Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ,
The stage is being set. Events are moving swiftly to stir the European Union states into action. For, unlike the United States, Russia is “just across the border” for many of them. And the current situation in the European Union is very dire. They have great economic weakness, constant disagreements among themselves, and certainly military weakness. They have been protected at the expense of the American taxpayer for decades. But now we are pulling back from Europe—and, in President Obama’s words, “pivoting” toward Asia. The Europeans know they absolutely must begin to get together in a more coherent fashion to protect themselves. And they will begin to do this, no doubt, more than ever because of the current threat of Russia taking over Crimea, threatening even the Ukraine and beginning to try to recover the “great Russia” of the past. They know Vladimir Putin means business.
As a major Wall Street Journal editorial recently headlined: “Putin Acts, the West Talks.” The editorial went on to state: “President Obama and European leaders are ratcheting up their rhetoric against Russia. Too bad Vladimir Putin is a man of action who hasn’t seen anything worth stopping his assault on Ukraine. In the two weeks since Russia invaded Crimea, the U.S. has put a handful of unnamed officials in Moscow on a visa-ban list. The Europeans suspended talks on trade and visa liberalization. That’s about it. Both put off sanctions to give Russia time to ‘slow down and take the off ramp’ in Crimea, in the favorite Western evasion. John Kerry will give diplomacy another shot in London Friday with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who has lied throughout this crisis” (March 14, 2014). So, as America and its allies vacillate and continue to “talk,” the Russians are beginning to move throughout eastern Europe. The alarmed President of the Czech Republic, Moliš Zeman, is now pushing the Europeans to form a “European army”! Notice this quotation from praguepost.com on March 12, 2014: “Czech President Moliš Zeman hopes the present crisis in Ukraine would speed up the formation of a joint European army, he said today at a conference marking the country’s 15 years of membership in NATO. ‘Apart from the North American pillar, a second NATO pillar should be developed,’ Zeman said about joint European armed forces. He said a joint military would be in line with further EU integration.”
A full-scale European Empire cannot be too many years off! For, as America continues to deteriorate in our morals and becomes more and more a hedonistic society seemingly without purpose, Almighty God has decreed that a coming “Beast Power” will be His “tool” in humbling us and teaching us lessons! This superpower is not necessarily filled with bad people; rather, it is just that God uses different nations at different times as His instruments to humble nations and teach them much-needed lessons. The Bible is full of such warnings. We in this Work have specifically warned about this for many decades. Even back in the 1950s when assisting Mr. Armstrong, I was conducting evangelistic campaigns and strongly warning all those who would listen about a coming “Beast Power” in Europe—headed by a revived and heavily armed Germany. At that time, many scoffed at this, thinking that Germany could never become a powerful nation again. But it has. It is!
We have told you repeatedly, dear brethren and co-workers, that Almighty God warned the descendants of ancient Israel that if they would “despise” His statutes and His commandments, as we certainly have done, then “I will break the pride of your power” (Leviticus 26:19). That very prophecy is now being fulfilled big-time! As you watch world events moving along swiftly, I hope all of you begin to really understand what is happening to our nations originally composed of the British-descended and American peoples—the remnants of the “Lost Ten Tribes” of Israel!
Meanwhile, Francis—the Roman Catholic pope—is positioning himself as a champion of the people. He is reaching out to the poor and downtrodden and has become a virtual “rock star” as far as his treatment by the media. He also is cleverly reaching out—in various ways—to the leaders of Protestantism. For he hopes to “bring home” the wayward Protestant “daughters” who have strayed from Roman Catholicism. Whether he succeeds totally in this or not, he is certainly strongly preparing the way for the “daughter churches” to return to “mother Rome” (Revelation 17:4-5). Also, as we have warned for years, more “unusual miracles” will begin to be worked by this system as the end of the age approaches. Even now, under a yahoo.com headline—“Hundreds of Belgians flock to glowing Virgin Mary statue”—we read: “Hundreds of people have been flocking to a house in southern Belgium to catch a glimpse of a small statue of the Virgin Mary which reportedly glows in the dark. Local media reported that on Wednesday, 500 people visited the house in the normally quiet town of Jalhay to witness what is being referred to as ‘the mysterious glowing Virgin’. Police have been required to bolster their presence around a pavilion erected by the retired Belgian owners of the statue, which witnesses suggest lets out a dull glow after dark. The phenomenon was first noticed in mid-January and has gradually attracted larger crowds, with local media reporting that some of those visiting the statue claim to have been cured of a skin condition” (March 13, 2014).
Most of you should be familiar with various Bible references to the coming “lawless one” who will—along with his cohorts—perform false miracles which Satan will use to deceive the world: “And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:8-10).
Dear brethren and co-workers, in spite of our human weaknesses—which we all have—we in this Work really do have the “Truth.” Most of you know that we do not alter, water down or take away from God’s Truth in any way as far as we can possibly understand. We are always trying to grow in grace and in knowledge and go deeper and deeper into God’s Word. This is our life—as most of you know. But God describes a great false church—with her “harlot” daughters—who are certainly confused and are deceiving the vast majority of humanity so that they will literally fight Christ at His Second Coming!
God’s Word—describing this false system and its followers—states: “These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful” (Revelation 17:14). It is hard to imagine how massive the deception of millions of human beings will be in order for them to be willing to literally fight Christ when He returns as King of kings!
So you and I have a real “job” to do to get out God’s true message and to powerfully warn our beloved friends, brethren and countrymen.
This Work of the living Jesus Christ is being used by God more and more as each month goes by. God is using and blessing what we are doing! God has now opened another wonderful “door” through which we can proclaim His Truth to the world more powerfully than ever. We have been cleared to go on an excellent Sunday morning time on WGN America! We will be broadcasting the Tomorrow’s World program every Sunday morning, beginning March 30, at 8:30 a.m. ET, 5:30 a.m. PT, etc. Tell your friends! Please pray that God will truly bless our program on all of the stations we have been describing in recent letters. May God help all of us to be fully engaged in the Work Jesus Christ is now doing. We are the real “wave of the future”! Be sure, each of you, to do your part and go all out to help move forward Christ’s Work at the end of this age! We are blessed to have this opportunity. We are unified more than ever. We will be blessed and rewarded forever for giving our lives in serving God’s people, and proclaiming His message to the world, and in really preparing for His coming Kingdom to be set up on this earth.
With Christian love,
Roderick C. Meredith