Living Church of God: News

July 3, 2008

Commentary: Western civilization in "moral decay"?

Recent news articles have speculated about the “end of Western civilization.” Interestingly enough, as you read through those articles, the reasons put forth for the end of our way of life have stemmed from our lack of energy conservation awareness to our addiction to oil for our energy needs. Political issues, environmental issues, educational issues are all put forth as arenas for the salvation of mankind. Click here to read more.

July 1, 2008

Commentary: Ireland says "No!" to EU power grab

The people of Ireland have voted “No” on the proposed Lisbon Treaty, which would have enforced a new degree of supranational unity on the European Union nations. Click here to read more.

June 26, 2008

Internet Update: New Record

Last month we had a record 81,718 visitors on our www.tomorrowsworld.org website. To put this in context, in May 2007 we had 56,286 visitors. This represents a 45% increase in the number of people visiting the Tomorrow’s World website. These visitors came to our site from 193 countries and territories around the world. Each week our newest Tomorrow’s World television program is added to the website and twice weekly a written commentary is added.

– J. Charles Ogwyn

June 26, 2008

Commentary: Finding a "Soul Mate"

Have you noticed that despite the incredibly high divorce rate in our western society, despite all the turmoil and challenge of the dating process, marriage itself remains very popular today? Many books, television shows and movies deal with the ideal goal of finding a "soul mate"—an intimate, long-term, committed companion in life. People will seemingly try anything in the attempt to find someone they can truly share their life with for the long term. Why is this? Click here to read more.

June 24, 2008

Commentary: Where Is Truth?

Whom can we trust to tell us the truth? Advertisers want us to believe that their latest model automobile will make us powerful and popular, or that their “new and improved” grooming product will win us a whole new circle of friends. Political parties try to “sell” their candidates, and confused religious teachers offer a bewildering spectrum of contradictory promises and wild ideas. Click here to read more.

June 17, 2008

Commentary: Life's Real Goal

Ambitious businesspeople, athletes, politicians and zealots commit their full energies to advancing their personal agendas. They will lose sleep, drive themselves and stop at almost nothing to achieve their goals. Some of these may strive for integrity and honesty, but many will use any deceitful tactic, lie or evil to get their way. And for what? Is their all-consuming purpose worthwhile? Will it benefit the character and quality of life of others? What is the REAL goal for which all of us should be striving? Click here to read more.

June 12, 2008

Commentary: Is marriage dying?

Why are so many men opting for permanent bachelorhood? Bachelor Carl Weisman, author of So Why Have You Never Been Married?: Ten Insights into Why He Hasn’t Wed, surveyed 1,533 unmarried heterosexual men, and came to some startling conclusions. Click here to read more.

June 10, 2008

Commentary: Science is losing the war against “Super-Bugs”

Hospitals and other inpatient facilities are fighting a new, life-threatening intestinal super-bug, Clostridium difficile, which played a part in approximately 150,000 infections in 2000, and caused nearly 300,000 hospitalizations in 2005 (Associated Press Medical, May 28, 2008). This dangerous germ, which is spread by spores in feces, is said to have contributed to at least 5,500 deaths in the United States in 2004. Click here to read more.

June 5, 2008

Commentary: Body art or sacrilege?

As I drove through a part of our city recently, I was taken by the number of tattoo parlors that have sprung up to meet the obvious demand for what is being called “body art.” Some were upscale storefronts with catchy names others were seedy looking establishments. Click here to read more.

June 3, 2008

Commentary: China Quake Will Cause Global Economic Aftershock

Rescuers reaching the epicenter of China’s 7.9 magnitude May 12, 2008 earthquake were met by scenes of horrific devastation. With bridges destroyed, and roads cut by landslides, soldiers had to hike to the remote city of Yingxiu in Wenchuan county, where they found just 3,300 survivors – 1,000 severely injured – from the town’s population of 10,000. Click here to read more.

May 29, 2008

Commentary: No pleasure?

What’s your pleasure? A question that is often asked in this hedonistic society, especially in the Western world, seemingly insulated from the incredible devastation that has struck the Asian countries in recent times. Click here to read more.

May 23, 2008

Living University Commencement

On Monday, May 19, 2008 the very first commencement exercises for Living University were held at the Living Church of God Auditorium.  Six graduates from four countries received the Certificate in New Testament Studies. Click here to see the commencement program and photos.

May 20, 2008

Commentary: Behold, a black horse

Grocery store shelves empty, food-lines riots breaking out, reports of people killing and stealing from one another are scenarios, too frequently, seen on the evening cable news channels in the war-torn and disaster-plagued countries of the third world. Click here to read more.

May 15, 2008

Commentary: Apocalypse or business as usual?

Disaster after disaster, misery heaped upon misery – wind, fires, floods, earthquakes, wars, diseases – dominate the news these days. Does it seem as if these things are growing more intense, or is it just that they are "better reported" today? Click here to read more.

May 8, 2008

Commentary: In the Miley Cyrus flap, where’s critique of photographer?

The shock and controversy surrounding the Vanity Fair bareback-in-a-sheet photo-shoot of popular fifteen-year-old television and singing star Miley Cyrus has been passionate and persistent. The voices criticizing Miss Cyrus’ choice to be in such a photo have been loud and numerous. Click here to read more.

May 6, 2008

Commentary: Crises upon crises!

Not since World War II has the United States had to deal with a combination of so many potentially devastating problems. Unless there is some miraculous intervention from an "unseen hand," it seems the great American experiment – "government of the people, by the people and for the people" – may soon come crashing down in ignominy, adding its fallen glory to the dustbin of history where are found the ruins of the world’s great empires. Click here to read more.

May 1, 2008

Commentary: Clinging to life

Nursing homes are places that I often visit as a minister. The sights, sounds and smells are a vivid reality check for the dramatic effects of aging. They are places for men and women who have reached the point of needing care that their families, for whatever reason, are unable to give. Click here to read more.

April 29, 2008

Commentary: How does your garden grow?

Each spring, for several years after our family moved to North Carolina, we tried to raise a vegetable garden in our backyard. But the seeds fed the birds, nursery plants fattened the local deer, and the fertilizer produced the most beautiful crop of weeds in the county! Click here to read more.

April 24, 2008

Commentary: Politics – or morality?

Many today like to debate political topics. Talk show hosts battle in the arena of ideas. People push various political ideas as the solution to mankind’s problems. The United States is in the midst of an acrimonious political campaign where candidates purport to offer answers to our social and economic problems. Click here to read more.

April 23, 2008

Internet Update: Study Course in 92 Countries!

Just this week, a registration from the Turks & Caicos Islands (in the Caribbean) brought to 92 the number of countries where students are participating in the 24-lesson Tomorrow’s World Bible Study Course online. More than 4,500 students have registered for the online course since it was established in April 2007. For more information about print and online versions of the Bible Study Course, visit www.twbiblecourse.org.

– J. Charles Ogwyn

April 22, 2008

Commentary: At the precipice of economic collapse

Can North Americans afford to fill their gas tanks at $4 or $5 per gallon? If not, what will they do for transportation when oil prices rise? With very few exceptions (such as Canada), the governments of most oil-producing nations now hate the United States! Click here to read more.

April 17, 2008

Commentary: The Power to Choose

We Americans pride ourselves in our freedom. This freedom of choice is a hallmark of our national identity and our heritage. We have the freedom to choose how we will live our lives. Sadly many individuals do not realize that freedom of choice carries the potential for great good in our lives as well as the potential for great harm. Click here to read more.

April 15, 2008

Commentary: A look back...

There is a line from “A Death in the Family” by James Agee that says: “How far we all come. How far we all come away from ourselves. You can never go home again.” Click here to read more.

April 10, 2008

Commentary: World economic collapse: Why? – and how to fix it!

"We are obviously watching the dollar very carefully," Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told the Senate Banking Committee on February 29, 2008. Yes, Bernanke’s Fed is watching, as is the rest of the world, while the once-mighty American dollar sinks to the status of third-world currency! Since August 2007, the U.S. government has spent nearly $1 trillion bailing out financial institutions and to shore up the ailing US economy. Click here to read more.

April 8, 2008

Commentary: Who am I?

There is a great story about Art Linkletter, who was a household word and widely known when he was in his heyday as a television personality. The story goes that as Mr. Linkletter entertained at a nursing home for the elderly, with microphone in hand, he asked an elderly lady in a wheelchair, “Do you know who I am?” The lady replied, “No, I don’t, but if you will go over to the nurses’ station, one of the nice people there will tell you who you are.” Click here to read more.

April 3, 2008

Commentary: As Mars mission ends, our yearning continues

Since early 2004, America has had two robotic rovers on the surface of Mars, exploring, analyzing, and sending back breathtaking pictures and data galore, helping us to learn about our celestial neighbor. Originally expected to be a mission of around three months, the two rovers – dubbed Spirit and Opportunity – have surprised one and all by continuing successfully now for more than four years. Click here to read more.

April 2, 2008

Internet Update: New Record

Last month we had a record 75,208 visitors on our www.tomorrowsworld.org website. The previous record, set in January of this year, was 70,420 visitors. These visitors came to our site from 192 countries and territories around the globe. Each week our newest Tomorrow’s World television program is added to the website and twice weekly a written commentary is added.

– J. Charles Ogwyn

April 1, 2008

Commentary: Diamonds and stones

In southwest Arkansas there is a diamond mine. That’s right, a genuine diamond mine. At the turn of the 20th century diamonds were mined commercially at the site, producing high-grade diamonds, mostly colored stones. Click here to read more.

March 27, 2008

Commentary: Criminals, children, and twisted priorities

Most states in the U.S. practice a programmed sequence of events to execute their most violent convicted criminals. There is an injection to anesthetize and take away pain and consciousness, a second injection to paralyze the body, and a third to stop the heart of the unconscious individual – a process designed very carefully to give the condemned offender an opportunity to die pain-free and with dignity, as one who had died in his sleep. Click here to read more.

March 25, 2008

Commentary: Tips on kite flying

When the weather warms and the wind blows at a constant pace, the kite kit displays appear in all the stores. The winter chill is gradually being pushed aside, along with those fluffy white clouds. A local park becomes a good destination for a lazy weekend adventure in flight. Click here to read more.

March 20, 2008

Commentary: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Dr. Jekyll, in novelist Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, was a respected 19th century doctor who concocted a personality-altering potion that turned him into Mr. Hyde, an out-of-control threat on the after-dark streets of London. Little by little, the evil Mr. Hyde took over, until all the good Dr. Jekyll had done was destroyed. Click here to read more.

March 18, 2008

Commentary: "A life well spent..."

I suppose it is a sign of growing older when one gets into the habit of reading the obituaries in the newspaper. Especially if you have been in one place for a very long time, you find the names of friends, business associates and people with whom you have come into contact written up on the obituary pages. It is a sobering reminder of our mortality as human beings. Click here to read more.

March 17, 2008

Looking Back: Top Ten Downloads - #1

This week we take a look at the 1st most popular website download in several categories. Top 10 list of most popular downloads from our website.

March 13, 2008

Commentary: If it doesn’t kill you

When I was ten, we had a bully named Billy in our neighborhood who threatened to do physical damage to anybody who would cross his path the wrong way. Click here to read more.

March 11, 2008

Commentary: Resisting temptation

"Temptations come, as a general rule, when they are sought." Those words from nineteenth century Scottish novelist Margaret Oliphant reveal a marvelous understanding of human nature – an understanding few today seem to possess. Click here to read more.

March 10, 2008

Looking Back: Top Ten Downloads - #2

This week we take a look at the 2nd most popular website download in several categories. Top 10 list of most popular downloads from our website.

March 6, 2008

Commentary: Good dogs gone bad

My cell phone rang with an urgent call from my wife: “Daisy’s out – I need your help!” I finished my business, hopped in the car and hurried home through the rain, thankful I was just a few minutes away. Click here to read more.

March 4, 2008

Commentary: Home of the brave?

The Star-Spangled Banner calls the United States, “the home of the brave.” Past generations were moved by the bravery and self-sacrifice of American soldiers during World War II. Click here to read more.

March 3, 2008

Looking Back: Top Ten Downloads - #3

This week we take a look at the 3rd most popular website download in several categories. Top 10 list of most popular downloads from our website.

February 28, 2008

Commentary: Everything counts

“Don’t sweat the small stuff – and it’s all small stuff.” So goes the popular saying. We look for a way to avoid stress and to avoid the consequences of our actions. Yet, when it comes down to it, we are ultimately responsible for our actions – and everything counts. Click here to read more.

February 26, 2008

Commentary: Hooligans in Belgrade

As I was watching the CNN coverage of the riots in Serbia the other day, the news camera zoomed in to some of the action on the street in Belgrade. Several protesters were standing in the back of a pickup truck as it made its way through the swarming throngs of people. Click here to read more.

February 25, 2008

Looking Back: Top Ten Downloads - #4

This week we take a look at the 4th most popular website download in several categories. Top 10 list of most popular downloads from our website.

February 21, 2008

Commentary: Self-Rule

Around the world, many large nations are under pressure from ethnic or tribal minorities within their borders. Kosovo recently declared independence from Serbia. Kenya is torn by tribal rivalries over disputed election results. Chechnya desires freedom from Russian control. The Basque people of Spain want to be separate from Madrid’s oversight. Click here to read more.

February 19, 2008

Looking Back: Top Ten Downloads - #5

This week we take a look at the 5th most popular website download in several categories. Top 10 list of most popular downloads from our website.

February 15, 2008

Commentary: Is it time…?

"Almost daily, we hear or read about the malfeasance of some trusted individual, whether a key employee at a business or an elected official at some level of local, state or federal government." Click here to read more.

February 12, 2008

Commentary: Before a fall...

"Who does he think he is, anyway? He can’t treat me like this! Doesn’t he know who I am?" Click here to read more.

February 11, 2008

Looking Back: Top Ten Downloads - #6

This week we take a look at the 6th most popular website download in several categories. Top 10 list of most popular downloads from our website.

February 8, 2008

Congregation Locator Updated

The Congregation Locator has been updated and now includes a clickable map to assist with locating congregations, and an address lookup where city, country or zip code can be used to find the closest congregation on the map. Congregation listings have also been included to list the congregations by Minister Name or Country. Click here to view.

February 7, 2008

Commentary: Remove the plank!

Focusing on other people’s faults is a popular pastime. We seem to enjoy trying to decide who among us is the most or the least qualified. This happens in families and on the job, in churches and in the political arena. Click here to read more.

February 6, 2008

Internet Update: Milestones Reached

January was a very exciting month on our websites. Last month we reached two important milestones! In January, we crossed the million mark with 1,077,864 pages read online. We passed the hundred thousand mark with 100,862 people visiting our primary US websites last month. The previous record for the number of people visiting our websites was 88,244 and was set this past November. Our reach and impact through the Internet continues to grow as God opens doors of opportunity for us and guides us forward.

- J. Charles Ogwyn

February 5, 2008

Commentary: Christian reform?

“A battle cry for Christian reform” blared a big headline in the Charlotte Observer. The article featured a picture of “one of the country’s top 25 evangelical leaders” and carried a lengthy interview in which he answered questions about what Christians should be doing in today’s world. Click here to read more.

February 4, 2008

Looking Back: Top Ten Downloads - #7

This week we take a look at the 7th most popular website download in several categories. Top 10 list of most popular downloads from our website.

January 29, 2008

Commentary: Are you having fun?

A cousin of mine has been very successful in several business ventures. He has worked hard over many years and has accumulated wealth and property. He has the accoutrements of wealth that one might expect in the form of homes, cars, boats, an airplane, and a farm in the country. But his success has not... Click here to read more.

January 28, 2008

Looking Back: Top Ten Downloads - #8

This week we take a look at the #8 spot on our Top 10 list of most popular downloads from our website.

January 24, 2008

Website Update: New Software

We have just completed an upgrade of the software for our News & Updates email list. The new software provides much better performance in sending out the emails quickly and will give us much greater control over the formatting of the email messages themselves. Those who are subscribed to our News & Update list are the first to know about important announcements and updates to our website. Subscribe today.

We have made a number of subtle changes to the site recently including the addition of an About Us page and a reorganization of the Booklets section of the website. We welcome your feedback.

- J. Charles Ogwyn

January 21, 2008

Looking Back: Top Ten Downloads - #9

This week we look at the next spot on our Top Ten Downloads list - #9. Have you seen what everyone was looking at on our site last year? Next week we'll look at the #8 slot on our top ten list from 2007.

January 14, 2008

Looking Back: Most Popular Downloads

As we begin 2008, let's take a look back at the most popular downloads on our website in 2007. This week we look at the 10th most popular download in several different categories. Take a look at what everyone was watching and reading on our site last year.

January 9, 2008

Internet Update: 83 Countries

The online version of the TW Bible Study Course now has students enrolled from 83 countries around the world. Columbia and Nepal are the most recent countries added to this list. The TW Bible Study Course was featured on the back cover of the most recent Tomorrow’s World magazine and as a result the number of people enrolling in the course online each week has doubled!

- J. Charles Ogwyn

Media Update: Strong Response

This weekend we began the new year with program #321, “2008 and Prophecy,” offering Prophecy Fulfilled: God’s Hand in World Affairs. From Thursday through Sunday, we received 2,837 phone calls. We are expecting the total count for the week to go over 3,500. Our highest new-year’s program, “2005 and Prophecy,” generated 3,727 responses. So, this week’s response-count is the second highest for a new-year weekend.

- Wayne Pyle

January 3, 2008

Internet Update: Looking Back On 2007

In many ways, 2007 was a record year for reach and response through our various websites. Our primary US websites were visited 1,763,015 times in 2007. Those visitors downloaded a total of 9,727,286 pages, not counting telecasts, sermons, and booklets from these websites. Over the past year we have averaged 80,488 unique visitors per month. In June we reached a major milestone with Google - over 1,000,000 visitors to our site as a direct result of our AdWords campaigns. It took 5 years and 4 days to reach this milestone with Google. God has greatly blessed our efforts on the Internet and as He continues to open doors and guide us forward, our reach and impact will continue to grow.

- J. Charles Ogwyn