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Dear Brethren and Friends,

With summer upon us and the restrictions of Covid-19 being laxed by some governments of this world (while others begin again to impose more restrictions), there is an increase in travel and entertainment. People have been cooped up and are anxious to get back into the groove of things. There could be a downside to all of this, and that is the neglect of spiritual matters, because now we may become really busy and God may at times take a back seat to our activities.

This could take us away from our task at hand, given to us by God, which is to preach and publish the gospel to the world as a witness, watch and pray, and grow in grace and knowledge, and we could instead become distracted by our busy lives and lose focus.

It is almost as though we need blinders on to keep us focused. They use blinders for horses for that purpose, as described on the internet:

“Blinkers, sometimes known as blinders, are a piece of horse tack that prevent the horse seeing to the rear and, in some cases, to the side.”

They help the horse to focus on what is in front of them and reduces distractions.

God’s instructions to us have not changed. Let us look at God’s command to Israel before going into the Promised Land:

“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess” (Deuteronomy 30:15-16).

These same rules apply for us today in that we may be blessed physically for obedience. Israel was God’s nation that would be blessed physically for obeying. We are God’s begotten children, described by Peter in the following manner:

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…”
(1 Peter 2:9).

Our future is so much greater than just being blessed physically; it is eternal life in the Kingdom of God. Revelation 5:10 promises us: “And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”

The manner or method has not changed. We are to “walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.” 

For us, the “land” which we are to possess, is ruling on and over this entire earth. And we are also promised as a free gift, if we are and remain faithful, entrance into the Family of God—the Kingdom of God.

Matthew 25:34 says: “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…’”

We want to be in this group hearing these words since God has no pleasure in those who do not fulfill their precious calling, as we read in Luke 9:62: “But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.’”

If we are called, our commitment is to see the job through. The rules have not changed from what Israel was given but God’s free gift and His reward for us are so much better.

Let us ensure we do not get distracted by developments in this world which are seemingly giving us more temporary “freedom,” but rather stay focused on our commitment to obey and love God and complete the task of sending this precious Gospel out to the world. Then we will receive God’s great gift and shall reap our glorious reward which is greater than any physical reward we can imagine. To rule as Kings and Priests in the Kingdom of God is our promised destiny, and that is a goal to which we must remain completely focused.  

In Christian Love

Rene Messier (Canada)

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

How do we measure up when it comes to living a faithful life before God? Can it be said of us that we have “walked with God”—as did Enoch (Genesis 5:22), or that we are “the friend of God”—as was Abraham (James 2:23)? Can we, like the Apostle Paul, say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7)?

Also, consider David, who has been chosen to be ruler over Israel “forever” (Ezekiel 37:25), and he is memorialized with these words from God: “‘“I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will”’” (Acts 13:22).

Of these people—and others—it is revealed that they, “having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise” (Hebrews 11:39). [That promise is God’s immutable assurance of eternal life in His Kingdom (Titus 1:2).] Consider, also, what applies to Christians, to us, in verse 40 of Hebrews 11: “God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.”

One Person has attained perfection after completely overcoming sin, Jesus Christ. And “though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Hebrews 5:8-9).

The righteous men and women who have preceded us serve as our examples, but Jesus Christ serves as our great High Priest:

“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:14-16).

Jesus Christ became human so that we could become God beings:

“Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted” (Hebrews 2:17-18).

In chapter 6 of Hebrews, Paul reminds us that we must build upon the foundation of our calling from God. He also warns us of our grave responsibility and our accountability in having received the Holy Spirit of God, but he adds this encouraging assurance for us:

“But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (Hebrews 6:9-12).

We are told, ”But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Let me ask again, “How do we measure up when it comes to living a faithful life before God?”

Our criteria is godliness—to live as Jesus Christ lived, for He is our example to imitate:

“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 guile found in His mouth’” (1 Peter 2:21-22).

It may seem daunting and even something which we can’t do in the way Jesus did, but remember, God has promised to help us! Let’s make sure we ask for His help and really work harder than ever before to overcome sin! We are the servants of the Father and Jesus Christ—we can have absolute faith in their help!

If we do this, then we have God’s promise that we will be made perfect—like Enoch, Abraham, Paul and David will be, and, yes, even like Jesus Christ has been (1 John 3:1-3).

Finally, let us all fervently love one another (John 13:34-35) and diligently pray for and, as much as we have opportunity, be involved in the Work of God given to us to accomplish (James 1:25).

In Christ’s Service,

Dave Harris

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Dear Members and Friends, 

While the world has changed in trying to cope with the pandemic, with new measures put into place as to what one is allowed to do and what not do, and how churches all around the world have been affected in the way services are to be conducted, we are led to ask the question as to what God wants us to do. The world is changing and that is self-evident. However, that which is consistent, or ought to be, is the way we are to obey God. That should not change. Observing God’s commanded annual Holy Days, as we have just done in the celebration of the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, is something that we must do on a consistent basis, no matter what is happening all around us, just as we must consistently observe His Sabbath Day every week.

The world does not understand or believe in the observance of God’s weekly and annual Holy Days and Festivals. Instead, it does ignorantly believe in celebrating holidays derived from paganism which has just been the case with the observance of Easter. The Bible warns those who engage in such pagan worship and who completely disregard God’s specific commands to keep His Word (Deuteronomy 11 and 28). But this will not last forever. The world will not continue to observe these ungodly man-made days, for the time will come in the very near future when the Truth will be revealed to all, and then they will know what God’s Law and His Holy Days are all about. In the meantime, those of us who have been called out of this world now have to remain obedient and observant as we eagerly wait for Christ’s return. 

We read in the Bible that Christ explained during the Passover ceremony an important aspect of His coming and how critical it is to have Him in our lives. He stated in John 6:51, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” Having Christ as a part of us is crucial for our eternal life, which is guaranteed as long as we remain faithful in obeying Him.  

God explained very succinctly in the Old Testament to Moses and the Israelites that we must obey Him—and He was not referring to temporary rituals and ordinances, but to His lasting and enduring injunctions. “Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!” (Deuteronomy 5:29).  

It is not man whom we should fear, especially when he stands for something which contradicts what God specifically commands, but it is our knowledge of God’s Law that is put to the test often to see how we will decide. Yet we gain wisdom when we fear or respect God. Psalm 111:10 states, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.”  David understood this quite well, and he knew what the Truth was all about—that God’s spiritual Law would always remain as long as there are human beings—and he admits this in Psalm 119:160 where he says, “The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.”

The contrast between materialistic and eternal is described in 1 John 2:17: “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” We understand that the world we are living in is only temporary with all the material things that it’s composed of, and we also understand that a new world is coming for which we are all eagerly waiting with long-suffering.

As we prepare ourselves for our eternal gift of immortal life, while enduring necessary sufferings, we look forward to the greatest sense of relief we couldn’t even possibly imagine but which we will experience when the time of Christ’s return will have finally arrived. What an incredible feeling of accomplishment that will be, knowing that we will have made it. This is something we should always have on our minds, for this is our destiny. The times just ahead of us will lead to destruction. But God’s faithful people do not need to fear, for they will be triumphant, and this is something that will last forever! 

In God’s service and with Christian love,

Michael Link

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Dear Brethren and Coworkers,

Those of us living in the northern hemisphere are beginning to see the days get longer and feel the weather become more comfortable as Winter turns to Spring. Perhaps the phenomenon of the turning season bringing an expectant hope along with the improving climate is personal to me, but I believe that there are others who feel the same optimism. After what seems like a year-long winter of shutdowns and orders to stay home, with the world virtually imprisoned, people everywhere share the opinion that it’s about time for things to improve. Of course, whether the worldly circumstances in the coming months will improve or not remains to be seen.

The question to consider is about what the object of our hope is. What do you hope for? Are you hoping for the ability to go out into public without fear of catching a disease? Are you hoping for the ability to see the smiles on strangers’ faces again? Are you hoping that you can carry out your activities in life without concern about being the target of judgment from people who have different opinions as to what constitutes “proper social conduct”?  All of these are things that I hope for, and I’m sure that many of you can relate.

Yet, we must be aware that these kinds of changes for an improved quality of life that we hear about in the media and from the people in our communities are very short-sighted. Sure, lifting lockdowns and improved health in our communities are good things, but they are nothing more than momentary in the grand plan of God. To hope for worldly improvements is not wrong, but we need to hope for much, much more. Our hope must be focused on the long-term fulfillment of God’s plan.

Long-term thinking doesn’t come very easily to most people in this age. With technology enabling the flow of information so rapidly, an idea sparked in conversation can turn very quickly into an immediate purchase with same-day delivery. We don’t have to wait for much of anything these days. Why would anyone have the patience to wait for God’s plan to come to fruition to improve the state of the world when politicians and business magnates sell the promise of making the world better now? Sadly, Satan has deceived the world to believe that our state of being will improve at the hands of man. The patience of so many has grown so thin as to discount God’s intervention entirely. The world doesn’t want God’s solutions, but that is truly the only hope we have.

Perhaps our circumstances affected by the COVID-19 pandemic will improve temporarily—time will tell. But we know that whatever worldly improvements we might benefit from will be short-lived, and that they aren’t worth much anyway. Even more, the Bible instructs us not to place our love in worldly things at all! “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15-17). Any hope that we have for an improved quality of life must be tempered with the knowledge that the true hope for a better life requires long-term thinking, patience, and faith in God, not man.

Moses provides us with a great example of the kind of long-term thinking that we must have. When he was in Egypt, he made a choice. As the adopted son of Pharoah’s daughter, he was effectively a member of the royal family. Yet, he knew that he was a Hebrew and that his heritage belonged with his own people. Moses made a decision to forsake the privileges and comforts of life for something he considered to be much greater. “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. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them” (Hebrews 11:24-28). As prevalent as his trials were, Moses dedicated his life to the hope for a better future for his people. He could have taken a much easier path in life, choosing a way of privilege rather than hardship. But instead, he believed in God. Moses trusted that His Way was the best way, even if it meant enduring indefinite adversity. And then he acted upon those beliefs.

From this example of Moses enduring trials and dedicating his life to godly obedience, we can draw inspiration. Are we likewise focused on the long-term goal set before us—to turn our lives away from the sin and spiritual slavery? Or are we distracted by what’s right in front of us? Are we trying to improve the uncomfortable worldly circumstances? The Israelites had a similar goal that Moses had—to flee the bondage of Egypt, but they were not focused on the reasons why it was important to leave that bondage. Moses knew that it was critical to leave Egypt so Israel could draw near to God, but the Israelites were only thinking about the short-term benefit. As a result, when they wandered in the wilderness, they quickly found cause to complain. Had they been thinking about the ultimate goal of life in the Promised Land, the difficulties they faced would have been much more tolerable. Considering this example, we are obliged to evaluate our own focus. Do we really have anything to complain about? Certainly, we can easily come up with things in our lives that we don’t like, but are they worth our investment of time, attention, and other resources? However, it should be clear that we are better off placing our hope into a future that’s eternally and infinitely better.

With the Passover and Spring Holy Days upon us, it is time to consider our dedication to God. So much of this season involves evaluating ourselves so we can uncover the sins that lurk in the dark corners of our lives and remove them. There may be sins in our life that masquerade as righteous acts, but instead only serve our all-too-human short-term thinking. We may have sins that have become rote habit, turning invisible to our own eyes. We may have sins that are simply very difficult to overcome. Whatever we face now, we need to remember that the improvement we are called to work on is the long-term kind that begins with overcoming sin, not the short-term change that feels good for a moment. The world will tell us otherwise, but we know better. Our investment for our great future involves making payments today in the currency of righteousness.

With the emergence of Spring, we all have tremendous hope. But not the kind of hope that results in a little more comfortable life. Quite the contrary. Those minor improvements in the quality of life are nothing, comparatively speaking. We have something much greater. We have hope for God’s Way of Life to prevail. We have hope that our sins will be forgiven through the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We have hope for an eternal life, ruling with Christ in the Kingdom of God. To fulfill this hope, our job is to follow the examples set before us, and invest into the great future, while forsaking the distractions of the world. Our job is to think big.

In Christ’s Service,

Eric Rank

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Dear Members and Friends!

This is a very personal letter which I wanted to write in order to clear up some misunderstanding and address some outstanding issues. As many of you know, I stated quite strongly and repeatedly that I was convinced, based on my understanding of biblical prophecy, that Donald Trump would be re-elected in 2020 and that he would stay in office. I have since then apologized for my statements in a recent StandingWatch program, titled, “The Second Impeachment Circus.” 

Nothing in this letter is meant to take away from my apology. That Donald Trump isn’t presently
occupying the White House is obvious. Still, I also promised in the StandingWatch program that more would have to be explained in order to get the entire picture.

This letter is meant to do just that.

When Donald Trump announced that he would run for the Presidency in 2016, I stated with conviction that I believed he would become President. I stated with the same conviction that I believed he would be reelected in 2020. What went wrong? 

Several ministers and numerous members wrote me to tell me or remind me of the fact that they, likewise, were convinced or at least felt very strongly that Mr. Trump would stay in office. How could we all have been so wrong?

In fact, some implied that I must be a false prophet as I said something which did not turn out to be true. Reference was made to Deuteronomy 18:20-22, which says: 

“But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death. You may say to yourselves, ‘How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?’ If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.”

On the face of it, that would mean that the early New Testament apostles would have been false prophets, because they all believed and proclaimed dogmatically, undoubtedly with the conviction that they were inspired by God, that they would still be alive at the time of the return of Jesus Christ. Later it became clear to them that they would all die, but that was not clear to them at first. 

It is obvious that Deuteronomy 18:20-22 does not address these kinds of scenarios. Matthew Henry explains that the false prophet makes wrong predictions, contrary to the plain meaning of Scripture, to encourage people to sin (cp. Jeremiah 23:20-22). The false prophet claims to speak in the name of the LORD, but it is his goal to lead the people to wrong gods. In reality, a false prophet speaks in the name of other gods, either expressly (cp. Deuteronomy 13:1-5), or clandestinely. 

The Nelson Study Bible points out that false prophets might even predict events which do come to pass, while true prophets may predict events which do not materialize.  A classic example is Jonah who proclaimed that God would destroy sinful Nineveh in 40 days. Due to the sincere repentance of the Ninevites, God relented from the calamity which He had planned to bring about (compare Jeremiah 18:7-8; 26:3). This did not make Jonah a false prophet.

This brings me to the next important issue; namely, that God has sometimes changed His mind to bring about a certain event, or that He has delayed certain events, not because of the repentance of the people, but because of lack of repentance. We know that a falling away from the Truth is prophesied, because true members of God’s Church refuse to accept and maintain the love of the Truth
(2 Thessalonians 2:3, 9-10). We read that because lawlessness will abound, the love of God in Church members will grow cold (Matthew 24:12). 

Still, God wants to save as many as are allowing Him to do so. He has patience with us, not willing that any one of us should perish, but that we all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9) and the knowledge of the Truth. So, He gives us time to repent, delaying or holding back certain events in the process. The apostle Peter tells us that we can either delay (see again 2 Peter 3:9) or hasten (2 Peter 3:11-12) the return of Jesus Christ. Sadly, it is my assessment, when considering the state of affairs of the entire Church of God, being composed of numerous organizations and splinter groups, that some, if not many, are guilty of delaying Christ’s return, due to their lack of repentance and zeal; and so, it is high time for them to wake up, and any who are within our own fellowship who may be in the same category, and to change their way of life, because God’s patience will come to an end.

This brings me to an all-important question, and it is not being asked to “justify” comments which I made regarding the re-election of Donald Trump in 2020. The question is: Did God delay or postpone certain critical developments of events (compare, for example, Revelation 10:6; Ezekiel 12:21-28; and Habakkuk 2:2-3)?

To put it differently: Did God allow Donald Trump to “lose” the election to give some Church members more time to repent? Is that concept even conceivable?

Consider this:

Many feel that Donald Trump did in actuality win the election, but that it was stolen from him due to massive voter fraud, irregularities and unconstitutional changes regarding the voting system in some states just prior to the election. Much evidence was presented to courts for this claim, but no court looked at the evidence. Instead, all cases were adjudicated based on judicial technicalities… with the idea that nobody, not even the President himself, had any standing to raise the issues. It seems that most politicians (let alone the mass media and Big Tech) are now just too willing to “move on,” without ever addressing the possibility of a massive voter fraud. But does this mean, then, that the current President sitting in the White House may not be the one whom God accepts as rightfully occupying the office? Undoubtedly, in that case, God would have allowed him to be there, without putting him there directly. (Of course, when I stated that Donald Trump would be re-elected, I did not take the possibility of voter fraud into consideration.)

And so, in addressing our times and the situation within the USA, God makes the following stunning announcement in Hosea 8:4:

“They set up kings without my consent; they choose princes without my approval.”

IF this statement could be applied to our current situation in the USA, then please allow me to draw another parallel: 

We know of King Nebuchadnezzar who had become like an animal and who lived for seven years with the animals, because God punished him for his pride. However, during that time, God preserved the office of kingship for him, which he would occupy again after his sanity had returned.

Another, perhaps even more striking example is King David. When due to David’s sins, God allowed that his son Absalom rebelled, occupied Jerusalem and was declared to be king of Israel (2 Samuel 16:16-18), the Bible never recognized him or referred to him as king, but it continually referred to David as the King (2 Samuel 16:5-6; 17:17, 21; 18:4-5), including when he fled from Absalom and Jerusalem and did not, technically, occupy the throne in Jerusalem until the death of Absalom and David’s return to Jerusalem. 

So, is it possible that Donald Trump will run again in 2024 and be elected then, thereby reclaiming the office of President? And that this might occur, after the Biden administration will have contributed in the meantime to a complete economic downfall of the USA, as many anticipate? There are certain critical prophecies which must be fulfilled, and it does not appear at all that they will be fulfilled by Joe Biden and his administration. 

As we pointed out many times, the Bible shows that a third Temple will be built in Jerusalem prior to Christ’s return. The relationship between Israel and the USA under Donald Trump had never been better. That is why many felt, especially in Israel, that Donald Trump would in some way help with the building of the third Temple. It appears that Trump, who called himself the “chosen one,” shared and perhaps still shares this belief. The fact that coins were printed in Israel portraying the third Temple together with Trump as the modern King Cyrus who helped the Jews in building the second Temple is surely no coincidence; nor is the letter by the Sanhedrin pleading with Trump to help in building the third Temple. 

We will have to see whether and how all of this may come to fruition. It does not appear that it could come to fruition under Joe Biden.

In addition, the relationship between the USA and the EU is prophesied to deteriorate until the point of outright war, which will be instigated by Europe, not the USA. Again, it appears unlikely that this outcome could be reached under Joe Biden, who wants to be nice to the Europeans, but if Trump (or someone like Trump, even though nobody else seems to be on the horizon to “qualify” for the “job”) were to come to power in 2024, the situation may be quite different. Europe is preparing for such an eventuality and it is determined to increase its military spending and to build a powerful European Army as soon as possible.

Again, nothing in this letter should be misconstrued as saying that I am trying to retract my apology. What I said and believed was objectively false, and for that I am sorry. But is it possible—please bear with me and with a little foolishness on my part—that the substance of what I said—to an extent unknowingly—might have been delayed, but that it still could come to fruition in some way in the future?

God directs His servants to speak for Him, even though they may not fully understand what they are actually saying. The prophets of old did not understand some of the prophecies which they were asked to proclaim (compare Daniel 12:8-9), and they had to learn and recognize that they were not speaking to themselves, but to the early apostles and Church members regarding Christ’s suffering and glorification (1 Peter 1:10-12). The High Priest uttered a prophecy just before Christ’s arrest, not even understanding the meaning as to what he was saying, but God directed it that way (John 11:49-53).

In the recent past, the Church of God, under the human leadership of Herbert Armstrong who died in 1986, powerfully preached during World War II that those events then occurring would culminate in the Great Tribulation. That didn’t happen, but Mr. Armstrong recognized this fact and—based on clear biblical prophecies—continued to proclaim warnings about Germany arising after the war to lead the final resurrection of the ancient Roman Empire. Again, through watching world events, but due to a miscalculation and misunderstanding of “19-year time cycles,” Mr. Armstrong pointed to 1975 as the possible year of Christ’s return. (Mr. Armstrong wrote a booklet, titled, “1975 in Prophecy,” but it was said that the choice of the year was to counter those who proclaimed that certain unbiblical events would take place in 1975). In any event, Christ did not return in 1975, and many Church members walked away from God’s Church and God’s Truth, because they lost sight of the true role of God’s Church. Up until his death, Mr. Armstrong preached the sureness of biblical prophecy regarding events preceding the Great Tribulation and the subsequent return of Jesus Christ. While he initially thought that he would be alive at Christ’s return, he came to understand that another generation would arise to see the fulfillment of end-time events revealed in the Bible.

We, also, will have to wait and see. That is our mission—to proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom of God (that is, the good news which is given to us by God the Father and Jesus Christ) and to stand watch and announce what God reveals to us. Sometimes, we might see dimly as through a dark mirror (1 Corinthians 13:12), not fully comprehending as to what God wants us to say, but the light of understanding will shine brighter and brighter, if we do not refuse to do what God expects of us to do (2 Peter 1:19-21). After all, we have been given the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10), and God promises His servants that He will reveal to them what He is about to do (Amos 3:6-8; also compare John 16:13). 

Mr. Armstrong stated that he would change if proven wrong from the Bible, and that is how we in the Church approach our own calling. When events occur which don’t work out the way we anticipate, or at least not quite yet, our focus remains to go to the Word of God and pray to God for the understanding of His Will—and to faithfully and zealously continue to fulfill our part in the Work of God.

So, please, let us have patience and wait for God to show us more clearly what the future holds. But if the past and the present are guides in any way, an unsuspecting world will soon be confronted with surprising and unexpected developments, culminating in the Great Tribulation. However, God’s people should not be in darkness so that that Day will overtake them as a thief in the night
(1 Thessalonians 5:1-6). 

Your brother in Christ,

Norbert Link

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Dear Members and Friends,

From the end of the cold war in 1991, the Western nations have lived in relative peace. There have been some wars involving the west, but usually not on western soil. Yes, the World Trade Centre was destroyed in 2001, but generally in the West, there has been a semblance of peace. The continuing wars were generally in the Middle East and Africa.

But at the present time the whole world has become very insecure. In many countries there are lockdowns, with vastly increased unemployment, business collapses, border closures and the fear of catching a dangerous virus that has spread throughout the world. It is a very uncertain time and when we consider the prophesied events yet to occur, it becomes even more alarming.

It is also prophesied that some will depart from the faith, especially because of iniquity and false teachings. But it is very encouraging when we see how God cares about us, His called-out people, and what He has promised and desires for us ultimately.

In Job 14:14-15, we find that God has a desire for the work of His hands. We know from the first chapter of Genesis that mankind was created on the sixth day as a part of the work of God (Genesis 1:26). He finished this stage of His work on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2). Since we are a part of God’s work, it is evident that He has a desire for us. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 repeats this theme in that God “desires all men to be saved”. This is not just those He has called out now, but everyone who has ever lived. He desires this so greatly that He was willing for His own Son to be a sacrifice to atone for the sins of all who believe so they could have everlasting life (John 3:16).

But it is not just His desire and making a way possible to be saved, for we read in Luke 12:32, “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” So, God considers it is His good pleasure for us to be a part of His kingdom. He is certainly not reluctant to fulfill that goal. In fact, God wants us to be in His kingdom, not just as members of it, but to be conformed to the image of His Son, for the purpose that His Son will have many brethren (Romans 8:28-29).

And God’s love for us is so great that as we read in Romans 8:38-39 “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Here we see that nothing physical or even spiritual can separate us from God’s love, that’s how strong it is.

We are reminded again in 2 Peter 1:4 that the promises of God are exceedingly great and precious. And those promises are that we may partake of the divine nature of God. It is such an exceedingly great promise that we will have our human nature changed to have divine or godly nature. All of our frailties and weaknesses will be a thing of the past.

And to further emphasise this, we read in Zephaniah 3:17, “The Lord your God is in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” There is so much encouragement in this verse. He is very happy to rejoice over us. The next phrase is stated differently but effectively in the New International Version. “In His love He will no longer rebuke you.” He will never make mention of past sins which, in itself, is a wonderful blessing. But in addition to this, He will rejoice over us with singing. His joyful emotion over us will be so great that He will actually sing in our presence.

We have these wonderful promises and desires of God for us in the future. And we know that He has made other promises for our protection and provision in the times ahead as they become more difficult. There is much in God’s Word for our encouragement and for us to look forward to.

So, all these promises and desires of God should help us never to even contemplate departing from the faith. Instead we will be looking forward to being a part of the God family, sharing in the Divine nature and partaking of eternal life with God, His Son and the rest of the God family.

With much love and concern,

Your brother in Christ’s service.

 Paul Niehoff (Australia)

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

When we look at all of the mounting problems in the world today, it becomes obvious that so many are caused by man’s lust for power.

We can see this in many places around the world and, particularly at this time, the tensions in the USA over the recent presidential election. Many of the accusations and recriminations from all sides of the argument have done nothing but to bring harm to this great country’s reputation. Unfortunately, it is replicated in so many other parts of the world and the advent of Covid-19 has enabled many other people to become decision makers in order to cope with this unfortunate outbreak, and how many seem to revel in their new found authority and control.

What is human power? Power is influence, authority over, personal or political ascendancy with the person having the power being the one in control, the one who makes the decisions and the one who is seen as important. 

Power is the ability to command—to get others to obey, even if they are reluctant. Authority is achieved when other people accept your right to tell them what to do.

There seems to be an in-built desire in so many people to have power and authority over others. And it is not new. It is a phenomenon that can be traced back thousands of years and there seems to be no let up. 

We all know the phrase that “power corrupts—and absolute power corrupts absolutely” and this may be true, to some extent, when addressing power exercised by man. The more you look at the way many people get into high office—and stay there—the more crookedness and power play there seems to be. Politics, because of the power and authority that come with high office, is certainly not the only area where this is evident.

That desire is not confined to politicians alone. It is in every facet of society. There are power struggles in the boardroom, in the factory and within trades unions, in sports clubs, in the entertainment and media industry, in churches and with some religious people—in fact in every nook and cranny of society. And within families too.

But power has been one of the main aims of people like Attila the Hun, Mussolini, Adolph Hitler, Ayotollah Homeini, Fidel Castro, Saddam Hussein, Kim Jong-un and so many others. Why? So that they could impose their will on the populace and basically do anything they want.

Generally, such dictators and autocrats don’t seem to have the well-being of their citizens at heart. They want to hang on to power, irrespective of the consequences. Often power mad—with no thought for anything or anybody but themselves

And when someone is in a position of power and authority, they can become paranoid about holding on to their position. It seems that wielding power is so vitally important to them. 

There is a vast gulf between progressing because of ability, diligence, vision and loyalty, rather than getting on because of power play and politics.

The Bible has many examples about the lust for power: Satan’s rebellion (Isaiah 14:12-14); the rebellion of Korah against Moses and Aaron (Numbers 16); the ambition of James and John (Matthew 20); Simon the sorcerer (Acts 8); and Diotrephes (3 John). All were the antithesis of true belief and faith in the great Creator God.

All of the problems that we see around the world, many caused by self-seeking political leaders, will be changed in the not-too-distant future.

In Acts 1:8 we read: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The power to which Jesus referred here was not political, but spiritual. When the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, they were clothed with heavenly power. And we see that chapter two of Acts describes the coming of the Holy Spirit. This is the power that true Christians have been given now. They should not be involved in the power game that seems to envelop every facet of life.

In Matthew 18:1-5, we read about the sort of humble attitude we should have. At Christ’s return, when the Kingdom of God will be instituted, those Church members who have remained faithful to the end and have God’s Holy Spirit together with those who died in the faith, will be changed into spiritual members of the God Family.

In God’s Kingdom we will have power—power to serve—not self-serving. We will have grown and overcome—we will be trusted and trustworthy and God will be able to entrust us with His unlimited power which is something that we couldn’t handle today.

How can we even begin to comprehend the power that God has available? Can we ever begin to appreciate just how great God is? God is watching us now, while we are still relatively powerless, to see how we live. He expects us to take seriously even the smallest details of the Way of Life we have been called to. We must use the Holy Spirit properly—that gift that we were given at baptism—and one day, we will be welcomed by the great Creator God into His Kingdom to live with Him in full brilliance and majesty and share His awesome power forever.

We may not have much power now, but in the future, as members of the God Family, we will have more power than we can ever realise at this time. It’s the power in the Kingdom of God that we should be eagerly looking forward to, not the selfish, self-serving power that seems to be a high priority with so many today.

We will be given the power to serve humanity, to teach about God and the proper way to live and to help in every way. We will use that power for the good of all concerned.

Just for the time being, man’s appalling rule on earth is being allowed in the short term but in the future, when Jesus Christ will rule as King of kings and Lord of lords, Godly power will be used in the very best interests of all concerned.

That is the time that we can all eagerly look forward to.

With Christian love,

Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

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Dear Members and Friends,

What a time of uncertainty that we are living in right now, especially when focusing on the current elections in the United States. But this has an overall effect on the world scene, according to biblical prophecy. That which is going on in the US at this moment is utter chaos, confusion, corruption, and to think that anything remarkably good will come out of these elections, whoever the next president is going to be, is wishful thinking filled with desperate hope. The core values which this country once put down on paper 225 years ago seem nonexistent today. A very important document was signed in the US which stated this:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” 

These are the famous memorable words that Thomas Jefferson laid down back in 1776 as the core values of the United States of America in what is known as the Declaration of Independence. They still stand at the head of the US Code to this day.

However, the present day does not seem to harmonize with this statement, as we see immorality all around us. This comes as no surprise, as this has been going on for many, many years, but we see how things are getting worse—not just here, but the whole world is affected. Just imagine how the world will react if Donald Trump is in fact re-elected, even after Joe Biden has now been declared to have won? And even if this is the case, to think that Mr. Trump would be out of the picture for the future is very unlikely. Ultimate damage for this nation has not been completed yet. Too many factors are still prophesied to take place which haven’t occurred yet on the world scene.

What used to be the foundation of the United States is not the case anymore. Where in fact is equality, where is freedom? When focusing on God’s people, is there really a freedom of religion anymore, or freedom of speech, or freedom to assemble without the “fear of offending” someone, especially in light of the coronavirus debacle? It is remarkable that God has created all of us equally—meaning that we all have the ability and the same choice to follow Him and His Way of Life. God has called out specific people at this time, like you and me within the Church of God, with the special responsibility of proclaiming the Truth, but the time will come when every single person will ultimately have the chance to know and understand what we are experiencing now.

When it comes to what we believe in, no one should be able to take that away from us, as long as we are determined, making sure that our choices are the correct ones. This country still enjoys the freedom of religion, but the way things are going, that may very well not be the case anymore for long, as the Book of Revelation shows. We also read in 2 Peter 2:18-22 how false teachers will deceive many people, and this is something that we in the Church need to be cautious about as well.

As quoted above, three specific words are mentioned in the Declaration of Independence, and God talks about the same specific words that we should abide by and experience, namely Life, Liberty and Happiness. God tells us in 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 that the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

God explains to us what it is that we need to be doing to draw closer to Him in order to gain our freedom. It is quite simple but difficult to do by human standards. Notice what Christ said in John 8:32-36: “‘And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ They answered Him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, “You will be made free?”’ Jesus answered them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.’”

Laws change in this world. Since the Declaration was written, so many things have happened in the meantime. Times are not getting any better, as more and more laws are created or changed that affect society, which is certainly not in accordance with God’s spiritual laws or the Way that He operates. God’s spiritual Law has been the same then, now and will continue to be so in the future. “But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:25). Do we want to be part of this perfect Law?

Christ has to make us free through the repentance that God the Father offers us. When we sin, we are not free but slaves to sin. However, one may think that we are also slaves when we submit to God and His Way. But there is a big difference. Being a “slave of sin” does not bring forth good fruit, and it will lead to death. Being “slaves to righteousness” brings everlasting life. Which one do we choose? If we want to have our freedom, we must obey God (compare Romans 6:16-19). And only when Jesus Christ returns to establish His Kingdom here on earth will we finally experience TRUE freedom and liberty.

We can say that we have signed our very own Declaration of Independence, but not of this world. We have devoted our lives to God; we look to divine protection and our lives are in God’s hands, for our citizenship is not of this world (Philippians 3:17-21).

God asks us to choose life and reject death (Deuteronomy 30:15-16, 19-20). The life that God is offering us is everlasting life (Matthew 19:17). It requires that we keep His commandments.

This, in turn, leads to true happiness. Proverbs 29:18 says, “…happy is he who keeps the law.” In John 13:17, Christ confirms that we are happy when we do the right things (Authorized Version). And Psalm 144:15 says that “happy are the people whose God is the LORD!”

When Thomas Jefferson wrote about Life, Liberty and Happiness, he had our physical condition in mind. God is using the same words but He is not just referring to our physical life, but also, and more importantly, to our eternal existence. This is the most vital aspect we need to consider, for whatever happens in the near future, let us continue to have God guide and direct what we need to be focusing on. Let us not make the mistake of falling into a false sense of security, for if we get sidetracked, we could become vulnerable. This is exactly what Satan wants to happen to God’s people—to catch us off guard like a thief in the night. 

Let us continue to be vigilant with ALL our faith in God, and we shall see what will happen next.

In God’s service and with Christian love,

Michael Link

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Dear Members, Co-Workers and Friends,

Our enemy, Satan the Devil, has been very busy. For nearly 6,000 years, he has been deceiving
mankind on a continuous basis. He tricked the first woman into believing that one can disobey God and get away with it. Satan lied to her, being the father of lies in whom is no truth (John 8:44), and in following him, Adam and Eve died. Satan caused their death, being a murderer from the beginning (same verse), and he has had the power of death over sinning mankind ever since (Hebrews 2:14). 

This world is cut off from God. Satan rules this world from his throne here on earth (Revelation 2:13). He has deceived the whole world (Revelation 12:10), which is under his sway (1 John 5:19). His demons are ruling with and under him—evil spirits of darkness in high places (Ephesians 6:12). 

Satan persuaded mankind to follow his evil devices by establishing administrative, governmental, legal, economic and religious systems that are all in opposition to the true God. In this present evil age (Galatians 1:4), not one human government is righteous, and no country is subject to God. Rather, all follow the god of this world —Satan the devil (2 Corinthians 4:4)—the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2). 

Satan knows about God’s plan, but he thinks that he can thwart it. As he tried to knock God off His throne before the creation of man, so he tries again just prior to the return of Jesus Christ. He is being thrown down from heaven once more, as he was defeated during his first rebellion (Luke 10:18). And he is extremely angry because he knows that his time is short (Revelation 12:12). 

Out of this evil world—this Babylon of confusion—God has called specially selected chosen people to resist Satan. God expects and requires of them that they love and obey Him more than human beings and governmental officials who may act under Satan’s inspiration. But God also knows that in these end times, many of His people will fall away from Him and from His Truth (Matthew 24:10-12) and believe again the lie (2 Thessalonians 2:3, 11-12)—all under the influence of Satan who disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). Already in Paul’s time, some had turned aside after Satan (1 Timothy 5:15). Paul was afraid that others might have too (1 Thessalonians 3:5). In our time, many will do so. 

Satan HATES God, and He hates God’s people. He wants to destroy them. Quite often, he is using human governments in his efforts (1 Corinthians 2:7-8). God’s people must be aware of this, but sadly, some are not. They are willing to follow governmental commands, restrictions and mandates, which violate God’s Law in letter or in spirit. They do so, thinking they can get away with it.

The Feast of Trumpets reminds us that Christ will return soon, and then all will have to appear before His judgment seat to give account for what they have done (2 Corinthians 5:10). Some might be shocked to hear Christ’s words which He also uttered to Adam and Eve, when casting them out of Paradise. 

After He has returned, Christ will imprison Satan for about 1,000 years so that he cannot deceive the nations anymore (Revelation 20:1-3). Then, mankind will be given the opportunity to be at one with God, and the Day of Atonement reminds us of that unique event in human history. Satan and his demons will be held captive in the “abyss”—the “bottomless pit,” and the rule of God here on earth will produce peace, prosperity, happiness and joy, which mankind has NEVER experienced before. We are picturing this glorious and unique time in observing the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days.

But when the Millennium draws to a close, Satan will be freed for a short time, and as the wrathful and hateful being that he is, he will go out to deceive the nations, and millions will follow him to wage war against God and His people (Revelation 20:7-9). God will act quickly and decisively. The rebellious armies will be devoured by fire, and Satan and his demons will be cast into the lake of fire, never being able to deceive anyone anymore (verse 10). Then, the opportunity will be given to ALL of mankind who did not have the chance to accept Christ and God’s Way in this life, to embrace the Truth. Their eyes will be opened, and their ears will hear (Revelation 20:11-12). Today, this is not the case for most people. But it will be then, and the Last Great Day pictures this event, in part.

Sadly, these glorious events of Christ’s return, the banishment of Satan, the Millennium and the time thereafter have not happened yet. We still have work to do, both collectively and individually. Satan is still on his throne, and as the most vicious, evil, devious and mean being in existence, he will try everything he can to destroy YOU. He knows that it is your potential to replace him. He hates you for that, and he may even think that if he can successfully tempt and destroy all of God’s people, then his rule might continue a bit longer. 

Satan asked the Father to sift God’s people as wheat (Luke 22:31). He asked for permission to tempt and plague Job (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7). He was even allowed to tempt Jesus in the wilderness. He entered Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus. He accuses the brethren before God day and night (Revelation 12:10). He tries to take away the Word of God when it is sown in the heart of people (Matthew 13:19). Satan is the destroyer, and if Christ was not to return to shorten the coming days of the horrible Great Tribulation, Satan would have succeeded to see to it that no flesh would be saved alive (Matthew 24:22).

But Satan will not succeed. God allows Satan to tempt us and cause problems for us (1 Thessalonians 2:18), to see whether we will obey God more than men, no matter what. Some are willing to give up right away when trials come upon them. But Christ overcame and prevailed against Satan, commanding him: “Away with you, Satan!” (Matthew 4:10), and Satan had to obey (verse 11). God wants to free us from the power of Satan and to turn us to God (Acts 26:18). God has the greatest confidence in YOU that you will prevail (Philippians 1:6). God wants to crush Satan under your feet shortly (Romans 16:20). Don’t disappoint Him. Don’t compromise! Don’t give in! Don’t give up! Don’t fall away! Hold fast what you have! KEEP God’s Holy Days in the way ordained and ordered by God, including the entire time of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day. As you have opportunity, listen to the important messages which will be delivered during these days. Don’t even miss out on just one of them. 

It will be such a joyous time, even though Satan has been trying hard to convince God’s people that they do not have to keep the Feast in the way as commanded by God. Through governmental restrictions under his influence, he is using the same tactic as he did when deceiving Eve in the Garden of Eden: “Has God indeed said…?” Eve fell for it, and Adam followed his wife, convincing themselves that a “little” disobedience did not really matter. Far too many of God’s people are following today Adam and Eve’s bad example. Don’t you be one of them!

Wishing you a deeply rewarding Holy Day season. We will all be with you—in body and/or in spirit.

With much love, your brother in Christ,

Norbert Link