Letter of Thanks to the Supporters of WTWH
January 21, 2022
Dear friends of Workers Together With Him,
Greetings and salutations in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is that time of year when I send out these receipts of donation. Each time I do, I fear I might insult you just a little, but be assured that God knows (as do I) that your giving is not for the sake of a tax credit. As Psalm 116:12 says, “What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?” We acknowledge his benefits through our tithes and offerings, and in return, he rewards us with blessings that far outweigh a reduction in our taxes.
The fact that the Internal Revenue Service gives American citizens credit for charitable giving is a pleasant thing, but no one knows how long this will continue. The handwriting on the wall points to a time when Christian organizations will have to follow a mission statement that complies with the social mores of the day. Otherwise they will be labeled a menace to society and ‘cancelled.’ A person does not have to believe in a Post-Tribulation Rapture to know that hard times are coming to any church that dares to promote the pure Gospel.
Psalm 11:3 asks, “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” The theologian Matthew Henry restates this truth thusly:
"If you destroy the foundations, if you take good people off from their hope in God, if you can persuade them that their religion is a cheat and a jest and can banter them out of that, you ruin them, and break their hearts indeed, and make them of all men the most miserable." The principles of religion are the foundations on which the faith and hope of the righteous are built. These we are concerned, in interest as well as duty, to hold fast against all temptations to infidelity; for, if these be destroyed, if we let these go, What can the righteous do? Good people would be undone if they had not a God to go to, a God to trust to, and a future bliss to hope for.
We live in an era when time-honored foundations are being razed with wild-eyed abandon. There was a time when Americans lampooned the newspaper of the Soviet Union, the Pravda [Russian for “Truth”], for its strict compliance to the Communist Party line. As Americans, we congratulated ourselves for our “free press.” But today’s mainstream media exists only to promote a particular point of view. Certain topics and investigations are deemed off-limits, and no career-minded reporter wants to bite the hand that feeds him. Instead, he turns a blind eye to falsehood, champions the rhetoric of the mob, and demands we follow man’s latest decree as though it was written in the stars.
It has been almost 200 years since Hans Christian Anderson wrote his tale of “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” In that story, two deceitful tailors convinced the people that only the BRAVEST, WISEST and MOST POWERFUL could see the luxurious robes draped on the monarch. Rather than be called cowardly, ignorant, or weak, everyone (including the emperor himself) gushed over the non-existent clothes. In the end, the tailors’ ruse was exposed by a child who cried out, “But he has nothing on!” Children see things as they are, not as they are told to see them. It takes concentrated effort to be willfully blind.
Today, we are told that only the MOST HUMANE can see the Emperor’s clothes. If you cannot see them, you must be racist or homophobic (or even more damning to some people, not cool.) The call for unquestioned acceptance of things that are blatantly untrue is spreading like kudzu. In June of 2021, the American Medical Association called for the removal of gender designation from birth certificates because “Requiring it can lead to discrimination and unnecessary burden on individuals whose current gender identity does not align with their designation at birth, namely when they register for school or sports, adopt, get married, or request personal records” (as quoted from www.webmd.com).
Talk about endeavoring to destroy a foundation! Genesis 1:27 declares, “God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Could there be a more fundamental truth than the fact that human beings are born into this world with chromosomes that make them one of two genders?
This doctrine of devils has poisoned every level of society. It has infiltrated our education system, our government, our military, and even our sports. The minions of Satan occupy the highest offices, intent on destroying anyone or anything that stands in their way.
Psalm 2:2-3
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
So what can the righteous do? First, we must be assured that God is not wringing his hands over the world’s condition. He is fully aware of man’s inherent rebelliousness and willingness to be a pawn in Satan’s game. Their roars only make him chuckle.
Psalm 2:4
He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
But what can the righteous do? Thankfully, God has answers for times like ours:
2 Timothy 1:13
Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 6:13
Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
We must “hold fast” to biblical truth, lest the day comes when it no longer persuades us. We must wear the protective armor of God that quenches the fiery darts of the wicked. Knowing that such things are written in the Bible is not enough. You must cling to them, and walk in them, “Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping” (Mark 13:36).
* * * * *
Proverbs 27:1 says, “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” This has always been true, but these days it seems especially true. The “new normal” is to be in a continual state of flux.
It has been more than two years since I ventured out of this country to go on a mission. I cannot say that I’ve handled the situation well – I have always thrived on activity. For my own reasons I did not partake of the vaccines, and I knew this would cost me some liberties as far as travelling is concerned. (The virus itself has not been a big worry to me. In fact, I tested positive a few weeks ago. I had a week of discomfort followed by a week of fatigue. It was not a big deal.) I am also hesitant to plan a mission because of the money I wasted buying a ticket to Nepal in early 2000. You might remember that shortly after I bought the ticket, the school was shut down and the students were sent home. But the airline would not refund my money because it was still possible to fly into Nepal. Had I actually made the trip, I would have faced difficulty returning home because the Nepali borders and airports did indeed close.
At this point, I do not intend to travel abroad until I have adequate assurance that my trip will not be interrupted by any new closures. I am willing to wait until “vaccine passports” are no longer required, and I am happy to see a trend in that direction in at least a few countries.
In the meantime, I continue teaching the students in Nepal via my PowerPoint presentations. This experience has been both good and bad. I believe my material is biblically sound, and it is presented in a way that doesn’t overwhelm the students with too-much-information-too-fast (This has always been a challenge in my “live” classes.) However, I find it difficult to motivate my students to take the lessons to heart; to learn instead of just completing the homework. This is a job better suited to “live” teaching, and I pray that more opportunities await me.
To be honest, I am a little astounded that people have “stuck with me” through this period of trial and uncertainty. I’ve never been one to exaggerate my accomplishments just to keep the donations rolling in. These past years have been a time of significant challenge on a personal and ministerial level. They have NOT been my most productive. Nevertheless, I am far past doubting the Lord or his hand upon my life. God continually demonstrates his support for WTWH by his uninterrupted provision. I cannot explain his reasoning, but I am thankful (and oftentimes baffled) by his love and care.
I believe that you support the mission of WTWH because God inspires you to support WTWH. Thank you for allowing me to benefit from your devotion, and for participating in this great adventure with me.
With love and gratitude,
Rev. Tim Sullivan
© Workers Together With Him, Inc.