Greetings from Charlotte,
Mr. Meredith taped two TV programs this week. The first one, titled "America and Britain in Prophecy," airs on June 4 and offers the booklet The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy. The second one, titled "Danger in the Middle East," airs on June 11 and offers the booklet The Middle East in Prophecy.
Over the last weekend Mr. and Mrs. Crockett visited the congregation in Ocala, Florida, and Dr. Winnail paid a visit to the church in Atlanta, Georgia.
CHURCH ADMINISTRATION
Atlanta Church Visit. Last weekend I had the privilege of spending the Sabbath and Sunday with brethren in Atlanta, Georgia. I also appreciated the opportunity to talk with and share the hospitality of Area Pastor Carl Ponder and his wife Lorene. The Atlanta congregation is positive and growing—we had more than 85 people at services. It was also a pleasant surprise to see Elder Dayrell Tanner and his wife Jeanette (from Australia) who were visiting family in the Atlanta area. On Saturday evening I was able to attend the Atlanta Spokesman Club. On Sunday Mr. Ponder and I made several visits together. On this return trip to the Atlanta area (after an absence of more than ten years), it was encouraging to find brethren who have held fast to their spiritual anchor—the Truth of God. Ever since our family spent a number of years living and pastoring in the Atlanta area (Athens and Buford) we have had "Georgia on our mind."—Douglas Winnail
Ocala Church visit. This past Sabbath, February 18, while visiting our daughter in St. Augustine, Florida, Barbara and I had the opportunity to visit the congregation in Ocala, Florida. It was a beautiful day with clear skies and 80 degrees F. I spoke to the 19 people present. Several of the brethren were not in Ocala that day, since combined services were being held in Live Oak with a Leadership Club and a covered-dish meal, making it a very special occasion in Live Oak. In Ocala, we were warmly received and enjoyed great fellowship. After services, the brethren gathered at the nearby home of a member for a covered-dish meal and more fellowship. Our visit reminds us that the backbone of the Living Church of God is the many small congregations who come together each week to worship God and to enjoy the spiritual boost that comes from Christian fellowship.—Davy Crockett
New Passover Service CD
Attention Pastors: This week, Dr. Doug Winnail recorded a new Passover Service CD that will be mailed within the next few days to all English Video Recipients. If you want us to send this CD to scattered baptized members in your area, who will be unable to take the Passover with one of our congregations, please give CAD ([email protected]) their names and addresses as soon as possible.
Literature Table at Sabbath Services
Each congregation should have an information table or bulletin board where Living Church of God literature can be displayed. This can be a help to new brethren or visitors from other groups.
Festival Sites
Write-ups for the planned sites for the Feast of Tabernacles in 2006 are being written and edited to be posted on the Church's Members Resources website (www.cogl.org). Stay tuned! A Festival Planner is also being produced, which will contain the festival information site by site.
INTERNATIONAL
Mr. Bruce Tyler, Australasia Regional Director, reports the following news from his region:
The Regional Church Office in Australasia officially took possession of its new office facility in Clarendon, near Adelaide, South Australia. As the Work here continues to expand we will now be in a better position to deal with the increase. We will have three to four times the amount of floor space than previously, with the potential to even increase it in the future. It will be a few weeks before we are fully functional, as there are still set up preparations in progress—new paint, floor coverings, telephone, electric and data cabling, shelving and other miscellaneous upgrading.
Papua New Guinea
Mr. Kinnear Penman, New Zealand Pastor and office manager, is currently on a ten-day visiting trip to members and prospective members in PNG. Mr. Peter Devis, our PNG pastor, is accompanying Mr. Penman on his travels.
Thailand
Mr. Thomas Tial Hoe, visiting church elder from Myanmar, gave a special message to the Mae Sot brethren at the beginning of the Sabbath service, 28 January. Mr. Rajan Moses, elder from Malaysia, gave the main sermon, "Why We Keep the Sabbath". After the service, the ministers and their wives had a special lunch together with the brethren at the video house.—Mehm Pho Saw
New Zealand Update
Responses from Prime Television's Sunday morning broadcast have started the year well. Throughout January we received an average of 119 weekly responses. Each week an average of 76 of these were first-time callers. That is a pleasing rate of 63% of callers being new responders. 2,677 items of mail were posted. Weekly services continue for folk in Auckland, Palmerston North and Christchurch. Members meet in Tauranga once a month. I have also started a monthly meeting in Otaki to allow Wellington prospective members to meet with the steady, long-time members from Palmerston North. This seems a welcome opportunity. I made eight in-home visits to prospective members of which two were first-time visits. Two other members were visited in their homes. I am presently counselling three people and five further people have requested baptism but counselling has not commenced because of distance and pressure of work.—Kinnear Penman
MEDIA
Mr. Wayne Pyle files another very positive report, "The response this week stunned me…We aired program #267, Beware of the Antichrist! which offered [the booklet] Who or What Is the Antichrist? From Thursday through Sunday, we received 3,071 phone calls…we are expecting the total response to surpass 3,900. This, of course, is a new all-time record for the telecast. The previous high was 3,727, set a year ago from program #227 offering the Revelation booklet." Mr. Pyle also reported that the USA 800 agency is doing an outstanding job of keeping our cost-per-call down (around $1 per call).
COMMENTS
Are you a Peacemaker? Jesus is coming back to this earth as the Prince of Peace to show a confused world the way to peace (Isaiah 9:63; 59:8). He said, "peacemakers" will be called the "sons of God" (Matthew 5:9). To reign with Christ in the Kingdom of God, we must understand the way to peace. The Bible points the way to peace, and reveals the key to achieving peace, "Great peace have those who love Your law" (Psalm 119:105, 165). Peacemakers know that pride leads to contention (Proverbs 13:10), but "a soft answer turns away wrath" and that being slow to anger relieves contention (Proverbs 15:1, 18). To promote peace we must guard our comments (Proverbs 21:23), be able to forgive and exercise discretion (Proverbs 17:9; 19:11), avoid gossip, avoid venting our feelings and avoid meddling in others' business (Proverbs 26:17, 20; 29:11). The Apostle Paul urged Christians to "live peaceably" with others by being kind, hospitable, respectful, and not retaliating (Romans 12:9-21). He said that selfish ambition and self-promotion do not promote peace (Philippians 1:15-16). James commented that being gentle, approachable and willing to listen to reason foster peace (James 3:17). The keys to peace involve exercising the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:19-26) and loving our neighbor. Are you learning to be a peacemaker?
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas Winnail
NEWS AND PROPHECY—February 23, 2006
Pending Civil War in Iraq? Following the bombing of the "Golden Mosque" in Samarra, Iraq, on Wednesday morning, some are suggesting that this action may act as a catalyst for civil war between the Sunni and Shiite factions of Islam in Iraq. The mosque, one of the holiest Shiite sites, is believed to be the location that the 12th Imam will return and usher in peace. Muslim clerics from throughout the Middle East are calling for calm, while several point the finger at the United States and the Zionists (the West) for stirring hatred between the two Islamic factions (CNN.com, Khaleej Times online [United Arab Emirates], Feb. 22, 2006). As is the case in Europe, the Middle East is fragmented and heavily divided. For a King (of the South) to arise, events will play out that either force these nations together, or require a strong leader to arise and unite the divided people. We need to be watching for these events.
Is the UK Giving Up Its Own Security? Retiring British admiral and First Sea Lord Sir Alan West recently commented on the impact of British cuts to the Royal Navy. In order to cut spending, the Royal Navy decreased its fleet by nearly 20%. Sir Alan warned that due to the Navy cuts and the overextension around the world, it would not be able to handle another "strategic shock" like the Falkland Islands situation of the 1980s. Sir Alan also noted that the wealth and security of Britain depends on the sea and the Navy (Daily Mail, Feb. 8, 2006). Interestingly, Sir Alan's reference to the Falklands, one of just a couple of remaining UK sea gates, sounds loudly, given the current hatred for the U.S. and, consequently, Great Britain, that is infecting much of South America. President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela recently called British Prime Minister Tony Blair a "pawn of imperialism" (Sunday Telegraph, Feb. 12, 2006). As world hatred for the Israelite-descended nations increases, these same Israelite nations seem intent on breaking the pride of their own power, divesting themselves of their resources and security (Lev 26:19).
Can a Fungus Fulfill Prophecy? Fungus is responsible for recently wiping out more than 100 species of frogs worldwide. It is estimated that if the fungal infections continue, nearly a third of the world's amphibians could be wiped out, resulting in the destruction of multiple other species (CNN.com, Feb. 21, 2006). When God placed Adam and Eve in the garden, they were told to "tend and keep" the garden and its abundant life forms (Gen 2:15). Later, the nation of Israel was warned about cursings that would befall it for disobeying God (Lev 26, Deut 28). God created the earth with very complex and interconnected ecosystems. Although the loss of frogs and lizards may not pique our concern, we need to understand the far-reaching impact that their loss can have. As frogs die, their predators (small snakes) will also die off. Snakes eat the young and thus help keep a balance in the larger predator populations (like alligators and crocodiles, and even larger snakes like pythons). As large predator populations grow unchecked, they will quickly deplete their natural food sources and come looking for even more food—people in cities. This is where prophecy could link to fungus… God prophesied that at the time of the end the nations of Israel would be ravaged by predatory animals, because they reject Him (Lev 26:22, Ezk 5:17, Ezk 14:15). God can use even something as simple as a fungus to bring about punishment on the nations that reject Him.—Scott Winnail, Daniel Bennett, Don Davis