Greetings from Charlotte,
On the world scene, the nuclear non-proliferation deal with Iran could still provide Iran with a path to a bomb, and the ending of sanctions could provide that nation with additional funds to support terrorist activities in other parts of the world. In Europe, Germany continues to exert ever more power—financially and politically—over the other nations in the EU. Both these trends are in line with ancient Bible prophecies. Here in Charlotte, Dr. Meredith has been working on a sermon and a forthcoming Tomorrow's World article. Mr. Ames taped a greeting to be used on international Web sites. The LYC Adventure Camp in Wyoming went very well, and the North Carolina Pre-Teen camp is going smoothly. Mr. Gary Ehman reports that responses to mail, e-mails and phone calls by the Personal Correspondence Department continue to be high. Initial responses to the Tomorrow's World television program that is now being aired in Kenya and Central Africa are encouraging, and so are the new broadcast opportunities in the French Caribbean and in South America (see announcements below). Mr. George Schaubeck, our elder in Costa Rica, will be making a first visit to Cuba in the coming week. Your prayers for God's Work and for God's people are much appreciated.—DSW
Church Administration
French Update: TV Station in Guadeloupe
For a long time, we had few new contacts in the French West Indies, but when Le Monde de Demain went on the air in early April of this year, people from Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, St. Martin, Marie-Galante and even from continental France have called, written and gone online to request literature. Eleven people from Guadeloupe and others from Martinique and mainland France have inquired about a local congregation. On June 27, I was in Guadeloupe for Sabbath Services and attendance was 22 (average attendance is nine). The visitors included adults and teens and a long-time Church member who did not agree with the changes in WCG but did not know that the Work was continuing in Guadeloupe. It has been a very positive first television season!—Etienne Duval
Caribbean Update: Visit to Guyana and Brazil
At the end of June and beginning of July, I visited congregations and brethren in Guyana and Brazil, holding Sabbath services and Bible Studies, doing baptismal counselling, training local leadership and making preparations for the Feast of Tabernacles. A couple in whose house the Brazilian congregation of Bon Fim meets every Sabbath met me in Guyana. The brethren in their area are generally doing well but experiencing tough economic times. Mr. Alfred, our elder from Guyana, travelled with me to visit the village of Moscou, Brazil. The Church ladies there had prepared a lunch for us and the host of that congregation, Mr. da Silva, showed us the improvements that have been made to the meeting hall since we were last there. Several of us walked to a farm managed by the local brethren. Their cash crop is cassava (manioc, tapioca) which they grate, dry, roast and sell as "farine." At the time of my visit, the price for this product had dropped to about one-third normal levels, so the brethren have opted to wait a while to harvest the cassava. The brethren in this area are holding firm despite the challenges they face. They are grateful to be called by God into the knowledge of His Truth and they are faithful in their support of the Work. Mr. da Silva provides very good leadership and they respect him very much. Prayers for our brethren here will be much appreciated and they continue to pray for you.—Damian Weekes
Spanish Update: Upcoming Visit to the Island of Cuba
For the first time we have scheduled a ministerial visit to subscribers of El Mundo de Mañana on the island of Cuba. Some weeks ago, 82 letters were sent to subscribers to let them know of our trip and so far there have been more than 18 responses. We plan to leave Costa Rica on July 16 and travel to Havana, where we will make visits and hold Sabbath Services. On Sunday, July 19, we are to begin travelling through the island, to Matanzas, San Nicolás de Bari, Villa Clara, Jatibonico in Sancti Spíritus, Nuevitas, Camagüey and ending in the city of Santiago. On Friday, July 24, we plan to return to Havana to make other visits and again hold services on the Sabbath. On Sunday, July 26, we are to return to Costa Rica. We will be grateful for all the brethren's fervent prayers for a successful trip, and fruit as God provides. We are thankful with all of our hearts for the privilege of making this trip to visit people who are interested in the Truth of God.—George and Juanita Schaubeck
Tomorrow's World Reaching the End of the Earth!—Repeat Announcement
Beginning July 5, we started preaching the Gospel on radio in the southernmost city on earth: Puerto Williams, Chile, located on one of the last islands in the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. El Mundo de Mañana is broadcast on Sunday mornings from 10:00 to 11:00 and is heard on other nearby islands as well. The first programs aired were "Prophetic Trends for 2015" and "Overcoming Stress," both by Mr. Richard Ames. The radio station manager said she gladly opened the door for our program because people need to hear a message of hope that promotes good values and respect for God.
"For so the Lord has commanded us: 'I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.' Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed" (Acts 13:47-48).—Armando Orrego
Feast of Tabernacles
Activity Registration and Payment Now Open
All LCG members and guests attending the Feast of Tabernacles can now register and even pay for activities at their respective Feast sites, via their MyLCG account, through the Festival Web site. Just go to www.lcg.org, and click on the link "Feast of Tabernacles." Your activity registration is a great help to the Festival site coordinators because it gives them an estimate of how many people to prepare for at each activity.
Living University
Registration for First (Fall) Semester
Registration for first semester classes is now underway and classes will begin August 17. Students may register anytime before the start of classes. Those who have never taken a Living University course will need to enroll in the University first, and then register for selected courses. A complete listing of the "Fall 2015 Class Schedule" (Spring in the Southern hemisphere) can be viewed on the Living University Web site. 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. The following are brief descriptions of some of the 20 classes being offered next semester. Over the next month, we plan to share an overview of our courses in The World Ahead, so be sure to watch for them.
THL 332—The Biblical Text: This in-depth course deals with proving the authority, inspiration, canonization, literary unity, and textual criticism of the Bible. Emphasis is on Bible translations, versions, textual analysis, exegesis, and research. Students taking this course will have a much firmer grasp of the validity of the Bible and be able to defend that validity more convincingly. This course is part of the Certificate of New Testament Studies program as well as the diploma and degree programs.
ENGL 261—World Literature I: This course introduces selected works from the Pacific, Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas and the Bible, from their literary beginnings through the seventeenth century. Seminal works reviewed in this course have powerfully impacted society, government, religion, and much of Western thought. Emphasis is placed on historical background, cultural context, and literary analysis of selected prose, poetry, and drama. A review of these works will give the student greater insight into why the world is what it is today! Required for the Bachelor and Associate degree programs.
EDUC 345—Early Childhood Education in the Church: This course is ideal for those wanting to become parents at some point, those who are parents, or grandparents. It deals with the influence of Christian family relationships on child development. Emphasis is placed on basic principles and skills for parent effectiveness, the developing nature and needs of children, and how they learn. It reviews major areas of child growth and development and effective Christian parenting.
Comments
What Does God Require? What does God look for in those He calls? What has God always looked for? God told Abraham, "Walk before Me and be blameless" (Genesis 17:1), and Abraham was blessed for keeping God's commandments (Genesis 26:5). God told the Israelites that He wanted them to fear Him, to love Him, to walk in all His ways and keep His commandments (Deuteronomy 10:12-13). Solomon wrote that God looks for kindness (Proverbs 19:22), and Isaiah states that God looks for a humble and repentant spirit in people who "tremble at My word" (Isaiah 66:2). Micah reveals that God requires us to "do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly" before Him (Micah 6:8). Jesus continued this same theme urging His disciples to "be perfect [to become spiritually mature and blameless], just as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48). Jesus also told His disciples, "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). The commandments of God show us how to love God and how to love our neighbors (Matthew 22:37-40). The book of Revelation reveals that at the end of the age, God's people will still "keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (Revelation 12:17), because this is what God requires and this is the way to a better life (Deuteronomy 28:1-2).
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—July 16, 2015
USA the "Biggest" Spanish-Speaking Nation by 2050: "The United States is now the world's second largest Spanish-speaking country after Mexico, according to a new study published by the prestigious Instituto Cervantes… there are 41 million native Spanish speakers in the US plus a further 11.6 million who are bilingual, mainly the children of Spanish-speaking immigrants. This puts the US ahead of Colombia (48 million) and Spain (46 million) and second only to Mexico (121 million)" (The Guardian, June 29, 2015). The report cited "the US Census Office which estimates that the US will have 138 million Spanish speakers by 2050, making it the biggest Spanish-speaking nation on Earth, with Spanish the mother tongue of almost a third of its citizens" (ibid.). The United States has long been a nation of immigrants and owes much of its success to the diversity and drive of its citizens. Over the centuries, a common vision, common biblical morals, and a common language tied the nation together. But, the U.S. has become more divided religiously, morally, culturally and linguistically in recent decades. The Israelite portion of the U.S. population has declined as the Gentile portion has increased, as the Bible has long prophesied. God warned that because of Israel's sins, "The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail" (Deuteronomy 28:43-44). This trend will increase and will impact social conditions and national priorities. To understand why this is happening, be sure to read The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy.
Catholic and Orthodox Unity: "Pope Francis told a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople that the restoration of 'full, visible communion' between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox churches 'represents one of my main concerns, for which I do not cease to pray to God'" (CatholicCulture.org, June 29, 2015). The pope continued, "It is my desire that we may be able to face, in truth but also with a fraternal spirit, the difficulties which still exist… In this way, I wish also to renew my support for the important work of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church" (ibid.). History and Bible prophecy reveal that the Catholic church is the "mother church" of not only the Orthodox church but also the Protestant churches (Revelation 17:5). The church of Rome will continue her efforts to bring her wayward "daughters" back under her wings. As this trend continues and the Roman church gains political power and international respect, it will eventually astound the world with miraculous signs and wonders, while it supports a coming European Beast Power (Revelation 13:11-18). For more information on this emerging world church, read "Who Is the Harlot of Revelation 17?"
Cure for Powerless Teachers: "A generation of adults who grew up uncomfortable asserting authority over children has produced teachers who have never learnt to control a classroom, a government adviser says. New teachers often have not been taught basic techniques for managing pupils' behaviour because they were trained by people who were themselves uncertain how to go about it" (The Times, June 17, 2015). "Many adults from the 1960s onwards have, understandably and rightly, questioned the relationship between adults and children and the right to be so prescriptive and authoritarian. Sadly, that necessary process of re-evaluation has led to a disintegration of an understanding of when adults do need to be adults" (ibid.). Today's philosophy of teaching is so removed from reality that many teachers have forgotten that they are the adults who are in charge and who actually know what is best for the children they teach! In many classrooms today, children are actually allowed to be the "oppressors," just as Isaiah prophesied they would be at the end of the age (Isaiah 3:12). However, all this is going to change when Jesus Christ returns to establish the Kingdom of God. Isaiah also prophesied, "Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, but your eyes shall see your teachers. Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it'" (Isaiah 30:20-21). Children are a blessing from God (Psalm 127:3) and need to be guided in the right way. They are unable to know right and wrong unless they are taught. To learn how to raise children God's way, be sure to read Successful Parenting: God's Way.—Scott Winnail, Francine Prater and Sue Bennett