T L HE ivingChurch News - Living Church of God · · 2013-04-10ing of this act but were certainly...

Vol. 1, No. 4

THE

July—August 1999

One of the vital themes I have emphasized over the last several yearsis Servant Leadership. It is a concept and a practice that I hope we cancontinue to implement in the Living Church of God.

“But,” some continue to ask, “what is Servant Leadership? And howcan we practice it?”

In all human history, the best example of Servant Leadership is that ofJesus Christ. He had been with the Father from eternity. He had awesomeglory, power and majesty. As the “Word” or Spokesman for the Father, itwas His voice that said: “Let there be LIGHT” (Genesis 1:3). At the verythrone of God, He was surrounded by indescribable beauty and majesty.Over 100 million angels were there, worshipping and praising Him andthe Father (Revelation 5:11–12).

Yet, since the Word and the Father had decided to bring millions ofhuman beings into Their Family, this great Being was willing to “empty”Himself—as the Greek word is correctly translated in Philippians 2:7. Hetook the “form of a SERVANT.” Then, “being found in appearance as aman, He HUMBLED Himself and became obedient to the point of death,even the death of the cross” (v. 8).

As the second Person in the God Family, from eternity, He had beenbest able to serve us by acting for the Father in creating us, guiding ourancestors in ancient Israel as the Spokesman and “Rock” of Israel (1Corinthians 10:4) and in inspiring the Old Testament prophets to teachand warn the people and to write the Hebrew Bible. But the Levitical sys-tem of the Old Testament NEVER fully reconciled rebellious humanity toGod. It never made possible the giving of the Holy Spirit. It never madepossible the needed CHANGE in our very nature.

So what did this great Being DO—this Logos or Spokesman for Godand the One who had been with the Father from eternity? Did He argueand complain and say: “I am NOT going down to the earth and let thosepuny human beings persecute Me, curse Me and finally beat and crucifyMe! No way! That’s not fair and I won’t put up with it!”

Can you imagine your Savior talking like that?No, of course not. The One who became Jesus now saw that the best

way He could SERVE these potential sons of God was to give up all of Hisdivine glory and DIE! So He did just that. He willingly “emptied” Himselfof the transcendent glory, power and majesty which He had shared sitting

Living ChurchNews

In This Issue

Are We Disobeying Our Creator? ............................3

Ministerial Conferences:Church VisionOutlined.....................................7

Are You APeacemaker?............................9

How Did We Get The New Testament? ...................12

Report From TheTreasurer .................................16

Local Church News ........................18

1999 Festival Updates ..................................21

Local Church Listings ....................22

ivinL g ChurchNews

THE

In This Issue

Vol. 1, No. 4 July—August 1999

What is Servant Leadership?

at the Father’s right hand. And He allowed Himself to be placed with-in the human flesh, not only to die for us, but to set us an EXAMPLEof the way humans ought to live, to act and to interact with oneanother.

In the human flesh, Jesus “gave” of Himself all day long. He lov-ingly and patiently taught, He healed, He blessed, He encouraged, HeSERVED. When Jesus knelt down and washed the feet of His disci-ples at the last Passover, they may have been puzzled over the mean-ing of this act but were certainly not shocked. For Jesus must havebeen helping them constantly in physical as well as spiritual mattersthroughout His ministry.

Jesus had very clearly taught His disciples: “Whoever desires tobecome great among you, let him be your SERVANT. And whoeverdesires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as the Sonof Man did not come to be served, but to SERVE, and to GIVE His lifea ransom for many” (Matthew 20:26–28).

Dear brethren, if you, each of you, see that you can better SERVEyour brethren, and the people in the world whom we must “witness”to, and God Himself by taking a certain action—then you should takethat action. You should constantly be thinking of better ways to give,to help, to serve—REGARDLESS of any title or immediate rewardthat may come your way. THIS is Servant Leadership!

Some can serve the most by playing or singing special music.Some can serve best by performing the physical duties of ushering,passing out song books, serving in the hall kitchen or parking lot,etc. Others may truly serve more by simply being a loving andencouraging friend to other members in visiting with them beforeand after services, writing or calling them when they are home sickand other things of this nature. All of us can serve by fervent, heart-felt PRAYER for our brethren, for the Church at large and for theWork we have all been called to perform.

Remember the Apostle Paul’s inspiring account of Epaphraswho served in this way: “Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondser-vant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you inprayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will ofGod. For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, andthose who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis” (Colossians4:12–13).

In all these things, however, the emphasis must be on serv-ing—NOT on pleasing the self or exalting the self or seeking a big-ger “position.” A loving father may actually best “serve” his feistylittle son by giving him a few whacks on the behind! For God saysin Proverbs 13:24: “He who spares his rod hates his son, but hewho loves him disciplines him promptly.”

A loving minister—IF he is doing it to serve—may best expressServant Leadership at times by CORRECTING the brethren oversome continuing sin or problem. This may NOT always be “politi-cally correct,” but it will be carrying out Servant Leadership ifdone in that spirit and if it is truly necessary! After all, God theFather, no doubt the greatest SERVANT in the entire Universe

Living Church News

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ChurchNewsLiving

Servant Leadership continues on page 17

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Are We DISOBEYING Our Creator?

s we approach the turn of theMillennium, God is obvi-ously positioning theLiving Church of God to

do a powerful Work. Propheticevents are occurring with increas-ing frequency. Christ is comingsoon. And we are among the veryfew people on earth to grasp thetrue significance of all these things.

Yet, the Work of God is notgoing forward nearly as fast at itseemingly should. We are now ableto be on only two commercial TVstations in North America. WHY?

Part of the answer is that manyof God’s people are NOT fullyobeying a fundamental andextremely important law of God.Therefore, the Creator’s blessingcannot be fully given to these peo-ple or to the Church until this bla-tant sin is rectified.

What Is This Sin?

The book of Malachi is aprophetic book that helps bridgethe gap between the Old and NewTestaments of the Bible. In Malachi3:1, God says: “Behold, I send Mymessenger, and he will prepare theway before Me. And the LORD,whom you seek, will suddenlycome to His temple, even theMessenger of the covenant, in

whom you delight. Behold, He iscoming.” Here, the Logos or“Word” of the Old Testament pre-dicts both His first and second com-ing. For He describes (v. 4) how the“offerings” of His people will againbecome acceptable. This certainlydid NOT take place at Christ’s firstcoming. Instead, His own peopleactually crucified Him!

So, in this dual prophecy, Christhas now shifted to describe HisSecond Coming and shows how Hewill be a “swift witness” against sor-cerers, adulterers, etc., who dothese things. He indicates theycommit these sins, “because theydo not FEAR ME” (v. 5). Then, inthis prophetic passage bridgingboth Old and New Testaments, theOne who became Jesus Christ says:“For I am the LORD, I do notchange; therefore you are not con-sumed, O sons of Jacob. Yet fromthe days of your fathers you havegone away from My ordinances”(vv. 6–7). At this juncture,the Living Christ challenges Hispeople: “RETURN to Me, and I willreturn to you. But you said, ‘Inwhat way shall we return?’” (v. 7)

Yes, how can many of God’s peo-ple who have grown lukewarmtruly “return” to their Creator andreceive His full measure of bless-ing? God answers, “Will a man robGod? Yet you have robbed Me! Butyou say, ‘In what way have werobbed You?’ In tithes and offer-ings. You are cursed with a curse,for you have robbed Me, even this

whole nation. Bring all the tithesinto the storehouse, that there maybe food in My house, and try Menow in this, If I will not open foryou the windows of heaven andpour out for you such blessing thatthere will not be room enough toreceive it” (vv. 8–10).

In the confusion that has fol-lowed the breakup of theWorldwide Church of God, it isperhaps understandable that somehave become very lax in tithing.They have been confused in manyways. And some have heard or readall kinds of ideas or “reasonings”trying to get around the clear bibli-cal teachings and examples in theBible regarding tithing.

But God commands me as Hisminister: “Cry aloud, spare not; liftup your voice like a trumpet; tellMy people their transgression, andthe house of Jacob their sins”(Isaiah 58:1). It is my responsibilityto WARN God’s people about thisviolation of His law. For it is notonly slowing the progress of theWork of God, it is profoundly hurt-ing the spiritual life of those non-tithers. It is severely damaging theirpersonal relationship with GOD!

For note again—in His ownwords—the way GOD looks at thismatter: “Will a man ROB GOD? Yetyou have robbed Me! But you say,‘In what way have we robbed You?’In TITHES and OFFERINGS”(Malachi 3:8). Does that sound likesome “minor issue” in the mind ofGod? Remember also God’s very

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EditorialBy Roderick C. Meredith

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clear concern about the lack ofOFFERINGS as well as the duty topay a full TITHE to our Creator! Thepoint is that if you have an income,you CAN afford to tithe because—inthis very passage—God promises toBLESS those who obey Him in thisvital matter.

The EXAMPLE of Abraham

Long before the Old Covenantwas even proposed, God guidedAbraham to tithe. In the NewTestament book of Romans,Abraham is referred to as the “fatherof the faithful” (Romans 4:11, 16).In fact, Abraham’s very example ofacting on FAITH is set forth in thischapter as the “key” to Abraham’srighteousness! The very promise thatAbraham would be “heir of theworld” was NOT through the law,but through the righteousness ofFAITH” (v. 13). So Abraham’s shin-ing EXAMPLE of acting on faith ishere set forth as THE WAY to eternallife and to an eternal inheritance ofthis earth!

One of the primary examples ofthat “saving” faith of Abraham isgiven in Genesis 14. After tellingthe story of Abraham’s rescue ofLot and the return of ALL his pos-sessions, we read: “ThenMelchizedek king of Salem broughtout bread and wine; he was thepriest of God Most High. And heblessed him and said: ‘Blessed beAbram of God Most High,Possessor of heaven and earth; andblessed be God Most High, Whohas delivered your enemies intoyour hand.’ And he gave him aTITHE of all” (vv. 18–20).

Here God is described as “thePossessor of heaven and earth.” ForEVERYTHING belongs to God. Hemade it. He made us. He gives us ourlives and He gives us every breath ofair we breathe. Melchizedekdescribed God in this way and then

indicated that it was GOD whodelivered Abraham’s enemies intohis hand.

So Abraham, who obviously“walked with God”—actually con-versed with the One who becameJesus Christ and knew God andGod’s will in a profound way—gaveGod a TENTH of everything herecovered. That was the inspiredEXAMPLE of Abraham.

Later, we read of the patriarchJacob vowing to God: “And this stonewhich I have set as a pillar shall beGod’s house, and of all that You giveme I will surely give a TENTH toYou” (Genesis 28:22). So the princi-ple of paying God a TITHE was wellunderstood by the patriarchs,Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Actuallytithing is not only a principle, it isone of God’s “statutes” just as surelyas the Holy Days and the law of cleanand unclean meats! And God tells usthat our spiritual father, Abraham,was blessed, “because Abrahamobeyed My voice and kept My charge,My commandments, My STATUTES,and My laws” (Genesis 26:5).

Old Covenant Tithing

When the Old Covenant wasintroduced, God—for that time—directed that the tithe be given to theLevitical priests for the “work” theywere doing in and around God’sTabernacle or Temple. In Hisinstruction to the Levites, God com-manded, “And all the tithe of theland, whether of the seed of the landor of the fruit of the tree, is theLORD’S. It is holy to the LORD. If aman wants at all to redeem any of histithes, he shall add one-fifth to it.And concerning the tithe of the herdor the flock, of whatever passesunder the rod, the tenth one shall beholy to the LORD” (Leviticus27:30–32).

In Numbers 18:20–21, Godinstructed: “Then the LORD said to

Aaron: ‘You shall have no inheri-tance in their land, nor shall youhave any portion among them; I amyour portion and your inheritanceamong the children of Israel. Behold,I have given the children of Levi allthe tithes in Israel as an inheritancein return for the work which theyperform, the work of the tabernacleof meeting.’”

Since the Levites were notallowed to own property or hold reg-ular jobs, they were given the tithesof the people of Israel “for theWORK which they performed.”Today, very few indeed of God’s pas-tors and evangelists have the timefor secular jobs. With a truly globe-girdling Work to perform via theelectronic media, publishing and aworldwide network of congregationsand video groups, there is NO WAYfor our key ministerial personnel tomake the telecasts and radio pro-grams, write and edit the articles andbooklets, counsel and coordinate theministry and brethren all around theworld and still be able to hold downa secular job!

A CHANGE in the Tithing Law

Just as God transferred the tithesto the Levitical priesthood in the OldTestament, so He transferred themback to the priesthood ofMelchizedek in the New Testament.The book of Hebrews makes thisclear. After describing how Abrahamgave Melchizedek a “tenth” of thespoils, God describes howMelchizedek “remains a priest con-tinually” (Hebrews 7:1–3).Obviously, as we have proved else-where, Melchizedek was the Onewho became Jesus Christ. Then Goddescribes how the priests had a“commandment to receive tithesfrom the people according to thelaw” (v. 5). He proceeds to showhow even Levi “paid tithes” through

Living Church News July – August 1999

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Abraham to Melchizedek—clearlythe greater priesthood (v. 9).

Finally, the inspired author ofHebrews tells us: “Therefore, if perfec-tion were through the Levitical priest-hood (for under it the people receivedthe law), what further need was therethat another priest should rise accord-ing to the order of Melchizedek, andnot be called according to the order ofAaron? For the priesthood beingchanged, of necessity there is also achange of the law” (vv. 11–12).

Brethren, the term “law” ineither the Greek or Hebrew languageis similar to its use in English. It canmean civil law, natural law (like thelaw of gravity), or a spiritual law. Itall depends upon the context of thesubject under discussion. In thispassage in Hebrews 7, both thepriesthood AND the law of tithing areunder discussion.

As the respected InterpretersBible Commentary states:

When the priesthood ischanged, there is necessarilya change in the law as well.What could this mean? Thatthe whole law was set aside?Then why is the argumentbased on the priesthood ofMelchizedek, relying as ithad to on Genesis 14:17–20?As Calvin observed, in thelaw we find “many remark-able sentences by which we

are instructed as to faith, andas to the fear of God. Noneof these were abolished byChrist, but only that partwhich regarded the ancientpriesthood.” Jesus Himselfhad said, “Think not that Ihave come to abolish the lawand the prophets; I havecome not to abolish thembut to fulfill them. For truly,I say to you, till heaven andearth pass away, not an iota,

not a dot, will pass from thelaw until all is accom-plished” (Matthew 5:17–18).If the whole law were abol-ished, why should suchpains be taken to establishthe validity of Christ’s priest-hood? (Vol. 11, p. 667)

Notice, brethren, the rather tor-tured logic that this and otherProtestant commentaries employ inthis passage. On the one hand theyare loathe to admit that any part ofGod’s LAW is still binding. On theother hand, they have great difficul-ty with the very clear words of Christand especially the Apostles Jamesand John about the continuing valid-ity of God’s laws (James 2:10–12; 1John 2:3–4).

So let’s go back to the context ofHebrews 7:11–12. Again, both thepriesthood and the law of tithing arebeing discussed. Does this passage

say that God’s priesthood is nowABOLISHED? Of course not! It says,rather that the priesthood ofMelchizedek has been reinstated inplace of the Levitical priesthood. Anddoes it say that the law of tithing hasbeen ABOLISHED? Again, of coursenot! It has merely been changed asthe priesthood was changed or“transferred” so that the tithes areonce again paid to the priesthood ofMelchizedek or nowadays the min-istry of Jesus Christ!

For the Greek word used in bothplaces in Hebrews 7:12 is metathesis,which does NOT mean to “do awaywith,” but to “transfer.” W.E. Vine,in Expositor’s Dictionary of BiblicalWords, expresses it this way:“Metathesis, a transposition, or atransference from one place toanother” (pg., 95). For in Hebrews11:5, speaking of Enoch, this sameGreek word is rendered “transla-tion.” Was righteous Enoch “trans-lated” or “transferred” to a place ofsafety? Or was Enoch ABOLISHED?

Obviously, God’s tithing law wasNOT abolished. The right to receivetithes was simply transferred fromthe Aaronic priesthood to the min-istry of Jesus Christ!

Further New Testament Instruction

The direct teachings of JesusChrist have NOT been done away!In spite of long-winded argumentsand “reasonings” of deceived men, itis very difficult to get around Jesus’direct statement regarding tithing.

Jesus was teaching the multi-tudes and His disciples in the 23rdchapter of Matthew. He warned themnot to follow the wrong example ofthe scribes and Pharisees (Matthew23:1–4). In this context Jesus cor-rected these misguided religiousleaders: “Woe to you, scribes andPharisees, hypocrites! For you paytithe of mint and anise and cumin,

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“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasuresin heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. Forwhere your treasure is, there your HEART will be also” (Matthew 6:19-20).


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and have neglected the weightiermatters of the law: justice and mercyand faith. These you ought to havedone, without leaving the othersundone” (v. 23).

These self-righteous hypocriteswere very zealous about tithing onevery little plant and herb in theirgardens. But they grossly neglectedthe loving application of justice,mercy and faith. “These,” Jesus said,“you ought to have done WITHOUTleaving the others (conscientiousTITHING) undone.”

How clear!The Son of God commanded

NOT to forsake carefully paying ourtithes to God! And Jesus NEVERrescinded this very clear instruction.And nobody ELSE had better try torescind it either! For this inspiredinstruction about Christian living iscertainly no less important than thebiblical prophecies. Yet, Christ tellsus plainly in Revelation 22:18–19: “Ifanyone adds to these things, God willadd to him the plagues that are writ-ten in this book; and if anyone takesaway from the words of the book ofthis prophecy, God shall take awayhis part from the Book of Life, fromthe holy city, and from the thingswhich are written in this book.”

This Living Christ inspired theApostle Paul to write: “Even so theLord has commanded that those whopreach the gospel should live fromthe gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:14). Soit should be very clear that God doeswant His faithful ministers to be sup-ported—NOT by begging or whin-ing over television, from the pulpitor anywhere else for “gifts” from thebrethren—but by the TITHES whichall humans owe their Creator whogives them life and breath!

As Herbert W. Armstrong wroteyears ago, a true Christian cannotafford not to tithe. For this veryrebellion will cost him—at the veryleast—the BLESSINGS from God hecould have experienced by faithfully

tithing to his Creator. For tithing isnot only a matter of obedience, butan act of WORSHIP—of lovingacknowledgement of our God as thegreat GIVER of “every good andevery perfect gift” (James 1:17).

And God “loves” a cheerfulgiver. As the Apostle Paul wasinspired to instruct us: “He whosows sparingly will also reap spar-ingly, and he who sows bountifullywill also reap bountifully. So let eachone give as he purposes in his heart,not grudgingly or of necessity, forGod loves a cheerful giver. And Godis able to make all grace aboundtoward you, that you, always havingall sufficiency in all things, have anabundance for every good work” (2Corinthians 9:6–8).

Note that God appreciates a gen-erous and “wholehearted” approachfrom His people in the matter of giv-ing offerings—special offerings orotherwise. And, as verse 8 makesclear, God is able to BLESS His peo-ple immeasurably if they respondgenerously and lovingly in support-ing His Work.

As we approach the end of thisage, we all need to think very careful-ly about how zealous we are to reachout to the world with the Message ofthe soon-coming Kingdom of God—and with the Ezekiel “warning mes-sage” to the modern-day peoples ofthe House of Israel. Again, think care-fully about how God looks at you inthe light of Proverbs 24:10–12: “Ifyou faint in the day of adversity, yourstrength is small. Deliver those whoare drawn toward death, and holdback those stumbling to the slaugh-ter. If you say, ‘Surely we did notknow this,’ does not He who weighsthe hearts consider it? He who keepsyour soul, does He not know it? Andwill He not render to each manaccording to his deeds?”

Are you, personally, deeply andemotionally involved in the CRU-SADE to get Christ’s warning mes-

sage to our peoples before it is toolate? Are you paying your full tithe tothe Work of God—the place whereGod is most fully preaching HisMessage, where He is sending out theEzekiel warning and where His ser-vants are feeding and strengtheningthe flock with real spiritual meat?

To the degree that God hasblessed you financially, are you giv-ing truly generous offerings evenabove your tithes? Is your “heart”really in the Work of God?Remember Jesus Christ’s powerfuladmonition: “Do not lay up for your-selves treasures on earth, wheremoth and rust destroy and wherethieves break in and steal; but lay upfor yourselves treasures in heaven,where neither moth nor rustdestroys and where thieves do notbreak in and steal. For where yourtreasure is, there your HEART willbe also” (Matthew 6:19–21).

With God’s help, it is time formany of His people to simply “getover” their grieving over the pastand their confusion and discourage-ment and move forward toward theKingdom of God. It is time for themto “return” to God with all of theirhearts!

And how should they “return”?God Himself commands: “Return toMe, and I will return to you. But yousaid, ‘In what way shall we return?’Will a man rob God? Yet you haverobbed Me! But you say, ‘In whatway have we robbed You?’ inTITHES and OFFERINGS” (Malachi3:7–8). In verse 6, God had said, “forI am the LORD, I do NOT change;therefore you are not consumed, Osons of Jacob.” So God’s law oftithing certainly continues. Will youobey God in FAITH and trust yourfaithful Creator to bless and guideyou in the perilous years ahead? MayGod lead and inspire all of you whoare faithful to respond to His Wordand to receive His full blessing inyour lives—now and forever.

he ministry of the Living Churchof God has been shown its mis-sion as it heads into the twenty-

first century: lead the churches in restor-ing Apostolic Christianity.

In both of his keynote addresses—toministers attending the western ministeri-al conference in San Diego, California andthe eastern conference in Louisville,Mississippi—Dr. Roderick Meredithextensively outlined this concept, linkingit to preaching the gospel and feeding theflock.

Dr. Meredith encouraged the ministryto focus on one of the main keys that willhelp people outside the Living Church of God understand the scriptural and histor-ical origins of the beliefs it has received inthis modern era.

Quoting from 1 Timothy 3:14–15,Ephesians 2:19 and 1 Thessalonians 2:14,Dr. Meredith said: “We get these ideasfrom the Jerusalem Church of God, theoriginal apostolic Church of God. We arerestoring apostolic Christianity.”

Dr. Meredith hoped this could be atheme to help people know why thechurch preaches what it preaches, coun-tering claims that Herbert W. Armstronggot the church’s doctrines from a varietyof other church organizations.

“We didn’t just grab some from overhere or over there. It comes right out ofthe Bible and we have to prove it primari-ly from the Bible as we always have,” hesaid.

“God can use us to do a very powerfulwork, if we yield ourselves to God and tryto cultivate a Book of Acts mentality.”

Looking at persecutions and troublesin the years ahead, Dr. Meredith reflected:“We’ve got to be willing to be put into jail.We’ve got to be willing to die. We’ve got tobe willing to lay down our lives for JesusChrist,” linking today’s ministry to thosewho established the original church inJerusalem.

The ministers were encouraged tohave an attitude of love and support forone another, and to show they are layingdown their lives for the brethren and thatthey are going to build the Church of Godat the end of the age just before Christ’sreturn.

Evangelist Carl McNair, Director ofChurch Administration, introduced anew management paradigm based on del-egation of line authority. Ministers weregiven draft copies of the new ministerialpolicies and procedures for review andinput.

Looking at past problems of too fewministers and too large church areas, Mr.McNair said there is a growing need forteamwork—for pastors to be creative andmaximize the resources available.

“We have to learn teamwork. Work iswhat it’s all about. Work is what we’reengaged in. We have a job to do and thereis more than enough for all,” he said. “Wemust support one another. We are not incompetition. We cooperate. The recent

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By Gary F. Ehman

“God canuse us to do a verypowerfulwork, if we yieldourselves to God and try tocultivate a Book of Actsmentality.”—Dr. Roderick C.

Meredith

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crisis was precipitated by ‘me’-thinking, not ‘we’-think-ing,” said Mr. McNair.

Given the current number of full time ministers, thechurch must look to the larger number of unpaid elders,making some of them assistant pastors. Mr. McNair saidarea and regional pastors will decide who will be desig-nated as assistant pastors.

“There is need for afirmer line of authority. Weare going to be delegating lineauthority to area pastors andelders according to the abilityto serve. With it will beaccountability,” he said.

He cautioned pastors toalways consider that theunpaid men “have a life”besides their service to thechurch. The church should notplace an elder in an area wherehis family or job is jeopardized.

“As we delegate, we mustdraw a circle around the man,not draw the circle and putthe man into it,” he said.

A large part of the confer-ences was concerned with providing the ministry anupdate of the progress the church and work have beenmaking over the past seven months.

Dr. Meredith told the more than 150 ministers, wivesand HQ personnel attending: “We have made wonderfulprogress. We’re building on two foundations: the founda-tion Christ laid through Mr. Armstrong and the founda-tion we all helped lay in the Global Church of God aswell.”

Since the Living Church of God started, it has beenable to get back, almost immediately, WGN and Visionnetwork in Canada with responses that are far greater innumber than for TV programs aired in our former association.

According to a report by Evangelist Richard Ames,Director of Media Operations, the telecast was off the airfor only six weeks. He also noted that the church hasretained 65 of the 71 public access channels it was on previously. Typically the response has approached orexceeded 1,000 per program.

Radio programs continue in South Africa and theCaribbean. TV and radio programs are back on inAustralasia. Audio tracks of the TV program are beingresumed on Radio Manx, and the Spanish work hasexpanded with TV programs in the United States andradio in Mexico.

In addition, three booklets—Build a JOYOUSMarriage, Should You Be Baptized? and What’s Ahead ForAmerica and Britain?—have been produced. The LivingChurch News and the Tomorrow’s World magazine are beingmailed out regularly to the brethren and general public.

A report by Mr. William Bowmer, Executive Editor inthe Media Department, outlined the growing importance

of the Internet as a vitaltool in preaching thegospel around the world.

Mr. Bowmer addres-sed the need for cautionas members developchurch-related websites.He said that memberefforts are appreciateddeeply, and must alwaysbe conducted accordingto applicable laws, espe-cially regarding copy-right. Mr. Bowmer dis-cussed the current state ofthe Church web site andoutlined future plans forit [Editor’s note: see thearticle on page 19 for fur-

ther information about the Church web site].Ministers from the International areas attended the

western conference. Evangelist Dibar Apartian, Europe;Mr. Bruce Tyler, Australia; Mr. Charles Bryce, Canada; Mr.Jonathan McNair, Caribbean; Mr. Rod McNair,Philippines; Mr. Sidney Hull, South Africa and Mr. MarioHernandez, Spanish areas, all presented reports.

Mr. Fred Dattolo, Church Treasurer, provided back-ground on the Church’s accounting system. Mr. TomTurner presented two reports, one on risk management, theother an overview of the bylaws and canons of the church.

Ordinations were conducted at both sites, raising twoelders to pastor rank and ordaining four new elders. InSan Diego, three men from the International area wereordained as elders: Mr. Dayrell Tanner, Mr. Rajan Mosesand Mr. Michael Gill, all serving in the Australasianregion. In Louisville, Mr. Martin Fannin and Mr. DavidBurson were elevated to pastors. Mr. Evo Walker wasordained as an elder.

In concluding conference remarks, Dr. Meredith saidthese 1999 conferences provided the greatest degree of loveand unity he had ever experienced at such gatherings. Heencouraged the ministry to take that back to the brethren.

“Teach them to build the mind of Christ, to totallysubmit and adore and worship God and Christ,” he saidin closing the 1999 conference.


Dr. Meredith talks with ministers at the EasternConference in Louisville, Mississippi.

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he world is becomingan increasingly danger-

ous place. Acts of hatredand violence occur every day inhomes and communities. Terrorismand the effects of ethnic strife andwar are constant topics in themedia. The bad news is that it is allgoing to get worse before it getsbetter—but it will get better!However, there are vital lessonsGod’s people need to be learning aswe witness what is happening tohuman society.

Do we really grasp the great sig-nificance of the ever-mounting vio-lence around the world? Do weunderstand why it is occurring andwhere it is all leading? Just what isthe cause of this worldwide wave ofviolence? Why is peace so difficultto achieve? Is there a way to realpeace on earth and goodwill amongall peoples? How will that kind ofpeace be attained? But even moreimportantly, what can we do as indi-vidual Christians to prepare for ameaningful role in the process ofrestoring peace to this troubledworld?

The surging wave of hatred andviolence and humankind’s inabilityto bring about lasting peace areprophetically significant! WhenJesus was asked what signs wouldannounce His imminent return tothe earth He listed: escalating warsand rumors of wars, ethnic strife,

hatred and killing (Matthew24:3–10). The famines and pesti-lences He mentioned are often theresult of destruction and disloca-tion caused by war and violence.The Apostle Paul was inspired towrite “In the last days perilous[difficult, terrible] times willcome” (2 Timothy 3:1–4). Hedescribes people living at that timeas unloving [callous, inhuman,without natural affection], unfor-giving [irreconcilable], slanderers[troublemakers], brutal [fierce]and treacherous. These terms areincreasingly applicable to the timeswe live in.

The Bible clearly indicates thatas the end of this age approaches,the world will be influenced by thepowerful, evil spirit of Satan (2Thessalonians 2:1–12; Revelation12:7–12). One of the proverbial“Four Horsemen” of the Apocalypse,that will ride just before Christreturns, has a red horse. This riderwill “take peace from the earth” aspeople kill one another (Revelation6:4). The beast that figures so promi-nently in end-time prophecies is aferocious war-making creature(Revelation 13:1–7). The armies ofthe world will gather at Armageddon(Revelation 16:12–16) and thenmove to the vicinity of Jerusalemwhere they will actually make warwith the returning Jesus Christ(Revelation 17:12–14). This will

result in a disaster of incredible pro-portions—with blood running to adepth of a horse’s bridle (Revelation14:14–20).

This is where the escalatingwave of hatred and violence willlead. Man’s attempt to rule himselfwill end in a series of violentlybloody convulsions precipitated bythe actions of deceived and misguid-ed human beings. It will be horri-ble—worse than anything the worldhas ever seen (Matthew 24:21–22).

Promise of Peace

However, there is also goodnews—exciting news—which is THEGOSPEL! Jesus Christ will returnwith great power to reign on thisearth (Revelation 11:15–18). Hewill come as the Prince of Peace toset up a government that will bringeverlasting peace to this earth(Isaiah 9:6–7). He will reward Hissaints with positions of rulership inthat world-ruling government(Revelation 5:10). Individuals giventhis incredible opportunity willhave learned how to become peace-makers (Matthew 5:9). They willunderstand the real cause of strifeand war. They will be able to pointthe true way to peace. They willlead the peoples of this world, sick-ened and exhausted by hatred andwar, into a new era of peace—thekingdom of God set up by Christ

By Douglas S. Winnail

T

Are YouAre Youa Peacemaker?a Peacemaker?

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and his saints on this earth. Let’sexamine just how this will be done.Let’s notice lessons we can learnnow to prepare for this excitingchallenge.

Cause of Strife

The Apostle James observed thatwars, fights, arguments and conflictsarise from human lusts and desiresthat run contrary to biblical instruc-tions that define appropriate behav-ior (James 4:1–6). James’ inspiredadvice is to get rid of pride, vanity,jealously, and humble ourselves,

submitting voluntarily to God’sinstructions because this will beginto eliminate the real causes of strifeand contention—placing us on thepath to real and lasting peace (James4:1–12). It is interesting that VictorHugo, a French poet in the 1800s,drew a similar conclusion when hewrote, “Peace is the deliberateadjustment of my life to the will ofGod.” He had learned a valuable lesson.

God inspired the prophets ofancient Israel to warn that misguid-ed leaders would continually talkabout peace but not be able toachieve peace (Jeremiah 6:14; 8:11;Ezekiel 13:10). Bible prophecy indi-cates that man’s futile search forpeace will continue to the very endof this age when “the ambassadors ofpeace shall weep bitterly” at theirinability to put an end to strife andwar (Isaiah 33:7). The reason for this

frustrating situation is also revealedin the Scriptures. God clearly states,“the way of peace they have notknown” (Isaiah 59:8; Romans 3:17).Despite mankind’s remarkableachievements, the real cause of warand strife and the true way to lastingpeace have not been found. This isthe sobering lesson of human history!

Historians Will and Ariel Duranthave observed that in the last 3,400years, only 270 have seen no war.That’s about 8 percent. In otherwords, about 92 percent of that timehuman beings have been fighting

each other somewhere on this earth.When we examine the philosophy ofinfluential individuals we find someof the reasons for this continuingproblem. George Washington,reflecting the common wisdom ofhis day said, “to be prepared for waris one of the most effective means ofpreserving peace”—however, hefought several wars in his lifetime.We follow that same philosophytoday, and we are still fighting. MaoTse Tung once remarked “war canonly be abolished through war—toget rid of the gun you must take upthe gun.” In spite of giving guns tohundreds of thousands, he neverfound the way to peace. Adolf Hitlerasserted “mankind has grown strongthrough struggles—it will only per-ish through eternal peace.” Hitler,however, died in the struggle he ini-tiated and destroyed his nation andmuch of Europe in the process.

These human ideas have onlyspawned more war. They have failedto achieve lasting peace.

Other, more perceptive individ-uals have sensed there is a betterway. Former President RonaldReagan stated “lasting peace cannotbe secured through the strength ofarms alone.” General DouglasMacArthur concluded: “In war wehave had our last chance—if we areto save the flesh, it must be of thespirit.” In other words, to eliminatewar and achieve peace, we mustchange the way we think and theway we go about the process. MaxLerner asserted “the way to preventwar is to bend every effort to preventit—not prepare for it.” The consti-tution of UNESCO, an agency of theUnited Nations, contains this inter-esting statement “Since wars beginin the minds of men, it is in theminds of men that the defenses ofpeace must be constructed.” Thequestion we need to ask is: “Howcan this be done?” How will JesusChrist and the saints bring lastingpeace to a hate-filled, war-tornplanet? What can we do to prepareto help?

The Way to Peace

The Bible indicates that saintswho rule under Jesus Christ willfunction as kings and priests(Revelation 5:10). They will pro-vide both civil and religious leader-ship. They will set domestic policyas well as promote basic values thatinfluence individual behavior.They will function as teachers andeducators guiding society in a spe-cific direction. Speaking of thistime Isaiah prophesied “Your eyesshall see your teachers. Your earsshall hear a word behind you say-ing, This is the way, walk in it”(Isaiah 30:20–21). Isaiah alsoreveals that when Christ sets upHis government in Jerusalem (in

“the way of peace they have not known”(Isaiah 59:8; Romans 3:17). Despitemankind’s remarkable achievements, the realcause of war and strife and the true way tolasting peace have not been found.


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the latter days) that all the nationsof the earth will look to that cityfor guidance and direction for solv-ing their problems. He states that“out of Zion shall go forth the law,and the word of the Lord fromJerusalem” (Isaiah 2:2–4). As aresult of this re-educational pro-gram the nations of the world“shall beat their swords into plow-shares, and their spears into prun-ing hooks; nation shall not lift upsword against nation, neither shallthey learn war any more” (Ibid). Inthe coming kingdom of Godnations will be taught the way toachieve peace.

But just how will this be accom-plished? How will we change thethinking of the entire world? Whataspects of God’s law will we need tounderstand and emphasize?

The fundamental principles ofGod’s law that will be promulgatedfrom Jerusalem will be the TenCommandments. Jesus taught “ifyou want to want to enter into life [eternal life in the kingdom of God—see Matthew 19:23) keepthe commandments” (Matthew19:16–19). The sixth commandmentprohibits killing—murder (Exodus20:13). Mankind will have to betaught to respect the value of humanlife. This means that forms of enter-tainment (movies, video games, etc.)that feature violence and killing willsimply not be produced or be madeavailable. Military academies will beclosed. Military organizations will bedisbanded. Defense contractors whomanufacture armaments will have tofind other products to make. Thiswill involve a major restructuring ofhuman society. Human energies willhave to be guided into constructive—not destructive—directions. Haveyou ever given any thought to howyou would do this if you are giventhe opportunity? It will be a chal-lenge. However, this will just be the beginning.

Jesus said he did not come to doaway with the law, but to fulfill it(Matthew 5:17). The word fulfill(pleroo in Greek) means to complete,perfect, to cram full. Isaiah prophe-sied that the Messiah would come to“magnify the law [explain additionalapplications] and make it honorable[glorious]” (Isaiah 42:21). Jesusexplained to His disciples that whilethe letter of the law prohibitedkilling and murder, the spiritualintent of that same commandmentprohibits harboring hatred, animosi-ty or contempt toward anotherhuman being (Matthew 5:21–22).The spirit of the law reveals thatmany commonly held attitudes aresimply wrong—because they lead usin the wrong direction and producebad fruit. These attitudes violate thelaw of God and thus are termed sins(1 John 3:4). Sins must be repentedof, eliminated and replaced by morepositive behaviors in order to bringpeace to this world. This, too, willtake time—and concentrated effortby firm, yet patient, understandingand experienced teachers.

Principles of Peace

The Bible is literally filled withprinciples that amplify the spiritualintent of the sixth commandment.Those same principles also show ushow to apply another fundamentalteaching of Scripture—the admoni-tion to love our neighbor (Leviticus19:18; Matthew 22:39; John 15:17).Jesus taught that we should learn tosettle differences quickly instead ofletting them smolder unresolved(Matthew 5:25). We must be willingto give in instead of fighting for ourown way (5:38–42). We need tolearn to love even our enemiesinstead of hate them (5:43–48). TheApostle Paul emphasized we should“live peaceably with all men,” showkindness, trust God and resist thetemptation to seek revenge or get

even (Romans 12:9–21). He taughtwe must get rid of anger and resent-ment lest it cause us to sin(Ephesians 4:25–31). James, thebrother of Jesus Christ wrote, “beswift to hear, slow to speak, slow towrath; for the wrath of man does notproduce the righteousness of God”(James 1:19–20). These are all prac-tical principles of godly behaviorthat can be learned and taught. Theseare peacemaking skills that leadersin tomorrow’s world will need.

The peace-promoting principlesof the New Testament have theircounterparts in the Old Testament.This is not surprising since the teach-ings of Jesus Christ were based upon,and were amplifications of, theHebrew Scriptures. Dozens ofproverbs illustrate this fact. One thou-sand years before Christ, Solomonwrote, “hatred stirs up strife, but lovecovers [forgives, overlooks] all sins”(Proverbs 10:12). He penned “a softanswer turns away wrath, but a harshword stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1).He advised that patience and gentle-ness can break down a bone-like resis-tance (25:15), but that malicious andhurtful words stir up anger(25:23–24). Additional proverbsreveal that by eliminating gossip andslander, strife ceases (26:20), but thatcontentious, argumentative peoplegenerate strife (26:21). Again, we aretalking about godly behaviors that canbe learned and taught.

On a more fundamental level,Solomon was inspired to recordthat the root cause of strife andcontention is pride, but that wisepeople learn not succumb to thistemptation (Proverbs 13:10). Thetragic lesson of history is thatpride leads to destruction(Proverbs 16:18).

The Word of God reveals the realcauses of both war and peace. The

Are You A Peacemaker?continues on page 17

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By John H. Ogwyn

© PhotoDisc/LCG Image

here did we get our New Testament? Whodecided which books were holy and deserved

to be part of the Bible? The Catholic Churchclaims that early church councils put the

New Testament together, but is that really the way it happened?

Many of the commentators argue and dispute aboutwho actually wrote the vari-ous books of the NewTestament. Is there a way ofreally knowing? The stan-dard argument of the so-called higher critics is thatthe early Apostles were poor,uneducated peasants andwere probably not even liter-ate. They contend that mensuch as Peter, John and Jamescould certainly not have writ-ten the books that bear theirnames. They argue that thewritten gospels were com-piled from oral tradition manydecades after the events andtherefore cannot be consideredvery reliable.

One other matter: fromtime to time we hear of “lostbooks of the Bible.” There areancient books that claim to bethe “lost gospels” of men suchas Peter or Thomas. Is there a way to be sure that we haveALL the books that are legitimate scripture in our currentcopies of the New Testament?

What about it? Does the record of the Bible togetherwith secular history provide significant evidence aboutthe origin of the New Testament? How did it come to be

written—and can we prove that what we have in our pos-session is truly authoritative?

The Men Who Wrote the New Testament

What about the men who are purported to be theauthors of the New Testament? Who were they? What

were their credentials? Whatevidence is there that theywere the genuine authors?

First, let’s look at theauthor of more NewTestament books than anyother. With fourteen booksascribed to him, the ApostlePaul is certainly credited witha major role in producing ourNew Testament. In what waywas this man uniquely quali-fied to write such a large por-tion of the New Testament?After all, it is the books attrib-uted to Paul that provide themost detailed explanation ofthe process of salvation. Theyexpound subjects such as jus-tification, sanctification, lawand grace, and the old andnew covenants.

What do we know of thebackground and training of

Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles? According to Acts 22:3he had been a student of Rabbi Gamaliel, the foremostJewish teacher of his day. In addition, we are told thatPaul grew up in Tarsus, a major city on a Roman traderoute. His father was a well-to-do purveyor of tents to themerchant caravans that traversed that well-traveled route.

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We know that Paul’s father was well off financially for tworeasons. Firstly, he had Roman citizenship and that was arare commodity in his day and came at a high price.Secondly, he was able to send his young son to Jerusalemto study with the foremost Jewish scholar of the day.Again, that was something that would have been out ofthe reach of most.

Young Saul, whose Roman name was Paul, wouldhave grown up not only learning his father’s trade of tentmaking, but would have developed fluency in Greekbecause this was the major language of commerce in hisarea. Paul’s address on Mars Hill in Athens shows that hewas conversant with the Greek poets and could quotethem at will. Paul was well educated from both a Greekand a Jewish perspective. He was clearly capable of writ-ing any book that has been ascribed to him. Because ofhis scholarly background, there was no one who wasmore qualified to explain the intricacies of the OldTestament, such as we find in Hebrews, or the theologi-cal principles of salvation found in Romans andGalatians.

What of other purported New Testament writers?While Paul came from a privileged and scholarly back-ground, what of men such as Peter, John, and James thebrother of Jesus? Surely, many modern critics reason, theywould have lacked the education to have written thebooks attributed to them.

Simon Peter and his brother Andrew, along withJames and John the sons of Zebedee, were professionalfishermen. What is it possible to know about them sim-ply from their occupation? For one thing, we learn thatthey owned their own boats and that they had employees(Mark 1:20). As we shall see, they were successful busi-nessmen at the time that they forsook all to follow Jesusof Nazareth.

An article in the June 1999 issue of Bible Review mag-azine raises an important question. The idea that theApostles were rude, uneducated men “…is a linchpin ofthe skepticism of those who attack the general reliabilityof the gospel traditions. Such ignorant, laboring men, theargument goes, could not be expected to remember orreport accurately…so little or no confidence can beplaced in what they relate about Jesus’ words and deeds”(pp. 23–24).

What kind of men were these fishermen that Jesuscalled to become fishers of men? To begin with, let’sunderstand a little about the status of fishermen in theancient world. Fish was one of the most important staplefoods of the Mediterranean world. In fact, the availabilityof fresh fish wasn’t enough to meet demand in the RomanEmpire, pushing up the price considerably. The salting,drying, and pickling of fish to ship inland was a major

industry. In short, the marketing of fish was a lucrativebusiness and provided a very good income to those soengaged.

Peter and Andrew came from the city of Bethsaida(John 1:44) which was in the territory of Herod Philip,who had inherited the territory northeast of the Sea ofGalilee from his father, Herod the Great. Bethsaida wasone of thirteen harbors located on the Sea of Galilee.However, the place where most of the catch from the Seaof Galilee was processed for shipment was the town ofTaricheae, known as Magdala in Aramaic. This created aproblem for residents of Bethsaida since Taricheae was inthe territory of Philip’s half-brother, Herod Antipas. The

first village across the Jordan River on Antipas’ side of theborder, Capernaum, had a toll collector and a small garri-son. Antipas collected a hefty tax on the fish and otherproducts brought in from his brother’s realm.

This explains why Peter moved across the Sea ofGalilee and obtained a home in Capernaum. In this wayhe wasn’t subject to the tax that Antipas imposed on non-resident fish-sellers. Archaeologists believe that they haveexcavated the home of Peter in Capernaum and describeit as larger than average and the home of a prosperousfamily (see “Has the House Where Jesus Stayed inCapernaum Been Found?” Biblical Archaeology Review,Nov/Dec 1982). Successful businessmen in this area hadto be fluent in Greek as well as Aramaic. In fact, thenames Andrew and Philip (the close friend introduced toJesus by Peter and his brother) are of Greek origin. Thisattests to their families’ comfort and familiarity with thesurrounding Greek world.

Peter and John would have grown up speaking Greekas well as Aramaic. They came from prosperous, middleclass Jewish backgrounds. They were astute enough busi-nessmen to move their home for tax benefits. With shipsand employees they clearly knew how to plan and orga-nize. Though despised by the religious professionals inJerusalem because of their Galilean accented speech and

Does the record of the Bibletogether with secular history providesignificant evidence about the origin

of the New Testament? How did itcome to be written—and can weprove that what we have in ourpossession is truly authoritative?



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their lack of formal training in the recognized rabbinicalschools of the day, they were anything but ignorant anduneducated men. Christ clearly picked men who had thekind of background and training that prepared them forthe important responsibilities that He had in mind forthem.

What about James and Jude, the brothers of Jesus?Each is credited with the authorship of one of the booksof the New Testament. James served as the Apostle whopresided over the headquarters church at Jerusalem fordecades. Did these men have the kind of background thatwould have enabled them to write the books attributed tothem?

James and Jude grew up in the household of Josephand Mary in Nazareth. Their father was a carpenter andthey would no doubt have been brought up with trainingand experience in that profession. What was entailed inbeing a carpenter in Nazareth?

Though Nazareth was a small village of about 400people, it was located only three miles from Sepphoris,the Roman capital of Galilee. Sepphoris was destroyed in4BC, following riots that ensued after the death of Herodthe Great. The following year Herod Antipas began therebuilding of the city. This proved to be a vast project thatlasted throughout the lifetime of Jesus. A theater, a royalpalace, and numerous public buildings were constructed.A beautiful, sophisticated city of 30,000, second only toJerusalem, developed. It was home to Jews, Greeks,Arabs, and Romans.

The more that scholars have learned about Sepphorisin recent years, the more that it has changed their viewof the environment in which Jesus and his brothers grewup. “In short, Jesus lived in a Galilean culture muchmore urban and sophisticated than previouslybelieved…The construction of an influential Roman cap-ital city so near Jesus’ home in Nazareth redefines thecarpenter’s occupation in central Galilee” (BAR,May/June 1992, p. 55). Jesus, along with His youngerbrothers, James and Jude, grew up in a culture whereGreek was commonly spoken along with Aramaic. Theywere in the building trade at a time and place when newconstruction was booming and skilled craftsmen wereprospering. Clearly, James and Jude weren’t illiteratepeasants. They were very capable of writing the booksattributed to them.

Other New Testament writers, such as Matthew andLuke, were obviously educated men. Matthew was aRoman civil servant, a tax collector, which indicates thathe was educated in Greek as well as Aramaic. Luke was aphysician by training and experience, which again pre-supposes a good education. The other New Testamentauthor, John Mark, was a travelling companion first of

Paul and Barnabas and later of Peter. We know that hisuncle, Barnabas, was a wealthy Levite from Cyprus (Acts4:36–37). In addition, Mark’s mother, Mary, owned alarge home in Jerusalem that was big enough to accom-modate meetings of a large number of the disciples (Acts12:12). This again points to the fact of Mark having hadaccess to a good education.

Clearly, every one of the men named as authors of theNew Testament books had a background of exposure tothe Greek world and the Greek language. They had theeducational and social background to write the materialthat has been attributed to them.

Putting the New Testament Together

The Jews of Jesus’ day venerated their sacred writings,which we know as the Old Testament, and studied themfrom childhood. Josephus, a first-century priest and his-torian who was contemporary with the writers of the NewTestament, records the Jewish perspective on the scrip-tures: “For we have not an innumerable multitude ofbooks among us, disagreeing from and contradicting oneanother [as the Greeks have,] but only twenty-twobooks…which are justly believed to be divine…” (AgainstApion, I, 8). Josephus stated that the Jewish scriptures hadbeen compiled in their final form in the days of KingArtaxerxes, who reigned in the days of Ezra andNehemiah.

The fact that there were twenty-two books of Hebrewscriptures was given great significance by the Jews. This isbecause this corresponded to the twenty-two letters of theHebrew alphabet. An illustration is found in Psalm 119. Inthe King James translation, as well as many others, each sec-tion of eight verses in this Psalm is preceded with a charac-ter of the Hebrew alphabet. In Hebrew the first eight versesall begin with the letter “a” (aleph), the next eight verses allbegin with the letter “b” (beth), and so on. The idea was thatwhen all of the letters had been used up, the subject wasthoroughly covered and nothing more remained to be said.This was the concept with the Hebrew scriptures. God’s rev-elation in the Hebrew language was deemed complete. Afterall, the entire alphabet was “used up.”

The twenty-two books as counted by the Jews corre-spond to the books of our Old Testament, normallycounted as thirty-nine books in modern translations. Thenumber differs because of the different way the bookswere counted. The twelve Minor Prophets, for instance,were kept on one scroll in Hebrew and were counted assimply one book, not twelve separate ones. There are sev-eral other combinations as well.

But while the Hebrew scriptures were complete, God’srevelation to mankind wasn’t finished! In the aftermath of

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Jesus’ resurrection, accounts of His life and ministry werewritten. Letters to fledgling congregations were written. Asthe decades passed, those who were first-hand witnesses ofwhat Jesus Christ said and did began to pass from thescene. False teachers arose who were teaching “a differentgospel” (2 Corinthians 11:3). They also wrote letters,often signing the name of one of the Apostles. (2Thessalonians 2:2). In such confusion, how was an accu-rate account of Christ’s teachings and the teachings of Hisapostles to be preserved for future generations of disciples?

Peter addresses this issue in the last letter that hewrote: 2 Peter. Written shortly prior to his execution bythe Romans, and shortly after Paul’s death, Peter putsthings in perspective. Referring to his soon-approachingdeath in verse 14, Peter states: “Moreover I will be care-

ful to ensure that you always have a reminder of thesethings after my decease” (2 Peter 1:15). Clearly the onlyway that he could ensure a permanent record of thethings that he had taught was to leave behind writingsofficially designated as holy scripture!

Beginning in verse 16, Peter abruptly switches fromusing the first person singular to using “we,” the first per-son plural. Who was the “we” that Peter referred to inverses 16 through 19? He defines the “we” in verse 18when he refers to them having witnessed the transfigura-tion of Jesus in the Mount. This event is detailed inMatthew 17:1–13 where we learn that only Peter, James,and John accompanied Jesus to the mount and were first-hand witnesses of this event. James the brother of Johnwas the first of the Apostles to be martyred (Acts 12:1–2)and had been dead for decades at the time Peter was writ-ing 2 Peter. Therefore, the “we” being referred to by Petercould only refer to him and John.

He goes on to explain in verse 19 that “we”—he andJohn—were the only ones who possessed the “sure wordof prophecy.” In other words, Peter was pointing out tohis readers that he and John were the ones designated byChrist to leave behind an authoritative record that wouldguide the Christian community in generations to come,long after the deaths of the original disciples.

In 2 Peter 3:15–16 he refers to Paul’s writings in away that indicates they were complete, mentioning “all”his letters. He also refers to people distorting them asthey did “the other scriptures.” Peter defines Paul’s lettersas scripture on a par with the Old Testament and inti-mates that Paul was no longer alive to respond to thosewho sought to twist his meaning.

There are twenty-seven books in the New Testament,five of which are attributed to the Apostle John andbelieved to have been written approximately threedecades after the death of Peter. This would indicate thatPeter, prior to his death, put together a canon of twenty-two books, exactly corresponding in number to theJewish way of reckoning the books of the Old Testament.When John added his five books—a gospel, three epis-tles, and Revelation—there were then twenty-seven inall. The twenty-two books of the Hebrew scriptures,added to the twenty-seven books of the Greek scriptures,make forty-nine in all—seven times seven, God’s numberof completion and perfection!

Clearly the Bible was complete and stamped as God’sbook. If any book is added or removed the entire patternis disturbed. Christ called and trained capable, qualifiedmen as His Apostles. The early Apostles, who producedthe New Testament, along with the prophets who pro-duced the Old Testament, provided a solid foundation forthe Church that Jesus built (Ephesians 2:20).

Christ ensured that the Church that He establishedwould not be left to human tradition or vague, unreliablerecollection as its source of guidance. He left us with awritten record of His message and of the actions andteachings of His Apostles. This message was accuratelypreserved in the manuscripts copied in the Greek worldfor centuries. After the fall of Constantinople to theTurks in 1453, Greek scholars fled to Western Europe,particularly Switzerland, bringing a treasure trove ofancient manuscripts. These manuscripts provided thebasis of what is called the Textus Receptus, from whichboth the King James and New King James versions weretranslated.

The living Christ has guided and orchestrated eventsto ensure a faithful witness of the Good News that Hecame proclaiming almost 2,000 years ago. Our NewTestament is truly the legacy of the early Church, faith-fully preserved for us today!

Clearly the Bible was complete and stamped as God’s book. If anybook is added or removed the entirepattern is disturbed. Christ called andtrained capable, qualified men as His Apostles. The early Apostles, whoproduced the New Testament, alongwith the prophets who produced theOld Testament, provided a solid foundation for the Church that Jesusbuilt (Ephesians 2:20).

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Report From The TreasurerBy Fred Dattolo

ast time I wrote, our year-to-date mailincome was holding steady at about 77percent of last year’s. Since then, thespring Holy Day offerings were better

than expected—we received slightly more than 80percent of last year’s amount! Thanks to your gen-erous offerings, our total year-to-date mail incomenow stands at 78 percent of a year ago. Last time, Ialso mentioned that tithe of second tithe is request-ed in order to pay the common costs of the annualfestivals—costs borne by the Church rather than byeach of us individually. Examples include festivalhalls in which to meet, expenses for flowers andequipment rented at each of the Feast sites, ministe-rial travel, including the need to send about sevenmen overseas in order to spiritually feed our inter-national brethren so they too can enjoy the Feast.

Also needed is cash assistance for those needy mem-bers who would not otherwise be able to attend theFeast, both in the United States and in many inter-national areas.

So far, the response has been good. We havecollected about $80,000 in tithe of second tithe.To give you an idea of what is needed, cash assis-tance alone, for our members to keep the Feast,was over $70,000 last year, including what wassent to our international members. This year, theneed appears to be even greater. All the other fes-tival expenses, of course, will also need to be paidmostly before the Feast. If you have not done so,

and you are able, please consider offsetting theChurch’s Feast costs with your tithe of secondtithe. Thank you!

On another topic, our headquarters staff—22full-time and 4 part-time employees and three regu-lar volunteers—is working in unity with the samepurpose and goals and supporting Dr. Meredith withfewer resources than we are accustomed to, but witha wholehearted attitude! That is one reason why wecan and are doing more with less. We are excitedabout the potential for God’s Work in the future. Wecontinue to put into place programs, systems, proce-dures and policies that will lay the foundation to pre-pare us for a greater Work.

To that end, we have recently hired Aaron Eagle,a former Worldwide Church of God employee. Inthe last several years, Mr. Eagle has worked inMichigan as an Information Analyst where he wastrained to develop forecasting tools enabling GeneralMotors to manipulate, analyze and consolidate datain more efficient and consistent ways throughoutthe whole organization. With Mr. Eagle’s trainingand experience, we will be able to coordinate thedevelopment of the master file database and inte-grate our member and co-worker file with our donorfile, our subscriber file (respondents to the telecast)and our financial vendor file, all into one relationaldatabase. In addition, Mr. Eagle will be assisting Mr.Carl McNair and Mr. Dibar Apartian in ChurchAdministration.

Our physical resources—whether they arehuman, financial or property and equipmentresources—are very limited. Yet we know that ourspiritual resources are unlimited! There is no doubtthat God will finish His Work. I’m sure that you areas excited and eager to get on with it as we are! Wepray that God will give us more of the resources weneed to get the job done, and we also pray that Hewill guide us to do the best we can with what He pro-vides. We certainly appreciate all of you whom Godis using. Thank you very much for your unwaveringsteadfastness to His Truth and His Work!

We are excited about the potentialfor God’s Work in the future. Wecontinue to put into place programs,systems, procedures and policiesthat will lay the foundation to prepare us for a greater Work.

L

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laws and principles that God inspiredin Scripture identify human attitudesand behaviors that lead to strife andcontention, as well as those that pro-mote peace and harmony and preventstrife. It is a sad fact of history thatmankind has either not understoodor has chosen to ignore these power-ful biblical principles. Our challengeas Christians is to learn how to applythese inspired principles—now in

our lifetime. When we consider theescalating wave of hatred and vio-lence that is threatening to engulfour world, perhaps we can begin tounderstand why we are admonishedto “seek peace, and pursue it” (Psalm34:14), and why we are told that“great peace have those who loveYour law” (Psalm 119:165).

We can prepare now for impor-tant responsibilities in the comingKingdom of God. Learn the lessonsof history. Study the Scriptures aboutpeace. Notice what God says leads to

strife and contention. Make a list ofproverbs that relate to these subjects.Think about how you can applythese principles to the situations inyour own life and to problems in oursociety. If we build on the foundationthat God has provided, we can devel-op the skills of a peacemaker. As wegain experience using these skills wewill be able to work with Jesus Christto restore to this earth a goal that hasinspired yet eluded mankind—eter-nal, everlasting peace. Set a goal ofbecoming a peacemaker!

“spanks” all of us from time to time. “For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom Hereceives” (Hebrews 12:6).

But all of us—ministers and layman alike—must constantly humble the self through God’s Spirit, and try to be surethat we are genuinely motivated by a spirit of SERVICE in whatever we do. If we have to take a lower position for atime—as even the Son of God did—in order to better serve, let us graciously do this and THANK GOD for the opportu-nity. If we are NEVER rewarded with some big position or title within God’s Church, we still may be WAY AHEAD ofthose folks who are always pushing for position, power and prestige!

For the great CREATOR of us all has this to say: “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whosename is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and HUMBLE SPIRIT, to revive the spir-it of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry;for the spirit would fail before Me, and the souls which I have made’” (Isaiah 57:15–16).

God is watching and God is “testing” the attitudes of every one of us! He wants to know IF we are truly learningthe lessons of Servant Leadership. Are we willing to take the “lowest seat” if that works out better and helps us servemore? Are we constantly thinking about how we can best use our talents, our time and our resources to better SERVEothers and to prepare for the Kingdom of God?

John, the beloved Apostle, tells us: “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also oughtto lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16). Let each of us in the Living Church of God learn to “lay downour lives” for one another in all of our thoughts, our prayers and our actions. Let us be truly be motivated by a spirit ofgiving, helping, serving and encouraging one another. Then, without doubt, we will be granted entrance into ourFather’s everlasting Kingdom which will be totally based on that spirit of LOVE, kindness, patience, service and profound JOY.

Servant Leadership (Continued From page 2)

Are You A Peacemaker?(Continued From page 11)

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Local ChurchNews

Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Vern Raby ofFenelon Falls, Ontario, Canada, who celebratedtheir 65th wedding anniversary on June 12, 1999. They were married in 1934 in Minden,Ontario. Mr. & Mrs. Raby used to listen to Mr.Herbert W. Armstrong many years ago, and afterhearing the voice of Dr. Meredith on the telecastthey sought baptism—which was carried out onDecember 23, 1996.

Anniversary

Norman and Sally Crouch of Brisbane, Australia arepleased to announce the birth of their seconddaughter Elyse Olivia, born on May 25 at 3:00 a.m.and weighing 8lb 1oz. A baby sister for Emma andAndrew, and granddaughter for Dayrell and JeanetteTanner also of the Brisbane church. We are thankfulto God for this wonderful blessing.

Birth Announcements

May 29 was a special Sabbath day for the Metro-Manila congregations. Six Philippine ministers, whowere in town for a ministerial conference, attended acombined service and an evening summer dance atCamp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

At sunset, a potluck dinner was served. Then, at 7:00p.m., the dance began. There were also song and dancenumbers that added to the entertainment. Even some ofthe ministers sang in the local dialects to the delight ofthe brethren. At the end of the dance, some couples wereawarded best in swing, tango, boogie and waltz.

The occasion was a success and gave the brethrena chance to meet and visit longer with the ministers,who were here for the 2-day conference. The minister-ial meetings, held on May 27 and 28, were led byRegional Director Rod McNair, at his Makati residence.Ministers attending were Messrs. Gorgonio de Guia(Manila), Eleno Cabahit (Davao), Felipe Casing(Davao), Tex Benitez (Maranding), Encardio Benitez(San Fernando) and Elias Flores (Maramag).

Summer Dance Highlights Manila

Ministerial Conference

He’s finally here and they couldn’t be happier! Jamesand Aimee Hart of the San Diego California congre-gation are pleased to announce the birth of their sonJustin Roy Hart, born on April 6 at 9:32 p.m. weigh-ing 4lb 12oz; measuring 18 1/4 inches. Justin has 3older sisters, Britni, Jaimee and Katie.

Rolla Brethren Enjoy Float TripThe Rolla, Missouri float trip was

held June 13, 1999 on the scenicJack’s Fork River. The emphasis of thetrip was on family fun, with specialregard to youth involvement. Theweekend of June 12–13 was hectic;reservations for camping and canoerentals were confirmed the day beforeand all that was left to do was toenjoy! The Rolla congregation wasprepared for extra seating and refresh-

ments. After a sermon by Mr. BillOswald, the fellowship was evenmore lively than usual. The enthusi-asm lasted throughout the wholeweekend. Saturday night the teensenjoyed the company of their friends,a pool party and camping. Mr. BillOswald and Mr. Darwin Kissee pro-vided music for everyone to enjoy.Sunday was a perfect day for floating.After breakfast, the canoes hit the

water and a day of adventure began. Itsoon became apparent which teenswere experienced canoers and whichones were always sideways! Canoersof all skill levels had smiles through-out the day as they splashed, swam,and occasionally dunked each otheron their way to the take out point. Thanks to the 30 adventur-ous people who made this trip so fun!

—Written by Jay Collins, age 17


19

Updates to Official Church Web SitesIn little more than five months since its inception, the

www.livingcog.org web site has received more than half a mil-lion “hits.” More than 50,000 user sessions have been con-ducted, and more than 15,000 unique visitors have come to thesite on one or more occasions.

New features have recently been added to the two officialLiving Church of God web sites, in an attempt to serve morefully the needs of the brethren and the viewers of our Tomorrow’sWorld telecast.

The Tomorrow’s World web site, reachable at URL:http://www.tomorrowsworld.org, contains a complete archive ofTomorrow’s World telecasts, in RealVideo and RealAudio formats.A Television Log section keeps viewers up to date regarding theday and time the program airs in various television markets.Media Department staff at Headquarters are working with vol-unteers in the field to add to the site a “Literature Request” area,from which viewers will be able to see online the Tomorrow’sWorld magazine in several electronic formats, and to requestsubscriptions to the print version of the magazine.

Booklets will also be made available from the site in elec-tronic format, along with an order form for those who wish toreceive print copies. When the Correspondence Course isreleased later this year, it too will be available online. The LivingChurch of God web site, reachable at URL: http://www.liv-ingcog.org, will also add a “Literature Request” area in the nearfuture.

The Living Church of God web site has also undergonesome revisions recently. Links on the home page now connectvisitors directly to pages containing weekly sermons, telecasts,and commentaries (brief 2–5 minute audio pieces).

These commentaries are among the most popular featureson the site; they give senior HQ ministers a novel way to sharewith the brethren their perspectives on current events. Recenttopics have included: “New Superpower on the Rise” and“Natural Disasters—Why?” by Dr. Meredith, “ColumbineTragedy—Why?” by Mr. Ames, and “Father’s Day” by Mr.McNair.

At least one new full-length sermon is added to the site eachweek. Most sermons are made available in RealAudio format;Holy Day sermons are also available in RealVideo so thatbrethren can view them online.

Recent sermons available on the site include: “False ProphetsPredicted” and “A Turning Point” by Dr. Meredith; “A SpiritualGauge” by Mr. McNair and “Peace of Mind” by Mr. Apartian.

For brethren who do not have access to the telecast, the website makes the Tomorrow’s World program available for online

URL: http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/

URL: http://www.livingcog.org/

URL: http://www.livingcog.org/members/


20

viewing. With the first season of taping completed,each of its 22 programs can be found on the web site;the current week’s program is featured, while otherscan be seen in the site’s Library area.

Because some material is not appropriate for visi-tors who do not have a Church of God background, a“Member” area has been added. This member areacontains electronic copies of the Living Church News,Dr. Meredith’s member and co-worker letters, andother updates from Headquarters departments, such asthe weekly Church Administration update, in additionto online copies of the booklets and the Tomorrow’sWorld magazine. Living Church of God members, oranyone with a Church of God background, may type inthe words member and galatians220 to enter the mem-ber area.

User ID: member

Password: galatians220

Please do not share this information with peoplewho do not have a Church of God background, but ifyou are in contact with members of other Church ofGod fellowships, please feel free to share the user IDand password with them, so they may see how theLiving Church of God is striving to carry out theGreat Commission.

The Living Church of God congregation inJoplin, Missouri held its annual family weekend onMay 29th and 30th. Instead of a more formal prom-type dance, this year’s dance was less formal andincluded an overnight lock-in and picnic on the fol-lowing day. Mr. Gerald Weston, pastor from theKansas, MO church, spoke to approximately 95brethren from the four-state area. After a short break,a Bible Study was held followed by a fabulouspotluck dinner.

After the Sabbath everyone enjoyed a familydance and Mrs. Gerald Weston taught the“Crocodile Rock” to the teens and the young-at-

heart. A lock-in was held at the church after thedance with movies and popcorn. The next morn-ing everyone woke up to hot biscuits and gravy,pancakes and eggs. On Sunday afternoon thebrethren went to a nearby park for picnic andgames. The children participated in sack races,water balloon and egg tosses and other games. Theadults joined in as well. Mr. Karl Beyersdorfer, pas-tor of the Joplin, MO church showed his talents inthe water balloon toss! A softball game finishedout the weekend of fun and fellowship. A greattime was had by all.

—Written by Ruth and Bryan Beal

Ordained at the Eastern Ministerial Conferencewere: Martin Fannin, Pastor (Tennessee); DaveBurson, Pastor (Michigan); Evo Walker, Elder(Mississippi).

Newly Ordained

Joplin Church Holds

Annual Family Weekend

Joplin Church Holds

Annual Family Weekend

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1999 Festival UpdatesTrinidad Feast Site

The approximately 45 brethren of the two videogroups in Trinidad invite you to share the Feast ofTabernacles with them on the peaceful island of Tobago.The Feast site is the Golf View Apartments, which over-look an 18-hole championship golf course and is lessthan a 10-minute walk from three beautiful, uncrowdedbeaches. Tobago is a quiet, tourist-oriented tropicalisland, where activities include sightseeing, hiking, swim-ming, scuba diving, snorkeling, golfing or just lazing onthe beach.

Accommodations range in cost from $20 per personsingle and $50 for up to 6 people at the Golf ViewApartments, to $35 single and $60 triple at the OldGrange Inn next door. A five-star hotel, the Mt. Irvine BayHotel, is a few minutes’ walk away. Please direct yourinquiries and reservation requests through Mr.Ramsumair Sookram at (868) 645-6858, or send himemail at: [email protected]

Change in Mexico Feast Site

The location of the Feast of Tabernacles in Mexicohas been changed to Metepec, a city located near Puebla,approximately one hour and forty-five minutes west of Mexico City. English translation will be provided forservices.

Metepec offers a mild climate, and beautiful scenery;it is surrounded by mountains with a cascade nearby.Visitors can catch trout at a nearby fish hatchery and havethem prepared for dinner. The location also offers bikeriding, plenty of swimming pools, basketball courts, soc-cer fields, playgrounds for children, and a gymnasium.

Sites of interest in the area include: the historic city ofPuebla, the ancient pyramids, and a variety of old handi-craft factories. Good shopping is available, at very rea-sonable prices. The meeting hall, hotel and restaurantsare all in the same complex; there is no need to rent a car.Those who make plans to be at the Mexico CityInternational Airport before 1 p.m. on Friday, September24 will be transported to the Feast site.

The hotel prices are: $24 per day for a room with twobeds, $34 per day for a room with four beds, or $64 perday for a kitchen cottage that can accommodate seven.

If you are interested in attending the Feast inMetepec, Mexico, please phone Mr. Mario Hernandez at (858) 673-7470, or reach him by email at [email protected].

Gatlinburg Correction

The phone number for the River Terrace ConventionCenter was incorrectly listed in the last Living ChurchNews. The correct number is (800) 251-2040.

Jackson Hole Housing

Site coordinator Mr. Ben Whitfield has found a rentalagency with what he believes are lower prices than someother alternatives in the Jackson Hole area. RendezvousMountain Resort Rentals can be reached on the Web athttp://www.rmrentals.com or by toll-free phone call at(888) 739-2565 (ask for Ken).

Feast Site in Barbados

The Feast in Barbados will be observed at theCaribbee Hotel, Hastings, Christ Church. There is roomfor seven families to transfer from other areas.Registrations will be accepted in the order received.Lodging will be provided at the Palm Garden Hotel. Onebedroom kitchenette apartments will accommodate up to3 people; two bedroom kitchenette apartments willaccommodate up to 4 people. Rooms will cost approxi-mately $20 per person per night; buffet meals will runbetween $9 and $15. For further information phone Mr.Clyde Skeete at (246) 432-9436.

New Site Coordinator forCranbrook, British Columbia

Please direct all future inquiries about theCranbrook, British Columbia site to Mr. EngMonson at (306) 545-5250; you can also reachhim at [email protected] via email.

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UNITED STATES

Anchorage AK Gary Ullerick . . . . . . . . . . .253-922-6917Homer AK Video GroupWasilla AK Video GroupBirmingham AL Rand Millich . . . . . . . . . . 706-227-6895

Carl Ponder . . . . . . . . . . 334-285-3265Florence AL Bob League . . . . . . . . . . . 615-641-3778Huntsville AL Bob League . . . . . . . . . . . 615-641-3778Montgomery AL Rand Millich . . . . . . . . . . 706-227-6895

Carl Ponder . . . . . . . . . . 334-285-3265El Dorado AR Jon McNair . . . . . . . . . . 504-654-6797Fayetteville AR Karl Beyersdorfer . . . . . . . . . . . 417-623-8888Harrison AR Video GroupLittle Rock AR John Ogwyn . . . . . . . . . . . 903-986-8117

Davy Crockett . . . . . . . . . . 501-868-8760Russellville AR John Ogwyn . . . . . . . . . . . 903-986-8117Mena AR Video GroupPhoenix AZ Doug Winnail . . . . . . . . . . 602-572-8747

Jim Nork . . . . . . . . . . 602-978-5537Gerald Shoquist . . . . . . . . . . . 602-561-9143

Gary Stein . . . . . . . . . . 602-975-0897Howard Stein . . . . . . . . . . 602-546-3773

Tucson AZ Doug Winnail . . . . . . . . . . 602-572-8747Phil Steagall . . . . . . . . . . 520-744-6453

Camp Verde AZ Doug Winnail . . . . . . . . . . 602-572-8747Bob McCann . . . . . . . . . . 520-567-0230

Arroyo Grande CA Video GroupEureka CA Don Haney . . . . . . . . . . 541-855-9872

Michael Norris . . . . . . . . . . . 707-445-1335Fresno CA Gaylyn Bonjour . . . . . . . . . . 559-346-1064Garden Grove CA Dibar Apartian . . . . . . . . . . 858-676-0886

Rodger Bardo . . . . . . . . . . . 714-270-4663Los Angeles CA Jeff Fall . . . . . . . . . . . 626-914-1474

Hadden Pace . . . . . . . . . . 626-447-4476Palm Springs CA Don Turk . . . . . . . . . . . 619-325-3356Redding CA Don Haney . . . . . . . . . . 541-855-9872Sacramento CA Jeff Fall . . . . . . . . . . . 626-914-1474San Diego CA Roderick Meredith . . . . . . . . . . . 858-673-7470San Jose CA Video GroupSonora CA Video GroupDenver CO Glen Marshall . . . . . . . . . . .970-669-5192Franktown CO Robert Stahl . . . . . . . . . . .303-688-1562Hartford CT Jim Arnaldo . . . . . . . . . . 508-393-6209Washington DC Ken Frank . . . . . . . . . . .540-786-8015

Ray Clore, II . . . . . . . . . . . 703-591-4787Boca Raton FL Ben Faulkner . . . . . . . . . . . 813-684-1423

Dexter Wakefield . . . . . . . . . . . 407-627-2471Jacksonville FL Randy Kobernat . . . . . . . . . . 850-894-9909Live Oak FL Randy Kobernat . . . . . . . . . . 850-894-9909Miami FL Ben Faulkner . . . . . . . . . . . 813-684-1423Ocala FL Ben Faulkner . . . . . . . . . . . 813-684-1423Pensacola FL Daniel Hall . . . . . . . . . . 334-626-0585

Tony Smith . . . . . . . . . . 850-438-0785John Burquist . . . . . . . . . . 334-661-9086

Tallahassee FL Randy Kobernat . . . . . . . . . . 850-894-9909Tampa FL Ben Faulkner . . . . . . . . . . . 813-684-1423

Ron Peterson . . . . . . . . . . 941-858-4090Atlanta GA Rand Millich . . . . . . . . . . 770-935-8273

Jack Lowe . . . . . . . . . . . 770-474-8101Blairsville GA Martin Fannin . . . . . . . . . . 423-675-2304Macon GA Randy Kobernat . . . . . . . . . . 850-894-9909

Local ChurchListings

Pearl City HI Harold Way . . . . . . . . . . 808-455-2761Des Moines IA Gerald Weston . . . . . . . . . . . 816-228-2035Boise ID Byron Hartman . . . . . . . . . . . 541-372-2210Pocatello ID Mark Mendiola . . . . . . . . . . 208-238-0403Chicago IL Paul Shumway . . . . . . . . . . . 651-407-3636

Gary Ehman . . . . . . . . . . . 715-524-2218Peoria IL Paul Shumway . . . . . . . . . . . 651-407-3636

Irv Woelfle . . . . . . . . . . 309-266-3638Fort Wayne IN David Burson . . . . . . . . . . . 517-699-4971Indianapolis IN Lambert Greer . . . . . . . . . . . 502-228-5917Plymouth IN David Burson . . . . . . . . . . . 517-699-4971Terre Haute IN Virgil Thompson . . . . . . . . . . . 812-442-1303Coffeyville KS Video GroupUtica KS Video GroupWichita KS Video GroupBerea KY Video GroupLouisville KY Lambert Greer . . . . . . . . . . . 502-228-5917Alexandria LA Jon McNair . . . . . . . . . . 504-654-6797Baton Rouge LA Jon McNair . . . . . . . . . . 504-654-6797Lafayette LA Jon McNair . . . . . . . . . . 504-654-6797Monroe LA Jon McNair . . . . . . . . . . 504-654-6797

Don Wood . . . . . . . . . . . 870-863-8512New Orleans LA Jon McNair . . . . . . . . . . 504-654-6797Shreveport LA John Harbison . . . . . . . . . . 903-796-0790Boston MA Jim Arnaldo . . . . . . . . . . 508-393-6209Salisbury MD Video GroupBangor ME Jim Arnaldo . . . . . . . . . . 508-393-6209Detroit MI David Burson . . . . . . . . . . . 517-699-4971Kalamazoo MI David Burson . . . . . . . . . . . 517-699-4971Lansing MI David Burson . . . . . . . . . . . .517-699-4971Marquette MI John Blanchard . . . . . . . . . . 906-586-6834Saulte St. Marie MI John Blanchard . . . . . . . . . . 906-586-6834Minneapolis MN Paul Shumway . . . . . . . . . . . 651-407-3636Columbia MO William Oswald . . . . . . . . . . . 816-228-2035

Rod Reynolds . . . . . . . . . . . 816-827-1320Joplin MO Karl Beyersdorfer . . . . . . . . . . . 417-623-8888

Gene Hilgenberg . . . . . . . . . . . 417-455-2057Kansas City MO Gerald Weston . . . . . . . . . . . 816-228-2035

James Wells . . . . . . . . . . . 816-358-9606Rolla MO Rod Reynolds . . . . . . . . . . . 816-827-1320St. Joseph MO John Turner . . . . . . . . . . . 816-387-9213Amory MS Evo Walker . . . . . . . . . . . 601-773-6137Greenwood MS Daniel Hall . . . . . . . . . . 334-626-0585

Jim Burson . . . . . . . . . . 601-262-7233Jackson MS Video GroupLaurel MS Daniel Hall . . . . . . . . . . 334-626-0585Ocean Springs MS Daniel Hall 334-626-0585Great Falls MT Arnold Lalum . . . . . . . . . . 406-265-4072Hamilton MT Virgil Thompson . . . . . . . . . . . 812-442-1303Helena MT Dana Glatz . . . . . . . . . . . 406-442-0136Kalispell MT Video GroupBozeman MT Video GroupAsheboro NC Ken Frank . . . . . . . . . . .540-786-8015

George Webb . . . . . . . . . . . 336-993-5714Asheville NC Martin Fannin . . . . . . . . . . 423-675-2304Charlotte NC John DuBry . . . . . . . . . . . 828-874-5164Raleigh NC William Dobbin . . . . . . . . . . . 919-832-7296Bismarck ND Paul Shumway . . . . . . . . . . . 651-407-3636

Arlan Weight . . . . . . . . . . . 701-255-2897Omaha NE Gerald Weston . . . . . . . . . . . 816-228-2035Hammonton NJ Don Contardi . . . . . . . . . . . 716-638-7508

Dennis Chornomaz . . . . . . . . . . 609-653-0425


23

Morristown NJ Don Contardi . . . . . . . . . . . 716-638-7508Carl Klink . . . . . . . . . . 793-379-2640

Albuquerque NM Video GroupDes Moines NM Video GroupBattle Mountain NV Don Haney . . . . . . . . . . 541-855-9872Reno NV Don Haney . . . . . . . . . . 541-855-9872Brooklyn NY Don Contardi . . . . . . . . . . . 716-638-7508

Roger Allgeyer . . . . . . . . . . . 516-271-8785Buffalo NY Don Contardi . . . . . . . . . . . 716-638-7508Corning NY Don Contardi . . . . . . . . . . . 716-638-7508

Shawn McMillin . . . . . . . . . . . 717-547-1501Long Island NY Don Contardi . . . . . . . . . . . 716-638-7508

Roger Allgeyer . . . . . . . . . . . 516-271-8785Rochester NY Don Contardi . . . . . . . . . . . 716-638-7508

Ron Lilie . . . . . . . . . . . 716-473-4722Akron OH Lambert Greer . . . . . . . . . . . 502-228-5917

Walter Warrington . . . . . . . . . . 330-325-7700Cambridge OH Video GroupCincinnati OH Lambert Greer . . . . . . . . . . . 502-228-5917Columbus OH Lambert Greer . . . . . . . . . . . 502-228-5917

Charles Knowlton . . . . . . . . . . . 614-964-0437Dayton OH Video GroupOklahoma City OK John Ogwyn . . . . . . . . . . . 903-986-8117

Ray Reynolds . . . . . . . . . . 405-672-6965Tulsa OK Karl Beyersdorfer . . . . . . . . . . . 417-623-8888Eugene OR Don Haney . . . . . . . . . . 541-855-9872Medford OR Don Haney . . . . . . . . . . 541-855-9872

Fred Wittlake . . . . . . . . . . 541-855-6950Portland OR Don Haney . . . . . . . . . . 541-855-9872

Gary Ullerick . . . . . . . . . . .253-922-6917Philadelphia PA Don Contardi . . . . . . . . . . . 716-638-7508

Dennis Chornomaz . . . . . . . . . . 609-653-0425East Stroudsburg PA Don Contardi . . . . . . . . . . . 716-638-7508

Dennis Chornomaz . . . . . . . . . . 609-653-0425Anderson SC Rand Millich . . . . . . . . . . 706-227-6895

Ronnie Poole . . . . . . . . . . . 864-968-9112Buddy Wrenn . . . . . . . . . . 864-576-9460

Walterboro SC Lehman Lyons, Sr. . . . . . . . . . . 843-549-2985Frank Frye . . . . . . . . . . 803-245-4752

Rapid City SD Don Hilmer . . . . . . . . . . 605-754-6731Chattanooga TN Bob League . . . . . . . . . . . 615-641-3778Crossville TN Bob League . . . . . . . . . . . 615-641-3778Knoxville TN Martin Fannin . . . . . . . . . . 423-675-2304

TN John Shelton . . . . . . . . . . 423-523-9332Memphis John Ogwyn . . . . . . . . . . . 903-986-8117

Davy Crockett . . . . . . . . . . 501-868-9860Nashville TN Bob League . . . . . . . . . . . 615-641-3778Abilene TX Video GroupAmarillo TX Video GroupAustin TX Keith Walden . . . . . . . . . . . 512-244-5478

Randy Gregory . . . . . . . . . . . 512-244-1863Corpus Christi TX Keith Walden . . . . . . . . . . . 512-244-5478

Bob Parker . . . . . . . . . . . 512-387-9192C.B. Short . . . . . . . . . . . 512-853-2460

Dallas TX John Ogwyn . . . . . . . . . . . 903-986-8117Charles Haughee . . . . . . . . . . 903-887-8994

El Paso TX Video GroupGladewater TX John Ogwyn . . . . . . . . . . . 903-986-8117

Lynn Torrance . . . . . . . . . . . 903-636-5218Houston TX Ron McGowen . . . . . . . . . . . 281-331-8930Lufkin TX Larry Solomon . . . . . . . . . . . 409-559-1145Midland TX Video GroupSan Antonio TX Keith Walden . . . . . . . . . . . 512-244-5478

Conway Slaughter, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . 830-560-1928Temple TX Video GroupSalt Lake City UT Ted Bukowski . . . . . . . . . . 801-543-2240Gladespring VA Charles Lauderback . . . . . . . . . . 423-283-0394Winchester VA Don Contardi . . . . . . . . . . . 716-638-7508

Gerald Dulaney . . . . . . . . . . 540-662-3696Williamsburg VA Don Contardi . . . . . . . . . . . 716-638-7508

Ray Clore, II . . . . . . . . . . . 703-591-4787Michael McDaniel . . . . . . . . . . 804-526-5948

Pasco WA Video GroupRichland WA Dean Greer . . . . . . . . . . .509-466-0908Seattle/Tacoma WA Don Haney . . . . . . . . . . 541-855-9872

Terry Graves . . . . . . . . . . 253-474-5807Gary Ullerick . . . . . . . . . . .253-922-6917

Spokane WA Don Haney . . . . . . . . . . 541-855-9872Dean Greer . . . . . . . . . . .509-466-0908

Tonasket WA Don Haney . . . . . . . . . . 541-855-9872Eldon Davis . . . . . . . . . . 509-486-4240

Green Bay WI Paul Shumway . . . . . . . . . . . 651-407-3636Gary Ehman . . . . . . . . . . . 715-524-2218

Merrill WI Paul Shumway . . . . . . . . . . . 651-407-3636Gary Ehman . . . . . . . . . . . 715-524-2218

Milwaukee WI Paul Shumway . . . . . . . . . . . 651-407-3636Gary Ehman . . . . . . . . . . . 715-524-2218Glen Gilchrist . . . . . . . . . . . .414-251-4374

Wisconsin Dells WI Paul Shumway . . . . . . . . . . . 651-407-3636Bluefield WV Val Burgett . . . . . . . . . . 540-726-8020

Robert Croyle . . . . . . . . . . 304-487-1489Craigsville WV Val Burgett . . . . . . . . . . 540-726-8020Logan WV Val Burgett . . . . . . . . . . 540-726-8020Ripley WV Edward Lee . . . . . . . . . . 304-372-3047Buffalo WY Jim Dunlap . . . . . . . . . . .307-684-2824Casper WY Jim Hamby . . . . . . . . . . .307-235-3920Cheyenne WY Ray Fertig, Sr. . . . . . . . . . . .307-638-7575Hulett WY Tim Moore . . . . . . . . . . .307-878-4459Kemmerer WY Jim Adrianos . . . . . . . . . . .307-877-4934Laramie WY Scott Winnail . . . . . . . . . . .307-742-7165Rawlins WY Ben Whitfield . . . . . . . . . . 307-324-7931Saratoga WY Eugene Api . . . . . . . . . . .307-326-8038Wheatland WY Jarvis Windom . . . . . . . . . . .307-322-3129

INTERNATIONAL

AUSTRALIACanberra ACT Bruce Tyler . . . . . . . . . . . 02-6231-8166Brisbane QLD Dayrell Tanner . . . . . . . . . . .07-3806-0833Perth WA Ken MacLeod . . . . . . . . . . 08-9457-7624New Castle NSW Video GroupAdelaide SA Video GroupMackay QLD Video GroupBARBADOSChrist Church Video GroupBELIZEBelmopan Video GroupCANADACalgary AB Eng Monson . . . . . . . . . . 306-545-5250Edmonton AB Eng Monson . . . . . . . . . . 306-545-5250

Stuart Wachowicz . . . . . . . . . . . .780-466-1815Kelowna BC Video Group . . . . . . . . . . 250-491-0024Vancouver BC Video GroupFredericton NB Video GroupSussex NB Jim Arnaldo . . . . . . . . . . .508-393-6209St. John’s NF Frank Best . . . . . . . . . . 709-782-3733Woodstock/Springdale NF Video GroupHalifax NS Video GroupDartmouth NS Video GroupBracebridge ON Garry Lucas . . . . . . . . . . 705-726-0628Guelph ON Charles Bryce . . . . . . . . . . 905-276-9729Kingston ON Charles Bryce . . . . . . . . . . 905-276-9729Ottawa ON Charles Bryce . . . . . . . . . . 905-276-9729Peterborough ON Jon Pippy . . . . . . . . . . 705-696-3566Toronto ON Charles Bryce . . . . . . . . . . 905-276-9729Montreal QC Jacques Secours . . . . . . . . . . 450-623-5002Quebec City QC Video GroupPrince Albert SK Bruce Bird . . . . . . . . . . .306-873-4864Regina SK Eng Monson . . . . . . . . . . 306-545-5250


Saskatoon SK Eng Monson . . . . . . . . . . 306-545-5250Yorkton SK Eng Monson . . . . . . . . . . 306-545-5250CHILESantiago Video GroupCOLOMBIASanta fe de Bogota Eduardo HernandezCOSTA RICASanta Ana Video GroupFRANCEParis Video GroupGERMANYKarlsruhe Video GroupGUATEMALACoatepeque Video GroupGUYANAAishalton Video GroupAwarewaunau Video GroupGeorgetown Fitzroy Greeman . . . . . . . . . . . .592-2-54059Lethem Video GroupIRELANDDublin Brian Bedlow . . . . . . . . . . . 353-55-25170JAMAICAKingston Hugh Wilson . . . . . . . . . . .876-925-9350KENYANairobi Ernest OwinoNdhiwa Video GroupSultan Hamud Video GroupMALAYSIABahau Video GroupKuala Lumpur Video GroupMARTINIQUEFort de France Video GroupMEXICOGuadalajara Video GroupMexico City Video GroupSan Luis Potosi Video GroupMYANMARKa Lay Myo Thomas Tial HoeSa Khan Gyi Saw Lay BehNETHERLANDSStramproy Video GroupNEW ZEALANDAuckland Kinnear Penman . . . . . . . . 64-09-435-3592Palmerston North Video GroupPAPUA NEW GUINEAMaprik Video GroupWewak Video GroupPHILIPPINESBaguio City Video GroupBogabongan Video GroupCateel Video GroupCavite Rod McNair . . . . . . . . . . 63-2-813-6538

Gorgonio de GuiaColumbio Video Group

Davao City Eleno CabahitDon Carlos, Bukidnon Video GroupIligan City, Lanao del Norte Eustiquio BenitezKoronadal Proper Video GroupLilo-an Video GroupMakilala Video GroupMaranding Video GroupMauswagon Video GroupMonkayo Video GroupNabunturan Felipe Casing . . . . . . . .63-082-297-0200Quezon City Rod McNair . . . . . . . . . . 63-2-813-6538

Gorgonio de GuiaSan Fernando Encardio Benitez

Elias FloresSan Nicolas Video GroupPUERTO RICOSan Juan Ben Faulkner . . . . . . . . . . . 813-684-1423

Raul Colon . . . . . . . . . . 787-739-5708SINGAPORE Video GroupSOUTH AFRICABloemfontein Video GroupCape Town Syd Hull . . . . . . . . . 27-11-664-6036

Pieter van der Byl . . . . . . . . . . 27-21-785-1418Johannesburg Syd Hull . . . . . . . . . 27-11-664-6036Klerksdorp Video GroupKroonstad Video GroupNelspruit Video GroupPietermaritzburg Video GroupVan Wyksdorp Video GroupVirginia Syd Hull . . . . . . . . . 27-11-664-6036SPAINCanaria Video GroupSRI LANKAColombo Video GroupTHAILANDTha Song Yang Video GroupTRINIDAD & TOBAGOSan Fernando Video GroupSt. Augustine Video GroupUNITED KINGDOMJersey CI Video GroupBristol ENG Video GroupDerby ENG Tom Mahon . . . . . . . . 44-121-525-8636London ENG Tom Mahon . . . . . . . . 44-121-525-8636Belfast NI Video GroupDublin IRL Video GroupGlasgow SCO Robert Storrier . . . . . . . . 44-1698-263-977VANUATUEfate Video GroupMalekula Video GroupTanna Video GroupVENEZUELACaracas Video Group

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE PAID

SAN DIEGO, CAPERMIT NO. 3207

T L HE ivingChurch News - Living Church of God · · 2013-04-10ing of this act but were certainly...

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