As uncertainty and turmoil continue to increase on the world scene, the Work of God is surging ahead. In the last two weeks, Mr. Meredith has chaired two very productive meetings regarding our future use of the Internet. This week, Mr. Ames recorded a new Tomorrow’s World television program (#375) titled “Death, Resurrection, and Your Future,” offering a CD containing three programs (“Is There Life After Death?,” “The Three Resurrections” and “Are They All Lost Forever?”). Mr. and Mrs. Rod McNair had a very encouraging trip to Milwaukee and were able to visit with a number of brethren in that area. Last weekend 108 new people attended three Tomorrow’s World Bible Lectures—14 in Madison, Alabama; 40 in Jacksonville and 54 in Ocala, Florida (see reports below). Over the course of this week and on Sunday, there will have been eight more TW lectures! This coming Sabbath and Sunday, Mr. Joe Brown will present follow-up lectures in Jacksonville and Ocala on the theme “Where Is God’s Church Today?” and Mr. Jonathan McNair will present a TW lecture in Bordentown, New Jersey this Sabbath. Mr. Gerald Weston will do four TW lectures in western Canada this week, and Mr. Norm Aitchison will present a TW lecture this Sabbath in Victoria, British Columbia. Dr. Scott Winnail and Mr. Fitzroy Greeman will be in Barbados this weekend for services and to conduct a Leadership Training Conference. Your prayers for all of these activities are much appreciated.

 

 

Important Notice to All Pastors: Let us know as soon as possible if any of the congregations you serve will need additional Passover Service supplies (bread trays and/or wine trays or glasses) or even a copy of the Passover Service CDrecording. Additionally, let us know of any scattered members who need to receive the Passover Service CD and letter instructions to observe it at home (this is the same Passover CD that we have been using since 2006). Please direct your requests to Dorothy McNair at the Church Administration Department by e-mail at dmcnair@lcg.org or by phone at 704-844-1960, ext. 2248, as soon as possible to ensure timely delivery. 

 

Madison, Alabama: Area Pastor Mr. Bob League gave a Tomorrow’s World presentation on “Prophecy and the True Gospel” in Madison, Alabama, on the Sabbath of March 13. Fourteen subscribers along with most of our 36 members braved wind, cool temperatures and rain to hear the presentation. Several lingered long after the lecture to enjoy snacks and fellowship with members and ask questions. It was thrilling to witness the excitement of new people learning the Truth for the first time. A number indicated their intention to attend services next week and learn more about God’s awesome plan and about the true Christian Sabbath!—James Sweat

 

Jacksonville and Ocala, Florida: The Scriptures state “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’” (Isaiah 52:7; Romans 10:15). The churches of God in north Florida may not have been able to see his boot-covered feet, but Dr. Douglas Winnail preached those good things in Jacksonville and Ocala, Florida, last Sabbath and Sunday. A total of 167 people (including two ministers and some of their flocks) listened attentively to Tomorrow’s World Bible lectures titled, “What’s Ahead for America?” Forty “new” people attended in Jacksonville and 54 “new” people attended in Ocala. We are excited about the follow-up presentations this Sabbath and Sunday by our pastor, Mr. Joe Brown, who helped get us ready to give an answer (1 Peter 3:15) by giving us a list of 21 questions to study before the Bible lecture. What a pleasure it is to talk to new people interested in this great Work of God!—Tony Peacock

 

Messrs. Gerald Weston and Marc Arseneault report: In an effort to reinforce our position, our visibility, our strength, and our presence on the Internet, and to offer us an additional tool to preach the Gospel, a second French-language website, www.eglisedieuvivant.org, has been created by our staff at the Canadian Regional Office with Mr. Apartian’s approval. This website for l’Eglise du Dieu Vivant, is meant to complement our primary French-language website, www.tomorrowsworld.org, (the Le Monde de Demain website), just as we have complementary sites in English: www.TomorrowsWorld.org and www.lcg.org.

 

One of the goals of www.eglisedieuvivant.org is to increase the visibility of our booklets and other material.  It offers another entry point to fulfill the mission of the Church and it will generate more traffic to www.mondedemain.org by linking video, broadcast, and Bible Study Course requests to it, and thus raise our score on the various search engines.  The www.eglisedieuvivant.org site also allows us to link with www.TomorrowsWorld.org and www.lcg.org, thus increasing their search engine scores. We can also use this site to publish different content in the future—especially Canada-specific content.  Another advantage is that www.eglisedieuvivant.org allows us to publicize the name Eglise du Dieu Vivant, the French name of the Church, under which we are registered in Canada.  This site increases our flexibility and adds to our presence on the World Wide Web.

 

 

Mr. Mario Hernandez left San Diego last Monday, March 15, for South America on a four-week tour to visit congregations and brethren in Colombia, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. During this tour, he will give two live radio broadcasts in Cochabamba, Bolivia and in Santiago, Chile. In Chile, the title of his planned broadcast is “Earthquakes, Birth-Pangs of a New Era.” Your prayers for his successful visiting tour and radio broadcasts are appreciated.

 

 

The Anderson, South Carolina, congregation will host its third annual Upstate South Carolina Spring Holy Day Weekend from Friday, April 2 to Monday, April 5. Planned events include: a Friday evening Bible Study; regular Sabbath services on Saturday afternoon; and the Black and White Ball on Saturday night. On Sunday, the Picnic in the Park will feature: a softball game, a 5K race and 1 mile fun run if there is sufficient interest, zoo visits, a stroll to the Liberty Bridge, volleyball, and a picnic. On Monday, the Last Day of Unleavened Bread, there will be two services. Sabbath services and the Black and White Ball will once again be held at the Greenville Hilton.

 

Details about the event, such as an itinerary, lodging information, and a registration form are online at: www.lcg-anderson.org (not an official Church website). If you plan to attend, complete the online registration form or contact Manuel Burdette at 864-638-7719 by the extended registration deadline of Tuesday, March 23. Please remit payment in time for receipt by March 27. For further information, check the website or e-mail lcganderson@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you in Greenville!

 

 

 

International Festival registration is underway, with more than 400 brethren already registered for Alaska and more than 15 international sites.  If you are awaiting final approval on your registration, we hope to be able to notify you via e-mail of your approval soon.  Thank you for your patience while we work through some computer issues.

  

 

Come fellowship with about 30 of your Guyanese brethren in Guyana’s capital city of Georgetown. Guyana, a country of exceptional natural beauty, is a splendid combination of the Caribbean and South America, with fascinating touches of a sometimes turbulent past. Perched on the north-east corner of the South American continent, Guyana stretches 450 miles from its long Atlantic coastline into dense equatorial forest and the broad savannah of the Rupununi. The picturesque capital and primary port is Georgetown, a city of comfortable, modern hotels, fine colonial buildings, and broad, tree-lined boulevards. The striking wooden architecture is reminiscent of Guyana’s centuries as a Dutch, and then a British colony. Georgetown offers an evocative introduction to the land of Guyana.

 

Georgetown is about a 45-minute taxi ride from the international airport. Room rates are comparable to city hotel rates in the U.S., and usually include breakfast. When making hotel reservations you should correspond with the hotel manager and ask about a rate reduction or discount for your “extended” stay. Meal prices in Georgetown restaurants are affordable as is taxi service. One-way taxi fare in town is often less than USD$5. Rental vehicles are available for hire, however taxi transport will likely be sufficient. Festival services will be held at the Tower Hotel in downtown Georgetown. This and other recommended hotels’ contact information is available at the MyLCG section of www.cogl.org.

 

For further details on rates and a complete description of this site, please visit the MyLCG section of www.cogl.org and contact the Festival Coordinator, Mr. Fitzroy Greeman, at rgreeman@hotmail.com or, by phone, at +1-868-672-5251 or +1-868-672-5033. If you would like to attend the Feast in Georgetown, Guyana this year register online at MyLCG (www.cogl.org).

Still Bay (or Stilbaai, meaning “Peaceful Bay” in Afrikaans), in the Western Cape of South Africa, is part of the Garden Route and will be the site for the Feast of Tabernacles in 2010. It is situated 26 km away from the N2 main road between Mossel Bay and Riversdale at an estuary where the Goukou river meets the Indian Ocean. The nearest national airport is at George, 150 km from Stilbaai. The nearest international airport is at Cape Town, 350 km away. International visitors will be able to rent a car at either airport. Good quality accommodation is available at competitive prices. Although there are no hotels in Still Bay, holiday homes are available to rent from between R400 to R800 per day on average. Bed and breakfast and guest house accommodation is also available at between R250 and R350 per person per day. All the necessary services such as medical and supply services, which include three franchised grocery shops, many excellent restaurants and take-away food providers, are available. Services will be conducted in English.

 

For further details on rates and a complete description of this site, please visit the MyLCG section of www.cogl.org and contact the Festival Coordinator, Mr. Pieter van der Byl, at wyndover@wiapsa.net or, by phone, at +27-21-572-1002. If you would like to attend the Feast in South Africa this year register online at MyLCG (www.cogl.org).

Preparations are under way for the spring Holy Day season. The special green Holy Day offering envelopes were mailed to our members in the U.S. on February 23, so everyone should have received them by now. Using these envelopes for Holy Day offerings greatly speeds up the processing by our Accounting and Record Information Services departments, which helps control our expense.

 

If you have not received your Holy Day offering envelopes, please let us know by sending an e-mail to accounting@lcg.org or by calling 704-844-1970. As you plan your offering, please remember that Holy Day offerings are a very important part of the funding used to accomplish the Work of the Church. These offerings provide about 20% of the total revenue of the Church. Thank you for your continuing, generous support for preaching the Gospel message and “Feeding the Flock.”—Davy Crockett

Take Time to Think: The pace of life today continues to quicken. News reports, e-mails, cell phones, text messages and video games bombard us with information that can continually occupy our minds. However, Jesus also warned that “the cares of this world” could “choke the word” and cause us to miss out on the Kingdom of God (Matthew 13:22). As the Spring Holy Days approach, we need to remember that one of the biggest challenges we face as Christians is the battle for what goes on in our mind—what we think about determines our actions. Solomon wrote, as a person “thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). David observed that a wicked person is proud, does not seek God and “God is in none of his thoughts” (Psalm 10:4). Yet, David was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22) because he took time to meditate daily on God’s law (Psalm 119:97). In Psalm 23 we read that David took time to “lie down in green pastures… beside still waters” and this “restores my soul.” Such places are conducive to thinking and reflecting on the handiwork of God and His plan and purpose for our lives. If we want to grow and be prepared for the coming Kingdom of God, we need to take time to think and meditate on God’s word and His plan for our lives. Read a Psalm every morning or evening, and meditate on the subjects mentioned in Philippians 4:8. If we think on these things, we can develop more of the mind and perspective of God.

 

Have a profitable Sabbath,

Douglas S. Winnail

 

 

Will Clergy Have To Perform Homosexual Marriages? Advocates of Britain’s Equality Bill have developed wording to allow homosexual marriages in places of worship. While the bill specifically states that “nothing in this Act places an obligation on religious organizations to host civil partnerships if they do not wish to do so,” opponents are afraid that it will create the opportunity for proponents to file gender discrimination suits. A representative of the Christian Institute in England observed: “The Government has failed to understand the nature of religious liberty and has treated faith as nothing more than a matter of personal devotion. Now Christians feel let down and ignored. This is another step in the process of trying to force religions (sic) groups to abandon their core beliefs” (Telegraph, March 3, 2010. Emphasis ours). In Ezekiel 34, God condemns the leaders of the Israelite-descended nations who mislead and scatter God’s people. Isaiah predicted the time would come when Israel’s misguided leaders and sinful society would “call evil good, and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). We are rapidly approaching the fulfillment of these prophecies for our nations!  

 

The Devil in the Vatican? Hollywood’s current focus on the spirit world of demons in movies and television shows has a parallel in the real world. In Rome, the Vatican’s Chief Exorcist, Gabriele Amorth, stated in a recent interview: “The Devil is at work inside the Vatican….” During his 25-year career, the Vatican’s Chief Exorcist claims to have dealt with 70,000 cases of demonic possession. He also suggested that “the consequences of satanic infiltration included power struggles at the Vatican as well as ‘cardinals who do not believe in Jesus, and bishops who are linked to the Demon’” (Times online, March 11, 2010). God warned that, at the end of the age, a great “mother church” would control the final beast power (see Revelation 17). This woman, or mother church, will perform great signs, causing the world to worship the beast. She will also cause an image of the beast to speak and will be empowered by Satan himself (Revelation 13:11-15). It is a powerful testimony that the Vatican’s own exorcist, with decades of experience with demons, has plainly stated “the Devil is at work inside the Vatican…”  

 

More Claims for Mary! Mary, Jesus’ mother, has long been glorified by the Catholic Church and even many Protestant denominations. Although dead for nearly 2,000 years, Mary is growing in popularity. Currently, the Catholic Church holds four dogmas regarding the mother of Jesus: (1) her maternal role in the birth of Christ, the Son of God, making her truly mother of God, (Theotokos, Council of Ephesus, 431); (2) her perpetual virginity (First Lateran Council, 649); (3) her immaculate conception (Pius IX, ex cathedra proclamation, 1854); and (4) her assumption into heaven (Pius XII, ex cathedra proclamation, 1950). Now, the Catholic Church is poised to add a fifth dogma, her role as the spiritual mother of all humanity (Zenit.org, March 1, 2010)! Long ago, the Eternal outlined the Ten Commandments from Mt. Sinai. The first of these is “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). Writing years after the death of Christ, John was inspired to write “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven…” (John 3:13). Christ and the Father make up the Godhead. Christ also clearly stated that God is the Only One we are to serve (Matthew 4:10). It is very interesting to watch the Catholic Church attempts to enhance the role of Mary as they seek to take a more expansive role in world religion. Historically, the Roman Church has taken upon itself the prerogative to elevate human beings to the divine level—and in the case of Mary, to a level equal to the Father (the true Spiritual Father!).—Scott Winnail and Joe Brown

COGwriter 2010

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