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Dear Members, Co-Workers and Friends,

When a patient goes to a doctor with unidentified injuries or physical problems, the approach for determining what is wrong with him is to check his pulse, his body temperature, the mobility of his limbs, his blood pressure and any swelling or bruising. These are all prime indicators to assess any physical problems the patient may be having. The first thing the doctor or nurse will do is to ask the patient where it hurts or where the problem is located.

If we look at the current state of the world, what do we find? A war is raging between Hamas and the nation of Israel, while ISIS or IS, a radical jihadist terrorist group, attempts to take over Iraq, Syria and other countries, while brutally murdering everyone not in agreement with them.

Continue reading "Letter to the Brethren – August 14, 2014"

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

Now that we are in the midst of summertime in the northern hemisphere, many of us experience impressive lightning shows when thunderstorms roll through. Even though they can be dangerous, the display is fascinating to watch. It is amazing to think that mere clouds in the sky, consisting of droplets of water so tiny that they float in air, can build up an electric charge so great that hundreds of millions of volts of electricity are released in a moment. The potential energy of something so simple as a cloud is impressive.

While looking at a cloud, it is fascinating to reflect on all of the things it can do. A cloud can shade the sun, and bring down enough rain to flood streams. A cloud may let down hail large enough to destroy anything in its earthward path. In the right season, a cloud may precipitate a blizzard of snow, deep enough to bring entire cities to a standstill. All of these powerful events are the potential of a cloud, an innocent puffy thing that hangs in the sky.

Continue reading "Letter to the Brethren – July 21, 2014"

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

In our weekly Update No. 639 dated 16th May 2014 we included a report from The Examiner which wrote on 2nd May the following: “A spokesperson for the Vatican officially announced that the coming of the Lord may not happen. They stated from the looks of it, Yashua, the only begotten Son of God will not return per John 14:1-3. Cardinal Giorgio Salvadore told WWN [Waterford Whispers News] reporters that Jesus may have been drinking (perhaps from the last Supper with his disciples) when he uttered the statements of his return. He rationalized that people make promises they can’t keep when they’re drunk…”

Both Mr Link in his StandingWatch programme, “Does the Vatican Question the Return of Christ?” and our Update point out that “there is much discussion as to whether the above-quoted comments were actually made, due to the fact that apparently no mainstream paper or news agency reported them. However, so far, there does not appear to be any repudiation of this report by the Vatican.”

Continue reading "Letter to the Brethren – June 2, 2014"

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

What lies ahead for US in the Work of God?

Through prophecy given by God, we know that events taking place RIGHT NOW are “signs” of the end of this age and Satan’s deceptive rule over mankind. We also know the Bible reveals many detailed occurrences which have NOT YET taken place—but that they are at hand and on the way!

Beyond the key prophecies about end-time world events, the Word of God also addresses the Church during the tumultuous future that is coming.

When Jesus was asked about His return and when that would occur, His response was directed to His disciples—“‘the elect’” (Matthew 24:22). He gave specific instructions for Christians:

“‘Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is’” (Mark 13:33); “‘And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!’” (Mark 13:37); and, from Matthew’s account, we are told, “‘Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect’” (Matthew 24:44).

Continue reading "Letter to the Brethren – May 15, 2014"

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Dear Members, Co-Workers and Friends,

We have finished our annual Church Conference, and all in attendance felt that this was the most profitable and peaceful conference we have had for a long time. Even though some might doubt the accuracy of this assessment, as it may sound too good to be true, we are confident that our statement reflects objectively what we have experienced. We are all on the same page and dedicated to the Work of preaching the Gospel and feeding the Flock in the way that God would want us to do—something which could not always be said for all prior years with that same kind of emphasis. This kind of unity reflects growth through the help of God’s Holy Spirit, along with the fact that Jesus Christ continues to guide those who yield to Him.

Continue reading "Letter to the Brethren – April 7, 2014"

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Dear Brethren, Co-Workers and Friends:

As we are bombarded with terrible news from around the world, showing the perilous times and the lives of self-centered human beings in these last days (2 Timothy 3:1-5), those called by God to His Way of Life must be different. True Christians are to be happy people, reflecting and manifesting their inner joy which is focused on their future as glorified eternal Spirit beings in the very Family and Kingdom of God (John 17:13; Galatians 5:22; Romans 14:17). As we walk through this dark valley of human suffering and death, we must not allow ourselves to become frustrated and depressed; rather, we are to lift up our heads in anticipation of entering a spiritual world of splendor and beauty, joy and peace (Luke 21:28). In short, we are looking forward to the soon-coming time of our change (1 Corinthians 15:50-57).

Continue reading "Letter to the Brethren – March 11, 2014"

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Dear Brethren, Co-Workers and Friends.

God commands us to examine ourselves on an annual basis prior to partaking of the Passover in the spring of the year. We are to analyse how we have been doing spiritually during the year that has just past, and how we are doing now by comparison. This is similar to checking your pulse to get an indication as to your health, and if you discover a physical problem, you need to find out what you can do to alleviate it.

To go a step further, let us take the pulse of English-speaking nations such as the USA, Canada and the UK (some of the modern descendants of the ancient house of Israel) to determine just how they are doing.

A few days ago, it was reported that since Wade vs. Roe (the decision that a woman could have an abortion on demand), fifty-five million abortions took place in the USA from 1973 to 2013—within a forty year period. That amounts to 1,375,000 abortions a year or 114,583 a month or 3,819 a day. That is more than the total population of Canada. This is nothing less than appalling to realize that so many innocent potential children of God are being butchered in the US alone. This does not include Canada or the UK, or other countries in Europe (not to speak of the rest of the world), which would put the figures much higher.

Continue reading "Letter to the Brethren – February 10, 2014"

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

In our weekly Update of the 6th December, I wrote an editorial entitled “Getting On Together”. In this I wrote: “The Church of God should be a homogenous group, all pulling in the same direction, with the same goal of growing and overcoming so that we ‘may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man’ (Luke 21:36). In order to achieve that goal, we must pull together as the people of God, not pull apart.”

I have observed over 40 years in the Church of God that many have come and gone, including those whom we may have thought were “pillars in the Church” only to be disappointed. Without regurgitating that editorial, I would just repeat one part that I thought should concentrate our focus: “We see world events coming to a climax with seemingly little time left before Christ’s return and it is futile to concentrate on anything that will detract us from looking forward to that wonderful event and all that it means.”

Continue reading "Letter to the Brethren – January 8, 2014"

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

Daniel was made aware of future events that were beyond his grasp, and he said to the angel, “‘My lord, what shall be the end of these things?’” (Daniel 12:8). Responding to statements made by Jesus, His disciples asked Him: “‘Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?’” (Matthew 24:3).

Unlike Daniel or the disciples of Jesus, we are NOW living in the time of the end which they marveled at and which is culminating into “‘“…a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation”’” (Daniel 12:1). Prophecies given by God are coming to pass, and they will be completely fulfilled according to His Word!

In this light, consider the opening statements found in the Book of Revelation:

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Revelation 1:1-3).

Continue reading "Letter to the Brethren – December 15, 2013"

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Dear Members, Co-Workers and Friends:

Something remarkable about the patriarchs of the Bible is their frequent movement from one place to another. It seems like they rarely stayed in one place for very long, and wherever they did stay, they were considered to be foreigners. The Bible describes Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob each living out of tents in lands that they considered to be far from home. When Jacob fled hundreds of miles from his home, in fear of his brother Esau’s wrath, he even used a stone as a pillow to rest his head (Genesis 28:11). The eventual place to where God individually led them all—the land of Canaan—was a foreign land that He had promised to them as an inheritance. It did not become their homeland at that time. Rather, it had been occupied primarily by other people, and the patriarchs were foreigners in the land where they dwelled.

Continue reading "Letter to the Brethren – November 14, 2013"