The wave of immigrants surging into Europe is creating strains among EU member states. Germany’s urging to accept immigrants has spawned hostile reactions from her eastern European neighbors and received little support from France. In fact, “German and EU officials are warning that without a sharp drop in arrivals or a change of heart in other EU states… Germany could shut its doors, sparking wider crisis this spring” (Reuters, January 18, 2016).

Asking questions is a wonderful way to open the doors to learning. Questions are a teaching tool long used by educators to simultaneously teach and draw out insights from pupils—prompting them to think! Jesus Christ used this teaching method about very important topics.

Some people just have a way with words, and the knack of getting to the heart of a matter. Proverbs, the Book of Wisdom, expresses it this way, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver” (Proverbs 25:11).

We would all like to know the future—what is going to happen to us and our family. Movies are made on that premise of avoiding terrifying events, destruction, and death. But terrifying events, destruction, and death are coming in the very near future! We can know what is coming and how to avoid it!

As many of you may remember, January 16 is the 30th anniversary of the death of Herbert W. Armstrong. It is very helpful, I feel, to remember that Christ used this man—human as he was—more than anyone we know of for the last several hundred years. A number of us in this Work had the privilege of working with him closely for decades. It was a privilege that we will never forget.