Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:
Greetings from Grover Beach, California.
We still had to get caught up on the computer this week, because of some glitch that lost lots of data. However, now we are basically functional again with the information re-entered–just in time for the Fall holy day season which we are now in.
Yes, we received additional translations of our English language booklet, The Gospel of the Kingdom of God this week as we strive to support Matthew 24:14. We also received more translations of our book: Islamic and Biblical Prophecies for the 21st Century.
Today is the Feast of Trumpets. We included suggested services for this day in the Letter to the Brethren: September 26, 2024. Here is a link to a sermon prepared for today: Feast of Trumpets & the Purpose of the Church.
The Day of Atonement comes a week from this Sabbath.
The Feast of Tabernacles runs from sunset October 16th through the Last Great Day which ends sunset October 24th in 2024. Information regarding our planned sites around the world is in the following article: Feast of Tabernacles’ Sites for 2024.
Galveston, Texas Site Activities
Our planned North American site is at the Moody Gardens Hotel & Spa, 7 Hope Blvd, Galveston, TX 77554, 409-744-4673. This is where we arranged as the location for church services.
(Photo from Moody Gardens Hotel accommodations page)
There are also a variety of non-church activities on the Moody Garden property.
If you have familiarity with them and would like to suggest some possible group activities there, please contact me.
Now, as it turns out, two possible activities we had considered for Galveston are not options. The Schlitterbahn Galveston Waterpark is closed in October, and something called M.O.M.S Petting Zoo is permanently closed.
There is something called Stewart Beach. Here is information on that:
Stewart Beach is Galveston’s premier family-friendly beach park, named as one of the “10 Best Beaches for Families” by the Family Vacation Critic. Stewart Beach, located near where Broadway meets the Seawall, has all the amenities you need for a day of family fun at the beach. Parking at the beach is $15 one-time entry. Open Friday-Sunday 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. East Beach is also only open those times.
So, Stewart Beach is something some may wish to check out Friday or Sunday.
There is something called Pleasure Pier, which looks like a small amusement park on a pier. Here is information on that:
Pleasure Pier
Featuring waterfront fun and entertainment like no other Gulf Coast destination, the Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier features family-oriented attractions including rides, midway games, a wide selection of food venues and retail shops. Pleasure Pier is one of the few spots in the world that has this many rides over the water! You’ll be flying over guests on the Pier, soaring over the Gulf of Mexico and anticipating your next ride! Some restaurants are Bubba Gump, Landry’s Prime Seafood & Steaks, Saltgrass Steak House, Fisherman’s Wharf Seafood Grill, and Willie G’s Seafood & Steaks. Rides include roller coaster, ferris wheel, carousel, big swing, FrogHopper and bumper cars. 2501 Seawall Blvd., 409-766-4950. They don’t allow you to bring bottled water. Paid parking lot across the street next door to Fish Tales restaurant.
Open Friday 4:00-9:00 p.m., Saturday, 12:00-10:00 p.m., and Sunday 12:00-8:00 p.m.
All Day Ride Pass $29.99; under 48” $23.99.
Walk Only Pass with no rides: 48” and up $12.00; under 48” $11, Senior $10.00.
Can purchase individual ride tickets but have to pay to walk.
The Pleasure Pier is only open on the Sabbath (not an entertainment option then) and Sunday, so Sunday is basically the only option if any wish to go there.
There is also a free activity some may wish to check out called the Betty Head Oleander Garden Park. Here is information on that:
This park has the largest collection of oleanders in the US with over 30 varieties planted. This park is free to the public and displays beautiful oleanders along with other vibrant plants. The park is designed and maintained by the International Oleander Society. The International Oleander Society was formed in 1967 to preserve and cultivate the plants. Galveston is known as the “Oleander City.” The first Oleanders came to subtropical Galveston in 1841. Joseph Osterman, a prominent merchant, brought them aboard his sailing ship from Jamaica to his wife and to his sister-in-law, Mrs. Isadore Dyer. Mrs. Dyer found them easy to cultivate and gave them to her friends and neighbors. They survived the 1900 Hurricane. Come learn more about the flowers or just relax in a tranquil area of the city!
The Park is conveniently located across from the Moody Mansion at 2624 Sealy Avenue and may be open to the public free of charge from 10-4 daily.
That said, if any of you would like to suggest possible activities outside of church services in Galveston, please send me details in an email.
My email address remains: COGwriter@aol.com
New Zealand Promotion of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God
Shirley Gestro sent the following from New Zealand:
Dear Dr. Thiel,As mentioned, a few weeks ago, we were planning to create a flyer to display on community and public boards during our travels to FOT in Mt Maunganui (North Island) and back to Westport (South Island).Ritchie and I worked on the attached flyer. We used Microsoft AI Designer for the earth globe, etc.The flyer is for the Gospel of the Kingdom of God booklet, related items, and BNP radio. We sourced a free QR code that includes stats. Interested people can scan the QR code with their mobile phone, and it will direct them to the site page. We tested the QR code, and it works fine on both A4 and A5 paper sizes. Alternatively, the page site URL is on the flyer.I set up a page specifically for this flyer which includes: The GTKOG booklet links in English and other languages, information about the book with an additional short summary, 4 KOG-related sermons in video and audio, COGwriter news and analysis link, BNP radio interviews, audio news reports, and audio and written literature links. The specific bullet points with world event issues are addressed with a few related item links. The site page link is here: The Gospel of the Kingdom of God — Bible News Prophecy Radio
Note that the actual file is easier to read than what happened when it was uploaded into this Letter.
Anyway, this is another way to attempt to reach part of the world with a witness (cf. Matthew 24:14).
Prediction Related to Chagos Islands Being Fulfilled
The BBC announced today that the United Kingdom will give up the Chagos Islands:
UK will give sovereignty of Chagos Islands to Mauritius
3 October 2024
The UK has announced it is giving up sovereignty of a remote but strategically important cluster of islands in the Indian Ocean after more than half a century.
The deal – reached after years of negotiations – will see the UK hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in a historic move.
This includes the tropical atoll of Diego Garcia, used by the US government as a military base for its navy ships and long-range bomber aircraft.
The announcement, made in a joint statement by the UK and Mauritian Prime Ministers, ends decades of often fractious negotiations between the two countries.
The US-UK base will remain on Diego Garcia – a key factor enabling the deal to go forward at a time of growing geopolitical rivalries in the region between Western countries, India, and China.
The deal is still subject to finalisation of a treaty, but both sides have promised to complete it as quickly as possible. …
Mauritius will also be able to begin a programme of resettlement on the Chagos Islands, but not on Diego Garcia.
There, the UK will ensure operation of the military base for “an initial period” of 99 years.
US President Joe Biden welcomed the “historic agreement”, saying it was a “clear demonstration that through diplomacy and partnership, countries can overcome long-standing historical challenges to reach peaceful and mutually beneficial outcomes”.
He said it secured the future of a key military base which “plays a vital role in national, regional, and global security.”
But Frankie Bontemps, a second generation Chagossian in the UK, told the BBC that he felt “betrayed” and “angry” at the news because “Chagossians have never been involved” in the negotiations.
“We remain powerless and voiceless in determining our own future and the future of our homeland”, he said, and called for the full inclusion of Chagossians in drafting the treaty. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c98ynejg4l5o
Chagos Islands (Wikipedia)
As some of you may be aware, I predicted that the UK would be losing the Chagos islands, including Diego Garcia for years, such as back on May 28, 2019 (see UK closer to losing Chagos Islands–it will happen).
Prior to 2019 in my article Will the Anglo-Saxon-Celtic Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves?, I even warned that those of Indian heritage may end up with the naval island base Diego Garcia and much of the rest of what is called the British Indian Ocean Territory (55 islands, of which Diego Garcia is the largest). Those of Mauritius are mainly of Indian heritage.
As recently as this past Monday, I warned that the UK and USA would lose Diego Garcia (see Will the UK and USA lose Diego Garcia?). While the USA is currently allowed to remain on Diego Garcia, ultimately the USA military will NOT remain for the 99 years that the new treaty states.
Notice that the Chagossians were not part of the negotiations, but were betrayed by the UK. Well, while the vast majority in Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands wish to remain part of the UK, they will not. Gibraltar will end up under European, likely Spanish control and the Falklands most likely under Argentinian control, despite the current wishes of their inhabitants.
Let me add that Northern Ireland will one day become part of the European Beast power, and it is likely that Ireland, officially currently the Republic of Ireland, will assist in the governance of it.
Why do I write this?
Because of biblical prophecies.
Despite British hopes for its future, loss of territories will one day include Northern Ireland, the Chagos Islands, and Gibraltar. Notice a couple of prophetic warnings that are consistent with that:
24 ‘Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you. 25 For the land is defiled; therefore I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it, and the land vomits out its inhabitants. 26 You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations, either any of your own nation or any stranger who dwells among you 27 (for all these abominations the men of the land have done, who were before you, and thus the land is defiled), 28 lest the land vomit you out also when you defile it, as it vomited out the nations that were before you. (Leviticus 18:24-29)
23 ‘And if by these things you are not reformed by Me, but walk contrary to Me, 24 then I also will walk contrary to you, and I will punish you yet seven times for your sins. 25 And I will bring a sword against you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant; when you are gathered together within your cities I will send pestilence among you; and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. (Leviticus 26:23-25)
58 “If you do not carefully observe all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, THE LORD YOUR GOD, 59 then the Lord will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary plagues — great and prolonged plagues — and serious and prolonged sicknesses. 60 Moreover He will bring back on you all the diseases of Egypt, of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you. 61 Also every sickness and every plague, which is not written in this Book of the Law, will the Lord bring upon you until you are destroyed. 62 You shall be left few in number, whereas you were as the stars of heaven in multitude, because you would not obey the voice of the Lord your God. 63 And it shall be, that just as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good and multiply you, so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you and bring you to nothing; and you shall be plucked from off the land which you go to possess. (Deuteronomy 28:58-63)
Thus, it has been biblically logical to conclude that the remaining “sea gates” that the UK has such as Gibraltar, the Chagos Islands, and the Falkland Islands will be separated from UK control.
The Bible, which we in the Continuing Church of God rely on, has “a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19, KJV).
On the Day of Pentecost in the 2nd chapter of the Book of Acts, here is some of what the Apostle Peter taught:
14 … “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. (Acts 2:14b-18)
This is a prophecy, according to the Bible, for the last days.
Therefore, dreams and prophesy were expected for our day!
Prophecies are being fulfilled.
See also Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18?
Suggested Sabbath Day Services
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 titled: Sabbath, Sunday, and Scripture. 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: 10 Commandments, 2 Beasts. 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 mobile 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.
In case one or more of our video channels are unavailable, down, restricted, or ?, understand that we are on multiple platforms.
For sermons in English:
ContinuingCOG YouTube channel. Dr. Thiel has produced video sermons for this channel.
Also available at BitChute COGTube https://www.bitchute.com/channel/cogtube/
For sermonettes in English:
Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel BibleNewsProphecy https://www.youtube.com/user/BibleNewsProphecy.
Bitchute Prophecy https://www.bitchute.com/channel/prophecy/,
Vimeo at Bible News Prophecy https://vimeo.com/channels/biblenewsprophecy
Brighteon Bible News Prophecy https://www.brighteon.com/channel/ccogbnp.
Rumble https://rumble.com/c/biblenewsprophecy.
DailyMotion https://www.dailymotion.com/dm_e24c8ac0050c5e7445cd5573711869c6/videos
For animations in English:
CCOG Animations YouTube channel.
Also available at BitChute COGAnimations https://www.bitchute.com/channel/coganimations/
Sermons and sermonettes in Spanish:
CDLIDDSermones channel.
African videos:
CCOGAfricaYouTube channel.
Also available at BitChute COGAfrica https://www.bitchute.com/channel/cogafrica/
Audio messages:
Bible News Prophecy radio. This is an audio version of the Bible News Prophecy videos on one of our internet stations as well as our radio broadcasts in English. The BibleNewsProphecy.net website also has information about our international radio presence for Europe, Asia, and North America. That page is also available as a mobile app.
Bible News Prophecy International radio. This has links to our non-English language online radio station as well as materials in multiple languages.
There is also additional information at the Continuing Church of God Multimedia page.
World News Items
In election-related news, Mexico got its first ever female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, installed this week. Austria voted for anti-immigrant politicians (see Austria again votes to push against {Islamic} immigration). Japan’s Parliament selected a more militaristically-inclined Prime Minister (see Changes in Japan, concerns in China, and the three ‘Woes’). And there was a vice-presidential candidate debate in the US (see JD Vance and Tim Walz debated, but . . .). There are changes around the world, political and otherwise that will align with biblical prophecies.
Israel has taken more military steps against Hezbollah (see Israel reports it killed Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah–Iran wants to take action! and Israel moves troops into Lebanon, while Iran reportedly intends to launch ballistic missiles). This enraged Iran to the point where it reportedly launched between 180 to 200 missiles against Israel (see Iran launches ballistic missiles at Israel as part of its ‘first wave’ of retaliation). Israel 365 News reported, “Hand of God protects Israel from massive Iranian ballistic missile attack.”
The 22nd chapter of the Book of Isaiah prophesies that God will remove “the protection of Judah” (Isaiah 22:8) — the modern nation called Israel highly represents end-time Judah (see also the free online book Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?).
Isaiah wrote about something that looks to be an Iranian-Syrian-Lebanese confederation will cause great damage to Jerusalem (Isaiah 22:6-9). While I posted on Tuesday that the attack by Iran did not appear to be the fulfillment of Isaiah 22:6-9 (see Iran launches ballistic missiles at Israel as part of its ‘first wave’ of retaliation)–do not think that Iran and its allies are finished with responding against Israel.
It is likely that with the recent assassinations against Hezbollah leaders that Iran wants to better plan a future response with Hezbollah and it needs some time to do that.
Concluding Comments
Jesus said:
25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:25-33)
Brethren, do you really have faith?
Many look to the physical above the spiritual.
Consider also the following:
38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”
41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)
While we do have physical things to do, make sure YOUR PRIORITIES are right in the sight of God.
Sincerely,
Bob Thiel
Pastor and Overseer