Tidings of Zion

by the Publication Council of the Conference of Restoration Elders (CRE)

August 18, 2018

Greetings to all the Restoration Saints around the world:

The  CRE is making an effort to reach out to the Saints more often than just through the quarterly regular issue of Tidings of Zion. The Publication Council will be producing this monthly newsletter to help keep everyone  “up to date” on what is happening with the CRE, the Pastors of Zion (POZ), the Missionary Boards, the Councils of the CRE,  events in the Center Place and around the world. CRE Chair is William “Vim” Horn,  Coordinating Council Chair is Richard Neill. Dayn Cederstrom is Chair of the POZ.

The 2017 Restoration Branch Family Reunion and Conference of Restoration Elders was held in Independence, Missouri, June 25-30. Saints attended from Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon, and West Virginia. Seventy Juan Reyes and wife, Tina, from Saltillo, Mexico were with us again this year. There will be much more information in the regular Tidings which should be in the mail by the middle of September. There were many great classes, sermons, displays, and fellowship. Reunions are always a good time to renew friendships and strengthen our bonds with the Lord. Information can be found, on-line, regarding the classes held during the reunion. Go to eldersconference.org and go to Home Page.

The Pastors of Zion Summer Preaching Series went very well with some excellent sermons, music, testimonies, and fellowship. The Series started June 11 and concluded on August 13, 2017. Each service of the Summer Series and the In-Town reunion was live-streamed and can be viewed by going to      http://www.waldoavenuerestorationbranch.org.

The next events for the CRE are the Annual Priesthood Experience at Kirtland, Ohio, September 16-17, 2017. Interested Priesthood can go to eldersconference.org and go to Home Page and pull up registration forms and other information about the Kirtland trip.

The other event is the Women’s Council Fall Retreat September 23-24, 2017 at Odessa Hills Campground near Odessa, Missouri. Contact information is in the Tidings of Zion, Issue # 120 on page 28. Information for contacting the CRE is on the inside front cover of each issue of Tidings of Zion.

Saints visiting the USA from various parts of the world, this summer, have been: Angel Castro from Honduras; Juan and Tina Reyes from Mexico; Rob and Rachael Willoughby from England;  Todd Lavigne and family from Ontario, Canada, and two families from Germany.

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Updates on members with health problems:  Darrell Webster is in rehab in Painesville, Ohio, recovering from an auto accident in April. He has gall bladder and kidney problems. His wife, Fran is doing fine. Misty Dippel, daughter of Frank and Mickey Dippel from West Virginia, is recovering and has been taken off the liver transplant list. Jim Daugherty continues in rehab in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, recovering from injuries and infections suffered  several months ago.  Jim is also suffering from Macular Degeneration. His wife, Laura has recovered from a  broken arm.  We know there are many Saints and their families dealing with many kinds of physical health problems. We mention these three families because of their close association with the CRE.

As our probation time on earth continues,  God calls His children home, according to His plan for them. In recent months, we have lost: Sister Lettie Eldred from the Joplin, Missouri area; Dowe Eaton from Maine; Thomas Evan, “Tommie” Thomas, from Independence, Missouri; Harold “Skip” Robison from Independence, Missouri, and Geoffrey Grayden, pastor of the Euroa, Australia Restoration Branch. We mention these because of their being well known among a goodly number of Saints. 

Do you have a testimony you would like to share or an article you would like to write, or  an experience from camp, reunion, retreat, vacation church school, etc? If so, write it and send it to my email address at the bottom of this article.

As you all know, you get a regular statement in the mail that you owe the electric, gas, car payment, house payment, and so on and thus it is with the CRE. To be able to accomplish the missionary work, publish the Tidings of Zion, and provide other ministry, funds are needed. Currently there is a great need to fund the Tidings of Zion. The usual suggestion is $20.00 per year. Over 4100 people are on the Tidings mailing list. That means the Tidings goes into 4100 homes just in the United States with another 200 or so going international. If each of the 4100 would send in the $20 per year, the Tidings funds would be overflowing and some of the extra  used to pay the bills and even help fund some of the missionary work which is going strong in many parts of the world.

There are some who say they cannot afford the $20 per year. We understand that and continue to send them the Tidings because they have told us how much they appreciate receiving it. The Doctrine and Covenants 141:8 says, “The church is admonished again that joint responsibility is laid on all. Properly and equally borne, this responsibility will insure success, the consummation will be glorious, and all will share in that glory.” and also 147:5a “Stewardship is the response of my people to the ministry of my Son and is required alike of all those who seek to build the kingdom.

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Donations to the CRE can be made with a check to the CRE and on the memo line write Tidings of Zion or where you want your donation to go. The mailing address is: CRE PO Box 4085, Independence, MO 64051. The following is a testimony from a brother who is isolated in Canada: ” The Tidings of Zion is the most important piece of mail that I receive.”

Eclipse? As you know, an eclipse occurs, in the solar system, when one body comes between two other bodies. There are two types of eclipses: lunar, when the earth passes between the sun and the moon; and solar, when the moon passes between the earth and the sun.. One side of the earth had a lunar eclipse on August 7, 2017. Most of the USA will experience the solar eclipse, but only a portion of the USA will experience the total solar eclipse on Monday, August 21, 2017. The solar eclipse will begin near Lincoln Beach, Oregon and sweep across the USA, in a 65-70 mile or so wide path, exiting near Charleston, South Carolina.

The central part of Missouri is said to be in the path of the total eclipse of the sun, which is to occur in the early afternoon on Monday. Many towns all across the USA have designated the weekend of August19-21 as “Solar Eclipse Weekend.” Most likely, billions of dollars, great amounts of time, energy and so forth will be spent this weekend. Wouldn’t it be marvelous, if Christians got that excited about going to church every Sunday and Wednesday? Maybe some Christians, including Restoration Saints, are being eclipsed by Satan. Are we letting him come between us and Jesus Christ and thus shutting off the light, love, wisdom, and so forth that He would share with us? You have to have special glasses if you want to look directly at the eclipse and many are making money on scams, by selling “false glasses” to unsuspecting people. That is how Satan works, by lies and deception. Don’t let him eclipse you! WALK IN THE LIGHT OF CHRIST!   

Feel free to forward this to others, include it in your branch newsletter or Sunday bulletins or as you desire. God bless and keep you in His arms of Love

Publication Council of the Conference of Restoration Elders

Paul J. Gage, Chair

pauljg_64055@yahoo.com                             816-833-6552

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