A Thoughtful Message for Any Time
ALL CHRISTENDOM today is engulfed in a great apostasy. Belief in the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible, the Written Word of God, has declined from year to year until it has reached an all-time low. However, even though, throughout the great Falling Away (II Thess. 2:3), the majority would succumb to unbelief, the faithful few would stand firm. These are the wise of whom the Prophet Daniel speaks, who will understand (Dan. 12:10).
The day is drawing ever nearer when we are to become eyewitnesses of our Great Expectancy—the appearing of the Lord, the resurrection of the righteous dead, the translation of the overcomers. The latter group is comprised of those who are striving to attain the goal set before them, whose names are on the roster of the guests invited to be present at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. The Apostle John was told: “Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev. 19:9). Our Lord Himself enjoined an unswerving devotion to assigned tasks, “for,” He said, “many be called, but few chosen” (Matt. 20:16). Furthermore, John recorded this testimony (Rev. 20:6): “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death bath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”
(From the late scholar Howard Rand)
Greetings from Our President — Bob Vermaat
Well, Dear Friends, another year has come and gone. It has been a year of much strife and turmoil all across the Israel nations and the world. We have seen natural disasters such as droughts and floods, tornadoes and hurricanes, fires and earthquakes all over this North American continent and the rest of the world as well. Uncertainty has been our constant companion most of this last year, and we often wondered if or when our God, in His wrath, would punish this wayward and rebellious world even more. But we know that our God is ever loving and merciful, and with that in mind I hope and pray that in this New Year of our Lord 2019, that God will be merciful to us, His remnant, and bless and keep us in the palm of His hand. Whatever this New Year will bring us only God knows, but it is a certainty that we are one year closer to the return of our King. Therefore, may our Father bless you and keep you and may His face shine on you always. That is my prayer. Amen!
A Message from Your Editor — Brooks Alden
Happy New Year! 2018 has passed and as our correspondent Jackie Edwards writes in her article, maybe the year 2019 will truly be one of “Light in the Darkness”.
Judging from reader comments, it has been a great year for Thy Kingdom Come, I personally think the most fruitful since my involvement in 2001. As editor, I attribute this to the high-quality submissions from a very wise and dedicated group of correspondents and I want to thank each and every one of them. And our long-term magazine designer, Betonicah Enterprises, and our long-term printer, Rapid Copy and Print, have collaborated to present an exceptional magazine format.
Yet, our ability to publish every month of the year and to maintain a quality website, is, of course, because so many of our wonderful readers provide us with enough financing through their donations to carry us through each year. We couldn’t be more grateful for their generosity. Then, we have readers who stimulate us through their letters, e-mails, etc., both supportive and critical, and these show us that our material is being well-read. Please keep them coming.
President Vermaat has covered the state of the world in his address so I will not be repetitive. Still, I penned some articles in the past year or so that point out many prophetic events in 2018 and the early part of 2019. I really believe something very dramatic is in the wind and time is short to preach the Gospels of the Kingdom and Salvation, along with news of the Israel Truth, to our brethren whenever possible. Let’s make this our prime resolution for the New Year.