Prayer Request for Our Angolan Brethren

One of the things we enjoy on the Sabbath is being able to meet in peace. In my forty-some years of going to church services, we have been able to meet in peace.

We have been blessed not to face government or societal suppression and persecution. That is a blessing that has allowed us to meet for Sabbath services, Holy Days and to share the gospel on a wide scale.

Paul speaks of doors being opened to carry God’s message far and wide:

• 1 Corinthians 16:9 For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
• 2 Corinthians 2:12 Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord
• Colossians 4:3 meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains

It is God who opens doors for us to find halls in which to meet and to hear the Christ’s gospel preached each Sabbath. It is God who makes it possible to meet in peace.

Just as Paul mentions adversaries in 1 Corinthians 16:9, we have “many adversaries” as well. Those adversaries may be human and they may also be of the spiritual variety as well, but they exist to thwart our coming together in peace and safety.

At the present time, we have a group of people affiliated with United who seek to meet each week to observe the Sabbath. However, they face a situation in which they might not be able to meet:

Prayer Request - Angolan Brethren Jorge de Campos, senior pastor, Portuguese speaking areas

The Angolan brethren, which number in excess of 5,000 men, women and children, request your prayers for their continued freedom to fellowship every Sabbath in Angola. The Angolan government just issued a decree that churches, to be able to gather in Angola, need to have 100,000 adult members in the country with their signatures duly notarized. The minimum threshold was established as 2/3 of that number in at least 2/3 of their provinces.

A number of churches which had been previously registered, had their previous registration revoked. What triggered this situation was that a number of small strange religions started appearing in Angola, originating from Brazil and other African countries, with weird practices causing what the Angolan government deemed as a nuisance and trouble. All churches had to submit their application to be recognized and allowed to continue gathering by yesterday (Monday, November 5th). The Angolan brethren submitted their application as required. They are appealing for an exception on the quantity of members and additionally they are referring to their ‘good works’ in the area of community schools and teachers that they are providing in various Angolan cities.

The process will now go through governmental review (for an unidentified period of time). We really do not know how long this will take. The Angolan government may ask for additional evidence, such as the notarized signatures, at any future time. As obtaining these signatures is a cost which to many of the local brethren is prohibitive (even though to us is only about US$7 per signature), UCGIA has sent them an unsolicited amount from the GCE approved Portuguese subsidy. This will help them in paying for a number of the notarized signatures of the brethren. The Angolan brethren are very grateful for all the help that they are receiving from UCG. However from now on, they will continue to gather in faith and they request your petitions to our Heavenly Father that they may continue to gather every Sabbath as it is commanded, and as per God’s will.

Thank you.
____________________________________________________________________________

We don’t have the power to change this, but God most certainly does. As we do offer up prayers on this matter please remember:

2 Timothy 2:1-3 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.

It would be most appropriate that we would offer up our “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks” to God that our fellow brethren in Angola “may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence”.

Have a pleasant Sabbath,

Gary Smith

Law Enforcement: Disrespected, Threatened, and Attacked by the Citizenry

As I write this, it is December 21, 2014. In four days it will be Christmas, the time of “peace on earth, good will to all men” ushered in by the supposed birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas is to be a transformative experience for the world but is it?

In contrast to what Christmas is to symbolize, I note the headlines from the Drudge Report this morning: “Gunman Executes 2 NYPD Cops As Revenge” “They take 1 of ours, let’s take two of theirs” “Protest Flashback: “What do we want? Dead cops!” “Ferguson: “Pigs in a blanket”

What we are seeing is the unraveling of civil order in the United States as protests turn into riots featuring the looting and the burning of businesses in supposed honor of the death of two men, one in Ferguson, Missouri and the other in New York City. In both cases, grand juries reviewed the facts of each case and concluded there were no grounds to indict the police officers involved.

Sadly, an atmosphere has been created in certain areas of our nation where there is no confidence in the police force nor in the judicial system to enforce the law. If police officers and the law courts are suspect, what does the future hold? Can courts and police officers carry out their duties without being second guessed?

Additionally, if a police officer is attacked in the line of duty, follows department training and procedure in the matter, and then is condemned, it does not reinforce being a policeman as a career.

I received a glimpse into a potential result of the Ferguson and New York City matters in a short discussion with a veteran police officer. He looked at the outcome of what took place with the accused police officers in the aforementioned cases and said that if he were not personally three years from retirement he would find another job. He also mentioned that he would not recommend his son serve as a police officer.

If those considering a career in law enforcement, see that job as one in which they are disrespected, threatened, and attacked by the citizenry why take on that role? Might such a negative atmosphere make it hard to recruit the best men and women to serve the community on the “thin blue line”?

God addresses the police and other civil authorities in Romans 13:1-5, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake.”

God appointed authorities to enforce the laws of nations because men apart from law being enforced have a tendency toward lawlessness and anarchy. Our world is far from perfect, but if we undermine the governing authorities then it is a certainty that evil will prevail.

As the Sabbath begins, it is a weekly reminder that the rest will come and there will be a time when every soul be will subject to the governing authorities.

Have a pleasant Sabbath,

Gary Smith