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Dear Brethren and Co-Workers,

There seems to be a dramatic shift in terrible events and awful occurrences in the last few months which strongly indicate that Satan is very active and that we are closer to the return of Christ than some may perceive or suspect.

For example, a disturbed individual sent pipe bombs by mail to political figures and news outlets. We observed the largest massacre of Jews at their synagogue in U.S. history, worshipping on the Sabbath, with eleven people brutally murdered by a mentally deranged hateful individual. Then, a former veteran killed twelve people at a bar in California, before he cowardly killed himself.

Unprecedented and historic fires are burning out of control in Southern California, and some fires burn also in the north of the state. We have seen Satan attacking and persecuting Church of God families with trials and problems, and some Church members have been throwing in the towel, including those who did not attend anymore God’s Feast of Tabernacles this year. All of this prompts us to ask ourselves: “What is going on? Has the world gone mad? And why would Church members want to foolishly return to this evil world?”

As mentioned, we can see the hand of Satan in these events which indicate his time is short, since he is so active. A few weeks ago, Mr. Norbert Link asked us to fast in the following week. How many took that admonition to heart and put it into practice? We trust, all of you did. Fasting is a crucial part of maintaining a close relationship with God; especially, as we get closer to the great tribulation, which appears to be not too far ahead of us even though we do not set dates.

If you think of your own family out for a walk and your son walking next to you, it is not likely that he will get helplessly into any kind of trouble or threat by your side. If your son is walking one hundred feet ahead of you, your reaction time of helping him is greatly decreased if something threatening occurs to him and you may not reach him in time to prevent injury or harm. When we are close to God, He may react to our needs and calls for help more readily than if we neglected the tools He has given us to stay close to Him, and He may allow us to face some trials and troubles to teach us a lesson, which we would not necessarily face otherwise if our relationship to Him was close and intimate.

As the great tribulation is drawing nearer and as time marches on towards the return of Christ, it is crucially important for us not to neglect prayer, Bible study, meditation and occasional FASTING.

It appears from all indications that we have reached the “beginning of sorrows.” The next major prophesied event would be the beginning of the great tribulation, which means we have to be close to God in order to persevere to the end, praying always to be worthy to escape the sore trials facing this world and having the determination to endure to the end of our lives or Christ’s return. We cannot put a price tag on the reward we will be given for remaining faithful to the end.

Being part of God’s Kingdom is being part of the royal Family of God. We will be ruling under Christ as Kings and Priests (compare Revelation 5:10). We shall rule mankind on the earth during the Millennium and the Great White Throne Judgment period since that is where man’s problems are which have to be resolved. We will oversee and bring about, under Christ, the spiritual rejuvenation of the nations to lead them to the Truth and the Knowledge of the one true God Family. We will teach mankind the necessity of observing the Sabbath as the ONLY day of worship during the week, as well as God’s annual Holy Days, while abolishing pagan worldly weekdays and holidays, such as Sunday, Christmas, Easter or Halloween, which turn man away from the true God to Satan, the current god and ruler of this world.

We will also oversee the rebuilding of destroyed cities and the providing of housing, clothing and physical things required to have a rich fulfilling life; the reclamation of the land to make it productive for food; and the cleaning up of the polluted oceans, rivers and lakes. Can we imagine the challenges and joy we will have when we accomplish all of what God has in store for mankind? It is beyond imagination how some could just walk away from such a challenging and glorious future to enjoy some passing pleasures of sin.

It really behooves us not to look back once we have put our hand to the plow, as we have been admonished time and again in sermon after sermon. Sadly, some do not seem to listen or care. But now is not the time to quit or drop the ball seeing we are so near to the end. We must push forward, staying close to God and keeping our eyes firmly on the crown which God patiently awaits to give to all who faithfully endure to the end. We must not neglect the tools given to us by God to achieve our wonderful goal.

In God’s service

Rene Messier (Canada)

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Dear Members and Co-Workers,

We have returned from another year keeping God’s commanded Feast of Tabernacles. The peace and comradeship amongst God’s people made these festivals a needed respite from the troubles that increasingly plague this godless world. We returned to see one of the most powerful hurricanes in U.S. history drive deep inland and cause massive destruction in the Florida panhandle. The ire of Satan is upon this world and increasingly directed towards God’s people as prophesied events unfold. The kind of devastation throughout those southern states is only a hint at what this unrepentant world will soon face.

Satan despises what God loves and it is why He is so angry during these festival seasons. We must not take that knowledge lightly and allow Satan’s attitudes to influence our perspective. God commanded His people to observe His Holy Days, not begrudgingly or simply out of necessity but with an attitude of rejoicing (compare Deuteronomy 14:26). This year we did just that based upon the reports we give of the U.S. and German Feast sites.

Dave Harris reported on the Feast in the United States:

“For the third consecutive year, the US Feast site was in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, which is located adjacent to Spokane, Washington, and just forty-five minutes from the Spokane International Airport. We were all able to stay at the La Quinta Inn & Suites in Coeur d’Alene and that is where our meetings were held, also.

“Members from Germany, Canada and the US were in attendance this year. Beside our daily meetings, we had several opportunities for fellowshipping. Once again, we booked an early evening cruise and meal on one of the tour boats located on Lake Coeur d’Alene. Along with frequently dining out, we all got together at the Dockside Restaurant at the close of the Last Great Day services.

“Figpickels Toy Emporium and Mrs. Honeypeeps Sweet Shop became favorite destinations for our younger attendees and their more than willing parents! A Family Fun night featured some introductory humor along with pizza and fellowship. The special music, sermonettes and sermons all contributed to a deeply meaningful observance of the Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day. This year was a very special time of loving fellowship among the brethren.”

A report from Norbert and Mike Link on the Feast in Germany:

“We felt that this feast overall was the best one we have had in Germany. When viewing ‘problems’ during previous feasts regarding the hotel, members or attendees, as well as sicknesses, for example, this feast was far less stressful, and it flowed quite nicely. The weather was great throughout, which made available for plenty of outside activities including soccer, beach volleyball, go-carts, hiking and biking through the forests and along lake Lübbesee. One of the social highlights of the feast was the talent show and dance with the theme of ‘Black and White,’ which did not disappoint.

“We had people attending from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Slovenia, Thailand, USA, the UK, and Canada. Nine people were baptized at the feast, and we also ordained three deacons (Johann Schell, Mike Richter and Manuel Mueller), a deaconess (Silke Mueller), as well as two elders (Thilo Hanstein and Christoph Sperzel). In addition, elder Mike Link was raised to Pastor. The decision for ordinations and an interactive Bible study on ranks and functions in the church proved to be beneficial. We are growing in the German-speaking areas, not just in numbers, but also in the understanding that we have a job to do as we realize that time is getting shorter, and that it is crucial that we need to prepare ourselves NOW!

“Satan is busy and he is attacking in full force, perhaps as never before in recent history, and the Church of God is his main target. We know that he will continue to do so, and that is why we must not be ignorant of what his evil desires and devices are. Although uplifting and especially focusing on the wonderful future in the Millennium and beyond, the messages did also contain numerous warnings and admonitions to make sure that we will be strong in the days ahead; and the question whether we will ALL be at the Feast next year was brought up time and time again (We did find and commit to a new Feast site in Germany for next year, and more information is forthcoming). Sadly, we know that some will give up and leave the church and forsake God, due to false priorities, evil desires, sin, neglect of Bible study, prayer, meditation and fasting, or lack of stick-to-itiveness in the face of trials. We need to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling so that we can overcome successfully and don’t fall prey to this evil society, Satan and our own human nature.”

With Christian love,

Robb Harris

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Dear Members, Co-workers and Friends,

A highlight of the entire year awaits us… the Autumnal or Fall Holy Days. When this letter reaches you, you are about to observe the Feast of Trumpets, followed in due succession by the Day of Atonement; the Feast of Tabernacles; and the Last Great Day. Together with the two Days of Unleavened Bread and the Day of Pentecost in the spring, God’s people celebrate seven annual Holy Days each year… thereby fulfilling a complete and perfect cycle indicated by the number seven.

Without observing the seventh day of the week, the Sabbath, and the seven annual Holy Days, we cannot understand God’s master plan for us—and for all of humankind. That is part of the reason why an ignorant and deceived humanity believes in the false theory of evolution, and, depending on one’s religion, on an immortal soul which, upon death, goes to heaven, hell, purgatory or Nirvana, or which will be reincarnated and reborn repeatedly in different forms.

The Bible reveals that GOD created man, and that He created the weekly Sabbath with and for man, to be observed by man and to be kept holy. God the Father created everything through His Son, Jesus Christ, who accomplished this task with the power of His Holy Spirit. Christ would say later that HE was the Lord of the Sabbath—the seventh day of the week. However, man soon refused to keep holy what God had made holy, neglecting and rejecting all of God’s commandments.

In due time, Jesus Christ, the God of the Old Testament, freed the nation of Israel from Egyptian captivity, and He spoke powerfully to the people from Mount Zion, revealing to them once again God’s Ten Commandments, which had been in force and effect since the creation of Adam and Eve. They are still valid today, and man is still obligated to keep them. Most people do not keep them, but those who do are sanctified by God. The Sabbath especially is a sign which identifies them to God and the world, and it identifies the true God to them.

With the Ten Commandments, God, in the Person of Jesus Christ, also instituted for Israel—the congregation or church in the wilderness—the seven annual Holy Days. True Christians are spiritual Israelites today, and as members of the Church of God—the body of Christ—they are enjoined to keep the annual Holy Days. They are ALSO signs, which sanctify us and which reveal to us God’s plan for us and for man.

True Christians are called firstfruits in the Bible. Spring was the time of the spring harvest–when the first harvest was reaped. The Holy Days in the spring are focusing on true Christians who are being called out of this world in this day and age. Only very few—the firstfruits—were predestined from the foundation of the world and before time began to be called and chosen now. The Passover, which is not a Holy Day but which is a part of the Spring Festival season, symbolizes our repentance and the forgiveness of our sins, by accepting and believing in the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ; and the seven Days of Unleavened Bread, beginning with the very first annual Holy Day and ending with the second annual Holy Day, impress on us the need to continuously strive against and come out of sin. However, this is only possible with the gift of the Holy Spirit—the very POWER emanating from the Father and the Son—which is pictured by the third annual Holy Day, the Day of Pentecost, when the New Testament Church began in 31 A.D.

The autumn was the time for the great fall harvest, which is pictured by God’s four annual Fall Holy Days. They are enlarging God’s master plan to include all of mankind, even though they also convey a special meaning to true Christians. The Feast of Trumpets, God’s fourth annual Holy Day, symbolizes a time of worldwide wars and troubles, culminating in the return of Jesus Christ to make us immortal—becoming God beings and being able to see Christ in all His glory, as He is—and to establish the government of God on this earth, bringing true peace to man.

The Day of Atonement, the fifth annual Holy Day, reminds us that there cannot be true peace and happiness for man as long as Satan is around, who has deceived and blinded the whole world, and so he will be banned and imprisoned for a thousand years (the Millennium), while, at the same time, Christ’s Sacrifice will be made understandable and available to all of mankind; thereby reconciling the world to God so that it can truly be at-one with God.

This then will be followed by the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles—the first Day being the sixth annual Holy Day—symbolizing the fact that all those who will be still alive, having survived the terrible time of the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord, will be called to salvation together with those who will be born during that peaceful millennial time.

The last or seventh annual Holy Day is called the Last Great Day. It pictures at least two important aspects of God’s master plan. God’s purpose for man would not be complete if He were not to remember all those who died, without ever having had an opportunity to embrace God’s Way of Life. They did not go to heaven when they died, nor did they wait for a better life in Purgatory, but they were sleeping the sleep of death, without any consciousness, for hundreds or thousands of years. God will bring them back to life in a Second Resurrection, and He will allot to them a certain time of perhaps one hundred years to qualify for the Kingdom of God and to become immortal members of God’s Family.

The Last Great Day pictures a second important aspect. God is a God of mercy and of justice. He would not be just if He were not to deal with those who had committed the unpardonable sin, thereby permanently rejecting God’s mercy. They will be resurrected in a Third Resurrection to face the verdict of God’s judgment, and they will be thrown into the “Gehenna”-lake of fire, to be burned up and cease to exist forever. This too shows God’s mercy… rather than torturing them for all eternity in an ever-burning hellfire, their miserable and hateful life will simply end.

THIS then is the plan of God for mankind… to enlarge His Kingdom, by bringing millions upon millions of immortal God beings into His Family. As God beings, we will rule with and under God the Father and Jesus Christ forever and ever over everything there is and will be.

THIS is God’s purpose for man… why He created man in the first place—to become EQUAL, in nature, with God the Father and Jesus Christ. God’s Holy Days make God’s plan very clear to us. In all our trials and challenges, because we still live today in a world ruled by Satan the devil, we must never forget WHY we are here and for WHAT we are here. God wants us to be in His Kingdom, to become GOD BEINGS, and He will never leave us nor forsake us. When we go through high waves or hot flames, He is with us. When we stand in front of a mountain, He is there to help us climb it. When we find ourselves in a forsaken desert, He is there to quench our thirst. When we walk through the valley of death, He is there to guide and comfort us.

We are God’s ambassadors for a new and better world; the forerunners; the pioneers; the firstfruits; paving the way for others to follow. Everyone will have his or her opportunity. But for us, TODAY is our ONLY day of salvation. Let us make sure we do not forget that, so that we do not become disqualified.

We are wishing you all a very peaceful and spiritually rewarding Fall Festival season, and may this be your best Feast ever. May the God of peace, mercy and of all comfort be with you all.

Your brother in Christ,

Norbert Link

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Dear Members, Co-Workers and Friends:

What motivates us to do better in our lives? What drives us forward? What makes us want to get out of bed in the morning and start our day? Are we happy with what we have done (Psalm 4:1-8)? Are we happy with where we are in our lives? Or, are we so satisfied that we think we don’t need to make any changes?

What we think about motivates and dictates our actions. The Scripture in Romans 12:2 speaks to a renewal of our minds: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Let us meditate about this for a moment. This means we are to be continually changing how we think—weeding out the useless things and as verse 1 points out, changing our lives to resemble that of a living sacrifice. If we concentrate totally on this Way of Life and change how and what we think about, then our outcome is inevitable. Our mind can be our most powerful tool or one of our deadliest enemies.

Notice in 2 Peter 3:14-18 how Peter exhorts everyone not to be led away and not to become haughty and puffed up with the pride of sin; but rather, to continue working towards becoming spotless, blameless, diligent and growing in understanding—not falling backwards as has happened and continues to happen to some brethren.

2 Peter 3:10-13 states: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”

This Scripture is intended for those who find themselves living in the Laodicean era. But it is also a warning for those who have the spirit of Philadelphia to remain on guard. It applies to you and me. This Scripture alone should cause great pause for thought about our actions and the words that we choose to use. This is up to us individually. Each of us can be guilty of delaying the return of Christ when we refuse to repent (2 Peter 3:9). Acts 3:19-20 speaks of repentance, the removal of sin, refreshing and the Second Coming of Christ—all in this order. It is our decision to repent and work to become closer to God through prayer, Bible study and meditation, as well as helping the Work of God being preached (Matthew 24:14).

Let us read through what Peter is saying in 1 Peter 1:3-25. We have a calling that we are meant to fulfill. Not someone else! We are called individually and fashioned for this very purpose. Do we find ourselves filled with joy because of this knowledge? Or are we caught up in the worries of everyday living? Are we full of love with the knowledge of God’s Plan and our part in it? Or are we selfishly seeking our own wants and desires to the detriment of God’s Plan, His Church and the people that comprise it? Notice the stern statements in verses 13-16: “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’”

God does not intend for us to fail, to wallow in self-pity, self-martyrdom or mediocrity in any shape or form. He created us to grow, to succeed, to prosper and to find happiness. While we are not here to make this world a better place or to affect political outcomes, we are still to have an impact on the world. Acts 17:5-9 speaks about those who were called as being “those who turned the world upside down.” What was happening was not being done in a small corner. People were jealous and angry that the Truth was being preached and they didn’t like it. We continue today to preach the gospel to all the world (Mark 16:15), and while most don’t like it either, some few listen and respond. The message will continue to go out, as God sees fit. It must be our focus and our goal to help in spreading the good news of the Kingdom of God prior to Christ’s return.

We CAN and we MUST move forward, if we intend to reach our goal that we set at the time of our baptism. It is going to take everything that we know and every part of what we have learned to make it through the coming years. How active are we now in becoming ready for this time? We must be 100% sure that we are willing to continue to commit our lives to God’s Way of Life, regardless of the consequences. Notice in James 3:10-18 the admonition about the type of people we are to be. We have to be CONSISTENT; otherwise, we are fooling ourselves and wasting our time. Paul’s warning in Galatians 3:1-4 still rings true today: “Who has bewitched you, that you should not obey the truth…?”

People’s ideas and minds, with their own selfish wants and desires, are held captive by Satan, who uses his power to “bewitch” us, if you will. We should remember Eve’s encounter with the Serpent, and her subsequent failure. The Devil bewitched her, captivated her, appealed to her. Satan tried to do the same with Christ, but Christ’s answers were sure and succinct. We cannot afford to fall bewitched by what Satan has to offer. Things may seem appealing, but look at the fruits of them and see where they lead—to death, more than likely, in one way or another. We need to realize just what is at stake: Life and death!

We have a few short weeks before we keep the Fall or Autumnal Holy Days. We should use this time to draw close to God and to totally appreciate God’s Plan for our future. We need to realize that we will encounter trials and “things” or circumstances which may attempt to “bewitch” us in an effort to draw us off guard so that we do not fully focus on what is really important. Let us not allow this to happen. 2 Peter 1:5-8 enjoins us to make every effort in becoming more and more like Jesus Christ and God the Father. Ephesians 4:3-6 tells us that we must make an effort to keep the bond of peace. As we move forward, let us stay hungry for the Truth and for God’s Way, so that we are not swept away.

We wish you all a meaningful preparation for the Fall Holy Days season. May God grant us more wisdom and the ability to concentrate on His great Plan for us, and to strive to become a part of who we are called to be.

With brotherly love,

Kalon Mitchell

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Dear Members, Co-Workers and Friends:

What does it take to be first? It’s not easy. It’s challenging. It requires a lot of patience, learning, zeal, diligence, persistence, steadfastness, and willpower. As the saying goes, “Practice makes perfect!” Let us focus a moment on the FIFA World Cup of “soccer” or “football.” For one month, 32 countries battle it out to become the champions of the world, and in the end, one team is declared victorious. But to even make it into the group of 32, each team had to get through the qualification games first, which consisted of several games against other countries. Since the World Cup takes place every 4 years, a lot of preparation is required, along with pressure, since each team’s goal is to claim the prize by holding the trophy in the Championship game and making their country proud, which is why the World Cup of soccer is considered the most popular tournament in the world, as a single sport.

With this analogy, do we, if converted, have the desire to be first in the spiritual context? Since those of us who have been called by God and have been baptized are considered firstfruits, we have already been qualified as begotten children of God, thereby receiving the first opportunity to be in God’s Kingdom. There is, however, no guarantee that we will claim the prize as patience, learning, zeal, diligence, persistence, steadfastness and willpower are required, for “he who endures to the END shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13).

This road that we travel on is not an easy one, for it is long and difficult, and only those who are worthy enough to keep going on it until the end will succeed. Obstacles will get in the way from time to time but we can’t let that deter us from our ultimate goal. We have to BELIEVE and have to have the FAITH that we will make it because once doubt enters into our minds and isn’t controlled, we will have a difficult time holding on and ultimately we may quit and lose our potential to obtain that crown.

In Luke 13:24, Christ tells us that we must “strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” To strive for something means that we must do our best by putting our effort into it, and in this case, we must do it continuously. There have been those in the Church of God who didn’t strive enough, even though they may have understood the Truth, but they weren’t strong enough and willing to keep going on and they just simply gave up. Sadly, this devastating development is continuing today and it will get much worse before the Day of Christ’s return has arrived.

We read in 2 Timothy 3:14-15, “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” If we have that belief inside us, then we should be able to accomplish what it is that we have been destined to fulfill.

With the Fall or Autumn Holy Days less than two months away, are we getting mentally prepared for what these days picture? Are we ready for a new world? Are we ready for Christ’s return? Are we ready to be first? The immediate future looks grim as far as this physical world is concerned and also in regard to biblical prophecies about what the Churches of God are facing. As we say over and over again and as the Bible reveals, a falling away from the Truth within the Church of God is still going to take place before Christ’s return (2 Thessalonians 2:3). All of us in the Body of Christ are running that same race, but not everyone who runs it will finish successfully. However, no one has to fall away. If they do, it is their fault; nobody else’s.

Paul explains how he had to run this race, which is the same one we are all running today. In 1 Corinthians 9:24, he asks the question, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?” He follows up with his answer, “Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified (verses 24-27).” We need to make sure that we “run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1).

Paul became victorious in his race. He ended it with success: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

This is the same race we all run. If we want to become perfect, we need to strive for it. The finish line is before us and we have the first opportunity to claim our prize. It’s right there, we just need to keep going!

In God’s service and with brotherly love,

Michael Link

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

What would you say was one of the greatest failings that a true Christian could have? We are not short of choices as there is quite a selection to choose from. We may all have many areas to work on but is there a single one that readily comes to mind? I could give you a list to choose from which, perhaps, could give us all a reminder of those areas which the world at large may not take much notice of, but should be of great significance to us all.

I recall Mr. Herbert Armstrong (the late human leader of the—now defunct—Worldwide Church of God) saying, many years ago, that ingratitude was one of the worst sins we could commit. It is certainly a major failing in anyone purporting to be a Christian.

Those of us in the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and other nations whose heritage can be traced back to the ancient Israelites, have enjoyed unprecedented prosperity, not through our own righteousness or favouritism, but because of the promises that God gave to Abraham and his descendants. However, almost everyone in these nations is unaware of the connection and think that all of the material prosperity has come about because of the hard work, initiative, ability and resourcefulness of their nations, their leaders and their people.

For those who think such things, nothing could be further from the Truth. There is no doubt that mankind, at large, has all of those qualities mentioned above, but without the mind of God that is given to true Christians through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit received at baptism, man can put himself in the place of God thinking that all these are done solely through his own abilities.

Ingratitude, the state of being ungrateful and unthankful, is something that none of us should have or display. The ancient Israelites who had greatly suffered under the tyranny of the Egyptians, were promised “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8). After seeing all of the miracles that God had performed to extricate them from the servitude that they had endured for so long, they seemed to constantly moan and complain. They were, in short, ungrateful for their release from bondage, on many occasions. That same attitude of ingratitude continues unabated today with those who have so much, believing that they have an automatic right to all the benefits that life may offer today.

On the onlineparentingcoach.com website we read the following about entitlement in young people today:

“Teenagers born in the 1990s, for example, were born into a world of personal computers, cable television, compact disc players and other technological advances. Many parents have showered their kids with these wonderful toys and gifts. As a result, today’s teenagers now feel entitled to all these devices and other privileges as a matter of course and not because of hard work or sacrifice. The adolescent may seem spoiled in comparison to older generations.

“Signs and symptoms of entitlement include: Expecting a certain standard of living without work
or effort; Feeling entitled to move back home with parents because being an adult is ‘too hard’; Feeling justified in supporting their lifestyle on credit, and expecting parents to ‘help’ pay their bills; Kids and teens who ‘must have’ the latest fads and fashions; Older teens entering the workforce feel entitled to start at the top; Older teens who feel they should be given handouts until they find jobs that ‘suit’ them; Teens feel entitled to a new car when they turn 16 and Older teens who just don’t like their jobs feel entitled to quit and collect unemployment.

“When children have a sense of entitlement, they don’t see the world in real terms. When money and material goods have been handed to them their whole lives, they won’t have the idea that they should work to achieve their goals. Their view of the world will be, ‘If I want it, someone will give it to me.’”

I would hasten to add that whilst the above is talking about youngsters today, such attitudes manifest themselves in other age groups too. In fact it is the older generation who have given many young people this sense of entitlement and are now reaping the effects of such inadequate and poor training of our younger people.

We should all know the story of Sodom and Gomorrah and we certainly are living in similar times today. Very often, the sin of homosexuality is, quite rightly, concentrated on when reviewing what happened there thousands of years ago. God was not happy with their gross immorality and they were dealt with accordingly. What we often tend to forget is that Sodom had other problems too, that greatly displeased God as we read in Ezekiel 16:49-50: “Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit.”

Today, many nations are pretty much the same with pride, plenty of food, idleness, ignoring the poor and needy, haughty and committing many sexual abominations before God and thinking that this is perfectly acceptable. As the well-known quote goes: “The one thing that we learn from history is that we never learn from history!”

We do have brethren in some countries around the world who don’t enjoy all that we have today in the Western World. We have a high standard of living and, with the freedom that allows us to enjoy it all, it can become very easy to take all of this for granted. When we think about these brethren, does this jolt our conscience and, perhaps, only temporarily, stir us to action? Many have very little and we can have so much—and we can take it all for granted if we’re not very careful. It can become our “entitlement” and, if that is the case, it can be a trait that true Christians must never have, or exhibit.

Ingratitude must be something that we have left behind, or are strenuously working at leaving behind. Are we grateful for our calling, first and foremost, and for the teaching we are constantly given for the Way of Life that sets us apart from the world? We should give God thanks for the physical food we have in such abundance and the protection and help that HE gives us, but does it stop there? Do we take for granted the weekly Update, weekly sermons and sermonettes and our weekly StandingWatch programs which can also be accessed on the Church’s website at a later time, the monthly letters and the increasing number of booklets which are prepared for members, and others?

Much preparation goes into providing all of this material for instruction, guidance and teaching, and it can be easy just to accept it as the norm rather than treasuring all that is provided. Let none of us fall into such a trap and let us appreciate all that God gives to us directly and through the efforts of others and never take anything for granted.

And when we succeed, we may then not be found guilty of the sin of ingratitude which is so prevalent in our societies today.

With Christian love.

Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

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May 2, 2018

Dear Brethren and Coworkers in Christ,

When God called us out of the world in this day and age, He did it according to a plan that He had for us since before time began, having predestined and known us long before we were born (compare Jeremiah 1:5, Psalm 139:16). He knows that each of us has what it takes to fulfill the mission of being a Christian, and He is confident that we can do it (compare Philippians 1:6). He has given us the raw material of His Truth and the Holy Spirit as a down payment, investing in our success to abide by the Truth (compare Ephesians 1:13-14, 2 Corinthians 5:5). God has gone so far as to offer up His Son as a Sacrifice for us, so that our sins can be forgiven! (Compare John 3:16.) He has done all of this because He challenges us individually with a huge goal, which is more important than anything we could imagine accomplishing in our human lives. If we want to succeed, we need to earnestly commit ourselves to God’s vision and submit to His Will in obedience. When we get discouraged, frightened, overwhelmed or anxious, we have to remember that greater purpose for which we are really working. God has given us a meaning in life that is much greater than anything we could contrive on our own.

Knowing this, we need to find the will within ourselves to ensure that this godly purpose for our lives is real and attainable to us. It is far too easy to read these words, nod our heads in agreement, and then carry on with whatever is immediately demanding our attention, without taking a moment to comprehend the depth of the Truth. If we are going to succeed in enduring through trials, we need to believe in God’s purpose for us with all faith. The Truth is this—we are children of God, called out of this world to live a life of righteousness through Christ living in us, and we will inherit God’s Kingdom, becoming rulers and priests forever. These are awesome statements that many in the world would consider delusional. But they are plainly declared as Truth by the words of the Bible. Do you believe with your whole heart and mind that these words describe your life? When your answer is “Yes,” the rest of life’s difficult circumstances become trivial by comparison, and much easier to endure.

We need to remember what lies ahead of us. We must find strength in understanding our role and significance in God’s plan. Paul’s words to the Philippians need to become our own: “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). We are working on something big, and we are doing it together.

During the conference this year, the ministry reiterated the grand scale of this purpose. We all shared expressions of acknowledgment that the work we are doing has a tremendous significance to billions. The mission we have collectively as the ministry and as the body of Christ is to serve God by ensuring that our best efforts are spent preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to the world as a witness. We have been blessed with individuals who have gifts of skill and knowledge to do so. With this mission in mind, it was encouraging to see that our reach spans the globe, with individuals in nearly every country on earth visiting our websites. With the little strength we have, together as coworkers in Christ, we all have a role in promulgating the Truth. The conference this year involved discussions about how we will continue.

These are some of the topics we covered:

We discussed the ongoing work of the ministry from each location of our Church and international affiliates in the U.S.A., Canada, U.K., and German-speaking countries, including the
successes and challenges we continue to face.

Doctrinal differences with other Church of God organizations were discussed. We concluded that on the surface of core doctrine there are appearances that the Church of the Eternal God and its international affiliates are perceived by some as being no different than other Church of God organizations, yet we reaffirmed that there are significant differences in detailed doctrine. Differences include, but are not limited to, doctrines and teachings on the third temple, the falling away, the false idea of a secret rapture and its different modifications, the false insistence on the necessity of a future king of the south, the unbiblical assumption of a seven-year contract, marrying outside the church, voting in governmental elections, jury duty, and military service.

A number of doctrinal topics were discussed as well; covering past baptisms performed by ministers who subsequently fell away from the Truth; seemingly delayed healing; when to refuse acceptance of donations; questions pertaining to the second Passover; how to understand the coming great falling away; how to communicate the urgency of preparing for prophetic fulfillment (while recognizing that even though we do not set dates, we believe that we are in the time of the beginning of sorrows and that God does reveal to His true servants insightful information relating to the fulfillment of prophetic events); how long Israel dwelt in Egypt; and whether the second war in heaven has already occurred or begun.

Plans were made regarding upcoming booklets on Christian living and Q&A’s for the year, to include the topic of the Ten Commandments.

International activities were discussed, including how to handle requests for baptisms in Africa.

A Skype meeting was conducted with Elder Paul Niehoff and his wife Tine from Melbourne, Australia, during which time we unanimously agreed to accept and accredit his ministerial ordination, welcoming him into the ministry for the Church of the Eternal God.

An update was provided by the technical team, summarizing continued efforts to improve live video broadcasts. We noted that we had a 20% increase in new users visiting the website, and some growth in the global reach of our online media.

We discussed possibilities for improving live video broadcasts and services in Germany with Christoph and Monique Sperzel in a Skype meeting.

We discussed the possibility of video-recording sermons in Canada and the UK, to be played in Sabbath services in the USA, as well as recording short videos for the UK and Canada, focusing on national matters.

We analyzed behavior statistics regarding how our websites perform in search engine results and discussed renewed strategies for online advertising. Plans were made to leverage the website content that performs the best, and material that we believe is important to promote.

Some graphic design topics were covered as well, including the need to update the letterhead to use the current logo and design, and update the email template used to send StandingWatch notifications.

Feast site planning was discussed, including plans for 2018, 2019 and 2020 Feast sites and possible solutions for handling translation workloads in Germany for the future Feasts.

We all left the conference strengthened and encouraged, acknowledging the importance of the Work we continue to do. We are excited for what lies ahead, and we wish to pass this excitement on to you. The Work of God that we have been commissioned to perform is not only a duty of the ministry, but it must be supported by the body of Christ—the Church—in order to bear much fruit. While the tasks we perform involve individual efforts, when they are combined, they add up to accomplish the great goal that God has for us to perform. Each prayer, each offering, each encouraging word of support, performs a meaningful purpose to glorify God and fulfill His awesome plan.

We hear a lot about endurance in messages that are written and spoken, reinforcing that it is important for us to finish the race (compare Hebrews 12:1; 2 Timothy 4:7). We know that we will face great challenges as the time of Christ’s return draws ever closer, and we know that the Kingdom of God will soon be established. Let us, as Jesus did, finish the Work which God has given to us (John 17:4)—and we can do this together when we serve God and place our confidence fully in Him!

With love from all of us in the ministry who participated in this year’s conference:

Norbert Link

Dave Harris

Rene Messier

Brian Gale

Eric Rank

Robb Harris

Michael Link

Kalon Mitchell

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

Knowledge of the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days of God (which are also called “Sabbaths” in the Bible) has been the anchor of biblical truth throughout history. This understanding has been the key for remaining faithful to God in a world blinded by the deception of Satan.

When God delivered His people from slavery in Egypt, He revealed “the Feasts of the LORD”—beginning with Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12 and 13). Next, He showed again when and how to keep the weekly Sabbath (Exodus 16). As the Israelites continued their journey, other Feasts were revealed (Exodus 23 and 34; Leviticus 23; Deuteronomy 16).

WHY did God command His people to observe these holy times? God gives the answer:

“‘Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: “Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you”’” (Exodus 31:13).

However, over time, Israel proved to be unfaithful in keeping the Sabbath and the other of God’s Feasts. As a consequence, they lost contact with God. Only rarely did His people turn back to Him to once again observe what He had commanded. That happened in the time of several of the kings of Judah—and it is recorded that especially Hezekiah and Josiah both reinstituted the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread—and while these kings led the people to be obedient, God blessed the nation of Judah.

Following their return from Babylonian captivity, the Jews once again turned to God and established “observance” of the Sabbath and Holy Days—as is recorded in the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah. During the time of Jesus Christ, the Jews were still “observing” the Sabbath and the Holy Days.

They were “observing” but not keeping the Sabbath or the Holy Days correctly! Jesus faithfully KEPT the Sabbath and the annual Holy Days in the right way, but the religious leaders of that time even accused Jesus of not keeping the Sabbath—because, among other reasons, He healed people on the Sabbath (John 9:16). Note what Jesus said of them:

…“‘Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: “This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do’” (Mark 7:6-8).

The majority of the Jews rejected Jesus (John 1:11), and in so doing, they failed to grasp the true meaning of the Passover. Only those who believed that Jesus was the Messiah who spoke with godly authority, and who continued to follow Him, understood.

From that point, the significance of the Feast days of God was revealed to the Church of God. Paul taught about the Feast of Unleavened Bread applying to the removal of sin from our lives (1 Corinthians 5:6-8); the giving of God’s Holy Spirit took place on the Feast of Pentecost (Acts 2); and the prophetic meaning of the Fall Holy Days is understood and proclaimed by the Church—especially, now, as the imminent return of Jesus Christ draws near!

The weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days of God outline and serve as a framework for the master plan of God. They are foundational parts of the gospel—the message of salvation and eternal life in the Kingdom of God. Keeping all of God’s Sabbaths is a sign between us and God—it reflects our relationship with Him.

We are about to enter the first of God’s annual Feast observances and we have this reminder for the Passover:

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).

Brethren, we must not take this responsibility lightly! Keeping this and all of God’s Holy Convocations is a way we can please God. Now is not the time to let down or turn away from the Truth we have received—and we have this warning from Jesus Christ:

“’But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man’” (Luke 21:34-36).

In Christ’s Service,

Dave Harris

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

The prime objective or the “mission statement” for a company, a team or individuals is a key component to staying focused and on track. Otherwise, one may start losing sight of the vision as to why one exists or works. For example, the Star Trek series had a mission statement at the beginning of each episode, which went like this: “Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.”

Captain Kirk was not confused or muddled as to what his mission was, and he stayed on track to achieve that goal (even though parts of that declared goal were impossible to achieve, since there are no aliens and no new life forms in outer space).

We, as a Church organization, and individually, have been given a mission by Christ. Some will fail and some will succeed.

Let’s look at failure first.

Matthew 7:21-23 tells us:  “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

Look at their works: they had prophesied, cast out demons and performed many wonders. These may be admirable things to do; yet, what went wrong here? Apart from the fact that they might not have done any of this in Christ’s name—that is, with His approval—they had practiced lawlessness. In other words, as verse 21 tells us, they failed to do the Will of His Father.

Just what was that “Will of the Father”? To live righteously, in obedience to God’s Law, and to carry out whatever mission and task God might have had for them.

In John 17:4, Christ stated: “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.”

Christ finished the WORK allotted to Him by the Father.

Look at what Paul said in this regard, in 2 Timothy 4:7: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

In other words, he finished the work given to him by God.

Our mission statement reads: “Preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God to all nations as a witness, to warn all nations, and especially the lost tribes of the house of Israel (mainly in the United States, Great Britain, certain Commonwealth nations and nations in Northwestern Europe) of impending danger, and to feed the flock of Christ – the Church – spiritually and physically.”

Our mission statement is not to “save” ourselves at any cost; to get sidetracked in wild speculations; or to focus on doing good missionary works in poor countries. While some of these tasks may be quite nice things to do, they are not the commission which God has given to His Church today.

What do we want to hear from Christ? Is it what we read in Matthew 25:23: “‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord’”?

The “few things” we have to be faithful in is finishing the work we have collectively and individually been given to do.

“What’s in it for me?” is a phrase used by some in order to know what they are going to “get” out of a task being given to them. However, this must not be our motivation and reason for doing God’s Will. Still, we read in 2 Timothy 4:8: “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

This is the future for those who are not sidetracked, but who finish the work given to them: A crown of righteousness, eternal life in the Kingdom of God and becoming born-again members of the Family of God. How do you put a price tag on this incredible human potential?

In light of God’s great promise for us, it behooves us to stay on point and finish what God has given us to do.

With Christian love,

Rene Messier (Canada)

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

Recently, an emergency alarm went out notifying Hawaii of an inbound missile threat. The alarm was false and a simple human error, but for almost 40 minutes panic ensued as people waited for an attack. Subsequently, measures were put into place with the declared goal to stop this kind of error from happening again. But that didn’t stop an outcry in the media, including Hawaii Democratic Representative Tulsi Gabbard. In one interview she stated, “We’ve got to get to the underlying issue here of why are the people of Hawaii and this country facing a nuclear threat coming from North Korea today, and what is this President doing urgently to eliminate that threat?”

While the sabre rattling has grown to new heights between our current administration and North Korea, the world is oblivious to the real threat that is looming. Satan has been methodically steering mankind away from God since he deceived Eve to eat from that ominous fruit. And like our forefathers, man has been grabbing hold of every bit of produce offered to them by the great deceiver.

Because of God’s compassion, He sent prophets to His people to try and guide them towards a righteous path and not fall prey to Satan’s deceit. But these warnings often fell on rebellious hearts, “I have also sent to you all My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, ‘Turn now everyone from his evil way, amend your doings, and do not go after other gods to serve them; then you will dwell in the land which I have given you and your fathers.’ But you have not inclined your ear, nor obeyed Me” (Jeremiah 35:15).

Man is no more inclined to take hold of the Truth today than in times past. Deceit is so deeply ingrained into the hearts of mankind that even the Truth appears to be a lie. This attitude of rejecting God in God’s name isn’t new. Jeremiah dealt with this same defiance, “And the LORD said to me, ‘The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart’” (Jeremiah 14:14).

Such a rejection of the Truth is hard to comprehend, once our eyes have been opened. God is plainly seen by those of us who walk in the light. And it has always been the responsibility of God’s chosen people to shine with this understanding. Jeremiah didn’t walk away from his duties when faced with rejection. Likewise, when Samuel was rejected by Israel, God pointed to the cause, “And the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them’” (1 Samuel 8:7).

We live in a world that can annihilate itself with the push of a button. But this cannot dissuade us from doing the job that has been set before each of us. God’s compassion does not grow dim because the world is in its darkest place. A warning must go out! Joel wrote of these days and this necessity to warn the world.

Blow the trumpet in Zion,
And sound an alarm in My holy mountain!
Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble;
For the day of the LORD is coming,
For it is at hand:
A day of darkness and gloominess,
A day of clouds and thick darkness… (Joel 2:1-2).

As a church we stand before this darkness and proclaim a message of hope. Hope that there is a God sending His Son back soon to judge and redeem this world. NOW is the time to draw closer to God and be part of His great plan.

With Christian Love,

Robb Harris