08/02/07
Greetings from Charlotte,
Mr. and Mrs. Meredith have returned from a very encouraging visit to the Living Youth Camp in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Mr. Meredith gave a Friday night Bible Study on the history of the Work and a Sabbath sermon on prayer for about 200 campers and staff. The near-perfect weather this year provided a backdrop for one of the best years of camp. Last weekend, Mr. and Mrs. Crockett and I were in Tyler, Texas, for a very inspiring Regional Conference that concluded with the ordination of Mr. Eddie Breaux from Lafayette, Louisiana, as an elder. We had over 165 in attendance for the combined Sabbath service and about 75 attended the conference. This week, Dr. Germano is in Charlotte making final arrangements for the start-up of fall semester classes for Living University.
Church Administration
Mr. Keith Walden sent us the following encouraging update on his health: “I wanted to let you know how I was doing with my cancer. I have regained my strength from the hospital infection. I have been able to get out and visit, as well as speak the last three Sabbaths. The tumors are still about the same but they do not bother me. I have a good diet and I am doing a lot of juicing and that is really helping. I want to thank everyone who sent cards or called. I really appreciate everyone’s kindness.”
USA West Region Update
Dr. Jeff Fall, USA West Regional Pastor, reports on activities in his region during June and July: The clear highlight of June was the Southwest conference in Scottsdale. Everything seemed to go very smoothly and the whole conference was an uplifting experience for all the attendees. The presentations along with the general harmony and great fellowship sparked camaraderie. Of course, the addition of many couples who had never been to a conference before added an extra dimension of excitement and enthusiasm.
The annual Wyoming family weekend organized by Ben and Mary-Pat Whitfield in southern Wyoming was held in early July. This three-day annual get-together gives the scattered Wyoming brethren a good opportunity to come together and fellowship.
Florida Update
Mr. Paul Shumway reports: We had a wonderful Sabbath in Ft. Lauderdale last weekend. There was a servers’ meeting after services and almost the entire congregation attended! It was very upbeat. We have had four brand new people begin attending in the last two months—three were present for services and the meeting. I am also counseling four others for baptism. We baptized two in Tampa last week! The new growth has been very encouraging to our members here!
German Update
Mr. Adrian Kaefer reports: Today we completed seven full years since the German website, www.weltvonmorgen.org, was launched. During this time we had about 150,000 unique visitors (one-third from Germany) who downloaded more than 120,000 pieces of literature. In addition, 4,500 printed publications were sent by mail. So far this year we have had as many visitors to the website as in all of 2006. Many more people read documents online, so the amount of downloads stayed about the same (with a very slight increase).
Feast of Tabernacles 2007
Cancelling Reservations at JR Executive Inn in Paducah. JR’s Executive Inn in Paducah has assured us that they will automatically cancel our members’ reservations. However, we now are told that you should still call the hotel to confirm that your housing reservation has, in fact, been cancelled.
Media
Internet Update. Last Friday we completed another important upgrade on our Church websites. This particular upgrade increased the number of people who can simultaneously watch the sermons on the LCG and COGL websites. Those who use this feature on our websites have already noticed the shorter load times and smoother streaming of the sermons. A library of sermons recorded at the HQ congregation is available at www.lcg.org and also at www.cogl.org. –J. Charles Ogwyn
Comments
Seeking God’s Guidance: In the Scriptures we are admonished, “Seek the Lord while He may be found” (Isaiah 55:6). We are also told that God will look to those who are humble and teachable and “tremble at My word” (Isaiah 66:2). King David, a man after God’s own heart, modeled the attitude that God is looking for when he wrote, “Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes… Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:33, 105). Jesus emphasized this same theme when He instructed His disciples to “live by… every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Jesus also taught, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled”—because earnestly seeking God’s guidance is the way to real and lasting rewards (Matthew 5:6).
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—August 2, 2007
America’s Failing Infrastructure. To many, the United States is a vast land of riches and opportunity. Yet beneath the surface is another story. The recent explosion of a 100 year-old steam pipe in New York City has drawn media attention to the crumbling infrastructure of the nation. A recently released 2005 “report card” from the American Society of Civil Engineers, grading the condition of the U.S. infrastructure, gave America a “D” letter grade—a failing mark! In their review of 15 essential categories, including: dams, bridges, water supply and facilities, energy and power grid, waste disposal, roads and more, the Society totaled the current cost of “essential updates” needed at $1.6 trillion, without security upgrades. The backbone of America, its infrastructure, is literally crumbling (www.asce.org/reportcard/2005/page.cfm?id=103, 2007). God warned that Israel’s sins would result in its cities being laid waste, its sanctuaries being destroyed, and its people being scattered among nations (Leviticus 26:31-33). Jesus accused the Pharisees of being “whitewashed tombs” (Matthew 23:27)—having internal problems despite their handsome appearance. America’s crumbling infrastructure brings this same verse to mind. God may allow this long-neglected infrastructure to hasten the demise of this once-great nation.
Things Are Heating Up! The United States is at top alert level for potential fire outbreaks, the National Interagency Fire Center reported on July 23, 2007. In its National Fire News, the NIFC warned that “thunderstorm activity will increase in the West over the next few days,” leading to an increase in lightning strikes that can lead to fires. Dry lightning storms have been responsible for most of the estimated 559 wildfires across the U.S. this year, affecting 4,359,680 acres in eleven states. More land has burned in the last seven months than in the previous ten years combined! From 1997 through 2006, just 3,051,258 acres were lost to fires. Dangerously dry conditions, caused by drought, are the chief cause of this year’s rampant fire activity. Meanwhile, Agence France-Presse (July 25, 2007) reported that high temperatures in Hungary led to 500 deaths in July. While Britain was enduring its worst flooding in decades, Europeans from Italy to Greece, and across the Balkans, were seared by temperatures from 104 to 113 degrees Fahrenheit. In Romania, 860 people reportedly fainted in the streets from the heat. God anciently warned, “Behold, I will kindle a fire in you, and it shall devour every green tree and every dry tree in you; the blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be scorched by it. All flesh shall see that I, the LORD, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched” (Ezekiel 20:47-48). Are we starting to see this happen now?
The Global Impact of Harry Potter. The Bible has long been the world’s most widely read and owned book, but perhaps not for long. Is there anyone who has not heard of Harry Potter, a fictional wizard created by J. K. Rowling? Rowling’s seven-book series was completed in late July just as a movie of the fifth book opened. Harry Potter has sold more than 325 million copies in 66 languages. Using spells, magic, potions and curses, this captivating series follows the hero, Harry through seven years of his life, to his destiny—the final battle with the Dark Lord, Voldemort. Absent of any examples of God, Christ and prayer, this book series focuses on the cosmic struggle of good versus evil, and reliance on the inner self, love, and the power emotions bring. Significantly, when the author of a recent Time Magazine article asked the question: “Who dies in Harry Potter?” the answer is “God”—because Harry “lives in a world free of any religion or spirituality of any kind” (Time, July 12, 2007)—and the impact of this anti-sacred idea is global. In Israel, shopkeepers sold Harry Potter books at midnight on the Sabbath, against national law (Der Spiegel, July 19, 2007). Rowling has also chosen the release day for most of her books to be Friday night at midnight—on God’s Sabbath. Harry Potter has also gained the approval of churches around the globe, including the Vatican (BBC, July 18, 2007), in spite of his use of crafts that God condemns in the Scriptures. These dark “fictional” stories reveal much of the mind and tactics of our adversary Satan the devil. Meanwhile they justify and glamorize actions that God hates. Satan is clearly placing evil in a package that appears good (Isaiah 5:20) by making Harry Potter a poster child around the world.—Scott Winnail and Don Davis
COGwriter 2007