September 2025 Member Letter

September 11, 2025

Dear Brethren,

The Bible is filled with promises—thousands of them. I still have a book I purchased years ago, titled All the Promises of the Bible, by Herbert Lockyer, which catalogs more than 8,000. Among these, two stand out to me above all others. At the close of Matthew’s Gospel, Christ assured His disciples: “And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). And in Hebrews 13:5 we read: “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”

Although the original disciples lived and died nearly 2,000 years ago, we believe that the promises given to them extend to us today. Tradition records that, with the possible exception of John, all the disciples died as martyrs—see The Search for the Twelve Apostles, by Dr. William Steuart McBirnie (1973). Tradition tells us that Peter was beaten severely and then crucified upside down. And, according to McBirnie, the others also suffered brutal deaths—being boiled in oil, clubbed to death or burned alive. By the end of the first century, of the original 12, only John remained.

Yet Christ promised to always be with them. He did not promise freedom from trials or death, but He did promise never to abandon them. The reality is that trials, suffering and death will happen, even to those called and chosen by God. That does not diminish in any way the promise that Christ would never forsake us, but would always be with us.

On a personal note, Sept. 5 (today, as I began writing this) marked an important milestone for me: I completed my cardiac rehabilitation program, following heart surgery to replace my aortic valve on July 1. I have now finished four weeks of rehab. My doctors have cleared me to return to work and all normal activities with no restrictions. I returned to the office on Tuesday, Sept. 9, the 10-week anniversary of my surgery.

As many of you know from your own experiences, severe trials—whether health-related or otherwise—can test our faith in God’s promises. We ask ourselves: Is God really with me? Does He know what I am going through? Does He hear my prayers? I have certainly experienced bad days like that during my lifetime, and I know that many of you have as well. Yet, through it all, I’ve seen God’s hand at work. Even when events don’t unfold the way we would prefer, His presence and care remain constant.

As we approach the holy days this fall (spring in the Southern Hemisphere), we are reminded of God’s wonderful plan—a plan to offer salvation to all mankind. And in the process, through our observance of these days, He confirms His promise to all of us. He will never forsake us. While some may reject that offer of salvation, His plan remains unchanged: Every human being will be given the opportunity for salvation—in this life or in the resurrection to come. God’s plan for humanity is laid out symbolically in the holy days, especially those that take place in the fall of the year, which coincide with the large fall harvest in ancient Israel.

We begin soon with the Feast of Trumpets, on Tuesday, Sept. 23. This festival symbolizes the return of Jesus Christ to this earth and the resurrection of the saints. We do not believe that Jesus Christ must return on this very day, but this day is symbolic of that future event. Christ clearly told us that no one can know the day or the hour of His return (Matthew 24:36).

On Oct. 2, we will observe the Day of Atonement, a day of fasting that pictures the binding of Satan and his demons just prior to the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ on this earth. Keep in mind that there were two goats involved with the ceremony conducted once a year on this day, as outlined in Leviticus 16—one was killed as a sin offering (Leviticus 16:15; a symbol of Christ’s sacrifice), and one goat was released into the wilderness (Leviticus 16:22; representing Satan). While Satan will not be destroyed at Christ’s return, he will be bound for the 1,000 years of His reign, later released briefly, and then cast into the lake of fire before being permanently banned, cast into outer darkness (Jude 1:13).

This leads us directly to the Feast of Tabernacles, which is the wonderful celebration of the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ on this earth (Revelation 20:6). The removal of Satan sets the stage for a very different world. Without Satan’s influence, the world will finally experience peace and joy. God commands us to go to the Feast and rejoice, but also to learn to fear and obey Him. This year the Feast begins on Tuesday, Oct. 7 (opening night on Monday evening, Oct. 6) and continues for seven days, through Monday, Oct. 13. For seven days ancient Israel lived in booths, knowing that God would take care of them. For seven days we worship and praise God, knowing He has not forsaken us. Just as He provided manna every day for the Israelites in the wilderness, we have faith that He will take care of our daily needs as well. The Feast of Tabernacles is truly a highlight of the year—a foretaste of the world to come.

Yet God’s plan does not end there. Estimates suggest that more than 100 billion people have lived since creation. Yet only a small portion of those understood the truth and had a relationship with the true God. Mankind has been immersed in idolatry, violence and destruction since the beginning. If God plans to offer salvation to all mankind, what about all these people? The Eighth Day of the Feast, the Last Great Day, provides the answer. These individuals will be resurrected to a physical life after the Millennium and after Satan has been put away permanently (Revelation 20:5, 10). This is when they will be given their opportunity for salvation. Like everyone else, they must repent of their sins and accept Jesus Christ as their Savior. We believe the vast majority will do just that, but for those who willfully reject God, there remains one final resurrection—a resurrection to judgment and the second death in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14-15).

When the Last Great Day concludes this year, we will once again have rehearsed God’s plan of salvation. These festivals also confirm the promise given to the disciples and subsequently to each of us. No matter what we are experiencing, whatever the trials may be, God is with us. Through these festivals, we rehearse God’s plan of salvation, confirming that He is in charge. Jesus Christ promised to never forsake us. The world will reject us, maybe even our families will reject us, but Jesus Christ never will. There is truth to the fact that we need to take charge of our lives and take responsibility for the choices we make, but no matter what trials may come our way, we have faith in God’s promises and know that we are not alone. 

This will be my final member letter before the Feast. Wherever you attend, I pray your Feast will be joyful and deeply meaningful. If you are unable to attend this year, I encourage you to review God’s plan and take comfort in His unchanging promise: He will never leave us nor forsake us.

Sincerely, your brother in Christ,

Jim Franks