Greetings from Charlotte,
We are receiving many positive comments about the special Sabbath service and Dr. Meredith's message that was streamed around the world last weekend. The Charlotte Family Weekend included seminars, Bible studies, the Sabbath service and other activities that were enjoyed by more than 800 people. However, winter storms that included tornados, heavy snow, rains and flooding created difficult situations for many across the central portion of the United States. This week, we are winding up the calendar year and looking ahead to 2016. On the world scene, the coming year could be a year of momentous events in terms of global weather events, terrorist activities and economic situations. The Middle East could explode, more problems could emerge in Europe and the United States will elect a new leader. As ominous events continue to dominate the news, we need to pray that God will bless and guide His Work so we can have an even greater impact on this world with the positive news about the coming Kingdom of God.—DSW
Church Administration
"Meet the Living Church of God" Sabbath Service Live over the Internet
More than 800 enthusiastic audience members in Charlotte were joined by well more than 7,000 others from all around the world to watch the special "Meet the Living Church of God" Sabbath service and sermon by Dr. Meredith. The live event was also simultaneously translated into French and Spanish, and the recordings can now be found by clicking on the banners on the www.TomorrowsWorld.org Web site; or for French, www.mondedemain.org. We received many positive comments from Africa to Canada, across the United States and Europe, from the Caribbean and Latin America and elsewhere. A viewer from Australia wrote, "My husband and myself from Australia have just been viewing the live stream message this morning. A very good message from Roderick C. Meredith and the Living Church of God. It was a very thorough and clear message that we much need." And from Germany, a viewer wrote "Fantastic job. The transmission came through perfectly in all three languages!" Based on local attendance, the many LCG congregations which were able to "connect live," pre-event registrations and Internet connection counts, we estimate that about 8,000 people viewed this live Sabbath service, of which about 3,800 were members and more than 4,000 were guests.—Wyatt Ciesielka
An Update on the St. Louis Flood
Three major Interstates in St. Louis are closed (I-44, I-55, I-270). The Meramec River continues to crest while, as of this writing, the Mississippi is expected to reach 13 feet above flood stage. Authorities are telling people not to travel if they don't have to. The flooding has prompted the evacuations of hundreds in Missouri and Illinois and at least 20 people are reported dead. The three day total of 9-11 inches of rain reaches from southwest to east central Missouri. This is being called the second worst flood since 1993 and flooding of the middle and lower Mississippi River will touch winter records set in the mid-1800s. None of the brethren in the area have been directly affected, though some will have difficulty in travel as so many side roads remain flooded. Dozens of levees in the area are questionable since the ground was already saturated before these recent rains. Prayers are essential.—Richard Franz
New Booklet: Is Christmas Christian?
We want to let everyone know that the new booklet, Is Christmas Christian?, will be mailed to all LCG brethren, but not right away. The reason for the delay is that we plan to produce a slightly updated version soon. The updated version will include a reference to an almost-finished booklet on the topic of Easter, and other material. Brethren will automatically receive the updated version in a few months, along with the new Easter booklet.
We have enough copies of the current Is Christmas Christian? booklet to fulfill telecast response requests. Of course, any brethren who wish to have a copy of the first version may request it by calling the phone number on the telecast, just as telecast responders do.
International Regional Directors: We will be sending your Regional Offices enough copies of the first version of the Christmas booklet to fulfill telecast responses. When the updated version comes out in a few months, we will send you more. At that time, you should send a copy to all LCG brethren. As mentioned above, if any brethren want a copy of this first version, they may request it just as telecast responders do.
Sermon Transcripts—Repeat Announcement
We have recently begun to distribute transcripts of our sermons to serve the needs of our members who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. We plan to distribute one per week by e-mail and also printed copies by mail. If you are a member who is deaf or hard-of-hearing and would like to receive sermon transcripts, please notify your Area Pastor who will then send your information to the Church Administration Department ([email protected]), to be added to the distribution list. These transcripts will also eventually be posted online in the sermons section of www.lcg.org.
Living Youth Program
Online Friday Evening Teen Bible Studies To Resume with New Password
Beginning early in 2016, we will be using a new password for access to the live online Living Youth Program Teen Bible Studies, as well as the archives. We have tried to let most of our regular viewers know what the new password will be, but if you want to join Mr. Monson for the live studies and don't have it, please log in to your MyLCG account, and read the announcement there.
Online Teen Bible Studies are scheduled to resume on January 8, with Mr. Monson giving a study titled "What It Means To Be 'Born Again.'" The Bible Study runs from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. (Eastern time) and the chat room will be open for a half hour before and after the study. If you have missed any of the previous studies, archives are available on the Living Youth Web site at http://www.livingyouth.org.
Living University
Registration for Second Semester—Register Now!
There is just over one week remaining before classes start again on January 13! It is important to register for classes and order textbooks as soon as possible so that your text books arrive prior to the start of the semester. Those who have never taken a Living University course will need to enroll in the University first, and then register for your selected courses. This semester, along with many of our traditional spring semester classes, we will be offering two completely new courses. A complete listing of our exciting second semester courses can be viewed on the Living University Web site under the link "Spring 2016 Class Schedule." To make application to Living University, to register for courses, and to find out more, please visit the www.livinguniv.com Web site. For more information on our courses and programs, please contact Assistant Registrar Mrs. Michelle Broussard at [email protected] or 704-708-2294.
Comments
The Value of Hope: For many today, the future looks bleak; the world is in trouble with little hope of getting any better. Yet, having hope in the future—having something positive to look forward to—is a vital aspect of life. It has been long understood that life without hope is empty. The Bible states, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick" (Proverbs 13:12). But what is the real hope of a Christian? King David wrote, "You are my hope, O Lord GOD" and "I hope in Your word" (Psalm 71:5; 119:147). The Apostle Paul said under cross-examination before a Roman governor, "I have hope in God… believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets… that there will be a resurrection of the dead" (Acts 24:14-15). He also wrote of the hope "of eternal life… looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 1:2; 2:13). We are urged as Christians "to lay hold of the hope set before us" (Hebrews 6:18) and to "purify ourselves" so we can become "children of God" (1 John 3:1-3). With this hope in mind, we need to be "ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear" (1 Peter 3:15). We need to be motivated by that same hope today!
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—December 31, 2015
ISIS Trafficking Human Organs? According to a document obtained in a raid in Syria by U.S. Special Forces, "Islamic State has sanctioned the harvesting of human organs in a previously undisclosed ruling by the group's Islamic scholars, raising concerns that the violent extremist group may be trafficking in body parts" (Reuters, December 25, 2015). The translated report states: "The apostate's life and organs don't have to be respected and may be taken with impunity… The removal of that type is... not prohibited" (ibid.). Bible prophecies have long foretold that at the end of the age, merchants of the earth will be buying and selling all sorts of items including "bodies and souls of men" (Revelation 18:11-13). Historically, this has involved slaves; today it includes body parts. Bible prophecies also record God's anger against the people of Edom/Esau for their atrocious deeds, "For violence against your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever… as you have done, it shall be done to you" (Obadiah 8-10, 15-18; Malachi 1:2-3). Many peoples in the Middle East trace their ancestry back to the biblical character of Esau, whose modern descendants can be found among the members of ISIS. The atrocities we are seeing in the Middle East—beheadings, crucifixions and harvesting of body parts from captives—provide an insight into these prophecies and help us understand why Jesus Christ is going to return and bring justice and peace to the Middle East and to a misguided world (Isaiah 9:6-7). For more information on this topic, read our insightful article "Conflict Over the 'City of Peace.'"
Resurgence of Historic Diseases: "Victorian age" diseases such as tuberculosis, scarlet fever, scurvy and cholera, once thought to have been eradicated, are making a comeback. According to a report by the National Health Service in the UK, "there has been a 300% increase in instances of cholera in the last 5 years, a 38% rise in scurvy and 136% rise in scarlet fever" (The Times Gazette, December 26, 2015). Tuberculosis "caused more deaths during 2015 than AIDS and HIV together. This also brings into focus the importance and severity of a health crisis that is routinely overlooked" (ibid.). "'We think TB is a disease of developing countries or of days gone by, but TB is a disease of today. It certainly was a disease of yesterday, and we need to make sure that it isn't a disease of tomorrow,' noted the chair of London's Health Committee" (CNN, December 22, 2015). Jesus prophesied "pestilences" would be a sign of the end of the age (Matthew 24:7). The Bible warns that when nations turn away from God's laws, they will suffer disease outbreaks (Deuteronomy 28:21-22). These outbreaks are only a foretaste of what lies ahead. Bible prophecies indicate greater disease outbreaks will come in the form of a "pale horse" (Greek: chlóros from the similar word for cholera), which will claim the lives of one-fourth of the world's population (Revelation 6:8). However, when Jesus Christ returns, nations will be healed and the plague of disease will be eliminated (Isaiah 35:5; Revelation 22:1-3). To learn more about future global epidemics and how you can be protected, read "Coming Plagues: The Pale Horse."
Doctor Fired for Warning About Dangers of Homosexuality: In 2014 Dr. Paul Church, a urologist in Boston, was fired for comments he made about the health risks of homosexuality. "The evidence is irrefutable that behaviours common within the homosexual community are unhealthy and high risk for a host of serious medical consequences, including STD's, HIV and AIDS, anal cancer, hepatitis, parasitic intestinal infections, and psychiatric disorders… Life expectancy is significantly decreased as a result of HIV/AIDS, complications from the other health problems, and suicide. This alone should make it reprehensible to the medical community, who has an obligation to promote and model healthy behaviours and lifestyles," Dr. Church apparently wrote (Christianity Today, September 27, 2015). Dr. Church's appeal was denied earlier this year (Catholic Culture.org, September 16, 2015). For thousands of years, the Bible has warned about the dangers of sinful health practices. This is one of the reasons God promised "I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians" (Exodus 15:26). It is ironic that in medically advanced societies today it is "politically incorrect" to warn about the dangers of risky behaviors, much like it was to warn against the dangers of smoking in tobacco-growing states in the USA during the 1960s and 1970s. For more on the benefits of following the biblical laws of health, be sure to watch "Ebola Can Be Prevented."—Scott Winnail, Justin Ridgeway and Francine Prater