LCG World Ahead Weekly Update

Storms, drought and fires continue to make news across the United States, while the winds of significant prophetic changes continue to swirl in the Middle East and Europe. Here in Charlotte, Mr. Meredith held meetings and is working on his autobiography. We expect about 4,200 responses to last weekend’s telecast by Mr. Meredith, entitled, “Will You Overcome Satan?” Regional Pastor Armando Orrego and his wife had a very profitable visit with brethren in Peru (see below). We are very encouraged to report that the income for the first six months of 2012 is running about 2% above budget and about 6% over last year—for which we are very grateful. This coming weekend we have nine more Tomorrow’s World Special Presentations scheduled in Canada, UK and USA. I will be in Oklahoma for services and two TWSPs. This coming week, Mr. Sheldon Monson will lead the Living Youth Adventure Program in Glacier National Park, Montana. Your prayers for these activities will be appreciated.—DSW

There were 145,000 sessions involving 101,000 unique visitors from 185 countries and territories. Compared to the same period in 2011, we recorded massive growth from the French overseas departments, Reunion (+85%), Martinique (+55%) and Guadeloupe (+40%), as well as other French-speaking countries like Ivory Coast (90%), Switzerland (+47%) and Haiti (+52%). Mainland France and Belgium record a steady increase of 20% and Canada is stable. Along with the USA, these countries and territories are the ten most active countries for the French websites.

New Station in Mexico: A new door has opened for us to preach the Gospel in Mexico. We have just signed a contract with a radio station in the city of Torreon, in the northern state of Coahuila, to air our program El Mundo de Mañana. We debut next Sabbath, July 7, at 4:00 p.m. on Radio Señal AM 1380. This is a powerful station covering the states of Coahuila and Chihuaha, and part of Mexico’s third-largest metro-area, Monterrey.

Visit to Peru: Mr. Armando Orrego, South America Regional Pastor, arrived in Lima on Wednesday night, June 27. On Thursday morning, we headed to the Feast of Tabernacles site. The visit to Huaychulo was very profitable. We were able to speak with the hotel administrator, see the facilities and improve some services. From there, Mr. Orrego travelled to Cerro de Pasco to visit the members there. He had many counseling sessions with the brethren. On the Sabbath day, the brethren from Cerro de Pasco and some who had travelled from Lima met for Sabbath services. Everyone was very joyful. On Sunday, Mr. and Mrs. Orrego were back in Lima, where they visited several families and a beloved brother who had travelled all the way from Trujillo. On Monday, the Orregos traveled back home to Colombia. The visit was very profitable for God’s people in Peru.—Eden Hurtado

On Sunday morning, we will go to Omaha’s renowned Henry Doorly Zoo, which boasts the largest indoor rainforest in America and the largest indoor desert in the world. The Lied Jungle and Desert Dome are two of the reasons that this zoo was recently ranked as the #1 zoo in the U.S. by TripAdvisor. The Zoo is extending the group rate to us: children 2 and under–free; children ages 3 to 11–$8.00; adults age 12 and over–$12.50; seniors age 65 and over–$11.50. Ticket payment (cash only please) is to be made in person, on the day of the visit, and tickets will be handed out at the zoo entrance.

There will be a West Virginia Pre-Teen Camp this year at the 4-H Camp in Princeton, West Virginia. The dates are Sunday, July 29 to Friday, August 3. This camp is designed for children between the ages of 8 and 12. Activities include canoeing, archery, guitar, orienteering, kickball, life lessons and, of course, Christian Living. We had a very successful camp last year and many will be returning. There are still some openings. Check www.livingyouth.org for more details. The closing date for applications to the West Virginia camp has been pushed back a week to July 13 for U.S.-based campers/staff to give more time to apply. International applicants will still need to apply by July 6.—Paul Shumway, Camp Director

Attention U.S. Pastors: The deadline to submit Festival Assistance Request forms to Church Administration is Monday, July 16. All forms should be properly completed by the members requesting second tithe assistance to attend the Feast this year. Then, the Area Pastors should write their recommendations/comments on the forms before submitting them to CAD. Festival Assistance Request forms are available to ministers on the MyLCG website (www.cogl.org).

Church History Project Videos

A few months ago we invited Church youth to interview long-time Church members for our “Church History Project.” This was a fun and inspiring project, and we really appreciate everyone contributing. We received many excellent and uplifting videos from members from all around the world, and we have loaded just a few to the Living Church of God website for you to watch.

To visit the Church History 2012 web page, please just go to www.lcg.org and click on the “About Us” link. There, you will find the “Church History Videos” link. We hope you enjoy the videos and are as encouraged by them as we were!—Wyatt Ciesielka

Registration for the Fall Semester/Semester I Living University courses opened on July 1. Classes begin August 15. This semester we plan to offer 17 different courses, two of which are brand new! For those who have never taken LU courses before, be sure to visit our website at www.livinguniv.com and complete an Application for Admission to the university—this will then allow you to register for a class. The website also provides detailed information on our programs, fees, courses, and much more. We encourage you to consider taking a class for credit if you want to work toward a degree or certificate. Or just “audit” a course if you desire the content without the stress of exams and papers. Those age 65 and over are eligible to audit one course per semester, tuition-free. If you have questions, please e-mail or call Ms. Michelle Bottella at michelle.bottella@livinguniv.com, or 704-708-2294. Below we highlight three different courses being offered this semester.

THL 332 – The Biblical Text. This in-depth course deals with proving the authority, inspiration, canonization, literary unity, and textual criticism of the Bible. Emphasis is on Bible translations, versions, textual analysis, exegesis, and research. This course is part of the Certificate of New Testament Studies program as well as the diploma and degree programs.

THL 346 – Teaching in the Christian Home. This new course addresses questions surrounding the issues, challenges, and misnomers related to home schooling. It covers issues and challenges involved in organizing an effective Christian home school, including legal regulations; curriculum development; teaching Bible, literacy, science, mathematics, socialization, and history; testing requirements; graduation and record-keeping. This class is a must for anyone currently engaged in home schooling, or even remotely interested.

THL 350 – Principles in Counseling and Conflict Resolution. This new course focuses on the philosophy and techniques of biblically-based counseling, including interpersonal, premarital, marital, family and addiction counseling, and biblical conflict resolution. It will provide insight for anyone involved in friendships and relationships but will be particularly useful to those involved in or planning to be involved in biblically-based counseling—particularly those in the ministry.

To all Area Pastors: God’s Work continues to grow, and as a result the Media Operations Department needs a video editor to assist with the increased work load. Please review the job description below. If you know of an experienced video/media editor who is a Church member and can work well under deadline pressure, please e-mail me (rames@lcg.org). A successful candidate will be expected to relocate to Charlotte, and the Church will pay for reasonable moving expenses. Also, the candidate should submit a resume to Mrs. Suzanne Pyle, (hr@lcg.org), fax 704-844-1973, at the Human Resources Department here at Headquarters. We request that only those applicants who live and can legally work in the United States apply for this position. Thanks for your help.—Richard Ames, Director of Media Operations

Pondering Independence Day: This week, on the Fourth of July, America celebrated Independence Day—236 years from the day that 13 colonies declared their independence from England, one of the most powerful nations on earth at that time. The Founding Fathers asked for and saw the Hand of God at work in the birth and development of this new nation… a nation based on biblical principles, dedicated to liberty and religious freedom. As America spread across a continent and then spread its influence and ideals around the world, few realized that God was working out a purpose and fulfilling the Covenant He had made with His Chosen People. The terms of that Covenant included blessings for obedience to God’s laws, and punishment for disobedience. God warned “if you do not obey… these commandments , and if you despise My statutes… I will break the pride of your power” (Leviticus 26:14-19). Today, America and other Israelite nations are literally turning away from God and ignoring His commandments and statutes. The question we need to ponder is, “How much longer will God let this deliberate disobedience go on before He brings the punishments He warned about when Israel agreed to the Covenant?” Are we prepared for what the future holds?

America’s Weather Woes: As 2012 unfolds, erratic weather conditions are jolting the United States. A sudden, severe storm with 90-mile an hour winds left three million homes in the eastern U.S. without power. Downed trees cut power lines, stopped air conditioners during 100-degree temperatures, stopped gas pumps and shut off traffic signals, snarling traffic. In Florida, drenching rains from a tropical storm caused major flooding. Fires across the western United States have burned thousands of acres in this tinder-dry region. In Colorado, one fire destroyed 350 homes near Colorado Springs and forced 30,000 to flee the most destructive fire in the state’s history. A year after extensive flooding in much of the Midwest, drought conditions are expanding and intensifying across the country. One report notes, &ldq uo;Last year, about a third of the country was in drought. Now nearly three-quarters is” (CharlotteObserver, July 1, 2012). Few today understand or remember that God promised the Israelite people they would be blessed if they obeyed His laws, but would be punished if they turned away from Him. God specifically warned “if you do not obey the voice of the LORD… your heavens… shall be bronze, and the earth… shall be iron…. The LORD will change the rain… to powder and dust” (Deuteronomy 28:15-24). God also said He would cause it to rain on one city and not on another (Amos 4:7). As America turns away from God—promoting homosexuality, same-sex marriage, abortion, divorce and pornography—we can expect to see more of the curses that God said He would bring on a backsliding nation. See our free booklet, The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy.

Syria’s Growing Instability: Syria recently shot down a Turkish military jet fighter, and shot at a rescue plane looking for the downed jet (Reuters, June 26, 2012). In response, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan stated, “Every military element approaching Turkey from the Syrian border and representing a security risk and danger will be assessed as a military threat and will be treated as a military target.” This incident adds to the growing instability created by the Syrian civil war, which began March 2011 and has killed more than 10,000 people. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has blamed terrorist groups funded by Western nations for the war, and this week he stated, “We live in a re al state of war from all angles” (ibid.). Long ago, the prophet Isaiah predicted, “Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap” (Isaiah 17:1). Jeremiah also prophesied, “Damascus has grown feeble…her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day” (Jeremiah 49:23-27). Syria was punished anciently for siding against the nation of Judah, and modern Syria has done the same. The civil war has now reached the suburbs of Damascus, and rebels may soon enter the heart of the Syrian capital. As events unfold in Syria, it will be interesting to see how these prophecies will be fulfilled. For more information on events in the Middle East, request our free booklet The Middle East in Prophecy.

Gonorrhea: Almost Untreatable! Gonorrhea or “clap” is an extremely common sexually transmitted infection that was contracted by more than 62 million people in 1999—the last year of global reporting for the disease (Avert.org). What was long believed to be a “sailor’s disease” is now prevalent in many populations, including teenagers. Research shows this bacterium is now almost completely drug resistant. According to a United Nations scientist, “This organism has basically been developing resistance against every medication we’ve thrown at it [including ‘last line of treatment’ antibiotics]… In a couple of years it will have become resistant to every treatment option we have available now” (Associated Press, June 6, 2012). Current efforts to contain the disease include better surveillance and better sex education (ibid.). However, scientists have missed the simplest and most effective cure—a behavioral intervention that God outlined thousands of years ago. Moses wrote, “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14) and the Apostle Paul advised “Flee sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18). God intended sexual relations to be between a husband and wife (Genesis 2:24)—a relationship that would prevent this tragic global problem. The laws of God are powerful and practical and will become the foundation of social behavior in the coming Kingdom of God. For m ore information on the world-changing power of God’s laws, be sure to review our booklet, The Ten Commandments.—Scott Winnail and Justin Ridgeway

COGwriter, 2012

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