Greetings everyone,
We will be holding the Council of Elders teleconference this afternoon. These meetings are vital for planning, for serving the needs of the brethren and carrying out the great commission given to all of us from God. Mr. Roderick C. Meredith will chair the session and lead the discussions.
CHURCH ADMINISTRATION
We are starting to receive the member survey forms, which have been sent back to HQ by several of the ministers. Please understand that this is a priority project. We need all of the completed packets from all of the U.S. congregations by the deadline of Sept. 24. Thank you for your help.
TELEVISION DEPARTMENT
The latest telecast taping information is:
| Presenter | Title & Offers | Airs |
| #183-RCM | The New World Order —How God Intervenes in World Affairs |
Dec. 14 |
| #184-RCM | Why Were You Born? —Your Ultimate Destiny |
Dec. 21 |
| #186-RFA | Prophecy in the 21st Century —Fourteen Signs Announcing Christ's Return |
Jan. 4 |
| #187-RFA | What Can the Bible Do For You? —Principles of Bible Study |
Jan. 11 |
| #190-JHO | How Do You Spell Relief? —Do You Believe the True Gospel? |
Feb. 1 |
| #195-JHO | Is This the End Time? —The Beast of Revelation |
Mar. 7 |
INTERNATIONAL
Mr. Bruce Tyler sends these reports:
Australia Report—August, 2003, by Robert Tyler
We have had a very busy and productive year thus far in 2003. Although we did lose one TV station in South Australia, we gained another Station in Sydney, New South Wales.
TW Subscribers: In October last year (2002), our total subscriber list was 4,217. As of the end of August 2003, our subscriber list stands at 8,213. This represents almost 95% increase in the past 10 months.
Donors: During the same period our donors have jumped from 26 to 87 – 234% increase over the past year.
Co-workers: Co-workers are up from 22 to 59 – a 168% increase.
Bible Study Course: We have 421 active Bible Study Students.
Weekly Television Responses: From the four television stations - Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane - we are averaging 191 responses per program. These responses are accumulated through phone, Internet and letters. A year ago, we were processing around 170 requests per program.
Semi-annual Letter: The response to the last semi-annual letter offering 'God's Church Through the Ages' has attracted a 17% response to date.
Comments from Subscribers:
"I love listening to your programs, never missing any, and wish your TV program would be hours long. I can listen to your speaker for hours as he doesn't speak just from his mind but from the depths of his heart."
H. S., North Fitzroy, Vic
"I saw your magazine for the very first time in a friends 'loo' and began reading. I'm very impressed with what I have so far read, you certainly don't 'water down the gospel' Praise God! I'm hungry for true preaching of God's Word and excited that at last I may have found it!"
B. M., Samford West, Qld
Malaysia Report – August 2003, by Rajan Moses
New Video Group: A new video group has started in Penang with 7 attending.
Feast of Tabernacles: Met with the sales manager of the Copthorne Hotel to finalize the Feast preparations. Sixty-five people will attend the Feast this year.
Baptism Counseling: There are 6 people who are counseling for baptism in Bahau. In Kuala Lumpur, two are asking for baptism. Also a new girl has asked for counseling.
Spokesman Club: About 15 members are interested in having a Club after the Feast.
Thomas Tial Hoe – Myanmar: On the last week of every month I speak to Thomas Tial Hoe, our Elder in Myanmar (Burma). There are two groups in Myanmar, one in the Chin state and one in Sakhan Gyi village in the south. We are planning to bring Thomas Tial Hoe from Myanmar to Thailand at the end of November and visit with Mehm Pho Saw in Maesot, Thailand. Mr Tyler and I are hopefully planning to visit Thailand in November. This will be the first time Thomas has been out of Burma.
Tomorrow's World Magazine:
January/February: 770 copies.
March/April issue: 800 copies
May/June issue: 890 copies
July/August issue: 1024 copies
Most of the subscribers are from Internet and from the insert cards. The number of subscribers is up 60.5% from the end of December 2003.
Bible Study Course: 100 subscribers are presently enrolled.
Booklets: More than 600 booklets have been sent out since January 2003.
Mail Received: 800 emails, cards and letters received since January this year.
Mail Sent: 10,181 pieces of literature (Booklets, magazines, and BSC)
COMMENTS
One of the greatest strengths of the Living Church of God is a deep love of the Truth. This led us out of the apostasy and into this end time Work. II Thessalonians 2:10-11, "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie." We must never forget the intense, prolonged, Satanic attack on the Truth that we have been delivered from by God in His mercy. We must never take that for granted! And we are instructed by Jesus Christ to freely give of this precious knowledge just as we have freely received.
Do we cherish God's Word, His Way, the Truth, the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth? Do we still find it thrilling and exciting and something we hunger and thirst for and can't get enough of?! If not, we had better sincerely repent, before it is too late, of the dangerous spiritual condition into which we have drifted.
One of the identifying, unmistakable, signs of Christ's disciples is their attitude toward the Truth. John 8:31-32, "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
Have a joyous Sabbath and rejoice about the gift of the Truth of God. Never forget it. Never get careless with it. And never forsake it. That's what true freedom is all about!
Charles E. Bryce