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Greetings from Charlotte,

Fall is definitely in the air here in North Carolina and the leaves are turning red, gold and brown. On the world scene, prophecy marches on. This past week the Europeans finally approved the Lisbon Treaty that will go into force next month on December 1, 2009. That should bring a President and Foreign Minister of Europe by the end of this year. The road ahead will be interesting. Here in Charlotte, Mr. Meredith has completed a semi-annual letter that will be mailed to more than 300,000 subscribers around the world, offering an exciting DVD titled 2012: Mystery and Truth. Mr. Ames taped a new television program, titled “Hope for the Future,” which offers the booklet The World Ahead. Mr. Apartian recorded another sermon in French. Dr. Germano was in the office for several days this week taping lectures and working on Living University issues. Mr. Sheldon Monson reports from Minneapolis, Minnesota, that the follow-up Tomorrow’s World Bible lecture last Sunday, “Where Is God’s Church Today?,” was attended by 25 very interested people. This weekend, my wife and I will be in Phoenix, Arizona, for a service and TW Bible lecture on the Sabbath (“What’s Ahead for America?”) and a mini-conference on Sunday. Your prayers will be appreciated for the next Council of Elders meeting that will be held here in Charlotte, November 16-18.

Church Administration

New Ministerial Assignments Mr. and Mrs. Wyatt Ciesielka are in the process of completing their move from Austin, Texas to Little Rock, Arkansas, where Mr. Ciesielka is the Area Pastor, replacing Mr. Rick Stafford. Mr. and Mrs. Stafford have successfully relocated to the U.K., where Mr. Stafford will pastor congregations around London. Mr. Rand Millich will add Arkansas to his responsibilities as a Regional Pastor. The congregations in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin and Dubuque, Iowa—formerly pastored by Mr. Sheldon Monson—will now be pastored by Mr. Phil West, starting December 1. Mr. Irv Woelfle will become the Associate Pastor of the Peoria, Illinois congregation and assist Mr. West in that area. The dedicated efforts of everyone serving God’s people are much appreciated.

Miracle of Protection Early morning on September 6, 2009 two members of the Bahau, Malaysia congregation were involved in a serious car accident on their way to work. As they were travelling through a four-way junction, a trailer truck crossed in front of them without stopping. The Church member driving immediately braked, but the car collided with the back of the trailer. The front of the car was totally beyond repair. Both men were trapped inside and had to wait to be freed by the local fire department. People who stopped to see the accident and condition of the car, were convinced that both occupants had died. Thankfully, they survived miraculously. One escaped with a broken left knee along with ligament damage, and the other’s right thigh was broken. Both of them were hospitalized for three weeks before returning home. They were able to attend the Feast in Penang in a wheelchair and aided by a walking frame. They are still recovering, so please pray for their complete recovery.

Feast of Tabernacles 2010 The final business details for the Festival sites 2009 in the U.S.A. are being wrapped up, as final invoices from the various venues are received and expenses are reconciled. It appears that every Feast went well and most of them are at or under budget for the cost to operate the sites. Attendance was up substantially in the USA and at our international sites, which is very encouraging. In the U.S.A., attendance was close to 4,000 (approximately 14% more than last year). In international areas, attendance was more than 3,600, (approximately 4% more than last year). It is tangible evidence that God is blessing His Work. We are already getting contracts signed for Festival sites in the USA for 2010 and 2011. I am certain the various International areas are making their plans for next year as well.—Davy Crockett Comments

A Transcendent Purpose: God revealed a vital Truth through the Apostle Paul when he wrote, “In the last days…men will be lovers of themselves… lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:1-5). Today, many people have full schedules and empty lives. All too often, we are focused on ourselves—my life, my job, my friends, my feelings, my problems—which is a one-way ticket to frustration. However, some have learned that the key to a fulfilling and meaningful life is to focus on a goal and a purpose that is bigger than ourselves—that transcends ourselves—a transcendent purpose! This is really the message of the Gospel. Jesus taught that we should “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). He told His disciples to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel” (Mark 16:15). He said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). To fulfill our calling as Christians and add real meaning to our lives, we must get our focus off ourselves and think about how we can prepare to serve others—both now, and in the coming Kingdom of God (Matthew 20:25-28). Is your life focused on this transcendent purpose?

Have a profitable Sabbath, Douglas S. Winnail

News and Prophecy—November 5, 2009 Hundreds of Millions Want to Live in Israelite-Descended Nations. A new Gallup survey determined that more than 700 million people, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, would leave their nations immediately if given the chance. This is equivalent to all the inhabitants of North and South America combined. In fact, if given a choice, most would move to Israelite-descended nations. Five of the top eight nations people desire to move to are Israelite-descended nations: the United States, Britain, Canada, France and Australia (Agence France Presse, November 3, 2009). Not only have all nations of the earth been blessed through the Israelite nations, as God promised Abraham would be the case (Genesis 12:3; 22:18), but hundreds of millions still view these nations as blessed. Although the Israelite nations are turning away from obedience to God and in decline, these nations and the countries they directly impact (like the former Commonwealth of Nations) are still experiencing blessings because of the obedience of Abraham (Genesis 26:4-5). For many in the world today, these Israelite nations are still viewed as the “promised land”—“blessed above all peoples” (Deuteronomy 7:14).

India and China Buying Gold. Gold prices are a powerful indicator of national trust in world currencies. As confidence in national currencies increases, the price of gold falls. However, gold prices increase as confidence in national currencies falls. As confidence in the U.S. dollar declines, other nations are increasing their gold holdings and using them to replace their stock of U.S. dollars. This week, India purchased 200 tons of gold from the International Monetary Fund—even though gold was selling at a near all-time high. This transaction was worth almost US$7 billion. Economists expect China to follow suit in the very near future as it works to convert some of its US$2 trillion of foreign currency reserves into a safer source. All of this translates into declining confidence in the U.S. dollar and its continued decline in value on the world stage (MSN.com, November 3, 2009). The “greenback” (U.S. dollar) and British pound were once the coveted currencies of the world, but as these and other Israelite-descended nations move further afield from God’s way, these currencies are approaching the value of “just” the paper that they are printed on. God encouraged the Israelite nations long ago, that if they would be obedient to Him, they would be the head and the nations of the world would be the tail—they would be the lenders and the rest of the nations would be the borrowers (Deuteronomy 28:12-14). Now the pendulum is swinging in the opposite direction, as these nations, once somewhat obedient to God, are running head-long in disobedience.

A New Day Dawns for Europe! Following on the heels of Ireland’s approval of the Lisbon Treaty after a second vote in October, this week the last nation “holding out” on signing the document finally gave in. Within hours of the Czech Republic’s national court ruling that the Treaty was constitutional, Czech President Vaclav Klaus signed the treaty. “Across the EU, leaders breathed a collective sigh of relief, from the European Commission president, Jose Manuel Barroso, who said he was ‘exceptionally satisfied’, to the German foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle, who described it as a ‘good day for Europe.’” What began as the European Constitution and switched only its name mid-stream, will become law in Europe on December 1, with approval by 100% of 27 nations involved. Europe will now have its own president, foreign minister and diplomatic corps, and the meaning of national sovereignty will forever change (Times online, November 3, 2009). While Europe was in ruins following World War II, a lone voice rang strong from a small location on the west coast of the United States, warning not only that Germany would rise from the ashes, but that Europe would also unify. As Herbert Armstrong predicted the future based on Bible prophecy, many scoffed, noting the shattered condition of Europe. Yet, today, as he predicted decades ago and God prophesied millennia ago (see Daniel 2 and Revelation 17), Europe is now unified under a common set of laws and will soon have a president. The next development to watch for will be the emergence of ten leading kingdoms within Europe.—Scott Winnail, Ben Whitfield, James Ginn and Marc Arseneault