Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:
Another jam-packed week in the Five Cities region of California. In addition to routine matters, I have been able to work on some matters that should increase our reach related to Matthew 24:14 in 2015.
Radio
I was able to be a radio guest on Wednesday, November 12th. Subjects covered included issues with Pope Francis, homosexuality, the situation with Russia and Ukraine, and a new book making false claims about Jesus.
This was on the Genesis Communications Network, plus K-Ban (which covers North and South America) as well as the portion of DISH Network radio.
Of course, thanks to supporters in New Zealand we also have an internet radio presence. The URL for that is http://biblenewsprophecy.caster.fm/.
YouTube Channel Subscribers and Views
We have now had over 300,000 views of our sermons and sermonettes on the YouTube channels!
This is up from last year and is encouraging.
We now have 1194 subscribers to our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel and 409 subscribers to our ContinuingCOG YouTube channel. Subscribers do not necessarily watch all the YouTube videos, but have asked to be notified by YouTube when new ones are put up.
Got the following in an email yesterday:
Thanks Bob, I like your YouTube videos. The more I read on the CCOG the more I like it. I’m keeping the Sabbath in the S.D.A. right now, but I’m sure God is giving me more truth then they want me to know, or they want to know.
There are many watching our videos who are not yet part of us, but hopefully more will respond to God’s calling for Philadelphia Christians and act on the truth that we provide and explain.
4.8 Earthquake in Kansas
There were earthquakes that affected Kansas and Oklahoma, one of which was quite strong for that area (see Kansas/Oklahoma hit by 4.8 earthquake). Here is a report from the host our congregation in Wichita, who I contacted about this today:
Morning Dr. Thiel,
Yes , we had a 4.8 magnitude earthquake yesterday at almost 4 pm. My family and I were home and all of a sudden we felt the house shake and I could see my curtains sway from side too side. It only lasted about 10 seconds. No damage occurred here in Wichita but it was felt through out the state . The epicenter of the quake was south of of Wichita in a town called Conway Springs, the damage there uprooted a tree with a diameter of 18 – 20 inches. A few buildings were moved off of their foundations an inch or so, a propane tank was shifted off its foundation. It was felt as far as Oklahoma City which is about 200 miles south of us. We have been experiencing slight tremors for the last year or so with those happening in Oklahoma, close to the border.
My daughter Joan wanted to mention that yesterday the state of
Kansas is now going to allow same sex marriage.coincident? I don’t think so! The news did say it was felt in six other states around us.More signs of the end times!
Your Sister in Christ,
Rose Brown
Jesus predicted earthquakes in diverse places as one of the signs (Matthew 24:4-8) before the start of the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21).
When I first learned of this 4.8 earthquake, I immediately thought about Kansas being a state that allows homosexual marriage and wondered if there was a connection. It is interesting that I was not the only one in the Continuing Church of God to do so.
Kenya
Received another report from CCOG Pastor Evans Ochieng today:
Pastor Dr Bob,
Sorry for staying for long without communication… I have talked with the printer So I will go to Nairobi on Sunday for printing {in Kiswahili} and on Monday I will go to sheria house for registration certificate. On Tuesday to Thursday I will meet Muriuki and his groups.
I met Muriuki and other brethren in Kisumu last week. The meeting was very good. I spent more time discussing with muriuki since that was my first time to meet him. We ended that I will go to Nairobi to meet all groups he is meeting with every sabbath. we spent a night in Kisumu and on Friday I traveled back to Ndhiwa to meet the leaders that I sent you their names. Those who attended were :-
Nimrod Ondigo
Batholomew Otieno
John Okinda
Ezekiel Oanda and
Evans Ochieng.
We got an apology from Kenedy Odhiambo who was sick, so he did not attend. Simon Okeyo did not attend but he talked with me later.Since the church has expanded in the country, we discussed three major points that can help the church to remain steady and strong.
1- We talked about area representatives.
2-Tithing
3-We discussed that every new member who is joining the church must fill the form. And must write the letter back to his or her former group. This is because many people are pretending that they are church
Members but are double dealers. So this will help to know the true members of the church.
4 – Translation of BNP MAGAZINES in to Luo and Kisii languages. We start wth the two because, these are areas where we have many members.The meeting went well. …
DEATH ANNOUNCEMENT
I am sorry to inform you that,a lady from Kisii called, Yunike Nyangochi Died from Malaria and we shall bury her tomorrow. She left five children. her husband died long time and she remained a widow for all those years. pray for her children to have good life and stay. She was a very good, polite and lovely woman.
There is much going on with the work in that part of the world, but also with a lot of difficulties and challenges. He needs to pick up the registration document in Nairobi as churches need to be registered in Kenya.
World News Events
Pope Francis has concerned many ‘conservative Catholics’ and he just demoted Cardinal Raymond Burke, the highest ranked opponent in the USA (see Pope Francis speaks of unity and authority; Conservative Catholics have doubts and Francis demotes Cardinal Burke). This is significant because Pope Francis was unable to get his positions on dealing with divorcees, fornicators, and homosexuals accepted last month. Hence, as I suspected (see ‘Extraordinary synod’ concludes, and if at first you don’t succeed, try again?), he will probably try again next year.
By demoting Cardinal Burke, Pope Francis is sending a message that he wants the bishops and cardinals to accept his agenda or at least not oppose it. While he seemed to take a different tone when he assumed the papal throne, he apparently feels his vision of what should happen trumps those who try to oppose him.
There is another anti-biblical book that came out yesterday that claims that Jesus had a wife and children (see Book claims Jesus had children). This might be a topic I will do a sermonette on in a couple of days.
Forbes named Russia’s Vladimir Putin as the most powerful person in the world (see Vladimir Putin named world’s most powerful person; Finland worried he may want take it over). Many are concerned about him (such as many in Finland, Ukraine, and eastern Europe), but also about weaknesses in leadership in the U.S.A.
Europe is watching what is going on in North America and elsewhere. It was reported that Hungary’s Prime Minister believes that Europe needs more autocratic leaders and he pointed to places like Russia and China to show why he felt that was good (see Europe: Technology and Autocracy? Hungarian PM promotes turn from ‘liberal democracy’).
The European Union has not really functioned as a democracy. The Bible shows that Europe will end up with a dictatorial leader that the rest of the post-Anglo-American world will also tend to fall for (Revelation 13:4,8).
Europe impressed the world with some of its technology this week by landing a probe on a comet (see Europeans land spacecraft on comet: German-influenced technology demonstrated before the world.). This had never been done before and does show that Europe is capable of utilizing sophisticated space technology. I believe that European technology will be part of the reason that the world will later marvel at the Beast’s warring ability (Revelation 13:4; see also European Technology and the Beast of Revelation).
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 emailed-letter will be a recorded one: Anti-Pope Francis?. A somewhat related written article is: Australian Cardinal hints Francis could be an antipope; US Cardinal also expresses doubts about Pope Francis. 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 emailed-letter will be a recorded one. The one suggested for this week is: What is the ‘Mark of the Beast’? There is a related written article titled: The Mark of the Beast. 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.
Concluding Comments
The Apostle Paul wrote:
12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors — not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. (Romans 8:12-17)
Brethren, we are to “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Live as Christians.
Sincerely,
Bob Thiel, Pastor and Overseer
Continuing Church of God