Greetings everyone,
I hope that you have all had a safe and successful week. Everyone here is fully engaged in the work, with nobody ill to my knowledge.
INTERNATIONAL
From the French Department: The May report on the French Internet site activity is most encouraging!
The number of visitors has increased almost 27% compared to April. Above all, we have had a strong increase in broadcast downloads for May—a total of 373. As a comparison, we only had 512 downloads for all of 2001. The number of article downloads has also doubled over last month.
It was September last year when we crossed the 2000 mark. This year we have already reached 2190 for the period of January-May. Another current trend is the percentage of United States versus non United States visitors. We are seeing a significant increase from Belgium, Canada and France and this month we had our first two web-surfers from French Polynesia.
We wish you all a good weekend (less rainy and stormy than here) as well as a good coming Sabbath.
Though small compared to the English-language figures (the www.lcg.org site had more than 35 gigabytes of material downloaded in May, during more than 25,000 visitor sessions in which more than 5,000 PDF files were downloaded and more than 40,000 RealPlayer files downloaded or played), the growing French Web effort should be encouraging to us all.
Rajan Moses report on visit to India:
Rajan returned home safely from Chennai (Madras), South India, after a very interesting and successful trip. Bhimavaram (in Andhra Pradesh) is going through a dry season with temperatures between 41-51 degrees Celsius (107F-123F). Sadly, over 1300 elderly people have died thus far from the terrible heat.
Raj Kumar met the plane after having traveled for 13 hours by train from Bhimavaram. We took the 45-minute taxi ride to the city and stayed the rest of the night at the Picnic Hotel, which really was no picnic! Raj Kumar and I travelled in the evening of the next day to a Appanacheravu to visit a group of 60 who were waiting for us. I spoke on "What True Christianity Is" and "How Pagan Customs and Beliefs were accepted as Christianity."
On Wednesday morning of May 29 I met with16 Elders. I spoke to them on "Satan's Great Deception." I showed how Nimrod, the Mighty Hunter, in the book of Genesis, started the apostasy after the flood. They began to understand how the ancient worship common in India today began. They can see that Nimrod (who wore a Leopard spotted sash or cloak and a snake on his head) is worshipped today under the name of Sivan (Sheva) and other names in other states in India….
I also showed them how this same religion became infused into Christianity after the death of Christ and the original apostles. [The origin of] Christmas, the Christmas tree, Easter, Sunday worship and observance of other pagan festivals were clearly shown to all the men at the meeting. In the afternoon I covered the topics, "Who and What is God" and "The God of the Old Testament." All this was new information to these people.
I talked to the elders about Clean and Unclean Animals, Coming out of the World, True Repentance and Baptism. I explained Acts 18 and 19—how Apollos who had the baptism of John, needed baptism and the laying on of hands to receive the Holy Spirit.
Of the 3000 or more who originally expressed interest in the Living Church of God we expect about 600 to 700 people will continue and observe the Feast of Tabernacles this year.
Church Administration
Please note two important announcements for our Youth from Mr. Gerald Weston:
- Attention all Teens: There is still room for a few more teens to attend Living Youth Camp Michigan 2002. All staff positions are now full, but there is room for ones who would like to come as CAMPERS. This Michigan camp is open to all teens ages 13-18. Don't miss this golden opportunity to spend some time with other teens of like belief in a beautiful and fun-filled atmosphere.
For an application, call Sue Ruddlesden at: 858-673-7470, ext. 219, or
download an application on the web at: www.youth-web.org
- Attention All Pre-Teens: Plans for Living Youth Camp Ontario, Canada have been finalized. Applications are now available for 8-12 year olds who want to take a four-day trip into the Algonquin Provincial Park. Activities will include: camping, canoeing, fishing, hiking, swimming, and much more. We will be traveling into the park by canoe beginning Monday, August 19 and returning Thursday, August 22.
Tuition is CN $75 (U.S. $50) for campers, and CN $25 (U.S. $20) for staff. Since this is a wilderness trip, no additional money will be needed.
If you would like to be a pioneer at this new camp, you may download an application at: www.youth-web.org. Or, you may call: 905-671-3730. The deadline is July 8, and camp is limited to a maximum of 20 campers and 10 staff members.
COMMENTS
Here in San Diego the weather has been reasonably cool, but in much of the western United States there is serious drought. And, when the area is dry there are always lots of brush and forest fires.
Many large fires are nearing containment, we are told, but it seems as soon as a large fire is contained another breaks out. To quote the National Fire News, "Three new large fires were reported and three were contained yesterday. There are currently 25 large fires burning in 10 states for a total of about 500,000 acres."
Fire is a natural element in cleansing and renewing in nature. It is also the fruit of carelessness and sin. God gave man the duty to groom and care for the land. Unfortunately man has forgotten God and tends to fall into one of two extremes. He either exploits the land (rather than careing for it), or he becomes a worshipper of it.
Exploitation is immediately apparent—the hills are denuded and the streams and rivers are filled with soil washed away by rains. Mud slides and gullies traverse the terrain.
Land worshippers typically speak lovingly of "mother earth." They would prevent responsible harvesting of mature timber and suppression of control burning. The ultimate end is inordinate accumulation of fuel on the ground and diseased and dying stands of timber that should have been harvested—and extremely hot forest fires that sometimes sterilize the soil.
God speed the day when Jesus Christ rules the earth in righteousness!
Have a great Sabbath. Drive safely.
Carl McNair