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Dear Brethren, Co-workers and Friends,

In just under two weeks time, we will be celebrating the Feast of Pentecost. We have understood for decades that out of all the billions of people alive, only a tiny minority has had the priceless privilege of being called today into God’s true Church. We understand, of course, that this is not the only day of salvation. Those who are not called in this day and age will be called at a later time. Those, however, who have been called, or who are now being called, are identified as the “firstfruits” (compare Romans 8:23; James 1:18; Revelation 14:4). That we are called the “firstfruits” indicates that others will be called later. Being part of the first group to be offered salvation is a priceless privilege—one that we must not take lightly.

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Dear Brethren, Co-Workers and Friends,

What has changed?

Shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, there was a spontaneous reaction among many people around the world that things had dramatically changed and that nothing would ever be the same again. And to a large degree, the world we now live in is different.

That difference is most notable in the realignment of national interests. Today, we find old alliances such as NATO now being challenged and crumbling into fragmented groups. The United Nations is suffering from its own inability to effectively influence international events or to actually resolve serious conflicts. Coalitions led by the United States and Britain have now fought two wars in an effort to deal with the threat of terrorism. For those most intimately affected by these actions, great change has swept through their lives.

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Dear Brethren:

For the last several weeks, the ongoing war with Iraq has been the primary focus of the daily news. I had just arrived in Germany, when the war began. I was visiting my parents in Germany and I am very happy to report that my father (94) is doing much better. While there, I was able to experience first-hand the reaction of the people in Germany and continental Europe to the outbreak of the war — the reaction was a mixture of shock, anger, frustration, rejection and protest. Magazines and newspapers, as well as daily television newscasts, made European disagreement with the Bush administration widely known, and daily mass anti-war demonstrations around the world have become the norm, rather than the exception.

In the United States, the vast majority has been supporting the war against Iraq, since it began, although about half of the people had been opposed to it prior to its outbreak. A similar occurrence has been observed in Great Britain, where originally almost 80% were against the war (Recent reports show that presently 48 % of the British support the war, according to Der Spiegel Online, April 3). This switch in position has been explained as a result of patriotism and the need to support the troops.

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Dear Brethren and Co-workers:

We have just completed our second annual Ministerial Conference since the inception of the Church of the Eternal God. From the U.S., Edwin Pope, Norbert and Johanna Link, and Dave and Peggy Harris attended. In addition, Rene and Delia Messier from Canada, and Brian and Jill Gale from the United Kingdom were able to attend as well.

We discussed numerous important issues, including matters of doctrine and administration, as well as different ways to preach the gospel and to feed the flock.

All of us are thrilled by the possibilities that are set before us. In order to accomplish our part in this God-given task, we do strongly believe that God will revive His Work one more time, just before the coming of Jesus Christ to this earth. Habakkuk 1:5 tells us: “Look among the nations and watch—Be utterly astonished! For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you.” This will happen at the time when the beast power in Europe is about to rise (vv. 6-11). This prophecy is referring primarily to our time, and speaks mainly of the preaching of the gospel. In Acts 13:38-41, Paul quotes from Habakkuk 1:5 and applies it to the preaching of the gospel.

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

By the time you receive this letter, the U.S. ministry will be close to finalizing the arrangements for the 2004 Feast of Tabernacles in the area of San Luis Obispo, this being our second year to keep the feast on the Central California Coast, a very beautiful and inspiring setting, giving us a foretaste of the millennium for this festival. As you will remember, the feast for the U.S. and Canada in the previous two years was kept in Canada in the province of British Columbia. The feast in England this year is being observed at Chatsworth.

We have had several proposals from a few brethren for a feast site in either Northern California, Oregon or Colorado. Having considered all the information we have received, for which we are thankful, we have decided that we cannot go to one of those areas this year because of time constraints in establishing a feast site. We understand the excellent reasons for considering one of these feast sites and plan to spend the required time to investigate whether to establish such a site for the feast in 2005.

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Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in God’s Service,

The Church of the Eternal God has now completed 18 months of operations since our inception on July 2, 2001. God has continued to lead and direct us and we have been able to help a number of brethren in staying focused, as the scattering of God’s Church has continued.

We recently received from an individual an inquiry I’d like to share with you – He wrote: “Who, or more to the point WHY, are you?? In today’s hawking climate of ‘Church of God Buffet, Get Your Itching Ears Scratched Here!’ I suppose that question sounds stupid to you. If you choose to try to answer it, and you fail to first acknowledge that God in His word soundly and unambiguously condemns division among His people, then don’t waste your time. You’ll have lost all credibility. My assumption is that you are yet one more crumb that doesn’t want to be a part of the loaf – ala Ezekiel 34.”

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Dear Brethren and Friends,

When Jesus Christ neared the completion of the work God had given Him to do, He focused on what lay immediately ahead. Those called at this time have the extraordinary blessing of understanding that the ongoing work of the church for this age will soon culminate with the return of Jesus Christ. That return will be ushered in against the backdrop of the most terrifying and tumultuous times in all of human history.

We must, in addition to the great hope for God’s rule of peace, focus on those clear admonitions and instructions we have been given from God’s word. Some of these things we need to be reminded of on a regular basis—they are things we must not turn away from. Yet, some have wandered from the truth, as they have been unwilling to truly heed the resolute and unchanging teachings from God. Nonetheless, we are to complete the job God has given to us. We have been called and entrusted with the truth of God. This is the truth that has set us free. Note Christ’s testimony: “ ‘And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ ” (John 8:32). Proclaiming this truth was part of the work given to Jesus.