Greetings from Charlotte,
Last Sabbath Carol and I were in Tampa, Florida, for a Tomorrow’s World Presentation where we had 54 (give or take one or two) guests. Mr. James Sweat will be giving the first of several follow-up presentations this Sabbath. Please remember to pray for these efforts, as we can preach the word but only the Father draws one to Christ. In addition to the Presentation, we held a regular Sabbath service and had the opportunity to fellowship with more than 40 members in the area. How encouraging it is to meet and spend time with our ministers and members in these field congregations! Dr. Douglas Winnail is scheduled to be in Arkansas and Missouri for the next several days, visiting ministers and members in both states. Mr. Cristian Orrego is currently in Mexico, where we have seen strong growth over the last couple of years. The new television season began last week. This week’s telecast is “The Greatest Friend of All” by Mr. Richard Ames, advertising the booklet What Is a True Christian? Let us all pray that God will call many to understanding and action as a result of this encouraging telecast.—Gerald Weston
Church Administration
Tomorrow’s World Presentations: Tampa, Florida, and Fargo, North Dakota
Last Sabbath, Mr. Gerald Weston conducted a Tomorrow’s World Presentation titled “The Signs of Christ’s Return” in Tampa, Florida, with 55 guests. This Sabbath, November 13, Pastor James Sweat will be giving a follow-up TWP in Tampa titled “Where Is the Church Christ Built?” This is the first follow-up of four that will be conducted in the Tampa area.
Our pastors also occasionally conduct TWPs in areas where we don’t yet have a congregation but seek to plant seeds for the future. Fargo, North Dakota, is one such area. We have no congregation there but do have several scattered members and a small Tomorrow’s World subscriber base. Mr. Mark Sandor recently conducted two TWPs there, with seven guests attending. Please continue praying for these events, that God would bring those whom He is calling!
Other upcoming TWPs in December:
- December 4 – Minneapolis, Minnesota (Mr. Jonathan McNair)
- December 5 – Wausau, Wisconsin (Mr. Jonathan McNair)
- December 5 – Chattanooga, Tennessee (Mr. Wallace Smith)
- December 11 – Gaffney, South Carolina (Mr. Richard Ames)
Winter Weekends Update
Please note that the Winter Family Weekend in Florida will take place along the Aucilla River and will be hosted by the Lake City congregation, not the Ocala congregation, as previously announced. If you are planning on going to the Lake City Winter Family Weekend, please contact Mr. Joe Brown ([email protected]).
If you are interested in attending a Winter Family Weekend in your region, please contact your pastor. Below is a list of the planned Winter Family Weekends.
Family Weekends in the Planning Process for December 25–26:
- Charlotte, North Carolina (Mr. John Strain)
- Atlanta, Georgia – Currently on hold (Mr. Dan Hall)
- Lake City, Florida (Campout – Mr. Joe Brown)
- Montgomery, Alabama (Mr. Anthony Stroud)
- Big Sandy, Texas (Mr. Gary Stein)
- Kansas City, Missouri (Mr. Rand Millich)
Other Activities Being Planned for Different Dates:
- Delavan, Wisconsin (Young Adults Weekend, December 31–January 2 – Mr. Bob Rodzaj)
- Merrill, Wisconsin (Family Weekend, February 25–27 – Mr. Mark Sandor)
Living Education
Our Living Education-Charlotte program is now in its fourth year. Including this year’s group of students, we’ve had 41 students involved in the program. LivingEd provides intensive learning about the fundamentals of the Bible and how to apply it in daily life. With seven faculty members teaching a variety of topics, plus dozens of other speakers presenting weekly seminar-type sessions, the breadth of learning is unique. Students learn more than how to make a living—they learn how to live. If you or someone you know is between the ages of 18 and 30, wants to build strong friendships with other young people, and lay a Godly foundation for life, don’t miss this opportunity to enroll for the 2022–23 school year. Enrollment will open on December 1, with early acceptance beginning February 1. To find out more details about what the Living Education-Charlotte program has to offer, just go to lcgeducation.org.—Jonathan McNair
Comment
The Blessings of Unity: We live in an increasingly divided world, yet David wrote, “How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity” (Psalm 133:1). Jesus Christ prayed for His disciples, “that they may be one just as We are one” (John 17:21–22). The Scriptures reveal that while the disciples had different perspectives (Acts 15; Galatians 2), they learned to work together to achieve their mission (2 Peter 3:14–16). This is why we must be patient and respectful with each other and endeavor “to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” so we can do the Work (Ephesians 4:1–3). As we are led by the same Spirit, we will see divisions diminish and we will be more “perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10). The peace, harmony, and unity that is possible among Spirit-led Christians can be a blessing and an inspiring light in a troubled world.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—November 11, 2021
Afghans Selling Their Daughters: When you look around the globe, what activities and behaviors do you see that must come to an end? What must leaders change to bring true peace and safety to nations and peoples? When the United States pulled out of Afghanistan, many warned the departure would severely destabilize that nation. We are now witnessing the terrible aftermath left by a leadership vacuum.
As reported by the Telegraph on November 2, the United Nations warns that 97 percent of the Afghan population may soon live below the poverty line as the Taliban takeover continues. As the economy implodes and poverty ensues, families lack money even to buy food. Many Afghan families feel forced to sell their daughters in order to raise money for food and pay debts. Children are being sold for just a couple thousand dollars as servants and wives. Parents are caught in a very difficult situation as they face starvation in their families. “We are eight family members,” one father, selling his nine-year-old daughter, explained to CNN. “I have to sell to keep other family members alive.”
Reading about this cruel reality should be sobering to even the most stoic among us. God looks for those who will “sigh and cry” (Ezekiel 9:4) over the atrocities they witness. All of humanity is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26), with the potential to one day become members of His divine family. When Jesus Christ finally returns, He will usher in a time of “secure dwellings” and “quiet resting places” (Isaiah 32:18). That will be a time of safety, security, and abundance, when no one need go hungry again! There is hope for the peoples of the earth. To learn more, watch “Hope for the Future.”
Nuclear Ambitions in India and China: Defense News reports that India has performed the first trial of an intercontinental ballistic missile designed by the nation’s own defense organizations and capable of carrying nuclear warheads (October 28, 2021). The missile has a range of 5,000 kilometers (about 3,000 miles) and represents “a second-strike capability against China.” India’s Defense Ministry sees the weapon as a key to establishing “credible minimum deterrence.” The new missile is fast and accurate—capable of reaching its target in fifteen minutes. It can also carry a 1.5-ton nuclear payload.
A U.S. Pentagon report released earlier this year revised past estimates of China’s nuclear arsenal (Deutsche Welle, March 11, 2021). Once thought to have about 200 nuclear warheads with the potential to increase to 400 by 2030, China is now considered capable of possessing over 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030. China also recently launched a new satellite “tasked with demonstrating technologies to alleviate and neutralize space debris” (Gatestone Institute, November 1, 2021). The satellite has a robotic arm that can be used to recover “space junk”—a term commonly used to describe the more than 100 million pieces of debris believed to be orbiting the earth. However, some analysts foresee that this new satellite could also be used to “capture, disable, destroy, or otherwise render unusable other nations’ satellites.” The U.S., once the clear leader in the space race, is being aggressively challenged by rivals such as China and Russia.
As Asian nations dramatically build up their militaries and rapidly advance their technologies, where could it all lead? Bible prophecy gives us a glimpse into the conflicts and alliances of the future. The book of Revelation foretells a massive, future army of 200 million men, and military strikes of “fire, smoke, and brimstone” that will devastate a large portion of humanity just prior to Christ’s return (Revelation 9:16–18). This army will come from the east of Jerusalem, and the military advances and development we see today in India, China, Russia, and other Asian nations may very well figure into this prophecy. To learn more, be sure to read or listen to Revelation: The Mystery Unveiled!—Scott Winnail, Francine Prater, and Chris Sookdeo