Greetings from Charlotte,
We hope to have the new hymnal go to press by the end of the month. The printer says it will take about six weeks to get it back to us, so we will have to be patient a little longer. However, it is coming and will be out by Passover. Mr. Rod McNair recorded a program this week titled “What Is the Feast of Unleavened Bread?” and offered—for the first time on the telecast—Law or Grace: Which Is It? Mr. Cristian Orrego recently visited Guatemala and was able to baptize a new member. We have now accounted for all our members in Jamaica—some suffered minor damage from Hurricane Melissa, but others have had major damage to their homes. Sabbath services have been disrupted in Montego Bay due to damage to the meeting venue, and power outages have also affected Mandeville. Details for getting assistance to those needing it are being worked out. Please remember our brethren there in your prayers, along with our brethren in Myanmar, where the situation is still very serious.
—Gerald E. Weston
Church Administration
Tomorrow’s World Presentations
Last week, we held two initial presentations in Lakeland and Brooksville, Florida, as well as one follow-up presentation in Invercargill, New Zealand. These presentations drew a total of 43 guests. This week, Mr. Stuart Wachowicz will give an online presentation to the Canadian subscriber base, and Mr. James Sweat will give two follow-up presentations in Lakeland and Brooksville, Florida. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support for the Tomorrow’s World Presentations.
Beware of Online Scams
Online scams are growing at an alarmingly fast pace. Since 2020, the FBI has received 4.2 million reports of fraud, resulting in over $50 billion in losses. Impostor scams are on the rise in the age of Artificial Intelligence. Criminals are using “deepfakes,” videos that are generated or manipulated by A.I., to gain trust and to scam individuals out of their money. As of 2025, A.I.-driven technology can now impersonate the voices of individuals almost in real time, allowing for voice conversations with impostors who sound like a celebrity, a family member, or a friend. Always call a relative or friend back, using a known contact number, to verify a request. Red flags include notifications that you have won a contest, unexpected requests for money, requests for passwords or personal information, emotional manipulation involving fear or urgency, and uncharacteristic communication from someone you know or from a celebrity. Your bank or credit card company typically won’t ask for personal information in an email or text message. Scams are often run by professional con artists who are experts in social engineering, including convincing people to fall in love with them. Trusted resources such as the FBI’s cybercrime site (IC3.gov) and AARP’s Fraud Watch Network (AARP.org/money/scams-fraud) offer resources to help individuals become educated about and stay informed of online fraud and scams.
Charlotte Family Weekend – Repeat Announcement
The Charlotte Family Weekend will take place Friday, December 26, through Sunday, December 28. The activities will begin on Friday evening, with a Bible Study starting at 7:00 p.m. On December 27, there will be a Hymn Sing starting at 10:30 a.m., followed by a Question & Answer session, in which questions that we all encounter will be answered by evangelists of the Living Church of God. Sabbath Services will be at 2:00 p.m. Following services, there will be a dinner in the dining area that all are invited to attend; gluten free/dairy free options will be available. The cost of this meal will be $5.00 per person with a price cap of $20.00 per family. Payment for the meal will be collected after the Sabbath on the night of the meal. After dinner, the Charlotte Family Dance will begin, with music for all ages, lasting until 9:00 p.m. Various activities for the adults and children will begin Sunday morning and conclude at 3:30 p.m., with lunch provided.
Firm commitments for the Saturday evening dinner must be received on or before December 16. To confirm your attendance, please contact Mr. Phillip Johnson via email ([email protected]) or phone (704-708-2207).
Television Department
TW Digital Media Support Team
For a few years now, we’ve had a small team of members who have helped with various digital media projects, including short surveys, small experiments, and other initiatives pertaining to the telecast, Whiteboards, Bible Study Course, etc. Now we are inviting as many as possible to join our TW Digital Media Support Team. This is a simple, practical way to help the Work, and as more members participate, we expand our insights and increase our effectiveness. With our current project focusing on our Tomorrow’s World YouTube channel, the team receives an email with each new video we release. Your part is simple: Watch each video in full within a day or two of receiving the email. Early engagement can help YouTube show these videos to more people who might not otherwise see them. This project will run through March.
No matter your background, age, or experience, your joining the TW Digital Media Support Team is appreciated and will help strengthen our Tomorrow’s World outreach efforts. To join the Digital Media Support Team, please email [email protected].
Comments
Beware of Misguided Ideas and People: The Apostle Paul warned that “in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1–4) and that many will not listen to sound doctrine but will promote their own ideas and their own “form of godliness” (2 Timothy 3:1–6). Paul also warned that misguided individuals within and from outside the Church will try to divide the Church to gain a following (Acts 20:29–31). He wrote that Satan uses various methods to mislead well-meaning people (2 Corinthians 2:11). Paul’s consistent advice is to hold fast to what we have been taught (Titus 1:9) and to “avoid foolish disputes” that divide the Church (Titus 3:9). When disputes arise over doctrine, the biblical example is to take the issue to the leaders of the Church for a decision (Deuteronomy 17:8–13; Acts 15:1–31). Nowhere do the Scriptures encourage individuals to take it on themselves to correct or “save” the Church. That is something that Jesus Christ will take care of in His time and His way as He builds His Church.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy
The U.S. Health Care System—There Is Another Way! Evidence is growing that many medical guidelines given by major American medical institutions were not based on highly credible research but mostly on opinions or studies with weak support. For instance, according to a 2019 report, only 8.5 percent of all medical recommendations from the American Heart Association (AHA) were based on robust scientific evidence from randomized controlled trials (Federation of American Scientists, July 8, 2025). This trend was not unique to the AHA. Only 9.3 percent of the Infectious Diseases Society of America’s guidelines and only 6 percent of National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines were based on strong, well-conducted research. As a result, the U.S. health care system appears to be spending billions of dollars on treatments that do not work. For instance, great sums of money have been spent on “fusion of the lumbar spine in chronic low back pain,” which fails to “result in an outcome clearly better than structured conservative treatment modes” (The Spine Journal, May 2016). With the advances of modern medicine and highly educated leaders making public policy, one would expect the outcomes to be very effective and thoroughly tested—but they seldom are.
Sadly, this is a symptom of mankind’s imperfect and incomplete approach to improving and maintaining human health. However, there is a different approach to health care that is unrecognized by most health care professionals, institutions, and governments. That approach is found in the Bible—a book that provides powerful guidelines and laws that, if followed, can help prevent disease and promote health. The Bible also reveals that the God who created the human body can heal disease (Exodus 15:26). For more details on the godly principles of healthful living, you can read or listen to our free study guide Biblical Principles of Health.
Is Religious Interest Increasing or Decreasing? Gallup reports that the percentage of American adults who consider organized religion to be important in their daily lives dropped 17 points in the last ten years (November 13, 2025). This is one of the sharpest declines Gallup recorded in any country over any similar period. Only a few wealthy nations—such as Greece, Italy, and Poland—had larger declines, and the key word is “wealthy.” As countries become more economically secure, it seems that their people tend to rely less on religion in their daily lives. Yet, even narrowing the field to such nations, the United States’ decline of 17 points in a decade is exceptionally rapid. Interestingly, the Bible records a similar pattern for the ancient Israelites: Before they entered the Promised Land, they were warned, “When you have eaten and are full… beware that you do not forget the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 8:10–11).
In an interesting twist, a different study shows spirituality on the increase (Christianity Today, February 26, 2025). “More than 40 percent [of those surveyed] say they’ve gotten more spiritual as they’ve grown older. The people who’ve gotten more spiritual report feeling a strong sense of gratitude or thankfulness with increased frequency. They find themselves praying more often and say that they regularly experience ‘the presence of something from beyond this world.’”
For 6,000 years of history, man has sought to make his own rules. In recent years, religious systems with formal doctrines, leadership hierarchies, and submission to authority have been seen as stifling personal faith and spiritual freedom. Such tendencies fit well the end-time mindset the Apostle Paul warns of, in which people “heap up” teachers of their own choice, “according to their own desires” (2 Timothy 4:3). Yet a time is coming when a religion claiming the name of Jesus Christ will make a powerful comeback all over the world. That religion will be a counterfeit Christianity—one countless “Christians” already follow. It preaches a “gospel,” to be sure, but not the true Gospel that Christ taught (2 Corinthians 11:4). To learn more, you can read or listen to our free study guide Do You Believe the True Gospel? —Richard Franz and Scott Winnail