Greetings from Charlotte,
As most of you know, this Sabbath has been set aside by the Church as a voluntary day of fasting. We apologize for the fact that some of you did not receive the letter I wrote last week in The World Ahead regarding this fast. Hurricane Michael affected a wide swath of territory, and while the greatest damage occurred along the Florida Panhandle and Georgia, a number of other locations were affected, including Charlotte, where some 72 areas in and around the city lost power for significant periods of time. Our power went out at the office Thursday afternoon and did not come back until sometime Sunday. Loss of power was one of several reasons for the delay getting out The World Ahead. Recovery of power in Charlotte was slowed by the fact that so many resources had already been diverted to areas with far greater needs. Power outages seem to occur fairly often in this area and this is one reason we have been in the process of installing a generator for the Headquarters facility. As far as we know, all our members affected by the hurricanes and typhoons of the last month are safe.—Gerald Weston
Church Administration
Live Streamed Sabbath Service This Sabbath
Attention all Area Pastors, Associate Pastors, and Assistant Pastors: You have been e-mailed the instructions to connect to the live Sabbath Service streamed from Charlotte, North Carolina, this coming Sabbath. In case of technical problems that interfere with the connection, and for those congregations that cannot connect to the live stream for other reasons, we have also sent you instructions for accessing the pre-recorded sermon (only). Be sure to share this information with all those in charge of setting up services in your congregations, as needed, and only with those scattered members in your areas who normally are not able to attend services but who can listen to services online. Other than the above, we do not want the pre-recorded message passed around prior to the live sermon.
Kansas City Family Weekend
Save the Date! The Kansas City Family Weekend is coming up December 28 to 30. It will be held once again at the elegant Embassy Suites hotel by the airport. Activities include Friday evening and Saturday morning Bible Studies, a catered dinner after Sabbath services, our annual fun show, and a dance. On Sunday, we will have organized basketball and volleyball tournaments, gaga ball, children's activities, a card tournament, and we are rebranding our family games as "The Contest of the Christians." Schedule and registration details are coming soon!
Charlotte Family Weekend—Repeat Announcement
We're looking forward again to being together for the Charlotte Family Weekend! Begin making plans now! The event will begin Friday, December 21, with office tours and an evening Bible Study. We'll have services on the Sabbath and a dance that evening. On Sunday and Monday, we'll have seminars, family games, volleyball and basketball tournaments, and other activities for great fellowship. Departure will be on Tuesday, December 25. More details will be coming soon, but you can mark it on your calendar and begin to make plans. We look forward to seeing you!
Living Education
Unit Two of the Life, Ministry and Teachings of Jesus Christ Now Available
As we return from the Feast of Tabernacles, it's a good time to pick up where we left off with our study of the Life, Ministry and Teachings of Jesus Christ, taught by Dr. Meredith.
Unit Two is now available. If you haven't taken the opportunity to enroll in Unit One, you can still do so. Or, you can begin with Unit Two and take Unit One at a later date. Either way, go to lcgeducation.org to get involved.
Feast of Tabernacles
2018 Feast of Tabernacles Around the World
From reports we are receiving, our Father in Heaven provided an inspiring and uplifting Feast experience for His people all over the world. Our attendance figure for the Feast of Tabernacles 2018 has been tabulated, and stands at 10,565. This includes brethren who attended our 57 Feast sites in 36 countries, as well as scattered and shut-in brethren who connected through phone or Internet, or recorded sermon CDs. We also want to thank all of our many brethren who tirelessly served and gave of their time and effort at the Feast to make this highlight of the year such a wonderful experience for others. Serving one another makes the experience all the more special. We are grateful for the wonderful Feast and look forward to next year!
2019 Greece Feast Tour
If you signed up to attend the Feast site in Greece next year, you should have received an e-mail with instructions on how to register for the tour and pay deposits. Please note that everyone who wants to be assured of a spot on this tour must fill out the online registration form and pay the required deposit no later than October 25, 2018. If you did not receive this e-mail, but did sign up and pay the pre-registration fee, please e-mail Mr. Jim Meredith at [email protected] right away.
If you did not pre-register, but are now interested in going to Greece, please e-mail Mr. Jim Meredith right away to be put on a waiting list.
Fill Out Your Festival Survey—Repeat Announcement
If you have not already handed in a paper survey or filled it out online, please fill out the online Festival Survey as soon as possible. Every entry is read, and your comments are valued! You can access the Feast Survey at fotsurvey.lcg.org. You can also find the survey on your MyLCG page.
Living Youth Program
Online Teen Bible Studies To Resume November 9
Online Teen Bible Studies are scheduled to resume in three weeks, on Friday night, November 9.
Comments
Why Self-Examination? God told Abraham that one of the conditions of the covenant was to "walk before Me and be blameless [perfect]" (Genesis 17:1). Jesus urged His audiences to "Repent, and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:14–15) and to become "perfect" (Matthew 5:48). The Greek word for "repent" is metanoeo which means "to change your life, to think differently, to turn with contrition and sorrow from a former course of action." This involves learning to live "by every word of God" (Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4) and learning to recognize and eliminate behaviors that are contrary to God's instructions. This requires "self-examination"—prayerfully studying God's word and prayerfully examining our thoughts, attitudes, and actions in order to follow the example of Jesus Christ. This is what the Apostle Paul advised Christians to do if they want to become more like their Savior (1 Corinthians 11:27–32). One way to do this is to review the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) and to consider both the letter of the law and the spirit of the law as outlined in Mathew 5–7 and Galatians 5:18–24. Taking time to work through this self-examination process will help us walk more perfectly in the footsteps of Jesus and develop the very mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5–11).
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—October 18, 2018
Germany-Israel Alliance Is Strong: During a recent visit to Israel, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany met with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Following their talks, both shared positive comments with the press (Times of Israel, October 4, 2018). Chancellor Merkel discussed Israel's "Jewish nation-state" law, and clearly stated German support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Mrs. Merkel also emphasized Germany's commitment to the security of Israel and called for Iran's withdrawal from Syria. "Merkel went [on] to say that she 'very firmly agrees' with Israel on the need to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon."
For his part, Prime Minister Netanyahu was very positive regarding their meeting. He noted, "We agree on most things, and we disagree on some. So what? We have a very strong alliance." Netanyahu also noted the "strong ties between Berlin and Jerusalem can serve as an example to the world of how former enemies can become close partners."
Bible prophecy indicates Germany will play an increasing role in the Middle East and particularly Jerusalem in the years approaching Christ's return. As the potential leader of a coming European "beast" referred to in the Bible, Germany will ultimately lead a group of nations that give their power to this beast (see Isaiah 10:5–14; Revelation 17:12–13). Eventually, a militarized force controlled by the German-led "beast" will surround Jerusalem with armies (Luke 21:20). As Germany works in alliance with Israel, students of Bible prophecy should watch for Germany to become more involved in the Holy Land in the future. For more on this topic, read "What Is Prophesied for Germany?"
Men vs. Women in Canadian University Athletics! The governing authority regulating sports in most Canadian universities recently approved a new policy allowing male athletes who "identify" as female to compete against biological females. No surgery or hormone replacement is necessary to participate.
According to Life Site, Gwendolyn Landolt, national vice-president of Real Women of Canada, stated that such a policy is irrational and places women in a situation where they are competing against opponents who have a natural "physiological advantage" (LifeSiteNews.com, October 4, 2018). "It's not just muscle mass. Men's hearts are bigger. Their respiratory system is different. Their bodies are constituted differently—and that's the bottom line," Landolt said. "It's ludicrous to think that men and women are physically the same." She told the news organization that she is concerned young women will be "crowded out of university sports by men who identify as 'women,'" due to the policy.
News reports continue to come out noting that biological males are entering an increasing number of women's sports, both amateur and professional, and dominating their female competition. Stories in recent years have featured examples in cycling, football, volleyball, basketball, weightlifting, softball, and many others. Even mixed martial arts now features men who "identify" as women competing in fights against women. In some cases, records are being "broken" and female athletes are possibly being endangered.
Referring to Judah at the time of the kings, but providing an obvious warning to the Israelite-descended peoples at the end of the age, God inspired Isaiah to write, "Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick" (Isaiah 1:5). The Apostle Paul was also inspired to write that "the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God" (1 Corinthians 3:19). It seems that common sense is now blatantly ignored in favor of political correctness—resulting in decisions that are not only foolish but also dangerous for those involved. For more insights into the consequences of this decision-making process, be sure to read "Will 'Political Correctness' Destroy Us?"—Scott Winnail, Francine Prater, and Stuart Wachowicz