Greetings from Charlotte,
We received many very positive reports from last week's live transmission. The Television and Internet Departments, along with the translators for Spanish and French, did a wonderful job. Because of a few glitches that occurred prior to transmission, and the near flawless transmission itself, it is evident to me that Satan wanted to create havoc, but Christ intervened, stopped him, and turned the Sabbath into a great success. We can safely say that approximately 5,500 members and families watched the service live. For those congregations that were not able to receive the live sermon, please see instructions below on how you can still view it. The Tomorrow's World Presentation in Cape Town, South Africa was attended by 233 guests and 47 members, for a total of 280. In all, we had 341 guests attend the three TWPs in South Africa these past two weeks. Dr. Winnail returned from his visit with encouraging reports regarding the South African congregations and their leaders. Mr. Paul Shumway reported on a very profitable visit he and Mr. Damian Weekes had to Guyana and Brazil. His report reads like the Apostle Paul's journeys found in the book of Acts. Your prayers for these faithful but scattered brethren, some of whom live under trying circumstances, are greatly appreciated. In my weekly visit with Dr. Meredith, he again mentioned how encouraging the cards from members, and even individuals not in our fellowship, are to him. Mr. Ames is doing well overall, but it is going to take some time for him to regain his full strength. Please remember both of these men in your prayers.—GEW
Church Administration
March 18 Livestream Service Replay
The replay of the March 18 livestream service from Charlotte is available for all those who would like to see it again (or for the first time). To access it, go to www.lcgwebcast.org, and under the "Stream Site" dropdown list ("Local Congregations" section), select "March 18, 2017 Sermon" in English, French or Spanish. The appropriate password to enter for each language is:
- For English: lcgmarch18
- For Spanish: lcgmarch18sp
- For French: lcgmarch18fr
Then, click on "03-18-17 – Afternoon Services" to play the recorded service.
Also, the sermon portion of the service, presented by Mr. Weston, will be sent to all congregations on a disk.
Passover 2017 Requests
Important Notice to All Pastors: Two sets of the Passover DVD and letter instructions are being sent to each pastor (area, associate and assistant) in the U.S., to fulfill any last-minute requests you may receive. If you do submit to Headquarters any further Passover requests for individuals, please include the PIN (if known) of the member, to help speed up processing.
"Noah's Ark" Children's Coloring and Activity Books
As an "Unleavened Bread Feast gift" for our little ones in the Church, we have produced coloring and activity books, available in two levels, with the theme of "Noah's Ark." Level 1 is for children ages 4-7 and level 2 is for children 8-10. The books are only available as electronic files (PDF), not in print. They can be printed and downloaded by parents from the MyLCG section of the Member's Resources Web site www.cogl.org. Just log in to your MyLCG account and click on the appropriate links.
Charlotte BRiC Weekend (Memorial Day Weekend)—Repeat Announcement
Registration for the BRiC Weekend (May 26–29) is now open! Building Relationships in Christ is a wonderful opportunity for singles in God's Church! Come to Charlotte and be a part of this year's BRiC Weekend. There will be dancing, dinner, sports, and of course BRiC Talks! You can register online by visiting charlottelcg.org/bric—password bric. Please register for the weekend and the activities you plan to attend. If you have any questions regarding accommodations, housing with local brethren, or other details concerning the weekend, please contact me ([email protected]) for more information.—Jacob Hall
Living Youth Program
Friday Evening Online Teen Bible Study
The online Teen Bible Study on Friday evening, March 31, will be on "The Mystery of the Church and the Mystery of the Kingdom of God." If you haven't had the opportunity to join us for one of the online Bible Studies, we encourage you to do so. It is a wonderful way to start the Sabbath day.
The Bible Study runs from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. (Eastern time) and the chat room will be open for a half hour before and after the study. You can find instructions for joining the Bible Study, and also access it, at livingyouth.org. We hope as many of our youth as possible will join us for this wonderful opportunity for godly fellowship and learning. For those of you who are unable to make it to the study, archives of previous Living Youth Bible Studies, including last evening's on "The Mystery of Israel," can be found on the Living Youth Web site.—Sheldon Monson
Living University
Register for SUMMER Semester NOW! For the first time in several years, Living University is offering two summer courses scheduled to run between May 24 and July 21. These "regular" courses will be condensed from 16 weeks to just eight, This summer we will offer THL 135 – Life, Ministry and Teachings of Jesus and THL 438 – Biblical Prophecy II: Minor Prophets. For more information on these courses and to learn about prerequisites, please visit the "Summer 2017 Class Schedule" menu link on the www.livinguniv.com Web site. Please note that the tuition fee for these classes has been reduced by over 50 percent to just $150 for the entire course, plus the cost of textbooks. Those aged 65 and over are eligible to "audit" one class per semester for which Living University will waive the tuition fee. To apply to Living University and to find out more, please visit the www.livinguniv.com Web site. For additional information, please contact Mrs. Michelle Broussard at [email protected] or 704-708-2294.
Call for On-Campus Students in Charlotte Extended! For those seeking a unique and exciting learning opportunity, LU is now accepting applications for full-time students to study on campus in Charlotte, North Carolina, beginning this fall. On-campus students experience many special opportunities beyond online study, and most participate in our work-study program, which helps defray most living costs. Some scholarship money is also available. Student housing is available for both male and female students. Additional details and requirements can be found online, as can an estimate of associated costs. Application to the on-campus program can be made online through the University Web site (www.livinguniv.com). If you are a legal resident of the U.S., you are interested in on-campus LU study, and you have questions or want to find out more, please contact Dr. Scott Winnail at 704-708-2292 or [email protected]. Interested students should plan to complete their applications as soon as possible.
Comments
Are You Teachable? The Scriptures reveal that an important quality of character that God is looking for in Christians and future leaders in His Kingdom is teachability—the desire and willingness to listen and learn. Abraham was teachable and responsive to God's instructions (Genesis 12:1-4). Moses was a very capable leader, yet he was also humble and teachable (Numbers 12:3). David's attitude comes through in Psalm 119:33 when he writes "Teach me, O LORD, the way of your statutes." Solomon recognized his human inadequacies when he asked God for wisdom and an "understanding heart," so that he could learn to rule God's people wisely (1 Kings 3:9). When Jesus said the meek and the poor in spirit are blessed, He was emphasizing their teachability and their willingness to learn and grow (Matthew 5:3-5). The Scriptures also reveal that when we harden our hearts to God's instruction, we will reap serious consequences (Proverbs 28:14). We have been called to reign with Jesus Christ in the coming Kingdom of God—and being teachable is one of the keys to attaining that reward. Let's strive to develop this most important quality.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—March 23, 2017
Israel and Russia Clash: Last Friday, Israeli jets bombed a Syrian military facility near Palmyra, where Russian troops and equipment are based, in response to what Israel views as a growing threat on its northern border with Syria, in the Golan (DEBKAfile, March 18, 2017). The attack also allowed Israel to debut a new missile defense system (ibid.). Following the bombing, the Israeli ambassador to Russia was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry for a discussion. Two days later, an Israeli drone targeted Syrian militiaman Yasser Sayad outside a Golan town. He was apparently "on his way to join the Hizballah forces who are trampling Syrian rebel villages on the Hermon slopes to clear their path to the Golan" (DEBKAfile, March 20, 2017). The Israeli ambassador was again called to the Russian Foreign Ministry (ibid.). While the U.S. and Russia wage proxy wars in Syria, Israel exists just miles to the south and is apparently reacting to what it sees as a credible threat on its border. However, Israel's direct engagement in the conflict and its resolve against Russian desires adds a new dimension to the conflict. Where will this crisis end? Bible students realize that this current military entanglement will not, on its own, usher in the Great Tribulation. According to Scripture, there are many more events that must occur, and other world powers must become involved before Christ's return. To learn more about events prophesied to occur in the world, and especially in the Middle East, be sure to read or listen to our powerful booklet Fourteen Signs Announcing Christ's Return.
Severe Flooding in Peru: "Highly unusual rains have followed a series of storms along Peru's northern coast after a period of severe drought… The rains have caused many rivers in Peru to overflow and triggered mudslides on the steep Andean hillsides" (Deutsche Welle, March 20, 2017). To date, over 70 Peruvians have lost their lives and nearly 100,000 have lost everything! Over 600,000 people have suffered damage to their homes. "The vast majority of people affected by the extreme weather are poor, including many who built makeshift homes on floodplains that had been dry for 20 years… 'There's no electricity, no drinking water... no transit because streets are flooded,'" noted one local mayor (Reuters, March 20, 2017). More rain is forecast for Peru in the very near future. Such circumstances should remind us that the Bible reveals that catastrophic weather events will increase in frequency and severity as we approach the end of the age (Isaiah 29:6; Matthew 24:3-8; Luke 21:10-11). As we see individuals and families suffer in such calamities, real Christians should be moved to cry out to God for His Kingdom to come (Matthew 6:10). Sadly, before Christ does return to this earth and bring everlasting peace to a desperate world, much more suffering will occur. The Bible actually reveals who or what is behind coming weather events, and why these tragic events will happen. For more answers, be sure to read or listen to Who Controls the Weather?
Sexual Purity and Marriage Success: Recent research proves that couples with no sexual partners in their lifetimes other than their spouse have far lower rates of divorce than those with even one additional sexual partner (Catholic World News, February 13, 2017). For women with a history of just one sexual partner other than their husband, the marriage success rate drops from 95 percent in the first five years to 62 percent! And it declines further from there (MaRRI, February 3, 2017). As the Marriage and Religion Research Institute points out, "Thus family structure is exceedingly important to society and a return to intact marriage is a sine qua non [essential condition] for a nation or for families set on rebuilding themselves" (ibid.). Those with sexual history before or outside of marriage can make marriage work, but far more effort is required. What today's society views as an old-fashioned and draconian command to confine sexual relations to a monogamous marriage between a husband and wife, was originally given by God as vital instruction for a loving and successful marriage (Genesis 2:24; Exodus 20:14; 1 Corinthians 6:18). Our Father in Heaven wants His children to be happy and He has given us specific directions about how to do this. Even modern research demonstrates the blessings of this ancient, but still important command. For more information on how to have a joyful and successful marriage, read or listen to God's Plan for Happy Marriage.—Scott Winnail, John Meakin, and Francine Prater