Weekly Update

Greetings from Charlotte,

2014 has been quite a year with severe weather conditions in many parts of the world, the Ebola epidemic, racial strife across America, Muslim fanatics declaring Islamic Caliphates in the Middle East and North Africa, and the continued moral decline in the Western so-called "Christian" nations. The coming year, 2015, could be another year of sobering surprises. Here in Charlotte, we were pleased to welcome over 650 brethren for the Family Weekend. Dr. Meredith gave a moving sermon on the Sabbath entitled "How To Walk with God." This week, a group of young adults are enjoying a Winter Retreat in the mountains of North Carolina. Mr. Mario Hernandez and Mr. Christian Orrego have returned from very positive visits to the Youth Camps in Guatemala and Mexico. Reports from South Africa indicate that the Youth Camp there was enjoyed by all. I am looking forward to visiting with many brethren this weekend at the Kansas City Family Weekend. Please pray that God will continue to guide and bless His Work in the coming year.—DSW

Church Administration

Below is a list of the ten largest LCG congregations:

Northeast Spring Holy Day Weekend—Repeat Announcement

It's not too early to begin planning for the annual spring Holy Days!  Members from northeast USA congregations will again be gathering this spring Holy Day season to worship God, learn more about His way of life, and build bonds of brotherhood.  We will be using a new venue this year, which will add to the excitement.  Situated in the beautiful Catskill Mountains, Frost Valley YMCA Camp will provide an idyllic setting to focus on the nuts and bolts of "Coming Out of Modern-Day Egypt."  Beginning with Passover evening (April 2) and concluding at noon on Sunday, April 5, each day will be filled with educational and inspirational experiences for all ages.  For more details, watch and listen for more announcements!—Jonathan McNair

Internet Department 

Tomorrow's World News Webcasts

Where can you find brief Bible video commentary on trending news and prophecy?  If you haven't watched our Tomorrow's World News Webcasts yet, be sure to check them out.  So far, we have addressed topics ranging from the growing influence of Social Media on our youth to the pagan origins of Christmas, from speculation about the origins of life on earth to extremist attacks in Australia and the Middle East, and from the homosexual agenda to commentary on major new Hollywood action movies.  While Dr. Meredith, Mr. Ames and our other telecast presenters continue to reach millions of people over satellite, cable TV and of course through the Internet, we are able to produce these brief five or six minute "Webcasts" much more rapidly, and they are filling another niche as the Church continues to strive to fulfill the Great Commission (Mark 16:15).  You can find the Webcasts at TomorrowsWorld.org/webcasts or at our YouTube channel (now 4.1 million views and growing!).  We are also now loading the Webcasts to our Roku, Apple TV and Google TV channels.—Wyatt Ciesielka  

Living Youth Program

Online Teen Bible Study

The online Teen Bible Study on Friday evening, January 9, will be on, "The United States and Britain in Prophecy, Part 7," presented by Mr. Sheldon Monson.  This is the final study in this series.  If you haven't had the opportunity to join us for one of the online Bible Studies yet, 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. (EST) and the chat room will be open for one half hour before and after the study.  You can access this Bible Study at www.livingyouth.org.  We hope as many of our youth as possible will join us for this 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 can also be found on the Living Youth Web site.

Living University

Registration for second semester classes is now underway! The clock is ticking and the Spring Semester (fall in the Southern Hemisphere) will begin in just two weeks (Wednesday, January 14).  Students may register anytime between now and January 14. Those who have never taken a Living University course will need to enroll in the University first, and then register for the selected course(s). We are offering several new courses this semester along with our solid biblical core courses.  A complete listing of second semester courses can be viewed on the Living University Web site under the link "Spring 2015 Schedule." To make an application to Living University, to register for courses, 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.  Students should register and purchase textbooks as soon as possible so that they may find better prices for the textbooks and to allow time for textbook delivery.

Comments

Where Is Your Heart?  We are told in the Scriptures that God looks on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7) and that He examines and tests our hearts and minds (Psalm 7:9) because "a man's heart reveals the man" (Proverbs 27:19). Our goals and our priorities and how we use our time reveal what is truly in our heart—this is why we are urged to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" (Matthew 6:33) and to do whatever we do with all our might (Ecclesiastes 9:10). We see these principles in action when we look at the life of Jesus Christ. He was a mission-oriented person. He told His disciples, "My food [nourishment, motivation] is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work" (John 4:34). Jesus was totally focused on His mission of preaching the Gospel, warning the world and preparing a people to reign with Him in the coming Kingdom of God. Regarding priorities, Jesus taught, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21). Jesus' time, talents and energies were totally committed to His mission—His heart was in the Work of God. If we are determined to really follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, we need to regularly examine our goals and priorities and ask ourselves, "Where is our heart?"

Have a profitable Sabbath,

Douglas S. Winnail

News and Prophecy— January 1, 2015

Russia-China-India Tighten Ties:  China's Foreign Minister recently was quoted in the China Daily, "China has joined India in helping the Russian economy… 'If the Russian side needs, we will provide necessary assistance within our capacity'… The Chinese statement comes after India, earlier this month, bought 12 nuclear reactors from Russian firm Rosatom and launched joint production of military helicopters" (EU Observer, December 22, 2014). Bible prophecies have long spoken of "kings from the East" who will eventually come into the Holy Land to challenge a European Beast power that has moved forces into that area, and this confrontation will occur just prior to the return of Jesus Christ (Daniel 11:44; Revelation 16:12). These kings of the east will muster an unprecedented 200-million-man army (Revelation 9:13-21). Russia, China and India will likely be nations that help form this massive army at some point in the future. Their deepening ties are probably laying the groundwork for a far more powerful alliance that will emerge on the world stage in the future. For more information on this sobering topic, be sure to read The Middle East in Prophecy.

More Fatherless Children:  A recent study reports, "Less than half (46%) of U.S. kids younger than 18 years of age are living in a home with two married heterosexual parents in their first marriage. This is a marked change from 1960, when 73% of children fit this description, and 1980, when 61% did" (Pew Research, December 22, 2014). "At the same time, the share of children born outside of marriage now stands at 41%, up from just 5% in 1960" (ibid.). However, these numbers are not unique to the U.S. A UK study reports, "In 2002 the proportion was 40.6 per cent, and if the trend continues at the same rate more than half of children will be born out of wedlock by 2016" (Telegraph, July 10, 2013). Out-of-wedlock birthrates in Europe doubled between 1990 and 2008, while Estonia's rate in 2008 was 59% (Associated Press, September 9, 2010). In Africa, nearly 3 out of 4 births are to unwed mothers (Politifact.com, July 29, 2013). Although children have no say about the environment into which they are born, growing up fatherless has a powerful impact on a child's future. God designed the family and intended for every child to have both a father and a mother. The Bible defines marriage between a man and a woman, and God states, "It is not good that man should be alone…" (Genesis 2:18). Sadly, selfishness, liberal secular ideas and a lack of proper training has led to increasing divorce and out-of-wedlock birth rates. That will change with the return of Christ when He "will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children" (Malachi 4:6). For more information on how to improve family relations, read our booklet God's Plan for Happy Marriage.

Pope Prods President Obama on Cuba: "For more than a year, secret talks had taken place between U.S. and Cuban officials both in Canada and at the Vatican. The Pope wrote letters to both Obama and Castro inviting them to resolve their situation through humanitarian efforts" (CNBC, December 17, 2014). "In their first-ever meeting at the Vatican in March, President  Barack Obama  and  Pope Francis  devoted a significant portion of their hour together to discussing a country thousands of miles away—Cuba—a fact that wasn't disclosed until Wednesday. Afterward, the pope wrote letters to Mr. Obama and to Cuba's President Raúl Castro, urging them to settle outstanding issues related to prisoners in both countries and to pursue closer ties. The papal diplomacy was a key to the Obama administration's push over the past 18 months to overturn half a century of U.S. policies built around shunning Cuba" (Wall Street Journal, December 18, 2014). As world leaders attempt to deal with thorny issues, the current pope is getting more involved in the affairs of nations. Bible prophecies have long foretold that a world church and its leader will play a major role in international affairs just prior to Christ's return (Revelation 13:11-14; 16:13). For more about this coming religious world leader, read The Beast of Revelation: Myth, Metaphor or Soon-Coming Reality?—Scott Winnail, Marc Arseneault, Francine Prater and Deborah Lincoln-Strange