There are a number of positive developments to report this week. The renovations on the new television building are now complete, and the installation of equipment will begin shortly. We have almost completed the financial audit for Living University and are looking forward to obtaining tax exempt status for the University. The Financial Department reports that regular mail income for the year 2008 was above the projected 7% increase, for which we are very thankful. Furthermore, due to generous special offerings received at the end of the year, the overall 2008 income is 13% above 2007. We are very grateful to all of you for your support of the Work of God. Mr. Meredith is in the process of writing his semi-annual letter, and we are planning for a public lecture in Atlanta later this month. Next Wednesday, January 14, classes will begin for the Spring 2009 semester of Living University. Remember that there are tuition reductions available—you can check the Living University website for more information: www.livinguniv.com.  

 

 

Please read the following announcement regarding the classes being offered.    

 

 

With spring semester classes beginning next Wednesday, January 14, faculty members are placing their finishing touches on our six Living University theology courses. We have about one hundred registrations at this point. We would like to exceed that number and invite you to join us in our continuing study of the word of God. 

 

The purpose of our open enrollment theology courses is to aid our brethren and co-workers in growing in grace and knowledge. Our intent is to help edify the Body of Christ and to prepare the people of God for leadership, teaching, and service within God’s Church. 

 

One of our Elders from Australasia wrote, “Since the beginning of LU, I was happy that finally I had a chance to be formally educated by senior ministers like you to study and understand deeply the Bible and its application. And this, of course, gives benefits for the Work in this part of the world. Since following LU classes, I can have a better understanding of the Bible and, at the same time, I can give good materials and better services to both the subscribers and the brethren.”

 

Living University is a place where you can receive a truly God-centered higher education. LU can help equip us for more effective service in the Work and aid in deepening our understanding of God’s word and His Way of Life. We hope you will join your brothers and sisters in Christ by enrolling in a class this semester. Do not miss this awesome opportunity.

 

 

 

Thank you to all our weekly attendance takers!  This is just a reminder to please input the pending 2008 attendance reports for November and December, so we can accurately tabulate our 2008 reports for Mr. Meredith.  Thank you for your help!—Rod McNair

 

Mr. Rod King reports: We just returned from a trip to Germany last weekend.  We spent time with the Kaefer family in Karlsruhe, where we had seven in attendance for the Sabbath. For the last few years, Mr. Kaefer has been translating all of our booklets and other literature into the German language [….] Our German readers seem to be quite cautious about giving their name and address to us, so prefer to study the literature online [….] After our visit in Karlsruhe, we travelled to Berlin to see the capital of the united Germany and possible future center of the European Union [….] In the United Kingdom, Mr. Meakin has completed a week of visiting in the London area, where he has been able to visit most of our members, as well as new prospective members.  He is encouraged with the obvious good fruits that are being produced in those whom God is calling.

 

To assist us in our service of the Church in the United Kingdom, we have added three new churches or video groups.  Some few months ago we established a video group in Hastings, Kent.  Now we are adding Taunton, Somerset; Cambridge, Cambridgeshire; and Cardiff, South Wales.  We believe that by establishing these new groups we will be able to provide a venue for more prospective members.

 

We had to make the decision to cease airing the telecast on Wonderful TV because the responses were not that wonderful.  We continue to pray that God will open doors for us to preach the Gospel here in Europe.  It is a different culture to that of the U.S., Canada and Australia, so we must be wise in our approach.

 

 

Mr. Adrian Kaefer reported that in 2008 our German-language website, www.weltvonmorgen.org, had 68,379 visitors; 6,315 booklet downloads; 20,504 article downloads, an increase of 2.4% compared to 2007; and 4,983 Bible Study Course lesson downloads, an increase of 50% compared to 2007. “While we had slightly fewer visitors on the website this year, overall literature distribution slightly increased, meaning that those visitors stayed longer on the website and read more literature on average per person. Also, we had a much stronger interest in the Bible Study Course.”

 

Myanmar elder, Mr. Thomas Tial Hoe, reports: “Saw Khin Maung Gyi, LCG Deacon in Sakhan Gyi, Myanmar, died on December 9. He was kind, sincere, humble and faithful. He was loved by all and will be greatly missed. Mr. Thomas Tial Hoe conducted his funeral service on December 12. Saw Khin Maung Gyi was buried beside late elder Saw Lay Beh.  Four respected Myanmar leaders of God’s Church (elder Saw Lay Beh and deacons John Vaikia, Mehm Pho Saw and Saw Khin Maung Gyi) are gone. We need your prayers. We are like a little flock among a pack of wolves.”

 

We are taking a one year break from our camp in Michigan due to circumstances at the camp site which are beyond our control, but we are thrilled to announce that we are offering this year a very special opportunity to experience a truly wonderful wilderness adventure in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota.  The nostalgia is overwhelming as this is the same highlight thousands of teens experienced for decades at Summer Educational Program in Orr, MN!  Voyageurs National Park is one of the premier canoeing areas in North America and this will truly be an adventure that may only come once in a lifetime—one that you cannot miss!

 

We have a very flexible plan that will enable virtually all LCG teens—willing to seize this challenge—to take advantage of this incredible opportunity.  Key spots are also available for a good number of enthusiastic young adult workers.  We have not yet finalized the dates, but we are looking at the peak season of mid-to-late July.

 

Arrival for camp will be on a Wednesday.  Thursday and Friday will be used for training, trip preparation, and other exciting activities.  Following the Sabbath, our greatly anticipated departure will be on Sunday morning.  Return will be on the following Friday morning.  We will spend a second Sabbath together and then, on Sunday evening, there will be a banquet and dance!  Departure for home will be Monday morning. 

 

This is truly the adventure of a lifetime!  You will see untamed breathtaking beauty, perhaps catch your own dinner, view wildlife up close, and most of all develop lasting friendships with other teens in God’s Church.  If you have ever thought about being a pioneer, this is your chance.  It will be a challenge and may test your mettle, but in the end you will experience an indescribable inner reward!

 

In addition to LYC, we are again planning pre-teen camps in Texas and Missouri.  Further announcements concerning all three camps will be forthcoming.—Gerald Weston

 

 

 

 

As we announced last fall, we are planning a Feast site in Hawaii this year on the beautiful Garden Isle of Kauai. Services will be held at the Performing Arts Center at the Kauai Community College in Lihue. Since this will be a transfer-only site, for planning purposes, we will greatly appreciate everyone seriously interested in attending the 2009 Feast of Tabernacles in Kauai pre-registering. You may do this by going to www.fothawaii.com . Once you have accessed the website, click on the “contact me” tab and follow the instructions. If you do not have computer access, please see your Pastor or Festival Advisor for help in pre-registering. This website will be updated on a regular basis with new information on accommodations, activities and more, so check it regularly.

 

This pre-registration is only for planning purposes; therefore, when Feast registration begins on the official Festival registration website, those desiring to go to Hawaii will need to officially register and request a transfer to the Hawaiian site. We hope to be able to approve all request for transfer to this site.—Jim Meredith

 

 

Some have expressed concern about the upcoming digital television transition in the U.S. and how it will affect our sermon DVDs.  We want to reassure you that the transition to digital television mandated by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that will occur on February 17, 2009 will have no effect on the viewing of sermon DVDs at our local congregations.

 

On another matter, we purchased a new DVD burner about a year ago, and we want to know if our local congregations are experiencing any problems, such as “pixilating” or “hanging up,” when playing the DVDs. We would like feedback on the quality of the sermon DVDs.  Please send your feedback to Lara Prejean at lprejean@lcg.org.

 

 

Our Challenge to Grow: We are admonished in the Scriptures to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). One reason is so that we will not be misled by false teachers. The Apostle Paul encouraged Timothy to diligently study the Scriptures in order to be able to correctly explain the Truth and to be a more effective teacher and minister (2 Timothy 2:15-16; 1 Timothy 4:12-15). We are told that the “work of the ministry” is to help God’s people grow in “the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God” (Ephesians 4:12-14). The Scriptures reveal that Christians are called to become kings, priests and teachers who will point all human beings to the Truth in the coming Kingdom of God (Revelation 5:10; Isaiah 30:20-21). With this in mind, let’s take advantage of every opportunity to enhance our knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures so that we can prepare to teach God’s way of life!

Have a profitable Sabbath,

Douglas S. Winnail

 

 

 

One-World Government? Respected and conservative Financial Times (FT) columnist Gideon Rachman recently wrote a piece titled, “And now for a world government.”  In his commentary, after looking at current world conditions and the current EU model for political unity, Rachman admits that a future world government is plausible. A “world government would involve much more than co-operation between nations. It would be an entity with state-like characteristics, backed by a body of laws. The European Union has already set up a continental government for 27 countries, which could be a model. The EU has a supreme court, a currency, thousands of pages of law, a large civil service and the ability to deploy military force. So could the European model go global? There are three reasons for thinking that it might.” Rachman stated his reasons: 1) increasing international pressure, 2) a model for such a government already exists [the EU], and 3) a change in political atmosphere suggests a global government could come soon. Rachman then described how incoming President Obama could speed up the process by not maintaining a distaste for international agreements and actually embracing international rules. In his concluding remarks, Rachman noted, “So, it seems, everything is in place… there is an argument, an opportunity and a means to make serious steps towards a world government” (FT, December 8, 2008). Would an attempt to form a world government fit into Bible prophecy? Near the end of the 70-weeks prophecy in Daniel 9, God inspired Daniel to write of a future time when a human prince will confirm a covenant or treaty with “many” for one week (seven years), but will break that covenant in the middle of the week (after just 3.5 years). This covenant will apparently allow the Jews to begin offering sacrifices in Jerusalem—which will then be stopped after 3.5 years (Daniel 9:27; 11:21-32). Other prophecies link this prince to the Beast that will dominate the final revival of the Roman Empire that will “devour the whole earth” (Daniel 7:23) and will be worshipped by the whole world (Revelation 13:3-12). Could this future covenant be part of an attempt to establish a world government that is linked to a global economic system (see Revelation 18)? The Bible urges us to watch, and prophecies about “The Day of the Lord” reveal that any attempt to form a world government will be short-lived and come to a turbulent end at the return of Jesus Christ. Time will tell what the future will hold and how these prophecies will be fulfilled—only God’s Kingdom will establish a true world government!

 

Wee Beasties on a Rampage. Norovirus (aka The Vomiting Virus), is wreaking havoc on Britons again this winter. With symptoms of fever, headache, diarrhea, and projectile vomiting, this nasty bug has caused many British hospital emergency rooms to close because of reaching capacity. Last winter, the virus struck down more than 200,000 people a week for months. This winter is expected to be worse. Doctors suspect the situation is worse than currently understood, because many infected people do not report their illness. Many hospitals have closed their wards to prevent the virus from spreading within. Concern is spreading that hospitals will not be able to handle other injuries and illnesses due to full beds from the norovirus. Some hospitals are already diverting ambulances because they have no room to handle new patients (Daily Express, December 15, 2008). Public health officials are witnessing not only new and emerging infectious diseases, but also reemerging infectious diseases that are stronger than ever. Christ warned of pestilence at the end of the age (Luke 21:11) as one sign of His impending return. It is sobering that in this age of tremendous technological advance, new and more powerful infections are still emerging. Much of the problem stems from failure to keep God’s commandments. Weak immune systems result from working long hours and failing to take a “day of rest.” Also, many people go to public places when they are sick instead of isolating themselves. How much healthier would society be if people took time to rest and showed love to their neighbor by not spreading disease? This will happen in the soon-coming Kingdom of God!—Joe Brown and Scott Winnail