Letter to the Brethren: March 1, 2018

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:

Greetings again from Grover Beach, California.

We continue to work to fulfill Matthew 24:14 and Matthew 28:19-10 domestically and internationally.

We just made some changes in our graphics’ support.

In the Letter to the Brethren: June 22, 2017, I mentioned that my company was looking for an employee to handle various matters. We ended up hiring James Estoque, who had been an employee of Burdine Printing. I have worked with him for over ten years. He approached me a few weeks ago about working for Doctors’ Research, Inc. He started on Monday. We expect his hire will result in the improved appearance of some of our literature as well as the timeliness of some of it.

Zambia Registration

Dear Pastor Bob,

Greetings from Zambia.

In the first place I would like to take this of opportunity of thanking you from the depth of our hearts for your donation of funds that you have kindly sent to us that is meant for the registration of the Continuing Church of God in Zambia.

Let us assure you that we will be updating you on how we have gone on the whole process of Registering the Church with the Zambian Government. Already we have contacted those who are experts in processing the contents of the Constitution and other relevant documents.

For your information we are still continuing with translation of  Magazines in cooperation with Brother Radson Mulozowa in order to ensure correct translation of these magazines in Chichewa language that will be used both in Zambia and Malawi.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours Sincerely,

Brother Justin Gonakumoto

Ethiopia and Mozambique

Evangelist Evans Ochieng sent in the following photo and report:

Gambella, Ethiopia congregation

Pastor Dr Bob.

Greetings from Kenya.

This is our congregation in Ethiopia.

That is the place where they are meeting.

This congregation is a serious congregation and they love the word of God.  And the goodness of this congregation is that the children are so many and that will make the future growth of church in Ethiopia.  Let us continue praying for the work in Africa because God is really working in Africa.

Mozambique

I got report from Molozwa Radson that Matiya is very sick that needs prayer and assistance to help him.

Evans

As reported last week, Evangelist Ochieng just returned from Ethiopia and baptized 7 people there.

Wedison Matiya is our host in Mozambique and has some type of severe renal (kidney) problem. Please pray for him and keep all of our African brethren in your prayers.

Rift Valley Kenya

Pastor Tiongik Sawek sent in the following report:

I greet you in the name of Christ. Receive greetings from all churches in Riftvalley; we are doing fine.

We are ongoing with the spreading of the word around our region.  in places we have visited, pastor Ochieng is needed although we had a report that he had gone outside the country- out of Kenya. We were prayerful about him on his mission; when he comes back you sent him here.

He is urgently needed at a church in Kabolecho Transmara who do not have a shelter. We were supposed to make a visit in December 2016 but we cancelled due to the meeting which emerged in Nairobi which we were together with you.  The brethrens there are out in the rain and shine and are eagerly waiting. He is also required in a place called Molo, two churches there. Also needed at Kuresoi .

A church in Chilani is also has some pending project of big church hall which we had proposed to be the headquarters of rift valley. Also in need are some widows which Pastor Ochieng used to assist, including some orphans who have since increased in number.

Otherwise, we are continuously grateful for all the support you have given us in rift valley churches through Pastor Ochieng and we expect more .

We are currently preparing for the Passover which will be done at church local levels in all places including Bomet churches, Mau, Njoro and Transmara churches. We seek for your prayers so that everything goes as planned.

We have a fundraising in Chilani Church in aid of buying instruments (public address systems) and we will have the function on Sunday 4/3/2018 and so we request your support because the instruments are expensive. Send your support through pastor Ochieng and we will inform him to also support us.

May God bless you abundantly.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Sawek

Radio

On Monday, February 26, 2018 at 2:00 pm PDT, I had another interview with Dr. Deagle on the Republic Broadcasting Network. We discussed this week’s recommended sermonette video topic (High School Shootings: 7 Failed Solutions), as well as prophetic matters related to current events and the beginning of sorrows.

World News Items

The European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) are having difficulties in negotiating Britain’s exit from the EU (see Talks seem to suggest a relatively ‘hard’ Brexit). The EU has laid out a position that the UK says is unacceptable as it interferes with its sovereignty (see EU is Brexit ready, UK is not). Expect that the EU will remain upset with the UK, well after Brexit.

Speaking of the UK, the UK reportedly has the highest rate of obesity of any European nation (see UK millennials obese and USA obesity continuing with children). Obesity also continues to be a problem in the USA and elsewhere. This is not good for society (cf. Deuteronomy 32:15-16; (Proverbs 23:21).

We continue to see anti-biblical bias by ‘social media’ companies. Facebook took issues with someone quoting Leviticus 18:22 in the Portuguese language (see Facebook says verse from the Bible does not meet ‘community standards’). The government of Canada actually fined a couple of people for publishing it in an advertisement years ago. The verse states:

22 You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination. (Leviticus 18:22)

Those who promote sexual immorality do not like their actions condemned as sinful. A famine of the word is coming (cf. Amos 8:11-12).

Over in Asia, China’s President Xi Jinping is apparently hoping to remain in office indefinitely (see China’s Xi Jinping to stay in office indefinitely? Could he be one of the ‘kings of the east’?). Jay Chiang mentioned to me that he wondered if Xi Jinping could be one of the “kings of the east” of Revelation 16:12. I do think that is a possibility.

In archeological news, we keep hearing of more discoveries that verify information in the Bible. Most recently information about the existence of the prophet Isaiah (see Tensions remain, but a 2,700 year-old papyrus confirms Israeli ties to Jerusalem) and the connection of Israel to Jerusalem (see Archaeological evidence about Isaiah reported, but what about his message?). These confirmations are fine and can be helpful. I expect more such confirmations.

However, I also expect some real/claimed confirmations that even much of the world will consider significant. Such ‘confirmations’ may help turn the irreligious in Europe to support the Beast and the False Prophet.

Suggested Sabbath Service

Here is a suggested Sabbath service for 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 letter via email will be a recorded one: High School Shootings: 7 Failed Solutions. 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: Exodus 5-7: Serpents, Blood, and Revelation. 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 new 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 BibleNewsProphecy channel. There are also some messages at the CCOGAfrica channel.

Concluding Comments

Passover is only a few weeks away. It will be observed after sunset on March 29th this year.

The Apostle Paul wrote:

23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said,  “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”  25 In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. (1 Corinthians 11:23-32)

Brethren, we eat of this bread and drink of this cup at Passover. We all need to remember to examine ourselves before we do so.

Sincerely,

Bob Thiel
Pastor and Overseer