Not in the Script - Revisited
"I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2)
It's been seven years since I first wrote the Pastor's Report on "This wasn't in the Script", which was prompted by Christ's promise that "this generation shall not pass till all be fulfilled", (Matthew 24:34) and the question had come to mind... "what IS a generation, biblically speaking? It's 40 years since Mr. Armstrong died and so many of us are well over our threescore and ten – can it be this one that's not to pass?" Well, we are still here, and since 2019 much has happened in the world; the Covid catastrophe – the wrong handling of which resulted in numerous bankruptcies, vaccine deaths, family disruption etc. Wars and violent skirmishes continue to take their bloody toll, morality has taken such a nosedive one can't imagine it getting worse. And also in those years many brethren have suffered bereavement, illnesses, disabilities, job losses, family breakups. It's been a hard seven years for the world and the church.
What I would like to do this time is a quick review of the PR of 2019, and this time add another aspect that we might not have thought of, as we continue to battle our own way through life, with our own personal "scripts" to navigate.
Abraham's Script
So often when we look at the lives of those who went before us – the "great cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1) – we somehow imagine God as being in regular and frequent contact with them – appearing physically perhaps and constantly shoring them up and encouraging them as they had their daily "walk" with Him. But the biblical record does not tend to support that view. And unlike us now, they didn't have the scriptures readily available to turn to for guidance, inspiration and comfort. It stands to reason that on a day to day, year to year basis, they too must have had their own fair share of things that would prompt them to exclaim "this wasn't in the script!". But through all their severe trials – as mentioned in Hebrews 11 - God required them to focus instead on what was most important in life, while trusting Him, in patience, for as long as it took.
We might think of Abraham, the "father of the faithful" as not stumbling from time to time – as we do – but the biblical record can be painfully honest and on occasion Abram (as he then was) had his weaker moments too, even worrying that Sarah's beauty might end up with his demise in Egypt! (Genesis 12:11-20) Then again, both of them figured out their own version of how God would fulfil His promise of an heir, when Abram agreed to Sarai's suggestion re. having a child through Hagar, as they presumed this would be the way God intended them to have the promised heir. You can't help but wonder what the world would have been like without the Arab nations!
But this wasn't God's script for Abram, and in fact He deliberately allowed Sarai's infertility to continue until absolutely all human solutions had been totally exhausted. And this position has been recorded specifically for us on whom the ends of the age have fallen. God says "Look at these two individuals – and understand what I did back then, and WILL do before long!":
- Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn;
- look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth. When I called him he was only one man, and I blessed him and made him many.
- The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing. (Isaiah 51:1-3 NIV)
Isaac's Script
There is absolutely no doubt that Abraham discussed the promises God gave him with his son Isaac – the child God Himself named, and at the same time guaranteed the promises specifically through him:
- And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. (Genesis 17:19)
But life wasn't plain sailing for Isaac either. It's so very easy to read over the scriptures at times, not realising that for 20 long years, their hopes of conceiving were raised and dashed each month – along with Abraham's, undoubtedly, who was still alive at that juncture. (Genesis 25:20,21,26) All this time, while waiting for the next heir to appear, there is no indication in the Bible that God talked with them, explaining His script, His timing. They had to simply accept the situation – in faith – patiently taking one day, one month at a time. Again, there must have been many conversations on the subject, in the light of Isaac's own miraculous conception and God's testing and faithfulness through the entire incident on Mount Moriah (Genesis 22) – another totally unforeseen "adjustment" to Abraham's perceived personal script. Undoubtedly Abraham had much to teach his son through the twenty years of waiting.
Jacob's Script
Just imagine the trouble that could have been avoided had God stepped in to prevent Jacob being deceived by Laban into marrying Leah. But Jacob's actions in deceiving his brother of both birthright and blessing – as recorded in Genesis 25 – came back to haunt him. And all this time God was fully aware of what was going on and what the script needed to be for Jacob in order to ram the lesson home.
But we can be confident that God's script for all of us – Jacob included – will work out in a positive way. We can partially see this from the account of the reunion of the two brothers. What Jacob was expecting was very different indeed from what actually transpired, as so often happens in our lives.
- And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.
- Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: ...
- And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
- And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept. (Genesis 32:7, 33:3,4)
But even though this reunion worked out in a positive way and he had spent the previous night in the presence of the one that became Jesus Christ – even wrestling with Him and having his name changed to Israel – in his life he continued to face hardship and heartache. His beloved Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin and then Jacob presumed Joseph had been killed by wild beasts. (Genesis 37:33-35) But through all of this, God remained fully aware and was working closely with Jacob – now called Israel – even though he could not see it at the time. Surely he would have found himself close to despair on occasions, wondering if God truly was working with him, helping him or was he being left to his own devices?
Once again, there is no record of God personally dealing with Jacob from the wrestling match until his journey into Egypt – a period of several decades.
- And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.
- And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:
- I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes. (Genesis 46:2-4)
But as we know from recorded scripture, God knew there would be a happy ending: "And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and, lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.(Genesis 48:11)" as He had in HIS script for Israel to bless his descendants in such a way that we can identify these individual nations today.
Joseph's Script
And intertwined with Jacob's life was the life of his son Joseph. In Joseph's case, all he appeared to have were his dreams. Unlike his father, grandfather and great-grandfather, there doesn't seem to be any indication that God actually appeared to him. Yet if there is any account within scripture that seems to resonate specifically to us today, it is the story of Joseph.
He was not the most tactful of teenagers and no doubt made all kinds of mistakes – as we do – but he certainly did not deserve what happened to him; being sold into slavery by his brothers and then a little later, imprisoned for refusing the advances of Potiphar's wife. But God, who sees the end from the beginning, had a much, much greater purpose in mind than just smoothing out the rough spots in the life of this young man all those thousands of years ago. God could even see down to our day and beyond and wanted to give us the most positive message He could.
God remains unseen in our day-to-day lives, but He most certainly has not "gone off somewhere", but is active, on our case, day and night. (see Psalm 121) Those 13 years or so in prison must have seemed a lifetime to Joseph and no doubt, being human, he had times of deep despair, but as we read over the account, we have the advantage of seeing exactly what God was in fact doing ... He was training that young man for an incredible position of authority! Joseph's life of hardship changed overnight ... one day a prisoner and the next, second in command to Pharaoh, in the greatest nation that existed on earth at that time.
Who could possibly have foreseen what actually transpired? Clearly God's script is much more expansive and multi-faceted than ours could ever be. Like Joseph – who helped to save many thousands of lives that were endangered by the famine, we too have been called to a vital job – to preserve life (Matthew 24:22):
- Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
- For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.
- And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. (Genesis 45:5-7)
Moses, Daniel and David
Because we have their complete life stories available to us at this end time, we don't tend to stop to put ourselves in the "day in and day out, 24/7 shoes" of some of those God was working with in the past, and can even forget they were real people, just like us. Take Moses for example: he didn't expect to have to flee for his life from Pharaoh, and who would have thought, after an uneventful 40 years in the wilderness with a flock of sheep, that spotting a burning bush would turn his life totally upside down! I would think Moses had his days when he wished he'd walked straight past that bush, because it's doubtful he would have written the same script God had in mind for him!
Daniel: captured by Nebuchadnezzar as a youth and during an eventful lifetime was used by God to write one of the most complete prophecies in the whole Bible, and most probably ran the kingdom of Babylon during the time Nebuchadnezzar was learning his lesson of humility: "until you know that the most High rules in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomsoever he will" (Daniel 4:32)
King David was anointed to be king over Judah possibly when still a teenager but God didn't reveal to him when he would take over the reins of the kingdom – that it would be many years hence, and in the meantime he'd be a fugitive from the reigning monarch king Saul, lose his best friend Jonathan in battle, and have one of his sons – Absalom – attempt to take the kingdom from him.
Christ's Script
It appears that even John the Baptist – Christ's cousin – had some doubts concerning what he expected the Messiah to be doing at that time and sent some of his disciples to Christ to verify that He was indeed the Messiah they had been waiting for. (Matthew 11:3-6) It seems as if no one was expecting a "two-stage Messiahship" ... i.e. firstly dying for all the sins of mankind and THEN returning as the all-conquering King of kings, establishing His government on the earth, and especially over the Roman Empire! From a number of comments made, this too was the view of the apostles.
- When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? (Acts 1:6)
So when Christ not only died, but did so in a truly degrading manner, with a thief either side of Him, this must have been quite devastating to His disciples, and "not in the script" as they had perceived it. To unconverted eyes, it very much looked as if the party was over and it was back to work, back to their boats once more;
- Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. (John 21:3)
Similar feelings were expressed by two of His followers to the resurrected Christ Himself who appeared 'incognito' and talked with them on the road to the village Emmaus:
- And he [Christ] said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:
- And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him.
- But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. (Luke 24:19-21)
It is worth noting that although Christ – in person – discussed in great detail His forthcoming death and subsequent resurrection, (recorded especially in the gospel of John, chapters 13 through to 16, ) the disciples were unable to mentally grasp what He was telling them, as they had not yet gathered together for the Day of Pentecost. The receiving of the Holy Spirit opened their minds to these awesome spiritual truths and concepts, and brought back to their minds the words and previous teachings they'd been given by the very Messiah Himself.
The Early Church
Yet even with the Holy Spirit guiding them, there were still surprises in store, the main one being misunderstanding God's timing. They presumed the second coming would be in their generation ... and quite understandably so, considering the thousands of Jews being converted in a matter of days! As recorded in Acts 2 they were not only "holding all things in common" but also selling their personal possessions and property. (Acts 2:45-47) Another two thousand years before Christ's return to this earth in power and glory was not in their script! This conviction is clearly seen in Paul's epistle to the brethren in Thessalonica:
- For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not [precede] them which are asleep.
- For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
- Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (I Thessalonians 4:15-17)
The End Time Church
I highly doubt that Mr. Armstrong – as big-minded as he was – would have foreseen the script God had in mind for him during his lifetime. From attempting to disprove his wife's "fanaticism" re. keeping the seventh-day Sabbath, to a minister with just one "holey" pair of shoes and a $3 salary, to the Pastor General of a multi-million dollar operation, three first class colleges and a monthly magazine of over 6 million subscribers worldwide. And also – as God's end-time apostle – he would be used to take the Gospel to prime ministers, kings and emperors in the major nations of the world, some of whom became his personal friends.
But he also experienced many of the trials and troubles that beset humanity. He lost his eldest son in a car crash, he became estranged from his other son, he lost his wife to a terminal disease, suffered the pain of divorce in his family and continually battled persecution and disloyalty in the ministry.
A Place for You
And here we are still – the church continues to shatter and loved ones continue to die of old age or disease. We might well be tempted to ask... "does God really know what's going on in my life – and what's more, does He even care?" The scriptures are clear on that point; "Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. (Luke 12:6,7)
As the apostle Peter points out, "do not be surprised at the ordeal that has come to test you, as though some foreign thing befell you" (I Peter 4:12 Moffatt) because our individual "ordeals" are part of the script for the firstfruits. As Christ pointed out:
- In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
- And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:2,3)
In the very next chapter, Christ points out that God, as the vine dresser will discard unfruitful branches and will prune those that are bearing fruit so they will be even more fruitful. What is happening is that not only is the place being prepared, but we are being prepared for that place, and at times that pruning can feel very painful.
There's an old Arab saying: "too much sunshine makes a desert"... an obvious statement you might think, but it's not talking about the Sahara or the Gobi desert... it's making the point re. character, and the drawback of an easy life! And also consider for a moment the life story of a butterfly; The chrysalis stage seems to be a time when nothing is happening, but in reality is a time of rapid change. Within, the former caterpillar is undergoing a remarkable transformation. For anyone who has watched a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis the process appears as quite painful! The waiting and watching without intervening can test even the most patient of people.
The young butterfly first appears swollen and engorged with fluid in the abdomen. But during its struggle to emerge, this fluid is pumped into the wings to expand them – strengthening them for their future flight. The struggle is at times so intense that it may seem near impossible, but that's what builds strength in the wings. Without the struggle, the emerging new butterfly will lack the strength to fly and embark on its new journey in the world, and unable to fulfil its purpose!
Paul's Script
The vast majority of us haven't been given any idea what our life would entail once baptised into God's church, but a major exception is the apostle Paul. As Christ assured Ananias, who was rightly sceptical about having anything to do with the infamous Saul of Tarsus....
- But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
- For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake. (Acts 9:15,16)
It appears that Paul spent three whole years in Arabia, being personally taught by Christ (Galatians 1:15-18)... and presumably being given at least an outline of his personal script over the next so many years. It certainly wasn't an easy life Christ foretold for Paul!
- ...I have often been at the point of death;
- five times have I got forty lashes (all but one) from the Jews,
- three times I have been beaten by the Romans, once pelted with stones, three times shipwrecked, adrift at sea for a whole night and day,
- I have been often on my travels, I have been in danger from rivers and robbers, in danger from Jews and Gentiles, through dangers of town and of desert, through dangers on the sea, through dangers among false brothers --
- through labour and hardship, through many a sleepless night, through hunger and thirst, starving many a time, cold and ill clad, and all the rest of it.
- And then there is the pressing business of each day, the care of all the churches. (II Corinthians 11:23-28 Moffatt)
That was some hard script! But as brought out in the very next chapter, Paul had been given visions of "paradise"... and because of what he saw the future held out to us all, he was able to encourage us to keep going, as we struggle with our lives, our script, the "race that is set before us"...
- For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
- For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of [sonship], whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
- The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
- And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint–heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
- For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [whatever script we're handed is] not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:14-18)
A world of mistrust… an increasingly hostile global order… a world of broken cooperation:
The World Today
As we approach the end of the age, watching the news can be quite upsetting. We live in a world of wars and rumours of wars, but note what the apostle Luke wrote:
“But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things MUST first come to pass;” (Luke 21:9)
It’s all part of God’s plan.
But how bad is the situation? We all can see the problem in the Ukraine, and its war with Russia. It seems that Russia has lost around 300,000 men while the figure for the Ukraine is around 70,000.
Meanwhile, the stop/start war with Iran continues. So far, there have been around 40 peace treaties made - and often broken on the same day. With the Strait of Hormuz closed trading supply routes are cut, with Iran holding much of the world hostage.
The new war continues in the Middle East. Preliminary figures are 3,468 people dead in Iran, 3,371 dead in Lebanon, and 28 killed in Gulf states.
These two wars are often in the news, but they are far from the only conflicts on the planet!
The Wars We Don’t Talk About
Forgotten Conflicts - Drawing attention to the wars we neglect
“As you read this, there are more than 40 conflicts unfolding in countries around the world.
Many of them don’t get the media or policy attention of the wars in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan or Ukraine, and they may not have the same geopolitical or economic importance. But the toll of decades-long conflicts – from Colombia to the Ogaden, from Kashmir to Western Sahara – is just as devastating for the people who live there.” (thenewhumanitarian.org)
Some Forgotten Wars
Blue Nile
“Blue Nile sits on the southern frontier of Sudan, where war has raged for more than 60 years. It’s the second front of the Sudanese rebel resistance movement. The first is to the west, in South Kordofan’s Nuba Mountains. The fight is a continuation of the struggle that birthed the world’s newest nation, an independent South Sudan, in 2011. Characterised by mass displacement and severe hunger, the humanitarian crisis has been compounded by the evacuation of all aid organisations. More than 10 peace deals have fizzled since the conflict re-ignited only a few months after South Sudan became independent.” (irinnews.org)
Mindanao, Philippines
“With a peace deal stalled on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, more militant Islamist groups are emerging and aligning themselves with the so-called Islamic State. In other parts of Mindanao, indigenous communities are displaced by war between the government and communist insurgents, and peace talks have halted entirely. Can the next government get the peace processes back on track and stem the rising tide of militancy?
Mindanao is rich in resources as well as population diversity. It is also home to a violent patchwork of sometimes-overlapping armed groups. These include Islamist revolutionaries as well as extremist militants, communist rebels, paramilitaries, clan-based private armies, and networks of organised crime.
- 47 Years of conflict
- 4 million people displaced
- 11,000 fighters currently in the Moro Islamic Front
- 150,000+ people killed.”
Myanmar
(previously known as Burma)
“Myanmar has been at war since independence from Britain in 1948. For most of that time, the country was ruled by the military, but a quasi-civilian government took power in 2011, ushering in sweeping political and economic reforms.
For ethnic minorities, however, little has changed. The military is battling an array of ethnic armed groups on Myanmar’s frontiers, where lucrative trades in drugs and natural resources fuel fighting.
- 67 years of conflict
- Tens of thousands killed.
- 810,000 stateless.
- Over 1 million people in need of humanitarian need.”
Casamance
“Atrocities in nearby Liberia and Sierra Leone have stolen the regional headlines over the years, but the low-intensity separatist struggle in Casamance is West Africa’s longest-running civil conflict. Three decades of on-and-off separatist conflict in Senegal’s southern region of Casamance have killed thousands of people, displaced tens of thousands more, crippled the rural-based economy and turned large tracts of territory into no-go zones due to landmines.
- 33 years of conflict
- 3-5000 killed
- 748 landmine casualties
- 80% 0f farmland rendered unusable due to landmines.”
Southern Thailand
“Conflict in Thailand’s four southernmost provinces has claimed more than 6,300 lives since 2004 but rarely makes headlines outside the country. Tourism has boomed in Thailand over the past decade, but how many of the backpackers island-hopping around its palm-fringed shores are aware that a brutal conflict is raging in its deep south?
The civilian toll is staggering and yet news of the bombings, the beheadings, the pernicious pursuit of soft targets like teachers and monks, barely makes it out of the region. The government, currently led by junta leader Prayut Chan-o-cha, seems to have neither the ability nor the inclination to make serious efforts to stem an insurgency now fuelled as much by criminality and power as by religion, ethnicity or separatism.
- 11 years of conflict
- 6000 killed
- 21 Coups or attempted coups since 1932
- 89% of those killed are civilians”
The Bible warning:
“Wars, and rumours of wars…” (Matthew 24:6)
Over 40 Countries Currently At War In 2026
Some have serious terrorist situations. Some have drug wars, gang wars, or civil war - these are the conflicts which we hear very little about in the mainstream media. Here’s the latest list of nations at war:
- Iraq
- Nigeria
- Bangladesh
- DR Congo
- Iran
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Uganda
- Algeria
- Angola
- Morocco
- Ivory Coast
- Cameroon
- Niger
- Mali
- Burkina Faso
- Chad
- Benin
- Rwanda
- Tunisia
- Togo
- Libya
- Russia
- Ukraine
- Israel
- Palestine
- South Sudan
- Mexico
- Afghanistan
- Haiti
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Ethiopia
- Myanmar
- Sudan
- Yemen
- Mozambique
- Somalia
- Central African Republic
- Pakistan
We almost never read about most of these in the news, but they are real wars - people are dying. For example:
- Ukraine - 77,912
- Sudan - 19,655
- Palestine - 18,345
- Myanmar - 15,104
- Nigeria - 11,978
- Somalia - 9,506
We must not be terrified:
“…For these things must first come to pass;” (Luke 21:9)
We Must Stay Focused…
On Europe And The Middle East
“Since Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022, European security agencies have repeatedly warned that the Russian president’s revanchism stretches further into the continent. Governments have consistently brushed off these threats in the belief that Russia would not test their resolve because the world’s most powerful military stands by, ready to defend them.
However, Europe’s leaders are waking up to a world where the US is disengaging from conventional defence at an alarming rate and Donald Trump is openly boasting of blowing up NATO from the inside. For decades, Washington has provided the bulk of the alliance’s rapidly deployable forces, intelligence, surveillance, logistics – everything needed to fight a conventional war against Russia. But the US has warned European allies that they can expect to receive less American equipment in the event of a crisis.
As it stands, the Pentagon has removed an aircraft carrier, support ships, air-to-air refuelling planes and dozens of fighter jets from the pool of resources. Pete Hegseth, the US Secretary of Defence, used a meeting at NATO headquarters this week to warn the continent that it should expect further cuts.
Ultimately, Europe’s challenge is not simply producing enough weapons and hardware, but finding the political will required to truly take responsibility for its own defences.” (telegraph.co.uk)
‘Free-riding’ NATO Allies Must Pay For Own Defence
“The US secretary of war has criticised NATO allies for prioritising welfare over defence spending and suggested the United States could further reduce its forces in Europe. At a gathering of alliance defence ministers, Pete Hegseth lashed out at countries that ‘have yet to show a credible path’ to meeting their commitments for higher defence spending.
Dan Jarvis, Britain’s new defence secretary, said the meeting at NATO’s Brussels headquarters came at ‘a moment of challenge’. He arrived empty-handed, without a published defence investment plan (DIP) or a promise of extra funding to prepare the armed forces for the growing threat of Russia.” (thetimes.com)
GERMANY TAKES THE LEAD
Military Escalation In Germany
“German fighting-age males are getting an early taste of the military escalation on the old continent. We have been reporting here on TGP how the Euro-Globalist ‘leaders’ in Europe have been pushing their countries through a military buildup not seen since the end of the Cold War. But it did take us by surprise just how fast Germany escalated their military service rules into draconian demands. It has now been reported that German men ‘of fighting age’ must now ask the Bundeswehr for permission to leave the country for more than three months. ‘The purpose of the new rule in Germany is to restrict the movements of men of fighting age in the event of a national crisis such as a war, which may require emergency conscription.’” (thegatewaypundit.com)
Germany: Return Of Military Conscription?
“Germany is considering reintroducing military conscription for all men by 2027. The country has attempted to bolster its armed forces through volunteer schemes to counter the growing threat from Russia, but lawmakers fear this is insufficient. Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, has pledged to build Europe’s strongest conventional army, expanding the Bundeswehr from around 185,000 career soldiers to 260,000 by 2035.” (telegraph.co.uk)
POWDER KEG EUROPE… Germany is Ready!
“As Europe is reeling with the rearmament efforts of its countries, every day brings another escalation that can throw Europe into a massive military conflict. Yesterday (15th), reports arose that the German air force chief said that his country is ready to fight Russia ‘tonight’, and will defend ‘every inch’ of NATO territory. The Telegraph reported: ‘In his first interview with a British newspaper, Lieutenant General Holger Neumann, the chief of the Luftwaffe, said his forces would launch devastating air strikes on Russia if it attacked the Western alliance. In a further warning to Moscow, he stressed there were “no different zones of security” in NATO, meaning an attack on Estonia would warrant the same response as an air raid on London.” The Luftwaffe chief’s comments are among the strongest from a German military leader in years, and reflect a fundamental shift in Berlin towards rearmament and a greater role in European security.’
GB News reported: ‘“Fight tonight” means if someone calls me now and says we have the following situation here, we have to be ready now and WE ARE READY,’ the 57-year-old general told The Telegraph from his headquarters near Berlin.” (thegatewaypundit.com)
Fortress Europe: Going It Alone On Defence
“NATO and European officials are weighing up a set of proposals for how Europe can defend itself against a Russian attack without American support. Until recently, the United States was considered so dominant and indispensable within the alliance that even discussing contingency plans for how to fight without it was taboo. Most European allies were profoundly reluctant to risk alienating President Trump, giving Washington a reason to withdraw troops and equipment, or undermining deterrence by signalling that they had doubts about NATO cohesion. A growing number of European governments are now contemplating how to cope with a scenario in which the US might effectively paralyse NATO in a crisis by refusing to activate its totemic Article 5 mutual defence clause.” (thetimes.com)
We Were Warned!
We were warned just what to watch for - over 40 years ago!
The news/events are now catching up with the warnings given by God’s end time apostle.
1979: A Growing FEAR Of Russia
“Also meanwhile, once war-torn Europe, now rebuilt and economically prosperous, was dependent upon United States military force to protect them from Communist encroachment – since the Communists were right on their borders! The nations of Europe, especially those in NATO, more and more were losing confidence in the ability of the United States to protect them from the growing might of the Soviet Union.
The United States took beatings in the wars in Korea and in South Vietnam. Communist propaganda in the United States turned the mood of America against sending soldiers to fight wars in faraway countries. The nations of Western Europe had formed the Common Market, solely an economic union.
But there was a growing FEAR of Russia; a growing DOUBT of US protection from Communist military might; a growing and desperate desire among European leaders to UNITE politically, to provide their own military force, which would make them a third gigantic world military power, perhaps stronger than either the US or the USSR [Russia].” (The Plain Truth, January 1979)
1982: The Russian Threat
“Now one of the great things that is urging Europe on, and perhaps the greatest thing that will cause them to hurry and get together on this, is their fear of what’s going on in the Kremlin and the Soviet Union [Russia]. And Andropov [now Putin] is frightening them, and that is going to rush them. They are losing confidence in the United States as having a military umbrella over them to protect them, and they want their own military force to protect themselves.
That’s the way they feel over there. Now that is a chief incentive to unite them and that is taking place …this whole United States of Europe, when it goes together, is going to trigger nuclear World War III.” (Sermon - United States of Europe is Coming)
Something Else To Watch Out For:
“Before World War II, a mutual accord had been made between Germany and Russia. History often repeats itself.” (The Plain Truth, October 1985)
40 years later, this could be about to happen.
Remember, Germany’s hard-earned prosperity IS under threat, the AfD are setting the agenda!
AfD Leader Wants To Restore Ties With Russia
“Germany urgently needs to lift the ban on Russian oil and gas imports to prop up its struggling economy, Alice Weidel, the co-chair of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, has said. She also vowed to restore economic ties between the two countries if her party comes to power. The German economy was dealt a major blow when the country took part in the Western sanctions on Russia in 2022. Before the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, Germany relied on Russia for 55% of its natural gas. Russian oil giant Rosneft’s operations also accounted for around 12% of Germany’s total oil-processing capacity. ‘Cheap energy from Russia was the secret of the success of “Made in Germany”. We need it back,’ Weidel said in an interview with Reuters published on Tuesday. ‘The loss of this energy has set us back years. Hundreds of thousands of jobs have been lost. It has made us dependent on the United States, which sells us energy at far higher prices.’” (rt.com)
Mr Armstrong Warned The Church To Watch Out For Certain Events
Germany to recover after WWll, and become the leading nation in Europe.
Fall of the Berlin Wall.
East and West Germany to be united.
The formation of the United States of Europe.
EU to start as a trade organisation… but then seek its own government, currency and military force.
Eastern European nations to join the EU
Europeans to lose faith in the USA as their protector.
Fear of Russia to drive Europe to unite militarily.
Britain to not be a part of the EU.
Germany’s hard won prosperity to come under threat.
This Is All Now HISTORY!
Ongoing Issues…
Germany to restore economic ties with Russia.
Trade wars between Europe and the USA.
A Nazi takeover of the German government.
What Happens Next!
This whole United States of Europe, when it goes together, is going to trigger nuclear World War III. A soon-coming economic meltdown willֺ…
“Trigger the formation of reunification in Europe; the resurrection of the Medieval Holy Roman Empire that we’ve been looking forward to that is prophesied to come.” (Sermon - July 7, 1984)
The resurrection of the Medieval Holy Roman Empire was explained in the first issue of the Plain Truth Magazine - at the beginning of 1934!
THAT MESSAGE STILL STANDS!
So as we watch end time events unfold, we need not be frightened – rather, watch as a witness – staying spiritually alert, AND KEEP IN MIND WHAT COMES NEXT…
THE WONDERFUL WORLD TOMORROW
“ You don’t have to believe it! It will happen, regardless. It is sure – the world’s only sure hope. This advance good news of tomorrow is as certain as the rising of tomorrow’s sun. ”
Read Tomorrows News Today: (Tomorrow… What It Will Be Like)
Latest Audio - 2026-07-04
“Just what is an APOSTLE?”
Today we find the Church of God in a “wilderness of religious confusion!”
The confusion is not merely around the Church – within the religions of the world outside – but WITHIN the very heart of The True Church itself!
Read online or contact email to request a copy
