| (Copyright 2023) by William P. Goff (Myrtle Beach, South Carolina) |
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| Greetings Brethren, I just wanted to send out a short letter, as we approach the Spring Holy Days. First let me thank you for your continued financial support of the orphanage and our remote widows and orphans. Your donations continue to be such a blessing to them in these very trying times of drought and famine. (The following report is form IFRC (International Federation of Red Cross.) “Kenya is one of many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa currently experiencing one of the most alarming food crises in decades. Severe drought, due to the failure of four consecutive rainy seasons, means millions of people in the country are facing hunger and thirst. The drought has also killed hundreds of elephants, zebras, and wildebeests over the past nine Months”. We continue to assist our impoverished brethren (with our focus on the widows and orphans) the best we can with the support received. We also want to thank you for your prayers because your prayers are Sooooo important. 3rd world countries are difficult to work in, and also quite dangerous. And we are living at the time when good is called bad and bad good. But soon everyone will be rewarded for their actions, both good and bad. Revelation 22:12 Isaiah 5:20 On Wednesday the police came to the orphanage, trying to find something wrong so they could arrest Haron. (They like to make arrests so they can look for bribes to release) They inspected the orphanage and stayed until 1am (yes, one o’clock in the morning) but were unsuccessful at finding anything wrong, so they didn’t arrest him. On Thursday they went to the child’s welfare office and tried to get them to issue a warrant for Haron’s arrest, but again they were unsuccessful, the office “denied” their request because we are in compliance with all of the requirements. This harassment is not unique to our orphanage, but quite common in these 3rd world countries where there is so much corruption. Your prayers have continually protected us, and we thank our Heavenly Father for that. We all need to be praying for one another as this untoward world and its increasing troubles are upon us. The schools are now at half term and closing for a short break. So, our High School students who are boarding returned home on Friday. They are all in good health and high spirits as they were preparing for Sabbath. We are also preparing for the upcoming Passover & Feast of Unleavened Bread. Our Kenyan brethren will be in need of some supplies for the Holy Days, including wheat flour to make unleavened bread (chapattis) and most importantly wine to keep the Passover. We wish all of you a very uplifting and Spiritual Passover and seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread. I know it will be uplifting and Spiritual for our Kenyan brethren. Ever since I first traveled to Africa back in 2005, I found our impoverished brethren keeping the spring Feast for the entire seven days (like we all do for Tabernacles.) They gather in small groups, make their unleavened chapatti bread on a wood fire. Sometimes the unleavened bread and tea is all they had to sustain them physically for the entire seven days, but spiritually they have an abundance of food as they converse with one another “in His name, with our Lord in the midst of them”. Matthew 18:20. Keeping the Spring Feast for the entire seven days is not foreign to the church. The following is a quote from an article posted in the “7th Day Churches of God News.” “Very few are aware that the Church, under its former name, the Radio Church of God, also celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for the full seven days – not just the two annual high days as now. Many Church of God members remember the marvelous spiritual sermons and exciting fellowship that went along with this festival. But sometime during the mid-sixties, the practice was discontinued.” The Forgotten Seven Day Feast Some smaller churches will be observing the Festival of Unleavened Bread in 2023 for the full seven days – but for most people, particularly those who were in the Worldwide Church of God, going to “The Feast” means Tabernacles. Very few are aware that the Church, under its former name, the Radio Church of God, also celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread for the full seven days – not just the two annual high days as now. In 1952 Herbert and Loma Armstrong travelled to Gladewater, Texas, for Passover and the 1st holy day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread. They were overwhelmed by the large numbers who came, not only from Texas, but as far afield as Wisconsin and Michigan. As they were returning home to Pasadena, Herbert Armstrong wrote: “We know now – God has shown us plainly and unmistakably – that we must have an adequate place of our own in this central location for the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread EVERY YEAR. The proper place for meetings of this kind is not an expensive brick or stone or concrete church building on a main corner of a city in all the traffic and noise of the world – but to get CLEAR AWAY FROM THE WORLD – out into God’s own open beautiful nature, utterly secluded from the world! Next Spring, we shall plan a full eight-day festival, to last thru the entire seven days of unleavened bread following the Passover, and all who plan to come are urged now, with a year ahead to plan, to start laying plans to come for the entire eight days … Yes, this opens up AN ENTIRE NEW PHASE of God’s great work. This will provide a place for annual great conclaves of God’s people, where many who cannot come as far as Pasadena can meet together at God’s great festivals. Roderick Meredith reported in the May, 1962, issue of The Good News magazine that, “In SEVEN major Festivals here in America, plus others in England, Australia and around the world – a glorious season was observed this year! “THEREFORE, let us KEEP THE FEAST …” (I Cor. 5:8). In obeying this inspired New Testament COMMAND to Christians, over TEN THOUSAND brethren of God’s Church assembled this spring to observe the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread. All reports indicate that there was GREAT JOY in this observance.” Why then in 1968 (the year the church was renamed Worldwide) were all the festival sites discontinued? According to the article Days of Unleavened Bread – How Should They Be Observed? [p.4] by the Church of God the Eternal (supporting the change to observing the 2 high days only): “… the receipt of income for “the Gospel” was appreciably reduced each Spring, because most of the members did not receive any salary or wages during the week they attended the seven Days of Unleavened Bread. Consequently, tithes and offerings dropped off alarmingly in the Spring … It was felt by Mr. Armstrong that if the Gospel were to continue to go forth with growth and power, the membership would have to be in a financial position to contribute heavily. The observance of the Days of Unleavened Bread for the full seven days was thwarting this effort.” From: Church of God News – 7th Day Churches of God (7th-day.info) Thank you again for your continued financial support and your prayers. Our brethren also continue to pray for you during these troublesome times in which we are now living. ———————————————————————————— Reprinted with permission from: A Voice in the Wilderness https://khofh.org/ ———————————————————————————— |
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