Related to proclaiming the kingdom of God to the world as a witness (Matthew 24:14), we have volunteers assisting us in removing inappropriate malware-caused comments in many of the translations of our English language booklet The Gospel of the Kingdom of God. After that is resolved and the revised translations uploaded, we intend to seek additional literature translations. But for now, attaining additional translations has been paused. However, we do plan to have our English language booklet The Gospel of the Kingdom of God translated into as many languages as possible.
Speaking of literature, we also provided some funding this week to CCOG pastor David Cheruiyot in Kenya to acquire Kalenjin language Bibles in his region. This will be the first time many there will have Bibles in their native language.
Related to other proclamation matters, I was a guest on two podcasts this past week. Both went well and the hosts of both of them would like to have me back.
To Brazil and Malawi
Jesus instructed leaders of His church to:
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; (Matthew 28:19-20)
We have been in communication with the leader of two small congregations in Brazil. The people in those congregations do not have a Church of God background, but have been studying our materials for years. The leader had been a Protestant pastor for a couple of decades. I am planning to have a short trip to baptize that leader later this month. There are about 40 people with him who have been studying our materials.
Please pray about this.
Speaking of prayer, evangelist Evans Ochieng asked me for prayers because he had a bad case of malaria. He later told me he was doing much better. He is planning on a trip to Malawi soon. Please pray that he will have the strength and wisdom to deal with the issues in Malawi.
Canada
Gisele Haddon informed me that she has been in contact with the Canadian authorities regarding the Continuing Church of God there as since her deceased husband Herb had been president, that position needs to be filled. So, she is planning on filing various documents related to that and another position related to CCOG Canada.
That said, yes, the CCOG is continuing in Canada.
Online Pornography
(Grok AI generated photo)
Online pornography was actually a factor in the internet starting out to become a financial success.
And online pornography is increasingly a concern.
ZeroHedge reported the following:
What Parents Wish Their Children Could Grow Up Without
July 1, 2025
With the technological advancements of the past two decades, a lot of new challenges have emerged for parents of young children. As they try to navigate the ever-evolving media and device landscape, it’s as difficult as it is important to strike the right balance between giving kids the chance to learn how to use technology and protecting them from the potential harm that early (over)use of smartphones and social media can doubtlessly inflict on a child’s development.
Given the complexity of the task at hand and the lack of past experience to draw from, it’s understandable that many parents are uncertain how to manage their children’s device use, screen and social media time.
And while they acknowledge the potential benefits of smartphones and social media, a sizeable share of parents would like to turn back the time for their children’s sake, according to a recent Harris Poll.
Parents are rightly concerned as they know this is not good for their children nor their children’s future.
Pornography is becoming more recognized as a problem by secular sources. The BBC put out the following last Fall:
29 November 2024
Ofcom’s Online Nation 2024 report suggests 29% of UK adults accessed online porn in May 2024. Additionally, new research from addiction treatment centre, UKAT, suggests that millions of Britons are viewing pornography regularly – with 1.8 million watching daily, some multiple times a day.
According to treatment providers, more people are seeking help for problematic porn use.
Dr Paula Hall, a UKCP-accredited sexual and relationship psychotherapist at The Laurel Centre, in London, specialises in helping people affected by sex addiction and porn addiction.
“The numbers of clients seeking help with pornography problems at The Laurel Centre have doubled over recent years, as have our requests from health professionals for further training,” she tells the BBC.
Dr Hall explains that they have also seen a growing number of younger people seeking help.
“Ten years ago the majority of our clients would have been married men in their 40s and 50s who were seeking help because their partner had discovered their use of sex workers,” she says.
“But increasingly, our clients are in their 20s and 30s, many of whom are single, who are recognising the growing toll of porn use on their lives and on their ability to get or maintain a relationship.” …
“Young people tell me their exposure to pornography is widespread and normalised – with the average age at which children first seeing pornography being 13 years old,” Dame Rachel de Souza, the current Children’s Commissioner, tells the BBC.
“Pornography is no longer confined to dedicated adult sites – children tell me they can see violent content, depicting coercive, degrading or pain-inducing sexual acts on social media.
“The implications of seeing this kind of material are vast – my research has found that frequent users of pornography are more likely to engage in physically aggressive sex acts.”
De Souza adds that it is “vital” for high-quality relationship and sex education to be given parity of importance with other subjects to help young people understand that pornography is unrealistic. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg57r337rvzo
Yes, pornography is unrealistic. It is very harmful to those who are enticed by it.
BBC online reported the following:
Easy access to online porn is ‘damaging’ men’s health, says NHS therapist
August 15, 2016
Angela Gregory says more and more men in their late teens and early 20s are suffering from erectile dysfunction.
She puts the blame on people becoming addicted to watching online porn.
There are no official figures but she says a lot of the time it is via smartphones and laptops.
“What I’ve seen over the last 16 years, particularly the last five years, is an increase in the amount of younger men being referred,” she said.
“Our experience is that historically men that were referred to our clinic with problems with erectile dysfunction were older men whose issues were related to diabetes, MS, cardio vascular disease.
“These younger men do not have organic disease, they’ve already been tested by their GP and everything is fine.
This is just another problem with pornography. Pornography, online or otherwise, damages men and women, physically, emotionally, sexually, and spiritually.
The Bible warns:
10 My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. (Proverbs 1:10)
The pornography industry is a sin-filled one that is always trying to entice people to sin!
The Bible also speaks against being “secretly enticed” (Job 31:27) and speaks of this essentially through sexual lust (cf. Job 31:1,9)–do not think that you can secretly view pornography and that all is fine: “be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23)!
Notice some statements in the Bible from Jesus and the Apostle Paul:
27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:27-28)
18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. (1 Corinthians 6:18)
Jesus and the Apostle Paul warned against attempting to provoke, stir up, or mentally succumb to sexual lust. Thus, they are also condemning pornography, including dressing inappropriately (see also 1 Timothy 2:8-9).
Notice something from the Apostle James:
12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. (James 1:12-15)
James warned about being enticed and that this type of sin brings death!
When one flees sexual immorality, one resists temptation. Notice also something else from James:
7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:7-8)
Do not be ‘double-minded,’–keep away from pornography. Satan wants you to accept the falsehoods associated with pornography.
The Old Testament also had prohibitions related to pornography and seductive behaviors:
15 He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, He who despises the gain of oppressions, Who gestures with his hands, refusing bribes, Who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, And shuts his eyes from seeing evil: 16 He will dwell on high; His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks; Bread will be given him, His water will be sure. (Isaiah 33:15-16)
1 I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I look upon a young woman? (Job 31:1).
20 For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman, And be embraced in the arms of a seductress? (Proverbs 5:20)
23 For the commandment is a lamp, And the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life, 24 To keep you from the evil woman, From the flattering tongue of a seductress. 25 Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, Nor let her allure you with her eyelids. 26 For by means of a harlot A man is reduced to a crust of bread; And an adulteress will prey upon his precious life. 27 Can a man take fire to his bosom, And his clothes not be burned? 28 Can one walk on hot coals, And his feet not be seared? (Proverbs 6:23-28)
20 This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, And says, “I have done no wickedness.” (Proverbs 30:20)
27 For a harlot is a deep pit, And a seductress is a narrow well. 28 She also lies in wait as for a victim, And increases the unfaithful among men. (Proverbs 23:27-28)
26 Therefore I will uncover your skirts over your face, That your shame may appear. 27 I have seen your adulteries And your lustful neighings, The lewdness of your harlotry, Your abominations on the hills in the fields. (Jeremiah 13:26-27)
15 “Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor, Pressing him to your bottle, Even to make him drunk, That you may look on his nakedness! 16 You are filled with shame instead of glory. You also — drink! And be exposed as uncircumcised! The cup of the Lord’s right hand will be turned against you, And utter shame will be on your glory. (Habakkuk 2:15-16)
How porn-purveyors view pornography sounds a lot like “lustful neighings.” The righteous turn their eyes away from pornography. Many people are not ashamed and will not blush when they are overly-exposing themselves. No one is clearly to trick someone into seeing their nakedness, including using intoxicating substances to do that. Seductresses and adulterers are denounced by scripture.
Let me add here that Leviticus 18:6-19 has 14 verses against uncovering nakedness of relatives (plus other verses in other chapters). Thus, this would also seem to outlaw printed or electronic pornography. In Ezekiel 16:35-39, God tells of publicly uncovering nakedness as a significant negative. When Jesus told the Laodicean Christians they were naked, He also mentioned that they were miserable and needed to repent (Revelation 3:14-22).
Pornography is a problem.
For heterosexual males, it gets them to have unrealistic expectations when it comes to their wives. As one woman told me once, “Prostitutes are actresses” as are those who pose/participate in pornographic videos. While I have never watched any, from what I have heard, normal women do not act like the ones in those videos.
For heterosexual females, pornography gets them to have fantasy views about males that their husbands will not fulfill–as well as feelings that they will never quite be able to match up.
Regular viewers of pornography often end up with a distorted version of human sexuality which impacts them as well as, for married people, their spouse. Pornography is wrong and quite harmful to society, and even some in the secular world are realizing that.
Is pornography harmless fun or is it an ever present evil in modern society? Does the Bible teach anything about it? What about Jesus? Just what is pornography? Does it have spiritual ramifications beyond the seventh commandment? Did the Apostle Paul teach about fleeing sexual immorality and dressing modestly? Does pornography violate the ‘golden rule’? What steps have the US Supreme Court and the State of Utah taken? What is the difference between hard-core and soft-core pornography? Are there steps one can take to overcome the addiction to pornography? Was pornography an issue in ancient Pompeii that was destroyed in 79 A.D.? How frequently is pornography searched for on the internet? Is there such a thing as “mommy porn’? Is pornography something that you should tolerate? Should the church be denouncing pornography? Could pornography have weather or prophetic ramifications? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more in this video.
Here is a suggested Sabbath day service for our scattered brethren and other interested people:
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).
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 mobile 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.
In case one or more of our video channels are unavailable, down, restricted, or ?, understand that we are on multiple platforms.
For sermons in English:
ContinuingCOG YouTube channel. Dr. Thiel has produced video sermons for this channel.
Bible News Prophecy radio. This is an audio version of the Bible News Prophecy videos on one of our internet stations as well as our radio broadcasts in English. The BibleNewsProphecy.net website also has information about our international radio presence for Europe, Asia, and North America. That page is also available as a mobile app.
Bible News Prophecy International radio. This has links to our non-English language online radio station as well as materials in multiple languages.
The Apostle Paul warned about those that do not want to retain God in their knowledge would become inventors evil things:
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, (Romans 1:28-30)
Yes, more and more inventors of evil things are emerging.
Then there are those who push falsehoods that many have asserted for centuries. One of the anti-COG sites posted falsehoods about church history yesterday that I addressed today–see ‘Banned from the Truth’ about church history–again!
On other matters. Europe has been having a “historic” heat wave (see Europe having a ‘historic heat wave’). God sometimes uses weather to get people’s attention, yet most do not heed (see Weather Blessings and Sorrows). Hopefully, you do. One thing I tend to realize about weather is that it can change so dramatically, which also tells us that world conditions can change quickly as well.
As ‘independent states’ Donetsk and Luhansk may enter into some type of joint confederation with each other or Russia. If the forces from Kiev decide to attack, they will likely fight and ask for help from Russia.
Donetsk and Luhansk may vote to be annexed by Russia, like Crimea did. Or at minimum decide to ask to be part of Vladimir Putin’s Eurasian Union.
The Bible has several end time prophecies concerning the Medes (Isaiah 13:17-19) and the kings of the Medes (Jeremiah 51:11, 28-29) that involve military action. Various ones in Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Russia, and elsewhere are part of the descendants of the Medes, as likely are some in Moldova.
That, in my view, is consistent with properly understood biblical prophecies.
The Bible foretells a time when the “Kings of the Medes” will get together (Jeremiah 51:11, 28)–and some now have. Many in Russia, Ukraine, and even Moldova have descent from the ancient Medes.
On the Sabbath of February 5, 2022, I did a sermonette where I mentioned that lands associated with Ukraine would end up being confederate with Russia:
The situation between Russia and Ukraine has again heated up, although it has been tense since the Euromaiden protests and Russia’s annexation of Crimea. There was later a separation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from the Russian Orthodox Church. Is war prophesied for Russia and Ukraine? Are prophecies in the Bible associated with the ‘kings of the Medes’ and a power from the “north country” related to any in Russia and Ukraine? Is a confederation of powers from the north, east, and central Asia prophesied to destroy the coming end time European Babylon? Will the destruction be reminiscent of what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah? How is the King of the North and who will destroy him? Do those in Russia and Ukraine have a hope of salvation? Will Russia and powers of the east be involved in the gathering in Armageddon as prophesied in Revelation 16? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues.
While Ukraine has put up a lot of resistance to Russia’s Special Military Operation, Russia is larger and has more troops, etc.
Concluding Comments
In the New Testament we read:
14 … Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15)
14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14)
Brethren, we in the Continuing Church of God are striving for the completion of Matthew 24:14 as we reach people on all the inhabited continents.
