04/08/10

Greetings from Charlotte,

Most of our traveling speakers have now returned to Charlotte, and reports coming in from the field indicate that the Spring Holy Days went very well for most congregations around the world—in spite of some trials along the way. It has been encouraging to watch Church attendance continue to grow in comparison to the same period last year. It was also very encouraging to have about a dozen ordinations during the Spring Holy Day period (see below). Mr. Karl Beyersdorfer reports that more than 230 people (including more than 130 invited guests) attended Mr. Meredith’s special Sabbath service in his hometown of Joplin, Missouri, where he also dedicated a new building for Church services and announced that the Tomorrow’s World program would soon air on a local TV station. Mr. Jonathan McNair reports that 25 subscribers attended the Tomorrow’s World follow-up Special Presentation in Cranford, New Jersey on March 27. This weekend my wife and I will be in Pawtucket, Rhode Island for services and the first of two Tomorrow’s World Special Presentations scheduled for that city. On Sunday, Mr. Paul Shumway will present a TW Special Presentation in Bluefield, West Virginia and Mr. Wyatt Ciesielka in Mountain View, Arkansas. Your prayers for these lectures are much appreciated.
 
 
Church Administration
 
Second Passover
 
This year, the Second Passover should be taken shortly after sunset on Tuesday, April 27. This Passover is for those baptized members who were unable to take the first Passover due to unavoidable circumstances. The biblical instructions guiding this ceremony are found in Numbers 9:1-14.
 
Recent Ordinations
 
The following men and women were ordained during the Days of Unleavened Bread (or shortly before):
 
  1. Lawdi Ferreira—Pretoria, South Africa—ordained as a deacon on February 20, 2010.
  2. Wade Brown—Austin, Texas—ordained as a deacon on the First Day of Unleavened Bread, March 30, 2010.
  3. Dan Dever—Houston, Texas—ordained as a deacon on the First Day of Unleavened Bread, March 30, 2010.
  4. Shawn Dumas—Austin, Texas—ordained as a deacon on the First Day of Unleavened Bread, March 30, 2010.
  5. Richard Ferguson—Walterboro, South Carolina—ordained as a deacon on the First Day of Unleavened Bread, March 30, 2010.
  6. James Ginn—Live Oak, Florida—ordained as an elder on the First Day of Unleavened Bread, March 30, 2010
  7. Scott Lyons—Walterboro, South Carolina—ordained as an elder on the First Day of Unleavened Bread, March 30, 2010.
  8. Barry Pierson—Asheville, North Carolina—ordained as a deacon on the First Day of Unleavened Bread, March 30, 2010.
  9. John Robinson—Austin, Texas—ordained as a deacon on the First Day of Unleavened Bread, March 30, 2010.
  10. Brandon James—Memphis, Tennessee—ordained as a deacon on the Sabbath of April 3, 2010.
  11. Ruben Lujan—Phoenix, Arizona—ordained as an elder on the Sabbath of April 3, 2010.
  12. David Moore—Memphis, Tennessee—ordained as a deacon on the Sabbath of April 3, 2010.
  13. Richard Sedliacik—Phoenix, Arizona—ordained as a deacon on the Sabbath of April 3, 2010.
  14. Linda Riley—Taunton, United Kingdom—ordained as a deaconess on the Last Day of Unleavened Bread, April 5, 2010.
  15. Michael Riley— Taunton, United Kingdom—ordained as a deacon on the Last Day of Unleavened Bread, April 5, 2010. 
  16. Sharon Staggs—Little Rock, Arkansas—ordained as a deaconess on the Last Day of Unleavened Bread, April 5, 2010.
 
Northeast Update
 
Mr. Jonathan McNair reports: After our Special Presentation in Bordentown, New Jersey, on March 20, we followed up with our Cranford (NJ) Special Presentation on March 27, at which we had 25 “new” people.  The enthusiasm was high in Cranford as we welcomed our visitors with a message titled, “Where is the Church that Christ Built?” 
 
I was able to attend the yearly conference of the New England Chapter of the American Camp Association on March 25 and 26.  This was an excellent opportunity to learn about the best policies and procedures for developing and operating our youth camps.  I spoke personally with Michael Brandwien, the keynote speaker and one of the premiere leaders in staff and leadership training programs for youth camps.  He has written a number of books on the subject, including “Training Terrific Staff,” which is the #1 National Bestseller training book for camp staff programs. 
 
We had 101 people take the Passover in the area.  Our average weekly attendance has continued to steadily climb, with the February/March figure at 232 people attending every Sabbath on average.  Last year, for the same period, our average weekly attendance was 201.  This is a really strong increase, which is very encouraging!
 
We just concluded our yearly Northeast Family Weekend in Kingston, New York, over the last three Days of Unleavened Bread.  Ninety-five people gathered for three days of hearty fellowship, with our attendance on the weekly Sabbath and Last Day of Unleavened Bread climbing above 100.  We had Bible Studies, outdoor activities, good food, and warm fellowship—only rivaled by the beautiful, sunny spring weather. 
 
We are gearing up for our two-week Special Presentation Series in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, with Dr. Winnail’s visit and lecture this Sabbath, April 11, and my follow-up lecture on April 17th! What an exciting time to be part of the Work of God!
 
French Update
 
Mr. Vincent Guillaume Lardé reportsthat the first quarter of 2010 produced encouraging results for the French Tomorrow’s World website www.mondedemain.org. Although, there was a slight decrease in March, “the first quarter recorded 56,157 visitors for 70,476 sessions and 247,604 pages viewed. If the figures keep up, 2010 will record an increase of approximately 20% over 2009. During the 1st quarter of 2010, we also recorded more than 64,000 articles downloaded, 17,250 booklets, 5,000 radio broadcasts, 1,700 sermons and 4,000 commentaries (for a total of 220 GB). The average session length was five minutes and 42 seconds.”
 
Thailand Update
 
Mr. Rajan Moses fromMalaysiaand Mr. Arius Nusantara from Indonesia recently visited our brethren in Thailand. Today from Bangkok, where demonstrations in Bangkok are creating havoc and prompting a curfew, Mr. Moses wrote: “Thomas Tial Hoe [our elder in Myanmar] in recent years has been active in helping our Thai brethren, as he is the one who can speak more fluently their language. We want him to be more involved in helping the Thai brethren spiritually. The only obstacle that we still experience is once again language. We gave sermonettes and sermons that were translated into four languages….”


Living Youth Camp
 
Recently, a survey was sent to all U.S. and Canadian Pastors regarding our current Living Youth Program.  To all these pastors: if you have not completed the survey form, please do so as soon as possible.  Your comments will assist our efforts toward serving the youth in the Church.
 
For all youth who are interested in winning a scholarship for camp, don’t forget to go to www.livingyouth.org for details regarding our essay contest!  This is a great opportunity to have your tuition to camp paid through your efforts! 
 
Also, we are going to be having a contest for a new logo for our programs, which should bring all budding graphic artists out of the woodwork!  See the website for more details.—Jonathan McNair
 
 
Feast of Tabernacles 2010
 
U.S. and Canadian Registration: As a reminder, on April 18 registration will commence for United States and Canadian Feast sites.  You can now access full descriptions for all these sites (nine in the U.S. and three in Canada) by clicking on “2010 Feast Information” on the right side of the screen (after you login to your MyLCG account at www.cogl.org).
 
Special Needs at the Feast: If you have special needs (such as handicap-equipped housing, etc.) and need to obtain housing early, please contact the Festival Coordinator for the site you wish to attend.  He will notify the Festival Office of your needs.  If you have any questions or need assistance registering, please contact the Festival Office at festival@lcg.org.
 
Attention Festival Advisors: Please check the MyLCG website (www.cogl.org) for descriptions of the different Feast sites, as well as registration and volunteer forms, and please distribute these to brethren who do not have Internet access.
 
This week we feature abbreviated descriptions of our sites in the Philippines (Baguio City) and Tobago. Unabridged descriptions are available at the MyLCG section of www.cogl.org.
 
Baguio City, Philippines
 
Baguio City has been a Feast site since 1967 and is known as the “city of pines.” Nestled in the Cordillera mountain ranges at 1,500 meters above sea level, it is the summer capital of the Philippines because of its year-round cool climate. During the Feast, the weather is usually very pleasant, a welcome change from the heat in Manila. Most people attending enjoy the opportunity to wear something warmer in the evening, and to be able to pull up the covers in bed at night. Established by the Americans in 1909, this city will turn 101 years old on September 1, 2010. Baguio may be reached by land—a five to six hours drive from Manila—or by air in 45 minutes, whenever there is no cloud cover. It is a very safe place for foreigners to visit.
 
The Feast site venue is at the Teacher’s Camp, where there are a number of dormitories and cottages with cooking facilities. The Camp is also very accessible from various lodging houses and three-plus-star hotels situated within the city proper, most of them no more than five minutes away from the hall by taxi, car or jeepney. Overseas guests are well-catered for, and can enjoy five-star treatment at The Manor Hotel at Camp John Hay, which is also very close to the Teacher’s Camp where services are held. Overseas visitors would fly into Manila, and then travel up to Baguio by air (depending on the weather in Baguio) or by road. Brethren from the local area will meet visitors at the airport and escort them to their accommodations in Manila, and then assist them in their journey up to Baguio.
 
At this Feast site, the sermons are in English. It is a tradition to have a Festival Show, and this year will be no exception, so bring your contributions with you: musical items—vocal or instrumental—funny skits, etc.
 
For further details on this site, please visit the MyLCG section of www.cogl.org and contact Mr. Basilio Osillos at bosillos@lcg.org or, by phone, at +63-2-994-9424. If you would like to attend the Feast in Baguio City in the Philippines this year, register online at MyLCG (www.cogl.org).
 
Crown Point, Tobago
 
The Feast of Tabernacles for Trinidad and Tobago will be held at The Trim’s Meeting Hall, Crown Point, Tobago. The Meeting Hall is situated within walking distance of the airport. 
 
Tobago lies just 22 miles off Trinidad’s north-eastern tip and measures only 41 by 14 kilometers. Rolling hills contrast with wave-beaten shores to create a stunning backdrop for the island’s unparalleled beauty. The South (Windward) Coast is washed by the dark green, wave-whipped Atlantic and is lined with vibrant fishing villages, while the North (Leeward) Coast provides Tobago with some of its finest beaches.
 
You will find a number of excellent and reasonably priced restaurants on the island. The wonderful seafood, superbly seasoned, make the cuisine “out of this world,” simply the best local food that you will find anywhere in the Caribbean.
 
For a list of hotels and further details on this site, please visit the MyLCG section of www.cogl.org or contact Mr. Fitzroy Greeman at rgreeman@lcg.org or, by phone, at +1-868-672-5251. If you would like to attend the Feast in Tobago this year, register online at MyLCG (www.cogl.org).
 
 
Comments
 
Where Is Your Heart? Jesus urged His disciples to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). He also said, “My food [My nourishment, My focus, what motivates Me] is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work” (John 4:34). Jesus was a mission-oriented person who challenged His disciples to follow in His footsteps (Matthew 4:18-22). Truly dedicated members of God’s Church will be committed to that same mission—preaching the Gospel, warning the world, feeding the flock and being Christian lights in a darkened world (Matthew 5:14; 24:14; 1 John 2:15-17). Truly focused Christians don’t have time to get sidetracked on material pursuits, private agendas or twiggy ideas about doctrine (2 Timothy 2:14-18). They don’t let interpersonal differences hinder their spiritual growth (Romans 12:14-18) or their goal of developing the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5-11). Real Christians focus on what is good and positive and right and true—they don’t listen to rumors and don’t dwell on complaints (Philippians 4:8). The Sabbath is a good time to reflect, and ponder the questions: What is your focus? Where is your heart? 
 
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
 
 
News and Prophecy—April 8, 2010
 
More Explosive Language from Jerusalem. The Jerusalem-based political group, Our Land of Israel, has outfitted 200 public buses with a picture of the Third Temple sitting alone, atop the Temple Mount. The words describing the image read, “May the Bais Hamikdosh [Holy Temple] be rebuilt speedily and within our days.” Most of the buses run through Arab neighborhoods. According to the group’s spokesperson, “We’re representing the truth, in front of everyone, and saying out loud what every Jew believes… that the Third Temple needs to be built immediately on the Temple Mount and that the mosque should not be there” (The Jerusalem Post, March 29, 2010. Emphasis ours.) When asked if the posters might foment violence with the Muslims, the representative stated, “It upsets them that we’re alive, and that we’re living here.” As we “watch the Middle East,” we see growing pressure by very vocal Jewish groups to promote Temple Mount sacrifices and even to rebuild the Temple itself—which is in accord with Bible prophecies about the end of the age. The Bible does not clearly indicate that the Temple will be completely rebuilt, but it does clearly show that sacrifices will resume on the Temple Mount and then be “cut off” (Daniel 11:31; 12:11; Matthew 24:15). However, major shifts in the politics of the region will need to occur in order for Jewish sacrifices to resume on a Muslim-dominated Temple Mount.
 
Homosexual Agenda Advances in Britain. According to the Equality Act of 2006, it is illegal in Britain “to discriminate against people on the grounds of sexual orientation.” This law is now being broadly applied so that anyone who inhibits homosexual activity can be prosecuted. Recently, the owner of a private Bed and Breakfast refused service to a homosexual couple. She claimed it was “against her convictions” to allow two men to share a bed in her house. Although the woman says she was not rude, she now faces possible criminal charges for violating the Equality Act. While she is shocked that the government could dictate to her what she is allowed to tolerate in her in her own home, many people were shocked at her display of “homophobia” (BBC, March 21, 2010). The Bible clearly reveals that homosexual acts are sinful (Leviticus 18:22 and Romans 1:27) and should not be encouraged by individuals or governments. This is one of the many signs that Israelite nations are modern day examples of Sodom and Gomorrah (Ezekiel 16:44-59). While God commands His people to “come out of sin,” (2 Corinthians 6:17), our modern society appears determined to move as far away from God’s laws as possible!
 

Lonely Deaths in Japan. Kodokushi is a relatively new term in Japan and refers to those elderly who “die alone.” With the depression of Japan’s economy and children living far from their elderly parents, more Japanese, especially men, are dying alone in their homes. Sometimes these individuals may not be found for months, or even a year, and there may be no one to look after the remaining possessions of the deceased (Time, April 6, 2010). God’s word teaches us to “honor the hoary head” (Leviticus 19:32). The Apostle James wrote that “pure religion” involves visiting the widows (and by implication widowers) in their affliction (James 1:27). The Apostle Paul taught that if we do not care for those in our own household, we are worse than an unbeliever (1 Timothy 5:8). The days are coming when the selfish and neglectful ways of this world will give way to a time of unprecedented peace and outgoing concern for all. In the coming Kingdom of God the elderly will once again be a central part of families, and they will even play in the streets with the young children (Zechariah 8:4-5). Let’s pray this will come soon!—Scott Winnail, Ben Whitfield and Mark Sandor

COGwriter 2010

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