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Dear Members:

The time is approaching once again as we move towards an occasion and a decision that is the most important in our personal lives. Those of us who are baptized and became begotten Children of God—those of us who made at that time the lifelong commitment to be obedient to Him—will make the decision to take the Passover in a worthy manner. Yes, it is a choice, just as it was a choice we made to become baptized in the first place—just as God chose US to come out of this world, by revealing to us His perfect knowledge and His plan. That is why we are all here, because we have answered His calling (compare Ephesians 1:4-5; Romans 8:28-30).

Has our life been easier since last year or has it been difficult at times? Have we encountered trials? Have we thought about giving up? For some of us, this may be our first Passover and for others, this could be our 10th or 20th or 30th and more. But the number of Passovers we have participated in doesn’t matter. What matters is what we do right now and how we prepare for the Passover evening of Thursday, April 18, 2019.

We should put it into this perspective with the mindset that the Passover coming up should be the most important one we take, for we move forward in our goal to perfection. We are to improve ourselves, and when we take the Passover, we are given a clean slate in that we should live righteously, as God expects of us. We need to have the conviction in our hearts and our minds that we will improve, that we will live better lives. 

NOT taking the Passover would be a grave mistake. Finding excuses and reasons not to take it, based on personal problems, grudges that we may have with one another, which we find difficult letting go of, or whatever the case may be, shows that we aren’t strong enough to overcome. Not to partake of the Passover would be devastating for our eternal salvation. We would have no part with Christ (John 6:48-58). When we were baptized, we chose to overcome. We made that choice and were convinced that this is what we HAD to do. 

Do we really long for and pray for God’s soon-coming Kingdom or do we still doubt that it will come soon, in our lifetime? Our perspective on prayer, in what we pray for, should be just as important. We all want a better future, a future without pain, suffering, sorrow and worry, but rather one of happiness, joy and righteousness. That result begins with living a sinless life the best that we can. Although we are not perfect, we should be heading towards perfection in how we live. 

Removing sin in our lives is pictured in the days that immediately follow the Passover. For seven days we are focused on what we are not to eat during that time—that is anything leavened, as part of our God-given duty to keep the Days of Unleavened Bread as described, for example, in Exodus 12:14-20; 23:15; Leviticus 23:6-8; Numbers 28:17-25; and Deuteronomy 16:3-8. Rather, we are to eat unleavened bread during that time which pictures sincerity, truth and lack of hypocrisy (1 Corinthians 5:8; Luke 12:1). 

Before that, we make the effort to clean our households, cars and belongings by removing all leavened products, as during the Days of Unleavened Bread, leaven pictures sin for us. This goes to show us just how much effort it takes to remove sin out of our lives, and to do this on a continuous basis. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). That is why we need to be focused and prepared and pray always to God for strength so that we can overcome until Christ comes back to establish His Kingdom here on earth.  

The most important decision we have made in our lives is to follow God and to live HIS Way of Life until the very end, by DOING what He expects of us to do, what He has predestined for us before time began. We can’t even comprehend how incredible it will be in His future Kingdom; and what we observe today, by keeping the Sabbath and His Holy Days, gives us a foretaste of what is to come.  

But we have a job to do first, a choice to make, to continue to fulfill His perfect plan for us, and to hold on to our crown (Revelation 2:10; 3:11; 2 Timothy 4:8; James 1:12; 1 Peter 5:4). We must not throw our crown away or do anything which will cause it to be lost!  

With all of that in mind, we are wishing you a meaningful and spiritually rewarding Passover and seven Days of Unleavened Bread.

With Christian love,

Michael Link

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

As I write this letter, the UK is consumed with Brexit, with a country, families and politicians split on where their loyalties should lie. There has been, and still is, antagonism at all levels of society where even the politicians of all parties are not united within their own group. This all follows the result of the referendum on 23rd June 2016 where the result to leave the European Union was 52% against 48% who wanted to remain.

Since that time, negotiations have been ongoing between the UK and the EU with a withdrawal scheduled to occur on 29th March 2019.  Many who have been following these events may now be tired of the wrangling, disputing, arguments, bickering, squabbling, in-fighting and general all round disagreeable altercations that have, and still are, taking place.

It would be a waste of everyone’s time in this brief letter to try and re-hash the main arguments of both sides of the divide but, suffice to say, it is the biggest political development for many decades in the UK. Many are genuinely concerned about staying in the EU—or leaving it, as the people voted. Whatever happens, the UK will be on a downward slope towards unprecedented times of great difficulty that is not understood by the British people nor by its politicians.

The Church of God has long warned that the nations descending from the ancient nation of Israel will be attacked by the European Union. In our free booklet The Fall and Rise of Britain and America (published in 2005), we read the following on page 40:

“The United States, Great Britain and the State of Israel in the Middle East will suffer at the hands of the rising superpower which is now developing in Europe. Scripture identifies the superpower as the prophesied seventh and last revival of the Holy Roman Empire in the form of ten nations or groups of nations. Europe will be led by an Assyrian king (‘King Jareb’), that is, by a powerful German-speaking leader. God will use Europe and especially the modern Assyrian ‘king’ to punish modern Israel and Judah for their spiritual treachery toward Him. Hosea 6:7 states: ‘… they (Ephraim and the modern house of Israel, as well as modern Judah, compare verse 4) transgressed the covenant… they dealt treacherously with Me.’ Notice, too, Hosea 8:7: ‘They sow the wind, And reap the whirlwind.’”

Our politicians are oblivious to anything other than the material; never it seems for a moment that they consider why the nation is experiencing such chaos. These same politicians are the ones who push through ungodly laws to satisfy some minority groups, and others, under the guise of equality; not, it seems, even for a moment realising the damage they are doing. God promised blessings or cursings (retribution) for the behaviour of the ancient Israelites as can be read in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28, and history shows us that they failed miserably. These same blessings and cursings are applicable to the descendants of Israel and Judah today as God doesn’t change (Malachi 3:6), but this is not understood by our current leaders nor by the mainstream churches.

The political system in the UK is to have a government and an opposition. Being opposed to something denotes disagreement which it turns out to be in practice most of the time. Wouldn’t it be a real step forward if the word “opposition” was replaced by “the co-operation”? So many don’t want to co-operate as this would probably reduce their chances of high office for the politically ambitious, but it could work well for the country.

In God’s Kingdom, democracy will be a thing of the past. Sir Winston Churchill observed that “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others”, and that is probably correct as long as man is in charge. When Christ returns, He will govern with love and perfection. We read in the book of Isaiah a prophecy that should thrill all of us who long for God’s Kingdom to come: “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

“The government will be upon His shoulder” tells us who will be in charge, and this verse looks to a time, still future, when Christ will reign over a literal, earthly, kingdom that will encompass the whole earth.  In Daniel 2:44 we read: “And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” In Zechariah 14:9 we read: “And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be—‘The LORD is one,’ And His name one.”

When Jesus Christ does return to this earth, Godly government will be the order of the day and “Brexit” and all of the other political manoeuverings and machinations of man, in every country around the world, will be history, and a glorious new world will begin. And it will last forever!

When we hear of all that is going on in the world, we can become downcast and discouraged, and Satan will be somewhere there in the mix. Let us think about, and pray for, God’s Kingdom to come as we are instructed to do (see Matthew 6:10) and make sure that we make it into God’s Kingdom for eternity, with Jesus Christ in charge, not man, and that will be perfect, just perfect!

With Christian love,

Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

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Dear Members, Co-Workers and Friends,

“Expect the unexpected” is a saying commonly used as preparation advice for unpredictable circumstances and situations. Traveling to new places or beginning a new commitment in life that disrupts our current patterns are examples of events for which we might apply such advice. By expecting the unexpected, we can theoretically prepare ourselves to adapt when we need to change direction at short notice.

However, in this age, applying the tenet of expecting the unexpected is exercised less and less. When life is going along according to normal routine without any plans for change or impending threat of disruption, are we in a position where we can adapt to the unexpected when we don’t expect it?

Today, an increasing amount of action is based upon decisions rooted in predictability. The recent advent of artificial intelligence inherently involves predictability. From automobiles that can predict when a car in front of it is slowing down, to suggestions of what videos we might want to watch next, information about expected results in controlled contexts drive decisions that affect our lives. Surprisingly, a lot of this actually works! To an increasing degree, many of the circumstances in our lives are proving to be predictable. But not everything can be predictable!

The problem with the effectiveness of predictability is that it creates a false sense of security. If we can trust that automobiles will drive themselves safely, we don’t have to dedicate any effort thinking about driving ourselves, which might seem great. However, when we rely on expected behavior in so much of our lives; when we rely on the rules being followed, we leave ourselves exposed to the risk of the unexpected happening when the rules of behavior are not adhered to.

We know from the teachings of the Bible that most in the world will be caught off-guard when certain disaster takes place on the earth. “For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3, also compare Matthew 24:43-44, Luke 21:34, Revelation 3:3). The pride of man in our present society has lulled such a delusional slumber that it is generally believed that problems can be predicted and prevented without the help, or even existence, of God. The Bible explains that this is foolishness. We know that the knowledge of man himself is diminutive in comparison with the glorious knowledge and power of God. Mankind cannot possibly predict the terrible ways that institutions and nations will collapse. As we read, destruction will be sudden.

The thing that’s most shocking about the fact that the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night is that it is not a secret! The warnings written in this letter come from the Bible, which has been printed billions of times and been made available to people all over the world. The teachings have been presented for thousands of years, by millions of people. Yet, as we can see, the completeness of the warning to expect the unexpected will not be understood by most. What we know and can expect with all certainty, is that the events that Jesus Christ describes in Matthew 24 about the beginning of sorrows and the tribulation will absolutely take place. Even though the signs of the times clearly indicate that Christ’s return cannot be far off, we don’t know yet—and cannot predict with specificity—exactly how and when the details of those events described in Matthew 24 will become manifest. Those details are the ones that affect our lives most directly. Tragic as it may seem, there is absolutely nothing that anyone can do to prevent doom and destruction prophesied in the Bible from taking place. The only thing that anyone can do is prepare for it.

Preparation for the unexpected can take many forms. The greatest risk is to prepare in the wrong way. As humans, that means falling back on the pride of expectation, and making preparations that involve events occurring in a predictable way. Such preparation will be doomed to failure, because it places trust in man’s abilities, rather than God’s protection. Contingency plans for hiding out in remote locations and building up stockpiles might preserve physical life in the short term, but can do nothing in the long term. We remember, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?” (Luke 9:24-25). Therefore, the most effective preparation involves acknowledging that God is in control, and preparing ourselves spiritually by drawing close to Him.

Drawing close to God involves dedicating our time, energy, hearts, and minds to living His Way. As simple as it sounds, taking this approach is our only hope for protection. In expecting the unexpected to take place, putting our faith in God to see us through those unpredictable circumstances provides us with relief from having to rely upon ourselves for protection. There’s no possible way that we can protect ourselves without His help. We have to remember that while our situations in life might not be under our direct control, they are under God’s control. Because of that, we can trust in Him to lead us through the most impossible circumstances when we follow Him above all else.

As God’s children, we have a responsibility to take action right now that will transform our lives to please God so we can be found pleasing in His sight. We are to be found doing the Work of God when Jesus Christ returns. This involves continually learning about the Truth and applying what we learn. Becoming righteous, which is the goal of all Christians, takes practice. And practice requires increasing in our knowledge and understanding of the Truth.

As you are undoubtedly aware, the Church of the Eternal God and its international affiliates in Canada, the U.K., and Germany work tirelessly to provide you with the raw materials that you need to transform your life and draw near to God. We encourage you to take advantage of it! We share this knowledge with you because we know that you need it for your own protection. The Word of God and the understanding of it provides you with a double-edged sword to fight the spiritual fight and emerge victoriously. By using the materials that we produce, and by supporting the Work of the Church through your prayers, tithes, and offerings, you take an active role in preserving your eternal life, protecting yourself against the unexpected, and providing others with the means to do the same.

In Christ’s Service,

Eric Rank

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

There is a glaring difference between those who are faithful to Jesus Christ and those who merely appropriate Him. That difference is Truth! However, in this world, falsehood reigns, and it is the enemy of Truth. This has been prophesied about our time:

“Justice is turned back, And righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, And equity cannot enter. So truth fails, And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey…” (Isaiah 59:14-15).

Have we come to the point where Truth is so powerful in our lives that we are able to completely reject unrighteousness? Are we in any way being subtly compromised to let down our guard? Tragically, some who received God’s calling, His Holy Spirit and fellowship in the Church of God have forsaken God to return to the world.

Old family ties to Christmas, Easter, Halloween or Sunday worship have proven more important to them than the Truth of God. Do we regard these practices as God does, who says, “‘I hate, I despise your feast days, And I do not savor your sacred assemblies’” (Amos 5:21). Also, becoming political advocates and military supporters rather than ambassadors for Jesus Christ has pulled former brethren into the hopeless mire of this age and back under Satan’s deceptive power, as the apostle Paul warned, writing, “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3).

Do we understand that all of these practices provoke God, and that He, in great burning wrath, will judge those who thus rebel against Him? Yet, if we are filled with zeal and deeply involved in the Work of God, it can be said of us, “But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul” (Hebrews 10:39).

There is a vital reason we write monthly letters to those of you who have been led to be a part of this Work. It is to continually strengthen our unity in the job God has set before us. Never underestimate the impact your faithfulness to the Truth has in helping all of us to accomplish the goals of the Church.

With the new year upon us, as man counts years, we can report that initial plans have been made for our Ministerial Conference to be held in California during the month of April. We have signed contracts with hotels for US and German Feast sites. Also, brethren will be meeting together in Australia for the Feast (as they did last year).

Norbert Link is writing a series of Q&A’s, which will be published next year as one of our booklets (“How Can We Know that Christ’s Return is Near?”). Other booklets are also planned to be published next year.

The effectiveness of our StandingWatch and AufPostenStehen video programs has grown over the past months. One program, “Netanyahu’s Announcement of a Third Temple?” now has over 163,000 views in the English presentation. Three of our booklets are offered in this program, which we had to reprint, and we continue to receive requests for these from various countries.

Each week, Norbert Link prepares a German language sermon which, together with live or pre-recorded sermonettes by our various German-speaking ministers, deacons and others, are played in services for our brethren in Germany (as well as being posted on our website). We also post every week the sermonettes and sermons which are being given during our services in the United States, as well as short video presentations from our ministers in the UK and Canada. You might like to take the opportunity to look at the various websites we support, and these can be found at www.eternalgod.org.

Our weekly Update (now at number 856) continues to bring truly unique coverage of news as it applies to biblical fulfillment. We also feature Editorials, Q&A’s and news of the Work.

Brethren, the seriousness of the times in which we live must not be ignored. As never before, we must strengthen our commitment to God’s Truth. In so doing, we will draw closer to God. Let’s never lose sight of the life of eternal glory which God has promised to us—let’s continue to fight the good fight, finish our race and keep the faith!

In Christ’s Service,

Dave Harris

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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)