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Letter to the Brethren: November 14, 2024

Posted on November 14, 2024 by CCOG

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:

Greetings from the Five Cities region of California.

We have been battling various computer issues.

As mentioned last week, we had issues with the Bible News Prophecy International radio site. Even though it was brought back online, malicious software prevented us from being able to update that site. According to an email I saw this morning from our web-hosting service, that now seems to be cleaned up, but we still need to work to verify that.

Also, somehow, work I did on today’s weekly letter got lost somehow yesterday. It seems like when I went to save it, some unknown error caused a lot of this letter to be lost, so this morning I have been working on putting lost information back in the letter.

On a different type of computer battling issue, at the News of those once affiliated with the Global Church of God page, I dealt with a false and misleading report about Malawi that was posted at an anti-Church of God website.

Sadly, the truth and facts do not seem to matter to many talebearers and others who have hardened their hearts against the work of the Philadelphian remnant.

On a more positive note, we received additional translations of our English booklet, The Gospel of the Kingdom of God, into another 20 languages/dialects. Those are being uploaded to several of our websites. We strive to assist in the fulfillment of Matthew 24:14, and getting the gospel available in more languages is part of our preparation for the short work of Romans 9:28 (see also Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word).

Donald Trump

Various Protestants have claimed that Donald Trump is a new Israelite King Jehu with another person claiming he is a new King Jeroboam (see Jonathan Cahn: Trump is Jehu, Gerald Flurry: Trump is Jeroboam, COGwriter: Donald Trump is not Jehu nor Jeroboam and Despite being repeatedly wrong about Donald Trump, PCG claims Gerald Flurry was right). Some Jews are once again claiming he is the Persian King Cyrus (see Rabbi Beger ties Donald Trump with King Cyrus and claims Trump may be a factor in getting the ‘Third Temple’ built). Ben Shapiro says some see Donald Trump as a type of King David, but he believes Donald Trump is a type of Noah to save this generation (see Ben Shapiro considers Donald Trump is Noah to save this generation, while many Americans look to leave the USA after his reelection).

None of those labels, biblically, fit Donald Trump. And no, he will not be able to save this generation.

The reality, however, is that the United States and the international community have been, to a degree, shaken a bit by the reelection of Donald Trump.

Our recommended sermonette for this Sabbath is related to him, international reactions, and scriptures.

The Continuing Church of God put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

14:48

Donald Trump – Now What?

Donald Trump won the election again. Will he fix everything wrong in America and bring in a golden age as he claims? Why or why not? What are concerns from the international community? Will Russia end up with territory that was once part of Ukraine? Might we see a regional war involving Iran? What about the peace deal of Daniel 9:26-27? Can the Great Tribulation begin in the next US presidential term? What are some of the 20+ predictions Dr. Thiel made before Donald Trump’s last presidential term that have been confirmed? Will US debt be a problem in the future per Habakkuk 2:6-9? What are some of the unintended consequences of a Donald Trump presidency? What about Europe? Dr. Thiel and Steve Dupuie go over these matters.

Here is a link to our video: Donald Trump – Now What?

Interestingly, Carlos Aponte and Oscar Leal put out a similar sermonette in the Spanish language.

Here is that video in the Spanish language:

Here is a link to a Spanish language version of this message: Donald trump y eventos para observar.

Anyway, Carlos Aponte, Oscar Leal, and I did not discuss this, but independently decided to produce videos based on the same article that was at COGwriter.com.

Here is a link to that article: Media declares Donald Trump won the election–now what? y Donald trump y eventos para observar.

Site in the Philippines

During the Feast of Tabernacles last month, Jose Lumpay sent the following from the Philippines:

Dear Dr. Thiel,

Our festival greetings to all CCoG feast goers around the world.
You will all notice that our numbers has shrink quite a little compared to previous feasts not because we are just 2 families. We actually are four families excluding the prospective one.
One head of the family is working in Taiwan and is about to end his contract early next year. His family were not able to make it because no one could assist the wife to travel alone with 2 small kids.
The other old member Roy Baconguis, from a distant place, Cagayan de Oro City of Mindanao, physically and financially is not able to travel alone by himself.
The one that was a candidate for baptism, … the second day …, we received a message telling us that he really cannot attend the feast altogether the entire feast …
Again, one is missing here (photo attached), a lady, my wife’s sister, long time member of our family, is also in Manila now waiting for her flight for Jedah, Saudi Arabia. … These two families promise to make it next year instead
Anyway, Judy Faye Lumpay, our youngest daughter’s baptism is scheduled tomorrow early morning.
Happy feast to everyone.
Our warm greetings,
Jose C. Lumpay
CCoG-Philippines

Anyway, I left that report out an earlier Letter to the Brethren, but here it is now.

That said, we are hoping that Jose Lumpay will be coming to Grover Beach, California for Passover and the First Day of Unleavened Bread.

Although Steve and Ruth Dupuie spent time with him and his family in the Philippines, my family has never met him. So, we hope to be able to do that this Spring.

Please pray about that as getting a visa to come to the USA is not a sure thing.

Suggested Sabbath Services

Here is a suggested Sabbath day service for our scattered brethren and other interested people for the Last Great Day Sabbath service:

Note: If you have a slow internet connection, you can watch these by starting the video, then below it (and towards the right) look for an outline of a gear–if you click on that, it will allow the YouTube video to be played with lower video quality, but at least it will not stop often–you can select a quality as low as 144p. If your internet connection is still too slow (as my home one is) and/or you prefer audio messages to audio-visuals ones, go to the YouTube link for the message, click on SHOW MORE related to the description. You will then see something that says, “Download MP3.” Below that is a link to an MP3 file. Most computers (and even some cellular telephones) will allow MP3 files to be downloaded and played. This is an option we have made available (but we are also looking into ways to improve that as well)–and, of course, we have written article options. Some people have found that if their internet connections are not fast enough, that they can simply listen to the messages that are found at the Bible News Prophecy online radio channel.

IN CASE YOU DO NOT RECEIVE A ‘LETTER TO THE BRETHREN’ FOR ANY WEEK, REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE MANY SERMON MESSAGES ON THE ContinuingCOG channel AND MANY SERMONETTE MESSAGES ON THE Bible News Prophecy channel. There are also some messages at the CCOGAfrica channel. There are also messages in the Spanish language at the CDLIDDSermones channel.

World News Items

The 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 29) is going on in Baku, Azerbaijan. However, many top national leaders are not there, and although certain groups hope it will solve climate matters, that will not be the case (see COP29, Key Leaders Absent, & WCC). The Bible says, “Unless the Lord builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it” (Palms 127:1). As those associated with COP29 do not really want to do things God’s way, as well as knowing aspects of biblical prophecy, we know that this will not succeed (cf. Revelation 11:18; Matthew 24:21).

Back in December 2015, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg referred to Donald Trump as “that blonde lunatic named Donald.” Well, after his reelection this month, Herr Guttenberg warned Europe that it now needed to take stronger steps towards unity and its own security. He basically said that the reelection of Donald Trump is good news in that it serves a final wakeup call for Europe to take actions for itself (see Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg says Donald Trump presidency should be a wake-up call for Germany/Europe to arm).

As far as taking actions for itself, Mexico has stated that it will take its own actions if Donald Trump follows through with his plans to impose high tariffs on its exports to the USA (see Mexico looking at retaliation if US places massive tariffs on its exports). Donald Trump’s reelection looks to be a factor in getting more nations to look to trade with each other and not the USA. We know that Europe is prophesied to dominate world trade for a time (cf. Revelation 17 & 18), and the tariff statements from Donald Trump look to be a factor in helping set that up.

Concluding Comments

We have seen some new outpourings of hate in Europe and in the USA. Over in the Netherlands, many Jews were attacked after a soccer game (see Jewish soccer/football fans in Amsterdam hunted down by persecutors).

In the United States, some Black Americans received personalized emails after the election telling them to basically pack a bag and get picked up for apparently nefarious purposes (see Lying racist texts sent to Black people nationwide after US election). While the emails were lies and no one seemed to come to round up Black Americans, such email should never be.

The Apostle Paul prophesied:

1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! … 13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:1-5, 13)

Sadly, we keep seeing more and more aspects of that being fulfilled.

Those involved in the hate incidents mentioned here likely deceived have themselves thinking that they were doing something good. They were not.

Brethren, pray, as Jesus said (Matthew 6:10), for God’s kingdom to come.

Sincerely,

Bob Thiel
Pastor and Overseer

Posted in Letters to the Brethren
About CCOG
The Continuing Church of God, which attempts to represent the most faithful remnant of the Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7) portion of the Church of God, bases its beliefs on the Holy Bible. Read CCOG's statement of beliefs for more information.