July 26, 2019 Brethren Letter
Dear Brethren,
A few years ago, I received an e-mail from one of our Church members. It was quite stirring and thought-provoking. The inspiring words show some excellent insight. I will share one of the paragraphs with you (by permission) tonight.
I have been going through the gospels again, I have always admired the disciples and apostles for the work they did in face of certain death. How they ended was nothing like how they started out! And isn’t this true for all of us in God’s church! As I read about their difficult journeys, I realize that WE are the historians of this age, this end-time period. We have to realize that this is why WE came into this world. We (I) can’t allow the distractions of this physical existence to get us off track. The job that God has given us, that of being historians of this end-time, should humble us and motivate us to pray more, study harder, and watch carefully. Imagine how it will be, when in the Kingdom, prophets and apostles come to us and ask, “What was it really like?”, just as we want to know the same from them! What a thought!
Some scriptures come to mind after reading this member’s letter:
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness… (Matthew 6:33).
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5-6).
For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart (Galatians 6:8-9).
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses (1 Timothy 6:12).
Brethren, no matter what we face in our daily lives, we must continue to “fight the good fight” just like the apostle Paul, and continue to have a godly zeal and commitment that will not veer off course.
For the rest of tonight’s letter, here are some excerpts from a “Brethren Letter” by Mr. Armstrong, dated November 2, 1972.
Dear Brethren of God’s Church,
…WHAT is our Great Commission that the living Christ is carrying on through US? It is, FIRST, to proclaim to the whole world the good NEWS that GOD’S KINGDOM — His world-ruling GOVERNMENT — is soon coming to RULE ALL NATIONS, and to bring world PEACE, and SALVATION to humanity. That means CHRIST’S COMING in supreme POWER and GLORY — to RULE! And so, combined with that FIRST Great Commission is the great Mission to PREPARE THE WAY for this second Coming of Christ, as John the Baptist prepared the way before His first coming, more than 1900 years ago!
The SECOND phase of our Great Commission is to FEED THE FLOCK — to “feed” you brethren with the SPIRITUAL FOOD of God’s Word, to PREPARE YOU to be a RULER and/or a priest or teacher, then made IMMORTAL, over the mortal humans that survive on the earth.
I said in my recent letter, “THAT IS THE REASON why the
Eternal God put YOU into His Church NOW — to carry on YOUR PART in this present GREAT COMMISSION — rather than for what you GET out of it.”
I want you to REALIZE THIS: God could have refrained from calling YOU, now. He could have left YOU, like MOST of this world, to be called later, when there will be no devil to contend with. Then you wouldn’t have had to fight constantly against that spirit of DISCOURAGEMENT, that tendency to LET DOWN in prayer and Bible study — that tendency injected by Satan to get into an attitude of criticism, or even bitterness. Satan is constantly ACCUSING the Brethren (Rev. 12:10) — he will accuse ME, and other ministers, injecting this attitude into the spirit of your mind — IF you are not on guard to reject it!
Do you realize that in GOD’S SIGHT YOU are something very SPECIAL, very PRECIOUS to Him? He selected YOU as one
to be CALLED NOW — and for ONE REASON ONLY — that YOU might have YOUR PART, with me, under CHRIST, to PREPARE THE WAY for His Coming — to ANNOUNCE the Good News of the soon-coming KINGDOM OF GOD — to prepare YOU, even by stern trial and test, even by DISCOURAGING situations He allows to develop, for YOUR PLACE IN HIS KINGDOM FOREVER, as well as for YOUR PART in His Work, NOW! That means a GREATER REWARD — a GREATER GLORY FOREVER, than if He had called you LATER!
Do you suppose Satan does not know all this? He knows! He will do all in his power to get you DISCOURAGED — to get you to find some fault — to LET DOWN in prayer and Bible study — to LOSE YOUR INSPIRED ZEAL for God’s Work!…
Brethren, just THINK of the terrible conditions in the world today — over half the world’s population living in conditions of ignorance, poverty, hunger and starvation, filth and squalor you simply can’t imagine. Look at the EVILS in our supposed AFFLUENT society, where we have the highest living standards any people EVER had! WHAT A TRAGEDY!
And God has called US — you and me — as His instruments paving the way for His COMING to CHANGE ALL THAT! To convert the world! Finally all evils will be abolished. ALL will be happy, joyful, energetic in DOING GOOD, creating more and more happiness!
I CALL ON EVERYONE IN GOD’S CHURCH TO REPENT of whatever interest we have allowed to come into our minds and hearts in THIS UGLY, EVIL WORLD AND ITS EMPTY, NEVER LASTING, INTERESTS AND PLEASURES!…
Then, finally, I’ll give you the passage that was my mother’s favorite verse: Psalm 133:1. Pray for that complete UNITY among ourselves, in LOVE. And remember, Jesus said: “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples: if ye have LOVE one to another.” Let’s forgive one another, love one another.
If the living CHURCH OF GOD will now raise up its voice to God in repentance, and in obedience and in FAITH, as ONE POWERFUL VOICE, we may see a result such as the early Brethren of this same Church did, as recorded in Acts 4:23-31.
You, yourself will think of many other Scriptures to read, to apply to yourself, and to study.
Colossians 3:1-25. Dedicate yourself anew to this.
I pray daily — often several times daily — for all of YOU, and I NEED YOUR PRAYERS FOR ME! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!
With deep love, in Jesus’ name,
Herbert W. Armstrong
Please have a wonderful Sabbath everyone!
Sincerely, Your Brother in Christ,
Gary Liebold