Greetings from Charlotte,
The recent violence in Paris has now been followed in Germany with attacks by young immigrants on German citizens celebrating New Year's eve. The wave of more than a million immigrants surging into Europe has led Nordic countries to set up border checkpoints, which is a reversal of free movement policies within the EU. These and other events are fostering speculation that the EU may collapse. The days ahead could be very interesting in terms of Bible prophecy. Here in Charlotte, Dr. Meredith has been conducting meetings and working on a new Tomorrow's World article. Mr. Bob Rodzaj, our Pastor in New Mexico, and his wife are visiting the office this week. This Sabbath we have a number of Charlotte-based ministers traveling to outlying congregations. Living University classes for the coming semester will begin this coming Wednesday (see announcement below).—DSW
Church Administration
Passover 2016
Important Notice to All Pastors: In 2016, the Passover Service will be observed on Thursday evening, April 21. Please let us know as soon as possible if any of the congregations you serve will need additional Passover Service supplies (bread trays and/or wine trays or glasses) or a copy of the Passover Service recording and letter instructions (available in English, French and Spanish). The Passover Service recording is the 2015 recording given by Mr. Ken Frank. To ensure timely delivery and to save on shipping costs, we need this information before February 21 for international congregations, and by March 21 for U.S. congregations.
Also, please let us know of any scattered members who are unable to keep the Passover with a congregation and who need to receive the Passover Service recording and letter instructions for observing it at home. International requests should be received before February 21 and U.S. requests before March 21. Please direct your requests to the Church Administration Department at [email protected] as soon as possible.
New Booklet: Is Christmas Christian?—Repeat Announcement
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.
Living Youth Program
Online Teen Bible Study Friday Evenings Resumed with New Password
The online Teen Bible Study on Friday evening, January 15, will be on "What Is Real Repentance?," presented by Mr. Sheldon Monson. If you haven't had the opportunity to join us for one of the online Bible Studies yet, we 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. (Eastern time) 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, including last evening's on, "What It Means To Be 'Born Again,'" can also be found on the Living Youth Web site.
We have begun using a new password for access to the live online Living Youth Program Teen Bible Studies, as well as the archives. Most of our regular viewers know what the new password is, 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.
Living University
Registration for Second Semester—Classes Begin Wednesday!
There are just a few days left before classes start back on Wednesday, January 13! It is important to register for classes and order textbooks as soon as possible so that textbooks 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 course. This semester, along with many of our traditional spring classes, we will be offering one completely new course. 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, contact Assistant Registrar Mrs. Michelle Broussard at [email protected] or 704-708-2294.
Call for On-Campus Students (U.S. only at this time)
For those seeking a unique and exciting learning opportunity, LU is now accepting applications for full-time students to study on campus in Charlotte, beginning in the fall of 2016. On-campus students experience special opportunities beyond online study. Students meet for weekly discussions with many of their professors, including Dr. Germano, Mr. Ames, Drs. Douglas and Scott Winnail, Mr. Ken Frank, Mr. Peter Nathan and Mr. Jerry Ruddlesden. Weekly assemblies are presented by many Church leaders based in Charlotte and around the world. Monthly student outings and other social activities are planned. Students also participate in congregational opportunities unique to the Charlotte congregation and Headquarters, including Spokesman Club, Singles' Bible Studies, Outreach activities, service during Council of Elders and Ministerial Conferences, and much more.
University housing is available for both male and female students. Most of our on-campus students also participate in our "work-study" program—working part-time in different departments throughout the Work and the University. Student work-study helps defray most living costs.
Application to the on-campus program can be made online through the University Web site (www.livinguniv.com). Additional details and requirements can be found online, including an estimate of costs associated with on-campus study. If you are interested in on-campus LU study and have questions, please contact us. At this time we can only accept on-campus students who are legal residents of the U.S. Our hope is to expand this opportunity to international students in future years. Students interested should plan to complete their applications by February 2016. Those with no previous college should submit college entrance test scores (ACT or SAT) along with other application materials. You can find out more about these exams through a local high school guidance counselor or local community college or university testing service. Home-schooled students are also encouraged to apply. If you have questions about on-campus study or to find out more, please contact Dr. Scott Winnail at 704-708-2292 or [email protected].
Comments
Staying Focused: Jesus admonished His disciples to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" (Matthew 6:33). However, the pressures and temptations of this world continue to pull us away from that focus of seeking God and building the character to be in His Kingdom. Jesus also warned that "the cares of this world" can choke the Truth and cause us to become unfruitful and miss out on our calling (Matthew 13:22). This is why the Apostle Paul advised Christians to "walk circumspectly" (live purposefully) and to make the most of the time and opportunities to grow "because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:15-16). This is why we need to periodically "check our focus"—what are we watching on TV? What are we reading? How much time do we spend texting and on the Internet? Are we acting and treating others like a Christian should? We all need to ask ourselves periodically if we are using our time and talents to glorify God or just to do our "own thing"? Let's follow these biblical admonitions and focus our minds on what is true, noble, right and pure (Philippians 4:8) so we can be in the Kingdom of God.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—January 7, 2016
Pope Francis Awarded Charlemagne Prize: Pope Francis recently received the Charlemagne Prize, awarded to the "outstanding contributor to the modern cause of European unity" (The Economist, December 27, 2015). "He is the first non-European pope in 1,300 years. He views the world from the perspective of the global South… But the selectors are adamant that Pope Francis, more than anybody else, has breathed new life into the construction of Europe at a time when that effort was sagging" (ibid.). Along with his efforts to unify Europe, the pope has elevated the Vatican's role in international politics and he helped thaw U.S.-Cuban relations (Time, December 17, 2014). Francis is "the first pope to address a joint meeting of Congress" (New York Times, September 24, 2015), and he pushed for "a greater diplomatic role in the Middle East" by signing a treaty recognizing Palestine as a state (Reuters, January 2, 2016). Bible prophecy has long foretold that a prominent religious leader will directly influence an end-time European superpower (Revelation 13:4, 11-17; 20:10). This figure, backed by Satan, will use powerful miracles to lead the world away from the true God (2 Thessalonians 2:3-12). The actions of the current pope are setting the stage for a religious-led world power that will dominate world affairs like never before. For more about this coming religious figure, watch our powerful telecast, "Who Is the Prophesied 'Man of Sin'?"
Worldwide Flooding and Famine: "Thousands of homes in the north of England have been affected by severe flooding, some for the second or even third time in the past few years. In South America, where El Niño flooding has been responsible for at least eight deaths, more than 144,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in Paraguay, at least 20,000 in Argentina and several thousand in Uruguay and southern Brazil" (The Guardian, December 28, 2015). In America, "At least 28 people have died in the U.S. Midwest since the weekend in the rare winter floods, mostly from driving into flooded areas after storms dropped up to 12 inches (30 cm) of rain" (Reuters, December 31, 2015). However, parts of Africa are facing famine due to the lack of rain. "More than a third of South Sudan's population are classified as 'severely food and nutrition insecure,' an 80 percent increase compared to 2014" (Al Jazeera, December 25, 2015). Bible prophecies warn that disobedience to God will bring serious results. God warned that at the end of the age "I made it rain on one city, I withheld rain from another city. One part was rained upon, and where it did not rain the part withered" (Amos 4:7). While these curses were pronounced primarily on the Israelite nations, others who disobey will suffer from the weather extremes that God has prophesied. What we are seeing today is just "the beginning of sorrows" that will precede the return of Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:3-8). For more on prophesied weather changes, read Who Controls the Weather?
Irish Origins, DNA and the Bible! New Irish DNA research shows that more than 4,000 years ago, ancestors of the Irish came from the Middle East by way of Spain. They also came from Russia and the Ukraine (BBC, December 28, 2015). "The ancestors of the Stone Age farmers began their journey in the Bible lands, where agriculture first began, and arrived in Ireland perhaps via the southern Mediterranean... These settlers were followed by people, initially from the Pontic steppe of southern Russia, who knew how to mine for copper and work with gold, and who carried the genetic variant for a blood disorder called haemochromatosis, a hereditary genetic condition so common in Ireland that it is sometimes called Celtic disease. These people also brought with them the inherited variation that permits the digestion of milk in maturity" (The Guardian, December 28, 2015). The Bible, oral traditions and historical sources indicate the Israelite tribes migrated from these same regions and along the same routes at a later date. The Apostle Paul's mission to reach Israelites (Acts 9:15) took him to Spain (Romans 15:24-28) and to Britain, Peter sent letters to Israelites in Asia Minor/Turkey (1 Peter 1:1) and Andrew went to Scythia where the Scots claim to have originated. Irish legends claim their ancestors came from the Eastern Mediterranean. Modern genetic research is shedding an interesting light on the origins of people in the Western Isles. For more on this fascinating subject, read The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy and consider taking the Living University course THL 215–The Lost Tribes of Israel in History and Prophecy.—Scott Winnail, Justin Ridgeway, Francine Prater, Chris Sookdeo, Dan Bennett and V. G. Lardé