Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

A new StandingWatch program, titled, “Safe Air Traffic?”, was placed on the Web.

Our new booklet, titled, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America,” was sent to the printer in England. It was also posted on the Web.

A new booklet is being written, discussing concepts such as predestination, prophecy, God’s heavenly books, the unpardonable sin, and related topics.

We are pleased to announce that Betty Bourland was baptized on Saturday, August 20, 2005. Edwin Pope officiated over the baptism ceremony, which was conducted in Ramona in the presence of several Church members.

In a technical update for the months of January until July, 2005, it was pointed out that the unique visitors (each individual person or group of persons is an “individual visitor,” regardless of how many times the Website is visited) for the US Websites (COG NetServices; Church of Eternal God; and StandingWatch) have either been consistent (with the highest number of 236 in June for COG, and of 2040 in May for CEG), or they have shown a steady growth for StandingWatch (with the highest number of 203 in July).

We have recently begun to video-record sermons given in San Diego. Paul Voss, a long-time deacon in the San Diego congregation, has recorded 20 video sermons thus far. Ten sermons have been mailed to England, four with four DVDs each, and six with two DVDs each. DVDs were also sent to congregations in the US.

Would you please explain the meaning of the word "earthquakes" in Matthew 24:7? Does this word just refer to earthquakes, or is more involved?

In Matthew 24:7, Jesus Christ speaks about end-time events and warns His listeners: “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there shall be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.”

In Matthew 24:7, and in the parallel Scriptures of Mark 13:8 and Luke 21:11, the Greek word for “earthquakes” is “seismos,” meaning, according to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, No. 4578, “a commotion, i.e. (of the air) a gale, (of the ground) an earthquake–earthquake, tempest.”

The word “Seismology”–the study of earthquakes — is derived from the Greek, “seismos.” But in the Bible, the Greek word “seismos” applies also to a tempest in the air. For instance, note Matthew 8:24, which reads: “And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that that the boat was covered with the waves. But He [Christ] was asleep.” The Greek word for “tempest” is “seismos”–the same word as used in Matthew 24:7, which is translated there as “earthquakes.” In Matthew 8:24, it was not a small tempest, but “a great tempest,” which arose on the sea.

Let us compare the passage of Matthew 8:24 with the parallel account in Mark 4:37-38: “…And a great windstorm arose; and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on the pillow.” Notice also the parallel passage in Luke 8:23: “But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake; and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy.”

The Greek word for “windstorm” is “lailaps,” meaning a “whirlwind… storm, tempest” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, No. 2978) or, as Thayer’s Greek Definition of the Bible puts it:

“1) a whirlwind, a tempestuous wind… 2) a violent attack of wind, a squall… never a single gust nor a steady blowing wind, however violent, but a storm breaking forth from black thunder clouds in furious gusts, with floods of rain, and throwing everything topsy-turvy.”

Reading together the accounts of Matthew, Mark and Luke, we see that there was a great and violent storm on the lake. This whirlwind, “lailaps” in Mark and Luke, was called a “seismos” in Matthew; that is, a tempest in the air. The Greek word “seismos” applies to both an earthquake and a violent storm. When Christ prophesied about “seismos” for the end-time, He did not only prophesy about “earthquakes,” but also about violent tempests in the air; that is, storms, hurricanes and typhoons, i.e., strong whirlwinds.

Christ’s predictions are coming to pass today. We read and hear more and more about hurricanes, typhoons, storms and tempests in diverse places, as well as earthquakes.

In his book, written in 1999, “Apocalypse–A Natural History of Global Disasters”, Bill McGuire, Professor of Geohazards and Director of the Benfield Greig Hazard Research Centre at University College London, says this about hurricanes:

“Wind-storms, particularly hurricanes, constitute one of the most destructive of all geophysical hazards… The Saffir-Simpson Scale classifies hurricanes in terms of categories ranging from 1 to 5, largely based upon the average and peak strengths of the winds” (p.32, “Atmospheric hazards”).

For instance, hurricane Andrew, which struck Miami in August of 1992, was a category 5 hurricane–its winds had an average speed of 250 to 300 kilometers per hour. The costs of the devastation from the hurricane were US $32 billion. Bill McGuire states: “Hurricane Andrew was the second-most expensive disaster in the history of the country.”

He continues: “In recent years, the numbers of hurricanes have been increasing, and there are now some 40 per cent more intense hurricanes than there were 30 years ago. Worryingly, this does not seem to be a blip, but part of a continuing trend caused by global warming… In order for a hurricane to form, the sea-surface temperature in the spawning grounds must be at least 26°c. However, recent scientific research has revealed not only that sea-surface temperatures are rising, but also that, for every 1°c rise, more hurricanes can be expected. In the Eastern Atlantic, for example, sea-surface temperatures of 27°c will generate, on average, one or two hurricanes a year, while a rise to 28°c will result in seven or eight… With the global-warming trend set to continue for at least another 50 years, whatever we do today to reduce ‘greenhouse gas’ emissions, the prospects for hurricane-prone regions look increasingly bleak” (p.34).

Additionally, McGuire makes the following startling statements:

“Where there is wind there is often rain, and where that rain is torrential and persistent it will not be long before floods follow… The intensity of rainfall during a tropical storm can be almost unbelievable. In 1970, on the island of Guadeloupe in the Caribbean, for example, nearly 4cm of rain fell in only 1 minute, while on the French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean nearly 4m of rain fell in a single 24-hour period in March 1952… Flood disasters are on the increase world-wide… In any single year, floods may affect upwards of 100 million people world-wide, killing up to 20,000…” (p.35, “Hydrological Hazards”).

He states on page 38: “…despite many initiatives designed to better understand geophysical hazards and their effect, natural disasters have not only continued unabated but have actually increased in both number and impact” (“Geophysical hazards and the human race”).

Natural disasters are on the increase worldwide–not only earthquakes, but also hurricanes, volcanic eruptions and other natural and man-made devastations. Science confirms today how accurate Christ’s “Olivet Prophecy” is. In the future we will be witnessing all over the world more and more violent, powerful and destructive earthquakes, as well as tsunamis, terrible storms, heavy rainfalls and landslides.

When these events occur with more and more frequency and powerful devastation, we KNOW that the time of Christ’s return is near. He foretold us in Luke 21:25-28:

“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things BEGIN to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption DRAWS NEAR.”

Lead Writer: J. Peeters

How Assertive Are You?

On August 27, 2005, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “How Assertive Are You?”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

A new StandingWatch program will be recorded on Friday.

The Global Church of God in England celebrates their 10th anniversary on 20th August 2005. They had their inaugural service on the 19th August 1995 with 11 in attendance. This was held in the home of Brian and Jill Gale and continued for 3 months until a suitable hall was found. On 11th November 1995, services were transferred to the Friends Meeting House (Quakers) in Derby where they have been held, with very few exceptions, ever since.

Bob Devine, the Pastor at Derby since the inception of the Church, died prematurely in early 2002 and has been sadly missed. There have been many visitors in the last 10 years, and 212 different people have attended–some of whom also attended the Feast of Tabernacles in England. Brian Gale was ordained a deacon at Pentecost in 1996 by Evangelist Colin Adair and Elder Bob Devine. He was later ordained an Elder at the Feast of Tabernacles 2002 by Evangelist Norbert Link. The current deacon is Michael Downs who was ordained on January 31st 2004 by Norbert Link, who was the guest speaker at Derby on that Sabbath, and Brian Gale. Whilst the current congregation is small, they are holding fast diligently to the truth.

Open Doors

Open Doors
by Cali Harris (22)

It was a normal Monday morning recently when I went to work as a host at the restaurant where I am employed. I have always felt very blessed to have a great job, especially one where the Sabbath and Holy Days are not a problem. Lately, however, I have been interested in finding more challenging work. A few hours into my shift, my manager came up to the host stand and told me that the restaurant’s current sales manager was leaving the company.

Then, my manager offered me the open position! Right in front of me was an open door.

I could immediately close the door, turn around, and walk away from the opportunity, worried I may not have the skills necessary to do the job. Or I could leave the door open and deliberate for weeks, wondering whether or not this is a responsibility I really feel like taking on.

OR, I could walk confidently through the open door, having faith in God that this job is His answer to my prayers. Despite my nervousness I did walk through the open door; I saw it as a blessing and felt assured that God would guide me along the way. God opened the door for me, but I had to choose to faithfully walk through it.

Making a big decision–or walking through an open door–is sometimes a doubt-filled, stressful process. But if we are continually striving to build our relationship with God, then we can walk boldly through open doors!

The Bible says that Lot was just or righteous. But did he not commit horrible sins? How can he then be called "righteous"?

It is correct that 2 Peter 2:6-8 refers to “righteous Lot,” and describes him, by extension, as a “godly” person. The entire passage reads: “[Since God turned] the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)–then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment.”

We must not forget that God spared Lot because He would not destroy the righteous with the wicked (compare Genesis 18:23). The two angels could not find ten righteous in Sodom (compare Genesis 18:32). Only Lot was willing to give them shelter, when they appeared in Sodom as strangers, while “all the people from every quarter” surrounded Lot’s house (Genesis 19:4), to “know them carnally” (verse 5). They did not realize, of course, that the men were angels. Since the Bible says that all of the men were present to act “wickedly” (verse 7), this might even suggest that Lot’s sons-in-law were present as well. Still, the angels were willing to spare Lot’s wife, Lot’s daughters, and even Lot’s sons-in-law (verse 12-15). There is no indication that Lot’s wife, his daughters or his sons-in-law were righteous, but God wanted to spare them for Lot’s sake. However, the sons-in-law did not flee and were consumed, and Lot’s wife died, too, when she looked back, as she apparently did not really want to leave Sodom (Genesis 19:26; compare Luke 17:28-33). We also get the impression from the account in Genesis that God spared Lot, to an extent, because of His righteous servant Abraham (compare Genesis 19:29), implying that Lot was not as righteous as Abraham.

Nevertheless, Lot, too, is described as righteous. However, the fact that Lot is described in that way–in comparison with the wickedness of his surroundings–does not mean that he was without fault or sin. Lot sinned when he greedily chose for himself the seemingly best part of the land of Canaan, “the plain of Jordan,” even though God had promised all of this land to Abraham (compare Genesis 13:7-13). Lot sinned greatly and horribly when he was suggesting to the homosexual citizens of Sodom to commit fornication with his two virgin daughters, to protect the two strangers in his house (compare Genesis 19:8). And he sinned when he allowed his daughters to make him drunk with wine, so that they could have offspring with him (compare Genesis 19:30-38).

However, Lot is still called “righteous” by God, as God looks foremost at the heart and the motive of a person. God forgives sins upon repentance, and He judges us mercifully, when our hearts are right. David SINNED horribly at times; for instance, when he committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband Uriah murdered in war. But God forgave him his sins, when he repented. He called David a man after His own HEART. The prostitute Rahab SINNED when she lied about the spies, but she did so because she wanted to save the spies. Lot SINNED when he was willing to turn over his daughters to the wicked men of Sodom, but he did so because he wanted to protect the strangers under his roof, fulfilling God’s command of hospitality and all that it entails.

This does not excuse Lot. But it also shows the great mercy of God who is willing to forgive us our unrighteousness, upon repentance, and to focus, instead, on our righteousness. Peter describes Lot as “just” or “righteous,” because he “tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds” (2 Peter 2:8) — even though he might not have always known how to ACT righteously.

In Ezekiel 9:1-11, we find a similar example involving those who are protected from harm because of their righteousness. In this passage, God commands His angels to slay the wicked, but to spare those in Jerusalem “who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it” (verse 4). Again, God is focusing primarily on the hearts and motives of His people. This does not mean that God tolerates or even justifies wrongdoing–but He understands that the flesh is weak. That is why we need God’s help DAILY to make us righteous–both in motive and in conduct–by forgiving us our sins, upon genuine repentance, and by cleansing us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). When we confess and leave behind our unrighteousness, as Lot did, God forgives and forgets about it, while focusing instead on our righteousness.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Do Not Quench The Holy Spirit

On August 20, 2005, Edwin Pope will give the sermon, titled, “Do Not Quench The Holy Spirit.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

PREACHING THE GOSPEL AND FEEDING THE FLOCK

A new member letter has been written and will be sent out early next week. In his letter, Edwin Pope discusses our attitude of generosity and our preparation for the Fall Festival Season.

Our new booklet, titled, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America,” has been finalized and will be sent shortly to the printer in England.

I have some questions and concerns with daily Christian living. I know that God says in His Word that we should help the poor. Would donating my time or money to different worldly needy organizations be wrong?

The answer to your question, whether to send donations to organizations which help the poor, is one that requires a BALANCED approach. Considering the life of Jesus Christ, one must conclude that the focus of His life was in serving God. He put God FIRST. However, He also had great compassion on the poor: “‘…I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way'” (Matthew 15:32).

Consider what Jesus said about the fruit of His efforts in a similar occurrence following His miraculous feeding of another great multitude of people: “Jesus answered them and said, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled'” (John 6:26).

Even today, the Church is contacted by people who are seeking an association with us for purely financial gain. They are not joining with us to learn of God’s ways. Rather, they seek monetary support, and once that is not available they become offended and leave.

What Jesus ultimately gave people that had a lasting effect in their lives was the TRUTH! Here is what He said in this regard: “‘…If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free'” (John 8:31-32). In this same regard, note how Peter responded to a lame man asking for alms: “Then Peter said, ‘Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk'” (Acts 3:6). Peter acted as Jesus did, and we can gain an important principle to apply to our own circumstances–help those who immediately need our help.

God instructed the whole nation of Israel to “‘…not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother” (Deuteronomy 15:7). Then, in verse 11, God–through Moses–further explains: “‘For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, “You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.”‘” In this same context, note what is stated in Proverbs 19:17: “He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, And He will pay back what he has given.”

Christians must be careful in their approach to these kinds of activities, as Jesus taught: “‘Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, WHEN YOU DO a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly'” (Matthew 6:1-4).

In another example, a woman anointed Jesus’ head with a fragrant oil. When bystanders criticized her Jesus said: “‘…Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her'” (Mark 14:6-9).

Remember, too, that Jesus prioritized His actions in line with God’s purpose for Him: “‘For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me'” (John 6:38). This approach by Jesus is the same kind of course of action Christians are to follow.

We are to be lights to the world of the way of Jesus Christ–His pattern of living and the embodiment of His love for all of mankind. Our first area of responsibility has to do with what God has also called us to accomplish in our own lives. That involves the Church of God in unique ways, and it extends to doing good to all men. Romans 12 through 14 contain helpful instructions in this regard.

Note, in particular, this approach taught through Paul: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, ESPECIALLY TO THOSE WHO ARE OF THE HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH” (Galatians 6:10). That is why we have a Third Tithe fund, which is established to help the poor IN THE CHURCH. The Church has taught that we should have our main focus on serving the Church of God in its unique work of proclaiming the Gospel–the good news of God’s Kingdom when this world’s problems will be addressed and solved! Rather than seeking outlets that might engulf one in volunteer and charitable works or sending contributions to unknown poor persons in Third World countries, we would recommend that one maintain the role of “ambassadors for Christ” and address those needs that fall within one’s immediate opportunity to help (Compare 2 Corinthians 5:20)–especially within the community of believers, the Church of God (Compare Acts 2:44-47; 4:32-37).

Lead Writer: Dave Harris

Take Heed!

On August 13, 2005, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “Take Heed!”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

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