Greetings from Charlotte!
Mr. Roderick Meredith just recorded Tomorrow's World television program #330 entitled, "The United States in Prophecy." It will air on May 25 and offer the booklet The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy. Mr. and Mrs. Richard Ames are on their way back to Charlotte this evening, after a very successful public lecture by Mr. Ames last Sunday. Dr. Douglas Winnail returned safely to Charlotte last Friday. He gave the sermon here last Sabbath, worked a few days in the office this week, and left again yesterday afternoon—for Canada, where he will conduct a regional ministerial conference today and tomorrow, then spend the Sabbath with the combined Toronto, Mississauga, Barrie and Guelph congregations. Before leaving, he wrote the comments for this week's issue of The World Ahead. Dr. Winnail is scheduled to return to Charlotte on Sunday afternoon.—Dibar Apartian
Church Administration
Passover 2008
Important Notice to All Pastors. Passover services should not start before sunset. This year the Passover will be observed on Friday, April 18, a little more than seven weeks from now. You should have already begun preparations, including hall arrangements, for your congregations to properly observe this solemn Feast. Let us know as soon as possible if any of the congregations you serve will need additional Passover service supplies (bread trays and/or wine glasses) or even a copy of the Passover Service CD recording.
Additionally, let us also know of any scattered members who need to receive the Passover Service CD and letter instructions to observe it at home. Please direct your requests to the Church Administration Department by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at 704-844-1960, ext. 220, as soon as possible to ensure timely delivery.
2007 Fleet Report
In 2007, the Living Church of God United States fleet was comprised of 32 vehicles (8 cars, 23 vans, and 1 crossover). During the year, we sold four vehicles, purchased three and transferred five. The total mileage traveled by this collection of 32 vehicles was 889,849 miles. The average monthly mileage is 74,154, which translates to more than 2,300 miles per vehicle. As these miles add up, it is common for insurance incidents to rise at a comparative rate. God's protection of the Living Church of God drivers meant that only 10 incidents were reported in 2007, with only four of those involving our drivers' actions. These four incidents were all considered as minor claims by our insurers. This rate of incident is well below the national levels, not only for fleet vehicles but also for individual rates.—Lehman Lyons
Barbados Public Lecture
Mr. Paul Shumway reports: It was evident that our adversary made a concerted effort to stop/hinder Mr. Ames' public Bible lecture in Barbados. On the day we were to leave for Barbados (February 19), I received a call from American Airlines informing me that our flight had been cancelled. A national strike was set to begin just after midnight. We asked the members to pray. Prime Minister David Thompson intervened and the strike was averted. On Friday, we learned that very few of the letter invitations were received by the members/viewers. It was arranged to have a "crawl" announcement inserted during the Sunday morning telecast, letting the viewers know about Mr. Ames' live presentation that evening.
Services on the Sabbath went very well. We had a record attendance of 82! On Sunday, Mr. Dexter Wakefield and I held four baptisms and counseled a number of individuals. The public lecture began at 6:00 on Sunday evening. Mr. Richard Ames gave a powerful message entitled: "Prophetic Events Just Ahead!" He seemed especially inspired and tied events in Barbados together with Bible prophecy in a way that connected powerfully with his audience. Of the 138 who attended, approximately 58 were members and 80 were subscribers! Many stayed for snacks and fellowship for an hour afterwards and some even stayed two hours! Several were invited to attend services the following Sabbath.
Messrs. Fitzroy Greeman and Damian Weekes are scheduled to be in Barbados for services this Sabbath, March 1. All in all, the Public Bible Lecture and weekend were very, very profitable! I believe God was well pleased!
Visit to Peru
Mr. Mario Hernandez reports on his recent visit to Peru: The trip to Cerro de Pasco is a long six-hour climb from Lima, at sea level, on a road that traverses the mountain pass of Ticlio at 15,807 ft. We arrived in Cerro de Pasco around sunset on Friday, February 15. Our Spanish radio broadcast is aired every day from Monday through Friday both in Lima and in Cerro de Pasco. On Friday evening, I was at the radio station. I presented a live program on the good news of the Kingdom of God and of the need to repent and be converted, because the times of refreshing and the restoration of all things are coming soon upon the earth from the presence of our God.
Thanks to the broadcast, we had three new families attending Sabbath services the next morning. The attendance on the Sabbath, February 16, in Cerro de Pasco was 65. This is an all-time record for the Living Church of God in Peru. All Sunday morning and early afternoon were for counseling. We had two baptisms. On Monday, we were able to see three different possible Feast sites around Huancayo. I also took advantage of the occasion to spend time in Huancayo with a prospective member who had found us on the Internet and requested a visit from a minister. At 1:30 a.m., that same night, I boarded the flight to return home.
Thailand Update
We were very saddened to learn last Monday of the death of Mehm Pho Saw, a faithful member and deacon in God's Church in Thailand. Mr. Bruce Tyler wrote, "Our dear friend and brother in Christ died Monday afternoon, Bangkok time. Mehm Pho Saw was 57. He leaves his widow Phyu Phyu Aye (47) and two teenage boys, Bom 17 and Isaac 14… Mehm Pho Saw will be sadly missed by us all. He loved God with an unusual passion and zeal and was fully involved in doing the Work up to the very end, before he took ill last Wednesday evening. He is assured of an office in God's Kingdom and government at Christ's return… Mehm was recently awarded with an 'outstanding father' prize from among 500 fathers in Mae Pa Vittaya Khorm High School, 5 December 2007… Mehm wrote: 'We are very proud for being members of God's true Church and to be examples of a true Christian family in local area among the different religions (mostly Buddhist, Moslem and Christian).'" Cards of sympathy and encouragement may be sent to the family of Mehm Pho Saw and to our congregation in Mae Sot, Thailand, to:
Nang Phyu Phyu Aye
394 Moo 9, Soi Baan Thoong
T. Mae Pa, A. Mae Sot, Tak 63110
Thailand
United Kingdom Update
According to Mr. Rod King's report, "Just before one o'clock on Wednesday morning, an earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale struck the north of Lincolnshire, England. One man was injured when his house's chimney stack collapsed through the roof, crushing his leg. The damage cost of this earthquake will be more than $20 million, as structural damage to buildings needs to be repaired. Our member closest to the epicentre (35 miles away) reported that there was a loud rumble and shaking of his house, but no damage. The next day he read the booklet Fourteen Signs Announcing Christ's Return and looked at the chapter on earthquakes. He noticed Christ's words that there would be earthquakes in various places (Matthew 24:7) He said he hadn't thought that would be in quiet England!"
Spring Holy Day Singles and Family Weekend in Upstate South Carolina
The Anderson, South Carolina, congregation is pleased to announce the first Upstate South Carolina Singles and Family Weekend! It is planned around the Last Day of Unleavened Bread—Saturday, April 26. The weekend will begin on Friday evening with a Singles Bible Study. Saturday's events will include regular Holy Day services and a semi-formal/formal banquet and ball. On Sunday, Cleveland Park, near downtown Greenville, will be the setting of "A Day in the Park."
Details about the event (such as a detailed itinerary, airport information, and lodging information) and a registration form can be found at www.lcg-anderson.org (not an official Church website). If you plan to attend, please complete the online registration form and remit payment by mail in time for receipt by April 15. If you need further information or want to register by phone or e-mail, you may contact the event coordinator, Manuel Burdette, at 864-638-7719 or e-mail him at [email protected]. We request that all planning to attend be sure to register (even if you are just planning to attend Holy Day services), so we can firm up commitments. We look forward to seeing you in Greenville!
Feast of Tabernacles 2008
Festival Update
It's still frigid in February—but we're beginning to think of the Feast of Tabernacles! Some have asked how soon they will be able to register for international Feast sites. We are planning to announce most—if not all—of the United States and international sites soon. Our current schedule is for registration of transfers to international sites to begin before the end of March—just a few weeks away. Right now we are in the process of working with our International Regional Directors to make sure local brethren in international areas can register first and obtain necessary housing for their assigned sites before we open them up to transfers. We will have more information on USA and International sites soon. Stay tuned!
Comments
Times of Peace: On my recent trip, I had the sobering opportunity to visit a number of sites around the world where military engagements that claimed the lives of thousands determined the course of history. In South Africa, we saw the locations of battles between Boer farmers and the Zulus, and between the Boers and the British, which determined the course of South African history. On Corregidor, the tiny island that guards the mouth of Manila Bay in the Philippines, we walked over ground where thousands of American, Filipino and Japanese soldiers died as they battled for control of this strategic island during World War II. We looked across the narrow channel to the Bataan Peninsula which was the site of the Bataan Death March. After the surrender of Corregidor, thousands of American and Filipino soldiers died as they were marched by the Japanese for five days in the blazing tropical sun to a prison camp. At Waterloo in Belgium, today a scenic location of rolling farmland, 300,000 soldiers from five nations fought a battle that determined the future of Europe—and cost the lives of 10,000 men and wounded more than 30,000. In Aachen, Germany, a huge cathedral holds the remains of Charlemagne, the Holy Roman Emperor who expanded his realm by annual military conquests. This blood-stained past has been the sad story of the human race. It is against this tapestry of death that we can look forward in hope to the coming fulfillment of God's plan for peace. Jesus Christ will return to this earth to establish a government of peace to the whole world (Isaiah 9:6-7). The saints will have an opportunity to teach God's way to the peoples of this world and then they will learn war no more (Isaiah 2:2-4).
Have a peaceful Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—February 28, 2008
Coming: A New Trade Block. Fifty-five U.S. Senators and Congressmen currently serve as advisors to a "working group" for the Transatlantic Common Market between the U.S. and the European Union. "An economist from the World Bank has argued in print that the formation of the Transatlantic Common Market is designed to follow the blueprint of Jean Monet, a key intellectual architect of the European Union, recognizing that economic integration must inevitably lead to political integration." The idea of this union came to light in April 2007, when President Bush, German Chancellor Merkel, and European Commission President Barroso launched the Transatlantic Economic Council. Efforts are already underway to create a North American Community, including the U.S., Mexico and Canada. This community is to be based on security and economic issues and is intended to be in place by 2010 (WorldNetDaily.com, July 20, 2005; September 25, 2006). The Transatlantic Common Market is intended to combine the North American Community with the EU, creating the world's most formidable trade bloc—a trade bloc that would be so large that its trading policies would automatically become policies for the world. Plans for this new "common market" are proceeding and are intended to pass through in a "treaty" form, much like the most recent EU Treaty, in order to avoid the scrutiny and debate that often come with more "formal" agreements (January 16, 2008). Revelation 18 warns of a future Beast, known as Babylon the Great, through which "the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury" (v. 3).
European Union Military Moves. French President Sarkozy is spearheading a drive for an elite defense force. A "hard core" group of six EU nations is expected to take the lead in an EU defense program. Included would be the largest/wealthiest EU nations. Each would pledge a minimum of 2 percent of GDP, as well as 10,000 troops for common defense initiatives. France also wants a "common defense market" for member nations to buy from—such a market would immediately impact defense capabilities of member nations. It is suspected that many of the "smaller" EU member nations will not appreciate France's plans for this core military group. Sarkozy wants to launch this initiative by 2009 (EUObserver.com, February 18, 2008). Many have criticized our understanding of 10 nations of the final Beast power (based on Daniel 2 and Revelation 17) because there are now 27 nations in the EU. Multiple events, like the one mentioned here, demonstrate how the "core" of leading EU nations could easily be comprised of 10 nations. In addition, President Sarkozy's military ambitions illustrate how Europe could quickly move into the military forefront. Time will show how these 10 powerful Beast nations will surface.
Confusion and Discontent in American Religion. American churchgoers are switching denominations at unprecedented rates. In a survey of more than 35,000, the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life recently discovered that more than 28% of Americans make a total religion change from that of their youth. If changes "within" Protestantism are considered, more than 44% of Americans change religions. The survey director commented on the phenomenon, "What it says is that this marketplace is highly competitive and that no one can sit on their laurels, because another group out there will make [its tenets] available for potential converts to try out" (Time, February 25, 2008). God warned that at the end of the age the spiritual leaders (shepherds) of the Israelite-descended nations would feed themselves and fail to feed their flocks. Because of this, people would be scattered and "become food for all the beasts of the field"—prey to any false religion (Ezekiel 34:1-10). Today, we see the rise of "mega-churches" with 10,000 to 60,000 members where sermons are encouraging and full of soft, comforting words. Yet ministers fear using strong, instructive words, lest members become uncomfortable and leave. One day soon, there will be a true Shepherd over Israel who will truly feed His flock.—Joe Brown and Scott Winnail