Greetings from Charlotte,
As Texas Teen Camp nears its conclusion, don’t miss Mr. Gerald Weston’s video update recorded on-site at the Lone Star Camp near Athens, Texas. You may also find interesting the “LYC Phrasebook,” which lists important values and traditions taught at camp (go to livingyouth.org and click on “Our Camps”). As we pass the mid-point of July, the Feast of Tabernacles is drawing near. If you haven’t, there is still time to register to serve at the Feast this year by going to the Festival website (see announcement below). In sad news, we are reporting belatedly that Saturday morning, June 20, Mr. Frank Best died at the age of 87. Mr. Best was one of our longtime faithful ministers in Canada, serving for more than 40 years, most recently in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He will be greatly missed.
—Rod McNair
Church Administration
Tomorrow’s World Presentations
Last week, we held six in-person presentations and two online. These events drew a total of 35 guests. This week, Mr. Wachowicz will give an online presentation to Canadian subscribers; Mr. Rick Stafford will give an initial presentation in Spring, Texas; Mr. Dan Dever will give follow-up presentations in San Antonio and Kyle, Texas; and Mr. Simon Roberts will give a follow-up presentation in Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support for the Tomorrow’s World Presentations.
Feast of Tabernacles
Attention Pastors: Sermons for Those Unable to Attend the Feast in Person
Because some members, for legitimate reasons, are unable to attend the Feast of Tabernacles in person, the Church provides access to Feast sermons by various means.
Many Feast sites will offer livestream or telephone connections to those assigned to that site. This is the preferred option. Though not a substitute for being present at the site, these connections give access to live Feast services, including prayers and hymns.
Prerecorded Feast sermons will also be available for brethren who are unable to attend in person and for whom the livestream or telephone connections are not feasible. The prerecorded sermons will be published online—one per day—throughout the Feast:
- English-language Feast sermons will be posted at https://members.lcg.org
- French-language Feast sermons will be posted at www.eglisedieuvivant.org
Additionally, links to these prerecorded Festival sermons will be emailed to pastors in advance of the Feast. Before the Feast, you can forward that email to the members in your areas who are not attending in person.
We request that as many as are able access their assigned site’s Feast sermons by livestream or telephone or view the prerecorded sermons online. However, if there are brethren in your areas who cannot take advantage of these options and need to receive physical sermon disks through the mail, please send us their names and addresses before the following deadlines:
- The deadline for international requests for prerecorded Festival sermon disks is July 28. For those in regions with slow postal service, please send in your requests as early as possible in order for the sermons to arrive before the Feast.
- Requests for recipients in the U.S. must be received by August 4.
- If possible, please do not wait until the deadline to send in your requests.
Plan to Serve
As you make preparations for the Feast of Tabernacles, don’t overlook one of the “best kept secrets” of the Feast—serving makes for a great Feast! Many brethren have figured this out already and are reaping the benefits of it. Volunteering for service is a crucial function that enables the Feast to run smoothly. If you haven’t signed up to serve at your Feast site, you can still log in to your Feast registration and do so. If you have any questions about specific needs at your Feast site, contact your Festival Site Coordinator. You can find his contact information by going to the Festival website—just go to fot2026.lcg.org and click the applicable Feast site on the map at the bottom of the page.
Comments
The Importance of Patience: Today, our societies are focused on instant gratification. Yet God has a different priority, and we are to develop His perspective (Philippians 2:5). The Scriptures reveal that God places a premium on developing patience (Luke 8:15; Romans 12:12; 1 Peter 2:20), because He is patient (1 Peter 3:20) and patience is one of the fruits of His Spirit (Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 4:2). God uses trials to help us develop patience (James 1:3–4). As part of God’s plan to prepare them for their future roles, Abraham and Sarah waited decades for a promised son (Genesis 12:4; 17:17), Joseph spent years in prison (Genesis 39:20; 41:1, 14), Moses herded sheep for 40 years (Exodus 2:21–25; 3:1), and David endured persecution (Psalm 37:7; 40:1). We need to remember God’s promise that “those who wait on the Lord… shall mount up with wings like eagles” (Isaiah 40:31). Let’s strive to develop real godly patience, because that is what God is looking for in each of us.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy
Is Europe Becoming More Independent or More Divided? European leaders are growing in confidence as they grow in military power, improve their trade relations, and distance themselves from their reliance on the United States and other nations. But, as one commentator warned, “for all the talk of the European Union protecting itself from outside threats, the greatest dangers lie within” (New York Times, July 7, 2026).
Europe is acting more like a unified federation. However, the politics playing out within its member nations tell a different story. “The result is a paradox. At the continental level, Europe is coming together, as leaders boast of the bloc becoming ever more resilient. But at the member-state level, Europe is cracking up, as domestic politics becomes ever more volatile. That threatens to cast the continent into disarray, hobbling the European Union’s bid for independence and exposing it to the predations of the far right.” And the far right is gaining strength in multiple nations across Europe, including two of the most powerful: France and Germany. Perhaps this is partly due to the unpredictability of the elite leadership in these nations.
Bible prophecy has long described this “iron and clay nature” of Europe (Daniel 2:33, 41–43). But the Bible also foretells that a strong leader will soon emerge to unify core European nations—at least for a short time (Revelation 17:12–13). The Bible refers to this coming charismatic leader as “the beast,” and he will use many tools, including supernatural signs, to establish his position! To learn more, read or listen to The Beast of Revelation: Myth, Metaphor, or Soon-Coming Reality?
The Presumption of Rewriting Life: Before He confused mankind’s languages, God noted that nothing would be impossible for a unified humanity (Genesis 11:1–9)—and our modern era is beginning to reveal such capabilities. Geneticists have recently been using CRISPR technology to remove and replace what they deem to be defective gene sequences in plants and animals (Deutsche Welle, June 16, 2026). Gene sequences can be introduced that make plants resistant to drought or mold and increase crop yields. Proponents foresee significant benefits to this approach, while opponents question the long-term impacts of consuming foods with edited genes.
While the European Union has eased restrictions on the use of gene-editing technology on commercially available foods, King’s College London professor Michael Antoniou observes that the CRISPR process can cause unintended changes in the DNA of the plant: “The scientific evidence shows that when considered as a whole, the CRISPR gene editing process causes large-scale random, unintended sites of damage to the DNA of the plant, and [those sites of damage] can number in the hundreds or thousands.” Concerned scientists believe more research is needed to better understand the changes and how they will impact consumers.
Scientists who perform gene editing typically view this process through an evolutionary model and fail to see the Creator behind the life they are “reprogramming.” In fact, the complexity and intelligence behind DNA and genetic systems are solid evidence for God’s existence. Tampering with profound systems we do not fully understand, systems God so carefully designed, risks causing serious consequences across the biosphere. You can learn more about the reasons we know DNA did not randomly evolve by watching “Evolution’s Dirty Little Secrets.” —Scott Winnail, Wallace Smith, and Francine Prater