Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:
Greetings from Grover Beach, California.
It’s been a bit more stressful than usual due to changes of banks, book printers, and other matters.
The forced change from CreateSpace to Kindle Direct Publishing has been difficult. It costs us more time to get literature approved, the procedures appear more complex, and it takes longer to get book orders shipped. But, for the time being, it still looks like our best option.
Facebook Animation Promotion
Andre Nelson sent the following:
According to this report, nearly 103,000 people were reached with this promotion and 12,000 watched at least part of our animation: A Lifegiver or Spontaneous Evolution?
However, since this was through Facebook, YouTube does not count those views, so many people believe our animations have only a small fraction of the impact that they are actually having. On this particular animation, YouTube only shows about 300 views. Anyway, it is great that thousands have been able to be reached with the truth.
Radio Hour
Last Thursday afternoon, I was on the radio on the NutriMedical Report with Dr. Bill Deagle. We discussed Saudi Arabia and prophecy related to the coming King of the South (Daniel 11:40-43).
I am scheduled to be on again today at 2:06 PST.
Dr. Deagle’s program is on the Genesis Network, Revolution Radio, Red State Radio, and other outlets.
Kenya News
Got two reports related to the Rift Valley in Kenya:
Pastor Dr Bob,
Greetings from Kenya.
My trip to Rift valley on Monday was cancelled when I reached Kilgoris where I got a report that the two tribes Masai and Kalenjin were fighting. So I couldn’t move on with my trip. I stopped there and meet with pastors Sawek and Kirui. After that I went back up to Kisii. After one day I came back home.
I gave Pastor Sawek funds for the iron sheets to build his house.
I talked with them about the work in Rift valley. They told me that everything is okay except there’s a problem in Kaplecho. So I will see how to help the situation of Kaplecho in January. I have other two projects before me still. The congregation of Migori are having a project that needs our support. So I will send some funds tomorrow to support them. After that I am going to support the building of Muhuru congregation who still keeping Sabbath under the trees. We are going to start that project next week. The book of God’s Holly days or demonic holidays is also in demand. So I want go and print it more.
Evans Ochieng
I greet you in the name of messiah, here in Rift Valley we are well. On 6th November this year Pastor Ochieng was preparing to come to Trans Mara east but he received report of insecurity on the way where he was supposed to pass through. But we managed to meet at Kilgoris where the security was stable. Me and Pastor William Kirui. after meeting we inform the how the churches are doing well in Rift Valley we also inform him about churches not constructed like Kabolecho and others.
Lastly he gave me the iron sheet that I request for construction of a house, now I am looking for way of constructing the house. I thank you so much because this house help to keep the church instruments and housed the visitors. May God bless you.
I am pastor Tiongik Sawek
So, there are safety considerations in even more parts of Kenya now.
Also, we received from a French-speaking pastor from Burundi who lives in what seems to be a refugee camp with others from Burundi in Kenya. We sent him some French language literature earlier. He has informed me that a group of about 35 wants to be part of us, and that another 17 may as well. Evangelist Evans Ochieng will probably need to visit them in the near future.
World News Items
Politics has been in the USA news even more than usual. The USA is getting more divided and many are (rightly) concerned that violent civil unrest may occur, but there is another way (Matthew 7:13; see also Post election violence feared by left and right: but there is another way).
Speaking of politics, Pope Francis reportedly told leftist film producer Michael Moore that capitalism is a sin (see Pope encourages Michael Moore and denounces capitalism; Mothers giving away babies in socialist Venezuela). The Bible does not support the pontiff’s view here.
While the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10) and people should care for the poor (cf. Galatians 2:10, 6:7-10; James 2:15-17), capitalism, per se, is not a sin.
People like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were capitalists. Jesus (Matthew 25:14-28) and Peter (Acts 5:3-4) made capitalist supporting statements, as well as statements in support of the poor. Expect the Vatican to have more involvement with politics for a time (cf. Revelation 17:1-13), but also understand that supporters of the Beast will turn against and destroy the Church of Rome (Revelation 17:15-18).
French President Macron publicly called for a true European army this week (see EU to spend one billion euros on quantum tech to compete with USA and China; France’s Macron wants European military spending to go to European firms; ‘Europe Must Rebel’). The Bible shows that Europe will end up with a “great army” (Daniel 11:25) and more and more in Europe seem open to the idea. Europe will reorganize (Revelation 17:12-13) and support a militaristic dictator (Revelation 13:1-10).
Speaking of militaristic, a former US Marine is believed to have been the one who killed a dozen (or more as there are injured as well who may die) people in California late last night (see ‘City is full of violence’: At least 13 dead in Thousand Oaks). “Thy Kingdom come!” (Matthew 6:10).
Suggested Sabbath Service
Here is a suggested Sabbath service for this week for our scattered brethren:
- 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: Financial Reset by 2022? Other sermonettes are 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: Prophecies of Jesus’ birth, timing, and death. Other sermons are also available at the ContinuingCOG channel.
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.
Concluding Comments
The Apostle Peter wrote:
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 16 having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. (1 Peter 3:15-16)
Brethren, in this more and more anti-biblical age, we Christians need to know what the Bible teaches so that we can give an answer (KJV), a defense (NKJV), of why we are convinced Jesus is the Messiah as well as why we are willing walk in His ways.
The current sermon series is intended to assist us all in doing so.
Sincerely,
Bob Thiel
Pastor and Overseer