Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:
Greetings to all.
It has been an interesting week with some exciting developments.
A Door in Television is Looking Interesting
Last week, I mentioned that someone in Kenya (Robert Nyambaso Onsando) contacted me to ask my permission to broadcast one of our sermons over a private TV station, broadcasting from Kisii Town, in the Western Kenya Region.
Here is what he sent:
Hello Bob, My name is Pastor Robert Onsando, formerly SDA member until three and half years ago. When I found the truth in the Church of God. I have a TV station In Kenya and would love to use it for the spread of the Word. I met a friend in KEHANCHA from the CCOG. I am more excited.
Evangelist Evans Ochieng and Nimrod Ondigo met with him about this.
Nimrod Ondigo, Evans Ochieng, & Robert Onsando
After the meeting, Robert Nyambaso Onsando sent in the following report:
Praise God, the photos do not look very nice, it was already dark. We had a wonderful meeting the my brothers in Christ, God has bigger plans for His Church in Kenya and Africa. We shared quite a bit among the things we discussed was TV Station and I was open of it is God’s wish, i am ready to fully dedicate it for the work of God. I was excited with the welcome they have me to the Continuing Church of God. This is the Church I have been looking for. They have me a number of books, which I will go through. God bless.
We will see what might develop from this.
Burundi?
A Pastor Jérôme Ndayishimiye from Burundi who lives in a refugee camp in Kenya sent the following:
Dear Bob Thiel,
Receive our greetings from Kakuma refugee camp.
I received a good information from Evans Ochieng that he is preparing to come visit us. We are very glad for that good news.
Even if we have no church, we try to do our meeting at my home. The pictures show how we were last Sabbath.
I am in communication with a Pastor in my country and our conversation about the truth of God through the teachings of the Continuing Church of God was great. He is interested and now is teaching his coworkers using the books of our literature that I sent him. I believe we will have a new church in Burundi very soon.
In His Hands.
Pastor Jérôme.
The people from Burundi are mainly French-speaking. Those with Jérôme Ndayishimiye are basically new to the Church of God.
Radio Hour
Later today, Aleksandar “Sasha” Veljic is expected to be on the Nutri-Medical Report with Dr. Bill Deagle.
Dr. Deagle’s program is on the Genesis Network, Revolution Radio, Red State Radio, and other outlets.
5 Minutes of Fame?
Decades ago, the late artist Andy Warhol said that everyone was entitled to their “fifteen minutes of fame”?
Many of you are aware that I have long envisioned and stated that part of how Matthew 24:14 will be fulfilled to God’s satisfaction is that outside media would focus on our messages.
Well, a YouTube video, Something is Biblical About This!, which has received close to 300,000 views has done some of that. After showing various leaders covered by the news, the video switches to one of our videos (PESCO and a Great European Army) and shows many excerpts.
So while our BNP channel at YouTube shows only about 600 views of our video, we actually have had a couple of hundred thousand more views than that.
We in CCOG are leading the Final Phase of the Work and various ones in the media will cover parts of what we teach in the future. Matthew 24:14, which was not the topic of the video that was covered, will be fulfilled.
Anyway, being featured in another video gives parts of the message we are proclaimed some fame. More will happen in the future. Outside media focus of aspects of what we teach will help lead to the fulfillment of Matthew 24:14 (see also The media and the short work).
World News Items
The EU approved a possible Brexit deal, pending approval of both the UK and EU parliaments. But there are many tensions in the UK about this (see EU approves Brino Brexit deal, but deal still needs approval by UK and EU parliaments). No matter what happens, the EU will be upset with the UK and this will–ultimately–not end well for the UK (cf. Daniel 8:24-25).
As far as Europe goes, the EU is working on getting more of its agenda adopted by the World Trade Organization (see ‘EU to Push for G20 Summit to Support WTO Reform’). The Bible tells of a trading power that will dominate world trade arising in Europe (Revelation 18:2,3). Now, partially because of current US trade policies under its President Donald Trump, Europe is getting an opportunity to better mold trade in its image–this will not end well for the world (cf. Revelation 18).
The President of Iran has called upon the Islamic world to unite against the USA (see ‘Iran’s Rouhani calls for Muslims to unite against United States’). Psalm 83:3-8 shows that Turkey and much of the Arab world will one day conspire to do that, even worse that what Iran’s President Rouhani has called for.
Suggested Sabbath Service
Here is a suggested Sabbath service for this week for our scattered brethren:
- 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 most who receive this letter via email will be a recorded one. The one suggested for this week is: Germany and World War 3. 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: Why Don’t Jews Accept Jesus? Other sermons are also available at the ContinuingCOG channel. 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 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. There are also some messages at the CCOGAfrica channel.
Concluding Comments
The Apostle Paul wrote:
1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother,
2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:1-3)
Brethren, we are called to be saints! And we can through the grace given to us from the Father and His Son Jesus.
Sincerely,
Bob Thiel
Pastor and Overseer