Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ,
Greetings from Charlotte, NC! Christ’s Passover is coming soon! Those who choose to truly imitate Jesus Christ will be observing this biblical festival on the night of April 5 this year. When the appointed time arrived, Jesus was asked by His disciples, “Where do you want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” (Matthew 26:17). Obviously, Jesus had always observed this sacred festival, or His disciples would not have asked the question in that way.
True followers of Jesus Christ try—with God’s help—to follow Christ’s example (1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:6), in everything which they think, say and do. They believe that the Holy Bible really was inspired by Almighty God—and that it is, literally, our Creator’s “Instruction Manual” on how we ought to live. In this Work, we at Tomorrow’s World sincerely try to help all of you dear brethren and co-workers do just that.
Yet, very, very few human beings on Planet Earth even remotely believe this concept. For the inspired Bible itself makes clear that Satan the Devil “deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9). It is sobering to read the Apostle John’s warning written near the end of his life, “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19). So, today, we increasingly read and hear about professing Christians being sorely persecuted all over the world. In a news bulletin I heard just this morning on the radio, a famous preacher was describing how ferocious the persecution of professing Christians is becoming in many African and Middle Eastern nations. Even in the United States, Canada and Britain, Christians are quite often persecuted or prosecuted if they truly stand up for what the Bible says.
It is soon going to get much worse.
At this season, it is important that each of us “examines” himself or herself. As the Apostle Paul instructed the “church of God which is at Corinth”: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ…. Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified” (2 Corinthians 1:2; 13:5). Many of you have probably not fully realized the importance of the religious festivals which Almighty God instructed mankind to observe—and which Christ and the apostles always observed—setting us an example. If you wish to learn more, please write us or call us immediately to request your absolutely free copy of our very informative booklet, The Holy Days: God’s Master Plan. For these days which God ordained picture the true Plan that the Eternal God is working out among mankind at this time. They are commanded by God and all will be observed in Christ’s coming Kingdom—including the Feast of Tabernacles. Notice Zechariah 14, as it is clearly describing the situation here on earth after Christ’s return as King of kings. “And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles” (Zechariah 14:16-18).
These Holy Days are so important to God that He will not mess around with rebellious nations that will not observe them! Of course, they will have been taught about them as most of the world is not being instructed today through a professing Christianity.
So, again, at this special time, let all of us “examine” ourselves before our God and determine to draw closer to Him. Dear brethren and co-workers, we need to have mercy and forgiveness for one another—and for all mankind—since God is not trying to save the entire world yet or He would be doing it! But, regardless of our depth of understanding, I pray that all of you co-workers may more fully prove the biblical truths which we are imparting to you through the Tomorrow’s World television program, the Tomorrow’s World magazine, our dozens of booklets which are sent out absolutely free—plus the wonderful knowledge imparted through the Tomorrow’s World Bible Study Course.
Remember, dear brethren and friends, our Creator is the God who gives us life and breath. He gives us the sunshine and the rain, the food we eat, the clothing we wear. Overall, especially to the degree that we try to serve Him, He guides our lives in hundreds of different ways. As God inspired David to tell us in the Psalms, “The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works” (Psalm 33:13-15). May God help us each be sensitive to His will and try with all of our hearts to “walk with God” as did Abraham, and all the great men and women of God throughout human history. Are you “walking with God”? Are you profoundly studying the Bible as the Instruction Manual to learn God’s way of life? Are you meditating on God’s Word and picturing how you ought to put it into action? Are you fervently praying to God for understanding and for the strength to do what God says—regardless of persecution?
We in this Work are moving ahead to warn our peoples of what is just ahead. We are also commanded by Almighty God, “Cry aloud, spare not; lift up your voice like a trumpet; tell My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1). As we see our beloved nations descending into the cesspool of deeper and deeper immorality—men “marrying” men, literally millions of young people simply “living together” without benefit of marriage or involvement from Almighty God in their lives, increasing vilification of all professing Christians and those who try to stand up for the Truth—it should become increasingly evident that the time is near when God will say “enough” and will send Jesus Christ back to this earth as King of kings. For Jesus is the prophesied “Rock” who will, in love and understanding have to crush the rebellious nations of this earth and all rebellious institutions in order to bring about an entire different way of life based on His spiritual Law (Daniel 2:44-45).
Even as I write, news bulletins are coming out with headlines stating, “Israel builds its own bunker-buster bomb.” The articles reveal that Israel recently unveiled and approved a precision, bunker-burrowing weapon, the latest in a series of operational upgrades aimed at honing what one official labeled “a very credible military option” against the Iranian nuclear threat. This 500-pound MPR-500 bomb is an electro-optical or laser-guided projectile that can penetrate double-reinforced concrete walls or floors without breaking apart. Obviously, as many news sources speculate, Israel is probably on the verge of attacking Iran in order to slow down the Iranian push toward developing atomic weapons with which they have threatened to “obliterate” the entire state of Israel! As one Middle Eastern leader put it, this would set off a “fire storm” throughout the entire Middle East. It would probably provoke the Arab nations to get together in a very tight confederation—eventually producing the “King of the South” spoken of in Daniel 11. This, in turn, would undoubtedly “provoke” the European nations, and inflame the coming “Beast” Power which God describes in this chapter as the “King of the North” and which is described in detail in Revelation 17-18. If these prophetic events get underway within a few weeks or months, they will obviously change your life! For God is real and, in due time, these events will happen.
But, meanwhile, each of us should continually “examine himself” and ask God, most sincerely, to teach us, to train us, “fashion and mold” us and make us like He is in every way so we can truly fulfill His purpose in our lives.
Dear brethren and co-workers, I love you sincerely and pray that God will guide all of your lives for good. I pray that He will give genuine understanding to all of you who are willing, lead you into His way and bring you into His everlasting Kingdom. As I approach my 82nd birthday, I am more and more impressed about how short time is—about how our lives are like a “vapor” that soon passes away. I may not be here very many more years to help you. However, as long as God gives me life and breath I deeply want to do just that. Remember, then, to heed the warning given to us in Psalm 90. “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12).
Let all of us pray fervently for one another. And may God give all of us the understanding and knowledge that we need to go through these coming years of trial, test, persecution and ultimate joy and exhilaration in His coming Kingdom. Dear brethren and friends, please put your hearts in your prayers for this Work so that we can have far greater impact on this entire world while we have the opportunity. God has called you and me to be “pioneers” preparing the way for an entirely different way of life soon to be set up during the “times of restoration of all things” (Acts 3:21). Let us seize this opportunity with genuine zeal and do all we can to further the preparation for Christ’s coming by getting involved in His Work on earth today.
With Christian love,
Roderick C. Meredith