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Dear Brethren,

I was recently at a little restaurant with my wife while on vacation, where she and I took the
opportunity to connect. This kind of evening out is an activity that we regularly practice about twice a month, and which we made a point of continuing while we were away from home. We call it our “Big Ideas and Goals Date”, or “BIG Date” for short, during which we take time to discuss our ambitions individually, together as a married couple, and as a family. It is a simple event that helps us continue to grow together, stay accountable to one another, and keep each other on track. We normally come away from our BIG Date feeling a renewed sense of purpose and encouragement. This date while on vacation was no exception. We came away mutually uplifted, having discussed the most meaningful parts of our life, along with many other light-hearted topics. We could have been anywhere and had a similar result. Just being together is the only necessary ingredient.

Continue reading "Letter to the Brethren – August 13, 2025"

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

When God the Father created the angels through Christ (John 1:3; Ephesians  3:9; Colossians 1:16), the thought had to have entered Their minds that since they were creating beings with free moral choices and no previous character of mind which is developed through time, there was a chance that some would rebel.

Even though that was a probability, They went forward in this aspect of Their plan. As it turned out, Satan and about one-third of the angels did rebel and await judgment in the future.

We know that pride became an issue for Satan. Ezekiel 28:15-16 says: “You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you. By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within, And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones.”

Continue reading "Letter to the Brethren – July 16, 2025"

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

Does history repeat itself? We have certainly witnessed this as events that are currently happening are developments which have been predicted to happen many years ago. Back in 2017, I wrote a member letter in which I addressed the whole world’s concern about the nation of the USA, and specifically the one man who was in office. That man, who was President then, is the President now. Could we have imagined that things could get worse since then?

I stated that his approval ratings back in February of 2017, through a poll of 1500 Americans, had reached his all-time low, dropping to 38 percent of Americans approving of his job as President. Trump’s highest approval rating since taking office in 2016 was 46 percent, on his fourth and fifth day in office. Shortly after, 56 percent of Americans disapproved of the job Trump was doing.

Continue reading "Letter to the Brethren – June 24, 2025"

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Dear Brethren:

Making the best of a bad situation, lemonade from lemons, live and learn—we’ve all heard these phrases from time to time and the intent is obvious. Another aphorism, that has made its way through the decades is the phrase: “Never waste a good crisis.” This was attributed to Winston Churchill during the WWII era, though the actual origin is not entirely clear. Regardless of attribution, the phrase referred to the near destruction of much of London and other cities during the intense Nazi air raids. When the cities were destroyed, the need to rebuild with modern processes, new international allegiances, and new standards was imperative.

Similarly, the Covid-19 pandemic offered new opportunities to launch technology platforms like Zoom, Google Meets, and other useful group meeting technologies. Other positive outcomes, despite the overall tragedy of the pandemic, included: a renewed focus on family activities, a deeper appreciation of the miracle of the life God gave us, and exploration of new hobbies, skills, and talents. Of course, the egregious overreach of government and the systematic clampdown of religious worship that took place across the globe cannot be ignored. 

Continue reading "Letter to the Brethren – May 14, 2025"

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

In America, Christianity is becoming more openly spoken of. President Trump has recently acknowledged God on various occasions, and that is a change from recent Administrations in the U.S. Movies and television programs depicting the life of Jesus Christ and other biblical subjects are being produced in contrast to the overwhelmingly violent presentations from Hollywood and various entertainment outlets.

Even high school and college students have made news headlines for assembling “to witness about Jesus Christ”. Currently, about forty percent of adults in the U. S. regularly attend church—either in person or online.

However, while this stands in contrast to Christianity’s declining acceptance in recent decades, it does not mean that people are turning to God through life-changing, deeply felt repentance. 

Continue reading "Letter to the Brethren – April 23, 2025"

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

For many decades, a monthly letter has been sent out, both in the now defunct Worldwide Church of God and for over 20 years in the Church of the Eternal God and its international affiliates in Canada and the UK. These letters were also published on our English and German Websites. Today, as we see world events gathering pace at an alarming rate, anything I can write in this letter may well be eclipsed before this letter is even sent out and so I will resist any specific remarks on the current world scene that I could make.

Since Donald Trump’s electoral victory in the United States election on November 5, 2024 and more particularly since his inauguration into office on 20th January 2025, events are unfolding at an astonishing rate. In his inauguration speech he recalled the assassination attempt on his life during the campaign and said: “I felt then, and I believe even more so now, that my life was saved by God to make America great again.” 

Continue reading "Letter to the Brethren – March 13, 2025"

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Dear Brethren and Friends, 

We live in this physical world with our physical activities and necessities. Things like working, eating, socializing, etc. Yes, these are necessary in order to survive, but what is most important to God, our Creator? When we read the commonly called “LORD’s Prayer”, Matthew 6:9-13, after praising God’s name, we read the following requests, “Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.” And continuing this theme in Matthew 6:33, we read, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” All our other activities may well be necessary to live, but God wants us to desire His kingdom as our top priority.

How often do we make a comparison between today’s world and the world tomorrow under the rule of God the Father and Jesus Christ, His Son? We could say it is like the difference between night and day, or as is mentioned in the Bible many times, the difference between darkness and light.

Continue reading "Letter to the Brethren – February 12, 2025"

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

My wife and I recently took our youngest son to a mine in a town called Julian close to San Diego. Julian is an old mining town from the late 1870s. We walked through the old mine through a mountainside. Everything in these tunnels was small and cramped. The whole cave system was lit up every 10 feet with electrical wires and lights. During the tour, when we had reached about halfway through the cave system (although there are 3 miles of tunnel under the mountain), the guide told us he wanted us to experience what it would be like to be a miner. No one was allowed to have matches in the caves, so they had to use a small candle inside a sardine can. When he lit the candle, he turned out the lights. The whole cave plunged into darkness and the tiny light from the candle seemed so small and yet it was what they had to work with! At this point, the guide snuffed out the candle and we were surrounded by the darkest dark imaginable. He said that if a miner’s candle went out, they had to find their way back to the entrance to re-light their candle. 

Continue reading "Letter to the Brethren – January 23, 2025"

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

It is at times like this, when the world is engulfed in its holidays, that we, as Christians, do not
belong. For now, we are simply a curiosity for not celebrating Christmas, New Year, or other customs throughout the year.

But the time is coming—it has been prophesied—that true Christians will become the object of persecution, just as Jesus Christ, His apostles and disciples were in their generation (compare John 15:20).

Note what Jesus said would happen at the time of the end (our time):

“‘Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake’” (Matthew 24:9); also, “‘But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake’” (Luke 21:12).

Continue reading "Letter to the Brethren – December 22, 2024"