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Letter to the Brethren: August 5, 2021

Letter to the Brethren: August 5, 2021

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Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:

Greetings from Grover Beach, California.

We have been working on a variety of international matters, some of which we will touch on in this Letter.

Kenya, Malawi, and Mozambique

We have reports that Kenya, Mozambique, and possibly Malawi are again trying to reduce religious gatherings.

Related to Mozambique and Malawi, Terry Nelson sent the following report:

Hi Dr Thiel, I’ve been in contact with Radson {Mulozowa} concerning Feast plans; he says he’s getting special papers from immigration in Malawi so we’ll be able to enter the country; he also says Evans {Ochieng} will be able to enter soon; we have given him are Passports and Yellow Fever information; Regarding the Feast in Mozambique; Radson says the Mozambique brethren will come to Malawi in mass; for a special feast site set up for them; it sounds like a big Church Hall, that will accommodate all the Mozambique brethren, as the Government in Mozambique will not allow church gatherings; also we are getting the covid shots tomorrow, so we’ll be prepared for covid related travel problems.  Terry

Hopefully, Malawi will not implement restrictions and all the brethren from Mozambique will be able to attend.

Evangelist Evans Ochieng sent the following:

Pastor Dr Bob,Greetings from kenya.Yes it’s true that the restrictions were there but as from yesterday they allow people to start the services again. They need only 100 people per service.Not only church services but any gathering.The restrictions were not so much tightened because our congregation in Ndhiwa we were just attending as usual even though the restrictions were there.I’m still waiting a letter from {Radson} Molozwa.I need to go to Malawi before the feast of tabernacle. I also want to go to Ethiopia before the feast of tabernacle. There many people in Malawi and Mozambique who want to be baptized and since Terry is going to Mozambique,  I need to go and do some preparations also.Evans

Please pray about the travels and situations over there as we are looking at how to best hold the Holy Days in parts of Africa next month.

Lies on the Internet

In the Letter to the Brethren: July 15, 2021, we had the following:

Online Radio

As many of you are aware, we have an online as well as mobile radio presence.

Received the following written comment about it from a listener:

Your radio.net channel is AMAZING Dr. Thiel!

TY!

TY-means Thank You.

Here is a link to out Bible News Prophecy online radio. This is an audio version of the Bible News Prophecy videos. It is also available as a mobile app. It is managed by Shirley Gestro in New Zealand and gives us an opportunity to reach people in additional ways as well as ways that are more convenient for some. It is another door that has been open to us (cf. Revelation 3:7-8) that we continue to go through.

Well, apparently posting something positive about this did not go over well with an anti-Church of God blogger who posted a lie about that radio site yesterday. His post was then followed by lies from others who commented at his site about it.

While endorsing commandment-keepers, which would include all true Christians, the Bible also warns about those who believe and love lies:

14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. (Revelation 22:12-15)

Loving and practicing lies looks to be a feature of many during this time.

Consider also that the Bible warns:

12 There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes,
Yet is not washed from its filthiness.
13 There is a generation — oh, how lofty are their eyes!
And their eyelids are lifted up. (Proverbs 30:12-13)

We are in that generation.

Truly, as the Apostle Paul wrote, “evil men and impostors” have grown “worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13).

Ear Healing in Progress

A US member sent the following email:

Hello Dr. Thiel,I just wanted to let you  know that my left ear issue is healing.  The plugged/muffled feeling that I had been experiencing in the ear for about a month has gotten much, much better.  It is almost back to normal.  So I thank God for his healing and kindness, and I thank you very much for your prayers for me.

It is great that we continue to have healings.

Some are dramatic (see Letter to the Brethren: July 1, 2021), some are slower.

Suggested Sabbath Day Services

Here is a suggested Sabbath day service for our scattered brethren and other interested people:

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

Those of us in the USA have long been taught that its Constitution guaranteed freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of religion. To a great degree, this is supposed to be based on the first amendment of the US Constitution, which states:

  • First amendment — Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Despite what that amendment says, the USA has had real problems with federal courts as they have ruled against speech as well as religious freedom–many judges do not accept that such freedoms were intended to be guaranteed. And internet censorship is truly opposing freedom of the modern press.

It is not just the judicial branch of the US government with this attitude. We are now seeing that the executive and legislative branches of the US government are calling for censorship, loss of freedom of speech and, at least, loss of the freedom of the internet press (see Biden’s White House Tells Facebook What to Censor; COGwriter: 8 Things the US Surgeon General Should Have Done Regarding COVID andUS government pressuring Dr. Mercola and directing media to censor about COVID). A famine of the word is prophesied (Amos 8:11-12) and we are getting closer to that time. Those who thought “it couldn’t happen here” (meaning the USA) were wrong.

On other matters, the Vatican continues to push its interfaith agenda, although some Roman Catholics have opposed it (see Pope Francis, Globalist, Freemasonry, and Chrislam). Bringing much of the world together religiously is consistent with biblical prophecies, such as are in the 13th chapter of the Book of Revelation (though according to Revelation 17:16-18, it will not end well for the Church of Rome).

Over in the Middle East, there was an incident last week where a drone attacked an Israeli bound tanker. Israel, the UK, and USA have blamed Iran, which has denied it–but the accusers have vowed to take action (seeI365: Israel’s Defense Minister calls for retaliation against Iran: Washington calls for ‘joint response’). But do not think that Iran would not react if they take actions it does not like. The time will come when some that look to be in Iran and Syria will cause great damage to Jerusalem (Isaiah 22:6-8)–that, or something like that, may be the trigger that will lead to the deal of Daniel 9:27 and the final 3 1/2 year countdown until the start of the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21-22).

Concluding Comments

Jesus said:

4 “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!

6 “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

8 “Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. 9 But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. (Luke 12:4-8)

Brethren, do not fear. Do not fall away from standing for the truth.

Sincerely,

Bob Thiel
Pastor and Overseer