Living Church of God, World Ahead Weekly Update

Mr. Meredith has been writing and holding meetings this week. Mr. Pyle reports that the television program, entitled “Prophets and Pretenders,” presented by Mr. Wally Smith should bring over 5,800 responses. This is the fourth week in a row that the program has drawn over 5,000 responses. We had an encouraging turnout (58 guests) for the Tomorrow’s World Special Presentations, “The Gathering Storm,” last weekend in Phoenix and Prescott, Arizona (see below).

“What a wonderful weekend it was… very successful under the worst conditions.” In spite of cold, rain, snow, fog and some difficult parking problems, 48 visitors arrived in Phoenix and 10 visitors appeared in Prescott for the TWSPs that focused on “The Gathering Storm”—a most appropriate title considering the weather conditions! Dr. Winnail’s presentation was well presented and well received. One visitor in Prescott commented, “It was well worth the drive from Flagstaff!”—Rodger Bardo

This is a reminder that the special DVD sermon recorded by Mr. Meredith is to be played on December 10, one week before the fast. (The sermon will be available online Friday afternoon, for any Video Recipients to download, in case they didn’t receive the physical DVD in time). The Church-wide fast is to take place on the Sabbath of December 17. Pastors are free to give their own live sermons on the day of the fast, December 17, wherever they will be.

Your fervent prayers are requested for Mr. Wenceslas Kamwenubusa, a faithful and long-time member in Bujumbura, Burundi. Mr. Kamwenubusa, about age 71, is very ill with a life-threatening liver disease. A patriarch of a large family, Mr. Kamwenubusa is both a pillar and a spiritual support to God’s people in this troubled region of Central Africa. Losing him at this time could be very disheartening, not only to his immediate family, but also to our newly-baptized and prospective members in Burundi and in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. Mr. Rees Ellis was able to visit the Kamwenubusa family last September (they had not received a ministerial visit in 24 years).

On Monday and Wednesday, December 26 and 28, a regional ministerial conference in Retalhuleu, Guatemala, will be held for the Spanish-speaking ministry. Mr. and Mrs. Orrego, from Colombia; Mr. and Mrs. Schaubeck, from Costa Rica; Mr. and Mrs. Sergio Roca, from Guatemala; Mr. Antonio Mora and Mr. Gabriel Ortega, from Mexico; and other regional Church leaders will participate in this conference led by Dr. Douglas Winnail and Mr. Mario Hernandez.

From time to time, brethren who are travelling may e-mail or call Headquarters, or contact a minister through our www.lcg.org website, to obtain information about Sabbath services near the location they are visiting. We are happy to provide you with this information when you need it. However, please be sure to e-mail or call Headquarters, or contact the minister early in the week—by mid-week, at the latest. If you wait until Friday afternoon to request the information, you may not reach the pastor in time to receive the necessary details (he may already be travelling on his circuit, and may be difficult to reach) and the office closes at 3:30 p.m. on Fridays in the Eastern Time Zone, during the winter.

The Charlotte Family Weekend (December 23-25) is only two weeks away! We are looking forward to seeing all of our visitors! If you are planning to attend, please download the Registration/Pre-Payment form at www.charlottelcg.org (not an official Church website), where you can also find more information about the weekend. Mail it (with payment for the dinner on Saturday night, December 24, made out to the Charlotte Local Activity Fund) by Friday, December 16. For additional information on the Charlotte Family Weekend, please contact Mrs. Dorothy McNair at 704-844-1960, ext. 2248, or send an e-mail to dmcnair@lcg.org.

As a reminder, the Marriage Seminar on Friday, December 23 is open to everyone, and there is no charge (but we do need you to register on the Registration/Pre-Payment form). The Marriage Seminar will take place at the University Hilton from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., on Friday, December 23. Presenters will be Messrs. Richard Ames, Rod McNair, and Scott Winnail. There will also be a “Q & A” session included—if you would like to submit a question for consideration, please e-mail Rod McNair at rmcnair@lcg.org. See you there!

Register your sports team, apply to participate in the fun show, register for the weekend, and make online donations via PayPal at our website lcgkc.org/kcweekend (not an official Church website)! Also at the website, you will find hotel contact information for LaQuinta Inn & Suites, or you may opt to stay with local brethren by indicating so when you register.

We are considering making our Costa Rica Feast of Tabernacles site a bilingual (Spanish-English) Feast site next year, with services being held alternately in English and in Spanish (simultaneous interpretation would be provided into both languages). However, to determine the feasibility of offering such a site we would like to gauge interest in it. If you would be interested in attending a bilingual Feast site in Costa Rica in 2012, please contact Mr. George Schaubeck (gschaubeck@lcg.org) or Madeleine Lincoln-Strange (mlincoln@lcg.org, phone 704-844-1970) to indicate your interest.

As registration for next semester continues, we will list below two more courses being offered this coming semester. Classes will begin January 11, so enrolling in the University and registering courses should be completed as soon as possible in order to allow time for textbook orders to arrive. A complete listing of “Spring Semester” courses (Spring in the northern hemisphere), can also be viewed on the Living University website under the link “2011 Spring Schedule.” To make application to Living University, to register for courses, and to find out more, please visit the www.livinguniv.com website. For additional information or questions, please contact Ms. Michelle Bottella michelle.bottella@livinguniv.com, or 704-708-2294.

THL 413 – Epistles of Paul II (Prerequisite: THL 412): The Apostle Paul said to follow him as he followed Christ and to emulate his example of obedience to God. To do so requires an understanding of apostolic teachings and the will to live by the apostles’ doctrine. Our collective task is the examination of the history, traditions, and myths surrounding the early Church to arrive at a fuller understanding of the period and of “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3). This course focuses on the teachings, message, background, purposes, and themes of the Prison Epistles, Hebrews and the Pastoral Epistles, with special emphasis on the understanding of core doctrines. Students encounter leading issues and engage in assigned readings, conceptualization activities, and vocabulary building.

THL 416 – General Epistles and Revelation (Prerequisite THL 136): This course introduces the historical setting, purpose, and central theme of the letters of James, Peter, John, and Jude and the book of Revelation. Emphasis is on the use of critical, historical, archeological, and cultural analysis. Students will learn to use analysis tools to read, understand, explain, and expound these biblical writings. In this course you will encounter information concerning the New Testament and some issues and matters not dealt with elsewhere in the New Testament. Here you should find opportunity to hone your critical thinking skills and aptitudes in discerning and understanding the teachings of God’s Word.

Be Alert and Watch! We live in a world where many things compete for our attention—TV, computers, e-mails, jangling music, jobs and family. 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, Mark 13, Luke 21, Acts 20:31, 1 Thessalonians 5:6, 20). The events making news today—droughts, floods, fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, spreading violence, wars—converging at the same time that we see the continent of Europe (with its links to the ancient Roman Empire) reviving and rearranging itself, and the Roman Catholic Church promoting an ecumenical movement, should be sobering to anyone with an understanding of Bible prophecy. These even ts should motivate us all to grow spiritually and to prepare for the roles we have been called to fill in the coming Kingdom of God. We also need to remember Jesus’ warning that if we do not watch, we will not be ready for His Return (Revelation 3:3). However, Jesus 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). We need to be alert and watch!

Embassies Close Down in Tehran. Last week, Iranian protesters in Tehran stormed the British Embassy. According to the Geneva Convention, host nations are responsible for the safety and protection of foreign diplomats on their soil. Virtually no protection or intervention was provided by Iranian security forces. In response, the British Foreign Secretary announced the immediate closure of the Embassy and withdrawal of embassy staff. Additionally he expelled Iranian diplomats from Britain and closed Iran’s London Embassy. France, Germany, and the Netherlands announced a recall of all diplomats from Tehran for “consultations.” Norway announced the closing of its Tehran Embassy for “safety reasons.” A statement by the British Foreign Minister last week demonstrated the urgency of the situation, “We have now closed the B ritish Embassy in Tehran. We have decided to evacuate all our staff and as of the last few minutes all our UK-based staff have now left Iran” (Yahoo News, November 30, 2011). Although the Embassy events in Tehran may not be surprising to regular observers of the Middle East, they are interesting in light of Bible prophecy. Daniel anciently prophesied about the events that would occur in the “last days.” Daniel 11 speaks of a tenuous relationship between the King of the North (or Beast power mentioned in Revelation) and a King of the South (a confederation of peoples in the Middle East). As events continue to develop in that part of the world, watch for nations in the Islamic region of North Africa and the Middle East to forge some sort of configuration that will further antagonize Europe and the West. The events occurring in Tehran may well play into this end-time prophetic scenario.

U.S. Foreign Aid to Support Homosexual Agenda. In another groundbreaking announcement this week, the White House highlighted its “wide-ranging effort to use U.S. foreign aid to promote rights for gays and lesbians abroad, including combating attempts by foreign governments to criminalize homosexuality.” Aid typically used to support and establish democratic governments, fight oppressive dictatorial regimes, and feed the hungry, will now be further diluted in order to support the rights of homosexuals, bisexuals and transgender individuals. This broad-reaching edict will affect the following U.S. government agencies: “Departments of State, the Treasury, Defense and Homeland Security” (Associated Press, December 6, 2011). Long ago Isaiah prophesied about how God would hide His face from the Israelite-descended nations because of their continued iniquities and sins (Isaiah 64:7). Isaiah continued by noting God’s frustration with these nations: “I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, according to their own thoughts; a people who provoke Me to anger continually to My face… Who say, ‘Keep to yourself, do not come near me’…” (Isaiah 65:2-5). As the Israelite-descended nations continue to “push God away” and follow the path of sin, God prophesies a difficult road ahead.

Whooping Cough Outbreak in Illinois. As of last Monday, the whooping cough (pertussis) outbreak in three Illinois counties included more than 500 diagnosed cases. Public health officials say the actual number of cases is much higher, but that the 500 represent solely “medically diagnosed” cases. In McHenry County alone there were 172 cases on Monday—up from just nine cases during the entirety of last year. Officials do not know the exact reason for the outbreak. Whooping cough is a bronchial disease that claimed thousands of lives annually in the U.S. prior to the advent of the pertussis vaccine in the 1930s. The disease is lethal for infants, in more than 80% of cases. Last year, a similar outbreak caused the death of ten infants in California, and more than 9,000 cases of infection (ABCNews.com, December 6, 2011). The Bible is ful l of public health directives given from the Almighty God, including recommendations for quarantining sick individuals (see Leviticus 13- 14). When followed, these lovingly-given statutes actually help prevent or lessen disease severity and duration. Additionally, we should expect to see more disease outbreaks like the one in Illinois—and more deadly ones—as we approach the end of the age. Christ prophesied that one of the signs of the end of the age would be pestilences (Luke 21:11), and that these pestilences (plagues or diseases) would be just the “beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8). For more information on this vital topic, review our free booklet, Fourteen Signs Announcing Christ’s Return.—Scott Winnail

COGwriter 2011

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