Dear Brethren and Co-workers with Christ,
Thank you for your fervent prayers and your loyal support. Some of you have been with us a long time, reminiscent of those hired at the beginning of the day in the Laborers in the Vineyard parable (Matthew 20:1-16). Others have entered our labors for shorter lengths of time, and more will join us as we move nearer to the return of Jesus Christ. I hope we all pray daily for that Kingdom to come. We learn from this parable that those who fully respond to God’s invitation will receive the reward of eternal life, no matter the length of their service. Yes, we must respond in humble obedience, but eternal life is a gift that comes through the sacrifice and life of Jesus Christ. However, our position of responsibility after we receive that free gift will be based on our works during this physical lifetime (Matthew 16:27; Revelation 2:23; John 4:36).
The outline of Bible prophecy indicates, despite what we see happening in Ukraine, that the end is not yet. Revelation 17 shows that the Roman Empire will once more rear its head, “resurrected” as a global economic and military powerhouse. While the European Union may be a precursor, in its present form it is not the Beast power described in Revelation. That Beast could come together with startling speed at any time, but to become the military powerhouse that is prophesied—unless there is some surprise—will take several years. Germany’s military for example is in poor shape right now, but that will change.
The last two years have shown us just how fast our world can change. COVID transformed our world nearly overnight. America’s disastrous pullout from Afghanistan stunned friends and foes. The invasion of Ukraine shocked European nations and sent them on a spending spree for new military hardware. This had to happen, according to Bible prophecy, but which one of us saw an invasion by Russia as the catalyst to set the wheels in motion? At the pace we are moving toward the climax of the age, we must expect the unexpected, but not follow unfounded theories that do not fit within the context of Bible prophecy.
Here in the Work of God, we have seen a major uptick in our reach and effectiveness. Our responses to the Tomorrow’s World telecast continue to gain between 900 and 1,600 new magazine subscribers every week. Even with a renewal process to remove those who are no longer interested in our material, our Tomorrow’s World subscriber base continues to grow, not only from the telecast, but also from our other initiatives.
We are ramping up efforts to translate our literature into the Hindi language to further reach India. Our Work in Africa, especially French-speaking Africa, is multiplying. We have now surpassed 150,000 English-language YouTube subscribers, 387,000 in the Spanish language, and 26,000 in French.
We are seeing increases in almost all facets of the Work. During the last two years, we added new employees which were badly needed, went on more television stations, increased the number of Tomorrow’s World magazines from six to ten per year, and dramatically increased our subscriber base almost everywhere around the world. Our Canadian office was able to move to a larger and better laid-out facility in a less expensive location—thus saving tens of thousands of dollars each year compared to paying lease-payment increases at the previous facility.
That is some of the good news, but we do face significant challenges. Income for the first quarter here in the United States, and in Canada, has declined some compared to the strong increases we had last year. I have not seen reports from our other offices around the world, but I suspect they are seeing the same trend. This is not surprising given the high inflation being felt around the world. Also, at least here in the U.S., people are not receiving the big financial handouts that arrived in bank accounts and mailboxes in 2020 and 2021, when we saw strong increases in regular tithes and offerings. We know that many who were working and did not need that money passed some or all of it to the Church, for which we are very grateful.
At the same time, expenses are up. Paper costs have gone up as much as 50 percent in Canada. Some supplies are hard to get. Repairing equipment is a problem due to parts being delayed on ships or at borders. Travel costs are up dramatically. I guess I don’t have to tell you these things, but sometimes we do not think about the cost of paper, toner, and computer chips. Thankfully, God led us to put some reserves aside the last two years because of strong financial support and lower expenses due to lockdowns, so we will weather the challenges, but we are seeing reserves dropping, as we anticipated and planned for accordingly.
Brethren and co-workers, I think we can all see how rapidly our world is moving toward the end of mankind’s misrule and the return of Jesus Christ. Something has changed in the last two years, and it is not just disruptions due to the pandemic. America’s prestige has dropped dramatically, and its southern border with Mexico is a laughingstock as millions flood across its borders. The nation’s resolve is questioned, and morality is reaching new lows. Homeless encampments are popping up in a way not seen since the Great Depression, even though job openings are plentiful. There is a new mood, a new spirit in the world, and it is not a good spirit.
We do not know how much time we have left, but we know that Jesus’ admonition is applicable today: “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28). We must not “jump the gun,” as it will likely take several years for everything to come together, but the time of our redemption is drawing closer. And although we know from Bible prophecy the broad outline of what to expect, we should expect a few surprises along the way to bring to pass the predicted events.
Brethren and co-workers, we know that those of you on low or fixed incomes are being hit the hardest. Obey God and do what you can to help this Work, but we understand that those on fixed incomes may have to cut back in order to put food on the table. And please never sell short the power of prayer. Remember James’ admonition: “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit” (James 5:16-18). God hears the sincere heartfelt prayers of the newest among us, the widows among us, the elderly and the young. He heard our prayers at the beginning of the pandemic, and He will hear our prayers today.
Thank you for your heartfelt prayers and for your financial gifts. You are very much a part of our team. We pray for you, believing God will reward you in ways you cannot imagine.
Sincerely, in Christ’s service,
Gerald E. Weston