Greetings from Charlotte,
The world was shocked last Saturday with the attempted assassination of former U.S. President Donald Trump. It is a sobering reminder of the potentially explosive nature of today’s political environment—and the need for God’s Kingdom and His government to be set up on earth. More than 210 brethren and guests attended the funeral of Mr. Richard Ames last Sunday. On Monday, international Feast Site Coordinators met together for an online planning meeting. This week I taped a telecast titled, “Is Christianity Dangerous?” Texas Teen camp will be wrapping up this weekend, and the Texas Preteen Camp will follow on its heels, from July 22 to 26. The West Virginia Preteen Camp begins on Sunday, July 28. Mr. Gerald Weston is dealing with a painful sciatica flare-up in his back. Your prayers for his relief and for many others going through trials would be much appreciated.—Rod McNair
Church Administration
Tomorrow’s World Presentations
Last week we held seven in-person Tomorrow’s World Presentations and two online presentations, which drew a total of 139 guests. This week, we will hold one initial presentation in Northampton, England, two follow-up presentations in Georgia and two in Trinidad, and one online presentation for the Canadian subscriber base. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support for the Tomorrow’s World Presentations.
Feast of Tabernacles
This week we closed further transfers to St. George, Utah. This is the complete list of Feast sites that are now closed for transfers:
- Branson, Missouri
- Dubuque, Iowa
- Gulf Shores, Alabama
- St. George, Utah
- Montego Bay, Jamaica
- Port Barcarès, France
Comments
Prepare for the Fast—Part 2: The Bible reveals there is a Judgment coming and that Jesus Christ will judge the world when He returns (1 Chronicles 16:33; 2 Timothy 4:1). That judgment will be especially severe on the Israelite nations, which have “forsaken” God and no longer have a “fear” of God as they “do their own thing” (Jeremiah 2:11–19; Judges 21:25). They will lose their blessings because they followed misguided leaders who urged them to disobey and despise God’s laws (Leviticus 26:14–17) and to view God’s word—the Bible—as a “strange thing” (Hosea 8:12). The rejection of God and His word has spawned the moral decline, hatred, violence, corruption, and promotion of behaviors like homosexuality and transgenderism that God calls abominations (Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:18–32; 1 Corinthians 6:9–10). However, God reveals what He is looking for in those who will be spared the coming judgment: people who obey His commandments and who are humble and teachable and “tremble at [His] word” (Deuteronomy 10:12–13; Isaiah 66:2). Another reason for the coming Fast is to redouble our efforts to develop and show these fruits in our lives.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—July 18, 2024
“The Germans Are Worshiping the God of War Once More”: That bold statement is the title of a recent article published in the Telegraph (June 15, 2024). The article notes that, thanks to the Ukraine conflict, many nations are coming to understand that modern warfare is really an artillery war. He then cited Joseph Stalin’s reference to artillery as the “God of War.” The war in Ukraine uses “millions of shells and hundreds of thousands of rockets a year.”
Yet while Russia’s military output dwarfs that of Germany and most European nations combined, Germany “might be the best example of this determination to add artillery firepower. The Bundeswehr has an ambitious plan to more than double its artillery inventory” by 2035. Germany is producing greater numbers of artillery pieces and ammunition for both their own nation and for Ukraine. But will it be enough for future needs?
The ancient Assyrians were the predecessors of the modern Germans. The powerful Assyrian army was responsible for crushing and then taking into captivity the kingdom of Israel. The names of Assyrian kings—Sennacherib, Esarhaddon, and Tiglath Pileser III—bring to mind great and powerful armies. Ancient pagan nations were polytheistic and had gods for many elements of life: a god of fire, a god of the harvest, fertility gods and goddesses, and, of course, gods of war! Will the modern descendant of Assyria—Germany—produce another great army that again goes to war in the Middle East? To find out, read our telling article, “Resurgent Germany: A Fourth Reich?”
More Extreme Crimes: Last weekend, former U.S. president Donald Trump was injured in an assassination attempt at a political rally. As widely reported, Mr. Trump was shot in the ear with a bullet that just barely missed his skull. The gunman was killed and at least one member of the audience present at the rally was also killed. The attack prompted President Biden to make a statement condemning political violence.
In the last couple weeks, other extreme crimes have been committed in diverse locations. In England, a 34-year old man was arrested in connection with two suitcases found in Bristol, England, that contained the body parts of two men (Reuters, July 13, 2024). Officials said that the suspect traveled with the suitcases from London. And at a rubbish dump in Nairobi, Kenya, police found several plastic bags containing body parts of at least six female victims (The Guardian, July 13, 2024). Remains of two men and another woman were found at the site previously. Opponents of Kenya’s president, William Ruto, have accused police of foul play.
As the world descends into further chaos, we should be reminded of Ezekiel’s vision in which God commands His angel to “put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within” the land (Ezekiel 9:4). As atrocities increase around the globe, broadcast by the ever-present news media, it is easy to become calloused. Those who seek to truly follow Jesus Christ must not let this happen and should increase the intensity of their prayers asking for His return to occur soon: “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20). To learn more about signs to watch for that indicate the approach of Christ’s Second Coming, read or listen to Fourteen Signs Announcing Christ’s Return.—Scott Winnail and Francine Prater