Greetings from Charlotte,
Just when you think it can’t get any worse, it will, and it has. Elections in Sri Lanka have brought violence to the country. Our minister there, Mr. Kuma DeSilva, requests immediate prayers for our members: “We are moving into a bad phase as there is anarchy right now. People burning houses, start looting, attacking political opponents, and others are taking advantage.” Here in the United States, someone leaked a draft Supreme Court opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade, a January 1973 Supreme Court decision that struck down a Texas statute banning abortion. The effect was to legalize the procedure across the U.S. The possibility that some states will now enact laws banning or limiting abortion has angered those who want to kill children in the womb even up to the time of birth—sparking illegal protests at the homes of justices, with no consequences to the protesters. At the same time, individuals who have infants are frantically trying to find baby formula, due to an extreme shortage. Elsewhere, some grocery stores in England are running short on cooking oil and in some parts of Belgium and Germany, wheat flour cannot be found on store shelves. We are living in interesting times! Be sure to be praying for brethren around the world and about the Tomorrow’s World Presentations and the Regional Ministerial Conference mentioned elsewhere in this update.—Gerald Weston
Church Administration
Tomorrow’s World Presentations – Two More TWPs in Australia
On April 30, our first TWP in Australia in over two years was held in Devonport, Tasmania. Mr. Rob Tyler presented “The Four Horsemen and Australia’s Future.” Seventeen guests attended, which was an excellent response (8.3%). This weekend, two more Australian TWPs will be conducted, in Cairns (May 14) and Townsville (May 15), both in Queensland, Australia.
Other TWPs being conducted this weekend are:
- Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Fayetteville, Arkansas
- Tulsa, Oklahoma
Follow-up presentations this weekend will be in:
- Sylva, North Carolina
- Boise, Idaho
- Kennewick, Washington
Your prayers for these TWPs would be much appreciated.
USA Regional Conferences Begin – Great Lakes Region
This coming week, the first of four regional ministerial conferences in the United States will be held. This is the first ministerial conference since the March 2020 General Ministerial Conference had to be abruptly cancelled because of the COVID pandemic. Thirty-two ministers and wives will be gathering in South Bend, Indiana, for meetings on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, May 15–17, chaired by Mr. Weston and Dr. Winnail. Your prayers for the meetings and safety in travelling would be much appreciated.
Living for Tomorrow
One of the responsibilities historically given to the leadership of the Church is to train next-generation leaders. Paul trained Timothy and Titus, and Peter taught and mentored John Mark, calling him “my son,” as we read in 1 Peter 5:13. To continue fulfilling this mandate, the new “L4T” or Living for Tomorrow program is being launched. If you are a young adult between 18 and 30 and want to learn more about Living for Tomorrow, join us from May 27–29 at Blowing Rock, North Carolina. We will have a full weekend of intensive focus on building successful lives based on accurately understanding the Bible and its application in our modern world. Arrival is on Friday afternoon, May 27, with departure on Sunday afternoon, May 29. The cost is only $135, including food and accommodations. Join us as we launch our new L4T program! Login to MyLCG for more details and a link to register. Questions? Contact Mr. Jonathan McNair at [email protected].
Living Education
Registration Open for Men’s Training Camp—Blowing Rock, North Carolina
The Blowing Rock Conference Center will again this year host our North Carolina Men’s Training Camp. Now is the time to register! The dates for the program are June 24–26. We will be focusing on a brand-new theme that will serve to strengthen our men, in a culture that is undermining any sense of what it means to be a man. For more information and to register, just go to Login to MyLCG for more details and a link to register.—Jonathan McNair
Feast of Tabernacles
Feast Site Registration Opens This Sunday, May 15!
This Sunday, May 15, at 12:00 noon (Eastern Daylight Time, USA), all Living Church of God brethren and guests are invited to register for the Feast of Tabernacles. To register, visit the members.lcg.org website, click the “Member Resources” link, then click on “Feast of Tabernacles,” and follow the links to register. Or, you can log in to your MyLCG account and scroll down to find the “Feast of Tabernacles 2022” section on the right and click the “Registration” button. Then follow the links to register. If you do not have access to the Internet, please contact your congregation’s Festival Advisor for assistance.
Attention Pastors: One of the most common difficulties people have in registering for the Feast occurs when their membership status has not been updated in the Church’s files. For example, if someone is listed as a “Coworker” or a “Subscriber” in the Headquarters database, the person will not be able to register. Only “Prospective Members” and “Members” can access the Festival registration system. Please look over your area’s member lists and let us know if anyone’s status needs to be updated. We need the pastor’s authorization to change anyone’s status, so please send any status updates to [email protected].
Festival Activity Registration Will Open in Midsummer
May 15 begins Feast site registration only. When Activity Registration opens in midsummer, you will be able to register and pay for activities. Watch The World Ahead for future updates.
Chilean Feast Site Open for Spanish-Speaking Transfers—Repeat Announcement
We invite all the Spanish-speaking brethren who are thinking of transferring to another country to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles this year to consider traveling to the beautiful country of Chile. The Feast will be celebrated at La Campana, located in the city of Olmué, which is an hour and a half away from Santiago’s international airport. The site is close to Viña del Mar, where the famous music festival is held. It is also close to parks and other beautiful natural and touristic attractions. Temperatures during that time of year range between 22 and 25 degrees Celsius. The complex will be exclusive for those attending the Feast; it is a very suitable location to rest and share with the family. You can enjoy the delicious Chilean cuisine, and most important, the warm attention and company of the Chilean brethren. Hotel rooms and cabins will both be available. Everything in one place, all-inclusive, at a great price. This will be a great opportunity to make new friends in the faith, or to visit dear friends you have not seen in a long time. The brethren of the Church in Chile will be excited to meet you.
There will be no simultaneous translation into English. This site is only for Spanish-speaking brethren.
Important note: Chile does not require vaccinations, a COVID-19 vaccination certificate, or a negative PCR test result. Travelers must fill out a declaration that they do not have COVID-19 upon entrance to the country.
For more information, please contact Mr. Humberto Barraza by WhatsApp: +569 3428 4178 or by e-mail: [email protected].
Living Youth Program
Living Youth Adventure Program
Registration for the Living Youth Adventure Program opened a few weeks ago and we are now approaching capacity. Any teens interested in the program are still welcome to register for our program in either Arkansas or in North Carolina, as we have a few spots still open in each. Since one of our goals is to provide a safe but challenging program to introduce as many of our youth as possible to the fun and enjoyment of outdoor adventure, we’ve tried to bring these experiences geographically closer to more of our families and also established a more affordable target for the cost. This year, the cost is $150 for either program. Similar trips offered through other outdoor leadership programs would cost double or triple that, so we’re giving our youth great value. Arrival day for both trips will be Sunday, June 26, and we will be on the trail from June 27 through June 29, with additional activities on June 30. Participants will travel home on July 1. Just go to https://camp.livingyouth.org to learn more and to register for the last few available openings.—Jonathan McNair
Missouri Preteen Camp
With just over two weeks before the staff application deadline (May 31), planning for the Missouri Preteen camp is moving to full speed ahead! If you are considering joining us this year at beautiful Lake of the Ozarks State Park and have not yet applied and completed your application, then please do so soon. We are in the process of selecting department heads and need additional volunteers in several areas—especially adult staff. Each camp activity provides an opportunity to help our youth develop relationships with one another and, even more importantly, with our Creator. We deeply appreciate all those who are able to give of their time and serve our youth in this unique way. Hope to see you in Missouri this year —Yancy Taber, Missouri Preteen Camp Director.
West Virginia Preteen Camp Registration Closed
The 2022 West Virginia Preteen Camp is now full and registration is closed.
Comments
Are You Teachable? The Bible reveals that God is looking for an important quality in Christians and future leaders in His Kingdom—teachability. Abraham was responsive to God’s instructions (Genesis 18:19). Moses was a capable leader, but he was humble and teachable (Numbers 12:3). David exhibits this same attitude when he writes “Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes” (Psalm 119:33). Solomon asked God for wisdom and an “understanding heart” so he could learn to rule wisely (1 Kings 3:9). When Jesus said the “meek” and “poor of spirit” will be blessed, He emphasized the need to be teachable and willing to learn (Matthew 5:3–5). The Scriptures also reveal that when we harden our hearts to God’s instructions, we will reap serious consequences (Proverbs 28:14). Let’s strive to be teachable so we can avoid problems and gain a reward in the Kingdom of God.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—May 12, 2022
U.S. Southwest on Fire: According to the National Interagency Fire Center, more than a million acres of land in the U.S. have burned so far in 2022—more than double the acreage that saw fires by this time in 2021. “The agency’s accounting also shows that more fires have ignited this year than any other in the last decade and burn totals are more than 71% higher than the ten-year average” (The Guardian, May 1, 2022). Experts believe this “explosive start” to the fire season is a harbinger of what is to come as the summer months approach. In New Mexico, where the largest fires are burning, more acres have burned so far this year than in seven of the eight previous years. Last year’s monsoon rains caused an explosion in the growth of vegetation, and the ongoing drought turned that green growth into this year’s brown fire fuel. “More than two decades of extreme drought have turned forested mountains and valleys into a tinderbox” (Reuters, April 29, 2022).
Meanwhile, further west in southern California, “officials took the unprecedented step of declaring a water shortage emergency and ordering outdoor usage be restricted to just one day a week for about 6 million people in parts of Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernardino counties” (LA Times, April 26, 2022). California’s drought is the “driest on record.” One water manager commented, “We are seeing conditions unlike anything we have seen before.” And along the Colorado River, water levels in some of the nation’s largest reservoirs are dangerously low. Officials delayed releasing water from Lake Powell in order to continue to feed the hydroelectric power plant that provides power to nearly six million customers (CNBC, May 3, 2022). These reservoirs also provide drinking water to large downstream cities like Las Vegas and Phoenix.
The Bible warns that the sins of Israelite-descended peoples will bring devastating results (Leviticus 26:19). What we are seeing in the U.S. southwest is only a taste of what is to come: “Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts the land is burned up” (Isaiah 9:19). Drought, famine, scarcity, and starvation are tools that God will use to get the attention of the nations. To learn more, notice the foresight of a commentary that was written 17 years ago—it is entitled, “Drought and Weather-Related Calamities.”
Invasion of Wild Animals: The book of Revelation prophesies that, prior to the return of Jesus Christ, animals will cause death and devastation. The four prophetic seals opened by Jesus Christ, picturing the famous “four horsemen of the apocalypse,” will bring death to up to one-quarter of mankind. This death will come through warfare, hunger and disease, and from “the beasts of the earth” (Revelation 6:1–8). But how might animals cause such widespread death and destruction?
The city of Rome today provides a glimpse into how this could occur. “Residents in several neighbourhoods in northern Rome have imposed a nightly ‘curfew’ after a spate of attacks by wild boar, which for years have roamed the Italian capital” (The Guardian, May 3, 2022). One individual seeking to bring attention to the problem noted, “These animals are getting closer and closer to people, and it’s not just at night—they are walking the streets at all hours of the day.” The city is erecting fences to contain the boar, but the animals are avoiding the fencing. The natural habitat of these animals is in the forests surrounding Rome. But, Rome’s perpetual waste disposal problems act like a magnet, luring the boar into the city in order to forage on the garbage (The Telegraph, May 3, 2022).
Many cities around the globe are surrounded by wilderness areas where wild animals live. As food becomes scarce—and all the more if waste disposal systems fail along with growing urban infrastructure problems—we could witness similar situations in many more cities in the future. The Bible indicates something will happen in the future that will result in animals contributing to widespread death and destruction (Leviticus 26:21–22). This is just one of the signs that will announce Christ’s return! To learn more, read “Wild Animals a Threat to U.S. Children.”—Scott Winnail and Francine Prater