7/24/08
Greetings from Charlotte,
Prophetically significant events continue to occur. Queen Elizabeth II recently signed the Lisbon Treaty—a move that will not be popular in her country, that will give away more rights of England to the EU and that will eventually undermine the influence of the Monarchy. We have also received reports that Hurricane Dolly that slammed into the south Texas coast has had some impact on brethren in that area, but all are safe.
Dr. Meredith has been working on editorial projects this week. Mr. Ames has been working on administrative, Television and Editorial matters. Mr. and Mrs. James Sweat are currently visiting Headquarters in Charlotte as part of the ministerial “refresher” program. Mr. Sweat serves as Associate Pastor to Mr. Bob League in Tennessee and northern Alabama. I returned Sunday evening from four very positive days at the Living Youth Teen Camp in Upper Michigan where I was able to observe activities and speak to the campers on several occasions. Mr. and Mrs. Weston and their very capable staff are doing an outstanding job providing a quality experience for about 90 campers. It was encouraging and inspiring to spend time with everyone. Please read the following announcement about Living University.
Living University
Formal registration for Fall Semester classes will begin in a few weeks. This year we will be offering more than a dozen classes. Theology classes include: Life and Teachings of Jesus, Principles of Living, Old Testament Survey, The Biblical Text, History of Christianity and Archeology of the Old Testament. Other classes include: Nutrition, Health and Wellness, Mother and Infant Care, Oral Communication, English, Computer Information Systems and Anthropology.
Take advantage of the opportunity to study these subjects from a unique biblical perspective. Remember the classes are available at a reduced tuition price for members of the Living Church of God (see the Financial Aid section of the Living University website).
Church Administration
Ministerial Transfers
As previously announced, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Way will be moving to Kansas City in early August; Mr. Way will be assisting Mr. Rand Millich as Associate Pastor in the area. Mr. and Mrs. Darrel Lovelady and their children will be moving to California next week to start their new assignment in Southern California. Mr. and Mrs. Phil West and their children will be moving to the Milwaukee area in early August, as well. Mr. West will serve there as Area Pastor.
Mr. and Mrs. Val Burgett are currently looking for housing in Ohio, where they will be relocating later this summer. Mr. and Mrs. Paul Shumway will be moving to West Virginia from Florida. We appreciate and are very thankful for the dedicated and diligent efforts of these men, their wives, and their families to serve God’s people. Your prayers for smooth relocations are much appreciated.
Baptisms in 2008
From January through June 2008, a total of 146 baptisms have been recorded on our files at Headquarters. Of these, 93 baptisms occurred in the USA, 15 in Canada, and the rest in other countries around the world (including two baptisms in Zambia and one in Nigeria for the first time in the Living Church of God!). This is about the same number of baptisms we recorded in 2007 during the same period (145). We rejoice in seeing that God is adding new members to the Body of Christ, and making disciples from all nations!
Hurricane Dolly
Mr. Phil Sena, southeast Texas Area Pastor, informs us that our members in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, which was affected by Hurricane Dolly, are all safe. However, they suffered some damage to their homes. They need our fervent prayers for their continued protection and quick recovery.
Feast of Tabernacles
Hawaii 2009
The Festival Survey from the Feast of Tabernacles last year revealed quite a lot of interest in once again having a Feast site in Hawaii. We are happy to announce that we are planning to hold the Feast on the island of Kauai in 2009. If this exciting news interests you and you would like to attend the Feast in Hawaii in 2009, begin thinking about it and start making your plans now. Soon, we will ask those who are interested to pre-register on our website so that we can firm up our plans. Look for the announcement about how and when to pre-register.—Davy Crockett
Comments
Be Alert and Watch! Today, we live in a mentally demanding world where a multitude of distractions compete for our attention. Television, computers, e-mails, iPods, jangling music, jobs and family concerns constantly pull our minds in different directions. Yet, the Scriptures warn that Christians must be alert and watch for the convergence of a specific series of events that will mark the end of the age and the imminent return of Jesus Christ. The admonitions to be alert and watch appear more than a dozen times in the New Testament (see Matthew 24:42-44; 25:13; Mark 13:33-37, Luke 21:34-36; Acts 20:31; 1 Thessalonians 5:6, 20). The events making news today—droughts, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, spreading violence, wars—converging at the same time that we see the revival of a political power in Europe, with definitive links to the ancient Roman Empire that is promoted by an ecumenical-minded Roman Church, should be sobering to anyone with an understanding of Bible prophecy. These events should motivate us all to grow spiritually and to prepare for the roles we have been called to play in the coming Kingdom of God. We also need to remember Jesus’ warning that if we will not watch we will not be ready for His return (Revelation 3:3). However, Jesus also promised, “Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching…. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Luke 12:37-40).
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—July 24, 2008
Violence: New Career Choice in the UK. “Many young people join gangs as a credible and even necessary ‘career’ choice in the inner cities where traditional economic opportunities have gone, according to research…. Those young people who have dropped out of school… may also see gang membership as the only route to a role in society with some status and a ‘decent wage.’” (The Times, July 2, 2008). Many young people also join gangs for safety reasons—it is safer to be part of a gang than to be on the outside. Because of family breakdown, many young people are turning to the gang culture to replace parental and family role models. God instructed parents and grandparents to teach His ways to their children (Deuteronomy 4:9). God warned of a time when “children are their oppressors” (Isaiah 3:12)—a time when He would “appoint terror over you” (Leviticus 26:16). He also warned that “where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18, KJV). Modern research demonstrates that when young people have no hope for the future—no vision—they engage in self-destructive behaviors at much greater rates. Today we are witnessing an epidemic of violence among the youth that is a result of the destruction of families, a failure to teach children Godly values, and a failure on the part of government to provide a stable society with an abundance of job opportunities. That is why God promises, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice….” (Proverbs 29:2).
“Your Highways Shall Be Desolate…” Though the New Zealand dollar has been riding very high in recent years, economists predict an impending “dive” in the value of the currency, due mostly to inevitable reductions in domestic interest rates. New Zealand enjoys some of the highest and most stable interest rates in the world, but as their Reserve Bank cuts rates, what was seen as a “safe” currency may turn into a currency that nations flee away from, causing a major drop in the value of the NZ dollar (Money and Markets, July 12, 2008). One conservative U.S. economist, after examining a broad array of geopolitics, is predicting that when gasoline reaches $7 per gallon in the U.S., a family earning less than $25,000 per year will spend 20% of its income for gasoline. Mr. Broderick notes: “For some people, it simply won’t be worth it to drive to work. Factor in the airlines parking planes, delivery trucks no longer running, fishing fleets staying in port, and car manufacturers going out of business… America has the ingredients for a major economic collapse” (Money and Markets, July 2, 2008). God predicted major inflation at the end of the age as grains, cooking oil and wine become unaffordable to most (Revelation 6:5-6). He also warned of an economic collapse that results in the highways of Israel becoming “desolate” (Leviticus 26:22). Even economists are beginning to use biblical terminology to refer to the anticipated results of future economic turmoil.
A Coming Pestilence? In a scathing report released this week, an intergovernmental committee in Britain released evidence that the governments there and in many other nations are ill-prepared for an inevitable global influenza pandemic. The government’s evidence was highly critical and “…attacked the World Health Organization (WHO) as ‘dysfunctional’ and criticized the international response to the threat of an outbreak of disease that could sweep across the globe.” Public health experts have warned for more than a decade of another impending worldwide flu pandemic. With each year, the likelihood of this future pandemic grows, as do fears among public health professionals worldwide. The British report estimated that the next global flu outbreak could kill 2-50 million people worldwide and up to 75,000 in Britain alone. The tremendous increase in global air travel is seen as a major risk factor for the spread of disease globally (Independent, July 21, 2008). God warned that because of the disobedience of the Israelite-descended peoples, He would bring on them “extraordinary plagues—great and prolonged plagues—and serious and prolonged sicknesses,” as well as all the diseases of Egypt (Deuteronomy 28:58-60). However, God does promise that IF we turn to Him, obeying Him, He will bring “none of the diseases” upon us (Exodus 15:26). —Ellis Noll, Dan Bennett and Scott Winnail
COGwriter 2008