In an excerpt from “One Way to Know God Better” we learn more about the statutes applied today. “We saw earlier that the Apostle Paul gave the gentile Church in Corinth the example of not muzzling an ox as the application of a statute. Here are two additional examples of statutes that show the character of God.”
Course Spotlight From Christian Business and Finance: Business Relationships in the Church
Author: Yolanda Watt | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2021-22
Estimated Reading Time: 2 min.
the Living Ed students had the opportunity to visit the Tomorrow’s World studio, where we started our tour in the control room. The students were given a brief overview of the different pieces of equipment and were introduced to the staff members who work with all of these devices. At that point, the students were given a chance to become part of the creative process by providing feedback about a Tomorrow’s World Whiteboard video currently in the development stage.
The Whiteboard video the students were shown was titled “How Jesus Taught His Disciples to Pray.” Once it concluded, the students were encouraged to make suggestions about how to improve it. Our comments addressed topics ranging from where in the video the Tomorrow’s World logo should appear to how often throughout the video the graphic of the hand should be shown writing what is being said. We also spent quite a bit of time discussing the various major platforms that the Church could utilize, in order to preach the Gospel to a wider variety of demographics. The students were quite eager to offer their opinions, and Mr. Michael DeSimone, Manager of the Television Department, and Mr. Jake Hall, Lead Editor for Tomorrow’s World, were just as happy to hear them.
In the end, the opportunity to review one of the Whiteboard videos provided a very interesting experience for the students. It was much appreciated by Mr. DeSimone and Mr. Hall, as they were able to receive feedback from the student body on how to improve these videos, as well as engage in some discussion regarding which platforms would be most effective for continuing to preach the Gospel. Even reviewing a video helps the Work, and it was a great opportunity for all of us.
To access all published Tomorrow’s World Whiteboard videos, check them out here on the Tomorrow’s World YouTube channel.
Author: Yolanda Watt | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2021-22
Estimated Reading Time: 3 min.
These are some of the opening words to Mr. Lehman Lyons’ recent Assembly lecture. He summarized some of his work history, which ties in with what he does in the Living Church of God today. He has a background in business, though he started his career in a grocery store before being hired by a moving company. Once his employers found out where he was from, they offered him management of an agency forty-five miles from where he grew up in South Carolina. While there, He learned the whole spectrum of what happens in a moving company.
In 2001, the Church hired Mr. Lyons to work in purchasing. He was hired because the Church, headquartered in California at the time, was moving across the country to North Carolina. Due to his prior moving experiences, he was able to offer expertise that most members did not have, and helped the Church save massive amounts of money.
Mr. Lyons’ corporate title is Buyer. He is responsible for purchasing anything that the Church needs, looking for deals that will get the best quality things at a responsible price. Mr. Lyons encouraged us to pray for open doors for the Church, saying that God can bring the money into the Church and multiply it to do His Work.
Mr. Lyons’ work often takes him outside of the Headquarters building. While most Headquarters employees mainly work with each other, Mr. Lyons’ main line of work necessitates working with people outside the Church. He expressed that, since we need to find favor in the eyes of the people with whom we do business, another thing we can pray for is “vendor favor.”
Mr. Lyons is also responsible for the fleet, which comprises the automobiles that the Church has on its property as well as the ones that it supplies the ministers in the field. The Church purchases these vehicles and handles their fuel cost and maintenance, buying automobiles through Enterprise and paying the bills on time. Mr. Lyons also handles the transportation of visiting ministers to and from the airport.
“I look at my job as tending and keeping,” Mr. Lyons said. He supervises the maintenance for the HQ building, which was a blessing from God through the donations of the members. Mr. Lyons described the HQ building as one of the biggest benefits the Church has, because it would be way more expensive to rent a building. The Church also owns houses that it has purchased in Matthews, North Carolina, the maintenance of which Mr. Lyons helps oversee.
Mr. Lyons closed his lecture by saying that he is an activist advocating for the cause of the Church. He mentioned to the students that we are already a part of the Work, being in the educational program and engaging in the work-study opportunities available to us. He asked all the students to join him in striving to be a vital part of the Work of God.
Author: Caanin Fausone | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2021-22
Estimated Reading Time: 2 min.
There, they had the opportunity to learn about some of the brethren who kept the true teachings of Christ alive in what can only be called an especially dark time for the Church of God. This trip not only served as an opportunity to learn some interesting things about our spiritual forefathers but also was very helpful in supplementing Mr. Wayne Tlumak’s Biblical Doctrines class in which he explains the different eras of the Church of God. At the “Trail of Faith” itself, the students had the chance to see firsthand what set God’s people apart from the apostate believers of the Thyatira era. Seeing the documented debates of when to keep the Sabbath as well as the storied discourse over whether to keep Easter or Passover was especially interesting.
Another important aspect of this trip was seeing just how the Waldensians lived, forced to worship in caves and being more than just persecuted for their faith, but in many cases laying down their lives for what they believed. It was really eye-opening to see the liberty we so freely enjoy in many parts of the world today be desperately fought for by devoted people of faith who came before us. Though the Waldensians eventually did succumb to the protestant dogma that swept through Europe in the 1600 and 1700s, their desire to do what they believed was right no matter the consequence is an admirable quality no matter the time or era.
After seeing all that the exhibit had to offer the students went a short way down to a local park in the Valdese area and enjoyed a relaxing walk to an old water mill and the babbling stream that used to run it. All in all the trip was an educational, enlightening and enjoyable experience and I’m sure it will have a lasting impact moving forward throughout the year.
What is the unpardonable sin? What did Jesus say about this topic? Take a look at this excerpt “Is there an Unpardonable Sin?” by Richard Ames to get an overview of this topic!
Course Spotlight From The Life, Ministry, and Teachings of Jesus Christ: (Unit 2) The Galilean Ministry
Author: Ryan Price | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2021-22
Estimated Reading Time: 3 min.
We make decisions every day of our lives, and God wants us to develop the capacity to make good decisions as part of our training, whether the decisions involve spiritual questions or the physical decisions that impact us in so many unexpected ways. Sound decision-making is one of the primary lessons we are to learn in this life. In this week’s Forum, Dr. Jeffrey Fall shared with the Living Ed students four key principles to good decision-making.
Sometimes, you won’t have all the information, and making a poorly informed decision can end in disaster. If we gather all the facts, we get more pieces of the puzzle, which will give us a clearer picture of the situation. As an example, in Joshua 24—at the end of Joshua’s life—Israel had to make a decision. There were those who were loyal to God, those who were attracted to the Canaanite gods and customs, and the majority who hadn’t yet decided. God, through Joshua, laid out the facts—how He had led them from Egypt and intervened on their behalf many times. Joshua 24:16-18 shows us that when faced with the evidence, Israel made the right choice in this case.
As human beings, we have a tendency to “go it alone” and try to figure things out for ourselves, yet Proverbs 11:14 shows us that counsel is an important part of decision-making. When we receive good counsel, it can open our eyes to aspects of the decision we might not have seen before. Seeking counsel may not come naturally at first, but when we do so, we embrace God’s way of passing on spiritual insight to us. However, we need to be careful to seek counsel from the right sources. As Psalm 1:1 tells us, we should avoid seeking counsel from the ungodly.
Not every priority should hold the same value as we make decisions. God expects us to discern the weightier matters of the law and ask ourselves, “What would God’s highest priority be in this situation?” Our goal is to set our priorities in line with His priorities. For instance, while the Sabbath is a day of rest, we go to Services because being with our brethren and learning more about His way is a higher priority than just physically resting. As 2 Timothy 2:15 tells us, we are to be “rightly dividing the word of truth”—setting our priorities in the right order.
Even when we have the facts and have received proper counsel, the right decision won’t always be obvious. Going to God in prayer is a valuable decision-making tool, as is fasting about the decision. In Isaiah 58:1–11, God promises that He will guide us continually if we do our part. Fasting over a decision and asking God to show us His will brings nothing but benefit to us. Even if God’s answer to our question is no, we can take comfort in the fact that He knows what’s best for us.
We will make countless decisions throughout our lives; God won’t do it all for us. He’s teaching us the principles of proper decision-making. As we go through life, we can have confidence in these principles designed by our Father. He is seeking children who can make successful decisions, and He is always looking out for our best interests.
What is a Nazarite vow? Do we have any examples of a Nazarite vow in the Scriptures? In Lectures 2, 3, and 4, Dr. Meredith describes how Paul and his companions participated in a Nazarite vow.
COURSE SPOTLIGHT FROM ACTS OF THE APOSTLES: (UNIT 3) PAUL’S IMPRISONMENT
Author: Yolanda Watt | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2021-22
Estimated Reading Time: 3 min.
We live in an era of variety, in which people can easily change their minds. Mr. Ferreira lamented that in today’s world people are no longer interested in fixing things; instead they just replace them. This kind of attitude is so prevalent that it is even found in relationships and marriages. Couples are no longer interested in trying to work through their relationships, and instead they get a divorce, only to start the cycle all over again. Mr. Ferreira also talked about this in relation to people moving from one church to the next when they encounter issues. He refers to such people as “church fleas” hopping from one group to another.
Mr. Ferreira mentioned that we are to be long-suffering and patient, and followed that up with two thought-provoking questions: Do you follow through on your commitments (Matthew 5:37)? Are you grounded and steadfast (Matthew 7:13–14)?
Mr. Ferreira related these questions to a story about a pencil maker who told a pencil that if it remembered five lessons, it would be a successful pencil.
First, we will be able to do great things only if we allow ourselves to be held in someone’s hand—we must learn to rely on God for strength. If we are in God’s hands, anything is possible (Matthew 19:26).
Like a pencil, we also will experience painful sharpening from time to time, but this is needed for us to become better. God wants us to improve on a daily basis; it does not happen all at once at baptism. A Christian cannot grow without going through tests and trials. The trials might not feel great, but giving up on God’s way of life is never an option for true Christians (Romans 5:3–4; Matthew 24:13).
A pencil also has an eraser at the back of it to fix mistakes. Our “eraser” is genuine repentance (Isaiah 55:6–7; Psalm 103:11–12). Thanks to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, repenting from our sins allows those sins to be erased from the record of our lives in God’s sight. We all make mistakes—and with God’s help, we are able to repent of our mistakes and correct them.
No matter how fancy a pencil’s exterior is, the lead within it is the most important part. Likewise, the most important part of Christians is always what’s inside. We should not define ourselves solely by who we are physically; we should remember that what is in our hearts is what truly matters in God’s sight (1 Samuel 16:6–7; Jeremiah 17:10).
On every surface a pencil is used, it leaves a mark. We, too, leave marks as we go about our lives, through the examples we set and the legacies we leave behind. It is a Christian’s responsibility to strive to exemplify Christ’s life and leave a legacy that points back to Him (1 Peter 2:21–23; 1 Timothy 4:12).
As Christians, we can all learn from the lessons of a pencil. We need to make sure that we stick to our commitment to God’s way of life—we cannot afford to give up when things get tough. With His help, we will be examples of those who stand apart from the disposable era.
The write-up below is a typical Catholic explanation of the “perpetual virginity of Christ”. In order to understand why Dr. Meredith emphasizes the scriptural emphasis on Christ’s brothers in John 2:12, it’s helpful to know the Catholic view…
Course Spotlight from The Life Ministry and Teachings of Jesus Christ: (Unit 1) The Early Life of Christ