Greetings from Charlotte,
Dr. Meredith, Mr. Ames and several others of us had a meeting on Thursday with an outside consultant to discuss a new introduction to our Tomorrow's World telecast. Regional Director Robert Tyler gave a Tomorrow's World presentation in Adelaide, Australia this past week with 43 guests and 34 members present. Mr. Rod McNair will be conducting TWPs this weekend near Minneapolis, Minnesota and Wausau, Wisconsin. Other TWPs are planned for this weekend in Orillia, Ontario, Canada; Kingman, Arizona; and Akron, Ohio. Dr. Douglas Winnail plans to be in Joplin, Missouri this weekend for the Sabbath and a Leadership Conference on Sunday. Mr. Mario Hernandez and Mr. Adam West are traveling to Geneva, Switzerland for an important Church visit and should be there for this Sabbath. We received a very encouraging report from Cristian Orrego regarding his recent trip to Mexico City. He reports we have 23 new people who are interested in attending services, seven people have already been baptized this year, and another nine are counseling for baptism. Mexico has also seen a 57 percent rise in Tomorrow's World magazine subscriptions since December of last year. With the Feast of Tabernacles only weeks away, don't forget to sign up for the activities available at the site you plan to attend. Our Festival Site Coordinators need this information to properly make arrangements with outside vendors for meals and activities. Some things can't wait until the last minute!—GEW
Internet Department
New "Wereld van More" Afrikaans Web Site Launched!
We are pleased to announce the launch of an entirely new Afrikaans language "Tomorrow's World" Web site—Wereld van More (www.wvm.co.za)—a major upgrade to the old Web site. We thank our Afrikaans translators for all of their help, and we pray that God will use the new site to reach the Afrikaans-speaking people even more effectively. Even if you do not speak Afrikaans, you may want to take a quick look at the new Web site. You can also find a link to Wereld van More and to all of our major TW Web sites at the bottom of the TomorrowsWorld.org home page.—Wyatt Ciesielka
New TomorrowsWorld.org Web Site Enhancements and New TomorrowsWorld.org/Canada Web Page—Repeat Announcement
Last week we deployed three new enhancements to the TomorrowsWorld.org Web site. The Tomorrow's World telecast, publications, Internet Web sites and social media reach all around the world, and we are always looking for ways to preach the Gospel more effectively, not only "to all the world," but also to be more effective in local ways.
The first new feature we launched this week is new Web site functionality that will detect from where in the world people are visiting the Web site and will display "local" information on the home page about where they can find the telecast in their city. This localization technology with supporting Internet advertising is first being deployed in more than 20 key cities around the world, such as Vancouver, Toronto, Perth, Adelaide, London, Birmingham, Johannesburg, Fort Lauderdale, San Diego, Dallas and more.
Second, we deployed a major new feature where we can provide a "regional Web page" to certain regions so we can even better support the telecast, literature offers, and "local" articles in those regions. The first of these regional pages to be deployed is TomorrowsWorld.org/Canada, and it will support some special Canadian telecast and literature offer efforts throughout the nation.
And third, we just now added promotion on the home page of two very important resources available to anyone, anywhere: the Tomorrow's World Bible Study Course, and "The Bible Says That" Web site, which has been an extremely effective tool supporting some recent radio advertising. We pray that these enhancements, and others that are coming soon, will produce much fruit.—Wyatt Ciesielka
Feast of Tabernacles
Just Five Weeks Away!—Repeat Announcement
The Feast of Tabernacles is just over five weeks away! Excitement is building for this year's Feast, which will be conducted at 50 different sites in 33 countries around the world! We hope that your Festival preparations are coming along well, in anticipation of this highlight of the year! Over 7,600 brethren are now successfully registered for the Feast, and many have already signed up and paid for activities. Be watching for e-mail communications from your Festival Site Coordinator. He will most likely send by e-mail any important information as the Feast draws near, and he may have already done so. If you do not have e-mail, please stay in touch with your local Festival Advisor for updated information. If you have not yet signed up for activities, and have not paid for the activities that offer prepayment, please do so as soon as you can. This helps the Festival Site Coordinators pay deposits and make other preparations so all of us can come together and keep God's Feast!
Feast Speaking Schedules
The Feast speaking schedules are now being sent out. Speakers: Those who are on the speaking schedule are asked to send in the title(s) of their messages to their Festival Site Coordinator by Thursday, September 15. Plan now to put in the time, prayer and preparation to bring messages that are inspiring, stimulating, and that focus on the wonderful message of Christ's reign on this earth!
Health and Feast Travel
As we prepare to depart for the Feast of Tabernacles, it is not uncommon for many of us to push ourselves and compromise on our sleep and diet. Many try to get multiple work and school tasks accomplished ahead of time so that we can attend the Feast without worry. Often this push before the Feast results in too little sleep and unhealthy eating habits. Then, when we finally get in the car, on the train, on the bus, or on an airplane, our bodies slow down and we get sick. In past years, this has resulted in some bringing the flu or a cold to the Feast site and spreading it to other Church members. If we do arrive at the Feast feeling ill, for the benefit of our brethren, it is important to avoid fellowshipping and attending services until all our symptoms are gone.
It is essential, as we prepare for Feast of Tabernacles travel, to get adequate rest and maintain a healthy diet filled with a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. Parents should make sure that children also get adequate rest and eat a very healthy diet before the Feast. For our older brethren, these actions are imperative! In taking measures to stay healthy and improve health before the Feast, not only will we be more likely to arrive at the Feast "healthy" and not be temporarily detained by the local health officials (if you are traveling abroad), but we will also be physically and mentally prepared to partake of the powerful spiritual food and fellowship that God is preparing for us.
Mothers Going to the Feast as Your Due Date Draws Near
We rejoice to see more and more children added to our Church family each year! It is one of the great joys in life for a father and mother to welcome a brand new life into the world. However, women going to the Feast in the late stages of pregnancy can lead to unforeseen complications. If you are pregnant and will be due around Feast time, please exercise caution and discretion when making your decision about attending the Feast. The long-standing tradition of the Church is to recommend that you stay home from the Feast if your due date is around Feast-time, for your sake and your unborn child's sake. As in all matters of health, it is a personal decision, which must be weighed carefully and prayerfully, and with the advice of your physician or midwife. The Church provides recorded sermons and Internet sermons for shut-ins, and you can certainly avail yourself of those. (Some Feast sites will also provide live-stream or call-in service for their local area as well—check with your Festival Site Coordinator for more information for your assigned site.)
Chemical Sensitivities and Love for Our Brethren
We want to remind everyone to be aware while at the Feast of the sensitivities to perfumes and colognes that some of our brethren have. For some of our brethren, because of serious allergies, walking by someone with a lot of perfume or cologne is not just uncomfortable but can send them to the Emergency Room. Let's use extra care to show love to others in this way at the Feast—please use moderation.
Listing of Local Church Services on the Day of Atonement and the Sabbath Before the Feast—Repeat Announcement
The listing of congregations holding services on the Day of Atonement (October 12) and on the Sabbath of October 15 is scheduled to be posted on the Feast of Tabernacles Web site next week. Pastors: If you have not yet sent in the plans in your areas for services on these two days, please do so right away so that the information can be added to the listing. The listing is helpful to brethren planning their Feast travels. Thank you to those who have already responded.
Panama City Beach, Florida—Registration and Payment Deadlines—Repeat Announcement
Please register as soon as possible for the activities you want to participate in at the Panama City Beach Feast Site, in order that plans and preparations can go forward.
The registration deadline for the following activities is September 30:
- DELs Luncheon
- Dinner/Dance (Note: You do not have to participate in the dinner to attend the dance.)
- Seniors Luncheon
- Singles Activity (ages 20 and above)
If you wish to attend any of these activities, please sign up immediately so that the host venues can know how many to expect and prepare for. After September 30 and during the Feast, registration for these activities will be closed.
Payment for activities must reach us by October 7. If you pay by check, please be sure to mail your check so we get it on or before October 7. Checks should be made out to "Living Church of God" and sent to LCG, Attn. Gayle Stroud, P.O. Box 2707, Clanton, AL 35045. Please do not send cash through the mail.
Thank you all for your attention to this matter, and we look forward to a wonderful Feast of Tabernacles 2016 in beautiful Panama City Beach.—Anthony Stroud, Festival Site Coordinator
Traverse City, Michigan—Festival and Children's Choirs—Repeat Announcement
There is still a need for participants in the Festival Choir and the Children's Choir at the Traverse City Feast Site. If you would like to serve God's people with the musical talent He has given you, then please sign up at the Traverse City Festival Web site.
If you want to be in the adult Festival Choir, then please contact Choir Director Scott Fulford at [email protected]. If you have a child who can participate in the Children's Choir, then please contact Children's Choir Director Audrey Watkins at [email protected].—Bill Long, Festival Site Coordinator
Traverse City, Michigan—Winery Tour—Repeat Announcement
If you would like to attend the winery tour at the Feast in Traverse City, Michigan, please sign up with Traverse City Tours by calling 231-620-8687. Registration for the winery tour will close October 1.
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon CDs—Repeat Announcement
Attention Pastors: This coming Monday, September 12 is the deadline to submit the names of brethren (in the U.S.) who will be unable to attend the Feast and who wish to receive a set of the Feast of Tabernacles sermons on CD. (Sermons are available in English, French or Spanish.) Please send these names to the Church Administration Department at [email protected]. Note: Feast sermons will also be uploaded (one per day) during the Feast at www.lcg.org for those who have Internet access.
Living Youth Program
2014 and 2015 Camp Pictorials Have Been Shipped Out!
The 2014 and 2015 Living Youth Program Camp Pictorials have been shipped out from Headquarters! We thank you all for your patience in waiting for them. We are sure you are going to love them. If you ordered an album, you should receive it within the next couple of weeks. If you do not, please contact us at [email protected].
Limited quantities of both these albums are still available. If you wish to order a copy, please contact us at the above e-mail address.—Josh Penman
Comments
Be Thankful for the Truth: The Sabbath is a good time to reflect on an important question: Are you thankful for the Truth? It is easy to take the Truth for granted if you are a long-time member or if you have grown up in the Church. Yet, Jesus said that no one can come to a real understanding of the Truth unless they are called and their minds have been opened to see the big picture (John 6:44, 65). The capacity to understand the plan of God, the purpose of life and the true way of life is a gift that God is making available to only a few at this time (1 Corinthians 1:26-27). The Bible reveals these precious truths are a mystery to most people (1 Corinthians 2:7-8) because Satan—the god of this age—has blinded their eyes (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). Jesus said it is an incredible privilege to be given an understanding of the Truth of God (Matthew 13:10-11). The Apostle Paul said that to be called out of darkness into the light of the Truth is something to be extremely thankful for. Paul also warned that those who are unthankful and let go of the Truth will reap serious consequences (Romans 1:18-32). Let's never forget to be thankful for the unique opportunity we have been given to understand the Truth of God.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—September 8, 2016
Trouble Ahead for Jerusalem? According to a recent report, "the day is fast approaching when the Palestinian Authority [PA] we have known for the past 22 years will cease to exist. PA leader Mahmoud Abbas's US-trained Palestinian security forces have lost control over the Palestinian cities in Judea and Samaria. His EU- and US-funded bureaucracies are about to lose control over the local governments to Hamas. And his Fatah militias have turned against him" (Jewish Worldview, August 31, 2016). PA elections are set to take place October 8 after which Hamas' seizure and control of the territory could "happen in the blink of an eye"—pulling Israel and other nations into another conflict (ibid.). Long ago God predicted that the "king of the North" would move into the Holy Land (Daniel 11:40-41)—probably as a result of some provocation—in an attempt to maintain "peace" in the region. Bible prophecy also states that as we approach the end of the age, Jerusalem will be surrounded by Gentile forces (Luke 21:20-24). These non-Israelis will ultimately control Jerusalem for 42 months (Revelation 11:1-2). As instability spreads in the Holy Land and violence increases over control of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, watch for attempts by the world community (especially from the Europeans and the Catholic Church) to bring peace to this strife-torn part of the world. To learn more about coming events in the explosive Middle East, read our insightful booklet The Middle East in Prophecy!
Failing Governments and Global Suffering: Failing governments are major contributors to suffering on a global scale. "Venezuela continues to be embroiled in an economic crisis that has included food shortages.... Inflation is at 700 percent, the country continues to be in a recession and 'basic food and medicine are in severely short supply'… Venezuelans spend their days queueing for hours at supermarkets, but often go home empty-handed" (US News and World Report, September 2, 2016). In Nigeria, "Aid agencies say the humanitarian crisis in north-eastern Nigeria is growing, with more than two million people displaced by the war with Boko Haram… 50,000 children could die from malnutrition unless they receive immediate help, the UN has warned" (BBC News, August 29, 2016). In Syria, "600,000 Syrians now live under siege with up to 300,000 trapped in the city" of Aleppo (BBC News, September 7, 2016). "The UN special envoy for Syria has estimated that 400,000 people have been killed [in Syria] throughout the past five years of civil war" (Al Jazeera, April 23, 2016). Nearly 2,000 years ago, the Apostle Paul lamented, "the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs" waiting for the return of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:18-22). Bible prophecy states that unless Christ intervenes in world affairs, human beings would destroy themselves (Matthew 24:22). However, the "good news" is that Jesus is going to return as the "Prince of Peace" to put an end to human governments and establish "His government and peace" over the entire earth (Isaiah 9:6-7; Revelation 11:15). As human efforts fail to resolve the causes of global suffering, the need for Christ's return will become more obvious. To learn more about God's plan for mankind, watch our telecast, "Why Will Christ Return?"
Science Supports Scripture… Again! "Everyone knows you should never go to sleep on an argument, but a new study suggests the old adage might be just as important for a person's health as [for] their relationship" (Telegraph, August 17, 2016). Researchers recently discovered that people "who were paid more attention by their partners were more likely to achieve good amounts of the deep 'restorative' sleep that is crucial for good health." A lead researcher noted, "Our findings show that individuals with responsive partners experience lower anxiety and arousal, which in turn improves their sleep quality" (ibid.). The Bible has long-advised, "do not let the sun go down on your wrath"—indicating that we should not go to bed angry (Ephesians 4:26). Now, nearly 2,000 years later we have medical evidence that supports the wisdom that God had when He inspired that directive. The commandments of God were not to control or punish us, but to lead us to a happy and abundant life (John 10:10). The biblical instruction to address relationship problems before bed is designed for our benefit and to lead to a peaceful and restful night's sleep. For more information on the wisdom of God's laws, be sure to read our insightful booklet The Ten Commandments.—Scott Winnail, Francine Prater, Justin Ridgeway and Chris Sookdeo