Greetings from Charlotte,
This has been a sad week here in the United States. A young woman who immigrated from Ukraine to escape the violence of war was brutally stabbed to death by a deranged man while riding on a commuter train in uptown Charlotte. The video record touched many, and the story went viral around the world.
Then, on Wednesday, Charlie Kirk, a young man who has engaged in dialogue with thousands of students in universities across the country over moral and political issues, was assassinated. No matter what one’s personal beliefs may be, this was a tragic end to someone who influenced millions of young lives.
And today, Thursday, is September 11, the 24th anniversary of the attacks by Islamic extremists that killed 2,977 people. Citizens of more than 80 countries lost their lives that day, and thousands of first responders and others who were in the area in the aftermath of the collapse of the towers have since died or are suffering from cancers and lung damage as a direct result of the toxic dust and gases. Mr. Wayne Tlumak, who was in downtown New York City 24 years ago, gave today’s Living Education forum to the on-site students—only one of whom was even born before that fateful day.
This is only one week, a small snippet in time, and this message cannot cover personal and collective tragedies taking place around the world that also bear witness to the fact that this is not God’s world—and that fact will be the focus of our sermons in the coming days, as the Feast of Trumpets is now less than two weeks away.
—Gerald E. Weston
Church Administration
Tomorrow’s World Presentations
Last week, we held six in-person presentations in Grand Prairie, Alberta, Canada; Knoxville and Etowah, Tennessee; Hartford, Connecticut; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. These presentations drew a total of 88 guests. This week we will hold nine total presentations listed below:
- Montreal, Quebec, Canada (initial)
- Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom (follow-up)
- Knoxville, Tennessee (follow-up)
- Etowah, Tennessee (follow-up)
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (follow-up)
- Pontefract, England, United Kingdom (follow-up)
- Hartford, Connecticut (follow-up)
- French, Worldwide (online)
Thank you all for your continued prayers and support for the Tomorrow’s World Presentations.
Feast of Tabernacles
Opening Night, the First Holy Day, and the Last Great Day
The Opening Night service will take place on Monday evening, October 6. We should all make every effort to arrive at our Feast site in plenty of time to attend this service at the beginning of the Holy Day. There will once again be a special welcome message from Mr. Weston played during this service. Be sure to check your Feast website or ask your Feast Site Coordinator for the exact time of the Opening Night service at your Festival site.
The first Holy Day of the Feast is Tuesday, October 7, and the Last Great Day, also a Holy Day, is Thursday, October 14. Please remember—the entire Last Great Day is a Holy Day, and a special message from Headquarters will be played that afternoon. Everyone is encouraged to make every effort to attend the Feast all the way to the end of the Last Great Day!
Deadline to Pay for Activities by Check—U.S. Only
The deadline to pay for Feast activities by check is September 18. The preferred method for paying for Feast activities is online through PayPal or by credit card, but if you need to pay by check, you can do so by sending a check to HQ. Please include with your payment the name of the Feast site that you are attending and the specific activities that you are paying for. You can mail your checks to the following address:
Living Church of God
PO Box 3810
Charlotte, NC 28227-8010
ATTN: Feast Activities
Business Office
Please note that our last scheduled day to print checks will be Tuesday, September 30. After that date, we will not be able to print any checks until Tuesday, October 21. Any invoices we receive by September 26 will be paid before the Festival break. Any invoices we receive after September 26 may not be able to be paid until October 30. If you have any questions concerning specific invoices or payments, please contact Ms. Michelle Greene in the Accounts Payable Department at 704-708-2234. You can also e-mail [email protected].
Green Holy Day Envelopes Have Been Mailed—U.S. Only – Repeat Announcement
Green Holy Day envelopes for the fall Holy Days were mailed out the week ending August 8. If you have not received yours and would like the personalized, pre-addressed offering envelopes, please contact [email protected] or call the office (704-844-1970) and we will mail you a set. If you choose to donate through the envelope system, using these pre-addressed envelopes greatly speeds up the counting and receipting process, which in turn saves valuable time and money. For those who will donate online, please use donations.lcg.org: Click on “Type of Donation,” then choose “Holy Day Offering.” A Holy Day drop-down menu will appear, and there you can select the applicable Holy Day.
Tithe of the Festival Tithe – Repeat Announcement
For many decades, the Church of God has practiced what is called the “tithe of the Festival tithe.” What this means is that brethren who can afford it are asked to send a tenth of their Festival tithe to the Church before the Feast, to help pay for meeting halls and other Feast expenses as well as to help brethren around the world who have limited resources with which to attend the Feast (Deuteronomy 14:27; 16:14). If you are able and you have not already done so, please send in your tithe of the Festival tithe for this year. This contribution is greatly appreciated.
Living Youth Programs
Morgan Montgomery Memorial Youth Fund
The Morgan Montgomery Memorial Youth Fund is a fund dedicated to helping foreign youths attend summer camps here in the U.S. or at their closest regional camp around the world. If you would like to donate, you can do so by going to donations.lcg.org, choosing “Special Funds” as the type of donation, and selecting “Morgan Montgomery Memorial Youth Fund” from the drop-down menu.
If you send a check, please indicate “Morgan Montgomery Memorial Youth Fund” in the memo line of the check or in accompanying correspondence.
Thank you for supporting our young people and helping them attend the LCG camps.
Comments
Pay Attention to Prophecy: We live in a world filled with distractions—emails, smartphones, job and family issues—that constantly pull our minds in different directions. However, the Scriptures admonish Christians to be alert and watch for specific events that will mark the approaching end of this age and the return of Jesus Christ (see Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21). As we see the convergence of long-prophesied events, we should be motivated to grow spiritually and prepare for roles we have been called to play in the coming Kingdom of God—teaching God’s way of life to the peoples of the world (Isaiah 30:20–21). We also need to remember that Jesus promised, “Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching…. Be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Luke 12:37–40). So, let’s study and pay attention to Bible prophecy!
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy
Will Russia’s Nuclear Test Site Restart? Russia may be preparing to resume nuclear weapons testing for the first time since 1990. Senior Russian officials, including lawmakers and military leaders, have visited the Novaya Zemlya test site—a Cold War-era facility where the Soviet Union conducted more than 130 nuclear tests. Novaya Zemlya was the site of the Tsar Bomba detonation in 1961—the most powerful nuclear explosion ever recorded. The site is reportedly “fully combat ready,” with personnel and equipment prepared to begin testing if ordered (MSN, August 27, 2025). Some Russian hardliners are urging a live nuclear test as a show of defiance to the West amid tensions over Ukraine. Rear Admiral Andrei Sinitsyn, who oversees the facility, stated that testing could begin immediately if authorized.
Dmitry Stefanovich, a defense analyst at the Russian Centre for International Security, warns that internal pressures—especially from a new generation of nuclear officials—could push for testing. He notes that no technical need exists for live detonations, as Russia has advanced simulation technologies.
The resurgence of extreme military posturing, including nuclear threats, reflects a dramatic loss of international restraint—even as Scripture warns of a time coming when peace will be taken from the earth (Revelation 6:4). For more information on how Russia ties into Bible prophecy, you can watch “Russia in Prophecy in 10 Minutes... Is This the End of the Age?”
Global Crises and End-Time Conditions: The convergence of multiple global crises in 2025 presents the sobering picture of an Almighty God who is preparing the world for end-time events.
In the Middle East, Israel has intensified military operations around Gaza City (Al Jazeera, August 29, 2025). Israeli forces are conducting intense operations and plan to intensify strikes as they seek control of the Gaza Strip (Reuters, August 29, 2025). This coincides with the United States’ restrictions on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ attending the United Nations General Assembly, where many allies plan to recognize Palestinian statehood, in defiance of U.S. desires (BBC, August 30, 2025). Anger against Israel continues to grow, as does the distance between the United States and its erstwhile allies. Meanwhile, Ukraine faces continued Russian aggression, as diplomatic peace options have been “rapidly fading” after attacks killed 23, including four children (United Nations, August 29, 2025). International security guarantees remain fragmented as European nations seek U.S. assurances of military involvement.
Natural disasters around the globe compound these man-made crises. Pakistan has experienced devastating floods, displacing almost 250,000 people (Sky News, August 28, 2025). Last year, the Middle East saw unprecedented floods in multiple countries (i24 News, April 17, 2024). Global annual disaster costs now exceed $2.3 trillion, creating a “destructive cycle of disasters, debt… and humanitarian need” (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, 2025).
For those “watching” for Christ’s return to establish His Kingdom, these crises and a host of others represent changes in world conditions that one would expect as the events preceding the Second Coming of Jesus Christ draw near. You can learn more about signs of His coming by reading or listening to Fourteen Signs Announcing Christ’s Return. —Scott Winnail and Richard Franz