Letter to the Brethren: April 4, 2024

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 mobile 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

We continue to see more calls for military spending and preparedness in Europe (see ‘Europe must get ready for looming war, Donald Tusk warns’ & ‘CERN to test world’s most powerful particle accelerator during April’s solar eclipse to search for ‘invisible’ matter that secretly powers our universe’). The Bible prophesies that Europe will have a “great army” (Daniel 11:25) with “many ships (Daniel 11:40), but I have also long believed that Europe would use new technologies for it to be able to defeat the USA (Daniel 11:39) and its British-descended allies–and Europe looks to be working on all of those.

The tension in the Middle East is rising after Israel attacked some Iranian targets in Syria (see CBS: Iran vows deadly suspected Israeli airstrike on its consulate in Damascus “will not go unanswered” & MS: We Are Just One Step Away From An Apocalyptic War In The Middle East). It is likely that we will see a major regional war in the Middle East prior to the confirmation of the deal of Daniel 9:27. It is still possible that such confirmation could occur in the Fall of 2024.

Over in the UK, there are apparently plans being made for the funeral of King Charles III, who reportedly has about two years to live (see ‘King Charles’ Funeral Plans Unveiled After Monarch Is Given 2 Years to Live With Pancreatic Cancer’). Charles sits on the ‘throne of David’ and currently it is believed that his son William will succeed him.

Concluding Comments

Consider the following from Daily Reckoning:

The World Wants to Be Deceived

April 3, 2024

“Mundus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur” — the world wants to be deceived, so let it be deceived.

We believe there is vast justice here. The world yearns to be deceived, eternally and infinitely deceived.

Why else — sisters and brothers — do people attend magic shows… consult psychics… or read New York Times editorial columns?

Why, indeed, do people vote?

The answer, so far as we can discern, is because they wish to be deceived. https://dailyreckoning.com/the-world-wants-to-be-deceived/

It is a deception, at least from the perspective that humanity can solve its major problems itself ignoring the word of God and not placing its hope in the return of Jesus and the establishment of the Kingdom of God.

The Bible teaches:

14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. (Revelation 22:14-15)

We should not believe the lie that voting, per se, will solve the problems of a nation.

In 2023, Daily Reckoning posted the following:

The ‘lesser of two evils’ voters who could decide 2024

June 28, 2023

President Joe Biden’s path to victory in 2024 runs through voters who think he’s been a disappointment in the White House — but say Donald Trump or another Republican would be even worse.

Biden’s approval rating stands at 43% in the latest NBC News national poll, not enough support to translate to a re-election win. But another 10% of registered voters say they only “somewhat disapprove” of Biden’s performance. And in a hypothetical rematch with Trump, half of those voters say they would support Biden, while 39% say they would back Trump.

A man from California who is a self-described “very liberal” voter likened the matchup to “choosing the lesser of two evils.” …

The NBC News poll of 1,000 registered voters — 831 of whom were reached by cellphone — was conducted June 16-20 and has an overall margin of error of plus-minus 3.1 percentage points. https://www.aol.com/news/lesser-two-evils-voters-could-090000198.html

I am NOT a voter nor a Democrat nor a Republican –I am a non-partisan Christian looking for the return of Jesus and the establishment of the Kingdom of God.

Notice something that Daily Reckoning posted related to the 2012 USA presidential election:

When confronted with the false dilemma of the democratic political process, many individuals settle for the “less of two evils” as a kind of compromise. But one suspects (or hopes) they do so with a certain degree of moral discomfort. Ask a disciple of the Elephant Party, for example, if he agrees with the murderous drone attacks this moment underway in Pakistan and you will likely offend a delicate delusion of “Democrats for Peace.” Similarly, press any Donkey Party advocate on the issue of economic freedom and watch them squirm under close scrutiny of their own candidate’s position vis-à-vis the IRS, the Federal Reserve, the indigestible, 75,000- page tax code, etc., etc., etc., . . .

Contrary to the popular snipe that “only those who vote have the right to complain,” common sense leads us to quite the opposite conclusion. It is only those who have not aggressed against others who have the right to complain when they are aggressed against. Those who, to invert a phrase, “feed the mouth that bites them,” may stand firmly, but do so on shaky ground.

A vote for either evil is nonetheless a vote for evil. (Daily Reckoning, October 19, 2012)

It is interesting to see a secular source coming to similar conclusions regarding the ‘democratic system’ and the US presidential election.

The Book of Daniel has the following:

17 ‘This decision is by the decree of the watchers,
And the sentence by the word of the holy ones,
In order that the living may know
That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men,
Gives it to whomever He will,
And sets over it the lowest of men.’ (Daniel 4:17)

There are elections taking place in something like 50 countries this year, as well as for those of the Parliament for the European Union. But we know that we should pray for our leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-3), and God will decide who they should be.

(Pixabay photo)

After I gave reasons why we in the Continuing Church of God do not vote in the Letter to the Brethren: January 25, 2024, one man pointed to a couple of portions of the Bible which he felt supported voting.

So, let’s look at some.

Notice the following:

13 Choose wise, understanding, and knowledgeable men from among your tribes, and I will make them heads over you. (Deuteronomy 1:13)

God had the nation of the children of Israel choose wise understanding men from their tribes, and He said He would make them leaders.  Probably no one that is on the ballot anywhere is a “wise, understanding, and knowledgeable” man and few would even be from the same tribe in places like the USA. So, no that is not an endorsement for modern voting.

Notice also the following:

14 When you come to the land which the Lord your God is giving you, and possess it and dwell in it, and say, ‘I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me,’ 15 you shall surely set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother. (Deuteronomy 17:14-15)

Now that seemingly suggests the people pick the top leader. But there are at least two issues which show that was not really the case:

1. The Bible shows that God says by asking for a king, the children of Israel rejected Him ruling over them per 1 Samuel 8:6-7.
2. God, Himself, directly chose the first kings of Israel (1 Samuel 9:15-17; 1 Samuel 16:1-13), so this was not a voting election by the people.

Another issue here was the children of Israel were supposed to be God’s people with His laws and function as a physical nation. No nation currently on the earth makes any serious effort to function according to the laws of the God of the Bible.

Of course, the Bible shows that Christians are different from those of the world:

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (1 Peter 2:9)

Furthermore, Jesus said:

 11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, … 14I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. .. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. (John 17:11,14,16)

Brethren, we are not to be of this world or its politics.

Let’s look at some of what the scriptures teach are to be traits of godly leaders:

19 Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God. 20 And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. 21 Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. (Exodus 18:19-21)

2 “The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me,
And His word was on my tongue.
3 The God of Israel said,
The Rock of Israel spoke to me:
‘He who rules over men must be just,
Ruling in the fear of God. (2 Samuel 23:2-3)

Few, if any, politicians truly endorse His laws and statutes, do not possess covetousness, and rule in the fear of the true God. Hence they are not people that Christians should endorse.

Understand, in the case of the USA for example, that the two leading candidates are evil and promote various aspects of evil–we even did a video about them nearly four years ago: Biden, Trump, and the Bible.

Understand that political divisions among Christians can “cause disputes rather than godly edification” (1 Timothy 1:4), hence they tend to be truly unprofitable.

Related to voting and other aspects of this world’s systems, here is something from the Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God:

NOT OF THIS WORLD

Jesus taught, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). Early Christians understood “the gospel of peace” (Romans 10:15; Ephesians 6:15) prohibited them from engaging in violent military behavior. John the Baptist taught, “Do violence to no man” (Luke 3:14, KJV). Historically, those of the Church of God have considered military service as wrong for its members. From Revolutionary War times to the Civil War and to present, countries like the United States have tended to have had provisions to exempt Church of God members and congregants from military participation because of conscientious objections. Early Christians did not participate in military warfare nor watch violent sports.

The Apostle Paul taught “we are ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20; Ephesians 6:20; see also Christians: Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, Biblical instructions on living as a Christian). The Apostle Peter taught that God’s people were “a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out” (1 Peter 2:9). The Bible also teaches that this world has been deceived by Satan the devil (Revelation 12:9) and that God’s people need to be separate from the world (John 15:19; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; James 4:4; Revelation 18:4). Since a Christian is God’s ambassador and  this responsibility is our duty above any arising from human relationships (Matthew 10:37; Acts 4:18-20; 5:26-31), it is our normal religious practice to not participate in voting for national elections nor participate in jury duty, nor do we voluntarily join the military. Historically, the faithful Church of God has long taught that its members should not participate in secular juries and secular politics.

However, Christians are expected to listen to (1 Peter 2:13-17) and pray for (1 Timothy 2:1-3) governmental authorities and to pay their taxes (Matthew 22:17-21). Yet, if there is a conflict between the laws of men and the laws of God, “We must obey God rather than any human authority” (Acts 5:29, NLT).

As far as church governance is concerned, consider reading the article: The Bible, Peter, Paul, John, Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, Roderick C. Meredith, and Bob Thiel on Church Government.

Of course, many professing Christians believe that they need to vote even though that concept is not endorsed in the Bible. But notice two concepts that are:

20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil (Isaiah 5:20).

2 You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; (Exodus 23:2)

The “lesser of two evils” is still evil.

Let’s not follow not follow a crowd to vote for evil.

Instead, we look forward to the coming Kingdom of God–and we are to pray for it to come. Unlike voting, that is something that Jesus enjoined on Christians (Matthew 6:10).

More on voting can be found in the article: Should a Christian Vote?

Sincerely,

Bob Thiel
Pastor and Overseer