Greetings from Charlotte,
Last weekend Mr. and Mrs. Ames flew to Phoenix, Arizona, where Mr. Ames spoke to more than 120 brethren on the Sabbath. I flew to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to speak on the Sabbath and then flew to Phoenix to present a lecture on "The Westward Movement of the Israelites" on Saturday evening. Mr. Ames and I conducted a Regional Conference in Phoenix on Sunday and Monday with 45 elders, deacons, other leaders and their wives from several states in attendance. The response was positive and very encouraging. We really appreciated the preparations that went into the conference and the opportunity to spend time with brethren in New Mexico and Arizona.
From The Presiding Evangelist
Dear fellow servants of Christ,
Greetings from Charlotte! We have just completed two wonderful Regional Conferences—one in TN and one in AZ. My wife and I were able to join Dr. Winnail for the one in TN and were very inspired by the warmth and outpouring of appreciation from the brethren for this conference. Many of you will know what I am talking about. These conferences are extremely helpful in drawing the leadership of God's congregations together, and should inspire many more to get truly involved with God's Work in the future.
In the last few days, I have taped two Living University Theology classes, made a very strong television program on overcoming Satan and his demons, and I will be leaving for Los Angeles to visit our brethren out there tomorrow. I will appreciate all of your prayers and will be praying for you. The Work is coming along well, but we certainly need to draw closer to God in every way.
In our weekly Executive luncheon a few days ago, we discussed a request that has come in over the past few months from several of you—for a Church fast. Many of our ministers and leading brethren have sensed a spiritual "malaise" coming over quite a number of our brethren. Since nothing shocking seems to be happening on the surface—though much is happening just underneath the surface in world affairs!—some are letting down spiritually! Fervent prayer and real Bible study are lacking. And no doubt partly because of this, some brethren are losing their spiritual focus and are beginning to feel that God is "far off," that nothing much is happening in world affairs and that it is not really important that we are all truly committed to being part of the Work which Christ is using us to do.
They don't realize that we are being used in a unique manner to truly "warn" our peoples of the Great Tribulation and also to genuinely "feed" God's people with the "whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27). Many "little groups"—here and there—have part of the Truth and are doing a "little" part of the Work. But where is Christ primarily working and where are His eyes focused today on the Church He is using to prepare for the coming Kingdom of God? Most of you understand. But some of our people are confused and weak, and some are also discouraged that several of our brethren are becoming seriously ill with various forms of cancer, heart disease, etc.
So our Headquarters team unanimously agreed that we should call a Church-wide fast for the Sabbath of August the 4th! Please inform the brethren of this important fast, "clear the decks" of any Church activity which might interfere and encourage the brethren to do the same with their personal schedules.
Fellow servants of Christ, let us all look forward to unitedly humbling ourselves and to fasting before our God. Let us beseech Him for increased spiritual discernment and strength, for His special blessing on the vital Work He is using us to perform, and for His divine intervention to heal those who are seriously ill among us.
As we prepare ourselves and our brethren for this fast, let us meditate on God's promise as given in 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."
Brethren let us truly go "all out" to prepare ourselves and our brethren to draw very close to God in the months and years ahead. As events speed up, those who have real spiritual discernment realize that time truly is short! So let us use every opportunity to walk ever more closely with Christ and with God as the end of this age approaches.
Your brother in Christ,
Roderick C. Meredith
Church Administration
Prayer Request: Please remember Mr. Keith Walden, pastor of the Albuquerque, New Mexico, area in your prayers. He has been diagnosed with cancer in his throat that appears to have spread to the lymph glands in his neck. He needs and would greatly appreciate your prayers.
Living Youth Camp: We still have spaces available for two more girls and four more boys at Living Youth Camp in Michigan. This is the teen camp which is open for campers ages 13-17. If you are interested, please fill out an application IMMEDIATELY. Applications are available at www.youth-web.org or by calling Sue Ruddlesden at 704-844-1960, ext 235.—Gerald Weston
Missouri Pre-Teen Camp: The 2007 LYC Pre-Teen Camp in Missouri is now behind us, and our 44 enthusiastic campers should all be back home safe and sound. The week was fantastic. God's presence and blessings were also obvious in the weather we were given, in everyone's good health, and in the overall good attitude of our staff and campers. Many of our 12-year-old campers expressed regret that next year they would be too old to come again! With archery, riflery, canoeing, sports, arts and crafts, an obstacle course, a nature walk, Christian Living classes, and a fun show, campers and staff were kept busy and on their toes. Our many thanks to everyone who gave of their time, energy, and funds to make this year's camp a success, including our volunteers who came from as far as Canada and France. This was the first time Mr. Darrell Lovelady and I had ever directed the camp, and we learned a great deal. To say that we are brimming with ideas to make camp even better next year would be an understatement, and we will be meeting in about a month to begin putting those ideas into action.—Wallace Smith
Indonesia Update
Mr. Arius Nusantara, our elder in Indonesia, reports: The Work is marching on! We now have 280 subscribers to whom are sent monthly updates regarding new posted articles on the Indonesian website… I have finalized the January-February edition of the magazine and will send the PDF version to our subscribers soon. At the moment I am translating the May-June edition. For the time being the magazine is only sent in PDF format.
Spanish Update
Mr. Mario Hernandez reports: On Thursday, June 14, I left on a trip to Mexico and Guatemala. On Thursday night, I had a meeting with the local leaders in Mexico City who are starting to give sermonettes. On Friday, June 15, I arrived in Coatepeque, where our Guatemalan brethren meet. That same evening I anointed a few of our brethren with health problems… Every time I visit Guatemala, we have morning and afternoon services. During this trip I had the joy of ordaining Mr. Ramiro Sanchez as a deacon and Mr. Sergio Roca as a local elder. On Sunday, June 17, I traveled from Guatemala to Mexico City, where I presented the fourth lesson of the Living Leadership Course. So far, all of the four lessons have been recorded on DVD and sent to all the brethren in the Spanish world.
United Kingdom Update
Mr. Rod King reports: Heavy rains across the midlands of England this week have produced severe flooding in the Don and Severn River systems. The greatest concern is for the earth-walled Ulley Dam in South Yorkshire, which engineers fear could burst and flood towns and villages. A member from Doncaster who attends Church in Manchester has been evacuated, as her house would be in the path of the burst dam flood waters. She has moved many of her belongings to her mother's home; if the worst were to happen, her home would have four feet of water through it. So far she has not had any water in her house and she is grateful for this.
Concerning the upcoming public Bible lectures, the number of readers wanting to attend the lectures is over 400 and we have been having a hard time finding suitable venues in London, even when we consider having two venues (one in the north and one in the south). We have secured the Manchester venue for 14 July and will be sending out a letter to the 75 people who responded from the Midlands. The Glasgow venue and date will follow soon after. Most of these readers have been added in the last year. Therefore, I feel the approach for the lectures will be one of information. It will be a slightly different approach from addressing readers who have a longer foundation in our literature. Please pray for God's guidance and direction in these lectures.
Feast of Tabernacles 2007
Notice on The Entrance site in Australia: Due to the recent flooding that affected some areas in New South Wales, Australia, Mr. Bruce Tyler advises those who are planning to attend the Feast in The Entrance to contact the private properties they may be renting, to verify whether or not the establishments have been damaged.
Change in New Zealand Feast Site: The Comfort Inn Bay of Islands (formerly, Bay of Islands Resort) in Paihia, where we planned to hold services and where many members would be staying during the Feast of Tabernacles, has gone into receivership. Its future is uncertain and there is no real assurance that it will be operating by the time of the Feast. A decision has reluctantly been made to move the Feast site from Paihia back to Taupo, where we have observed enjoyable Feasts in the past. Services will be held at the recently renovated Taupo Cosmopolitan Club in Taniwha Street, Taupo. This is centrally located near shops and restaurants and several motels are within an easy walking distance.
Mr. Penman advises those of you planning to attend the Feast in New Zealand to cancel any bookings you may have in Paihia and, since you are able to give many weeks notice of cancellation, any deposits should be refundable. For those of you booked at the Comfort Inn Bay of Islands (Bay of Islands Resort), Mr. Penman suggests you seek the return of your deposit by a credit payment to your credit card. Some members who had planned on staying on site in Paihia may now wish to find accommodation within walking distance of the Cosmopolitan Club in Taupo. There are several accommodation establishments close to the club which have vacancies during the Feast. The following have been visited and some will offer discounts to members who identify themselves as being part of the Living Church of God:
Barcelona Motel, 64 (0) 7 378 8915, [email protected]; Chevron Motel, 64 (0) 7 378 7360, 0800 243 876, [email protected]; Ashbrook, 0800 828 761, [email protected]; Silver Fern Lodge, 64 (0)7 377 4929, [email protected] ; website www.silverfernlodges.co.nz. For further information, please contact site coordination Kinnear Penman at [email protected].
Comments
Redeeming the Time: The Apostle Paul urged the brethren in Ephesus to live purposefully and to make the most of every opportunity to grow to become more like Jesus Christ "because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:15-16). The Ephesians lived in a bustling port city that was full of temptations to distract and disorient individuals striving to live a Christian life. Jesus warned against being sidetracked from our spiritual goals by the "cares of this world" (Matthew 13:22). These admonitions are still important today. As the world hurtles towards the climax of this age, we need to stay focused on the big goal of developing the godly character required to reign in the kingdom of God with Jesus Christ and not be pulled off course by the temptations of the world around us (Matthew 6:33).
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—June 28, 2007
Deutschland Uber Alles. The German national anthem reads "Germany Above All"—a telling prophecy in and of itself. German courts have outlawed home schooling—against the tenets of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights. Both documents ensure the rights of parents to educate their children according to their own convictions, philosophies, and religion, yet German courts, NOT LAWMAKERS, have ruled on this issue, bypassing the justice system and asserting that those in power are more important than the populace or even common law (The Home School Court Report, May/June 2007). The situation with home schooling is the tip of the iceberg for German and European politics. The EU set precedent for such actions by appointing a non-elected European Court of Justice and by passing laws and regulations without the popular support of the people. In a power-packed meeting of the EU nations last week, Poland was the lone dissenting nation of the 27, regarding revising the EU constitution— German Chancellor and EU President Merkel pressured the Polish president by literally threatening that the EU would go ahead with or without Polish support. The Polish prime minister, of course, consented to the revisions (Spiegel Online, June 23, 2007). As it stands now, the revised constitution will be voted on only by the elite of 26 out of 27 EU nations, bypassing the populace (Financial Times, June 26, 2007). The home schooling issue is merely a symptom of a much greater shift in politics in Germany—a power that God prophesies will soon dominate Europe once again (see Daniel 11:40-43, Revelation 17).
Sad State of Israel. The Jewish nation is being squeezed by its enemies. The Muslim extremists of Hamas have thrown the more moderate Fatah party out of the Gaza Strip, creating a regime separate from the government of President Abbas, who now effectively controls only the West Bank (Newsweek, June 25, 2007). To the north, radical Palestinian elements, funded and armed by Syria and Iran, are attempting to destabilize Lebanon's fragile government. Israel's armed forces are in a weakened state, unable to crush terrorists at the nation's borders, as was demonstrated by the unsuccessful 2006 strike against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hamas would like to drag the Jewish military into a quagmire in the densely populated Gaza Strip, similar to how warring Iraqi factions have pulled America into a costly and resource-depleting fight in Iraq. Meanwhile, under German leadership, the European Union is considering providing "peacekeeping" troops to help stabilize the region—a move that could inflame the wrath of Muslims against another invasion by "Western Crusaders." In the end, Europe may end up "protecting" the Jewish state of Israel out of its status as an independent nation. "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it" (Zechariah 12:2-3).
Knowledge Without Wisdom. "Women might soon be able to produce sperm in a development that could allow lesbian couples to have their own biological daughters," according to groundbreaking research from Britain. Stem cells recently produced sperm—from male bone marrow! The next step will be to produce the same stem cells from female bone marrow (Belfast Telegraph, April 13, 2007). God warned that at the end of the age, knowledge would vastly increase (Daniel 12:4). He also warned that "...and women rule over them. O my people! Those who lead you cause you to err, and destroy the way of your paths" (Isaiah 3:12). Now mankind may be on the verge of creating human beings without the need for men.—Don Davis, Scott Winnail