Greetings from Charlotte,
Passover is Sunday evening, April 21, now about two weeks away. How future planned days and events sneak up on us! We are instructed to examine ourselves in preparation for Passover—the memorial of the death of the Son of God on our behalf (1 Corinthians 11:28). We must never take this special evening lightly. One of the best ways to examine ourselves is by setting aside time for fasting. Jesus said that His disciples would fast (Matthew 9:15), and the context shows He meant on more than the Day of Atonement only. Paul said he fasted often (2 Corinthians 11:27). Yet, God leaves it up to us to choose when to do so. I hope all of you, who do not have health issues that would prevent you from doing so, have already, or will yet, set aside time to use this special tool God has given us. However, it is important to understand that how we fast is critical. Fasting is more than enduring hunger for a day. It is a time for extra prayer, Bible study, and meditation (Isaiah 58:1–14). So during the next two weeks, whether through fasting or otherwise, let us take time to examine ourselves and our faith in Christ’s sacrifice. Let us recognize that we do not know how to direct our steps (Jeremiah 10:23–24), and cry out to God to fill us with the faith of Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:20, KJV). And let us always remember to pray for one another.—Gerald Weston
Church Administration
Tomorrow’s World Presentations
You may be interested to know that in the first quarter of the year, the Living Church of God held 75 Tomorrows World Presentations, most, but not all, in the United States—33 initial and 42 follow-up events. These presentations resulted in 921 unique individuals attending as guests. Many brethren are serving greatly to support these events—making snacks, greeting at the doors, serving at the literature table, and even just being a welcoming, friendly presence. Thank you to everyone for making these presentations happen!
Living Youth Program
The Missouri Preteen Camp is looking for a few more lifeguards and could still use staff volunteers for other positions as well. Registration for staff closes May 1, so please get your application in now!
Business Office
Green Holy Day Envelopes Have Been Mailed—U.S. Only
Green Holy Day envelopes for the spring Holy Days, including Pentecost, were mailed out the week ending March 9. If you have not received yours and would like the personalized, pre-addressed offering envelopes, please contact [email protected] or call the office (704-844-1970) and we will mail you a set. If you choose to donate through the envelope system, using these pre-addressed envelopes greatly speeds up the counting and receipting process, which in turn saves valuable time and money.
Comments
Foundations of Friendship: We all want to have friends, yet, sometimes we lack the skills to achieve this goal. However, the Bible provides us with important keys. Solomon wrote that to have friends, we must be friendly (Proverbs 18:24), we must treat people with kindness and have pure motives (Proverbs 22:11), and support others in their time of need (Proverbs 17:17). True friends will tell you the truth and offer wise counsel; they will not use flattery or spread gossip (Proverbs 27:6–17). Real friends are gracious, hospitable, and concerned about the needs of others (Acts 27:3). True friendship involves being willing to make personal sacrifices for others who have needs—Jesus was willing to lay down His life for people He called His friends (John 15:13). Jesus said we can become His friends—if we follow His instructions and His example (John 15:14). This is how Abraham became a friend of God (James 2:23). Let’s strive to become kind, caring, and friendly Christians.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—April 4, 2024
What’s Behind Japan’s Plummeting Birth Rates? Declining birth rates in developed nations are bringing drastic changes. Fewer children results in a smaller working class and less tax support for a proportionately larger aging population, driving the need for immigration to fill jobs.
Japan in particular has one of the lowest birthrates in the world, and it has been declining for fifty years. Last year saw a record low number of births, with just over 750,000 (Guardian, February 28, 2024). Demographers predict that, at this rate, Japan’s total population will decline by 30 percent by 2070! Marriages in Japan have also declined to their lowest level in 90 years. This trend prompted one of Japan’s cabinet ministers to opine, “The period over the next six years or so until 2030s, when the younger population will start declining rapidly, will be the last chance we may be able to reverse the trend.” Surveys of the nation’s young adults suggest that factors such as “bleak job prospects, the high cost of living that rises at a faster pace than salaries and corporate cultures that are not compatible with having both parents work” contribute to a disinterest in marrying and starting families. Our modern societies seem to care far more about work than about family (BBC, February 28, 2024).
Today, marriage and family are often seen as inconvenient, undesirable commodities. Gone are the days when most children were excited to grow up and build a family of their own. Marriage and family are no longer life goals for many, and this can lead to the slow—and then rapid—decline of Western civilization. The sad truth is that this world has been deceived by Satan the Devil (Revelation 12:9), and too many have been led to believe marriage and family are irrelevant and unnecessary. In ignoring or discarding the Bible as their primary guide for life, modern societies have lost track of the true purpose for these vital institutions. However, God created marriage and family for an incredible purpose. To learn more about that purpose, read What Is the Meaning of Life?
You Can Learn Happiness! Many people believe that you are lucky if you are happy, or that those who claim to be happy are not being honest. But are those conclusions true? The University of Bristol in England has offered a course entitled “Science of Happiness” since 2018 (Studyfinds.org, March 12, 2024). The course reviews the latest research on happiness and encourages students to put this research into practice in their lives. Recently, researchers published a study of students taking the class. According to the results, “Students who took the happiness course reported a 10 to 15 percent improvement in well-being. However, only those who continued implementing what they learned during the course reported sustained improved well-being upon being surveyed again two years later.” As one professor observed, “Much of what we teach revolves around positive psychology interventions that divert your attention away from yourself, by helping others, being with friends, gratitude or meditating…. This is the opposite of the current ‘selfcare’ doctrine, but countless studies have shown that getting out of our own heads helps gets us away from negative ruminations which can be the basis of so many mental health problems.” It appears that to truly become and remain happy, we must make certain intentional decisions and follow a proven path.
It should not be surprising that modern research has found that what makes us happiest is focusing on serving and helping others instead of focusing on ourselves, and being grateful for what we have instead of obsessing on what we do not have. Yet these are ancient truths. Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ taught, “It is more blessed to give than receive” (Acts 20:35), and the Apostle Paul commanded “in everything give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). God knows the keys to being happy, and He shares them with us in the Bible. To learn more about how to be happy, watch our telecast “Keys to Happiness.”—Scott Winnail and Francine Prater