Church Cancellation Recommendation
To all Ministers and Brethren:
In response to the increasing concerns surrounding the coronavirus, the Executive Committee for the Church of God International is recommending that our churches and fellowship groups consider cancelling meetings and church services for the immediate near future. This action is being taken out of concern for the potential associated with the spread of this highly contagious disease. Individual congregations are certainly able to decide what’s best for their members and are advised to do so with the consideration shared from the home office. Please be sure to check our website in the coming weeks for updates.
The webcast from Tyler will not be available this Sabbath, but we will webcast services at 11:00 AM central time from Atlanta. Regular viewers are also encouraged to view the webcast from Medina at 10:00 AM central time (https://www.cgimedina.org/live-sabbath-services/).
Vance Stinson
Spanking
Proverbs 13:24 states: “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.” The point of the scripture is that there are times when corporal punishment can be utilized by parents in disciplining their children. But other scriptures should make it obvious we are not talking about abusing a child or physically hurting a child (Ephesians 6:4; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 13). The Bible also talks about instructing and reproving more than using a rod (2 Timothy 1:7; Proverbs 13:1). So if we must use corporal punishment it should be a last resort. I say all this at the outset due to the world’s view of corporal punishment.
Competition
I have heard many times that there is a thing called “healthy competition” between people. Well, I believe the only “healthy competition” is when we compete with ourselves, not with other people. This type of “competition” is when we strive to do better at something than we did before, or when we are going after a goal, or ending a bad habit, etc. Basically, it is when we are competing with ourselves to become a better person than we were the day before. Now, this type of competition is only healthy when we are doing this in love and not in berating ourselves.
The Right Connections
My husband works in the sat-com industry. The company he works for builds satellite antennas. It is very technical, and honestly, the majority of what he does goes way above my head. However, one night when we were discussing our days, a thought came to my mind that the industry he works in actually has a Christian analogy/lesson.
Antennas are useless if they don’t connect to the correct satellite. It has to link to the correct satellite in order to send and receive information, and there are a lot of satellites out there orbiting the earth.
Empty the Pews
I recently read a book titled Empty the Pews, which contains twenty-one essays by people who left hardline, authoritarian Christian groups. As the numbers for Church of God and other Christian groups continue to decline, I think it is important to see if we can find anything in these stories that may help us keep our young people. According to one estimate, 40 percent of people under 30 in the United States are religiously unaffiliated.
Hospital for Sinners?!
Is the church what Jesus intended it to be? Many have been conditioned by the media and other sources of entertainment to see the church as this perfect entity. The world makes it seem like the church is no place for sinners. It is where everyone attends, their clothes are pristine, their lives are immaculate, and there’s just a few misfits. You have to look the part to attend many churches, and many feel they need to hide their sins instead of seeking the counsel they need.
Imperfect People
When you read the stories in the Bible, do some of the main characters ever appear to be like superhumans? I don’t know about you, but people like Moses, David, Elijah, Daniel, the apostles, etc., appear to be the equivalent of actual real-life superheroes. Maybe it is because that is how children’s Bible storybooks and lessons portray them. However, the truth is, they were just as human as you and me. They were imperfect people, and what is awesome when reading about most of these “greats,” God reveals their imperfections.
Origins of Mystery Virus
On December 31, 2019, a virus that has thus far killed 200 and sickened 8,000 was detected and linked to a dirty food market in Wuhan, China. The Chinese government has quarantined 50 million people, and many more will die before this outbreak subsides. The market is known for selling all kinds of biblically unclean animals for food consumption. These animals include wolf pups, civet cats, snakes, marmots, frogs, and hedgehogs. The Chinese believe the most likely source of the latest outbreak came from animals in this market. All of these animals are not permitted to be eaten by God (Leviticus 11).
Rejoice Always!
Many of us have been on this earth long enough to know things aren’t always easy-breezy. Some things we set our hands to happen with barely any effort, and other things drag us through the mud. No human being takes pleasure in the trials and tribulations that come with this physical life. In many cases those trials and tribulations can wear down our spirit if we aren’t careful. The Bible tells us how to handle these trials and tribulations when they come our way.
We Need Each Other
A little time ago, I went to one of the most beautiful memorials I have ever been to. It was for a young man who had died completely unexpectedly. He was fine one moment, and then the next he collapsed on his living room floor, gone, leaving a young wife and three young children. It is extremely heartbreaking. The death of a loved one is the most punch-in-the-gut sad life experiences that I can’t wait to finally end.
Raising the Dead
On December 14, 2019 two-year-old Olive Heiligenthal died. Her church, the Bethel Church in Redding, California asked that she remain in the coroner’s office while the church attempted to raise her from the dead. In an Instagram post on December 16, the church stated they believed in a Jesus who died and conclusively defeated every grave. They asked for bold unified prayers from the global church to stand with them and believe that God would raise the little girl back to life. After about a week they stopped the attempt to raise little Olive from the grave.
More than a Resolution
The New Year is always when many of us come up with resolutions/goals. It is a good thing to see something that you may need to improve on or change in your life. We are human; therefore, there will always be room for improvement. Unfortunately though, according to a survey by Statista, only four percent of people who made New Year’s resolutions actually kept all of them*. I am no expert, but I think maybe when the only person that we are accountable to is ourselves, we sometimes fall short.
Why Anti-Semitism?
Once again anti-Semitism is rearing its ugly head. Two of the more prominent events in the last month include a shooting in a Jersey City, New Jersey kosher deli and a machete attack in a Rabbi’s house in Monsey, New York. Over the past three weeks in New York state alone 13 anti-Semitic attacks have occurred. In New York City there has been a 21 percent increase in anti-Semitic crimes in the last year. Why is it that Jews continue to be a target for these crimes?
Gender Bender
A recent Washington Post article (12/6/19) titled “Argentine Teenagers Rewrite the Rules of Language” caught my attention due to society’s increased acceptance of transgenderism. Transgenderism is a male-to-female or female-to-male gender orientation or self-identity. The article went on to discuss an Argentine teen named Natalia Mira, 18, who used gender neutral language in a TV interview that made headlines in the Spanish speaking world last year.
Valuable
You are valuable. Do not ever doubt it. I think that sometimes we need to remind ourselves of that. We are important to God. We are loved by the Creator of the universe, and we are so valuable to Him that “He gave His one and only Son that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). We are so valuable to Him that He wishes to spend eternity with us.
Reconciliation
There is a lot of need for reconciliation in the world today. It seems that 99 percent of the news is about groups of people who can’t stand each other, and it is not just an American problem. I know that without Christ’s return, this problem will continue, but it is sad to see. Hatred creates more hatred. No one likes it when someone disagrees with them, but instead of debating differences, people just seem to yell at each other and call each other names. It is like watching three-year-olds throwing a temper tantrum when they don’t get their way; however, unfortunately, instead of three-year-olds they’re grown adults. Yet, as I said already, in the world these things will continue because this is Satan’s world (2 Corinthians 4:4).
On a Mission from God
What is a mission? A mission is a very important assigned task. We are surrounded by different entities with unique missions specific to their cause. Our government has a mission, our companies have a mission, our favorite teams also have a mission, our kids’ schools have a mission, etc. Does the Church have a mission assigned to it? Some of us may be shocked to find out the Church does have a mission assigned to it by God. We’re all aware that by the word “Church” we’re not speaking of a building, but those who follow and strive to keep the laws of Jesus Christ. “What is that mission?” you ask.
Paying With Your Right Hand or Forehead?
I recently read an article in Midnight Call magazine (December 2019) titled, “Takeover of the Human Body for Payment.” The article related the story of a man who went to a Whole Foods shopping for groceries. When he wanted to pay he realized he had left his wallet at home. All he had to do was unlock his iPhone thru the facial recognition software and pay for his groceries with a mobile payment app.
Mobile payment is being employed all over the world. By mobile payment I’m talking about using phone apps and other methods to pay for things in lieu of cash, checks, or credit cards.
Do Not Lose Your Soul
What is it worth to gain the whole world but to lose your soul? I am coming to the conclusion that it is vital to ask God what His will for our lives is, even if that means we have to let go of our own goals and dreams when they do not line up to what He desires for us to do. This is not an easy thing to do, and I have yet to fully accomplish doing this. Yet, I realize that it would be so freeing to wake up every morning and say, “God what do you want me to do today? Show me what priorities/tasks that I need to accomplish today.”
It Can Happen
Many of us in God’s Church can become discouraged in sharing our beliefs due to a lack of success in having others listen to us. It’s normal to draw inward after just a few unsuccessful attempts at sharing your faith with others. I want to encourage everyone to continue to share your beliefs with others because it is your duty as a Christian. Sometimes you may never even see the positive results that may flow from your sharing.
Let me provide an example from my own experience. In high school I first heard about the pagan origin of Christmas from a Jehovah’s Witness friend of mine. I asked my mom about what my friend related to me and she informed me not to concern myself with this new information.