Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ,
Greetings from Charlotte, NC! What is the real answer to the spreading terrorist attacks?
For you and your loved ones in Britain, America and elsewhere, this question will become increasingly vital in the years just ahead. Remember the terrorist bombings in London a few years ago? Although only a few dozen people were actually killed, the lives of thousands were disrupted. And the British people were shocked that “locals” had done this terrible deed. For some of those involved were homegrown terrorists—young men their neighbors had no idea would do such a thing! As described by the Greater London Authority Official Report published in June 2006, “On 7 July 2005, four bombs were detonated in central London. Seven people were killed on a train at Aldgate station. Seven were killed at Edgware Road. Twenty-four were killed at King’s Cross/Russell Square. Fourteen were killed on a No. 30 bus at Tavistock Square. 700 people were treated for injuries. Hundreds more suffered psychological trauma which, for many people, persists to this day and has irrevocably changed their lives.”
All of us need to note these introductory comments made by the chairman of the committee investigating this terrorist attack—Richard Barnes. He wrote, “What happened in London on 7 July 2005 could happen in any country, in any city, at any time. Ordinary people, going about their everyday lives, were suddenly swept up in a maelstrom of extraordinary events over which they had no control.”
Of course, we in America experienced the truly horrifying attacks bringing down the Twin Towers in New York City and destroying part of the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Nearly 3,000 lives were snuffed out! This was almost like another Pearl Harbor attack—which will never be forgotten! More recently, we have all been reading about the recent incident where a homegrown Muslim terrorist killed a number of fellow soldiers right in Fort Hood, TX. And then the Christmas Day incident where a young terrorist would have murdered nearly 300 fellow air travelers if his device had worked! As we read, most of us come to understand that more and more “old cells” of these terrorists are being developed across the United States, Britain and western Europe. Before too many more years, a number of scholars tell us, “We may have to learn to live in a state of constant vigilance like the Israelis. But we may never know which day or which hour another terrorist attack will be unleashed upon our unsuspecting populace.”
The Eternal God, whose servants we are, has specifically prophesied that this very type of threat would affect us if we turned away from Him and from His laws. For He told our forefathers through Moses’ prophetic statements in Leviticus 26, “But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments, and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it” (vv. 14-16). So, with increasing disease epidemics soon on the way, the God of creation has appointed “terror” over those who have turned away from Him and from His commandments!
Also, in Jesus’ famous Olivet Prophecy, He warned that at the time of the end, “There will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights” (Luke 21:11). Greek scholars tell us that “fearful sights” may also be translated “terrors!” So, once again, God, through His inspired Word, has specifically warned us that “terrors” or terrorism will be a feature of the end times on those who turn away from Him and from His laws. Our British-descended nations are certainly doing this. We, who have sent out more Bibles and missionaries than all of the rest of the world together, have now absolutely turned away from the God of creation—from the God of the Bible. We do “despise” His commandments and His statutes. Increasingly, many famous writers and scholars literally “make fun” of even God’s existence—let alone His laws and His ways.
God is not mocked!
Therefore, we will have to “get used” to increasing terrorism and these other specific predictions given by God—unless there is genuine repentance and turning back to our Creator. Again, the authorities tell us that increasing numbers of young men—often being fed terroristic propaganda—will be preparing the way for Islamic terrorist attacks even on U.S. soil. Recently, the Los Angeles Times (November 24, 2009) reported, “Federal authorities unsealed criminal charges Monday against eight suspects alleged to be part of a U.S. recruiting network that sent young men to fight in Somalia—one of the largest militant operations uncovered in this country since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks” (“U.S. Says 8 Lured Somali Terror Recruits”).
Frankly, it is not realistic to expect that America and our allies will ever be able to find and eliminate every one of the terrorist cells that may crop up! More and more young Muslims are being propagandized against our entire way of life. And the number of terrorist cells is constantly increasing. Again, all over our Western world, millions of people are apparently going to have to “get used” to the constant threat of terror as a way of life.
But what is the real answer to this horrible problem?
Though federal and local law enforcement may try to slow down the growth of terrorism, it may be impossible to stamp out all the terrorist cells in the training camps all over the world in places including Aden, Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, Kashmir, Malaysia and elsewhere across Southeast Asia. So what can realistically be done?
For those who understand the inspired Word of God, the genuine answer is the soon-coming time when a magnificent World Government will be set up all over this earth with the true Jesus Christ as King of kings. At that time—although there may be an initial wave of resistance which your Bible clearly describes—an entire new way of life will be introduced and will be made possible because of a real “change of heart” among the world’s peoples.
Most Bible students realize that God’s dealings with Israel are a type of what He will do to all humanity. And God tells us in His Word, “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” (Jeremiah 31:33-34).
As God puts His very laws in the hearts and minds of all human beings, their very nature will be changed. They will learn to genuinely love God and love their neighbor as themselves. There will not be the antagonism between races, between nations and between individuals that we see today. It will truly be “Tomorrow’s World”—a wonderful world which will be made possible only through Christ’s direct rule and the imparting of the very Spirit of God into the human hearts of every individual on earth who is willing to yield to Him.
God describes this coming time in Ezekiel 36:26-27: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.”
Dear brethren and co-workers, we in this Work are being used by the living Christ to prepare the way for that coming literal Government to be set up! We have the opportunity to warn our American and British-descended brethren about the coming Great Tribulation. We have the opportunity to let all the world know about Christ’s coming Government which will be based upon His laws, His statutes and upon the entire way of life leading to peace and prosperity and joy for all human beings! We are, in a sense, the “advance guard” of Christ’s coming Government! We need to take this seriously and do all we can to reach out to our fellow human beings with this message. May God help every one of us realize that this is the only real solution to the world’s problems! And may He inspire each of us to do his or her part in giving of our time, our talents and our resources to serve our Creator with all our hearts and truly prepare for His Kingdom.
Before I close, dear brethren and co-workers, I want to be sure all of you know that I have appointed our other leading minister, Mr. Richard Ames, the First Vice President of the Living Church of God parent organization in the U.S., as my successor over the whole Work. In fact he has been in this position of First Vice President working right here with me for some time now and has proved himself to be one of the most dedicated, balanced and loyal servants of God on earth. With that in mind, and with my increased age, I will be asking him to write these co-worker messages and other letters from time to time in the future. So I hope you will welcome his participation, and that you will pray for him that God will guide him, protect him and use him increasingly.
Our lives are all in God’s hands. As the Bible says, “In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). I have tried to serve our Creator with all my heart for more than 60 years—57 of those years being full-time in Christ’s ministry. And I continue to try. As this age draws to a close, every one of us needs to realize how temporary our lives are and truly give our lives to our Creator and to His service. May God guide, bless and inspire all of you to go “all out” in serving the living Jesus Christ and preparing for His coming Kingdom. That is the ultimate reality. That is why you and I were born. That is why we are made “in the image of God.” May God inspire each one of us to do his or her best—and to genuinely honor our Creator in everything we think, say and do.
With Christian love,
Roderick C. Meredith
P.S. Word just comes of the terrible 7.0 magnitude earthquake which struck Haiti yesterday afternoon! Many thousands are estimated to have died, and the trauma affecting millions is incalculable. I was on the phone before 8:00 a.m. this morning with our own Haitian minister, Dr. Wilner Pierre, and we will send what help we can. But all of us need to realize that Jesus Christ Himself predicted massive earthquakes, famine and disease epidemics just before His Second Coming (Luke 21:11). To those who smirk and sneer at God’s Word—some even doubting His existence—He will find ways to get their attention! Brethren, we really do need to powerfully witness to this confused world while there is time. Please help us do this job by being truly zealous at this time with your prayers, your tithes and your generous offerings.