February 13, 2024
Dear Brethren and Co-workers with Christ,
The message Jesus brought to this troubled world is a message of hope—hope for a better world to come for planet Earth and hope for eternal life to those who respond to His Father’s call (John 6:44). It is also a message of hope for those who have lived and died without ever hearing His name or understanding His message.
But we must not get ahead of where we are at this time. Until Christ’s return when He will set up an everlasting kingdom of spirit-born sons and daughters to rule on this earth, we have trouble on every side. Why? Because humanity refuses to submit to the will of the One who created us—the One who knows what is best for us. Rather, humanity is as a spoiled child sassing its Parent, thinking it knows better. I hope that all of you have overcome and conquered that attitude, and I think that is generally the case or you wouldn’t be reading this. As Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).
I reported in a recent update to all our congregations from an article by the American Council on Science and Health, confirming my long-time observations that more people die in the winter months than at any other time of the year. It was not meant to discourage anyone—just the opposite! None of us relish the idea that we have an expiration date, but it is a fact that we cannot avoid. We should neither ignore, nor fret over reality. Please bear with me, as I know that this kind of talk makes some nervous as they do not want to think about it!
When we are young, we generally do the former—ignore the shortness of life. The end seems so far off that it is not real. Besides, in the eyes of the young, old people seem to have no fun and no reason to want to live. But to older people, life is still important, but the end is an ever-present reality. That understanding is not bad in itself. It partly explains why older people tend to be more God-fearing, though there are exceptions.
David prayed, “The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knows the power of Your anger? For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath. So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:10-12). Yes, numbering our days—recognizing the passing of time and our short time in the flesh—can give us a heart of wisdom. The young may scoff at God’s existence. Their evolutionary biology instructors provide a ready excuse to reject a higher authority in life, but as the psalmist rightly declares, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good” (Psalm 14:1). Yes, “While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage” (2 Peter 2:19).
Paul reminds us of the obvious, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:20-22). For many, it is only after they mature that reality sets in. It is then that they cast aside all the convenient arguments to justify their lusts, begin asking serious questions, and take a closer look at “this God thing.”
We here at Tomorrow’s World and the Living Church of God recognize that a significant portion of our audience is older. That does not mean there are no young families. Here in our Charlotte, North Carolina congregation, we recently had three newborns added to our numbers in less than two weeks, and there are a few more “in the hopper.” But, yes, many of us are older, and with age come trials, but our faith and outlook have a great deal to do with how we come through those difficult times.
Yesterday, as I began this letter, I was looking for a quote regarding the former 40th President of the United States—Ronald Reagan. In my search, I came across something I want to pass on that confirms how maturity tends to draw some people closer to God. Mr. Reagan’s daughter Patti explained:
You know what I’ve come to realize? A lot of things he taught me as a child I didn’t reject, but I didn’t take them on big time until I got much older. He did have something special with God; he talked to God all the time. It didn’t mean that he was any more special in God’s eyes or that he believed that. We all are special with God. It’s not that God’s speaking to anybody more than anyone else, it’s that some people choose to listen. And talk back. And my father talked to God. That’s what I got as a child, I got that he just talked to God all the time. He just had conversations with God (When Character Was King, Peggy Noonan, p. 154).
According to Patti, it was her father who provided his children’s moral upbringing. However, it was Mr. Reagan’s mother who instilled in him the faith that carried him through many a trial. After graduation, he was eager to get started in life on his own, but a job he dearly wanted slipped away to another. Noonan writes, “Reagan was crushed. His mother told him again that all things are part of God’s plan, even the most disheartening setbacks. If something went wrong you don’t get down, you kept going. Later on, she said, something good would happen and you’d find yourself thinking, ‘If I hadn’t had that problem back then, then this better thing wouldn’t have happened to me.’ He believed it, every word” (p. 40). Is that not what we also learn from Scripture?
When Joseph was sold into slavery, falsely accused and thrown into prison, it was some 15 years later before it became evident that God was working out a great plan in his life (Genesis 45:5-7). Daniel and his three friends were taken to a foreign land as slaves—how traumatic that must have been—but each one rose to prominence in the Chaldean Empire, and Daniel was used by God to give an outline of history from that time until the return of Christ.
Hebrews 11 is called the faith chapter of the Bible. God worked great miracles for some. Others experienced the most horrendous trials (Hebrews 11:32-40). Their perseverance through their unique trials has moved many over the centuries to follow their examples of faith. The supreme example of faith is that of Jesus Christ, who was unjustly tried, beaten mercilessly, and nailed to a stake to die. How confusing that must have been for His followers. His disciples and family did not understand at the time, as seen in the Scriptures, but they came to recognize the great plan God was working out through the brutal death of the Son of God.
I wanted to take some time in this letter of thanks for your dedication and support, to also encourage you to never forget, but to focus on the big picture of what God is doing for each of us. As it tells us in the 33rd Psalm, “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” (vv. 13-15). God knows you as an individual and is working out His plan in your unique life. We may not always understand the trials that come our way, but if we trust Him and exercise faith, it will work out for the good. He cares for you. As Paul reminds us, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Dear members and co-workers, never lose faith. God is greater, wiser, and more loving than any of us. He has a plan for you to last, not for a few years in this flesh, but for all eternity. And once again, thank you for your generous support of this Work to warn our peoples of what is ahead if we fail to change, and to proclaim the good news of God’s soon-coming Kingdom.
Sincerely, in Christ’s service,
Gerald E. Weston