Greetings from Charlotte,
The re-election of David Cameron in England and a pending referendum could bring major changes in the European Union. In the USA, another major train accident near Philadelphia killed eight and injured more than 200 people, and another major earthquake in Nepal brought more death and devastation to that suffering nation. Here in Charlotte, Dr. Meredith has been holding meetings and has completed another Tomorrow's World article. He also addressed a Senior Dinner last night for six graduates of Living University, as well as faculty. Mr. Wyatt Ciesielka has provided some very exciting information about the growing number of subscribers who are engaged with our Tomorrow's World content on Facebook (see announcement below). We were very encouraged to hear that results of Mr. Sheldon Monson's surgery and Mr. Terrence Kennel's medical procedures were positive. Everyone's prayers are much appreciated. We have also been taping additional segments for the "Behind the Work" film. Mr. Jim Meredith is in California this week for visits and meetings related to Festival Planning. This weekend, Tomorrow's World Presentations will occur in Omaha, Nebraska and Des Moines, Iowa. Your prayers for these efforts to reach this world with the Gospel and for God's people are needed and appreciated.—DSW
Church Administration
Thank you from Mrs. Greeman and Family
Mrs. Fitzroy Greeman and family would like to thank the various congregations and individuals around the world who sent cards, e-mails, text messages or who telephoned. We were touched and encouraged by the kind and uplifting sentiments expressed. We do appreciate the wonderful support that the LCG family extended to us in this time of grief.
Health Update from Mr. Sheldon Monson
As many of you know, Sheldon was diagnosed with Stage 4 intestinal cancer last month. What can only be described as a series of miracles, a team of two surgeons operated for six hours and were able to remove a tumor the size of a football, part of the colon and small intestines, the gallbladder and about 15 percent of the liver without any serious complications. The massive tumor miraculously did not invade nearby organs. The spleen and pancreas remained untouched. The mass had almost completely blocked the small intestine, collapsed part of the colon and was rapidly draining the blood from his body every day. While we had some very competent doctors operating on him, it is obvious to us that God guided the whole process. God has heard and answered the prayers from all of you. Those who know him well should not be surprised that he is already working hard at recovery. The Monson family would like to thank family and friends around the world for all the prayers, fasting, help and encouragement during this trial. The love that God's people have shown has been truly moving.—Joette Monson
Seventeenth Annual Saratoga Family Weekend—Repeat Announcement
The 17th Annual Rocky Mountain Saratoga Family Weekend is scheduled for August 7-9! It will again be held at the Riviera Lodge, 104 E. Saratoga Ave., Saratoga, Wyoming 82331. Reservations can be made by calling 866-326-5651 or 307-326-5651. This annual event provides spiritual food and fellowship, fun and just plain relaxing down by the river. Plan on coming to Saratoga to be with family and friends and special visitors... we're looking forward to seeing you then.
On Friday evening, dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. for the "early birds." The Bible Study at 7:30 p.m. on Friday will start the weekend.
On the Sabbath, brunch will be at 10:00 a.m. and Sabbath services at 2:30 p.m., with a covered- dish meal and steak cookout afterwards. There will be a Bible Bowl on Saturday evening.
A Sunday morning workshop will follow breakfast... then good old family recreational time on your own for the remainder of Sunday. Lunch at Alan and Sarah Williams' home will wrap up the morning and the weekend.
When making reservations at the Riviera Lodge in Saratoga, just mention that you are with the Living Church of God under Ben Whitfield's name. Book your room now before the summer reservations come in. For more hearty souls, there is camping for a nominal fee at the Saratoga Lake just a short distance from the Riviera Lodge... the fishing should be great!—Ben Whitfield
Adirondack Canoe Trip—Repeat Announcement
We are making final preparations for our Adirondack Canoe Trip on July 1-5. There are still openings, though the deadline for registration and payment is coming quickly. This activity will be held on beautiful Racquette Lake in the heart of the Adirondacks and is open to all ages, young and old. Participants will learn how to maneuver a canoe and what to do if the canoe tips over. They'll also have the opportunity to take day trips, exploring Racquette Lake and Forked Lake, two of the most picturesque of the hundreds of Adirondack Lakes. They'll build bonds of brotherhood with brethren of all ages through "extreme fellowship." Most importantly, they will learn about God's word, applying the daily Bible lessons directly to the activities of the day. The cost of the trip is only $120.00. For more information and to register to be part of this unique experience, just go to our www.nelcg.org Web site (not an official LCG Web site) and click on the "Canoe Trip" tab. Deadline for registration and payment is June 1.—Jonathan McNair
Internet Department
Update on Social Media Engagement
Audience engagement with Web site material (videos, articles, booklets) is becoming a much more important way to measure how effective our Internet efforts are. A recent study conducted by Duke University and the American Marketing Association revealed that from 2010 to 2014, the importance of how engaged your Internet audience is with your content as measured by social media "followers or friends" has nearly doubled. We are very encouraged by the fact that in recent years, we have been able to synchronize Tomorrow's World television, Internet, print and social media outreach in such a way that our online community has grown and become very engaged and we would like to share just a few of those important metrics:
- More than 4,830,000 YouTube views at our Tomorrow's World English-language channel and almost 1,600,000 YouTube views at our Tomorrow's World Spanish YouTube channel.
- More than 136,000 fans at our Tomorrow's World English Facebook page, often with 5,000 – 6,000 people "engaging" (talking about) Tomorrow's World material any given week, and with many telecasts and articles receiving thousands of likes and hundreds of shares.
- More than 115,000 fans at our Tomorrow's World French Facebook page (Monde Demain), also with a couple thousand people engaging with French Monde Demain content each week.
There are many other metrics we track which are also very encouraging. We would also like to thank those of you who are "liking" and "sharing" and talking about Tomorrow's World content, and also encourage our membership to continue to do so. We really appreciate our thousands of members, co-workers and subscribers who are "engaged" with Tomorrow's World content in this way, whether on Facebook, or sharing telecasts or webcasts on YouTube, or liking our Tomorrow's World apps, our Roku channel (now well within the top 10 percent of over 500 religious programs!), etc. God has blessed us with the privilege and responsibility of preaching the Gospel to the whole world, and we have a lot of work ahead of us. So again, thank you for being "engaged" with Tomorrow's World content! These are ways that each of you can make a direct and positive contribution to our efforts to reach the world with the true Gospel!—Wyatt Ciesielka
Feast of Tabernacles
Spanish Translator Needed at Kimberley, British Columbia, Feast Site
We are looking for someone to translate from English to Spanish at the Kimberley, British Columbia (Canada) Feast site this year. A new Spanish-speaking couple will be attending there, and because of their age, they are not able to travel all the way to a Spanish Feast site. If anyone could serve in this manner, please e-mail me at [email protected].—Marc Arseneault
Hawaii Feast Site Update—Repeat Announcement
An important e-mail update was recently sent out to everyone registered to attend the Feast in Hawaii. If you did not receive that message, please e-mail me at [email protected] to let me know that you didn't receive it.
Fewer than half of you have let me know whether or not you would attend a luau/dinner/dance. Almost all who have responded have indicated that they want to attend, but we are still well short of the minimum we need to make it happen, so I would appreciate the rest of you letting me know whether or not you would attend this activity.
There is still room if anyone else would like to attend the Feast in Hawaii. Please be sure to register on both the main Feast Registration site and also on the Hawaii registration site. If you registered for Hawaii but have changed your mind about attending there, please be sure to go back to the Hawaii registration site and change the number of people attending to "None."—Jim Meredith
Living Youth Program
West Virginia Family Camp at Capacity
Thank you for your enthusiastic response to the West Virginia Family Camp. We have reached our capacity and can no longer accept applications. We look forward to seeing many of you June 14 through the 19!—Paul Shumway
Online Teen Bible Studies Suspended During Summer Months—Repeat Announcement
There will be no online Teen Bible Studies through the summer months, although the Bible Studies given at the Adventure Camp and Ohio Teen Camp, as well as at the Texas Pre-Teen Camp, will be posted during these camps. Also, archives of previous Living Youth Bible Studies can be found on the Living Youth Web site. The regular online Teen Bible Studies are scheduled to resume on Friday evening, September 11.
Staff Registration Temporarily Reopened for Ohio Teen Camp—Repeat Announcement
The staff registration for the LYC Ohio Camp has been temporarily reopened in order to fill more openings for the Kitchen, the Pool/Swimming, and Waterskiing. If you can help out in one of those departments, please apply soon at http://camp.livingyouth.org. You can find full details about the Ohio camp at https://camp.livingyouth.org/camps/ohio/. Camper registration for the Ohio camp is ongoing and we're well on track for this to be the largest LYC ever. If you have any questions, please e-mail the LYC office at [email protected].
Deadline for Missouri Pre-Teen Camp—Repeat Announcement
May 29 is the last day to register for the Missouri Pre-Teen Camp, so please sign up as soon as possible at http://camp.livingyouth.org. We still have room for campers and staff, especially male staff and campers.—Gene Hilgenberg
Comments
Perseverance—A Vital Quality: Perseverance is one of the laws of success! The word is defined as tenacity, remaining steadfast under pressure, and the determination to continue along a chosen path in spite of difficulties and opposition. The Scriptures emphasize the importance of this vital quality. Solomon wrote, "If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small" (Proverbs 24:10). Jesus stressed, "he who endures to the end shall be saved" (Matthew 10:22; 24:13). The Parable of the Sower explains the consequences of compromising when we face temptations or become distracted and discouraged when we encounter difficulties and trials (Matthew 13:18-22). The Apostle Paul warned, "let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart" (Galatians 6:9). The Apostle John offers the same advice and encouragement to the Philadelphian Era of the Church, "Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world… Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown" (Revelation 3:10-11). When trials or temptations come our way, let's remember this important advice—to persevere, and never, never, never quit!
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—May 14, 2015
Future of Israel and Jordan: "In the April 12 edition of the Jordanian daily Al-Dustour, columnist Maher Abu Tair sheds light on what he calls the 'sad' contemporary situation in which the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan finds itself. He accuses Arab countries of turning their backs on Jordan and abandoning it, pushing Jordan totally into Israel's economic and political lap" (Israel National News, April 27, 2015). "The naked truth is that Jordan no longer has any Arab allies, and today its only ally against the entire Arab east is Israel. If the Arabs had wanted a strong Jordan that did not throw itself at Israel, they would not have abandoned it economically and besieged it politically to the point that its foreign policy became fickle" (ibid.). "It is saddening to see that Jordan's only option today is to its West [meaning Israel]. We don't know who to blame [for this]" (ibid.). The Bible shows that Israel and Jordan will be connected in some way at the end of the age. The prophet Daniel foretold that a European beast power or "king of the north" will overrun the "king of the south" and then "he shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon" (Daniel 11:41). Ammon or Amman is the capital city of Jordan. The Bible indicates that Jordan will be spared as this end-time "beast power" overruns the other Arab nations and takes full control of the area around Israel. Politics in the Middle East is setting the stage for this future event. Read The Middle East in Prophecy for more on this fascinating topic!
China and Russia Strengthen Ties: China's President Xi visited Russia this week and Russian President Putin is scheduled to visit China in September. "The Ukrainian crisis has strained Russia's relations with the West. Sanctions have been imposed on Moscow, hurting Russia's economy as well as causing its currency and energy exports to plunge. As a result, the Russian government is moving closer towards Asia, particularly China… the two nations have been developing increasingly warming ties and finding common ground internationally, especially at the UN Security Council where they are both permanent members. As vice foreign minister Cheng recently put it: 'China and Russia are each other's most important strategic partners. Our relationship is special and significant'" (Deutsche Welle, May 7, 2015). "In addition to a new potential deal on Russian gas supplies via pipeline using the western route to China, the two nations are also expected to finalize an agreement on development of a joint Russia-China military helicopter" (ibid.). Prophecy reveals that a great 200-million-man army will come together east of Jerusalem at the end of the age, and will fight against the European beast power in the Middle East (Revelation 9:13-16). Such an army will probably need manpower from China and military support from Russia. The growing cooperation between these two nations lends credence to age-old Bible prophecies. For more on this subject, see our telecast "The Soon-Coming Great Tribulation."
Will Britain Exit the EU? "During his election campaign, prime minister David Cameron had promised [the British people] an in/out referendum by 2017 if he was re-elected" (EU Observer, May 12, 2015). Another report states, "The UK could hold a referendum on EU membership as early as July 2016, The Guardian reported Monday evening (11 May). The paper quoted a government source as saying that the 'mood now is definitely to accelerate the process and give us the option of holding the referendum in 2016'[…] The Guardian noted that a bill, which is needed to hold a referendum, could be passed by June 2016, making a referendum possible the next month, or in September 2016, after the summer break" (ibid.). Bible prophecies have long foretold that at the end of the age, the Israelite nations of Britain and America will be punished by God and go into "captivity" under a European beast power for rejecting God's ways (Deuteronomy 28:47-64; 31:29; Hosea 5; 8). It is likely that Britain will attempt to leave the EU, perhaps sparking a political backlash that will set the stage for some type of end-time retribution by the European nations. For more information on the sobering future of Britain and other Israelite-descended nations, be sure to read our informative booklet, The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy.—Scott Winnail, Francine Prater and Deborah Lincoln-Strange