Sabbath 22/11/28/120
Dear Friends,
At the Feast of Tabernacles in Ontario one of the CCG ministers from the US observed that the First Reading of the Law he was at in 1998 was about the First Great Commandment (No. 252). He rightly observed that the Church was under attack from without over this major issue of the Nature and Government of God. He then observed that at this Reading of the law in 2005 the attacks on the Church were all about the Second Great Commandment (No. 257) and the problems were developing from that aspect.
In hindsight his comments might be thought to have been an understatement by some of the Church. In all areas and all churches there have been problems and trials. The Reading of the Law in East Africa saw its problems. Asia, the Philippines and elsewhere saw less problems but since the feast the attacks have increased.
The spirit of accusation and false witness has increased dramatically. The brethren are attacked from all angles. Sometimes we are attacked by groups whose only common interest is that they hate the Churches of God.
Why does God allow these things and how are we to react and develop within the lessons learned?
Paul tells us that: “All things work together for the good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose.” Thus God allows things so that we can develop and grow within a controlled atmosphere of trials. He never gives us a burden greater than we can handle. Sometimes He allows illness as part of our development and in all cases He allows us to die in the final phase of our spiritual growth.
How do we react? Do we fight fire with fire? How can the children of light adopt the standards and tactics of the children of darkness? We are to be blameless in all that comes out of our mouths. We are to make no railing accusation. We are not to bear false witness. It is written a false witness will not go unpunished.
We are to let our “yes” be “yes” and our “no” be “no”, and anything more than this is not of God. We are told to esteem others better than ourselves. We are to be patient and to see if a matter is true. We can take our accusers to the body of the Church and the Church is to arbitrate. If those are not of us then they are subject to the justice of the world, and its laws.
If they go out of us, they are not of us, for if they were of us they would not go out from us.
Our standards must be higher than those of the world in which we are forced to live. Our brethren must be looked after to the best of our ability. We are told to love one another and by this fact will our faith be known. In our love for one another they will see God.
It is easy for us to get discouraged. It is easy for us to lose our way and to be misled by wrong information, or ideas or motives. God allows all things so that the elect might be tested, but we are not given a burden greater than we can bear. There is much wisdom in a multitude of counsel.
CCG is a democratic model. All of the Church is accountable to its members at every level. All of us are to be blameless in what we do.
Error is to be corrected where seen and all behaviour is to be exemplary. Does that mean we are all perfect? Would that we were perfect, but we are all human and we all sin and we all err.
The Church is embarking on a series of new projects. The most difficult and what appears to be the most significant task we have before us is to produce the Commentary on the Koran, or Qur’an. This mission is to a fifth of the world’s population. This aspect of the Work is highly significant. There are many other aspects and priorities that require input and informed decision-making.
I sent out a message asking you all to provide input. We did not only want the input from the voting members but those in fellowship are also asked to contribute. It is your Church and it is the Work of God. Your input is valuable and God can speak through any one of you for any purpose.
In all things make your comments constructive and you can tell me anything you want. You can tell me all the home truths you like. This is not Mao Tse Tung’s cultural revolution where a million poppies bloomed only to have their heads cut off. The Constitution protects all of us. As of today we have not had sufficient input for us to get a proper feel for the mood of the Church and the directions in which we need to concentrate.
I have to make a series of decisions and place recommendations before the World Conference. We also have some administrative matters to clear up in the US Conference. I cannot be sure I am acting in your best interests unless I know your views. We also need to know where there are misperceptions about what is occurring.
I try to keep you all informed but I cannot do that in person given your size and distribution. I cannot speak with all of you personally and so we are all dependent upon the chain of command and the information that comes through that chain and via these messages.
Our purpose is to train all of you and to make strength productive and weakness irrelevant. The leadership is trying to get you all to the level where we can be replaced. Your responsibility is to get to that position and learn from your mistakes. Our job is to try to educate the middle leadership so that it can take over the Church.
Often we are joined by people who are pushed by every wind of doctrine. Don’t assume that God has given you some new truth that has not been examined before. Assume that you need the information, and go and get it, and seek informed guidance from responsible officers of the Church.
Sometimes the people who come into us are accusers of the brethren and cannot be trusted. We should not be discouraged by any of the problems we face. God deals with each one of us and He puts us where He wants us.
Each of us is responsible for what we do. Senior officers are to train and nurture and correct errors of thinking.
Those under training are to be amenable to guidance. The spirit of accusation has no place among us.
The test of a converted mind is to be easily entreated. Iron sharpens iron and we should learn and grow from one another.
Each of us learns from one another and each nation has something to offer in the growth of the Church. The delegates to the Septennial Conference provided advice and guidance and discussion over the period of the Feast. A working program was hammered out and we are implementing those ongoing matters.
Some nations were not able to provide significant input to the World Conference discussions for a number of reasons. The non-voting members were limited in their input for obvious reasons.
It is to enable the entire Church to have some voice and some input that we have asked for comment from all those in fellowship. I personally value everything you have to say. So do all of your leaders. This Church was organised to give a voice to all members.
We should look to encouraging each other and to develop the general direction and operations of the Church.
As you all know we are limited in funds, as are most Church organisations. We are unable to do as much as we would like. Thus, we will have to structure our operations. God uses this shortage to direct our operations.
We learned a long time ago that God directs us and He forces us to develop along lines that appear limited at first.
In the early days of the Church we spent money in the same way that the Churches of God had done before in advertising and it was completely unproductive. God directed us into the Internet using our own weakness and turning it into a great strength. We have little strength but God is able to use us mightily because he has given us an open door.
Send your suggestions. I will make my decisions and the leadership will develop their direction based on what we all say.
If you don’t see your suggestion develop immediately it is probably a financial or manpower problem. You can help with the manpower problem by helping with your pet project. Funds are in God’s hands to provide.
We will develop the programs and try to keep you informed. We are looking at a questionnaire in the not too distant future to identify problem areas also.
There are many things that have to be done and I have some serious decisions to make regarding what has to be done for the welfare of the Church.
Pray for us all and that we are guided by the power of the
Holy Spirit in peace.
Wade Cox
Coordinator General
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