Greetings from Charlotte,
While the U.S. presidential campaign dominates much of the news, Hurricane Isaac is winding up its rain-drenched path through the Caribbean and is battering the gulf coast of Mississippi and Louisiana—seven years to the day after Hurricane Katrina devastated that same area. Here in Charlotte, Mr. Meredith has been writing and holding meetings and he conducted a Council of Elders teleconference this afternoon. Yesterday, Mr. Davy Crockett conducted the funeral here in Charlotte for Mr. Wayne Pyle who died after a two-year battle with cancer. Mr. Hernandez and Dr. Wil Pierre have returned from a very inspiring and profitable visit with brethren in the Caribbean (see below). I had a very encouraging trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico for services and a Tomorrow's World Special Presentation.—DSW
Church Administration
In Loving Memory: Louis Wayne Pyle, II
At about 12:30 Sabbath morning, August 25, 2012, Mr. Wayne Pyle, age 65, succumbed to the cancer that he had courageously fought for two years. His condition had deteriorated rapidly during the last few days. He was at home in Charlotte, North Carolina, surrounded by his family.
Mr. Pyle was born in San Francisco, California, in 1946. He was baptized in God's Church in 1964 and graduated from Ambassador College in Pasadena in 1972. Mr. Pyle married Suzanne Kloster the same year and was ordained a deacon in 1976. For more than 44 years, he served with great zeal and enthusiasm at the Headquarters of God's Church, including as Media Coordinator for the Global/Living Church of God since 1995, working up until the last couple of weeks.
Mr. Pyle's greatest passion in life was doing the Work of preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. His joyful, warm, friendly and outgoing personality will be greatly missed by all who knew him. He now sleeps in Christ and awaits the resurrection of the saints.
Cards and letters of encouragement may be sent to the Pyle family at:
Suzanne Pyle
c/o Living Church of God
2301 Crown Centre Dr.
Charlotte, NC 28227
Tomorrow's World Special Presentations
Last Thursday, August 23, Mr. Mario Hernandez gave a Tomorrow's World Special Presentation in Guadeloupe (see report below). On the Sabbath, Dr. Douglas Winnail gave an initial presentation in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Mr. Gene Hilgenberg gave follow-up presentations in the Fayetteville and Fort Smith, Arkansas, areas.
Mr. Rodger Bardo wrote about the Albuquerque presentation: "66 total [in attendance] exceeded all our expectations as the room capacity is comfortably 60. We had to squeeze in six more chairs from the hotel… These people are looking for answers to what is happening in this country. MANY very positive comments! The message was hard hitting and bold… 40 stayed for Sabbath services… TWSPs not only reach that middle ground of people in this world, from the telecast to Church services, but also are a great morale builder for the local membership!"
Caribbean Update
Visits to St. Maarten, Guadeloupe, and Martinique: Mr. Mario Hernandez and Dr. Wilner Pierre completed a successful ministerial tour that started in St. Maarten on Wednesday, August 22. Upon arrival, they were met at the airport by two prospective members. Both men had been studying for a long time and patiently waiting for a minister of the Living Church of God to visit them. The men talked and spent the rest of the day together.
The next day, in spite of their flight being delayed for several hours by Tropical Storm Isaac, Mr. Hernandez and Dr. Pierre arrived safely in Guadeloupe. Many businesses had shut down there for two days, but the storm did not stop 15 determined people, including nine visitors, from attending the Tomorrow's World Special Presentation by Mr. Hernandez scheduled for that evening. The attendees were so excited that they stayed around and talked until late in the evening. All guests expressed a desire to begin attending services with our congregation in Guadeloupe.
Mr. Hernandez and Dr. Pierre then traveled to Martinique on Friday, where services were held on the Sabbath with an attendance of 36. A covered-dish meal was served between services and an afternoon Bible study. Spokesman's Club and a leadership meeting were held on Sunday, in addition to several counseling sessions. Mr. Hernandez and Dr. Pierre returned to Charlotte on Monday via St. Maarten, where they had a four-hour layover. Having seen in them the fruits of repentance, the faith and the understanding necessary for baptism, Dr. Pierre and Mr. Hernandez benefitted from their layover time to baptize the two men whom they had met at the start of their journey. We hope to start soon a new congregation in this Dutch and French-speaking island!
Hurricane Isaac
Mr. Glen Harrison, Southern Louisiana Area Pastor, reports: "The pounding rain is gone and the electricity is on! Some of the brethren did have flooding, but with 20 inches of rain all of us got wet!" We thank you for your prayers on behalf of all the brethren in Hurricane Isaac's path. Our brethren in the Caribbean were also protected, with no injuries or material loss to report.
Feast of Tabernacles 2012
Services before and after the Feast of Tabernacles
Attention all Area Pastors: As requested in a direct memo earlier this week, please send to [email protected] the time of services and contact person for each of your congregations for the Day of Atonement as well as for the Sabbaths just before (September 29) and just after (October 13) the Feast. That information will be collated and made available for members travelling to and from the Feast sites and needs to be posted as soon as possible so that members can solidify their plans.
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon CDs (Repeat Announcement)
Attention Pastors: Please send Mrs. Dorothy McNair, at [email protected], the names of those in your congregation(s) who will be unable to attend the Feast and will need to receive the Feast of Tabernacles sermons on CD. The deadline to submit these requests is August 31 for recipients in the U.S. Note: Feast sermons will also be uploaded (one per day) during the Feast at www.lcg.org, for those who have Internet access.
Activity Payment (Repeat Announcement)
Feast of Tabernacles activity payment is now open for those Feast sites that are using the online payment system. Please go to www.LCG.org, click on the "Feast of Tabernacles" link and select your location. Click on the "Activities" tab and you will be prompted to log in to your MyLCG account. Once logged in, you can register and pay for activities of your choice.
Living Youth Programs
Teen Bible Study—Sunday Evening
This Sunday evening the topic is "Paul: Strength through Weakness," presented by Mr. Phil Sena. The chat room is open at 6:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) and the Bible Study runs from 7:00–8:00 p.m.
Finance Department
U.S. Hall Rentals (Repeat Announcement): October hall rental vouchers should be faxed or mailed to Accounts Payable by September 14 to ensure processing before the Feast of Tabernacles.
Payments (U.S.): Please note that our last scheduled day to print reimbursement checks will be Monday, September 24. We will not be able to print any checks again until Tuesday, October 16. Any invoices we receive before September 20 will be paid before the break. Any invoices we receive after September 20 will not be able to be paid until October 16. If you have any questions in regards to specific invoices or payments, please contact Samanthia Kreis in the Accounts Payable Department at 704-844-1960 ext. 2236 or send e-mail to [email protected].—Jerry Ruddlesden
Internet Operations
Tomorrow's World mobile apps available from the marketplace
Earlier this month, we successfully launched the Tomorrow's World mobile apps on the Google "Play" Store and the Windows Phone Marketplace. Although the Tomorrow's World apps have been available from the www.TomorrowsWorld.org website for a while, their availability from the app marketplaces now opens up the possibility to reach additional millions of people! As mentioned previously, there are well over 1.2 billion active mobile-broadband subscriptions worldwide, and experts predict at least 5 billion mobile-broadband subscriptions by 2017, so this is a huge "open door" for the preaching of the true Gospel! For Android or Windows Phone users, please simply go to your marketplace and search for "Tomorrow's World" to find and install the app. And, please consider posting a brief, positive review, and giving the apps a "5 star" rating. Please note: if you have previously installed the Tomorrow's World app from the www.TomorrowsWorld.org website, then you should uninstall the app from your phone before downloading the new app from the marketplace. iPhone and Blackberry app development continues, and we hope for a limited iPhone and Blackberry release soon.—Wyatt Ciesielka
Tomorrow's World sets another Social Media record
The Living Church of God continues to expand its social media efforts, especially relating to services such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube and we are very pleased to report a new "weekly reach" record on the Tomorrow's World Facebook page that smashed all previous records! Last week, the Facebook.com/TomorrowsWorld page reached 655,755 unique people. Again… these are unique people reached in just one week! A big part of this reach was a very small campaign that we did promoting the booklet God's Plan for Happy Marriage which reached well over half a million unique people within just 24 hours! We are very thankful that God has been really blessing our efforts to reach more and more people over the Internet and through Social Media, and we thank you for your continued prayers as well!—Wyatt Ciesielka
Comments
Are You Teachable? The Scriptures reveal that one of the important qualities of character that God is looking for in Christians and in future leaders in the Kingdom of God is teachability—the desire and willingness to listen and learn. Abraham was teachable and responsive to God's instructions (Genesis 12:1-4). Moses was a very capable leader, yet he was also humble and teachable (Numbers 12:3). David reflects this same attitude in Psalm 119:33 when he writes, "Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes." Solomon recognized his human inadequacies when he asked God for wisdom and an "understanding heart" so he could learn to rule God's people wisely (1 Kings 3:9). When Jesus said the meek and the poor in spirit will be blessed, He was emphasizing their teachability and their willingness to learn and grow (Matthew 5:3-5). The Scriptures also warn that when we harden our hearts to God's instruction, we will reap serious consequences (Proverbs 28:14). We are being prepared to reign with Jesus Christ in the Kingdom of God, and being teachable is one of the keys to attaining that reward.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—August 30, 2012
Egypt and Gulf States Strengthen Ties: Egypt is becoming more independent from the United States. Recently, Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi visited China, Iran and Saudi Arabia in an attempt to strengthen Egypt's foreign ties. "The Muslim Brotherhood's election platform called for a reworked relationship with Washington based on 'independence of decision' and an end to 'subordination'" (CNS News, August 22, 2012). Mr. Morsi has also chosen to strengthen Egyptian ties with the Gulf States. "Cairo and the Arab Gulf states are currently taking steps towards each other, and for many it's a sign of a new beginning" (Deutsche Welle, August 25, 2012). Egypt needs economic and monetary support from the Gulf States and is seeking to gain this by assuring that the revolution in Egypt will not spread throughout the region (ibid.). Egypt's role in the Middle East is crucial, "The credo of Arab politicians has long been that only a politically and economically strong Egypt can also strengthen the Arab World." Qatar has already offered more than $2 billion to Egypt, and Saudi Arabia has promised $2.7 billion (ibid.). The prophet Daniel was inspired to write that at the "time of the end," a powerful King of the South will attack the European King of the North, only to be defeated by that same power (Daniel 11:40-43). Egypt figures prominently in end-time Bible prophecy, as does a confederacy of Middle Eastern nations. It is important to continue watching this dynamic region as God's prophecies are fulfilled. For more information, review our eye-opening booklet, The Middle East in Prophecy.
Powerful New Evidence Supports Male Circumcision: Considerable research supporting male circumcision has surfaced over the last decade. As a result, The American Academy of Pediatrics just reversed its 13-year stance. A five-year review of more than 1,000 circumcision studies resulted in the Academy's conclusion: "Systematic evaluation of English-language peer-reviewed literature from 1995 through 2010 indicates that preventive health benefits of elective circumcision of male newborns outweigh the risks of the procedure. Benefits include significant reductions in the risk of urinary tract infection in the first year of life and, subsequently, in the risk of heterosexual acquisition of HIV and the transmission of other sexually transmitted infections" (Pediatrics, September 2012, Vol. 130, No. 3). The Academy also recommends insurers begin covering the procedure (ibid.). While the scientific evidence overwhelmingly supports the procedure, there are still many opponents. A court in Cologne, Germany, recently ruled that infant male circumcision opposes "the fundamental right of the child to bodily integrity" (CBS News, August 27, 2012). Roughly 4,000 years ago God commanded Abraham to be circumcised (Genesis 17:11-13) and continued this command with the Israelites (Leviticus 12:3). By giving these commands, God was ultimately protecting baby boys (and their future wives), and instituting a practice that would keep them healthier than their enemies—and even blessing their descendants (Deuteronomy 7:12-15). Science is simply "uncovering" the powerful physical reasons why God gave this loving command so long ago!
Increasing Earthquakes in Various Places: Recently, a series of earthquakes struck California and El Salvador—adding to a worldwide number of earthquakes in various places. Imperial County, California, experienced many tremors ranging from 2.0 to 5.5 in magnitude. "By 5 p.m., the USGS had recorded about 300 earthquakes, and the count continued to rise throughout the evening" (LA Times, August 26, 2012). Although earthquakes are common in the region, so many at one time is unusual. The following day, El Salvador experienced a 7.4 magnitude earthquake triggering a small tsunami. No casualties were reported (Associated Press, August 27, 2012). In August alone there have been 11 earthquakes with a strong magnitude rating of 6.0 or higher. The varied locations of these quakes include: Alaska, Peru, El Salvador, Iran, Russia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and China (US Geological Survey). Jesus Christ stated that in the end times, "there will be great earthquakes in various places" (Luke 21:11). As earthquakes continue to occur in different regions, King David's words can give comfort: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling" (Psalm 46:1-3). For more information on this topic, read our booklet, Fourteen Signs Announcing Christ's Return.—Scott Winnail and Justin Ridgeway