Greetings from Charlotte,
Reports indicate that the live stream of last week's service during the fast transmitted very well. Approximately 3,800 successfully viewed the program in English, with another nearly 400 viewing the Spanish translation, for a total of about 4,200. Final edits of the November/December Living Church News are being made. There is an important article regarding the relatively new phenomenon of e-cigarettes and vaping, and I hope all of you will take time to read it, as it contains a lot of good information that is not widely known about this new and popular habit. We are attempting to build up our television presence with strategically placed stations. Sunday, November 11, Tomorrow's World will begin airing over KRCW Portland, Oregon at 7:00 a.m. Cost per response (CPR) varies from station to station and we drop those stations that do not produce well in favor of newer stations. This can sometimes cut our CPR in half. I mention this because members are understandably disappointed when we drop a station in their area, but we must remember that the primary purpose for the program is to preach the Gospel to the world. We hope all of you watch the program where you can, but we must concentrate on our first priority and be good stewards of the resources available. Remember, the telecasts can be accessed at any time at our website, www.TomorrowsWorld.org. We will continue to drop stations that do not produce well, try new stations, and retain those that are producing. Although television is not as effective as it once was, television is still a powerful tool in doing the Work.—Gerald Weston
Church Administration
Kansas City Family Weekend—Repeat Announcement
Save the date! The Kansas City Family Weekend is coming up December 28 to 30. It will be held once again at the elegant Embassy Suites hotel by the airport. Activities include Friday evening and Saturday morning Bible Studies, a catered dinner after Sabbath services, our annual fun show, and a dance. On Sunday, we will have organized basketball and volleyball tournaments, gaga ball, children's activities, a card tournament, and we are rebranding our family games as "The Contest of the Christians." Schedule and registration details are coming soon!
Living Education
Would you like to be able to learn from the lessons prepared by Dr. Meredith, but you don't have a computer? More than 1,600 members are now enrolled in Units 1 and 2 of the "Life, Teachings and Ministry of Jesus Christ" class, and using the lectures for personal Bible Study. But these lessons are not just for members with computers, tablets or smart phones. All the lesson materials are available in printed form, and can be shared easily. The lectures include not only the video and audio of Dr. Meredith, but also a text transcript. The summary points and discussion questions are also downloadable and printable, as well as the "Learn More" supplemental material. Just speak with your elder or pastor, or another member who is enrolled in the course and ask them to print out the lessons for you! That's all there is to it!
For those who do have online access, check out our recent animated mini-lesson, "Build on the Rock"! You can view it on our Facebook page or at lcgeducation.org in the "News" section. Happy studying!
Feast of Tabernacles
2019 Greece Feast Tour—Registration and Payment Deadline Extended to November 1
If you signed up to attend the Feast site in Greece next year, you should have received an e-mail with instructions on how to register for the site and pay deposits. Please note that everyone who wants to be assured of a spot at the Feast in Greece must fill out the online registration form and pay the required deposit. The deadline for this has been extended until November 1.
Because a large number of people who pre-registered for the Greece Feast site have changed their plans, there is now plenty of room for additional people to attend this site. As of this writing, there are more than 50 spots open. If you are interested in going to Greece for the Feast in 2019, please e-mail Mr. Jim Meredith at [email protected] right away for registration instructions.
Living Youth Program
Online Teen Bible Studies Resume November 9
Online Teen Bible Studies are scheduled to resume in two weeks, on Friday night, November 9.
Comments
The Value of Hope: Having a powerful hope for the future—something positive and inspiring to look forward to—is a vital aspect of life. Many have long understood that life without hope is empty. The Bible also states, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick" (Proverbs 13:12). But what is the real hope in life for a Christian? King David wrote, "You are my hope, O Lord GOD" and "I hope in Your word" (Psalm 71:5; 119:147). David was referring to the promises that God makes in the Bible. The Apostle Paul said under cross-examination before a Roman governor, "I have hope in God… believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets… that there will be a resurrection of the dead" and "hope of eternal life… looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Acts 24:14–15; Titus 1:2; 2:13). We are urged as Christians "to lay hold of the hope set before us" (Hebrews 6:18) and to purify ourselves so we can become "children of God" (1 John 3:1–3). With this hope in mind, we need to "be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear" (1 Peter 3:15). We need to be motivated by this same hope today!
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—October 25, 2018
Great Faith in Very Little: Atheistic scientists' belief that "there is no God" requires great faith. Many of them cite the inability to "see" God and they use human reasoning to justify their stance. That a spirit-composed God and His angels are not "observable" is at the center of their arguments. And thus, they attempt to explain the existence of the universe and complex life solely through natural means of observation.
What is profoundly ironic about this conclusion is that physicists know that their best theories are able to explain only 4 percent of the observable universe (The Guardian, September 3, 2018)! That means their best theories cannot explain 96 percent of the observable universe—the portion of the universe believed to be composed of dark matter and dark energy! "Physicists, to date, know of only four basic forces of nature [the electromagnetic force, the strong force, the weak force, and gravity]… But there may be other forces that have gone unnoticed." And, if there are other forces of physics, that could greatly change the way we see and understand the universe and life itself—and this according to the very scientists searching for a new particle that, if found, could change their understanding of the universe!
So, while atheistic scientists resist the idea of an all-powerful God who dwells in the invisible spirit realm, they also admit to understanding only 4 percent of the observable universe, at best. It appears that they actually have tremendous faith in theories formed from very little observable information. The God of the Bible states, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork" (Psalm 19:1). Yet there are those who are "always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 3:7). For more exciting insights into the unknown 96 percent of the universe, watch our telecast "Fingerprints of the Creator."
Record Floods and Fires: Recent historic rains brought major flooding to Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey (Reuters, August 14, 2018). This was the second time in a month many in this region experienced severe flooding. Also, this past summer, California's forest fires destroyed large swaths of land and thousands of structures (Newsweek, August 20, 2018). The fires drew hundreds of emergency vehicles and aircraft, and thousands of firefighters to manage the disaster.
September and October have seen "hundred-year" flooding in France that has killed over a dozen people (Newsweek, October 15, 2018). Britain and Wales have experienced their "worst flooding in 30 years" (CBS News, October 14, 2018). Hurricane Michael caused "atomic bomb"-like destruction in areas of the Florida panhandle (The Guardian, October 11, 2018). Just a month earlier, hurricane Florence created major flooding across the state of North Carolina, prompting the state's legislature to consider allocating nearly a billion dollars for disaster recovery (Washington Post, October 15, 2018).
Today, many do not realize that the Bible predicts increasing weather extremes will occur as the end of the age approaches. These prophesied weather-related disasters will severely impact the Israelite-descended nations due to their increasing sins. God states, "I made it rain on one city, I withheld rain from another city. One part was rained upon, and where it did not rain the part withered" (Amos 4:7). What we are witnessing today is just a small foretaste of what God prophesies will soon happen on a greater scale to nations that have turned their back on Him and rejected His ways. As the end of the age approaches, God warns that "Disaster will come upon disaster, and rumor will be upon rumor. Then they will seek a vision from a prophet; but the law will perish from the priest, and counsel from the elders" (Ezekiel 7:26). As weather-related disasters intensify around the world, they should increasingly point us to the Bible and Bible prophecy. For more information on future weather events, go online to read or listen to Who Controls the Weather? —Scott Winnail and Francine Prater