Greetings from Charlotte,
Mr. Mario Hernandez has returned from a productive trip to Europe where he met with French- and Spanish-speaking members and prospective members and conducted a Tomorrow's World Presentation in Charleroi, Belgium. Mr. Rees Ellis is back in Belgium after an extensive trip to Africa, where he was a guest on a live radio program and made quite a number of visits. The work these two men do is unique and greatly appreciated. Both speak more than one language. They love the people they serve, and they are willing to travel in areas where accommodations are very different from what many Westerners are used to. While travel might appear exciting for the casual traveler, living out of a suitcase, changing time zones, dealing with canceled and postponed flights, and a host of other points that could be made, means a real sacrifice on the body for these modern day Pauls. The LYP Teen camp is underway near Athens, Texas and reports are positive. Carol and I are looking forward to spending several days there at the end of next week. This will be my first time attending one of our North American camps since retiring as Camp Director after the summer of 2009.—Gerald Weston
Church Administration
Northeast Men's Training Camp 2017: "Following Christ"
Everyone wants to lead. Why? Although we may have good intentions of helping, serving and benefiting others, "leading" also means we get to set the pace, make the decisions, command and control, and get our way! At least, so we think sometimes. But what is a leader without followers? Are we willing to let someone else lead? Will we let someone else set the pace, make the decisions, and get the credit? Can we put aside our agenda and support the priorities of someone else?
As husbands, we're commanded to be the "head" or leader of our family. Elders are given the duty of leading in their congregations. And as pillars in our Church and community, we're given the task of setting the pace, being examples, influencers, and leaders. Yet can we lead well without ever learning how to be a good follower?
Did you know that Christ was and continues to be the most powerful example of the perfect follower? Can you and I be followers like Christ?
These questions and challenges will be at the heart of our 2017 Men's Training Camp. Come prepared to wrestle with these real-life issues as we face the challenge of being better, more Godly men.
The location for our program is New Hope, Pennsylvania, just an hour north of Philadelphia. Men from throughout the Northeast Region are the primary attendees, but we gladly welcome guests from other regions. The program begins on Friday evening, August 18, and concludes at noon on Sunday, August 20. The cost is only $70.
For more information and to register, go to www.nelcg.org (not an official LCG site) and click on the "Activities" tab on the top of the page. Then click on the "Men's Training Camp 2017" in the menu. If you are reading this on-line, you can also go directly to http://nelcg.org/?page_id=28417 (not an official LCG site).
The deadline to sign up and pay is August 7.—Jonathan McNair
Feast of Tabernacles
Festival (Second Tithe) Assistance Requests—U.S. Only—Deadline Monday
Attention U.S. Pastors: The deadline to submit Festival Assistance Request forms to the Church Administration Department is this coming Monday, July 17. All forms should be properly completed by the members requesting second tithe assistance to attend the Feast this year. Then, the Area Pastors should write their recommendations/comments on the forms before submitting them to CAD. Festival Assistance Request forms are available to ministers on the MyLCG website (www.cogl.org).—Festival Office
Feast of Tabernacles Sermons
Attention Pastors: Please send the Church Administration Department at [email protected] the names of those in your congregation(s) who will be unable to attend the Feast and wish to receive a set of the Feast of Tabernacles sermons on CD. (Sermons are available in English, French or Spanish.) The deadline to submit these requests is August 1 for international recipients and September 1 for recipients in the U.S. Note: Feast sermons will also be uploaded (one per day) during the Feast at www.lcg.org, for those who have Internet access. The French sermons will be uploaded to www.eglisedieuvivant.org.
Additional Feast Sites Closed to Incoming Transfers
The Feast sites in Bournemouth, England; Montego Bay, Jamaica and Chiang Mai, Thailand, are at capacity and can no longer accept incoming transfers. If you have registered to attend the Feast at any of these sites and have not yet received a transfer approval, please re-register for another site.
Following is a list of Feast sites now closed to incoming transfers due to capacity:
United States
Anchorage, Alaska
Panama City, Florida
Hilton Head, South Carolina
Northern Kentucky
International
Bournemouth, England
Montego Bay, Jamaica
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Living Youth Program
Texas Teen Camp: Christian Living Live Streaming and Contact Information
Teen Camp is now underway in Athens, Texas and runs through July 23. We appreciate your prayers for God's blessings on the entire event.
Christian Living classes presented each morning at 9:00 a.m. (Central time) are being live streamed from camp. To join, you will need the password used for Mr. Monson's Friday evening Bible Studies, which is given on the MyLCG page. Or, you can simply contact [email protected] and we'll be able to help you. The classes are linked from the Living Youth website at http://www.livingyouth.org, and also from the Living Youth Programs Facebook page.
Parents who wish to send a care package may send it to [child's name], c/o LYP Camp, 6829 FM 317, Athens, TX 75752.
If you need to contact the camp, please call one of the following phone numbers: 980-254-0132(Jenny Penman), 903-830-0198 (Lori Forrestier), or 704-519-5371 (Joshua Penman). E-mail the office staff at [email protected].
Texas Teen Camp Visitors
Sabbath Services at the Teen Camp are open to guests. Please check in at the office to receive a Guest Pass when you arrive. Services begin at 2:30 p.m. Snacks and drinks are available in the dining hall after Sabbath Services. However, we are unable to provide dinner for guests because of limitations of space and budget.
No guests are allowed to stay overnight on campus unless they have submitted a camp application, a background check has been made, and they have been approved to stay.
The camp dances are for campers and staff only. Any exceptions must be approved by the Camp Director.—Sheldon Monson, Camp Director
Living University
Registration for First (Fall) Semester
As Living University prepares for its eleventh year of operation, we are excited to announce that registration for classes is now underway. The semester will begin Wednesday, August 16. Students may register for classes and order textbooks anytime before the start of classes. Those who have never taken a Living University course will need to enroll in the University first, and then register for their selected course(s). Please note that Living University has lowered its tuition cost by nearly 30 percent for the 2017-2018 academic year. To make application to Living University, to register for courses, and to find out more, please visit the www.livinguniv.com website. For additional information, please contact Assistant Registrar Mrs. Michelle Broussard at [email protected] or 704-708-2294. Watch for LU course descriptions in future issues of The World Ahead. Below you will find examples of classes to be offered this coming semester. For a full list of classes, visit the "Fall 2017 Class Schedule" (Spring in the Southern Hemisphere) link on the Living University website.
THL 332 – The Biblical Text: This course focuses on the authority, inspiration, canonization, literary unity, and textual criticism of the biblical text. Emphasis is on Bible translations, versions, textual analysis, exegesis, and research. Students will come away from this course with the ability to generate an evidence-based explanation of the formation of the Old Testament and New Testament Scriptures and demonstrate the fundamentals of interpretation and textual research. Lectures are presented by Mr. Richard Ames and Mr. Peter Nathan.
COMM 260 – Public Speaking: This course provides instruction and experience in preparation and delivery of speeches within a public setting and group discussion. It emphasizes research, preparation, delivery, and evaluation of informative, persuasive, and special-occasion public speaking. The class builds on Spokesman Club experience and prepares students to take Advanced Public Speaking. It is an excellent course for all speakers and especially important for those speaking in our local congregations. Even experienced speakers will improve their skills in this course.
EDUC 345 – Child Growth and Development: This course deals with the influence of Christian family relationships on child development. Emphasis is on basic principles and skills for parent effectiveness, the developing nature and needs of children, and how they learn. This is an important and very helpful course for those who are parents and for those who plan to be parents one day.
Comments
The Dynamics of Friendship: The Scriptures state that if we want to have friends, we must learn to be friendly, and that true friends are supportive during difficult times (Proverbs 17:17; 18:24). Friends are people we can confide in and share important thoughts and concerns with (John 15:15). Real friends may not always agree with us, and sometimes they will tell us things about ourselves, our plans and actions that we need to hear, but may not want to hear (Proverbs 27:6, 17). The Bible cautions that we should choose our friends carefully because we will be influenced by the company we keep (Proverbs 12:26). Abraham chose to be a friend of God by obeying His instructions to leave a former way of life (Genesis 12:1-4; James 2:23). We are also told that friendship with the world and its ways will alienate us from God (James 4:4). However, Jesus told His disciples, "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you" (John 15:14). Let's strive to be a "friend of God" by following His instructions and choose to be true friends to those who will not influence us in the wrong direction.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—July 13, 2017
Is Global War Coming? The Telegraph ran a sobering headline on July 4: "We are sleepwalking towards a global war—and Russia and China are enabling it." The writer spoke of the recent launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile indicating that North Korea can place a nuclear device on such a missile and reach U.S. soil as far away as Alaska. The article speculated that, should the situation escalate, it could drag world powers—including the U.S., China, Russia and South Korea—into a nuclear war that could devastate the Korean peninsula and beyond. A confrontation between the USA and North Korea could draw China and Russia into the conflict on the side of North Korea, as China is a major trading partner with North Korea and Russia provides missile technology to North Korea (Wall Street Journal, July 11, 2017). Bible prophecy has long warned there will be a global conflict at the end of the age, involving "kings of the east" who will come together to fight a European beast power—the "king of the North"—that will also be threatened from the south by an Islamic power—the "king of the South" (see Daniel 11:41-44; Revelation 9:13-16; 16:12). The saber-rattling in Northeast Asia could push these eastern powers together against the West—leading to the end-time global conflict described in Bible prophecy. To learn more about the future of these nations, read "The Return of the Dragon."
Human Trafficking Surrounds Europe: A new report from the U.S. State Department demonstrates that nations surrounding Europe are seeing a heavy amount of human trafficking (sex trafficking and human slavery). "On the EU's eastern side, the U.S. said women from Belarus and Ukraine were being trafficked for sex in Russia, Poland, and Turkey... It said Nigerian, Bulgarian, and Romanian women are being trafficked for sex in Germany, while Afghan, Bulgarian, Pakistani, Polish, Romanian, and Vietnamese people were being used as forced labour" (EU Observer, June 28, 2017). Other nations cited for their involvement in human trafficking included Mauritania, Mali, Sudan, Eritrea, Syria, Iran, Lebanon and Jordan. Revelation 18 foretells an end-time European beast power that will come to a sudden end. This prophesied power will bring great riches and wealth to much of the world. The merchandise traded by and through this economic powerhouse will include precious metals, fine fabrics and spices, livestock, grains, and "bodies and souls of men" (vv. 11-13). The human trafficking surrounding Europe today will apparently continue and will help make nations of the world rich. The good news is that Jesus Christ is going to return and "proclaim liberty to the captives" by putting an end to human trafficking (Luke 4:18)! For more information on the future actions of the coming European superpower, read or listen to The Beast of Revelation.
Political Correctness Runs Amok: Erosion of Religious Liberty in Britain: As political correctness becomes further entrenched in Western societies, the British government is requiring private religious schools to teach immoral behavior that is contrary to their basic doctrines. According to The Telegraph, "A private Jewish girls' school which teaches children aged up to 8 has failed three Ofsted inspections because it does not teach pupils about homosexuality or gender reassignment" (June 25, 2017). According to the government, the school did not meet the pupil's need for "spiritual, moral, social and cultural development"—although the school has high marks in all other areas and in all other ways would be considered a model school. As Israelite-descended societies drift further from their foundation of biblical morality, we are witnessing increasing persecution of people and groups who attempt to maintain their Bible-based beliefs. It is a sad irony that nations that grew strong promoting biblical morality are now persecuting those who still hold to that historical foundation. However, this is exactly what God foresaw happening at the end of the age. The prophet Jeremiah wrote, "you have forsaken the LORD your God, and the fear of Me is not in you" (Jeremiah 2:19). The prophet Hosea wrote, "They do not direct their deeds toward turning to their God, for the spirit of harlotry is in their midst… Israel and Ephraim stumble in their iniquity… [and] have begotten pagan children… Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment because he willingly walked by human precept" (Hosea 5:4-11). The moral decline of the Israelite-descended nations is sad to watch, but they will return to God after a coming period of correction. For more details on this amazing story, read or listen to The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy.—Scott Winnail, Peter Nathan, Francine Prater, and Chris Sookdeo