Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:
Greetings from the Five Cities region of California.
Tonight (8:00 pm PDT) I am scheduled to have a recorded interview by Rob McConnell for his X zone radio program that comes out of Canada (it is to be aired later, perhaps tomorrow). I have been on the program four times over the years. The last time, the interview was a bit tense as I covered certain biblical topics some do not want to hear. Anyway, I am to talk about my Biden-Harris: Prophecies and Destruction book, and so prophecies, particularly some that affect the USA, are expected to be discussed.
Ghana
Pastor Samuel Ofosu Gyeabour sent the following photo and report related to the Feast of Tabernacles in Ghana:
Celebrated under the theme:: *THE ESSENCE OF LOVE*
*[I John 4:16]*
*..And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him..* (NIV)
At the venue of “Daniel’s Christian Center” – Kumasi, the General Overseer (COG7) – Ghana, Pastor Samuel Ofosu Gyeabour, outlined the relation of God’s Love to Mankind and what, how and why we should practice same, vividly spelt in I Corinthians Chapter “13” through as Children of God awaiting our Sonship adoption by Jesus Christ in His second revealing *First Resurrection of the Saints as Firstfruits of the Earthly Remnant Harvest*
It was a well driven message to the congregation and its impact very eminent to every faithful individual.
Though attendance wasn’t the fullest due to COVID – 19 related issues and it’s effect on Students in Schools, the venue was very peaceful with no casualty and prayer inward.
The climax of the Feast was the Women’s Fellowship drama entitled ” THE VIRTUOUS WOMAN”, where they thrilled the congregation to a “lesson learning” laughter night to be very *mindfully of our marriages*
The Last Great Day, obviously marking the finality and fulfilment of God’s Plan of Salvation was exclusively remarkable to say the least.
In totality, it was an enlightening experience of what the Kingdom of God shall be, our transformation and how it shall be revealed, the very moment and expectation every true believer awaits whether dead or alive.
We’ve all reached our destinations safely and hope to see our blessing manifestation.
We can’t close this Chapter without acknowledging Pastor Dr. Bob Thiel and the CCOG for the support they gave us to Celebrate the Feast.
May God t bless you more.(LUKE 12: 32)
GLORY BE TO GOD FOR A SUCCESSFUL FEAST.
So, despite issues, the festival in Ghana looks to have been successful.
Philippines
Joe Lumpay reported that there were health and other challenges in the Philippines related to the Feast of Tabernacles.
He also reported that there were four baptisms.
He sent the following photos of those who attended the baptism and those that were baptized:
Despite trials, we also have triumphs to rejoice.
Even the angels in heaven reloice such as Jesus said:
8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:8-10)
So, four baptisms would be four times the rejoicing :).
The World’s Days
The world will observe various days the next 3 months or so which are not biblical, but come from paganism.
God clearly teaches that He does NOT want pagan practices used to worship Him:
29 When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, 30 take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ 31 You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. 32 Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it. (Deuteronomy 12:29-32)
Those who combine pagan worship practices with biblical ones obscure God’s plan of salvation and generally do not understand it.
The New Testament shows that the Apostle Paul observed biblical holy days (e.g. Acts 18:21; 20:6,16; 27:9; 1 Corinthians 5:7-8, 16:8) as he kept the law and customs of his people.
Paul specifically condemned incorporating pagan practices with biblical observances (1 Corinthians 10:20-23). Paul himself stated near the end of his life that he kept all the practices Jews needed to keep (Acts 28:17-19; cf. Acts 21:18-24) and that would have had to include all the holy days listed in Leviticus 23.
As a rule, the Greco-Roman churches do not follow the Apostle Paul’s admonition to imitate him as he imitated Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1) nor the Apostle John’s admonition to continue to walk as he and Jesus walked (1 John 2:6, 18-19), since they do not keep all the biblical holy days. Also, those churches normally combine heathen practices in their worship calendars, which the apostles opposed (1 Corinthians 10:20-23; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Jude 3-4, 12; 1 John 2:6).
By not keeping God’s Holy Days, but instead non-biblical substitutes, many do not realize that sin needs to be truly out of our lives, that God is only calling some now, that all will have an opportunity for salvation in this age or the age to come, and nearly all who ever lived will be saved in the later harvest.
God’s Holy Days lay out parts of His plan of salvation that most do not understand. It is a marvelous and loving plan.
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: Waldensian Apostolic Succession. 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: Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession. 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 United Kingdom and European Union are still having Brexit-related trade issues. The situation regarding the border and free flow of goods between the Republic of Ireland (in the EU) and Northern Ireland (part of the UK) is causing trade and other concerns (see DW: EU-UK trade war looming as Northern Ireland Protocol tensions hit boiling point). Irrespective of how that turns out, the EU is not going to ‘forgive’ the UK for leaving it and Europe will one day control all of the UK, including Northern Ireland.
Speaking of exits from the EU, there was a decision by a Polish court that got some to worry if Poland may exit (see CNBC: Poland’s defiance of EU law raises concern over a possible exit), but protests over the weekend pointed to widespread support for Poland to remain in the EU (see BBC: Mass protests in Poland amid EU exit fears).
At least partially because of its ecumenical agenda, the Vatican has announced that it intends to declare Irenaeus of Lyon a “doctor of the church” (seeNCR: Pope Francis to Declare St. Irenaeus a Doctor of the Church with Title ‘Doctor of Unity’). Irenaeus is claimed as part of the succession list of the Church of England (see the free online book: Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism). The Vatican, itself, does not seem to mind that Irenaeus was a binitarian who taught the 6000/7000 year plan and the millennium. Those doctrines are not tolerated by the current Church of Rome (and are basically considered by it as ‘doctrines of antichrist’). Nor is the “binitarian” one acceptable to its ecumenical plans (e.g. watch Vademecum: Rome’s Trinitarian Ecumenical Handbook). The trinitarian position of the Vatican and the World Council of Churches excludes those who are not from their ecumenical plans. Hence, we in the CCOG are not a group they are looking for merging theologically with.
On other matters, terror hit in the USA (see ‘BREAKING NEWS: More Than A Dozen Shot, One Dead After Shootout In St. Paul Bar’) and Norway (see ‘Norway officials: Bow-and-arrow attack appears act of terror’) this week. Without repentance, more terror is expected to hit the descendants of Israel (Deuteronomy 32:5,25).
Concluding Comments
Jesus said:
16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. (John 17:16-19)
Yes, brethren, the world promotes its ways and holidays. But not to be of it, but live as those set apart by the truth.
Sincerely,
Bob Thiel
Pastor and Overseer