Greetings from Charlotte,
World events continue to move in the direction of fulfilling Bible prophecies about the end of the age. America and Britain, especially, are losing respect and facing more open opposition on the world stage, while Europe continues to integrate with the goal of playing a more significant role in global affairs. Here in Charlotte, Mr. Meredith has been writing and conducting meetings. He also taped a new Tomorrow's World program titled, "Blessings of Righteous Government," offering the booklet The World Ahead: What Will It Be Like? Mr. Crockett reports that Festival plans are proceeding well for next year. We are also planning the budget for 2010, and we would appreciate your prayers as we go through this process. I had a very profitable trip to the West Coast last weekend, where I visited congregations in La Crescenta and Garden Grove, California, in addition to several other visits. Mr. Martin Fannin reports that, in spite of very inclement weather, seven new people managed to show up for his Bible lecture in the Blairsville, Georgia area last Sabbath. We are coming to the end of another semester of Living University classes, with more than 100 students enrolled. Registration for the Spring Semester is also underway for anyone desiring to increase their knowledge of the Scriptures (see the announcement below).
Church Administration
Behind the Work 2009: Shining the Light
A DVD copy of this year's Festival film, Behind the Work 2009: Shining the Light, has been sent to all our congregations with this month's sermon package. This way members will be able to check-out a copy of the DVD from their local congregation's library to view the film again, if they so desire.
Caribbean Update
Mr. and Mrs. Fitzroy Greeman visited our congregation in Barbados from November 27 through December 1. There were 87 in attendance for services on the Sabbath of November 28, and 50 remained for a Living Leadership Course lesson afterwards. The following day, a Spokesman Club meeting was held with 15 men in attendance, and on Monday the Barbados congregation held a picnic. Sixty-three brethren participated and enjoyed board games, a Bible quiz, and karaoke.
From Jamaica, Mr. Las Fraser reports that monthly Bible studies are being held for prospective members in western Jamaica. A new prospective member attended services in Mandeville during November, and an additional four contacted the Church and expressed an interest in worshipping with us. We are very thankful for the steady growth of the Church in the Caribbean.
Spanish Update
The Personal Correspondence L-Series letters, which answer frequently-asked doctrinal and Bible questions, have been translated into Spanish and are now available to the Spanish ministry in the MyLCG section of the Member Resources www.cogl.org website.
Living University
On-campus study and registration for spring semester classes
Registration for the next semester of Living University courses is currently underway. Classes begin online on January 19. Eleven different courses are being offered next semester. This week we will highlight three different courses. A full listing of "Spring Semester" courses (Spring in the northern hemisphere), can also be viewed on the Living University website under the link "2010 Spring Schedule." To make an application to Living University and to register for courses, please visit the www.livinguniv.com web site.
For those with questions about on-campus study or for any other questions, please contact Dr. Scott Winnail at [email protected], or call 704-844-1966, option 7.
THL 226: Christian Leadership (3 credits). This course deals with the principles of Christian leadership and service. It takes an in-depth look at important aspects of Christian character that God wants His servants to develop and analyzes why God views these areas as essential for those whom He has called. Topics include foundations of leadership, leadership skills, challenges facing leaders and case studies of great leaders of the Bible and secular history.
THL 236: Camp Leadership (2 credits). The Camp Leadership Course is designed to give instruction and provide training for leadership at our summer camps. Many positions of leadership must be filled at our various camps now and in the future. The material covered in this class is intended to help train current and future leaders. This class will prepare students for service as a Christian camp counselor or activity leader. Emphasis is on techniques of Christian camp counseling and leadership, camp safety, activities and program development. Individuals wishing to serve at our summer camps in the future will definitely benefit from this course.
THL 250: Introduction to Biblical Doctrines (3 credits). This course presents an overview of many of the basic doctrines taught by the Living Church of God. Through review of past and present Church literature as well as review of relevant biblical passages, this course aims to give students a broad basic understanding of what the Church believes, and why it believes as it does. This course will provide a detailed review that will benefit every student. The course emphasizes the recognition of fundamental biblical doctrines, understanding the implications of these doctrines for Christian belief and conduct, and competence in explaining the doctrines.
Comments
The Church of God: Jesus said, "I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). Jesus' statement indicates that His Church would continue to exist down through the ages. That Church began on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) and is referred to in the New Testament as the "church of God" (1 Corinthians 1:2; 10:32; 11:22; 15:9; Galatians 1:13). Some think the Work of the Church of God ended with the death of Mr. Herbert Armstrong. However, Jesus commissioned His disciples to "go into all the world and preach the gospel" (Mark 16:15), and He promised, "lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). The Living Church of God has continued to focus on that mission. The Tomorrow's World program is now broadcast on more than 300 television stations worldwide—with an average weekly response of 4,100 and a high of 6,200 in North America. Each issue, more than 332,000 Tomorrow's World magazines are mailed, and the TomorrowsWorld.org website receives more than 150,000 visits monthly. This year, more than 500,000 booklets have been read online. The commission that Jesus Christ gave to the Church that He started on Pentecost continues through the "doors" that God has opened to His Church today (Revelation 3:8).
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—December 10, 2009
EU's Greater Involvement in Jerusalem. Sweden has drafted an EU plan to make east Jerusalem the future capital of the Palestinian Territory (Christian Science Monitor, December 1, 2009). However, significant negative feedback has led the EU to pull "back from a confrontation with Israel by dropping a call for east Jerusalem to be recognized as the future capital of a Palestinian state." The draft now calls for the Palestinian territory to only "include" part of the city (Telegraph, December 8, 2009). With tensions still high between Israel and the Palestinians, the EU appears intent on moving forward for peace in the region. Jerusalem has been at the heart of this conflict since its beginning, yet peace in Jerusalem appears a long way off. God prophesied that, at the end of the age, Jerusalem would be a "cup of trembling" to the surrounding nations (Zechariah 12:2, KJV). Yet, at some point, military action will be taken by the King of the North to control the city (Daniel 11:30-31; Luke 21:20-24). This military occupation will ultimately last for 3.5 years (Revelation 11:2). The real hope for true and lasting peace in the region will come when Christ returns to set up His world government in Jerusalem. In the meantime, we should all "pray for the peace of Jerusalem" and for the return of Christ to this special city (Psalm 122:6).
Greek Economy Is Crumbling. Just days after the Lisbon Treaty went into effect, EU ministers have been debating what to do about the extreme likelihood that Greece will go bankrupt as a nation. Economists speculate that, if this happens, it could throw the EU into an economic tailspin. Greece has long been a source of economic trouble for the EU, but now the stakes are higher than ever. The European Central Bank will meet on December 17 to discuss this issue, because time is "of the essence" (Spiegel Online, December 8, 2009). The French government recently called a meeting of 22 (out of the 27) EU nations to discuss farm subsidies. Britain, Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark and Malta were excluded from the meeting because their view on the issues differ so significantly from the rest of the EU (Telegraph, December 6, 2009). In Daniel 2, God clearly predicted the fragile nature of the conglomeration of nations or groups that will be part of the final Beast power. Daniel and also Revelation 17 indicate that this Beast will be comprised of 10 final kingdoms. Many have wondered how the current 27-nation EU will result in 10 kingdoms. There are a number of possibilities, but one is obviously the expulsion of certain nations from the EU. The continuing fragmentation in Europe will be important to watch, because it may set a precedent for future actions across the region.
Human Reason Trumps the Bible? In a recent interview, the presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America commented on the church's lifting of a ban on homosexual clergy—an action that has drawn much criticism from within the church. When asked about the Bible's complete condemnation of homosexuality, Bishop Mark Hanson commented, "the understanding we have of homosexuality today does not seem to be reflected at all in the context of the biblical writers." He went on to suggest that the church should consider more "modern views" of sexual orientation—essentially stating that modern thought should supersede the "antiquated" perspectives and teachings of Scripture (AP, December 7, 2009). Because of the criticism generated by his comments, Bishop Henson said that his original comments were not "his own" views, but rather a reflection of the views of many within the Evangelical Lutheran Church. The perspective is, "the understanding we have of homosexuality today does not seem to be reflected at all in the context of the biblical writers, so let us bring our understanding of sexual orientation that has been opened up to humankind over the years to this conversation" (AP, December 9, 2009). Today, many professing Christians reject clear scriptures that they disagree with, in favor of human reasoning! Not only is there a growing movement to "call evil good" (Isaiah 5:20), but there is increasing tendency to teach "as doctrines the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:9).—Scott Winnail and Sue Bennett