Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:
Greetings again from the West Coast of the USA.
We hope you are doing well.
Over here, we continue to work on literature, both the magazines and booklets, and handle domestic and international matters.
Visit from Jay Chiang
Jay Chiang came over to the USA from China. While in California, he took the train up from the Los Angeles area and met with my wife Joyce and I in Grover Beach.
Bob & Joyce Thiel and Jay Chiang
We discussed matters related to him and China as well as matters related to the CCOG and the Feast of Tabernacles. We also discussed the internet and ways to better reach people. Throughout the year he often assists me by pointing out news items he believes may have prophetic ramifications. In China, he teaches at a school.
Jay Chiang was our first USA festival coordinator. Back in 2013, he had to open the Feast site in Santa Maria, California and run it the first few days while Joyce and I were supporting the Feast site in New Zealand. The remarkable thing was that he had never even been to the Feast of Tabernacles before. He has since assisted with our primary USA festival site (locations which have always varied) every year.
This year the primary site will be in San Diego, California, and Joyce and I will again be in New Zealand for the first half of the Feast of Tabernacles (we also plan a limited site in Wichita, Kansas). So, Jay Chiang will be working with Steve Dupuie to coordinate matters again this year.
The Feast of Tabernacles is coming up soon. Services for the Feast of Tabernacles will begin the evening of October 4th and continue until the Last Great Day which is October 12th in 2017. Information on the CCOG festival sites can be found in the following link: Feast of Tabernacles’ Sites for 2017.
Speaking of early festival coordinators, our first festival coordinator in the Philippines, Oscar Mediavilla appears to be seriously ill and needs our prayers. The Feast of Tabernacles site in his area has been paid for and the festival is expected to be held there even if he is unable to personally attend.
Kenya Reports
We have received several reports from Kenya concerning fallout from last week’s election. Many of our brethren are of the Luo tribe, and it was the candidate from that tribe that reportedly was lost. But he basically says that the vote was hacked and he won. This was caused problems and tensions in the Luo areas. Please pray for our brethren in Kenya.
On other matters, we received the following report:
We are fine in Kenya, Rift Valley.I visited Mau for the past two weeks and worked with Pst. Stanley and as well plan for the feast of tabernacle.
We believe we will be having the feast of tabernacle in Mau, Bomet, Transmara East and Naswet Njoro All the churches are planing for the feast.
I talked with Pst. Evans Ochieng and he is fine.Pray for us as we pray for you. God bless you
Pastor Sawek
Most of those in the Rift Valley who are with us, came within the last year or so. We are glad that they are continuing with us and planning multiple sites for the Feast of Tabernacles.
Dream Report
Many of you are aware that a two-part dream preceded the start of the old Radio Church of God and some dreams preceded the start of the Continuing Church of God (details are in the article Dreams, the Bible, the Radio Church of God, and the Continuing Church of God).
A while back, when I was last in Kenya, I was told that Frederick Ochieng had a dream related to the Continuing Church of God. He sent me an email on it that somehow never made to me, so he again sent information about it yesterday:
Dear pastor
Greetings pastor. I believe you are doing good though you are having great thrust of fulfilling Matthew 28:19 of which we must do before the return of Christ. …
I had two dreams
1. Before our family joined CCOG my father was then working with voice in the Wilderness Church of God. When I was sleeping I had a dream and in my dream I saw a light and the light was not normal, the one who was standing by the was You pastor Bob according to my dream. Then I had voice shouting, “Arise you who are sleeping, for the Lord is near.” I again I heard another voice shouting, “Come up Evans and let us do the work we are called to do.” I then saw a man dressed in white clothes join hands with my father walking together towards a very big lake then I woke up.
2: In my second dream some weeks after my first dream and in my second dream I saw almost the same dream and now this was in New Zealand. I did not know about the CCOG group in New Zealand before I had the dream.
Fred
Related to the first part of the dream, his father, Evans Ochieng came with the Continuing Church of God in March of 2014–with him, etc. we had about 260 people in Africa. His father told me in 2017 that Frederick also said his dream showed that we would have much growth in Africa. As of late 2017, we have around 3000 in Africa. So, that part of the dream was confirmed.
As far as New Zealand goes, the first congregation that came with the CCOG was the group in New Zealand. When I asked Frederick Ochieng about New Zealand he said knew nothing about New Zealand and any connection with the CCOG prior to his dream. While we have not have much membership growth in New Zealand itself, those in New Zealand have been heavily involved in doing the work to reach people around the world. They have been the primary editors of our church publications, have developed a website, put up and managed our Bible News Prophecy Flipboard page, and have produced our Bible News Prophecy online radio. His dream may have been telling him that I (Bob Thiel) was working with those in New Zealand to help fulfill Matthew 24:14 and Matthew 28:19-20 to reach the world.
While few dreams are from God (cf. Ecclesiastes 5:7; Zechariah 10:2), the Bible shows that God has often used dreams (Genesis 20:3-7, 28:10-17, 31:10-13, 31:24, 37:5-10, 40:5-18, 41:1-32; Numbers 12:6; Judges 7:13-15; 1 Kings 3:5-15; Daniel 2:3-45, 4:4-27, 7:1-28; Matthew 1:20-25, 2:12, 2:13, 2:19, 2:22; Acts 16:9).
More on dreams can be found in the article: Dreams, the Bible, the Radio Church of God, and the Continuing Church of God.
Radio
Last week, I mentioned that I was scheduled to be on the Nutri-Medical Report on the Republic Broadcasting Network (RBN) Friday, August 11th at 12:00 pm CDT. The host and I discussed prophetic matters related to North Korea, the upcoming solar eclipse, and other matters.
Last week, I also mentioned that two in CCOG were on the radio in Kenya. This morning I received the following report:
Dear Evangelist Dr.Bob,
Due to election processes,I have delayed to inform you that Grantone and I went to Milambo FM on Monday 7/8/2017 for an interview on the events surrounding the second coming of Christ and then ushering of the millennial reign on the earth.
It went on successfully for the first 40 minutes and left 20mins for questions and answers.
We received both positive and negative reactions but the positive reactions overweighed the negative. Some claimed that we are a branch of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. We thank God that through your prayers,doors are being open.We request for your prayers so that it may continue.
We are again scheduled to be on the interview again on Sunday morning.I mean on 20/8/2017.The exact time will be communicated to us by the radio presenter on Saturday afternoon.
Glory to God for your prayers and support with the materials that are so far helping us to fulfill Matthew 24:14 and 28:19-20.
Best regards,
Ondigo Ochieng.
Radio is one of the doors that is sometimes open for us to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God and other truths in the Bible.
World News Items
There has been a lessening of the warring rhetoric now that North Korea withdrew its threat against Guam (see North Korea ‘blinks’ in the latest round of military ‘chicken’). How long this will last is a question. While I had thought that North Korea would be wise to do that (see see Trump: Military ‘Locked and Loaded’–But China says it will defend North Korea is USA strikes first), do not be surprised when something else develops with North Korea.
The US media has been fixated on statements Donald Trump made related to what was supposed to be a demonstration against the removal of a confederate statue (see Protests and counter-protests). During the demonstration, a cowardly thug decided to drive a car into a crowd, killing one woman and injured about 19 more. Another senseless act by someone who does not love his neighbor as himself. As it turns out, violence often begets violence and we will see more violence and protests in the USA. Expect to see more severe civil unrest in the future.
The USA is coming close to another ‘debt ceiling’ (see M&M: Brace Yourself for the Dreaded Debt Ceiling Debate; COGwriter: Jeremiah gives clues as to how bad it will get). Historically, the US government has never resolved its debt issues, but has ended up increasing its debt and its so-called debt ceiling. The time will come when foreigners will rise up because of US debt (cf. Habakkuk 2:6-8) and the USA will be no more (cf. Daniel 11:39).
Brexit negotiations between the EU and UK still do not seem to be going well. The UK would like to have a ‘customs union’ arrangement with the EU, but the EU wants to negotiate other matters before discussing future trade (see UK wants interim ‘customs union’ trade post-Brexit, but says that the EU’s negotiator is ‘quite cross’ with the UK). Ultimately, this will not end well for the UK (cf. Daniel 8:24-25; Isaiah 17:3).
Europe also has issues with the USA. A new study found that Europeans tended to trust Russia’s President Vladimir Putin more than US President Donald Trump (see Germans trust Vladimir Putin more than Donald Trump). Europe is separating from the USA, which is something we in the Radio/Worldwide/Continuing Church of God have long expected.
In the past week, World Net Daily (WND) made two posts that I commented upon related to the improper view that the final Antichrist will be an Islamic Arab and the final King of the North will not be European (see Richardson: Rebirth of the Turkish Caliphate — and why it matters and WND editor claims Daniel 9:26 is proof of the final Antichrist being Islamic). While the coming King of the South (Daniel 11:40-43) will seemingly be an Islamic Arab and will be an Antichrist, the final Antichrist will not be that leader. The related improper view that some have that the final King of the North will not be a European will blind those who hold it from seeing what really will be happening. Anyway, WND’s editor asked for feedback on why he may be wrong, and I emailed him and sent him a link to one of those posts.
It was reported this week that Iceland has nearly eliminated Down syndrome, by aborting nearly all babies with it (see Iceland’s Down syndrome ‘eugenics’). The Bible warns against those that shed “innocent blood” (Psalm 106:37-38; Proverbs 6:16-19; Isaiah 59:7-8; Jeremiah 22:3,17). The unborn with Down syndrome certainly are innocent and their blood should not be shed. Furthermore, consider that God’s word records that a leader filled his land “with innocent blood, which the Lord would not pardon” (2 Kings 24:4). Because of that, God had others to destroy that kingdom (2 Kings 24:1-4).
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 many who receive this letter via email will be a recorded one. The one suggested for this week is: The New World Order Is Leaving the US Behind. Other sermonettes are 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: 14 Biblical Keys to Happiness. 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 new 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 BibleNewsProphecy channel. There are also some messages at the CCOGAfrica channel.
Concluding Comments
Is the end time work of fulfilling Matthew 24:14 and Matthew 28:19-20 important to you?
Obviously, it is or should be to the most faithful in these end times.
Notice also the following prophetic warnings:
1 The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw. …
5 “Look among the nations and watch —
Be utterly astounded!
For I will work a work in your days
Which you would not believe, though it were told you. (Habakkuk 1:1,5)
16 Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: …
40 Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you:
41 ‘Behold, you despisers,
Marvel and perish!
For I work a work in your days,
A work which you will by no means believe,
Though one were to declare it to you.’” (Acts 13:16,40-41)
Brethren, in the end times most Christians are not heeding the warnings from the prophet Habakkuk or the Apostle Paul. Jesus essentially confirmed that this would be the case in His messages to the churches (cf. Revelation 3:14-22).
Brethren the work is being done–but God has chosen to do it in ways that many in the world seemingly despise and most Christians will not support. And yes, it is astounding how much is being done with so little. But that is often God’s way (cf. Zechariah 4:8-10).
Sincerely,
Bob Thiel
Pastor and Overseer