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Is Earth a Privileged Planet?

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Author: Kaleb Johnson | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2022-23

Estimated reading time: 5 min.

Evangelist and Tomorrow’s World presenter Mr. Richard Ames gave the Living Education students a forum presentation on our privileged planet.

Mr. Ames presented a powerful proof of God’s existence: the improbability of the planet earth. He directed the students to a documentary and book with the title The Privileged Planet. Guillermo Gonzalez and Jay Richards authored the book and starred in the documentary, and they challenge the Copernican Principle in a fascinating way. 

Mr. Ames’ Opening Comments

Mr. Ames introduced the documentary by expounding on a certain worldview that influences much of modern society and thinking: the Earth is just a tiny speck floating in a vast universe, and the fact that Earth is perfectly suited for life is only a cosmic quirk, one that no doubt has happened elsewhere. Mr. Ames appealed to the book Pale Blue Dot, in which Carl Sagan highlights the insignificance of the tiny Earth in a massive universe. When one looks only at size comparisons, the Earth is insignificant. However, there is more to consider. 

Mr. Ames pointed out the vast improbability that the universe exists in a stable expansion, referring to Stephen Hawking’s The Nature of Space and Time.  He also referenced solar eclipses. The sun and moon align precisely, an improbability that has greatly helped mankind—but more on that later. Ultimately, our planet is a pale blue dot, but it is a very special pale blue dot. After this introduction, Mr. Ames began the documentary.  

What is the Copernican Principle?

The documentary began with Copernicus, the Polish mathematician who derived the Heliocentric model—which presents the planets as orbiting the sun—rejecting the ancient Greek perspective of the earth being stationary. Fast forward to the beginning of the twentieth century: Astronomer Edwin Hubble peered through the Hooker Telescope (the most powerful of the time) and discovered that many of the nebulae thought to be dust clouds were in fact galaxies just as large as our own. The universe seemed to grow overnight. Now that the universe was known to be incomprehensibly large, contemporary philosophy and astronomy merged to form the Copernican Principle. 

Copernican Principle: humans, on the Earth or in the Solar System, are not privileged observers of the universe.

Peacock, John A. (1998). Cosmological Physics

Life in the Vast Universe

The Copernican Principle dictates that life must exist elsewhere. If not, Earth is unique and occupies a privileged spot. Thus the search for extraterrestrial life began, and it continues to this day. This search is conducted by a reactive method—radio telescopes analyzing radio waves for signs of intelligent life—and a proactive method of finding and examining planets that could hold life. 

Given that the laws near earth are proven to be in effect throughout the universe, the best model for a planet that sustains life is Earth. When researchers began to compile a thorough list of the factors that make Earth suitable for life, a different picture began to emerge. While the universe is massive, the Earth is quite unusual. It possesses an unusual atmosphere, an odd core—hot enough to have molten metals move and create a magnetic field—that protects that atmosphere, water and other elements, a large moon that regulates tides, a certain distance from the sun, and many more factors. Even its position in the solar system is unique, as gas giants protect Earth from rogue celestial bodies. Astronomy proved that the universe is big; astrobiology proved that the factors for a life-bearing planet are bigger. The notion that the universe is teeming with life is not as alluring as it once was. 

An Unlikely Connection 

This documentary honed in on a specific concept. Is humanity a privileged observer of the universe simply because we can observe the universe at all? This question strikes at the heart of the Copernican Principle. The authors of The Privileged Planet saw a correlation between factors for life and factors that enable scientific observation. For instance, the atmospheric composition of the Earth is critical for life, yet it is also transparent, allowing us to observe the sun, moon, stars, and wider universe. Also, a large moon and a certain distance from the sun are necessary for a planet with life. This creates a likelihood for solar eclipses, and these are perfect opportunities to view the sun. In fact, solar eclipses in the 19th led to a number of discoveries that greatly aided humanity. In the 20th century, the fact that light is bent by gravity was proven during a solar eclipse. 

It is another odd “coincidence” of the universe that the conditions for life are exactly the conditions for scientific discovery. In essence, intelligent life exists in a place with characteristics only beneficial to intelligent life. This, when coupled with the many other improbabilities of the universe’s nature, points to purpose. 

The Earth: Center of the Universe

The documentary ended with that correlation between life and discovery, but Mr. Ames made a fascinating remark before he began the documentary. There is no way of knowing whether the Earth is the center of the universe now, but there is a time when it will be, because God will dwell on Earth. 

“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.”

NKJV Revelation 21:3 

Ours is a pale blue dot with a great big future.

Kaleb Johnson is a student in the Living Education-Charlotte Program. He graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in the spring of 2022. In addition, Kaleb enjoys writing, video-making, trying new activities (anything and everything), playing chess, and debating (it’s not arguing!) with people. He currently works in the Living Education department producing written content & videos and helping with a variety of other projects.

Jesus’ View of the Old Testament 

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Author: Kaleb Johnson | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2022-23

Estimated reading time: 4 min.

For his forum presentation, Mr. Kenneth Frank detailed how Jesus quoted the Old Testament and how He confirmed its authority. 

Scripture after scripture, precept upon precept, Mr. Frank went through the numerous times that Jesus referred to the Old Testament, showing both specific implications from Christ’s words and also His general perspective. Mr. Frank proved this truth: if you believe in Jesus Christ, you must believe in the authority and accuracy of the Old Testament. 

The Old Testament Is Scripture

Mr. Frank turned to a few passages in which Christ referred to the Old Testament. First, he mentioned John 5:39, where Christ calls the Old Testament scripture. In Matthew 5:17, Christ refers to the Scriptures as the Law and the Prophets, a division of the Old Testament that was common in the first century. And to alleviate any remaining doubt, Christ also referred to the Old Testament as the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms, which refers to the Writings section of the Old Testament (Luke 24:44-46). 

These divisions cover all the books in the Jewish canon. In fact, Christ quoted directly from 14 of the 22 Old Testament books (by the Hebrew reckoning), and never once challenged the canon, though it was well-established and defined by that point. 

Old Testament Characters Are Real People

Efficiently and effectively, Mr. Frank presented the instances wherein Christ referred to the people in the Old Testament as real. In Mark 2:25, Jesus cites David eating the showbread to the Pharisees to justify His disciples’ actions. He also challenges those around Him by stating that the queen of Sheba “came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here” (Matthew 12:42). 

Christ treats these individuals as real, not as characters in a story or allegory. After all, would not this statement undermine Christ’s greatness if the queen of Sheba who visited Solomon was just a myth? Countless times, Christ refers to characters from the Old Testament, from Abel to Lot’s wife, and never once does He insinuate that they are only fictional characters. 

Old Testament Stories Are Real

What does Christ say about controversial stories like those of Jonah and Noah? Mr. Frank pointed out that Christ compares His own resurrection to Jonah being spewed out of the whale’s belly (Matthew 13:40). Christ refers to the flood (Matthew 24:39) and other stories doubted by many in the world today, even professing Christians. 

Old Testament Prophecy Will Come to Pass

Mr. Frank then pointed to the scriptures that show that Christ verified Old Testament prophecy. Christ referred to a prophecy He was fulfilling, “and He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing’” (Luke 4:21). He confirmed John the Baptist coming as Elijah (Mark 9:12-13), and He spoke of future fulfillments of prophecy with certainty (Matthew 24:15; Luke 21:21-22). 

Christ’s Personal Relationship with the Old Testament

Before concluding, Mr. Frank covered the passages highlighting Christ’s personal relationship with the Old Testament. Summarizing, Christ understood that the Messianic prophecies were referring to Him (John 5:39), and He personally submitted to the Old Testament. Christ made the law full and did not do away with even a single word (Matthew 5:17-19). Mr. Frank pointed out that Christ even set the example of using scripture to justify His disciples (Matthew 12:3-5), showing Christ’s reverence for the Old Testament.

Trust the OT because Jesus Did

Mr. Frank concluded that Christ unilaterally presented the Old Testament as factual, binding, and important. He validated characters and stories, and His continuous uplifting of Scripture leaves no doubt: Christ trusted and revered the Old Testament. In fact, it was about Him. As Mr. Frank eloquently stated, “Both Testaments are primarily about Him. It was only natural that He quoted and referred to the OT so often, to substantiate that He fulfilled the many OT prophecies.”

“Both Testaments are primarily about Him [Jesus Christ].”

Mr. Frank

Kaleb Johnson is a student in the Living Education-Charlotte Program. He graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in the spring of 2022. In addition, Kaleb enjoys writing, video-making, trying new activities (anything and everything), playing chess, and debating (it’s not arguing!) with people. He currently works in the Living Education department producing written content & videos and helping with a variety of other projects.

The Predestination Doctrine

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Author: Nathan Kroon | Student Leader, Living Education – Charlotte, 2022-23

Estimated Reading Time: 4 min.

Predestination, as a misunderstood doctrine, has led many religious groups astray for thousands of years.

Mr. Wyatt Ciesielka spoke about it to the Living Education students, and explained its effects on modern theology. He explained that the late Dr. Roderick C. Meredith called it “the foundational principle of [the father of Calvinism] John Calvin’s entire theological system.” Predestination is commonly known as a generic name for the idea of eternal damnation, meaning that you are predetermined by God to either enter the mainstream concept of heaven or burn in hell forever. Why are people so keen to see this doctrine as absolute truth?

The Protestant Position

When people are given a false sense of inevitability, it can lead to all sorts of disaster. Restraint tends to be cast off when they already believe themselves predetermined to be saved or doomed. The Spanish Inquisitors, for example, believed themselves saved, yet they killed multitudes of people—supposedly in the name of God! Similar to the doctrine of predestination, the selling of indulgences in the Middle Ages caused people to think that as long as they gave alms to the Catholic Church they would be saved, or could save others from purgatory or hell, no matter what. 

Martin Luther realized that this practice was not sound, and soon after posted his own statement of beliefs through his “Ninety-five Theses.” He was right to doubt the Pope’s intentions, but would go on to make some wild statements and teachings of his own. He would often say, “God is the cause of why men sin and are condemned,” which rings false when we read James 1:13: “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.” From these examples, we can tell that early Catholic and Protestant Church fathers misunderstood certain biblical topics, and as Mr. Ciesielka reviewed, had in fact brought into their false-Christianity fatalism inherited from ancient Babylon. Is it then possible that a deeper look into Scripture can disprove the modern idea of predestination?

What does the Bible NOT say?

Using statements by Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong, Dr. Roderick C. Meredith, Mr. Richard Ames, Mr. Gerald Weston, and others, Mr. Ciesielka demonstrated what the Bible DOES and DOES NOT say regarding predestination. For example, proorizo is the Greek word most commonly translated into “predestine” in the Bible, yet it only appears in six verses (Acts 4:28; Romans 8:29, 30; 1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 1:5, 11), and predestination is only discussed five times (Romans 8:29–30; 11:2; 1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 1:4–12; 1 Peter 1:2). “Don’t read more into it than the Bible actually says,” stated Mr. Ciesielka. Ephesians 1:11–12, for example, says, “In Him [Christ] also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.” 

Real predestination refers to people that have been chosen and called by God to be given the chance to be conformed to the character of Christ. People may be called, but that does not make them incapable of sin any longer, or incapable of falling away. In fact, we know that Christ and His angels will gather those who persist in lawlessness during the Great White Throne Judgment, and their only reward will be the second death (Matthew 13:41–43). Predestination is not our finish line; it’s more of a head start to the Kingdom of God. We must still choose whether or not we will use it.

Nathan Kroon is a Student Leader at Living Education. He originally hails from Washington State and is a 4th generation Christian. Currently, he works at Headquarters as a Video Editor and is the Lead Landscaper at the LivingEd dorms. His hobbies include playing guitar, listening to music, drawing, and watching movies.

A Survey of Feast Administration

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Author: Nathan Kroon | Student Leader, Living Education – Charlotte, 2022-23

Estimated Reading Time: 3 min.

Mr. Rod McNair took the opportunity to share a little bit about what goes on in the world of Feast Administration.

The Church has experienced some new developments this past Fall Holy Day season, and he was eager to explain them to the students. On multiple graphs, Mr. McNair showed record-breaking statistics that the Living Church of God achieved in 2022. On the Festival Survey, there were more first-time Feast attendees than ever—many people have come into the Church through the efforts of the Tomorrow’s World Presentations.

International or Local?

Mr. McNair listed the benefits of traveling internationally as well as the benefits of traveling locally. There was a considerable increase in transfer requests in comparison to last year, though that was mainly due to COVID-19 being more normalized in the United States today. Perhaps the most obvious benefit to traveling internationally is that you get to see new sights that you may not be used to. Another benefit is experiencing the customs of other cultures and seeing what traditions international members have during the Feast of Tabernacles. Some sites, like Myanmar, have not yet been able to hold any Feast activities since the COVID panic. One advantage of traveling locally, however, is that you may have a better idea of how to serve others in the area and help your local pastor. Mr. McNair suggested that if you mostly travel locally, it could be rewarding to go international, and vice versa.

Multiple Miracles

There were also many instances in which God granted protection to several Feastgoers. Most notably, He allowed hurricane Ian to pass over four southeastern US locations in which there were Feast venues, without any sort of damage or harm inflicted upon the brethren. On top of that, during the middle of church services while Mr. Kenneth Frank presented his sermon, a tornado nearly missed the site in Fontana, Wisconsin. Also, a married couple attending the Lake of the Ozarks feast site avoided death when their car fell into a heavily wooded ravine; when it seemed like they were about to crash into a large tree at a high speed, the car came to an improbable slow-down, and they were stopped by a younger, much smaller tree. Afterwards, they recalled that they introduced the ambulance driver to the Tomorrow’s World telecast. These examples and others made it clear that God was watching over His Feast sites!

Through this forum, the students were given some insight on what goes on in Feast Administration. They also saw what statistics those working in the Festival Department pay attention to, such as new attendees, transfer requests, and possible concerns and circumstances in which God intervened.

Nathan Kroon is a Student Leader at Living Education. He originally hails from Washington State and is a 4th generation Christian. Currently, he works at Headquarters as a Video Editor and is the Lead Landscaper at the LivingEd dorms. His hobbies include playing guitar, listening to music, drawing, and watching movies.

The Battle for the Planet

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Author: Nathan Kroon | Student Leader, Living Education – Charlotte, 2022-23

Estimated Reading Time: 4 min.

In today’s society, the “Go Green” movement is being heavily pushed.

As a result, there has been an increase in “meatless” meats and electric vehicles. “There’s a lot more to this than just making a buck,” said Mr. Paul Kearns in his recent forum. While there are certain elements of this movement that are laudable, such as leaning away from the use of plastic bags that only produce more waste, could it be possible that the world is taking it too far, and that this movement can impact morality?

PETA Pandemonium

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is one of the lead proponents of this “Green” push. While many may not realize it, they are actively advocating a new morality, promoting the elevation of animals to the same level of existence as humans, whom God created in His own image. “A rat is a pig is a dog is a boy,” they have said. To them, if you so much as eat a hamburger, you are eating your own kin. While it is not wrong to eat a vegan meal, it certainly is not right to paint eating meat as a criminal offense!

The Cost of Gas

Some scientists claim that the fate of our world’s well-being is in the hands of the people, and that as long as you care about the environment, you are a good person. These claims are taken more seriously in certain places than in others. Mr. Kearns explained that New Zealand, his home, is quickly becoming “the most liberal country in the world.” Recently, its government is considering taxing cow burps to reduce emissions! This ridiculous proposal has caused many people to protest as this would cause farmers to have to raise their meat prices and would ultimately be a detriment to the consumer. 1 Timothy 4:3 tells us that God created clean animals to be eaten and “received with thanksgiving,” but fewer and fewer people are doing so, because of absurd new agendas in our world.

Stay Vigilant

Nearing the end of his forum, Mr. Kearns advised us to always stay vigilant and watch for turns that the “Go Green” movement might make. This “battle for the planet” may sound good to most people, but it’s beginning to show a sinister side. God told Adam and Eve not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, not the tree of just plain evil. We have to realize that Satan offers ideologies with a mixture of both bad and good, so as to make them seem more inviting. This is how he deceives multitudes so easily. One recent development in certain media is that some people are telling everyone that they should refrain from having children now, because they are the “world’s biggest polluters.” To them, not having children is a good thing, but Malachi 2:15 tells us that God desires godly offspring. Even when they have children, most are usually conceived and born outside of the sacrament of marriage. Satan fools many and causes them to see evil as good. We have to know the difference between the two.

Mr. Paul Kearns ended his speech by reminding us that though caring for the environment is not ungodly, we must learn what environmental extremism looks like, how Satan is pushing it, and how it can rebel against the word of God. We have to remember that climate change is not in the hands of the people, but in the hands of God. Yes, the world will heat up, but not in the way most people think! Revelation 16:8 tells us that the fourth bowl, when poured out onto the earth, will leave men scorched. The Day of the Lord will ravage the world, not cow burps.

Nathan Kroon is a Student Leader at Living Education. He originally hails from Washington State and is a 4th generation Christian. Currently, he works at Headquarters as a Video Editor and is the Lead Landscaper at the LivingEd dorms. His hobbies include playing guitar, listening to music, drawing, and watching movies.

The Details of Design

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Author: Kaleb Johnson | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2022-23

Estimated reading time: 4 min.

The Managing Editor for the Living Church of God, Mr. John Robinson, gave an exemplary forum presentation for the Living Ed students in which he discussed his role, the editorial process, and the details of design theory.

Mr. Robinson began his presentation with a short, ironic story. When he was in highschool, he had to take a vocational survey that would show him what fields he would excel in. By now, he has forgotten completely what it said he was suited for, but he remembers what careers it said he shouldn’t pursue: the clergy and creative work like graphic design. Today, Mr. Robinson is an elder and a managing editor, a position that involves a lot of creativity, especially in making graphical layouts and designs. But he did not end up in the position by accident. 

Mr. Robinson delved into his professional experience, explaining that he spent 20 years in the print design field. He tried to get into the growing digital design world, but life always worked out in such a way that made him stay in the print field. One Sabbath day, he heard the job ad for a Managing Editor position at Headquarters in the announcements; it was practically his job description. He waited a few weeks before applying, and then he got the position. And an interesting thing happened. Mr. Robinson emphatically explained, “Within the first six months of working for the Church… I used every single life experience that I had from the previous 20 years.” God works everything out just right. 

The Editorial Process 

Mr. Robinson described the system the Editorial Department uses to refine submitted articles. First, the staff make sure that the article has no spelling mistakes or punctuation issues. Next, the editors go through and remove redundant information, which always manages to creep into writing. Mr. Robinson mentioned a quote from Blaise Pascal that many editors are familiar with: “If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.” 

The editorial department also ensures that the message is crystal clear for all potential readers. Then, the article is put into a template, like it would appear in the magazine, and sent to a group of reviewers for feedback. The reviews are processed, and then it is approved and sent to be printed. 

Design Theory 

Mr. Robinson then began to talk about design theory. The challenge in design is taking a complex idea and communicating it with a design anyone can understand. Mr. Robinson stated that the most effective designs follow the principle of this anonymous quotation: “Elegance is not the abundance of simplicity, but the absence of complexity.”

The purpose of design is to penetrate to the essentials with clearly intelligible organization. The designer must eliminate excess and clarify the subject. Mr. Robinson explained that design demands decisiveness. The designer must know where the reader’s eye should be drawn and what information is most critical, and use font size, pictures, location, and color to communicate it. He showed slides with examples, and he explained how choosing font type can even be a complicated design choice. 

Color Theory and Cover Selection

Mr. Robinson moved into color theory. He briefly explained complementary colors and the color wheel, and moved into the difference between print and digital colors. The difference between additive colors on a screen and subtractive colors used to print creates a unique situation. Sometimes, we can see a color on a computer that cannot be printed. Even these color considerations are part of Mr. Robinson’s role. 

Mr. Robinson gave the students an extra insight into the editorial process. He showed the different covers that could have been on a Tomorrow’s World issue. We discussed the differences between them, and then he explained which one was chosen and why.

Kaleb Johnson is a student in the Living Education-Charlotte Program. He graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in the spring of 2022. In addition, Kaleb enjoys writing, video-making, trying new activities (anything and everything), playing chess, and debating (it’s not arguing!) with people. He currently works in the Living Education department producing written content & videos and helping with a variety of other projects.

Humans’ Automatic Warning System – the Conscience

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Author: Kaleb Johnson | Student, Living Education – Charlotte, 2022-23

Estimated reading time: 5 mins.

The students in the Living Ed program had a forum presentation from an elder in South Africa who runs the Church’s office there, Mr. Botha.

He began with the story of a plane crash in Spain. In this instance, the pilots had clearly heard the automatic warning system telling them in English, “PULL UP.” The pilot responded with “shut up, gringo!” They ignored the warning—with catastrophic consequences. Do we act the same way with our automatic warning systems? Do we ignore our consciences?

Should We Trust Our Conscience?

Mr. Botha warned that many people today consider the conscience to be “a defect that robs people of their self-esteem.” But in actuality, the conscience is a gift from God that can tell us, “PULL UP!” when we are in danger. Even people in the world (Romans 2:15) can make use of this gift. 

“Our conscience entreats us to do what we believe is right.”

Mr. Botha

Mr. Botha clarified that our conscience is not the same as the word or law of God, but is concerned with our inner motives and true thoughts, something above intellect and reason. If we act contrary to our authentic motives and beliefs, we contradict our conscience, and “a violated conscience is not easily convinced.”

Conscience in the Bible

In the Old Testament, Mr. Botha explained, the word translated “heart” is the closest in meaning to the Greek word translated “conscience.” Through the Old Testament, we see consciences, or hearts, set against God (Exodus 8:15) and directing men to follow God (2 Chronicles 34:27). Our conscience can be abused by wrong beliefs or silenced by being ignored (Titus 1:15). Yet at one point, all will experience their conscience testifying against them.

Conscience versus Doctrine

Do we always follow our conscience? Mr. Botha pointed out that there is a difference between what our conscience thinks and what God thinks. But as we spiritually grow, our conscience becomes more in harmony with God’s will. Mr. Botha illustrated this by comparing our conscience to a skylight—it is not a light source on its own, but rather it needs a strong light source to shine through it. When in harmony with God, our conscience grows to be a powerful tool to keep us on track by accusing us when we do wrong things, like David’s conscience after he had cut the robe of Saul (1 Samuel 24:5). And a pure conscience can grow to be a testimony to others. 

“For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you.”

2 Corinthians 1:12

Overcoming a Weak Conscience

Mr. Botha addressed the difficulties that come from having an oversensitive, weak conscience. He pointed to clean and unclean meats. A weak conscience leads to a legalistic, overscrupulous approach fueled by disputing (Romans 14:1-2). It comes from an immature spiritual state, a mind that has not been saturated in the word of God. The answer is to study the Bible and prove God’s will through prayer and fasting. Mr. Botha clarified that, if we have a weak conscience, we still should not violate it. Those with stronger consciences should defer to the weak (1 Corinthians 8:13), and we should not be in the habit of going against our conscience. 

“But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.”

Romans 14:23

How to Keep Your Conscience Clean

Mr. Botha explained that having a right conscience before involves having a clean conscience, and he gave the students three ways to keep our consciences clean.

1) Confess and forsake known sins. “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). If we know we have sinned, and we confess and forsake our sin, God is faithful to forgive us (1 John 1:9). 

2) Seek forgiveness from those you have wronged. We should be sure to reconcile with others (Matthew 5:23-24). Mr. Botha pointed out that we should make restoration for our wrongs, going above and beyond (Luke 19:8). 

3) Do not procrastinate in clearing your wounded conscience. “This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men” (Acts 24:16). Mr. Botha emphasized that letting guilt fester leads to depression. 

Final Thoughts

As his last part of the presentation, Mr. Botha reiterated the importance of strengthening our conscience by saturating our minds in God’s word and warned against violating our own conscience. He also showed how the world views our conscience as useless and tells us to ignore it. In reality, “a pure conscience is more to be pursued than the world’s approval.” We should be able to stand ourselves, to not feel guilty about actions. We need to have faith and a good conscience (1 Timothy 1:19). We should not ignore our automatic warning system, because “the cost of switching it off is dangerously high; it will inevitably result in spiritual catastrophe.”

Kaleb Johnson is a student in the Living Education-Charlotte Program. He graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in the spring of 2022. In addition, Kaleb enjoys writing, video-making, trying new activities (anything and everything), playing chess, and debating (it’s not arguing!) with people. He currently works in the Living Education department producing written content & videos and helping with a variety of other projects.

The Path to Achieving Your Goals

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Estimated Read Time: 6 min.

Don’t End Up in a Hole

Dr. Douglas Winnail addressed the students of the Living Education program in Charlotte in a forum presentation. He advised the students to consider the decisions they make, because those choices will determine where they end up in life and bad decisions could land them in bad circumstances.   

“Some people dig such deep holes for themselves that they never get out.” – Dr. Douglas Winnail

Dr. Winnail illustrated with a simple story. He was riding with a young man and commented, “You should probably slow down; you’re driving pretty fast.” 

And he got this answer: “I know what I’m doing.” Within the next couple of weeks, that driver was in an accident. Consequences come from choices. But this is not always negative. If we want to be successful in life, we can make the right choices and achieve success. That’s a simple concept, but how do we find these right decisions? 

Seek Advice

Do we really need to listen to other people’s advice? Everyone wants to tell us how to live our lives, and usually, it’s just annoying. However, “there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12). Dr. Winnail explained that following your first instinct is sometimes a disaster. It is absolutely necessary to seek counsel (Proverbs 12:15) and follow the examples of successful people who achieve successful results through their lives. 

“The path to success is not a big secret.”

Dr. Winnail

There are countless books, stories, and lectures that address the age old question, “How can I be successful?” No doubt we have heard and read advice, but how much of it do we remember? It is not a secret; it is not hidden. We just don’t remember to seek out good advice and live it. 

To aid the students in their lives, Dr. Winnail presented 30 powerful principles to have a successful and fulfilled life. These principles come from Herbet W. Armstrong’s The Seven Laws of Success, Cameron C. Taylor’s Eight attributes of great achievers and that book’s sequel, and Coach Wooden’s Seven Point Creed. 

The Seven Laws of Success

Dr. Winnail began with a system that many people in the Church have used for decades to guide their lives. 

  1. Set the right goal. Is the goal really worth it? Is it going to bring the result that you think it will? (e.g., people often think a certain job with a large paycheck will bring happiness, but then it doesn’t). These questions must be considered!
  2. Prepare yourself. Once you know your goal, get the information, skills, and connections needed. The hard part here is figuring out what those skills are. Spend time thinking and researching this. 
  3. Maintain good health. This is fairly easy when you’re young, but more difficult as you age. Simply put, don’t compromise on sleep, exercise, diet, and stress management. 
  4. Drive yourself. “Let your eyes look straight ahead…. Do not turn to the right or the left” (Proverbs 4:25,27). Always keep pushing toward your goals. 
  5. Be resourceful. If you run into obstacles and difficulties, look for different paths, know what all your resources are, and seek guidance from others.
  6. Persevere toward your goal. Often, the hardest aspect of achieving a goal is sticking to it through the difficult moments, maintaining the will to be driven and resourceful. 
  7. Seek God’s guidance. This principle is often overlooked, but it is more ubiquitous in success stories than many realize! Even individuals like George Washington and Christopher Columbus prayed and asked God to guide them. 

Dr. Winnail encouraged the students to put these laws into action in their lives, and to learn from the stories of great achievers in history. He pointed to two books by Cameron C. Taylor that provide short stories and highlight characteristics shown by various successful individuals: 8 Attributes of Great Achievers and 8 Attributes of Great Achievers II

Sixteen Attributes of Great Achievers

Dr. Winnail provided a handout with the 16 attributes for our reference, and then expounded on particular points. 

8 Attributes of Great Achievers – Cameron C. Taylor, 2010

In reference to attribute 6 – Be Optimistic, Dr. Winnail quoted the motto of the Seabees in World War II, who built airstrips and infrastructure to support the military.

“The difficult we do at once. The impossible takes a bit longer!”

Inscription on the Seabees Memorial in Fort Meyers, VA

8 Attributes of Great Achievers II – Cameron C. Taylor, 2014

To illustrate attribute 11-Master the Fundamentals, Dr. Winnail delved into the story of John Wooden, the famous UCLA basketball coach who won ten NCAA championships and coached famous players like Bill Walton and Kareem Abdul Jabbar. But John Wooden taught his players about more than just basketball; he taught them about life. 

John Wooden’s Seven Point Creed

These points were given to John Wooden by his father. Dr. Winnail encouraged us to listen, remember, and apply these to our lives, too. 

  1. Be true to yourself. Care more about building character than reputation. “Your character is what you are. Your reputation is what others think of you.”
  2. Help others. Philo Farnsworth, when he invented the television, did so to help others, not himself. Even in your goals, seek to benefit more people than just yourself.
  3. Make each day your masterpiece. Don’t put anything off to tomorrow that you can do today.
  4. Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible. You need advice. You need guidance, and quality books provide that.
  5. Make friendship an art. “A man who has friends must himself be friendly” (Proverbs 18:24). Put the effort in! 
  6. Build a shelter against a rainy day. This combines helping others, having friends, and making the most of your days. Build security and solidity in your life. 
  7. Pray for guidance and count and give thanks for your blessings every day.

Do we remember the blessings we have? The guidance we have been given? Dr. Winnail reminded the students to consider the valuable advice they get through these forums, to take the time to review their notes, to commit wisdom to memory and live it. 

Fill the Need

Dr. Winnail concluded his forum presentation with advice on setting goals. He told the students to look around and see what needs there are in the world. Christopher Colombus saw a need in his life: to reduce the time to get spices from India. Philo Farnsworth saw a need: displaying a scanned image on a screen. What needs do we see in the world around us today?

As Christians, we should see what we want to change in the world around us, because, as Dr. Winnail reminded the students, we will have the chance to make those changes when Christ returns. 

Kaleb Johnson is a student in the Living Education-Charlotte Program. He graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in the spring of 2022. In addition, Kaleb enjoys writing, video-making, trying new activities (anything and everything), playing chess, and debating (it’s not arguing!) with people. He currently works in the Living Education department producing written content & videos and helping with a variety of other projects.

Unlocking the Mystery of Life

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Author: Nathan Kroon | Student Leader, Living Education – Charlotte, 2022-23

Estimated Reading Time: 3 min.

In today’s world, many acclaimed scientists try to tell people that life is simply a composition of matter and energy, but deny the fact that composition needs a composer.

Mr. Richard Ames explained that even science makes it evident that intelligence is the only answer to the mystery of creation. He then played Unlocking the Mystery of Life, a documentary with the purpose of explaining that all cells, atoms, and molecules are too complicated to be simply the product of an accident.

Disproving Evolution

Mr. Ames pointed to the structure of the flagellum, a tail-like appendage that allows bacteria to move around quickly, similarly to a propeller. These flagellums are essentially microscopic motors in design and function, which evolution could not simply conjure up without first having each individual part created and put in its proper place. This structure alone should, in theory, be enough proof to atheists and evolutionists that all creation is the product of intelligent design, but many people still irrationally subscribe to evolutionism. 

Charles Darwin is known as the father of evolutionism, but even he left the possibility of intelligent creation open in the reasoning of his theory, stating, “If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down.” If Darwin were alive today, he would have likely discarded his own theory in lieu of the advancement of scientific research!

Irreducible Complexity

In the documentary, biologist Jonathan Wells explained irreducible complexity. This scientific term is used to explain how certain biological systems would not be able to evolve through slight modifications, because they are already so complex that simplifying them any more would cause them to stop functioning. If a flagellum, for example, were to be reduced in design any more, it would no longer work as a propeller; it would become nothing more than a crude protrusion on the bacterium, which would soon become a victim of natural selection!

Intelligent Design

The documentary correctly asserts that all people are capable of recognizing true design, using Mount Rushmore as an example; when people look at it, they do not wonder how wind, rain, and the other forces of nature could have possibly eroded the mountain to perfectly present the appearance of four human faces, or why those faces ended up belonging to former presidents of the United States! We know intelligent design when we see it, yet many people still fail to recognize how deliberate every bit of creation actually is. Unlocking the Mystery of Life helps show that even science alone can prove the existence of our Creator!

Nathan Kroon is a Student Leader at Living Education. He originally hails from Washington State and is a 4th generation Christian. Currently, he works at Headquarters as a Video Editor and is the Lead Landscaper at the LivingEd dorms. His hobbies include playing guitar, listening to music, drawing, and watching movies.

Choose Your Own Adventure…Carefully

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Author: Nathan Kroon | Student Leader, Living Education – Charlotte, 2022-23

Estimated Reading Time: 3 min.

Mr. Argus Wiley began his forum by reading from The Power of the Success Sequence for Disadvantaged Young Adults.

This report explores the financial success of married adults who followed the success sequence in their younger days, and compares it to those who have not. Studies show that 97 percent of adults who followed this sequence found relative financial success by their mid-30s. You may ask, “What is this special sequence?” It’s simple: get an education, get a career, and get married—in that order.

The Importance of Insight

Before the day of his forum, Mr. Wiley had us fill out a professional “career insights” test, and later handed out the students’ individual results to them. He remarked that we “may be both delighted and frustrated”  with our results, because they tend to be very accurate. He made a point of how important it is to learn about what we are all good at in our work, and how it should affect how we select our careers. He noted that no job will ever be 100-percent tailored to a specific person, but that the students can use their insights to help make it more so.

Workplace Etiquette

As someone in a leadership position in his work, Mr. Wiley described the most important aspects that he looks for in hiring a new employee. First, can they be at work, on time, with a smile, in a proper uniform? Second, can they be nice to people who are not being nice to them? Third, can they provide a good experience to customers and keep them safe? General managers are responsible for building winning teams of employees, so they are not looking for slackers. Once you move into a management position, you answer to the district manager, who looks to build a bench of great leaders who are capable of teaching others the standards around the workplace. Up and up the promotion ladder climbs, and yet workers will never be in any sort of position where they will not have to answer to anybody. It is therefore important to always maintain proper working etiquette, and never lower your professional standards.

Furthering Your Success

Mr. Wiley assured the students that if they stick to following the success sequence, they will all have easier lives in terms of finances. He then gave the students a number of helpful tips that he guaranteed would allow them to achieve further success. He instructed them to wake up early, not stay up too late at night, work out/go for a run daily, read daily, be a coachable and dependable person, persevere, own up to everything (sometimes even when it’s not their fault), never stop learning, help others along the way, learn to control their emotions (even facial expressions), and, most importantly, to smile along the way. Mr. Wiley conveyed through his forum how important it is to work towards success and to plan ahead— carefully.

Nathan Kroon is a Student Leader at Living Education. He originally hails from Washington State and is a 4th generation Christian. Currently, he works at Headquarters as a Video Editor and is the Lead Landscaper at the LivingEd dorms. His hobbies include playing guitar, listening to music, drawing, and watching movies.