Greetings brethren,
The news coming out of Europe and the Middle East has certainly been sobering. Angry Muslims rioting, burning Danish and Norwegian flags and attacking embassies, threaten a real "clash of civilizations" between the biblical king of the north and the king of the south. This all bears watching. Please draw attention to the items in this week's News and Prophecy section.
On the local front, Mr. Meredith has returned from a very positive visit to Mexico City with Mr. Hernandez (please read Mr. Meredith's following report carefully). Dr. Winnail has returned from a productive visit to East Africa and the UK, and Mr. Rod McNair had a profitable visit to congregations in Milwaukee and Chicago. Their reports appear below. Mr. Ames and Mr. Crockett accompanied Mr. Meredith to Phoenix to make contact with a new TV time-buying company. Next week Mr. Meredith and Mr. Ames will be taping new Tomorrow's World programs.
FROM THE PRESIDING EVANGELIST
Dear Fellow Servants of Jesus Christ,
I returned Monday evening from an important trip to Phoenix and Mexico City. Messrs. Ames, Crockett and I met in Phoenix with a large company which places programs and advertisements on television, radio and other media. They gave us a very helpful presentation of how the industry really works and what they could do for us as we grow larger. We are looking into the possibility of using more than one agency to place our programs and to give us more flexibility and better pricing if that is possible.
Then, I flew alone to Mexico City—a trip which had already been planned weeks ago. Mr. Mario Hernandez has been strongly encouraging me for years to visit our congregation in Mexico City and it was truly inspiring to be there with him and with the 104 brethren who were able to make it to services this past Sabbath. They are exceedingly warm, affectionate and enthusiastic. Mr. Hernandez has obviously been doing a great job and God has used him in a powerful way all across Latin America. So I am very encouraged by the growth in the Work there and wonderful prospects for the future.
However, arriving back here in Charlotte, I was very concerned by the drop in our income! I knew that it had been below average when I had left, but sincerely felt that it would quickly pick up late January or at least in the early part of February. However, today, February 9, the U.S. income is down 13% for the entire year-to-date so far in 2006. This is indeed very serious!
Before I left on my trip, I needed to talk with both Messrs. Lambert Greer and Jonathan McNair about other matters—and so I took the opportunity to ask them about why the income had been dragging so far this year. Did they know of any problems in the field or anything else that would cause this? They both indicated that the morale of the brethren was good, but the terribly high heating and utility bills were really cutting into the finances of many of our brethren. With the price of oil still over $60 a barrel, hundreds of our brethren are shocked at receiving their highest-ever utility bills. Just now, I called Mr. Rand Millich and asked him about the same problem. He confirmed our understanding that the shock of these high utility bills was undoubtedly the primary reason for the sudden drop in the Work's income.
So now, in what is becoming an urgent situation, I am asking all of God's people to join with me in praying fervently that God will intervene and deliver us from this potential financial crisis. God does not expect us to "give what we do not have." So I don't want any of our poor widows or others to hurt themselves by giving beyond their means. However, I do ask all of you brethren who are able to genuinely "dig deep" at this time and send in your tithes and extra offerings so that we do not have to cancel any television stations or make any other severe cutbacks in the Work of Christ.
Please act soon, brethren! The need is great and the time is now.
With Christian love,
Roderick C. Meredith
CHURCH ADMINISTRATION
Visit to East Africa. After visiting our congregation in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, where we baptized seven people, Mr. Muthama and I flew back to Nairobi, Kenya. We then traveled more than 200 km to Homa Bay in western Kenya on the shores of Lake Victoria. We met with our congregation in Ndhiwa (about 75 attending) on the Sabbath and several combined congregations (just over 50 attending) in Rongo for a Bible Study and questions on Sunday. On Monday we drove to Kisii, where we met with about 80 new brethren for a Bible Study and for a lunch. On Tuesday we drove back to Nairobi, and on Wednesday we drove out into the country about 80 km from Nairobi to visit and deliver food to several families affected by the drought that is currently afflicting parts of East Africa. On Wednesday evening I caught an overnight flight back to London, and on Friday I caught another flight to the USA. On this trip it was encouraging to see the interest and enthusiasm for God's Truth and that a large number of the brethren in East Africa have remained stable and have grown during the doctrinal confusion that affected the area in the last year.—Douglas Winnail
Visit to Milwaukee and Chicago. I had a pleasant trip to the "frigid north" last weekend, to see the brethren in Milwaukee and Chicago. It was good to see everyone. The temperatures outside were cold, but the fellowshipping inside was warm and welcoming! I also enjoyed visiting with Mr. Lovelady and his family, who have been there since their move in November. Mr. Lovelady and his family are adjusting well and enjoying the upper Midwest. His only "disappointment" was that the Wisconsin weather hasn't lived up to his expectations (no snow on the ground)! But I suspect there's always February, March and April for that to be rectified. I also appreciated the opportunity to spend some time with my mother, who was in town to see family, and other relatives in Milwaukee I had not seen for a while.—Rod McNair
PASSOVER 2006
Important Notice to Pastors. This year the Passover will be observed after sunset on Tuesday, April 11—a little over two months from now. Please let us know without delay whether any of the congregations you serve will need additional Passover service supplies (bread trays and/or glasses) or a copy of the Passover Service recording. A new Passover Service CD will be available this year. Direct all your Passover service supplies and Passover Service CD requests to the Church Administration Department by e-mail at [email protected] or, by phone, at 704-844-1970 as soon as possible, so that we may mail you these items well in advance of this most important date.
MEDIA
UK TV Responses. Mr. Wayne Pyle reports, "We have received 4,801 phone calls in response to our telecast on the Inspiration Network International (INI) since we started in April last year. These responses have come from 19 countries…We should receive our 5,000th TV response this month. INI is performing real well for us."
LEGAL
Conscientious Objector Status (to be read in all U.S. congregations). For several years the Church has been encouraging its older teens and young men and women to register their conscientious objection to war and military service. International events may soon prompt western democracies to reinstitute the draft. It would be wise for parents, pastors and elders to counsel young people in their areas about the need to consider their commitment to God, His laws and His Church. If a draft is reinstated, the difficulty of proving conscientious objection to war and military service becomes much more difficult than if a person has already gone on record as holding a religious belief against serving in the armed forces. To request an information package and forms, please contact the Legal Affairs office here at headquarters. Requests may be e-mailed to [email protected], or call (704) 844-1970.
Those among the Living Church of God previously discharged or retired from the military (who may be eligible for reactivation) wishing the Church's assistance in establishing their CO status, as well as those currently in the military (active, reserves or National Guard) wishing the Church's assistance in their attempt to be discharged, should contact Mr. Gary Ehman, at [email protected] or at (704) 844-1960, ext. 216. Mr. Ehman is the Draft Counselor in CAD working in conjunction with Legal Affairs to provide such assistance.
COMMENTS
Warnings about false teachers. Jesus warned at the beginning of His ministry, "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing" (Matthew 7:15-23) and again at the end of His ministry, "many will come in My name… and deceive many" (Matthew 24:3-4, 15, 24). Peter and Paul warned about false teachers who would trouble the Church, promote divisions and seek followers by preaching their own unique mix of doctrinal ideas (I Corinthians 1:10-17; 11:17-19; II Corinthians 11:1-4; Galatians 1:6-9; 6:12; I Thessalonians 1:6; I Timothy 1:3-7; 4:1-5). Peter predicted that presumptuous and self-willed false teachers would promote destructive heresies that would attract many followers (II Peter 2). Some may assume that it is impossible for "the elect" to be deceived, but if that were true, there would be no need for all these warnings. In recent years we have witnessed an explosion of self-proclaimed prophets, apostles and teachers both in and outside the Church of God. However, God has also provided biblical directions to provide guidance through these challenging times. Jesus said leaders will be known 'by their fruits"—by their track record (Matthew 7:16). They must speak according to the Scriptures and not put their own twist on isolated verses (Isaiah 8:20; II Peter 3:16). They must teach "the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:25-27) and hold fast to what they have been taught (I Thessalonians 5:19; II Thessalonians 3:3:6). Recognizing false teachers will also require spiritual discernment (II Timothy 1:6-7) which comes as a result of nourishing God's Spirit. These are important tools that God provides to help us avoid being deceived by false teachers.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas Winnail
NEWS AND PROPHECY—February 9, 2006
Cartoons Trigger International Crisis. The world reaction to Danish cartoons depicting Muhammad as a leader of violence has spawned violent reactions among Muslims and produced sudden realignments in Europe and the Middle East. European nations friendly to the Middle East are recoiling under attacks by infuriated Muslims. Oft-squabbling European nations are now standing together with Danes and Norwegians against what they perceive as an Islamic onslaught. Previously internally-divided Islamic nations, split between Shiites and Sunnis, are now rallying together in defense of Muhammad. Secular/Christian Europe and the Islamic Middle East are taking opposing positions, "the long-standing chasm between the West and the world of Islam is getting wider. It may even be heading toward a civilizational war" (The Charlotte Observer, Feb. 9, 2006. See Daniel 11:41-65). In the Middle East, the Syrians, Lebanese, Hamas in Gaza, and the more powerful Iran, are seeking center-stage as the defender of Islam. In Europe, Germany is front and center with Chancellor Merkel pointedly commenting, "Iran is not just a threat to Israel, but also to the democratic countries of this world" (Deutsche Welle online, Feb. 6, 2006). Writer George Friedman notes, "there is something exceedingly odd in the notion that Denmark -- which has made a national religion of not being offensive to anyone -- could become the focal point of Muslim rage" (Stratfor: Geopolitical Intelligence Report, Feb. 7, 2006). This traditionally quiet nation, along with Norway, is suddenly at the center of a fray that is working to unify Europe and polarize it against the Islamic Middle East—a situation long predicted in the Scriptures (See Daniel 11:41-45)
Hastening the Return of a Muslim Messiah? The current President of Iran, Dr. Ahmadinejad, is a Ph.D. in engineering and former Revolutionary Guardsman. He is also a member of an obscure Shiite sect that eagerly anticipates the return of the 12th Imam or the Mahdi. His religious sect believes the righteous descendent of Muhammad will soon return and usher in universal peace, but that his return will be preceded by cosmic signs, plagues and pestilence, and war. President Ahmadinejad apparently believes the return of this Muslim Messiah can be hastened by "the creation of chaos on earth"—something he and other religious zealots may be able to facilitate through their actions and influence (Washington Times online, Feb. 6, 2006). Iran views itself as the defender of Islam, and Ahmadinejad appears to see himself as the great catalyst. It remains to be seen whether he or some other yet-to-emerge leader will bring to pass the prophesied conflict between the king of the north and the king of the south (Daniel 11:41-45).
Origins of the Great War of 2007—And How It Could Have Been Prevented. In a poignant and sobering commentary, Niall Ferguson, a British historian and Harvard University professor, opens with the question "Are we living through the origins of the next world war?" He then speculates on how historians "might" one day look back on our time in history (The Independent, Jan. 15, 2006). It is sobering that not only does the Bible point to our time as the "last days," but people without an understanding of Bible prophecy also see "the handwriting on the wall" and recognize the ominous threat of a "clash of civilizations" that is facing the world today. The question is, do we see "the handwriting on the wall" or will we be caught sleeping – by failing to watch? (see Matthew 25:1-13).—Scott Winnail, Daniel Bennett, Glen Gilchrist