Greetings from Charlotte,
Weather and the forces of nature are again making news. A record cold spell and heavy snows have frozen much of the United States, while high winds and 30-foot waves pounded the western coasts of England and Wales. This week another volcano is threatening to erupt in Indonesia—which is located on the Ring of Fire around the Pacific Ocean. Here in Charlotte, Dr. Meredith has turned in another article for Tomorrow's World magazine. The Tomorrow's World television program began airing in India the first week of January, and we have contracted to place the program on several more television stations—including BET (90 million households) and ION (50 million). Mr. Rod McNair reports that a new brochure is being developed for the Tomorrow's World Presentations in 2014. This is the final week to register for LU classes that begin on January 15 (see announcement below or consult the LU Web site). This weekend, Mr. Hernandez will make a congregational visit to Atlanta, Georgia, and I will be in Tyler, Texas for services and to conduct a Regional Conference with Mr. Dan Hall. Your prayers for these efforts to serve God's people and reach this world are needed and appreciated.—DSW
Young Adults Activities
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 Mr. Jim Meredith at [email protected] by January 26, 2014. 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 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 17, will be on "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse—The Black Horse," 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 "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse—The Red Horse," can also be found on the Living Youth Web site.—Sheldon Monson
Feast of Tabernacles
2014 Israel Feast Tour Update—Registration Deadline
The deadline for registering with the Travel Gallery for the 2014 Israel Feast Tour is this Sunday, January 12, 2014. If you have not filled out your online Travel Gallery registration by that date, you will be removed from the accepted list. If you have any questions or did not get the acceptance e-mail, please contact me right away at [email protected].
If you would like to go to Israel for the Feast this fall but have not yet registered with the Church on the My LCG page, you may still do so. After January 12 we will know whether or not we have room for more people on the tour and as many of these late registrants as possible will be notified.—Jim Meredith
Living University
Register Immediately for Second Semester
Only a few days remain until the start of the spring semester of Living University. Classes start on Wednesday, January 15. All students should register as soon as possible and order the necessary text books. Students may register anytime between now and January 14. Late registration continues through January 16. Those of you who have never taken a Living University course will need to enroll in the University first, and then register for your selected course(s). We are offering a number of repeat courses and even a couple of brand new courses this semester (see below). A complete listing of second semester courses can be viewed on the Living University Web site under the link "2014 Spring Schedule." As a reminder, those in the midst of their third tithe year can qualify for a 50 percent tuition reduction. To make 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.
Sample of Second Semester Courses:
PHED 236: Christian Camp Leadership. Use this class to prepare to serve in a variety of ways at Christian camps.
THL 215: The Lost Tribes of Israel in History and Prophecy. Discover what is known about the Lost Tribes, their role in God's Plan, and why the Lost Tribes are a key to understanding Bible prophecy.
THL 226: Christian Leadership. Learn about and learn how to apply principles of Christian leadership.
THL 320: Introduction to Church History. Study the history of the Church of God from apostolic times to the present.
Comments
The Church as a Watchman! Many churches today feel their sole mission is to tell the world that God loves everyone and Jesus came to save sinners. However, there is much more to the biblical message! Jesus told His disciples to be alert and watch for specific events that will mark the approaching end of the age and the return of Jesus Christ (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21). The events making news today—droughts, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, wars and spreading violence, religious confusion and moral corruption—are prophesied to appear at the same time we see the rise of a political power in Europe with definitive links to the ancient Roman Empire that is promoted by an ecumenical-minded Roman Church. Just as God raised up prophets to warn the ancient nations of Israel and Judah that their ungodly ways would bring serious consequences, the Church of God has a similar mission to function as a watchman and to "Cry aloud, spare not" and warn modern Israelite nations of the coming consequences of their sinful ways (Ezekiel 2; 3; 33; Isaiah 58:1). Delivering this powerful warning message must also accompany the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—January 9, 2014
Anglicans and the Vatican Move Closer: Ecumenical activities are increasing between Anglicans and the Vatican. "Pope Francis is being credited with the new 'ecumenical spring' after the chill brought on by the ordination of women and moves towards women bishops in the Church of England and wider Anglican Communion" (The Times, January 4, 2014). The Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury seem to have "a meeting of souls as much as a meeting of minds" (ibid.). In addition, "it is not unusual for Anglican and Catholic priests to take part jointly in services, but shared communion celebrations are not [yet] permitted" (ibid.). However, many want to revisit the 100-year-old Apostolicae Curae, which prevents Anglican bishops from being recognized by the Catholic Church as true ministers of Christ. As time goes on, more barriers will fall between Catholic, Anglican and other Protestant denominations. Revelation 17:5 describes a woman dressed in scarlet called "Babylon the Great" who is the mother of many daughters. In the book of Isaiah, the woman states, "nor shall I know the loss of children" (Isaiah 47:1, 8). These prophecies have long been applied to the Roman church. What we are watching today could be part of the prophesied return of errant daughters back to the mother church. For more on this historical connection, be sure to read our eye-opening booklet Satan's Counterfeit Christianity.
Acid Oceans and Bible Prophecy: The world's oceans are becoming more acidic at an "unprecedented rate" as they absorb more human-produced carbon dioxide emissions (cnn.com, November 14, 2013). Acidification is faster in colder waters, and it is especially damaging to shell-forming marine animals like oysters, shrimp, lobsters and plankton—and this threatens the economic livelihood of societies that depend on these marine creatures (ibid.). As atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide rise and oceans become more acidic, vital creatures in ocean food chains are dying off (The Times, January 3, 2014). Studies reveal that over 90 percent of oyster "spat" (larva) in oyster farms along the Oregon and Washington coasts are dying due to increasingly acidic water (ibid.). In Antarctica, shells of sea snails are dissolving in a more acidic environment—sea snails are an important food source that can affect creatures further up the food chain (ibid.). Bible prophecies have long foretold of environmental crises where "the beasts of the field and the birds of the air; even the fish of the sea will be taken away" (Hosea 4:3) before even greater catastrophes (Revelation 8:8-9; 16:3) that will mark the end of the age and the return of Jesus Christ. The environmental damage that is spreading around the globe is moving us toward this fateful day. The real hope for the future is the return of Jesus Christ to usher in the Kingdom of God and teach mankind how to "tend and keep" this earth as faithful stewards of God's magnificent creation (see Genesis 1:26; 2:15-17). For a glimpse into this exciting future, read our booklet The World Ahead: What Will It Be Like?
Satanists Want Space in Oklahoma: Satan worshipers want to erect a statue of their own beside a Ten Commandments monument outside the Oklahoma State House (Associated Press, January 6, 2014). They claim, "The statue will also have a functional purpose as a chair where people of all ages may sit on the lap of Satan for inspiration and contemplation" (ibid.). While many doubt that such a monument will be approved, an ACLU lawsuit could complicate the matter (ibid.). In the eyes of many, including many Satanists, Satan is just a metaphor and not an actual being. However, the Bible describes him as the "god of this age" (2 Corinthians 4:4) and reveals that he is a powerful archangel who led a rebellion of one third of the angels in his fall from the throne of God (Luke 10:18; Revelation 12:4). He is portrayed as the "prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2). He is also the deceiver of the whole world (Revelation 12:9)—yet, a deceived world is not aware that it is deceived! The drama we are seeing in the state of Oklahoma is a sign of the times that indicates we are approaching the end of the age when Satan's activity will increase (Revelation 12:13-17). For more information on Satan's deceptions, watch our telecast on "How Does Satan Deceive You?"—Scott Winnail, James Bennett, Mark Finney and Gary Stein