Dear Brethren and co-workers in Christ:
Another full week of emails, working on articles, working on another booklet, coordinating magazine production, etc. We are also in the process of getting a mailing out in the next day or so.
Received reports of additional interest to the CCOG in Tanzania, which is encouraging.
I feel that, from a writing perspective, I was able to make more progress on a couple of projects this week than normal. But there are still many, many, other projects ahead.
Radio
Ended up doing a last minute radio interview on Tuesday. Basically, I discussed some of what has been going on with Pope Francis and the disguised threats that will come from the final ‘beast of the earth’ of Revelation 13:11 (see also Pope Francis, the Mafia, and the Beast of the Earth). I also warned against the ecumenical movement, and told everyone that salvation is only possible through Jesus and cited Acts 4:10,12). In addition, I was able to cover a little bit about Iraq, terrorism, and the coming King of the South.
CCOG on Flipboard and Pinterest
The Continuing Church of God has had materials on Flipboard for a couple of months now. Our Flipboard site is basically an online ‘magazine’ format that mainly contains news posts from COGwriter.com.
Shirley Gestro of New Zealand has been handling this for us. She sent me the following about it:
FLIPBOARD, GOOGLE PLUS & PINTEREST STATISTICAL UPDATE
Bible News Prophecy on FLIPBOARD
https://flipboard.com/profile/ProphecyNews
| Date | Magazines | Articles | Readers | ReaderIncrease | Multiple AccessReaders* | PageViews | Page ViewIncrease |
| 20 Apr 14 | 20 | 994 | 271 | 5,933 | |||
| 21 Jun 14 | 20 | 1495 | 602 | 122% | 1,393 | 11,611 | 96% |
*Calculated on the total number of readers for each magazine
Bible News Prophecy Updates GOOGLE PLUS PAGE
https://plus.google.com/b/101842900290466764179/101842900290466764179/posts
| Date | Views | Increase |
| 20 Apr 14 | 7,820 | |
| 21 Jun 14 | 13,536 | 73% |
Biblical Wisdom on PINTEREST
http://www.pinterest.com/prophecyn/
| Date | Boards | Re-pins | Followers | Pins |
| 21 Jun 14 | 9 | 63 | 14 | 815 |
Pinterest is another form of social media that helps spreads information. This is new to the Continuing Church of God.
Basically, Flipboard, Google Plus, and Pinterest are other avenues we are utilizing to to reach more people with the truth.
2014 Feast of Tabernacles in Florida
We expect to have the Feast of Tabernacles with the Continuing Church of God in Florida this year (which is our only expected USA site). At this instant, it appears that it will be in Orlando. Once we have an actual meeting location finalized, we plan to report it in the article Feast of Tabernacles’ Sites for 2014, as well as a future Letter to the Brethren.
We have been in contact with the visitors’ centers for each of the cities. We have not finalized an agreement for any meeting place yet, so we still have a little time. We would ask if there is anyone in the Orlando or Panama City Bearch area that would possibly be willing to visit a facility or two, please contact me. My email remains cogwriter@aol.com.
We expect one site in New Zealand, a video site in the Philippines, and at least one site in Kenya. (we may need two there, but funding and other issues will be factors). Details on the sites are in the oft updated article Feast of Tabernacles’ Sites for 2014.
World News Events
Iraq has remained in the news (e.g. Iran blasts Barack Obama, while ISIS belittles Michelle Obama over Iraq and Iraq’s PM rejects governmental change, Syria intervenes, and ISIS tries to gain and hold territory). The Bible News Prophecy video we recommended for last week, Iraq, the King of the South, Armageddon, and Prophecy, has already been viewed over 700 times.
Pope Francis is getting attention in many ways, including for statements he made against the Mafia last Saturday in Vatican City. Some think he may get killed by them (or others), while some are starting to realize that Pope Francis has a global political agenda (see Pope Francis, the Mafia, and the Beast of the Earth). This pontiff looks like a lamb to many, but often speaks likes a dragon (Revelation 13:11).
Elsewhere in Europe it was announced that CERN wants to double the power of its Large Hadron Collider (see Large Hadron Collider set to double: Another step forward for Europe?). This is perhaps the leading physics project in the world and may well spin off the type of technologies that Europe will need to take over the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies (Daniel 11:39). While Europe is not ready for that yet, it is moving forward with its technologies and is leading the USA in certain key areas of technology.
Speaking of Europe, UK Prime Minister David Cameron upset many of the continental Europeans by objecting to the behind-the-scenes selected next president of the European Commission (see EU Summit opens, UK’s Cameron expected to lose related to J. Juncker: a prelude to a Brixit?). David Cameron seems to feel that if the pre-selected candidate, Jean Claude Juncker, gets the job that the UK is more likely to vote to leave the European Union when it gets a chance. The reality is that whether or not Jean Claude Juncker gets the job, Europe will ultimately unite closer together (Revelation 17:12-13) and more than most in the UK would want to be part of. The UK will not end up as a co-equal part of the final European power.
Prayer Request
Evans Ochieng sent the following:
Pastor Bob, Bathlomew Ogada is very sick. I took him to the hospital on
sabbath evening, yesterday I went back and he was given all the
necessary treatment possible. The doctors also added him 2 bottles of
water. Now I received a phone at midnight that his condition is not
good…
I told Pastor Ochieng that I would pray for Bathlomew Ogada as well as put a prayer request in the weekly Letter to the Brethren. A report I received Tuesday indicates that he improved a little since he originally told me about him on Sunday.
I would also like to bring up a story related to Bathlomew Ogada. Early last Fall, someone contacted me and said that he wanted to represent the Continuing Church of God in Kenya. The person claimed to be Bathlomew Ogada. So, I telephoned the person and we discussed the possibility. When I did some inquiries about Bathlomew Ogada throughout Kenya and Tanzania, all the reports were positive that he was a faithful Christian leader. However, the reports also said that he was not fluent in English. When I asked for a copy of his national identification card (which is something I have done with various ones in Kenya), the individual who claimed to be Bathlomew Ogada never provided it, and somehow went away. He was not the real Bathlomew Ogada, but a fraud.
I was able to meet the real Batholomew Ogada when I was in Kenya in late March/early April 2014. He was eager to meet with me, and tell me that while he was a supporter of the Continuing Church of God, he never wanted to be our highest level representative in Kenya. He attended our leadership conference, and was one of many who listened to the conference via the live translations of what I was saying. He came across as a very nice older man, and he now needs our prayers.
Spanish News Items
Our Spanish language translator sent the following:
Almost no prophecy watchers will understand the deal of Daniel 9:27
Casi ningún vigilante de la profecía entenderá el pacto de Daniel 9: 27
http://www.cdlidd.es/casi-ningun-vigilante-de-la-profecia-entendera-el-pacto-de-daniel-9-27/Iraqi government lost control of certain key areas and weapons ¿A civil war in progress?
Gobierno iraquí pierde control de ciertas áreas y armas clave ¿Una guerra civil en progreso?
http://www.cdlidd.es/gobierno-iraqui-pierde-control-de-ciertas-areas-y-armas-clave-una-guerra-civil-en-progreso/Can Europe really nuke the USA and UK?
¿Puede Europa realmente golpear nuclearmente a los EE.UU. y el Reino Unido?
http://www.cdlidd.es/puede-europa-realmente-golpear-nuclearmente-a-los-ee-uu-y-el-reino-unido/Should Christians get tattoos?
¿Deberían los cristianos hacerse tatuajes?
http://www.cdlidd.es/deberian-los-cristianos-hacerse-tatuajes/CBS: Will ISIS plan another ’9/11′ attack against the USA? German jihadists?
CBS: ¿Planeará ISIS otro ataque ‘9/11’ contra los EE.UU.? ¿Jihadistas alemanes?
http://www.cdlidd.es/cbs-planeara-isis-otro-ataque-911-contra-los-ee-uu-jihadistas-alemanes/Dreams, the UK, and the Continuing Church of God
Sueños, el Reino Unido, y la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios
http://www.cdlidd.es/suenos-el-reino-unido-y-la-continuacion-de-la-iglesia-de-dios/COGWA on the identity of the ‘man of sin’
COGWA sobre la identidad del ‘hombre de pecado’
http://www.cdlidd.es/cogwa-sobre-la-identidad-del-hombre-de-pecado/Is there a need for a prophet now?
¿Hay necesidad de un profeta ahora?
http://www.cdlidd.es/hay-necesidad-de-un-profeta-ahora/Presbyterian Church Declares Homosexual Marriage ‘Christian’
Iglesia Presbiteriana declara ‘cristiano’ el matrimonio homosexual
http://www.cdlidd.es/iglesia-presbiteriana-declara-cristiano-el-matrimonio-homosexual/The Trinity and 1 John 5:7-8
La Trinidad y 1 Juan 5: 7-8
http://www.cdlidd.es/la-trinidad-y-1-juan-5-7-8/Do you know about ‘angelic beings’?
¿Sabe usted acerca de ‘seres angélicos’?
http://www.cdlidd.es/sabe-usted-acerca-de-seres-angelicos/Vatican City: Information on its Origins
Ciudad del Vaticano: Información sobre sus orígenes
www.cdlidd.es/ciudad-del-vaticano-informacion-sobre-sus-origenes/The Cathedra of Rome Sits Near One of Rome’s Original Seven Hills
La asiento de la cátedra de Roma cerca de una de las siete colinas originales de Roma
http://www.cdlidd.es/la-catedra-de-roma-tiene-asiento-cerca-de-una-de-las-siete-colinas-originales-de-roma/Have you ‘seen Satan’s Throne’?
¿Ha visto usted el ‘Trono de Satanás’?
http://www.cdlidd.es/ha-visto-usted-el-trono-de-satanas/Western entertainment has a major pornography problem
El entretenimiento occidental tiene un gran problema de pornografía
http://www.cdlidd.es/el-entretenimiento-occidental-tiene-un-gran-problema-de-pornografia/
We continue to add more and more materials in English, Spanish, and other languages. We truly are trying to get the truth to the whole world as a witness.
Suggested Sabbath Service
Here is our suggested format for Sabbath services this week:
- 2-3 hymns (our songbook, The Bible Hymnal, contains the materials from the 1974 Bible Hymnal from the old WCG with new covers, plus ten additional hymns; there is also some Choral Accompaniment online).
- Opening prayer.
- Sermonette, which for most will be a recorded one: Problems of Not Understanding Church History. A slightly related written item would be the first quarter of the booklet: Continuing History of the Church of God. Other sermonettes are also available at the Bible News Prophecy channel.
- Announcements (if any; though for many it will be this letter) and one hymn.
- Sermon, which for most will be a recorded one. The one suggested for this week is Luke 1-2. John the Baptist, Mary, and the Census. There is not really a related written article, but some of what is covered related to the census is in the article Jesus: The Son of God and Saviour. Other sermons are also available at the ContinuingCOG channel.
- Final hymn.
- Closing prayer.
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. So, 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 that we list each week.
Concluding Comments
Notice what the Apostle John and the Apostle Paul wrote:
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17)
11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. (Romans 13:11)
Despite problems that we all face, Jesus will return and the Kingdom of God will be established.
Brethren, the return of Jesus Christ is closer than it ever has been before.
Sincerely,
Bob Thiel, Pastor and Overseer
Continuing Church of God