Greetings from Charlotte,
The Semi-Annual letter has so far brought in nearly 25,000 requests for the DVD “Make Sense of Your World—Tomorrow’s World Viewpoint,” and we expect this number to grow significantly. Mr. Mario Hernandez returned from a trip to Guatemala where he visited and welcomed 19 new members. Mr. and Mrs. Cristian Orrego were also there before moving on to Mexico, as he is the pastor of both countries. We held a meeting this week where we discussed plans for India, including a greater website presence that will include Hindi language literature. Thank you to all who have chosen to do your online shopping through AmazonSmile, where we receive a rebate from every purchase. Our quarterly check was $1,526 and over the time we have been signed up for this program, we have received $16,650. The LYP Texas Teen Camp is now only just over three weeks away. Please pray that all will go well—and all campers and staff, be sure to do your part to avoid getting sick and missing out.—Gerald Weston
Church Administration
U.S. Festival (Second Tithe) Assistance Requests—Repeat Announcement
Attention U.S. Pastors: The deadline to submit Festival Assistance Request forms to the Church Administration Department is Thursday, July 15. 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 Education
Over the weekend of June 10–12, two Men’s Training Camps were conducted. Forty-nine men gathered in the mountains of North Carolina, while 51 attended the program in Wisconsin. Dr. Richard Franz, Mr. Gene Hilgenberg, Mr. Mark Sandor and Mr. Brian Pomicter supported Mr. Bob Rodzaj in the teaching portions of the Wisconsin event, which included men from the age of 16 to 91! The messages and sessions addressed the societal challenges facing adult and young men, fulfilling our Creators’ intent, making a contribution to the Body, defending the truth, organization and time management, building a strong marriage, understanding the challenges our children are being exposed to, and mentoring the next generation. In North Carolina, the teaching team, coordinated by Mr. Jonathan McNair, comprised Mr. John Strain, Mr. Lenny Bower, Mr. Wyatt Ciesielka, and Mr. Rod McNair, and the attendees came from nine states. Mr. Gerald Weston also participated in the North Carolina activity and gave the concluding address before the departure. For more information about the program, go to https://www.lcgeducation.org/mens-training-camp-2021-blowing-rock-nc/.
Living Youth Program
Texas Teen Camp: Talent Show—Repeat Announcement
If you are a camper going to the Texas Teen Camp and would like to participate in the Talent Show, please fill out the form at (Login to MyLCG) by this Sunday, June 20. Note: All participants must submit a form in order to be considered for the Talent Show. If you have questions, please contact Mr. Rod McNair at [email protected].
Texas Teen Camp: Camp Choir—Repeat Announcement
We’re also planning to have a Camp choir! Whether you are going to be a camper or a staff member, if you would like to participate in choir at Camp, please fill out the following form (Login to MyLCG) by June 30 (this form only takes about a minute to complete). If you have questions, please contact Mr. Jonathan McNair at [email protected].
West Virginia Preteen Camp: Registration Deadline Approaching
The last day for campers to register for the West Virginia Preteen Camp is July 1. We are no longer accepting staff for this camp. If you are interested in serving as camp staff, please consider another Preteen Camp.
Comments
Staying Focused: Jesus admonished His disciples to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). However, the temptations and pressures of this world continue to pull us away from seeking God and building the character needed to be in His Kingdom. Jesus also warned that “the cares of this world” can choke the Truth and cause us to stumble and miss out on our calling (Matthew 13:22). This is why the Apostle Paul advised Christians to “walk circumspectly” (live purposefully) and make the most of the time and opportunities to grow “because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15–16). This is also why we need to check our focus periodically—what are we watching on TV? What we are reading? How much time do we spend on the Internet? Are we acting and treating others like a Christian? Are we using our time and talents to glorify God, or just doing our own thing? Let’s follow these biblical admonitions and focus our minds on what is true, noble, just, and pure (Philippians 4:8)—so we can be in the Kingdom of God.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—June 17, 2021
Megadrought in the U.S. West? In the year 2000, “the Western U.S. entered the beginning of what scientists call a megadrought—the second worst in 1,200 years” (CBS News, April 12, 2021). Today, 60 percent of western states in the United States are in severe, extreme, or exceptional drought—conditions that extend even into the Pacific Northwest. “Lake Powell [which provides water to California, Nevada, and Arizona] is within just a few feet of its lowest level ever observed since it was first filled.... California’s reservoirs are 50 percent lower than they should be at this time of year” (Forbes, June 3, 2021).
Experts recognize this region is prone to drought, but the conditions we are seeing today are unusual. “Areas that might have normally gone a few weeks without rain may now go a few months without a drop. In the mountains, more precipitation falls as rain rather than snow, decreasing snowpack. Even a decent snowpack melts faster now, making it harder to manage water supplies. And soils and vegetation lose more moisture as temperatures rise” (New York Times, June 4, 2021).
Major crops grow in California’s Central Valley, including nuts, citrus, and berries; and Phoenix, Arizona, supplies a great deal of cotton. Because of extreme drought, some local governments have told farmers not to plant rather than waste water on crops destined to fail. Bible prophecies warn Israelite-descended nations that, if they turn from God, He “will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze” (Leviticus 26:19). However, if they obey God, He “will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Your threshing shall last till the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last till the time of sowing” (vv. 4–5). Though there are worse days ahead, the time is coming when such drought conditions will be solved forever. To learn how blessings for obedience will come, read or listen to The World Ahead: What Will It Be Like?
Food Catastrophe and Famine in Ethiopia: In northern Ethiopia, more than 350,000 are living in a food “catastrophe,” according to a UN-backed analysis that defines a food “catastrophe” as “starvation and death affecting small groups of people spread over large areas” (BBC, June 10, 2021). Since November 2020, 1.7 million people in the Tigray region of Ethiopia have been displaced by civil war. In addition to those in a food “catastrophe,” the analysis concludes that two million are in a food “emergency” and three million more are in a food “crisis.” Although many are careful not to use the word “famine” until certain criteria are met, the UN’s humanitarian chief, Mark Lowcock, has “chosen to ignore the rules and insist that ‘there is famine now in Tigray,’” concluding that arguing over definitions is counterproductive.
According to the analysis, “This severe crisis results from the cascading effects of conflict, including population displacements, movement restrictions, limited humanitarian access, loss of harvest and livelihood assets, and dysfunctional or non-existent markets.” Ethiopia’s government insists its population has access to food relief, but starving citizens tell a different story, and the UN chief predicts the situation will get far worse. In 1984, the region experienced a similar war and the resulting famine killed 600,000 to one million people.
Mass starvation should not occur in the twenty-first century. However, due to the greed and selfishness of leaders, millions continue to suffer. God warned that the end of the age will be characterized by selfish people who despise good and treat others with brutality (2 Timothy 3:1–5). Corrupt and power-hungry leaders do not serve the people they lead. They care only about themselves. That is why, when wicked leaders rule, the people groan (Proverbs 29:2). This world needs righteous, caring leadership. What will it take to bring peace and prosperity to the whole world? Will human beings find the solution? To learn more about this important issue, listen to or read “The Impossible Dream.”—Scott Winnail, Francine Prater, and Chris Sookdeo