Greetings from Charlotte,
Several meetings in recent weeks show that America is heading further down a moral toboggan slide. The National Education Association that represents more than three million teachers voted to promote same sex marriages, and the Episcopal Church leadership voted by an overwhelming majority to allow homosexual men and women to serve in its ministry. Several decades ago, such actions would have been nearly unthinkable!
Here in Charlotte, Mr. Meredith has taped his opening night message for the Feast of Tabernacles, and he has been working on a co-worker letter. Mr. Ames reports very positive results for the two Tomorrow's World Bible lectures that were held last weekend in Missouri: 164 subscribers attended the lecture in Springfield (which was almost a soaring 7% response rate. The average response rate is usually 1 to 2%). In Joplin, 112 subscribers attended the lecture (which was almost a soaring 6% response rate). Earlier this week, Mr. Wallace Smith taped two new Tomorrow's World programs titled, "2012, Bible Prophecy and You!," which offers the booklet Revelation: Mystery Unveiled!, and "Christian Babylon," which offers the booklet Satan's Counterfeit Christianity.
Dr. Scott Winnail will leave tomorrow for Church visits in Barbados, Trinidad and Guyana. My wife and I will make a Church visit in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida this weekend. Please pray for good weather and safety for the Living Youth Camp Voyageurs Canoe Trip that begins on Sunday.
Church Administration
Healing Report
We received a healing report from a member of our congregation in Medellin, Colombia. Nine years ago, God healed her from a serious liver disease that weakened her severely, making her lose weight and giving her high fevers and strong abdominal pain. This disease caused her to be hospitalized in a near-coma state. Nine years ago, her liver was healed after she was anointed and members of her congregation prayed and fasted.
Bastille Day
The 14th of July couldn't go unnoticed at our offices in Charlotte! In honor of the French Department and Mr. Apartian, the French flag was raised on one of our flag poles at Headquarters on the day when the French republic's ideals of liberty, fraternity and equality are remembered all over the world.
Spanish Update
Spanish Regional Director Mario Hernandez recently returned to California from an extended trip to Europe, where he visited scattered Portuguese and Spanish-speaking members in Portugal, Spain (including the Canary Islands) and Switzerland. He also had the opportunity to visit Rome and spend a Sabbath with our brethren in Belgium. Among other developments in the Spanish Work, the DVD The Power of Prophecy, offered last winter to our English-speaking subscribers, has recently been translated into Spanish and is currently being edited and mastered for distribution. Spanish translation of The Big Picture DVD is currently underway.
Living University
Fall 2009 Semester
As we prepare for the Fall semester of Living University, here is a highlight of two more courses being offered. We encourage you to take the opportunity to develop even more spiritual understanding by taking one of the many courses offered by LU this Fall. This week we are highlighting THL 332— The Biblical Text and THL 412—Epistles of Paul I.
THL 332—The Biblical Text. In this fascinating course, Mr. Richard Ames and Dr. Michael Germano deal with the authority, inspiration, canonization, literary unity, and textual criticism of the Scriptures. Emphasis is on Bible translations, versions, textual analysis, exegesis, and research. If you want a better understanding of the reasons why the Bible IS the inspired word of God, you should definitely take this course.
THL 412—Epistles of Paul I. In this course, evangelists Roderick Meredith, Douglas Winnail, Gerald Weston and other senior ministers will focus on the Apostle Paul's life and writings up to his Roman imprisonment. The course includes a study of the background, message, purposes and themes of Romans, Corinthians, Galatians and Thessalonians. The writings of the Apostle Paul define important doctrines and discuss practical applications, but are often misunderstood. This in-depth course will clarify many of the common misunderstandings.
For more information and to register for classes, please visit us online at www.livinguniv.com or call Dr. Scott Winnail at 704-844-1960, ext. 304.
Media
We are happy to report that the two new TV networks are attracting tens of thousands of new viewers to the Tomorrow's World telecast. In less than two months the CW-Plus Network has generated nearly 3,000 responses from its Sunday 8:00 am Eastern/Pacific Time airings. This network includes the smallest 100 TV markets in the United States, which has given us coverage on more than 80 local TV stations which are totally new to Tomorrow's World programming, and the potential to reach millions of homes.
In less than a month on the ION Network, more than 3,370 responses have poured into Charlotte, requesting the literature offered on the telecast. While the CW-Plus Network reaches the bottom 100 TV markets, the ION Network is in the top 100 markets. Due to the national economic crunch, the Church had to make innovative changes in Tomorrow's World TV coverage to reduce expense. By adding the two new networks, our TV coverage was increased significantly, while cutting our more expensive long-time, local TV stations reduced our outgo in costs considerably. Even with significant air-time cost cuts, the Tomorrow's World television program is experiencing a strong 13 percent increase in responses over the same period a year ago.—Wayne Pyle
Finance Department
Our recent mention of our Disaster Relief Fund brought a generous response. Thank you for your help. For the present, those needs are met and we have a reserve to meet future needs. If that changes, we will make it known.
The deadline for submission of Festival Assistance Request forms was July 15. The requests will be given prayerful consideration and will be processed in due course. Funds will be distributed well before the Feast of Tabernacles.
Our regular income from tithes and offerings is holding up reasonably well considering the economic condition of the U.S.A. and much of the developed world, and we continue to look for ways to carry on the essential functions of the Work with the revenues that we receive. We deeply appreciate the loyalty, dedication, and generosity of our members and co-workers.—Davy Crockett
Comments
The Value of Education: Over the years, some have concluded that worldly education is of little value to true Christians. Since Satan is the god of this world, and we are to come out of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4; 6:14-18), some have assumed that getting an education in this world is ungodly and/or a waste of time. Such ideas overlook the fact that God used individuals in powerful ways who were schooled in this world. Moses was raised as a prince in Egypt and was "learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians" (Acts 7:22). Solomon was knowledgeable in many areas (1 Kings 4:32-34), and he collected wise sayings in the book of Proverbs. Daniel was one of a group of intelligent young Jewish captives who were educated in Babylon before they were used by God (Daniel 1:3-4). Paul studied at the feet of Gamaliel, the leading rabbi of his day, before being used by God to write 14 books in the New Testament. Numerous studies show that more education results in larger incomes. Education also enables Christians to provide better for their families. Christians who understand the Truth of God and the plan of God should take advantage of opportunities to gain an education that will help them prepare to serve others more effectively now and in the coming Kingdom of God. This is one of the reasons for developing Living University—to help God's people prepare for the future.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—July 16, 2009
Poignant Words from the Pope. Imbedded deep within the Pope's most recent Encyclical, "Charity in Truth," are powerful words with prophetic implications. Pope Benedict XVI called for a redefining of the UN and other world economic institutions, "…so that the concept of the family of nations can acquire real teeth… This seems necessary in order to arrive at a political, juridical and economic order which can increase and give direction to international cooperation for the development of all peoples in solidarity." In order to improve the world economy, better protect the environment, improve human migration issues, and to bring about disarmament of nations, the Pope declared, "there is urgent need of a true world political authority…" He also noted that "such an authority would need to be universally recognized and to be vested with the effective power to ensure security for all, regard for justice, and respect for rights. Obviously it would have to have the authority to ensure compliance with its decisions from all parties" (www.Vatican.va, June 29, 2009). The Pope's recent words, although they might make sense to many people given the present world condition, are sobering in light of end-time Bible prophecy. The Apostle John recorded that at the end of the age, men referred to as a "beast" and a false prophet would work together to establish a governmental power that will have global implications (Revelation 13, 17-18). The prophet Daniel indicated that this end-time government will be linked to a revival of the Roman Empire (Daniel 2:40-44; 7:7-27). The Scriptures also indicate that it will be influenced and backed by the power of Satan (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; Revelation 13). The government led by the beast and false prophet is prophesied to be a powerful influence in the affairs of nations and bring prosperity to many for a short period before it comes apart (Revelation 17:1-4; 18:9-17).
Ethnic Unrest in China. China is experiencing civil unrest with bloody clashes between the Han Chinese and the Muslim Uighurs. China's security forces are involved and some Uighurs have died. In addition, China has drawn negative attention on the world stage. Turkey's Prime Minister, in an apparent attempt to internationalize the crackdowns, has accused Beijing of "genocide" against the Muslim minority (Stratfor.com, July 10 and 11, 2009). Jesus Christ warned that one sign of the end of the age would be "nation" rising against "nation" (Matthew 24:7). The Greek word for nation here is "ethnos," from which we derive our English word "ethnic." As we look around the world at the confrontations taking place, it is nearly always violence between ethnic groups within the boundaries of existing nations. Ethnic conflicts have always existed, but in the context of Christ's warning, these ethnic conflicts will increase as the end of the age approaches. In fact, they are referred to as just "the beginning of sorrows" (verse 8). Although ethnic conflicts around the globe are discouraging and appear to be increasing to the point where they could be seen as normal, we must not grow weary or callous to hearing about them. True Christians will earnestly pray for those who are suffering (Matthew 6:10) and they will also be alert to the reality of the approaching end of the age.
And Knowledge Shall Increase. "Imagine a carbon sheet that's only one atom thick but is stronger than diamond and conducts electricity 100 times faster than the silicon in computer chips." That imaginary compound is fast becoming a reality as recent research with "graphene" is exploding. Graphene has been dubbed the "new wonder material" and has potential applications that "include touch screens, solar cells, energy storage devices, cell phones and, eventually, high-speed computer chips" (McClatchy Newspapers, July 8, 2009). Although God prophesied that "perilous times" would be a hallmark of the end of the age (2 Timothy 3:1), He also clearly noted that "many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase" (Daniel 12:4). As we look around the globe, viewing the rise in strange diseases, ethnic conflicts, and wars and rumors of wars, there is also an explosion of knowledge that is clearly visible. All of these signs combine to inform those with "eyes to see and ears to hear," that the time of the end is truly approaching.—Scott Winnail and Dexter Wakefield