Weekly Update

Greetings from Charlotte,

World events continue to move in a sobering direction with the brutal violence in the Middle East and new efforts to fan Islamic insurrections across India and North Africa, while the Western world is pondering and debating how to deal with ever-increasing problems. As Germany's Foreign Minister commented this week, "many perceive that the world is coming loose from its moorings." Here in Charlotte, Dr. Meredith has been holding a number of meetings this week. Mr. Gerald Weston has been visiting the Charlotte office this week for several days of discussions. Mr. Cristian Orrego has returned from a very profitable visit to our congregation in Mexico City. Mr. Rodger Bardo reports that 61 visitors attended the Tomorrow's World Presentation last Sunday in Prescott, Arizona. This coming weekend I will visit congregations in Knoxville and Crossville, Tennessee and will conduct a TWP with Mr. Martin Fannin in Knoxville. Your prayers for God's Work at this time are greatly appreciated.—DSW

 Church Administration

Tomorrow's World Presents in Prescott, Arizona

Sunday's TWP in Prescott was an overwhelming success by anyone's estimation. Sixty-one brand new people attended along with brethren from all over Arizona for a total attendance of 108, filling the hall. Spontaneous applause erupted at one point as all heard "After Armageddon," a strong message on future prophetic events, and then later as God's plan of salvation was explained through His Holy Days. Several were glad to learn that we meet for Sabbath services in the same hall and said they plan on coming back. Others said that they "loved" Tomorrow's World, appreciated the strong focused message each week and they "never missed" watching the telecast. It was obvious that they came to the presentation to hear God's truths expounded powerfully. Many thanks to the HQ staff and the Arizona brethren for helping to make this a wonderful presentation!—Rodger Bardo

Young Adults Winter Retreat:  December 28-January 1—Must Read

Living Church of God young adults 20-35 years of age, single or married, are invited to attend a Winter Retreat from Sunday afternoon, December 28, through Thursday morning, January 1. Due to the nature of the facilities we plan to use, we have to limit the number of participants. This means that if you want to attend you must register right away.  Plans are being finalized now for this event which will be located near the Sugar Mountain Ski Resort in North Carolina. We will be having daily Bible Studies and discussions focused on topics of interest to young Christian adults. Activities will include snow skiing and snowboarding at the premier ski resort in this part of the country, as well as other winter recreational sports. The cost for room, breakfast and dinner for the four days will be approximately $150-175 per person. The cost for lunches, snow skiing/boarding, sledding, tubing and any other activities are not included. We hope that many of you will be a part of this first of many unique experiences we plan to have for our young Christian adults in the Church. To register for this activity, please e-mail me right away at [email protected]. A deposit of $100 to secure your spot is due by the end of the month. Details of where to send the deposit will be in your acceptance e-mail.—Jim Meredith

2014 Charlotte Winter Family Weekend:  December 24-28—Repeat Announcement

The Charlotte congregation will be hosting its annual Winter Family Weekend in December. There will be activities for all ages. Arrival will be Wednesday, December 24, and departure will be Sunday, December 28. Bible Studies, Sabbath services, a dinner-dance and seminars will once again be held at the Renaissance Charlotte Suites Hotel. Plans are set for a full day of sports tournaments and games on Thursday, December 25. On Friday morning there will be seminars for teens, young singles, mature singles and married couples, followed by an activity in the afternoon. More details will be announced in the coming weeks. Please start planning now to join us for three days of spiritual rejuvenation and fellowship!—Jim Meredith

Contacting Headquarters or Pastors for Sabbath Services Information—Repeat Announcement

From time to time, brethren who are travelling may e-mail or call Headquarters or contact a minister through our www.lcg.org Web site, to obtain information about Sabbath services near the location they are visiting.  We are happy to provide you with this information when you need it.  However, please be sure to e-mail or call Headquarters or contact the minister early in the week—by mid-week, at the latest.  If you wait until Friday afternoon to request the information, you may not reach the pastor in time to receive the necessary details (he may already be travelling on his circuit, and may be difficult to reach) and the office closes at 3:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) on Fridays during the winter.

Internet Department 

French Facebook and Web Site Updates!

Last month the English-language Tomorrow's World Facebook page passed the major milestone of 100,000 fans.  And while this was encouraging, we were equally excited to see that our French Facebook page (/LeMondeDeDemain) recently passed 50,000 fans!  Also, if all goes as planned, we hope to launch an entirely redesigned, new French Web site in the coming months.  We know that God has commissioned His Church to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God as a witness to the whole world (Mark 16:15; Matthew 24:14; Acts 1:8), and that involves multiple languages.  Our many Web sites, YouTube channels and social media efforts in multiple languages ranging from Russian to Chinese to French to Afrikaans and many others, are a big part of how we are fulfilling that mission.  Additionally, our Facebook pages often attract sincere questions and comments by new people whom God may be exposing to the Truth for the first time.  Thank you for your prayers and support for these, and the many other "doors" that God is giving us to preach the Gospel "to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8).—Wyatt Ciesielka, Internet Operations

Feast of Tabernacles

Opening Night Service: October 8

The Opening Night service will be Wednesday night, October 8.  Brethren, please make every effort to arrive at the Feast site in plenty of time to attend this "kick-off" meeting Wednesday evening.  The Wednesday evening service, which begins the first day of the Feast, is also a High Holy Day.  There will also be a special DVD welcome from Dr. Meredith during this service.  Check with your Feast Site Coordinator for times of the Opening Night service at your site.

PayPal Payments Deadline: September 19

Friday, September 19, is the cutoff date for Feast PayPal payments for most U.S. Festival sites.  After September 19, brethren attending U.S. sites should wait until the Feast to pay for any additional activities.  Please check with your local Festival Site Coordinator for details of payment methods accepted at the Feast.  For international sites, please check with your Festival Site Coordinator for more information.

Holy Day Offerings: International Travel

If you are traveling internationally for the Feast, it is recommended that you leave your Holy Day Offering in your home country. This will ensure that you receive proper documentation for a tax deduction, if your country allows it. You should make an additional offering at the international site you attend, and can plan accordingly. Your attention to these instructions and your use of the preprinted Holy Day envelopes is greatly appreciated.

Sabbath Times/Contacts for the Day of Atonement (October 4) and Sabbath October 18

The listing of where services are scheduled on the Day of Atonement (October 4) and on the Sabbath right after the Feast (October 18) is now available online.  You can find a chart with the places, contact information, and times for Living Church of God services on these two days by logging in to the MyLCG Web site (www.cogl.org).

Tithe of the Second Tithe—Repeat Announcement

For those who are able to contribute a tithe of their second tithe to help defray the expenses involved in conducting the annual Holy Days, including the Feast of Tabernacles, it would be greatly appreciated if this contribution could be sent at this time (if it has not already been sent). The tithe of the second tithe is used to help brethren with limited funds attend the Feast of Tabernacles, as well as to pay for hall rentals and other administrative costs associated with the annual Holy Days.—Jerry Ruddlesden

Gatlinburg, Tennessee—Repeat Announcement

We are still looking for Feast-level pianists to play hymns and accompany special music in Gatlinburg.  Even though the site is closed for transfers, if you are willing and able to serve in that way, please let me know immediately.  E-mail me at [email protected] or call 423-653-8746.—James Sweat

Living Youth Program

Online Teen Bible Studies Resume September 12

The regular online Teen Bible Studies will resume Friday evening, September 12.  The Bible Study will be on, "God's Training Program for Kings and Priests!" and will be presented 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 to 9:00 p.m. (EDT) 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.

Finance

Hall Rentals (U.S.)

November Hall vouchers should be sent along with the October vouchers this month (if possible) to ensure payment by October 22.

Reimbursements (U.S.)

Please note that our last scheduled day to print checks will be Thursday, October 2.  We will not be able to print any checks again until Wednesday, October 22.  Any invoices we receive before October 1st will be paid before the break.  Any invoices we receive after October 1 may not be able to be paid until October 22. If you have any questions regarding specific invoices or payments, please contact Haley Ridgeway in the Accounts Payable Department at 704-708-2236 or Lanna Moluf at 704-708-2234. You can also e-mail [email protected].–Jerry Ruddlesden

Comments

Beware of False Teachers:  Jesus warned repeatedly about false teachers, saying, "Many will come in My name… and will deceive many" (Matthew 24:4-5). While such teachers may claim to be "Christian" and talk about God and the Bible, Jesus said, "You will know them by their fruits"—if they teach ideas that are contrary to the word of God, they are not of God (Matthew 7:15-23). The Apostle Paul warned congregations that false teachers would rise up "from among yourselves… speaking perverse things" to draw away followers after themselves (Acts 20:29-31). Isaiah provides an important key for recognizing false teachers, "To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speaking according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isaiah 8:20). The Apostle Paul plainly states that individuals who promote a different gospel than Jesus and the apostles preached "are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ"—and are actually ministers of Satan (2 Corinthians 11:1-4, 13-15). These are strong words! To avoid being deceived by clever arguments and twisted theologies, true Christians must diligently study the Scriptures as the Bereans did (Acts 17:10-11) in order to correctly understand the "word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15).

Have a profitable Sabbath,

Douglas S. Winnail

News and Prophecy—September 4, 2014

Egypt's Growing Influence:  A recent National Post headline tells an important story about the growing influence of Egypt and its President: "Israel-Hamas ceasefire solidifies untested Egyptian president as region's top power broker" (August 26, 2014). The article noted "The Egyptian-brokered ceasefire… has reinforced Egypt's central position in the Arab world as the only country able to negotiate between Israel and Hamas" (ibid.). As of this writing, the ceasefire brokered by Egypt was holding—and children along the border returned to school after spending the summer in bomb shelters (Associated Press, September 1, 2014). Egypt's president Al-Sisi has been criticized for his lack of diplomatic experience, but now the skeptics are quieter. Bible prophecy reveals that a soon-coming "king of the south" will arrive on the scene in a location south of Jerusalem. He will lead an Arab league of nations against a growing Beast power in Europe—the "king of the north" (Daniel 11:40-43). Currently there is no strong and highly respected Arab leader that other Arab states are ready to follow, yet Bible prophecy indicates this will change. Al-Sisi's growing influence and respect in the region is evidence that God's prophecies about the Middle East will be fulfilled. For more on this important topic, read our insightful article, "The Arab World in Crisis: Setting the Stage for the King of the South?"

Islamic State Threatens the West:  "Leaders of the House and Senate intelligence committees on Sunday prodded President Barack Obama to take decisive action against what they say are growing threats from Islamic State militants on U.S. soil" (Associated Press, August 31, 2014). According to U.S. lawmakers, "Those militants now are looking toward the United States or Western Europe for their next targets" (ibid.). "Sen. Dianne Feinstein… who leads the Senate intelligence panel, said… 'This is a group of people who are extraordinarily dangerous… And they'll kill with abandon.'" These "lawmakers, who have access to some of the nation's most sensitive secrets and receive regular and detailed briefings from U.S. spy agencies, offered dire predictions of an attack on the United States or its European allies if the militants are not confronted" (ibid.). Understanding end-time prophecy and the identities of the Israelite-descended nations provides insight about the sobering future of many Western nations. Long ago, God prophesied that because of their sins, He will bring "terror" and "sorrow of heart" on the Israelite nations at the end of the age (Leviticus 26:16). God foretold, "Those who hate you shall reign over you" (v.17), and, "The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you… Moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you, until you are destroyed… The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth… a nation whose language you will not understand, a nation of fierce countenance… until they have destroyed you" (Deuteronomy 28:43-51). For more about the identity of the Israelite-descended nations, be sure to read The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy.

Scottish Independence?  For over 300 years Scotland has been part of the UK. Now the Scots are set to vote on September 18 on independence from the UK (Telegraph, August 31, 2014). No one knows the exact outcome of the vote, but the Scottish National Party is already preparing—behind the scenes—for a "no" vote and working to obtain greater political powers for Scotland should such a vote occur (ibid.). Scottish independence is an emotionally charged issue, leaving many to wonder about its true benefits. Opponents question how an independent Scotland will defend itself (The Guardian, March 1, 2012), how it will support itself financially (The Week, September 1, 2014; The Guardian, March 2, 2012), and what currency it would use (BBC, September 2, 2014). Whether Scotland achieves independence through its national referendum later this month remains to be seen. Should this happen though, it could be just one more tool used by God to "break the pride" of Britain's power—as has long been prophesied (Leviticus 26:19). God pronounced this "curse" because the Israelite-descended nations would reject His ways. The UK's increasing godlessness was foreshadowed by this prophecy. For more on the prophesied future of the UK and Scotland, be sure to read, The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy.—Scott Winnail, John Meakin and Justin Ridgeway