Greetings from Charlotte,
The Feast of Trumpets has been very positive and meaningful for brethren around the world. Mr. and Mrs. Meredith were able to visit congregations around Boston, Massachusetts, and Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Mr. and Mrs. Ames had enjoyable visits to combined congregations in Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis, Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Crockett were able to visit congregations in Mississippi. I spent Trumpets in Fort Lauderdale where we invited interested guests to the afternoon service (see below), and then traveled to Ocala, Florida, for the Sabbath. This week Mr. Meredith has conducted a number of meetings, and we are all getting ready to travel to the Feast of Tabernacles either just before or just after the Day of Atonement.
Brethren, we are living in increasingly volatile times. Please pray that God will inspire the speaking, listening and fellowship at the Feast and that He will bless the weather and protect His people as we travel and observe the coming Festival. We have much to be thankful for as we gather to worship God and celebrate the meaning of these important fall Holy Days that picture soon-coming events that will transform this world when Jesus Christ returns to establish the Kingdom of God on this earth. Let's pray for each other that this coming Feast will be even more meaningful as we see world events moving towards the prophetic climax revealed in the Scriptures. In light of the political dynamics in Europe, the turmoil in the Middle East and the financial troubles threatening the global financial system, we could be facing a very different world when we return home from the Feast. Thank you for your dedication to the Truth and for your support of God's end-time Work—and have a wonderful Feast!—DSW
Church Administration
Feast of Trumpets Visit to New England
On the Feast of Trumpets, Dr. and Mrs. Meredith visited the New England congregations for a combined service in Worcester, Massachusetts. Members from the Auburn (MA), Pawtucket (RI), Brunswick (ME), and White River Junction (VT/NH) congregations gathered together for services and fellowship. Almost one hundred people enjoyed Dr. Meredith's sermon, which was followed by a delicious lunch, pleasant conversation, and the afternoon service. On the Sabbath following, Dr. Meredith spoke in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, to our combined Pawtucket and Auburn congregations.
During their visit here, Dr. and Mrs. Meredith were able to tour historic sites in Boston and visit the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library. We look forward to a return visit in the future! – Jonathan McNair
Special Invitations to Feast of Trumpets Service in Fort Lauderdale
The Fort Lauderdale congregation was very pleased to host Dr. Douglas Winnail for a special Feast of Trumpets Holy Day service to which we invited a small, select group of our local Tomorrow's World subscribers. Working with Headquarters, we invited over 500 Tomorrow's World subscribers who are also enrolled in the Bible Correspondence Course, or who have also requested certain booklets. After weeks of prayer and anticipation, we were very excited to welcome eleven first-time visitors to the Feast of Trumpets and an additional eight first-time visitors and five returnees for the following Sabbath service on October 1. The overall response to the invitations was about 4 %.
It was exciting to see that God is truly opening the minds of most of these guests. Most of our visitors had become very familiar with the Truth, and because of this invitation, a few are now even going to try to keep the Feast of Tabernacles this year! Most of these invitees commented that receiving this invitation was an answer to their prayers, and they were very complimentary of the warmth and zeal of the local congregation. We are grateful to Headquarters for their leadership and support in putting on this special invitational event. But most importantly, we thank our living God that we could contribute in this small way to the Great Commission to preach the good news of the coming Kingdom of God. – Wyatt Ciesielka, South/Central Florida Pastor
Gulf Coast Combined Services
On Sabbath, October 1, the Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and Pensacola, Florida, churches held combined services in Daphne, Alabama for the visit of Mr. and Mrs. Davy Crockett to that area. The combined services provided a festival-like atmosphere for all those there and everyone enjoyed Mr. Crockett's sermon titled "Standing on the Promises." There was an added treat when long-time deacon Mr. Steve Climer was ordained an Elder by Mr. Crockett and Area Pastor Ed Breaux. Mr. Climer will be helping Mr. Breaux in the Pensacola, Ocean Springs and Laurel, Mississippi congregations.
– Ed Breaux
Message from the Carvajal Family:
Dear brethren in the faith,
First of all, I would like to thank God for the strength, the love and the satisfaction of knowing His Master Plan and for knowing the purpose of our suffering.
Also, I would like to thank each one of you, for your constant concern regarding my father, your support, prayers, messages, fastings, etc. My father is sleeping and is healed from all pain. He overcame and awaits the crown for those who have qualified. My father is one of those who are waiting the sound of the last trumpet when the dead in Christ will rise first (1 Thessalonians 4:16). From my mother, brothers, sisters-in-law, nephews and from myself, I would like to convey my deepest gratitude for the love each one of you expressed.
Thank you, thank you very much and may God reward such great attitudes. – Alfredo Carvajal
Address for condolence cards for Carvajal family:
Sra. María Audelia Hidalgo de Carvajal e hijos
Casilla 31
Independencia, Santiago
Chile
Feast of Tabernacles 2011
Day of Atonement and Sabbath Services/Contact List
There is an updated list of where Atonement services (October 8) and Sabbath services after the Feast (October 22) will be conducted. This list can be found by going on the MyLCG website (www.cogl.org).
Holy Day Offerings at International Sites
If you are traveling to an international Feast site and want to claim your offering as an income tax deduction in the United States, you should send your offerings to the Charlotte office before you leave the U.S.A. However, since the international sites incur expenses to handle visitors, you may want to consider leaving part of your festival offerings at the site that you attend.
Additional Information Regarding New Braunfels Streaming Video
As previously announced, those with an Internet connection who are unable to attend services during the Feast, will be able to view a live video stream from the New Braunfels, Texas, site. Just log in to your MyLCG account (www.cogl.org/mylcg.shtml), then click on the button under the "Feast 2011 Streaming Video" header in the right column. (The link is currently not visible but will be at Feast time.) Opening night service will start at 7 p.m. (CST), and most services will begin at 10:30 a.m., U.S. Central Time Zone. The video should play with almost any Internet connection, but dial-up users should expect some choppiness. For all users, please make sure you have the latest version of your favorite Internet browser with the most recent version of the Adobe Flash plug-in (http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/). For those in different time zones or outside the U.S., you will be able to watch an archive of the stream of that day's service any time that day. A recording of that service should be available until the next day's service. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. John Robinson at [email protected].
Live Telephone Access to New Braunfels Services Also Available
For those who cannot attend the Feast and do not have access to the Internet to view the streaming video, you can listen to a live audio feed of daily services from New Braunfels via your telephone by following these instructions: five minutes prior to daily services, or any time during services, dial 361-288-1816 and within the first few rings you should be connected to a live feed. Very important: Please mute your telephone during the call. This is basically a conference call, so if you don't mute your telephone everyone on the call will hear the background noise coming from your phone which will drown out the feed. People who fail to mute their phones will be dropped from the call. Thanks for your help! For any questions contact Mr. Jonathan Bueno before or any time during the Feast at [email protected] or 361-331-1099.
These instructions, along with the daily schedule, are available at www.fottexas.org.
Hymnals for the Feast
Brethren are encouraged to bring a hymnal (one or two songbooks per household) from their local congregation's supply after the Day of Atonement for use at the Feast. They should bring back to their congregations the same hymnals, after the Feast, so that an equal number of books is returned to each congregation.
Festival Survey: Now Online!
Every year we have a survey taken at the Feast to get feedback from brethren. This year the survey can be taken online at the following address: http://fotsurvey.lcg.org/. We ask that all households fill out this online survey form towards the end of the Feast. This yearly survey provides helpful information on festival planning for next year. For those who do not have Internet access, hard-copy forms of the survey will also be provided at the Feast site where you will be attending..
Have a wonderful, safe, and inspiring Feast, everyone!—Festival Office
Mail Processing Department
Holy Day Offering Envelopes: With the current problems in the U.S. postal system, we encourage all U.S. brethren to be prepared to bring their own envelopes for the offerings on the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement. If you use your own envelope, please be sure to write your Personal Identification Number on it. You can find your PIN on the Tomorrow's World magazine label. Extra green envelopes should also be available from ushers at services on these two Holy Days.
Finance Department
Attention ministers: With the fall Festival season in high gear, the accounting staff would like to remind you that you should keep your receipts for Festival expenses separate from your regular Minex. We track all expenses by categories, such as local congregation, Feast, TWSP, youth camp, etc. A separate expense form should be submitted for each month and category. If you need updated forms, please log in to your MyLCG account on www.cogl.org and go to "Finance Forms" under the "Church Administration" section. It can add several days of processing time for reimbursement when expenses are not submitted properly.
Comments
Watch and Be Ready! The God we worship is a God of love who has revealed the future to those He has called to serve Him (Amos 3:7; Genesis 18:17). Jesus repeatedly warned His disciples to be watchful and alert as the end of the age approaches. He stated that we should avoid getting caught up in the cares of this world—parties, material pursuits, the World Series, World Cup events, political contests, personal concerns, and other things that get our minds off the big picture (Matthew 24:37-39; Mark 13:33-37; Luke 21:34-36). The Apostle Paul delivered the same sobering message for those of us living at the close of the age—that the day of the Lord will come as a "thief in the night" and that "sudden destruction" will catch many by surprise—so we must "watch and be sober" and not be caught sleeping (1 Thessalonians 5). As we see the world and especially the Israelite nations turning further away from God and His ways—literally despising the laws of God—we need to remember that there will be consequences (Leviticus 26; Ezekiel 7). We are told repeatedly we must "come out" of this evil world if we want to avoid the consequences that are coming (2 Corinthians 6:17; Revelation 18:4) because these prophecies about the end time are sure and certain (Daniel 2:45). This is why Jesus said that we need to "watch" and "be ready"… that we "may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man" at His coming (Matthew 24:42-44; Luke 21:36).
Have a profitable Sabbath and a wonderful Feast,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—October 6, 2011
The Future of Germany and Europe: Last Friday the German parliament symbolically voted to continue supporting European debt relief. Internally, the parliament was split with representatives refusing to further support EU debt by giving up German sovereignty through a fiscal union. A Bavarian representative warned that "…the Free State of Bavaria will not take one step further towards an EMU fiscal union or debt pool." According to a seasoned journalist, "Germans have begun to sense that the preservation of their own democracy and rule of law is in conflict with demands from Europe. They must choose one or the other" (The Telegraph, September 30, 2011). Meanwhile, with Greece's looming default and an increasing number of EU nations calling for its exit from the EU, economists are pondering the ramifications of such an event. "The prospect of a Greek default is viewed as increasing the chances of others, which in turn is seen to threaten banks holding billions of dollars of government bonds. The bill for rebuilding the banks lies with already indebted governments. If confidence continues to wane, a run on a country and its banks could drive a country from the euro zone" (Wall Street Journal, September 30, 2011). What might happen if multiple nations default and possibly leave the euro zone? With strong German feelings against relinquishing national or fiscal sovereignty, and the possibility of other nations "leaving" the euro, the concept of a "European core" of nations subject to German fiscal and political rules is becoming more likely. Scripture highlights that ten kings will "give" their power over to a centralized European Beast power, backed by a mother church (see Revelation 17). We appear to be watching events that God is guiding in Europe to bring His prophecies to pass!
More German-U.S. Friction: Last week President Barack Obama "rebuked EU leaders for failing to recapitalize banks and allowing the debt crisis to escalate to the point where it is scaring the world." Reaction from the German finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, was one of scorn, "I don't understand how anyone in the European Commission can have such a stupid idea [spending one's way out of a debt crisis]. The result would be to endanger the AAA sovereign debt ratings of other member states. It makes no sense." Mr. Schäuble basically told Washington to "mind its own business" following Mr. Obama's comments. "It's always much easier to give advice to others than to decide for yourself. I am well prepared to give advice to the U.S. government." Some are concerned that Mr. Shäuble's comments could anger the U.S., which is currently "propping up" EU debt with U.S. dollars (The Telegraph, September 27, 2011). The once-strong relationship between Germany and the U.S. was hit hard at the start of the Gulf War. It took another "hit" this week. Bible prophecy reveals that in the future, the German-led European Beast power will become a powerful adversary of many Israelite-descended nations (Isaiah 10:5-6; Hosea 11) during a time God refers to as the "time of Jacob's trouble" (Jeremiah 30:7). As world events move forward, look for further alienation of the U.S., Britain, and other western European and British-descended nations. For more information, see our booklet, The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy.
God Blesses Feast of Tabernacles Travel: For the last several years, oil prices have dropped right around the time of the fall Holy Days (fall in the northern hemisphere, that is). This year appears to be the same. Gasoline (petrol) prices have been dropping for the last several weeks now. Monday, oil reached its lowest price since September 2010. It ended trading in New York at $78 per barrel. Experts believe it will stay low to year's end (Associated Press, October 3, 2011). Thousands of years ago, God gave His people the command to keep His annual festivals, including the Feast of Tabernacles (see Leviticus 23). These days were to be statutes "forever" and blessings were promised to those who keep them, and the rest of God's laws (Deuteronomy 14:29). It is both interesting and encouraging to see a trend in dropping gasoline prices (which some would call "chance") just prior to the "pilgrim" Feast of Tabernacles—a time when God's people are commanded to travel to locations where He has chosen to place His name (Deuteronomy 14:22-26). In allowing fuel prices to drop, God is blessing the obedience of His people who are willing to travel to worship Him at this very important time of year. For more information, see our booklet, The Holy Days: God's Master Plan.— John Meakin andScott Winnail