Greetings Everyone,
From time to time we receive a message from some of you informing us of a change in address or of difficulties you have had or are having due to computer problems of one sort or another.
Well, I have had my share of computer troubles as well! Recently I replaced my notebook computer, and my e-mail function is still not functioning properly.
Most recently my hard drive began to malfunction—causing lots of problems and ultimately requiring replacement. Thankfully, we have a good back-up system, so critical files were saved.
I apologize for messages lost or delayed during this period. I am aware of some weird things that happened to my e-mails.
MEDIA OPERATIONS
Wednesday was a scheduled day for telecast taping.
The following programs were recorded:
Program #127 - RCM - "Who is the Antichrist?" -Offering the new booklet, by the same title, will air March 24.
Program #128 - RCM - "Why Observe Easter?" - Offering the Holy Day booklet - airs on Easter Sunday, March 31.
Program #129 - RFA - "Your Ultimate Destiny" - offering booklet by the same title, will air on April 7.
Program #130 - RFA - "Armageddon is Coming" - offering one-hour Audiotape - "Day of the Lord" airs April 14.
INTERNATIONAL
Most of you are aware of the wildfires that have been plaguing Australia. The following is Regional Director Bruce Tyler's report:
Bruce Tyler, Australia—"The fires have been quite bad here. They are still not contained. There has been some loss of property and the forestry people say it will be a good 20 years or more before the forests and animal life will be back to 'normal.' We do not have any fire near to where we are. They are mostly about 600 miles to the south of us. Most of the fires have been deliberately lit. The majority, it seems, by teenagers and younger."
Our brethren in Vanuatu are serviced from the Australian office. Mr. Kinnear Penman, who is directly involved in serving them, sent the following report for this update.
Kinnear Penman, New Zealand—"You may have heard about the recent earthquakes which hit Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu. The first was 7.3 and the second a bit less. We have two member families living in Vila and one of them, the Tahireves, has access to a phone so Kinnear called Primrose Tahireve last week. She is an English speaker and her husband John is a Francophone. Primrose said the building they live in has cracks in the walls and John thinks it is unsafe, so they are looking for somewhere to move to. The other family, the Libens, live in a native house that would be unaffected by an earthquake. As far as we know there was no damage on any of the other islands so all the rest of our members should be okay."
Dr. Doug Winnail now serves Europe, the United Kingdom and Ireland from an office near Dublin, Republic of Ireland. Doug is presently in Kenya visiting our resident Elder, Mr. Ernest Owino, and brethren in the major centers of Kenya. I expect a phone report from him next week. The following is his latest update on the UK.
Doug Winnail, Republic of Ireland—"In the last several weeks I have finally begun traveling to the UK. It is a blessing to have that door open. I would like to thank everyone who offered their prayers in this regard. It is interesting that Paul mentions he was also prevented from visiting members in a certain area by Satan's efforts (see I Thes.2: 18).
In late December I was able to spend the Sabbath in Belfast and visit with members there. A week later I traveled to N. Wales to spend the Sabbath with our video group there—in spite of delays on the ferry crossing because of bad weather in the Irish Sea. Last Sabbath I finally made it to London—just about 2 years after we began the process of trying to come to the UK. We had a very positive Sabbath service with a number of visitors and some very pleasant fellowship afterwards. Getting back to Ireland on Sunday was again a challenge—as airports in Dublin and London were fogged in—but it eventually lifted. It has been encouraging to see the dedication of the brethren here who have remained focused and kept on course through this whole ordeal."
COMMENTS AND CONCLUSION
You have witnessed in the recent months what extremism and intolerance are like in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. The videotaped and televised reports of women abused and murdered by the men in that wicked regime was sickening. There is no place in God's Kingdom for such wickedness.
"Toleration" versus "Intolerance," "Conservativism" versus "Liberalism"—man has struggled between the two extremes since time began. And I do not think he will find the balance until the nature of man is changed, until Satan is bound and his spirit no longer prevails as the dominant spirit on earth.
Typically, if we tend toward conservatism, we brand those who are tolerant as liberal. If we tend toward toleration, we brand those who are conservative as tyrannical. And we would be equally wrong.
By an inclination toward extremism, we carelessly label those who differ from us. And if we cave in to extremism, we would brand Jesus Christ as "liberal" or "tyrannical."
Jesus Christ was balanced, right down the middle of the road—and today the crowds rushing both ways would trample him under foot!
How do we know if we fall into either ditch, either liberal or tyrannically conservative? The first step is obvious—self-examination. Self-examination is critically important (as the Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 13:5) if we really want to "put on Christ," (Galatians 3:27). Weighing our thoughts by examples of Christ's thoughts should help a good deal in a quest for balance in the issue of toleration.
An example of Jesus' toleration that many would find "liberal" is found in John 8:2-11, where Jesus was accosted by the scribes and Pharisees; "2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.
- And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
- They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
- Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
- This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
- So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
- And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
- And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
- When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
- She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."
Can you read that story without astonishment? Those men caught her "in the very act of adultery," yet the man with her mysteriously disappeared!
Isn't this a "Taliban incident" written almost two thousand years ago?
Was Jesus a "Liberal?" Yes, in the eyes of those who tempted Him—but not in an evil sense in the eyes of God.
Jesus took the established authorities to task for their intolerance of others—while they were hypocritical narcissists. ((Matthew 23:14) Was Jesus a wild-eyed tyrannical conservative? Never!
The JF&B Commentary says, correctly I think, that the prophet Isaiah pictured the coming Messiah (Jesus Christ) "as kind, caring and forgiving (Isaaiah 40:10-11, 42:2-3). "Isa 42:2 …described His un-turbulent spirit towards His violent enemies (Mt 12:14-16), and His utter freedom from love of notoriety, so His tenderness in cherishing the first spark of grace in the penitent (Isa 40:11)."
Jesus spoke against judgmentalism—which is the mark of intolerance toward others. He said, "Judge not, that ye be not judged (Matthew 7:1).
Again, the JF&B Commentary article on Matthew 7:1 is insightful: "To "judge" here does not exactly mean to pronounce condemnatory judgment, nor does it refer to simple judging at all, whether favorable or the reverse. The context makes it clear that the thing here condemned is that disposition to look unfavorably on the character and actions of others, which leads invariably to the pronouncing of rash, unjust, and unlovely judgments upon them. No doubt it is the judgments so pronounced which are here spoken of; but what our Lord aims at is the spirit out of which they spring. Provided we eschew this unlovely spirit, we are not only warranted to sit in judgment upon a brother's character and actions, but in the exercise of a necessary discrimination are often constrained to do so for our own guidance. It is the violation of the law of love involved in the exercise of a censorious disposition that alone is here condemned. And the argument against it—"that ye be not judged"—confirms this: "that your own character and actions be not pronounced upon with the like severity"; that is, at the great day."
Extremism and judgmentalism are not godliness—regardless of orientation. Jesus summed up the Ten Commandments into two:
"Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:37-40)
I hope that you all have a GREAT SABBATH and weekend. Please travel safely.
Carl E. McNair