Greetings from Charlotte,
Carol and I, along with the DeSimone family, were in Kansas City for Thanksgiving and traveled through the Asheville, North Carolina, area on our return. While most of the city looks normal, anything close to the French Broad River or its tributaries was devastated. Where we stopped for lunch, there were a half dozen large tanker trucks marked “Potable Water” in a parking lot, indicating that they still have issues pertaining to usable water in or near Asheville. Of course, the destruction hit a much wider area than the city itself. Carol and I drove by where we lived back in the 1980s, and at least two very large trees were uprooted in the yard—apparently from the ground being soaked so the trees could be blown down by high winds. We could not see any roof damage to our old home, but some neighbors were not so lucky. Next week, I’m scheduled to be in Canada to record three telecasts and some Tomorrow’s World Viewpoint videos, as well as to give an online Tomorrow’s World Presentation. – Gerald Weston
Church Administration
Tomorrow’s World Presentations
Last week, we held one follow-up presentation in Bristol, England, that drew a total of two repeat guests. This week we will hold one follow-up presentation in Buffalo, New York. This presentation is the last of three in the Tomorrow’s World Presentation series given there by Mr. Adam West. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support for the Tomorrow’s World Presentations.
Little Rock, Arkansas, Family Weekend
The Winter Weekend in Little Rock, Arkansas, will take place on December 28 and 29. A Sabbath Bible Study at 11:00 a.m. will be followed by lunch, after which Sabbath Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. and later a Saturday-night activity. Sunday will begin with a pancake breakfast and continue with Bingo and fellowship. If you would like to attend and need local housing for the weekend, please email [email protected].
Comments
Why We Must Study God’s Word: The Bible reveals that God is looking for individuals who tremble at His word (Isaiah 66:2). Jesus said we are to live “by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). He also warned that misguided leaders would set aside the commandments of God and teach “as doctrines the commandments [traditions] of men” (Mark 7:5–13). This is why the Apostle Paul stressed that we must diligently study the Scriptures so we can correctly understand the word of God and avoid being misled and confused by false teachers and misguided ideas (2 Timothy 2:15, King James Version). In a world filled with conflicting ideas, we need to prove to ourselves what the Bible says so we can avoid being deceived (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Let’s make time to study God’s word!
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy – December 5, 2024
A Right-Wing EU? The European Union has viewed itself as progressive, liberal, and left-leaning. But as a recent analysis in The Guardian suggests, “For the first time in its history, we could be looking at a genuinely rightwing European Union” (November 18, 2024). The incoming parliament is the most right-wing in history and will be responsible for backing the conservative agenda of Ursula von der Leyen’s second term. More than half of the members of both the EU Commission and the EU Council are right-wing. As the article notes, “This rightward shift in the balance of power is unprecedented and could mean the end of the centrist majority that has governed Europe since the EU’s creation.” The article also highlights that “the firewall against the far right that operates across Europe has already been breached in the Czech Republic, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia and Sweden, where governing coalitions are made up of conservatives and far-right politicians.”
Why is this swing to the right worth watching? The Bible reveals that at the end of the age, a decisive, powerful leader will head a German-led European “beast” power. This leader will encourage a group of ten other leaders or nations to “give their power and authority” to this “beast” power for a short time (Revelation 17:12–13). This European political, economic, and military powerhouse will dramatically intervene in the Holy Land and have a profound impact on the world stage. While the EU leaders have been unable to make progress and are constantly bogged down in disagreements, a strong leader is coming who will galvanize at least a portion of the EU to move forward with his agenda. The swing to the right we are seeing in European politics could help set the stage for this coming “beast.” To learn more about what Bible prophecies reveal for Europe and the Middle East, watch “The Mark of the Beast: A Clever Counterfeit.”
Judges in Confusion: The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom is currently hearing a case that seeks to define what a woman is (Associated Press, November 26, 2024). A conclusion that was once possible for a child in kindergarten to draw—whether someone is a man or a woman—now requires a panel of five adult judges with decades of legal and life experience. The case is being brought by a women’s rights group that opposes the Scottish government’s desire to define a biological man who holds a female “gender recognition certificate” as a woman. At the center of the debate is the composition of Scottish decision-making bodies that are required by law to be 50 percent male and 50 percent female. Conceivably, under the Scottish government’s intended definition of a woman, a board could be comprised of 100 percent biological men so long as 50 percent of them “identify” as a woman. The judges of a lower court had rejected the challenge, in favor of the Scottish government’s gender confusion, resulting in this appeal to the highest judges of the land.
Today, the Israelite-descended countries of the world—such as Scotland and the rest of the UK—are increasingly becoming lands of confusion where judges are no longer able to recognize truth and biological reality. The prophet Isaiah warns of a time when the people of those nations will “call evil good, and good evil” and confuse “darkness for light” and “bitter for sweet” (Isaiah 5:20). He warns, as well, that society will reach a state where “the whole head is sick” and confused (Isaiah 1:5). Our sad state of affairs was prophesied in the pages of the Bible. To get a better grasp of what is happening in our world today, be sure to read or listen to The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy. – Scott Winnail and Francine Prater