Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:
Greetings again from Grover Beach, California.
Another very full week trying to serve the brethren and reach the world with the good news of the Kingdom of God.
Initial YouTube statistics show we had better responses, so far, than the average for the relevant time periods, for both the sermon and sermonette recommended last week.
Reached over 4,000,000 Computers in October 2016
Google reported that our campaign with them reached 3,910,831 computers last month. When this is combined with what cogwriter.com and the CCOG websites have reached, this means over 4,000,000 computers received information about the truth in October. We reached over 100,000 more computers in October than we did in September of 2016. We are diligently working to fulfill Matthew 24:14 and Matthew 28:19-20.
Vincent Patterson
The family of Vince Patterson would like to request your prayers. Vince suffered a major stroke in the early hours of Monday morning and was admitted to hospital in Northampton. He has been sedated since while the ITU staff try to make him comfortable. The family are relying on God for healing and request your fervent prayers at this time. Please note that if you send a message of support, don’t expect a response or update.
Richard Close
Last week, I mentioned that while I still intend to counsel, respond to prayer requests, send out anointed cloths, personally anoint the sick, be involved in funeral matters, answer questions when asked, etc., I asked Deacon Richard Close to do this as well. Richard Close is retired and has more time available to serve this way and I have appointed the elder Richard Close to handle more of this (cf. Acts 14:23). He has begun to do this, and currently is also traveling to visit some of our scattered brethren in the USA.
Richard Close’s email address is: closesr@comcast.net
Visit to Transmara
Speaking of visiting, CCOG Pastor Evans Ochieng was able to visit our group in Transmara, Kenya. Here is a report that was received from Joseah Kipngetich:
*REPORT OF THE TAKITECH’S MEETING*
A greet you in the name of Jesus Christ. We were thankful on pastor Ochieng
and his family visit to Takitech church in Transmara, Rift valley where
there were representative of the brethren from Chilani, Motosiet, Kabolecho
and Chebunyo local churches. Pastor Ochieng distributed magazines, Hymnal
songs, English and Kalenjin Bibles and also CD’s whereby each church were
to get a little of these. Indeed we were very much thankful for these and
that we also requested him to add more bibles for he also saw for himself
that there were many needy brethren’s. Pst. Ochieng also donated to us some
food although there are very many brethren’s who are staring at hunger apart
from widows and orphans due to prolonged period of more than five years of
poor harvest due a serious maize disease which has affected this area hence
rendering it a pathetic situation. It has even made brethren’s flee their homes
and seek for something to sustain their livelihood like the one which made
Jacob and His sons flee to the land of Egypt. Beside, this year we experienced
a severe draught which has also led to water shortages where especially Chilani
area where brethren’s have to travel quite a long distances to get water for
their domestic use. But thanks to the brethren’s of Chilani for their
perseverance in the lord (James 1:12); although they had fled their homes
they returned and camped in the feast of tabernacle most of them depend on
donkeys for their transportation and fetching of water to their homes. I am
kindly requesting you two things;1.To tell brethren’s to pray for Chilani so that the Lord may change
the area and make it fruitful again so that they might harvest again for we
depend on agriculture as we are also praying day and night for this.2. If you may find any organization that may assist the brethren’s of
Chilani food
It is difficult for most of our members in Africa, but 2016 has been even worse from many. Physically, we try to assist where we can.
Here is Pastor Ochieng’s report:
Pastor Dr Bob,
Greetings from Kenya.
It is now 6 days when I was going round visited our congregations. It has been a pain visit simply because every place you are moving is full of great famine. There is a Great famine in all parts of Kenya.
I was in Rift Valley last sabbath at Chilani and Tackett. I am happy to tell you that we have a new congregation called Kaplichost. Formerly they were 7th day church of God. Now they are members of CCOG members. Pastor there is a great hunger in East Africa. I remained with very little money but it forced me to give food in Rift Valley and Nyakach. I also gave bibles. I gave them laptop to help them to translate our magazines into Kalenjin language. …
Youth camp.
We are planning to have camp in December
Evans
It is great that we have more with us, have been able to provide some Bibles and some food, and that we may also get literature in the Kalenjin language.
As far as camp goes, we have had a youth camp in Kenya the last couple of years, and one is planned for next month.
Prophecy Moving Forward
A couple of the brethren have written and mentioned that some items I said to expect, if Donald Trump were to win the US presidential election, have already begun to come to pass. And that is the case.
Since I wrote the article and made the video about the 13 Ways President-Elect Trump is Apocalyptic last week, two of the thirteen items mentioned have started to come to pass.
1) The Europeans have called for rising up and seem to believe that they have the obligation to lead the West (see ‘America Has Abdicated Its Leadership of the West’ and ‘Superpower’ Europe wants an army and to ‘shake off US influence’).
2) The USA has had a lot of protests and civil unrest (see Protests and student walkouts mark the week after Trump’s win).
And of course, the Islamic State made threats.
Now, these are matters that I wrote about before as well.
Properly understood biblical prophecies are coming to pass.
While we do not wish to make certain physical aspects of end-time prophecy our primary focus (love, reaching others, standing for the word of truth, and character building while seeking the Kingdom of God should be) the New Testament does teach, “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Revelation 19:10).
World News Items
Various ones in the USA, Europe, and elsewhere are taking actions related to the election of Donald Trump (see NATO head agrees with Donald Trump, but also strongly warns him). Tens of thousands have protested (see Disappointed protesting Donald Trump’s election in many USA cities and Donald Trump protested in USA and Europe and ‘Is A Real Civil War Possible?’). Europe has decided that it must take steps to lead the West and not rely on the USA as it believes the USA will be more difficult to work with (see ‘America Has Abdicated Its Leadership of the West’ and ‘Superpower’ Europe wants an army and to ‘shake off US influence’).
The Germans decided to raid many mosques and close down a pro-Islamic State organization (see German police raid mosques: A prelude to the rise of the King of the North?). Do not think that the Europeans will put up with Islamic terror forever–Islam will one day be basically gone from Europe.
Elsewhere in Europe, voters in both Moldova (which is not in the European Union) and Bulgaria (which is in the European Union) elected pro-Russian top leaders (see Moldova and Bulgaria move towards Russia). While this is a blow to the European Union, I have been writing for some time to expect more cooperation between Russia and Europe. The newly elected leaders in Moldova and Bulgaria have already called for that. Despite ‘bumps in the road,’ expect cooperation between Europe and Russia. So much so, that I expect that Europe may one day give Alaska and perhaps parts of Canada to Russia after the final King of the North takes over the USA (cf. Daniel 11:39).
Over in Asia, China is working on something called the “Silk Road” project (see Might the USA back China’s ‘road to Armageddon’?). This is a project that the Chinese hope will lead to more trade and cooperation between the Eurasian nations. The road (and there appears to be more than just one) is intended to go from the far east to the near east and also up to Europe. I consider this to have the potential to be the road to Armageddon as it will help the “kings of the east” who will travel over land to get to Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-16).
Prophetically-linked events are occurring in many places around the world.
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: Binge Drinking and the Bible. 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: Revelation: Jesus’ Final Words. 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 ContinuingCOGchannel AND MANY SERMONETTE MESSAGES ON THE Bible News Prophecy channel.
Concluding Comments
The prophet Micah was inspired to record the following:
1 Now it shall come to pass in the latter days
That the mountain of the Lord’s house
Shall be established on the top of the mountains,
And shall be exalted above the hills;
And peoples shall flow to it.
2 Many nations shall come and say,
“Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
To the house of the God of Jacob;
He will teach us His ways,
And we shall walk in His paths.”
For out of Zion the law shall go forth,
And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 He shall judge between many peoples,
And rebuke strong nations afar off;
They shall beat their swords into plowshares,
And their spears into pruning hooks;
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
Neither shall they learn war anymore. (Micah 4:1-3)
Notice that people will learn God’s ways.
Who will they learn from?
From resurrected saints. Notice:
9 … For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
10 And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth. (Revelation 5:9-10)
Brethren, we have a high calling. Learn and grow (2 Peter 3:18) so you can be an effective teacher for God.
Sincerely,
Bob Thiel
Pastor and Overseer