Greetings from Charlotte,
Dr. Meredith continues to grow weaker and your prayers for him and for his family are greatly appreciated. There is a time for everything and there are lessons to be learned by all as we come to the end of our lives. God has perfect timing and we trust His judgment. Meanwhile, Mr. Ames looks to be his old self and keeps up with his responsibilities. There is an encouraging letter below regarding what appears to be a miraculous and speedy healing. Tomorrow's World Presentations are scheduled for this Sabbath in Nashville, Tennessee; Calgary, Alberta and Guelph, Ontario. Mr. Peter Nathan returned from a very encouraging trip to Africa and we hope to receive a short report for next week's The World Ahead. This was our first full week to receive responses to our latest mid-lit offer. Approximately half-way between our two semi-annual mailings, we identify individuals who might be interested in a particular topic and offer something related. This time we offered Lessons 13-16 of the Bible Study Course, which discuss the Sabbath and Holy Days. Part of the reason for this is to reduce excess stock, but also to encourage those individuals who started the BSC and never got to these lessons. Among the 66,000 letters sent out there were also some to those individuals who showed interest in these topics, having previously ordered the Sabbath and/or Holy Day booklets. More than 2,000 responses came in this week and we expect more over the next several weeks.—Gerald Weston
Church Administration
God's Intervention for Member in Asheville, North Carolina
Mr. Ron Poole, pastor of the Asheville congregation, sent in a report from a member whose vehicle was rear-ended at an intersection. "My neck was jerked back violently. I was already in pain (a constant pain) from a similar accident about four years earlier. The other person was okay." The member's pain was quite severe and radiated down his back and stomach area and he couldn't turn his head. Arriving paramedics put on a neck brace and took him to the local hospital. He called the elder, Mr. Stan Roper, who came from some distance away and anointed him. Four CT Scans were taken. The doctor said that his brain showed signs of a recent stroke, there appeared to be a cancerous spot on his neck, and they wanted to do an MRI. A while after that test, the doctor said that the spots had disappeared so he was released from the hospital. He slept through the night pain-free and in the morning felt refreshed and was able to turn his neck without any pain, though he does have some residual pain in the lower back. However, he said, "I feel great! Praise be to the only one that can heal, our Creator and Sustainer, Jesus the Christ." Mr. Poole added that as of three days later, the man was still doing well and sleeping better than he has in some time.
Volunteer Transcriptionists Needed
We are in need of a couple of able and willing members who would like to help transcribe HQ sermons. If you would like to volunteer in this capacity, please let your area pastor know. Pastors: Please forward recommendations to [email protected].
Charlotte BRiC Weekend (Memorial Day Weekend)—An Opportunity for Singles
We are now just a few weeks away from the Charlotte Building Relationships in Christ (BRiC) Weekend! Registration is underway and many singles from all over are planning to attend. If you are single and interested in joining us for the weekend, please visit our webpage at charlottelcg.org/bric (password bric) to register. This is truly a great opportunity for singles of all ages to be together. There will be dancing, dinner, sports, and of course BRiC Talks! If you have any questions concerning the weekend, please contact Mr. Jacob Hall ([email protected]) for more information. If anyone is interested in participating in the music during the weekend—special music, accompaniment, choir, etc.—please contact Marcus McCullough ([email protected]).
Adirondack Family Cycling Adventure—Registration Deadline Approaching
For anyone interested in our Adirondack Family Cycling Trip, the deadline to register is May 15. This will be a unique opportunity for active members of all ages to cycle through the mountains and valleys of upstate New York. The trip will begin on June 25 and conclude on July 2. We will ride through a total of 300 miles of some of the most beautiful scenery in America. In addition to cyclists, we're accepting support staff applicants. Cost for the trip is $150. Don't miss the deadline! For more information and to register, just go to www.nelcg.org (not an official LCG website) and click on the "ADK Cycling Adventure" tab at the top of the page, or contact me at [email protected].—Jonathan McNair
Second Passover—Repeat Announcement
The Second Passover this year should be taken shortly after sunset on Tuesday, May 9. This Passover is for those baptized members who were unable to take the first Passover due to unavoidable circumstances. The biblical instructions regarding this ceremony are found in Numbers 9:1-4.
Pre-Engagement Counseling—Repeat Announcement
The Bible tells us that good counsel is critical for making good decisions (Proverbs 1:5; 11:14; 12:15). Marriage is one of the most important decisions of one's life (second only to baptism). The ministry must never become a "blessing factory," just putting the Church's stamp of approval on a marriage, no matter what. Rather, the ministry is here to help couples seeking marriage discern God's will as they consider making a covenant with each other, before God.
While the Church has historically suggested premarital counseling for all couples considering marriage, it makes much more sense to seek pre-engagement counseling. The intended purpose of counseling has always been to help couples themselves better determine if they are "right for each other" in God's sight and to increase their opportunity for success in a potential marriage. Regrettably, in all too many cases, once a couple is engaged, the couple's focus is no longer on evaluating their relationship and whether or not they are right for each other. When their main concern is planning the wedding, they are far less evaluative of their relationship. Counseling can be simply an afterthought.
Pre-engagement counseling makes far more sense. The couple may be dating seriously, but they have not yet publicly committed to marriage in an engagement, and they are much more open to honestly evaluating themselves as potential marriage partners. This, in turn, gives much more opportunity for God to guide their decision-making. To better serve our membership in these critical decisions, the Church requests that all couples considering marriage seek pre-engagement counseling from the ministry before any formal engagement.
Living Youth Program
North Carolina Preteen Camp
The North Carolina Preteen Camp is rapidly approaching! We look forward to kicking off the U.S. camps this year, from June 11-16. If you are planning on attending, please turn in your application soon. Our deadline for staff applications is May 15 and for camper applications is June 1. We hope to see you there!—Mark Sandor
Teen Camp—Lone Star Camp Athens, Texas—Must Read
We are still accepting Staff Applications for young adult staff (singles ages 18-30) for the Teen Camp in Athens, Texas. We are especially in need of more young adult counselors and assistant counselors. Positions for staff applicants ages 31 and older have all been filled, with the exception of a Camp Nurse. We still could use two people to serve in this capacity.
Applications for campers can be submitted until the end of May—but space is limited, so please apply as soon as possible.
Staff Assignments have been posted for this camp—check them out on the Youth Website.—Sheldon Monson
LYP New Zealand 2018 Applications Now Open!—Repeat Announcement
The wait is over! We are now accepting applications for LYP NZ 2018 at a new location of Eltham Christian Camp, which is located in New Plymouth. It is a beautiful spot located in a secluded part of the North Island. The site offers many exciting activities and facilities, such as kayaking, a waterslide, a bonfire, basketball hoop, as well as natural beauty that will provide campers with a pure New Zealand experience! Staff must arrive at the campsite on Sunday, January 7 by 3:00 p.m. and campers are expected to arrive after 2:00 p.m. on Monday, January 8. Camp will officially commence on Tuesday morning, January 9. To apply, please request an application form from Mrs. Sandra Dady at [email protected]. We encourage you to do this immediately, if you are genuinely interested in attending, and request that you return it as soon as possible. Once we have processed your application, you can then plan out your transportation arrangements, with which we would be happy to assist you, if needed. This promises to be a most memorable camp that will bring together LCG youth from many nations around the Australasian region. Get in fast and secure your spot!—Rob Tyler
Comments
Take Time To Think: The pace of life today can be pretty hectic. Daily commutes, deadlines, e-mails, text messages, cell phones, video games, iPods and headsets bombard us with information that can totally occupy our minds and thoughts. Daniel warned that at the time of the end, "many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase" (Daniel 12:4). Jesus also warned that "the cares of this world" could "choke the word" and cause many to miss out on the Kingdom of God (Matthew 13:22). Today, one of the biggest challenges that Christians face is the "battle" for what goes on in our minds—what we think about—which then determines our actions. Solomon wrote "as [a person] thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7). David observed that a wicked person is proud, does not seek God and "God is in none of his thoughts" (Psalm 10:4). Yet, David was a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22) because David meditated on God's law daily (Psalm 119:97). In Psalm 23 we read that God enabled David to "lie down in green pastures… beside the still waters." Such places are conducive to thinking and reflecting on the handiwork of God and His plan and purpose for our lives. If we want to grow and prepare for the coming Kingdom of God, we need to take time to think and meditate on the word of God. Read a Psalm every morning or evening and meditate on the subjects mentioned in Philippians 4:8. We can develop the mind of God—if we think on these things.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—April 27, 2017
Civil Unrest Grows in Venezuela: "Venezuela calls 'mother of all protests' as opposition and government supporters rally," according to Deutsche Welle (April 19, 2017). As societal standards erode, poverty increases, inflation explodes, crime erupts, and a once-advanced society continues to decline, many Venezuelans are angry. The same article reports that a rally in the national capital last week involved hundreds of thousands of people and ended with three dead, hundreds arrested and a desire to continue the protests—all in an effort to remove and replace corrupt leaders! All told, the recent wave of unrest has claimed the lives of 26 people (ABC News, April 25, 2017), while the failing government struggles to hold on to power (Forbes, April 26, 2017). Humanity yearns for peace, safety, righteous government and honest leaders, yet the Bible reveals that when self-serving leaders rule, "the people groan" (Proverbs 29:2). Today, oppression and the self-serving attitude of get are more rampant in governments around the world. However, when Jesus Christ returns, He will restore righteous government to the earth (Psalm 9:7- 9; Hosea 2:19; Revelation 19:11). The people of this earth are in desperate need of Christ's return and the opportunity to experience true and lasting peace. For more on this exciting future, read "Prepare for Christ's Coming!"
Was Heterosexuality Invented? In a recent BBC story, one author worked hard to make the case that heterosexuality is a recently invented "cultural production." "But heterosexuality has not always 'just been there.' And there's no reason to imagine it will always be" (BBC, April 16, 2017). In the article, the author described how the term "heterosexuality" is relatively new and how its introduction essentially invented the notion that love between a man and woman is "normal." His evolutionary approach and selective interviewing of religious leaders who support his ideas makes it seem like the Bible does really not teach that love between a man and a woman is what God intended. The sad truth is that when the Bible is no longer seen as the moral source, there is no common ground from which to determine right and wrong. The Bible clearly states that God made humans "male" and "female" and intended them to marry (Genesis 2:20- 25). Many verses show marriage and sex should be confined to a monogamous marriage between one man and one woman. God's purposes for marriage are very clear, and the blessings of following His design and plan are manifold! Sadly, as humanity continues to reject biblical morality and biblical truth, spiritual confusion sets in (Isaiah 1:5; 5:20). All of this happens because "even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind" (Romans 1:28). Marriage God's way can be a truly wonderful and fulfilling experience. For more on how to have a happy marriage, read or listen to God's Plan for Happy Marriage.
The Influence of Schools and Society: In a recent article entitled "Children think it's normal to be 'gender-fluid,'" author Alice Thomson observed, "Twenty years ago the average age at which people came out was 25; now it is 16" (The Times, April 12, 2017). She further observed, "Acceptance of gay relationships now spans the generations but the young have distinct views on shifting sexual identity." Ms. Thomson shared examples of teenagers militantly defending LGBT rights and labels and viewing fifty-year-old social rules with disgust and disbelief. The article adds, "A friend teaching in a London girls' secondary school says that at least a third of the girls in the sixth form have had same-sex relationships. 'It's not a rebellion—more curiosity,' she says. 'Children don't feel restrained by old conventions any more.'" Moral confusion is increasingly rampant, as the moral foundation of much of Western culture—the Ten Commandments—is expunged from mainstream society. God clearly made humans "male and female" and designed marriage to be between them (Genesis 1:27)—a fact lost on biblically illiterate societies, where increasing numbers of so-called "Christians" no longer believe in the resurrection of Christ (BBC, April 9, 2017)! Society is assuring that children can no longer discern between good and evil (Isaiah 5:20)—a trend that godly parents must vigilantly defend against. For more tools parents and grandparents can use to defend children against Satan's amoral attacks, read or listen to Successful Parenting: God's Way.—Scott Winnail, Chris Sookdeo, Rod McNair, and Francine Prater