Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:
Greetings from another full week from the Five Cities region of California. It is getting clearer and clearer that the USA, which many have marveled at since at least World War II, is losing respect and being more perceived as immoral. This is one of the reasons for the recommended sermonette this week.
That being said, “the end is not yet” (Matthew 24:6), but “it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11).
Lease has Begun in Grover Beach, California
We now have the property in Grover Beach via a five-year lease, but the actual office is not expected to move there from Arroyo Grande for a couple more weeks, as some construction needs to be done.
As mentioned last week, our new address is to be:
Continuing Church of God
1036 W. Grand Avenue
Grover Beach, CA 93433
This facility is on the same street that we have long been on, it is just about a mile (less than 2 kilometers) away from where we have been. Grover Beach borders Arroyo Grande (where our office currently is) and Pismo Beach (where my wife and I first hosted church services in our home for the old Global Church of God). Grover Beach tends to be a little windier than Pismo Beach.
Anyway, the new office has room for us to better organize our literature as we have printed booklets and magazines in multiple languages. We also hope that we will be able to be more effective in proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom from there as we believe some changes we will make to our editing because of the move should help.
Note: having a five year lease should not be interpreted as something we did for prophetic purposes. It is possible that the Great Tribulation could start before the end of the lease–we will have to watch world events as Jesus said to do (Luke 21:36) to know for sure when. But, at this stage, let me clearly state that the Great Tribulation cannot begin before the Spring of 2019, and even that is likely too early as the deal of Daniel 9:27 is not likely to have a seven-year confirmation this September–though that is not impossible. Anyway, we intend to watch and warn as appropriate.
Michigan Trip in August: Wixom Location Reserved!
The next weekly letter should be sent from me in Michigan. I finally got a room reserved so we can have services on August 15, 2015.
The most cost-effective option I found was at the Wixom Public Library at 49015 Pontiac Trail, Wixom, Michigan. This is north of the 96 expressway.
Wixom is basically between Novi and Brighton. Google maps says it is about 30 miles northeast of Ann Arbor and 33 miles northwest of Detroit. I have family members in the area and plan to be staying with my father in South Lyon.
Services would probably start around 1:30 pm. We have the room reserved from 1:00 pm until about 5:00 pm.
If you live in or near Michigan and possibly would like to attend, please email me cogwriter@aol.com if you would like more details.
Radio
Ended up being a radio guest twice last Friday morning, July 31st. I was interviewed on KZNG 1340 am of Hot Springs, Arkansas at 8:35 Central time. Topics expected covered included prophecy and factors involved in the decline of the USA and my book, Hillary Clinton, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States. Actually, one of the reasons I wrote the book was to get more radio interviews. Then at 9:00 am Central time, I was interviewed on WGSO 990 am out of New Orleans, Louisiana. Same basic topics.
Tomorrow, Friday, August 7, 2015, I am scheduled to be on KTSA 550am at 7:00 am Central time and 12:00 pm Central time out of San Antonio, Texas. This will mean I have to be on the radio at 5:00 am in California as we are on Pacific time here.
Of course, being on radio is something that COG leaders have done since no later than the 1930s. Radio was used so much to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom and other biblical messages, that after he left CG7, the late Herbert W. Armstrong initially named his group the Radio Church of God. Radio is one of the forms of mass media that we in the Continuing Church of God use to teach people about Jesus’ gospel of the kingdom (Matthew 24:14), warn the world what is coming to pass (Ezekiel 33:1-10; watch also Go, Set a Watchman), and provide other teachings (Matthew 28:19-20).
I have been a guest on radio at least 50 times already since the official formation of the Continuing Church of God just over 2 1/2 years ago. This seems to be significantly more than any other COG leader in the 21st century that I am aware of.
It remains my belief that getting secular media coverage will be part of how we will be able to reach the world with the witness of the Kingdom of God that Jesus said would happen prior to the end (Matthew 24:14).
World News Items
Has the USA become an ‘evil empire’? Well, if one uses the Bible to consider that question, the answer is increasingly yes (see Is the USA now an ‘evil empire’?). This is the subject of the recommended sermonette for this week.
US President Barack Obama is promoting his nuclear deal with Iran and has claimed all nations in the world support it except Israel (see Obama pushes nuclear deal with Iran; Israel continues to consider the deal dangerous). He basically claims his way is the only way to peace (cf. Romans 3:17). Israel, various ones, and I see that this deal has the potential for increased terrorism and war as it will give Iran financial resources that it may use for those purposes.
The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico defaulted on some of its debt (see Puerto Rico in default!). It has not come up with a solution, yet. Some believe that this is the first of many defaults by Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico is also experiencing a major drought. The US government may intervene, but had not done so when I last checked (see also Puerto Rico’s drought and economic crisis). But the reality is that even if the US government gets involved that way, it will only serve to increase the debt of the USA. The USA will ultimately NOT pay back its debts properly and will ‘pay’ by getting taken over (Habakkuk 2:6-8).
Over in Europe, more are noticing the rise of Germany and its influence (see The plan is for Germany to develop European unity and run the continent).
Someone else who is influential over there is Jean-Claude Juncker. He is President of the European Commission and his presidency was opposed by the UK’s Prime Minister David Cameron (see EU Summit opens, UK’s Cameron expected to lose related to J. Juncker: a prelude to a Brixit?). Anyway, he recently has been involved in proposals for a Europe-wide tax (see The plan is for Germany to develop European unity and run the continent). This is of interest as the Bible shows that a raiser of taxes will arise (Daniel 11:20), die (but ‘not in anger or in battle’) not very long after he does so (Daniel 11:20), and would be followed by the final King of the North (Daniel 11:21). We will see if Jean-Claude Juncker could possibly be this person. It should also be noted that there is also a President of the Council of Europe, Donald Tusk. Donald Tusk is one to watch about possibly being the ‘raiser of taxes’ in Daniel 11:20.
Because of a report from Wikileaks about USA government espionage, the government of Japan is upset with the USA (see Japan is seriously concerned about USA espionage). The USA has managed to seriously upset nearly all of its non-Anglo-Saxon allies over its espionage practices in the past two years. This does not bode well for the USA or its Anglo-Saxon allies. And in the case of Japan, this could specifically have ramifications for New Zealand (Japan is seriously concerned about USA espionage).
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 who receive this letter via email will be a recorded one titled: Is the USA an Evil Empire? A written article of related interest is titled: Is the USA now an Evil Empire? Other sermonettes are 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 who receive this letter via email will be a recorded one. The one suggested for this week is: John 13-15: Footwashing and the Words of Jesus. There is no directly related written article for all that was covered, but some may find the articles Jesus: The Son of God and Saviour and The Apostle John and Passover and the Early Church of related assistance. 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. 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.
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 new 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.
Concluding Comments
Jesus taught that difficulties and trials will arise:
21 “Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. (Matthew 10:21-23)
18 “Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. (Matthew 13:18-22)
12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. (Matthew 24:12-13)
32 Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. (Luke 12:32)
Brethren, despite the tests and trials that we go through, do not give up. We all need to endure to the end. Do not fear, God’s plan will work for you if you will truly live as a Christian.
Sincerely,
Bob Thiel
Pastor and Overseer
Continuing Church of God