Many viewers wonder: Who is behind these
Tomorrow's World telecasts?
The most obvious answer is found in what we say at the
end of each program: We are sponsored by the
Living Church of God.
But that brings up another question: Who or what
is the Living Church of God?
On this Tomorrow's World telecast I'll be
answering this question.
I'll show you who we are, what our mission is, and
what we believe.
I'll also be offering to you a free publication--
Restoring Original Christianity--
so be sure to have writing material available so
you can take down our contact information.
As with everything that we offer, this resource is
given away free for the asking.
Members and coworkers of the Living Church of God have
already paid for it, and I'll explain on this program why
it is that everything we have is distributed free of charge.
So stay tuned to learn about the church behind Tomorrow's World.
I'll be back in five seconds to give you the answer.
♪
A warm welcome to all of you from all of us here
at Tomorrow's World, where today I'll be answering
the question of who we are--which Church is it
that is behind these telecasts, our magazine,
and all of our free resources.
I'll also explain the mission of the
Living Church of God and what we believe.
Simply put, we are a remnant of first
century Christianity, but what does this mean?
Jesus said He would build His church and the gates
of the grave would not prevail against it.
Yet, the record of the New Testament and history
show that the professing Christian church
veered off in a radically different direction than
the church started by Jesus, His apostles,
and first century believers.
He warned us in the Olivet Prophecy that the first
sign to watch for, regarding His second coming and the
end of the age, is false Christianity.
We must not take this warning lightly.
Look this up in your own Bible and consider what it
means for you--Matthew 24, and verses 3 to 5...
"Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples
came to Him privately, saying,
"Tell us, when will these things be?
And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of
the end of the age?"
And Jesus answered and said to them [here it is]:
"Take heed that no one deceives you.
For many will come in My name, saying,
'I am [that is, Jesus is] the Christ,' and will deceive many."
Yes, there would be those who claim His authority,
admit that He is the Christ, but would deceive, not
the few, but the many.
Does history bear this out?
The answer is absolutely.
Highly respected historian, Jesse Lyman Hurlbut
in The Story of the Christian Church,
gives this title to Chapter 5--"The Age of Shadows."
There he shows how dramatically the church changed over
a relatively short period of time:
"We name the last generation of the first century, from
68 to 100 A.D., "The Age of Shadows," partly because
the gloom of persecution was over the church;
but more especially because of all periods in the history,
it is the one about which we know the least.
We have no longer the clear light of the Book of Acts
to guide us; and no author of that age has filled the
blank in the history.
For fifty years after St. Paul's life a curtain hangs over the
church, through which we strive vainly to look; and...
[take note of this] when at last it rises, about 120 A.D.
with the writings of the earliest
church-fathers, we find a church in many aspects very different
from that in the days of St. Peter and St. Paul."
Note that Hurlbut mentions these changes occurred
following the death of the Apostle Paul.
Is this not what Paul himself warned would happen?
Acts 20, beginning in verse 29, records his warning to
the elders at Ephesus...
"For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will
come in among you, not sparing the flock.
Also from among yourselves men will rise up,
speaking perverse things, to draw away the
disciples after themselves.
Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did
not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears."
Hurlbut chronicles some of the changes that crept into
what became an increasingly very different church from that
of Christ and the apostles:
"The forms and ceremonies of paganism gradually crept
into the worship.
Some of the old heathen feasts became church festivals with
change of name and of worship.
About 405. A.D. images of saints and martyrs began to appear in
the churches, at first as memorials, then in
succession revered, adored, and worshiped.
The adoration of the Virgin Mary was substituted for the
worship of Venus and Diana."
Many historians agree that the church of today has little
resemblance to that of the original church of God
that Christ founded.
Prolific writer and highly respected historian
Will Durant, makes this insightful comment for
anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear:
"Christianity did not destroy paganism; it adopted it....
Christianity became the last and greatest of
the mystery religions."
History records two paths for what is
broadly called Christian.
The first is the popular and diverse forms of
mainstream Christianity-- Catholic, Eastern Orthodox,
and Protestant.
And there is great diversity among these.
The second is minuscule in comparison.
It is the small, persecuted church that would not die.
To learn more about that church, and the Living
Church of God, order our free resource--
Restoring Original Christianity.
This easy-to-read booklet contrasts the church
that Jesus built with the one that Hurlbut, Durant, and
many others tell us is a very different form
than original Christianity.
Don't be fooled.
Your salvation is far too important to accept
without question traditions passed down to you.
Be sure to order a free copy of Restoring
Original Christianity.
And do it today before you forget.
If our toll-free number is busy, wait five or ten minutes
and try again.
And when I come back, I'll get specific about the history
of Tomorrow's World and the Living Church of God.
♪
For today's free offer call...
Or go to...
This clear and straight-forward resource
will help you understand this vital truth--
straight from the pages of the Bible.
If you're calling for the first time, you will also
receive a free annual subscription to Tomorrow's
World magazine.
Six inspiring issues discussing news, science,
and modern culture will help you make sense of
your world from a biblical perspective.
Call today and join millions around the world
who are turning to Tomorrow's World for
truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times.
Call now!
Or go to...
♪
Welcome back to Tomorrow's World where I'm explaining
who we are--who it is that is behind these telecasts,
what is our mission, and what we believe.
Simply put, our roots go back to the first century.
As our resource--Restoring Original Christianity--
explains, the Christianity of Christ and the apostles is
different from what most people think.
Mainstream Christianity is rife with non-biblical Greek
philosophy and pagan doctrines.
The church Jesus built is not and has been persecuted for
rejecting non-biblical doctrines and following, not what people
think He taught, but what Jesus truly taught.
The mainstream catered to the masses and absorbed
popular pagan forms of worship.
From sun worship came a rejection of the seventh-day
Sabbath, which was established at creation.
Sun-worshipping Roman Emperor Constantine, in 321 AD,
commanded a different day for rest, as shown in
Eerdman's Handbook to the History of Christianity:
"When in 321 Constantine made the first day of the week a
holiday, he called it the 'venerable day of
the Sun' (Sunday)."
Any who did not go along with this law and other
non-biblical doctrines were stripped of
privileges and persecuted.
However, in Matthew 16:18, Jesus declared...
"I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall
not prevail against it."
No, the church that Christ built never died.
We read about it in the writings of those who hated it and
tried to stamp it out.
That church, which refused to compromise and introduce
pagan doctrines as substitutes for the doctrines of Christ,
was considered heretical.
Nevertheless, one must compare what Jesus and His apostles
taught to discover who the real heretics are.
The modern roots of Tomorrow's World and the Living Church
of God are found in the Worldwide Church of God
under the pastor ship of the late Herbert W. Armstrong.
His wife, Loma, came in contact with a member from the Church
of God, Seventh day (which by the way is not associated
with the Seventh Day Adventists).
That was in the mid-1920's.
She became convinced that the Biblical Sabbath was
Saturday, not Sunday.
Now this did not please Mr. Armstrong, who viewed
this as fanaticism.
However, she would not budge unless he could show her
from the Bible that she was in error.
He began an in-depth search of the scriptures to prove
her wrong, which at the time he thought would be
simple enough.
After all, all these churches could not be wrong.
But, the end result was that, as I personally heard him say:
"It is a humbling thing to admit that your wife is right and
you are wrong--especially when it is over the most important
argument you ever had."
In 1933 Mr. Armstrong was offered a 6:00 a.m.
time slot on the tiny 100-watt KORE radio
station in Eugene, Oregon.
His audience grew and he began publishing--if you could call it
that--a mimeographed magazine called the Plain Truth.
But from that humble beginning, the work grew to where the
Plain Truth was a modern full color magazine, with a monthly
circulation of 8.4 million copies--covering virtually
every country on earth.
And it was given away free of charge.
The Living Church of God continues to follow Christ's
instruction in Matthew 10, and in verse 8, where He
told His disciples...
"Freely you have received, freely give."
And that's why today's resource, Restoring Original
Christianity, which explains who we are, can be yours,
absolutely free of change.
In 1952, Mr. Armstrong ordained five men to the rank
of Evangelist.
And among them was Roderick C. Meredith.
Mr. Armstrong died in January of 1986 and in
less than five years, his appointed successor took the
Worldwide Church of God in a radically different direction.
By December 1992, it became abundantly clear to
Dr. Meredith that the Worldwide Church had irreversibly
changed or rejected all the major doctrines that
Herbert W. Armstrong restored under the leadership
of Jesus Christ.
And, at age 62, Dr. Meredith had to make a choice:
either retire comfortably as that organization tried to
get him to do, or set out and revive the Work and restore
the Biblical doctrines of original Christianity.
He chose the latter and started the Global Church of God--
later changed to the Living Church of God.
Dr. Meredith immediately followed Christ's instructions
found in Mark 16:15...
"And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach
the gospel to every creature."
He began to preach the gospel by going on weekly radio, writing
booklets, and starting a bi-monthly magazine.
He began with an informal meeting of only 19 members
in his home in December 1992.
But many church of God members began to reject
the apostasy and joined with him in doing the Work.
Today the Church has grown to encompass members all over
the world, and a large percentage are brand
new to the truths of original Christianity--having heard
the true gospel for the first time at Tomorrow's World.
The Work of Jesus Christ is not over.
From our "About Us" page at our TomorrowsWorld.ORG website
we read the following, Tomorrow's World
is sponsored by the Living Church of God, with active
congregations in North and South America, the Caribbean,
Europe, Asia, Africa and Australasia, with more than
239 ministers serving over 401 congregations around
the globe....
Our flagship magazine, Tomorrow's World, is
translated from English into French and Spanish, and we
print booklets for distribution in the German, Dutch,
Afrikaans, Chinese, Hindi, Portuguese, Urdu
and a few other languages.
Dr. Meredith set up a Council of Elders--which is made up of
seasoned ministers to advise him--and prior to his death in
May of 2017, after consultation with the Council of Elders,
he appointed me as his successor and as Presiding Evangelist
of the Living Church of God.
While this may all sound as though we are a mega-church,
that is hardly the case.
Most of our congregations are small and close knit.
We're a little flock as Jesus mentioned in Luke 12 and
verse 32 where He said...
"Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's
good pleasure to give you the kingdom."
However, our dedicated members and coworkers are doing a Work
far greater than our numbers would indicate.
Many wonder how this is so and the answer is that we have
loyal members and coworkers who make it possible.
Also, we do not build church buildings as a general practice
instead we rent halls to hold our services.
Choosing rather to spread the gospel on television,
over the Internet and social media, and in print.
We'll look at that more in a moment, but I want to
remind you of today's free resource--Restoring
Original Christianity.
Do you realize, dear friends, that you can worship Jesus
in vain?
That's what He tells us in Matthew 15:7-9...
"Hypocrites!
Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor
Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.
And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the
commandments of men.'"
And in Luke 6:46, He chided the people for calling Him
Lord--meaning Master--but disregarding what He said...
"But why do you call Me "Lord, Lord," and not do
the things which I say?"
Original Christianity--that of Christ and the apostles--
is what Tomorrow's World and the Living Church of God are about.
Few people today know about first century Christianity
and that is why we're offering this important resource--
Restoring Original Christianity.
So, pick up the phone, or go to our website--TWTV.org/Original
to receive your free copy of
Restoring Original Christianity.
And when I come back after this short break, I'll explain more
about who we are.
♪
This clear and straight-forward resource
will help you understand this vital truth--
straight from the pages of the Bible.
Call now!
Or go to...
♪
Today I'm asking and answering the questions:
Who is behind Tomorrow's World?
What is our mission?
And what are our doctrines?
In the previous portions of this program, I've given you a very
brief history of the modern era of the Living Church of God,
but the story does not begin in modern times.
For a greater understanding of this subject, please order
our free booklet--Restoring Original Christianity.
The Living Church of God believes Jesus of Nazareth
came as God in the flesh.
He gave His life in exchange for ours.
He is our Lord, our Master, and Savior.
And we are saved by faith in His shed blood.
However, we do not turn God's grace into license
to disobey His law.
Jude, the half-brother of Jesus, warns us against
that error in verses 3 and 4...
"Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you
concerning our common salvation, I found
it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend
earnestly for the faith which was once for all
delivered to the saints.
For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long
ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men,
who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and
deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ."
This is why the Living Church of God observes
the seventh-day Sabbath, from Friday sunset to
Saturday sunset, as did Jesus, His original apostles,
the apostle Paul, and first century Christians.
We also observe the seven biblically ordained
annual festivals, rather than pagan observances with the
name of Christ blasphemously attached to them.
Dear viewers, think about this.
Why are the days that Jesus and His apostles kept rejected
by mainstream Christianity?
And why is the most sacred day of mainstream Christianity
named after a fertility goddess and celebrated with fertility
symbols such as eggs and rabbits?
Does that really make any sense?
Our mission was given to us by Jesus Christ and it's spelled
out on our "About Us" page at TomorrowsWorld.org.
Tomorrow's World proclaims to the world the good news
of Jesus Christ's coming Kingdom and blows
a bold "warning trumpet" of God's impending judgment,
calling for repentance and spiritual change.
You may wonder what is different about
proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ's
coming kingdom.
Don't all churches do that?
Sadly, the answer is, no.
The word "gospel" means good news, but do you
realize that Paul warned the church of God at
Corinth for putting up with teachers who taught a
different gospel, and yes, even a false Jesus?
Here it is in 2 Corinthians the 11th chapter and verse 4...
"For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have
not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you
have not received, or a different gospel which
you have not accepted--you may well put up with it!"
A few verses later he called these false teachers,
ministers of Satan...
"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers,
transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.
And no wonder; for Satan himself transforms himself
into an angel of light.
Therefore it is no great thing if his [that is,
Satan's ministers] also transform themselves into
ministers of righteousness; whose end will be according
to their works."
The Living Church of God teaches the very same
message Jesus proclaimed during His three-and-a-half year
ministry--a coming kingdom, or government, to rule on this
troubled planet.
Read through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
You'll be shocked at how many times Jesus referred
to the Kingdom of God.
Now, Matthew uses the term "kingdom of heaven,"
whereas the other writers use "kingdom of God."
But heaven is where God dwells, so it is heaven's--
that is, God's--kingdom.
It is not a kingdom in God or in heaven.
Of indicates ownership, not location.
The Living Church of God does not neglect Bible
prophecy, including Jesus' Olivet Prophecy, the book
of Revelation and other passages scattered
throughout the New Testament.
Jesus explained to His disciples that unless He returns to stop
mankind's madness, human extinction would occur--
Matthew 24:21-22...
"For then there will be great tribulation, such as
has not since the beginning of the world until this time,
no, nor ever shall be.
And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be
saved: but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened."
God declares He will hold us accountable if we neglect to
warn our fellow man.
Read it for yourself in Proverbs 24:11-12...
"Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold
back those stumbling to the slaughter.
If you say, "Surely we did not know this,"
Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it?
He who keeps your soul, does He not know it?
And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?"
The Living Church of God rejects paganized Christianity
and follows the example of our Savior when He
walked the earth.
That's why we're offering you our free resource--
Restoring Original Christianity.
I'll take a short break to give you a chance to take down
our contact information.
And when I come back I'll give you a fuller picture
of the Church behind Tomorrow's World.
♪
For today's free offer call...
Or go to...
This clear and straight-forward resource
will help you understand this vital truth--
straight from the pages of the Bible.
If you're calling for the first time, you will also
receive a free annual subscription to Tomorrow's
World magazine.
Six inspiring issues discussing news, science,
and modern culture will help you make sense of
your world from a biblical perspective.
Call today and join millions around the world
who are turning to Tomorrow's World for
truth, prophecy, and hope in these confusing times.
Call now!
Or go to...
♪
The mission of the Living Church of God is to
proclaim the true gospel of Jesus Christ and to
warn the world of what will surely happen unless
we change course.
However, another part of our mission is to feed the flock,
the little flock, that God is calling.
To do so we have more than 400 congregations around
the world, ranging in size from less than
10 to over 300.
Many are moderate in size between 50 and 125.
In addition to meeting every Sabbath [that is Saturday],
we meet on the annual festivals as spelled out in both the
Old and the New Testaments.
We observe the Passover, as Jesus did with His
disciples on the night in which He was betrayed--
Notice in Luke 22, and verse 15...
"Then He said to them, 'With fervent desire I have
desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.'"
Members bring their Bibles and many take notes
during our Sabbath and festival meetings.
Our services normally involve the singing of hymns, a
shorter message followed by announcements, and then
the main message.
To serve our youth, the Living Church of God holds summer
camps in North and South America, Australasia, Africa,
Europe, and the Philippines.
Even as I am recording this program, 37 teens, young
adults and chaperones are experiencing an adventure
of a lifetime on a week-long hike in the spectacular
Eagle Cap Wilderness in Oregon.
We also have a preteen camp in Missouri this week,
a two-week teen camp in Texas in July, a teen camp
in Belgium and others taking place this summer
in the Northern hemisphere.
More programs to "feed the flock" are weekend retreats
for young adults, Spokesman Clubs meetings for men,
and a year-long onsite Living Education program
for highly motivated young adults.
A few young adults are chosen to work a summer in Thailand,
teaching English to Thai children, getting to know
our members there, and touring parts
of the country.
But whether it is a Sabbath service, summer camps,
weekend retreats, Living Education, or
International projects, the focus is on restoring
the way of life taught by Jesus Christ and His
first-century followers.
We find that many people ask about our services,
but fail to follow through out of fear of the unknown.
So let me say emphatically, I would not give up this way
of life for anything.
Our members are friendly, we're truly are one great family.
We're not isolated members who only know those in our
local congregations.
We often combine congregations on Feast days, hold family
weekends and visit other Living Church of God congregations
when traveling on business or vacation.
Members travel to other countries to observe
the eight-day Feast of Tabernacles and Last
Great Day each year.
So, if you'd like to learn more about the Christianity of
Christ and His apostles, be sure to order your free copy of
Restoring Original Christianity.
And if you'd like to learn more about keeping the
seventh-day Sabbath, the annual festivals of God, about
baptism or attending with a Living Church of God
congregation, just let us know.
Remember to join us again next week when we'll bring you
more good news of the coming Kingdom of God, end-time
prophecies and their meaning, and...
original Christianity.
See you next time.
♪
For today's free offer call...
Or go to...
Call today and join millions around the world who are
turning to Tomorrow's World for truth, prophecy, and hope in
these confusing times.
The preceding program is produced by the
Living Church of God.
♪