Greetings from Charlotte,
The Spring Holy Days appear to have gotten off to a good start, in spite of Satan's efforts to create discouragement at this time of year. It is sobering to watch God's people examining themselves to eliminate sin, while the so-called Christian nations of the world are busy re-defining marriage and promoting behaviors that God says plainly are sinful and an abomination in His sight. As we will see in the days ahead, the "handwriting is on the wall" for nations that reject and despise the laws of God. Dr. Meredith is visiting congregations in California, Mr. Ames is in Texas, Mr. Rod McNair is in the Caribbean and Mr. Hernandez is "somewhere" in South America encouraging God's people during the Spring Holy Days. Last week's Tomorrow's World program by Mr. Ames, entitled "Modern Dangers of the Occult," drew just over 5,000 responses. The program the previous week by Mr. Meredith, entitled "Answered Prayer," generated a total of 6,161 responses. Mr. Dan Hall reports that doctors have commented on some remarkable improvements in his wife Nancy's condition. Mr. McNair reports that Mr. Fitzroy Greeman is also improving (see report below). Please keep your brothers and sisters who are facing trials in your prayers.—DSW
Church Administration
Caribbean Report
We were very saddened to learn that three-year-old Yden Skeete, of Barbados, died last Sunday. She had developed a brain tumor last fall and had to have emergency surgery. Recently the tumor was found to be growing again, and she had to be hospitalized on Sunday, March 24. She died later that afternoon. We will be visiting the brethren in Barbados next week, during the Last Day of Unleavened Bread. Please remember little Yden Skeete's family in your prayers.
My trip to Trinidad and Tobago has gone well thus far, visiting Mr. and Mrs. Fitzroy Greeman and the brethren in the Chaguanas congregation. As always, the brethren were warm and enthusiastic! Our attendance was 133 on the Sabbath, and 84 for Passover. It is inspiring to see the new people coming into the Truth. We had several newly baptized brethren take the Passover for the first time, which was a profound experience for them. Others are just starting to attend services after being gone for many years after the apostasy in WCG. Mr. Greeman is gaining strength with dialysis treatments, and battled through a flu this weekend, from which he is getting better. The Greemans and I plan to spend the Sabbath with our brethren in Georgetown, Guyana.—Rod McNair
Living Youth Programs
No Online Teen Bible Study on March 29
There will be no online Teen Bible Study on March 29 because of the spring Holy Days. The next online Teen Bible Study is scheduled for Friday, April 5, at 7:30 p.m. (Eastern time). You can access previous Bible Studies in the archives on the Living Youth Web site www.livingyouth.org.—Josh Penman
Feast of Tabernacles 2013
2013 Festival Web Site "Live"—Repeat Announcement
The 2013 Festival Web site is "live!" Please note: Festival Registration is not open until April 7. You will not be able to register until April 7. If you do not have Internet access, please contact your Festival Advisor to print off information for any site(s) you are interested in attending. If you do not know who your Festival Advisor is, please check with your local Pastor.
To access the Festival Web Site, go to: www.fot2013.lcg.org.
(You can also access it by going to the Living Church of God Web site (www.lcg.org) and clicking on "Feast of Tabernacles.")
Festival Advisors: A "Festival Advisor's Packet" is now available for you to download and print off, as well as registration and volunteer forms. If you have any difficulty or questions, ask your pastor or e-mail [email protected].
Pastors (Repeat): Please make sure that Headquarters has been updated with any changes in your local congregation rosters. For example, please let us know of any Church Youths (CY) who have turned 18 and now should be listed as Prospective Members (PM). Please also let us know of any other changes in status of any brethren in your area (i.e. baptisms, etc.) or if any brethren have moved to another congregation. Send these status updates to [email protected].
All brethren (Repeat): Please make sure your MyLCG account is working. This will be necessary for you to register on April 7. To test it, go to www.cogl.org and sign in to MyLCG with your username and password. If you don't have an account, you will have the option of creating one. If you have any problems logging into MyLCG (www.cogl.org), please write to [email protected].—Festival Office
Comments
A Key to Spiritual Growth and Success: Many people believe that the key to success depends on whom you know. However, God's instructions are quite different. Jesus stressed the importance of humility and teachability when He said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit" and "Blessed are the meek" because they will inherit the Kingdom of God and reign on this earth (Matthew 5:3-5). God was able to use Moses because he was humble and teachable (Numbers 12:3). Jesus was exalted by God because He was willing to humble Himself and follow God's instructions (Philippians 2:8-11). Solomon understood that "before honor is humility" (Proverbs 15:33). The Apostle James advised, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" and "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up" (James 4:6-10). Peter records that God will exalt those who are humble and can submit to one another (1 Peter 5:5-6). The prophet Isaiah offers a summary of what God is looking for in those He will reward, "But on this one will I look: On him who is poor [humble] and of a contrite spirit [willing to change], and who trembles at My word [a person who is teachable by God]" (Isaiah 66:2). These scriptures provide us with the key to real spiritual growth and success.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—March 28, 2013
Pope Francis and Israel: Pope Francis, who is known for his ecumenical perspective, recently "reached out to Rome's Jewish community at the very start of his pontificate, pledging to continue to strengthen the increasingly close ties between Catholics and Jews"—and his overtures were received with high hopes (Associated Press, March 16, 2013). As archbishop of Buenos Aires, then Cardinal Bergoglio was known as an "ally" of the Jews. "Israeli President Shimon Peres said Francis would be a 'welcome guest in the Holy Land' while Ronald Lauder, the president of the World Jewish Congress, said the new pope 'always had an open ear for our concerns'" (ibid.). The new Pope is also known for his interfaith "outreach to Islam and Judaism" (ibid.). While archbishop of Buenos Aires, Francis co-authored a book with Rabbi Abraham Skorka (The Jewish Week, March 14, 2013). Prophecies in the book of Revelation state that a great world-church, pictured as a "woman" and a "great city" will "ride" the coming Beast (Revelation 17:1-6, 18). The Scriptures also indicate that the coming Beast will become deeply involved with and then "control" Jerusalem for the final 3.5 years preceding Christ's return (Daniel 11:40-41; Luke 21:20-24; Revelation 11:2). Given the approach and ethnic connections this new pope already has, and the warm reception he has received from different religions and peoples, he may play a major role in maneuvering the Roman Church into a very powerful and influential position with both Israel and the Arabs.
EU-U.S. Trade Agreement: President Obama has stated that the EU-U.S. Free Trade Agreement is his top foreign policy priority for his second term in office. Such an agreement would "constitute the largest bilateral economic partnership in the world" (Deutsche Welle, February 26, 2013). Speaking about the challenges facing such an agreement, the European Commissioner noted "The biggest obstacles are the different regulatory standards [between the parties], which is why we're not just looking to get rid of customs tariffs, but are trying first and foremost to harmonize all these rules" (ibid.). Others suggest that no such agreement can happen without the U.S. or EU capitulating on their own internal trade regulations. Will such a free trade agreement come together? Who will yield the most and who will gain the most, the U.S. or EU? Some suggest failure of a free trade effort could bode even worse for both sides than no attempt at all (Deutsche Welle, February 26, 2012). Bible prophecy indicates that animosity will develop between the final European Beast power and the Israelite-descended nations, including the U.S. (Leviticus 26:38-39; Jeremiah 5:15-20). Other prophecies indicate the Israelite nations will become dependent on the Assyrians (Germans) and the Egyptians for basic commodities (Lamentations 5:2-9). For more information regarding the coming European Beast power, be sure to review our eye-opening booklet, The Beast of Revelation: Myth, Metaphor, or Soon-Coming Reality?
War in Europe? The EU's longest-serving Prime Minister, Jean-Claude Juncker, recently commented that Europe has been a war-torn continent for well over a millennium and, "The demons of nationalism are threatening a complacent Europe just as they did on the eve of the First World War"(The Times, March 12, 2013). Reacting to hostilities generated by the European economic crisis, Mr. Juncker observed "I am chilled by the realization of how similar circumstances in Europe in 2013 are to those of 100 years ago…. Anyone who believes that the eternal issue of war and peace in Europe has been permanently laid to rest could be making a monumental error" (ibid.). Although Bible prophecy does not indicate a broad-based continental war in Europe at the end of the age, the "iron and clay" nature of the European union was prophesied thousands of years ago by Daniel, and he also predicted that the end-time European Beast power will contain ten nations or kingdoms (Daniel 2:41-43). Nearly seven centuries later, the Apostle John prophesied that ten nations would give their power (surrender their sovereignty) to the European Beast power (Revelation 17:7-14). The winds of war are threatening to blow again in Europe, but they may serve to do no more than to separate current nations that will then coalesce to form a final prophecy-fulfilling Beast power. For more information on this topic, be sure to review our article on "Bible Prophecy and the European Dream."—Scott Winnail, James and Sue Bennett, and Justin Ridgeway