Do You Know 16 of the Names of God?
Do you know God’s name?
Course Spotlight: Unit 4 – Lessons of Peter’s Denial
Here are a few comments from students answering the “Student Thoughts” question from Unit 4, Lesson 3: Why did Peter deny Christ (Luke 22:54-62)? What can we do in our own lives to make sure we do not deny Him (Matthew 10:32-33)?
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“Why did Peter deny Christ? Here is a man who exhibits great boldness. He is the one that always has a ready answer. He is the one who asked to walk out on the water to Jesus. He tells Jesus that he would not allow Him to be put to death, and he really meant what he said. Here’s is a man, armed with a sword, who attempts to protect Christ from being taken captive. And, he is told to put away the sword! Peter was expecting a Messiah that would institute the Kingdom immediately, and all of a sudden things were not going where he had thought. He had to be very confused, but even so Peter continued to be as close as he dared to Jesus. He and John were the only ones that we see that did follow along. Peter was terribly frightened. His leader was having the unthinkable happen to Him, and all this just didn’t match up with Peter’s concept of what was going to occur. All his bravery was not enough. He could not rely on his own strength. Pushed into the corner, he did what is the human thing. He lied. He denied Christ. Something that only a few hours before, he would have thought impossible. Fear, confusion, and despair, and then the awful knowledge that he had denied the Christ. We can be very thankful that this is included for us to read and to learn from, because there are vital lessons and warnings for us. We cannot do what we must do on our own strength. Our faith and trust must be in Christ and the Father. Things that we encounter don’t always appear as clearly as we would like, and so we have to develop that relationship with Christ and the Father so that we begin to develop the mind of Christ. Peter’s weakness there gives us hope and comfort because we see that upon his repentance he was forgiven. God extended mercy to him as He does to us upon repentance. Peter was relying on his own power and strength and he failed just as we will fail if we think that we can do anything right using only our own power. There may be a time when we will be put to this extreme test, and we have the example of Peter to help us. It is easy to make God in our own image and have it “all figured out,” but when things don’t work out the way we think, we learn to trust that God know what He is doing, and His way is always right.” – MJB
Online Focus | The Role of the Holy Spirit
A quick glimpse of what you may be missing…
In John 14:16–20, Jesus emphasized that after His departure to be with the Father, the disciples would not simply be abandoned (the Greek term used in verse 18 is orphanous, meaning “orphans”). Rather, through the power of the Holy Spirit (1 John 3:24), Jesus and the Father would dwell inside true Christians (John 14:20, 23). The Holy Spirit imparts both understanding and strength. It flows out from God (15:26), and connects our minds to His. God is Spirit (4:24); the Holy Spirit is not some separate and distinct personality of the Godhead. Rather, the Holy Spirit is the means by which Christ and the Father make their presence felt in the hearts and minds of believers.
The Holy Spirit is God’s outflowing power (Luke 1:35). It imparts God’s love as it is “poured out” in the hearts of believers (Romans 5:5). It is the means by which He created and brought into existence the very universe (Psalm 104:30). It is the power by which He works in the minds of human beings made in His image (Genesis 6:3). It is also the power by which the lame miraculously walked, the blind saw, the deaf heard and the dead were raised from their graves during Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry (Luke 5:15–17).
The Bible describes the Holy Spirit in various ways. Primarily, the Spirit is compared to wind. After all, pneuma—the Greek word for “spirit”—means “wind” or “breath.” In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word translated “spirit” is ruach,and has the same meaning as the Greek pneuma.
From Unit 4: Passover to the Resurrection – Lesson 2
Is it okay to keep Thanksgiving?
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
Here’s an answer from our Personal Correspondence Department, courtesy Mr. Gary Ehman…
Dear Friend,
Thank you for your question concerning the relationship between the national holiday of Thanksgiving and the Bible.
To begin, there is no direct connection between the United States national holiday on the fourth Thursday in November, and God’s biblical Holy Days. Most people recognize the first Thanksgiving as taking place in December 1621, when the Pilgrims held a three-day feast to celebrate the bountiful harvest they had reaped. In addition, the day did not become an official day of observance until the presidential proclamation of Abraham Lincoln on October 3, 1863, where he declared “a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”
Interestingly, through Lincoln’s words, we can see a nation that once professed God to be the true God, and denounced secular teachings. In essence, there was a link between the day of Thanksgiving and God. However, there is no direct biblical command pertaining to the fourth Thursday in November, and God continues to be removed from the picture in our nation today.
Conversely, God has detailed for us His Holy Days which are to be kept in accordance to scriptural outline. The Feast of Tabernacles in the fall designates a time of thanksgiving for blessings obtained throughout the year, and the great spiritual harvest still to come (Deuteronomy 16:13-15). Furthermore, God tells us to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
While the United States national holiday of Thanksgiving is not directly commanded in the Bible, we can certainly praise God and give Him thanks, at any time, for the blessings He has bestowed upon us.
If we can be of any further assistance, please let us know.
PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE DEPARTMENT
LEP Updates: Unit 2…coming soon!
Life, Ministry, and Teachings of Jesus Christ: Unit 1 – Final Lesson Available
The pilot unit for the Life, Ministry and Teachings of Jesus Christ is now fully available to all members. As an additional feature, once you have completed all the lessons, you can go back and watch or listen to the lectures as part of a “play list”, without having to go through all the lesson material. Just click on “Conclusion” at the bottom of the menu, and then click “Audio Playlist”, or “Video Playlist”. Again, you can move at your own pace through the lessons, so enjoy the learning experience! Our next unit will begin after the Feast of Tabernacles. The date the first lesson will go live is October 7th. Happy studying!
– Mr. Jonathan McNair, Director
Living Education Update – Unit 1
Life, Teachings and Ministry of Jesus Christ, Unit One
This is a big “thank-you” to those who have patiently navigated the enrollment process for our first online unit. If you are still having difficulties, please start by going to our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) menu on the front page of our lcgeducation.org site. This page lists the answers to many questions you might have about how to use the system. If you can’t find the answer there, just send an email to [email protected] and we’ll try to help you out. Hopefully, you’ve found the lectures and supporting material beneficial. Perhaps we’ve even provided some food for thought and conversation on the Sabbath with our discussion and study questions and “Learn More” components. Happy studying!
– Mr. Jonathan McNair, Director
We Have Lift-Off!
This week is the kickoff for both our online and on-campus programs! A great deal of effort has been made by a team of people to get these programs off the ground – many of whom are behind the scenes and contribute one crucial component or another, then go about their normally assigned duties. The ultimate goal is to serve you and your congregation, with the help of your elder and pastor.To that end, there will be a webinar for all pastors and elders on this Thursday evening, August 16th, from 7pm to 8pm. EST titled “Keys to Implementing Living Education in your Congregation”. Pastors and elders, please check your email inbox for more details. This session will help our pastors and elders to answer questions and plan to adapt the material to local needs.Here in Charlotte, fourteen young adults enjoyed orientation sessions and their first three days of classes, as they jumped right into the rhythm of learning a “better way of life”. With an “all-employee” welcome lunch and then a dinner hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Weston at their home on Monday, our group of seven men and seven women is set to begin the school year.
– Mr. Jonathan McNair
Director, Living Education
Who is the online program for? Are there age restrictions?
The online program is for members and attending prospective members of the Living Church of God. There are no age restrictions beyond the ability to read and study the Bible.
Internet access, an individual email address and a MyLCG account are required.