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Dear Brethren and Friends,

In a little less than a month from now, baptized members of the Church of God will be observing the Passover, and members and prospective members will also celebrate the Days of Unleavened Bread. Are we preparing in our minds, hearts and homes for these occasions?

The Passover gives us the opportunity to remember and recommit to our covenant with God; to realize who we are; to take note of changes we have made; to recognize that we have more room to grow; and to make sure that we are willing and wanting to make all necessary changes. God promises us that we can come to Him at any time and ask for forgiveness, and He will grant it to us, based on certain conditions. The Passover also helps to remind us of the supreme Sacrifice that Christ gave on our behalf, and just what that Sacrifice should mean in the life of a true Christian.

1 Corinthians 11:17–34 should be well known to us as it describes proper conduct, true personal examination and warnings about the Passover. Partaking in it is sacred to God. Paul’s mighty warning is that those who did NOT take the time to properly examine themselves, before partaking of the Passover, may become weak and sick (spiritually and maybe even physically) and may die prematurely. We read in Matthew 26:36–44 that Christ instituted the new symbols of the Passover and then went to the Mount of Olives to pray to God for strength in the ordeal He was about to face. He was distressed and deeply sorrowful. He was a human being who had emotions, and He did not want to have to go through the terrible, painful things He knew were coming.

Christ prayed three times to God for strength and the will to obey. Each time He came back, He found the disciples sleeping. It was night, and they might have been full from supper and inclined to sleep. But Christ wanted them to watch. He told them explicitly that He would be praying. He let them know just how deeply distressed He was at that moment. He knew it would be an hour of temptation both to Him and them, and therefore, He advised them to stay awake and watch; but when He came back, they slept. In verse 41, He specifically asks them to pray both for themselves and for Him; but they slept.

Are we asleep today? Are many in the Churches of God asleep today? It is easy to become tired, to become weary from so much trying. Does it feel at times that we are not moving forward but falling backwards? Does it feel like we are weak, without power, unable to overcome, depressed or unmotivated? These are typical human reactions. We can all feel this way at times. Christ was going through a very tough moment in His physical life, but He prayed very zealously three times for about an hour each time, so that He could accomplish what He needed to do.

We HAVE to take note of Christ’s example and His strength, and rely on the Word of God that what He says is true. In Isaiah 11:1–5 we read about Christ’s characteristics. Notice how it talks about the things in verse 2 which made up Christ’s character, but as it says, the Spirit of the LORD (the Holy Spirit of God the Father) accomplished these things in and through Him:

“ The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him,
The Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The Spirit of counsel and might,
The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.”

We can have the same powerful Spirit working in and through us if we are willing to submit to God and work out our own salvation with fear (true Godly fear) and trembling (Philippians 2:11–13). Paul was quick to tell the Corinthians that even though his letter to them caused them sorrow, he was actually glad because their sorrow was in a godly fashion, causing them to truly repent and draw closer to God (2 Corinthians 7:11).

We ALL fail at times. We all do our best to put on a good face. But God knows. He is the one who searches and knows our hearts and us more than we can even know ourselves, or anyone else, for that matter. God looks upon our attitude. God truly loves us and cares for us. He tries us because He loves us. But again, it is something that we have to believe. Matthew 11:28 tells us that when we are heavy-laden with problems, with issues, with sin, with anything that may be affecting us, then we are to come to Him to place our issues on His shoulders, and to seek Him first in our hearts, minds and actions.

God has inspired the Bible to be written in just the way that He wanted. And so, when we read Scriptures such as Isaiah 40:28-29, we can find hope and courage:

“ Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the LORD,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.”

There are no limits to God’s stunning power and love. Unlike the disciples who slept through a few hours of a crucial time, God will never fail to watch or protect us if that is what we want. Psalm 121:1–8 shows us that it is God and ONLY God who can do these things. We will not prosper if we try on our own to accomplish our will, goals and ideas.

As we come to the start of the spring Holy Days, let us keep these things in mind. If we are asleep in any way, we need to take this time we have left to seek God and then take the Passover in a worthy manner. It may be a good idea to revisit our booklet, The Meaning of God’s Spring Holy Days (as well as any of the other booklets and articles on this topic which can be found abundantly on our website, eternalgod.org), to fully comprehend what we need to do in the coming days to prepare for the Passover night and the Days of Unleavened Bread.

We hope that this coming festival season will find us closer to God than ever before, and with a willingness of heart to try even harder. We cannot say when Christ will return, but based on world events, the time of our salvation must truly be near (Romans 12:11). So, let us all become and stay encouraged and strong.

With much brotherly love,

Kalon Mitchell

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Dear Members and Friends,

Have we ever been in a situation in our lifetime when virtually the whole world is concerned about one nation, specifically one man, as we are experiencing now? Not a day goes by since the current President of the United States has been elected into office that we don’t see some kind of grave anxiety, based on the reactions all over the world, and the year has just started.

All we need to do is turn on the news or the home page of our browsers on our computers. When it comes to the latest approval rate, as of February 17, 2017, President Trump has reached his all-time low. According to theweek.com, his approval rating dropped to only 38 percent.

The article points out, “President Trump’s approval rating has sunk to its lowest level since his inauguration, with just 38 percent of Americans approving of his job as president, Gallup reports. Trump is now 23 points below the historical average for new presidents in mid-February, who are typically approved of by 61 percent of voters. He is also 13 points below the lowest mid-February approval rating for any other president in modern polling history, which was Bill Clinton with 51 percent. For context: Former President Barack Obama’s lowest approval rating in eight years as president was 38 percent, a drop that followed instances such as the 2011 debt ceiling negotiations and downgrading of the U.S. credit rating, or in September 2014, just before the Islamic State released videos of U.S. journalists being beheaded. Trump’s highest approval rating since taking office was 46 percent, on his fourth and fifth day in office. It’s all been downhill from there; by Friday, 56 percent of Americans disapproved of the job Trump was doing in office. Gallup’s poll reaches 1,500 adults across the nation by telephone, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 points.”

This number might drop even further. Right now, rejection of the White House is the viewpoint of a vast majority of the people of this nation.

Overall, this nation is not happy! Talks about impeaching Donald Trump have already come up, only weeks after he was elected into office, in addition to his highly controversial actions which have caused outrage across the world. People across the globe are not very happy! And this is only the beginning!

Can we see and do we believe how prophecy is unfolding before our eyes? Do we really believe that we have a lot of time left? Is America really going to become great again? We should know the answers to these questions from the pages of the Bible.

As more things come to light, we need to have our head on straight and focus on what is really important. But if we are not careful, we might be challenged getting ourselves caught up in all the propaganda hype, especially among people who love to debate political matters. Even though we should understand what is going on in the world right now, we might still give in to distractions. There is much in the world which could divert our thinking, by focusing on things that the world has to offer, and also by being caught up and sidetracked with political viewpoints, prophetic speculation and assumption. We should not allow ourselves to be deceived with all the propaganda, politics and conspiracy theories floating around the Internet and media sources. God tells us not to speak of a “conspiracy” concerning “all that this people calls a conspiracy” (Isaiah 8:12). Not every piece of “news” is “fake news,” only because somebody says so, while not every piece of “news” is based on facts. These are distractions which can consume our thinking. If we are not careful, they can lead us down a wrong path.

Understand who the author of confusion is; who the deceiver is; who the ruler of this world is (John 12:31; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 12:9)! Understand what our commission is and what our purpose is, for God has called us for a purpose! Jesus told us: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain…” (John 15:16; also compare Mark 16:15-16; Romans 8:28; 1 Corinthians 1:27-31). The weekly Updates that we publish are for our benefit. They report the real news—the news that we need to concentrate on as we prepare ourselves for what is happening now and what is to come in the near future, based on the correct understanding of BIBLICAL PROPHECY. This is how we bear fruit and make sure that our fruit remains—by watching what is going on and continuing to do so, while also remaining faithful and obedient to God’s laws.

Look at what last year has brought and the years before that, leading up to now. Look how quickly things have changed in America and how the whole world is being affected. Look how things have changed in Europe, especially last year with the whole migrant situation; and we will see an escalation of things in the near future. What can we expect for the modern descendants of the House of Israel, which the Bible talks about, especially the United Kingdom (Ephraim), the United States of America (Manasseh) and the State of Israel (Judah)? Our latest booklet, The Fall and Rise of the Jewish People, discusses at great length the history and future of the House of Judah.

What does the Bible prophesy? Those who are faithful in the Church of God know and proclaim the answer to this question. We have literature and messages on that, including two of our many booklets, The Great Tribulation and Day of the LORD and the Fall and Rise of Britain and America, which discuss the future of America and other English-speaking nations and the responsibility that God has given His end-time Church. Matthew 24:22 commands us to watch, and that is exactly what we should be doing—watching and also warning of what is to come.

So are we prepared? Are we ready? Or are we giving in to distractions? We should not take lightly what is happening presently. Rather, we need to be on guard. People in the world and “their” beliefs can easily distract us, when we give in to consider and even embrace what they believe, while the Bible proves them wrong. Satan is very clever and he will try everything he can to draw us away from the Truth. Remember, what is not of God, is of Satan.

Holidays can be a distraction, for many of them are ungodly. Oftentimes, man has twisted the true meaning behind them by making them appear “innocent fun”; or they might appear “Christian,” while they have no relevance with what the Bible teaches. Instead, man has replaced God’s Holy Days with man’s holidays by giving in to pagan worship, which God prohibits. And He tells us not to worship Him in the way the pagans worshipped their gods, by adopting pagan customs and incorporating them in our worship (Deuteronomy 12:30-31).

There are many other distractions that could affect us in different ways: our jobs, social media like Facebook and the Internet, culture, relationships, technology, entertainment, material things, money, or our conscience. This is not to say that all of that is bad, but we need to have a proper approach and balance as to how we act and react. There is a lot of confusion out there, and we need to understand what the Bible is saying, making sure that we do not drift away from what is vital.

Indeed, there are many things which could affect our focus. God wants us to be ready; He wants us to be prepared; and He wants us to conquer our weaknesses and overcome the distractions that Satan throws at us. We know that Satan will tempt us in every way possible, but we also know that we can overcome every obstacle which faces us, as with God’s help, there is nothing too difficult for us to handle.

Take it personally. God has called us for a reason. He has a purpose for us NOW. And we need to understand that we could possibly delay the return of Christ if we are not faithful in doing the Work and if we are negligent in overcoming our sins and transgressions (2 Peter 3:4-9; 14-18).

An interesting year is ahead of us, and we are indeed getting closer to Christ’s return. Prophecy shows us that that Day cannot be that far away. We are enclosing for our American subscribers a free copy of our new booklet, The Fall and Rise of the Jewish People, which discusses many end-time prophecies. (Our subscribers in other parts of the world will receive their free copy with a separate mailing). Fulfillment of prophecy should encourage us to focus on the really important things in this world and in our lives.

We will be tried and tested more and more to see how strong we are in the faith. Satan knows where we are vulnerable, which is why we need to remain vigilant at all times. God knows—and we should know, too—that we can and will succeed IF we obey Him.

In God’s service and with brotherly love,

Michael Link

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Dear Brethren, Co-Workers and Friends:

The age we live in is characterized by an attitude in which religious zeal is apathetic and holiness is unimportant. Society has traded in godliness for worldliness today, valuing the carnal ideals of man more than righteousness. The laws of the land increasingly marginalize Christian ideals in favor of the ill-motivated preferences of mankind. The Truth of the Bible is compromised and scientific theory vaunted. These are the signs of the times. Truly, we only need to read the Bible and look around us to come to the conclusion that Truth is exchanged for the lie (compare Romans 1:25), and that which is good is declared as evil (compare Isaiah 5:20).

Most of the world is blind to these observations though. But, if we are able to recognize and comprehend how society has departed from God, we should consider ourselves to be very fortunate. For, God calls very few out of this world to understand the Truth—and indeed, it is a great privilege, especially in the current age. If we are blessed enough to be given the gift of understanding through the Holy Spirit living within us, we are also accountable to do something with our understanding.

What are we to do then? If we are accountable to do something with our understanding, does this mean that we are to go out on a crusade to force the world to see the errors of their ways? Are we to dedicate our lives to proselytize and convert the unconverted? The answer is, absolutely not! The Bible is clear in the teaching that no one can come to God unless he or she is called. To go on a religious crusade is bound to fail and cause more damage than good. At the same time, the Church of God has the collective commission to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God in all the world as a witness, so that Jesus Christ can return to this earth (Matthew 24:14).

If we are not to actively force our beliefs and knowledge of the Truth on people who are not called, should we then just be satisfied with the knowledge we have, and go about “business as usual”? Is it sufficient for us to merely have the knowledge of the Truth if we want to inherit the Kingdom of God? Does the knowledge of the Truth make us immune to being pulled into worldliness and sin? Can we just be satisfied with what we have learned and keep it to ourselves? Can we count on our own strength, wisdom, and wealth to save our lives? Again, the answer is, absolutely not!

There is a warning to the Church of Laodicea in the Bible that applies directly to our current age. It bears repeating so that we are reminded of what to monitor in our lives. “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent” (Revelation 3:15-19).

The fault ascribed to the Church era of Laodicea is a lack of zeal, and the prescription is repentance— coming out of sin. When the love of the Truth is lacking, we expose ourselves to the deceptions of the world, and put ourselves at risk of returning to sin and falling away from God (compare 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). Yes, we must do more with the knowledge that we have been given as a gift than just keep it in a figurative portfolio of assets. God’s Spirit, and the understanding that comes with it, is useless unless we love it, care for it, and zealously put it to work.

While we are not to be overzealous and go on a crusade, we must set forth on a different kind of journey. With the Spirit of God guiding us, we are compelled to embark on a quest in our lives. The understanding of the Truth should lead us to continually search for ways to improve our lives by overcoming sin, seeking spiritual growth, and to cease our endeavors for worldly gain. The way that we put our gifts to work involves deepening our conversion so that we live our lives in a way that glorifies God. We are to work from the inside out, trying our best to understand righteousness and to live accordingly. When we are able to do this, the good works that we do will offer a positive example to our peers in the world who observe us (compare Matthew 5:16, 1 Peter 2:12). Our individual quest in this human life to overcome sin and replace it with righteousness must actively carry on throughout our lives.

Knowing what we are called to do, it would be a good idea to ask ourselves some questions. Have we finished with learning? Have we stopped inquiring about the Truth? After learning the basics in the Bible, have we stopped our spiritual development? Do we consider our quest to be complete? Or, are we carrying on in our journey? Are we clear about what we seek on our quest? The answers to these questions should help to guide our next steps, which must involve learning how to complete our conversion.

An important part of the commission of the Church of the Eternal God and its international affiliates is to provide you with the raw materials that you need to continue your spiritual development and to assist you on your quest. Just as those who have gone before us, we are pilgrims and strangers on this earth, who seek a homeland in the Kingdom of God (compare Hebrews 11:13-16). And pilgrims on a journey out of this world must be adequately equipped. For this reason, the Church also continues on a collective quest that is directed to feed the flock, but also to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God in all the world as a witness.

As we all carry on in this mutual quest for the Kingdom, we should all be conscious that one day soon that great day will come when we will find what we all seek, but only if we never stop working individually, and collectively.

With brotherly love,

Eric Rank

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

At the end of each year, it is customary for the media to look back over the previous twelve months but, in recent memory, 2016 will turn out to be a time of extraordinary events that have happened around the world, with many of these surely having an impact that doesn’t bode well for humanity.

Peter Hitchens, a regular Daily Mail columnist, made these observations in his column on the 13th November 2016 when talking about the liberal elite in society today: “On they ploughed with their mass immigration, their diversity and equality, their contempt for lifelong, stable marriage, their refusal to punish crime, their mad, idealistic foreign wars, their indulgence of drugs, their scorn for patriotism, their schools and universities, turning out graduates with certificates they can barely read. And on they went with their destruction of real jobs, promising a new globalised prosperity that never came. Millions have just had too much of this.”

Mr Hitchens was commenting on the extraordinary (humanly speaking) victory of Donald Trump in becoming the President-elect of the USA with his tenure of office due to commence next month. Mr Norbert Link, in our monthly letter last month, made some very interesting observations even though the letter was dated 9th November just after the election result. Since that time, Mr Trump has made comments about what he intends to do when inaugurated as the new President of the most powerful country on earth.

The President-elect of the USA has also been busy meeting many people and making appointments to his team that will help him in his tenure. It appears that some of them, like Mr Trump himself, have made controversial remarks in the past about matters that they will now have to deal with, and it will be interesting to see how this all turns out.

Within days of his victory, Mr Trump confirmed that the USA will round up illegal aliens in their country who have criminal records, stating that this could be 2-3 million people. They would be returned to their nation of origin or incarcerated together with building a wall to keep out those who constantly stream over the Mexican/American border. In the Guardian newspaper, dated 12th November 2016, an article entitled “Donald Trump, pragmatist? President-elect’s stances seem to shift after win”, it made these comments (amongst many others): “Donald Trump appears to be backing away from several campaign promises, raising hopes that he could be more pragmatic in the White House than expected, but risking the wrath of his vociferous army of supporters – and, as he has done for months, refusing to commit to any one option. In the days since his victory in the electoral college, the president-elect has suggested that he could retain some elements of Barack Obama’s healthcare reforms, and his advisers appeared to tone down a pledge to ‘rip up’ the Iran nuclear deal. As for Hillary Clinton, whom Trump had threatened to jail for unspecified crimes of corruption, he called her “very strong and very smart”.

Since then Mr Trump has reneged on his promise to prosecute Hillary Clinton over the e-mail scandal. Many politicians promise, but rarely deliver, as they see the enormity of the tasks that confront them and the complexities of high office, and those are yet further reasons why a true Christian cannot vote for any of the candidates on view; otherwise, they are complicit in their deception. Of course, such promises are not seen as deceit but just as campaign rhetoric.

Piers Morgan, in his newspaper column shortly after Mr Trump was voted into the office of President of the USA last month said that “a £5 accumulator bet on Leicester City winning the Premier League (this unlikely team became football (soccer) champions of England’s top league in 2016 with odds of 5,000 to 1), Brexit and President Trump would pay out £12.5 million today!” That is how remarkable this year has been throwing up jaw dropping results many of which will help end-time prophecy events to be accomplished as God uses people and events to bring about His will.

Amongst many other notable events in 2016, we have seen the ongoing mayhem in Syria and continuing atrocities in different parts of the world; Brussels terror attacks in March; a failed military coup in Turkey; North Korea claiming to have successfully undertaken H-bomb tests; the Zika virus and Hurricane Matthew. There have been earthquakes in Italy, New Zealand, Ecuador, Indonesia, Japan, Bolivia, China, the USA, Russia, Antarctica and other places, all clearly showing the difficult times in which we live and which are shown as end-time activity (see Matthew 24:7).

In fact, this month, there is an Italian referendum which might cause further problems for the European Union. On December 4th Italy will go to the polls in an historic referendum on constitutional reform. The question was asked about whether the result could cause untold problems for the EU, and Maria Paola Toschi, global market strategist at JP Morgan Asset Management, told CNBC: “The upcoming Italian referendum this December may create volatility across markets as the year draws to a close.” On November 17th 2016, Time magazine asked the question “Can Italy avoid a populist uprising in crucial referendum?” This is just one of many issues that will continue to happen in an increasingly restless world.

One newspaper article last month highlighted further countries in Europe where charismatic populist leaders could upset the status quo. These were Austria and Romania (December 2016), the Netherlands (March 2017), France and Serbia (May 2017), Norway (September 2017), Germany (September/October 2017) and the Czech Republic (October 17).

The Church of God has long understood the significance of Europe in end-time events and so we shouldn’t be surprised at what is happening. With the UK voting to leave the European Union and the dramatic controversial change in leadership in the USA last month, things are moving in the direction that has been anticipated for a long time. We must also continue to watch the Middle East where many end-time prophecies will occur.

We are sure that there will still be many twists and turns in the prophetic path towards the Kingdom of God, and there will, undoubtedly, be those who continue to set dates, some quite specific, not really understanding that only the Father knows such dates as it states in Mark 13:32: “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” We would all do well to recognise this verse and what it means rather than “knowing better” and specifying dates which, when they fail, give ammunition to those who mock Christianity, as well as disappointing those who have foolishly held on to such predictions.

We are also warned in Matthew 24:12 that “lawlessness will abound, and the love of many will grow cold.” This is referring to the Church of God and so we must make sure that this does not apply to any of us. In fact, the following verse sums up what we are to do: “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” We know what we have to do, and we must do it, in order to have the wonderful future that awaits God’s faithful people.

With Christian love,

Brian Gale
(United Kingdom)

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Dear Members, Co-Workers and Friends:

What most did not believe possible has indeed occurred: Republican candidate Donald Trump was elected to become the 45th President of the United States of America. As the Republicans have also maintained the majority in both the House and the Senate, Mr. Trump will become the most powerful man on earth. His power will be greater than that of any recent American President. The German tabloid Bild ran this headline on November 9: “Trump Almighty.” As USA Today wrote, Mr. Trump will be in a position to repeal large parts of President Obama’s legislative agenda, repeal his executive orders with a stroke of a pen, and install conservative Supreme Court justices. As Commander-in-Chief, he will have the power to go to war.

Almost half of Americans (Hillary Clinton won by popular vote) and most countries in the world have reacted with shock, concern and anxiety. The Guardian echoed those sentiments, stating that “this is primarily an American catastrophe that America has brought upon itself.”

Europe is very concerned. Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, former German Minister of Economics and Energy, wrote: “A gruesome awakening for Europe! When it is finally waking up.” The BBC wrote that if Mr. Trump keeps his promise, then only four of NATO’s 28 members would qualify for support from Washington in the case of a war. German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen asked Mr. Trump for clarification on whether the U.S. would remain committed to NATO. German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel called Mr. Trump’s victory “a warning for Germany and Europe.” German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who had called Donald Trump a “hate preacher,” said that foreign relations would become “more difficult” with President Trump. The French ambassador to the United States tweeted that the “world is collapsing before our eyes.”

Voices are being heard that Europe cannot rely anymore on America and that, therefore, Germany needs to fulfill its role as the new world leader.

Not everyone reacted with dismay and disapproval. In addition to European right-wing politicians and Brexit proponents, Russia’s Vladimir Putin welcomed Mr. Trump’s victory, expressing hope for a “better relationship” between the USA and Russia. It was reported that he had said that under Hillary Clinton, World War III would have been certain, but not so under Donald Trump.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Mr. Trump a “true friend of the State of Israel.” Likud lawmaker and Temple Mount activist Yehuda Glick congratulated Mr. Trump and invited him to “ascend the Temple Mount.” Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett claimed: “The era of a Palestinian state is over.” Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat reminded Mr. Trump of his promise to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Even before the election results were announced, voices had been heard warning of the devastating status of the USA after eight years of the “Obama Presidency.”  In a biting commentary, Bild Online wrote on November 6 that Mr. Obama was mainly responsible for the conditions of his country, leaving behind an international “field covered with ruins,” continuing that America’s foes are no longer afraid of the US President, while America’s friends have no more confidence in him. The tabloid expressed the hope that the “world has learned from eight years of Obama that politicians are dangerous if they present themselves as saviors.”

On November 7, the Berliner Zeitung spoke of America’s “downfall” and voiced the opinion that “America is paralyzed politically, if not something worse happens,” and that “dark times await America.”

Those who understand biblical prophecy should be able to see how these developments point at predicted end-time events, ready to be fulfilled. The Bible shows that the relationship between the USA and Europe will deteriorate to the point of outright war. It is also clearly revealed that Germany (modern Assyria) will lead a United States of Europe under a charismatic leader, called “King Jareb” in Scripture (Hosea 5:13;10:6). It is perhaps remarkable that a few years ago, former German finance minister and candidate for chancellor in 2013, Peer Steinbrück, began a public speech by saying: “I am not King Jareb.”

God has decreed that, in these last days, the United States of America will fall and be defeated in a nuclear war, and no American President can prevent this. God is angry with our nation because of the many sins which we commit daily. God is especially angry with America’s political and religious leadership which is tolerating or even promoting ungodly sexual practices and the celebration of pagan customs, while ignoring or even suppressing a biblical lifestyle and worship requirements. For instance, God’s weekly and annual Holy Days have been replaced with holidays, such as Sunday, Halloween, Christmas, New Years’ Day and Easter, which are steeped deeply in paganism.

Even though religious leaders have tried to hide the fact that the Sabbath, and not Sunday, is the last day of the week which we are to keep holy (Exodus 20:8-11), sometimes even falsely claiming that Sunday is the last day of the week, the weekly Sabbath is still clearly identified in some languages. For instance, “Saturday” is called “savvato” in Greek; “sabato” in Italian; and “sabado” in Spanish. In addition, the ancient Hebrews had no names for the weekdays except for the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, calling the other days, “first day,” “second day,” etc.  The ancient and modern Greeks have the same custom, calling the seventh day “savvato,” and the other weekdays “second” (deytera); “third” (triti); “fourth” (tetarti), and “fifth” (pempti). The sixth day is called “paraskeyi,” meaning “preparation.” Following false teachings, modern Greek has replaced the “first” day with the name “kinaki,” meaning “of the Lord.” Similarly, the Icelandic and Portuguese languages have maintained the same designations for the weekdays.

Most Christian denominations teach that God’s spiritual Law has been abolished, and that God’s grace absolves us from any sinful conduct—”just live as you please, and you will still be saved.” This false concept is largely responsible for an ungodly lifestyle which would have been unthinkable not too long ago.

This development is one major reason as to why God will punish this nation, and it is extremely important that we understand this. We are pleased to enclose for our American and Canadian readers a copy of our new booklet, “God’s Law… or God’s Grace?” which explains this topic from your Bible.  Our European readers will receive a free copy shortly with a separate mailing.

Dark days are indeed ahead for the USA and the entire world. Those who voted in this presidential election for “the lesser of two evils” will be greatly sobered in the not-too-distant future when they realize that God placed Mr. Trump in the position of American President—not to make this country great again, but to bring about necessary events leading to the most terrible time in all of mankind’s history… the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21-22). May God be with all of you and help you to become worthy to escape all these chaotic and devastating things which will surely and shortly come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man when He returns (Daniel 12:1; Luke 21:36).

Your brother in Christ,

Norbert Link

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

Are you READY… or NOT?

No greater challenge faces us than this question. Jesus said that we should be ready for His return—that we should be watching and actually knowing that the time has drawn near. Read again the
momentous events revealed by Jesus in chapters 24 and 25 of Matthew—many occurrences
prophesied are at play RIGHT NOW!

Are you watching? Can you relate world events to key prophecies of the end time, and do you truly believe what you are seeing?

Not many do, and it will be only the smallest minority of faithful Christians who will take Christ’s admonition seriously to, “‘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 21:36).

Jesus prophesied about the end of the age and compared it to events leading up to the worldwide Flood. He specifically referenced “‘the days of Noah’” (Matthew 24:37; Luke 17:26). During that tumultuous and evil age, “Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:8), and God said to Noah, “‘you are righteous before Me in this generation’” (Genesis 7:1).

Noah and his wife and their three sons and their wives were all protected during the Flood. And so, too, in our generation, some will find grace in the eyes of God—Jesus promised this:

“‘And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened’” (Matthew 24:22).

As the elect—that is, God’s chosen people—what we now face in our immediate future is something for which we must prepare! Jesus has told us “‘beforehand’” (Matthew 24:25), and overshadowing terror is coming:

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

In chapter 25 of Matthew, the parable of the ten virgins is given, and the depiction is of those who have been called into God’s Church. However, in awaiting the return of Jesus Christ and our redemption, the parable reveals that the virgins “‘all slumbered and slept’” (verse 5).

As the parable continues, oil—a symbol of God’s Holy Spirit—was running out. Only half of the virgins had enough oil, “‘and those who were READY went in with [H]im to the wedding; and the door was shut’” (verse 10).

Brethren, we must not let ourselves be lulled into complacency thinking that the return of Jesus Christ is far off! To all Christians throughout every age, our preparation has been unmistakably clear:

“‘Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming’” (verse 13).

Are you READY… or NOT?

In Christ’s Service,

Dave Harris

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Dear Members and Friends:

In the early 1960’s, Bob Dylan penned a song that became a reflection of a generation growing up in that decade. “The Times They Are a-Changin’” became a ballad of the civil rights movement. Dylan himself became an icon for that era and embodied changes that many sought after, either peacefully or through radical means.

History.com sums up this decade stating, “At the beginning of the 1960s, many Americans believed they were standing at the dawn of a golden age. On January 20, 1961, the handsome and charismatic John F. Kennedy became president of the United States. His confidence that, as one historian put it, ‘the government possessed big answers to big problems’ seemed to set the tone for the rest of the decade. However, that golden age never materialized. On the contrary, by the end of the 1960s it seemed that the nation was falling apart.”

Fast forward five decades and it’s obvious no utopian change took place in that “golden” decade. But change has happened, just not for the betterment of man. Quite the opposite! The ruler of this world desires nothing less than the ruin of man. In Isaiah, we read of Satan’s character, “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!” (Isaiah 14:12). Satan will stop at nothing in order to dismantle God’s Plan in any way possible. Any human effort to affect lasting change without God’s leadership is simply futile. If we aren’t promoting God’s Way of Life, we are working in opposition to it.

But of course, this is not the way in which man’s efforts are projected by the great deceiver. Man rejoices in the unshackling of the “ancient ways” in the worshipping of God. This misguided approach never ends up seeking to fulfill the Will of God. Instead, religion without the true God ultimately seeks to satisfy Satan’s desires. This rebellious attitude leads directly away from true
freedom and instead binds us into slavery under Satan.

We know that God doesn’t change. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Thus, anything seeking to change the foundations laid before us by God’s true servants cannot be of God. Many invoke the name of God, but few take the time to acknowledge who God really is. They instead seek to satisfy their own desires and create their own gods.

This attitude of ignoring the truth is the reason God’s Judgment is going to be so harsh upon this world. Paul states, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness…” (Romans 1:18). Without God’s Truth, mankind is doomed.

For this reason it is imperative that we keep the light of God’s Truth shining brightly in our lives. We must lay a foundation upon the unchanging stability of Christ. Besides lighting up the darkness, lighthouses were built on ground that wouldn’t give way, even in the most turbulent storms. If we are not seeking that kind of stability, we will fail. If we are seeking God on our own strength and understanding, we will fail. Paul continued to warn those who knew God, but didn’t have the foundation to stand during a storm, “…because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things” (Romans 1:21-23).

The motivation for the lie that Satan so masterfully laid out before man was revealed explicitly when Satan tempted Christ: “Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me’” (Matthew 4:8-9). Satan rose up into heaven in order to usurp God from His throne. After failing and being cast down to earth, his motivation didn’t change. He still desires to be worshipped and stand between God and God’s plan for mankind.

We are witnessing a growing change in world views that will lead many astray, including God’s very elect. The cause for falling away is always self-reliance, the acceptance of false teachings, and a failure to believe and rely solely on God. We are fighting against those principalities with far greater power than any one of us possesses on our own. Succeeding against Satan is impossible unless godliness and faith are our shield (Ephesians 6:16). Paul spoke about this great deceit and the consequences for those of us swayed by it: “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). We see a world reveling in unrighteous pleasure. God is ignored in lieu of passing sinful pursuits that will always lead to death. We must stand strong in this great storm of satanic deceit, for it will topple anyone not rooted in the truth.

True change is manifest when we put away our own desires and seek after God. If we are seeking His Kingdom first, our attitude will change. We have a promise laid out before us, and the day is quickly approaching when Christ will be fulfilling that promise: “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52).

In Christ’s Service

Robb Harris

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Dear Members and Friends,

We said in the beginning of the year that 2016 is going to be interesting; that things will not get better; and that we should be prepared for significant events to take place, in light of biblical prophecy. We are now in the middle of the year and what we have said has been confirmed: more ISIS terrorist attacks; more political drama; Great Britain leaving the EU; more racial tension and violent controversy; and there is more to come.

With more than 7 billion people in the world, we have seen that some of the “minorities” are letting their voices be heard, but not in a good way. For example, the LGBT community has gained a lot more momentum lately—even more so now since last month’s terrorist attack at a gay night club in Orlando, Florida, where gays were specifically targeted. The world sympathized with them and brought increasing attention to the gay community. This is not to say that the murder of innocent civilians was justified, as that terrible action was clearly wrong.

Same sex marriage is becoming more and more acceptable, even within the Catholic church, and is increasing in popularity all around the world, BUT less than 4% of Americans are actually gay, according to Bloomberg.com, dated May 2015. The excuse to approve of same sex marriage and homosexuality is based on the mindset that “times have changed” and “God loves you no matter what.” However, God sees otherwise (compare Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9).

Racial tension has certainly increased, especially between some white police officers and some black civilians, and the focus is being shone on blacks as “targets.” According to an article by Bloomberg, dated July 14, 2016, “The phrase ‘Black Lives Matter’ originated in 2013 with the community organizers Opal Tometi, Alicia Garza, and Patrisse Cullors as a Twitter hashtag to protest the killing of Trayvon Martin by a community watch volunteer in Florida. When another black teenager, Michael Brown, was fatally shot by a police officer in Missouri the following year, the three women turned the words into an activist network, organizing protests across the country. The phrase has come to refer to a national movement of many groups and individuals with a broad range of social-justice concerns, all focused on law enforcement’s use of deadly force against black Americans… The politics surrounding Black Lives Matter are explosive. Opponents range from those who say it paints police in general as racist, adding to the danger they face on the job, to those who seek to portray it as suggesting only black lives matter.”

The public demand answers and there are some that want to take it further by resorting to violence in revenge, thinking that that will “vindicate” the problem, but God sees otherwise (compare Leviticus 19:17-18; Matthew 5:21-22; Proverbs 3:31).

Many feel that the concept of racism within the US police force is totally overblown. Even though they don’t deny that there are police officers who are racists, they insist that this is not true to the degree as portrayed in the left-liberal media and by “progressive” politicians. In several Fox News interviews on July 13, 2016, with Heather Mac Donald, a “Manhattan Institute Senior Fellow” and author of the book, “The War on Cops,” it was claimed that white police officers have been shooting many more white suspects than black victims, while two-thirds of violent crimes were committed by blacks in the USA. It was also said, by pointing at statistics, that a vast majority of black victims were killed by black persons.

More and more are in favor of abortions, and they come up with all kinds of reasons justifying why it is acceptable—saying that it is a woman’s right to choose, even though God sees otherwise (compare Jeremiah 1:5; Psalm 139:13-16; Exodus 21:22-25).

Attacks from ISIS terrorists are increasing, and targets are spreading throughout the world, testing everyone’s vigilance, all for the purpose of striking fear and chaos. These demon-inspired terrorists claim that they are doing it for “their” god, even though the TRUE God sees otherwise (compare Jeremiah 7:4-7; 22:3, 17; Romans 12:21).

Minority groups today are grabbing more attention, and society as a whole is on edge. Now everyone can be a witness through our technical devices and advancements, and it seems that all need to be aware of everything they say or do to avoid offense—because we are living in a sensitive era. Fear and worry are increasing and tension is building up! We know that times WILL get worse. They will only get better when Christ returns to put an end to this terrible day and age (compare 2 Timothy 3:1; Zephaniah 1:14-17; Joel 2:30-31; Matthew 24:22, 29-30).

Certain minorities are drawing attention to themselves, but for the wrong motives. What about those of us in the Church of God? We are also considered a “minority group” because we believe in something the vast majority of the world does not. Our beliefs are not even in line with what most professing Christians believe; especially, when it comes to some of the most obvious commands in the Bible, like keeping the Sabbath and His Holy Days. They do not understand because they haven’t been called. “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). Instead, society is finding more reasons to accept what is biblically wrong, opening a bigger door for Satan to continue with his destruction, while making it increasingly difficult for true Christians to live God’s Way of Life. Difficult yes, but not impossible. By having God in our lives and obeying Him and His commands, we are able to get through EVERY trial that is set before us (James 1:2-8; Proverbs 3:5-6; Romans 5:3; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 1 John 4:4).

We are a little more than halfway through 2016, and we can expect more prophetic events to unfold. We need to keep doing what we have been doing for many years, by proclaiming the good news of the coming Kingdom of God and its accompanying warning to the world as a witness (Matthew 24:14; Isaiah 58:1; Ezekiel 33:1-12), and to keep watching (Matthew 24:42; Luke 21:36). Time is indeed getting shorter and Satan knows it. God knows it. Do we know it?

We need to continue to have a close relationship with God through prayer and Bible study, remaining vigilant with faith and trust in God. We can expect more events to unfold in connection with prophecy, and we need to proceed with the Work that He has set before us to accomplish. Let us not neglect the gift that He has bestowed upon us, as the lights in this world (Ephesians 5:8; Philippians 2:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:5); the minority (1 Corinthians 1:26-28); the select few God has chosen NOW (1 Peter 2:9); for WE are part of the future (Daniel 7:27; 12:3).

In God’s service and with brotherly love,

Michael Link

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

As we draw to the close of this age, what stands out for each of us? We live in a world that, as we watch each day, gets further and further away from God. This was pointed out in the first chapter of Romans where Paul tells us, in verses 19–32, that when people no longer want to retain God in their thoughts, then their debauchery and subsequent downfall is imminent. Truly, in a relative sense of the amount of years since the Bible was written, our time is short. If we truly think about it, 6,000 years is not that long a time, but the amount of progress that has been accomplished in just the last 50 years is staggering. We see that because God gave us creative minds, humans can do almost anything they put their minds to. We know that at the tower of Babel, God had to stop those people from continuing what they were doing. God rightly said in Genesis 11:6: “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.” But when Satan is in the mix, this element of human creativity takes on a dark twist.

With all of this in mind, how do we look after each day that we are granted? One thing that constantly stands out for me is that each of us has been called at this time and age. For me it is truly a mind bender. At any point in the history of man, anyone of us could have been born, theoretically speaking, and yet now is the time that we are alive and have been called. More importantly, we have all been called in this day and age because God believes that we can make it to the very end, and because He believes that we can use the gifts that He has given us to complete the Work that we have been called to accomplish. The Bible tells us that even before time began, God had predestined to call us now (Ephesians 1:4-5, 11; 2:10; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Romans 8:28).

Do we ever stop and wonder why God has chosen us? Think about the individual that you are. Possibly you are not rich, and you may even be in constant pain or have serious illnesses. Maybe your family is in the church, maybe they are not. Do we ever stop and doubt ourselves, our God-given gifts, talents and abilities? Do we find ourselves questioning God’s purpose for us? Do we wonder: “Why me?” “Why do I have to go through what I am going through?” But if we properly look at any situation we go through, instead of becoming discouraged, we can learn to become what God wants us to be. We must be learning to lean fully on God. To trust Him and to let Him be our guide. But to do all of this, it takes an attitude of humility.

Once again, I am drawn in by the complexity and mind-blowing thought that we are witnessing the collapse of mankind. We are seeing things that were prophesied many millennia ago. Many people through the centuries have longed and looked for this very time, culminating with the return of Jesus Christ. And yet they were granted their time here on earth, and then they died at their appointed time, without having experienced what we may be witnessing soon. We are here now. What does it mean for each of us? At times, I find it hard to live on the edge of my seat and also live day by day as if there was a lifetime ahead of me. I think this is a common thing that we face as Christians.

People at Christ’s time were looking for a Messiah who would save them from the occupying Roman force. They were blind to the truth that Christ wasn’t there to overthrow that ruling kingdom at that time.

Even Paul thought at one point that it was possible that Christ would return during his lifetime. He later came to understand that this would not be the case. But how did those thoughts affect each of them? Does the knowledge that Christ indeed will be coming back and possibly in our lifetime motivate us?

Our opportunity to do a part in God’s Work is now! I love the simplicity that Paul brings out in Romans 12:5-21. He very clearly lays out that each gift and each service is truly meant for the betterment of others. There is nothing that we have that God can’t replace. We must be on guard that we don’t find ourselves self-confident, proud and haughty. The attitude of the self-righteous Pharisees and Sadducees was the opposite of what we should be today. In Matthew 3:7-10, John the Baptist openly rebuked the people who were fakes. They were supposed to be the spiritual leaders and guides at that time, but they relied on old traditions; they were unwilling to grow, unwilling to bear fruit. John told them that God could raise up people for Himself. And God can still do this if need be. We can be reminded of God’s talk with Elijah. He said that He had reserved 7,000 people for Himself (Romans 11:1-4). So many times people come and go because they are not rooted and grounded in the Truth and are offended in some way, or find some “reason” to leave. And it is heart-breaking to see it happen. But this must not deter us. God does and will provide the people He needs to accomplish the goals He has in mind. But continuing on, in verses 5-7, Paul reminds us that it is by God’s gracious choice that we have been called NOW. Our time is now. We should be praying that God opens the doors that He wants us to go through in regard to the Gospel being preached and how to best accomplish this at this time and age.

We are all one body as Paul spoke about many times (compare Romans 11:16-24). If we are not careful in our actions, in how we handle the gifts God has granted us to serve Him and others, then He will replace us. His plan will stand. It is taking shape. We need to decide what side of the fence we want to be on. As members of the Church of the Eternal God and its international affiliations, we all have many different hats and work to serve each other in love and edification. Though we are small, our opportunity is great IF we remain close to God! Think about how many times Paul called to remembrance in his letters the faithfulness of the early churches. And even though they endured great trials and often times their gifts were small because they were not physically rich, Paul encouraged and thanked them for their tireless support and dedication in helping to get the Gospel message preached to the known world at that time.

Brethren, we cannot know the time of Christ’s return. This knowledge lies solely with the Father. When He determines that the called-out people have been making the right choices in overcoming, that prophecy has advanced enough, that the time is right, then He will pull the plug. But the prophecy of the ten virgins explains that many people, in waiting so long, have been lulled to sleep. Their zeal has dimmed. Now more than ever, as we see Satan doubling down to work on destroying God’s people, we have to make the extra effort to really push forward and stay even closer to God. We cannot allow anything to deter us from our destiny. Let’s work to encourage each other on towards the goal. Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 5:11-24 are so rich and meaningful, especially at this end time.

Thank you all for your continued support and prayers. As we move forward in God’s time line, we all need God’s Holy Spirit and power to make it to the end. Let us never think a service, no matter how small, is not useful. We all have the opportunity to serve in some way. Let us do so with full assurance that we can and will make it into God’s Kingdom, because He has called us to succeed.
I believe it is just a matter of how much we really want this.

In God’s service and with brotherly love,

Kalon Mitchell