Greetings from Charlotte,
Some weeks have more news than others, and this week is jam packed. I’m sure that Mr. Richard Ames and his wife Kathryn are on the minds of all of you. As of this writing, all I can pass on is that Mr. Ames is in critical condition in an intensive care unit. On a positive note, we have been approved to air the Tomorrow’s World telecast in Fiji. You may recall that we held a Tomorrow’s World Presentation there last November and since that time we now have about 35 members, prospective members and church youth attending with us. The TW magazine is going out to about 1,100 across the Republic of Fiji Islands. Our Northwest Adventure Program and the preteen camp in Missouri are ending, and it is only a little over a week before our Texas Teen Camp begins. I have covered several topics of importance in this week’s video update, which can be viewed at our lcg.org website. Just go to lcg.org, scroll to the bottom, and click on the “Members Area.” Among the items for this week, is a report from Mr. Tyler on the dangerous situation in Myanmar. Our members have once again had to flee their homes and businesses, and they do not know if they will ever be able to return. There are also reports in the video on the Work in India, civil unrest in New Caledonia, and Mr. and Mrs. Cristian Orrego’s trip to Guatemala over Pentecost where they experienced severe storms. Many things are happening around the world which we are not always aware of, but very likely we have brethren, prospective members, coworkers, and subscribers affected by unrest and severe natural disasters. Let us never forget to pray for one another. For these and other reasons, we are calling for a Church-wide fast on the Sabbath of August 3rd. —Gerald Weston
Church Administration
Tomorrow’s World Presentations
Last week 11 Tomorrow’s World Presentations drew 111 in-person guests, and an online presentation held in Canada drew a total of 106 guests. Particularly encouraging this past week were the TWPs in South Africa. Mr. Botha reports that a combined 21 guests attended the TWPs given by Mr. Nathan in Durban and Bloemfontein. During his visit, Mr. Nathan suggested ways to increase the impact of the Work in Bloemfontein, including sending future invitations in Afrikaans, due to the number of Afrikaans-speaking subscribers in the region.
This week we will hold four follow-up presentations—two in Alabama and two in New York—and one initial presentation in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Thank you to everyone for your continued prayers and support for these presentations.
Feast of Tabernacles
This week we closed further transfers to Port Barcarès, France. This is the complete list of Feast sites that are now closed to further transfers:
- Branson, Missouri
- Dubuque, Iowa
- Gulf Shores, Alabama
- Montego Bay, Jamaica
- Port Barcarès, France
Festival (Second Tithe) Assistance Requests—U.S. Only (Repeat announcement)
Attention U.S. Pastors: The deadline to submit Festival Assistance Request forms to the Church Administration Department is Friday, August 2. 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. The forms are available to ministers on the MyLCG website (www.cogl.org).—Festival Office
Living Youth Program
Missouri Pre-teen Camp
This past week 84 brethren participated in an exciting 4-day pre-teen camp in the Lake of the Ozarks State Park in Kaiser, MO. This included 32 pre-teens, as well as mini campers, sibling campers, and staff. Camp activities and classes included sports, music, dance, crafts, swimming, and Christian Living classes. The theme of this year’s camp was “Honoring God” and focused on the first four Commandments. Each day the campers were taught ways to show honor to God. The first two days of camp were quite hot with temperatures in the upper 90s, but God blessed the camp with cooler weather for the final two days. It was a welcome relief. The campers and staff want to thank everyone for their prayers for a safe and successful camp. Our Father truly answered your prayers.
Comments
Hope in Satan’s Divided World: Millions of people around the world are anxiously watching the escalating tensions in the Middle East, Ukraine, and Southeast Asia. Political, social, and economic forces are threatening to tear apart America, countries in Europe, and other parts of the world. Many sense the winds of war are blowing us toward World War III, yet they hope and yearn for peace and safety. Few today realize that Satan is the “god” of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) and that he is the real author of anger, hatred, and division (Galatians 5:19-21). Satan’s influence in the world (Ephesians 2:2) will only increase as we reach the end of the age (2 Timothy 3:1-5). This is why we are advised to “draw close to God” (James 4:7-8) so we can be ready for the return of Jesus Christ, who will bring peace to this divided planet (Isaiah 9:6-7). That is the real hope for mankind. Will you be ready?
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—June 27, 2024
The World Could Change Drastically, and Soon! In a recent article, “6 Lame Ducks and Giorgia Meloni: Meet the G7 Class of 2024,” Politico highlighted how leaders of six of the seven nations could soon be replaced. These leaders include Emmanuel Macron of France, Olaf Scholz of Germany, Joe Biden of the United States, Justin Trudeau of Canada, Fumio Kishida of Japan, and Rishi Sunak of the United Kingdom. The only member of the G7 who looks to be solidly in power going into the future is Giorgia Meloni of Italy, who leads the only G7 nation that is not considered a world power. Ms. Meloni is considered a far-right conservative, and her power and prowess have increased as Europe’s electorate has become far more conservative, as illustrated in recent elections on the continent.
The reality that six of the seven G7 leaders could soon change is sobering for the nations they lead and foreshadows a sea change in geopolitics. Major leaders come and go, but seldom do so many change at the same time—which raises a lot of big questions. How will their replacements get along? Will they be unified or at odds in their visions for the world? How will they deal with other, more challenging world leaders? What is their philosophy on European Unity? How will they act under the growing pressure of a potential World War III?
For those who watch geopolitics without a biblical understanding, life continues to get more and more frightening. However, the Bible brings a unique perspective that offers real hope. The Scripture makes clear that it is the God of the universe who moves men and women into and out of powerful leadership roles (Daniel 2:20–22). That God is also working out a plan and purpose on this earth (Daniel 4:17; Job 12:23). Bible prophecies reveal that difficult times are coming that will impact the entire world. Yet, the prophecies plainly state that a new, all-powerful leader will appear to usher in a new age that will bring peace to this troubled planet—the returning Jesus Christ. To learn more about this good news, be sure to read or listen to Armageddon and Beyond.
Tattoos and Cancer? Tattoos seem to be everywhere today. Have you ever felt left out because you do not have one? According to the World Health Organization, the highest prevalence of tattoos is among Europeans and Americans, with 30 to 40 percent of the populations having at least one tattoo (WHO, retrieved May 31, 2024). In 2018 a Berlin-based market research company surveyed people in 18 countries. From their findings, 46 percent of Americans had at least one tattoo, as did 47 percent of Swedes and 48 percent of Italians (BBC, January 14, 2020).
Are tattoos safe as long as the tattoo parlor is hygienic and careful? A new study finds the answer to be no! Researchers examined a cancer database from Sweden and published their findings online on May 21 with the highly reputable medical journal The Lancet. Researchers discovered that people with tattoos are 21 percent more likely to develop lymphoma than those without tattoos. Although more research is needed to determine what aspect of tattooing may be carcinogenic, this large-scale study presents a clear connection between tattoos and cancer. Researchers noted that those whose first tattoo was less than two years old or more than eleven years old were at increased risk of lymphoma, as were those who had laser treatments to remove them.
There is an old saying: “Just because everyone is doing it doesn’t mean it’s right”—or, for that matter, safe. And that old saying applies to tattoos as well. Interestingly, God’s ancient laws, recorded in the Bible, outline many behaviors to avoid in order to be healthy and have a long life (Deuteronomy 12:28). These biblical laws are called “true laws” and “good statutes and commandments” (Nehemiah 9:13). One of those commands is to avoid tattoos (Leviticus 19:28). To learn more about God’s view of tattoos, read “Marks of Regret.”—Scott Winnail, Wyatt Ciesielka, and Francine Prater