Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:
Greetings from Grover Beach, California.
We continue to work to reach others in this age as well as work on behind-the-scenes aspects of the final phase of the work.
African Updates
Deacon Radson Mulozowa reported:
The big church roofed is Nasiyaya congregation. While the small church is Nagaga congregation both in Mozambique.
We showed photos of the Nagaga roof last week (see Letter to the Brethren: November 11, 2021). Here is one for the Nasiyaya roof:
Having a roof is helpful for meetings because of rain and other aspects of weather.
Pastor Tiongik Sawek sent the following report today:
Hello and receive greetings in Jesus Christ. We are doing well and progressing very well especially from the updates of the recently distributed books. We had planned to provide the books to each local, including Mau regions, Bomet regions, Chilani region, Takitech region. The same is also taking place in the North region under Elder Cheruiyot.
Concerning Maasai region, a place recently visited, we are still talking with them and they are progressing well. Some of them proposed to visit the Chilani region and they are planning for the same soon.Currently, the Chilani area has been faced with a Malaria outbreak. Let’s continue praying for this area.May God bless you.Regards,Pastor Sawek
Yes, please pray for our brethren in Kenya.
Also regarding Kenya evangelist Evans Ochieng sent the following report:
Pastor Dr Bob,
Greetings from kenya.I’ve just arrived home now from central Nyanza. I’ve travelled a lot visiting the congregations. I’m giving the books and teach many things inside the books. So all a long I have been busy talking with people around western Kenya. And next week I’m planning to go to north rift valley to visit 4 congregations then I’ll come to southern Rift valley. … I also want to book my ticket to Malawi and Mozambique now because I’m suppose to travel in early December, after completed my trips in Kenya and Tanzania. … It has been a good response towards my trips in kenya. So many people are very interested in the books. Pray for me I have a lot to do.Evans.
Brethren, please pray for Evans Ochieng. Also, as Jesus said, also pray for more laborers for the harvest:
37 … “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38)
Remember that the Apostle Paul wrote that more Gentiles would come to the faith before Jesus returned (see What About Romans 11:25 and the Full Number of the Gentiles?) and Jesus pointed to the Philadelphians to go through the doors He opened (Revelation 3:7-8)..
New Supporters in the USA and Europe
Received the following in an email from someone in Texas:
You do not know me or my family but way back when we were called I began a search for truth.This lead me to reading Mere Christianity then on to understanding the ten commandments and finding a “church” that still followed those commandments which led me to a cross road of Ellen White or HWA.Before we were baptized by Mr. Way and Mr. Milliach of KC LCG in 2008 you played a pivotal role in my path to finding the Truth of Gods word and HWA.I bought your book way back when, thought so much of your inspired works. For many of years I had not followed your work as LCG was adamantly opposed to your work to eventually me seeing for myself that I could no longer subject my family to LCG and since having left we have been without sound teachings UNTIL your sermons lately where I found you teaching relevant truths in which we find ourselves today while ALL are obsessed and purposefully ignorant of many things but you have boldly proclaimed truth.
If those once part of my prior group were aware of the truth, more would be with CCOG (note: I do not believe that the current top leader in LCG actually knows the truth about this, so it is little wonder that almost no minister, etc. with them do as well).
Also, earlier this month someone from Arizona also emailed and said he was now going to support CCOG. Furthermore, a couple in the Netherlands who expressed interest earlier, emailed and said they were now convinced to be part of CCOG and asked to be considered as part of us.
We are reaching people, and having people respond around the world.
Haitian Update
Received the following from Canada regarding Haiti:
Dr. Thiel;On October 27th, {funds were} sent to Moise to help provide relief for our brethren in Haiti. He was asked to make purchases for tents, to provide temporary shelters, as well as for food.Attached please find … a written update from Moise.In spite of all the hardships they remain strong in the faith and are very thankful to the brethren for assistance provided.SincerelyHerb and Gisele
Here is one report from Moise in Haiti:
Nov 14, 2021, 9:29 PM
Moïse
Dear Brother Herb, How are you with dear Sister Gisele ? All our brothers and Sisters sent great thanks to you for the help. Brethren are very happy, personally I feel very good because things was really complicated for us. It was not possible for me to got a tent aswell cause foods products were expensive but I’m happy all brethren was satisfied. Thank you may God bless you all abundantly. Good night to you both. Sincerely…
Many face difficulties, and Haiti has even more extreme ones. We cannot solve all the problems, but we do assist where we can both physically and spiritually.
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: Volunteering to Assist. 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: Christians: Strangers, Pilgrims, and Ambassadors, 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
The Europeans are trying to have a ‘rapid development force’ in place in a few years that is independent of the US military (see Reuters: EU to aim for rapid deployment force without U.S. help by 2025, document says). Though the proposed size of the force is relatively small, understand that the Bible shows Europe will acquire a “great army” (Daniel 11:25) with “many ships” (Daniel 11:40) in the end times.
Europe is also looking at ways to increase its influence in Africa and Asia (see NPR: Biden signs the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill into law; COGwriter: More debt!). This is partially because of China, as well as partially because it sees opportunities that the USA is not seeing. The Bible shows that Europe will be the leading economic power for the world for a time (cf. Revelation 18).
In Finland, a Protestant pastor is facing charges and is scheduled to stand for trial in January because he wrote a booklet in 2004 that tries to give his view of what the Bible teaches on sexual matters, plus he posted some verses of the Bible on Twitter that the LGBTQ+ do not like (see ‘Six US Congress members call for sanctions against Finland for violating religious liberty’). We are getting closer to the prophesied ‘famine of the word’ that the Bible foretells (cf. Amos 8:11-12).
Over in the USA, more debt was formally agreed to (see NPR: Biden signs the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill into law; COGwriter: More debt!). Increasing debt that it will not properly pay back will not end well for the USA (cf. Habakkuk 2:6-8).
Concluding Comments
The following is considered to be “A Song for the Sabbath day”:
1 It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
2 To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night,
3 On an instrument of ten strings,
On the lute,
And on the harp,
With harmonious sound. (Psalm 92:1-3)
Brethren, yes, it is good to give thanks to God.
And no, giving thanks should not be limited to optional national holidays.
Sincerely,
Bob Thiel
Pastor and Overseer