This can be a challenging question at times for us. But it is one that we have to learn the answer to! From the youngest among us to the oldest, this is something that we have to learn and continue to believe—continuing to come back to the answer time and again in our lives.

There may be circumstances or moments in our lives where we feel that God is not there, or that He doesn’t care; that He is not answering our prayers, and, by extension, that He doesn’t love us. There are a lot of things that can cause us to feel this way. But are these feelings justified?

In the book of Job, Job came to ask a lot of these same questions. And it was revealed that God was there all along. God didn’t stop loving or caring for Job. In the book of Hebrews 12, we are told that often, when we may feel like we are going through hard times, it is because God loves us (vs. 3-11).

There is an order to the way God has things set up. When we obey God to the best of our ability, He rewards us. When we are failing, He provides corrections so that we can learn and turn. When we choose to do our own things—what we decide and what we think is right—God allows us to do them. But it is not without consequences.

Really, the Way of God is very simple. It revolves around love—love for God and love for other human beings. This is very basic! We teach it to our young children as the “Golden Rule.” When we break it all down, this is what it is about. But it is when we choose to follow our own ways–our own desires—that we stray from God and start to follow the current ruler of this world, Satan. His ways are ALWAYS trying to destroy God’s love and His simplicity. If we think about the wrong ways of life which are too numerous to list, it should be easy to see that the issue is NOT, ”Does God love me?”, but rather, “Do I love God?” Satan wants destruction in every way shape or form—from relationships with each other and with God to disobedience to God, disobedience to parents, and it goes on.

Notice how this Scripture in John 14:21 shows this point perfectly: “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” This is how God operates—on the basis of love.  Proverbs 8:17 speaks in this way of the wisdom of God: “I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me.” It is wisdom to seek after God’s wisdom and to come to understand it, because therein is true knowledge of God’s love.

As we kept the week of Unleavened Bread, it is a good time to reflect on these simple truths and to let them soak in deeply. As a human being, I am extremely familiar with wanting to do and indeed doing my own things, seeking my own ways and my own desires. And I can safely say that those times do NOT produce and have NOT produced good things for me. In fact, the good things in my life have been and continue to be provided by God. My responsibility is to continue to draw close to God. So many times in life, if we would simply stop and allow God in more fully, we would truly find a better path forward. Matthew 6:33 tells us: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” This goes for children as well as adults. No one is exempt! No one!

God LOVES us because we are part of His plan. We have been called at this time to be the firstfruits–the first of MANY brethren. If you are a child whose parents [or at least one parent] are in the Church of God and are baptized, then God has ALSO set you apart and sanctified you. When our children are young (and sometimes a little bit older), we have them blessed by the ministry, asking for God to provide a guardian angel for protection throughout that young person’s life. If God didn’t love and care for even our young children, this wouldn’t be something that we would do. In fact, many Scriptures in the Bible point out how much God loves and cares for the young people in our congregations. Quite interestingly, one of the 10 Commandments is dedicated to children (young and old). Deuteronomy 5:16 says: “‘Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.” Also, we are told that a child is known by his actions. Proverbs 20:11 reads: “Even a child is known by his deeds, Whether what he does is pure and right.”

We ALL must come to realize that God indeed loves all of us to an amount we are unable to really comprehend. In order to fully come to learn how much He loves us, we must continue to seek Him. Hebrews 11:6 says: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” If we truly want to know that God loves us then we must continue to seek Him and let Him lead until we can come to the point where we can say and believe what it says in Philippians 2:13: “… for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”

When we take these things in and put our faith in them, even in the hardest of times, we will be able to see that God is there and that He will never leave or forsake us as long as we keep coming to Him and put Him front and center in our lives. When we do this, we can have full assurance that what He says in Isaiah 41:10 is directed at each and every one of us: “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

In Matthew 23, we read that Jesus was withering about the attitude and approach of the scribes and Pharisees.   Some of what they taught was correct, but they were hypocrites.

“Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.  Therefore whatever they tell you to observe [insofar as it was in accordance with God’s Law], that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.  For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.  But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.  They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,  greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, “Rabbi, Rabbi”’” (Matthew 23:1-7)

By having their phylacteries broad and the borders of their garments enlarged was a physical show that they considered themselves more spiritual than others.  They liked to be seen doing things.  They loved to be in the best seats at the top table, their religious titles, and being greeted by all and sundry.   It was showmanship, not religious care for the best interests of others.  They ensured that their works were seen by men.

However, Jesus condemned such an approach.   In Matthew 6:1-4, we read: “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.  Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”

The reward for the religious people at that time was the acclamation of the people.  Instead, Jesus said His followers should do their charitable deeds, whatever they were, quietly and in secret so that the Father would see and bless them, those who were not looking for praise from others.

One speaker put it this way: “If you allow your almsgiving, prayer and fasting to put you in the spotlight, you’ve missed the point.  You may get the praise of others, but that’s all you’ll get.  What you won’t get are the blessings God has in store for you when you go about doing good deeds surreptitiously.”

All of this went through my mind when, during the second half of last year, one anonymous donor gave very generously, and regularly, to the Global Church of God in the UK.  That giving has continued regularly into this year.

Over the years, we have received anonymous contributions from time to time but, because of their anonymity, we have never been able to thank them for their help in the work that we are doing in God’s service.   And the same is the case with this person.   If they are reading this editorial, then our heartfelt thanks to them for their generosity.

We have no idea why this generosity was anonymous and there may have been good reason(s) for that but as God looks on the heart, He will know the motivation and that’s all that matters. There is of course nothing wrong with revealing your identity as a contributor to the Church, as this may even be necessary in some countries for numerous reasons, such as receiving from the Church a receipt for tax purposes or because the government might not look favourably at a Church which receives too many anonymous contributions.

We may all at times, have mentioned certain things that we may have done to help others as a matter of conversation.  This might be good and proper and can serve as a motivation for others to do likewise. However, we do have to make sure that this is not looking for the praise of others with the wrong motivation.   God sees everything that is going on (compare Matthew 10:29), and that should be enough motivation for any of us.

It’s what matters to God that should count, not the praise of fellow man.

Having something to look forward to in life gives us the motivation that it takes to get up in the morning and make the most of the day. At times we might have more to look forward to than at other times. The things we enjoy can be as simple as having a good cup of coffee, a conversation with a friend, or the sense of accomplishment after completing a challenging task. They might be big things too, like a long-awaited vacation or the birth of a child. Big or small, appreciating the wholesome things can motivate us to find the joy in life that helps us to appreciate the short time with which God has blessed us.

I’m sure we can all think of something that we look forward to on a day-to-day basis. Though, the magnitude of problems that threaten to squelch our hope demand so much of our attention that it can be difficult to even bring those elements of hope to mind. It’s probably easier to think of things that fight to bring us down. Problems may begin with ourselves, affecting our health or otherwise. Outside ourselves, problems that affect us scale up at every level, ending with the pitiable state of the world at large. We, however, have a responsibility to fight against the dark forces of discouragement.

As helpful as it is to find a source of hopeful anticipation in the physical things in our lives, we know that these things are fleeting. God offers us blessings for obedience in our lives, intentionally giving us reason for joy while we live in these physical bodies. But the world that we live in is passing away. Placing our source of joy in what the world offers us will end in sore disappointment (compare 1 John 2:15-17). If we only place value in the things the world has to offer, we place our hope in a precarious place. The state of the world will only continue to worsen, eclipsing even the simplest sources of worldly joy.

The Bible tells us that there is a better way to live! Our job is to put the Word of God to work in our lives so that we are not found vulnerable to the world’s decay. We have to realize that the true source of joy that we have comes from God. When we have that state of mind, even the most difficult of circumstances give us something to hope for. Consider the perspective of the disciples when they were beaten and imprisoned (compare Acts 5:40-42, Acts 16:20-34). They knew that their worldly circumstances, as dire as they were, served a greater purpose in God’s plan for their lives. With the understanding that the worldly discouragement they experienced was temporary and meaningful, the disciples found something to appreciate – that they could serve God mightily.

We would do well to acknowledge how fortunate we are. The knowledge of the Truth about God’s plan can help us every single day to understand the circumstances of our lives. God is doing a work with us individually, to help us grow, to challenge us, and to do as much as possible with the resources He gives us. Knowing this adds much deeper meaning in the small things of our lives. Anticipating the weekend becomes even richer because we have the Sabbath that God gives us as a day of rest. The joy in seeing the smiles on the faces of our family and brethren becomes more precious because those moments demonstrate the effect of love that God commands. We can also find strength to get through the hard things we experience, knowing that in the big picture, those difficulties will pass and that they will help us to develop the character that pleases God. When we are able to see our life as God sees it, we have much to look forward to.

But even more, God promises us the greatest possible gift, which of course is eternal life as glorified members in His Family. That event lies beyond the boundary of our physical lives, so we cannot experience it until we become glorified (compare 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). However, it is going to be so awesome that nothing compares. “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.   For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:18-21). This moment when we inherit the earth to share in righteous rulership under Jesus Christ and God the Father gives us a reason to enjoy the moments that lead up to that time. We know that every moment serves a virtuous purpose.

The world will try to convince us otherwise, but the FACT is that we have a tremendous amount of wonderful things to look forward to. When we have the right frame of mind, we can see God in our lives at every scale. From the micro-moments that put a smile on our face, to the culmination of God’s plan, when all pain and sorrow will be destroyed, we know that everything we experience serves His purpose for us. Now, that gives us something to look forward to!

Have we been caught off guard?  Are we aware of the fact that in less than three weeks, baptized members of the Church of God will be partaking once again in the Passover service and immediately following, the Days of Unleavened Bread?  It is amazing how time flies by, especially when so much around us can interfere with the very things we would really like to focus on.  Life gets in the way.  Unexpected situations can occur at any time, and we try to find ways to adjust.

Distractions can get the better of us if we’re not careful. They come in many forms and they may hinder us from focusing on what we really need to be focusing on, and if we are not careful, it could become a problem.  There are many things in the world that could divert our thinking by giving into things that the world has to offer, especially everything that goes against God’s teaching, and also being caught up and sidetracked with speculation and assumption.  We need to be aware of what is going on, what the Bible is prophesying, and we shouldn’t allow ourselves to be deceived by all the propaganda, politics and conspiracies floating around the internet and media sources.  That is a distraction and it can consume our thinking, and if we are not careful, it can lead us down the wrong path.

This is exactly what Satan wants, who is the author of confusion, the deceiver, the ruler of this world.  He is also specifically targeting God’s people, doing what he can to make us fail, but we need to be stronger than that.  Satan knows where we are vulnerable which is why we need to remain vigilant at all times, and God knows that we can succeed IF we obey Him. We need to understand what our commission is, what our purpose is. We see how quickly things can change, how the world is caught in disarray.  The immediate future is fragile, and we need to be conscious of this. Matthew 24:42 commands us to watch, and that is exactly what we should be doing – watching and also warning of what is to come.

These diversions can have a bearing on our decision-making and our actions which could affect us personally.  Trials are abundant as we all go through them individually, trying to cope, trying to overcome. And we tell ourselves the same thing right around this time when faced with various challenges that “Passover must be right around the corner.”

Well, it is! And this is also the time when we really need to examine ourselves to see where we stand and how serious we are in our spiritual calling.  How is our relationship with God?  How is our relationship with our like-minded brethren? Are we prepared and ready to partake of the Passover in a worthy manner?

Indeed, there are many things that we may get sidetracked on which could affect our focus.  God wants us to be ready at all times.  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 that we are faced with, as there is nothing too difficult for us to handle. We should take God’s Word very personally.  God has called us for a reason.  He has a purpose for us NOW.  And as we say time and time again, we need to understand that we could possibly delay the return of Christ if we are not faithful in doing the Work, if we are not faithful within ourselves by doing what we need to be doing (2 Peter 3:4-9, 14-18).

We have less than three weeks to get our spiritual minds in check. “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for NOW our salvation is nearer than when we first believed”  (Romans 13:11).

We are described by the apostle Paul as good soldiers for Christ, stating in 2 Timothy 2:3: “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”  That means, we have a fight on our hands. This is not referring to fighting in a physical war, but rather to a spiritual fight against spiritual forces. Ephesians 6:12 tells us:  “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Paul uses the armory of a soldier at that time and compares it to what we need in order to overcome the spiritual battle we are in.

No Roman or Greek soldier at the time of Paul would go to war without checking out his equipment to ensure it was not compromised in any manner. He would check his helmet for any deficiencies, knowing how important a helmet was. The breastplate which protected all his vital organs would be examined for any cracks or deficiencies and also his shoes to ensure the leather was supple and not cracked in any way. His belt would be inspected to ensure it was in good shape to hold the scabbard in which his sword was kept when it was not used in battle, and his shield would be examined to ensure that it hadn’t been weakened by previous battles and could withstand another onslaught of arrows and sword blows from the enemy.

It was also most important that his sword would be polished for maximum efficiency, and that it was sharp and free of any defects since he would not want it to fail in the heat of battle. All his equipment was for defensive purposes and protection with the exception of his sword which was his only offensive weapon.

Paul compared the human soldier’s armory with the spiritual qualifications that a Christian must have, emphasizing that we need the whole armor of God.

 In Ephesians 6:14, we read that our waist must be girded with truth. We know that the commandments of God are truth. Psalm 119:151 says: “You are near, O LORD, And all Your commandments are truth.” We must have the commandments internalized in our hearts and minds when we want to obtain spiritual protection.

Ephesians 6:14 also tells us that we must put on the breastplate of righteousness. Romans 10:4 says that Christ is the end or goal of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. We must believe that Christ, living in us, will enable us to keep the law so that the righteous requirements of the law can be fulfilled in us (Romans 8:4). It is not our own righteousness, but the righteousness of Christ in us, which helps us to keep God’s laws and be obedient to them.

Ephesians 6:15 continues that we must have shod our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. We must have the gospel of peace internally in our hearts, and we must be involved in the work of getting that gospel out to the world.

Ephesians 6:16 speaks of the shield of faith which we must possess.  We have to have faith, which is the hope for things not seen. Our hope is in the resurrection which we have not seen yet, but we have the faith that God will resurrect us to enter the kingdom of God.

We also need the helmet of salvation, as Ephesians 6:17 states. Salvation is a free gift from God which we cannot earn but we can lose it if we do not endure to the end, but instead become negligent and ultimately commit the unpardonable sin.

As mentioned, the only offensive weapon of the Roman or Greek soldier at the time of Paul was the sword, and Ephesians 6:17 compares it, spiritually, to the word of God which is the Bible. We have to have the word of God firmly entrenched in our hearts to be able to fight this spiritual battle we are in, and we are in it to win.

So, the big question is: How does our spiritual armor look, and will it carry us through to the end?

Unspeakable images of injuries and death on a daily basis! A people being terrorized by an unscrupulous tyrant! Women with their children seeking shelter from constant bombardment or fleeing their homes, while their husbands and sons and even daughters are fighting the ruthless enemy.

I am speaking of course about Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine while the world is unwilling to provide the military assistance which would be needed to defeat Russia’s war machine and to end the suffering of innocent civilians in a sovereign country.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked the West time and again to stop their “appeasement” of Russia. It has been pointed out that the recent conference in Munich had clear echoes of the 1938 summit in Munich in which leaders agreed to a policy of appeasement against Adolf Hitler in an effort to prevent an imminent war.

Zelenskyy expressed his frustration with NATO for refusing the establishment of a no-fly zone over Ukraine and for refusing to provide fighter jets to defend against Russia’s air force bombing Ukrainian cities (even though it was announced on March 6 that the United States was “working actively” on a deal with Poland to supply Ukraine with jets to fight invading Russians). NATO has taken the position that granting such help would mean declaring war on Russia—a perception with which Putin wholeheartedly agrees. In fact, Putin even said that the West’s issuance of sanctions was already akin to a declaration of war.

Even though Ukraine expressed their appreciation for whatever assistance they are receiving from the West, they have been saying that the help is not enough. This may ultimately lead to a rejection of NATO, and a movement toward Russia, if conditions there were to change. In World War 2, Ukraine was at first aligned with Germany against Russia, but then switched sides due to their disappointment with Hitler’s actions. It is prophesied that ultimately, a collaboration of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus will form which will be in opposition to the EU.

The current situation has set in motion or at least accelerated prophetic developments. For one, a confederation of the “kings of the East” is being established.  Especially China, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Iran have refused to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the unprovoked war which Putin started.

In addition, Germany and the rest of Europe have “unified” as never before and have (re-)discovered their “need” to establish a mighty and powerful army. The Week wrote on March 5 that “Putin has inadvertently accomplished what often seemed impossible — bringing the continent together on foreign policy and thereby laying a solid foundation for a true United States of Europe…  the EU will keep evolving toward becoming a fully autonomous super-state…”

The Washington Post stated on March 3 that German chancellor Olaf Scholz “announced a historic ramp up in military spending to meet the Russian threat… a recent poll showed 78 percent of the Germans backed Scholz’s plan…  it’s also an acknowledgment of the unpredictability of U.S. politics.” German Finance minister Christian Lindner stated that the Bundeswehr is to become the strongest army in Europe.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is causing Europe to establish a prophesied powerful European army, under German leadership, to be able to “defend” against Russian aggression, while realizing the unreliability of the USA, which refuses to send soldiers to Ukraine, even though they had promised Ukraine in the past security protection.

Another interesting development in the light of biblical prophecies may not be that obvious at first sight, but I feel that it clearly exists. I am speaking about obvious similarities between Hitler and Putin.

The Washington Post wrote on February 24: “… some observers see [in Putin’s invasion of Ukraine] brutal similarities to Hitler’s seizure of Czechoslovakia just before World War II… Hitler wanted to take over all of Europe… Putin wants to restore Czarist Russia, the Russian empire…. [Hitler] was plotting the seizure of part of Czechoslovakia, claiming that ethnic Germans in the Sudeten regions bordering eastern Germany were being mistreated.” That is exactly what Putin is saying about Russians living in Ukraine. Both accusations were and are totally without merit.

The Sun wrote on February 25 that “Putin is the new Hitler… And like Hitler, he spews vicious apocalyptic threats to scare off any resistance…If the US lets Putin use his nuke threats to scare them off, Russia will continue its nation-seizing rampage like the Nazis did in 1938/9.” Thomson/Reuters wrote on February 25 that “Zelenskyy said on Friday…  the bombing of Kyiv was reminiscent of Nazi Germany’s attacks during World War Two…”

Some have proposed to assassinate Putin, drawing another parallel between Putin and Hitler. Greenwich Time wrote on March 4 that Sen. Lindsey Graham said “that the ‘only way’ to end the crisis in Ukraine is for Russians to assassinate President Vladimir Putin,” adding, “‘Is there a more successful Colonel Stauffenberg in the Russian military?’… referencing… the German military officer who attempted to kill Adolf Hitler…”

That attempt failed, as many other attempts to kill Hitler failed as well. At least some of the attempts should not have failed, but “circumstances” prevented their success. A bomb smuggled in Hitler’s plane did not go off; a bomb deposited at Hitler’s podium went off too late because Hitler had unexpectedly cut short his speech. Even Stauffenberg’s attempt would in all likelihood have succeeded if the party had assembled in a bunker, as originally planned, but Hitler changed the location shortly before Stauffenberg’s arrival, and the briefcase with the bomb which Stauffenberg had placed next to Hitler was moved to a more distant place before it went off. As a consequence, Hitler was only slightly injured. As he did often, he thanked “fate” (“Vorsehung”) for his protection.

If the history of Nazi Germany under Hitler was repeating itself right now in Nazi Russia under the new Hitler—Putin—then any assassination attempt on Putin would fail at this point.

As we explained in our literature, Hitler was possessed by a demon, perhaps even Satan himself. And so, Satan gave him protection until he had carried out his evil devices, fulfilling thereby, together with Mussolini,  the short-lived ninth revival of the ancient Roman Empire. The evidence suggests that Putin is also possessed, perhaps by the same demon who possessed Hitler. I feel that the similarities between Hitler and Putin are too remarkable than being mere coincidence.

Putin has been lying from the outset about his invasion of Ukraine, and he keeps on lying now. He promised and agreed to a cease-fire arrangement, only to break it immediately. He follows the desires of his father, Satan the Devil. The same was true for Hitler. Putin is also determined to destroy the free press and only allow the propaganda of the state press, selling his war as a success domestically. Putin’s strategy is very similar to that of Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda minister. When Germany had been defeated in Stalingrad and German troops fled from the Russians, Goebbel’s propaganda machine announced Germany’s “victorious retreat” (“siegreicher Rueckzug”).

All of this points at demonic possession, because the demon having possessed Hitler and who is now possessing Putin follows the same modus operandi. But the most compelling conclusion that Putin is indeed demonically possessed is, in my view, his recent change in behavior. d-online wrote on March 5:

“[Some] argue that Putin has mental problems… Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio wrote…  that for many there is obviously something wrong with Putin and that clear change could be seen in the Russian President. For Condoleezza Rice, too, the man is now ‘another Putin’… Rice was first a national security adviser under George W. Bush, then US Secretary of State – and was often present at meetings with Putin.”

Hitler has been described as mentally sick, which explanation has been used for his mood swings. But in reality, he was possessed. What is normally not being considered, but should be, is that Putin’s change is also caused by demonic possession. And as Hitler had to fulfill his task, as directed by Satan, so will Putin. Once that is done, Satan will concentrate on the beast in Europe, a coming charismatic political and military leader of German or Austrian descent, and Satan will possess him. He will give him his power and great authority, setting in motion the Great Tribulation. And the beast will conduct himself very similarly to Hitler’s and Putin’s activities, because he will be possessed by the same force which possessed Hitler and which is now possessing Putin.

We observe with horror Putin’s terrible atrocities, as the world was stunned and appalled by Hitler’s evil deeds.  History is repeating itself, but next time, it will be so much worse. When the beast appears in a short while, the whole world will follow him. Satan’s deception will have reached a climax of unparalleled proportions. Only very few will be able to see through Satan’s evil devices and his diabolical plan for mankind’s annihilation. You should be one of those very few.

When we read about Jesus Christ travelling in Judea and Galilee, it is easy to think that He travelled with only the twelve disciples. However, when we read Acts 1:21-23, we find that there were at least two others, and probably more, who accompanied Him and the disciples all the time, beginning from the baptism of John. From these two disciples were proposed Joseph called Barsabas who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias, and Matthias was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot.

During His ministry, Jesus sent out seventy others to preach the gospel two by two. We can read this in Luke 10:1-9. At times, He had quite a large group of people following Him as He did His Work.

The question that can be raised is, was it only men that worked with Christ as He preached? We can read in Matthew 27:55-56, “And many women who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to Him, were there looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons” (who was named Salome, compare Mark 15:40).

These many women had travelled with Jesus at least on His last trip to Jerusalem and certainly during previous times as well (compare Mark 15:41). The word used for what they were doing is ministering. This word is translated from the Greek word diakoneo which means “to be an attendant or assistant, to supply the necessities of life, provide the means of living, to fill the office of deacon or deaconess.” These women were providing the physical needs of Jesus and His disciples.

This is also stated in Luke 8:1-3, “Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities – Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him (most translations read ‘them’; i.e. including the disciples) from their substance” (or possessions).

We see that during the ministry of Jesus Christ, much of the physical needs and support for Him and His disciples was provided by many women, not just a few. Without their help, His Work would have been much more difficult.

An interesting event occurred during the Work of Christ when He was at Samaria. He asked a woman of Samaria for a drink of water. He then went on to expound spiritual truth to her. (John 4:1-26). In John 4:27 the response of the disciples is quite interesting. “And at this point His disciples came, and they marvelled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, ‘What do you seek?’ or, ‘Why are you talking with her?’” From this it appears that it was not usual for a man to speak in public to a woman nor for a religious leader to teach a woman individually. Yet we are able to learn today from what He said to her then.

We know that after the burial of Christ, some of the women who had ministered to Him in Galilee prepared spices to anoint His body (Luke 23:55-56; Mark 16:1). It is also interesting that after His resurrection, the first persons to be made aware of this were three women. In fact, the first person to see Jesus after His resurrection was Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9).

There is one very important event just two days before Christ’s last Passover. This is described in Matthew 26:7, 10, 13: “… a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table.” After the disciples complained that this was a waste, He remarked: “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me.” “…In pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

Now alabaster is like a soft marble, pure white and translucent. Mark 14:3 informs us that the oil was oil of spikenard, an Indian herb from the Himalayas, which was very expensive. So, this woman had given Him a very valuable offering, and had begun the process of preparing His body for burial. She believed Him when He said He was going to Jerusalem and be delivered up to be crucified.

From this, we learn that although Christ was training men for leadership positions, He was considerate of women, giving them favour at times. And as for this particular woman, she gave her very valuable possession to her future King without expecting anything in return—an attitude that we should have whenever we give a gift. One day we will find out who she was, and be able to thank her for setting such a good example for many others.

Are we fully aware of the times we are living in today? Since the days of Noah, there have never been such times. End-time prophecies have never been fulfilled so quickly: The Roman Empire rising from the abyss one last time; pagan governments collapsing. It is all now only a matter of time.

We will experience worldwide droughts, as described in Joel 1:4:

“What the chewing locust left, the swarming locust has eaten; What the swarming locust left, the crawling locust has eaten; And what the crawling locust left, the consuming locust has eaten.”  Joel 1:15 adds, “Alas for the day! For the day of the LORD is at hand; It shall come as destruction from the Almighty.”

There has seemingly never been a time when Christians have been so dependent on being in close contact with God. Perhaps never has there been a time when we were so much in need of faith, to deal with the trials that we now know are ahead of us. And there may never have been a time when it seems so hard to pray. And why is this the case?

This is the time as described in Revelation 12:12: “Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”

The devil is loose. And he has a multitude of demons serving him – invisible spirit beings with great power.

One professing Christian turns against another. Churches get into quarrels, feuds, and rejections. They confess with their mouths and deny the Truth. And when Satan fails in driving people away from the Truth, he puts impressions of failure into their minds, designed to discourage them and make them give up.

The devil has many charms and tricks. He will cause most people to completely reject God’s Truth.

He will also try to mislead the children of God into accepting a corruption of God, instead of the true Original. On our website, we have posted an Editorial by Dave Harris on this topic (Update 58), which is entitled: “The True Original.”

Our foundation is the Word of God – the Sword of the Spirit – which is our only offensive weapon.

Paul tells us in Romans 8:1: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

If we may stumble, trip, and fall on our Christian path, it must not mean that we should stay down. Let us not be discouraged by this. We must get up again and keep going.

In Hebrews 4:14-16, we read: “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Therefore, let us come boldly before the throne of mercy, to obtain complete forgiveness.

If we have done an injustice to somebody, let us make amends for what we have done, as good as we can. What we cannot compensate for, God will take care of.

Let us repent and be encouraged by mercy, and we shall not feel lost.

Ephesians 6:10,18 tells us: “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might…. praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints…”

Let us be strong “in the Lord.” We are fighting against evil spirits “in heavenly places.” We need the whole armor of God to stand strong (Ephesians 6:11).

Let us examine our thoughts more closely. Let us resist the devil. Let us remove all evil thoughts from our minds by focusing our attention and thoughts on things above.

And most importantly, even though it may take a lot of strength at first, let us force ourselves to pray as we have never done before.

There is no reason to be afraid if we put on the whole armor of God, but if we don’t, we will definitely come out on the short end.

Initial translation from German: Daniel Blasinger

How do we define our relationships within the Church of God? We say we are members. We might refer to being among the called of God. We might even reference ourselves by the group we meet with—the Worldwide Church of God is a reference for some who have had a long time association with the Church.

But, at the end of the day, if we have the Holy Spirit of God, we are brethren. Brethren with each other, and—most importantly—brethren of Jesus Christ!

How does God look upon us—the elect, the called of God, the firstfruits of salvation (Compare James 1:18)? Note how God identifies us, when He says, “‘I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty’” (2 Corinthians 6:18); Also, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Romans 8:14).

God the Father calls Jesus Christ His Son (Matthew 3:17; Matthew 17:5). And of Christians, this is said:

“For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren…” (Hebrews 2:10-11).

Because we are brethren, with Christ and with one another, we bear great responsibility before God—to behave with the same kind of love amongst ourselves as Christ did—and as He continues to do for us:

“Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do” (Colossians 3:12-13).

The Apostle Peter adds this:

“Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart…” (1 Peter 1:22).

You know, I have heard these words, these vibrant instructions, before—as many of you have. For far too many, these were words heard but not words heeded. The foundational principal of loving one another got lost along the way, but if we are to remain faithful to the end, we must love, not only God, not only Jesus Christ, but the rest of the Family of God—the brethren!

The large-scale madness and stigmatization by governments all over the world is increasing more and more. Oftentimes it seems like a nightmare, but in fact, it is pure reality.

What happened between 1938 and 1945 is a scenario of ruthlessness without equality. When I contemplate what Hitler’s regime has done to the Jews and to fellow human beings who thought differently, it truly moves me to tears.

One would think that all this should have been buried and forgotten a long time ago, and that people would have become more reasonable. But the opposite is true.

Although every year in Germany, several memorial ceremonies about these darkest scenarios are held by those in power, who adorn themselves with justice and love and words like “We must never forget” and “This must never happen again”, the reality is quite different.

In October 2021, I saw coverage in the news about a very tragic court case in which a 96-year-old former typist from the concentration camp Stutthof had been charged by the public prosecutor’s office with aiding and abetting murder in more than 11,000 cases. The woman is said to have been a typist for the commandant Paul-Werner Hoppe between the years 1943 and 1945.

Der Tagesspiegel published the following article about this on September 30, 2021:

“96-year-old accused flees NS trial – and got caught. Irmgard F. was the commander’s typist in the Stutthof concentration camp. She did not appear at her trial. But she was caught and is now in custody.

“The bureaucrats of horror were efficient. The number of prisoners and killed persons in the Stutthof concentration camp was regularly reported to Berlin. Camp commander Paul Werner Hoppe dictated letters to the administrative headquarters of the Holocaust, the SS-Wirtschafts-Verwaltungshauptamt in Berlin-Lichterfelde. At the typewriter was Irmgard F. She typed the camp commander’s orders to the guard personnel and wrote the lists with the names of the prisoners who were deported to the Auschwitz death camp.

“Every correspondence with the SS administrative headquarters in Berlin passed over her desk, she said as a witness in a Nazi trial after the end of the war. Now the now 96-year-old must answer for herself before the Superior Court in Itzehoe.”

The Berliner Morgenpost reported the following on October 19, 2021:

“Irmgard F., who worked as a stenotypist at the Stutthof concentration camp between 1943 and 1945, is accused of complicity to murder in more than 11,000 cases. She [wears] a device on her wrist to monitor her location, like an electronic ankle monitor. ‘The defendant had knowledge of all events and happenings in the camp’, the prosecutor said. This resulted from the fact, that Irmgard F. was the right-hand woman of the camp commander Paul-Werner Hoppe and had written down all his orders, and instructions and all the commander’s correspondence had passed over her desk.

“Therefore, Irmgard F. had profound knowledge of the systematic killing of the prisoners in the camp ‘right down to the last detail’, the prosecutor said. In the indictment, she lists in detail the killing methods, that were the routine in the concentration camp. The neck-shooting facility, disguised as a medical examination room, in which 300 prisoners died during the defendant’s time of service. They had to stand against the wall in the belief that their height would be measured, but instead they were murdered by neck shot through an opening to the neighboring room.”

One must realize the fact, that this is an indictment taking place 76 years after the end of the war, and that the involved accusers are nowhere near contemporary witnesses at the time of this woman’s executive work and had not even been born and were in the world.

Moreover, this 96-year-old woman is charged with “complicity to murder in more than 11,000 cases.” While it is known that “300 prisoners died in the neck-shooting facility during the defendant’s time of service”, the origin of the exact number of 11,000 deaths seems quite questionable. Besides, this woman did what she may have been forced to do, and she was only a scribe anyway. It was not she, who murdered the people, and whether she approved it, no one can say.

This scenario of an accusation against a woman reminded me of an example when Christ was teaching in the temple and the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees brought a woman before Him, caught in the act of adultery, hoping of course that Christ would inflict a severe punishment. They said to Him, “‘…Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?’ This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.  So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.’ And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst” (John 8:4-9).

This example of self-righteousness is a bottomless pit because the world with its ruthless justice system, as it was then and still is today, is so immoderately arrogant and unjust that one cannot even put this whole event into words.

The same applies to today’s new “law guidelines” and “jurisdictions” regarding these absurd Corona measures. They are picking up so much speed that this reminds us exactly of the time back then at the beginning of 1938. Indeed, beginning on November 12, 1938, Jews were forbidden at that time to visit cinemas, theaters, operas, and concerts. Today, 84 years later, the same thing is happening again to people only because they think differently and refuse to get vaccinated. And the wheel of the invention of new restrictions does not stop; instead, life is made more and more unbearable for these people. They are judged, harassed, bullied, and incited. Even children are dragged into this torment and put into a trauma that they may very well not be able to get rid of for the rest of their lives. We are witnessing a jurisdiction of the irresponsible.

Most of these above-mentioned accusers are acting today in the same way that happened back then in 1938, possibly without even realizing what they are really doing, since this is Satan’s world. And no one knows how long this stigmatization will continue, for this may be just the beginning or even just a precursor of what is to come to the world, namely the great tribulation.

How long will WE in God’s Church have to endure suffering? Will WE be greatly reviled as true Christians for the sake of Christ’s name? And how will WE bear it then? What if WE are innocently accused and even sent to prison?

Christ warns against the unrighteousness of man. He tells us in Luke 21:12-15,17-19:

“‘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. But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist… And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But not a hair of your head shall be lost. By your patience possess your souls. “

Christ gives us such great hope for what lies ahead. It is neither the government nor the jurisdiction of men that can give us or take away true life. They can persecute us, treat us unjustly, accuse and condemn us; they can throw us into prison; and they can take away our physical life. But what they cannot do is to deny us eternal life. They cannot separate us from the love of Christ if we hold on to the hope which the Word of God gives us, and if we do not give up our faith and instead put our trust in GOD the Father and Jesus Christ, then this world can do NOTHING to us that would have eternal consequences.

Paul asked the church: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (Romans 8:35).

And later, in verses 37-39, Paul says with deep conviction, “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Christ also gives us great hope by telling us: “‘Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body [physical life] but cannot kill the soul [the potential of eternal life]… But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell [eternal destruction in the Gehenna fire’” (Matthew 10:26-28).

When Christ tells us that nothing is covered, but that one day all the truth will come to light, we must understand that one day a great truthful trial will be held for mankind, with complete and righteous measure, to condemn and judge man’s unrighteousness.

God the Father will, through Jesus Christ, conduct this judgment and hold men accountable and punish them for their evil and unrighteous deeds.

Let us think once more about the example of the adulteress and what Christ ultimately said to her. “When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, ‘Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more’” (John 8:10-11).

Christ acted here as a Man of love and divine understanding. He did not justify the sinful behavior of the adulteress, but He showed mercy. From this point of view, we should not try to whitewash these terrible acts of the world today, nor should we condemn them with an unmerciful measure. We should and must leave that to God. For God tells us, “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. Therefore ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:17-21).

We must not allow ourselves to be influenced by the deeds of the world, which Satan still has possession of at present, but must allow ourselves to be edified by every word of God and make the best of everything, according to our ability. It’s on us to wait hopefully for the coming of Jesus Christ so that He can welcome us at His coming, and we must hold fast to the confidence that God will judge righteously at His time.

Initial translation from the German: Daniel Blasinger