Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:
Greetings from South Carolina.
Joyce, David, and I have been on the East Coast the past several days and expect to be back in California next week.
Feast of Tabernacles in New Zealand
Shirley Gestro sent the following:
Dear Dr. Thiel,
A Feast of Tabernacles site is confirmed for New Zealand, location is in Rotorua.
Holdens Bay Holiday Park Rotorua & Conference Centre,
7 Stonebridge Park Drive, Holdens Bay, Rotorua, Ph (07) 345 9925.
If you are interested in staying at the above location, they offer several accommodation options, you may contact them directly to book, please see the above phone number.
Other accommodation:
Motels: https://www.rotoruanz.com/accommodation/motels
Holiday Homes: https://www.rotoruanz.com/accommodation/holiday-homes
Service times and activities will be emailed closer to the time.
For further information please contact Shirley at: continuingcog@xtra.co.nz
My wife Joyce and I have been to Rotorua twice and would recommend it.
The last time we were there, we made a BibleNewsProphecy video.
Here is a link to our video: Are supervolcanoes a real threat?
As far as festival locations go, we are still looking at Tennessee for the USA. Currently, Pigeon Forge looks to be the most likely location–though it is not confirmed.
Information on expected Feast of Tabernacles’ sites around the world are in the article: Feast of Tabernacles’ Sites for 2021.
Brand New Tube
A member suggested that last week that we consider going on an internet platform named BrandNewTube. So, I asked Bill Wedekind to look into doing so.
He was able to get the title “Prophecy” which means that on that channel, the Continuing Church of God should come up for those looking under the heading prophecy.
Bill was able to load some videos last week and was pleased that we already began to get subscribers. He said it was relatively easy to to start to copy what we already have at YouTube to put on this channel.
However, he later ran into complications. But we still expect to continue with this new channel.
As most of you are aware, YouTube has deplatformed (removed the videos of) many others in the past year.
Last month YouTube deplatformed LifeSiteNews, a pro-Roman Catholic anti-abortion site. And, they were fairly popular on YouTube. While I do not believe that the Continuing Church of God will be deplatformed immediately, I suspect that will happen one day. Actually, I am certain it will happen, but just am not sure when.
We had one video removed by Vimeo (another platform we use) last year and need to be careful about what we make live there as their official policy is against calling out certain sins. YouTube is moving in that direction as well (plus YouTube puts up unnecessary warning links, which it has done to us numerous time).
What has been happening with YouTube and others brings a certain scripture in mind. Notice the following from the New Living Translation:
A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. (Proverbs 22:3)
Anyway, having additional platforms is not only prudent, it also gives us access to new markets of potential listeners.
So, at this time, in addition to BrandNewTube we have videos on the following platforms:
The Book of Revelation teaches that Jesus opens and closes doors (Revelation 3:7-8). So, while YouTube and Vimeo are not currently closed, partially because they might cut us off, we are going through other doors that are opening.
Services in North Carolina
Joyce, David, and I are intending to travel North Carolina today and are planning on having Sabbath services in Union County, North Carolina.
If you may be interested in attending please email me at: COGwriter@aol.com
Suggested Sabbath Service
Here is a suggested Sabbath service for 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. The one suggested for this week is: COVID-19: Eat what is good! 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 who receive this letter via email will be a recorded one. The one suggested for this week is: CCOG Q&A: Eating Blood, Born Again, Jesus, Leavening Agents and more! 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. 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.
World News Items
US President Biden is pushing the so-called ‘Equality Act.’ Some believe it will essentially eliminate women’s sports to push the transgender agenda, force more to participate with abortions, and cause a host of abominable results (see MS: If You Believe Life Will “Return To Normal”, You Have A Fundamental Misunderstanding Of The Times In Which We Live; Biden Pushing ‘Equality Act’).
Denounced another false prophecy earlier this week (see I365: 800-Year-Old Prophecy and Hidden Torah Codes: Gog and Magog Before Pandemic Ends; COGwriter: No, not this COVID pandemic …). Sadly, because of so many false prophecies and false prophets, most discount true ones in this age.
Concluding Comments
The Apostle Peter wrote:
3 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. (1 Peter 2:1-3)
Brethren, despite what we individually have gone through, we are not to hold on to hate, deceit, or evil speaking, etc.
Until we are born into the Kingdom of God, we are all spiritual babes and need “the pure milk of the word, that we all can grow spiritually.
Sincerely,
Bob Thiel
Pastor and Overseer