Greetings from Charlotte,
Mr. Richard Ames continues to gain strength and is doing well in rehab. We are all looking forward to his return to work shortly. Mr. Tyler reported on riots in New Caledonia. The local Kanak people, who want independence from France, are angry with the government over new voting laws. This is seen as an underhanded way for France to remain in control of the nation. According to Mr. Tyler, throwing off control by France would “be a disaster for the country.” Mr. Bernard Cimoa reports that all our members are safe but were unable to physically meet for services the last two Sabbaths due to government restrictions prohibiting all gatherings. However, they are meeting online for the Sabbath, keeping in touch with one another, and staying in contact with their pastor, Mr. Graeme Hemphill. Here in Charlotte, it was good to see the parents and families at the on-site Living Education program graduation ceremonies last Friday, with many of them staying over for the Sabbath. As a reminder, the deadline to apply for the Teen Summer Camp in Texas closes this weekend.—Gerald Weston
Church Administration
Tomorrow’s World Presentation in Georgetown, Guyana, and TW Presentation Series in Georgia and California
This week we are highlighting a TWP in Georgetown, Guyana, as well as two Tomorrow’s World Presentation Series to be held this weekend in Powder Springs, Georgia, and Bakersfield, California. Tomorrow’s World Presentation Series are special efforts in areas where there is no current congregation but where there may be enough interest to start one. They are usually smaller events held once a month for several consecutive months to see if the group grows. Your prayers are appreciated.
Reminder: Feast of Pentecost in El Salvador
The congregations of Costa Rica, Honduras, and El Salvador will celebrate the Feast of Pentecost together in El Salvador. The sermons will be given by Mr. Rod McNair and Mr. Mario Hernández and we will have simultaneous translation to English and Spanish. Members from other countries who wish to attend must communicate with Mrs. Caterina Monti for reservations and payments. Her WhatsApp number is +503 7975 5379 and her email is [email protected]. All welcome!—George Schaubeck
Feast of Tabernacles
Thank you to everyone who has registered for the Feast. If you have not yet registered for the Feast, please do so right away.
The following Feast sites are closed to further transfers:
- Dubuque, Iowa
- Gulf Shores, Alabama
Please note that the Feast in Branson, Missouri still has a waitlist. It may be a few weeks before we can process your request, and we cannot guarantee that everyone will be approved.
Living Youth Program
Camp Lifeguards Needed
The West Virginia Preteen Camp is looking for a couple more lifeguards. The camp runs from Sunday, July 28, to Friday, August 2. Please email [email protected] for more details if you would be willing to serve in this capacity.
Comments
Benefits of Seeking God’s Guidance: In our world today, it is common to “do your own thing.” However, the Bible records the tragic consequences of this approach (Judges 21:25; Jeremiah 9:12–16). Instead, the Scriptures advise us to seek a multitude of counsel before making major decisions (Proverbs 11:14) and that God looks favorably on those who are humble, teachable, and willing to obey His instructions (Isaiah 66:2). King David modeled this attitude when he wrote, “Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes.… Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:33, 105). Jesus admonished His disciples to live by “every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). One of the most important lessons we can learn in life is that to succeed in any endeavor, we must learn to seek God’s guidance instead of seeking to do our own thing… because that is the way to real happiness and lasting rewards.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—May 30, 2024
China and Russia’s Growing Alliance: In a recent meeting in Beijing, the presidents of China and Russia, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, “pledged a ‘new era’ of partnership between the two most powerful rivals of the United States, which they cast as an aggressive Cold War hegemon sowing chaos across the world” (Reuters, May 17, 2024). In 2022, the two nations declared their partnership to have “no limits”; the two world leaders used the recent meeting to announce a “new era” that will spring from their strategic partnership, pledging to cooperate more in areas of automobile manufacturing, peaceful nuclear power, and food supplies. The two nations already carry out annual joint military training exercises, and Russia has shared missile defense technology with China (Financial Times, May 16, 2024). Jinping and Putin also made clear statements condemning actions of the U.S. and other Western nations, while highlighting how the relationship between their two nations brings more stability to the world.
While Russia and China have a checkered history, the last couple of decades have witnessed increasing cooperation and joint efforts, often motivated by their reactions to the West. However, the growing Russia-China alliance should not be a surprise. Bible prophecy reveals that as the end of the age approaches, powers from the East will grow strong, and a vast Asiatic army will play a critical and devastating role in end-time events (Daniel 11:40–45; Revelation 9:16). This army will no doubt be comprised of and supported by the finances and weaponry of Russia and China, and perhaps other Asiatic nations. To gain a better understanding of what the future holds, read “The Coming Clash of Civilizations.”
Why Science Hopes for Extraterrestrial Life: As multiple honest scientists have observed, a major reason for the search for purely physical explanations for phenomena is to prove God is not the answer. Why is this? Because, if there is no God, then the Bible is nullified, along with the moral law it teaches. In short, people hate being told how they should live their lives, even by their Creator. As a logical extension of this rebellious attitude, the hope of many scientists is to find life on other planets and nullify the “myth” that God created life on the earth as the Bible says He did. Billions of dollars have been spent in the never-ending quest to find life “out there.”
For decades, scientists have searched the heavens with radio and space-based telescopes in the hope of detecting even the tiniest indications of potential life on distant planets. One of indicators they have searched for are rocky planets. Many cosmologists believe that a rocky planet is one of a host of essential prerequisites for life (Reuters, May 8, 2024). Using the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers recently discovered such a planet outside our solar system—a rocky planet nearly nine times the size of Earth and 41 light-years away. Unlike previous discoveries of rocky planets, this one appears to have an atmosphere. Yet all indications suggest that this planet is very inhospitable to life. It is “one of the hottest-known rocky exoplanets” with an atmosphere that is unbreathable and a molten surface of around 3,140º F (or 1,725º C). No life-supporting planet beyond our own has yet been found: “All of the previous exoplanets found to have atmospheres were gaseous planets, not rocky ones. As Webb pushes the frontiers of exoplanet exploration, the discovery of a rocky one with an atmosphere represents progress.”
As scientists continue in their quest to find life out there, they continue to reject the clear evidence of a Creator right here on Earth (Romans 1:18–20). There are several key questions that, when honestly asked, lead one to conclude that there is a reason life exists on our planet. To learn more, read or listen to our booklet The Real God: Proofs and Promises.—Scott Winnail and Francine Prater