Greetings brethren,
Mr. Meredith has just finished a powerful letter to brethren and co-workers discussing our mission as a Church and important prophetic developments on the world scene. The letter will be mailed to more than 7,000 recipients. Mr. and Mrs. Ray Clore visited Charlotte last weekend. Mr. Clore (an elder in the Washington, D.C., area and recently retired from the U.S. State Department) gave a moving sermon about the challenges and opportunities facing young people in the Church today. I will be traveling to Texas this weekend to visit several congregations.
HEADQUARTERS UPDATES
Finance and Media: The 2005 income is coming in at about 6.7% above last year. The budgeted income was 6.5%, so that is good news. Responses to last week's TV program, "Restoring Apostolic Christianity" presented by Mr. Meredith are expected to exceed 2,000. The New Orleans TV station WHNO has resumed broadcasting after their technical facilities and office complexes were virtually destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, so Tomorrow's World is once again being aired again on WHNO. This week the Editorial Department is finishing production of the January-February LCN. Production will begin next week for the March-April issue of the TW.
Church Safety: Last year a policy was created that a first aid kit should be kept at the location where each congregation meets—and, if possible, someone with skills in first aid should be designated to administer aid. In addition, it might be wise to encourage anyone who is interested to obtain training in CPR. This individual could then be a resource person in case of emergency. It would also be a wise precautionary measure to have emergency phone numbers posted in the meeting hall for ambulance, fire and police—and to have several people designated to make calls in case of emergency.
Advance notice of TV appeal. On a recent Tomorrow's World program, Mr. Meredith made an appeal that any listener who wanted to speak to a minister should respond with a call to our answering service or an email to our website. As of Thursday, January 12, we have already received 40 visit requests—the highest we have seen at one time as a result of a direct TV appeal.
Festival Office: Plans continue to move forward for the Feast of Tabernacles 2006. One contract is being finalized, others are in various stages of completion. Please continue to pray that God will guide the process so everything will go smoothly—avoiding any unnecessary "hiccups" or surprises! Pastors, this year we will once again be asking you to designate a "festival advisor" in each of the congregations you serve. Please be thinking about to whom you would like to delegate this responsibility.
LOCAL CHURCH ACTIVITY
Chattanooga Family Weekend: The Chattanooga, Tennessee, congregation is planning a spring family weekend for March 3-4, 2006. There will be a Bible study on Friday night, March 3, and a dinner/dance with a buffet-style meal ($25 per person above the age of 3) on Saturday night, March 4. This is to be a night full of fun and fellowship with good food and good music. These activities will be held at the Convention Center in downtown Chattanooga. Special rates for our members have been negotiated with nearby hotels. All those interested in participating should contact Ronney or Debra Downs at [email protected], or call 423-622-0574, as soon as possible for registration and further information.
COMMENTS
Keys to Joy and Happiness. Sadness and depression afflict millions of people today. These negative attitudes often seem more intense during and after the winter holiday season. Christmas gifts and parties simply do not bring lasting joy and happiness. However, the Bible provides numerous keys that point the way to real happiness. Long ago, David wrote, "Happy are the people whose God is the Lord" (Psalm 144:15). Solomon said happiness comes from finding true wisdom, trusting God and keeping the laws of God (Proverbs 3:13; 9:10; 16:20; 29:18). Jesus said that serving others was a key to happiness (John 13:12-17). The apostle Paul stated that the way to happiness included not compromising with what you know is right (Romans 14:22) and learning to focus your thoughts in a positive direction (Philippians 4:4, 8). It is instructive that Paul offered this advice while he was a prisoner (Philippians 1:12-13, 18). The most important key to understand is that happiness and joy are fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). God gives His Spirit to those who obey Him (Acts 5:32; John 15:10-12) and to those who learn to stir up and use His Spirit (II Timothy 1:6-7). Helen Keller, a woman born blind and yet became famous, made this observation, "Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. True happiness is not obtained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy cause." Our "worthy cause" is to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ that point the way to true happiness and the Kingdom of God. Have you found that path?
Have a joyful Sabbath,
Douglas Winnail
NEWS AND PROPHECY—January 12, 2006
World 'Losing Patience' With Iran. United Nations nuclear watchdog chairman Mohamed ElBaradei commented about his frustration in attempting to draw clear conclusions on Iran's intent to resume nuclear energy research. More recently (Monday, Jan. 9, 2005) Iran moved to resume testing by reopening nuclear test facilities. ElBaradei commented on Iran's inability to comply with the UN: "I am running out of patience, the international community is running out of patience…" (Mail & Guardian Online [South Africa], 9 Jan., 2006). While politically volatile Iran works to gain nuclear technology (with the help of Russia), distrust of and impatience with this nation grows, among the US, Israel, and even European nations. Prophetically speaking, world events must involve the growth of a middle eastern movement (King of the South), but events must also happen in such a way that a future King of the North will become more polarized and opposed to this southern force (Dan 11). We should all continue to watch these events with interest and humility.
Rebirth of the Russian Superpower? Russia possesses the world's largest gas reserves and the eighth largest oil reserves. "Russia believes it can regain some of its lost Soviet-era power by carving out a new role for itself as a natural resources superpower" (The Independent, 2 Jan., 2006). "Gazprom [Russian state-owned gas company] has declared its intention to control up to 10 percent of the gas supply to the US by 2015, as well as up to, if not more than, 30 percent of the European gas market…" This is "one battle in an unending struggle for global power and influence. The key weapon in the battle lines now being drawn is energy" (The Times, 27 Dec., 2005). Watch the continuing regionalization of power around the globe in light of Bible prophecy. Daniel talks about "news from the north and east" troubling the King of the North (Dan. 11:44) in the near future. In the words of journalist David Montagu-Smith, "Perhaps we should be concerned when Russia and China seem to be coming to recognize the scale of opportunity that a strategic partnership can offer them in terms of energy security and global influence?" (The Times, 27 Dec., 2005).
The US Economy: Is it Booming? Monday, the US economic stability measure, The Dow Jones Industrial Average, surged past the 11,000 mark for the first time in 4.5 years. (USA Today, Jan. 10, 2006). Late last week, the latest US unemployment figures were released and proved to be the lowest rate in more than five years (Yahoo News, Jan. 5, 2006). These indicators combine to give many economists the "feeling" that the US economy is still sound, despite rising inflation, falling home sales, an exploding trade deficit and national debt, and rising energy costs. But are these recent events (Rising Dow and dropping unemployment) just an illusion of economic stability? Some sources are suggesting so. One source forecasts that 2006 will show the greatest devaluation of the American dollar in recent history, as well as unprecedented and unbridled inflation (Weiss, Safe Money Report, Jan. 2006). Our Bible tells us to WATCH, because the return of Christ will come as a Thief in the Night – when people least expect Him (I Thes. 5:2). Positive economic indicators in many Israelite-descended nations may continue for a time, but we must pray and watch so that we are not caught off guard like the Foolish Virgins of Matthew 25.
The English Inquisition. "Eighty-minute police interrogation for couple who dared to suggest displaying Christian literature next to gay leaflets in a town hall. A retired couple were questioned at length by police after complaining about a council's gay rights campaign" and accused of acting in a way that was "close to a hate crime" (Daily Mail, Dec. 23, 2005). Most modern nations pride themselves on their laws of free speech and allow free speech to occur… unless that speech begins to disagree with ideals of non-Christians. Isaiah prophesied (Isa. 5:20) of a time, at the end of the age, when people would "…call evil good and good evil, that put darkness for light and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter" – basically turning right and wrong upside down. Is there any question that we are living in this prophesied end-time?—Scott Winnail, Daniel Bennett