Greetings from Charlotte,
The flood of desperate immigrants surging into Europe, the atrocities of ISIS in Iraq and claims of downing a passenger plane over the Sinai, Russia's increasing involvement in Syria and Iran's aggressive ambitions and threats against Israel are focusing world attention on Europe and the Middle East—just as Bible prophecies have long foretold. Here in Charlotte, Dr. Meredith has completed an important semi-annual letter that will be mailed to about 520,000 recipients. Mr. Ames, Mr. Wallace Smith and Mr. Weston are all filming new Tomorrow's World programs this week here in Charlotte. Last weekend, 75 visitors attended Tomorrow's World Presentations in Joliet, Illinois and Columbus, Ohio. On Monday, we will begin three-day Council of Elders meetings here in Charlotte. Please pray that God will guide the meetings so that we can do His Work more effectively in these tumultuous end times.—DSW
Church Administration
Tomorrow's World Presents in Joliet, Illinois
In spite of rainy weather and Halloween, we had a great turnout for the Tomorrow's World Presents in Joliet. Forty-seven enthusiastic subscribers and 56 members listened to Regional Pastor Rand Millich's presentation, "After Armageddon." After light refreshments, I gave the second presentation on "The Mystery of God's Holy Days." Many of the visitors were interested in further information on the Church and Sabbath attendance. We are thankful that God richly blessed the TWP!—Phil West
Kansas City Family Weekend
The Kansas City Family Weekend will take place from January 1–3 and registration is now open! More details are on the Facebook page (www.facebook.com/lcgkcweekend) (not an official LCG Facebook page) and on the event Web site (http://kcweekend.moluf.net) (not an official LCG Web site).
We've negotiated similar prices to last year at the Hilton Garden Inn: $81/night + tax. To get this discounted rate, call them at 816-350-3000 and tell them you're with the Living Church of God. Housing with brethren is also available, but please register early so you don't lose out on available space.
The weekend will include Bible Studies, a catered dinner, fun show and dance. On Sunday, we're planning basketball and volleyball tournaments, family games, a volleyball clinic, teen basketball games, children's basketball clinic—and did we mention Gaga Ball? (Pre-Teen campers can explain it to their parents. Trust us, people of all ages love Gaga Ball!)
Saturday night's dinner will once again be catered by the Hereford House. The beef brisket meal will cost $18/adult and $10/child under 12. If you have more than four children in your party, we'll cover their costs.
Visit the Facebook page or the event Web site linked above for details on registration, housing and activity sign-up. A password is required for the "Housing" and "Maps and Information" pages of the Web site. The password is the third word in the only paragraph on the page where you will enter it. Shhh… it's secret! We look forward to seeing you in January!—Michael Keesee
Upstate New York Mens' Training Camp
Men from seven Northeastern U.S. congregations met in Jerusalem, New York, this past weekend for an invigorating and rewarding spiritual Training Camp. The weekend was kicked off Friday evening with a welcome meeting conducted by our Regional Pastor, Mr. Jonathan McNair. In the meeting, Mr. McNair set the goals and focus of the camp and explained how our culture is becoming increasingly hostile toward men and that we, as Christian men, must look to God rather than society for our direction. Sabbath morning, Mr. McNair gave a sermon using Jesus' encounter with Satan to demonstrate three major temptations that we face as leaders. There was a rigorous breakout session later in the afternoon in which the men developed the foundation of a topical study index with over 30 topics and related verses. Saturday evening we all took part in an intense workshop that focused on the structure and content of the Table Topics portion of Spokesman Club, as well as how to deliver and respond to questions in a way that fosters participation. Camp was brought to a close Sunday morning with a motivational talk from Mr. McNair on becoming great leaders. In the talk, Mr. McNair used the concept of "Level 5 Leadership" from the book Good To Great by Jim Collins. As we said our good byes, several of the men expressed that they felt refreshed with a renewed focus and were already looking forward to next year!—Randall Moran
Living Youth Program
Online Teen Bible Study Friday Evening
The online Teen Bible Study on Friday evening, November 13, will be on "The Dramatic Return of Jesus Christ!," 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, "World Peace Coming in Our Time!," can also be found on the Living Youth Web site.
International Living Youth Camps in December!—Repeat Announcement
Did you know that LYC is hosting three "international" camps this December? Check out the Living Youth Web site at LivingYouth.org and the Living Youth Facebook page at Facebook.com/Living.Youth.Programs for photos and information about Living Youth Camps in South Africa, Guatemala and New Zealand.
Living University
Registration for Second Semester
Registration for second semester classes starts Monday, November 9! The spring semester will begin on Wednesday, January 13. Students may register for the spring semester (fall in the Southern Hemisphere) anytime before the start of classes. Those who have never taken a Living University course will need to enroll in the University first, and then register for your selected courses. This semester, along with many of our traditional spring semester classes, we will be offering two completely new courses. Watch for these in the weeks to come. The following are brief descriptions of several courses being offered next semester. A complete listing of second semester courses can also 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 additional information, please contact Mrs. Michelle Broussard at mbroussard@livinguniv.com or 704-708-2294.
THL 110B—Tomorrow's World Bible Study Course: This is the second in a two-semester course that serves as an introduction to the Bible, its message, and its implication for successful Christian living. First semester topics focus on the Scriptures, the nature of God, biblical prophecy and God's plan for humankind. Second semester topics focus on practical Christian living and the building of living faith. This course will help students demonstrate a basic understanding of biblical concepts regarding history, theology, prophecy and Christian life. This course is offered without a tuition charge. Students pay only the $35 USD technology fee.
NEW! BUS 112—Introduction to Business: This course deals with major aspects of business, including management, marketing, accounting, information processing and finance. The class will emphasize real business personalities and situations. Students will learn to understand business concepts as a foundation for studying other business subjects. This class can be used as a business elective and is also required for the Business Minor.
ANTH 220—Sociocultural Anthropology: This course introduces the nature of human culture from a global perspective. Emphasis is on cultural theory, methods of fieldwork, and cross-cultural comparisons in the areas of ethnology, language, religion, and the cultural past to produce a holistic and global perspective of humanity. In this class students will develop enhanced global awareness including an understanding of basic cultural processes. This is a required class for both the ATh and BTh degree programs and will not be offered again until 2018.
Comments
The Importance of Doctrine: The Apostle Paul commended Christians in Rome because they "obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine [teaching] which was delivered you" (Romans 6:17, KJV). He also urged Timothy, "Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine… for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you" (1 Timothy 4:16). However, Paul warned repeatedly that "in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy" (1 Timothy 4:1-3). Paul warned that as the end of the age approaches, one-time believers would "not endure sound doctrine" but would "have itching ears" and follow various misguided teachers—turning their ears away from the truth to follow fables (2 Timothy 4:1-4). To avoid being deceived and misled, we need to study the Scriptures carefully so we know what the Bible teaches about doctrine (see the example of the Bereans in Acts 17:10-11) and exercise the spiritual discernment that comes by nourishing and using the gifts of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 1:6-7). Right doctrine is important!
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—November 5, 2015
Many Britons Believe Christ Was Not Real: In a recent survey of more than 4,000 Britons, the Church of England and two other religious organizations came to better understand the nation's declining faith. "The figures found while 57% classified themselves as Christian, fewer than 10% read the Bible and prayed regularly, or go to church at least once a month" (BBC, October 31, 2015). Also, "four in 10 people did not believe Jesus was a real person, with a quarter of 18 to 34 year olds believing he was a mythical or fictional character" (ibid.). The Bible reveals that when the ancient nations of Israel and Judah turned away from God, rejected His laws, despised His prophets and went seeking after foreign gods, they were carried off into captivity—fulfilling ancient prophecies (Deuteronomy 28:15-51). Many today do not realize these ancient prophecies are dual and also apply to modern Israelite nations. The prophet Ezekiel, writing nearly one hundred years after Israel's captivity, told of a future time when Israelite nations would again be taken captive, "Because you have multiplied disobedience more than the nations that are all around you... I am against you and will execute judgments in your midst… And I will do among you what I have never done… I will scatter [you] to all the winds" (Ezekiel 5:7-10; see also Hosea 8:11-14). Unless modern Israelite nations repent and turn to God, they will reap the consequences of despising the God who has blessed them so abundantly (Jeremiah 2:17-19; Hosea 4:6-9). For more about the future of the Israelite nations, be sure to read The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy.
Marriage of Three in Brazil: "A businesswoman, a female dentist and a female administrative manager have managed to turn the idea of a traditional Brazilian family on its head, after recently making their relationship official before a notary in Rio de Janeiro. 'We are a family and our union is the product of our love for one another,' said the businesswoman in an interview with the O Globo daily" (El Pais, October 27, 2015). This is the second such marriage made "under Brazil's 2003 civil unions law… In 2012, two females… decided to formalize their union with a male architect in São Paulo." The three women just married are now planning for a pregnancy (ibid.). The notary who recorded their marriage observed, "The foundation of any family relationship is affection… And these three women have everything to form a family—they have love, a strong relationship and they plan on having children" (ibid.). The Bible reveals that "in the beginning" God created the family to be one male and one female (Genesis 2:24), and this same God says, "I do not change" (Malachi 3:6). Sadly, many today have been deceived into doing whatever is "right in their own eyes" (Deuteronomy 12:8) and convincing themselves that it is "ok." One day soon, the Lord who does not change will return to the earth and teach everyone to follow the "right" way that leads to life (Matthew 7:14). For more about the law that will undergird His future society, read The Ten Commandments.
Artifact Supports Israelite History on Temple Mount: Arabs who desire to control the Temple Mount in Jerusalem often deny that Israelite presence there predates Muslim presence that first appears about 700 AD. Yet, recent archaeological evidence counters the Arab claim. "A 10-year-old Russian boy… recently made an extraordinary discovery in Jerusalem. Working as a volunteer in the Temple Mount Sifting Project, he found a 3,000-year-old seal—engraved limestone about the size of a thimble, with a hole at one end so it could be hung from a string—from the time of King David [about 1000 BC]. The artifact was nestled in the hundreds of tons of earth and rock that had been illegally excavated from below the Temple Mount in the late 1990s by the Muslim Waqf… the seal confirms the ancient Jewish presence in Jerusalem—more than a millennium before the Muslim Dome of the Rock was built…" (Wall Street Journal, October 25, 2015). Scripture places Israelites on the Temple Mount at the time of kings David and Solomon (see 1 Kings). This new "hard evidence" supports the biblical claim. Jesus prophesied of the end-time, saying: "For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known" (Matthew 10:26). As the end of this age approaches, God is making known many truths that reinforce the validity of Scripture and His own existence. For more on the Bible's validity, be sure to read The Bible: Fact or Fiction?—Scott Winnail, Francine Prater, V.G. Lardé and Justin Ridgeway