Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ,
Greetings from Charlotte, NC! The eternal God who gives all of us life and breath is now beginning to intervene more powerfully in world affairs. Slowly, perhaps at first, but then with increasing speed and power the Creator will shake this world and its inhabitants as never before! God has always had a few faithful servants available to inform those whom He is calling of the real meaning of major prophetic events. So does He now.
Jesus Christ called His followers the “little flock” (Luke 12:32). In the book of Revelation, God clearly shows us that those in His true Church who will be supernaturally protected during the Great Tribulation are indeed a very small minority who have to “flee” from the unified religious and political power which seeks to destroy them at the time of the end (Rev. 12:13-17). Please read Revelation chapter 12 carefully and ask God for understanding!
This very Work which produces the Tomorrow’s World television program and the Tomorrow’s World magazine is a continuation of the Work which Jesus Christ began nearly 2,000 years ago. In modern times, that Work was revived by a very capable and dedicated man named Herbert W. Armstrong. Many of you older co-workers may remember him and the work he led through the World Tomorrow broadcast and Ambassador College. As an early graduate of Ambassador, I am the only surviving Evangelist of the original five ordained by Mr. Armstrong on December 20, 1952. Through some 36 years, Mr. Armstrong became like a “second father” to me. I had the wonderful opportunity to spend literally thousands of hours with him, travel with him many times—often staying in the same hotel suite with him and Mrs. Armstrong—and was appointed by him in 1958 as the Second Vice President of both Ambassador College and the Radio Church of God (which later reincorporated as the Worldwide Church of God). So I had the unprecedented opportunity to help Mr. Armstrong build the “Work”—as we have always called it—perhaps more than any one outside of his own family. I am humbly thankful to God for this opportunity and privilege. When confused men began to apostatize after Mr. Armstrong’s death, I was led by God’s Holy Spirit to revive this very Work to carry on the Work which Jesus Christ began through Herbert W. and Loma D. Armstrong so many years ago.
Although the decades of training and personal relationship I enjoyed with Mr. Armstrong does not make me “great” in any sense, I am deeply thankful to our heavenly Father for this opportunity. And through God’s Spirit, I intend to continue to teach and preach and write the wonderful Truths from God’s Word which Mr. Armstrong taught. This present Work was built on the foundation of God’s Word, and we intend to continue that way just as Mr. Armstrong built the Work which Christ did through him. In recent months and years, some dissidents have accused us of “watering down” or turning away from the Truth Mr. Armstrong taught. Very frankly, that is an egregious lie. Through all these years, we have in no way turned aside from all of the basic truths which Mr. Armstrong steadily proclaimed over the years.
Apparently, some have recently become upset not because of any “doctrinal change”—for there has been none—but because we are emphasizing the importance of Jesus Christ as our Savior, High Priest and coming King and as a vital part of the true Gospel. It is amazing to me that anyone could possibly be upset that we are emphasizing Jesus Christ more. Mr. Armstrong often mentioned that we should do this—though, because of trying to contradict the “sweet Jesus” emphasis that the Protestants proclaimed, he often emphasized mainly the coming Kingdom of God. We, in this Work, will continue to emphasize the Gospel of the Kingdom of God just as Mr. Armstrong did. But, we will simply put greater emphasis on the precious blood of Jesus Christ, on His role as High Priest, and on His coming role as King over the very Kingdom which we proclaim in the true Gospel—because the Scriptures do this!
For those who are concerned, let me solemnly assure you that there will be no doctrinal “change” whatsoever!
By the time some of you read this letter, my wife and I will be thousands of miles away on an Evangelistic Tour visiting our people in Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines, with a final stop in China—which we hope to reach far more effectively in years to come. I thought it would be very helpful for all of you members and co-workers to give you a little bit of my personal background with Mr. Armstrong and the reason this Work had to begin. For we are truly working to restore ”Apostolic Christianity”—that is, the very Christianity which Jesus Christ and the apostles constantly proclaimed. As most of you know by now, the world has absolutely “jumped the track” in proclaiming a message about the person of Christ, yet failing utterly to teach His message! So with all our hearts, we are going to teach and preach the true message which God shows us we should in the Bible. And we will continue to proclaim to you brethren and co-workers—and hundreds of thousands of additional readers of Tomorrow’s World magazine and millions who view the Tomorrow’s World television program—the exciting prophecies that are just now beginning to occur as the end-time events get under way.
You need to realize that God has given His Church specific keys to be able to speak with authority about the details of what is beginning to occur! Many worldly evangelists and “prophecy students” talk about the “time of the end.” Yet they have to tread very lightly and say things in vague generalities. For they simply do not know the details of what is ahead because they have thrown away the “keys” of prophetic understanding. We do have these keys because of our understanding of the genuine identity of the British-descended and American peoples and where we are today. We do understand many other details of the books of Daniel, Revelation and other prophetic books because we have been willing to surrender our lives to walk the way of God’s commandments. For God Himself tells us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all who do His commandments” (Psalm 111:10). Millions who sincerely call themselves Christian simply have no understanding of even the meaning of that verse. But if we are willing to truly obey all ten of God’s commandments, He will give us understanding—far beyond what others can comprehend.
So as you continue to view the Tomorrow’s World television program, and as you continue, hopefully, to read carefully the Tomorrow’s World magazine, we will give you in coming years increasingly detailed information from the prophecies of God’s Word about what is happening now, and what the next step is in fulfilled prophecy and finally, the real meaning and outcome of it all. And, if you are willing, you will be given far deeper understanding and spiritual “meat” to help you truly walk with God and have Christ live His very life within you through the Holy Spirit. Then, you—along with other faithful “called out” ones—will have the special privilege of being supernaturally protected from the Great Tribulation which will soon strike our peoples. May God help you to understand! And may God help you to have the faith and the courage to actually do what your Creator instructs.
With Christian love,
Roderick C. Meredith