Vol. 6, No. 1 A newsletter for servants of the Almighty Eternal Creator, wherever they may be Jan/Feb 2000 Passover 2000: Confessing the Have We Been Missing the Point of Sins of the Past & Moving On Unleavened Bread? When I was a senior in Ambassador speech in college. She told me that she by Mike Hurst, England College (1977), I joined a co-ed speak- had forgiven me, but that it took nearly ing club. One of my assignments was to ten years for her to get over it. In the past, the emphasis of the “evaluate”—give a two-minute com- At the time of the speech and for all Feast of Unleavened Bread has been mentary on— a freshman woman giv- those years, I really had never thought placed on de-leavening homes and ing her first speech. My previous three that I had done anything wrong. But the putting sin out of our lives. But is that years of men’s club experience taught classes this woman took, the friends she where God puts the emphasis? me not to “go easy” on evaluations, so Continued on page 36 Unleavened bread is mentioned for I was not about to “let the club down”. the first time in Ex 12:8—part of the I took the opportunity to deftly explain “Passover” instructions: her few good points, then showed the A Most Significant And they shall eat the flesh in great, vast areas where she needed that night roast with fire and unleav- improvement. I remember looking at Passover ened bread and with bitter herbs her somewhat pained face as I spoke, by Pam Dewey they shall eat it.... Seven days shall but do not remember being concerned In a time when people are dis- you eat unleavened bread; even about what affect I was having on her. cussing so many different timings for Continued on page 35 “I knew how to do evaluations and I Passover, different calendars for was doing it right,” I thought. The club Passover and different methods of cel- Also In This Issue: was large and met infrequently, and I ebrating Passover, it is often good to 2 Truckers’ Bible Study don’t remember anyone saying any- regain the central focus: Christ, thing about that evaluation—I no Passover Lamb. 3 News from Local Congregations longer remember what her speech was We certainly celebrated our “spiri- 6 The Ultimate Family Feast! about or if I ever saw the woman again. tual” deliverance two years ago in a Until 14 years later. She introduced rather different way. The very unusual 8 Teaching Orphan Boys herself to me at the Feast of Tabernacles setting helped emphasize that we can 9 Small Group & Evangelism Reports in Wisconsin Dells. She had not for- be spiritually free—even when physi- 11 How Biblical Is 2-Class System? gotten that speech or my evaluation. cally in bondage. We celebrated with Because of it, she never gave another bread, the fruit of the vine, and foot- 15 The Last Ambassador Report washing in a real prison. 16 WCG, As We Knew It, Is Over. Servants’ News Continued on page 34 Continuing the Work of the WCG? Feast Site 2000 In our last issue, we asked our readers SW & Eternal Judgment 17 The Philadelphia Church of God? preference for a Feast Site: West Branch, Appendices Later 17 The United Church of God—IA? Michigan; Thermopolis, Wyoming; or a 18 Global/Living/Restored CoGs + Rocky Mountain site. Most who responded We hope everyone had a chance to CoG, a Christian Fellowship? wanted a Michigan site. Since then, we read What Does the Bible Say About 23 Triumph Prophetic Ministries? have found a Michigan site that is even bet- Eternal Judgment?, included with the ter than West Branch and about the same last issue. If you did not, please do so. 25 Could God Use “Other Groups” distance away for most people. We feel it is a very significant writing. To Do His “End-time Work”? If you are at all interested in spend- Shelter in the Word and the 26 Why Do So Many People Seem ing the Feast with us, please see the Eternal Judgment appendices will be Blind to CoG Abuse and Error? article beginning on page 6! We will list included in a later issue. We want to other sites in our next issue. take the time to do them right. 27 Letters & Responses Trucker’s Bible Study Vol. 6, No. 1 Jan/Feb 2000 Oak Grove, Mo., #36-40 Servants News is one of many ministries of the spiritual Church of God. We believe that the Bible contains the founda- The Trucker’s Bible Study is conducted weekly at the Texaco truck stop on tion of knowledge about our Creator and that He is actively working through people today. Our focus is to help and teach I-70, Oak Grove, Missouri by Arlo Gieselman, often assisted by Lenny Sabbath-keeping brethren who believe Yeshua (Jesus) is the Cacchio, the writer of this series. Messiah, but we realize that the Eternal works with many December 5, 1999: We had a repeat customer today and a new fellow. groups and individuals. We believe the gospel should be given freelyyou may I asked them if there were any subjects they wanted to talk about, and one copy this newsletter and give it to others. Servants News has of them said he was enjoying a study in Matthew’s Gospel, and he found it nothing to sell and has no financial ties with other groups, but is especially interesting because it seemed to emphasize the Christian supported by those who personally decide to help this ministry. We do not have IRS tax exempt status, but church groups are lifestyle—things Jesus expects us to do. exempt without this status (see IRS Publ. 557, p. 16, col. 1). This led to a discussion on Matthew 25, the separation of the sheep from the goats. Interestingly enough, the sheep fed the hungry, clothed the naked, Editor & Publisher: Norman S. Edwards etc., and didn’t even realize that the good works they were doing were gain- Small Group & Evangelism Editor: Arlean Kelley, 561- ing them treasure in heaven. The trucker pointed out that if a person who is 663-9417, e-mail: [email protected] truly walking in God’s ways—truly walking with God—then he’ll do what Servants’ News Staff: Bill Buckman, George & Pam God requires without even thinking about it. Dewey, Marleen Edwards, Missi Lara, David Meidinger, Jon D. Pike, Charlotte Ruppert; Christine Yoos Once again we had an event where one trucker bared his soul regarding Contributors: Many! Thanks to everyone! personal weaknesses, and it was gratifying to see the one interaction as the Notice: The people listed above do not necessarily more mature Christian helped the other. It seems that studying the word in endorse every article in this newsletter. small groups has a way of binding people to one another. I gave the trucker Servants News accepts articles for publication. Include a the assignment of reading Romans 5-8 each day, in which Paul describes the self-addressed stamped envelope for items that you want struggle he himself faced with the pulls of sin—and how he overcame it. returned. We are happy to print corrections for any significant errors. Address articles, letters, and subscription, literature or This was a good study—not the most exciting, but good. change of address requests to: [This is why the ministry of Christ and His Apostles was called a Servants’ News “work”. Serving is not always attending big meetings, making big deci- P O Box 107 sions, doing big works and being praised by big crowds. Doing Christ’s Perry, Michigan 48872-0107 work involves many people taking care of small, often little-noticed Phone: 517-625-7480 Fax: 517-625-7481 things. “Consider the lilies...” (Matt 6:28-30) —NSE]. E-Mail: [email protected] January 16, 2000: I am reminded of the incident in Corinth, where Paul Internet: www.servantsnews.com was told, “Do not be afraid, but speak ... for I have many people in this city” Subscription and literature requests may be sent to (Acts 18:9-10). If there is one lesson I have learned since being involved with the following addresses. Money received at these loca- tions will be used for duplicating and mailing. Please make the Trucker’s project, it would have to be that God is working on some level checks out to the name shown with the address: with more people than what I could have imagined. There are “many people” Australia: Dale Heslin, 9 Alice Jackson in this city—indeed in any city—who have a love of the scriptures and some Crescent, Gilmore, ACT 2905 level of relationship with God. Although they might not have a depth of e-mail: [email protected] understanding of who God is and what He is doing, it is now hard for me to Canada: Cherie Zimmerman, 268 Pennswood deny that the seeds of God’s word have spread farther than just our modest Way SE, Calgary, AB T2A 4T3 efforts. God be praised that He can work through any venue He pleases. Europe: Servants’ News, Gulpen 122, Our guests this morning were two truck drivers (one of whom is a 4852 Hombourg, Belgium Vietnam war veteran with a debilitating wound) and a retired couple who e-mail: [email protected] Philippines: Cesar Lumbuan; 2298 Flerida St. were travelling through, and came up after hearing our announcement.