Greetings from Charlotte,
This was a shorter than normal workweek in North America, as Canada celebrated Canada Day on Monday and the United States celebrated Independence Day on Wednesday. We now have seven Portuguese language booklets printed and available. It will be awhile before they will show up on a new Portuguese website, due to other pressing work in the Internet Department, but there will be content ready once that is up. The North Carolina Preteen Camp, with a total of 138 in attendance, was a huge success. This past week, the Missouri Preteen camp was held and this coming week marks the start of the two-week Texas Teen Camp. Last weekend we had 80 guests attend Tomorrow's World Presentations. Mr. Mario Hernandez conducted TWPs in Lyon and Paris, France and Mr. Roberts gave one in London, England. TWPs are scheduled this weekend in Liege and Charleroi, Belgium; Douglasville, Georgia; Hook, United Kingdom; and Christchurch, New Zealand. Please take time during your prayers to remember these presentations and the Living Youth Programs. Many will be traveling at this time of year. Let us pray for one another and remember to be thankful for all the blessings we enjoy.—Gerald Weston
Church Administration
20th Annual Saratoga Family Weekend, July 20–22
Don't forget to plan for the 20th Annual Saratoga Family Weekend, July 20–22. Our meetings will again be held at the Riviera Lodge, 104 E. Saratoga Ave., Saratoga, Wyoming. Mary-Pat's world famous Antelope Chili will start things off at 5:30 p.m. Friday. Mr. Ray Clore will give a special PowerPoint presentation on "Jerusalem" for the Friday evening Bible Study at 7:30. Dr. Douglas Winnail will be our special guest speaker for the Sabbath sermon and Saturday evening presentations on "The Missing Years and the Spread of the Gospel—Legends of Jesus in England." On Sunday morning, Dr. Winnail will continue with two programs on "Keys for Personal Growth" and "Challenges and Qualities of Christian Leadership." Sunday afternoon will be free time for families, area sightseeing and safe travel home. Please RSVP to Mr. Ben Whitfield (307-321-1555 or e-mail [email protected]).
Rooms at the Riviera Lodge where we will meet are booked for that weekend. Some additional available housing is listed below. Be sure to book your rooms right away... summer is a popular time in Saratoga. There are also a few online listings for homes and rooms, plus you may find accommodations through airbnb and VRBO.
Sage & Sand – 888-860-8339. Under new management. Recently painted. Discount for early booking. Rooms have refrigerator and microwave. Some kitchenettes available. Other options are: Hacienda – 307-326-5751; Copperline Lodge – 403-885-5611; Hotel Wolf – 307-326-5525; Saratoga Hot Springs Resort – 307-326-5261; Hood House Bed & Breakfast – 307-326-8901; and Platte River Cottages – 307-321-1658. Camp sites (with or without electricity) may be found at: Campground at Saratoga Lake – Saratoga Lake Campground.
Feast of Tabernacles
Feast of Tabernacles Sermons
Attention Pastors: Please send the Church Administration Department at [email protected] the names of those in your congregation(s) who will be unable to attend the Feast, who do not have Internet access to Feast sermons online, and who wish to receive a set of the Feast of Tabernacles sermons on CD. (Sermons are available in English, French or Spanish.) The deadline to submit these requests is July 27 for international recipients and August 17 for recipients in the U.S. Note: Feast sermons will also be uploaded (one per day) during the Feast at www.lcg.org, for those who have Internet access. The French sermons will be uploaded to www.eglisedieuvivant.org.
If You Need Festival Assistance—U.S. Only
If you will need Festival tithe assistance, please see your pastor. All U.S. Pastors must submit any Festival Assistance Request forms to CAD by Monday, July 16. Festival Assistance Request forms are available to ministers on the MyLCG Web site (cogl.org).
2019 Greece Feast of Tabernacles—Repeat Announcement
We are pleased to announce that there will be a Feast of Tabernacles in Greece next year. Although we are still in the process of working out exact details of what the tour will involve, rest assured it will be educational and inspirational! Festival attendees will remain in the same location during the Feast, but will be able from that location to tour historical sites in and around Athens and Corinth. An optional pre-Feast tour to Thessaloniki, Philippi and Veria (Berea) will be available, as well as an optional post-Feast tour that includes Crete. If seeing this part of the world, where the Apostle Paul and other biblical figures traveled, is on your bucket list, then sign up now to have the opportunity to be on this tour. Because we need to make firm commitments to hotels soon, pre-registration for this Feast will only be open until July 29. To pre-register, go to https://goo.gl/forms/ZRWhNjtw2ECMQezQ2 and follow the instructions on the page. This link is also available on the MyLCG page of our cogl.org website.
Living Youth Program
LYP Teen Camp Streaming
We'll be livestreaming the Christian Living classes from LYP Teen Camp once again! The stream will begin at 10 a.m. Eastern time, and the study itself around 10:15. We'd love to have you join us for the studies. The theme for the studies this year is "Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them" (Matthew 7:12).
You can access the studies at livestream.com/livingyouth. For more information, check the Living Youth website at livingyouth.org or the Living Youth Facebook page. You'll need the livestream password, which is the same one used to access the Friday evening Bible Studies. If you don't know the password, you can get it by logging in to MyLCG and reading the post there, or by e-mailing us at [email protected].
LYP Adventure Campers at Teen Camp
As has become tradition, one day of camp this year, anyone who has been through an Adventure Camp should wear an Adventure Camp shirt rather than their Teen Camp shirt. If you've been to an Adventure Camp, please be sure to pack your Adventure Camp shirt so you can join in the tradition!
LYP Camp photos
If you haven't been checking, take a look at our Living Youth website and Facebook pages. We've been posting photos from the Preteen camps in North Carolina and Missouri, and will be making photos from Teen camp available as well! It's an excellent opportunity for you to see what the camp experience is like, and be a part of the Youth program, even if you're not attending.
LYP Texas Camp Contact information
The Texas Teen Camp runs from July 8 to July 22, and the Preteen Camp is from July 22 to July 27. Mail or care packages for someone at either of these camps may be sent to:
LYP Camp
Attn: [person to receive mail or package]
C/O: Camp Lone Star
6829 FM317
Athens, TX 75752
To contact the camp office, you may phone 704-708-2281 or text 704-741-3636 or send e-mail to [email protected].
Comments
Minding Your Thoughts: Have you ever heard yourself say, "Here's what I think…" and you then proceed to express your opinion on some topic? Yet, are we careful to check our opinions with what God reveals in the Bible about specific subjects? Some professing Christians think it is alright not to pay taxes, yet Jesus and Paul affirmed that taxes should be paid (Matthew 22:17-22; Romans 13:1-7). Some look for reasons to justify divorce, yet the Bible states plainly that God hates divorce (Malachi 3:13-16). Many in our modern Satan-influenced society want to normalize and promote behaviors that God calls an abomination (Leviticus 18:22). The Bible reveals that God's thoughts are often very different from commonly accepted ideas (Isaiah 55:8-9). This is why we are advised to discipline our minds and bring every thought into subjection "to the obedience of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). If we take time to learn how God thinks by regularly studying what God has revealed in His word about specific subjects, we will develop the mind of God (Philippians 2:5; 1 Corinthians 2:10-16). As we learn to think like God, we can avoid being caught up in foolish thoughts and actions that lead to regrettable consequences (Proverbs 28:26). As we develop the mind of God, we will be preparing to rule with Jesus Christ in the Kingdom of God.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—July 5, 2018
India Is Drying Up! "India is suffering from the worst water crisis in its history and around 600 million people face a severe water shortage" (The Independent, June 17, 2018). Roughly 200,000 people die in India every year due to lack of clean water, and 21 cities—including some of India's largest—are expected to run out of water in just two years. Experts project India's water demand will be twice as much as the supply by the year 2030!
Poor infrastructure for water distribution and the high priority given to farming leaves people very thirsty when rains fail to come. Exploitation and mismanagement are additional causes for the water crisis. Water in India is cheap, and few value it as a resource, resulting in the current problem. "India uses 3 to 5x more water than China, US and Israel to produce the same crops" (The Times of India, June 26, 2018).
India has over 1.4 billion people—nearly 20 percent of the earth's entire population. Yet, by 2030, 40 percent of the population will have no drinking water. Wise management, desalinization and better infrastructure can help a little, but from a human perspective, the future is daunting. However, Bible prophecies offer real hope when Jesus Christ returns to establish the Kingdom of God on earth. Isaiah prophesied of a future time of abundance when "[t]he wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad… and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose" (35:1) when "waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert" (Isaiah 35:6). During this future time, when all nations learn to fear and obey His laws, they will enjoy the favor of the One who is able to give rain in its season (cf. Leviticus 26:4). To learn more about this exciting future, read or listen to "Times of Refreshing."
Towns "Falling Apart" in South Africa: According to the Co-operative Governance Ministry of South Africa, "More than 60 percent of the 257 municipalities are categorized as dysfunctional or almost dysfunctional" (Bloomberg, June 14, 2018). A recent government report revealed that only 33 of the 257 municipalities received a clean audit last year—just 13 percent! Local community residents complain about growing problems with trash and sanitation, crumbling roads, failing infrastructure and a lack of jobs. Many people are leaving the countryside and moving into cities to find work.
As in other nations, much of South Africa's infrastructure and social programs rely on tax revenue. South Africa's tax agency was once a world-class institution and responsible for much of the success of the nation. However, under the previous administration, tax evasion was rampant and even occurred at the highest levels of government (The New York Times, June 10, 2018). As a result, many South Africans have lost trust in the government and are not paying taxes. When leaders in government are corrupt, that corruption spreads through the system, and today, South Africans are paying the price for that corruption.
The book of Proverbs states, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan" (Proverbs 29:2). When leaders are corrupt and do not value truth and honesty, their followers will suffer. South Africa is not alone in this. As a professing "Christian" nation that is aware of the Ten Commandments, the leaders and people of South Africa are responsible to God for what they know. The Bible warns, "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock" (Ezekiel 34:2–3). The encouraging news is that a better time is coming when Jesus Christ returns and sets up righteous leaders around the globe! This will produce peace and order like never before. The suffering of South Africa and other nations will end! For more insight about the future of mankind, read or listen to The World Ahead: What Will It Be Like?—Scott Winnail, Francine Prater and Christo Botha