Greetings from Charlotte,
Messrs. Rod McNair, Paul Shumway, Rick Stafford, and Wilner Pierre returned home from a trip to Barbados, where they conducted a ministerial conference for the Caribbean Region. Mr. and Mrs. Peter Nathan have returned to the UK from South Africa, where they made church visits and he gave Tomorrow’s World Presentations. I returned home from Canada, where I had the opportunity to give a TWP in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This was exciting, as God used me to raise up the congregation there in 2002, following a presentation at that time. It was a most humble beginning, with only two sisters, a child, and a man who was baptized that year as a result of the presentation. Since then, his wife and other family members, including grandchildren, have come along. I also met (or saw once again) at least six baptized members who began attending after a 2014 TWP that I gave in Winnipeg. This was the first time back to that area since then and it was enjoyable and rewarding seeing old friends and making new acquaintances. Winnipeg is currently our second-largest congregation in Canada, with attendance averaging in the mid-60s. It was also great seeing some of our members in British Columbia this past Sabbath. Mr. Robert Tyler reports that following his recent trip to India with Mr. Rajan Moses, they are officially recognizing three new congregations—Wyra, Gannavaram, and Kalakodima—where, combined, we have 80 prospective members. Please remember one another in your prayers.—Gerald Weston
Church Administration
Tomorrow’s World Presentations
Last weekend we hosted five follow-up presentations that drew a combined total of 21 guests. This weekend we have two initial presentations, in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada; and Prince George, British Columbia, Canada; as well as two follow-up presentations, in Orlando, Florida; and Long Beach, California. Thank you to everyone for your prayers and support for the Tomorrow’s World Presentations.
Damaging Storms in Southern United States
Last weekend violent storms ripped through parts of Texas and Louisiana, as well as Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Mississippi. Pastor Dan Friz reported that straight-line winds reached 80 mph across several counties. Four hundred thousand people from Texas to Mississippi are without power as of this writing, including Mr. Friz’s neighborhood. The house across the street was completely destroyed by a falling tree, though thankfully no one was injured. Power poles snapped and so many trees were down that it was difficult to drive out of the neighborhood. Shreveport was hit with heavy, golf-ball-size hail. No brethren were injured, but some do have roof damage and will lose food as a result of spoilage. Pastor Gary Stein, who lives near Big Sandy, Texas, reported that, after the heavy winds and rains, his home was without power for twelve hours. Two trees were down in the backyard and one in the front—but there was no damage to the house. The Big Sandy congregation was able to have Sabbath services in their normal hall with the help of a generator. We are extremely grateful for God’s protection of His people in these areas.
Feast of Tabernacles
Feast Sites Closed for Transfer
These Feast sites are closed to further transfers:
- Branson, Missouri, USA
- Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia
Festival (Second Tithe) Assistance Requests—U.S. Only
Attention U.S. Pastors: The deadline to submit Festival Assistance Request forms to the Church Administration Department is Friday, July 21. All forms should be properly completed by the members requesting second tithe assistance to attend the Feast this year. Then, the Area Pastors should write their recommendations/comments on the forms before submitting them to CAD. Festival Assistance Request forms are available to ministers on the MyLCG Web site (www.cogl.org).—Festival Office
Volunteer for the Feast!
The most meaningful Feasts are often those when we choose to serve our brethren. The Feast pictures a time when God’s people will heal a broken world and rebuild society, and there is a special unity built at the Feast when we practice serving together. Festival Coordinators are currently working on filling needs in areas such as pianists, parking, sound, stage, ushering, security, first aid, and more. If you would like to serve at the Feast, log in at fotreg.cogl.org, and click on “Volunteer to Serve.” Click on your name, then select the areas of service. Thank you to everyone who volunteers to help support this year’s Feast of Tabernacles.
Living Youth Program
TrainRight Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Training—Repeat Announcement
All camp staff members who are 18 years old and up are required to participate in an online training program for awareness and prevention of child abuse: TrainRight Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Training Program. It is an online training course that takes about one hour to complete. Once you have been accepted as a staff member at one of the camps, you will receive an email from [email protected] titled “Invite – Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Training Program” with a link to register for and complete the training online. Note: The certification for this TrainRight course is good for two years: the year the course is taken plus the next year. For example, if you took the course in 2021, the certification was valid in 2021 and 2022. Therefore, you would have to retake the course in 2023 to receive your new certification for 2023 and 2024.
If you have any questions, please contact Jill Ewers ([email protected]).
Food Handler Training Program—Repeat Announcement
If you have received certification through an ANSI-accredited food safety program for the State of Texas as a Food Handler or Food Manager and will be attending Texas Teen Camp or Texas Preteen Camp in 2023, please send your certificate to Jill Ewers ([email protected]), copied to Joshua Penman ([email protected]).
First Aid/Lifeguard Certificates—Repeat Announcement
If you have a current certificate in First Aid/Lifeguarding, etc. and will be serving in this capacity at any of the USA camps in 2023, then please send a copy of your certification to Jill Ewers ([email protected]). The certificate must be current and valid through the entirety of the camp(s) where it will be used.
Comments
Big Picture or Loose Bricks? Solomon wrote, “Where there is no vision the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18, KJV and NKJV). Jesus told His disciples to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15), to warn the world and Israelite nations of sobering events to come (Matthew 24), and to prepare a people to rule with Him in the Kingdom (Luke 1:17). This is the big picture we need to focus on. However, some can lose sight of this big picture by focusing instead on personal concerns, and issues not clearly defined in the Scriptures. By contrast, Abraham was big-minded when dealing with Lot (Genesis 13). David kept God’s overall plan in mind when he was persecuted by Saul. Esther put the welfare of her people above her own, and Jesus urged His followers to focus on the Kingdom instead of personal problems (Matthew 6:25–34). While Jesus saw the Pharisees’ zeal for details, He admonished them for their lack of vision to see the big picture (Matthew 23:23–24). Let’s keep our minds on the big picture instead of looking for loose bricks.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—June 22, 2023
China’s Push into Africa: The Results. For the better part of a century, Britain brought roads, bridges, railroads, and infrastructure development to Africa—but it also took from the land and the people. In the early 1960s, Britain granted multiple African nations independence and pulled out. However, within a decade, China began to take its place (The Telegraph, May 31, 2023). With their Belt and Road initiative, China has built roads, ports, factories, jobs, and infrastructure in many African nations. Yet, China is following in the footsteps of Britain and the other colonial powers in other ways, as well.
Over the last twenty years, China has invested nearly $160 billion USD in Africa—often in the form of loans. Since the 1970s, China has invested almost $3 billion USD in Sierra Leone alone. Chinese money opens doors for the exploitation of nationally and internationally protected lands. By some accounts, armed guards protect Chinese workers encroaching into disputed or protected territory while national governments look the other way. China is effectively leveraging Africa’s internal political corruption and conflicts for its own gain—not unlike colonial powers in times past. African communities with few sources of meaningful employment and lacking electricity and running water are willing to jump at any opportunity to improve conditions today—in spite of long-term consequences.
China is not the only nation to behave this way. This cycle has been repeated around the world and throughout time. When more powerful nations enter other nations, they seldom care about the peoples or the soil they occupy—their motive is profit and improving their own situation. Sadly, this cycle will not change until Jesus Christ returns to set up the Kingdom of God, where the focus will be on giving instead of getting, and nations will be taught to wisely manage the earth instead of draining resources while ignoring the consequences or harm caused. Until then, nations will continue to be greedy for gain. To learn more about both the history of this cycle of greed and what lies ahead, read or listen to “A World of Greed!”
America and Britain Sign “First of Its Kind” Agreement: The United Kingdom and United States recently signed a new agreement to cooperate in the areas of “clean energy, critical minerals and artificial intelligence” (Reuters, June 8, 2023). According to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s office, under the new Atlantic Declaration, “Britain and the United States will strengthen their supply chains, develop technologies of the future and invest in one another’s industries.” Mr. Sunak and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed to set up a new “civil nuclear partnership” to reduce British reliance on Russian energy and agreed to create a “data bridge” that would allow UK businesses to transfer data to the U.S. with less “red tape.”
Today we are witnessing a new regionalization of national alliances. China, India, Russia, Iran, and other nations in their area of the world are growing closer. Pacific nations are working more closely together. European nations are working toward greater cooperation and harmonization, in spite of routine national personality conflicts. Meanwhile, two nations separated by an ocean—the UK and the U.S.—continue to maintain their decades-long “special relationship” and draw even closer together and share sensitive national security secrets.
Students of Bible prophecy should not be surprised. End-time prophecies focus on four major end-time world powers: (1) The King of the North (or “beast” of Revelation)—a group of European nations led by Germany that will eventually occupy the Holy Land. (2) The King of the South—a group of Arab-Muslim nations that work against the “beast.” (3) Kings from the East—a group of nations that will likely include China, Russia, India, and other nations that earn the wrath of the “beast” (see Daniel 11:40–44). (4) The Israelite-descended nations—the U.S., UK, and other British-descended nations that will decline and go into some form of national captivity. To learn more about how these regional alliances will fit into Bible prophecy, be sure watch “End-Time Powers of the Middle East.”—Scott Winnail and Francine Prater