Greetings from Charlotte,
On the world scene, voters in the UK will select a new leader this week, a 7.5 earthquake struck Papua New Guinea and two Islamic terrorists were killed near Dallas, Texas as they attempted to attack a journalistic event depicting cartoons of Muhammad. Here in Charlotte, the Council of Elders meetings went very well, and we had a strong sense of unity. Dr. Meredith gave an opening message to begin the meetings and he conducted most of the sessions. We heard reports from around the world and discussed the needs of the Work. We also discussed a number of social issues that could bring persecution to religious organizations, and we were able to film some of the men for segments of the "Behind the Work" film that will be shown later this year at the Feast of Tabernacles. We certainly appreciated the opportunity to spend time together with men and women who serve God's people in different parts of the world. The Living Church of God was recently given an award of appreciation by the community of Boerne, Texas, for holding the Feast of Tabernacles at that location for the last four years (see announcement below). Please continue to pray for Sheldon Monson, the Director of the Living Youth Program, and for Terrence Kennell, an elder in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Both men have been diagnosed with internal cancers. We certainly need God's intervention in the lives of His people today.—DSW
Church Administration
Seventeenth Annual Saratoga Family Weekend
The 17th Annual Rocky Mountain Saratoga Family Weekend is scheduled for August 7-9! It will again be held at the Riviera Lodge, 104 E. Saratoga Ave., Saratoga, Wyoming 82331. Reservations can be made by calling 866-326-5651 or 307-326-5651. This annual event provides spiritual food and fellowship, fun and just plain relaxing down by the river. Plan on coming to Saratoga to be with family and friends and special visitors... we're looking forward to seeing you then.
On Friday evening, dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. for the "early birds." The Bible Study at 7:30 p.m. on Friday will start the weekend.
On the Sabbath, brunch will be at 10:00 a.m. and Sabbath services at 2:30 p.m., with a covered- dish meal and steak cookout afterwards. There will be a Bible Bowl on Saturday evening.
A Sunday morning workshop will follow breakfast... then good old family recreational time on your own for the remainder of Sunday. Lunch at Alan and Sarah Williams' home will wrap up the morning and the weekend.
When making reservations at the Riviera Lodge in Saratoga, just mention that you are with the Living Church of God under Ben Whitfield's name. Book your room now before the summer reservations come in. For more hearty souls, there is camping for a nominal fee at the Saratoga Lake just a short distance from the Riviera Lodge... the fishing should be great!—Ben Whitfield
Adirondack Canoe Trip
We are making final preparations for our Adirondack Canoe Trip on July 1-5. There are still openings, though the deadline for registration and payment is coming quickly. This activity will be held on beautiful Racquette Lake in the heart of the Adirondacks and is open to all ages, young and old. Participants will learn how to maneuver a canoe and what to do if the canoe tips over. They'll also have the opportunity to take day trips, exploring Racquette Lake and Forked Lake, two of the most picturesque of the hundreds of Adirondack Lakes. They'll build bonds of brotherhood with brethren of all ages through "extreme fellowship." Most importantly, they will learn about God's word, applying the daily Bible lessons directly to the activities of the day. The cost of the trip is only $120.00. For more information and to register to be part of this unique experience, just go to our www.nelcg.org Web site (not an official LCG Web site) and click on the "Canoe Trip" tab. Deadline for registration and payment is June 1.—Jonathan McNair
Barbados Family Retreat
The Barbados congregation enjoyed a most stimulating three-day Family Retreat, May 1-3. The purpose of the Retreat was to have genuine "fun with substance" and provide an atmosphere to encourage deeper bonding and teamwork; to stimulate building stronger marriages, families and singles with special emphasis on developing Godly, servant leadership. There were 55 brethren who stayed on-site and attendance at Sabbath services was 96.
This pioneer program was planned by Regional Director Rick Stafford and West Virginia Area Pastor Paul Shumway, both of whom brought informative seminars addressing these vital topics. Highlights included "the wealth of knowledge of the presenters," "the team building activities," "the marriage seminars," "fellowship 24/7," and a "special hymn sing on the Sabbath with live accompaniment by Jerod Loy" (Mr. Shumway's grandson from Winchester, Virginia). Trinidad Associate Pastor, Mr. Damian Weekes, also contributed and the Bajan brethren did a superb job with the meals.
Responses to "What will you take home with you?" included the following: "a refreshed spirit," "happiness," "a satisfied soul, spiritually and physically" and "determination to make improvements in my life and marriage." Suggestions included the following comments: "make it a four-day weekend," "make it a week," and "do it again, again, and again. It was great!!!" Plans are underway to repeat this exciting program in other parts of the Caribbean!—Paul Shumway
Boerne, Texas, Honors the Living Church of God
The community of Boerne, Texas, honored the Living Church of God at a special luncheon held Wednesday, May 6, at the prestigious Helene House Event Center and attended by the mayor and other city officials as well as 75 city leaders and businessmen. The award of appreciation states: "Boerne has been host to the annual meeting of the Living Church of God for the past four years. This annual meeting has utilized over 6,000 hotel rooms in our city with an estimated impact of over three quarters of a million dollars. It has been our honor to host the Living Church of God and look forward to our continued relationship with them for many years to come. Thank you from the Boerne Convention and Visitors Bureau." Dallas Area Pastor Gary Stein and his wife Patty accepted the special award on behalf of the Church. Mr. Stein thanked all in attendance and paid special thanks to the many people who have helped in planning and organizing the Feast of Tabernacles over these past four years.—Scott Smith
Feast of Tabernacles
Hawaii Feast Site Update
An important e-mail update was sent out last week to everyone registered to attend the Feast in Hawaii. If you did not receive this message, please e-mail me at [email protected] to let me know that you didn't receive it.
Fewer than half of you have let me know whether or not you would attend a luau/dinner/dance. Almost all who have responded have indicated that they want to attend, but we are still well short of the minimum we need to make it happen, so I would appreciate the rest of you letting me know whether or not you would attend this activity.
There is still room if anyone else would like to attend the Feast in Hawaii. Please be sure to register on both the main Feast Registration site and also on the Hawaii registration site. If you registered for Hawaii but have changed your mind about attending there, please be sure to go back to the Hawaii registration site and change the number of people attending to "None."—Jim Meredith
Living Youth Program
Online Teen Bible Studies Suspended During Summer Months—Repeat Announcement
There will be no online Teen Bible Studies through the summer months, although the Bible Studies given at the Adventure Camp and Ohio Teen Camp, as well as at the Texas Pre-Teen Camp, will be posted during these camps. Also, archives of previous Living Youth Bible Studies can be found on the Living Youth Web site. The regular online Teen Bible Studies are scheduled to resume on Friday evening, September 11.
Staff Registration Temporarily Reopened for Ohio Teen Camp
The staff registration for the LYC Ohio Camp has been temporarily reopened in order to fill more openings for the Kitchen, the Pool/Swimming, and Waterskiing. If you can help out in one of those departments, please apply soon at http://camp.livingyouth.org. You can find full details about the Ohio camp at https://camp.livingyouth.org/camps/ohio/. Camper registration for the Ohio camp is ongoing and we're well on track for this to be the largest LYC ever. If you have any questions, please e-mail the LYC office at [email protected].
Deadline to order LYC 2014 Yearbook
Orders for the 2014 Living Youth Camps yearbook will be taken through Sunday, May 10. The yearbook covers the pre-teen camps in Texas, Missouri and West Virginia, the Ohio teen camp and the Yellowstone adventure camp. The yearbook for 2014 will be provided for free; a suggested donation of $35 would be appreciated. For further details and ordering information, go to: https://camp.livingyouth.org/album-2014.
Deadline for Missouri Pre-Teen Camp
May 29 is the last day to register for the Missouri Pre-Teen Camp, so please sign up as soon as possible at http://camp.livingyouth.org. We still have room for campers and staff, especially male staff and campers.—Gene Hilgenberg
Comments
Importance of Prayer: Jesus urged His disciples to "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation" (Matthew 26:41). David and Daniel prayed three times a day (Psalm 55:17; Daniel 6:10). Jesus prayed all night before making a major decision (Luke 6:12-13) and when He prayed, He prayed earnestly—He put his heart into His prayer (Luke 22:41-44). When the disciples of Jesus asked, "Lord, teach us to pray," Jesus gave them an outline of a model prayer (Luke 11:1-4). In this model prayer, the focus at the beginning and at the end of the prayer is on God and His coming Kingdom—personal requests are sandwiched in between (Matthew 6:9-13). This helps us keep our personal issues in a proper perspective. It is also instructive to notice that Jesus prayed for His disciples who were being called out of this world, but He did not pray for the world because He knew that God is not trying to save the world now (John 17:8-11). Prayer is an opportunity for us to talk with God and an essential tool for building a closer relationship with Him—so we can become more like our Father. The Scriptures reveal that our sincere and earnest prayers are like sweet incense to God (Revelation 5:8)—which is why the Apostle Paul encouraged Christians to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—May 7, 2015
Egyptian Visits to Saudi Arabia: Recently, "Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi paid a brief visit to Saudi Arabia on Saturday to discuss the Yemen war and the wider regional landscape with Saudi leaders" (Jerusalem Post, May 3, 2015). The visit, which lasted less than two hours, focused on difficult issues in the region—especially in Yemen, Syria and Iraq. This was President al-Sisi's third visit to the Saudi kingdom since January. Another purpose for President al-Sisi's visit was to become better acquainted with the newly appointed Crown Prince and Deputy Crown Prince (ibid.). The growing cooperation and communication between the Saudi and Egyptian leaders is notable, and it may also prove to be important in light of Bible prophecies about an end-time "king of the south" that will push against a European "beast" power and also vie for control of Jerusalem (see Daniel 11:40-43). Jesus admonished His disciples to "watch" for specific developments on the world scene that will mark the coming end of this age and the imminent return of the Savior of mankind (Matthew 24:1-44). For more information on this topic, read our Web commentary: "War in the Middle East and the Coming King of the South."
Rising Unrest Among Pacific Nations: "Disputed territorial claims have turned the tensions between China and Japan into a favourite subject for a whole genre of futuristic fiction with writers seeing this as the spark that might set off a third world war in Asia" (BBC, May 2, 2015). According to some sources "Japan will abandon its pacifist constitution within four years under plans being pushed forward by the party of Shinzo Abe, the nationalist prime minister. The changes will alarm and infuriate many in east Asia who regard the constitution, which was drawn up by the occupying US forces and adopted after the Second World War, as a bastion against the resurgence of Japanese militarism… In practice, Japan's so-called Self-Defence Forces (SDF) are one of the best-funded militaries in the world" (The Times, April 29, 2015). Japan's actions and also Mr. Abe's recent visit to the U.S. have created more unrest in the Pacific region, especially in China (China Daily, April 29, 2015). Bible prophecy reveals that as the time of the end approaches, "wars and rumors of wars" will increase as "kingdom [rises] against kingdom" (Matthew 24:6-7). This prophecy appears to be playing out around the globe, especially in the Pacific region, as Japan re-militarizes, China expands its claims and influence, North Korea develops more nuclear capability, and South Korea feels increasingly alienated. To learn more about this timely subject, read our insightful article, "Who Will Rule the Waves?"
Relief for Endangered Wildlife: Modern research indicates, "About 60% of giant herbivores—plant-eaters—including rhinos, elephants and gorillas, are at risk of extinction" (BBC, May 2, 2105). Professor David Macdonald of Oxford University noted "The big carnivores, like the charismatic big cats or wolves, face horrendous problems from direct persecution, over-hunting and habitat loss, but our new study adds another nail to their coffin—the empty larder… It's no use having habitat if there's nothing left to eat in it… With rhinoceros horn worth more than gold, diamonds or cocaine on illegal markets, rhinos could be extinct in the wild within 20 years in Africa" (ibid.). "The consequences of large wild herbivore decline include: Loss of habitat: for example, elephants maintain forest clearings by trampling vegetation. Effects on the food chain: large predators such as lions, leopards, and hyena rely on large herbivores for food. Seed dispersal: large herbivores eat seeds which are carried over long distances" (ibid.). Bible prophecy indicates that prior to Christ's return "the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now" while it "eagerly waits" for God's true servants to finally rule and manage the earth (Romans 8:22, 19; Revelation 5:10). It is encouraging to know that "the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God" (Romans 8:21). When Jesus Christ returns, the animals will not need to suffer anymore! For more on this exciting subject, read our booklet The World Ahead: What Will It Be Like?—Scott Winnail, Francine Prater, Sue Bennett and Chris Sookdeo