Dear Brethren and Co-workers with Christ,
According to the Gregorian calendar, another year has come and gone. And as we draw to the close of 2024, I confess that I am conflicted. I am sure I’m not the only one to struggle with this dilemma, so I will share with you the reason for this conflict.
First, however, may we all be reminded that we are one year closer to the return of Jesus Christ. That glorious event is far more important than most professing Christians realize. Those who believe in the resurrection of the dead may focus on what His return means for them personally—putting on immortality in the Kingdom of God. But the Bible reveals that Jesus’ return has huge implications for those who are not yet Christ’s. It means the world will not be destroyed. His return ensures that life will survive on earth—see Matthew 24:21-22 in the Olivet Prophecy.
But there is good news beyond human survival associated with His return. He will usher in a thousand years of peace and prosperity for everyone—all races and nationalities, no matter where they are found. Satan will be removed, and the veil cast over the nations will be lifted (Isaiah 25:7). At that time, “Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.’ For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem…. They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isaiah 2:3-4). How different that world will be!
However, we are not yet there. All over the world we see governments collapsing as their citizens hope for a better way. New leaders are elected with great exuberance. A few are even seen as messiah figures whose rule will mean “happy days are here again.” Some leaders may significantly improve the lives of their citizens, even if only temporarily. We hope that is the case wherever you live. Nevertheless, it is difficult to predict the course of events under a new leader.
We can be certain of this one thing: God is in charge. We learn that it is He, not democratic or revolutionary forces, who sets up and takes down leaders (Daniel 4:17). A pandemic, a war or terrorist attack, or any of a hundred other “black swan events” can move a leader’s plans in a whole different direction. Bible prophecy indicates that our world is in for a very rough ride over the next few years. Yes, there may be temporary times of peace and prosperity, but regarding the time of Christ’s intervention, Paul warned us, “For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape” (1 Thessalonians 5:3).
Never before has there been a more dangerous time in man’s history, but with every difficulty, there is also an opportunity. Some of us may very well live long enough to not go through death. Those who are Christ’s at His return will be changed in an instant from beings made of flesh into powerful spirit beings. They will never again experience pain and suffering (1 Corinthians 15:51-52; Revelation 21:4). How difficult it is as human beings to comprehend what God has in mind for us! “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known” (1 Corinthians 13:12). We look forward to that glorious day when the trials of this life come to an end.
Each year at this time I take a moment to thank each of you in a special way. Yes, I do sincerely thank you in each of these member/co-worker letters, but I try to do this even more so as we draw toward the end of another year. And that brings me to the reason I am conflicted.
As members and co-workers, you support this Work. Some are more financially able to do so than others. Some of you are elderly on fixed incomes, some are single parents, some are students, and some are getting started in life and raising a family. Others are well-established and financially well-off. As a result, some are obviously more able to give larger sums than others.
Almost any outside consultant would advise me to give special attention to those who give larger amounts. Sometimes, names of big donors are posted so everyone can see who they are and what amount they give. Special letters of thanks are sent out with the CEO or president signing it. Humanly, that makes sense. A large donor who is appreciated is more likely to give again.
Yes, from a practical perspective, it makes sense to send special letters to large donors and publicize their names. I do not criticize those who do this, but ever since I was chosen to be in this position, I have refrained from doing so. Yes, I want our larger donors to know they are deeply appreciated, but I want to see as God sees. As I have explained in previous letters, on those not-so-often occasions when individuals send us a large donation, they are telling us that this Work of the living God is important. Most are probably not “super rich,” so it is often a great sacrifice to them. Yet cannot the same be said of the widow who gives from her limited resources, or a family on low income struggling to make ends meet? The amount is different, but the heart is the same. As we read in Mark 12:41-44:
Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”
This in no way diminishes the sincere dedication and zeal of those who send larger donations. But in God’s sight, the widow on a small, fixed income, is just as deserving of special thanks. So while it is humanly tempting to show favoritism to large donors, I want all of you donors to know you are deeply appreciated and to realize that your tithes and donations, whether large or small, are known by the One who truly counts. Jesus tells us that we are not to do our good deeds to be seen of men. What we do today will bring rewards beyond our comprehension in the resurrection (Matthew 6:1-4). Dear members and co-workers, never lose sight of this important instruction from our Savior.
So, at the end of each year I want to give special thanks to each of you for your prayers and your generous moral and financial support. I also want to thank those of you who have included us in your wills. Most years we receive a few notices that someone is deceased and has named Tomorrow’s World or Living Church of God as one of their beneficiaries. We are often unaware of this until after someone has died, so if you are one of those who has made this determination, thank you in advance! (And by the way, we do have a helpful resource to help any who choose this option, called Planned Giving. Just contact us and we will be happy to send it to you, or it is available online at lcg.org/planned-giving.)
But again, before closing this letter, all of us here at Tomorrow’s World and Living Church of God want you to know that you are valued and appreciated. Our hope is that, if we do not meet you before, we will meet you in the resurrection, when we can dwell together in splendor and glory forever as brothers and sisters in Christ’s coming Kingdom!
Sincerely, in Christ’s service,
Gerald E. Weston
P.S. Please remember that any contributions dated in December and postmarked on or before December 31, 2024, will be counted as 2024 donations and may be tax deductible in 2024, even if we receive them in January 2025. So be sure any December donation is dated and postmarked no later than December 31. If you prefer to use our online donation system found at lcg.org/donations, the cutoff for 2024 donations will be 11:59 p.m. on December 31.