Impending doom?

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Last week the world breathed a sigh of relief as the US Congress voted at the last minute to raise the debt limit, narrowly averting what could have become a global economic crisis. The crisis has only been postponed. It looks like we will have to face it again in the new year.

Sadly, our world has become a suffering, complicated mess. Even rich and powerful nations struggle to govern themselves—a reality that highlights the need for the human race—all of us—to accept the friendship and helping hand of our Creator who made us for better things. I am grateful that God has allowed us to see through the murk and despair to realize that there is a way to live that leads to joy and hope, in loving partnership with God through Jesus. That is the true message of the Bible.

Sadly, some use Scripture to preach a message of impending doom.

In some of my recent visits to churches, I have been asked about the book The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn who pastors a large Messianic Jewish church in New Jersey. His book, which was published in 2011, is a work of fiction. However, Cahn based it on Bible prophecies (Isaiah 9:8-21 in particular) that he interprets as predicting a series of calamities he says God is bringing on the US. In his interpretive scheme, Cahn draws parallels between the last days of ancient Israel and current events in America since 9/11. He sees nine signs (he calls them “harbingers”) hidden in Isaiah’s prophecies, showing how God is progressively judging America for its sins.

Gripping stuff, I suppose, if you like that sort of thing. Personally I don’t. I found the book hard to read. That, of course, is my personal reaction and I wouldn’t bother to write about it if The Harbinger was intended only as fiction. What we read for entertainment is a personal matter and my opinion of Cahn’s book would matter only as much as my opinion of a book like Winnie the Pooh. However, Cahn has a more serious agenda than mere entertainment. As he writes in the beginning of his book, “What you are about to read is presented in the form of a story, but what is contained within the story is real.” He intends that The Harbinger be taken as a serious call for national repentance.

Cahn’s theme is based on the idea that the US is in a special covenant relationship with God. Starting with that premise, it is only a small step to apply prophecies given to ancient Israel to the present situation in the US. Isaiah 9:10, for example, becomes a prophecy of the destruction of the World Trade Center then 9/11. Cahn’s approach reminds me of the central premise of British-Israelism, which we learned is not the secret that unlocks Bible prophecy, nor is it the proper lens through which to interpret Scripture.

Sadly, biblical prophecy can be a rich vein for exploitation in the hands of alarmist preachers. We should not be surprised when people who read The Harbinger ask, “Is there something to it?” While we can applaud the theme of calling for repentance and a return to godliness, misusing prophecy is not the way to do it. Appeals to biblical authority should be based on a correct exegesis of Scripture.

In claiming that the nine harbingers are God’s warnings specifically to America before he passes judgment on the country, Cahn is taking an Old Testament concept out of context. America is not Israel. Israel’s calling and mission culminated in Jesus Christ.

There was a time when God sent prophets to warn a particular person or country. But that was then and this is now. Hebrews 1:1-2 succinctly sums up how God speaks to us today:

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.

God’s message to America, and indeed to all the world, is found in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. That message is a loving call to repentance and an invitation to fellowship—not a threat of terrible punishment upon any one particular nation. So whatever merits The Harbinger has as a novel, it has no special insights for those who value biblical truth. Personally, I would rather read Winnie the Pooh.

Your brother in Christ,

Joseph Tkach

David Gilbert

While attending confirmation classes for the Lutheran church, David Gilbert felt God impressing on his heart to become a pastor. “Shortly thereafter, I attended a campaign featuring David Wilkerson, author of The Cross and the Switchblade. At that meeting I went to the front of the auditorium and confessed Jesus as my Savior. After that, I began reading as much material on the Bible as I could get my hands on. That’s where literature of the Worldwide Church of God comes in.”

That impression on his heart proved to be a calling and Dave now pastors two GCI congregations: New Covenant Community Bible Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Grace Christian Fellowship in Kenilworth, New Jersey. He also serves as a district pastor for GCI in the New York City to Philadelphia corridor.

Dave grew up in western Pennsylvania where his dad was a general contractor, building homes and churches. “I first attended WCG in 1969 after having been interviewed for Ambassador College by longtime minister Jimmie Friddle.” David was accepted to AC and attended from 1969 to 1973. “After graduation, I returned to Pittsburgh, where I held a number of jobs, including route sales, insurance sales, construction and finally personnel manager for an electrical distributor.

I served in the Pittsburgh church as an elder and was called into full-time ministry in July 1984. We moved to Ohio, where I served as Assistant Pastor under Dave Fiedler in the Toledo-Findlay circuit. In 1988, we were given our first solo pastorate in the Waterloo-Mason City, Iowa circuit. We moved back to Pennsylvania in October 1994, serving in the Philadelphia church. In 1999, I graduated with a Masters in Ministry from Biblical Seminary. Shortly thereafter, I began pastoring the Lehigh Valley congregation in addition to Philadelphia. In 2012, Lehigh Valley closed and I took on Kenilworth, New Jersey in addition to Philadelphia.”

Dave and his wife Hinka have been married for 37 years. They have two sons, David, who is a high school principal near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and Nathan, who is studying pre-med and medical technology at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. They have one three year old granddaughter, Esther, born to David and his wife Anna.

Of Hinka’s involvement in ministry, Dave says, “Hinka is the quintessential pastor’s wife and has always been actively involved in children’s ministry, women’s ministry and being an encouraging ear for members and pastors’ wives.”

Dave enjoys hunting, the outdoors, archery and firearms, but his passion is “to help mentor a new generation of leaders in my churches.”

When asked what he enjoys most about being a pastor, Dave said, “Studying and teaching the Word of God and loving the people God has entrusted to me.” About being part of GCI, Dave said, “GCI is the only denomination I know of that gives genuine hope for humanity (Trinitarian theology).”

Dave gives credit to Don Lawson who was “always affirming and helpful to me as my pastor in Pittsburgh” and to David Fiedler who Dave calls “a very balanced pastor.”

Dave’s best moments as a pastor and with God revolve around his family. His most memorable moment as a pastor was when he baptized his own children. And when asked when he feels closest to God, Dave said “I have a wonderful marriage and I feel closest to God when I’m close to Hinka.”

Thailand mission

This update is from Philippine members Carmina Gonzales and Beth Leyva.

Nine GCI members from the Philippines are now in Thailand on a “mission exposure” trip. On the trip they are visiting various mission opportunity sites along with Filipino missionaries already at work there.

Thai Mission Exposure — Visiting and resident missionaries at an orphanage where GCI is doing outreach work.

This exploratory trip is in keeping with the goal that GCI-Philippines has for its congregations to become active advocates of mission work by praying, giving, welcoming, mobilizing or going themselves into the missions field. Prior to their trip, the group was given pre-field training by four GCI missionaries.

Ethiopia mission

Mary Snyder reports here on a recent mission trip she made to Ethiopia. Mary and her husband Cliff lead M25:40 Missions—one of GCI’s GenMin Missions.

Ethiopia2 — Left to right: Cliff Snyder, Fanos, Mary Snyder and the pastor of the church in Korah on a previous trip.

I recently made my eighth mission trip to Ethiopia to continue assisting Fanos, a young lady studying at a local university. I also visited Korah, a community built on a dump. Korah’s residents live in extreme poverty, digging through the trash for their daily food. Large numbers of them have leprosy or HIV/Aids and many of Korah’s children are orphaned.

Ethiopia1 — An orphan in Korah feeds a man with leprosy.

When my husband Cliff and I visited a church in Korah a year ago we discovered that they had only two Bibles to serve the 60 people who attend. At that time we gave them 60 Bibles in the local language which they then gave to people at the time of their baptisms. They ran out of Bibles in only three months, so on this trip I gave them 60 more.

In Addis Ababa I visited Evangelical Theological College (ETC) where we are assisting three students. Now we hope to help three more. ETC students are being trained to become pastors and church leaders, spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Ethiopia.

I also visited an elementary school where I spoke with the principal about providing English children’s dictionaries, which are in great demand. I then visited with the pastor of the International Evangelical Church to discuss bringing a GCI missions group next year. He had great ideas as to how M25:40 Missions could partner with his church to conduct a VBS program for children. IEC is associated with a group who minister in Korah and at an orphanage in Awassa.

Los Angeles church launches

We are happy to report the official launch of Grace Communion Fellowship on October 20. As we reported earlier, this church plant held three preview services in September and early October. Now they are meeting weekly as a new GCI congregation in the Eagle Rock area of Los Angeles, California.

About 95 people attended the first service. Of those, about 25 were visitors from neighboring GCI churches, helping out with this service. Thus church planters Angie and Saddie Tabin had about 70 new people attend who had been “gathered” through outreach to the surrounding community over the last 16 months. Although the Tabins primary focus has been reaching the Filipino community, there were quite a few Caucasian and African-Americans in attendance. It looks like God is planting a new multi-ethnic church!

Please pray for this new church. Here are four prayer requests:

For Angie and Saddie as they invite and train some of the new people to take on some of the responsibilities that members from other GCI churches have been temporarily filling.
For people to be open to gathering in small groups so they can be taught how to be disciples of Jesus.
That people will continue to attend. A typical church plant loses about 50% of those who first begin attending. Pray this will not be the case with Grace Communion Fellowship. Pray that they will not only stay but also invite friends and family so that the church will grow.
That our new members will begin carrying the financial load of the rent, advertising, etc. Having sufficient funds to pay the pastors of the new church would be a huge blessing.

Arnold Clauson

This update concerning GCI district and church pastor Arnold Clauson is from his wife Trish.

It has been determined that Arnold has prostate cancer, which has metastasized to the left hip that was causing him so much pain and to other bones. Thankfully, it has not spread to any vital organs.

Arnold is receiving advanced, non-traditional therapy with an Integrative Health Clinic in the Dallas area. This treatment has shown good results in Europe and a few clinics in the US. Because Arnold has never taken medications, he has responded “too well” to the cancer treatment, which have overwhelmed his kidneys, shutting them down. This is an obstacle since he needs his kidneys to continue to rid himself of the dead cancer cells. He is receiving dialysis as we pray that his kidneys will return to normal function.

Arnold is now in his 13th day in the hospital. So much has been done to him during that time that it is miraculous that he has survived. He continues to struggle with pain.

God is sovereign and we know that this situation did not take him by surprise. In fact, the day we learned that it “might” be cancer, God already had orchestrated a path by which we were given the name of the Integrative Clinic. We also know that God is good and knows what he is doing. . .even if we do not. We are in constant prayer for his will to be done, and for his guidance in everything that is happening. We cherish the prayers of our brothers and sisters in the ministry. Thank you. . .we love you.

Cards may be sent to:

Arnold and Trish Clauson

109 Melrose Circle

Denison, Texas 75020

Webers’ grandson

Glen and Connie Weber request prayer for their daughter-in-law, Carolyn, who is due to give birth to their grandson in mid-November. Recently they discovered that she is prematurely dilated and the doctor has placed her on bed rest.

Jim Friddle

Please pray for retired GCI pastor Jim Friddle. He remains weak as he recovers from a drug reaction that occurred while having skin cancer removed from his arm. He will be having cancer removed from the other arm soon. Jim spent time in the South Pacific during World War II and was severely sunburned, hence his current battle with skin cancer.

Cards may be sent to:

James Friddle
Park Marino Terraces
2587 E Washington Blvd. Room 235
Pasadena, CA 91107-6208

Philippine earthquake

GCI members living in the areas affected by the earthquake in Bohol report that despite many deaths and terrible damage to roads and infrastructure, they are rejoicing that God has spared our members from loss of life and major property damage. However, the homes of the parents and brother of one of our pastors in the area were destroyed.

Our Filipino churches have begun an outreach to provide food and water for those in the impacted areas. At right is a picture GCI member Margarita Bahinting delivering supplies. Below she is standing with other GCI members in front of one of the buildings destroyed in the earthquake.

Funds have been wired to the Philippines from the GCI Disaster Relief Fund to help the members there recover from the quake. The GCI Disaster Relief Fund is funded by GCI congregations in the US and stands ready to assist when members suffer from disaster. Thank you for your previous donations to this fund, which allowed us to respond so quickly!

If your congregation would like to help replenish the GCI Disaster Relief Fund so that collectively we can respond quickly when future disaster needs arise, please send a check to Grace Communion International, indicating on the memo line that the donation is for the GCI Disaster Relief Fund. Send the check to:

GCI Disaster Relief Fund
Grace Communion International
P.O Box 5005
Glendora, California 91740

Thank you for your prayers and financial contributions to help members of the GCI family who are suffering.

Canadian co-pastors

As seen in the picture below, GCI Canada director Gary Moore recently led a ceremony installing in the Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada congregation co-pastors Jim Miller and Keith Roberts.

Gary Moore leads the installation service — Gary Moore (in the center) with Jim and Keith with their wives (at left)