Weekly Update

September 3rd, 2015

Greetings from Charlotte,

The Fall Holy Days will begin in just over a week! Please pray that God will bless and inspire the messages on these special days that outline climactic events that will bring the end of this present age with all its strife and suffering and usher in the glorious Kingdom of God. Reports from our ministers in California-Oregon-Washington indicate that our members have been spared any damage from the fires burning in these areas. Here in Charlotte, many items are being finalized for the Feast sites around the world. Dr. Meredith finished an article for Tomorrow's World magazine this week and conducted a number of meetings including a Living University Board meeting. Mr. Sheldon Monson visited the office to discuss future plans for the Living Youth Program, and Mr. Ames and Mr. Wallace Smith taped new Tomorrow's World programs. Forty-four visitors attended Tomorrow's World presentations last weekend in Peoria and Springfield, Illinois conducted by Mr. Rand Millich and Mr. Phil West. So far this year, we have conducted 51 TWPs that have drawn 2,145 visitors.—DSW

Church Administration

Thank you from the Montgomery Family

The Montgomery family would sincerely like to thank every one of you for the prayers, thoughts, help, support, cards and flowers after the tragic loss of Morgan. We are overwhelmed at the outpouring from so many! We are most grateful and thankful for such a family.—Martin and Vicki Montgomery

Tomorrow's World Presents in Morton and Springfield, Illinois

The Peoria, Illinois, congregation hosted two Tomorrow's World Presentations last weekend and both were blessed with good weather and good attendance. On the Sabbath, August 29, 26 visitors listened intently to Regional Pastor Rand Millich expound on the "Five Keys to End-Time Prophecy" and then he encouraged everyone to be part of what will occur after Armageddon. Following a break for healthful refreshments, Area Pastor Phil West gave a presentation on "The Mystery of God's Holy Days." The next day in Springfield, 18 guests heard the same presentations.  Several from the two events were given the address of the Peoria congregation and a few in the Springfield area asked about starting a congregation in Springfield.—Irv Woelfle

Contacting Headquarters or Pastors for Sabbath Services Information

From time to time, brethren who are travelling may e-mail or call Headquarters, or contact a minister through our www.lcg.org Web site, to obtain information about Sabbath services near the location they are visiting.  We are happy to provide you with this information when you need it.  However, please be sure to e-mail or call Headquarters, or contact the minister early in the week—by mid-week, at the latest.  If you wait until Friday afternoon to request the information, you may not reach the pastor in time to receive the necessary details (he may already be travelling on his circuit, and may be difficult to reach) and the office closes at 4:30 p.m. on Fridays in the Eastern Time Zone, during the summer. Please note: the office will be closed from September 23 through October 7, for the Feast of Tabernacles break. No one will be available to take phone calls during that period.

Internet Department

New French and Dutch Web Sites!

We know that the Gospel of the Kingdom of God will be preached as a witness to all nations up until Christ's return (Matthew 24:14).  We are thankful for God opening so many "doors" for His Church to preach the true Gospel with increasing power, over television and Internet television platforms such as Roku, Amazon TV, Google TV and Apple, in multiple languages (English, French, Spanish, Russian and Ukrainian), through print, and also throughout the world over the Internet and multiple social media platforms.

This year, with invaluable help from our dedicated translators, the Internet Department has worked very hard to build entirely new French- and Dutch-language Tomorrow's World Web sites, as well as an entirely new French-language Living Church of God Web site. These new French and Dutch Tomorrow's World Web sites are modeled after our flagship English-language TW Web site, and the new French Living Church of God Web site is modeled after our English- language LCG Web site.  We are completing final testing, and our goal is to launch these powerful new Web sites before the Feast!  Look for more details soon.—Wyatt Ciesielka

Feast of Tabernacles

Sabbath Times/Contacts for the Day of Atonement and Sabbath of September 26

A chart listing the places, contact information, and times for Living Church of God services on the Day of Atonement and on the Sabbath of September 26 is now posted on the MyLCG Web site. Log in to your MyLCG account at the following address to access the chart: www.cogl.org. We hope this information will be helpful for you as you plan your travel, especially so you can minimize travel on God's Sabbath. Pastors, thank you for sending these details in. If any of you have information yet to send us, please do so and we will update the chart.

Streaming/Phone Connection for Shut-Ins

If you will have to stay home from the Feast for health reasons, please note that many of our Feast sites will be providing live-stream or phone connection services for the areas assigned to that Feast site.  In this way you can listen to or watch a live service at your assigned Feast site, even if you have to stay home, and you can feel more connected to what's going on at the Feast!  For more information on what's available at your site, please contact the Festival Coordinator at your assigned Feast site.  If you need help, please contact your Festival Advisor.  For international sites, please contact the Regional Office. For your convenience, here is a list of the Festival Coordinators in the USA in 2015:

Health and Feast Travel 

As we prepare to depart for the Feast of Tabernacles, it is not uncommon for a lot of us to push ourselves and compromise on our sleep and diet. Many of us try to get multiple work and school tasks accomplished ahead of time so that we can attend the Feast without worry. Often this push before the Feast results in too little sleep and unhealthy eating habits. Then, when we finally get in the car, on the train, on the bus, or on an airplane, our bodies slow down and we get sick. In past years, this has resulted in some bringing the flu or a cold to the Feast site and spreading it to other Church members. If we do arrive at the Feast feeling ill, for the benefit of our brethren, it is important to avoid fellowshipping and attending services until all our symptoms are gone.

It is essential, as we prepare for Feast of Tabernacles travel, to get adequate rest and maintain a healthy diet filled with a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. Parents should make sure that children also get adequate rest and eat a very healthy diet before the Feast. For our older brethren, these actions are imperative! In taking measures to stay healthy and improve health before the Feast, not only will we be more likely to arrive at the Feast "healthy" and not be temporarily detained by the local health officials (if you are traveling abroad), but we will also be physically and mentally prepared to partake of the powerful spiritual food and fellowship that God is preparing for us.

Mothers Going to the Feast Near Your Due Date

We rejoice to see more and more children added to our Church family each year!  It is one of the great joys in life for a father and mother to welcome a brand new life into the world.  However, women going to the Feast in the late stages of pregnancy can lead to unforeseen complications.  If you are pregnant and will be due around Feast time, please exercise caution and discretion when making your decision about attending the Feast.  The long-standing tradition of the Church is to recommend that you stay home from the Feast if your due date is around Feast-time, for your sake and your unborn child's sake.  As in all matters of health, it is a personal decision, which must be weighed carefully and prayerfully, and with the advice of your physician or midwife. The Church provides recorded sermons and Internet sermons for shut-ins, and you can certainly avail yourself of those.  (Some Feast sites will also provide live-stream or call-in service for their local area as well—check with your Festival Coordinator for more information for your assigned site).

Chemical Sensitivities and Love for Our Brethren

We want to remind everyone to be aware while at the Feast of the sensitivities to perfumes and colognes that some of our brethren have. For some of our brethren, because of serious allergies, walking by someone with a lot of perfume or cologne is not just uncomfortable but can send them to the Emergency Room. Let's use extra care to show love to others in this way at the Feast—please use moderation.

Living Youth Program

Living Youth Camp 2015 in Guatemala—Repeat Announcement

The 2015 Living Youth Camp will be held from December 13-18 at Misión El Faro located in Punta Palma, Puerto Barrios, Guatemala. (See their Web site: http://www.misionelfaro.org/en/.) This is a beautiful location on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, watered by many rivers and surrounded by lush vegetation. Arrival will be in Puerto Barrios, from where we will travel by boat for about 20 minutes to the beautiful pier Misión.

Both English and Spanish-speaking campers are welcome to apply and we will have simultaneous translation for classes and other camp activities. A planned boat excursion is to start in the Atlantic and continue by river on Río Dulce, passing through caverns and hot springs and ending at the historic San Felipe castle.

If you are interested in attending, please e-mail me at [email protected]. The registration deadline is October 5.—Cristian Orrego

Friday Evening Youth Bible Studies Resume October 16—Repeat Announcement

Friday evening online youth Bible Studies are planned to resume after the Feast of Tabernacles, on October 16. Mr. Sheldon Monson is scheduled to continue giving the Bible Studies and everyone, regardless of age, is welcome to "tune in." Information about joining the studies will be available on the Living Youth Web site at http://www.livingyouth.org after the Feast of Tabernacles.

Finance

Holy Day Envelopes

Green Holy Day envelopes for the fall Feasts were mailed on August 13. If you have not received them by now, please contact us at [email protected] or call the office at 704-844-1970 and we will send you a new set. Please include your Personal Identification Number on any correspondence.  (It is above your name on your address label on mailings you receive from the Church.) Using the pre-labeled HDO envelopes for your offerings speeds up the processing and saves the Work money. We also recommend that you place your envelopes with the Bible and notebook you take to services so you do not forget to bring them with you to the Holy Day services.—Jerry Ruddlesden

Tithe of the Second Tithe—Repeat Announcement

It would be greatly appreciated if those who are able to contribute a tithe of their second tithe would do so at this time (if it has not already been sent), to help defray the administrative expenses of the Festival season. The tithe of the second tithe is used to help brethren with limited funds attend the Feast of Tabernacles, as well as to pay for hall rentals and other expenses associated with arranging for the annual Festival observances.—Jerry Ruddlesden

Hall Rentals—Repeat Announcement

October Sabbath hall rentals should be sent in to the Accounting Department on or before September 15 to ensure that we can process the request before the Festival break.

Comments

Are You Thankful for the Truth? The Sabbath is a good time to reflect on an important question: Are you thankful for the Truth? If you are a long-time member or if you grew up in the Church, it can be easy to take the Truth for granted. Yet, Jesus said that no one can come to a real understanding of the Truth unless they are called and their minds have been opened by God (John 6:44). The capacity to understand the plan of God, the purpose of life and the true way of life is a gift that God is making available to only a few at this time (1 Corinthians 1:26-27). The Scriptures state these precious truths are a mystery to the world (1 Corinthians 2:7-8) because Satan—the god of this age—has blinded the eyes of most people (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). Jesus stressed that it is a great privilege to be among the few who are given an understanding of the Truth in this age (Matthew 13:10-17). The Apostle Paul said that to be called out of darkness into the light of the Truth is something to be extremely thankful for (Ephesians 5:8-20). Let's rejoice in that understanding on the Sabbath and look forward to the time when the whole world will be given the opportunity to learn God's Truth (Isaiah 11:9).

Have a profitable Sabbath,

Douglas S. Winnail

News and Prophecy—September 3, 2015

Falklands Defenses Updated: Tensions between Britain and Argentina continue to grow over the fate of the Falkland Islands, also known in Argentina as the Malvinas. "Britain has ordered £47 million of new mobile air defence radars to protect the Falkland Islands against possible attack by Argentine jets. The new vehicle-mounted radar will be able to spot threats up to 75 miles away and the first systems will be delivered before the end of the year" (The Telegraph, August 25, 2015). "The Ministry of Defence has already ordered new anti-aircraft missiles for the islands to one day replace its existing batteries. Britain has around 1,200 troops on the islands, including an infantry company, headquarters and logistics staff and engineers. Four Typhoon fighter jets patrol Falklands airspace to intercept or shoot down Argentine jets if necessary and a frigate or destroyer is stationed in the South Atlantic" (ibid.). Long ago, God promised the descendants of Abraham they would "possess the gate of their enemies" (Genesis 22:17; 24:60). However, Moses warned the Israelites if they disobeyed God, "your enemy shall distress you at all your gates" (Deuteronomy 28:15, 55-57). We are watching these ancient prophecies being fulfilled today as God removes these strategic sea gates from Israelite control because these once-blessed nations have turned away from God and violated His laws. For more on this topic, read "Sea Gates in Peril."

2015—A Record Hurricane Season: This year is shaping up to be a record year for hurricanes or typhoons. "NASA's Terra satellite saw Hurricanes Kilo, Ignacio, and Jimena, all Category Four Hurricanes, lined up across the Central and Eastern Pacific Ocean on August 29 at 22:25 UTC (6:25 p.m. EDT). This is the first time there have been three active hurricanes in the Eastern or Central Pacific Ocean this season, and they're all major hurricanes" (NASA, August 30, 2015). The current weather phenomenon called El Niño, which raises the temperature of the Pacific Ocean leading to more intense weather patterns, could "be one of the strongest on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization" (BBC News, September 1, 2015). Meanwhile, "Hurricane Fred, which formed over the weekend in the far eastern Atlantic, is truly one of a kind. Not only has Fred set the record for easternmost hurricane in the tropical Atlantic Ocean, it prompted the very first hurricane warning for the Cape Verde Islands and has provided the first satellite view of a hurricane in the region since weather satellites were launched into space in the early 1960s" (The Washington Post, August 31, 2015). Jesus prophesied that shortly before His return, the world will see "fearful sights" that include "the sea and the waves roaring" (Luke 21:11, 25). He also warned, "when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near" (v. 28). Few today realize that God controls the weather, and that He uses dramatic weather-related events to get the attention of mankind as the end of the age approaches (Psalm 107:23-25). To learn more, read our booklet Who Controls the Weather?

British Girls Suffer Emotional Trauma: "Almost half of British girls have required help with their mental health, according to a new survey. The Girlguiding UK research into the pressures facing girls today found self-harming was one of the biggest health concerns for girls aged 11-21, followed by mental illness, cyber-bullying and depression" (The Telegraph, August 24, 2015). "Around 75 per cent said anxiety about experiencing sexual harassment negatively affected their lives—from influencing what they wore and where they went to how they felt about their bodies" (ibid.). Bible prophecies have long warned there would be consequences if the Israelite nations turned from God. The prophets foretold, "Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children" (Hosea 4:6). The principle of suffering as a result of sin is also detailed in Isaiah 65:14, when he says that as a result of disobedience, "You shall cry for sorrow of heart, and wail for grief of spirit." The pressures of society, and the dysfunction, division and redefinition of families, have created an environment where girls no longer feel safe and secure. Lack of family contact and support, and the increasing influence of media, continue to take their toll on young women and young men. Jesus Christ is coming back to establish perfect government and peace (Isaiah 9:6-7), and no one will be afraid (Ezekiel 34:23-28). The true meaning of family will be "recaptured" and will permeate society once again (Acts 3:19-21). For more on this vital topic, read "What Are We Doing to Our Children?"—Scott Winnail, Chris Sookdeo, Justin Ridgeway, V.G. Lardé and Francine Prater