Greetings from Charlotte,
COVID-19 has been an inconvenience for almost everyone, a significant trial for some, a tragedy for others, but a huge boost to the Work of God. As we come to the close of the second year of the virus, we see literature requests around the world up substantially—especially the Bible Study Course. Our Social Media advertisements have produced large increases in subscribers to the magazine along with booklet requests. For the first time in the history of the Living Church of God, with the January issue we will be crossing the 540,000 mark in Tomorrow’s World magazine subscriptions. At the same time, we face significant challenges when it comes to manpower, especially in some of the international areas. These are exciting times. Let us make sure that we stay close to our Creator and pray to the Lord of the harvest for more laborers, especially in the ministry. Thank you for your dedication and love for one another.—Gerald Weston
Living Education
With the current school year for Living Education–Charlotte quickly approaching the halfway point, we’re already making preparations for 2022–23. Young adults between the ages of 18 and 30 who have a desire to lay a solid, Godly foundation for life are welcome to begin the application process now. Just go to www.lcgeducation.org/charlotte to learn more about the program and start an application. Don’t miss this opportunity to join other young adults in Charlotte, North Carolina—it’s an education for a lifetime!—Jonathan McNair
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What Motivates You? In today’s world, many are motivated by a desire for a position, power, prestige, pleasure—and a bigger paycheck. Even in the Church, these desires can motivate individuals to seek positions and be noticed. While Jesus saw these attitudes in religious leaders of His day (Matthew 23:1–11), He admonished His disciples, “whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant” (Matthew 20:20–28). Jesus set us an example in that He “did not come to be served, but to serve.” The Apostles Paul and Peter urged Christians to avoid selfish motivations and be examples to others by serving with genuine humility (1 Timothy 6:3–5; 1 Peter 5:1–6). As we strive to come out of this world and its ways, let’s look for ways that we can serve others—so God can use us more effectively as instruments in His hands (Philippians 2:3–12).
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—December 2, 2021
Barbados Leaves the Queen: “Barbados, a former British colony, will… ditch Queen Elizabeth as head of state, breaking its last remaining imperial bonds with Britain nearly 400 years since the first English ship arrived at the Caribbean island” (Euractiv.com, November 24, 2021). The current Governor General will be sworn in as the new President of Barbados. Though newly independent, Barbados will remain in the Commonwealth of Nations—a group of 54 nations around the world with historical ties to Britain. Other British territories and former colonies are also considering cutting ties with the United Kingdom.
The Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe have seen major protests related to the COVID-19 vaccine and quarantines (Euronews.com, November 28, 2021). The islands are governed by France, speak French, and conduct business using the euro. Many on these islands desire independence from France, and last week the “French Minister of Overseas Territories, said he was ‘ready’ to discuss the autonomy of Guadeloupe”—much to the chagrin of conservatives in France.
Declaring independence and leaving long relationships with Israelite-descended nations to go it alone likely seems exciting. But it is also sobering from the standpoint of Bible prophecy. Because of Abraham’s obedience, God promised to multiply his descendants as the stars of heaven and pour out His blessings upon them, blessings that would also benefit the other peoples of the world. Although the colonial powers of western Europe (Britain, France, Holland, etc.) certainly made mistakes in their history, they also brought the protections of the rule of law, ordered and safe society, and the blessings of trade, abundance, and technology to the nations they touched. However, God warned those Israelite-descended nations that if they turned away from Him they would lose their privileged position and their possessions (see Deuteronomy 28:15–68)—which is what we see happening today. To learn what lies ahead for Abraham’s descendants, read or listen to The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy.
Declining Church Attendance and Public Health: For decades, Europeans have not been outwardly religious, yet the United States has been different—until recently. In 1975, most Americans (68 percent) viewed organized religion with confidence, but that has dropped to 36 percent (Christianity Today, October 19, 2021). This decline in confidence in organized religion has also contributed to a continued decline in church attendance. In the U.S., weekly attendance has dropped from 43 percent in 2011 to only 29 percent in 2020. Now two Harvard researchers report that the connection between this drop in church attendance and an increase in many public health crises “has been largely ignored.”
As evidence, they cite the large-scale national Nurses’ Health Study that revealed nurses who attend church regularly are far less likely to become depressed, get divorced, or commit suicide than those who never attend. In fact, nurses in the study who attended church weekly were less likely to die of any cause at all during the 16-year study period. Researchers also found that regular church attendance appears to protect children from depression, substance abuse, and premature sexual activity. They note that additional studies suggest “religious service attendance is associated with greater longevity, less depression, less suicide, less smoking, less substance abuse, better cancer and cardiovascular-disease survival, less divorce, greater social support, greater meaning in life, greater life satisfaction, more volunteering, and greater civic engagement.”
We can be sure that God understood the benefits of worship services when He commanded attendance every week on the seventh-day Sabbath (Exodus 20:8–11; Leviticus 23:3; Hebrews 10:24–25). Weekly exposure to a firm moral code to guide our lives and a powerful support structure contributes to our physical health. To learn more about the benefits of regular Sabbath attendance, be sure to read or listen to Which Day Is the Christian Sabbath?—Scott Winnail, Wallace Smith, and Francine Prater