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United Kingdom and Ireland |
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C. Ap. Leber,
Birmingham, 2006 Service Report
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Chief Apostle Leber: My dear brothers and sisters, I am very happy and thankful to be here and to have fellowship with you at the altar of our Heavenly Father. You realise I try to speak English; I know that it is not Oxford English. But we have the choice, either imperfect English, or perfect translation. So I guess it is better to try imperfect English. What I have hoped and prayed for is that everybody understands the word and that everybody gets the full amount of blessing. When we are here in this country, in England then we remember that the apostles ministry was re-established here. And we think of the pioneers, with great respect. And we feel connected to them also this day, and we reach them in eternity. Many things have happened since then but we’re still on our way to completion we still have the apostle’s ministry our of these 12 apostles at the beginning have been come forth 350 apostles, and the word is spread all over the world and many many souls could be prepared so far by the word of the Holy Spirit. That makes us happy and makes us thankful. We don’t want to take it just as anything else. It is something special, my dear brothers and sisters, that we are those who have the apostles’ ministry and we know that this is the way which is led by Jesus Christ himself. I have found a word, which I want to read to you. It’s in Psalm 100 v 4, there it says, enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise, be thankful to Him and bless His name. That is a word, which shall open our hearts and thereby give thanks and honour to our God. This Psalm, it is assumed that it was sung when the pilgrims went to Jerusalem and entered the portals of the temple. And then it says here, enter into his gates with thanksgiving, Dear brothers and sisters always give thanksgiving. Give thanks to our God for everything. We as human beings are getting accustomed also to many benefits. Let us remain thankful, it is always something special to be thankful to our God. It says here, ‘Enter here into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise, So we can imagine when the pilgrims came to Jerusalem then they sung, then they had joy in their hearts to see this beautiful place where they knew our God would reveal himself. We always should enter into the services with thanks. And also today there are gates, spiritual gates I would say, And we have to enter these gates. Shall I mention a couple of gates which we have to pass in order to get the full amount of blessing? There’s first the gate of worship. We want to worship to our God. The second gate is the gate of humbleness, let’s be humble. Because we know the humble get grace and the third gate, I want to point out is the gate of forgiveness. That we forgive each other. No matter what has been in the past, we start anew dear brothers and sisters. Let’s be prepared to forgive each other. We enter through this gate then we can see the glory of our God. Let us not stand before that gate, remain there, that does not bring any blessing we have to go through the gate, through the gate of worship, through the gate of humbleness through the gate of forgiveness and through the gate of confidence. We want to have confidence in our God. And say in our hearts, ‘whatever You say by Your word, we will accept it and we will do accordingly.’ We want to have confidence in the guidance and leadership or our Heavenly Father. These are gates to the altar, spiritual gates and when we enter through them that makes us happy and gives us joy and strength, that brings us forward in our belief and our faith. Now my dear brothers and sisters, I’ve read a text word which is taken out of that which the Lord Jesus said once. And it leads directly to the day of the Lord. And that is our subject that is our goal. What will it be? The day when the Lord comes, and this is described very nice, in clear simple words here by the Lord Jesus. And actually I was happy that we had this opening hymn, The Bridegroom Comes. This was fixed before and I had no influence on this opening hymn but nevertheless it fits 100% to text word. That says, ‘and that will be the day of the Lord, when two men will be in the field, one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill, one will be taken the other left’. And there are still other pictures in other Gospels, when we look at Luke there it says ‘there are two lying on the bed, one is taken the other left’. So what does that mean, dear brothers and sisters, this is a picture that is just something to show us, how it will be on the day of the Lord, it will be just quite a normal day, that is what this picture means. They will work as everyday, there will be grinding at the mill and lying on the bed, whatever is common, there’s nothing special in the beginning. But then suddenly the Lord comes and then it is the questions are your ready? Can you be accepted or not? There is only these two possibilities there’s not a third way. We say, I don’t know if this is also possible in English, in German we say the gold middle way, so not to the right and not to the left just a little bit from both sides and that’s not possible here. Either accepted or left, dear brothers and sisters, there is no gold middle way. That is what I want to say, so now this shows that it is really serious and we have to prepare ourselves and watch our hearts, look into our hearts if we are really prepared for this day and can be accepted by our Heavenly Father. Now it is also wonderful how the Lord Jesus has said that in simple words ‘the one will be taken the other will be left’. They are doing the same, they are all working the two men working in the field the two women they are doing the same, grinding at the mill, there’s no difference to be seen from the outside. So that brings us to idea then there must be a difference on the inside and that’s the point. That’s the point dear brothers and sisters, from outside you cannot see if somebody is worthy or not. If he is really believing, if he is really loving God. Well sometimes you have some idea and you see by acting what standing in the soul but really we cannot judge that. In fact our Heavenly Father knows and now it is a point to look into the inside and to see if we are worthy or not. So let us just find out some point where there might be a difference, which is important to know, so that we can adjust ourselves according to the will of our Heavenly Father, now we still live in the time of grace. So from the inside, what are points of differences? Let us just consider the faith, I know we have living faith that can be accepted by the Lord or we have a just a faith out of tradition. What is now a living faith my dear brothers and sisters? When I speak about living faith I always see Peter the apostle, he had a living faith. You remember this wonderful event when they were fishing the whole night and they had no success, and the Lord Jesus came stood there and told Peter and the other disciples now go out again and try to fish again. And then Peter said so simple and beautifully, ‘so dear Lord we have tried the whole night and we were not successful but on your word, because of your word we will do just do it’. That’s living faith my dear brothers and sisters, when we can say because of that what is said unto us we just do it, nothing else. As far as we can do that and act accordingly, that is living faith and it can guarantee you, those who have living faith they will be accepted by the Lord and they are not left behind. And the one who has just a faith of tradition, what is that worth? Just tradition, just something because the parents and the grandparents have done that, so one sticks to the same belief that is nothing for the Lord. The second point, which there might be a difference is love. Love of our Heavenly Father and his work. Do we really have love for him or not? I always refer to Daniel; I think he has loved our Heavenly Father, his God. Because it was even at the time forbidden to pray unto God. But Daniel didn’t care; he opened his windows towards Jerusalem . He was always prepared and he did it to have a deep and wonderful connection to God. Why? I think, and I think this the only explanation I have, he has loved our Heavenly Father that is true love. And who shows true love dear brothers and sister is accepted at the day of the Lord, he will not be left behind. The third point, which is important and where there might be a difference, is following. Do we follow until the end? Or do we follow only so far as it pleases unto us? To a certain point let’s say. That is important that we are willing to follow till the end through all circumstances and not only unto a certain point, they are not the real followers. The real followers are those who follow Christ, who follow the Lamb until the end. It says that in Revelation the 144,000 are those who follow the Lamb wherever it goes and that makes us worthy, better those who will be accepted at the day of the Lord. Oneness is also a point where there might be a little difference dear brothers and sisters. Are we really one with our blessing bearers? Are we really one with those who are given to us as vessels of grace? That is also a serious question, are we one with them or are we one as far as it pleases us? And when there are spoken words which are not pleasing to us then we turn aside and go our own way, that is not oneness, oneness means to be really together, bound together and nothing can separate us. Better those who will be accepted at the day of the Lord and not left behind. Let us always strive for oneness, I know that is sometimes a difficult subject , let us take that speak about that openly, deal brothers and sisters, I mean sometimes you realise the brothers who serve us, they have faults they have their mistakes, they are not perfect. And somebody might not feel very well by seeing that, but that doesn’t change the fact that they are elected as those given by our Heavenly Father for our benefit. Even the apostles have their faults, even the Chief Apostles has his mistakes but dear brothers and sisters we want to be one. One in spirit because our goal is to be united with our Heavenly Father for all eternity. We will not be separated by that, but we want to be one. The last point which is important, where there might be a little distinction, is to be faithful, to be faithful to the end to be faithful in all circumstances. Let us stay and remain faithful. That makes us worthy. They are those who will be accepted on the day of the Lord and not left behind. So we have several points of distinction and we have to find out what is now our hearts attitude? Where do we stand? Are we acceptable by the Lord or not? Let me just repeat, is our faith, a living faith or is just a faith of tradition? Do we love God our Heavenly Father with our whole heart or is there a point where we say ‘we do not go any further’? Following, are we following those who are given in our time? Following Jesus Christ? He is the one, He gives orientation. Or is it just following until a certain point? Oneness, are we one with those who are given unto us as blessing bearers or only one as long as it pleases us? And the last thing, which includes practically everything, are we faithful? Faithful to the end? Or faithful only when somebody is watching us? Let me say it like that. We are human beings, we know that. We always try sometimes to make a good impression but that doesn’t count in the eyes of our Heavenly Father. He looks into our hearts, we cannot hide anything, and so He sees if we want to be faithful to the end, independent of what other people say and mean or not. And this is then our text word, so will it be on the day of the Lord. The one who lives accordingly, who has a heart’s attitude according to the will of our Heavenly Father can be accepted, the other one has to be left. Will be left alone? Let us read the next verse, ‘watch therefore for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming’. Let us do that dear brothers and sisters also here in Great Britain and the United States. We want to be watchful and also concentrate on heavenly goal, may our Heavenly Father give much grace and lead us through all circumstances that we have such a heart’s attitude that on this day when He suddenly comes we will be ready and can be accepted and can enter eternity. Amen. So dear brothers and sisters today is a special day. Because the Apostle Hoffman, who has served here for many years, will today go into retirement, You know that he has reached a certain age so that it is now his will and we have to accept the natural laws that we all are getting older, that something which concerns everybody and now the day has come when he will go into retirement. He has served for the years in great faithfulness and with the love of our Heavenly Father to the souls. I can personally confess that whenever I spoke he spoke with love about the souls here especially in Great Britain, also the United States, so I call him to serve along again. Choir. Choir: My God Accept My Heart This Day (Hymn no 42 in the New English Choir Hymn Collection) District Apostle Helper Hoffman: My dear brothers and sisters, many thoughts pass through one’s soul at a moment like this. I also say that I took a little key from Chief Apostle Fehr, who is here today because I happened to look up the last service he held. And he said I think you might expect me to say a little bit about being retired. There must be something special in my heart, which was in his heart. I like to begin by saying two days before our Chief Apostle Leber was ordained he addressed all the district apostles and helpers in a meeting and he expressed something that has lived very concisely in my heart since then. He said the work of our Heavenly Father will continue but our purpose is that we gather and adorn the bride for our Lord. And that stuck with me because it is something that we would all like to see happen. We all would like our Heavenly Father to come, and now as I listen to the service, our Chief Apostle has kept to that promise. We didn’t talk much about gathering today but that is a subject for much work for the future, which I hope you all will engage in. But today he did what I would call the work of the adornment part, because we need to look, and if we could take the picture of the old bridal garment. And a garment is something that you very easily can see if it is okay or not. If you go out to dinner it is very easy to see if there is a spot on my chest from the gravy. But today our chief apostle would like every one of us to look at our garment and see if it is worthy to be the garment in which our Heavenly Father will take us home. He gave us the five points, which I don’t’ need to say again. The five things to look for, in any one of those, would say our garment is not right. But he also said something very wonderful, which has always been that way and will remain that way. The grace of our Heavenly Father is still here, if we find something on our garment that maybe we could not deal with until maybe today, or maybe we didn’t feel the urge to deal with until today then we can put it in to the Lord’s Prayer. And one of the points is that we need to enter the door of forgiveness. That is one very beautiful way in which we will be able to make our garment clean and this is what my thought is for all of you that we can do our very best. That we help gather the souls for our Heavenly Father but that we also help them be adorned but that we also look at ourselves and make sure we are adorned properly. Amen Chief Apostle Leber: I also know that the Apostle Hoffman is also very thankful. Thankful to God who has given so much grace also for him and his family. But he is thankful also for this beautiful fellowship he has had. He is thankful for everything he could experience in that time. And thankful hearts are always something which makes us happy, and which we like and it is always nice to be together with thankful people. So we also have some district apostles from other countries, and as long as there is time, I want to call them for serving. And I am very happy that they are here because I know that many nations are here together from all parts of the earth. And so when you hear your district apostles from the nations where you come from, that might be also a special event for you. First of all I ask the District Apostle Barnes from Cape Town to serve along, choir may sing. Choir: In the vineyard of our Lord (Hymn no 116 in the New English Choir Hymn Collection) District Apostle Barnes: My dear brothers and sisters, I am very very thankful to be here today. Thankful for the invitation from our chief apostle. It is the first time I could attend a divine service here in the United Kingdom. I‘ve travelled through here many times and it is therefore very special to be in service here. It is well known we know each other, you know me and I know many of you. But we do not know everyone and today’s service brought, I would say, everything into perspective. We are children of God and our worthiness for the day when the bridegroom comes to fetch us is of utmost importance, whether we know one another well of not. Whether we are of the same nation, whether come form different countries, the purpose the same. And the way in which our Chief Apostle outlined this text word to us, I simply enjoyed. I found it so easy to understand because it can be quite complicated. Once you go into units of more than one then interpretations can come about. When we hear the numbers I thought of the numbers that Jesus used when he compare the wise and foolish virgins, they also used numbers. But the most important dear brothers and sisters is that we come to the perfect oneness. That we are united with our bridegroom, that we are one in our striving for perfection. That we do what expected of us in faith with the gifts that God has given us. That we use this to the best of our ability. Then we will be among those who will be taken and not among those who will be left. Two different examples are given. And even then both genders are covered, this is a very sensitive issue in the times in which we live. Both genders are covered. I don’t know of a third gender only of these two, and yet at the end of both examples it says ‘one will be taken and one will be left’. It is therefore our responsibility to fulfil and do what we are taught, nothing else. It is our responsibility to do what the Lord expects from us; with the gifts He has given us. Wherever we find ourselves, whether in this country or any other country around the world, it is a work upon our own heart; this is what we have to occupy ourselves with. When we do this then the other things that leads to disunity that cause disarray in our heart or that bring about what can be construed as unfaithfulness, then those things become unimportant and there is less emphasis placed on them. We cannot ever claim to leave this place this afternoon, without saying to ourselves ‘now we understand clearly what is expected of us.’ Sometimes the focus can be diverted, that is the work of the devil, to makes us not see clearly and then we have difficulty in defining what the Lord wants from us, and here this afternoon it is so easy. Either one or the other and well know in English that golden middle too. Either one or the other, ‘you are either for me or you are against me’, Jesus said. May our actions prove where we stand. I once heard someone say concerning this work, if we both become one and this oneness is inward oneness. The chief apostle mentioned, one can make a picture when one appears to be one. It can be an outer display but an inner oneness, a oneness of the heart, a oneness of the mind a oneness that is revealed in our true way of worshiping God. Let us go through that gate of worship, it is so important for us because one can worship in an outer form so easily. But this inner worship, a worshiping of the heart as we find in the examples in our time today, but especially also in those who have gone before us. How Simeon worshiped and when he saw the baby Jesus, that was enough for him the conviction of his heart, he didn’t have to hear anything said, he saw salvation. Dear brothers and sisters, such a faith we want to have also, and then we will not only be those who see the salvation, we will experience it, we long for this with all our hearts that it may be soon. Amen. Chief Apostle Leber: So brothers and sisters we all think and feel one spirit that serves us. So we have also the District Apostle Schneider here from France . But he also works in Congo and so he has also special connection to some brothers and sister here. I ask him to serve. Choir Choir: Let us with a gladsome mind (Hymn no 107 in the New English Choir Hymn Collection) District Apostle Schneider: My dear brothers and sisters, I am very happy to be here and sorry because my English is very bad. I don’t know if very bad English is better than a very good translation but I’ll try it. At the beginning of the service our chief apostle told us about the different doors we have to go through. And he spoke about a very special door, the door of forgiveness, and we too have go through this door with thanksgiving. A very special thing. We have go through the door of forgiveness with thanksgiving. Brothers and sisters, thankfulness makes for forgiveness easier. Then he told us what we have to do to be worthy for the return of Christ. He spoke about love. It says in one of the gospels that Jesus knew the time had come to leave the earth and to return to His father. He showed the fullness of his love and you know the story, He washed the feet of the disciples. Even the feet of Judas because He was aware now it is time to return to the Father. He showed the fullness of His love. Brothers and sisters our chief apostle told us today, is the time, it is time to return to our Heavenly Father. Let us show the fullness of our love for our neighbour, for our brother, for our sister. Even if they are not so perfect. Our Heavenly Father asks us to love them. What is important is not what he is, what he does and what he doesn’t do. What is important is my love for my neighbour. And then it was a question of oneness, in the very important time at the end of his life Jesus said, he prayed with His Father and I don’t know if the English is the same as the French bible, He said five times the same prayer, ‘Father I cry for them that they may be one’. It was so important, a special moment of His life to try for the disciples and for us that they may be one. Because we know Jesus comes soon brothers and sisters we make more and more effort to pray for this oneness and to make it stronger and stronger. The chief apostle asked if we could put a few sentences in French - that is much easier for me. Amen Chief Apostle Leber: We are happy to have translators but we are also happy when we don’t use them. And so there is still another district apostle here. The district apostle from Zambia , District Apostle Ndandula and I think you will also enjoy to hear his voice, choir please. Choir: All hail the pow'r of Jesus name (Hymn no 387 in the Choir Hymn Collection) District Apostle Ndandula: My dear brother my dear sisters, I am also deeply thankful that for the grace of our Heavenly Father I found favour and got the invitation to come to the United Kingdom to be with our dear chief apostle. I passed through the UK a number of times but it is for the first time that I am in Birmingham and is also the first time that I am in a service with our dear chief apostle. At the beginning of the service the chief apostle talked about gates and when I came from Zambia there was also a gate to the UK and at the gate they requested something from me. If I didn’t have it, even if I was invited by our dear chief apostle, he would have been told ‘he came but has been turned away’. There’s also something that is going to be asked of us at the gate, and our dear chief apostle has put everything here. We need faith and a living faith. We need love and we need all those virtues, which are fine and our dear chief apostle mentioned and also we need to be thankful. We have learned that thankfulness is also a key to many many things in life. Many times we teach our children to respond by saying thank you. But what happens to us when we grow up – do we continue that in what we teach our children? Sometimes yes, and sometimes it is easy to take things for granted. And so we learned through our dear chief apostle that thankfulness is a key also to many blessings. There are many gates to blessings but let us utilise the key has been given to us – to be thankful to our Heavenly Father. And mention one of those gates as the gates as gates of humbleness and so I thought of description – two men passed though the gate to enter the temple. They all passed through and they went inside. In one of them there wasn’t humbleness – he thought of himself - you know lord what I do, I’m not like the other one. And the other he was so humble he couldn’t even lift his eyes up. We have been told that we should be one, and when our dear chief apostle spoke of the oneness. I also thought of what was in scripture, what Jesus said. And that was ‘my Father and I are one,’ but He said something further in the scripture. The one who asked ‘can you show us your father?’ He said if you have seen Me then you have seem My Father, that is oneness. Can we also strive to do that? I know that with Jesus and His Father we cannot compare ourselves but we be strive to show that oneness, that we also can say, ‘if you have seen us you have seen the Lord’. That is our striving and something that it is not easy, we have heard form our dear chief apostle. But we strive to do that which pleases our Heavenly Father, we strive to do that which will leads us through the gates so that on the day when the Lord will come that we may be taken home. As we have heard from the outside they are both working, both men, they are both women at the mill, but one will be taken, is it the desire of the Lord to only take one? No beloved it is His desire, that all may be saved, so it is only ourselves who may be able to pass the barriers and through the wonderful ministration of our dear chief apostle then we can put all those barriers away that we too an pass through he gate and see the Lord on His day. And hear the beautiful words ‘come and enter into the joy of your father.’ Amen. Chief Apostle Leber: So we are thankful for everything that was said, let me just underline that what was said before that – it doesn’t mean that only one can be accepted. When we look the whole work of God that only 50% can be able to enter the kingdom that is not the purpose of this picture. It just says that there are different possibilities for each and every one and it is necessary to adjust according to the will of God and then everybody can be accepted. It would be nice when we all together could enter eternity and would be the bride of Christ. So we heard about following, that is also something which is important – to follow until the end through all circumstances or to follow just to a certain point? I remember the disciples at the time of Christ – they were some who felt offended because the Lord Jesus said when you don’t eat my flesh and drink my blood you cannot have part in me. And then some didn’t understand that and they didn’t follow the Lord Jesus anymore. So that can happen also today – we always come into situations where we don’t understand the word of God – maybe it’s not clear. Maybe there are some things which bind us. Whatsoever, always following. There comes the moment I can promise you when things become clear. And that will be to wonderful degree then when the Lord Jesus will come back and accomplish His work then we will beautiful things and we can recognise things which we couldn’t recognise today. Let’s remain in following and don’t give up dear brothers and sisters. To give up that is not a Godly quality. So we are happy to hear that and we take that into our hearts and let us act accordingly so that the blessing of our Heavenly Father can accompany us. Now let’s prepare for the Holy Communion and I just want to read a word which brings us to the worthiness of accepting grace. And this word is written in Hebrews 12: 15. It says, ‘looking carefully lest anyone falls short of the grace of God, lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled’. So dear brothers and sisters the grace of God is offered but nobody shall fall short of the grace. That means that nobody has their bounds or something in his part, which is a blockade for the grace of God. When there is no forgiveness then we cannot find grace. When there is not the wish for oneness and following then this will be a certain obstacle for our Heavenly Father to give us the full amount of his grace. So it lies in our own hand – we want to have full grace. It says there is a root of bitterness – let us always be careful with our own heart that there is not a root of bitterness – that can happen very quickly, that there is something that is not made clean. And when we don’t speak about that and we don’t address our blessing bearers and we hide that in us and we force that then it comes to such a root of bitterness. That is something not befitting the children of God. We want to really find grace and to bow before our Heavenly Father we want to make clear the ground of our heart. And to get rid of be free of all influences which cannot find the grace of our Heavenly Father. So that’s our work we have to do that, then our Heavenly Father takes us into His arms and we feel His love and everything is wonderful. I hope that we all have now the chance to get the full amount of grace and all feel the love and kindness of our Heavenly Father. This is my wish, may God give His blessing to all of us. Amen Celebration of Holy Communion Dispensing of the Sacraments to the Departed ******* Retirement of District Apostle Helper Karl Hoffman Now, my dear brothers and sisters, the moment comes when the District Apostle Helper Karl Hoffman goes into retirement, officially. I ask him to come here to the altar but I’ve heard a special song is prepared and we would like to hear that first. Choir: O Saviour Mine (Hymn no 35 in the New English Choir Hymn Collection) So my dear friend, and district apostle helper, let me just open my heart and say what I feel. We were often together, especially in the district apostles meeting, and it was always nice to be together, we enjoyed it, to have fellowship. We felt very close bound by the Holy Spirit and we are in that sense, friends and those who have only one thing in mind, namely to do that for the Lord Jesus, to fulfil our commission. Let me just read some dates of your life. It is only short – but in it lies everything. On November 25th 1969 District Apostle Helper Hoffman, was ordained a subdeacon. That was the start, in the newly established congregation of West Palm Beach , Florida . Therefore you can look back on a blessed ministry of activity of 36 years. Owing to his knowledge of the Spanish language he was able to support the 6 Spanish-speaking congregations in Florida already as a subdeacon. In Huston Texas on August 4th 1996 – he obtained the ministry of an apostle from Chief Apostle Fehr. And in Boston on October 22nd 2000 – he was commissioned to support the District Apostle Freund as a district apostle helper. In his capacity as an apostle and district apostle helper he has served in different countries of Central and South America, the Caribbean Islands, Great Britain and Ireland, Tanzania and in several districts of the United States. I hope we have not forgotten a country. Well this shows the work you have done and I know you well enough to know that it was always in your mind to do that what is necessary to prepare the bride of Christ. We have mentioned that in our serving today and this was always what you had in mind. And when I want to characterise you and say how I feel. Your main characteristics that I would like to point out is first of all is – your faithfulness – I think that is a characteristic of your heart, to be faithful, to be steadfast and firm in belief, and I’ve never seen anything else. That was always something that was a matter of course with you. To be faithful and this is the most important thing – what we can achieve on earth. You have remained faithful and I am sure you will also remain faithful, to the end. You have said that you are thankful for that what could be accomplished by the heart of our Heavenly Father, may the blessing of our Heavenly Father can accompany you – and I can assure you today as chief apostle and servant of God that this blessing will accompany you in the future and you will always experience His love and His heart and His kindness as long as you remain faithful. That you will do that I am convinced. And let me say also again, I’ve always felt the love for the children of God. You are not a man who makes many words about that – but I‘ve felt this love in your heart. And this is something which will accompany you, you will be guided by this love also by your brother and sister near you. So this is something which will be further also for the future and will give a wonderful reward in heaven. You have been a faithful, a steadfast man and done what was necessary in the time you have been given. You learned to speak Spanish and to serve the Spanish-speaking brothers and sisters and you have done a great work so I just want to say thank you. Many things have been said – but we are sure our Heavenly Father knows everything – so that is the most important thing – we don’t have to make big words, our Heavenly Father knows it, we give thanks and honour to Him because He has prepared everything. I know especially that you will always be connected to the people here in Great Britain and this was also part of your work, which you did with your whole heart. And you were a wonderful example of faithfulness. I also say thank you to your wife to your children, to your whole family. They have supported you and they also have a share the reward, I’m sure in eternity. There is a wonderful reward not only to you but also to all of those who have supported and are one with you. I ask the congregation to stand up, and now to make it official. Dear District Apostle Helper Hoffman, I put you now into retirement and I say thank you for everything you did in the love of God. Thank you for your faithfulness for that which you have done in fostering the congregations and helping along wherever help was needed, I say thank you for your love to the children of God and again I say thank you to your wife and to your children and I wish you much blessings also in the future. Everyday that the blessing of our Heavenly Father will accompany you, will remain very close, remain friends in the sense of our Heavenly Father, we are happy to be a part of this wonderful work. Many blessing in the future, may our Heavenly Father be with you. So I think it is in the name of all of you dear brothers and sister that we are thankful for that what has been accomplished. So dear brothers and sisters let’s say thank you to our Heavenly Father. |
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