Warm greetings from Charlotte,
By now, from Mr. Meredith's letter sent out this week, most of you are aware of Mr. Carl McNair's illness. Please be sure to cover this letter in all congregations and video groups so we can all be praying fervently about the urgent matters mentioned in it.
CHURCH ADMINISTRATION
Philippines Update
Mr. Rod McNair sent in this sad announcement: Mr. Gorgonio de Guia, pastor in Tacloban who served the brethren in the Visayas and in Southeast Mindanao, died last Tuesday, March 30, apparently from cardiac arrest. Actually I was talking to him on the phone, discussing the Work in his area, when it happened. We grieve for Mrs. de Guia, and the whole de Guia family, and I also will miss Mr. de Guia a great deal personally. We spent many hours together when we were serving in Metro-Manila, traveling, counseling, baptizing, and working side by side. His commitment to God's will and God's Work was absolute. We look forward to seeing him in a better world, at the beginning of the Millennium. God speed that day!
Feast of Tabernacles 2004—Hawaii Feast Site
Mr. Don Davis writes: Some members are asking if it is all right, while the flight costs are low, to book round-trip airline tickets now for the Feast on the Island of Kauai, even though they do not yet have approval for that site. The answer is yes, if they don't mind risking a cancellation fee, in the event approval is not possible. The Festival Brochure (with the form to request a transfer) is going through the editorial process now. Hopefully, it will be in members' mail boxes before the day of Pentecost. The Festival Office does not anticipate a flood of transfer requests to Hawaii this year; so, although it is possible some may not be approved, the risk is small. For those who are hoping to attend in Kauai, please be sure to count the cost. The Church is not in a position to help anyone get home if they run short of funds.
Obviously, only a few elders can be approved for Hawaii, so as not to deplete the speaking rosters and leadership at other sites.
Visit to Texas
My wife and I had a splendid visit to the east Texas area last week. We stayed with Mr. and Mrs. John Ogwyn and enjoyed their well-known southern hospitality. On Sabbath morning, we traveled to Dallas and enjoyed Sabbath services with 79 warm and friendly brethren. We had to leave way too soon to head out for Gladewater. It was hard to pull away from the "family atmosphere" in the Dallas congregation. The same was true in Gladewater, where we had 61 in attendance for services there. It was great seeing so many old friends again. Gladewater was the first congregation I attended back in 1959. One of the most profitable things about this trip was fellowshipping with the ministers and wives in that area. We got to spend time with Dr. and Mrs. Lynn Torrance, Mr. and Mrs. Dave Burson, Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Stewart, and Mr. and Mrs. John Harbison, as well as the Ogwyns. The ministry and brethren are all doing very well and we were personally inspired and strengthened by their obvious commitment and zeal toward God and His Work.
Having problems receiving The World Ahead and other e-mail messages from HQ?
Several people on the mailing list have notified us that they have not been receiving this weekly update for several weeks. The majority of them have America Online e-mail accounts. We've learned that America Online has many e-mail filters to protect its clients from spam and junk e-mail messages. Since this weekly update is sent by e-mail to a large mailing list, we believe AOL (and maybe other Internet Service Providers) has been filtering it out and automatically sending it to the SPAM or junk e-mail folder of the recipients' accounts. If you have problems receiving e-mail communications from Headquarters, try adding [email protected] to your e-mail address book, and also check regularly your spam or junk e-mail folders for genuine e-mail messages. Please communicate this to others you know who are having this problem. Thank you! —Debbie Lincoln-Strange
COMMENTS
Surely all of God's people are now fully preparing for the approaching Passover taking place this coming Sunday night, April 4, soon after sunset. A big part of this preparation is to personally examine ourselves so we can take the Passover properly, "discerning the Lord's body"—comprehending and deeply appreciating the sacrifice of Jesus Christ more and more with each passing year. I hope we will make sure to carefully consider I Peter 2:21-25, which says "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls."
Mr. Meredith explained it best this way— "The broken bread symbolizes Christ's body, 'broken' for our physical healing. The wine symbolizes His shed blood given in payment for our spiritual sins!
"That is why—as Mark 2:1-12 and Matthew 9:1-8 bring out—Jesus' healing of the paralytic man was described as the forgiveness of "sin"! Physical healing and spiritual forgiveness are tied together in the Bible. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, suffered terribly so that both would be possible. God's Word also describes this principle: 'Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases' (Psalm 103:1-3).
"We cannot take the biblical Passover properly without looking to Christ as our Healer, for He paid the penalty of our physical carelessness and transgressions of the physical laws of health just as surely as He paid the penalty of spiritual sin. As Psalm 103 indicates, both physical and spiritual healing and spiritual forgiveness are "benefits" offered by a loving God. But a deceived mankind has usually been persuaded to accept one of these benefits and totally neglect the other!"
We hope you have a peaceful Sabbath and an encouraging, deeply meaningful Passover. We send our love and affection from all of us here at Headquarters.
Charles E. Bryce
P.S. Several have been asking about the date of the second Passover. It is Wednesday, May 5th (Passover day), 2004, to be taken just after sunset on Tuesday, May 4.
P.P.S. By the way, a familiar quotation comes to mind, especially apropos during this time of focusing on putting sin out of our lives. It is, "One motivation is worth ten threats, two pressures and six reminders"—Paul Sweeney.