Greetings from Charlotte,
The majority of the United States electorate felt that the country is on the wrong track, and many turned to Donald Trump to lead the nation out of its troubles for the next four years. It was a resounding rebuff of “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” social policies, a deliberate open border with millions of unvetted illegals flooding in, an economy that is squeezing many, a blatantly biased mainstream media, perceived weakness on the world stage, and much more. Will the returning president be able to deliver on his promises? As I pointed out in this week’s video update, God tells us in the Proverbs that we are not nearly as much in control of events as we may imagine. “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). And to confirm this, we read in Proverbs 19:21: “There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand.” No matter who is President of the U.S., or any country, sins will bring it down. The members on the Council of Elders will be in town this coming week for a three-day series of meetings. Your prayers for everyone’s safety and for God’s guidance in these meetings will be appreciated.—Gerald Weston
Church Administration
Tomorrow’s World Presentations
Last week, Mr. Gerald Weston traveled to Missouri to give initial presentations in Cape Girardeau and Poplar Bluff. These presentations drew a total of 37 guests. This week, we will hold an online presentation for the Canadian subscriber base; follow-up presentations in Cape Girardeau and Poplar Bluff, and in Cape Town, South Africa; and a Tomorrow’s World Bible Study in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia. Thank you for your continued prayers and support for the Tomorrow’s World Presentations.
Kansas City, Missouri, Family Weekend
We invite you to attend the Kansas City, Missouri, Family Weekend, a time for fellowship, food, and fun on December 27, 28, and 29! Join us for a family reunion, a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with your brothers and sisters in Christ, to share photos and memories, and to strengthen the ties that bind us together as a Church family.
Visit www.kclcg.org/2024weekend for details and to register. We can’t wait to see your photos, hear your stories, and share this weekend with you!
Feast of Tabernacles
Festival Survey (Repeat Announcement)
If you have not yet filled out the Festival Survey, please do so by Sunday, November 10. We are asking all Feast-goers ages 13 and up to fill out the survey. Your feedback is important and helps with planning future Festivals. You can access it at fotsurvey.lcg.org.
Comments
Pay Attention to Prophecy: America recently conducted a bitterly fought election. The results brought cheers and hope for some, but tears, disappointment, and much foreboding to others—leaving the nation deeply divided (Matthew 12:25). Will a new set of leaders with new ideas really be able to resolve the problems facing our nation and the world (Proverbs 14:12)? It is sobering how quickly the glitter of newly elected officials can begin to fade. God has blessed tremendously the Israelite nations of the West (Genesis 12:1–3), but those blessings came with responsibilities that included obeying God’s laws and being lights to the world (Deuteronomy 4:1–9). However, the trends in America and the West have been away from the Bible and away from God. Bible prophecies warn that if we continue to ignore God’s laws, there will be serious consequences (Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28). Let’s pray for our countries and for God’s people, but let’s also make sure that we are doing our part to draw close to God and obey His laws, lest we, too, have to experience the coming reckoning (Matthew 7:21; Luke 6:46).
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy – November 7, 2024
Has Life Expectancy Peaked? Mankind has long desired to live forever, yet finding the fountain of youth has been elusive. While life-expectancy rates have increased greatly in Western nations since the widespread availability of clean water supplies and sanitation facilities, such advances, along with the miracles of modern medicine, seem to be approaching a limit in their effectiveness at lengthening the human lifespan much further.
This is the finding of a recent study published in the highly respected journal Nature Aging (Associated Press, October 7, 2024). Researchers studying life expectancy in eight places in the world where people live longest have concluded, “We are reaching a plateau.” The locations studied were Australia, France, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, and Switzerland. In the last thirty years, the rate of life expectancy increase in these places has slowed from an additional 2.5 years per decade to 1.5 years per decade today. Researchers also noted that although we are seeing more people reach 100 years of age than we used to see, there are also many more people in the earth, and the percentage of the population reaching this age has remained the same. One researcher commented, “We’re squeezing less and less life out of these life-extending technologies. And the reason is, aging gets in the way.”
It appears that God has put a cap on aging that scientists, with all their wisdom and ingenuity, cannot overcome. Living forever is not a gift God intended humanity to bestow on itself—nor is it His plan that we “figure out” some way of achieving it. However, the Bible reveals that God does intend to grant the gift of unending life to those who choose to follow His Son and live according to His way of life (John 3:16). To discover the real purpose of life, be sure to read or listen to What Is the Meaning of Life?
Social and Political Disasters in the UK: In certain regions of the United Kingdom, the growing number of vacant desks in schools is growing (Telegraph, September 15, 2024). Although demographers have warned about Britain’s plummeting birth rate for decades, national leaders have chosen to focus on other issues. As birthrates drop, fewer young people seek an education and enter the workforce to contribute to the tax base, all while older people are living longer on national pensions. This puts stress on local and national budgets as elected officials struggle to keep pace with increasing social costs that have not been adequately planned for.
Simultaneously, the cost of energy and transportation has increased for decades in the UK. The cost of laying one mile of track for tram lines in Britain is four times that of Germany’s and twice the European average. Electricity costs in the UK are also much higher than those in the rest of Europe—a reality that was foreseen yet ignored. Britain has failed to prepare for future demands for multiple reasons—including political reasons. As it was put in the Telegraph, “Like bankruptcy, social and political change can happen slowly, and then suddenly…. Too often, the slowness of change and distance of danger is a convenient and irresistible excuse for inaction. A country needs leadership, and leadership requires the bravery to confront the inevitable.”
God warned in the book of Proverbs, “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint” (Proverbs 29:18). In many societies today, leaders lack vision. They prefer to focus on the joys and benefits of the present and ignore the inevitabilities of the future. However, the consequences of today’s trends and decisions will come whether we want them to or not. Jesus Christ warned that difficult times and His impending return will come at a “day and hour no one knows” (Matthew 24:36). That is why He warned us to watch and be ready (24:42–44). To learn more about the real social and political disasters facing the United Kingdom in the future, view our telecast “Watch the Middle East.” – Scott Winnail, William Williams, and Francine Prater