Greetings from Charlotte,
A tropical depression struck the Philippines this week, forcing many Typhoon Haiyan victims to flee the temporary shelters they have been living in since November. According to one insurance company, there were 41 billion-dollar weather disasters around the world in 2013. For those with eyes to see, God is using the weather—and will use it more and more as Christ's return draws near—to humble a sinning humanity. Dr. Roderick C. Meredith addressed this subject in his telecast taping this week, program #471, entitled, "God Controls the Weather." He also conducted meetings and other business. Mr. Richard Ames recorded a new program as well, #472, entitled "Sex and Sin." Both programs are scheduled to air in April. Dr. Douglas Winnail flew to South Africa on Tuesday, where he will be holding meetings and conducting a regional conference. Mr. Jim Meredith is on a Church visit in Cincinnati and will also be visiting the UCG offices on Friday at the request of UCG President Vic Kubik to discuss our respective disaster relief efforts in the Philippines. We had a hundred in attendance in Christ Church, Barbados, last weekend where my wife and I had a profitable visit with our elder there, Mr. Clyde Skeete, and the brethren. Elsewhere in the Work, we finished 2013 with 54 Tomorrow's World presentations, with 1,621 visitors. We are launching an exciting ad campaign in Liverpool, England (see below). Feast sites around the world are being finalized, and we are announcing the United States Feast sites this week (see below). Please pray for Mr. Don Wood, our elder in El Dorado, Arkansas, who is suffering from cancer. Thank you for your prayers for all of God's people around the globe.—RMc
Church Administration
Passover 2014
Important Notice to All Pastors: This year the Passover Service will be observed on Sunday evening, April 13. Let us know as soon as possible if any of the congregations you serve will need additional Passover Service supplies (bread trays and/or wine trays or glasses) or a copy of the Passover Service recording. To ensure timely delivery and to save on shipping costs, please let us know this information before February 18 for international congregations, and by March 17 for U.S. congregations.
Also, let us know of any scattered members who are unable to keep the Passover with a congregation and who need to receive the Passover Service recording and letter instructions for observing it at home. International requests should be received before February 18. Please direct your requests to the Church Administration Department at [email protected] as soon as possible.
Liverpool UK tube (subway) Tomorrow's World posters!
We are very excited to launch a new advertising campaign in Liverpool, United Kingdom. This advertising campaign will consist of a total of ten escalator and panel posters placed at the Liverpool Lime Street station and ten at the Liverpool Central station. This advertising campaign begins Monday, January 27, and is intended to increase awareness of the Tomorrow's World magazine and television program as well as provide a way for people to contact us if they are interested in additional information. The campaign will run for 28 days and we appreciate your prayers that God will bless it to produce much fruit!—Wyatt Ciesielka
Young Adults Activities
Please note: If you are interested in the following, the deadline to contact us is this Sunday, January 26.
As many are aware, our teen programs are growing in popularity and size, but once these young adults "graduate" from the LYC programs, we have not done much specifically targeting them. There is a need to help our young adults "grow in grace and knowledge," and also to provide some special programs to promote unity and give the opportunity to be together with other young Christians. While the Adventure Camp continues to be a very popular activity for the teens each year and many young adults have applied to go along as staff, due to the need to keep the camp small, we have had to deny many of these staff applications.
This summer we would like to have an Adventure Camp specifically for young adults between the ages of 20 and 35—this includes both singles and married couples. We have tentatively set the dates of June 29 to July 6 to have this camp in the area of Yellowstone Park or the Grand Tetons in Wyoming. If any of you young adults are interested in participating in this backpacking Adventure Camp and can afford the expense, time off work and are physically fit enough for this challenging trip, we want to hear from you. Please e-mail me at [email protected] by January 26. Eligible participants must be members or prospective members in good standing who attend with LCG full-time. This is not an actual registration for the camp, but rather a pre-registration to determine if there is enough interest that we should pursue planning for it. Our plan is to have at least one or two other special programs like this each year.
One of those that we are tentatively planning now for the young adults is a three-day trip to Snowshoe, West Virginia, after next year's Charlotte Family Weekend. Activities will include snow skiing, snowboarding, and/or sledding. The dates for the ski trip would be December 28, 2014 to January 1, 2015. If you think you would be interested in attending this activity, please let me know that as well.—Jim Meredith
Living Youth Programs
Online Teen Bible Study—Friday Evening
The online Teen Bible Study Friday evening, January 31, will be on "The Martyrdom of the Saints, the Heavenly Signs and the Prelude to the Seven Trumpets," presented by Mr. Sheldon Monson. If you haven't had the opportunity to join us for one of the online Bible Studies yet, I encourage you to do so. It is a wonderful way to start the Sabbath day.
The Bible Study runs from 8:00-9:00 p.m. (EST) and the chat room will be open for a half hour before and after the study. You can access this Bible Study 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 Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse—The Pale Horse," can also be found on the Living Youth Web site.—Sheldon Monson
Feast of Tabernacles
USA Feast Sites Announced
We are happy to announce the Feast of Tabernacles sites and Festival Coordinators for 2014 (USA only):
Park City, Utah (Mr. Rodger Bardo)
Seaside, Oregon (Dr. Jeffrey Fall)
Indian Wells (Palm Springs area), California (Mr. Darrell Lovelady)
Boerne, Texas (Mr. Rick Stafford)
Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri (Mr. Gene Hilgenberg)
Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin (Mr. Phil West)
Tannersville, Pennsylvania (Mr. Jonathan McNair)
Gatlinburg, Tennessee (Mr. James Sweat)
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (Mr. Ron Poole)
Innisbrook, Florida (Mr. John Strain)
We are still working on finalizing one more USA Feast site in the Gulf Coast region, and will announce it as soon as it is "nailed down." Also, we hope to announce some of the International Feast sites next week—stay tuned!
Festival Advisors Selected Soon
Pastors! Please be thinking about who your Festival Advisors (one for each congregation) will be for the year 2014 Feast season. Festival Advisors assist brethren who don't have Internet access with festival registration matters. Pastors, we will soon be canvassing you for your selections—so please be thinking about it now.—Festival Office
Internet Department
New "Around the World" Video
The latest Living Church of God "Around the World" video is out! You will be very encouraged by the updates from Dr. Winnail and some of our other leading ministers giving very exciting statistics and developments in the Work of God. We hope you enjoy this brief video update and we thank you for your prayers for God's Work and for our spiritual brothers and sisters all around the world. You can access the video by visiting the "Church News" area of the LCG.org Web site, or by visiting the following link: http://youtu.be/Ea-s1qJAhDU—Wyatt Ciesielka
Human Resources
Employment Opportunity: TV Production Assistant—Repeat Announcement
The Headquarters Office is looking for a TV Production Assistant with experience in video editing and TV studio equipment. The successful candidate will enjoy video production and will have some experience in video editing software (such as Avid, Adobe Premiere or Final Cut). The right candidate for this position will be a "team player" able to produce results quickly in a fast-paced and deadline-driven environment. This job is in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Church will pay for reasonable moving expenses. Applicant must meet the legal requirements to work in the United States, and must be a Living Church of God adherent, in good standing, who is truly dedicated to the Work. If you are interested in this position, please send your résumé, along with a cover letter and a letter of reference from your Area Pastor, to: Human Resources Department, Living Church of God, 2301 Crown Centre Drive, Charlotte, NC 28227. E-mail: [email protected]; FAX: 704-844-1973.—Wyatt Ciesielka
Living University
Call for On-Site Study Applications (U.S. only at this time): For those seeking a unique and exciting learning opportunity, Living University is accepting applications for on-site students to study full-time in Charlotte beginning in the fall semester of 2014. We hope to have several new male and female students with us in August 2014! Requirements and more details can be found on the Living University Web site, as can a rough estimate of costs associated with on-site study. Housing will be available for on-site students. With our on-site students, we are also looking for individuals who might have skills to contribute to the Work or University through part-time work-study. Work-study opportunities are available in several areas. At this time we can only accept on-site students from the U.S. Our hope is to expand this opportunity to international students in future years. Interested students can apply online and should plan to complete their applications by the end of February 2014. Those with no previous college should submit college entrance test scores (ACT or SAT) along with other application materials. One of these college entrance exams should be taken as soon as possible. You can find out more about these exams through a local High School guidance office, local community college or a university testing service. If you are interested in on-site LU study and have questions, or just to find out more, please call or e-mail Dr. Scott Winnail at 704-708-2292 or [email protected].
Comments
Problems with a Purpose: On a recent flight back home to Charlotte, I couldn't help but hear a conversation between two flight attendants. The airline we were flying was in the process of merging with another carrier, and new contracts were being negotiated. One of the attendants was talking very animatedly with her co-worker and was quite concerned about how the new contract would affect her personally. It made me stop and think: sometimes we assume that stress is unique to ourselves. We imagine no one else is struggling with trials as we are. And yet, look at the faces of the people you interact with: on the street, at the post office, in the workplace. They are stressed! Many are bearing heavy loads. Some are worried about layoffs and their ability to pay their rent. Others are distressed because of family problems. Many are suffering from serious illness.
Do we have an advantage in the Church of God? Of course! While we suffer from trials like the rest of humanity, we know that God is using it to create character. We know there is a reason. We are not adrift and alone, as many in the world are. We know God allows problems for a purpose, they won't last forever, and there is hope for the future. And when He allows us to suffer, it is for a specific, defined, and concrete reason sometimes known only to Him. As the Apostle Peter said, "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:6-7). He is creating His heart and mind in us. Our trials have a purpose—and for that we are grateful!
Have a restful and encouraging Sabbath,
Rod McNair
News and Prophecy—January 23, 2014
More War on the Way: Since January 2013, "201 terrorist attacks have been staged worldwide. In the Middle East, there are now eight countries officially at war, involving 163 different militias, separatist and anarchic groups. In the Congo, Mali, Nigeria, Somalia, and the Sudan—there are now 24 countries and 141 different groups involved in wars. In Europe, there are now eight countries involved in official wars involving 65 different groups of militias, guerrillas and separatists… All told, there are now a near record high of 60 countries involved in war, involving 512 militias and separatist groups" (Money and Markets, January 20, 2014). Based on a detailed analysis of wars and rebellions and the cycle they follow, financial analyst Larry Edelson predicts an increase in these activities through the year 2020 (ibid.). And based on his analysis he also predicts "And, yes, war-like conditions, rebellions and revolts are coming to America" (ibid.). Interestingly, Mr. Edelson's analysis is not far removed from Bible prophecy. Jesus prophesied that clear signs of the end of the age will include "wars and rumors of wars… nation [ethnic group] will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom" (Matthew 24:6-7). As we watch wars and conflicts around the globe increase, and other prophecies come to pass, we can know that Christ's return is approaching. For more on this topic, be sure to read our insightful booklet, Fourteen Signs Announcing Christ's Return.
The Radicalization of Europe: "The European Commission has said preventive action is needed to stop what it sees as spreading radicalism across the EU. 'We see that extremism, xenophobia and nationalism keeps growing in Europe [and] we see worrying signals that these groups act as breeding grounds of ideology motivated by violence and extremist views,' EU commissioner for home affairs Cecilia Malmstrom told reporters" (EU Observer, January 15, 2014). "To counter what she views as an internal security threat, Malmstrom announced a series of recommendations which she wants member states to immediately implement." The recommendations "will add to the EU's arsenal of some 240 existing counter-terrorism measures" (ibid.). But will rules and regulations really stem the tide of radicalization? Bible prophecy indicates that radical ideology will drive Europe in the years ahead. As the Beast takes power, he will sign a unique peace deal with nations of the Middle East, ushering in 3.5 years of peace that apparently permits ritual Jewish animal sacrifices on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem (Daniel 9:27). However, this European leader will abruptly reject his own peace deal, terminate the temple sacrifices, surround Jerusalem with armies, and offer abominations upon the altar (Daniel 11:29-31; Matthew 24:15; Luke 21:20-24). For more on this coming radical European Beast power, be sure to view our telecast, "Who Is the Beast of Revelation?"
Large Predator Deaths and Ecosystem Destruction: "Three quarters of the world's big carnivores—including lions, wolves and bears—are in decline, says a new study. A majority now occupy less than half their former ranges according to data published in the journal, Science… The researchers say the loss of these species could be extremely damaging for ecosystems the world over" (BBC, January 9, 2014). "When they looked at wolves and cougars in Yellowstone National Park in the US, they found that having fewer of these big predators resulted in an increase in animals that browse such as elk and deer. While this might seem like good news, the researchers found that the rise of these browsers is bad for vegetation and disrupts the lives of birds and small mammals, leading to a cascade of damaging impacts. Similar effects were seen all over the world" (ibid.). God's creation is resilient, but also hangs in a delicate balance. Christ warned through the Apostle John about the destruction of 1/3 of the sea creatures through the second Trumpet Plague (Revelation 8:8-9). Hundreds of species have also become extinct in the last 500 years alone (Biologicaldiversity.org). Mankind has exercised poor stewardship of the planet, including plants and animals, and ecological disasters have abounded. The earth and even creatures "groan," yearning to be delivered from the bondage of man's corrupt world (Romans 8:19-22). That deliverance will come with Christ's soon return! For more on this topic, be sure to read our article entitled, "How Will the Earth Be Restored?"—Scott Winnail, Jonathan Bueno and Ron Ramsingh