Greetings from Charlotte,
We are very appreciative for the positive Pentecost services that were held around the world last weekend. Mr. and Mrs. Meredith's visit to the Los Angeles and San Diego areas is going well. Mr. Ames reports that 30 new individuals attended the Public Lecture in Kansas City and 344 brethren attended Pentecost services there, where Mr. Phil West was ordained as an elder. Mr. and Mrs. Apartian had a successful trip to Quebec City for the Sabbath and to Montreal for Pentecost. My trip to Texas included speaking to the congregations in Dallas and Hawkins on the Sabbath and to a combined congregation in Athens, Texas, of about 140 brethren on Pentecost, then a short trip to Austin for several very positive visits. Mr. Wyatt Ciesielka of the Austin congregation was also ordained as an elder on Pentecost. On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, Mr. and Mrs. Crockett are apparently lost in the mists of Ireland or the heather of Scotland, but we trust that they will find their way back to Charlotte by early next week. It is very encouraging to report that the income is currently running at about an 8% increase for the year, which is about 2% over our projected budget.
From the Presiding Evangelist
It has come to my attention that a few of our members are meeting with ex-ministers of the Church of God who have been disfellowshipped and marked. One notable example is Fred Coulter. When Fred angrily and very disrespectfully confronted Mr. Herbert Armstrong back in 1979, God's Apostle personally disfellowshipped him. Then Mr. Armstrong immediately called me—as Director of the Ministry—and instructed me to disfellowship and mark Fred Coulter which I did at the time.
In my opinion, Mr. Coulter has continued to poach members away from those who are actually preaching the Gospel to the world and is conducting himself as an enemy of the Church. This is what he did when he opposed the servant of God who taught most of us the Truth, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong.
Therefore, in the name of Jesus Christ, I am now instructing loyal Living Church of God members not to meet with or fellowship with Fred Coulter—a dissident who was personally disfellowshipped by God's Apostle, Herbert W. Armstrong, and publicly disfellowshipped and marked by me personally.—Roderick C. Meredith
Church Administration
Kansas City Pentecost Weekend
Midwest Regional Pastor Rand Millich reports: In Kansas City, 315 people attended weekly Sabbath services to hear evangelist Richard Ames speak on the subject of the return of Jesus Christ. Of those attending, 30 were subscribers who responded to invitations sent out to a small list of subscribers. The local brethren provided a hospitable atmosphere to welcome these visitors. Even the children contributed by providing special music.
"On the very next day, Pentecost, 344 brethren ranging from Omaha, Des Moines, St. Joseph, Wichita and Columbia met together for services. Six of the new people from the previous weekly Sabbath met with us on the Holy Day. Mr. Ames spoke on the subject of the Holy Spirit, while I spoke on what we need to understand about Pentecost. A special highlight was the ordination of Mr. Phil West to the office of elder. The visit by Mr. and Mrs. Ames made the Pentecost weekend an uplifting occasion for the brethren. The members expressed appreciation for their coming from Charlotte, North Carolina, to be with them.
Long Island Public Bible Study
Northeast Area Pastor Jonathan McNair reports: The Long Island Public Bible Study on May 31 went well! We had 53 members in attendance, plus 13 subscribers, for a total of 66 people. One of the subscribers attended services this Sabbath and wants to be baptized…. One thing that we did differently was to divide the session into two 45-minute halves. Between the sessions, we had a 20-minute break with refreshments. This gave our members an excellent opportunity to meet and greet the newcomers…. I also was pleased with how it worked out to have the Public Bible Study following services. We had an 11:00 a.m. service, followed by a pot-luck, beginning the Public Bible Study at 2:30 p.m. We began the study with a short introduction to the Church by our local elder, Mr. Roger Allgeyer. Mr. Allgeyer then briefly introduced me as the local pastor, and I gave my presentation.
Flooding in Indiana
Northeast Regional Pastor Lambert Greer reports, "Because of the flooding in Indiana we were unable to have services for the weekly Sabbath and Pentecost in Terre Haute. Some of the brethren were able to attend services in nearby congregations; others simply did not have road access that would allow them to travel. Many counties declared a state of emergency, which restricts travel unless you have official business. At this time the only report I have of any of the brethren suffering flood damage was a flooded basement. This was in a rental home and the brethren were able to remove the property stored in the basement prior to flooding. If there is further news, I will report it, but at this time we are trying to confirm the situation of our meeting hall, the YWCA which is located near the Walbash River in Terre Haute."
French Update
On Sunday, May 4, we began transmission of the French radio program Le Monde de Demain, presented by evangelist Dibar Apartian, over a radio station in Brooklyn, New York, serving primarily the Haitian Creole community in the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut metro area. We have also been approached by a religious radio station located in the south of France that is interested in broadcasting our French program free of charge beginning January 2009! We are very happy about these new open doors for the French Work.
Healings
Mr. Scott Fulford, a member of the Lansing congregations, who had a severe car accident on April 15, would like to thank the brethren for their prayers. He wrote, "After having a neck fusion on April 30, I am healing very well, and will return to work in a few weeks."
Mr. Ray Sersen, a member of the Baltimore congregation, also reports having been healed from an "exotic bacterial infection." He wrote, "While waiting in the exam room I prayed one more time, and thought I could feel a strengthening coming over me. The doctor… prescribed a super antibiotic. But, because I was feeling better, I decided to wait and never did take any of the antibiotics. I KNEW I was healed, and I was. But the exciting part for me was this Monday when the doctor called to say the lab work came back positive for Clostridium Difficile (C-diff), both Type A and B. It was only after I had read the article on super-bugs in the Weekly Update that I realized that God did intervene in a most significant way to heal me of a very serious infection. The prayers of the brethren and the mercy of our God are beyond measure, and I am most grateful for both."
Living Youth Camp
Michigan Teen Camp: Teen LYC in Michigan is mostly full. However, some years we have more applicants than others in a particular category and this year we are short of camper boys. If you are a boy between the ages of 13-17 and have never been to LYC—or if you have, but have procrastinated in applying this is your golden opportunity to spend time with other young people who believe as you do. Applications can be filled out online at: http://lyc.lcg.org.—Gerald Weston
The Missouri Pre-Teen Camp begins this Sunday at Quiver River State Park, with a full complement of 36 campers supported by adult and teen staff from all over the United States and from Canada. Your prayers for the safety and protection of our campers and staff and for God's blessing throughout the week would be much appreciated. Many of the Church's pre-teen children have been looking forward to this camp all year long, and we look forward to God's presence and assistance in making it the best ever! With activities such as canoeing, fishing, archery, riflery, outdoor survival skills, team-building "challenge" classes, and others, it will be a very busy week for all of us!—Wallace Smith
Feast of Tabernacles 2008
Festival Registration
Thank you for responding to our call to register! We still have 77 people on the transfer waiting list for Sunset Beach, and 47 people assigned to that site who have not yet registered. If you are assigned to Sunset Beach and haven't registered, please do so immediately so we may know if we will have room for a few more incoming transfers. Thank you for your patience. The Prescott Feast site is closed—if you are still on the transfer waiting list, please make plans to go elsewhere, as the site is full.
For the United States and Canada, we now have over 95% registration. Thank you, everyone, in helping to make this part of the Festival process go smoothly!—Rod McNair
Branson, Missouri
Festival Housing in Branson: If you plan to attend in Branson and have booked a room with the Roadway Inn, please listen to this important announcement. We have just learned that the Roadway Inn has experienced a change in ownership and management and that they have actually overbooked for that week. While the new owners plan to find alternate housing for those who have booked for that week, we cannot guarantee that the new housing they offer will be in the same proximity to the meeting hall, nor can we guarantee at this time that it will be at the same reduced price. You may wish to call the Roadway Inn to check on the status of your reservation and on whether or not you need to make a housing change. Updated housing options are available on the Branson Festival website: www.fotbranson.org. We apologize for this inconvenience.—Wallace Smith
Comments
Are You a Peacemaker? Jesus Christ explained a fundamental aspect of Christianity when He told His disciples, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God" (Matthew 5:9). The Apostle Paul advised brethren in Rome that Christians should do all they can to "live peaceably with all men" (Romans 12:17-21). Paul explained that we can become peacemakers by not seeking revenge, by not mistreating others when we are mistreated, and by overcoming evil with good. Solomon wisely observed, "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Proverbs 15:1). Solomon also stated, "He who covers [overlooks and forgives] a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats [keeps talking about or won't let go of] a matter separates friends" (Proverbs 17:9). Jesus warned that reacting angrily to a brother or sister is the same as murder, because it breaks the spirit of the law (Matthew 5:21-26). Real peacemakers are willing to go to their brother or sister when problems arise and talk things over in a spirit of meekness (Matthew 18:15; James 3:17-18). One important lesson we must learn as Christians is that peace comes when we follow and learn to apply the laws of God. David wrote, "Great peace have those who love Your law" (Psalm 119:165).
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—June 12, 2008
No More Freedom of Speech. For decades, freedom of speech has been a major tenet of Western democracies and a tool that has enabled the Gospel to be freely preached in Israelite-descended nations. Recently, there has been a backlash against free speech, particularly as it relates to the rights of minority groups, particularly homosexuals. In a recent court decision, dated May 30, 2008, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal of Alberta fined evangelical pastor Stephen Boisson $5,000 for "damages for pain and suffering" and banned him from expressing his biblical perspective of homosexuality. In a quasi-judicial directive, he was ordered "to renounce his faith and never again express moral opposition to homosexuality," and directed to apologize to the activist who complained of being emotionally hurt by his statements (World Net Daily, June 9, 2008). As time goes on, it will be increasingly difficult to preach God's truth, the "Good News" of the Kingdom of God, and the Ezekiel Warning to the world. God observed that, at the end of the age, Israel would no longer know Him, having "turned away backward… You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick" (Isaiah 1:3-5). This disturbing truth is more obvious every day, as prophecy marches on.
Europe's Fate Again in Irish Hands? Ireland once came to the rescue of Europe, sending out well-trained, literate priests to help rebuild and re-educate a decimated continent following the Dark Ages. Today, the fate of Europe may once again rest with the Irish at least Europe's immediate fate. Today, Ireland will be the ONLY one of 27 European nations to allow its citizens to vote on the Lisbon Treaty (aka the European Constitution). In 2005, France and the Netherlands both rejected the Treaty of Nice, basically the same as the Lisbon Treaty. Because of that 2005 fiasco, all other European nations have bypassed the people, choosing instead to let lawmakers decide the fate of their people. The treaty must be ratified by ALL 27 EU member states, or Europe "goes back to the drawing board." The immediate fate of Europe really does rest with the Irish. Speaking about the gravity of the situation, "European Commission President Barroso warned that Europe—including Ireland—will pay the price if the treaty is voted down" (Der Spiegel online, June 10, 2008). Polls suggest that most Irish are against the treaty, but it may be too close to call. A recent poll of Britons suggests that most still strongly desire a referendum on certain elements of the treaty—even though their lawmakers already voted in favor of the treaty (Telegraph, June 8, 2008). God warned that Israel would eventually be taken into captivity by a future European Beast power (Deuteronomy 28:41-68; Isaiah 1:7-9). Could events in Ireland begin to further polarize Ireland and Britain from Europe?
Are We Approaching a Nuclear Abyss? In a September 2007 interview with the German Der Spiegel, UN Chief Weapons Inspector, Mohamed ElBaradei, made a sobering observation: "There are currently 27,000 nuclear warheads in the world. If we don't change our way of thinking, John F. Kennedy's prediction that there would be 20 nuclear powers will soon come true. And with each new player and each new weapon, the risk of a planned or accidental nuclear war increases." Mr. ElBaradei also expressed great concern over the current nuclear situation in Iraq. Last week, Iranian president Ahamadinejad commented during a visit to Rome that Israel would disappear very soon, "with or without Iran's help." Perhaps in reaction, Israel's Deputy Prime minister Shaul Mofaz said, "Israeli strikes on Iran looked 'unavoidable' given its progress in uranium enrichment and ineffectiveness of the alternatives." The Israeli government was quick to dismiss Mr. Mofaz's comment as "not representing Israel's stance" (DEBKAfile, June 9, 2008). But, Israeli President Olmert commented shortly afterward that "all options must remain on the table" when dealing with Iran (Reuters, June 6, 2008). God warned that Jerusalem would become a "cup of trembling" to all nations, when they bring siege or war against both Judah and Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:2). God also warned of terrors that would come at the end of the age against the Israelite-descended nations (Leviticus 26:16). Nuclear proliferation around the globe, and the nuclear black market could help spark these terrors.—Daniel Bennett, Floyd Spencer, Scott Winnail