06/26/08
Greetings from Charlotte,
With Pentecost now behind us, we are beginning to focus toward the Fall Holy Days and the Feast of Tabernacles. This week Mr. Meredith taped the Opening Night message and the Last Great Day sermon for the Feast. Last weekend Mr. and Mrs. Ames visited the Asheboro, North Carolina congregation and Mr. Crockett spent the Sabbath with the Raleigh, North Carolina congregation. I had a very positive visit to the Baltimore, Maryland congregation and a profitable stay with Mr. and Mrs. Ken Frank, the Area Pastor in Virginia and the Washington, DC, area. Mr. Charles Ogwyn spoke to the congregation in the Boston, Massachusetts area while in Boston for a conference on Web design. Mr. Wayne Pyle reports that Mr. Meredith’s Tomorrow’s World program last weekend should bring in more than 4,700 responses for the booklet Fourteen Signs Announcing Christ’s Return (the highest response ever for that booklet). This response pushed our grand total TV response for the United States and Canada past the one-million mark since the program started in January 1999. The average response for Tomorrow’s World programs this June is just over 4,000.
Church Administration
Sabbath Attendance
Thank you to all our online attendance reporters for your diligence in recording Sabbath attendance figures every week. Your help enables us to more easily and more quickly collate attendance figures and trends for our congregations around the world. Note: As this Sabbath, June 28, is the last Sabbath of the month, your prompt inputting of June’s figures by early next week would be much appreciated. Let us know if you have any difficulties with the online attendance system.
United Kingdom and Africa Update
Mr. Rod King writes, “We returned from a profitable trip to Scotland last weekend where I counseled a couple for baptism as well as catching up with our fine people in Glasgow […] Mr. Mario Hernandez and his son Ariel arrived yesterday [June 19…] They are on their first part of a trip to visit the Spanish-speaking people in Europe with members from Spain, Portugal, the Canary Islands and Switzerland meeting in Lisbon on 5 July […] Next week I will be in Ireland to catch up on some visits in Kilkenny and Donegal. I will spend the Sabbath with the Belfast church where we will talk about our upcoming Bible lecture. The Belfast members will be involved in sending out the invitations […] then on to Karlsruhe in Germany […] before catching up with Mr. Hernandez again in Lisbon for the service there.”
South Africa Update
Mr. Louis Bouwer, our elder serving in the Johannesburg area, sent the following report to Mr. King about the Work in his region: “This past weekend we had a visit in Nelspruit (225 miles away), Sabbath services on Sabbath, a wedding on Sunday, plus another visit in Nelspruit on Monday, then the trip to Sabie for another visit some 40 miles away, and after that back home. All the visits were very uplifting, to see how people are responding to the Truth they are starting to understand and… their willingness to learn more and obey. This coming weekend we will be counseling a couple for baptism who have been attending for the past several months…. Feast fever is also starting to show here as brethren realize that the Feast is only three-and-a-half months away....”
Living Youth Camp
The five-day Texas Pre-Teen Camp was held last week at a beautiful lakeside facility in the Fort Parker State Park. Twenty-four campers enjoyed near-perfect weather and a host of activities including archery, badminton, team-building, canoeing, woodworking, sewing, riflery, fishing, and kickball! Campers and staff really appreciated the air-conditioned dorms each evening! Campers also had the opportunity to experience an overnight campout in tents nestled in the woods. Mr. Dan Hall, Camp Director and Regional Pastor, led morning motivation and Christian Living classes. Mr. Gerald Weston, Regional Director of Canada and Living Youth Camp Director, also shared in the activities and offered many positive comments. The tireless efforts and outstanding planning of all the volunteer staff made for an exceptional camp. It truly was a refreshing delight to experience the excitement and unity of pre-teens and staff.—Gary Stein
December Family Weekend Planned in Charlotte
We have had two very successful activities in Charlotte over the last two years. Building on that foundation, at Mr. Meredith’s request, we would once again like to have a Family Weekend in Charlotte, and wanted to get the news out early. It is tentatively planned for the weekend of December 25-28. More details will be forthcoming as plans are firmed up.—Rod McNair
Internet Department
Internet Update: New Record
Last month (May 2008) we had a record 81,718 visitors on our www.tomorrowsworld.org website. To put this in context, in May 2007 we had 56,286 visitors. This represents a 45% increase in the number of people visiting the Tomorrow’s World website. These visitors came to our site from 193 countries and territories around the world. Each week our newest Tomorrow’s World television program is added to the website and twice weekly a written commentary is added.—J. Charles Ogwyn
Feast of Tabernacles 2008
Festival (Second Tithe) Assistance Requests—USA Only
This is a reminder to all USA Area Pastors that the deadline to submit Festival Assistance Request forms to the Church Administration Department is Tuesday, July 15. All forms should be properly completed by the members requesting second tithe assistance to attend the Feast this year and the Area Pastors should write their recommendations/comments on the forms before submitting them to CAD.
Comments
Humility—Key to Unity: David wrote, “How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity” (Psalm 133:1). The Apostle Paul urged Christians to “walk worthy” of your calling “with all lowliness and gentleness… endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1-3). He stated that the work of the ministry is to edify (build up) the body (the Church) “till we all come to the unity of the faith” (Ephesians 4:12-13). Paul also told contentious Corinthians that they should be “perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10). But what causes contentions that disrupt unity? The Scriptures reveal that pride is an underlying cause of contentions (Proverbs 13:10) and that pride will contribute to a person’s downfall and destruction (Proverbs 16:18). Insisting on doing things our own way also causes dissentions and strife (James 4:1). However, humility will eventually bring a person honor (Proverbs 15:33; 29:23) and will promote peace and unity (James 3:17-18). Jesus Christ was of “one mind” with His Father (John 10:30), and He was exalted because He humbled Himself and followed His Father’s instructions (Philippians 2:5-9). As Christians, we are encouraged to be subject to government (within and without the Church) and not to resist authority (Romans 13:1-2), to treat each other with respect, to be humble and not conceited and confident about our own opinions (Romans 12:10-18). As we develop and exercise this kind of humility, we will promote unity.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—June 26, 2008
Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria in Pork. Scientists have identified a new antibiotic-resistant strain of bacteria in pigs. So far, the bacteria is present in 7% to 35% of pigs tested in two U.S. samples. A Canadian researcher found the same bacteria present in 10% of 212 samples of ground pork and pork chops collected in four Canadian provinces. Researchers are concerned that the bacteria may find a new route to infect farm workers and people who eat pork. So far, this bacteria has not been found to sicken patients who become infected with it. As of now, the bacteria is not considered to be an “important source of disease” because the concern about this antibiotic-resistant bacteria is overshadowed by other more aggressive infections, including E. Coli and MRSA (Wall Street Journal, June 16, 2008). Millennia ago, God warned Israel not to eat swine’s flesh or even touch pigs’ dead carcasses (Leviticus 11:7-8; Deuteronomy 14:8). God also criticized Israel, “I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good… who eat swine’s flesh, and the broth of abominable things is in their vessels…. These are smoke in my nostrils…” (Isaiah 65:2-5). As time and science have progressed, there is mounting secular evidence for obeying God’s dietary laws regarding swine.
Could Israel Join the EU? After almost a year of intensive talks, Israel’s status with the European Union has been upgraded. The EU intends more cooperation between itself and Israel in environmental, educational, agricultural, banking and space programs. The EU will also begin “an examination of possible Israeli integration into the European single market.” Put another way, the EU will consider making Israel an official member, or at least a closer affiliate, of the European Union. While many Middle Eastern nations greatly dislike the current dialogue between Israel and the EU, European nations welcome it (Jerusalem Post, June 18, 2008). So how might this move fit into Bible prophecy? Daniel 9:26-27 foretells of a seven-year pact between nations at the end of the age. This pact may facilitate the initiation of Temple Mount sacrifices once again in Jerusalem. However, three-and-a-half years into this treaty, it will be broken, sacrifices will cease, and the abomination of desolation will be set up. What will occur to facilitate the reinstitution of Temple Mount sacrifices? Might it be a tighter relationship between Israel and a major world power that may hold sway in the Holy Land in the future?
Pirates Again on the High Seas. Ten years ago, pirates carried knives, machetes, and pistols. Today piracy is well organized and the pirates carry AK-47’s, M-16’s and rocket propelled grenades—often these high-tech weapons are used to cause bloodshed. From the years 2000 to 2006, more than 2,400 acts of piracy were reported worldwide—twice the number reported in the previous six years. However, an Australian government report suggests that the actual numbers are up to 2,000 times higher than the reported incidents. Most cases go unreported by shipping companies, lest insurance rates greatly rise. Piracy on the high seas costs the shipping industry between US$13-$16 billion each year. Piracy is rampant in the South Pacific, off the coast of Southeast Asia, in the Indian Ocean off Somalia, and in the Caribbean Ocean. Today, almost 80% of international trade occurs via the world’s oceans, giving pirates access to all types of products. The United Nations recently voted to allow military action against Somali pirates. International law also allows defensive action against pirates in international waters (Newsweek, June 12, 2008). In the Caribbean, pirates rob local fishermen of boat engines and some Caribbean governments are considering legislation to arm local fishermen (Caribbean News Net, August 28, 2007). God warned of “terrors” that would come upon the Israelite-descended nations at the end of the age, because of their rebellion against Him. He also warned that their “highways” would become desolate (Leviticus 26:16, 22). Today, the seas are major highways between nations. Could piracy become one way that the “sea highways” are made desolate and terrors are caused to reign over Israel?—Donald Ashley and Scott Winnail
COGwriter 2008