Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:
Greetings from Grover Beach, California.
We continue to prepare for the ‘short work’ of Romans 9:28, the fulfillment of Matthew 24:14, and other scriptures as we received another 25 translations of our booklet, The Gospel of the Kingdom of God, yesterday. We are in the process of uploading them to our websites. We want to publish information in as many languages as we can to support the work of bearing fruit to those of multiple tongues (cf. Revelation 7:9).
YouTube
Although YouTube and its parent company Alphabet (AKA Google) continue to discourage people from finding our content, we still are reaching many through them.
We continue to get new YouTube subscribers to our videos. As of June 6, 2023, we had 3,376 subscribers on the ContinuingCOG channel–this has grown from 3,224 as of November 29, 2022. This is the channel that has our sermons, offertory messages, and some of our less prophetically-oriented sermonettes.
We also now have 6,145 subscribers to our Bible News Prophecy channel. This is up from 6,074 on November 29, 2022. This is our main sermonette channel. Our Bible News Prophecy channel tends to have a broader audience than the sermon channel.
According to YouTube, subscribers watch more often than non-subscribers and our number of subscribers to these channels has continued to rise. Hence, our audience continues to expand–despite steps YouTube looks to have taken to slow the expansion.
We are also on other YouTube channels such as CDLIDDSermones (204 subscribers, up from 92 on November 29, 2022), CCOG Animations (173 subscribers, up from 167 November 29, 2022), and CCOGAfrica (160 subscribers, up from 153 on November 29, 2022).
Spanish Sermonette Channel
We have been uploading more and more messages onto our Spanish language sermon channel: CDLIDDSermones.
But we are looking to do something a little bit different.
Carlos Aponte and I have been working on coming up with a Spanish language sermonette channel as well as another URL related to it.
Carlos has begun to record the first videos for that.
Suggested Sabbath Day Service
Here is a suggested Sabbath day service for our scattered brethren and other interested people:
- 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.
- The suggested sermonette is: And the Debt Goes On … Other sermonettes are available at our Prophecy channel on BitChute https://www.bitchute.com/channel/prophecy/
- Announcements (if any; though for many it will be this letter) and one hymn.
- The suggested sermon, which for most who receive this letter via email will be a recorded one. The suggested one is: Second Coming or Rapture by 2026? Other sermons are also available at the COGTube channel on BitChute https://www.bitchute.com/channel/cogtube/
- 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. There are also messages in the Spanish language at the CDLIDDSermones channel.
World News Items
Last Friday, the USA and EU held trade talks (see EU and USA held trade meeting, but …). While officials from both sides want to appear positive in public, both sides have concerns about the other. Trade matters are one of several that will fully turn the coming European Beast power against the USA.
The navies of the USA and Canada staged a joint mission through the Taiwan Straight this past weekend which was intended to send China a message (see Reuters: US, Canadian navies stage rare joint mission through Taiwan Strait). Needless to say, China was not pleased. That said, the USA’s focus on China (and Russia) is causing it to overlook the threat that is in the process of arising in Europe–and according to scripture, Europe is the power that will defeat the USA (cf. Daniel 11:39).
Concluding Comments
The Apostle Paul wrote:
13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free — and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.
15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? 18 But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. 19 And if they were all one member, where would the body be?
20 But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. 23 And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, 24 but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? (1 Corinthians 12:13-30)
Brethren, we all need to work together, based on the gifts God has given us, in order to be Philadelphian Christians.
Sincerely,
Bob Thiel
Pastor and Overseer