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Letter to the Brethren: November 4, 2021

Letter to the Brethren: November 4, 2021

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Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:

Greetings from Grover Beach, California.

New Animation

Should Christianity be based on the Bible or tradition?

To help answer that, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) has the following video on our CCOG Animations channel:

8:41

Sola Scriptura or Tradition?

Is Christianity supposed to be based on the Bible or traditions of men? Is Protestanism really based on the Bible? Did Martin Luther really believe in the ‘sola Scriptura’ rallying cry of the Reformation? Were there 19 books of the Bible that Martin Luther discounted or disparaged? Did Martin Luther add a word to his translation of the New Testament that he knew was not in there? Should you accept traditions that are in conflict with scripture?

Here is a link to the animated video, which is also this Sabbath’s recommended sermonette: Sola Scriptura or Tradition?

This is our first new animation in a while and we hope to produce more again in the future.

To see our animations, here is a link to the: CCOG Animations Channel.

Censored Again

This week, YouTube sent the following in an email about a video we uploaded last February:

Hi BibleNewsProphecy,
Our team has reviewed your content, and, unfortunately, we think it violates our medical misinformation policy. We’ve removed the following content from YouTube:
Video: COVID-19: Eat what is good!
We know that this might be disappointing, but it’s important to us that YouTube is a safe place for all. If content breaks our rules, we remove it. If you think we’ve made a mistake, you can appeal and we’ll take another look. Keep reading for more details.
How your content violated the policy
YouTube doesn’t allow claims about COVID-19 vaccinations that contradict expert consensus from local health authorities or the World Health Organization (WHO). …How this affects your channelYour channel now has 1 strike. You won’t be able to do things like upload, post, or live stream for 1 week. A second strike will prevent you from publishing content for 2 weeks. Three strikes in the same 90 day period will result in your channel being permanently removed from YouTube.

This is outrageous, but is getting to be par for the course from YouTube.

The video does not provide medical misinformation.

It says that there are things other than just vaccines that pubic health officials should be promoting and mentions mutations/variants.

Here is what I submitted in my appeal to YouTube:

In science, there are facts, opinions, and positions in-between. The science on COVID-19 is not settled and suppression of information does not serve science. Diverse views push science ahead. I am a scientist who holds a Ph.D. and a scientist license by the State of Alabama, plus have papers published in the NIH medical database called PubMed. The US Center for Allergies and Infectious Disease twice concluded that my nutritional protocols against viruses had “significant scientific merit.” My video did not tell people to not get vaccinated. What it did was offer hope and alternatives to just living in fear by listing steps that public health officials should have also taken. Removing the video will hurt lives as there are steps people can take related to COVID-19 other than only vaccines. Please reinstate.

Note: I should have typed National Institute, instead of Center, for Allergies and Infectious Diseases.

Anyway, YouTube responded to the appeal by saying it was denied without providing any specific details or statements that it objected to in the video.

(Perhaps I should mention that prior to this censoring we did not plan to upload anything to this particular YouTube channel for a few weeks, so from a practical perspective this ‘strike’ has not affected our short-term plans.)

Sadly, YouTube is pushing an agenda that is often anti-biblical and anti-scientific.

The good news is that a few years ago, when I saw that YouTube was effectively ‘shadow banning’ our videos, we in the CCOG decided to go on additional video-playing platforms (they can be found at the CCOG Multimedia page).

Now, here is information and a link to the YouTube censored video that we still have up at the BitChute platform:Feb 21, 2021COVID-19: Eat what is good!

US President Joe Biden said on 2/19/21 that the USA may NOT “return to normal” in 2021 because of vaccine and mutation issues. Is there another approach? Would it make sense to improve nutrition to strengthen the immune system and to help people with COVID-19? What about zinc, selenium, vitamin C, and vitamin D? What about avoiding unclean meats? What about eating more fruits and vegetables and items such as pumpkin seeds and Brazil nuts? What about eating bovine glandulars? What about herbs? Could fasting help? What about exercise and sunlight? What about masks, lockdowns, junk food, obesity, and weight gain? Dr. Thiel, who possesses a US regionally accredited PhD. in nutrition science from the Union Institute and University, a Master of Science degree from the University of Southern California, and a natural scientist license from the State of Alabama, explains why people may wish to consider approaches for their immune system. He also goes over scriptures related to worse pandemics coming (associated with the ride of the fourth horseman of the Apocalypse–Revelation 6:7-8), and the fact that the Bible teaches to “eat what is good” (Isaiah 55:2).

A written article, with references, of related interest is also available titled “Joe Biden: life may not return to normal this year due to COVID mutations; Paul Roberts: The Covid Pandemic Is The Result of Public Health Authorities Blocking Effective Treatment” URL: https://www.cogwriter.com/news/prophecy/joe-biden-life-may-not-return-to-normal-this-year-due-to-covid-mutations-paul-roberts-the-covid-pandemic-is-the-result-of-public-health-authorities-blocking-effective-treatment/

Here is a link to the censored video: COVID-19: Eat what is good!

This is the second of our videos that YouTube censored and removed this year. Here is information related to the first: YouTube censors and removes BNP video: Disney’s abominable promotions!

After that removal, we took a couple of steps to become less reliant on YouTube and are currently looking at ways become even less so.

Factual and biblical views that Big Tech does not agree with are more and more being suppressed.

The Apostle Paul warned that some things called science are not:

20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:

21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. (1 Timothy 6:20-21, KJV)

It is not science to block scientific points of view, but that is something governments and Big Tech have been doing.

The biblical reality is that internet censorship of biblical truths was prophesied.

The Prophet Amos was inspired to record the following:

11 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God,
“That I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine of bread,
Nor a thirst for water,
But of hearing the words of the Lord.
12 They shall wander from sea to sea,
And from north to east;
They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord,
But shall not find it. (Amos 8:11-12)

Notice that the Bible tells of a time that will come when the word of God will not be found. For years I have warned from this COGwriter Church of God News page that Amos 8:11-12 will have at least part of its fulfillment because truth will be taken off the internet. In the 21st century, the internet is accessed by people in every country, and thus some type of internet restriction/suspension/site removal is coming.

We are getting closer to this time of Amos 8:11-12.

That is part of why we in the Continuing Church of God are preparing for the ‘short work’ (Romans 9:28) and the coming ‘famine of the word.’

During this time of COVID, we also have pronounced hope in the good news of the coming Kingdom of God.

We have also posted that people do not have to live in fear because of COVID–watch: Ten Plus Steps to Rid Yourself of Fear.

Beyond that, the censored video went over much of the following:

  1. People should decrease their consumption of junk food. Instead that has increased and many Americans have gained unhealthy weight (see Using scale for weight loss? Americans gain weight during COVID-19 shut downs) which will not bolster their innate or adaptive immune systems.
  2. Exercise is beneficial for the immune system (watch The Plain Truth About Exercise), yet during the corona/COVID lockdowns, many have gotten less exercise. Some because of fear of going outside and some because many gyms have been closed by government orders. Yet, the Bible teaches ‘bodily exercise profits a little’ (1 Timothy 4:8).
  3. Avoiding smoking (see also Should Christians Smoke Tobacco or Marijuana?) and polluted air (watch Air Pollution, Autism, and Prophecy) help the immune function. Yet, cigarette purchases in the USA went up last year during the COVID lockdowns.
  4. People should increase their consumption of high vitamin C fruits (like citrus and berries) and vegetables (like tomatoes and bell peppers) as vitamin C is proven to bolster the immune system, help protect tissues (like lungs), and fight viruses (see also COVID-19 and Vitamin C: The truth, the myth, and the hype). Many also contain fruits and vegetables supply betacarotene, which also supports the immune system.
  5. Eleven years ago it was reported in a scientific journal that zinc was effective against coronaviruses to reduce their replication (see‘CDC Triples Number of Possible CCP Virus Symptoms;’ Don’t swallow Lysol to fight COVID-19! What about Zinc? Bloodclots?). Various foods, like pumpkin seeds, contain zinc.
  6. Selenium may also be helpful. Eating a couple of Brazil nuts per week can supply adequate amounts of selenium.
  7. Substances like methylene blue and hydroxychloroquine help improve zinc absorption (see also Donald Trump taking zinc and hydroxychloroquine to prevent COVID-19: Mainstream media aghast! Vitamin D? Vitamin C?).
  8. Sunlight helps convert cholesterol into vitamin D and vitamin D looks to be helpful for those facing the coronavirus (see Donald Trump taking zinc and hydroxychloroquine to prevent COVID-19: Mainstream media aghast! Vitamin D? Vitamin C?). Even the CDC’s Dr. Fauci has admitted that vitamins D and C can be helpful (see COVID interview: Dr. Fauci takes isolated vitamin D and synthetic vitamin C).
  9. Many herbs can help with viruses (see ‘Ghanaians Look to Herbal Remedies for COVID-19’ ‘Enti wobԑdi Onyankopↄn Nna Kronkron anaa Ahonhommↄnee Ahomegyeԑ Nna?’).
  10. Jesus said His followers would fast (Mark 2:20). Fasting boosts the immune system (see Reuters: Why is New Orleans’ coronavirus death rate seven times New York’s? Obesity is a factor; BNP: ‘How to Change Your Life in 5 Seconds’). Fasting, for those who can, can truly help the immune system (see Fasting aids longevity and provides other benefits).
  11. Blood clots can be destructive and even deadly with COVID-19, hence people who get COVID-19 may wish to take nattokinase (see ‘CDC Triples Number of Possible CCP Virus Symptoms;’ Don’t swallow Lysol to fight COVID-19! What about Zinc? Bloodclots?).
  12. Lung tissue damage is associated with COVID-19 and bovine lung tissue helps support healthy lungs (see CBS: Blood types may play role in which COVID patients get sickest; Isaiah: Eat what is good.).
  13. People should avoid consuming biblically unclean meat (see The New Testament Church, History, and Unclean Meats), which look to have been implicated in the cause of COVID-19 (see NPR: Where Did The Coronavirus Originate? Virus Hunters Find Genetic Clues In Bats; WND: Biblically unclean animals responsible for pandemics and Clean and unclean meat arguments, COVID-19, and the Bible).
  14. Humans can help maintain healthy kidneys and other organs with bovine kidney and other organ tissues (see https://doctorsresearch.com/articles/2759/the-truth-about-glandulars-in-nutritional-supplements/). Plural glandular supplements can be helpful.
  15. Even vaccine advocates think that the rushed vaccine will have safety risks (e.g. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/22/trump-circle-pressure-fda-rush-covid-19-vaccine-election)–hence caution and wisdom are advised.

All the above have the potential to help support one’s innate immune system, which helps the body fight many types of pathogens–not just one.

It is not wrong to tell people ways to consider to improve their health.

Furthermore, in the Bible, God teaches:

2 … Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good (Isaiah 55:2).

Information on how to do so should not be suppressed.

Of course, we in the CCOG are not the only ones facing censorship. Other COGs (e.g., see Biden signing two more anti-biblical executive orders; UCG’s Victor Kubik reports about Big Tech censorship), the irreligious, and Protestants are as well (see also Metaverse religion, Big Tech censoring, WND de-monetized by Google: What’s next?) have encountered it.

The fact that YouTube went back over 8 months to give us a ‘strike’ suggests that they can, if they wish, find reasons to give other ‘strikes’ and remove our videos at any time.

The Bible teaches:

3 A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself,
But the simple pass on and are punished. (Proverbs 22:3)

16 Every prudent man acts with knowledge,
But a fool lays open his folly.  (Proverbs 13:16)

Based upon those principles, as well as aspects of prophecy, we are looking at ways to be able to reach people with our videos when places like YouTube stop us.

That is why we already have multiple video platforms, and that is why we are looking into other ones.

Matthew 24:14 will be fulfilled, despite censoring by Big Tech and others.

Death of Jim Lindsey

We received information that Saiyud Lindsey reported that her husband Jim died on Monday. Jim was in the hospital battling COVID and his wife reported that his heart gave out. Please keep his family in your prayers. I have known Jim Lindsey for years as he asked me to baptize him at the Feast of Tabernacles back in 2014. He will be missed.

I look forward to seeing him again at the resurrection and return of Jesus (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).

Suggested Sabbath Day Service

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

US President Joe Biden announced plans to reduce pollution in his country by 2030 at the COP26 (the 26th Conference of the Parties) climate conference in Scotland (see Joe Biden pledges to 2030 at COP26; Moshe Feiglin warns climate, like corona, is the ‘new paganism,’). His use of the 2030 date is consistent with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. While cooperating to reduce pollution is a fine goal, some of what various ones have proposed for “sustainable development” either will not work and/or are contrary to biblical positions (some of which is discussed in the free online book: The Gospel of the Kingdom of God).

China did not officially attend COP26, but a little prior to it announced changes to make its Belt and Road Initiative more environmentally ‘friendly’ (see VOA: China Hits Reset on Belt and Road Initiative). China, among other things, hopes to be able to benefit in the trends towards ‘greener’ policies and supply a lot of manufactured parts for such policies.

Concluding Comments

David wrote the following in a Psalm:

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever. (Psalms 23:4-6)

Brethren, yes, we often face difficult trials–and more are coming.

Yet, stick with the truth of God and you will be able to be one who will “dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Sincerely,

Bob Thiel
Pastor and Overseer