Greetings from Charlotte,
At this time of year, church leaders speak of peace, light candles for peace and lead prayers for peace, yet that earnestly desired peace never seems to come. Sadly, many today do not understand that the Bible reveals that mankind does not know the way to peace (Isaiah 59:8). Peace will only come when Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, returns to this earth and shows the way to peace (Isaiah 9:6-7)—a way that involves learning to love and live by the laws of God (Psalm 119:165). This week, Dr. Meredith has been writing and making a number of personal contacts. We have received several very encouraging end-of-year financial gifts for which we are very grateful. The Charlotte Family Weekend was well-attended and proved to be a very enjoyable experience for everyone. This weekend, Mr. Rod McNair and family and Dr. Scott Winnail and family will attend the Kansas City Family Weekend. I will make congregational visits to Braselton and Atlanta, Georgia. Please pray that God will protect all those who are traveling at this time of year and that He will continue to guide and bless His Work.—DSW
Church Administration
Mr. Moses Visits India
On Tuesday, December 3, I arrived about midnight at the Kolkata airport from Kuala Lumpur. The next two days I spent with members in the area, holding a Bible Study and talking about many things, including plans for the Feast next year. On Friday I flew from Kolkata to Imphal and joined a few brethren at the home of one of them for a Sabbath meal and fellowship.
The Church in Imphal is growing so they rented a meeting place for Sabbath services, attended by 41 members and children. In the morning I spoke on "Do You Love God's Law?" and after lunch we had another service and I spoke on "Where Is God's True Church?" There are a few new prospective members who want to counsel for baptism during my next visit.
On Sunday the Church in Imphal organized a picnic in the nearby mountain area and more than 45 members and children attended. We had good fellowship and lunch together in the beautiful flower garden and park.
On Monday morning, we had a Bible Study on the "Place of Protection" and had lunch together. We visited the location where the Imphal brethren are hoping to build a hall for weekly Sabbath services. Afterwards, we went to the Government Hospital to visit a member's father who had a stroke and I was asked to pray for him.
On Tuesday, I flew from Imphal to Chennai and the next day took the train to Bhimavaram, which took 13 hours. I was met by a member of the Church of God Seventh Day. I had met him many years ago and he wanted me to visit and teach him and others God's Truth. We went to Narasapur, about an hour's drive, and I was invited to give Seminar meetings (TWP) for two days. On the first day we had about 18 men in attendance and the next day we had 26. Also, two men from Gundur stood for six hours on the train to join us. I covered the fundamental beliefs of the Living Church of God. These were also translated into the Telugu language and handed out.
On Sabbath, December 14, we had a Sabbath service in Perumpalem Village with 45 people in attendance. I spoke on the importance of keeping the Ten Commandments.
On Sunday, December 15, we drove back to Bhimavaram and then travelled 13 hours by train back to Chennai, arriving in the morning. In the afternoon we met another prospective member who came 20 hours to see us. He has been in contact with God's Church since 1980.
On December 17, at midnight, I flew from Chennai back to Kuala Lumpur, arriving in the morning of December 18. It was a tiring but a profitable trip to India.—Rajan Moses
Prayer Request: Updated Information
Mrs. Jeanine Hodebar in Martinique is now out of critical condition and is slowly recovering. Two weeks ago the doctors had given up all hope for her when infection set in after surgery. Please continue to pray that God completely heals her so that she can make a full recovery.
Living Youth Programs
Online Teen Bible Studies to Resume on Friday Evening, January 3
The online Teen Bible Studies are scheduled to resume next Friday evening, January 3, with a study entitled, "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse—The White Horse" given by Mr. Sheldon Monson. If you haven't had the opportunity to join us for one of the online Bible Studies yet, I encourage you to do so. It is a wonderful way to start the Sabbath day.
The Bible Study runs from 8:00-9:00 p.m. (EST) and the chat room will be open for a half hour before and after the study. You can access this Bible Study at livingyouth.org. We hope as many of our youth as possible will join us for this wonderful opportunity for Godly fellowship and learning. For those of you who are unable to make it to the study, archives of previous Living Youth Bible Studies can also be found on the Living Youth Web site.—Sheldon Monson
Feast of Tabernacles
2014 Israel Feast Tour Update
At this point, everyone who has applied to go to Israel for the 2014 Feast Tour has been accepted. If you applied, you were sent an acceptance e-mail with instructions and a link to register with Travel Gallery, the travel company that is organizing the trip. Many of those who have been accepted, however, have not yet registered. Due to space concerns and the need to book the hotels and motor coaches for the tour, everyone must fill out the online registration very soon. If you do not register with the Travel Gallery by January 12, 2014, you will be removed from the accepted list. If you have any questions or did not get the acceptance e-mail, please contact me right away at [email protected]. If you would like to go but have not registered with the Church, you may still do so on the My LCG page of the members' Web site. After January 12, we will evaluate whether or not we have room for more people to go.—Jim Meredith
Human Resources
Employment Opportunity: TV Production Assistant—Repeat Announcement
The Headquarters Office is looking for a TV Production Assistant with experience in video editing and TV studio equipment. The successful candidate will enjoy video production and will have some experience in video editing software (such as Avid or Final Cut). The right candidate for this position will be a "team player" able to produce results quickly in a fast-paced and deadline-driven environment. This job is in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Church will pay for reasonable moving expenses. Applicant must meet the legal requirements to work in the United States, and must be a Living Church of God adherent, in good standing, who is truly dedicated to the Work. If you are interested in this position, please send your résumé, along with a cover letter and a letter of reference from your Area Pastor, to: Human Resources Department, Living Church of God, 2301 Crown Centre Drive, Charlotte, NC 28227. E-mail: [email protected]; FAX: 704-844-1973.—Wyatt Ciesielka
Living University
Registration for Second Semester
Registration for second semester classes is now underway. The spring semester will begin in less than three weeks, on Wednesday, January 15. Students may register for the spring semester (fall in the southern hemisphere) anytime between now and January 14. Those of you who have never taken a Living University course will need to enroll in the University first, and then register for your selected course. We are offering a number of repeat courses and even a couple of brand new courses. A complete listing of second semester courses can be viewed on the Living University Web site under the link "2014 Spring Schedule." As a reminder, those in the midst of their third tithe year can qualify for a 50 percent tuition reduction. To make application to Living University, to register for courses, and to find out more, please visit the www.livinguniv.com Web site. For additional information, please contact Mrs. Michelle Broussard at [email protected] or 704-708-2294.
Comments
Are You a Peacemaker? Jesus Christ explained a fundamental aspect of Christianity when He told His disciples, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God" (Matthew 5:9). The Apostle Paul advised brethren in Rome that Christians should do all they can to "live peaceably with all men" (Romans 12:17-21). Paul explained that we can become peacemakers by not seeking to get even, by not mistreating others when we are mistreated, and by overcoming evil with good. Solomon wisely observed, "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Proverbs 15:1). Solomon also stated, "He who covers [overlooks and forgives] a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats [keeps talking about or won't let go of] a matter separates friends" (Proverbs 17:9). Jesus warned that reacting angrily to others is the same as murder, because it breaks the spirit of the law (Matthew 5:21-26). Real peacemakers are willing to go to their brother or sister when problems arise and talk things over in a spirit of meekness (Matthew 18:15; James 3:17-18). One important lesson we must learn as Christians is that peace comes when we follow and learn to apply the laws of God—as David wrote, "Great peace have those who love Your law" (Psalm 119:165). Let's all strive to be peacemakers!
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—December 26, 2013
African Blood Flows Again: Africa's newest nation, South Sudan, is on the verge of civil war as two factions fight for power (Agence France-Presse [AFP], December 19, 2013). "Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands more terrified civilians have fled their homes" (ibid.). Many, including the Sudanese government, fear that the fighting could compromise oil production in the very poor nation (AFP, December 20, 2013). In the Central African Republic, bloody Muslim-Christian violence is spreading and has displaced over 700,000 people—with 40,000 huddling for safety near the national airport (most with no beds, blankets, shelter, or mosquito nets (Voice of America, December 26, 2013). Many refugees have crossed the border into neighboring Congo and Chad to avoid being stabbed or hacked to death with machetes (ibid.). Jesus Christ prophesied that "rumors of wars" and "nation [rising] against nation [ethnic groups fighting ethnic groups]" would be just "the beginning of sorrows" at the time of the end (Matthew 24:6-8). The bloodshed in central Africa is due to selfish leaders seeking power, while caring less about the people of their nations. According to the Gospel, Jesus Christ will return to the earth to establish peace and justice and use a rod of iron when necessary (Isaiah 9:6-7; Revelation 19:15). This will be a time when the alien, the poor, the widow and the fatherless will no longer be oppressed (Zechariah 7:8-10). For more about life after Christ's return, read our exciting booklet, The World Ahead: What Will It Be Like?
UK Judge Resigns after Reprimand: "A senior High Court judge is stepping down after being reprimanded by the Lord Chief Justice and Lord Chancellor for speaking out on the problems of marriage breakdown" (The Times, December 18, 2013). Last December, the judge, Sir Paul Coleridge, wrote an article that criticized "the Government's plans to allow gay marriage and accused ministers of wasting effort on an issue that affects '0.1 per cent' of the population. Instead, ministers should focus on supporting married couples, he said" (ibid.). Sir Paul's comments were said to be "incompatible with his judicial responsibilities and therefore amounts to judicial misconduct" (ibid.). As modern societies permit and promote any kind of behavior, even leaders and judges are condemned for defending traditional values. Bible prophecies have long foretold of this moral decay, "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness… bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20). The Apostle Paul warned, "in the last days… men will be… despisers of good… lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (2 Timothy 3:1-5). Tragically, these ungodly actions are becoming more commonplace as societies reject values that have been the foundation of Western civilization for thousands of years. For more information on this topic, read our article on "The Future of Democracy."
Update on a Super-Volcano: At the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union, University of Utah researchers reported new results of their study of the Yellowstone caldera. Dr. Bob Smith stated in a BBC interview, "We've been working there for a long time, and we've always thought it would be bigger… but this finding is astounding" (New York Post, December 12, 2013). The magma chamber under the Yellowstone basin measures approximately 55 miles by 20 miles, and is three to nine miles beneath the earth. "So what would happen if Yellowstone was to erupt? Something close to Armageddon." Scientists speculate that if the volcano were to erupt, "it will wipe out America—and have enormous impacts on the rest of the world." At its last eruption, scientists think the world's climate changed for several centuries (ibid.). In geologic time, another Yellowstone eruption is "almost due" (ibid.). Bible prophecies warn that "earthquakes" will occur in the last days; they are just "the beginning of sorrows" (Matthew 24:7-8). Even greater events will occur just before Christ returns. One earthquake will be so powerful that it will cause the sun to become black, the moon to become red, and "every mountain and island" to be moved out of place (Revelation 6:12-16). Could Yellowstone be a tool God uses to fulfill this prophecy? For more on the catastrophic events that will occur in the last days, be sure to review Revelation: The Mystery Unveiled!—Scott Winnail, James and Susan Bennett and John Meakin