Greetings from Charlotte,
We are getting back into more normal routines here in Charlotte as everyone is back safely from Feast travels. Our preliminary figures indicate that about 9,500 individuals attended services or watched the live-streaming from the Feast of Tabernacles this year. This represents about a 1% increase in attendance in the USA, while attendance was down a bit in some international areas. Dr. Meredith has indicated he would like to start planning for a General Ministerial Conference to be held here in Charlotte on May 5-7, 2014. Mr. Rod King called this morning and said he had some positive news from his recent medical tests (see announcement below). This coming weekend I will be in the Washington, DC area for services and to conduct a Regional Conference in Winchester, Virginia on Sunday. Your prayers are needed for God's people who are facing various trials at this time and for our nation and the nations of this world that are locked in bitter partisan battles that are going to have ominous consequences in the coming months and years. We can pray that God will enable His Work to go forward with an ever more powerful and relevant message that this world needs to hear.—DSW
Church Administration
Update from Mr. Rod King
I would like to thank the members for the hundreds of cards, messages and calls they have sent. I pray to God, "Please heal me, God, because of the prayers of your people." Today we received the results from the urologist. The PSA reading has dropped to a low level over the last five months and he was pleased that the cancer is in check. However, the doctor emphasised that the cancer is still an aggressive one. Of course he does not know that God is our Healer and because of the members' prayers, He has intervened. We know this because I have more strength and was able to give three sermons at the Feast in France. I also hope to make some Tomorrow's World programs in November. When asked how long I have to live, the doctor was reluctant to answer. Only God knows because He holds us in His hands. Once again, thank you.—Rod King
Internet Operations
Russian Speakers Wanted
Recently, God opened a huge door for us to preach the Gospel over Russian satellite to the entire Northern Hemisphere. Inquiries have been coming in, not only from Russia, but also from Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova and even from the United Kingdom and the United States! To better handle the increasing response, we would like any LCG members who speak and write Russian and who may be interested in assisting us in Russian to contact Wyatt Ciesielka at [email protected].—Wyatt Ciesielka
Video Animation "Shorts" Contest—Repeat Announcement
Welcome back from the Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day. As many of you have commented, our new video animation "shorts" (available at TomorrowsWorld.org/shorts) have been a real Social Media and Internet success! While the Tomorrow's World telecast and magazine are our flagship products, these brief Web video animations can reach an audience that we may not reach otherwise. They can ask an important spiritual question or make a brief doctrinal point and can encourage some to inquire who may not respond to our other publications. We want to announce to the LCG membership that we plan to run a contest over the coming year to solicit your best animations. If you feel that you can create a powerful, short Web video (between 30 seconds and 3 minutes in length) that promotes a Living Church of God booklet, article or telecast, and if you would like to submit that to us for our consideration and possible use, please e-mail us at [email protected]. We will discuss your idea, give you some direction if needed, and we will award an iPad mini to the winning submission! No guarantee is made to publish submissions, and the decision to publish any submission on any Church Web or Social Media site is the sole decision of Church headquarters. License of any submissions we consider will need to be granted in their entirety to the Living Church of God and must be free of any copyright or claims of ownership.—Wyatt Ciesielka
Living Youth Programs
Online Teen Bible Study—Friday Evening
The online Teen Bible study Friday evening, October 18, will be on "What Is the Unpardonable Sin?" and will be presented by Mr. Sheldon Monson. If you haven't had the opportunity to join us for the online Bible studies yet, I encourage you to do so. It is a wonderful way to start the Sabbath Day.
The chat room is open at 7:30 p.m. (EDT) and the Bible study runs from 8:00-9:00 p.m. 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 "Has Anyone Gone to Heaven?," can be found on the Living Youth Web site.—Sheldon Monson
Feast of Tabernacles
2013 Festival Survey: Now that everyone is home from the Feast, we would like to remind brethren to fill out the online feedback form if you did not complete a paper one at the Feast site. The survey provides us with invaluable information for future festival planning. You can access the survey at fotsurvey.lcg.org.
Comments
What Does God Require? Many Christians sincerely want to do God's will and please Him. But what does God want to see in His children? The Bible clearly reveals the answer. God told Abraham, "walk before Me and be blameless" (Genesis 17:1)—and Abraham was blessed for keeping God's commandments (Genesis 26:5). God told Moses that He wanted His Chosen People to fear Him, love Him, walk in His ways and keep His commandments (Deuteronomy 10:12-13). Solomon wrote that God looks for kindness in people (Proverbs 19:22), and Isaiah records that God looks for a humble and repentant spirit in people who "tremble at My word" (Isaiah 66:2). Micah reveals that God requires us "to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly" before Him (Micah 6:8). Jesus continued this same theme by urging His disciples to "be perfect [to become spiritually mature and blameless], just as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). Jesus told His disciples, "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). The commandments show us how to love God and how to love our neighbors. In Revelation 12:17 we read, at the end of the age God's people will still "keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ"—because this is what God requires.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—October 10, 2013
Syria and the Decline of the West: The political maneuvering over how to deal with Syria's chemical weapons reveals the growing weakness of the West—especially the U.K. and the U.S. With David Cameron's failure to convince Parliament to support military action against Syria and Russia's opportunity to "save" President Obama from an embarrassing congressional refusal to take action against Syria, "it suddenly became clear just how far the influence of the West has ebbed" (The Economist, September 21, 2013). At the same time, President Obama's overtures to the Shiite nation of Iran may alienate America's ally, Saudi Arabia, and its Sunni Arab neighbors, causing them to come together to challenge the growing influence of Shiite Iran in the Middle East (Statfor.com, October 1, 2013). The fading influence of the West and the coalescing of Arab Sunni nations may lead to the fulfillment of Bible prophecies. God warned the Israelite nations that if they "despise" His statutes and disobey His laws, He will "break the pride" of their power (Leviticus 26:14-19)—which is happening today. Daniel foretold that a "king of the south" (an end-time Arab federation) will emerge in the Middle East just before the return of Jesus Christ (Daniel 11:40-42). This "king of the south" will push against or attack a European "king of the north" and this confrontation will result in the European power moving into the Middle East (ibid.). The events we are witnessing today could ultimately lead to the fulfillment of these ancient prophecies. For more information, read our informative article on "Five Prophetic Signs for the Middle East."
Implosion of a Superpower: As the U.S. government shutdown continues, world leaders are shaking their heads in disbelief. "Germans have found it hard to understand American lawmakers' inability to resolve their budget disagreements in time to prevent a shutdown" and are left wondering "how things could have been allowed to get to this point and why there is so much poison in the system" (Der Spiegel, October 2, 2013). "What has already been apparent in America for a few years now is the self-destruction of one of the world's oldest democracies… the great tragedy here is that this work of destruction isn't being wrought by enemies of democracy" but is being accomplished "by the very people who are supposed to... preserve it" (ibid.). Russia's recent firm stance against the U.S. foreign policy in Syria showed its strength over U.S. weakness; and because of the U.S. absence in the recent APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) meeting, China's assertiveness filled the void. "In Obama's absence, other leaders take center stage at APEC meeting… Asia-watchers say [the] president's decision may encourage China to be more aggressive in territorial disputes" (Al Jazeera, October 7, 2013). The U.S. has turned its back on God and rebelled against His commandments. Because of its sins, God said He would "make youths their leaders, and the unstable will govern them" (Isaiah 3:4, HCSB). If this trend continues, God will continue to "break the pride" of American power (Galatians 6:7; Leviticus 26:19). For more information, watch "Prophecy and the Decline of the Western Nations."
Radical Pope Changing the Church? Since taking office, Pope Francis' comments on tradition and doctrine have unnerved conservative Catholics. In a July interview, the Pope was asked about homosexual priests. His response was, "Who am I to judge?" (New York Post, September 19, 2013). When asked about issues of abortion, homosexuality, and contraception, the Pope commented "The dogmatic and moral teachings of the church are not all equivalent. The church's pastoral ministry cannot be obsessed with the transmission of a disjointed multitude of doctrines to be imposed insistently… the church has the right to express its opinions but not to 'interfere spiritually' in the lives of gays and lesbians, expanding on [previous] explosive comments... about not judging homosexuals" (ibid.). Many think the Pope's stance on these moral issues threaten the church (ibid.). Scripture reveals that at the end of the age, a major religious figure will come on the scene who will "intend to change times and law" (Daniel 7:25). This "lawless one" or "man of sin" will oppose and exalt himself "above all that is called God or that is worshipped"—he will do away with any semblance of biblical obedience (2 Thessalonians 2:3-10). This "man of sin" will ride on a European beast power and will be instrumental in causing separated "religious daughters" to return to the mother church (see Revelation 17). For more on this end-time religious figure and future beast power, read our free booklet, The Beast of Revelation.—Scott Winnail and Justin Ridgeway