Greetings from Charlotte,
The March/April Tomorrow's World has now gone to the printers and will be coming out shortly. This issue is expanded by four pages to make room for Dr. Meredith's first installment on the Protestant Reformation. We hope all of you will read this eye-opening series as it is clearly one of the most important statements ever written on the subject. The semi-annual letter that went out in December continues to bring in responses. So far, we have more than 38,500 individual requests for the DVD "A Culture in Crisis." As all of you long-time members know, we usually have at least one Church-wide fast during the year. The subject came up at one of our executive luncheons and Dr. Meredith immediately agreed that this is something we should do. Our time to finish this Work is limited and we can never finish the Work on our own strength. It behooves us to truly draw closer to God the Father and Jesus Christ. Heart-felt fasting with the correct motivation is the greatest tool we have for doing so. Therefore, we have set aside the Sabbath of March 18 for a Church-wide fast to draw closer to God as our world becomes more and more divided and storm clouds rise higher on the horizon. We will have more information regarding this subject in subsequent weeks.—GEW
Church Administration
Ministerial Visit to Vanuatu and New Caledonia
On January 12, Australasian Regional Director Robert Tyler embarked on his first visit to the brethren in Vanuatu and New Caledonia. I accompanied him, and Vanuatu pastor Jerry Sam joined us throughout our time there, which was very helpful. We visited three different islands of Vanuatu, and at each stop were met with warm and joyous brethren eager to meet their new regional director. The brethren had a very good working relationship with Mr. Bruce Tyler and were anxious to continue that with his son. On the island of Santo, Mr. Tyler performed a wedding at a gathering of around 120 people and the next day we performed the baptisms of the newlyweds. At one stop, a man who is attending with another group also met with us. On Sabbaths, we had morning services with an encouraging sermon by Mr. Tyler followed by a shared meal and much fellowship with the brethren, then a lively Q&A session. The questions focused on Christian living and showed the dedication and commitment of the brethren to please God in every aspect of their lives. We also visited a local radio station where the audio portion of the Tomorrow's World program is aired. The station manager expressed her commitment to our program, which opens with an excellent recorded introduction made by one of the members.
On Sunday, January 22, we flew on to New Caledonia. The only members in this French territory, a lady and her niece (both of whom speak English), met us at the airport. We had a wonderful evening with them and their extended family, some of whom are interested in joining us. We shared a meal and discussed Church doctrine and beliefs. Mr. Tyler showed them how to access the French LCG Web site and they were keen to check it out. They have all eagerly enrolled in the Tomorrow's World Bible Study Course for further understanding.
We returned to Australia on January 26, encouraged by the meetings with the brethren. Although they are isolated, they are very keen to learn and to change. God grant them the courage and perseverance to achieve this.—Graeme Hemphill
Upcoming Northeast Region Activities
Over the spring and summer, three major church activities will be conducted in the Northeast Region.
Spring Holy Days Family Weekend: In the heart of the Catskills, the Frost Valley YMCA Camp will again host our Spring Holy Day Family Weekend. Arrival will be the afternoon of Friday, April 14. We'll spend the Sabbath, Sunday and Monday (Last Day of Unleavened Bread) enjoying "extreme fellowship" together. Our goal is to learn more about living the "better way" that God has revealed to us through the examples in the Bible and the instructions that He has given us. Everything from the Bible Studies, music, focus meetings, and activities will reinforce that "better way" that we'll learn together. For more information and to register, just go to www.nelcg.org (not an official LCG Web site) and click on the "Spring Family Weekend" tab at the top. Registration will close on March 15.
Adirondack Family Cycling Adventure: This year's Northeast outdoor family activity will be a road cycling trip in the Adirondacks! Mark your calendar for a trip to the beautiful Adirondack Mountains to join us from June 25 through July 2. For more information and registration, look for another announcement next week.
Northeast Men's Training Camp: Once again, we'll be conducting our Men's Training Camp in New Hope, Pennsylvania this summer. The dates for this activity are August 18-20. Registration will begin next month.—Jonathan McNair
Charlotte BRiC Weekend (Memorial Day Weekend) – An Opportunity for Singles
If you are single and would enjoy a fun, easy, relaxing opportunity to meet, fellowship, and build relationships with like-minded individuals, then join us in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the BRiC (Building Relationships in Christ) Weekend over the Memorial Day Weekend! This year's BRiC Weekend will take place May 26–29. There will be Bible studies, BRiC Talks, activities, dancing, food, fun, and fellowship. We do hope you will be able to come! Details concerning registration will be made available shortly. If you have any questions regarding the weekend, then please contact Jacob Hall ([email protected]) for more information.
Canadian Family Civic Weekend—August 4-7
Be sure to mark your calendars! Brethren of all ages are welcome at the Canadian Family Civic Weekend (CFCW) from Friday, August 4, through Monday, August 7. In addition to activities mentioned in earlier announcements, come test your wits in our Bible Family Feud game. Bring your family team of five or adopt spiritual family members, as we come together in the brotherly feud. There will be character-building seminars for all ages: married, singles, mature singles and teens. Exciting children's activities are planned for during the seminars.
You can fill out an Interest Form at http://eepurl.com/cuCbOn (not an official LCG Web site). The ticket price covering all the activities is $80 ($60 USD) and children under age four are free. Many hotels are available in the area. Please respond quickly as the weekend will be capped at 200 people. Registering early will enable us to decide on venue sizes and food quantities, and also make it easier for us to relay any updates as they are available. Please visit and like the Facebook group "Canadian Family Civic Weekend" (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1334829609860491/) (not an official LCG Facebook page). More information is still to come. If you have any questions, please contact Timothy Dranov at [email protected].—Michael Heykoop
Passover 2017—Repeat Announcement
Important Notice to All Pastors: In 2017, the Passover Service will be observed on Sunday evening, April 9. 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 for 2017 has been made by Mr. Peter Nathan. To ensure timely delivery and to save on shipping costs, we need this information before Monday, February 13 for international congregations, and by March 13 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 Monday, February 13and U.S. requests before March 13. Please direct your requests to the Church Administration Department at [email protected] as soon as possible.
Feast of Tabernacles
Feast of Tabernacles Planning Meetings
This week in the Festival Office, almost twenty Festival Site Coordinators from all over North America and around the world took part in online meetings. It was exciting to connect around the world! We discussed preparation for Festival Registration—more news about Registration will be coming soon! We also discussed the Festival Web site, and the Internet Department gave tips on how to upload and edit material about the individual sites. This week we also sent out a "Site Preference Survey" e-mail to all the ministry. This survey is important as we begin to make assignments for the Feast of Tabernacles 2017. All pastors and elders are requested to fill out the survey by Friday, February 19. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to call the office, or write to [email protected].
2017 Festival Advisor Survey
Pastors: All Area Pastors around the world should have received a request to confirm or update the Festival Advisors for each of their congregations. We need this information by Monday, February 13in order to set up the Festival Registration system for the Feast of Tabernacles. Thank you to all the pastors who have already responded! If you are an Area Pastor and have not received this e-mail, please contact the Festival office at [email protected].
2017 Festival Service Survey
Pastors: This week, Headquarters sent out an e-mail to Area Pastors, asking them to recommend individuals in their areas to serve at the Feast. Service areas include sermonettes, song-leading, piano accompaniment, choir director, special music, etc. Please send your recommendations by Wednesday, February 22. This information helps Headquarters and the Festival Site Coordinators to fill assignments and schedules for all the Feast sites.
Living Youth Program
Friday Evening Online Teen Bible Study
The online Teen Bible Study on Friday evening, February 17, will be on "A New Beginning!" This is Lesson 32 of the Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course. If you haven't had the opportunity to join us for one of the online Bible Studies, 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 find instructions for joining the Bible Study and also access it 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 "The Last Great Day—God's Master Plan Completed!, Part II," can be found on the Living Youth Web site.—Sheldon Monson
Adventure Camp 2017—Mount Rainier National Park
At 14,410 feet above sea level, Mount Rainier, a stratovolcano, stands as an icon in the Washington landscape. It is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous U.S.A., spawning six major rivers. Towering over the heart of the Cascade Range, this mighty mountain is viewable from nearly every corner of the state. The 236,381-acre park encompasses more than 300 lakes and more than 100 waterfalls! From deep old-growth forests in low valley bottoms to the frosty summit of the peak, you will experience a variety of terrain, including wildflower meadows that John Muir called the most superb subalpine gardens he'd ever encountered. After spending five days in the backcountry, we'll raft the White Salmon River, which offers some of the best class III-IV rapids in the west (including rapids like S-turn, Top-Drop, The Flume, Bomber's Drop and more)! The water is clear and the rapids are big and numerous. This is an Adventure Trip you will not want to miss! This camp will fill up fast so you must register by March 1. Tuition is $450 per person and will be due not later than the month of April. For more information and details on the camp, and to register to attend, please visit https://camp.livingyouth.org.
Dates:
Staff and Camper Arrival: Tuesday, August 1, 2017 (no later than 5:00 p.m.)
Camper and Staff Departure: Thursday, August 10, 2017 (no later than noon)
United States Summer Camps 2017—Repeat Announcement
Camp registration for all U.S. Camps will begin on Sunday, February 12, 2017. You can register at https://camp.livingyouth.org, as well as find more information and details on the camps. The dates for each camp are as follows:
Teen Camps:
Texas Teen Camp (July 10–23) Camp Director: Sheldon Monson
Adventure Camp (August 1–10) Camp Director: Sheldon Monson
Preteen Camps:
North Carolina Preteen Camp (June 11–16) Camp Director: Mark Sandor
Missouri Preteen Camp (July 2–7) Camp Director: Gene Hilgenberg
Texas Preteen Camp (July 24–30) Camp Director: Jason Fritts
Contributions to Funds—Repeat Announcement
Thank you for contributing to the Morgan Montgomery Fund: We would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the Morgan Montgomery Fund! Your contributions have helped many attend camp who would not otherwise have had the opportunity. Most recently this fund provided scholarships for 5 young people to attend the summer camp program in New Zealand.
Thank you to those who have sent donations to the Youth Fund: We would like to thank all those who have donated money to the Youth Program over the past year! We will endeavor to provide the best possible camp experience for everyone attending any Living Church of God Youth Camp. It is our goal to run the best camps on the planet! Thank you!
Internet
Introducing Tomorrow's World Viewpoint—Repeat Announcement
Recently Mr. Weston referred to some new innovations that will hopefully reach audiences that we have traditionally not impacted. Thus we are pleased to have launched our new YouTube channel—Tomorrow's World Viewpoint—with 4 Viewpoint videos now loaded, as well as a short promotional video explaining the purpose of the channel. With the world around us changing rapidly, many are concerned about trends they see in their day-to-day lives. Viewpoint seeks to answer many of these questions, as well as to cause viewers to question and examine the motives behind some of these trends. To view these videos, you can visit either of the Church's Canadian Web pages (www.lcgCanada.org or www.twCanada.org) and click on the link for "Viewpoint." If you find these videos profitable, we encourage you to subscribe to the YouTube channel and to share the videos through social media.—Stuart Wachowicz
Living University
Call for On-Campus Students in Charlotte: For those seeking a unique and exciting learning opportunity, LU is now accepting applications for full-time students to study on campus in Charlotte, North Carolina beginning in the fall of 2017. Note: Tuition rates for the 2017-2018 academic year will be lowered by roughly one-third, resulting in a cost savings for on-campus students of up to $1,000! On-campus students experience special opportunities beyond online study. Students meet for weekly discussion classes with many of their professors, including Dr. Germano, Mr. Ames, Drs. Douglas and Scott Winnail, Mr. Ken Frank, Mr. Peter Nathan, Mr. Wyatt Ciesielka, and Mr. Jerry Ruddlesden. Weekly Assemblies are delivered by many of the Church leaders based in Charlotte and around the world. Monthly student outings and other social activities are planned and 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). Student 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 Living 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 also be found online, as can 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, as God allows. Interested students should begin their online applications by the end of February 2017. Those with no previous college should submit college entrance test scores (ACT or SAT) along with other application materials and should plan to take that examination as soon as possible. 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
Where Is Your Heart? The Scriptures reveal that God looks on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7) and that He examines and tests our hearts and minds (Psalm 7:9)—because "a man's heart reveals the man" (Proverbs 27:19). Our priorities—what we think about and what we do or plan to do—reveal what is truly in our heart. This is why Jesus said "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33). When God sees that our priorities are focused in the right direction, He will also provide many of our personal desires (Mark 10:29-30)—in His way and in His time. Setting right priorities is important when we strive to follow the biblical admonition to do whatever we do with all our might (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Jesus exemplified these principles in His own life. He was a mission-oriented person who told His disciples, "My food [consuming desire] is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work" (John 4:34). Jesus was totally focused on His mission of preaching the Gospel, warning the world and preparing a people to reign with Him in the coming Kingdom of God. Regarding priorities, Jesus taught, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21). Jesus' time, talents and resources were totally committed to His mission. He was not drawn off course by trials, temptations or the "cares of this world" (Matthew 13:18-23). Jesus' heart was in the Work of God! We need to periodically examine our priorities and ask the question of ourselves, "Where is our heart?"
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—February 9, 2017
Deadly Impact of Brazil's Recession: "Brazil's president on Monday ordered 200 troops to the southeastern state of Espirito Santo, where a police strike in recent days sparked a wave of violence including what is already believed to be dozens of murders. [The stoppage over wages] in a state struggling with a budget shortfall is the latest example of how depleted public finances, amid Brazil's worst recession on record, are crippling even basic health services, education and security in some states" (Reuters, February 6, 2017). Brazil is one of many floundering democracies. For nearly 200 years, Western democracies have been the status quo in many parts of the world. Many philosophers and other observers have suggested that human governments follow cycles, such as moving from monarchy to aristocracy to democracy to anarchy and then to dictatorship. Historians Will and Ariel Durant concluded that democracies are "hectic interludes" between other, more stable, forms of government, and they are "the most difficult of all forms of government" (The Lessons of History, pp. 69, 77). The Durants observed that if modern democracies falter, "the road to dictatorship will be open to any man who can persuasively promise security to all" (ibid., pp. 79-80). The world is changing, and once-strong democracies are struggling with economic, military, safety and other challenges. Bible prophecy reveals that even the political landscape in democratic Europe will revert back to some type of dictatorship before the end of the age (Revelation 13:1-9; 17:1-14). To understand why today's democracies are in such turmoil, be sure to read "The Future of Democracy."
Iran's Growing Belligerence: Iran is testing the waters with the new American President. "Iran conducted its first ballistic missile test under Donald Trump's presidency… U.N. resolution 2231—put in place days after the Iran nuclear deal was signed—calls on the Islamic Republic not to conduct such tests. However, this is at least Iran's second such test since July" (Fox News, January 30, 2017). President Trump slapped new sanctions on Iran, and, in response, "Iranian Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri cautioned that the 'ultimate losers' were those who employed the 'language of force' against the Islamic Republic" (Times of Israel, February 7, 2017). In addition, Iran's Supreme Leader voiced his gratefulness to President Trump "for showing 'the true face of the U.S.' Khamenei told a gathering of Iran's air force commanders in Tehran that the new U.S. administration has shown the world 'the depth of corruption in U.S. government'" (CNN, February 7, 2017). Iran's actions are also of concern to Israel. The Israeli prime minister has stressed "the need for a common front... against Iran's defiant aggression... [and] in light of Iran's defiance against the international order" (The Guardian, February 5, 2017). Historically, when ancient Israel or Judah turned from God, their adversaries increased (1 Kings 11:9, 14, 23). Today in the USA, UK, and Israel, where breaking and despising God's laws is celebrated, it should be no surprise that Iran and other nations are directly challenging America's global role. For more, read "The Demise of the West."
Weather Extremes in New Zealand: January brought record-setting summer weather to New Zealand. In the eastern parts of the country, extreme drought is causing problems. Yet, in the west of the South Island, rainfall has been more than double what is typical, and the flooding rains are causing problems for farmers and leaving damaged and water-logged pastures. Dry conditions in the east are rivaling or breaking records that have stood for 100 years (New Zealand Herald, January 31, 2017). From an agricultural perspective, predictable and stable rains are a key to successful farming. God told ancient Israel and its modern descendants today (like New Zealand) that if they would obey Him, He would open the treasure of the heavens "to give the rain to your land in its season" (Deuteronomy 28:12). Yet God also warned that if they disobeyed Him, He would curse them "with scorching, and with mildew" (v. 22). God also prophesied through Amos that He would allow it to rain on one city in the land, while He caused another city to wither—just as New Zealand is experiencing today (Amos 4:7). God wants to bless all peoples made in His image and He gives an incredible vision of a future time when peoples and nations obey Him and reap the abundant blessings of rain in due season and no more drought. To learn more about this future time of agricultural abundance due to obedience to God's laws, read The World Ahead: What Will It Be Like?—Scott Winnail, Francine Prater, and Justin Ridgeway