Living Church of God World Ahead Weekly Update

I would like to share some very positive news with you. We would like to welcome back Mr. and Mrs. Rees Ellis, pastor in Belgium and Northern France, and brethren who have decided to reconnect with the Living Church of God after our unfortunate and regrettable separation about 10 years ago. Mr. Ellis spent several days this week here in Charlotte discussing aspects of this reconnection with me, Mr. Ames, Mr. Apartian and Dr. Winnail. The discussions about reconnecting actually began with Mr. Carion before he died. We certainly look forward to working together in Europe preaching the Gospel of the coming Kingdom of God and warning this world of the prophetic significance of events that are occurring today. Mr. Ellis commented that he is excited about seeing the implementation of the Leadership Training programs and he feels that being part of a worldwide Work again will be very encouraging and rewarding.

This has been a busy week. In addition to our meetings with Mr. Ellis, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Whitaker are visiting the office. Mr. Whitaker pastors the Walterboro, South Carolina, congregation. He is taping a sermon in the new TV studio and will be giving the sermonette here on the Sabbath. Mr. Meredith has been working on an article for the Tomorrow’s World magazine and preparing his next script for a television program. Mr. Rod McNair and Mr. Crockett conducted a Festival Coordinators meeting via the Internet this week. Dr. Germano reported that Living University has obtained permission to grant degrees in Theology (see below). We are also beginning to get responses to the semi-annual letter that offered a DVD about the Living Church of God titled, “The Big Picture.” As Mr. Meredith has mentioned, please pray that this letter—which was mailed to more than 400,000 subscribers—will have a significant impact on those who receive it. Television responses are continuing to grow (see the Media report below).This weekend, I will be in Wisconsin for a Church visit and to conduct a short conference.

As announced in last week’s The World Ahead, the Tungro Disease has destroyed this year’s rice crops in Maranding, Philippines. This has affected several Church families by taking away their sustenance. They are in desperate need of emergency assistance for survival. The Church is in the process of transferring money from the Disaster Relief Fund to provide support to these families for the next four months. We are also reviewing a request for assistance from our African brethren in Kenya because of food and water shortages there (see report below). If you want to contribute to the Disaster Relief Fund, please send your donations payable to the Living Church of God, to the Headquarters Office in Charlotte, and clearly label them on the memo line for the “Disaster Relief Fund.”

Mr. Rod King, Africa Regional Director, informed us that the brethren in Eastern Kenya are facing starvation due to a severe drought in that part of the country. The Church’s United Kingdom Regional Office will send help for maize and beans to Kenya, but please also remember to pray for them fervently in this difficult time of need. Mr. Simon Muthama, Kenya Pastor, wrote, “The Embu and Sultan Hamud famine is going from worse to worst. In fact, I would say that the whole Province has been hit hard by the dry spell. Across the province, rivers have evaporated and residents spend most of their time searching for water. Food, too, is hard to get, and when it is available, it is beyond the reach of the majority of families that have exhausted their resources dealing with the challenges of the drought. The good news is that, despite the challenges of the drought and the famine threat, God’s Work in Embu and Sultan Hamud continues to show steady growth. Please remember the brethren in your prayers. We would appreciate it greatly if you would organize some relief food for them. This week I have plans to travel to the West. I will have a Bible study with the Ndhiwa and Kisii congregations, and Sabbath services in Kosele….”

You are cordially invited to attend the 10th Annual Saratoga (Wyoming) Family Weekend from July 10-12. The special guests this year will be Western USA Regional Pastor, Dr. Jeff Fall, and his wife, Barbara, and Northwest Area Pastor, Mr. Glen Gilchrist. A Friday evening Bible study on July 10 at 7:30 p.m. will start the weekend. There will be a Sabbath brunch at 10:00 a.m., followed by 2:30 p.m. services and a covered-dish meal and steak cookout afterwards. A Saturday evening workshop is planned after the steak cookout. A Sunday morning workshop will follow breakfast. Then “good old” family recreational time is planned for the remainder of Sunday after a delicious lunch at a local Church family’s home. Plan now to attend! You might want to bring a fishing pole if you want to go fishing. Special rates have been negotiated at a local hotel. For lodging information, please contact Mr. Ben Whitfield at bwhitfield@lcg.org.

On June 9, 2009, Dr. Erskine Bowles, President of the University of North Carolina, accepted the findings and recommendation of a UNC staff report regarding Living University’s request for exemption from North Carolina licensure. Exercising authority delegated by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors, the President declared Living University exempt from licensure to conduct in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Associate of Theology and the Bachelor of Theology degree programs under provisions of G.S. 116-15(d) and the Rules and Standards for Licensing Nonpublic Institutions to Conduct Post-Secondary Degree Activity in North Carolina with respect to religious education.

Also, this week Living University implemented its new secure online system for receiving donations from members, coworkers and other friends of the University through Blackbaud’s e-Tapestry online fundraising software. The new Internet based system provides the University with a cost-effective, fast, and accurate process for entering, recognizing, and managing every gift and pledge. Donors can now make their gifts by selecting the “Make an Online Donation” link on the University’s home page at www.livinguniv.com or learn more about giving to LU by selecting “Giving to LU” located above the website banner. Gifts to the University provide direct assistance in meeting operating costs as well as support the building fund, library fund, and scholarship fund.

We are beginning to receive requests for financial assistance from those who will need help to attend the Feast of Tabernacles this year. The deadline for submitting requests for assistance is July 15. Thus far, we have received only about 15% of the number of requests that we anticipate, based on the number we received last year. Because of the faltering economy in much of the world, we expect the number of requests to be greater than in past years.

If you have ample funds for the Feast and want to help those who don’t have enough, you may contribute by labeling your donation as “Festival Assistance” or “Tithe of the Tithe.” Please remember the tithe of the tithe, which that is used exclusively to defray the expenses of operating Feast sites around the world and to help members attend the Feast.—Davy Crockett

Children’s Choir: Anyone with young children ages 3-13 who are able to sing in the Children’s Choir at Newport, Oregon for the Feast, please contact Kathy Talbott at 509-943-7393 (leave a short message) or send e-mail to dokata734@yahoo.com to receive the words and music for the song the children will be singing. The song is a bit longer than normal, but easy to learn.

Mr. Wayne Pyle reports that Mr. Ames’ program #347, “Prepare for Armageddon,” which aired two weeks ago and offered the Armageddon and Beyond booklet, received more than 5,000 responses! And last week’s telecast by Mr. Rod King (#350), “Will Jesus Christ Return Tonight?,” is expected to generate more than 4,600 responses. Mr. Wallace Smith’s program, “End-Time Powers of the Middle East,” aired in January, broke the 5,000 mark. “This continues to be our biggest year ever. Our weekly average for US-Canadian responses is 4,200 per week, and our total Tomorrow’s World response-count is up 17% over a year ago.”

Real Philadelphia Christians: The Scriptures reveal that Philadelphia Christians are dedicated to carrying out Jesus Christ’s instructions to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to the world (Mark 16:15), to warn the world of the perils that will precede the second coming of Christ (Matthew 24) and to prepare a people to reign with Christ in the Kingdom of God (Luke 1:17). To fulfill this commission, we must stay focused on the big picture, and not get bogged down in issues that become our personal crusade. However, as the name “Philadelphia” means “brotherly love,” true Philadelphians will also strive to follow Jesus Christ’s admonition to “love one another” (John 15:12-17). They understand that showing unselfish, outgoing concern for others (versus sitting in judgment of others) is one of the distinguishing marks of a real Philadelphia Christian (John 13:34-35). Let’s strive to stay focused on the “big picture” and look for ways to show real “brotherly love” to others.

Worldwide Hunger on the Rise. Food shortages now affect one billion people, according to a UN estimate. War, natural disasters, pestilence and political instability produce food shortages and drive food prices higher. Almost ¼ of the world’s hungry live in the drought-stricken Horn of Africa, but the problems are felt in all regions. “No part of the world is immune,” says Jacques Diouf, Director-General, UN Food and Agriculture Organization. The FAO reports that the hunger problem is growing faster than the world population, a trend that first began two years ago. “All regions of the world have registered two-digit increases in hunger from last year” (Charlotte Observer, June 20, 2009). Almost two millennia ago, the Apostle John recorded a series of events that would culminate in the return of Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords. John described this series as seven seals being opened. The Third Seal reveals a “black horse” representing a worldwide famine that would, along with the accompanying wars and pestilences, claim the lives of ¼ of mankind (Revelation 6:5-6). It is sobering to see the devastation of widespread hunger and to know that, because solutions continue to elude mankind, the worst is yet to come. However, these events will indeed come to an end, and a never-ending time of peace and prosperity will be ushered in at Christ’s return. All of those who perish in these disasters are not lost forever, but will be resurrected according to God’s master plan.

Is a Plague of Biblical Proportions on the Horizon? “Crop scientists fear the Ug99 fungus could wipe out more than 80% of worldwide wheat crops as it spreads from eastern Africa. It has already jumped the Red Sea and traveled as far as Iran. Experts say it is poised to enter the breadbasket of northern India and Pakistan, and the wind will inevitably carry it to Russia, China and even North America—if it doesn’t hitch a ride with people first.” This mutated version of an ancient crop destroyer has been likened to a ticking time bomb. “The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center in Mexico estimates that 19% of the world’s wheat, which provides food for 1 billion people in Asia and Africa, is in imminent danger.” Rick Ward, coordinator of the Durable Rust Resistance in Wheat project at Cornell University, says that “a significant humanitarian crisis is inevitable.” So far, the only viable option for avoiding a blight from this fungus is to develop new resistant strains of wheat, which will take time (LATimes.com, June 14, 2009). Christ warned of famines and pestilences as a “sign” of the end of the age (Luke 21:11). God also used the Apostle John to predict such plagues in clearer detail. Speaking about the extreme shortage of wheat at the end of the age, John prophesied that just one quart (litre) of wheat would cost an entire day’s wages (Revelation 6:5-6). We do not know what will cause such a scarcity of wheat and barley prior to Christ’s return; however, the Ug99 fungus has the potential to cause such a plague.

Americans Spend Less Time with Family. According to the Annenberg Center for the Digital Future study results, the percentage of Americans who report spending less time with their families has almost tripled since 2006. Meanwhile, these same individuals do not spend less time with friends. One of the study authors suggests that social network websites like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace could be a reason for these troubling statistics. Facebook’s userbase doubled in the last 10 months, to more than 200 billion. Study authors note other technology reasons for this trend. Many youth now have cell phones, resulting in less family contact. The number of televisions in homes has multiplied, allowing more “individual” TV watching. Internet use has increased for adults and youth. While TV watching can be a “social” activity, Internet activity is usually one-on-one and replaces other types of family activity (Yahoo Tech News, June 15, 2009). God warned that in the last days knowledge would increase while people run to and fro (Daniel 12:4). Technology is exciting, helpful, but also potentially destructive if not controlled. God created families with the intent of conveying godly knowledge and values from parents and grandparents to children (Deuteronomy 4:9), but when families spend less time together, this vitally-important process is diminished. If we are not careful, God’s people can easily fall prey to these complicated wiles of Satan the Devil—the master family destroyer. We cannot allow technology to further divide our families. God prophesied of a time when He would again turn the hearts of parents to children and children to families (Malachi 4:6). This time is increasingly needed as society goes in the opposite direction from Him.—Charles Ogwyn, James Ginn, Herman Labuschagne and Scott Winnail