, based on the Bible, to make sure we are correct in what we are saying and in what we believe, without contradiction. If something needs correction, we need to address that based on what we understand from the Bible. 

The Work continues and will not end as we can see from the fruits of our labors in getting the Gospel message out. God has indeed blessed us financially through the help from the members and contributors of the Church which does not go unnoticed. Your gracious contributions have made it possible to continue doing the Work. We pray that God will bless our continuous efforts and God bless you all for your continuous diligence.

We also wish all of you a very rewarding and profitable Feast of Pentecost, being reminded that all glory and honor go to God who has bestowed us with His Holy Spirit of power to do His Work without wavering.

In God’s service and with Christian love,

Michael Link

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Dear Brethren,

We recently observed Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, and one lesson from that time continues to firmly resonate with me. It is succinctly summarized in 2 Corinthians 13:5:

“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified” [margin: “do not stand the test”].

What does it mean to have Jesus Christ in us? For one thing, it means that we have eternal life—begotten (not yet born) of God by His Holy Spirit. As Romans 8:9-11 explains, we have both the Spirit of the Father and of Christ:

“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit [which] dwells in you.”

Continuing, in verse 14: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”

This message is one of the most dramatic truths of the Bible—as the Apostle John also writes:

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:1-3).

Still, we must examine ourselves regarding our standing in the “faith”—as mentioned above. Are we living pure lives as measured by the life of Jesus Christ? We are admonished:

^“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:‘Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth’;who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:21-23).

Furthermore…

“Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:14-15).

Brethren, we do indeed live in a very crooked and perverse generation! This world is filled with sin at every turn, and righteousness is being suppressed in ways that are utterly astonishing! Our evil time has been foretold in the prophecies of God’s Word, and we find His indictment:

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20).

We, as a part of the Church of God, bear great responsibility for what we have been given and how we, personally, are living our lives. Jesus said, “‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

Our good works include our involvement in the Church of God, and we certainly know that Jesus Christ is always leading the Church—figuratively, described as His “body” (Compare Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18, 24). If we want proof that Jesus Christ is in our lives, it can be found in the fruit that we bear as members of His body!

In this regard, let us be faithful to do all that we can whenever we can. This principle is found throughout the Bible, and we have been given many examples—especially that of Jesus Christ, Who gave His life, “‘that the world through Him might be saved’” (John 3:17).

In Christ’s Service,

Dave Harris

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Dear Members and Friends,

There is an interesting psychological concept that is quite well recognised and it should be a part of our lives. It is delayed gratification, or deferred gratification. It is the resistance to the temptation of an immediate pleasure in the hope of obtaining a valuable and long-lasting reward in the long-term. In other words, delayed gratification describes the process that the person undergoes when he or she resists the temptation of an immediate reward in preference for a later reward that is more favourable. Generally, delayed gratification is associated with resisting a smaller but more immediate reward, in order to receive a larger or more enduring reward later. A growing body of literature has linked the ability to delay gratification to a host of other positive outcomes, including academic success, physical health, psychological health, and social competence.

A person’s ability to delay gratification relates to other similar skills such as patience, impulse control, self-control and willpower, all of which are involved in self-regulation. And obviously, these characteristics certainly apply to us as Christians. As a person matures, they normally change from wanting, or even demanding, something immediately, for example a baby being hungry, to delaying fulfilment of their desires because of a good reason.

The very obvious example of this in Scripture is the case of Moses. He was raised as the son of
Pharaoh’s daughter which entitled him to a very high position in the government of Egypt. Very likely, he would have been the next Pharaoh. Occupying this position, he would have had the very best Egypt had to offer, as well as having the people bowing to him as he passed by in the royal chariot or barge. Physically, he could not have had anything more as the ruler of possibly the most powerful country on the earth.

And yet we read in Hebrews 11:24-27, that he gave all this up. “By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.”

He looked to a future reward that he will receive when Christ returns, as we will all receive a future reward. We are reminded of this in Revelation 22:12: “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My
reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.” As we read the passage in Hebrews, this delayed gratification was the choice Moses made. Obviously, the things Moses had in Egypt were very tempting to hold onto as they gave great passing pleasures. But they were not eternal pleasures which the reward he looked forward to in faith would consist of.

This is shown in Psalm 16:11: “You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Fulness of joy is the maximum possible joy and pleasures forevermore are eternal.

It is indeed a matter of faith looking forward to that reward as we live in our current life. Prophecies indicate that the times ahead of us will become more difficult. Some of God’s people will possibly be put to death as they have been in the past. But we also have the promise of Jesus Christ as stated in Hebrews 13:5: “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” God knows everything we are going through, and He loves us as His children. We can even read that our death, which will come upon us all regardless of whatever else happens to us, is precious in God’s sight. Refer to Psalm 116:15.

One patriarch who went through severe trials for his benefit, as we now understand, still had a positive attitude to God’s ultimate plan for himself. At the time he did not understand why he was going through his trial and yet he still stated that after he died, God would have a desire for the work of His hands and resurrect Job. See Job 14:15.

Many have appreciated listening to the Oratorio by Handel titled “Messiah.” One of the arias
entitled “I know that my Redeemer lives” is very encouraging in regard to the promises laid out before us. This aria is from Job 19:25-27: “For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another, How my heart yearns within me!” 

The phrase “in my flesh” in verse 26 is more correctly translated as “without my flesh” in the American Standard Version and the Jewish Publication Society Tanakh 1917, and also in some commentaries. 

To read that even though Job was sorely tried, his heart still yearned to be in God’s presence. This is a very positive example for us in our lives.

We also have another reason to rejoice, not that we have blessings, or abilities, or strengths on earth, but that our names are written in the book of life in heaven. Luke 10:20 informs us of this: “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

So, we have a wonderful future that God has planned out for us, and it is necessary not to seek temporary pleasures that would turn us from God, but to experience delayed gratification, and wait in faith for the reward that God has prepared for us.

In God’s service and in Christian love,

Paul Niehoff

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Dear Members and Friends,

According to the Gregorian calendar which is used in the USA and the Western world, the month of February is the shortest month of the year. Every month in the modern calendar consists of at least 30 days, except for this month. February only has 28 days and 29 on a leap year which happens to be this year, 2024. Why is the most widely used calendar in the world so inconsistent in the lengths of its months? And why is February the only month with the fewest number of days? 

According to Britannica.com, “The Gregorian calendar’s oldest ancestor, the first Roman calendar, had a glaring difference in structure from its later variants: it consisted of 10 months rather than 12. In order to fully sync the calendar with the lunar year, the Roman king Numa Pompilius added January and February to the original 10 months. The previous calendar had had 6 months of 30 days and 4 months of 31, for a total of 304 days. However, Numa wanted to avoid having even numbers in his calendar, as Roman superstition at the time held that even numbers were unlucky. He subtracted a day from each of the 30-day months to make them 29. The lunar year consists of 355 days (354.367 to be exact, but calling it 354 would have made the whole year unlucky!), which meant that he now had 56 days left to work with. In the end, at least 1 month out of the 12 needed to contain an even number of days. This is because of a simple mathematical fact: the sum of any even amount (12 months) of odd numbers will always equal an even number—and he wanted the total to be odd. So Numa chose February, a month that would be host to Roman rituals honoring the dead, as the unlucky month to consist of 28 days.

“Despite changes in the calendar as it was altered after Numa’s additions—alterations that include the shortening of February at certain intervals, the addition of a leap month, and eventually the modern leap day—February’s 28-day length has stuck.”

In 45 B.C., the first Roman or Republican calendar was reformed by Julius Caesar and became known as the Julian calendar. In 1582 AD, the Julian calendar was replaced by the Gregorian calendar, as the “Julian calendar was miscalculating the length of the solar year by 11 minutes. That 11 minutes added up year after year, and by the 1570s, Pope Gregory XIII and his peers realized that their calendar was off by 10 days!… The new calendar recalculated the leap years to make the average length of a year more accurate” (compare familysearch.org).

The Gregorian calendar did not change the order of the days of the week (for instance, the Sabbath and Sunday, as determined correctly by the Julian calendar, were maintained exactly as the same days determined by the Gregorian calendar). That means, in 1582, when ten days were omitted, October 4, a Thursday, was followed by October 15, a Friday. In addition, the length of the month of February was not altered, either.

With all superstition aside and although it may not seem like a big deal having fewer days in the month, one thing is for sure. Time is short. And time goes by fast.While society may be preoccupied with this month of February being a “leap year,” our understanding about time is that it is indeed short relative to the fulfillment of prophecy. Our lives are like a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away (James 4:14). What we do with the time we have is important. How are we using our time, not just from a physical standpoint, but also in a spiritual way? 

It is quite alright to enjoy our lives, doing things that make us happy, but at the same time, we need to ask ourselves the following questions: Are we making good use of our temporary physical existence in God’s eyes? Are we also doing what God expects of us? Are we doing the Work of God? Are we watching what is going on in the world and do we see how certain events fulfill biblical prophecy? God tells us to watch world events, that are surely coming to pass. And this is what He says to His people, the Church of God: “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets… The LORD GOD has spoken! Who [of God’s true servants] can but prophesy?” (Amos 3:7–8). God’s true servants have been given the “spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10), so they can comprehend what the Bible declares in advance.

These are indeed interesting times right now all over the world. I believe this year 2024 will prove just that. The events that have been happening currently tie in well with what the Bible reveals. What’s happening in Israel and other parts of the Middle East is no coincidence. We explain in our free booklet The Fall and Rise of the Jewish People which was published in February 2017, that the city of Jerusalem and the State of Israel will be the focus of many world events in the not-too-distant future. We are now seeing prophecies about Jerusalem and the State of Israel come to pass and ongoing developments show us that the prophesied “Great Tribulation” is not far away. This booklet explains why God is angry with the Jewish people and how they will fall in an upcoming World War but then will ultimately rise again when their eyes are opened to God’s Way of Life in the Millennium and the Great White Throne Judgment, when God will bestow honor, mercy and grace upon them.

What’s happening in Europe is also no coincidence. The war between Russia and Ukraine is interesting as the Bible reveals that they will in fact collaborate and ultimately combine forces with other Far Eastern nations, such as China, to fight against Europe, just prior to Christ’s return. Currently, we don’t see that happening,but this will change and could also come unexpectedly and catch many off guard. A powerful European leader of German or Austrian descent is destined to manifest himself. 

Although it appears at this point that there is presently no key figure who is emerging to be THE leader over all of Europe and especially over ten European core nations or groups of nations, that will change, and it will also occur quickly and unexpectedly, except to those who are watching and who understand why these things are occurring. We know from the Bible what will occur. Germany WILL rise together with Europe to be the world’s leading superpower but then will fall again. Our recent free booklet The Rise and Fall of Germany and Europe explains in detail this certainty.

What’s happening in the USA with its continuous downfall, especially in the political field, is no coincidence either. The upcoming elections for the next presidency will bring about a leader who, even though possibly well-intentioned, will not make things better but will make things worse, not just for this nation, but for the whole world. This is not to say that God’s people should in any way be involved in political elections or that they should vote for a candidate. God will decide, not man, whom He puts into power to fulfill His plan (compare Romans 13:1). We also understand that Satan is the god and ruler of this world, but he can only do what God allows him to do. And it is in God’s hands for what He decides and whose minds He opens. Daniel 2:21 states: “He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding.” We also read in Daniel 4:17 that “the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, Gives it to whomever He will, And sets over it the lowest of men.”

The future for America and English-speaking nations is inevitable as the Bible abundantly points out. America and Britain WILL fall at first and we are already seeing a glimpse of that. Are we spiritually ready for what’s coming? Much more is revealed in our free booklet, The Fall and Rise of Britain and America to help us better understand and to prepare for what is indeed just ahead of us. 

As our time is short, we must not waver and lose focus on what is truly important. Rather, we must always remain vigilant to what is happening in the world, redeem the time (Ephesians 5:16) and trust in the one True God who can help us accomplish our destiny. (Please read our free booklet, God Is… Our Destiny). May God be with us always! 

In God’s service, and with Christian love,

Michael Link

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Dear Brethren,

The Church of the Eternal God and its international affiliates have a commission to preach the Gospel to the world as a witness and to feed the flock (compare Mark 16:15; John 21:16; Acts 20:25-28). This commission underpins the decisions we make about how to use the resources that God has blessed us with. We know that God holds us accountable to use the financial resources that He provides through tithes and offerings and the talents of our team of coworkers. We take this accountability to fulfill the commission very seriously.

During our annual conferences and monthly meetings, we discuss these matters, always praying for guidance from God in our endeavors. In the summer of 2022, we made the decision to dedicate some of our resources towards running advertising campaigns to promote some of our booklets. Our focus is to become more known through those advertisements in order to become better equipped to preach the Gospel to a broader audience. This allows us to provide our booklets to interested readers as one way of fulfilling our commission to preach the Good News to the world as a witness and to feed the flock. To any outsider with a worldly perspective, this strategy makes no sense. We spend money on advertising to give away booklets for free, not asking for any kind of monetary return. To the world, this looks like we are throwing our money away. But we believe that God sees this much differently, ordering us to freely give what we have received ourselves. We have a responsibility to share the Good News of the Kingdom of God, and spending our resources in this way is an investment that will pay eternal dividends.

Since we began our modest ad campaign, we have sent over 3,000 copies of the “The Fall and Rise of the Jewish People” booklet to those requesting it, requiring us to reprint this booklet 3 times. We also had to reprint our German booklet on “The Ten Commandments” (“Die Zehn Gebote”) twice, which we are advertising in the German-speaking areas. Depending on your perspective, this may seem impressively large, or laughably diminutive. Larger churches at present and in the past have garnered much greater response. Forty years ago, “The Plain Truth” published by the Worldwide Church of God reached millions of monthly subscribers, for example. Yet, when we consider the number of booklet requests our Church received prior to our recent ad campaigns, this is a vast improvement. While the focus of our ad campaigns is on sending physical booklets, all of our booklets—almost sixty in the English language—are freely available digitally on our websites in just about every country in the entire world. It should be plain to see that we take the optimistic viewpoint, knowing that we are not to despise the day of small things (compare Zechariah 4:10).

Of course, it would be encouraging to see more individuals being called out of the world, reading the booklets that we send, and following up with deeper questions on their path to conversion. However, we know that our job is not to convert people—it is God the Father who does the calling (compare John 6:44). We maintain that our job is to proclaim a warning message to the world as a WITNESS, including through our literature and video and audio messages, and to provide material to use for the spiritual growth of those whom God calls. Therefore, the measure of our success in this age is how efficiently we use our modest resources to warn the world of impending disaster and to edify you, our brethren, and to share the Gospel to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. As Solomon encourages us, “Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days” (Ecclesiastes 11:1). We freely publish our booklets, a wide array of other written material, and videos knowing that it is of primary importance to share the Word of God, and not to be overly concerned with how it will produce a return.

So far, I have been writing about our ad campaigns, for which it would be good to get more and deeper responses. But it is also natural to hope for more from the Church, as members. The fact is, we are a dispersed group scattered to the four winds! This makes it impractical in many cases to meet in person, unless traveling to assemble for the Feast of Tabernacles or other Holy Days. In addition, the majority of our ministry and co-workers have day jobs, limiting the capacity of work time available to spend on The Work of the Church. At the same time, God has allowed us financially from the very beginning to hire ministers and employees, without whom we could simply not do the Work which we are doing. Even so, expounding upon all the constraints we face would diminish the point I’m trying to make by sounding like a set of excuses.

The point is this—as a Church and as brethren, we are not big and powerful. But rather, we have a little strength (compare Revelation 3:8). Having a little strength is different than being weak and powerless. Having a little strength means that our limitations prevent us from getting too comfortable and complacent. We have enough strength—maybe just enough—to hold fast to the Truth, to withstand the devil, and endure to the end. The benefit of having just a little strength is that we must rely on the limitless strength of God to empower us through our struggles, because we don’t have strength enough ourselves. We may hope for more, but when we consider what we have, we can see how powerfully God supports us, even if it doesn›t always come to us in physical ways. Fortunately, we have a sound financial foundation, and we most certainly have not spent money which we do not have, by borrowing money or going into debt, nor will we ever do so.

As the end of this age approaches, discouragement and disappointment will compete voraciously to tear our hearts away from God. But we cannot submit to those attacks. We must continue to use the resources and limited strength that we have as a Church and as individuals, to keep holding on.

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.   Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:9-10).

In Christ’s Service,

Eric Rank

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

With winter having arrived, we are facing shorter days, colder temperatures and less time to spend outdoors. Oftentimes, we can start to feel worn out.

Pulling some quotes from an article entitled: “Why Do You Feel More Tired In the Winter?”: “The days get shorter during the winter months, especially in northern states, Dr. Bazan says. Unfortunately, reduced sun exposure can dramatically affect your circadian rhythm, causing your body to produce more melatonin (a.k.a., the sleep hormone). The end result: You feel tired more often.”

The article gives a few more examples as to why we may feel more tired and then gives some advice on how to feel better. 

On our spiritual front, the Feast of Tabernacles has ended a few months ago, and we have gone back into the fight and the fray of living our lives in this world—and it can be utterly exhausting!! 

As children of God, we are singled out and targeted with increasing ferocity by our spiritual enemies. Just as there are things that we can do physically to rejuvenate, so we must also do so spiritually. We are warned in Scripture that as we draw closer to the return of Christ, the more we will have to face difficulties which we will have to overcome. With God’s help, we can be successful and victorious to make it into His Kingdom. 

I have quoted the following Scripture before, but in regard to what I am writing about in this Member Letter, I want to once again draw our attention to these words found in the book of Daniel. 

In Daniel 7:25, we read: “He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and half a time.” 

This time period written about here is just ahead of us. We are the ones being talked about by Daniel—we, the saints will be persecuted or become weary and worn out! The word for “persecute” here literally means to “wear out the mind.” The attacks are meant to wear us down until we want to curl up and quit—until we have nothing left with which to fight. We are fighting the war on all fronts:  in our hearts, our minds, emotions, our attempts at righteousness and holiness and even our use of God’s Spirit (that is, showing the fruit of the Spirit), and lastly, the enemy who is attacking us physically and also spiritually, in our minds.

Our battle is often won or lost in our thoughts (compare James 1:14–15). Do we ever feel overwhelmed, spiritually and mentally exhausted? That is one way the enemy attacks us. 

We are going to need to be on the defensive. We must fight the enemy and win, with God fighting for us and with us.  

We battle on by renewing our mind through the Holy Spirit, as Paul wrote in Romans 12:2: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” God’s Will for us is to win—to become His born again and immortal Family members. In order to reach our potential, we have to constantly focus on this fact. 

The way in which we do this is by continually looking past the growing darkness of this world. This is challenging—but what life is without challenge? NONE! In Philippians 4:8 we read, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” 

Paul is telling us to “think on good things, and the peace of God will be with you.” What we feed in our thoughts will grow, and what we starve will die. And it IS very hard to constantly be doing what Paul mentioned. Yet, it is utterly important. 

As we continue on our quest to keep pushing forward in our battles, there are a few things that will help us to keep going even when it seems dark and maybe hopeless at times. 

First, don’t become sidetracked: Stephen Covey, the author of “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” coined the phrase: “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” Keeping our focus and efforts on the most important goals will help us accomplish them. Christ essentially told us the same, in Matthew 7:13–14: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” There is only so much time in this life. If we are sidetracked, we fall into many traps and leave no room for God—nor for such important matters like the “renewing of the mind.”

Second, engage in your warfare: Be active in this Christian Way of Life. Realize that we each are soldiers and that we are ACTIVELY engaged in battles. Pray about it, for we do wrestle. Keep in mind that the battle is spiritual because, behind the scenes, evil spirits are trying to disrupt God’s plans. Paul wrote: “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4–5). We are to be using the spiritual might of the Holy Spirit to help us to stay active and to win our battles. It is God’s strength and might flowing through us that allow us to succeed.

Paul aptly wrote in Ephesians 6:10–20 about taking on the whole armor of God. To be engaged in warfare, we need to fully understand HOW we are to do the things Paul mentions. Verse 11 tells us: “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” We are to stand and fight. This takes an immense amount of courage, strength and wisdom—all of which are drawn from putting on the armor of God when it is used in the correct way. We should note that when we do take up the armor of God and start to use it effectively, we will be able to face the wiles or the schemes of the enemy which are vicious and should not be taken lightly. 

As we experience winter, we know there are things we need to do to physically feel better. But more importantly, we know that in this world, we are spiritually facing some of the hardest times that will be known to man, and it is not getting better—but rather, prophecy and world events are unfolding before us. We cannot be asleep and unwilling to be aware. We must rather be those who are awake and willing to serve; not with love that has grown cold (Matthew 24:12–15), but rather with zeal for the Truth. 

We are not to be those whose lights are going out. We are not to be those who are growing cold! We must believe with ever increasing confidence and faith that we will be those helping to usher in the Kingdom of God at Christ’s soon return! We must continue to draw the strength, courage and will to keep fighting throughout this life. 

Let’s anchor onto Scripture, as Hebrews 12:12–13 states: “Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.”

Let us find the strength and courage to continue on and finish our individual fights. Let us continue to pray for the Work and for the ability that is needed for God’s ministers to carry on in accomplishing this Work. We all need the strength that God gives us and the continued help from everyone who continues to walk with us in this journey. Together we can accomplish this great goal for which God has called each and every one of us.

With Christian love,

Kalon Mitchell

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

Having celebrated the annual Fall Holy Days, including the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day, we find ourselves back in this dark world which is ruled by Satan and his demons. Terrible shattering news reached us already during the Last Great Day when murderous Hamas terrorists inflicted unspeakable harm and evil on many innocent people. 

While we focused on the wonderful world tomorrow during our Feast celebrations, when God will rule this earth for the very first time since Adam and Eve, we were shocked by the brutality of demonically inspired and possessed deceived Islamists whose expressed goal it is to wipe Israel off the map and to kill all Jews. Satan has been trying to do this time and again in the past, but he was and will be unsuccessful, because God’s plan requires the existence and survival of the Jewish people (Our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of the Jewish People,” makes this very clear).

While in Germany, I could observe the miserable state the country is in, which in many ways mirrors the situation in the USA. In both countries, governmental leaders do not seem to know what they are doing. Creating one crisis after another, the respective “leadership” has lost popularity, and in Germany, they would not be reelected at this point. It does not appear that Joe Biden would be reelected either, if he runs again for the Presidency. 

We know that the biblically prophesied beast will arise soon in Europe. He will be of German or Austrian descent, and in all probability, he will rise in Germany. But there does not seem to be a person on the horizon who clearly fulfills the characteristics of the beast. Some have speculated that Austria’s former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz could be the one, but this does not appear to be the case. Kurz is presently in legal trouble, and it will remain to be seen whether he will even survive those challenges. Others predicted, at times quite dogmatically, that Germany’s former Minister of Defense, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, would be the beast, but he resigned in disgrace over the plagiarism of his doctrinal dissertation, faces a divorce and seems to have suffered, on and off, from depression. Their political agenda was quite contrary to what to expect from the ideas of the beast, and both have declared that they will not again get involved in politics. Of course, we realize that times can change, but for now, that is the state of affairs.

Neither in Austria nor in Germany do we presently see the manifestation of THE candidate who would clearly identify as the beast. The Bible gives us numerous characteristics to look for in that man and neither seem to apply to Kurz or Guttenberg. Decades ago, many in the Church felt that Germany’s Franz-Josef Strauss could have been the man, and later, that Austria’s Chancellor Joerg Haider might have been the one, but both died. It seems that every time, one is fixated on “determining” who the beast is/will be, one finds him- or herself on an erroneous pathway. 

The same is true when one tries to determine the exact date of Christ’s return. All have been wrong in the past, and all will be wrong in the future. Christ said that even He does not know the day and the hour (Mark 13:32), and that He will come at a time when we don’t expect it (Matthew 24:44).

Regarding the beast, we are told that only the elect will be able to recognize him—those who have been written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the earth (Revelation 13:8, 18; 17:8). All those “out there” who tell us that they have figured out the name of the end-time beast and his number and that they know who he is are and must be wrong, since they did not receive God’s wisdom and understanding to make that determination.

Having said all of this, we must not forget the fact that the time for the establishment of the Kingdom of God here on earth is getting closer. Christ said when the true gospel of the Kingdom of God is being preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, then the end will come (Matthew 24:14). This sign is being fulfilled today in front of your very eyes. We also know from biblical prophecy that the end will come when the tenth and last revival of the ancient Roman Empire has been established in Europe—and observing the times, this event is being carefully staged on the world scene. Germany will arise out of their present disastrous condition under a changed “right” leadership (Please read our new free booklet, “The Rise and Fall of Germany and Europe”). 

Under German leadership, Europe will act with hostility towards the USA and the UK. It will also continue to act with hostility towards Israel, in collaboration with many Arab nations, such as Saudi-Arabia, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey, as well as the Palestinians and Islamist terrorist groups under Iran’s leadership (compare Psalm 83:1-8). Antisemitism has never died in Europe, and right now, it is raising its ugly head once again, and in a demonic twist, many support Hamas and the Palestinians against Israel. In spite of or perhaps because of the present turmoil in the Middle East, a third temple will be built in Jerusalem, and preparations are in high gear to bring this event about. America and the United Kingdom have lost their former glory, and their continuing downfall is irreversible, and only those who are blind cannot see this. The war between Russia and Ukraine will lead to a collaboration between these two powers, together with China, North Korea and other Far Eastern countries—all in opposition to Europe. And it appears that Taiwan will fall into China’s hands.

Many more prophetic events are coming to fruition, as we speak. 

When we see all these things, how much more diligence do we have to show to make our calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10; compare also 2 Peter 3:11)! This is not the time to give up and fall away and go back into the world from which we were freed (2 Peter 2:20). This is the time to look with great anticipation to our unique and incredible future (Please read our new free booklet, “God Is… Our Destiny”).

Let’s be and stay strong, brethren. Times are tough and will get tougher, because Satan, the god and ruler of this world, wants nothing more than to destroy mankind and especially God’s people. But GOD is stronger than Satan. Nothing will overtake us without God’s knowledge, and HE will show us THE sometimes unexpected and surprising way of escape in times of trouble (1 Corinthians 10:13). And we have this promise in Romans 16:20: “… the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.”

With Christian love,

Norbert Link

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

The world of the year 2023 does not offer us much hope for the future. News reports appear to be only harbingers of even worse things to come. From wars, natural disasters, societal breakdown and countless other issues, individuals and nations are being confronted with problems for which there seems no way out.

But there is a solution, and God will soon intervene to bring peace by establishing His government over the earth. This will be done through the return of Jesus Christ, and that is the great hope the Church of God is proclaiming as is noted in Matthew 24, verse 14: “‘And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.’”

But even more, Christians are living as members and representatives of that coming government NOW:

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself” (Philippians 3:20-21).

We must be mindful of what Jesus said of His disciples, and that includes all whom God has called, who have repented, been baptized and have received the Holy Spirit—both then and now:

“‘I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world’” (John 17:14-18).

We, as Jesus did, are to live in this world, but we are doing so with the extra help that comes from the Father and Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. Jesus said of Himself:  

“‘And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him’” (John 8:29).

Likewise, the Apostle Paul taught:

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). 

We have entered the season of the Fall Holy Days—a time set apart by the commandment of God (compare Leviticus 23). Observing these holy convocations with true understanding is only being done by faithful Christians. The people of the world are not aware of, or not concerned with, obedience to any of the biblical instructions from God, including the Holy Days.

While we may seem like an oddity among the societies in which we live, we are not to God! Note this promise from God:

“Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name. ‘They shall be Mine,’ says the LORD of hosts, ‘On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him.’ Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him” (Malachi 3:16-18).

Keep in mind the warning we have been given concerning this age and the generation in which we live, called “Babylon the great” (Revelation 18:2):

“And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues’” (Revelation 18:4).

Our keeping of the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day represents our commitment to God that we are coming out of Satan’s deceived world. 

Furthermore, we know that God will inspire and strengthen us during these times. He wants us to rejoice in both the knowledge and the abundant blessings we can receive by obeying Him.

As we assemble together to appear before God, let’s express our thankfulness for being among the firstfruits of salvation. We have been called to become a part of the new government of God on earth and to accompany Jesus Christ when He brings peace to the world.

In Christ’s Service,

Dave Harris