Weekly Update

February 1st, 2024

Greetings from Charlotte,

This summer we are planning for teen camps in Texas and Belgium. There will be a teen adventure camp in Oregon and preteen camps in West Virginia, Missouri, and Texas. There may be additional camps in international areas. Some announcements have already been made and others will be made in the next week or two. If you are interested in attending as a camper or serving on the staff at one of these camps, please be patient if we have not given details for the camp you may be interested in. Mr. Jonathan McNair and I spent a few minutes yesterday discussing the importance of our camp programs and we both have a strong belief that our camps have a far greater purpose than entertaining the next generation. While camp is fun, it must be fun with a greater purpose in mind—educating and building character for the future. We are currently reviewing the March/April edition of Tomorrow’s World so that it can go to print next week. It has a balance of proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God and warning what must take place between now and the time of Christ’s return. With all that is happening in our world, it is necessary to remember both sides of the equation. People need a warning and a hope.—Gerald Weston

Church Administration

Tomorrow’s World Presentations

Last week was a successful week for TWPs. Five initial and two follow-up presentations drew a total of 132 guests. This week we will host seven follow-up events, in Oregon, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, and California. For a complete list of upcoming Tomorrow’s World Presentations, visit TomorrowsWorld.org/presentations. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support for this particular effort of the Work.

Passover 2024—Deadline for Requesting All Passover Supplies and Materials

Important Notice to All Pastors: In 2024, the Passover Service will be observed on Sunday evening, April 21. The deadline for requesting Passover Service supplies (bread trays and/or wine trays or glasses) or a physical copy of the Passover Service recording and letter instructions (available in English, French, and Spanish) for congregations is February 16 for international areas and March 17 for U.S. congregations. (This year we have a new Passover Service recording presented by Mr. Wallace Smith.) Any requests for Passover Service recordings and letter instructions for home observance, needed by members who are unable to keep the Passover with a congregation, should also be received by the above deadlines. Please direct your requests to the Church Administration Department at [email protected]. Note: As in the last couple of years, the digital Passover Service recording is available to pastors and video recipients via the FTP site, and a private YouTube link will also be provided.

February Family Weekends: February 17–18

The Joplin, Missouri, congregation will host a family weekend during President’s Day weekend, February 17 and 18. The Sabbath will include a morning Bible Study and afternoon Sabbath Services and there will be a formal dinner dance that evening. Sunday will have family activities. For more information and reduced rates for hotel rooms, please contact Mr. Gene Hilgenberg, [email protected], or text 417-483-8365.

The Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, congregation is organizing a family weekend on the weekend of February 17–18. If you are interested in attending and for more information, please contact Mr. Marc Arseneault, [email protected].

Prayer Requests for Ministers

We have a number of older elders who would appreciate your prayers. Dr. Donald Roach, a long-time elder in Southern California has been hospitalized due to a number of health issues. He is unresponsive but stable at this time. Mr. Bill Whitaker, former area pastor in South Carolina, is also dealing with a number of health issues that took him to the hospital briefly. Mr. Ed Breaux, an area pastor in Mississippi, is currently being treated for cancer. Mr. Laurie Nyhus, longtime minister now serving in northern Alberta, is experiencing serious complications from Parkinson’s Disease. Mr. Freddie Benitez, one of our elders in the Philippines, suffered a serious stroke some time ago, from which he has not recovered. These men have a higher profile in the Church due to their offices, but there are many members and other elders who are experiencing very difficult trials. Please remember to pray for those that you know.

Living Education

We are now in the process of reviewing our applicants for the Living Education-Charlotte 2024–25 school year. If you or someone you know is interested in applying, it is not too late. Just go to lcgeducation.org and follow the prompts to the Charlotte Program.

In addition, don’t forget to check out our online study courses. We currently have the following courses available:

  • Germany in Prophecy – Rod McNair
  • Business Relationships in the Church – Dexter Wakefield
  • Acts of the Apostles – Roderick C. Meredith
  • Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ – Roderick C. Meredith
  • The General Epistles – Gerald Weston
  • Hosea – Douglas Winnail
  • Tools for Christian Growth: Prayer – Jonathan McNair
  • Passover – Compilation Study
  • Pentecost – Compilation Study
  • The Feast of Trumpets – Compilation Study

To access the courses, just go to online.lcgeducation.org and look through our library of courses. It is free and easy to access!

Feast of Tabernacles

2024 Feast of Tabernacles Site Registration: Sunday, May 12—Repeat Announcement

General Feast of Tabernacles site registration is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, May 12. The list of U.S. Feast sites and coordinators is below, and the international Feast sites will be announced at a later date. Please do not make housing reservations at this time. Housing reservations should not be made until after your Festival registration has been approved, after May 12. This list is for informational purposes only. (The phone number in bold font is a correction of the number published last week.)

Living Youth Program

Application Deadline for LYP Teen Camp in Europe—Repeat Announcement

The weeklong LYP Teen Camp in the Chevetogne region of central Belgium will be held Monday, 29 July, through Monday, 5 August. The deadline to apply is 30 April. The summer camp is bilingual, conducted in English and French, and Church youth ages 12–19 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]).

Comments

Need for Wisdom: Solomon wrote that one of the most important goals in life is to gain wisdom (Proverbs 4:7) and that the value of wisdom is greater than rubies or gold (8:11; 16:16). Proverbs was written to help others gain wisdom (1:1–6) and the key to obtaining wisdom is developing a proper fear of God—having a sincere desire to follow God’s instructions (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10). Godly wisdom helps us discern between right and wrong, and it leads to happiness and a longer life (Proverbs 2:10–11; 3:13–16). As Jesus grew up, He “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52) because He sought after wisdom and treasured God’s commandments (Proverbs 2:1–5). We are urged to ask God for wisdom (James 1:5) and admonished to study the Scriptures “which are able to make you wise” (2 Timothy 3:14–17). Set a goal of reading through the book of Proverbs—a chapter a day several times a year—so you can grow in wisdom.

Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail

News and Prophecy—February 1, 2024

Will 2024 Elections Change the World? The 2024 calendar year will see a record number of national and parliamentary elections, with nearly half the world’s population, 3.8 billion people, theoretically going to the polls to vote for new leaders (January 1, 2024). As Nicholas Vinocur notes in an article for Politico, “Indeed, from the United States to the U.K. and European Union, from India to Mexico, and from Taiwan to Indonesia, some of the world’s most strategically important countries will hold elections this year.”

Many analysts fear that the results of this year’s elections could shift the world away from democracy and toward more authoritarianism. Dictators will likely remain and Europe could see a hard-right shift. While far-right candidates in the EU may not have enough support to take many high-level positions, their growing numbers will affect Europe’s laws and decisions. Many fear new leaders will reduce the power of the courts and silence the independent press. As a Georgetown University professor lamented in the Politico article, “Democracy is being challenged everywhere—not just in places that rank poorly on surveys of democratic values, but also in established democracies like the United States and the European Union.” A professor of EU law at HEC Business School in France observed, “This could be the year when we see the breakdown of the rules-based order.”

The book of Revelation describes the future rise of a European dictator known as “the beast,” who will eventually lead a configuration of ten nations or leaders in Europe just prior to the return of Jesus Christ. This coming “beast” will be backed by a powerful religious leader, “the false prophet”—an individual the Apostle Paul says “opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:4). The 2024 elections could be a prelude to significant changes in global politics that may help to set the stage for such dramatic events. The wise will be watching. To learn how the Bible can help you identify this future dictator, watch “Seven Signs of the Beast.”

Europe Pushed to Stand Alone: Western Europe and America have been allies in two world wars, the Persian Gulf crises, and many other conflicts. However, the winds of change are blowing, and the possibility of a second Trump presidency has European leaders facing a new reality—that Europe’s future defense may be up to Europeans alone (Politico, January 16, 2024)!

The United States has been Europe’s “security blanket” since at least World War II. American nuclear weapons, tanks and aircraft, and over 100,000 American troops on Europe’s soil have given comfort to many European leaders. But with America’s waning support and a larger war looming in Europe, EU leaders are pushing to rapidly re-arm and increase their own nuclear capabilities. German European People’s Party leader Manfred Weber warned, “Europe must build deterrence, we must be able to deter and defend ourselves…. We all know that when push comes to shove, the nuclear option is the really decisive one” (Politico, January 25, 2024). “Germany's military has sketched out an ‘exercise scenario’ for its planners to contemplate. It envisions a Russian attack into the Suwalki Gap between Poland and Lithuania in the period between this year’s U.S. presidential election and early 2025” (Politico, January 24, 2024). The German defense minister recently warned that German experts expect Russia could attack a NATO member in the next five to eight years. Another observer noted, “As the history of the 20th century has shown, [European] democracies may be slow to turn to a war footing, but once they do, they’re difficult to match.”

Bible prophecy indicates that Germany will lead a powerful European configuration of nations at the end of the age. External threats and fading support from America may prod Germany to act. For more details about these developing events, see our booklet Germany in Prophecy.—Scott Winnail, Craig Marley, Justin Ridgeway, and Francine Prater