Greetings from Charlotte,
The video update for this week focuses on two items: destructive fires in North America and Europe and the winding up of the 2026 Teaching English Program in Thailand, where we had three Living Education students working this summer. This was a tremendous, life-expanding experience for them, and it reminds me of Proverbs 22:29: “Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before unknown men.” While they did not stand before a king, they were honored by Thai officials, including the Mayor of Mae Sot City Municipality and others. In years past, Ambassador College students literally stood before and worked for the King and Queen of Thailand. Who knows what our young people who are diligent in their work will do in the future? Here in Charlotte, Mr. Rod McNair recorded a telecast on Thursday, titled “Why Do Good People Suffer?” and offering What Happens When You Die? Also, I wrote a letter to all of you in preparation for the Feast. Please make the time to watch our telecasts and read our letters.
—Gerald E. Weston
Church Administration
Tomorrow’s World Presentations
Last week, we held nine TWPs—seven follow-up presentations and two initial presentations. These events drew a total of 54 guests. This week, Mr. Arseneault will give an initial presentation in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada; Mr. Rodzaj will give an initial presentation in Syracuse, New York; and Mr. Jim Meredith will give follow-up presentations in Crossville and Morristown, Tennessee. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support for the Tomorrow’s World Presentations.
Feast of Tabernacles
Activity Registration Is Now Open!
Activity registration is now open and Living Church of God attendees and guests can sign up for Feast activities.
How to register: Simply go to fotreg.cogl.org, sign in, select “Register for Activities,” and follow the prompts. Once you have signed up for activities, you can pay by selecting “Pay for Activities.” If paying by check, please read and follow carefully the instructions provided by your Festival Site Coordinator—and, of course, never send cash in the mail. And please note that, while it is perfectly fine to give Holy Day offerings online on the Holy Days, payments for Feast activities should, of course, not be made on a Sabbath. Note payment deadlines for your specific site. The general deadline to pay by check is September 7. If you have questions, contact your Festival Site Coordinator.
Note: There may still be some activities at your site that are not yet open for registration. If you have any questions about the activities at your site, please contact your Festival Coordinator.
Living Youth Program
Texas Preteen Camp 2026
The 2026 Texas Preteen Camp wrapped up another wonderful adventure this July! The focus of camp was the first five fruits of the Spirit, and the topics of love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness were studied during Christian Living classes and Evening Reflections. This theme of living by the fruit of the Spirit was also brought out in various activities. The preteens had the opportunity to learn about archery, art, basketball, kickball, paddleboarding, swimming, and volleyball. There was an excellent group of adult and teen staff that demonstrated servant leadership and modeled what it means to live by the fruit of Spirit. A big Texas Thank you to all staff for spending time and effort to make camp a success and to all the campers who came and modeled the fruit of the Spirit. To see photos of this year’s Texas Preteen Camp, as well as all the other excellent camps held this year, please visit https://memories.livingyouth.org/.
Comments
Satan’s Divided World: Wherever we look today, we see strife and division. In families, we see divorce and abuse—kids against parents and spouse against spouse. Cities and neighborhoods are torn apart by ethnic strife, and antagonisms flare between rich and poor. Political parties bitterly attack one another. Nations are divided and struggle against each other for power. When religion is added to this already boiling cauldron, explosions erupt. Few understand why the world is so divided—yet the Bible reveals the cause. Satan is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4), and he is a rebel who promotes rebellion (Isaiah 14:12–15; Revelation 12:4). He is also the author of hatred, lies, and uncontrolled anger (Galatians 5:19–21), which lead to chaos, confusion, and division (1 Corinthians 14:33). As God’s people, we must learn to recognize and resist Satan’s negative influences (1 Peter 5:6–9) so we can come out of his angry and divided world (2 Corinthians 6:17–18) and prepare to show others a better way (Isaiah 30:20–21).
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy
France, Spain, Greece, and the UK are on Fire! Western Europe is suffering through its third heat wave in six weeks (CNBC, July 30, 2026), and more than 375,000 people in France and Spain have been forced to flee their homes, due to the spread of intense wildfires (The Guardian, July 28, 2026). The summer has been dry and the unrelenting temperatures high. Another heat wave is forecast, with temperatures to again exceed 40°C (104°F). In France, the famous wine region of Bordeaux is under threat, and tourists have described the fires as “apocalyptic” and “terrifying.” And watching the smoke rise in the distance prompted one witness to wonder, “Is this how the world ends?” The United Kingdom has seen its own destruction as well, from burning heathlands in Suffolk to a raging fire in Scotland’s Cairngorms National Park (Financial Times, August 4, 2026).
Powerful winds, dry conditions, and excessive heat have enabled the firestorms ravaging Western Europe (MSN, July 30, 2026). As of the end of June, Europe’s heat wave had resulted in over 1,300 deaths (BBC, June 28, 2026)—a number sure to rise as temperatures remain high and fires continue to burn. Many of those deaths occurred in bodies of water as desperate people tried to cool themselves. Along with the human cost of these out-of-control fires, economic and agricultural costs continue to mount (CNBC, July 30, 2026).
These destructive fires should move us to pray for the lives and livelihoods of everyone involved. And though it is not “politically correct” to say so, we must consider whether God is using such disasters to get people’s attention concerning matters of sin and disobedience. He proclaimed to the ancient Israelite tribes—whose modern descendants include the peoples of France, the UK, and many other nations of Western Europe—that they would experience curses because of their rejection of Him (Deuteronomy 28:17–19, 22–24). These curses are in stark contrast to the blessings God promised if they would, instead, obey and honor Him (vv. 1–6, 12). There are answers to why the world is experiencing these natural disasters. To learn more, read Acts of God: Why Natural Disasters?
Futuristic Weapons of Modern Warfare: The weapons of science fiction are becoming reality! It has been more than 40 years since the United States first used a laser to shoot down a simple drone aircraft in 1973, but laser weaponry is finally coming to the fore as a major technology on today’s modern battlefields.
China, Israel, and the U.S. are three big players in cutting-edge laser defense systems (Deutsche Welle, May 16, 2026). As the saying goes, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” and the world’s great military powers are developing means to counter rapidly advancing attack drone technology. Conventional missiles are very expensive and ineffective at destroying drone swarms, but Directed Energy Weapons promise new defense approaches and are comparatively inexpensive. One defensive missile costs great sums of money to produce, but one laser shot can cost as little as three dollars. Laser defense systems from China have been seen in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf states, and laser technology has been used against Iranian drones. The UAE is currently in possession of a “laser system called Iron Beam that Israel apparently loaned the Emiratis, and further reports say the UAE is also trying to buy an American-made laser weapon.” According to one source, “the UAE is slowly becoming the world’s busiest laser weapon market.” While today’s military laser technology is largely defensive, one can easily imagine the new directions that may be explored as military conflicts continue.
As long as there are wars, military technology will advance and become more destructive. However, the time is coming when there will be no more war (Isaiah 2:4). At that time, weapons will be converted to farming tools, and the lasers of science fiction will become part of mankind’s tragic history. To learn more about this coming time of no more war, read or listen to The World Ahead: What Will It Be Like? —Scott Winnail, Chris Sookdeo, and Francine Prater