Greetings from Charlotte,
We were saddened here in Charlotte by the sudden death of Mr. Gaylyn Bonjour this week. Mr. Bonjour was an elder in God’s Church and a longtime employee, having served for many years as the department head of our Mail Processing Department. He retired recently due to declining health, but his death was nevertheless unexpected at this time. Our new Spanish-language website was rolled out this week. More details are given below for all our Spanish speakers, or anyone who is interested in checking out this new site. As explained earlier, this is a major step forward, as the postal systems in Mexico and Central and South America are totally unreliable for delivering our mail to members and others who want to learn more about our message. The January/February Living Church News is now being mailed to all members and prospective members. As Mr. Richard Ames always admonishes us, members should be sure to read our publications and watch our telecasts to know how Christ is leading His Church.—Gerald Weston
Church Administration
New Website in Spanish
We are pleased to inform you that a new Spanish website is now available to members and the general public. Its purpose is to present the Church publications in a format fully adapted to the digital world, especially cell phones. The articles from the Tomorrow’s World magazine can now be viewed on video, listened to, or simply read according to the convenience of each person. The page also has other valuable tools, such as a 365-day Bible reading plan, direct and concise Bible studies classified by topic, the Viewpoint programs, weekly news, and prophecy videos in which some of the most relevant events in the world are discussed.
The page is: “El Mundo de Mañana Cerca de Tí,” which translates to “Tomorrows World Near You.” We invite you to visit the new website at: www.MundoMananaCercaDeTi.org.—Spanish Department
Prayer Request for Brethren in Ecuador Because of Internal Armed Conflict
This week the security situation in the South American country of Ecuador seriously deteriorated within just 24 hours. On Tuesday, January 9, criminal gangs took over a television station during a live broadcast, as well as six shopping centers and five hospitals. In total, authorities reported more than 1,359 public-order emergencies in a single day, and newly elected President Daniel Noboa declared a state of internal armed conflict. The streets of the main cities in Ecuador were deserted due to fear and the emergency declaration. Mr. Armando Orrego, pastor in South America, reports that our brethren are fine and safely locked in their homes. Currently the Church has seven members in Ecuador: four in the capital city of Quito and three in the city of Manta. Your prayers for the safety of our brethren and for all the inhabitants of Ecuador are very necessary at this time.—Cristian Orrego
Living Youth Program
LYP Europe—Summer 2024
We will once again this year hold a weeklong LYP Teen Camp in the Chevetogne region of central Belgium. Camp dates are Monday, 29 July, through Monday, 5 August. The summer camp is bilingual and will be conducted in English and French. Church youth ages 12–19 from Europe, the U.K., Africa, the USA, Canada, the Caribbean, and elsewhere are invited to attend. The tuition for camp is €170 for campers and €60 for staff, and includes lodging, meals, and camp t-shirts. Campers should plan to arrive by mid-day on Monday, 29 July, and we ask staff to plan to come earlier if possible. Campers and staff are responsible for their own transportation costs. Those flying into Belgium can fly into either Brussels or Charleroi (Brussels South) and we will arrange for airport pickup and return. For more details and to begin the registration process, please contact Camp Director Mr. Rees Ellis ([email protected]).
Missouri Preteen Camp
Registration for the Living Youth Preteen Camp in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, will open on Sunday, January 14. If you are considering joining us at beautiful Lake of the Ozarks State Park, we encourage you to register early as it helps tremendously with planning. Whether you will be attending as a camper or serving as staff, we deeply appreciate all those who are able to participate this summer.
For more information about the camp, fees, and to begin filling out your application, make sure to visit https://camp.livingyouth.org. Hope to see you in Missouri this year!—Yancy Taber, Missouri Preteen Camp Director
Texas Teen Camp
Registration for Texas Teen camp in Athens, Texas continues at https://camp.livingyouth.org. You can visit that site to find information on the camp and to begin registration. We encourage everyone to register early as it greatly aids in our planning.
Comments
God’s Perspective on Trials: Sometimes when we encounter trials and difficulties, we wonder what is happening and whether God has forsaken us. However, at such times we need to remember several fundamental scriptures. Jesus told His disciples, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). God has also promised never to leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). The Apostle Paul reminds us that “all things work together for good to those who love God” (Romans 8:28) and that even in trials, God will make a “way of escape” (1 Corinthians 10:13). James even admonished Christians to be thankful for trials, because they provide opportunities to build patience as we exercise faith in God and His promises—while we do our part to work through the challenges that we face (James 1:3–4). Let’s all strive to remember and maintain this godly perspective when we encounter trials.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—January 11, 2024
“The World Is at War” is the title of a new Gatestone Institute article (December 17, 2023). The article quotes Paul Poast’s sobering piece in the Atlantic titled “Not a World War but a World at War,” in which he observed, “The past two years have seen the most conflicts of any time since the end of the Second World War.” Even more sobering, as the Gatestone Institute article highlighted, is that the global superpowers are either directly or indirectly supporting most major conflicts and skirmishes—in North Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the Pacific. U.S. weapons are used by Israel to fight against Hamas, and Western ally munitions support Ukraine against Russia. Hamas, the Houthis, and Hezbollah are all fighting Israel and are directly backed by Iran, and all are using Chinese-made weapons. Russia is using Chinese and North Korean munitions in Ukraine.
As Gregory Copley, president of the International Strategic Studies Association and editor-in-chief of Defense & Foreign Affairs Strategic Policy, observed, “It is possible in the 20th and 21st centuries to say that there are, in fact, no regional wars, because all of them have some degree of involvement by the great powers.” He continued, “Proxy wars can, if left unattended, become direct wars between major powers.” Great powers often back factions in regional conflicts, but in their number, scale, and level of involvement, today’s conflicts represent a real escalation. Again, as Copley noted, “Big powers sense opportunities when small nations are in conflict, and what seems an easy case of ‘conflict exploitation’ soon becomes an out-of-control firefight.” The question is, will all these regional conflicts lead to an all-out global conflict?
It is easy for many to think of these regional conflicts as struggles in distant lands, but in a moment’s notice they could become very personal and very real—very quickly. Today’s “regional conflicts” could be precursors to far greater direct conflicts among global superpowers, and the situation could worsen in the blink of an eye. As the prophet Isaiah foretold of this rebellious world, “Because you despise this word, and trust in oppression and perversity, and rely on them, therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a breach ready to fall, a bulge in a high wall, whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant” (Isaiah 30:12–13).
For more on how regional conflicts might relate to global prophecies, read "Sleepwalking into World War III.”
Multiple American States Evacuate Capitol Buildings: Spillover from the war in Gaza is far-reaching, and terrorist groups have threatened to attack Israel’s allies. As NBC News reported last week, “At least six state capitol complexes across the U.S. were forced to evacuate Wednesday morning because of bomb threats” (January 3, 2024). Georgia, Mississippi, Michigan, Kentucky, Maine, and Montana took their bomb threats seriously and briefly evacuated all personnel from state capitol buildings, as they thoroughly investigated every threat to verify that each one was indeed a hoax. While the threats were fake, the perpetrators’ intent to introduce fear and uncertainty was successful.
Over the last few centuries, as wars and skirmishes played out in Europe and Asia, the United States and Canada were well protected by the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. This has contributed to a feeling of safety and even invincibility. But, in the modern era, the oceans no longer provide the protection they once did. God promised that if His Israelite peoples (and their descendants) would obey Him, “I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid” (Leviticus 26:3, 6). However, God also warned that if these peoples failed to obey Him, “I will even appoint terror over you… and you shall flee when no one pursues you” (vv. 16–17). These Israelite-descended peoples—the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and many western European nations—are increasingly rejecting God’s laws, and as a result, we should expect to see more of the curses that God prophesied, including threats and acts of terror. To learn more about what the future holds for the modern Israelite nations, be sure to read or listen to The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy.—Scott Winnail, Francine Prater, and John Murphy