Dear Brethren and Friends,
We enjoyed a magnificent Feast of Tabernacles this year! In many ways, it truly was the "best Feast ever." Our attendance figures—still coming in as I write this—indicate that we were well above the 7,000-attendance mark at the Feast in 2009. We are grateful for that growth, but most of all we are thankful for the wonderful sermons, the fine fellowship and the deep sense of unity that was felt virtually everywhere at the Feast sites.
However, this world around us lacks that unity. It is truly coming apart in many ways. In the Middle East, the tiny nation of Israel does seem on the verge of attacking Iran in order to protect its own survival! Meanwhile, the United States appears to be "sitting on its hands" and is losing power and prestige continually in foreign affairs. China is moving ahead in financial, military and naval power—beginning to challenge the U.S. more and more in these areas. The American people are gradually becoming genuinely upset with the "big government" programs being pushed at them, contrary to the spirit in which their nation was founded. Yes, in the U.S., internal trouble lies just ahead! As the American dollar increasingly drifts lower, imported goods will go way up in price! Obviously, the way things are going, America's standard of living and entire way of life will continue to go down!
Initiatives are being pushed to make abortion more accessible, and the "gay agenda" is being forced on the English-speaking peoples continually. Same-sex "marriage"—legal in Canada for several years—is now allowed in five American states! This is growing across the nation. Tremendous pressure is being put on Americans in general—upon the media, upon colleges and universities and upon companies and corporations—to go along with the entire homosexual agenda. Our nation is truly sick.
Yet the American and British-descended peoples seem unable to understand the connection between our increasingly vile way of life and our national problems! The Bible makes this very plain. Over and over, God tells us that if we turn away from Him, everything will begin to go wrong. You brethren understand the dozens of verses describing this, as we give them to you continually in articles in the Tomorrow's World magazine and our booklets.
However, dear brethren, we in the Living Church of God must genuinely stand out as a "beacon of light" in this confused world. If we are truly converted, we know the Truth. We have God's Holy Spirit to help us not only understand, but to live that Truth. As we yield ourselves to the living Jesus Christ, this Work of the Living Church of God and our powerful message of right government will continually grow in power and influence. As the prophetic events come crashing upon the people around us, they will have to begin to listen! For this we can be thankful.
Most of us are sincerely trying to be true Philadelphians in our way of life and in our service in God's Work. Most of you are backing the Work through your prayers, your tithes and offerings, and even your personal service and help to others in the Church and in Church-related activities. Thank you, dear brethren, for that!
However, as we analyze the affluence and ease of our lives, in comparison with those of Jesus and the Apostles Peter and Paul, it is clear that we come up very short! In physical ways, most of us enjoy very comfortable homes and comfortable circumstances. Too few of us are daily on our knees, constantly "crying out" in a truly heartfelt way to our Creator, literally "begging" Him to intervene and send Jesus back and to use us to prepare the way and to intervene powerfully in blessing and empowering His Work.
So, now, we must "follow through" on the inspiration the Feast of Tabernacles should have given us all.We need to exercise the kind of total commitment and zeal that the original apostles displayed—if we expect to be granted the real power that they had, the "gifts of the Spirit" God gave them, and the wonderful protection and deliverance they experienced when faced with trials and tests. One vital element that is far too rare in us today is the living faith of Jesus Christ and the gifts of the Spirit.
Jesus Himself warned us about this. After describing the widow who kept coming to the "unjust judge" and was finally heard because of her "continual coming," the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:6–8).
Indeed, as Scripture indicates, there will be very little genuine faith on this earth by the time Jesus Christ returns. But, again, we in the Living Church of God can and should be different! We must truly believe and totally trust in God the Father— and in Jesus Christ as our living Savior and Head!
As I think back over the last 60 years, I am inspired to realize how very many of the prophecies I heard Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong explain have already come about. For he said that a united Germany would come up and dominate its neighbors. He taught that the nations of Europe would get together in a kind of "European Empire." He explained that America and Britain would go down and that our "pride of power" would be broken. He showed that we would lose many of our great "sea gates" such as Suez, the Panama Canal, the Strait of Malacca, the Strait of Hormuz and others. He told us that the Eastern European nations would break away from the Soviet Union—that the "two Germanys" would come together again, and the Berlin Wall would have to come down! Brethren, all this has already happened, and most of Mr. Armstrong's other biblically-based "Big Picture" prophetic statements are now beginning to happen.
In this present Work—continuing the Work that Christ began through Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong so many years ago—we are genuinely restoring original Christianity in our teachings and practices. We are reaching out through television and other media far more than any other "Church of God" group on earth.
How are we able to do this? God "delivered us" again and again from all kinds of crises that came along as we were starting the Global/Living Church of God. I may write an entire article sometime about how God obviously intervened to help this present Work get started in the first place, and how we could have easily failed to be able to carry on when the "split" came about back in 1998. Miraculously, God gave us back key office space that we had had before. He restored to us most of our ministers and members. He retained for us our fleet cars, our meeting halls, our television stations and—most of all—the ability to do the Work! In spite of efforts of evil men who tried to "tear us down," God intervened in an unusual way. For He wants this Work to continue. He wants us to move ahead with faith in Him and to have a real impact on this confused world! I pray that all of us will do our part in this.
We should always remember that even young men who were not apostles or ministers were granted the gifts of the Spirit during Jesus' lifetime. As Jesus sent out the "seventy others," He told them, "Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. And heal the sick there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you'" (Luke 10:8–9). But did they also "cast out demons"? Yes! For Luke continues later, "Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name'" (v. 17).
Therefore, just as Jesus continually told the original apostles to preach the Gospel, heal sicknesses and to cast out demons (Mark 3:13–15), so He also had these other 70 young men do the same, even though they were not in the ministry and the Holy Spirit was not even yet given as an indwelling power. For these gifts are important signs to weak people, to unconverted people—and to many others who need God's physical intervention and encouragement in order to fully turn to Him.
Remember, Stephen and Philip were ordained as deacons, not elders, in Acts 6:1–6. Yet in Acts 8, we read, "Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them" (v. 5). How was this deacon's preaching received? Your Bible states, "And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city" (Acts 8:6–8).
Obviously, today also, there would be tremendous enthusiasm and joy among God's people if we were granted more of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This is something every one of us should pray about. It does not involve only the ministry—although God's ministers are of course involved in a special way. But remember, dear brethren, even Jesus Christ—the Son of God—was not able to perform mighty works when He went back to His home area: "Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief" (Matthew 13:58).
So, if there is an "atmosphere of doubt," God Himself will not supernaturally heal many people—even if it is Jesus Christ personally involved! That is why it is so very important that we, as a Church, begin to think about all the things God has done for us. We must learn to "stir up" a spirit of faith and absolute trust in God and learn to walk and to live by faith (2 Timothy 1:6; Ephesians 2:8). Then, brethren—and only then—can we cry out with confidence and ask God fervently for the gifts of His Holy Spirit.
Wow!
We so very much need these "gifts" to begin to have the real impact on our brethren—and especially on the world—that we need in order to truly "finish" the job. So I beseech you to join with me in being one of those striving to "go all out" in seeking God, and trying in every way we can to "give" our lives to Him in zealous obedience and service, and to cry out for the gifts of God's Holy Spirit for His Work, His ministry and all His people!
If we truly do this as a Church, then the "follow through" from the wonderful Feast of Tabernacles will be inspiring and powerful indeed. As truly terrible things happen to our nations—and many of us suffer even as ancient Israel suffered the first three plagues of God—we will still have great faith and joy, because we will see God intervene powerfully in our lives, and in our bodies, and in blessing us in spite of the catastrophic prophetic happenings that must come! May God help all of us to do this, that we may truly honor our Father in heaven and hear Him say, "Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities" (Luke 19:17).
With Christian love,
