Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:
Greetings from the Five Cities region of California.
This Sabbath’s recommended sermon is the second-part of a two-part series on Gideon’s army (watch Gideon’s Battle and Yours).
Although there were multiple thousands, if not millions of Israelites then, God chose a basically unknown, Gideon, as the ONE MAN to lead. And despite there being so many Israelites, God chose 300 diligent ones, and only them, to go and start the battle to liberate Israel from the Midianites.
There are parallels now as God has only selected a small number of end time Christians to support the work of the remnant of the Philadelphia church era (see also Why is there a Philadelphian remnant of the true Christian Church of God?).
We also have an article related to the Gideon series: Gideon’s Army Lessons and Battles.
Travels
Evangelist Evans Ochieng has been traveling. On this trip, he first visited brethren in Tanzania and then Rwanda, plus met with a leader from the Congo. Here is a photo along with excerpts from his report:
Chebunyo Rift Valley, Kenya
Pastor Dr Bob,
Greetings from Kenya.
The Trip to both Rwanda and Tanzania was successful. I met very many new congrats. Mostly in Tanzania. I met different people who wanted to join CCOG. The massage was great and many have accepted the work which is being done by GOD through CCOG. In Rwanda since the condition is too tight in that country, it forced us to meet very few people and in my room to discuss the matters in Rwanda and Congo. I called Martin Rwanika from Congo to come and meet me in Rwanda. …
I met Martin and other man who accompanied him. They were two people. We had a lot of discussions. … {Martin} also told us about the problems which they are facing in Congo. They were lacking meeting hall and during rainy season they are not at peace. The type of House they have cannot fit all members when its raining. They used to do services under tree. So it forced me to give him some money for the iron sheets and transport back to go and help him to buy iron sheets so that they can put on the roof. They went back when they were happy because of the hall problem that have been facing and now is solved.
After the meeting we started our journey back to Tanzania to meet our brother Abdalla whom I failed to meet in Tanzania because of his trip in Dodoma. The journey was very long. It took us 19 hrs to reach in Mwanza. We reached when we were tired that we couldn’t move any more. So we spent a day in mwanza when we were resting.
The next day I met Abdalla and we discussed a lot about the registration process in Tanzania and work in Tanzania. He told me that he had already forwarded all the papers to the government and he just waiting report from Atoney generals chamber.
He told me that everything is going to be successful.
After meeting Abdalla, I didn’t sleep in Tanzania again because I had to meet out brethren in Rift valley to help building the hall in Chebunyo. I gave them the money for Iron sheets and some brethren also help to donate. It was a very good Sabbath. I’ve never reached home because from Rwanda to Tanzania, then from Tanzania to Rift valley. After finishing the meeting in Rift valley I moved to KISII to meet our brethren there who are having funeral. We lost one of our strong member in kisii. We discussed with Ezekiel to see way forward. The burial will be on Friday.
It has been tough for the last three days. I’m very tired and I need to rest.
But before I sleep I must praise the work in Rwanda because our brethren are doing wonderful job even if it’s tough and risky. Because when the government realized that there is a meeting. It’s a great problem. But these brethren are meeting through phone and they are getting more members. It’s wonderful and great.
I also forget to inform you that our brethren in Burundi needs baptism and they are many. So I told Augustine that I will organize to go there and do the baptism …
Evans
So, a successful trip, but we will need to send Evans Ochieng to Burundi when we can.
Feast of Tabernacles: Australia
We plan to have full feast site in Australia in 2026. On July 3, 2026, we signed a contract with the Ibis hotel in Brisbane. John Shackelton sent the following information about it:
Greetings Dr Thiel
I visited Ibis Styles this morning, signed the meeting room contract details of which are same as my previous copy, had a look at a sample accommodation room, and confirmed with Sales Manager anyone booking for our group should send email direct to her, not just try online etc. Quote Booking no LZASK9HETF as per appendix 1. Sales managers email is marsha.cruz@accor.com …
The sample accommodation room would suit Amy my wife and myself if we were travelling, but everyone can be different. Only disappointment to us would be there are no micro wave ovens in this standard room. We rarely use microwave ovens (mainly heating a quick drink) but some people do.
When we were first talking info for accommodation rooms (not negotiating for the meeting room) the details were City View Standard King A$169 per night including a buffet breakfast for 1 person. …
Latest form shows offer, City View Superior Queen $179 per night. At present I cannot find what the difference is between the two different rooms quoted other than the bed size.
Their website details
Accommodation
Our property offers 367 City View and River View rooms in queen, king, twin, accessible, and balcony layouts.
I suggest members wanting to book have a good look online first, determine what room would suit them, then send an email to marsha to negotiate additional equipment desired, size of room, floor number and prices. It is a benefit to members to sign up for Accor membership (stated as free and no annuals) before contact, as supposed to be additional 10% benefit. I have not had time to try this yet. …
Whilst the carpark (Uptown Parking) is the building next door to Ibis, and the one Ibis offers discounts for, walking entry down the footpath between the two is about 30 meters at a guess, and about 60 meters to go to the second entry through a large food mall.
So, unlike other venues we have had in the past, the Ibis does NOT offer free parking.
Therefore, those who will be having a car will need to budget for that.
Anyway, here is some information about the Isis from its website:
ibis Styles Brisbane Elizabeth Street
Design economy hotel, open to creative minds
Located in the heart of Brisbane CBD, the 367-room ibis Styles Brisbane offers stunning views of the Brisbane River and South Bank. Inspired by a kaleidoscope of color, the vibrant design flows from lobby to bar and restaurant, while rooms combine comfort and connectivity. Shopping, dining and transport are steps away at Queen Street Mall, South Bank and Eagle Street Pier.
Parking is at the adjacent Uptown Car Park, $42 Sun-Thu & $25 Fri-Sat, single entry/exit payable at front desk. Take any elevator to level E, exit center onto Elizabeth St. After-hours access via lifts 6 & 7- level Q and Queen St Mall.
The team at ibis Styles Brisbane Elizabeth Street can’t wait to welcome you to Brisbane’s brightest hotel.
Design economy hotel, open to creative minds
Located in the heart of Brisbane CBD, the 367-room ibis Styles Brisbane offers stunning views of the Brisbane River and South Bank. Inspired by a kaleidoscope of color, the vibrant design flows from lobby to bar and restaurant, while rooms combine comfort and connectivity. Shopping, dining and transport are steps away at Queen Street Mall, South Bank and Eagle Street Pier.
Parking is at the adjacent Uptown Car Park, $42 Sun-Thu & $25 Fri-Sat, single entry/exit payable at front desk. Take any elevator to level E, exit center onto Elizabeth St. After-hours access via lifts 6 & 7- level Q and Queen St Mall.
The team at ibis Styles Brisbane Elizabeth Street can’t wait to welcome you to Brisbane’s brightest hotel.
ibis Styles Brisbane Elizabeth Street
40 Elizabeth Street
4000 BRISBANE
AustraliaGPS:-27.471306, 153.02443
Telephone
Fax +61 7 3211 4954
That said, something changed since my family’s previous visit to Australia in 2001–Americans and Canadians need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization. Here is what Wikipedia has:
 Australia and territories | Electronic Travel Authorisation[28] | 90 days | 90 days on each visit in 12-month period.Canadian Passport Holders may enter using Smartgate system. |
| Australia | Electronic Travel Authority[30][31] | 90 days | eTA fee is AUD$20[32]90 days on each visit in 12-month period if granted.{USA Passport Holders} May enter using SmartGate. |
These type of authorizations tend to be automatically granted unless there are criminal or other background issues.
Now to get one, the Australia government says you should ONLY use their official site, not pay some other entity that claims they can help, and you will need to download the Australian ETA app to your mobile phone. I went to the ‘Google Play Store’ to do this. And both the Australian government and someplace that could be confused for it (IVisa) came up when I went to the Google Play Store. Again, you only want the official Australian government App to do this.
That said, my family has bought our tickets and made hotel reservations for Brisbane. If you want to attend there, but have not informed me, please send me an email. My email address remains COGwriter@aol.com.
Feast of Tabernacles: The Philippines, etc.
Also in the South Pacific, we now have a site set for the Philippines:
Dear Dr. Thiel,
I am happy to inform you that we have finally found and booked a venue for this year’s Feast of Tabernacles. It is located in the northern part of Cebu, in the town of Liloan (pronounced “Le-lo-an”), about a 40-minute drive from Cebu City.
Special thanks to Leonilo “Bong” Tarona, who spent months searching for an affordable venue within Cebu City. After a long search, he finally found JV Private Beach Resort, which is situated on the outskirts of the busy city.
Moreover, … one of our brethren from Singapore, will be spending the second half of the Feast with us. We are also grateful for his generosity, as he sent us a financial contribution to help support the Feast.
Best regards,
Joe Lumpay
So, that is great!
If you wish to attend there, please send Joe Lumpay an email. His email address is joecags_lumpay@yahoo.com
We also expect that the Canadian site will be finalized soon.
And we have also been working on some matters related to the site in Branson, Missouri which we are using for our site in the USA.
Church services for the Feast in 2026 are to begin the evening of September 25th and run (including the Last Great Day) until sunset October 3rd.
Here is a link to the known and expected locations of our sites around the world, which we do update once we have new information: Feast of Tabernacles’ Sites for 2026.
The End is NOT Yet
Is the end of the world near?
Yes!
But, as Jesus said, “the end is NOT yet” (Matthew 24:6).
When is the earliest year that the Great Tribulation can begin?
Various ones seem to feel that it can begin in 2026 or 2027 or that it already started some time ago.
Those who believe and understand what the Bible actually teaches realize that the Great Tribulation cannot begin before 2030.
So, does that mean you do not now have to be diligent?
No, you must be (2 Peter 1:10).
And for those who hope to flee to a place in the wilderness (Revelation 12:14-16), which will NOT be most real Christians (cf. Revelation 3:1-22; 12:17)–but only the Philadelphian remnant per Jesus’ words in Revelation 3:7-10, the Bible teaches that they must ‘gather together’ prior to the time to flee which is what Zephaniah 2:1-3.
Jesus gave a variety of signs/events that had to happen prior to the start of the Great Tribulation in Matthew 24. Not only have many not happened, a preceding event in Daniel 9:27 involving the confirmation of a seven-year deal still has not happened. Since it did not happen as of yet, this means that it is not possible for the Great Tribulation to begin for at least 3 1/2 years (half of a biblically-prophetic week).
Additional reasons are in the article When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? and The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 (here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation).
Should we see an escalation in the Middle East this Summer, to the point that Israel will agree to the biblical peace deal of Daniel 9:27 which is confirmed by a European ‘prince,’ then we could expect Jesus to return as early as 2033 and the Great Tribulation to begin as early as 2030.
But it will NOT be before then.
Suggested Sabbath Services
Here is a suggested Sabbath day service for our scattered brethren and other interested people for this Sabbath service:
- 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: WWIII and the 10 Safest Countries? 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 is: Gideon’s Battle and Yours. 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
A NATO summit was held in Turkey this week. The USA told the Europeans that it plans to reduce support and expects the Europeans to take steps to be able to defend themselves (see US to NATO: We plan to do less and Europe must be able to defend itself). US President Donald Trump also hurled threats about Greenland and Spain, which the Europeans were not happy about (see NATO conference: Donald Trump hits out against Spain and still wants Greenland). Although some Europeans have declared that Europe is now ready to defend itself, others believe that they temporarily still need the USA, but will not need the USA in the long run (see EuroNews: Europe signals it’s ready to take control of its own defence; COGwriter: Revelation 13:1-4?). The Bible is clear that one who was great among the nations (the USA) who has the strongest fortresses (the USA) will be defeated by a European power (Daniel 11:39) that had been a friend but became an enemy (Lamentations 1:1-2).
Over in the South Pacific, China conducted a ballistic missile test which concerned Australia and New Zealand (see China launches ballistic missile test, Australia and New Zealand concerned). One day, those nations will be conquered and likely dominated by Asians.
Speaking of Asia, India and Indonesia just made a deal to bypass the US dollar (see BRICS+ on the move as India and Indonesia work to bypass the US dollar, while Russia and India report record trade). While many refuse to accept it, the financial impact of the US is being reduced and one day, relatively soon, will be no more (cf. Isaiah 10:5-11; Daniel 11:39; Habakkuk 2:6-8; Lamentations 1:1-2).
Concluding Comments
The Apostle John wrote:
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:5-7)
Yes, brethren, unlike the ways of the world, we need to walk in the light of Jesus and the word of God.
Doing so will cleanse us from ALL sin.
So, do not let your faults discourage you. Work to change them as you strive to walk in the light.
Sincerely,
Bob Thiel
Pastor and Overseer