Greetings from Charlotte,
America's re-elected President will lead a divided nation that just experienced a major storm disaster in the Northeast, is struggling with the effects of an extended drought in the central plains and is staring at a "financial storm" that could inflict serious damage in the coming months. Bible prophecies that warn of the consequences of defying the laws of God are coming to pass in our nations and on the world scene. Here in Charlotte, Mr. Meredith is writing and holding meetings and we are formulating plans for the coming year. Last weekend's telecast by Mr. Wallace Smith, entitled "Doomsday in 2012?," is expected to draw more than 7,520 responses. The Tomorrow's World presentations in Minneapolis and East Texas drew a total of nearly 180 new people. This coming weekend, I will be in Tampa and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, to make TWSPs and the pre-registrations look very positive. We have a Living University board meeting tomorrow morning (Friday) and a Council of Elders meeting scheduled for next week (Monday through Wednesday). Your prayers for these important activities are needed and will be greatly appreciated.—DSW
Church Administration
Tomorrow's World Special Presentations
Tyler and Lufkin, Texas: Mr. Dan Hall conducted two follow-up Tomorrow's World Special Presentations, in Tyler and Lufkin, on November 3 and 4. In Tyler, 15 visitors and 42 members attended, and in Lufkin there were nine visitors and nine members who heard Mr. Hall's powerful presentation, "Where Is the Church Christ Built?" Most of our visitors remained after the presentations to ask questions and fellowship with the brethren. A total of 51 new people were reached in the Tyler area and 31 new people in the Lufkin area.—Gary Stein
Minneapolis, Minnesota: Thirty-seven guests joined 57 members (a combined total of 94) for a follow-up Tomorrow's World Special Presentation conducted by Mr. Adam West on Saturday, November 3, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Of the 37 in attendance, 25 were first-time attendees! The presentation addressed the question, "Where Is the Church Christ Built?," and helped those attending to see the importance of doctrine when considering the answer to this vital question. Some have been invited to attend services. Others will be visited soon to discuss their desire to attend. We thank God for the opportunity to actively share His good news, and warning message, to subscribers of Tomorrow's World.—Adam West
Northeast United States—"When It Rains, It Pours (Snow)"
The members are doing fine here after the second storm in 10 days. A few people from our congregations lost power again for a few hours, but everyone is fine and in good spirits. We'll be able to have services again in Long Island this week, after cancelling last week due to Hurricane Sandy, and we hope to be able to have Sabbath services as normal in Manhattan this week. Please remember the thousands of our neighbors in New York and New Jersey who have had severe damage from the storm.—Jonathan McNair
Earthquake in Guatemala
Mr. Sergio Roca said that the earthquake in Guatemala, which resulted in a number of deaths and damage to structures, was in a region distant from where our members are, so the brethren are all safe. He appreciates the concern of God's people.
20th Anniversary Celebration in Charlotte
Everyone planning to attend the 20th Anniversary Celebration in Charlotte needs to register as soon as possible for the various activities they plan to participate in. To register, and for activity payment instructions, go to your MyLCG page on the www.cogl.org Web site.
A special group rate of $89 has been negotiated at the host hotel, the Renaissance Charlotte Suites Hotel. This rate includes a full buffet breakfast for two adults. Reservations may be made at https://resweb.passkey.com/Resweb.do?mode=welcome_ei_new&eventID=10296231, the hotel's Passkey Web site. You may also make reservations by calling the hotel directly at 704-357-1414 and identifying yourself as being with the Living Church of God.
For those of you planning to play in the basketball or volleyball tournaments, please get your teams together now. Online registration for the teams should be live by Friday afternoon, November 9. If not, please check back on Sunday. Please note that all teams must have a minimum of seven players and that the basketball tournament is being limited to a maximum of eight teams. There will be a fee of $25 per team (basketball only) to help pay for the referees. We will also have free play courts available for anyone not on a team. For more information and updates, see our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/LcgCharlotteWinterWeekend/events (not an official Church social media page).
We hope many of you can join us for a "December to Remember"!—Jim Meredith
Kansas City Family Weekend – Repeat Announcement
The Kansas City Family Weekend is less than two months away! The event Web site is filled with pertinent details of the weekend. Please visit http://lcgkc.org/kcweekend (*) to register for the weekend and view event and housing information. We are asking each person to pay $10 apiece up to $40 per family. Details for payment, including PayPal options, are on the Web site. If you cannot afford the cost, please come anyway!
The theme for this year's fun show and dance is "Through the Ages." Dress up in your favorite fashions of a decade in the 20th century. Please stay within the styles that would have been worn by CHURCH BRETHREN at the time, i.e. modest and tasteful, and do not wear the flashy or grungy clothing of the counter-culture.
For entertainment before the dance, the "Through the Ages" Radio Show will "broadcast" timeless songs, skits and fun for all ages. We are looking for participants for the radio show. If you can sing, play, or perform a skit from a period of the last 110 years, please visit the Web site http://lcgkc.org/kcweekend (*) and click "Fun Show" to sign up.
Details about Sunday's activities, including the basketball and volleyball tournaments, are forthcoming. Please begin thinking about who you'd like on your team. Final details and team registration will be available within the next week.
"Like" us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/lcgkcweekend (**) or request to follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lcgkcweekend (**) for more up-to-the-minute updates. If you do not have Internet access and would like more information on the weekend, please call Michael Keesee at 816-847-5635. We look forward to seeing you soon! —Michael Keesee
* not an official Church Web site
** not an official Church social media page
Upstate South Carolina Spring Holy Day Weekend – Friday, March 29-April 1, 2013
The Anderson, SC congregation is pleased to announce that we will be hosting the sixth Upstate SC Spring Holy Day Weekend from Friday, March 29, 2013 to Monday, April 1, 2013.
Currently planned events include: a Friday afternoon bike ride on the Swamp Rabbit Trail; a Friday evening Bible Study; services on the Sabbath; a banquet and ball Saturday night; a picnic and recreational activities, including a 5K road race and softball games, on Sunday; and Holy Day services on Monday. Sabbath and Holy Day services and the banquet and ball will be held at the Greenville Hyatt Regency in downtown Greenville, SC.
Further details about the event and registration instructions will be announced in early January 2013. For further information, contact Manuel Burdette at 864-638-7719 or by e-mail at [email protected].
We look forward to seeing you in Greenville for the best Spring Weekend ever!
Living Youth Programs
Teen Bible Study—Sunday Evening
This Sunday evening the topic is "Elijah: Turning a People to Their God," presented by Mr. Darrell Lovelady. The chat room is open at 6:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) and the Bible Study runs from 7:00-8:00 p.m. You can access this Bible Study at http://www.livingyouth.org.
Living University
Call for On-Site Study Applications – Repeat Announcement (U.S. only at this time): For those seeking a unique and exciting learning opportunity, Living University is now seeking applicants for on-site students to study full-time in Charlotte, beginning in the fall semester of 2013. We hope to have several new male and female students with us beginning in August! Applications can be initiated online through the university Web site. Additional details and requirements can also be found online, as can an estimate of costs associated with on-site study. We also plan to have housing available for on-site students this fall. With our on-site students, we are also looking for individuals who might have skills they can use to contribute to the Work or University, through part-time work study. We have work study opportunities available in several areas. If you are interested in on-site LU study and also have interests and/or skills, please contact us. 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. Students interested should plan to have their applications completed and submitted by February 2013. Those with no previous college should submit college entrance test scores (GRE or SAT) along with other application materials and should plan to take that examination before the end of this year. You can find out more about these exams through a local high school guidance office or local community college or university testing service. If you have questions about on-site study or to find out more, please call or e-mail Dr. Scott Winnail at 704-708-2292 or [email protected].
Comments
Prophecies for Today! America has just experienced another election that has revealed the divided state of the nation. Americans, and nations around the globe, are concerned about what lies ahead. Most can only guess and hope. Yet Bible prophecies reveal what the future holds. The Apostle Paul stated that the Old Testament contains important lessons and examples that were recorded "for our admonition" at the end of the age (1 Corinthians 10:1-11). A major theme that runs through the Old Testament is that God will bless nations and individuals who obey His laws, and that terrible consequences will come on people who turn away from His laws (Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28). Today, the so-called "Christian" nations of the world that have been blessed abundantly are rejecting fundamental biblical values that have been the foundation of Western Civilization, and are promoting values and behaviors that fly in the face of God's commandments. While our modern nations will probably not repent, individuals can! We need to pray for our nations, but at the same time, we each need to make sure that we "Watch… and pray…that [we] may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36).
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—November 8, 2012
Attack on Iran Delayed: During an interview in London last week, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak conceded that an attack on Iran may have been delayed for eight to ten months. He "predicted that sanctions and diplomacy would still fail to resolve the stand-off. If so, he said that Israel and its allies would probably face the decision over whether to strike Iran's nuclear facilities in 2013" (The Telegraph, October 30, 2012). In August, Iran chose to take 38 percent of its enriched uranium and turn it into fuel rods for a domestic research reactor. This move reduced its stockpile of high-grade uranium and thus delayed its ability to make a bomb—an issue that will be overcome within months by the ongoing enrichment process. As Iran continues to strengthen its nuclear enrichment facilities deep within a mountain, Israel is concerned that it will become unreachable by Israeli weaponry… and soon after that, invulnerable to U.S. attack as well (ibid.). For that reason, Mr. Barak believes it will be necessary to strike Iranian facilities in 2013—or they are certain to become a nuclear power, likely leading to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. According to Mr. Barak, "Saudi Arabia will turn nuclear within weeks…. Turkey will turn nuclear in several years. The new Egypt will have to follow." "The world would start the 'countdown' to the 'nightmare' of 'nuclear material ending up in the hands of terrorist groups'" (ibid.). As tensions continue to rise in the Middle East, so do the stakes. But at the same time, we see the EU more deeply involved and even in a relationship with Israel. Germany has pledged support for and protection of Israel. Jesus Christ foretold a time when "gentiles" (non-Israelites) will surround and control Jerusalem (Luke 21:24). Ultimately, this "gentile" force will be provided by the German-led Beast power. Regional events in the Middle East are now moving in a direction that could lead to the fulfillment of these ancient prophecies. For more on this fascinating story, be sure to review our booklet, The Middle East in Prophecy!
Taliban Is Winning in Afghanistan: In 2001, the United States declared the "War on Terror" and began fighting against the Taliban in Afghanistan. Twelve years later, the U.S. has spent more than $1.1 trillion dollars, and lost 2,000 American lives (ABC News, October 1, 2012). Nearly 450 British soldiers have also died in Afghanistan (BBC, November 1, 2012). This massive war effort was intended to destroy the Taliban and its affiliates, but instead, the Taliban has increased in strength. "A UN report has said that the Afghan Taliban raised around 310 million euros [397 million dollars] last year, mostly through tax and extortion" (Deutsche Welle, September 12, 2012). The U.S. military presence has not deterred the Taliban from advancing its power through criminal activity. "The Taliban can only achieve their objectives if there is lawlessness and crime. The fact that the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan are able to increase their funds every year is an indication that the crime rate is high in these countries" (ibid.). To make matters worse, after current president Hamid Karzai completes his second term, the Taliban becomes eligible to run a presidential candidate. "The Afghan election commission has said that the Taliban can stand in the country's next presidential elections in 2014; a move that experts say can prove to be a double-edged sword for the war-torn nation" (Deutsche Welle, November 1, 2012). Few people link the War on Terror with Bible prophecy, yet God warned that if His people turn away from following His laws, "I will even appoint terror over you" (Leviticus 26:16). Instead of repenting of their sins, the U.S., Britain and other Israelite nations have increased their sins! Same-sex marriage, homosexual priests, unprecedented abortion rates, and wide-spread divorce are common and supported by national law makers. If these trends continue, God warned, "I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies" (v. 17). Victory may be "claimed" against the Taliban in Afghanistan, but the war will not be won, just as the War in Iraq was not won. Ultimately, these efforts only fulfilled God's prophetic words, "you shall flee when no one pursues you" (v. 17). U.S. military forces hastily fled Iraq in 2011 when no one pursued them, leaving behind an unfinished job, and they plan to do the same to Afghanistan in 2014. The U.S. and Britain must wake up spiritually, or the "pride of [their] power" will be completely broken (v. 19). For more information on these sobering events, be sure to review our insightful booklet, The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy.—Scott Winnail, John Meakin and Justin Ridgeway