We knew this was coming......
July 12, 2016
Dear Brethren and Fellow Ministers in God’s Church,
I need to write you this personal letter in a relatively quick manner. Events in the world and Work are speeding up, and our entire future is being impacted more and more every day as the world turns further away from God. With incoming administrations in various nations, it is very obvious that it is going to be more difficult to obey God within the next few years. Definite persecution will begin to occur and we will need faith and courage as we have never had before. I really mean this, brethren, and I hope you will pray fervently with me that God will help us do everything we can to prepare for this real future.
A number of our leading ministers have talked about having a Church fast this summer, including myself. But we had not really set a time as it seems there are always so many summer camps and activities going. But I received a very heartfelt note the other day from one of our leading younger ministers here which sort of brought the thing together and made me realize we need to fast now. This young minister referred to an office meeting we recently had—and he appreciated my comments in that meeting. He writes:
I was pleasantly surprised when you referred to Jehoshaphat today. I read his story again in my personal study this week too and was again struck by 2 Chronicles 20:3 when Jehoshaphat ‘feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout Judah.’ As I reread about his proclamation of a FAST, and in the context of recent events at HQ and other situations I am aware of in the field, I was reminded that it has been ‘a while’ since we have had a Church-wide fast. I know that in the past, our Church-wide fasts are often in relation to an ‘event.’ However, as you have noted, it seems that we are under ‘spiritual attack.’ In addition, it seems like many of God’s people are ‘letting down’ spiritually and are more sensitive to offence and rumor. Perhaps this is because God’s people are just ‘distracted with life.’ Might it be time to call another Church-wide fast as a chance for us as a ‘body’ to draw closer to God collectively? We certainly need more unity in the Church and we need to spiritually refocus as a group and stay focused on the Kingdom and on personally overcoming. One of the results I have noticed with Church-wide fasts is that they tend to unify the Church and help us come together with ONE focus."
As usual, it's the members fault that issues have arisen in the church due to THIER "spiritual malaise." Why is it always the members fault and never the minister and leadership? The current issues in LCG are directly the fault of the leadership. Its not the members fault. It's not the Scarborough's fault. Its Rod Meredith and Rod McNair's fault, plain and simple! LCG is not being spiritually attacked by the Scarborough's or the world right now. Bullheadedness and hard heartedness is the game plan for the day, unfortunately.
Brethren, this minister states the matter very well. Several of our ministers in the field have mentioned that, although people are not “falling away” or anything serious, yet there is a sense of spiritual malaise, a kind of a “take it easy” Laodicean attitude that is certainly creeping in. Our people are not “on fire” as much as they have been in the past. And we are certainly going to be under “spiritual attack” more than ever in the future as I have indicated. After talking to a number of our leading ministers here and in the field, I feel it is imperative that we have a Church-wide fast very soon and begin to genuinely seek God as a Church more than we have done for many months or years!
LCG ministers now have to cancel all church events because of this fast. What little joy LCG members have in activities gets put on the back burner once again, all because it is THIER fault LCG is having issues right now. They are not praying enough, giving enough money, etc.
So as the Presiding Evangelist, I am now calling a Church-wide fast for all of God’s people and ministry in the Living Church of God. The time we have selected is the Sabbath of July 30, 2016—beginning, of course, the previous sunset. I hope all of you ministers will cooperate in every way as I know a number of you will probably have to cancel or postpone various picnics, activities, etc. For there is always something going on. But the need for a fast and for all of us to truly set ourselves to seek God as Jehoshaphat did when he “feared and set himself to seek the Eternal” is very vital for His Church and His Work at this time. I hope that all of you ministers and brethren will truly be “on board” with this as it is one of the most important things we could possibly do at this time.
Meredith is asking the membership to meditate on their weaknesses and short comings, since they are the ones with the issues, not him. Will Meredith and McNair examine their own hard heartedness and vengeful attitudes and repent? Will they have the fortitude to say, "Brethren, Forgive us! We have sinned against God and you. We are truly sorry and humbly repent." What do you think?
Why in the hell do they need to "beg" God? no where in scripture does it ever say that Christians need to "beg."
Brethren, let us all take time during this fast to study, to thoughtfully meditate on our weaknesses and shortcomings and Laodicean attitudes and literally “beg God” to stir us and bring us closer to Him than ever before. We need to cry out for the “gifts” of God’s Spirit. We need to cry out for more zeal and for more power in this Work! This very sick world is going down the tubes pretty fast and the nations need to be shaken so that at least they have had a powerful witness from the true Church of God of what is about to occur and why.
So I will appreciate all of your total cooperation and your zeal in following through and joining with all of us in setting ourselves to fast, to meditate and to pray fervently that God will intervene and bring us closer to Him individually and as a Church. May God be with you and guide you in all of this and let us pray for one another as we undertake this important activity at this time.
With Christian love,
Roderick C. Meredith
As usual in the Church of God, Meredith and the ministry cannot look to the New Covenant for direction, but have to rely upon Hebrew hero's. Jesus teachings and New Covenant beliefs are still shuttled to the back burner as usual.
P.S. I want to ask all of you to carefully study 2 Chronicles 20:1-34 during this time of fasting. It will help you understand what God’s true servants have done in the past and it will help and inspire you to understand God’s power when we seek Him in this way.
Why is it that Rod Meredith can never look to the New Testament for solace and comfort? Perhaps the LCG members should focus upon these scriptures:
Romans 8:31-39New Living Translation (NLT)
Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love
31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”[a]) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Or Jesus' words in Luke 10:28-30
28Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
Here are a few things that fasting does not accomplish:
- Fasting doesn’t make you more righteous, acceptable or pleasing to God
- Fasting doesn’t make you more Christ-like, spiritual or holy
- Fasting doesn’t make you be closer to God (you are one with Him)
- Fasting doesn’t get you cleaned up, straightened out and dried out to receive from God
- Fasting doesn’t help you to “press into” God more (He has “pressed into” you)
- Fasting doesn’t help you “to get hold of God” (He got a hold of you)
- Fasting doesn’t make God start to smile on you or enjoy you more
- Fasting doesn’t make God release more love, power, blessings or anointing
- Fasting doesn’t make God give you more favor, faith, honor or wealth
- Fasting doesn’t make God move or (finally) do something for you
- Fasting doesn’t make God (finally) pay attention and listen to you more attentively
- Fasting doesn’t make God answer your prayers
- Fasting doesn’t make God show up more in your prayer closet or meetings
- Fasting doesn’t cause any spiritual or physical victory or breakthrough (only faith does)
- Fasting doesn’t change God’s mind to finally step in and do something
