Greetings from Charlotte,

This has been a busy week preparing for the Feast registration which begins on Sunday, February 19, and also making arrangements for the Ministerial Conference, scheduled for the first week in May. Mr. Meredith has been writing and holding meetings. Mr. Ames has written a co-worker letter that is being mailed this week. Mr. and Mrs. Ames are also heading to Joplin, Missouri, for a Church weekend. Mr. Wayne Pyle reports that we have added a new TV station in Denver, Colorado (see below) and that last weekend’s Tomorrow’s World Program entitled “Can You Trust the Bible” by Mr. Ames, advertising the booklet The Bible: Fact or Fiction?, is expected to draw more than 4,400 responses. Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Pyle, Mr. Rod King and Mr. Gerald Weston will be attending the National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, this coming weekend. I will be traveling to Braselton and Atlanta, Georgia, for services and a Tomorrow’s World Special Presentation in Braselton on Sunday.—DSW

Church Administration

Important Notice to All Pastors: This year the Passover Service will be observed on Thursday evening, April 5. Let us know as soon as possible if any of the congregations you serve will need additional Passover Service supplies (bread trays and/or wine trays or glasses) or a copy of the Passover Servicerecording. To ensure timely delivery and to save on shipping costs, please let us know this information right away, for international congregations, and by March 2, for U.S. congregations.

Additionally, let us know of any scattered members who are unable to keep the Passover with a congregation and who need to receive the Passover Service recording and letter instructions to observe it at home. Please direct your requests to Dorothy McNair at the Church Administration Department by e-mail at dmcnair@lcg.org or by phone at 704-844-1960, ext. 2248, as soon as possible.

Columbus, Mississippi: On Sabbath, February 11, in Columbus, Mississippi, nineteen people attended the follow-up Tomorrow’s World Special Presentation given by Mr. Ed Breaux, entitled “Where Is God’s Church Today?” There were twelve members and seven guests present. Six of the guests had attended last week’s presentation; one was a first-time visitor. Two guests attended Sabbath services that morning. Five guests stated they would be back again.—Ed Breaux

This week Dr. Meredith added a new TV station in Denver, Colorado—KCDO-TV, channel 3 (or 23 on some systems). KCDO-TV will begin broadcasting the Tomorrow’s World television program on Sunday, March 4, at 8:00 am. This station reaches 1.1 million TV households. This is the Church’s first commercial-grade TV station in Denver, and we hope everyone in the Denver area will earnestly pray for its success in reaching viewers and moving them to respond.—Wayne Pyle

2011 was truly an exciting year for the Work in Hong Kong. On June 4 the first program of Tomorrow’s World Hong Kong edition aired on HKTVB Pearl. A total of 2,351 responses came in over 31 weeks for an average response of 76 per program. The highest response totals to date have come from a two-part series on the Seven Laws of Success, with program 1 receiving 135 responses and the second installment receiving a record 161! With construction completed on a television studio at the Mississauga, Ontario, office, we have filmed 5 new programs, including a series on how the birthright blessings have impacted Hong Kong.

On a recent trip to Hong Kong, Mr. Gerald Weston, Mr. Jonathan Riley (Canadian Office Manager) and I were able to visit several publishers to explore the possibilities of having booklets printed containing both English and Chinese versions of the text. We were also able to meet with several contacts there and made progress toward setting up a registered charity and opening a bank account. Please pray that God will continue to lead us through this door and that we will be able to get physical copies of Church literature into the hands of viewers.—Mike Heykoop

God opened a door in Medellin for proclaiming the Gospel on the radio station Ondas de la Montaña AM 1350. We began broadcasting on Sabbath February 11 at 8:30 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. This station has a potential audience of 4.5 million people in the metro area of Medellin and nearby cities.—Armando Orrego

This is it! It’s time to register for the Feast of Tabernacles 2012! Festival Site Registration will begin on Sunday, February 19, at 12:00 noon (U.S. Eastern Standard Time). All brethren (U.S. and International) are asked to begin registering for their preferred Feast site at that time. To find a list of sites and descriptions, check out the new Feast of Tabernacles website (click on the “Feast of Tabernacles” link at www.lcg.org).

If you will be registering for a site to which you are not assigned, please do not make housing reservations until your transfer request has been approved. Transfer approvals will be sent via e-mail. If you do not have Internet access or need help registering, please see your local congregation’s Festival Advisor! Festival Advisors have site information and registration forms.

At the same time as you register for site preference, you will also be able to sign up for volunteer service areas, including special music, chorale, etc.

Please note: You will not be able to sign up for activities until June 24.—Festival Office

Are You Easily Entreated? The Apostle James describes a Christian using God’s Spirit as “easy to be entreated” (James 3:17-KJV) or “willing to yield to reason” (Amplified) or “reasonable” (NASV). Such a person will not be so convinced that his or her own opinions or actions are right and that advice and counsel from others is ignored. Solomon made a similar observation that “the way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise” (Proverbs 12:15). Solomon also repeatedly stressed the value of being receptive to counsel (Proverbs 19:20, 27; 22:17) and he repeatedly warned of the serious consequences that result from ignoring advice (Proverbs 8:36; 29:1). A truly humble and converted Christian will not overestimate the value of his or her own opinions or actions, but will have a teachable attitude (like David’s attitude in Psalm 25:4 ) that is open to instructions, suggestions and correction. Real Christians are easily entreated!

Have a profitable Sabbath,

Douglas S. Winnail

News and Prophecy—February 16, 2012

Sobering Situation in Greece. Since 2009, 25% of Greek businesses have ceased operation, “and half of all small businesses in the country say they are unable to meet payroll.” In addition, “the suicide rate increased by 40 percent in the first half of 2011.” On a recent visit to Greece a journalist observed, “It’s not uncommon to see decently dressed Greeks discreetly rummaging through garbage bins for food. A new book about how the country survived the Nazi occupation—“Starvation Recipes”—has become a surprise hit.” As Greek austerity measures increase, pensions and minimum wage decrease, tax rates rise, and personal budgets contract (New York Times, February 13, 2012). The EU pushes for greater control of Greek finances and many view this as a direct attack on Greek sovereignty. But are Greece’s financial woes unique? Portugal has already experienced one EU bailout. Italy may follow suit. Many around the globe are coming to realize that the lavish “Western” lifestyles that so many have grown accustomed to in the last few decades are not guaranteed to last forever. Bible prophecy reveals that due to the rejection of God and His laws, the Israelite nations will experience a similar cycle of poverty and want in the not-too-distant future. Moses foretold, “A nation whom you have not known shall eat the fruit of your land and the produce of your labor, and you shall be only oppressed and crushed continually” (Deuteronomy 28:33). Jeremiah warned, “they shall eat up your harvest and your bread, which your sons and daughters should eat” (Jeremiah 5:17). Serious financial difficulties will spread beyond Southern Europe! For information on the sobering times ahead, see our free booklet, The United States and Great Brita in in Prophecy.

Air Force Removes God. The U.S. Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office recently removed God from its logo as a result of protests from the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers. Jason Torpy, president of the association, said the word “God” had no place in the logo because not all members of the military are religious. “We just hope (the Air Force) can provide more equal opportunities for atheists and humanists in the military.” The Rapid Capabilities Office [RCO] logo previously included the motto “Opus Dei Cum Pecunia Alienum Efficemus” —Doing God's Work with Other People's Money—as an inside joke among RCO members. Caucus members say it was changed to “Miraculi Cum Pecunia Alienum Efficemus” —Doing Miracles with Other People's Money (Huffington Post, February 8, 2012). Jesus Christ warned, in Matthew 10:33, “But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” When nations turn their backs on God, it leads to terrible consequences for their militaries—defeat at the hands of their enemies (Leviticus 26:17; Deuteronomy 28:25). The recent action by the Air Force is just one example of this nation denying God. These actions will result in dire consequences in the near future for the U.S. and its military. For more information on what’s ahead for the U.S. and Britain, review our booklet The United States and Great Britain in Prophecy.

Deadly Prison Fire in Honduras. Tuesday night, a fire burned an overcrowded prison outside the capitol, Tegucigalpa. The 900-bed prison was operating at nearly double capacity. The cause of the fire is unclear; however one possible source is an inmate who set himself on fire intending to kill everyone. On Wednesday, 357 prisoners were missing and over 250 were dead, with many others believed to have escaped into the countryside. Most of Honduras’ 24 prisons operate far above capacity. “The appalling living conditions are a cause of the frequent riots which break out across the region, and a source of frustration for exasperated relatives” (Agence France-Presse, February 16, 2012). This prison fire and its results are tragic! But they highlight how man’s justice system is ineffec tive and inhumane. The ways of man may seem right to him, but ultimately lead to death (Proverbs 14:12). Today, many families fail to train up a child in God’s Way, and society ultimately winds up “caging” the rebellious adults in wretched conditions. In God’s Kingdom, things will be very different. Children will grow up in families where both parents are present and prepared to teach children God’s Way of life (Deuteronomy 4:8-10; Proverbs 22:6). When children are raised God’s way and His laws permeate the land (Isaiah 2:2-4), prisons and their problems will become relics of history. For more information on this exciting future, see our booklet The World Ahead: What Will It Be Like?—Scott Winnail, Justin Ridgeway and Phyllis Api