Greetings from Charlotte,
The bombs detonated in Belgium this week by terrorists linked to the Islamic State in the Middle East (like the attacks in Paris four months ago) appear to fit with prophecies in Daniel 11:40 about a king of the south that will push against a king of the north as the end of the age approaches. News reports suggest that there will be more of these terrible tragedies in the future (see 2 Timothy 3:1-3). Here in Charlotte, Dr. Meredith gave the sermon last Sabbath entitled, "The Real Jesus Christ" that pointed out the importance of Christ's sacrifice for us. Last weekend, we had 144 guests for Tomorrow's World Presentations held in the UK, USA, and Ontario, Canada. Also last weekend, Mr. Dan Hall and I had a very profitable conference and visits to congregations in south Florida. Please pray that God will continue to bless and guide His Work and His people around the world as we prepare for the upcoming Spring Holy Day Season.--DSW
Church Administration
Tomorrow's World Presents in Sylva, North Carolina
On March 19, the Sylva, North Carolina, congregation hosted a Tomorrow's World Presentation entitled "Wake Up, America!" with 81 in attendance: 21 guests and 60 members. Mr. Wyatt Ciesielka gave an eye-opening message on "Has God Abandoned Us?," followed by the second presentation, titled "The Pathway to Hope," given by Pastor Ron Poole who laid out the plan of salvation. Following the presentations, everyone enjoyed tasty snacks and wonderful fellowship. Many guests took booklets and expressed a desire to come back next Sabbath. We pray God will bring most of the guests back next Sabbath to be fed the word of God.—Gary Maney
South Florida Leadership Conference
This past weekend, Dr. Douglas Winnail and Mr. Dan Hall visited south Florida congregations. Mr. Hall gave the sermon in the Tampa congregation and after services the brethren welcomed him with a buffet. Dr. Winnail spoke in the Fort Lauderdale congregation where we, too, had a special buffet which enabled the brethren to share some time with him. Then, on Sunday, 31 elders, deacons, and others came together for an additional meeting in Stuart, Florida. The conference presentations by Dr. Winnail and Mr. Hall covered personal development and growth, teamwork, exercising mercy in our personal relationships, preparing to become teachers, and the importance of adhering to basic doctrine. Both congregations appreciate the chance to hear and learn from these men, and we look forward to the next opportunity for more of the same.—John Strain
Charlotte BRiC Weekend (Memorial Day Weekend)
(an opportunity for singles)
Are you interested in insightful, spiritual discussions on Building Relationships in Christ? Do you desire to strengthen the relationships you already have with those around you? Do you also want to dance, relax, and enjoy a little fresh air? If you're single and interested in the above, then be sure to attend this year's BRiC Weekend, May 27–30.
Our theme for this year's BRiC Weekend is Building Relationships in Christ through a culture of servant leadership. You can register for the weekend, as well as find the details for the weekend, at charlottelcg.org/BRiC. If you have any questions regarding the weekend and its details, please e-mail me at [email protected].—Ryan Dawson
Booklets Mailed Recently
We recently mailed two booklets to all member households, Restoring Original Christianity and Where Is God's True Church Today? Dr. Meredith offered these two booklets in his semi-annual letter to subscribers in November 2015, in addition to his offer of the DVD "A Prophetic Warning for the World," which became available earlier this month. These booklets had already been distributed in the past, but newer members might not have them and older members may want to re-read them, as their subjects are of constant importance.
Passover 2016 Requests
Important Notice to All Pastors: Two sets of the Passover DVD and letter instructions are being sent to each minister in the U.S., to fulfill any last-minute requests you may receive. If you do submit to Headquarters any further Passover requests for individuals, please include the PIN (if known) of the member, to help speed up processing.
Feast of Tabernacles
Festival Web Site Open—Repeat Announcement
The Feast of Tabernacles Festival Web site is now available for viewing. Each Festival Web site "microsite" is a Web page that is unique to each Feast site, giving information needed about that site (general information, recreational activities available, hotel and accommodation details, etc.). All brethren and guests for the Feast of Tabernacles 2016 are invited to check out the Festival Web site at fot2016.lcg.org or https://fot2016.lcg.org. Please do not make housing reservations until you have registered and been approved for your choice of site. Festival Registration is not yet open. Festival Registration will begin around the time of the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread. Stay tuned to upcoming announcements about Festival registration in The World Ahead!
Living Youth Program
Online Teen Bible Study Friday Evening
The online Teen Bible Study on Friday evening, April 1, will be on "What and Why the Church?," presented by Mr. Sheldon Monson. If you haven't had the opportunity to join us for one of the online Bible Studies yet, we encourage you to do so. It is a wonderful way to start the Sabbath day.
The Bible Study runs from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. (Eastern time) and the chat room will be open for a half hour before and after the study. You can access this Bible Study at livingyouth.org. We hope as many of our youth as possible will join us for this wonderful opportunity for godly fellowship and learning. For those of you who are unable to make it to the study, archives of previous Living Youth Bible Studies, including last evening's on "What Is the True Gospel?," can also be found on the Living Youth Web site.
Canadians Attending Ohio Teen Camp
This year all Canadians coming to the Ohio Teen Camp can pay in Canadian funds. This will apply only to the Ohio Teen Camp and not to the Banff Adventure Camp. The Banff Adventure Camp tuition fee must be paid in U.S. dollars.
Finance
Hall Rental Vouchers—Repeat Announcement
Note to pastors: A permanent change in the due date for hall rental vouchers is being implemented. Hall vouchers are now due on the 15th of the month. The updated PDF form can be found in the "Finance Forms" section of MyLCG. This earlier due date will allow for extra processing and mailing times.
Comments
The Most Important Quality: God's people understand the importance of keeping the commandments, the Sabbath, the Holy Days and the laws of health. Yet, sometimes in our zeal to obey the laws of God, we can overlook something even more important—the need to develop and exercise Godly Love. We are told in the Scriptures that without Godly love, all these other things will amount to nothing (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). Here the biblical word for love (agape) refers to an unselfish outgoing concern for others. In 1 Corinthians 13, the Apostle Paul states that Godly Love does not seek its own way; it is calm and not easily provoked, it does not jump to conclusions or assign motives or sit in judgment of others. Instead, Godly Love is gracious and forgiving. It is positive and focuses on what is right and true. It never fails or falters. Godly Love is the most important fruit of God's Spirit that we must nourish and cultivate if we hope to be like our Father and our Elder Brother Jesus Christ. God is love (1 John 4:8, 16). We have been created to become like Him (1 John 3:1-3). Let's ask God to help us learn to love Him and to love others as He does, so we can develop this most important quality—Godly Love.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—March 24, 2016
ISIS Attacks EU Headquarters City! On Tuesday, March 22, an ISIS attack at the Brussels international airport and at a metro station killed or injured more than 330 people (Wall Street Journal, March 23, 2016). "The coordinated assault triggered security alerts across Europe and drew global expressions of support, four days after Brussels police had captured the prime surviving suspect in Islamic State's attacks on Paris last November" (Reuters, March 23, 2016). ISIS promised "the crusader alliance… will have black days in return for their aggression against the Islamic State" (ibid.). "In a joint statement, the EU heads of state and government and the leaders of the EU institutions said they would b e 'united and firm in the fight against hatred, violent extremism and terrorism'" (EU Observer, March 22, 2016). Others recommend the EU "should go all the way" to form "a unified security and defence structure" (EU Observer, March 23, 2016). Tuesday's attacks struck at the heart of the EU, and the carnage created by ISIS promises to push some EU nations to further arm and band together. Christians should pray for those who are suffering and for Christ's rapid return to establish real peace on earth (Matthew 6:10). These attacks and the subsequent European response are important to watch as we approach the end of this age. Bible prophecies indicate that a group of European nations will come together to form the "king of the north" (Daniel 11:40-43) and the "beast" described in Reve lation 17:3, 11-12), and that God will use these events to fulfill His age-old prophecies, proving once again that He is God and the dreams that Daniel explained are "certain" and their "interpretation is sure" (Daniel 2:45). For more in the fulfillment of end-time prophecies, be sure to read or listen to Prophecy Fulfilled: God's Hand in World Affairs.
European Nuclear War Ahead? A former Russian foreign minister recently warned, "The East-West standoff over the Ukraine crisis has brought the threat of nuclear war in Europe closer than at any time since the 1980s" (Reuters, March 19, 2016). "Igor Ivanov, Russia's foreign minister from 1998 to 2004 and now head of a Moscow-based think-tank founded by the Russian government" also stated, "We have less nuclear warheads, but the risk of them being used is growing'" (ibid.). Adding to the situation, "Britain is to sign a new defence pact with Ukraine pledging to help the country with more military training and intelligence amid its confrontation with Russia. Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, said the new agreement was a signal Britain would 'stand firm' with" Ukraine" (The Telegraph, March 18, 2016). "The French navy detected a Russian submarine carrying nuclear missiles in the Bay of Biscay in January" (Reuters, March 10, 2016). Bible prophecy does not exclude a future nuclear war. The Bible reveals that just prior to Christ's return there will be a confrontation between a European beast power and a large army coming from the east that will kill a significant portion of mankind (Daniel 11:44; Revelation 9:13-18). This army from the east may very well include Russia, but will involve more troops than Russia can muster alone. For more on this vital topic, see "Coming End-Time Conflicts."
Another Mysterious Illness Threatens USA: Elizabethkingia, "the mysterious infection that might be behind 17 deaths in Wisconsin has spread to a second state… The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) confirmed Thursday that an older adult from the western part of the state has died after contracting the obscure blood infection, which has sickened more than 50 in Wisconsin. Seventeen of those patients died, though it's not clear whether the infection was to blame" (The Washington Post, March 18, 2016). The Wisconsin Health Department says most sick people are 65 years of age or older and have compromised immune systems (Digital Journal, March 4, 2016). Why another new disease? Bible prophecies clearly state that disease epidemics will be one of the consequences of disobedience to the laws of God (Exodus 15:26; Leviticus 26:25; Deuteronomy 28:21-22). Jesus said that widespread "pestilences" will be one of the signs that His return is near (Matthew 24:7). Bible prophecy also indicates that just before the end of the age a "pale horse" will bring a multitude of diseases to plague the earth (Revelation 6:8). As our societies continue to rebel against God's way of life, we will see increasing disease epidemics on the world scene. To learn more about this important prophetic subject, see "Superbugs! The End of the Antibiotic Era."—Scott Winnail, Chris Sookdeo, Francine Prater, Deborah Lincoln-Strange and Justin Ridgeway