Archive for category: LivingEd – Charlotte

Author: David Markopoulos | Living Education

In a recent forum delivered to this year’s Living Education students, evangelist Dr. Douglas Winnail, who serves as the Director of Church Administration, spent time relating the history of the Church of God through the ages. As a longtime minister who has been director of the ministry for around 20 years, Dr. Winnail presented a full and comprehensive view of the Church’s history, and emphasized how important it is that we understand what we are a part of.

The Church in the Wilderness

Some modern Christians may not realize that the heritage of the Church goes back long before the time of Christ. 1 Corinthians 10:3-4 states (referring to ancient Israel) that they “all ate the same spiritual food and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.” The ancient nation of Israel was the original Church of God, founded at Sinai. 

Dr. Winnail pointed out that the laws God gave to His people were different than the nations around them—they laid the groundwork for a unique, godly culture. God’s law reflected what was important to Him—the value of human life, the importance and role of women, and principles of love, mercy, and justice, which were absent in most pagan cultures. These same principles and laws laid out in the Old Covenant were the groundwork for the New Covenant established by Christ. While the pagans around them practiced debauched rituals, the Israelites were meant to be different—and their Scriptures left laws and ideas that changed the world.

Jesus’ Teachings

Jesus stated in Matthew 16:18 that the gates of hell would not prevail against His Church—in other words, it would continue to exist in spite of challenges. The New Testament has preserved the fundamental doctrines of the early Church in detail, and as we attempt to trace the Church down through the ages, we are able to identify important characteristics. The New Testament calls it “the Church of God”—a consistent moniker. The Church believed in the coming Kingdom of God, the Messiahship of Jesus, Sabbathkeeping, the validity of the commandments, and other important doctrines. The Church also has the mission to preach the Gospel and to share a warning message to the Israelite nations.

What Happened to the Church?

We know from Jesus’ own words that the Church would continue to exist—so why does its history become so murky after the 1st century AD? As the Ephesian Era came to a close toward the end of the 1st century, heresy was beginning to creep in. With the death of the early apostles and the transition to the Smyrna Era, God allowed the Church to drift toward apostasy and experience persecution. The end of the Smyrna era saw the rise of the Catholic religion become the dominant religion of the Roman Empire under Constantine. 

Throughout the Middle Ages, the false Catholic Church consistently persecuted the scattered remnants of the true Church, who kept hold of the truth. Across Europe and elsewhere, there are historic reports of Sabbathkeeping groups who were persecuted viciously—the Vaudois, Paulicians, Bogomils, Waldensians, and others. The eras of the Church laid out in Revelation can be traced to specific periods in recorded history.

The Church in America

As the Middle Ages came to a close, we find Sabbathkeepers were relatively prominent in Western Europe and Britain. Many of these individuals began to migrate to the United States, founding churches, schools, and communities. This was the time of the Sardis era, which in turn set the stage for the Philadelphian era to become so impactful. As Sabbathkeepers moved west in the United States, they brought with them important doctrines that were preserved down through history.

The Philadelphia Era

It was around this time that Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong came into contact with members in Oregon. Joining their fellowship, he would be ordained an elder. As time went on, Mr. Armstrong came to understand far more about the Bible that had not been completely preserved by the Church at the time. Recognizing the importance of Christ’s command to preach the Gospel to the world, Mr. Armstrong began to preach on the radio. This was the beginning of the Radio Church of God—later the Worldwide Church of God. As the Church grew substantially during this era, it was evident that Jesus Christ was blessing His Work. As the time of the Philadelphia Era came to a close after Mr. Armstrong’s death, God again allowed apostasy to creep in, leading to the Church becoming much smaller in scale. Today, the Church is continuing to do the Work to preach the Gospel and spread the message of the Kingdom of God.

Remember Why You Are Here

Dr. Winnail admonished the students to learn more about the history of the Church and to fully appreciate the heritage of what we are a part of. The Church has been preserved under Christ’s leadership down through history, and is continuing to do the Work today. Living Education is an important piece of that Work, and as the Church continues to grow, it is important that we take the time to understand where we have come from and why we are here.

David Markopoulos is a Living Education alumnus from the 2023-2025 school years. Originally hailing from Chicago, he currently works for the Living Education program.

Author: David Markopoulos | Living Education

Mr. Dexter Wakefield, a long-time minister serving as the Director of Legal Affairs at Headquarters, has a long background in finance, business, and entrepreneurship. In a recent forum to the Living Education students, he addressed a growing trend in our modern culture toward socialism, its implications, and the problem with this school of thought.

Socialism on the Rise

With the recent election of a Democratic Socialist, Zohran Mamdani, to the role of New York City mayor, socialism has come to the forefront of America’s attention lately. Mayor-elect Mamdani has been a vocal critic of capitalism, calling it “theft.” But is this the most accurate descriptor of the capitalist model, and is socialism a safe alternative?

Labor Theory of Value

One element of Socialism is the Labor Theory of Value. This rule dictates that the value of a product can only be equal to the labor that went into it. Looking at economics from this standpoint means that any price not determined by these factors would seem unfair. Further, in order to make any kind of profit, you have to pay workers less than what is “fair.” However, the issue is that this does not account accurately for supply and demand, and a consumer’s personal judgment on utility. A consumer will typically pay the price they personally deem the best—meaning their notion of value supersedes the thought process behind why that item was marked as such to begin with.

Creation of Wealth

Creation involves destruction—or, in a more economic sense, to create products, you have to destroy the raw materials as you found them and put them back together to make something new. Raw metals mined in the earth need to be refined and shaped. This process carries risk—not just physical risk, but financial and legal risk. As Mr. Wakefield pointed out, with all the unknowns that lie along the creative process, the ultimate value of a product depends greatly on how well you manage risk. This adds a completely new dimension to the discussion that socialism often fails to account for.

Mr. Wakefield also pointed out that economics is not “trickle-down,” but rather “ripple-out.” Capitalist societies are typically much more stable than socialist societies because they account for these factors. It also creates more room for innovation and long-term growth. This is missing from socialism, where autocrats make top-down decisions for the people.

Pillars of Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurs and businessmen have a difficult job competing in the market. However, understanding the democracy of the market is a critical skill, and it is important to understand the principles of the economic climate in which we operate. Understanding what goes into a product, what determines its price, and the service it provides is an important focus for entrepreneurs and for those living and operating in a capitalistic society.

David Markopoulos is a Living Education alumnus from the 2023-2025 school years. Originally hailing from Chicago, he currently works for the Living Education program.

Author: David Markopoulos | Living Education

Mr. Lambert Greer is a longtime minister in the Church of God with many years of pastoral experience. In a recent forum addressed to the Living Educations students, he took the time to explain Jesus’ command in Matthew to “enter by the narrow gate.” Mr. Greer used this example to relate important principles regarding our Christian walk in life.

The Importance of Gates

Matthew 7:13 states: “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

Mr. Greer explained the principle of a gate—for a fortified city, gates led directly inside and were the first point of contact and entry. Some ancient cities would have narrow gates to improve defensive capabilities—however, that proverbial narrow path and gate are, by their nature, difficult to traverse. 

Our Path

As it relates to our Christian journey, the path we walk can be a hard one. Life is filled with hardships, temptations, and risks that can take us from one side of the road to the other. When we reach the point of being glorified as members of God’s Family, we will have overcome the world and its snares.

By contrast, the wide gate and the broad way reflect a way of life that is carefree and easy. It is smooth and inviting, but ultimately leads to destruction. The temptations and pitfalls that lie along this path can easily draw us in, and away from the narrow way.

Difficulties of the Narrow Way

Mr. Greer acknowledged that the narrow way is difficult, and that as we walk down it, there can be a temptation to veer to one side or the other. That is why balance can be a key issue for many trying to walk with God. 

Many things are laid out clearly in Scripture, but there are also many things that we can only do according to our best understanding of the principles given by God. Our challenge is to learn to understand God’s mind and will as we seek to apply those principles daily. It can be easy to be too passive, disengaged, or lax in our spiritual life, which is a dangerous recipe for losing our zeal. And it can be just as easy to be overly harsh, rigid, and Pharisaical. Leaning too far toward this extreme shows a lack of understanding of God’s principles—God’s way accounts for mercy and balance. 

Mr. Greer admonished the students to “keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:34). God looks at the heart of an individual to see whether a person is committed to obeying Him, and allows them to be tested in order to help them develop His character. As we keep God’s commandments and learn to apply His principles, we come to know God better, which in turn helps us keep His commandments and observe those principles more effectively.

Challenges for the Church

We may be tested in our personal lives, but the Church also collectively experiences those tests at times. Mr. Greer reflected back on the apostasy that occurred in the Worldwide Church of God that led so many astray, and the difficulties that many members and ministers faced during that time. The examples of overemphasis or underemphasis on certain doctrines, extreme rigidity or lack of firmness where needed, and many other issues presented unique challenges for the Church as a whole. But, as Mr. Greer stated, we cannot judge God by the weaknesses and sins of men—we must stand before God on our own. Even when others fall off the path, we cannot always help them or push them to change—we have to make the best choices we can, be a positive example, and encourage them, but ultimately remember that we each have our own path.

Ultimately, Mr. Greer pointed out that we must be careful along the way, be attentive to our surroundings, and be on guard for things that can take us off the path—especially the small things. We have to see the big picture and avoid getting caught up in things that could take us away from our calling.

Draw Near to God

The narrow path on which we walk can be difficult, but the trials, tests, and difficulties we experience along the way are nothing compared to what we are offered at the end. As we strive for balance in our walk, we must stay on-track throughout our Christian walk, keeping the end goal in mind. Mr. Greer’s encouragement was to take advantage of what has been given to us, seek clarity and understanding from God, and to take ownership of what God has given us. We must pledge our heart to God and strive to stay the course of the narrow way.

David Markopoulos is a Living Education alumnus from the 2023-2025 school years. Originally hailing from Chicago, he currently works for the Living Education program.