Greetings from Charlotte,
Dr. and Mrs. Wilner Pierre are scheduled to arrive tomorrow for a week-long visit. Dr. Pierre is scheduled to give two online Tomorrow’s World Presentations in French and to record thirty 15-minute radio programs for Benin, Togo, St. Martin, and Martinique. The Feast of Trumpets is almost here. Interestingly, the Holy Day begins on the evening of September 11 this year—the 25th anniversary of those infamous terrorist attacks that took place on United States soil. I mention this because the Holy Days have often seen unusual events occur, though we should be careful not to make too much of what may be only an interesting coincidence. What is certain is that Trumpets will be followed in short order by Atonement, Tabernacles, and the Last Great Day. Spectacular events will take place when each of these days become reality, and that is not idle speculation. May God speed those days! —Gerald E. Weston
Church Administration
Tomorrow’s World Presentations
Last week, we held two initial presentations and six follow-up presentations. These events drew a total of 49 guests. This week, Dr. Wilner Pierre will give two online presentations to our French subscribers. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support for the Tomorrow’s World Presentations.
Feast of Tabernacles
Perfumes and Colognes at the Feast
Please be aware while at the Feast that some people have serious sensitivities to perfumes, colognes, and other scents. For some of our brethren, even being in the same room as someone using perfume or cologne can send them to the Emergency Room. Please use extra care to show love to others with your restraint at the Feast.
What If You Are Expecting?
If you are pregnant and will be due around Feast time, please exercise caution and discretion when making your decision whether to travel to the Feast. The Church has long recommended that you stay home if your due date is around the Feast, for the sake of yourself and your unborn child. As in all matters of health, this is a personal decision that should be weighed carefully, prayerfully, and with the advice of your physician or midwife. For those staying home, you can stream Church services from your assigned site, watch the prerecorded Feast sermons posted daily at Members.LCG.org, or request prerecorded sermons from your pastor.
Services on the Day of Atonement and the Weekly Sabbath After the Feast
For the benefit of those who may be traveling to their Festival site early and/or staying late, you can now access information regarding where services will be conducted on the Day of Atonement (September 21), the Sabbath immediately before the Feast (September 19), and the Sabbath immediately following the Feast (October 11). This information includes which congregations will hold services, what time those services will be held, and whom to contact for more details. Please be sure to contact the appropriate person regarding services to confirm details such as location and whether there will be enough space. You can access this information at MyLCG.
Appropriate Dress for Feast Services
While God looks on the heart, dress and outward decorum are also important (Matthew 22:8–14), and it’s good to review basic principles for attire at Feast services. For men in most Western countries, coats, collared shirts, ties, and nice slacks are considered appropriate on special occasions. This may vary somewhat in tropical climates. For ladies, 1 Timothy 2:9–10 explains that dress should be “modest apparel, with propriety and moderation.” Form-fitting clothing, high hemlines, necklines showing cleavage, bare shoulders, backless dresses, crop-tops, and the like are not appropriate for Church services. Our challenge as disciples of Jesus Christ is to be separate from this world and be lights to it (2 Corinthians 6:17; Matthew 5:14–16). This is especially true as we gather to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles together, multiplying our examples and reflecting the Church as a group.
What About the Pool or Beach?
Swimwear at the Feast of Tabernacles should be modest and in good taste. We are to be guided by the two great commandments—to love God and love our neighbor (Matthew 22:37–39)—so as not to offend God or our neighbor in our attire at the Feast. Accordingly, ladies’ swimwear at the Feast should be modest and cover the midsection, and men should not wear Speedo-type suits unless pool facility rules specifically require them, as is the case in some European countries. As future kings and priests, we have a responsibility to discern between what is appropriate and what is not—and to live accordingly (Ezekiel 22:26).
Finance
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 14. 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.
Last Day to Print Checks – Repeat Announcement
Please note that our last scheduled day to print checks will be Tuesday, September 22. After that date, we will not be able to print any checks until Thursday, October 8. Any invoices we receive by September 16 will be paid before the Festival break. Any invoices we receive after September 16 may not be able to be paid until October 8. 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].
Comments
Are You Thankful for the Truth?
The Sabbath is a good time to thank God for giving us an understanding of His truth—that there is a real God who is guiding the course of history (Job 12:23; Daniel 2:21; 4:17), that there is a real purpose for life (1 John 3:1–3), and that Jesus Christ is going to return to bring peace and justice to the world and restore all things (Isaiah 9:6–7; Acts 3:19–21). We are told that the saints will reign with Christ and fill the earth with a knowledge of God’s ways (Daniel 7:27; Isaiah 11:9). The capacity to understand the truth about the plan of God is a gift that God is only giving to a few at this time (1 Corinthians 1:26). The Bible reveals that Satan has blinded the rest of the world to these important and wonderful truths (2 Corinthians 4:3–4). Are you thankful for the opportunity to understand these truths that have been hidden from the world? —Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy
“The Most Dangerous Man in Germany”: The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is seen as a far-right party and is feared by many Germans, and the German state of Saxony-Anhalt is an AfD stronghold. Respected German news magazine Der Spiegel recently published a cover article presenting Ulrich Siegmund, AfD candidate for minister-president of Saxony-Anhalt, as “The Most Dangerous Man in Germany” (Welt, August 14, 2026). However, the party is gaining support all over Germany, in part because of its strong opposition to unbridled immigration. Germany’s chancellor and many others view Siegmund “as a threat to the country’s liberal postwar order” (Politico, August 24, 2026). Should the AfD achieve “an outright majority in the state parliament, Siegmund will likely become premier… a historic triumph for the AfD and a shock to Germany’s political system.”
Siegmund is a 35-year-old politician who connects well with a wide range of people (The Spectator, August 23, 2026), though he is apparently pro-Russian and very conservative. As The Daily Mail noted, “To many voters alarmed by mass migration, this man is a charismatic messiah. He’s also… on the verge of becoming the first far-Right nationalist to run a state government since the Nazis” (August 20, 2026). Many Germans view Siegmund as a champion of traditional German values.
Bible prophecy foretells the coming of a powerful, charismatic leader who will come on the scene at the end of the age and spearhead the German-led European “beast” power. Whether Ulrich Siegmund is this coming leader remains to be seen, but students of Bible prophecy should watch for such a person to take center stage in Europe as the end of the age approaches. To learn more, read or listen to The Beast of Revelation: Myth, Metaphor, or Soon-Coming Reality?
An Ominous Milestone: America has reached a once-unimaginable milestone: “The United States’ gross national debt surpassed $40 trillion… meaning the nation’s financial hole has doubled in size in less than a decade” (ABC News, August 20, 2026). Such debt has great potential to negatively impact businesses and individuals alike—as well as the nation’s standing in the world.
To be sure, the U.S. national debt “enables the federal government to pay for important programs and services for the American public” (Treasury.gov). “Fiscal stimulus funded by debt is often used as a policy tool during economic downturns” (Mercatus.org, January 7, 2026). However, the interest payment on that debt, $1 trillion per year, is the third-largest federal expense, behind only Social Security and Medicare (National Review, August 21, 2026). The difference is that while Social Security and Medicare provide direct benefits to Americans, debt that grows faster than the economy is not sustainable and is destructive to businesses and families (US Government Accountability Office).
Concerning the debt of nations and individuals alike, Scripture is unmistakable: Debt destroys the strength and independence of the borrower (Proverbs 22:7) and represents a curse upon nations whom God seeks to bless (Deuteronomy 28:43–44). Debt is a potential source of dangerous insecurity (Proverbs 22:26–27) and often results from living beyond one’s means—a danger for both nations and individuals (Hebrews 13:5). We don’t have to follow the ways of our free-spending governments! If you are interested in what God’s word has to say about personal finances, study our free resource God’s People Tithe! —Scott Winnail, Mike Gardiner, Edwin Isaac, and Richard Franz