Weekly Update

February 3rd, 2022

Greetings from Charlotte,

Mr. Christo Botha sent an encouraging report from South Africa, where President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the country will move to Adjusted Alert Level 1, which permits all gatherings and no limits on the number of attendees meeting indoors. Mr. Stuart Wachowicz recorded a four-part series of telecasts examining the historical impact of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph on modern society. This series was recorded in our new Canadian studio and is set to begin airing February 10 in Canada. Mr. Richard Ames gave a Tomorrow’s World presentation in Mebane, North Carolina, last weekend to 12 guests and 19 members who braved freezing temperatures and bad weather. Follow-up studies in several other locations reached an additional 25 guests. Presentations are scheduled this weekend for Jackson and Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento, California, and follow-up presentations are scheduled for Big Sandy and Tyler, Texas. I recorded a new telecast titled “Exposing Five Myths About Jesus.”—Gerald Weston

Church Administration

Passover 2022—All International Requests Should Already Have Been Sent to CAD

Important Notice to All Pastors: In 2022, the Passover Service will be observed on Thursday evening, April 14. Please let us know as soon as possible if any of the congregations you serve will need additional Passover Service supplies (bread trays and/or wine trays or glasses) or a copy of the Passover Service recording and letter instructions (available in English, French, and Spanish). Passover Service recordings for 2022 were made by Mr. John Strain in English and by Mr. Yvon Brochu, translating into French a 2021 Passover service by Mr. Rod McNair. This information for international congregations should already have been submitted. To ensure timely delivery and to save on shipping costs, we need this information before March 18 for U.S. congregations.

Also, please let us know of any scattered members who are unable to keep the Passover with a congregation and who need to receive the Passover Service recording and letter instructions for observing it at home, and whether they will need a CD or a DVD. International requests should already have been sent in and U.S. requests should be here before March 18. Please direct your requests to the Church Administration Department at [email protected] as soon as possible. These dates take into consideration the slowdown of mail service in some places because of the pandemic.

Prayer Request for Mr. Christo Botha

Prayers are requested for Mr. Christo Botha, an Area Pastor and our Office Manager in South Africa. He was recently hospitalized for chest pains that may be caused by a blood clot in the lungs. He and his wife Ria are an integral part of our Work in South Africa.

Living Education

Men’s Training Camp Near Houston, Texas—Repeat Announcement

The newest addition to our Men’s Training Camps roster is being planned for the weekend of March 18–20 at Camp Cho-Yeh near Houston, Texas! The program will begin on the evening of Friday, March 18, and conclude by midday on Sunday, March 20. Men from 16 years old and up are welcome to be part of this first-ever MTC in Texas, led by Mr. Rick Stafford and Mr. Donald Stevens, with Mr. Jonathan McNair as guest. More information will be announced very shortly!

Television Department

Updated Request: We’d Like a Lot More Input About the Telecast

Thank you to all those who have responded so far! However, we’d like to get even more input, and are opening up the pool. If you have been attending Sabbath Services with the Living Church of God for two years or less and normally watched the Tomorrow’s World telecast prior to attending services, we would like to hear from you. We are making improvements to the telecast and would appreciate your feedback. If you are able to help us, please email Deborah Stephenson at [email protected] or call her at 704-708-2263 and she will set up a convenient time.—Mike DeSimone

Feast of Tabernacles

2022 Feast of Tabernacles Registration: Sunday, May 15

General Feast of Tabernacles registration is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, May 15. The U.S. Feast sites and coordinators are listed as follows:

Living Youth Program

Living Youth Camp 2022—Registration Open!—Repeat Announcement

2021 was a challenging year for LYC, with COVID-19 abruptly ending our program early. Despite that, comments received from campers and staff have been overwhelmingly positive, and a number have mentioned that even though it was cut short, it was still the best LYC they had ever attended. We are excited to be able to continue that tradition this year and can announce that registration is now open for Teen Camp 2022 in Athens, Texas! The camp will run from Tuesday, July 12 through Monday, July 25. We will be accepting campers ages 13 through 17, High School Staff ages 17 and 18 years old, and Staff ages 19 and above.

For Staff positions, we seek adults whose example reflects Godly values and who possess skills and experience that will add to the quality and excellence of the camp program. Some serve as counselors or work with campers in various activities and others serve in a variety of additional roles, such as First Aid, Kitchen, Laundry, etc. High School Staff are older teens who serve in supporting roles for the Staff and are selected for their positive example, skills, and leadership potential. Camp gives them valuable training and prepares them to take on more responsibility in the future.

Our list of activities for this year tentatively includes Archery, Aquatics, Basketball, Canoeing, Dance, Horseback Riding, Life Roles, Media, Speech, Softball, Ultimate Frisbee and Volleyball, along with daily Christian Living Classes.

For all the details on arrival dates, activities, departure dates, deadlines for application, costs, etc., please see the camp information page at https://camp.livingyouth.org/camps/teen/, and when you’re ready to take the plunge and apply, you can do so at https://camp.livingyouth.org.

If you require any assistance with the registration process, please contact Jenny Penman at the LYC Office at [email protected] or 980-254-0132.

Registration for the Preteen and Adventure Camps will open in the near future.

Comments

Satan’s Divided World: This week millions have watched a massive convoy of Canadian truckers converge on the nation’s capital of Ottawa to protest the government’s restrictive COVID policies. America and Europe have seen similar protests by angry citizens against coercive government regulations. We see political parties bitterly opposing each other and angry leaders in science and academics denouncing each other and denigrating opposing ideas. The winds of war are blowing again in Europe, and Asian nations are launching supersonic ballistic missiles to threaten other nations. Few today realize that Satan is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4), that he is a rebel who promotes rebellion (Isaiah 14:12–15; Revelation 12:4), and the author of anger, hatred, and lies (Galatians 5:19–21) that lead to chaos and confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). Brethren, we, as God’s people need to recognize and resist the negative and divisive influence of Satan’s world (1 Peter 5:6–9) by building and maintaining a closer relationship with God.

Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail

News and Prophecy—February 3, 2022

Qatar Gas to Europe? Russia has become the primary source of natural gas for Germany, leaving some concerned that Russia could cut off the supply if hostilities erupt in the Ukraine and Germany opposes Russian moves in that area. However, the United States has been negotiating behind the scenes with the Arab nation of Qatar, which has an excess of natural gas and may be willing to temporarily supply Europe should the need arise (The Guardian, January 26, 2022). And if war breaks out in the Ukraine, gas from Qatar could be very reassuring to much of Europe if current pipelines are damaged. Some experts believe that if Russia realizes Germany and Europe may have other avenues for purchasing fuel, its leaders may reconsider military action.

Why is a potential agreement between Germany and Qatar relevant to Bible prophecy? In Psalm 83:5–8, we read of a “confederacy” involving Middle Eastern Arab nations and, at least for a time, Assyria—modern-day Germany. This confederacy will eventually become an adversary of the Israelite-descended nations. A disruption of natural gas supplies to heat homes in a German-led Europe could promote a closer relationship between Germany and the Arab nations mentioned in Psalm 83.

What many have forgotten today is that God guides the course of history according to His will (Job 12:23; Daniel 4:25, 32). Yet, as world events continue to shift and change, Bible prophecy provides a guide to where these events are going to go—which is one reason Jesus warned us to watch world events as we near the end of the age (Matthew 24:42–44). To learn more about future events in Europe and the Middle East, be sure to read or listen to The Middle East in Prophecy.

EU Ignored as Conflict Looms: During the current crisis in the Ukraine, the United States and Russia have met on several occasions to find a solution. However, the European Union has been left out of the conversation (Deutsche Welle, January 13, 2022). In fact, while the talks between the U.S. and Russia took place on European soil in Brussels and other cities, the EU was not invited to the table. This exclusion has not gone unnoticed in Europe.

Recently, a French university researcher commented to Deutsche Welle, “This feels like the post-World War II period when the Americans and Russians were deciding on Europe’s future—especially as this conflict is taking place right at Europe’s doorstep.” Some believe the EU needs to get out of the “soft power” game and move into projecting true “hard power,” but that cannot happen without agreement among Europe’s nations. A program director at Cambridge University commented, “The EU needs to turn into one state, with one president and one parliament, to become an important geopolitical player.” However, with deep divisions in Europe right now, this is not likely to happen soon. As the EU Observer noted in an opinion piece that seems to tie directly into Bible prophecy, “The world today is a very inhospitable place for the giant on clay feet that the EU has grown into” (January 20, 2022). For those familiar with the prophecies of Scripture, this statement clearly reflects the end-time image from Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, with its feet of iron and clay (Daniel 2:31–45).

Prophecy reveals that a unified power will arise in Europe to project “hard power.” Revelation 17 states that ten leaders within Europe will give their power to a centralized “beast” for a time. This action will create a “king of the North” that will exercise very “hard power” for a short period of time. Students of Bible prophecy should watch for actions that will lead to a coalescing of ten leaders or nations in Europe, in an entity that will exist as a mixture of “iron and clay.” To gain a prophetic perspective on these developing events, watch “Who Is the Beast of Revelation?”—Scott Winnail, Lenny Bower, Brent Mitchell, and Francine Prater