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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,

When you receive this letter, the first of the Holy Days in the Fall—the Feast of Trumpets—has already passed. To stay within the symbolic relevance, Jesus Christ has returned and the final battle between the forces of good and evil has been fought. Shortly, Satan and his demons will be imprisoned in the bottomless pit and banned from influencing mankind, and Christ’s rule on and over this earth will begin. These events are pictured by the Day of Atonement (when it becomes possible that all of mankind will be reconciled with God) and the Feast of Tabernacles (when God’s Kingdom will be established on earth).

We, under Christ, will then have the opportunity to teach man God’s Way of Life. Man, having been deceived by Satan the Devil, will learn what it means to love God and neighbor and to live in peace. Man will be able to acquire a new mindset, realizing that “it must be indeed of the spirit if we are to save the flesh.” That re-education process will take some time, but ultimately, man will “beat their swords into plowshares,” and they will not learn war anymore (Isaiah 2:4). They will worship the Prince of Peace who will have come to make wars cease to the end of the earth (Psalm 46:9).

Even though the UN has adopted the passage in Isaiah 2:4, as referred to above, as their motto, there has NEVER been a time when man has not experienced violence and war. There is a reason for that. God did not create man as war-mongering creatures, but Satan kidnapped man to follow his evil devices, and Satan IS called a liar and a murderer from the beginning. He is the AUTHOR of war, and he taught mankind the LIE that war can bring peace. It never has, and it never will. Man has been fighting wars for many Satanic reasons. And so, mankind must be and will be taught that war never brings success and lasting peace; and that war and peace are diametrical opposites.

As Satan and his demons are responsible for much of the evil in the world, they will have to pay. They will be imprisoned in the abyss, but that is not their final fate. Ultimately, they will see how all their works and “accomplishments” will come to an end, being burned up in the fire (2 Peter 3:10-13), and they will become wandering stars, living forever in total darkness (Jude 13).

But this has not happened yet. So far, Christ has not returned; Satan is still on his earthly throne; and Christ’s rule on and over this earth has not yet begun. The autumnal festivals show us, however, that the time is near, picturing events which will surely come to pass.

We, who are called out of this present evil world, are described as ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20; Ephesians 6:20). We are to announce what will happen soon, showing by our lifestyle how the world will live in a few years from now. We are to proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom or Government of God—the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15). We are to preach repentance (Luke 24:47)—a change of mind and heart. But not only that, we also are to live by what we preach.

God’s Church is observing the annual Holy Days with the understanding of what they picture. As mentioned, the Day of Atonement points to Satan’s banishment, and the Feast of Tabernacles includes the message of Satan’s literal imprisonment. Satan knows it too, and he has great wrath, realizing that his time is short.

Satan has spiritually imprisoned this world since Adam and Eve, as he and his demons are spiritually imprisoned as well by everlasting chains under darkness (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6). But as they will also be literally imprisoned in the bottomless pit, so they have begun to literally imprison this world through lockdowns and other measures of isolation. In addition, they are trying tirelessly, through their human agents and governmental officials, to prevent God’s people from observing His weekly and annual Holy Days. Make no mistake! Satan and his demons will continue, as much as God allows it, to use human rulers and their followers to persecute the saints (Revelation 13:7; 12:13-17), knowing full well that the saints will replace them as rulers over this earth.

What a beautiful time that will be when the Millennium has begun. The Holy Days remind us of God’s Master Plan, but we could forget if we become negligent or cease altogether from observing these days. Many, who once kept these days and don’t keep them anymore, have lost the precious knowledge of God’s Truth in so many ways. The reason is: When we abandon God’s Way of Life, God will remove from us His understanding which He had given us.

Christ warns us that this could even happen to His saints. He said in Matthew 24:4: “Take heed that no one deceives you.” He adds in verse 12 that in many of us, God’s love (which is keeping His commandments) will grow cold. He states in verse 24 that false christs and false prophets will arise—obviously due to Satan’s inspiration—“so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” The
German Menge Bible makes the intended meaning clearer: “… so as to possibly [or perhaps] deceive also the elect.”

When we follow Satan’s evil devices in NOT properly keeping God’s weekly and annual Holy Days, we have already developed a lukewarm attitude and have already begun our descent into deception. In fact, we have already begun the process of walking away from God, “having been taken captive” again by Satan “to do his will” (2 Timothy 2:26).

It is that serious. On the other hand, if we stick to the “trunk of the Tree” and do what is right in God’s eyes, including observing God’s Holy Days in the proper way, we “will never stumble, and an entrance will be supplied to [us] abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:10-11).

And so, appreciate, enjoy and celebrate God’s Holy Days as never before, for we know that Jesus will return very soon to bring the wonderful life that is ahead in the Kingdom of God!

With Christian love,

 

Norbert 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)

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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 Co-Workers,

As I write this letter, it has been more than 50 days since we kept the Days of Unleavened Bread. When you receive this letter, the correct Day of Pentecost will have been observed by those of us in God’s Church. 

Together with Passover, these Spring Holy Days picture the start of God’s plan for us and eventually for all of mankind. After the New Testament Church had begun in Jerusalem and the first group of disciples had received the Holy Spirit, there was a great swelling of people within the Church. We read in Scripture that that early Church was mighty in boldness, power, miracles, healings and in giving glory to God. 

As we think about the Days we have kept, we pictured removing sin from our lives with the Days of Unleavened Bread, and in conjunction with removing sin, we also understood the need to replace sin with righteousness (1 Corinthians 5:6-8). The Day of Pentecost shows us that we must receive and grow in the use of God’s Holy Spirit. We must allow Christ to work in and through us by the power of His Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit, emanating from Christ and God the Father, allows us to operate on a level that people in this world cannot achieve. Without this gift from God, we would end up again as they are. We need God’s power to continue living as Christians. In order to accomplish this properly, we must really continue to put God FIRST in our lives. 

As we examine all the situations that we go through, and maybe the situations of those who we may know, it should be plain for us to see that without God in our lives, things are so much harder. Without God, life can oftentimes be ridiculously frightening and frustrating. It is only by focusing on God and His ways that we can cultivate and grow in the use of God’s Spirit working in us. The early Church didn’t do all the things they did because they were shrinking from their responsibilities or because they were hiding who they were. Rather, they focused on growth. They adhered to and followed a certain Way of Life, and we see that God was pleased with this. God opened the doors as a result.

Since we have celebrated the Spring Holy Days, what is it that we are going to do now? What can we do differently and sustainably in the coming days that we may not have been doing before? 

Will we grow in our ability to search God’s Word? 

Acts 17:11-12 reads: “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.”

The Word of God directs, teaches, inspires and leads us to answers in our lives. Hebrews 4:12 (New International Version) tells us: “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” 

Will we grow in prayer?

Colossians 1:9-10 says: “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God…”

Ephesians 6:18 (The Amplified New Testament) adds: “With all prayer and petition pray [with specific requests] at all times [on every occasion and in every season] in the Spirit, and with this in view, stay alert with all perseverance and petition [interceding in prayer] for all [of] God’s people.”

Will we choose to find ways to implement deeper the fruit of the Spirit into our lives? 

Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV) states: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

Whatever we choose to do, we should realize that our time is now! We have to GROW NOW! It all matters what we choose, how we choose to do it, how we interact with God’s people, and how we use God’s Holy Spirit in our lives. I used to think when I was growing up that Christians were kind of forced or compelled in some way to do these things. But I have come to realize that no one is going to force or compel us to follow God. No one is going to make us choose a different path. The decisions which we choose to make every day give meaning to our lives. We choose to allow God to lead us in our lives, or we choose to live without Him.

Christ plainly states in the book of Revelation that He is knocking at the doors of our lives, inviting us to open the door and allowing Him in so that He can show us the Way. “I’m too tired, I’m too busy, I’m not feeling like it, I don’t like to read, I don’t study well, I’ve got too much going on”—these are all excuses that seem to be legitimate in their own ways IF WE LET THEM! God doesn’t force us to love Him. Nor does He force us to accept His laws. We can choose to keep some of them and brush others aside, but that would be a terrible mistake.

When I think about the times in my life I have chosen to do the opposite of God’s Way, I see sadness and pain. The idea is false that happiness or truth or any other spiritual thing can come other than seeking after God’s ways and implementing them. It is a lie which we may swallow all too often because we are seeking after physical instead of spiritual things.

Peter’s admonition to us in 2 Peter 3:18 is to continually grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. The only way to be doing that is to be actively focused on this Way of Life in EVERYTHING that we go through. This is truly how we make more progress in our lives. All of us should focus on how much we can grow. Perhaps it would be a good idea to take a specific area and focus on that for a while and to see what results are produced. The Holy Spirit is NOT static. It must flow into us and through us and out of us and then be renewed. 

We all have much to accomplish and to do. Let’s make sure we are seeking God’s Will in doing so. 

With love,

Kalon Mitchell

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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)