Greetings brethren,
At an employee meeting this week, Mr. Meredith mentioned that we have had a 31% increase in television responses over last year and that we have received more than 1,000 "goto" requests so far this year. These are exciting signs! Mr. Meredith also reminded everyone that we are part of a great end-time crusade to reach this world with a powerful message, and urged us to stay focused on God's priorities of finishing the Work (Colossians 3:2). Mr. Ames encouraged our staff members to strive to become even more productive servants in God's Work. We were saddened to hear of the death of Mr. Ken MacLeod from cancer. Mr. MacLeod was a long-time member and elder in Perth, Australia. Your prayers will be appreciated for his wife Margaret and their family (see announcement below). Let's all be mindful that even while God is opening doors to carry on His Work, Satan is also busy sowing seeds of criticism and doubt among those who are susceptible to his way of thinking.
CHURCH ADMINISTRATION
Obituary: Kenneth Robert MacLeod (1931-2006), Living Church of God Elder.
The Australian churches were saddened this week to learn of the death of long-time faithful member and minister, Mr. Ken MacLeod.
Ken and his wife Margaret were baptized in 1964 in Perth, Western Australia. It was another two years before a congregation was established in Perth and the MacLeods eventually were able to fellowship with other brethren. In the late 1960s Mr. MacLeod was ordained a deacon, and ten years later he was ordained an elder. In 1993, Mr. MacLeod became the first minister in the Australasian region to openly take a stand against the heresies of the late 80s and early 90s. He loved God's Work and the Truth. Mr. MacLeod was dearly loved by so many over the years and set a sterling example in conversion and character. He was kind, a gentleman, a diplomat, a peacemaker and an ambassador for God's Kingdom.
He died peacefully last Sunday morning, June 18, after a short battle with cancer. The MacLeods were married in 1951. Mr. MacLeod leaves a widow, Margaret, three daughters, Christine, Marlane and Caroline, and eight grandchildren. He was 75.
(Funeral services were held Thursday, June 22, at the Fremantle Cemetery and were conducted by Regional Pastor, Evangelist Bruce Tyler).
Feast of Tabernacles 2006
Festival Assistance (announcement for USA members only)
If you will need festival assistance to attend this year's Feast of Tabernacles, please contact your Pastor for a Festival Assistance form. For planning purposes, we need all assistance requests to be filled out and given to your Pastor as soon as possible. Please don't send them directly to Headquarters—the form requires your Pastor's signature. Deadline is July 31, 2006.
Lake Taupo, New Zealand
Our Feast site in Lake Taupo, New Zealand, has reached capacity and therefore requests for transfers to New Zealand can no longer be approved.
Ministerial Resources Online (Church Administration section of Member Resources Web site)
Attention Ministers: To access the Church Administration section of the Member Resources Web site, go to www.cogl.org and click on "My LCG" or on "Church Admin." Login to "My LCG" by entering your Personal Identification Number or PIN (the 11-digit number that appears on the top of your name and address label on your Church correspondence) and Password. The Ministerial Resources sections will appear on a box on the right side of the screen under the header "Church Administration," just below the "Festival Site Information" box. If you have never logged into "My LCG" and, therefore, do not have a password, you will need to create a new account (you will need your PIN). Tip: You can go directly to www.cogl.org/firstsignon.shtml to create a new account. If you encounter any problems, please contact Mr. Rod McNair at [email protected].
NEWS FROM HEADQUARTERS—Compiled by Rod McNair
Finance: While we are holding steady at around 6% growth for the year, none of our three Holy Days so far in 2006 have "made budget." In other words, they didn't increase at the rate that we had hoped for. Please continue to pray for God's guidance and blessings on the income—and especially that He would call more co-workers to lend their hand in the Work! A mid-year financial planning meeting will take place on July 7.
Information Technology: Joshua Penman, a new arrival to Headquarters, is helping out in the Information Technology department. He has joined Josh Beattie and Leif Kareliusson. Leif just came on board last January. These gentlemen have helped out a great deal already in the computer area, where we have a real need.
News Bureau: Mr. Davis reported that the news has seemed to reach a "plateau of catastrophe" in which the norm is calamity, upset and unrest. It certainly appears to be a sign of our times. It is taken as the norm, and people aren't interested until "something big" happens.
CAD: Festival sermons are being taped by CAV—Dr. Scott Winnail taped one this week.
Editorial: The advance copies of the new Tomorrow's World have come in, and Donna Prejean is assembling the next Living Church News, which will include the financial audit. The new booklet which is advertised in Mr. Meredith's semi-annual letter has been sent to the printer.
MEDIA
Mr. Wayne Pyle reports, "The superlatives keep on coming, despite five pre-emptions this weekend! We aired program #277, 'Seven Keys to Effective Prayer,' offering the booklet, Twelve Keys to Answered Prayer (TK). From Thursday through Sunday, we received 2,378 phone calls. Nevertheless, it looks like by the end of the week we will eclipse the 3,000 mark… Our new station in Phoenix, KAZT-TV, matched last week's count with 50 replies. The new leased access station in Seattle generated seven replies for about $14 per response. The new station in Salt Lake City failed to start Thursday because of some kind of channel mix up…
"The highest response to this week's lit offer, Twelve Keys to Answered Prayer, came two years ago from program #192, 'Peace of Mind Through Prayer,' which produced 2,798 responses. Thus, this week's program sets a new record. As of this week we are 31 percent above last year at the same time for TV response in the United States and Canada… The response to our UK coverage should pass the 8,000-mark today."
COMMENTS
Judging vs. Judgments. Jesus taught that Christians should not criticize or condemn others when He said, "Judge not that you be not judged" (Matthew 7:1-5). He said we are hypocrites if we (who have obvious faults) assume it is our responsibility to point out and dwell on the faults of others. Real Christians will examine themselves to see whether they are "in the faith" and living up to biblical standards (I Corinthians 11:28-32, II Corinthians 13:5-6). Yet Jesus also taught that we must exercise discernment and make wise judgments. We must be able to determine right from wrong and recognize false teachers (Matthew 7:13-20) and avoid those who do not speak according to the word of God (Isaiah 8:20). One role of a biblical shepherd is to warn the flock about dangerous individuals (Romans 16:17). For some in our politically-correct and non-judgmental age this is repugnant, shows a lack of love and smacks of prejudice, yet the Apostle Paul did not hesitate to name individuals who posed a threat to the spiritual health of individuals or congregations (see II Timothy 1:15; 2:17; 4:10, 14). I hope we can appreciate the difference between judging (criticizing and condemning) and making wise judgments.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
NEWS AND PROPHECY—June 22, 2006
Protestant Churches Welcome Homosexual Ministers. The Episcopal Church—the U.S. branch of the Anglican Communion—elected its first female leader this week. Her gender and pro-homosexual vision could further aggravate the growing divide within the Anglican Church over these issues (New York Times, June 19, 2006). At a convention this week, Episcopalians also rejected the idea that Jesus is the only savior of mankind (UPI, June 21, 2006). Meanwhile, the U.S. Presbyterian Church voted to allow local congregations to ordain homosexuals to the clergy. Sexual orientation and sexual practices are apparently no longer "essential issues" for church clergy (The Charlotte Observer, June 21, 2006)—even though the Bible clearly teaches against these behaviors (Leviticus 20:13). Long ago, God predicted, "In the last days…men will be lovers of themselves [selfish]… unholy… without self-control… despisers of what is good… lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (II Timothy 3:1-5). God also warned, "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness…" (Isaiah 5:20). It is sobering that churches supposedly based on the Bible are showing by their actions that they no longer believe the Bible!
The Alien Shall Rise Higher and Higher. "One fifth (20%) of London's financial district is now in German hands" (The Times, May 31, 2006). In addition, "The Spanish Armada" is increasing its control in the U.K. Spain just purchased the world's top airport operator BAA—owner of seven U.K. airports and airports in Italy, Hungary, Australia and the U.S. (The Times, June 8, 2006). Spain's latest U.K. purchase was made possible by an EU mandate for Britain to sell its controlling shares in BAA. Meanwhile, "the European Commission has been sitting on a 'cash mountain' of up to 21 billion pounds" (nearly US$40 billion). "The maintenance of such huge cash balances suggests the commission is establishing its own state resources—the hallmark of an emerging independent state" (The Sunday Times, June 8, 2006). As the EU grows in political and economic power, Israelite nations like Britain are increasingly selling out to foreign investors. God prophesied, "The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head and you shall be the tail" (Deuteronomy 28:43-44). While some suggest that the events of today are not unique and are just a continuation of history, those who "watch," as Jesus commanded, know that never before have so many world events come together in a way that so clearly fulfills Bible prophecy!
When the Faucet Runs Dry, What Then? In New South Wales, Australia, a fifth year of drought is virtually shutting down the agricultural industry. "People are getting desperate again. A lot of people are scared it will become a way of the future… Farming families are leaving the land in search of employment in the cities." The government has directed Western Australian grain growers to stop sowing crops because there is no rain in sight for at least two weeks. (Daily Telegraph [Australia], June 21, 2006). In southern Spain, southwestern England and southern France, the threat of water shortage is growing. Parts of Portugal, Italy and Greece have not yet recovered from the record heat of three years ago. Spain is experiencing the worst drought in nearly 60 years, with water tables and reservoirs at a 10-year low. In southeastern England, water reserves are down 46 percent. This summer's pending water shortages in Europe, according to experts, will begin economic and social dislocations throughout the continent (Gulf Times [Qatar], June 17, 2006). In the mid-western United States, lack of rain is causing crops to wither and prompting cattle to be sent to market early because of a shortage of water and forage (Associated Press, June 20, 2006). Few today realize that God warned this would happen and explained why (Amos 4:7-8). Humanity will ultimately come to realize who controls the weather and what happens when we ignore God and His word!—Scott Winnail, Dan Bennett, Don Davis