Dear Brethren and Friends, With an entire cascade of prophetic events coming together, we in theLiving Church of God should have a genuine sense of excitement! For these events are encouraging and inspiring! And they herald the soon-coming Kingdom of God and the time for our reward!
- End-time prophetic events are coming together in the Middle East, Europe and elsewhere.
- The impact of our Work is increasing all over the world.
- Far more new donors, co-workers and even prospective members are joining our ranks—presaging real growth at the local congregation level in coming months.
Brethren, back in the 1950s and 1960s a definite "sense of excitement" permeated God’s Church. Many of you older brethren remember that. There was constant growth. There was constant expectation of Jesus Christ’s soon return and the soon-coming Kingdom of God.
Yet with the various upsets, trials and tests of the 1970s and 1980s, the death of Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong in 1986—and the massive apostasy and splintering of God’s Church that took place—the sense of excitement has certainly diminished among God’s people. And the virtual explosion of little "one-man groups" popping up here and there has also caused many to become cynical or disillusioned.
But, my brethren, we obviously are near the end of the age now—and the dozens of prophetic events moving ahead certainly indicate this to those who have "eyes to see." So I am encouraging all of us as a Church to "snap out of it" and rekindle the zeal and the sense of excitement we ought to have, when we realize that Christ has granted us the magnificent opportunity to help prepare the way for the most awesome and exciting events ever to occur on planet earth. The final trumpet blast shattering the earth’s atmosphere, the glorious return of Christ as King of kings, and an entirely new world emerging will bring a degree of peace and joy beyond anything this world has yet experienced!
By focusing on this, and earnestly preparing for Tomorrow’s World, we can all have a sense of purpose and excitement! The Apostle Paul instructed us: "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory" (Colossians 3:1–4).
As each of us, daily, cries out in fervent prayer to God to send His Kingdom soon, and asks God to powerfully use us in preparing the way, we will be encouraged and blessed in our daily lives. But, far beyond that, we will learn to work together as a "team"—under Christ’s direction—in helping proclaim His message to "all the nations" of this earth. It truly is vital, brethren, that we consciously strive to learn and to practice God’s form of government as we carry out His Work today. Otherwise, we are not preparing to administer that very type of government in Tomorrow’s World.
The principle of "servant leadership"—of constantly thinking, "how can I serve others?"—must be increasingly inculcated into each of our hearts and minds. For, even today, some among us simply want to "be important"—and are more concerned about their "feelings" or their present "position" in God’s Church than about giving, helping, serving and truly preparing the way for Christ’s return. Yet the living Jesus Christ really is "watching" us, to see if our actions match our words as genuine Christians. Will we serve loyally on Christ’s team— doing His Work—only so long as we have an "important" title or position?
Think carefully about that, brethren!
How can Christ trust us to be loyal to Him and to His government for all eternity if we show ourselves ready to "jump ship" over some real or imagined hurts—or even, occasionally, actual mistakes by His human leaders—while the Truth is being preached and the Work is being done? How often could Mr. Dibar Apartian, Mr. Carl McNair and I have "jumped ship" and left the Church under Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong’s leadership when we saw genuine mistakes being made?
No way!
Each of us, and many other loyal ministers, "hung in there" because we were willing to see the Big Picture. We knew that Mr. Armstrong was preaching the Truth, that the genuine Work of the Gospel was being carried out through him and the Work he was directing, and that—even though imperfectly at times—the biblical form of Church government was being taught and practiced under his direction!
The Living Church of God is definitely showing these same "fruits" today! So let us move forward, brethren, with zeal and with enthusiasm! As end-time prophetic events speed up, let us increase our zeal and our efforts in doing the Work. Even though the "pride" of our power is being broken, the value of the U.S. dollar is decreasing, and America is being hated more and more in nearly every corner of the earth, we in God’s Church should nevertheless be grateful, because these seemingly "bad" events are a specific fulfillment of what we have preached for decades! As storms and earthquakes and disease epidemics begin to strike with increasing power, and as more droughts, famines and acts of terror strike our nations, let us nevertheless be thankful. For this simply means Christ’s return is that much closer! As Jesus Himself told us after describing these coming events, "Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near" (Luke 21:28).
Confused and misguided people will often impute wrong motives to us in this Work. We know that. Constantly, our words or actions are misinterpreted—and some people seem quick to want to latch on to the tiniest "loose brick" in order to attack this Work, or to attack us personally! Satan is always very active in stirring up this type of turmoil. He hates those who are truly doing God’s Work! Yet, if you back off—and truly think and pray and analyze where the Truth of the Bible is being most fully preached, and where the Gospel is being most fully proclaimed to "all the nations" through a group of dedicated men and women—can you honestly find another work that approaches this Work in the "fruits" being produced? For millions have by now viewed our programs on television—and increasing millions are also learning of our message through the growing power of the Internet. As you know, we do not mince words. We are out on the "cutting edge" of preaching powerfully the real understanding of prophetic events and warning the Israelite-descended peoples, as we are commanded to do in Ezekiel 33. There is truly no other Work doing this in the same way or to the same extent.
So, I am grateful. I deeply appreciate your continued support, your prayers and your encouragement in every way. As end-time prophetic events speed up, we need each other, and the prayers and support of one another. I hope each of us in the Living Church of God will go "all out" in getting behind the Work with all our hearts—trying to avoid the "nit-picking" into which some people seem to fall. We should be putting our focus on the Big Picture of where God is truly working in a balanced way to proclaim the Good News of the coming Kingdom of God and the true name of Jesus Christ (Acts 8:12; 28:30–31).
We in this work honor Mr. Armstrong, and we want to follow the true pattern of what he taught and practiced from the Bible—not the made-up patterns imagined by some who never really worked closely with, knew well, or even remotely understood that wonderful man of God! Mr. Armstrong was a balanced man, and when he saw the Work "going into the ditch" one way or another, he would correct it. On the page to the left, I am reprinting a copy of a letter he wrote in December 1958, emphasizing the importance of Christ and the need for true conversion, which at that time he felt the Work was not stressing enough. Sadly, some today are still neglecting this vital point. Brethren, I hope we all come to realize more fully our absolute need for Christ’s sacrifice!
Dear brethren, as we add more and more television stations in this Work, as the impact of our Internet effort increases all over the world—and, yes, even as greater persecution comes our way, which it must—we have every reason to rejoice! For we, in the Church which God is using to do His Work today, understand why these events are occurring. And we know what the outcome will be for those of us who are truly surrendered to Christ and fully involved in His Work. For Jesus Christ will soon return and say to this kind of loyal, zealous Christian: "Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities" (Luke 19:17).
May God grant that all of us intensify our Bible study, our fervent prayer and contact with God, our heartfelt fasting and seeking His will—and our active service to the living Christ and to His Work—that God may soon speak these very words to us!
