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Dear Brethren and Friends,

In this letter, we would like to report on the recent 2022 Church Conference, held on Friday, April 29th through Sunday, May 1st and conducted from Escondido, California.

We utilized “Google Meets” for those in attendance. While we did face time zone differences, Thilo and Anita Hanstein, Christoph and Monique Sperzel (from Germany), and Paul and Tine Niehoff (from Australia) were able to participate. Also, Rene and Delia Messier (from Canada) and Dave and Peggy Harris (from Colorado) joined the meetings.

Norbert and Johanna Link, Michael and Anna Link, Eric Rank, Kalon Mitchell, Margaret Adair, Rhonda Cagle and Dawn Thompson were among those in California. Also, Brian and Jill Gale had travelled from England to California for the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread and to attend the Conference.

On Friday, after the reading of the Minutes, regional summaries were given. Following, we had a wide-ranging discussion about our Internet activities: literature views and requests; accomplishments from our monthly Tech Meetings; Live Services broadcasting issues (which, by the way, have improved through the purchase of newer equipment—but more to do in that regard); new advertising campaigns; and alternatives to YouTube in case our messages are blocked. We also reviewed how we conduct Sabbath Service and the procedure regarding prayer requests; and we discussed plans for new English and German booklets for 2022.

On the Sabbath, Live Services were presented from California with Brian Gale giving the Sermonette and Norbert Link giving the sermon. Additionally, elder Eric Rank was ordained to the rank and office of Pastor by the ministry present.

On Sunday, we discussed the question of who are the elect, mentioned in Matthew 24:22. In conjunction with that discussion, we spent some time addressing the prophetic timeline based on the work of the Church of God and events in the world which point to the last generation alive before Jesus returns. A question on biblical covenants was raised, and Norbert Link will write the first Q&A as an introduction to a comprehensive series of Q&As on this topic appearing in the weekly Updates.

National and International Board Meetings were conducted at the conclusion of the Conference.

Brethren, we came away inspired by the many opportunities God has opened to us to conduct His Work—that includes dedicated individuals at every level who zealously serve to accomplish what is before us. That also includes those of you who continue to pray for us and each other as we all join in this mutual effort God has given to us.

As a final comment, we also spoke about plans for the Fall Holy Days during the Conference. We will still face issues for travel, and we have heard that some members cannot afford to attend the California location. We also know that there will be problems in Europe, as well. We know with certainty that great challenges lie ahead, but we also fully trust and faithfully believe that God will do what He has promised to do to help us.

With brotherly love,

The Ministry

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Dear Brethren, Coworkers and Friends,

When Christ’s disciples asked Him what would be the sign of His Coming and the end of the world—this present evil age controlled and ruled by Satan the Devil—He said to be aware of religious deception, wars and rumors of wars, famine, disease epidemics and earthquakes. We have been most certainly experiencing all of them for quite a while, but Christ said when we see those events occurring with ever-increasing strength, the end is near. He called these events the beginning of sorrows (Matthew 24:8) and cautioned us that while these sorrows or labor pains will overtake this world unexpectedly, we must not be asleep, but awake (1 Thessalonians 5:3-6), redeeming the time, because these are evil days (Ephesians 5:16). But we know that in the end, the present sorrows will be replaced with unspeakable joy (John 16:21).

Before Christ instituted the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread at the time of Moses, He poured out ten plagues on Egypt. While the first three plagues also affected the Israelites, the subsequent seven plagues did not. Especially the Passover provided physical protection from the tenth plague—the death of the firstborn. When Christ changed the Passover symbols prior to His death, He offered spiritual protection to those who would partake of the Passover in a worthy manner. But as the end draws near, physical protection for God’s people is also necessary, and so Christ tells us to watch and pray always to be counted worthy to escape all these things which will certainly occur, beginning with the Great Tribulation (Luke 21:36).

It appears that we are living now at the time referred to as the beginning of sorrows. We have not much time left to prepare for the terrible events during the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord, culminating in Christ’s return. God will pour out the seven last plagues of His wrath on this world (Revelation 15:1), which will be, to an extent, similar to the plagues which He had poured out on Egypt. And as ancient Israel was spared from the seven last plagues in Egypt, so the future seven last plagues will not be poured out on spiritual Israelites either—God’s true disciples.

We are called upon to examine ourselves to make sure that we are truly in the faith—that Jesus Christ truly lives in us (2 Corinthians 13:5). We ought to do this all year, but especially now, when the Passover season is upon us (1 Corinthians 11:28). Paul tells us that we must partake of the Passover (also compare John 6:53-56), but we must do so in a worthy manner (verse 27), meaning that when we see areas in our lives which need improvement, we ought to go to God in prayer, express to Him our sorrow and grief for past mistakes and sins, and to ask Him for forgiveness and for the strength to live better lives. In recommitting to God and showing Him our sincerity and dedication, we will be able to keep the Passover in a worthy manner, which we must do.

The Days of Unleavened Bread show us that repentance and the will to live a life pleasing to God are not one-time events, which would only be limited to the Passover evening, but they are ongoing and continuing requirements for us. The number seven signifies completeness and fullness, which means for us that we must come out of sin completely and fully. Only with God is that possible, and Pentecost reminds us of the fact that God the Father and Jesus Christ live in us through the Holy Spirit dwelling IN us (John 14:23, 16-17), directing and strengthening us so that we can live in accordance with God’s Law as we ought to (Romans 8:3-4, 9).

So, let us honestly address some personal questions about ourselves. How serious are we about God and His Way of Life? In times of pressure and disappointment, failure and persecution, are we willing to give up and walk away from God, returning to Satan’s world from which God had freed us (2 Peter 2:20-22)?  Do we really love God more than anything or anyone else, and our fellow man as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40)?

Are we serious enough about keeping the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days and appreciative of the opportunity to spend time and fellowship with our brethren, if and whenever that is possible? To stay at home and listen to services over the Internet, while we could attend in person does not show the kind of love for God and our brethren which we must have. We are admonished to stir up love and not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, and so much the more as we see the Day fast approaching (Hebrews 10:23-25).

Do we still harbor grudges against others for events which might have taken place years ago, unwilling to forgive and to forget (Leviticus 19:18)? Have we, even now, given in to Satan’s evil devices by finding ourselves in quarrels and fights with others, especially with members in God’s Church? If so, it would be high time to make peace and pursue it, insofar as and as much as it depends on us (1 Peter 3:11; Romans 12:18).

So many more questions could and perhaps should be asked, and all of us need to examine ourselves individually and personally. NOW is the time, and how quickly does it pass!

In conclusion, we are wishing all of you an extremely rewarding, uplifting and meaningful Passover season. And let the God of peace be with you (Romans 15:33).

In brotherly love,

Norbert Link

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

Physical things, by their nature, deteriorate and break down. No matter how much we pay for a vehicle, the first thing we will have to replace are the tires, and then brakes and muffler. Eventually, the alternator will fail as well as the fuel pump, the water pump, and the air-cottoned compressor; and if we have the vehicle long enough, the last two things which will break down are the transmission and finally the motor.

Even our physical bodies break down until we die. The patriarchs who lived at times over nine hundred years eventually died. Our physical bodies are not designed to live for eternity, and most of us would not want to live forever with a physical body and its limitations.

Thankfully, as life moves forward, those who remain faithful to their calling will receive a new spiritual body which will not break down, but which will last forever. Especially for those of us who are older and are living with bodies that are breaking down, that is very good news. We will have a body that is fully productive twenty-four hours a day, and which never runs out of energy. Never feeling tired nor exhausted is really something to look forward to.

Our responsibilities during the Millennium, as kings, are laid out for us, which involve providing
for the physical needs of the survivors, and also the spiritual needs which is the role of priests
(Revelation 5:10).

The object is to remove any barriers which might prevent physical or spiritual growth. There will not be any confusion as to which is the correct day to worship God, since the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days will be in force and effect. There will be no other options as to how to worship God, and the choices to be made are obedience or disobedience, accompanied by blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, so compliance will undoubtedly win out in the end in most cases.

Those who stubbornly refuse to submit to God’s authority and have committed the unpardonable sin will be destroyed in the lake of fire, which is a merciful way to deal with them, avoiding an eternity of rebellious and unhappy behavior. Once born-again members in the God Family, we will not and cannot sin in any way; by then, we will have proven our loyalty to God and He can entrust us with eternal life, not having to worry about attempts to overthrow His government.

What our ultimate fate will be is not spelled out in any great detail, but we will not be bored and we will be fully engaged with our new spiritual bodies in whatever God has in store for us

As we are experiencing the final stages of this sick world, reflecting the twisted and perverted mind of Satan, it behooves us to remain close to God and be involved in the finishing of the Work of preaching the gospel to the world as a witness, and of feeding the flock. This responsibility which is given to the ministry needs to be supported by the church members and by anyone who chooses to become a coworker in this great task. We must give a final warning to the modern Israelite nations and the entire world as doors open to do so, and we must all grow in grace and knowledge so that we can be counted worthy to stand before the Son of Man at His return. We will then receive our crown and move forward with tremendous tasks and achievements, according to what God has in store for us.

In Christ’s Service

Rene Messier (Canada)

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

Two years ago, we began to experience circumstances which have changed the world. Now, the Covid-19 pandemic and governmental restrictions continue to stifle the lives of most of this world’s population. Beyond the hundreds of millions of infections and the millions of deaths, daily living is no longer the “normal” of previous years. We realize of course that the figures might be inflated, as many who had been counted as having died of corona died with corona because of underlying conditions, and that lockdowns and other restrictions contributed to the death of many, as recent research confirms. In any event, the number of people who became sick and died has been staggering.

Certainly, the Church of God has suffered during this time—along with the rest of society. Deaths have occurred and several have been stricken by this infectious disease. Due to governmental lockdowns and other restrictive measures, even the ability to assemble together for weekly Sabbath services or to attend the annual Holy Days, including the Feast of Tabernacles, has been altered and made more challenging. In some areas, even attending on the Sabbath had been prohibited, and Church members had to make a choice as to whom they wanted to obey—God or man.

We have long understood that shocking events would take place as the return of Jesus Christ draws near. Prophetic warnings about the end of this age have been given by God throughout the Bible. While what is mentioned is indeed foreboding and fearful, the people of God—“the elect”—have been given reassurances for these times.

Although the statements by Jesus are plainly written down for anyone to read, few do so with understanding. Jesus spoke of “signs” which would take place in fulfillment of end-time prophecies, and among what we should watch for are these:

“Then He said to them, ‘Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven’” (Luke 21:10-11).

Continuing…

“‘And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near’” (Luke 21:25-28).

The Church of God will exist during all of these events! That means, we will experience many of these life-changing, phenomenal occurrences! However, unlike the world, which has rebelled against God and rejected His rule, Christians have been given reassurance for help in these and future times. But we will, as David wrote, face trials of faith:

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).

In this context, consider what Jesus also said:

“‘For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened’” (Matthew 24:21-22).

Some members of the Church of God will receive extraordinary protection in the very worst of times ahead of us. These are Christians identified in the message written to the “church in Philadelphia,” and here is the promise from Jesus:

“‘Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth’” (Revelation 3:10).

What is meant when Jesus speaks of persevering?

Of course, it involves being obedient to God and faithfully living our lives by following the example of Jesus Christ, but there is more! The great challenge before us is to bring the warnings of God to this world, and those warnings are part of the commission given to preach the gospel—the GOOD NEWS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD! (Compare Matthew 24:14).

It is up to God to open doors for us to do this, and it is up to us to go through those doors. Can we do more in this regard? Yes, and we must! This is a daunting challenge, but we know this, “‘“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, Says the LORD of hosts”’” (Zechariah 4:6)—and “‘…with God all things are possible’” (Matthew 19:26)!

Hard to imagine, even unimaginable things are coming! But we know the good news—that God the Father will intervene to put a stop to Satan’s rule and man’s rebellion. He WILL SEND JESUS CHRIST to establish the Kingdom of God on the earth!

Let me close with the words of a twelve-year-old Jesus—the very thing we must be doing: “‘Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?’” (Luke 2:49).

In Christ’s Service,

Dave Harris

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Dear Members and Friends,

We live in a world of changes. Ever since we were conceived, things have been changing. 

Nothing stays the same, and nothing goes back to the way it was. We live in the present moments that are happening—not in the past and not in the future. Everything is now! 

Solomon reminds us that there is nothing new under the sun. Were there computers or cars in his day? No! What he is trying to convey is that the thoughts of men, the things that are done, “new” things, “new” ideas coming into being, are all but of the same vein. 

When God stopped the building of the tower of Babel, it always interested me that He said in Genesis 11:6:  “And the LORD said, ‘Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.’” The power and ability to learn, grow and create things is something that God placed within mankind. This power has not stopped. 

But at what cost? Man was not allowed to proceed then because otherwise God’s plan would have been moving too fast! He had to slow things down, scatter people about, change languages. Now we are once again moving at a very fast pace, and we are building things like quantum computers to make computers faster, and 5G to move data around quicker. In China, they are building an artificial sun fusion reactor at the cost of a trillion dollars. 

Change is inevitable. We can count on change. People often fear change because it includes an element of the unknown. When we cannot control an outcome or a certain situation, it can feel scary or frustrating.

The older I get, the more I realize that God’s commands pertaining to our lives and what He has in store for us are perfect. How many times though have I fought to have my ways, my wants, my choices and decisions, without truly allowing God to lead? The choice in how to change is up to us. Do we want to change with God leading and showing us the way to go (compare Psalm 18:35-36; Proverbs 4:20-27)—or do we keep banging our heads trying to stop or divert change?

When we read the stories in the Bible and we view them from the standpoint and the idea that life is change, it is interesting to see how things changed throughout people’s lives. Everything depended on how people followed God and how they did not. It is so easy for human beings who can’t see the future or predict what will happen to make plans without including God. But this is NOT what God wants. 

God wants to be involved. In fact, when we allow Him to be involved, our lives will change! And they will change in ways we could not expect. But that initial growth in the mindset of allowing Him to lead us is the hard part! Once we start to grow that mindset, God can start working in our lives more and more. 

Christ did this perfectly! His ability to let God lead Him in all things is evident in the stories that we read and in what He had to say. In John 12:49-50, Christ shows exactly what it means to do this: “For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”

For Him to be able to say that means that He had learned to be in subjection to the Father in ALL things; that is, how He could be in subjection in every situation, even if this included trials and suffering. He knew exactly what to say, what to do and what to think!

We need to change. We need to deal with change. And we need to learn to do it with God leading us. The apostles learned this and wrote about it, so that we could come to learn the same thing. In 2 Peter 3:17-18 the apostle Peter (who had to learn multiple lessons in allowing God to lead him through change) wrote this to us: “You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…”

The knowledge of Jesus Christ includes HOW to allow God to lead us perfectly through changes in our lives. We have to be willing to learn how to allow Christ to bring us more in line with God’s Will. I love this Scripture in Romans 8 because if we truly keep it in mind at all times, it shows us that we can have faith at all times, through any and all situations. Verse 28 states: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose…” If we believe this, then we will work to learn how this happens. 

Turning to God and asking Him to lead us is making us free. No longer being frustrated and scared about the future is an incredible feeling. To know that God is for us and is going to take care of everything is life-altering. When we make that change in our thinking and in our minds, we no longer have to be enslaved to this world or anything in it. 

The ultimate change is for us to become God beings. It is going to take a little more time and effort for this to happen. But it is the one thing that we look forward to. 1 Corinthians 15:52 tells us that it will occur “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” Without God’s Will and His doing, then our hope and belief would be for nothing. We need this change! Therefore we need God to lead us and to show Him that we are willing to allow Him to lead us now. 

With Christian love, 

Kalon Mitchell

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Dear Co-workers and Brethren,

Coming to the end of the calendar year, many people are contemplative of the events of the past 12 months. There’s not much argument about it being an especially eventful year. Covid 19 dominates headlines daily; lockdowns and fear cause psychological damage by isolating people in their time of need; political maneuverings abound following administration changes in the US and European nations; racial tensions are magnified. Sadly, the things that stand out the most are grim.

What emerges as a theme for the year is that ideologies have become bastions that polarize the populous. Picking a side to affiliate with is an expectation in our society, while holding a balanced point of view is considered weak. Or at least, this is what our media outlets would have us believe. It is the extreme points of view, with the loudest voices that get the most attention because of their titillating, sensationalist presentations of the so-called “truth”. Of course, we observe the opposing sides present a different “truth” with equally strong rhetoric vigor. While the so-called “truth” is everywhere, the actual Truth gets no attention by the media, whatsoever.

The problem is that we live in a world where deception of all kinds proliferates. As a result, the Truth becomes hidden in plain sight. People cannot generally see the Truth because of the swarm of lies that clouds the view. The Bible explains the reason why this is so. “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:19-20). Satan has a stranglehold on the world right now, controlling the minds of the unwitting who are swindled into believing the lie.

The lies take many shapes, all designed to turn people away from the teachings of God. All of these lies pervert reality and twist facts in the name of virtue to promote the kinds of effects Satan desires. He sows hatred, division, discouragement, and disobedience that have an ultimate end in death, rather than life.

During this time of year, the most prevalent lie involves the Christmas holiday. The world at large presents the holiday as one that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ in ways that honor Him. But nothing could be further from the Truth. It doesn’t take very much research to discover that the origins of this holiday have no roots at all in the Bible. On the contrary, everything having to do with Christmas is made up by man, and even worse, directly traces back to the worship of pagan gods. Why would Christians participate in the holiday celebrations, knowing these facts? The reason has to do with the deception of Satan, that convinces people that it is no big deal. We present this, and other common lies, in a recent StandingWatch program titled, “Why Do We Lie to Our Children?”

The contemporary politicians who run the nations of the world have never been known for their truth-telling virtues. Yet, their lies become more egregious with each passing day. Whether those lies involve commitments to other countries, the so-called facts surrounding the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, the effectiveness of Covid 19 measures, or just about anything else, it is many times difficult to know what to believe. Facts are figuratively and literally redacted, being hidden from view.

The media is perhaps the worst culprit when it comes to the presentation of deception. Each outlet selectively presents facts to draw their pictures, and colors them with strongly biased interpretations, which push forward an agenda aimed to influence the hearts and minds of the consumer. These presentations are undeniably slick and seemingly convincing. While claiming adherence to truth and invoking science, the presentations by the mass media mostly deceive. Big tech is complicit as well, implementing gatekeeping policies to prevent any facts from coming to the surface, which might contradict the narratives of their agenda. What’s crazy is that these biases are generally known by media consumers! People are effectively choosing to be deceived.

These examples of the deception that surround us could go on and on. The whole point is that we live in a world where it is hard to know what to believe. With Satan in control of the narrative, we shouldn’t be surprised. “… He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44). As a result, while living in this world, as we wait for the return of Jesus Christ, we cannot escape the influence of deception.

The question then becomes, what do we need to do to protect ourselves? Jesus Christ Himself warns us about the need to be on guard against deception. “‘Then if anyone says to you, “Look, here is the Christ!” or “There!” do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. Therefore if they say to you, “Look, He is in the desert!” do not go out; or “Look, He is in the inner rooms!” do not believe it’” (Matthew 24:23-26). We need to be aware that as those converted, baptized, begotten members of the Family of God, we are in Satan’s crosshairs. We are his most valuable targets, and he will do whatever he can to prevent us from completing our journey, with faith, to inherit eternal life.

Our protection of course involves our close adherence to the Truth. The very first item in the armor of God that protects us is the Truth (compare Ephesians 6:14). By becoming intimately familiar with the Word of God, and praying to God for understanding, we will build for ourselves a foundation of knowledge that we can use to guide our decisions and actions. By putting the Holy Spirit to work to help us develop the mind of Christ, we will learn how to correctly apply what we learn so that we can walk in the Spirit (compare Galatians 5:16). Our love for the Truth is our base layer of protection against the deception espoused in the world around us.

We in the Church of the Eternal God and our international affiliates have a commitment to support your search for the Truth. With the Word of God as our source, the Holy Spirit as our guide, and the history of the Church doctrine as our benchmark, we work to fulfill the commission given to us by God – to feed the flock and preach the gospel to the world as a witness. We continue to use the resources that God grants us, knowing that we are accountable to God the Father and Jesus Christ to share the Truth as strongly as we can. It takes a great deal of work, but it is our great privilege to have the opportunity.

We face a dire situation in the world right now. The noise of deceit drowns out the voices that speak the Truth. The world has little tolerance for hearing the Truth, and cannot even recognize it. “Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter” (Isaiah 59:14). Yet, we cannot give up. We all work together to hold fast to the Truth and participate in the ways that we can to amplify it. The work of the ministry will continue to present the Truth with a strong, unified, and clear voice. And you as co-workers have an important job as well. Your prayers for the work of the Church are vital. Only by working together can we be effective in fulfilling the job that God has given us – to uphold the Truth without compromise.

In Christ’s Service,

Eric Rank

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

I have thought, for a long time, that it must take more faith to believe in the theory of evolution than in the great Creator God.

The theory of evolution challenges the idea that God is the designer of the universe and that the beauty, order and complexity of the universe is evidence of a superior supernatural being. And yet, there are those who deny the evidence before their very eyes of a creation that demands a Creator and cling on to an unprovable notion that evolution is responsible for all that we see on earth and in a hugely impressive solar system that boggles the imagination in its size and complexity.

I want to quote a short piece entitled “Swallow that one! Showing how ridiculous the theory of evolution is”:

“This false religious movement is called ‘Evolution’. It has no scientific basis, despite its claims to the contrary. It is a belief system teaching that everything came into being by chance, that billions of years ago, out of nothing, an atom, no larger than a ‘dot’ on this page, made itself. Then after millions of years it started spinning and spun so fast that it blew up. Out of this big bang the entire vast universe was formed, including the millions of Galaxies, Space and everything that exists. After further millions of years primitive life evolved from ‘Pond Scum’ and eventually into living creatures. Then by their own shoe straps they pulled themselves up, finally developing into a diversity of living things, with mankind originating from an ape-like creature millions of years ago. This is a belief system of a fool, for only a fool can believe that nothing created something.” 

You really do have to have unimaginable faith to believe that what is taught by Evolution and quoted above is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

I have no recollection as to who wrote that excellent piece, but it is a quotation that I saved because, to me, it demolishes the absurd theory in just 152 words.

Why do I raise this matter at this time? It is because the belief in the Great God whom we acknowledge and worship is under threat as never before. Belief in God seems to get a lower rating each time a poll is taken. Man now seems to be his own god; many of his inventions are astonishing and even space-exploration seems to be a further area to engage in and develop while conditions on earth continue to deteriorate. We have only to look around us to see that current conditions cannot continue as they are for very much longer.

The Coronavirus pandemic and man’s attempts to deal with it have caused havoc in a worldwide system already sinking in unimaginable debt. Shortages are becoming commonplace, prices soaring, violence and war are the norm in many places, and we see worldwide terrorism, poverty, drug abuse, disease, pollution, much sexual deviancy and more. 

In today’s educational system, students are fed the “theory of evolution” as a matter of course, and any belief that they may have in God is undermined at an early stage in their lives.

Those of us who are privileged to have been called into the true Church of God know that Satan must realise that his time is short (compare Revelation 12:12), and his attacks on the people of God will increase as we near the end of this age.

But we can have a peace of mind that society is not able to enjoy at this time because they have no idea about the Master Plan that God has for His people now and for the rest of the world, past and present, in the future. 

When we see the acceleration in world events and how international, national and local woes continue to intensify in an increasingly godless society, we have the comfort and joy of knowing that this is but for a short time only and that it will all be replaced by the Kingdom of God at the soon-coming return of Jesus Christ which will supersede the current state of affairs, where no world leader has the answers to the current woes being experienced worldwide.

Those atheistic proponents of evolution and God-deniers will have some explaining to do when Jesus Christ, who they believe does not exist, returns to earth as King of kings and Lord of lords, but most will have their opportunity to repent and be in God’s Kingdom for eternity.

We should delight that some or many of our current opponents may one day “see the light” and enjoy, with us, the wonderful eternity that God has on offer for those who seek His Way.

Now is not the time to let down or let go of the Truth that has been revealed to us. Our calling is a wonderful gift, and we must always treasure it. Let us move forward knowing that, not too long from now, there will be such a wonderful future for us to enjoy, for eternity!

With Christian love,

Brian Gale
(United Kingdom)

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Dear Members and Friends,

We have just returned from celebrating what Church of God members have been looking forward to the whole year—when we could put our everyday lives on hold and when we could worship together in peace and harmony; exactly, what the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day picture. But being able to observe these days didn’t come without its challenges, for we couldn’t celebrate them in a way we used to in times past, without restrictions and other complications we hadn’t faced before. This already started to become evident last Feast. The world as we once knew it has changed and it doesn’t appear that it will get any better or return back “to normal.”

In my message on the Last Great Day, titled “Right Now,” I mentioned that we have all witnessed a miracle this Feast. By being able to observe God’s Holy Days like we did, under various circumstances and challenges that we had to go through to even make it to the Feast, and still having had the privilege to meet together is considered a miracle. And yet there were brethren among us who weren’t able to attend the Feast due to illness.

We have heard many examples and have had many prayer requests about the trials that many of the brethren in virtually every Church organization within the Body of Christ had to go through in order to keep the Feast, like the need for vaccinations in order to travel, Covid tests, and persistent problems with requesting time off from school and work, which is still an issue for some every single year. And now, throwing the pandemic in the mix has added to the challenges in ways we probably would have never thought possible. This is where we really needed and need to place everything into God’s hands. 

Now we have returned and the challenges continue, especially for the brethren in the United States, Canada, Australia and other countries in Europe. Many have come back with the Covid virus and other complications. God’s people are suffering. But God is very aware of it all, and He continues to test us in various ways to see how we respond. This mirrors the way His chosen ones were tested in the examples we read about in the Bible. Jesus Christ also suffered just as we do, and He knows exactly what we go through. Peter states it this way: “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you” (1 Peter 5:10). The sufferings we go through are only temporary but they are a necessary step to achieve what we have been destined for. 

We may ask ourselves why these things are taking place, why so many in God’s Church have been affected beyond and above the sacrifices we have already had to make so we could attend the Feast, and now we continue to suffer after we have returned. The answer should be quite clear. Satan doesn’t rest until he has done all he can to dissuade us, to the point where we could lose our drive to continue on. But Satan can only do what God allows. And while Satan tries to influence us to sin, God allows that we go through trials and tests to show ourselves approved—by resisting and overcoming sin. That is where we have a choice to make, and God wants to see us make the right choice, looking to Him and putting our faith and confidence in Him to provide for our every need. John gives us this assurance: “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14). So, we must continue to pray for His intervention.

I ended my message on the Last Great Day by stating that this was NO time to sleep, NO time to sit back and relax when it comes to our spiritual lives. What is going on in the world right now is just the beginning and it is frustrating. It will get more frustrating, and this is exactly what Satan wants. He wants to break us apart. He wants to discourage us and wear us down, and he may be using political and religious leaders of this world to do so. We read in Daniel 7:25 that the “little horn” shall “persecute the saints of the Most High.” The word for “persecute” literally means, “to wear out.” It describes wearing out by degrees, like a garment is worn out. That is Satan’s strategy by confronting us with constant harassment and ongoing persecution in one way or another. We cannot let Satan win! We are stronger than he because we have God on our side. God assures us that we can resist Satan and that we can live through every problem—with God’s help. We should be praying for Christ’s speedy return to finally put an end to all this madness. But would we be ready for His return? That is a question we each must ask and answer for ourselves, for God is also waiting on us to act right now, as Paul states in Romans 13:11 “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.”

The times we are in now should be a wake-up call for what we know is coming in the not-too-distant future, as prophecy unfolds before our eyes. We don’t know for sure what next year will bring, where or IF we will be able to observe God’s Feast days together as a Church as we have been doing every year up to this point. With this uncertainty, we can be certain that God is well aware of this situation, and He is with us, guiding, leading and directing us, as long as we remain faithful, diligent and trustworthy, and as long as we fully embrace His plan for us and His Church. May God be with all of US!

In God’s service and with Christian love,

Michael Link

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Dear Members and Friends,

It is only a few weeks now until the Feast of Trumpets occurs, which will be followed by the Day of Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day. We can certainly look forward especially to this Feast of Trumpets because of what we read in Revelation 11:15. This pictures the culmination of the blowing of the seven trumpets after the Great Tribulation and the Day of the LORD: “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our LORD and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!’”

To us, this is a wonderful day to look forward to. It pictures what is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: “For the LORD Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the LORD in the air. And thus we shall always be with the LORD.” This is the time of the beginning of our eternal life—a time of great rejoicing when we will meet up with all of those we have known in God’s Church who have endured to the end. We will also meet up with many others, including prophets and members of God’s Church throughout the ages.

However, the Feast of Trumpets does not only have importance for us—not just for those called by God. But it points at the time when the whole world will begin to be changed. Today, this world is ruled by Satan who is called the god of this age and who has blinded the minds of almost every person (2 Corinthians 4:4). We have just published a new free booklet, titled, “Evil Empires and Evil People—Wild Beasts of the Bible.” In this booklet, we show many biblical references of wild beasts that are used to depict evil people and evil empires in this world. This booklet explains these symbolic references as they apply to dramatic prophecies given for our time.

The world today is in many ways very insecure and at times quite frightening. As is mentioned in the prophecy that Christ delivered on the Mount of Olives, there would be religious deception and earthquakes, as well as wars and rumors of wars.

When we look up historical reports, there are listings of many wars over the centuries. And as for rumors of wars, in magazines of the 1960s, there were many articles on building fallout shelters in case there was a nuclear war between the Soviet Union and the USA. Even today, there are suggestions or rumors of a war between China and USA. In the real wars, multiple tens of millions of people have been killed, both in the military and also innocent civilians.

But when the events, symbolized by the Feast of Trumpets, are being fulfilled, when Christ returns to earth as Lord of lords and King of kings, He will overcome everyone who tries to fight against Him (Revelation 17:14). There will be a world of peace for a thousand years, beginning in Jerusalem. Zechariah 14:3-4 also describes this time period when the nations are gathered together to fight against Jerusalem: “Then the LORD will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east….”

However, Jesus Christ did not only prophesy about religious deception, earthquakes and wars when He spoke on the Mount of Olives. He also spoke about famines and pestilences. Again, when we look through history, there are many records of pestilences over the centuries. Some notable ones that come to mind are the black death or bubonic plague in the fourteenth century, which killed over seventy-five million people. There have also been repeated episodes of this plague since then, although not killing as many. In 1918, at the end of the Great War (World War I), a severe influenza killed around fifty million people, mostly young adults. This was explained with wartime conditions which caused famine and other diseases like consumption (tuberculosis) to be combined with this flu to make it more deadly. Deuteronomy 28:22 describes this for Israelites who do not obey God, although it would apply to others as well. Even today, we are suffering through a pestilence called Covid19, which is reported so far to have killed over four million people (even though it must be admitted that those figures are highly inflated. Further, many suffer more from governmental restrictions imposed on the people than from the disease itself.)

But after the fulfillment of the events, pictured by the Feast of Trumpets, these conditions will be ended for a thousand years. Some verses in Isaiah 33 show us examples of this wonderful time. Verse 20 says: “Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts…” This includes the Feasts, which we will be observing in the next few weeks. Verse 20 continues: “Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet home…” Certainly, Jerusalem is not like this today. Continuing: “A tabernacle that will not be taken down….” Verse 21 reads: “But there the majestic LORD will be for us A place of broad rivers and streams, In which no galley with oars will sail, Nor majestic ships pass by.” This implies that no ships of war will be around, again starting at Jerusalem and then spreading to the rest of the world. Verse 24 is also inspiring: “And the inhabitant will not say ‘I am sick’; The people who dwell in it will be forgiven their iniquity.” Again, after Christ has returned, there will be abundant health. As we read in Ezekiel 47:12, if medicine is needed, the trees beside the river will have leaves for medicine.

As we live in this world which is not God’s world, we are told to pray for God’s Kingdom to come and His will to be done “on earth as in heaven” (Matthew 6:10; Revised English Bible). We are also told to seek first the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). And what is God’s own attitude in this? Isaiah chapter 62 makes this very clear. Verse 1 informs us that God will not hold His peace or rest until the righteousness of Jerusalem goes forth as brightness. Verses 6 and 7 inform us that God has set up watchers who will never hold their peace day or night until He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. So, as well as telling us to desire His Kingdom to be established on the earth, He also greatly desires it.     

As these soon-coming Feast days approach, we should be reminded that they signify our change to immortal Spirit beings, but also the time when this world will no longer be ruled by Satan. It will be a time when God’s Kingdom of truth and righteousness, peace and health, will be established. It will begin at Jerusalem and ultimately cover the whole earth.

With much love and concern,

Your brother in Christ’s service, 

Paul Niehoff (Australia)