Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:
Greetings from Ireland.
We have had a variety of internet challenges the past few days (it either has not worked or only worked for a few minutes). But now we look to have enough to send this out to you all.
That being said, we were able to visit with Jaison Curtis in Northern Ireland last Sabbath. He live-streamed the sermonette and sermon to an international Skype group of CCOG supporters. This group is one way some of our scattered brethren can fellowship and worship together each Sabbath.
Jaison Curtis
This Sabbath, we intend to hold Sabbath services in Dublin, Ireland.
Reports from Evangelist Evans Ochieng
Evangelist Evans Ochieng sent the following report:
Pastor Dr Bob,
Greetings from kenya. I’ve been committed this month so much. My mother in law is sick and is suffering from cancer. This has been a problem to me throughout this month. I’m still asking for prayers. Last month we had youth camp in kenya in many sites where number of youths were attended. We had good reports from all the camps and GOD protected the youths. We did not get any bad report from all sites and this program is really promoting the growth of church in the country. The same I visited Malawi and Mozambique where I met all leaders from Malawi and Mozambique. The meeting was very successful and bears more fruits that brought many changes in both countries. The ORDINATION was done to one pastor in Malawi and three deacons. Two from Malawi and one from Mozambique. I’ve been getting good reports from pastor molozwa which encouraging me that the work is going on well in both countries. The same month our pastor Joel owuoti from Got kachola was called by a group of People from seventh day church of God who are based in kituka macalder division. The discussion was very successful and many families joined CONTINUING CHURCH OF GOD. Some youths from this group also joined youth camp of last month. I’m getting many good reports from different congregations that appreciated the work done and teachings at the youth camp. Which has promoted the good character amongst the children who attended the camp. Now many congratulations are prepare for the youth camp in December. The same month I visited old members of the wilderness who were with me some years back. I have arrangements for the trip again in central Nyanza which will take one week visit.We are happy that GOD has opened the doors for the gospel to move in Africa. The reports I’m receiving from all corners of Africa shows the kind of work CCOG is doing and the church is continuing to expand. I’ve taken a long time to visit Ghana but as far as I know our pastor Samuel, he is doing a great work.Last Sabbath I was in Migori church where I got two brethren from other churches who joined CONTINUING CHURCH OF GOD after studying and confirm good teachings in the CHURCH. Last night I had vision of the work in Malawi and Mozambique and since I was planning to visit the two countries in June or July, it will force me to visit the two countries and stay there for almost one month to visit all the congregations. That was my plan during my last visit but the rain was too much and roads were totally poor.I’m also planning to visit Ethiopia if the country is peaceful.Recently I received a call from pastor Sawek that one of the congregations in South rift valley needs my visit and I hope we will visit the congregation this month if they are ready.
Evans.
It is great we are seeing growth in many parts of Africa. As far as Ethiopia goes, parts are relatively peaceful and other parts are engaged in civil warfare.
Related to the ‘vision’ above, I asked evangelist Ochieng what he meant, and then he sent the following:
Pastor Dr Bob,
Greetings from kenya.Pastor there is something that I didn’t tell you when I was joining continuing church of God. I didn’t say it because I thought it was just a dream. When I was joining continuing church of God, I saw a small white handkerchief. It was very white and in in it was written continuing church of God. When I was still looking it, it enlarged till become bigger. Then I woke up. I thought it was a dream. Then recently I saw the same handkerchief standing in Malawi just the same I saw it in kenya. The same size and enlarged like before. After a short time I saw if I was baptizing so many people in Malawi. After that I heard a voice telling me that you are a loved man.The reason why I knew that it was a vision, you know very well that when I was joining CCOG, I came out one person and as I continue talking with people about CCOG, the church continues to grow very fast and right now, the church has expanded highly. Not because of my strength or any strength from a man but from GOD. I’m saying this because all people who God call in CCOG are working tirelessly to preach the gospel. I can see the work which is going on in rift valley, in kisii and in Nyanza, Pastors are really working. So what I saw about that handkerchief is the same to what I saw in kenya. The only different is, when I saw it in kenya, I didn’t see that I’m baptizing many people. And voice I didn’t hear. Now if I saw it in Malawi and the kind of baptism I saw , tells me clearly that it is a vision. That is the reason why I want go to Malawi for almost one month preaching and visitation.
Evans
So, by ‘vision’ Evans Ochieng he means a message from God in a dream.
When he first came with CCOG, there were about 260 or so who came with him. Now, we have over 4,ooo in Kenya, so he believes that vision/dream was from God, prophetic, and fulfilled. He also suspects that the one he had related to Malawi and Mozambique is from God, is mainly prophetic, and will be fulfilled. The voice telling him (and others who believe) that I (Bob Thiel) am loved apparently is communicating that what we in CCOG are striving to do and teach has Divine favor.
More on dreams can be found in the article: Dreams, the Bible, the Radio Church of God, and the Continuing Church of God.
Rift Valley Report
Pastor Sawek sent the following report from the Rift Valley of Kenya:
Receive greetings in Jesus name. Hope you are doing well there. We are doing great here at South Rift, Kenya. We thank God because we fulfilled the promises that we had promise brethrens to Visit them during the Covid-19 period. We visited them on Wednesday last week. The first place we visited was Sot Sigor, Bomet. We had a meeting with them, answered several questions they had. We also gave them God’s holiday books, and history of continuing church books. They requested us to visit them again in the month of June this year. We also had the privilege to visit a place called Kagoech,Tegat. The brethrens welcomed us with joy, we stayed for one day and shared much. The next day, we travelled towards Merigi, a place called Saoset. We met brethrens that were displaced from Mau and they stayed at this place. They were four families that were affected by the displacement. We told them that we will visit them again and converge on a nearby church, Kiromwok. We then proceeded to the family of a brother called Wesley with low visuals. The next day we had a sabbath on Kiromwok in which you had donated iron sheets. The only remaining part is the floor which had not been cemented. Evangelist Ochieng is aware about the ongoing project at Kiromwok local church. I really thank Elder Cheruiyot for responding to my offer to visit them. Romans 10:12-20.
Please keep Africa in your prayers.
Continuity
One of our members mentioned to me that one or more of her relatives falsely attacked the CCOG by claiming we came from a group that began in the 1970s, which as it turned out, taught many doctrines that we teach against.
One of my suggestions to her was, that not that they would necessarily care, but that she could show them our ‘succession list.’
Apostle Peter through death circa 64-68
Apostle John through death circa 98-102 (oversaw churches from Ephesus of Asia Minor)
Polycarp through death circa 155-157 (oversaw churches from Smyrna of Asia Minor)
Thraseas through death circa 160 (oversaw the churches from Eumenia, but died in Smyrna)
Sagaris through death circa 166-167 (died in Laodicea of Asia Minor)
Papirius through death circa 170 (oversaw churches from Smyrna of Asia Minor)
Melito through death circa 170-180 (oversaw churches from Sardis of Asia Minor)
Polycrates through death circa 200 (oversaw churches from Ephesus of Asia Minor)
Apollonius of Ephesusthrough death circa 210 (oversaw churches from Ephesus of Asia Minor).
Camerius of Smyrna through death circa 220 (possibly oversaw churches from Smyrna of Asia Minor).
c. 220 – c. 254 Nepos of Arsinoe
c. 254 – c. 275 Unnamed Antiochian(s) or possibly Dorotheus
c. 275 – 312 Lucian of Antioch
c. 313 – 380 Unnamed Antiochian (s)
c. 380 – c. 470 Unnamed Nazarenes
c. 470 – c. 500 Constantine of Antioch and Aushin
c. 500 – c. 645 Unnamed ‘Paulicians’
c. 645 – c. 650 Leader with New Testament from Syria
c. 650 – c. 684 Constantine of Mananali (Silvanus)
c. 684 – c. 696 Simeon
c. 697 – c. 702 Sergius
c. 702 – c. 717 Paul the Armenian
c. 717 – c. 746 Gegnesius
c. 746 – c. 782 Joseph (Epaphroditus)
c. 783 – c. 800 Unnamed Paulician(s)
c. 801 – c. 835 Sergius (Tychicus)
c. 836 – c. 919 Unnamed Paulicians
c. 920 – c. 950 Basil
c. 951 – c. 980 Jeremiah
1000s Sergius (27 years)
c. 1110 – 1140 Peter DeBruy (Pierre De Bruy)
1140 – 1155 Arnold of Brescia
1156 – 1181 Nicetas
1181 – 1205 Peter Waldo
1205 – 1224 Arnold Hot
1224 – 1300 Unnamed Sabbatarian Waldensians
c. 1310 – 1322 Walter the Lollard
1322 – c. 1335 Raymond the Lollard
c. 1335 – c. 1460 Unnamed Sabbatarian Waldensians
c. 1460 – 1492 Anthony Ferrar
1492 – 1525 Stefano Carlino or Unnamed Sabbatarian Waldenesians
1526 – 1528 Moravian Sabbatarian Anabaptist ‘traveling minister’
1529 – 1540 Andreas Fischer
c. 1540 – 1563 Michiel Rovillart of Arras
1560 – 1579 Francis David
1580 – 1587 Unnamed Sabbatarian
1588 – 1600 Andreas Eossi
1600 – 1616 Simon Péchi
1617 – 1619 John Traske
1620 – 1652 John Pecke
1652 – 1654 Peter Chamberlen
1654 – 1661 John James
1661 – 1678 William Saller/Seller
1678 – 1711 Henry Soursby
1712 or 1716 – 1743 Thomas Lucas
1712 – 1716 John Maxson
1716 – 1718 John Maxson, Jr.
1718 – 1737 Joseph Crandall
1737 – 1748 Joseph Maxson
1748 – 1778 John Maxson
1779 – 1797 Nathan Rogers
1797 – 1820 James Dunn
1820 – 1850 John Cottrell or 1823-1850 Peter Davis
1839 or 1850 – 1871 Asa Bee or unnamed Sabbatarian
1871 – 1900 A.C. Long
1900 – 1905 William C. Long
1905 – 1921 S.W. Mentzer
1921 – 1933 Andrew N. Dugger or 1922 – 1933 John S. Stanford
1933 – 1986 Herbert W. Armstrong
1986 – 2011 Aaron Dean 1986 -2011 or Roderick C. Meredith 20 or 1986 – 2010 Dibar Apartian
2011 – present Bob Thiel
We did not come from Protestantism. We did not break off from Greco-Roman Catholicism.
The true Church of God has continued since its formation in the second chapter of the Book of Acts.
More on our history can also be found in the free online book: Continuing History of the Church of God .
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. The one suggested for this week is by Jaison Curtis: Jaison Curtis and Skype Services. Other sermonettes are also 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: 50+ Laodicean Prophetic Errors. 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 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.
World News Items
Russian military moves in Ukraine as well as sanctions are impacting food prices in many lands, including Ireland (see ‘Cost inflation top threat to growth in food sector’). Furthermore, both Sweden and Finland are seriously taking steps to join the NATO military alliance (see VOA: NATO Talks for Finland, Sweden on ‘Good Track’ & Neutral Switzerland Leans Closer to NATO in Response to Russia).
In the USA, we continue to hear reports of mass shootings (see Shootings in California and New York).
We need, as Jesus said, to pray for God’s kingdom to come (Matthew 6:10).
Concluding Comments
The Apostle Peter wrote:
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. (1 Peter 5:8-10)
Brethren, Satan is real.
Satan has affected YOU.
Do not be deceived, but be diligent.
Sincerely,
Bob Thiel
Pastor and Overseer