Greetings from Charlotte,
Carol and I returned from Nashville, Tennessee, where we spent an enjoyable Last Day of Unleavened Bread with Darrell and Lori Lovelady and the congregations in that area. We have now completed a one-minute television ad for the Tomorrow’s World magazine and are working on 30- and 90-second versions of it. These will be aired separately from the telecast. Our El Mundo de Mañana YouTube channel surpassed 50 million lifetime visits on April 5, and now has over 353,000 subscribers. The U.S. telecast this week is “Is Baptism Required?” and the Canadian telecast is “The Hidden Messages of John 3:16,” offering the booklet on John 3:16. Brethren, if you have not already read this resource, I encourage you to do so as it addresses at least eight fundamental doctrines. It is not enough for us to be a collector of booklets. We must also be readers of those booklets.
This past week, we held meetings with the U.S. Regional Pastors and U.S. Festival Site Coordinators to discuss COVID-19 related protocols as this country continues to open up. We will be giving the option to wear or not wear masks during the sermonette and sermon portions of our services here in the U.S. in congregations where it makes sense to do so and where permitted by government and the venue. One size does not fit all. Please wait for guidance from your pastor. In light of this, it is a matter of true Christian behavior not to compare or judge other individuals or congregations which may not be in line with your personal preferences. So please brethren, do not judge others! Let us be true Philadelphians who focus on loving one another.—Gerald Weston
Church Administration
Second Passover—Repeat Announcement
The Second Passover this year is on Monday, April 26, which means that it will be observed on Sunday evening, April 25, shortly after sunset. This Passover is for those baptized members who were unable to take the first Passover due to unavoidable circumstances, as instructed in Numbers 9:1–14. If you have any questions, please contact your pastor.
Living Education
Special Music Resources—Repeat Announcement
Our music team has prepared a special song that is available for special music for the Days of Unleavened Bread if any congregation wishes to do so. It was composed and written by Jake and Julia Boyer and performed and recorded by the Charlotte Virtual Choir. Jake and Julia Boyer also edited the audio and video to produce the piece. The song is appropriately themed for the Days of Unleavened and titled “He Will Split the Sea.” To play or download the song, go to lcgeducation.org and click the “Music” tab on the menu at the top. This will take you to our Music Landing Page. Scroll down to the link for recorded music and select the tab for “Choir Pieces.” You’ll see that “He Will Split the Sea” has been added to our collection of copyright-free special music to be used in local congregations.
While you’re on our Music Page, you’ll also notice a link to our music library. The Roderick C. Meredith Memorial Library contains almost 200 different musical selections that have been performed by the chorale in the Charlotte area and beyond over the past decade or more. Our library staff has logged them into our catalog system and they are now accessible to review for possible use in local congregations. This online directory will allow our members to peruse all of the pieces in our library, or search for particular songs. When an individual title is selected, you can review details of the piece, and for many pieces, click on a link to listen to the song. Individuals assigned to manage the special music within a congregation can request to check out a limited number of pieces of the original sheet music for use in the local congregation. To access this service, simply go to our Living Education webpage (lcgeducation.org) and click the “Music” tab on the menu at the top of the page. Once there, scroll down and look for the “Library” link near the bottom of the page. It will take you directly to the music section of our library catalog system. Let us know if you have any questions!—Jonathan McNair
Feast of Tabernacles
Festival Registration—Where Congregations Are Assigned
The Festival Office and Feast Site Coordinators (U.S. and International) met this week in online meetings to discuss this year’s Feast of Tabernacles. Topics included the overall purpose of the Feast and how we are expecting to conduct it this year. This year, in the United States, we are planning for a maximum attendance at most of our Feast sites of around 350–400. We have arranged for venues with room to accommodate this level of occupancy with social distancing. In the United States, we will also be allowing a moderate level of transfer requests (keeping our attendance levels at 350–400 max). However, since transfer requests will not be unlimited, we do encourage as many people as possible to go to their home site. (We’ll have more information about International Feast sites and International transfers at a later date—stay tuned!)
Please note: Festival registration is scheduled to open on Sunday, May 2 at 12:00 noon (Eastern Daylight Time, USA).
For your information, the following is a list of the United States Feast sites and the congregations that are assigned to them:
Boerne, Texas
Texas: Abilene, Amarillo, Big Sandy, Dallas, Midland, Temple
Branson, Missouri
Arkansas: Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Little Rock, Russellville
Kansas: Chanute
Missouri: Joplin, Springfield
Oklahoma: Oklahoma City, Tulsa
Tennessee: Memphis
Florence, Oregon
Alaska: Anchorage
California: Fresno, Bay Area, Sacramento
Idaho: Boise
Nevada: Reno
Oregon: Myrtle Creek, Portland
Washington: Richland, Seattle/Tacoma, Spokane, Tonasket
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
South Carolina: Anderson, Columbia, Walterboro
Georgia: Atlanta, Augusta, Braselton, Warner Robins
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Iowa: Dubuque
Illinois: Chicago, Peoria
Indiana: Indianapolis, La Porte, Terre Haute
Minnesota: Duluth, Minneapolis
North Dakota: Bismarck
Wisconsin: Appleton, Merrill, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Dells
Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri
Iowa: Des Moines
Illinois: Springfield
Kansas: Wichita
Missouri: Columbia, Kansas City, Rolla, St. Joseph, St. Louis
Nebraska: Lincoln, Omaha
Midway, Utah
Arizona: Phoenix, Prescott Valley, Tucson
Colorado: Colorado Springs, Denver, Grand Junction
Montana: Great Falls, Helena
New Mexico: Albuquerque, Santa Fe
Utah: Layton
Wyoming: Casper, Cheyenne, Saratoga
Mount Snow, Vermont
Connecticut: Danbury
Massachusetts: Auburn
Maine: Waterville
New Hampshire: Tilton
New Jersey: Hammonton, Rahway
New York: Albany, Corning, New York City, Plainview, Rochester
Pennsylvania: Tannersville
Rhode Island: Pawtucket
Natchez, Mississippi
Alabama: Athens, Birmingham, Dothan, Montgomery
Florida: Pensacola
Louisiana: Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Monroe, New Orleans, Shreveport
Mississippi: Jackson, Laurel, Natchez, Ocean Springs
Texas: Lufkin
New Bern, North Carolina
North Carolina: Charlotte, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Greenville, Jacksonville, Kannapolis, Raleigh,
Statesville
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Georgia: Blairsville
North Carolina: Asheville, Sylva
Tennessee: Chattanooga, Clarksville, Crossville, Etowah, Knoxville, Nashville
Virginia: Bristol
Puerto Rico
San Juan
San Diego, California
California: Banning, Garden Grove, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara
Nevada: Las Vegas
South Padre Island, Texas
Texas: Baytown, Corpus Christi, Houston, San Antonio, The Valley
St. Augustine, Florida
Georgia: Columbus, Thomasville
Florida: Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Lake City, Melbourne, Naples, Ocala, Tampa
Sandusky, Ohio
Indiana: Fort Wayne
Kentucky: Berea, Louisville
Michigan: Flint, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Traverse City
Ohio: Akron, Cincinnati, Columbus, Lima
Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh
West Virginia: Morgantown
Williamsburg, Virginia
Maryland: Baltimore, Salisbury
Pennsylvania: Harrisburg
Virginia: Norfolk, Richmond, Winchester
West Virginia: Bluefield, Charleston
Ministerial Assignments—Please Respond to Survey by April 11
On April 6, all pastors and elders were sent a memo with a link to a survey where they can express their Feast of Tabernacles preferences. Deadline for all pastors and elders to respond to the survey is Sunday, April 11. If you are a pastor or elder and did NOT receive the Ministerial Survey memo, please contact Church Administration at [email protected].
Living Youth Program
Teen Camp is still open for camper registrations! If your teen would like to come to camp this year, you can register online at http://camp.livingyouth.org or email Jenny Penman for a paper application at [email protected]. Staff registration is closed, and we will notify accepted staff of assignments soon.
Comments
A Key to Spiritual Growth and Success: Many believe the key to success depends on who you know. However, God’s instructions are quite different. Jesus stressed the importance of humility and teachability when He said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” and “Blessed are the meek” because they will inherit the Kingdom of God and reign on this earth (Matthew 5:3–5). God was able to use Moses because he was humble and teachable (Numbers 12:3). Jesus was exalted by God because He humbled Himself and followed God’s instructions (Philippians 2:8–11). Solomon understood that “before honor is humility” (Proverbs 15:33). The Apostle James records, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6–10). Peter records that God will exalt those who are humble and can submit to one another (1 Peter 5:5–6). The prophet Isaiah offers a summary of what God is looking for in those He will reward: “But on this one will I look: on him who is poor [humble] and of a contrite spirit [willing to change], and who trembles at My word [a person who is teachable by God]” (Isaiah 66:2). These scriptures provide us with the real key to spiritual growth and ultimate success.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—April 8, 2021
China and Russia Draw Together: EU-China relations are at an all-time low. The European Union, United Kingdom, United States, and Canada have imposed sanctions on China for civil rights violations against the Muslim Uyghurs in China’s western province of Xinjiang (Deutsche Welle, March 22, 2021). Reacting to these moves, China imposed “sanctions on 10 European Union citizens, including politicians, for ‘gross interference’ in its internal affairs, and for ‘flagrantly violating international law.’”
In a recent interview, U.S. president Joseph Biden referred to Russian president Putin as “a killer” (CNN, March 18, 2021). Russia responded by saying “there hasn’t been anything like this in history” and that the American president “definitely does not want to improve relations.” At a high-level meeting in Alaska, “Chinese officials accused the US of inciting countries ‘to attack China,’ while the US said China had ‘arrived intent on grandstanding’” (BBC, March 19, 2021).
In response to these recent events, Chinese and Russian foreign ministers met in a show of unity against the EU, the U.S., and Western powers. The Russian foreign minister “said [international] sanctions were drawing Russia and China closer together and accused the West of ‘imposing their own rules on everyone else, which they believe should underpin the world order’” (Associated Press, March 23, 2021).
What few realize today is that the Bible has long predicted that Russia and China (powers to the east and north of Jerusalem—see Daniel 11:40–44) would act together as the end of the age approaches. Bible prophecy shows a massive army from the north and east will eventually descend on the Holy Land by crossing over the Euphrates River (Revelation 9:16; 16:12). Russia, China, and other allies are certainly capable of mustering such a large force and providing the financial and technical know-how to support its movement. Events developing on the world stage appear to be falling into line with Bible prophecies. For more insight into these future world-shaking events, be sure to read or listen to Revelation: The Mystery Unveiled.
Australia Reeling from More Disasters: “In just over a year, the Clarence Valley and Kempsey have experienced drought, floods, bushfires and now another flood. Many other communities on Australia’s east coast are also dealing with their third or fourth significant natural disaster since 2019” (The Guardian, March 23, 2021). Thousands have been evacuated, bridges have been washed out, 200 schools have closed, and homes have floated away (BBC, March 22, 2021). Millions of spiders have invaded neighborhoods near Sydney in an attempt to escape the rising flood waters, and snakes are seeking refuge in trees (The Guardian, March 22, 2021). In Australia, many of those spiders and snakes are deadly poisonous!
At the same time, unusually heavy summer rains spawned a massive eruption of mice (Deutsche Welle, March 19, 2021). One farmer observed, “At night... the ground is just moving with thousands and thousands of mice just running around,” and many farmers are concerned the plague of mice will destroy this year’s crops.
The Bible clearly states that one of the consequences of disobedience to God’s commandments would be that disaster “will come upon disaster” (Ezekiel 7:26), including troublesome plagues of wild animals—especially in the Israelite-descended nations, such as Australia (Leviticus 26:21–22; Revelation 6:8). While these disasters in Australia are not the prophesied end-time plagues themselves, they demonstrate one way in which such plagues may come about. To learn more about what is happening now and what is yet to come, watch our enlightening telecast “2021 in Bible Prophecy.”—Scott Winnail, Chris Sookdeo, and Francine Prater