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Letter to the Brethren: April 15, 2021

Letter to the Brethren: April 15, 2021

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Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:

Greetings from Grover Beach, California.

CG7 Leader in Ethiopia

CCOG deacon Koang Deng emailed the following report on behalf of a Church of God 7th Day leader in Ethiopia who is now with the CCOG:

Dear Pastors:I am here by sending you this note as to informs you that, I am doing fine in Gambella, Ethiopia.We are together with pastor Koang Deng Gatluak in Gambella, Ethiopia.I am a new convert from Church of God 7th Day in Kenya, {which was} lead by pastor Edward Macharia Karuthia and Francis Macharia.A.M Elder Shoemaker were sent from Jerusalem in 1970s and baptized 284 members and 16 Elders (Pastors) were ordained as a pastors called to the ministers of Jerusalem works. I hope, I shall be with you in the faiths and thanks.Yes, Faithfully,Pastor Tut Ruot Luach.Continuing Church of God.P.O.Box 313, Gambella, Ethiopia.

This is an interesting development. I have been in contact with a CG7-Denver leader about this. Most of the others in CCOG in Ethiopia were also once part of a CG7 group.

Feast of Tabernacles 2021: Pigeon Forge Tennessee, Puerto Rico, and Canada

For 2021, services are to begin the evening of September 20th and continue until the Last Great Day which is September 28th.

As mentioned a couple of weeks ago, we now have a contract to hold the Feast of Tabernacles at the Hilton Garden Inn Pigeon Forge, 2481 Teaster Ln, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863.


Hilton Garden Inn, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

This is where we are to have daily services. This is also where my family intends to spend the bulk of the Feast of Tabernacles this year.

You do NOT need to stay at this hotel to attend the Feast of Tabernacles.

However, many will find that convenient.

Here is a booking link which should save you money if you wish to stay at the Hilton Garden Inn: https://www.hilton.com/en/book/reservation/deeplink/?&ctyhocn=PGFGIGI&groupCode=CCO&arrival=20210919&departure=20210929&cid=OM,WW,HILTONLINK,en,DirectLink&fromId=HILTONLINKDIRECT

If you prefer not using the internet to book, you are welcome to begin calling to make reservations (865-366-5250). You will need to mention the group code “CCO” to receive the discounted rates.

Those who wish to stay there can make reservations now if you wish.

Please let me know, via email, if you plan to attend the CCOG Feast of Tabernacles in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee–you do NOT need to stay at the Hilton Garden Inn to send that email.  My email address remains COGwriter@aol.com

We are also in the process of working on a Spanish-language site in Puerto Rico. Though I do not speak much Spanish, Joyce, David, and I intend to attend the last couple of days here. It will likely be in the San Juan region.

In Canada, the site looks like it will be either in New London, Ontario or somewhere in New Brunswick.

The following link is updated regularly as we get more information: Feast of Tabernacles’ Sites for 2021.

Florida

We were able to hold services in Jacksonville Beach, Florida last Sabbath. It was nice to meet with others in CCOG there.

Google Campaigns

It has been a while since I reported about our Google campaigns.

Yesterday, a Google rep telephoned me reported that we had 12,711,877 computer impressions in the past 30 days! While typically there is more interest during the Passover/Easter season, this greatly exceeded expectations.

We have information on church history and God’s plan of salvation that we are promoting around the world.

Yes, we are reaching millions!

Furthermore, we have been very cost-effective in our internet reach as we have focused on reaching people others do not seem to try to reach by our key word selection. While other churches typically spend .50 to $1.50 per click, overall, our Google campaigns have only cost .06 per click. And our cost per ‘impression’ are approximately .0002, which is unbelievably low.

We have been both frugal and cost-effective in spending tithes and offerings.

This, in turn, has allowed us to devote more funds to support the poor (Galatians 2:10; Romans 12:13; James 1:27; cf. James 2:14-16; Hebrews 13:16; Isaiah 58:7; Proverbs 28:27) and witness to many of the otherwise unreached as we work to fulfill Matthew 24:14, Matthew 28:19-20, and Romans 11:25.

Suggested Sabbath and Holy 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

Last Sabbath, my sermonette was titled Mystery of Race. The next day, there was another shooting in the USA that triggered racial and other protests (see ‘Minnesota Protesters Call for Justice in Killing of Daunte Wright’). Various ones are trying to divide the USA further along racial lines–and the USA is repeatedly being filled with violence (cf. Ezekiel 7:23-24).

We are seeing military actions and threats of them in the Middle East (see ‘Iran Blames Israel for Natanz Blackout’) and elsewhere (see BBC: Is Russia going to war with Ukraine and other questions I365: Gog and Magog? PCG: Prince of Roth). Jesus warned of a time of wars and rumors of war (Matthew 24:7-8) and we seem to be in that.

As society has become less tied to the Bible we are seeing more totalitarian steps (see Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: Men Have Forgotten God; MS: We Are Now Entering Full-Blown Tyranny In The Western World) that modern technology helps facilitate (see ‘SUBMIT NOW: World Economic Forum Wants You To Wear A Microchip-Powered Smart Mask’ and ‘Pentagon scientist unveils new COVID biochip implanted under the skin’). We are getting closer to 666 (Revelation 13:16-18).

Concluding Comments

Jesus said:

20 … Blessed are you poor,
For yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
For you shall be filled.
Blessed are you who weep now,
For you shall laugh.
22 Blessed are you when men hate you,
And when they exclude you,
And revile you, and cast out your name as evil,
For the Son of Man’s sake.
23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!
For indeed your reward is great in heaven,
For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.
(Luke 6:20-23)

Brethren, we have many who are poor and hungry. And though we assist as we can, many in the world hate and revile the CCOG.

And we know that because of biblical prophecies, this will intensify.

Be steadfast in the faith. Jesus said we are blessed.

Sincerely,

Bob Thiel
Pastor and Overseer