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Letter to the Brethren: April 22, 2021

Letter to the Brethren: April 22, 2021

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Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:

Greetings from the Five Cities Region of California.

Second Passover

April 25th, after sunset, is the 14th day of Iyyar on the Hebrew calendar. Those who were unable to keep the Passover on the 14th of Nisan (about a month ago) are authorized by scripture to keep the Passover then.

This is based upon the following passages of scripture:

1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying: 2 “Let the children of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. 3 On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall keep it at its appointed time. According to all its rites and ceremonies you shall keep it.” 4 So Moses told the children of Israel that they should keep the Passover. 5 And they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month, at twilight, in the Wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did.

6 Now there were certain men who were defiled by a human corpse, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day; and they came before Moses and Aaron that day. 7 And those men said to him, “We became defiled by a human corpse. Why are we kept from presenting the offering of the Lord at its appointed time among the children of Israel?”

8 And Moses said to them, “Stand still, that I may hear what the Lord will command concerning you.”

9 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If anyone of you or your posterity is unclean because of a corpse, or is far away on a journey, he may still keep the Lord’s Passover. 11 On the fourteenth day of the second month, at twilight, they may keep it. They shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12 They shall leave none of it until morning, nor break one of its bones. According to all the ordinances of the Passover they shall keep it. 13 But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, and ceases to keep the Passover, that same person shall be cut off from among his people, because he did not bring the offering of the Lord at its appointed time; that man shall bear his sin. (Numbers 9:1-13)

If you are baptized and were unable to keep the Passover on the 14th of Nisan, like is taught in Leviticus 23, you can keep it after sunset April 25th this year. For specific details as to how, please check out the article Keeping Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread.

Here is a link to an online service: CCOG Passover Service.

Here is the link to the service in the Spanish language: Servicio de la Pascua 2021.

Mozambique and the Philippines

Because of lifting of some COVID requirements around the world, I spoke with Terry Nelson about the Feast of Tabernacles in Mozambique.

He and his sons wanted to go last year, but COVID rules prevented that.

At this instant, it looks like they will be able to go.

We have tended to have those in Mozambique go to Malawi for the Feast of Tabernacles in the past, and we really have wanted to have a major site in Mozambique. There is lot to plan for to make this happen, but it is good news that this looks like a possibility.

On the other hand, we had hoped to have Steve and Ruth Dupuie possibly go to the Philippines for the Feast of Tabernacles this year. At this instant, regular US citizens are not allowed to travel into that country.

Please pray about both Mozambique and the Philippines.

As far as the Feast of Tabernacles for 2021 goes, the most up-to-date information is at the article: Feast of Tabernacles’ Sites for 2021.

Big Tech Warning

A supporter sent me the following warning that came with the Letter to the Brethren last week:

This is absurd! We do not engage in “phishing.”

Anyway, we investigated this and think that Google misunderstood a link from the hotel we are planning on holding the Feast of Tabernacles in Tennessee this year.

Hopefully, this “warning” will not continue, and it is disappointing that Google felt the need to issue this unnecessary warning.

Animation Promotion

Andre Nelson sent the following report yesterday:

Continuing Church of God Advertisement Statistics:

“First Date: Worldly vs. Christian”:

  • # of Views: This Ad received in total 20,755 views from advertising. …
  • # of People Reached: Approximately 121,783 people saw the Ad. This metric is estimated.
  • # of Link Clicks: 135.

“Big Bang: Nothing or Creator?”:

  • # of Views: This Ad received around 22,000 views from advertising. …
  • # of People Reached: Approximately 29,666 people saw the Ad. This metric is estimated.
  • # of Link Clicks: 57.

“A Lifegiver or Spontaneous Evolution?”:

  • # of Views: This Ad received in total 14,284 views from advertising. …
  • # of People Reached: Approximately 129,691 people saw the Ad. This metric is estimated.
  • # of Link Clicks: 121

“Which Church Would Jesus Choose?”:

  • # of Views: This Ad received in total 13.6K views from advertising. …
  • # of People Reached: Approximately 121,783 people saw the Ad. This metric is estimated.
  • # of Link Clicks: 55.

“Is God Calling You?”

  • # of Views: This Ad received in total 31.5K views from advertising. ,,,
  • # of People Reached: Approximately 35,236 people saw the Ad. This metric is estimated.
  • # of Link Clicks: 516.

“Night to Be Observed?”

  • # of Views: This Ad received in total 30.5K Views from advertising.
  • # of People Reached: Approximately 255.3K people saw the Ad. This metric is estimated.
  • # of Link Clicks: 257.

132,639 video views were gained through advertising, sharing, and more.

693,459 people were reached around the world through advertising, sharing, and regular posting.

Important Information:

Link Clicks:

  • The number of clicks on links within the ad that led to advertiser-specified destinations, on or off Facebook.

How It’s Calculated:

  • This metric counts link clicks on the ad’s text, media or call-to-action, that link to destinations or experiences specified by the advertiser. This metric excludes clicks on content or links in the comments section of a post. An ad may have multiple destinations specified by the advertiser. An ad’s headline may link to one destination, while the call-to-action may link to another. These destinations may be on or off Facebook. For example, destinations can include:

It is fantastic that so many learn about the animations via this type of promotion.

The amount seen this way VASTLY exceeds the views that are recorded by YouTube on the main page the animations are on.

However, the biggest negative of this has been that the retention length for watching videos this way is low, but thousands of people do get at least a partial witness.

For Girls Only

Back in April 1972, the old Worldwide Church of God published the following article by Clint Zimmerman in its old Tomorrow’s World magazine:

For Girls Only

SEVERAL months ago my oldest daughter, Kamie, came home from a summer in Jerusalem. Bubbling, happy, vibrant, full of satisfying participation in an archaeological dig. She’d done new things, won new friends. Life had proved rewarding, worthwhile, exquisite. She was ready to move on and meet the challenge of her junior year in college. She was eager to live and learn and do!

Yesterday my youngest daughter, “Suzi,” came swishing — all in pink and brown — out of the Los Angeles International Airport customs room. Just home from her first college semester in England. Her eyes found us. Our smiles were enriched with tears. We hugged and kissed and talked and wondered about the baggage and tried to get closer. ..and it all was so very good.

My girls have been growing up.

My girls have a date with destiny.

My girls are beginning to exert normal, natural, powerful feminine influence.

Girl Power

All girls do! And it can be so very good. But I doubt that most girls perceive the wonder in that potential. They must come to understand it. Each of them is going to use that power — which turning into a woman gives to a girl — for better or for worse!

Girls grow up. Girlish thoughts are O.K. for girls. But have you taken a look at yourself lately? Are you still only a girl? Have you given any thought as to why boys are becoming interested in you? Why have you become more attracted to them? Why do some of them not seem to be monsters anymore? It’s because your mind and body are maturing, and there’s much more to life than just dolls, school and dresses. Life was meant to reward you. You were meant to give meaning to life. It’s time to be learning about it.

A girl needs to understand what she is. What she has. What she will become. What she can do.Sugar ‘n spice ‘n everything nice… ‘n with the power potential of womanhood to change the future of the world.

Men Need Help

Woman came on the scene right after Adam. There was no doubt at all that the man needed help — and lots of it. There could be no future without woman. She provided a desperately needed sweet-sour, opposite-sameness for man. She was meant to complement him, stabilize him, stimulate him. Produce the future — something he could never do by himself. She had the inherent ability to make their lives happy, peaceful, content. To encourage, motivate, inspire. To give deep meaning to the word “love.” To make life completely successful.

Eve had the first opportunity. She and her husband could have conquered and ruled the world — given it happiness and peace everlasting. But she swallowed a lie, made her rash decision about what is right and wrong. Lined up her own experiment and blew it — but good. Perhaps she didn’t recognize what tremendous influence she held over Adam, nor how far-reaching the consequences. She turned it all on-and the roof caved in.

Remember Delilah? She got together with Samson, the dude who would make any modern surfer look sick. He was a real, lusty longhair. (He was to be a Nazarite from his mother’s womb — Judges 13:5.) He had roving eyes and he knew what he wanted. When the right chick came along, he was long gone. Brains, muscle, body — neat, tough and cool — but his whole life became loused up. He started himself down the chute, no doubt about that, but his woman, Delilah, was right in there using her femininity to “help” him all the way down and out. She turned on, and Samson really blew it.

Take Herodias and her daughter Salome for another example. Salome danced for the king so these two women could have what they wanted. Now when a dance stirs up a king so much that he offers half his kingdom and lops off a man’s head to show his appreciation, we can be sure he’d seen more than a ballroom waltz. She had found a way to dress, a way to move her body, a way to use her eyes, a way to use her difference to change lives, obtain decisions, get action. That’s power-live and real! It’s part of femininity and womanhood — but only part. It’s a shame, but some women never find much more than just that part.

Eve, Delilah, and Salome resorted to their natural, womanly talents to assure decisions to their liking. Very probably these three used sex as their prime motivator. This does not mean to say that every woman is a sex trap. But all of them do have the potential to become one. Every woman ought to make certain that sex is not her only stock in trade. There is far more to a woman than just sex.

Femininity entails a different mental approach and appraisal of situations. A different response and reaction. It’s a soft strength and pretty power which impacts man, society, and destiny. There is no suggestion here that you abandon your feminine influence. Not for the world! Its proper use can be a tremendous force for good. If you use it rightly, happiness will come flooding into your life. You will find reason for being, attained purpose, fulfillment — the things which you really want down deep — the best life has to offer. But to be successful requires preparation and work.

Get Smart

Simply everybody (except for a few dropouts and knuckleheads) realizes that intelligence must be used and an education pursued. Even if it’s only a matter of money, food and clothes.

A recent report shows that — on the average — people with less than seven years of school make about $3,000 per year. People with a college degree make some $17,000 per year — the simple but cruel facts of being alive.

Even those women who seek “liberation” realize they must be prepared (educated) if their movement is to succeed. Ability to do a job depends upon preparedness.

Face the Facts of Life

Whether or not you like it, you are responsible for you. Face up to it. A girl is known — and judged — by what she does. Those who look for the right and true answers early are going to be better off. It’s best to start building for the future as soon as possible.

The world needs reshaping. Everybody knows that. Most of the sincere hippies and Jesus People have become what they are because they see the crying need for improvement materialistically, mentally, and spiritually. But the very way in which they live — the product that their lives present — screams that they have not found the way to get that reshaping done. Christ Himself says we can know how it will be done. There is a way, even if we can’t put it all together today.

Reshaping the world is going to require women — real women! Not just girls — WOMEN! And not just women — but virtuous, industrious, thinking, educated, truth-oriented, giving, loving women. Women who have courage, intelligence, culture, and leadership.

Perhaps it will come as a shock — but God wants women to be strong, smart, properly aggressive leaders. Their contribution toward a successful World Tomorrow is sorely needed. A woman is expected to have a positive, commanding role in the instruction of her children. Her action is to be so vital and far-reaching that she will command the respect of her children.

That is no small commission. Look at the success, or failure, of your own mother and realize just how much wisdom, strength, integrity, and love are required. There is a challenge of gigantic size.

Teach Children

A woman and her husband are to labor side by side in the rearing of their children. God is concerned for more than sons. He will have daughters too (2 Cor. 6:18). A mother must insert powerful influence into the rearing of her children (Prov. 6:20). The mother of your husband-to-be should warn him about sex pots. You would expect her to — yes, you would want her to — tell him something like this:

“Listen to me, my son! I know what I am saying; listen! Watch yourself, lest you be indiscreet and betray some vital information. For the lips of a prostitute are as sweet as honey, and smooth flattery is her stock in trade. But afterwards only a bitter conscience is left to you, sharp as a double-edged sword. She leads you down to death and hell. For she does not know the path of life. She staggers down a crooked trail, and doesn’t even realize where it leads. Young men, listen to me, and never forget what I’m about to say: Run from her! Don’t go near her house, lest you fall to her temptation and lose your honor, and give the remainder of your life to the cruel and merciless; Lest strangers obtain your wealth, and you become a slave of foreigners. Lest afterwards you groan in anguish and in shame, when syphilis consumes your body, and you say, ‘Oh, if only I had listened! If only I had not demanded my own way! Oh, why wouldn’t I take advice? Why was I so stupid? For now I must face public disgrace’” (Prov. 5:1-14, The Living Bible).

If your parents-in-law-to-be would so instruct your boyfriend, if he would believe them and avoid the obvious pitfall, both of you would stand a much better chance of staying healthy. You wouldn’t need to be concerned that your own child — to be born in the distant future — might be blind or mentally deficient because of gonorrhea or syphilis.

And that is what you, too — a girl today, but woman and mother tomorrow — should eventually teach your own child!

What and how you teach your child will depend upon what you know — and the emphasis you place on the facts — the culture — the religious way in which you use them.

Education, Culture and Character

Do you realize that today — right now — you are creating the minds and character of yet un-conceived children you will bear years from now? Your interest in learning today will be mirrored in your children. The better the job of educating yourself you do today, the better off will be your children. Your personal character and culture will unfold to the degree your education enlightens, refines and disciplines your appreciation of intellect, beauty and morality. The more cultured you are, the greater head-start your children will have. Your children are slated to become what you ARE! A girl who will have children must prepare for womanhood and motherhood. You must learn, grow, change, attain, because the future of your children — and society — depends on what you do from here on.

Look at life. Question it. Know! If you truly search for the answer, you will not be able to escape the conclusion that you must become educated. This doesn’t mean you need necessarily go to college, but you must know what you are about — how to live, and how to make a living. But the full expression of true womanhood demands more of you than mere book education. Your education should provide the foundation for proper culture. The best culture is arrived at when a woman expresses genuine, outgoing concern — true love — for others.

You should use your body, mind, and life to clearly fill the needs of your husband and children, your parents and society. To accomplish that naturally and conclusively demands morality — religious participation.

Knowing how to cook, sew and clean are mighty important parts of being a woman. You ought to be able to make wise and encompassing business decisions, too. Practical foresight into the everyday, routine problems of living is indispensable. You must be industrious, persevering, healthy, strong, vigorous if you are going to make the most of your life — in or out of marriage.

A competent woman will be able to take charge of her own and her children’s problems, handle them deftly, thoroughly, give sure guidance out of her deep understanding of the facts of life, run her home and life with vision and certainty, love her husband and children in fairness and so satisfy the deep needs of all her family.

There is much to learn — seemingly more to do — if life is going to become the highly satisfying experience which it is meant to be.

But if you do well all those things mentioned above, it will only be for the reason that you have found some more wonderful reasons for doing them than just to satisfy your physical needs. There is fathomless reward, as many women have found down through the ages, in such “mundane” accomplishment. But you can find even more delectable and luxurious sufficiency if you know and apply all these actions in relationship to the reason for your having been created feminine in the first place.

Love God the Most

Do you want to be more wanted than the most precious and valuable jewels? Do you wish for respect, honor, esteem, adoration in their most gratifying fulfillment? Then get started right now! There is far more to womanly success than merely satisfying physical needs. A real woman’s mind will reach into the meaning of life itself and she will find God. She will come to understand what is truly transcendently important. Remember, Jesus told Martha that she was so wrapped up in her housework and dinner preparations that she was missing the reason for doing them in the first place (Luke 10:40-42).

A woman should strive for full womanhood because she has found the relevance of her femininity to God’s plan and purpose. She is meant to be a part of His family.

Whatever other woman you may admire and would emulate simply cannot be as thoroughly acceptable to God as the woman who practices His religion. The woman who reverences and worships God will accrue the virtue, capability, intelligence, grace, nobility, culture and strength of character to be completely acceptable to God in every relationship.

You Can Do It

When rightly attuned to the overall purpose, any woman in private life can surpass the excellence attained by the most noted women of history. All you need do is use the mysterious power and key which God provides. You need only totally respect and reverence God, and then the Holy Spirit will impower you and make come true the impossible dream your womanhood harbors.

I know hundreds of young women whose dreams have become reality — hundreds of others who are moving swiftly and certainly into that same realness. Our own daughters are on the way. You, too, can keep your date with a beautiful destiny. Use your womanhood to arrive.

Even though this article is dated, originally, I had intended a shorter version of it to be in the April-June 2021 edition of the BibleNewsProphecy magazine. However, because of changes in USA copyright law realized that Amazon-Kindle Direct would not allow it. So, it is here, in its full unedited form.

Since my wife and I have not had any daughters, I thought sharing Clint Zimmerman’s views could be helpful for young women around the world.

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

It was reported that Florida governor DeSantis switched from using YouTube to the platform known as Rumble (see ‘Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis Ditches YouTube for Rumble’). While we continue to use YouTube, because of its priorities and shadow banning practices, we recently added Rumble as an additional platform for some of our videos.

This past weekend, many in Germany celebrated the 500th anniversary of something called the Diet (meaning conference in this situation) of Worms which set the stage for the Protestant Reformation. Now, however, its observance is more along the lines of an ecumenical celebration (see DW: 500 years after Luther and the Diet of Worms the ecumenical movement is strong). The groundwork for a humanistic ecumenical-interfaith religion is being laid in many parts of the world. Although even some Roman Catholic leaders are opposed to the ecumenical and worldly push of their church, the Vatican keeps supporting such things (see LSN: Viganò on Vatican ‘health’ conference with Fauci: Holy See is ‘making itself the servant of the New World Order’).

Concluding Comments

The Book of Jude basically closes with a prayer:

24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
25 To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen. (Jude 24-25)

Brethren, strive to live without fault and truly pray for God to have dominion over our lives now and forever.

Sincerely,

Bob Thiel
Pastor and Overseer