Dear Brethren and Friends,
Prophecy is being fulfilled! That which has been prophesied to occur is happening right in front of our eyes, and the effects are being felt around the world. The worldwide panic-stricken results from the coronavirus are only the beginning, and we have seen what an impact this has had already, day by day, minute by minute, and even as this letter is being written, more dire developments are arising. We hear news about more closures, cancellations and quarantining happening all over the world in large proportions like the canceling of sporting events, concerts, schools, flights, with entire cities and even countries being on lockdown and quarantined, affecting millions upon millions of people, increasing shortages in food and supplies as panic-stricken people are trying to prepare for the worst. This pandemic has led to economic collapse as the markets tumbled, and we have observed the worst day in the USA for the Dow on March 12, 2020, since the 1987 crash, and the worst week for stocks since the 2008 crash. This has also led to the Federal Reserve slashing interest rates to near zero as they try to battle this potential economic shutdown. We in the Church of God have been warning about these developments for years.
Can we see how one event leads to the next in the fulfillment of prophecy? Is this coincidence or are we really that much closer now to the end? What’s interesting is that everything that seemed to be of high concern before is insignificant now as the world has come to a halt. Also, with all these drastic measures and as more and more uncertainty is apparent, seeking the true God for help hasn’t even been considered, and if there was any mention of God, it has been on the back burner or the wrong “God” is being mentioned. We can clearly see how the God of the Bible is not in the picture or hardly even considered. Man tries to find a solution, and look what it has led to. Could a mandatory vaccine be executed if a “cure” is discovered?
The big question now is, what will happen next, and are we prepared as a nation and as God’s Church? We need to ask this same question for ourselves, individually, as God’s true people, not just in a physical sense, but spiritually, in light of what is right ahead of us in the coming weeks.
Personal hygiene and the importance of cleaning has been magnified, something we all should have been doing in the first place, but until something drastic happens, it is not viewed as a critical must. And as the world is in the process of disinfection and quarantining, we in the Church are doing the same thing, as we do every single year, not just in a physical sense, but also spiritually. We are surrounded by uncleanliness, which has also affected us, and we need to clean ourselves and our households from the leavening that surrounds us (Exodus 12:15; 1 Corinthians 5:6-7). The Days of Unleavened Bread season now approaching is quite interesting in light of everything that is going on, and we should really think about and ask ourselves how close we are to God at this point in time?
Are we truly ready and prepared for what will come next? Do we finally take seriously what we are witnessing now, if we haven’t already? Do we have our priorities in check or are we fearful? If we are obedient and have complete FAITH and TRUST in God, then there is no reason for us to fear. We know that this physical life is only temporary (2 Corinthians 4:18), and a much better future awaits when EVERYONE will have the opportunity to live God’s Way of Life as He intended from the very creation of man. If we are afraid, we must ask ourselves why that is? Do we not have enough faith in God? Are we worried more for our possessions, pets, families and friends, or anything else that we may have “hanging over our heads,” and are we even afraid that God will not protect us during this crucial period?
If there was ever a time to be more serious about our personal lives and our closeness with God as the Passover approaches, then this is it, and it is high time we get our act together and our priorities in check. If there is anything that we are still struggling with, which needs to be taken care of, we need to make a change RIGHT NOW, and this is especially true for properly baptized members of the true Church of God who must keep the Passover in a worthy manner. This means, praying and even fasting to God, showing Him how serious we are and how much we NEED God’s protection and absolute TRUST that He will provide and keep His promises to those who are faithful (Proverbs 3:5; Matthew 6:18).
Remember, God can provide supernaturally (Luke 17:34-37). There is nothing impossible for Him (Luke 1:37). He will provide the way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13). Devastation can surround us, but He will protect us and keep us safe (Psalm 91). We are completely in His hands, and NOTHING happens to us which is against His Will (1 John 5:14). With that said, we should approach these upcoming Days of Unleavened Bread with joy, boldness and confidence, as God expects of us, while having the right attitude, even when everything may seem grim all around us. The upcoming Passover season should still be at the forefront of our minds, and as there are now more and more Church members who are prevented from taking the Passover together with others, also to a large extent now due to the prohibitions in certain countries to assemble together, nothing should prevent us from taking it individually and also observing the Holy Days which immediately follow. We shouldn’t make excuses and think that we do not need to do this, unless of course we physically can’t, due to illness or circumstances out of our control, but God knows this, as He looks into our hearts and we let God know how serious we are. We are judged by God individually for what we do.
These are exciting times right now because we know that these events must come to pass before Christ returns to establish His righteous and PERFECT government on this earth. In the meantime, we need to stay strong, stay vigilant, stay positive, stay obedient, keep praying and be there for each other, as we will get through this together in accordance with God’s great love and mercy for us.
In God’s service and with brotherly love,
Michael Link
