Church of God News

COGwriter

The Continuing Church of God is pleased to announce this sermon from its ContinuingCOG channel:

1:09:46

The Rise and Fall of the King of the South

The Bible tells of a leader called the King of the South. Biblically, he looks to be involved with at least three deals with the coming European King of the North Beast power. In 2015, Saudi Arabia announced a military coalition of 34 countries who agreed to defend the “Islamic nation.” Is such a nation foretold in Bible prophecy? Will those in North Africa and the Middle East support it? Will hunger or other problems help lead to the rise of an Imam Mahdi, who could be the biblical King of the South? Will that kingdom prosper for a time? Why might Psalm 83 point to terrorism? Will the King of the South arise before the Great Tribulation? Do Muslim prophesies warn against a deal with the Roman Catholics that will be broken? Is Islam the Beast like Protestant Joel Richardson has asserted? Does Egypt have gold? Could the King of the North take gold to help support a partially gold-backed currency? Did Nostradamus warn that the ‘Great Arab’ would be betrayed by the Turks? Does the Bible teach that supporters of the King of the South will betray him? Could Ezekiel 30:1-9, 32:2-16, and Jeremiah 46:14-24 also be referring to the King of the South and his destruction? Might the King of the South be an Egyptian? Why does it look like the Two Witnesses will provide warnings about what will happen to supporters of the King of the South? Should you know about the coming King of the South?

Here is a link to our sermon: The Rise and Fall of the King of the South.

COGwriter

Are you familiar with the simplicity that is in Christ?

Are you sure you understand that?

The Apostle Paul wrote:

2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted — you may well put up with it! (2 Corinthians 11:2-4)

Related to the simplicity in Jesus the Christ goes, the following from the Apostle Paul conveys that:

8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; (Hebrews 5:8-9)

Jesus obeyed and suffered and became perfect. Jesus will provide eternal salvation for those that obey Him. Is that simple enough?

Notice that, according to the Apostle Paul, obedience IS A SALVATION ISSUE!

Sadly, most who claim Christianity do not understand that. They do not understand that because they tend to teach a different Jesus, do not believe they need to obey Him as He obeyed His Father’s commandments (John 15:10), and have adopted many practices that neither Jesus nor His faithful followers engaged in. And most of those who do teach that they should obey, reason around the obedience in ways similar to those of the ancient Pharisees whom Jesus denounced for such practices (e.g. Matthew 15:1-9).

The reality is that most who profess Christianity in today’s world do not adhere to what the original apostles taught. Councils of men, ecclesiastical politics, theological interpretations, philosophy, and higher criticism have all had their part in complicating the simple beliefs and practices of the original Christians.

Yet, as the Apostle Jude exhorted, true Christians are “to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

But even by the time of Jude and Paul, false teachings and wrong philosophic influences had began to push forth a corrupt religion that began to call itself Christian.

Yet, the relationship of Christians with Jesus is not complex or confusing. It is simple, yet profound.

Here is what the Apostle Peter said needed to be done :

38 … Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)

29. … Peter and the apostles … said, “We are obligated to obey God rather than men.

30. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus Whom you killed by hanging Him on a tree.

31. Him has God exalted by His right hand to be a Prince and Savior, to give repentance and remission of sins to Israel.

32. And we are His witnesses of these things, as is also the Holy Spirit, which God has given to those who obey Him.” (Acts 5:29-32, AFV)

By obeying God we live the way of love that results from keeping His commandment (James 2:8).

The Apostle Paul also wrote:

5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, (1 Timothy 1:5)

Jesus said:

22 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. (Matthew 10:22)

17 … But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments. (Matthew 19:17)

Notice that Jesus is talking about those who already claim Him, yet they need to endure to the end to be saved–hence, Jesus made it clear that just claiming His name is not enough. Those who want eternal life are to keep the commandments.

Basically, if we continue to strive to keep God’s loving commandments until our physical life ends we are to attain salvation (Matthew 10:22). And scripture teaches that will happen at the first resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:50-54; Revelation 20:4-6).

Just calling Jesus ‘Lord” or thinking God has used you somehow does not make you a Christian! Jesus said:

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matthew 7:21-23)

Jesus also said:

15 If you love Me, keep My commandments. (John 14:15)

10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. (John 15:9)

Yes, those who love Jesus keep the Commandments.

Here is something by the late Pastor General of the old Worldwide Church of God about those that failed to follow simple original Christianity:

Well, let’s turn for a moment over to 2 Corinthians, the eleventh chapter where the apostle Paul — this was in his time along around 50 AD or somewhere along in the middle, there, of the first century — and Paul is speaking here to the church at Corinth, in his second letter, then, in chapter eleven — 2 Corinthians. So Paul says, to the people in that church at Corinth:

“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety [he’s very clever, very subtle. There it mentions the devil as a serpent], so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity which is in Christ. For if he that cometh preaches another Jesus…” (2 Corinthians 11:3-4)

They have come preaching a Jesus that did away with His Father’s law and His Father’s commandments!

Jesus said, “I have kept my Father’s commandments ” (John 15:10).

He said, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done!” (cf. John 13:15)

But many have come in the name of Christ and preaching that Jesus is the Christ and saying, “the law is done away.” That’s a different Jesus; that’s a smart-aleck Jesus that knew more than His Father and did away with His Father’s law. That is not the real Jesus. The real Jesus KEPT His Father’s commandments and told us to do the same thing. Go back and read Matthew and Mark and Luke and John and see what He did.

“For [he continues] if he that cometh [that is false preachers, now] if he that cometh preaches another Jesus [another Jesus that knows more than His Father] whom we have not preached, or if you receive another spirit which you have not received, or another gospel which you have not accepted, you might well bear with him.” (2 Corinthians 11:4)

Now he goes on talking about these false apostles coming in sheep’s clothing and claiming to represent Christ. In the thirteenth verse — just a few verses later — thirteenth, and fourteenth, and fifteenth verses — 2 Corinthians, the eleventh chapter:

“For such are false apostles [now here they are described — false apostles], deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel [now they’re not real apostles of Christ. But it says]; no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed as an angel of light. And therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)

So it shows there false apostles coming to deceive the people. And that was even in the first century. (Armstrong HW. Revelation – Closed Book Until the End. World Tomorrow Radio broadcast, c. 1960)

“the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3) … It’s very simple my friends, the thing is — obey God. You have to surrender your way, you have to give up the traditions of the people and of the time and turn to God and the ways of God. That’s quite simple. And Jesus came and died for us because we have transgressed His ways and to pay the penalty of that transgression in our stead. Otherwise you wouldn’t need a Saviour; you need a Saviour because of your disobedience. Jesus died to take away your past sin, and your guilt — to reconcile you to God so you can receive God’s Holy Spirit, the love that will fulfill His law, to make it possible for you to keep the law of God. (Armstrong HW. False Gospels. World Tomorrow Radio broadcast, c. 1960)

Satan “deceives the whole world” (Revelation 12:9).

Satan did not want Jesus to obey (cf. Matthew 4:8-10)–Satan does not want you to obey.

Information about what to obey, and how many have reasoned around properly obeying, as well as some prophecies about the Antichrist not obeying can be found in the free, online, book: The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast.

Now, here is an incomplete and improper view of the “simplicity’ from a Protestant named David J. Stewart:

“THE SIMPLICITY THAT IS IN CHRIST,” which is THE GOSPEL. The Word of God plainly teaches that it is “SIMPLE” to get saved. How simple is it? Very, very, very simple!!! I mean, it is so simple that I can sum it up with just one word… “BELIEVE.” IT IS SIMPLE, FREE AND EASY TO BE SAVED!!! …

You don’t have to become a theologian to be saved… JUST BELIEVE!!! To believe means to “trust.” …

Adding even the slightest human effort will cancel one’s faith; such as, sacraments (water baptism, communion), prayer or good works. Either Jesus does ALL the saving, or else you don’t get saved!!! (The Simplicity that is in Christ. January 2017. http://www.jesusisprecious.org/fundamentals/simplicity_that_is_in_christ.htm viewed 01/17/23)

While we are saved by grace through faith, and not works (Ephesians ), it does require some human effort to obey. Obeying DOES NOT cancel one’s faith, but clearly demonstrates that the faith is real.

As far as belief goes, while that is needed, the Apostle James wrote:

19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe — and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. (James 2:19-24)

Demons believe, but will not truly obey. The Protestant reformer Martin Luther did not care for James’ epistle, not only did he refer to it as an “epistle of straw,” he would not accept verses like James 2:24.

It takes faith to truly obey–if you will not obey you do not have the real and right kind of faith. The New Testament is clear Christians are “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

A Christian is simply one who believes the Bible and has God spirit (Romans 8:9), who believes in, obeys, and follows the lead and example of Jesus the Christ, but who refuses to accept traditions of men (cf. Mark 7:6:13) to the contrary.

Sadly, that is not the case with over 99% of people claim Christianity.

Christianity has a simplicity–strive to obey God and live His way of love.

Any other way is NOT the simplicity in Christ.

Brazil makes proposal on Ukraine peace talks

Countries should form a group dedicated to brokering negotiations between Moscow and Kiev, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has said

More: https://t.co/7p8KJUfphx pic.twitter.com/q86xfORAiv

— RT (@RT_com) February 1, 2023

COGwriter

A reader sent me a link to the following from a German source:

Brazil rejects Berlin’s call for arms deliveries to Ukraine and aims to mediate in the Ukraine war

2 February 2023

BRASÍLIA/BERLIN (Own report) – In open defiance of Germany and the other Western powers, Brazil rejects all arms deliveries to Ukraine and pushes, instead, for a mediation initiative to end the Ukraine war. Brazil sees itself as a “land of peace” and rejects any involvement in this war, was President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s response Monday to Berlin’s demand during German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit, that ammunition for the Gepard anti-aircraft tank be provided to Kiev. Rather than constantly fueling the war with ever more weapons, a mediation initiative must be launched, with the possible contribution from China, in particular, but also from India and Indonesia, according to Lula. Scholz does not support such an initiative from the Global South to end the fighting and raised his objections on Monday. However, more and more governments, particularly in the Global South, such as, most recently Columbia and Egypt, but also Israel are promoting a negotiated solution.  …

Already last year, Latin America governments, to a large extent, had kept themselves out of the Ukraine war and the West’s economic war against Russia. At the March 2 UN General Assembly vote, most of them, including the three countries German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited form Saturday to Monday (Argentina, Brazil, Chile), had condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[1] However, they had rejected any further partisanship in the conflict. …

The West’s demand to participate in supplying ammunition and arms to Ukraine, so far, has met with stiff resistance in Latin America.  …

“A group of countries must be quickly brought to the negotiating table,” to discuss “peace between Russia and Ukraine,” declared Lula. Brazil, he said, is readily “prepared to make a contribution.”

Governments of the Global South have long been calling, and with growing intensity, for a negotiated settlement. https://www.german-foreign-policy.com/en/news/detail/9151

Brazil is in an alliance called BRICS which stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Its President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has longed shared various views with Russia and is working with Russia, so his position should not come as a surprise.

The Global South basically includes everything other than Europe, Russia and North America. And, of course, Russia agrees that there should be a negotiated settlement.

Here is another report related to South America, Germany, and the Ukrainian conflict:

Germany Fails to Gain Support for Ukraine in South America

February 2, 2023

SINGAPORE — Argentine and Chilean leaders lowered the odds that they may offer more backing for Ukraine during German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s inaugural South America tour, reflecting existing differences between the West and its South American allies.

On the first two legs of his trip, Scholz highlighted the importance of unity, noting that all three countries he was poised to visit — Argentina, Chile, and Brazil — decried Russian actions in Ukraine at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly last year.

Nonetheless, the effects of the war and Western sanctions on Russia, such as rising food and energy prices, have sent economies in South America into freefall, heightening doubts about the West’s approach toward the Ukraine issue.

Skepticism towards interventionism also looms in South America due to its historical legacy.

Scholz’s Argentine and Chilean counterparts said they hoped to see a peaceful resolution of the conflict, but did not indicate more support for Ukraine. https://thenewamerican.com/germany-fails-to-gain-support-for-ukraine-in-south-america/

Last year, Argentina formally asked to be a member of the BRICS’ alliance, so its hesitation to send arms against Russia would seem consistent with that. Chile is an “associated state” for the Mercosur group, which is dominated by Brazil and Argentina, so its hesitancy could also be related to that.

As far as Latin America, Europe, and Russia go, here are some comments (with some added bolding) in our free online book Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?:

As far as Latin America goes, unlike the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormons), we do not believe that the indigenous peoples of Latin America represent the ‘lost tribes.’

In centuries before the Roman Empire rose to power, the Canaanites from Carthage in North Africa dominated and migrated to the Spanish peninsula. Later, much of Spain was conquered by Arabs and by the descendants of the Carthaginians who bore the name of “Moors” — meaning “Amorites” (Genesis 17:4). There were also the blond Spaniards of Chaldean extraction who entered Spain after 400 A.D.  [Hoeh H. Good News magazine, March 1958].

The bulk of the Spanish and Portuguese people who came to the New World were in ancient times the sons of Javan (Genesis 10:4)—though some reportedly were from the tribe of Judah.

When the Spanish and Portuguese came to the New World, they completely eclipsed the culture of nearly all the indigenous peoples, who were descendants of Tiras, the son of Japheth (Genesis 10:2). As the centuries have passed, the overwhelming bulk of Latin-American people have become MESTIZOS — meaning “mixed.” The ruling classes are still partly Spanish in some areas and some indigenous peoples exist, but most in Latin America are mixed.

Whether mixed or not, the bulk of those in Latin Americans are considered to ethnically be Gentiles.

Latin America has a lot of ethnic and social ties to Europe, as do many other nations in the Caribbean and South America (which includes the a few non-Latin nations—which also have European ties). Though there may be some initial hesitation, those areas are expected to align with the coming Beast power and prosper from it (cf. Revelation 18:15).

However, they will also be subject to the plagues (Revelation chapters 15, 16, & 18), etc. of the ‘Day of the Lord.’

Yet those regions are not prophesied to have the type of destruction that will come from a power “from the north” and “the ends of the earth” that will destroy much of continental Europe (e.g. Jeremiah 50:41-44)—and some in South America may well turn against Europe. …

Notice some of what will happen to the coming European Babylonian Beast power led by a power from the farthest parts of the earth (Russia is the nation that is the farthest east and close to being the farthest north nation):

22 Thus says the Lord: “Behold, a people comes from the north country, And a great nation will be raised from the farthest parts of the earth.

23 They will lay hold on bow and spear; They are cruel and have no mercy; Their voice roars like the sea; And they ride on horses, As men of war set in array against you, O daughter of Zion.”

24 We have heard the report of it; Our hands grow feeble. Anguish has taken hold of us, Pain as of a woman in labor. 25 Do not go out into the field, Nor walk by the way. Because of the sword of the enemy, Fear is on every side. 26 O daughter of my people, Dress in sackcloth And roll about in ashes! Make mourning as for an only son, most bitter lamentation; For the plunderer will suddenly come upon us. (Jeremiah 6:22-26)

41 “Behold, a people shall come from the north, And a great nation and many kings Shall be raised up from the ends of the earth. 42 They shall hold the bow and the lance; They are cruel and shall not show mercy. Their voice shall roar like the sea; They shall ride on horses, Set in array, like a man for the battle, Against you, O daughter of Babylon.

43 “The king of Babylon has heard the report about them, And his hands grow feeble; Anguish has taken hold of him, Pangs as of a woman in childbirth.  (Jeremiah 50:41-43)

The “great nation” from the “farthest parts of the earth” includes Russia. There are also nations that will be confederate with it. Those would also include China and other nations in Asia, and particularly in the Far East. The “Daughter of Babylon” Jeremiah referred to is not ancient Babylon, but the end-time European power. The “kings … from the ends of the earth” may also include South Africa, which is a BRICS nation that has also conducted military drills with Russia and China [Maromo J. SA-China-Russia military exercise … IOL, January 22, 2023]. Some nations in South America may also be involved as they seem to be part of the “ends of the earth.” When the “daughter of Babylon” is in the process of falling, many will abandon supporting it. Jeremiah 50 is part of the second woe [Lesson 36 – Feast of Trumpets – Why Christ Must Come Again! 58 Lesson Ambassador College Correspondence Course, 1969 revision].

The rejection of Germany’s pressure is consistent with the comments in the book.

South America does not also do what Europe wants.

Etching supposedly related to Jesus’ return

COGwriter

For over a decade, I have denounced wrong chronologies and other matters from CCG’s Wade Cox (e.g. see Wade Cox Should Not Be Relying on Ussher’s Chronology and False Tribulation/Rapture predictions for 2021 and 2022).

Wade Cox has an article that he updated with numerous tables.

Here is one updated in 2020 from him:

2014-15 NATO is forced to occupy the Middle East in the nations listed from Daniel 11:40-43. Russia, with the complicity of China, forces the escalation of the War of the Fifth Trumpet which is a biochemical war into the release of the Four Angels at the Euphrates from Tartaros for this final phase. War of the Sixth Trumpet starts.

2022-2025 Messiah intervenes and subjugates the nations. …

2018- 2022 Two Witnesses of Revelation 11:2 prophesy over the same time and the earth is subdued by the wars of the fifth and sixth trumpet at the same time. Trumpets The Heavenly Signs

2022-2024 Advent of Messiah

2022-2024 The fall of the nations and the battles of Armageddon. …

2021-2022 Passover is the probable last time for the two Witnesses to be in place in Jerusalem. Droughts of the two Witnesses commence. 2024 Probable last date for the return of the Messiah …

(Christian Churches of God No. 272 Outline Timetable of the Age (Edition 7.0 19981121-20021020-20061108-20101025-20111122-20120601-20131228-20171220-20200508)

The following looks to be the most recent update when I visited ccg’s site this week:

Outline Timetable of the Age (Edition 7.5 19981121-20021020-20061108-20101025-20111122-20120601-20131228-20171220-20200508-20221231)

Table 1 …

2021-2024	Period of the possible Advent of Messiah and subjugation of the planet.
2027/8 Jubilee	Fortieth Jubilee since ministry of Messiah.
*********	*****************
2028	Thousand years of the Millennium begins under Messiah.

… Table 2 …

2018-2024	Period of the Witnesses and the Advent of the King-Messiah at Jerusalem.
2027	Jubilee of the end of the age.
2028	Millennial rule from Jerusalem.

… Table 3 …

1916-1948	Establishment of the Jewish homeland.
2021-2027	Return of the King.

… Table 5 …

2027	The fortieth Jubilee of the Sign of Jonah. Every rule and every authority and every religious system of this world or of this age is destroyed.
*******	*****************
2028	The millennial system commences under the Law of God.

… Table 9 …

2022-2025	Messiah intervenes and subjugates the nations.
2027/28	Fortieth Jubilee year. Messiah takes total rule of the planet.
2028	First year of the Jubilee of Jubilees since the Reading of the Law with Ezra and Nehemiah.

… Table 12 …

2023/4-2026/7	Witnesses arrive and teach for 1260 days; they are killed and lie in the streets for three days. They are resurrected and rise to meet Messiah. False prophet killed; First Resurrection of the dead.
2026 and 2027         2027	Subjugation of the planet under the seven vials of the wrath of God and the battles of Armageddon. The European system is destroyed then the kings of the East are brought down over the dried up basin of the Euphrates to the valley of Jezreel. The second exodus of Israel.
2027	The fortieth Jubilee since Messiah and the forty-ninth since the second Temple and the restoration under Ezra and Nehemiah (cf. Reading the Law with Ezra and Nehemiah (No. 250)).
2028	First year of the Jubilee of Jubilees; the beginning of the Millennium (see the paper The Golden Jubilee and the Millennium (No. 300)).

http://www.ccg.org/weblibs/study-papers/p272.html

This is in error, There is no possibility that the millennium can begin before 2030. Wade Cox will be proven wrong on this. Certain events that Jesus pointed to have not yet occurred which render Wade Cox’s dates impossible.

Some have been critical of me pointing out false predictions from people who claim to be Church of God, but who are probably not truly COG, but instead are false.

My normal response to such is to mention how Jesus dealt with religious leaders (Matthew 7:15-23) and/or Laodiceans (Revelation 3:14-19). If the claims seem improperly prophetic or exceptionally bold, I tend to cite 2 Peter 2:1-3.

Should we be concerned about false and heretical leaders? Should they always be ignored? Should we focus on the positive about them? What did Jesus do? What does the Bible teach?

Many people do not seem to understand what Jesus was really like and what He really taught.

While it is true He taught, “love your enemies” and to “pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44), it is a misunderstanding to believe that Jesus taught that one could never point out the problems of religious enemies (and yes, we should still pray for them).

Jesus often taught to beware of religious leaders. Notice:

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness! (Matthew 7:15-23, NKJV throughout unless otherwise indicated).

False leaders do not produce good fruit. Many of them tend to encourage lawlessness (though they would almost all deny that). Those that follow them risk being cast out by Jesus.

Notice that Jesus is saying to look at their fruits and that even if they appear to be doing miracles in Jesus’ name, if they promote lawlessness, they are not true Christians.

Peter also warned about future false teachers who would bring in heresies:

1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber (2 Peter 2:1-3).

In one of the longest condemnations of those who have pretended to be Christian, Jude, Jesus’ brother, wrote:

3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

5 But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; 7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

12 These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. 14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. 17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit (Jude 1:3-19).

Notice that Jude was not afraid to tell the truth about some false leaders who claimed to be Church of God Christians as well as about leaders who are mainly intent on building a following after themselves.

That said, while I doubt the conversion of various false ones like Wade Cox, David Pack, Gerald Flurry, and Ron Weiland and do NOT consider that they are truly COG, some people attempt to practice the “guilt by association” game. This is an old Satanic tactic. The Bible teaches that Satan is the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:9-10), and we have seen his allies do the same as some like to lump the true in with the false in order to try to tarnish the true.

That was done on more than one occasion against Jesus by some of those who rejected Him (e.g. Luke 5:30, 15:2).

Consider the following from former GCG board member Norman Edwards:

Eph 4:11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,

1Th 5:19-21 Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good.

1Tim 1:18 This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies  previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare,

1Tim 4:14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.

2Tim 3:1-2, 5 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be… lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

Do people today have faith that God is able to prophecy through people in their congregations?

1Jo 4:1-2 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,

Note: If there were no true prophets, there would be no need to “test the spirits”—because every prophet would be a “false prophet”. But because there are both true prophets and false prophets, we need to “test the spirits”. (Edwards N. Need Prophets More than Prophecy. Shepherd’s Voice, Fall 2013)

So, do not be quick to consider the good to be bad. If you truly have God’s Spirit and really strive to be a Philadelphian Christian, you will actually believe that God’s word says there will be prophets and dreams from Him in the last days per Acts 2:17-18 (see also Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18?).

Do not follow false teachers. Do not presume, however, someone is false because an accuser of the brethren lumps him/her in with the false.

Remember, the Apostle Paul wrote:

19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22)

So, in addition to avoiding the bad, do not overlook the good.

Have your really tested all things?

Or have you relied on traditions and feeling?

Some items of possibly related interest include:

Why Be Concerned About False and Heretical Leaders? There have been many false leaders–here is some of why you should be concerned about them. Here is a related article in the Spanish language ¿Por qué estar preocupado acerca de falsos y heréticos líderes?
Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18? Does any church have the confirmed dream and prophetic signs of Acts 2:17-18? Should one? Here is a link in the Spanish language: ¿Tiene la CCOG confirmadas las señales de Hechos 2: 17-18? Here is a link in the French language: Est-ce que l’Église Continue de Dieu confirme les signes d’Actes 2:17-18? A related sermon in the English language is also available: 17 Last Days’ Signs of the Holy Spirit.
CCG: Teachings of the Christian Churches of God This group, led by Wade Cox, rejects the deity of Jesus and has other unusual teachings.
Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism? Was the millennium (sometimes called chiliasm) taught by early Christians? Who condemned it? Will Jesus literally reign for 1000 years on the earth? Is this time near? Three related sermons are available Let’s Talk About the Earthly Millennium, Millennial Utopia, and The Millennium.
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2031 or ? There is also a video titled 6000 Years: When will God’s Kingdom Come? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
5. The Sardis Church Era was predominant circa 1600 A.D. to circa 1933 A.D. Discusses some early history of the Seventh Day Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, CG7-Salem, Jerusalem 7DCG, and COG-7th Day-Denver. Here are two historical sermons: Sardis Church Era: Beginnings, Doctrines, and Leaders and Sardis: SDBs, SDAs, & CG7s.
6. The Philadelphia Church Era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God, now the remnant of that era is basically the most faithful in the Church of God, like who hold to the beliefs and practices of the Continuing Church of God.
7. The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. The Laodiceans are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG or its offshoots.  They do not properly understand the work or biblical prophecies and will face the Great Tribulation if they do not repent. One video of related interest is 50+ Laodicean Prophetic Errors. See also Do You Hold to Any of These Laodicean Prophetic Errors?
Church of God Leaders on Prophets Have there been prophets throughout the church age? Are any supposed to be around in the last days? What have COG leaders stated or written about prophets? Here is a link to a related sermon: Church of God Leaders on Prophets.
How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God There are many false prophets. How can Christians determine who is a true prophet? There is also a sermon-length video titled How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God. Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Cómo determinar si alguien es un verdadero profeta de Dios?

New: Ukrainian officials are continuing to warn about #Russia’s intention of conducting a decisive offensive operation in #Donbas in February and/or March, supporting ISW’s most likely course of action assessment.#Ukraine latest w/ @criticalthreats: https://t.co/QHtKCCASBw pic.twitter.com/bWkMCVNNtt

— ISW (@TheStudyofWar) February 2, 2023

COGwriter

Vladmir Putin spoke today:

VOLGOGRAD, Russia, Feb 2 (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin evoked the spirit of the Soviet army that defeated Nazi German forces at Stalingrad 80 years ago to declare on Thursday that Russia would defeat a Ukraine supposedly in the grip of a new incarnation of Nazism.

In a fiery speech in Volgograd, known as Stalingrad until 1961, Putin lambasted Germany for helping to arm Ukraine and said, not for the first time, that he was ready to draw on Russia’s entire arsenal, which includes nuclear weapons. …

Stalingrad was the bloodiest battle of World War Two, when the Soviet Red Army, at a cost of over 1 million casualties, broke the back of German invasion forces in 1942-3.

Putin evoked what he said was the spirit of the defenders of Stalingrad to explain why he thought Russia would prevail in Ukraine, saying the World War Two battle had become a symbol of “the indestructible nature of our people”.

“Those who draw European countries, including Germany, into a new war with Russia, and … expect to win a victory over Russia on the battlefield, apparently don’t understand that a modern war with Russia will be quite different for them,” he added.

“We don’t send our tanks to their borders but we have the means to respond, and it won’t end with the use of armoured vehicles, everyone must understand that.” …

Irina Zolotoreva, a 61-year-old who said her relatives had fought at Stalingrad, saw a parallel with Ukraine.

“Our country is fighting for justice, for freedom. We got victory in 1942 and that’s an example for today’s generation. I think we’ll win again now whatever happens.” https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-expected-channel-stalingrad-victory-key-moment-ukraine-war-2023-02-02/

Ukrainian leaders are expressing concerns about additional Russian troops that are about to be sent in:

Putin amassing 500,000 troops for major new offensive, says minister

February 2, 2023

Vladimir Putin has mobilised nearly 500,000 troops to attack Ukraine in a renewed offensive marking the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion, Ukrainian defence minister Oleksii Reznikov said.

The Russian president had asked for 300,000 Russian men to be enrolled in a general mobilisation in September, but Mr Reznikov told the French BFM network last night that the actual number of conscripts deployed to fight in Ukraine could be much more.

Volodymyr Zelensky further asserted this claim and said that Ukraine is seeing “a certain increase in the occupier’s offensive actions at the front – in the east of our country.” https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-russia-nuclear-weapons-putin-offensive-b2274149.html

2 February 2023

VLADIMIR Putin is feared to be preparing for a new onslaught on Ukraine with up to 500,000 soldiers.

Russia is believed to be plotting an attack across two new fronts – pushing into eastern and southern Ukraine.

Kyiv believe …Vlad’s attack may happen around February 24 – the one year anniversary of the invasion. …

And in recent weeks it has been reported the Russians were beginning to make gains.

Putin will likely be seeking some sort of major triumph or new operation to mark the anniversary – with his future now tied to the success or failure of the war. …

“We can’t lose the initiative… We think that, given that [the Russians] live by symbols, they can try something around February 24,” said Reznikov.

He spoke of around “500,000” soldiers being mobilised by Putin.

The minister explained: “They officially declared about 300,000, but when we see their troops at the borders, according to our estimates, it is much more.

“[They] can carry out an offensive on two fronts: it can be Donbas, and it can be the south.” https://www.the-sun.com/news/7287999/putin-new-assault-ukraine-date/

Russia basically considers the Donbas, and certain other regions now, to be its territory. Thus, based on past statements, it may well be that Russia is amassing troops to attack those that oppose it in those and other regions.

For nearly a decade, many in the Donbas region have called for Russia to defend and/or annex them, while some there have wanted to stay part of Ukraine.

On February 5, 2022, which was prior to Russia’s ‘special military operation’ into Ukraine, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) recorded the following video:

21:20

Russia, Ukraine, Babylonian Europe, and Prophecy

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.

Here is a link to our video: Russia, Ukraine, Babylonian Europe, and Prophecy.

Since this video came out, there were referendums mainly in eastern Ukraine. The following is a report related to claimed results:

In late September 2022, in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian-installed officials in Ukraine staged referendums on the annexation of occupied territories of Ukraine by Russia. …

On 30 September 2022, Russia’s president Vladimir Putin announced the annexation of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts of Ukraine in an address to both houses of the Russian parliament. The United Nations, Ukraine, and many other countries condemned the annexation.

According to the results released by the Russian Central Election Commission through its sections in the DPR and the LPR, 99.23% (2,116,800 voters) supported the annexation in Donetsk and 98.42% (1,636,302 voters) in Luhansk. The turnouts were 97.51% (2,131,207 voters) and 94.15% (1,662,607 voters), respectively. (2022 annexation referendums in Russian-occupied Ukraine. Wikipedia, accessed 02/02/23)

While the West denounced the referendum as a sham, Russia then annexed the four regions.

As I have written since 2013, somehow, at least parts of Ukraine are going to align with Russia.

Why?

Because of biblical prophecies related to the Medes. Here is something related to them in our free online book Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?:

Peoples prophetically called Medes are also shown to destroy the final Babylon according to both Isaiah and Jeremiah:

¹ The burden against Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw…

¹⁷ “Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, Who will not regard silver; And as for gold, they will not delight in it. ¹⁸ Also their bows will dash the young men to pieces, And they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb; Their eye will not spare children. ¹⁹ And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, The beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. (Isaiah 13:1, 17-19)

¹¹ Make the arrows bright! Gather the shields! The Lord has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes. For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it, Because it is the vengeance of the Lord, The vengeance for His temple. (Jeremiah 51:11)

The fact that there are multiple kings of the Medes indicates that powers involved in this end time confederation represent multiple governments. This would seem to include Russia, Belarus, and likely Crimea, Donbas, and some others in Ukraine, etc.

The following passages seem also to apply:

⁸ “Move from the midst of Babylon, Go out of the land of the Chaldeans; And be like the rams before the flocks. ⁹ For behold, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon An assembly of great nations from the north country, And they shall array themselves against her; From there she shall be captured. Their arrows shall be like those of an expert warrior; None shall return in vain. (Jeremiah 50:8-9)

Those who believe the Bible should leave the midst of end-time Babylon by then. Certainly, the above “north country” includes Russia, but other passages clearly point to others from Asia being involved (Jeremiah 51:27-29).

Notice some of what will happen to the coming European Babylonian Beast power led by a power from the farthest parts of the earth (Russia is the nation that is the farthest east and close to being the farthest north nation):

²² Thus says the Lord: “Behold, a people comes from the north country, And a great nation will be raised from the farthest parts of the earth.

²³ They will lay hold on bow and spear; They are cruel and have no mercy; Their voice roars like the sea; And they ride on horses, As men of war set in array against you, O daughter of Zion.”

²⁴ We have heard the report of it; Our hands grow feeble. Anguish has taken hold of us, Pain as of a woman in labor. ²⁵ Do not go out into the field, Nor walk by the way. Because of the sword of the enemy, Fear is on every side. ²⁶ O daughter of my people, Dress in sackcloth And roll about in ashes! Make mourning as for an only son, most bitter lamentation; For the plunderer will suddenly come upon us. (Jeremiah 6:22-26)

⁴¹ “Behold, a people shall come from the north, And a great nation and many kings Shall be raised up from the ends of the earth. ⁴² They shall hold the bow and the lance; They are cruel and shall not show mercy. Their voice shall roar like the sea; They shall ride on horses, Set in array, like a man for the battle, Against you, O daughter of Babylon.

⁴³ “The king of Babylon has heard the report about them, And his hands grow feeble; Anguish has taken hold of him, Pangs as of a woman in childbirth.  (Jeremiah 50:41-43)

The “great nation” from the “farthest parts of the earth” includes Russia.

This does not mean that Ukraine may not have any more military victories, but biblical prophecies will be fulfilled.

Various ones are concerned that if Russia feels it will not succeed with ‘conventional weapons’ and troops, that it will utilize its nuclear arsenal–particularly since it indicated in the past it could do so if Russian territories were attacked. Since Russia annexed four regions in Uraine and they are still being fought over, some feel Russia may use some nuclear weapons. Some others feel that the Ukrainian conflict will lead to a nuclear war between Russia and the USA.

Related to that, here is our latest uploaded video:

15:31 

Nuclear WWIII from Russia?

Are we close to a nuclear third world war? Is Russia’s ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine the start of WWIII? what did Ukrainan Defense Minister Guido Crosetto say related to WWIII? Does Ezekiel 38 involves Russia? Are certain Protestant writers correct that it is for our day and that Russia will launch a massive nuclear attack against the USA? Did Herbert W. Armstrong say that Russia would not attack the USA? Is a direct military skirmish between the USA and Russia possible? If the Bible does discuss the destruction of the USA, is this from a power that borders the Mediterranean sea according to biblical prophecies in the books of Revelation and Daniel? Why has the military devastation in Ukraine been a “wake-up call” for Europe? Has Europe been taking military steps? Is Europe prophesied to dominate the world? Are there biblical prophecies pointing to Europe being attacked by Russia? Does the Bible describe anything that sounds like nuclear devastation? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel address these matters.

Here is a link to the video: Nuclear WWIII from Russia?

(Pixabay photo)

COGwriter

Another study shows the basically uselessness of the COVID mask mandates:

Massive Peer-Reviewed Mask Study Shows ‘Little To No Difference’ In Preventing COVID, Flu Infection

February 2, 2023

A massive international research collaboration that analyzed several dozen rigorous studies focusing on “physical interventions” against COVID-19 and influenza found that they provide little to no protection against infection or illness rates.
The study, published in the peer-reviewed Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, is the strongest science to date refuting the basis for mask mandates worldwide.

The study, published in the peer-reviewed Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, is the strongest science to date refuting the basis for mask mandates worldwide.

Nearly 60% of South Korea’s population has now tested positive for COVID despite nearly three years of consistent universal masking with overwhelming compliance

When will it be enough for “experts” to admit masks don’t work? pic.twitter.com/LS0JF9niog

— Ian Miller (@ianmSC) January 25, 2023

And of course, the CDC still recommends masking in areas with “high” rates of transmission (fewer than 4% of US counties, as Just the News notes), along with indoor masking in areas with “medium” rates of transmission (27%).

Masks are still required in educational institutions in Democratic strongholds such as New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Washington and California, according to the Daily Mail. Boston Public Schools denied its “temporary masking protocol” in early January was a “mandate,” following a public letter against the policy by student Enrique Abud Evereteze.

South Korea is still requiring masks on public transport and in medical facilities after dropping COVID mandates in most indoor settings, including gyms, Monday, Reuters reported. -Just the News

According to the Cochrane study, which included the work of researchers at institutions in the  U.K., Canada, Australia, Italy and Saudi Arabia, a total of 78 studies were analyzed. Most recent additions to the meta-analysis were 11 new randomized controlled trials. …

We’re sure the cult of Fauci will now start insisting peer-reviewed meta-analyses aren’t ‘the science.’ https://www.zerohedge.com/political/massive-mask-study-shows-little-no-difference-preventing-covid-flu-infection

Many forget that the main purpose of medical masks has been to reduce the risk of the medical worker from passing disease to a patient, particularly during surgery. Masks also can be helpful in very close contact to reduce the transmission of some communicable diseases–but this is not the same as being out in public.

Permit me to add that Dr. Anthony Fauci initially said masks were not helpful to help stop the spread of COVID. He later basically said he lied about that as he wanted health care professionals to be able to get masks.

Speaking of COVID and masks, the idea that they are not particularly effective has been known for some time, though Big Tech, many governments, and a lot of the media have pushed a different narrative. Notice the following from 2021:

Twitter Censors Peer Reviewed Mask Study

May 1, 2021

Prashant Bhushan, an advocate-on-record for the Supreme Court of India, put a post on Twitter that recommended reading a peer-reviewed study demonstrating that masks are ineffective and can cause substantial adverse physiological and psychological effects.

Twitter removed the tweet, citing a violation of Twitter rules.

The study suggests that by mechanically restricting breathing, wearing a face mask may lead to a low level of oxygen in the blood (hypoxemia) along with excessive carbon dioxide in your bloodstream (hypercapnia), which in turn may lead to numerous long-term health effects

YouTube also removed a video that featured a scientific roundtable on COVID, because a Harvard professor warned that children should not wear face masks

A legal cause has been launched in the U.K., calling for schools to stop requiring children to wear masks in school, due to their harm to psychological health and development

In Weilheim, Germany, a district court concluded that the mask requirement in schools is unconstitutional and void, immediately removing the order on school premises *

March 26, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) tweeted a post against the use of masks for the general public: “If you do not have any respiratory symptoms, such as fever, cough, or runny nose, you do not need to wear a medical mask. When used alone, masks can give you a false feeling of protection and can even be a source of infection when not used correctly.”¹

About one year later, Twitter is now censoring tweets that call facemasks for COVID-19 into question, citing a violation of Twitter rules.² In the span of less than one year, how did we go from public health officials advising against masks to them now being considered infallible and not up for debate?

“Given that masking of healthy populations for long periods of time is a new policy, it is astounding that the media and scientific journals decided within a matter of months that the efficacy of the practice could not be questioned or studied, nor its adverse effects discussed,” Jeffrey Tucker, editorial director for the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER) noted.³

The latest to be silenced was Prashant Bhushan, an advocate-on-record for the Supreme Court of India, a respected human rights attorney with 2.1 million Twitter followers.

What Does the Censored Mask Study Say?

The study, written by Baruch Vainshelboim with Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System/Stanford University, summarizes scientific evidence on wearing facemasks in the COVID-19 era. Four hypotheses are given, with ample scientific support to back them up:⁷

1. The practice of wearing facemasks has compromised safety and efficacy profile
2. Both medical and non-medical facemasks are ineffective to reduce human-to-human transmission and infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19
3. Wearing facemasks has adverse physiological and psychological effects
4. Long-term consequences of wearing facemasks on health are detrimental

“Interestingly, 99% of the detected cases with SARS-CoV-2 are asymptomatic or have mild condition, which contradicts with the virus name (severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2),” Vainshelboim notes, pointing out that the initial infection fatality rate of 2.9% was an overestimation based on limited COVID-19 tests that inflated the rate.

“This was confirmed by the head of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases from US stating, ‘the overall clinical consequences of COVID-19 are similar to those of severe seasonal influenza,’ having a case fatality rate of approximately 0.1%,” he added.⁸ As for the efficacy of face masks, SARS-CoV-2, which is about 1,000 times smaller than face masks’ thread diameter, can easily pass through a mask.

A meta-analysis of 39 studies also found “possibly no difference between N95 versus surgical masks and probably no difference between surgical versus no mask in risk for influenza or influenza-like illness” in community settings.⁹

Physiological and Psychological Effects of Masks

By mechanically restricting breathing, wearing a face mask may lead to a low level of oxygen in the blood (hypoxemia) along with excessive carbon dioxide in your bloodstream (hypercapnia).

In turn, Vainshelboim wrote, “Chronic low-grade hypoxemia and hypercapnia as result of using face mask can cause exacerbation of existing cardiopulmonary, metabolic, vascular and neurological conditions.” In addition, wearing a face mask could lead to the following physiological effects: updated 05/01/21 https://www.globalresearch.ca/twitter-censors-peer-reviewed-mask-study/5743892

Yes, there were many scientific disagreements about masks and many other aspects of dealing with COVID. It is not that masks can never have any value, but their value has been often overstated, plus they often give the wearer a false sense of confidence.

Sadly, Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, Google, and others in Big Tech crossed the line as they have suppressed a lot of scientific information. More censorship is coming (cf. Amos 8:11-12; see also Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word).

The Bible warns about the last days that:

13 … evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:13, KJV)

In addition to Big Tech, the mainstream media has often misled the public on many things associated with COVID-19.

Notice a report of a study from Johns Hopkins:

Massive Johns Hopkins study: Lockdowns, masks, closures did NOT reduce death

February 1, 2022

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of thousands of studies to determine whether or not there is empirical evidence to support the belief that “lockdowns” reduce COVID-19 mortality.

They concluded that such policies are “ill-founded” and should be “rejected.”

“While this meta-analysis concludes that lockdowns have had little to no public health effects, they have imposed enormous economic and social costs where they have been adopted,” the researchers wrote in the abstract. “In consequence, lockdown policies are ill-founded and should be rejected as a pandemic policy instrument.”

The meta-analysis, titled “A Literature Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Lockdowns on COVID-19 Mortality,” began by identifying 18,590 studies that potentially could support the belief that lockdowns reduce COVID-19 mortality. …

They found lockdowns in Europe and the United States reduced COVID mortality by only 0.2% on average and shelter-in-place orders by an average of 2.9%. There was no “broad-based evidence” showing non-pharmaceutical interventions had any noticeable effect on COVID mortality. https://www.dailyangle.com/articles/massive-johns-hopkins-study-lockdowns-masks-closures-did-not-reduce-death

Here is the abstract (summary) of the study from Johns Hopkins:

Abstract
This systematic review and meta–analysis are designed to determine whether there is empirical  evidence to support the belief that “lockdowns” reduce COVID–19 mortality. Lockdowns are defined as the imposition of at least one compulsory, non–pharmaceutical intervention (NPI). NPIs are any government mandate that directly restrict peoples’ possibilities, such as policies that limit internal movement, close schools and businesses, and ban international travel. This study employed a systematic search and screening procedure in which 18,590 studies are identified that could potentially address the belief posed. After three levels of screening, 34 studies ultimately qualified. Of those 34 eligible studies, 24 qualified for inclusion in the meta–analysis. They were separated into three groups: lockdown stringency index studies, shelter–in–place–order (SIPO) studies, and specific NPI studies. An analysis of each of these three groups support the conclusion that lockdowns have had little to no effect on COVID–19 mortality. More specifically, stringency index studies find that lockdowns in Europe and the United States only reduced COVID–19 mortality by 0.2% on average. SIPOs were also ineffective, only reducing COVID–19 mortality by 2.9% on average. Specific NPI studies also find no broad–based evidence of noticeable effects on COVID–19 mortality.

While this meta–analysis concludes that lockdowns have had little to no public health effects, they have imposed enormous economic and social costs where they have been adopted. In consequence, lockdown policies are ill–founded and should be rejected as a pandemic policy instrument. (Herby J, et al. Literature Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Lockdowns on COVID-19 Mortality Studies in Applied Economics, No.200/January 2022)

Well, masks and lockdowns have prevented some infectious disease deaths, but also look to have been factors in increased suicides, poor mental health, and business failures, etc.

Furthermore, notice something that the Apostle Paul warned about believers:

20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: 21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. (1 Timothy 6:20-21, KJV)

Many think they have relied on science, when in reality they have been deceived.

None of this means that there is no place for masks.

But it does mean that government officials and others have misled and the Bible shows more will be misled in the future ( 1 Timothy 6:20-21, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).

As I said in a video COVID 19 is NOT the End, but could it be The End Of The World As We Know It?

So, why were masks, lockdown, etc. pushed?

In a sense, their mandates were a dry run of what will happen in the future.

Various ones wanted to see if they used enough fear, if governments could massively control aspects of human behavior.

And, basically, many concluded that this did work.

Shortly after governments began lockdowns and requiring masks, the Continuing Church of God put out the following sermon on its ContinuingCOG channel:

1:22:34

Ten Plus Steps to Rid Yourself of Fear

Billions of people are afraid for many reasons, including COVID-19. Are any fears good? Are there mindless fears and phobias? Can autosuggestion be deceptive? Can you deal with mental torment? What are some causes of bad dreams (nightmares)? Does Satan try to exploit fears through his lies? Can the weak become strong? Were Christ’s disciples ever fearful? Are there biblical ways to deal with fear? What about spiritual fear and the ‘fear of God’? The late evangelists Dr. Herman Hoeh had an article published in 1955 titled ‘How to Conquer Your Fears?’ What are eight steps from the Apostle Peter? What did Jesus teach about worry? Are most Christians Philadelphian? What did Jesus teach about fear? What is the ultimate biblical fate for cowards? Here a the list of ten steps to help rid yourself of fear: 1. “Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things” (Philippians 4:8). Changing your mental focus will help you push out fear. 2. Develop faith. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). 3. Add virtue to your faith in the power of God. You cannot hide your sins from God (cf. Psalm 90:8). 4. Add to virtue knowledge. Study the word of God, study CCOG literature, pay attention to sermons (ContinuingCOG YouTube sermon channel) and sermonettes (BibleNewsProphecy YouTube sermonette channel). 5. Add self-control to knowledge. Resist Satan and his hopes that you will walk by sight instead of faith. 6. Add patience to self-control. You may have to go through many tests and trials to build patience, but as you get through the tests and trials you should have the faith to recognize that God got you through them and that you do not need to fear. 7. Add godliness to patience. 8. Add to patience, brotherly kindness. “Let Philadelphia continue” (Hebrews 13:1). 9. Add to brotherly kindness, love. 10. Be courageous. “He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). This is how YOU can conquer your fears and worries! Ask God for help to carry out His ten-fold plan to attain real peace of mind. Then there is also prayer and fasting. Yes, through God’s help you can rid yourself of fear. This sermon by Dr. Thiel covers these topics and more.

Here is a link to the sermon: Ten Plus Steps to Rid Yourself of Fear.

During COVID, World Economic Forum president Klaus Schwab wrote a book titled ‘The Great Reset,’ in which he pushed for more totalitarian control over human society.

Many agreed with him and are working more and more towards that.

UPDATE 1100: After seeing this post, a reader sent me a link that had the following:

Masking has traditionally played a very important role in occult rituals.

Among other things, the wearing of the mask over one’s mouth is a token of submission…a gesture of your willingness to be subject to others who are not your usual Sovereign.  …

The entire point of occult ritual mask-wearing is to hammer home to your subconsciousness — until it becomes completely true in your daily life — the idea that things are no longer the same, and will never be the same again. …

It’s an initiation into a new order.  But it’s also a transformation of the self into a new position in that new order.

Under the sway of the occult ritualist, you, being mouth-masked, are no longer the person you used to be.  You’re no longer a designated mouthpiece of God on this earth.  You’re suddenly demoted and re-assigned to the position of obedient subject. 

Symbolically, you become a serf in the new order.  That’s your new role…your new identity… as represented by the wearing of mask.

The wearing of the mask is simply part of the initiation ritual used to visually and psychologically signal your consent to this new arrangement.  Yes, by wearing the mask, you’re signaling your consent to accept a new and very different position in a new global order.  …

The Encyclopedia Britannica further states:

“But often the wearer [of the mask] seems to become psychologically one with the character he is helping to create. He seems to become an automaton, without his own will, which has become subservient to that of the personage of the mask.”

You might want to think about those dozens of online videos showing fully-masked hospital nurses and hospital workers participating in elaborately choreographed Tik-Tok dance videos, while simultaneously thousands of hapless coronavirus victims are supposedly dying cruel deaths and being stacked up like cord wood in those very same hospitals. 05/19/20 https://haveyenotread.com/occult-ritual-transformation-and-coronavirus/

While some of the above comments may be overstated, the occult connection related to masks is not something I have considered. But, the idea of it been part of a phase-in of a new global order is something I have considered.

Related to aspects of the totalitarian globalist push, last June, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

14:31

Globalism Conspiracy or Convergence?

In May of 2022, the World Economic Forum held a conference where thousands of the world’s elites attended, essentially in support of a ‘great reset’ to change society. In June 2022, the Bilderberg Group met essentially to do the same thing. In June 2022, Pope Francis told a group invited by Cardinal Kurt Koch, “Unity does not come about by standing still.” Whereas the Roman Catholic group, whose co-president in Marc Stengel, called for more cooperation with the United Nations and apparently supporters of Gandhi. The World Council of Churches also supports the globalist agenda as do the Freemasons and others. Could Satan be the real conspirator behind this? Will humanity be able to bring about utopia? Or can true Christian unity and utopia only come about with the return of Jesus and the Kingdom of God? Will the globalist agenda succeed for a time? Dr. Thiel addresses these and other issues.

Here is a link to that video: Globalism Conspiracy or Convergence?

The Bible warns of those who “suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18).

We have seen a lot of this during COVID (including things such as Facebook removing one of my posts and YouTube pulling two of CCOG’s truthfully accurate videos).

Much of the ‘elite’ were never actually “following the science.”

COVID restrictions have at least been a precursor for what is coming.

Groundhog Day Celebration in Punxsutawney (Wikipedia)

COGwriter

There is an odd observance on February 2 each year in North America that is called Groundhog Day:

Groundhog Day … is a popular American tradition observed in the United States and Canada on February 2nd. It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog emerging from its burrow on this day sees its shadow due to clear weather, it will retreat to its den and winter will persist for six more weeks; but if it does not see its shadow because of cloudiness, spring will arrive early.

While the tradition remains popular in modern times, studies have found no consistent correlation between a groundhog seeing its shadow and the subsequent arrival time of spring-like weather. … The Groundhog Day ceremony held at Punxsutawney in western Pennsylvania, centering around a semi-mythical groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil, has become the most attended. (Groundhog Day, Wikipedia, accessed 04/25/20)

So, no this is not a biblical holiday, so why mention it?

Well, in 1993, there was a movie starring Bill Murray titled Groundhog Day. Since coming out, it has become a cultural icon, in a sense, in the USA and elsewhere.

Here are parts of a synopsis of the Groundhog Day movie from IMDb (Internet Movie Database):

On February 1, self-centered and sour TV meteorologist Phil Connors (Bill Murray), news producer Rita (Andie MacDowell) and cameraman Larry (Chris Elliott) from fictional Pittsburgh television station WPBH-TV9 travel to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities with Punxsutawney Phil, the Groundhog. Having grown tired of this assignment, Phil begrudgingly gives his Groundhog Day report the next day (February 2) during the festival and parade.

After the celebration concludes, a blizzard develops that Connors had predicted would miss them, closing the roads and shutting down long-distance phone services, forcing the team to return to Punxsutawney. Connors awakens the next morning, however, to find it is February 2 again, and his day unfolds in almost exactly the same way. Connors can change his behavior, but other people do and say the same things they did and said the previous day, unless Connors changes something. He is aware of the repetition, but everyone else seems to be living February 2 for the first time. This recursion repeats the following morning and the one after that, and over and over again. …

After briefly trying to rationalize his situation, and then thinking he is insane, Connors takes advantage of learning the day’s events and the information he is able to gather about the town’s inhabitants, and finds that his actions have no long-term consequences for himself. He revels in this situation for a time: seducing beautiful women, stealing money, even driving drunk and experiencing a police chase. However, his attempts to seduce his producer, Rita, are met with repeated failures. He begins to tire of, and then dread, his existence, starting the day by smashing the alarm clock and professing the inanity of Groundhog Day as a holiday in his newscast. (Groundhog Day, 1993. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107048/plotsummary)

Yes, Bill Murray’s character Phil Connors displayed what was warned about in the last days by the Apostle Paul:

1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (2 Timothy 3:1-2, NKJV throughout)

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, (Galatians 5:19)

COGwriter

In his newsletter today, Mike Gendron has the following:

Pope Says Proselytizing Is a Pagan Practice

In his weekly audience, Pope Francis said that convincing someone from another religion to become Christian is a “pagan” practice. He said, “To proselytize is something pagan, it is neither religious nor evangelical.

Francis made those comments a few weeks ago. Instead of “proselytizing,” he and the Vatican have been supporting Big Tech censorship and various aspects of the globalist agenda.

And while he may not consider it proselytizing, his moves and those of various of his subordinates to push an interfaith and ecumenical agenda are moving forward.

As far as paganism goes, ancient Roman paganism was an amalgamation of different deities and religions–and that is something that the Church of Rome is pushing for under Pope Francis’ leadership.

In his newsletter today, also Mike Gendron had the following:

Southern Baptists Host Ecumenical Meeting

First Baptist Church in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, a Southern Baptist congregation, hosted an ecumenical conference with Roman Catholics last month. The theme of the conference was to bury the distinctions between biblical Christianity and false churches, particularly the Roman Catholic Church and the New Apostolic Reformation.

That meeting was January 26-27th. Here is some of what the Alpha Conference posted related to it:

Cultivating Kingdom Culture compels us to arrange our conversations, thoughts, plans, and prayers around what God is doing now.

Join thousands of Kingdom-minded leaders of all denominations and cultural expressions as we explore together, as the Church, how we are impacting the mission of Jesus through prayer, evangelization, renewal in the Spirit and unity in the body of Christ. https://alphausa.org/event/the-alpha-conference-2023/ accessed 02/01/23

The “unity in the body of Christ” is not biblical the way they are going about it, but the pushing of aspects of the ecumenical agenda.

Here is a report about it:

In the past, The Alpha Conference has been hosted by two ecumenical organizations — Major Change, a charismatic Evangelical organization, and Stone to Flesh, a charismatic Roman Catholic ecumenical organization. The two organizations have practically merged into one big ecumenical mess. And in the past, we’ve lambasted Hillsong Church for hosting the conference on their facilities.

But now that Hillsong Church is practically dead from its endless sex scandals among its leadership, Alpha seems to have found a new home—in the Southern Baptist Convention. 01/02/23 https://thedissenter.substack.com/p/major-southern-baptist-church-to

As far as Hillsong goes, here is a link to a post here from the past: G. Grider: ‘Hillsong Church Affirms Full Pro-LGBTQ Position As They Hold Their One World Religion Alpha Conference Featuring A Roman Catholic Mass’.

Furthermore, nearly three years ago, the Continuing Church of God put out the following sermon:

1:21:54

Music, Hillsong, and the False Gospel

Musical instruments were mentioned in the Book of Genesis. Music is present all over in the 21st century. How does music affect the mind and body? Is it okay to listen to music? Should lyrics matter? Are there biblical principles to consider related to music? Can Christians listen to secular music? Is harp music always good? Is “Contemporary Christian Music” biblically appropriate? Has money overly influenced the “Christian music industry”? What is the Pentecostal ‘latter rain’? What about songs about heaven? Do groups like Hillsong promote the gospel of the kingdom or a false gospel message? Has there been an ongoing attempt to promote an ecumenical message in what has been called “gospel” or “Christian” music? How can you tell a real Christian from a false one? What type of songs did early Christians sing? Did the old Worldwide Church of God fall because of its 1974 hymnal? Are psalms and songs in “The Bible Hymnal” of the Continuing Church of God consistent with the practices of original Christians? Dr. Thiel addresses these and more!

Here is a link to the sermon: Music, Hillsong, and the False Gospel.

As far as the Church of Rome goes, a couple of years ago (late 2020), it released a document (called a vademecum, which means handbook) for its bishops on matters of its ecumenical and interfaith agendas:

The Vatican published Friday a guide with suggestions for Catholic bishops to promote unity with other Christian communities, offering practical advice for how to overcome common challenges to ecumenism.

The … “ecumenical vademecum” was approved by Pope Francis and issued Dec. 4 by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

The document emphasizes the responsibility of diocesan bishops to promote unity among Christians within their jurisdiction and gives practical suggestions for how this can be achieved.

The vademecum recalls that ecumenical dialogue and inter-religious dialogue have different aims. Dialogue with different religious traditions aims at establishing “good relations and cooperation,” but dialogue with different Christian communities “aims at restoring the unity Christ willed for his Church,” it says. …

Cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, said in a press conference Dec. 4 that …

it was his opinion that the issue of whether there is valid ordination in Christian communities outside the Catholic Church is “the biggest obstacle” to resolving the theological question of intercommunion.

He cited, for example, the fact that the Anglican community has allowed the ordination of women as priests and bishops, which the Catholic Church cannot accept.

“We must work on this situation very hard in the future, but we have not resolved this situation today,” he said.

Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, also said that the problem of episcopal ordination was “fundamental, and so it is at the core of ecumenical dialogue.” …

“The ministry of the bishop is the ministry for unity,” the cardinal said. “Not just for his own diocese or for the Catholic Church, but unity for the whole of Christians.”

The new document also notes the obligation of lay Catholics to work for unity with other Christians and promotes “practical ecumenism,” which it describes as Christians serving together to promote a common cause or to address injustices, such as human trafficking, mistreatment of immigrants, and attacks on the sanctity of life, among other issues. … “any appearance of triumphalism should be carefully avoided” (§389). …

“Cultural ecumenism” includes all efforts to better understand the culture of other Christians and in so doing to realise that beyond cultural difference, to varying degrees, we share the same faith expressed in different ways. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/ecumenical-vademecum-new-vatican-guide-for-bishops-addresses-common-challenges-to-christian-unity-85212

Kurt Koch and Marc Ouellet are two men who look to have the potential to be the false prophet of the Book of Revelation and the final Antichrist that the Apostle John told of. Whether they will be or not, they both have been involved with setting the stage for such a leader–as has Pope Francis, who approved this new handbook. For this handbook, Koch signed his name as Kurt Cardinal Koch.

Kurt Koch (photo from http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=37189)

When Kurt Koch took over from Walter Kasper, I warned that because of biblical and Catholic prophecies, that Kurt Koch could possibly be the last pope, and an antipope.

I also specifically warned (see July 2, 2010 post Swiss Bishop Appointed as Ecumenical Head: Antichrist Role?) about then Archbishop Koch:

And if he elevated to the rank of Cardinal, he may have further elevation in his future.

And that happened on October 20, 2010 (see Kurt Koch Made a Cardinal: Might He Become the Antichrist?), so I definitely consider him one to watch.

This handbook that he helped put together shows that his desire for the ecumenical agenda is not pushing for what scripture advocates.

Related to that handbook, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

Here is a link to the video: Vademecum: Rome’s Trinitarian Ecumenical Handbook.

The acceptance of the Greco-Roman trinity was a doctrine officially pushed by Emperor Theodosius.

In an Imperial decree in 380, Emperor Theodosius declared that the “Catholic Church” was the official religion of the Roman Empire (Theodosian Code XVI.1.2. Cited in Bettenson H, ed., Documents of the Christian Church, London: Oxford University Press, 1943, p. 31). He also issued an Imperial decree that said any who would not embrace his trinitarian definition of the Godhead were prohibited to use the term “catholic,” and he also labelled such persons as “foolish madmen” and “heretics” (ibid). He got rid of the Patriarch of Constantinople as he would not go along with that.

The 5th century Greco-Roman historian Socrates Scholasticus wrote:

When the emperor found the Church in this state, he began to consider by what means he could make peace, effect a union, and enlarge the Churches. Immediately therefore he intimated his desire to Demophilus, who presided over the Arian party, and inquired whether he was willing to assent to the Nicene creed, and thus reunite the people, and establish concord. Upon Demophilus’s declining to accede to this proposal, the emperor said to him, “Since you reject peace and unanimity, I order you to quit the churches.”

Which when Demophilus heard, weighing with himself the difficulty of contending against superior power, he convoked his followers in the church, and, standing in the midst of them, thus spoke: “Brethren, it is written in the Gospel.’ If they persecute you in one city, flee ye into another. ‘ ‘ Since therefore the emperor excludes us from the churches, take notice that we will henceforth hold our assemblies without the city. (Socrates Scholasticus, pp. 265-266)

Therefore, consider that: 1) trinitarianism was not the position of the patriarchy of Constantinople, 2) Arian meant Semi-Arian above (and this happens in other writings), 3) an emperor removed the patriarch Demophilus for not endorsing the Nicene Creed, and 4) that political considerations, not theological, looks to have been the reason to push trinitarianism.

Theodosius’ trinity became the official Greco-Roman position in the Council of Constantinople that Emperor Theodosius convened in 381 A.D. Clearly it was not part of the faith which has been once and for all entrusted to God’s holy people.

In the 21st century we see that those who compromised on the nature of the Godhead are those that Rome expects will be in unity with it–hence that eliminates groups like the Continuing Church of God as we hold to the original faith on matters, including the nature of the Godhead (see the free online books Continuing History of the Church of God and Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism).

JANE LE ROYER (d. 1798) SISTER MARY OF THE NATIVITY

“When the time of the reign of Antichrist is near, a false religion will appear which be opposed to the unity of God and His Church. (Culligan E. The Last World War and the End of Time. The book was blessed by Pope Paul VI, 1966. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), pp.127,128)

From her vision, nun Royer says a false religion will “appear” that is “opposed to the unity of God and His Church.”

What is the “unity of God” according to Roman Catholic sources?

Well, the idea of Christ willing ecumenical unity as found in the Vademecum is one. And, the trinity is the other per The Catholic Encyclopedia:

Thus we protect the Divine Trinity, and the holy avowal of the monarchy [unity of God].” (Lebreton, Jules. “The Logos.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 9. Nihil Obstat. October 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, Censor. Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910.

So, Roman Catholic writings are worried about a church that sounds like the Continuing Church of God.

The Greco-Roman trinitarian doctrine is not scriptural and was not part of the early Christian faith.

Yet that trinity is the basis for the type unity Rome is pushing for.

That is certainly an unbiblical and improper unity.

Furthermore, notice the following warnings about improper unity:

15 How can Christ come to an agreement with Beliar and what sharing can there be between a believer and an unbeliever?

16 The temple of God cannot compromise with false gods, and that is what we are — the temple of the living God. We have God’s word for it: I shall fix my home among them and live among them; I will be their God and they will be my people.

17 Get away from them, purify yourselves, says the Lord. Do not touch anything unclean, and then I shall welcome you. (2 Corinthians 6:15-17, NJB)

True Christians will not be part of what the Church of Rome is pushing. Notice what the Apostle John was inspired to write:

5 They are from the world, and therefore the world inspires what they say, and listens to them. 6 We are from God; whoever recognises God listens to us; anyone who is not from God refuses to listen to us. This is how we can distinguish the spirit of truth from the spirit of falsehood. (1 John 4:5-6, NJB)

Many world leaders have endorsed the ecumenical and interfaith agendas that the Vatican has been pushing. We in the Continuing Church of God do not.

That being said, Pope Francis has long been pushing ecumenical unity above scripture. Notice something from early 2019:

Christian Unity is not optional, says Pope Francis

Linda Bordoni reports for Vatican News that the Pope has reminded the faithful that “Ecumenism is not something optional” during his Jan. 16 weekly General Audience.

Francis looked ahead to the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity that takes place from Jan. 18 to 25.

For its part, the World Council of Churches said that from Jan. 18-25, Christians will embark on the largest prayer gathering in the world, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

“Whether praying together, exchanging preachers or planning ecumenical services, they will bear witness to Jesus’s prayer for his disciples that they may be one so that the world may believe,” said the WCC.

The WCC’s members include most Protestant and Eastern Orthodox churches but not the Roman Catholic Church, with which it cooperates on many issues.

Pope Francis noted that the annual “Week of Prayer”, on the theme “Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue,” starts with the celebration of Vespers in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls on Friday.

“Again, this year we are called to pray so that all Christians may once again be a single family, according to God’s will ‘so that they may all be one'” he said.

Pointing out that “ecumenism is not something optional,” the Pope e said it aims “to develop a common and consistent witness that promotes true justice and support for the weakest through responses that are concrete, appropriate and effective.”

The annual “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” is a time in which Christians are reminded of Jesus’ prayer for His disciples that “they may be one so that the world may believe” (John 17.21). 01/17/19 https://www.ecumenicalnews.com/article/christian-unity-is-not-optional-says-pope-francis/60642.htm

Here is something about this from the World Council of Churches’ leader Olav Fykse Tveit also from 2019:

Official logo of the World Council of Churches from its website

World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit said that, as people around the world pray together, they will share a sense of joy, concern and accountability, a sharing that forms the heart of the ecumenical movement.

“As we celebrate a unity in diversity, we become more able to strongly pursue justice in our many contexts,” he said. “In all cultures and continents, we can pray for each other and pray together as a living fellowship for justice and peace.” https://www.ecumenicalnews.com/article/christian-unity-is-not-optional-says-pope-francis/60642.htm

The ecumenical and inter-faith movements are moving ahead, yet they WILL NOT RESULT IN JUSTICE OR REAL AND LASTING PEACE. Yet, many Protestants are also falling for it (see Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction!).

The WCC clearly has goals (e.g. The ‘Unpardonable Sin’ and ‘Climate Change’? and A different false gospel is taking hold: ‘Minister of climate change urges Earth’s salvation’) consistent with those of Pope Francis (see Pope Francis continues to press his climate change ‘gospel’ and Laudato Si: Pope’s Agenda or Kingdom of God?) and the United Nations (watch UN’s ‘New Universal Agenda’ is a False Gospel! and United Nations and Vatican Are Planning the New World Order and Will the Interfaith Movement lead to World War III?).

Ecumenism is a false gospel.

Notice also the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

9:31

A Different False Gospel

While there have been a variety of false gospels since at least the time of Simon Magus and the Gnostics, there is a relatively new one being pushed by major leaders of the world’s churches. Essentially, leaders are teaching that ‘climate change’ is related to salvation, the unpardonable sin, and something called the ‘social gospel.’ This is being pushed by leaders including Pope Francis of the Church of Rome, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of the Eastern Orthodox Church, and Olav Tveit of the World Council of Churches. Is this a false gospel consistent with Galatians 1:6-11? Are these angels of light or something else (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 )? While it is good to not pollute, will the ecumenical climate change agenda work according to the Bible? Dr. Thiel address these issues and more.

Here is a link: A Different False Gospel. The Vatican and WCC are promoting several.

The Bible shows that it will take the return of Jesus and the establishment of the millennial Kingdom of God to bring true peace and justice (Matthew 24:21-22; Revelation 11:18; see also The Bible, Christians, and the Environment).

The Bible also clearly shows that the ecumenical/inter-faith movement will also end in destruction (Revelation 18 & 19). This is not something that Catholics or the Eastern Orthodox or the Protestants should want (see also Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox? and Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction!)–yet many of their leaders are promoting this.

This is a false gospel!

The ecumenical and worldly agendas will not bring peace (see also World Council of Churches Peace Plan). Instead it is laying the foundation for the final ‘Babylon’ of Revelation 17 & 18.

In Zechariah, the Bible warns against a coming ‘daughter of Babylon’ and shows that proper unity will not happen until after Jesus returns:

10 Look out! Look out! Flee from the land of the north — Yahweh declares- for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven — Yahweh declares. 11 Look out! Make your escape, Zion, now living with the daughter of Babylon!

12 For Yahweh Sabaoth says this, since the Glory commissioned me, about the nations who plundered you, ‘Whoever touches you touches the apple of my eye. 13 Now look, I shall wave my hand over them and they will be plundered by those whom they have enslaved.’ Then you will know that Yahweh Sabaoth has sent me! 14 Sing, rejoice, daughter of Zion, for now I am coming to live among you -Yahweh declares! 15 And on that day many nations will be converted to Yahweh. Yes, they will become his people, and they will live among you. Then you will know that Yahweh Sabaoth has sent me to you! 16 Yahweh will take possession of Judah, his portion in the Holy Land, and again make Jerusalem his choice. (Zechariah 2:10-16, NJB)

Notice that the day of unity comes AFTER Christians are to flee from Babylon. The Book of Revelation shows that is for the future:

2 At the top of his voice he shouted, ‘Babylon has fallen, Babylon the Great has fallen, and has become the haunt of devils and a lodging for every foul spirit and dirty, loathsome bird. 3 All the nations have drunk deep of the wine of her prostitution; every king on the earth has prostituted himself with her, and every merchant grown rich through her debauchery.’

4 Another voice spoke from heaven; I heard it say, ‘Come out, my people, away from her, so that you do not share in her crimes and have the same plagues to bear. (Revelation 18:2-4, NJB)

The ecumenical and inter-faith movements that the Vatican, certain Protestants, and certain Eastern Orthodox leaders are promoting are clearly condemned by the Bible and should not be encouraged.

Yes, the time will come when the most faithful Christians will flee per Revelation 12:14-16 (see also There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Near Petra).

While Jesus did pray for true Christians to be one as He and the Father are one in John 17:21, Jesus DID NOT push for the type of unity that the Vatican is pushing for.

Furthermore, consider that even Roman Catholic translations of the Bible show that the Apostle Paul also taught that true unity of faith would not happen until after Jesus returns:

13 until we all reach unity in faith and knowledge of the Son of God and form the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself. (Ephesians 4:13, NJB)

Those who believe this unity comes prior to Jesus’ return are in error. Actually, when Jesus returns, He will destroy the unity of nations that are against Him:

11:15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and voices could be heard shouting in heaven, calling, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.’ 16 The twenty-four elders, enthroned in the presence of God, prostrated themselves and touched the ground with their foreheads worshipping God 17 with these words, ‘We give thanks to you, Almighty Lord God, He who is, He who was, for assuming your great power and beginning your reign. 18 The nations were in uproar and now the time has come for your retribution, and for the dead to be judged, and for your servants the prophets, for the saints and for those who fear your name, small and great alike, to be rewarded. The time has come to destroy those who are destroying the earth.’ (Revelation 11:15-18, NJB)

19:6 And I heard what seemed to be the voices of a huge crowd, like the sound of the ocean or the great roar of thunder, answering, ‘Alleluia! The reign of the Lord our God Almighty has begun;… 19 Then I saw the beast, with all the kings of the earth and their armies, gathered together to fight the Rider and his army. 20 But the beast was taken prisoner, together with the false prophet who had worked miracles on the beast’s behalf and by them had deceived those who had accepted branding with the mark of the beast and those who had worshipped his statue. These two were hurled alive into the fiery lake of burning sulphur. 21 All the rest were killed by the sword of the Rider, which came out of his mouth, and all the birds glutted themselves with their flesh… 20:4 Then I saw thrones, where they took their seats, and on them was conferred the power to give judgement. I saw the souls of all who had been beheaded for having witnessed for Jesus and for having preached God’s word, and those who refused to worship the beast or his statue and would not accept the brandmark on their foreheads or hands; they came to life, and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. (Revelation 19:6,19-21; 20:4, NJB)

Notice that Jesus will have to destroy a world of armies unified against Him. Then He and the saints will reign. That is when there will be proper unity of the faith. Even the NJB, a Roman Catholic translation of the Bible, concurs. The nations will be united AGAINST Jesus.

Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Protestants, and others need to be concerned about the type of unity that is actually being promoted.

Trinitarian unity is not biblical, but a compromise.

It is those of the original faith that will be with Jesus, whereas those that have compromised away from it will be His opposers.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Satan’s Plan Does Satan have a plan? What is it? Has it already been successful? Will it be successful in the future? Here are links to a two-part sermon series: What are Some of the Parts of Satan’s Plan? and Satan’s Plan is More Dramatic than Many Realize.
Mystery of Iniquity What is the mystery of iniquity? How did it start? How will it end? Two related sermons are also available: The Mystery of Iniquity and The Mystery of Lawlessness.
The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast This is a free draft/unedited pdf book explaining the what the Ten Commandments are, where they came from, how early professors of Christ viewed them, and how various ones, including the Beast of Revelation, will oppose them. A related sermon is titled: The Ten Commandments and the Beast of Revelation.
United Nations: Humankind’s Last Hope or New World Order? Is the UN the last hope for humanity? Or might its goals end up with sinister results? Two related videos include UN’s ‘New Universal Agenda’ is a False Gospel! and United Nations and Vatican Are Planning the New World Order.
The Bible, Christians, and the Environment How should Christians view the environment? Does the Bible give any clues? What are some of the effects of air, water, and land pollution? Is environmental pollution a factor in autism and death? Do pollutants seem to double the autism risk? What will Jesus do? Here is a link to a related sermon: Christians and the Environment (there is also YouTube video available titled Air Pollution, Autism, and Prophecy).
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences.
Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction! What is going on in the Protestant world? Are Protestants turning back to their ‘mother church’ in Rome? Does the Bible warn about this? What are Catholic plans and prophecies related to this? Is Protestantism doomed? See also World Council of Churches Peace Plan.
Will the Interfaith Movement Lead to Peace or Sudden Destruction? Is the interfaith movement going to lead to lasting peace or is it warned against? A video sermon of related interest is: Will the Interfaith Movement lead to World War III? and a video sermon is also available: Do You Know That Babylon is Forming?
Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster? Is doctrinal compromise good? Here is a link to a related video Should you be concerned about the ecumenical movement?
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Continuing Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions.
What is the Unpardonable Sin? What is it? Can you repent of it? Do you know what it is and how to avoid it? Here is a link to a related sermon video The Unpardonable Sin and the Prodigal Son. Here is a link to a shorter video The ‘Unpardonable Sin’ and ‘Climate Change’?
Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction! What is going on in the Protestant world? Are Protestants turning back to their ‘mother church’ in Rome? Does the Bible warn about this? What are Catholic plans and prophecies related to this? Is Protestantism doomed? watch the video Charismatic Kenneth Copeland and Anglican Tony Palmer: Protestants Beware!
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Continuing Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are?
Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics Unity between these groups will put them in position to be part of the final end time Babylon that the Bible warns against as well as require improper compromise.
Laudato Si: Pope’s Agenda or Kingdom of God? Pope Francis’ 2nd encyclical is titled ‘Laudato Si.’ In it, he goes over his views related to environmental, economic, social, moral, agricultural, and spiritual issues. He advocates international cooperation to solve various problems he believes are affecting humanity. Is that Pope’s agenda the solution? What about the Kingdom of God? does the Bible teach? Two related articles include Laudato Si: Will Pope Francis’ economic actions match his words? and Laudato Si: A call for a one-world government?
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Continuing Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are? Here is a link to a related sermon: Eastern Orthodox 40+ Similar Beliefs to the CCOG.
There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Near Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety,’ Zephaniah 2 to ‘gather together,’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on fleeing to a place–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory. Two sermon-length videos of related interest are available Physical Protection During the Great Tribulation and Might Petra be the Place of Safety?  Here is something related in the Spanish language: Hay un lugar de seguridad para los Filadelfinos. ¿Puede ser Petra?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. It is available in hundreds of languages at ccog.org. Here are links to four kingdom-related sermons:  The Fantastic Gospel of the Kingdom of God!, The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
Could Pope Francis be the Last Pope and Antichrist? Former Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio is now Pope Francis. According to some interpretations of the prophecies of the popes by the Catholic saint and Bishop Malachy, Pope Francis is in the position of “Peter the Roman,” the pontiff who reigns during tribulations until around the time of the destruction of Rome. Do biblical prophecies warn of someone that sounds like Peter the Roman? Could Francis be the heretical antipope of Catholic private prophecies and the final Antichrist of Bible prophecy? Could a Jesuit be “the black pope”?
Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy? Pope Francis has taken many steps to turn people more towards his version of ‘Mary.’ Could this be consistent with biblical and Catholic prophecies? This article documents what has been happening. There is also a video version titled Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy?
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L Histoire Continue de l Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.

Surveillance Octopus (Pixabay)

COGwriter

Privacy is more and more going away and in many ways is already gone.

A reader sent me this link last evening: https://citizenfreepress.com/breaking/wef-pushing-real-life-minority-report/

If you click on the video the link brings you to, you will see an animation and comments from someone speaking about it at the latest Davos conference of the World Economic Forum. The video is less than 5 minutes long.

Basically, the video shows that employers will promote those who have the right brain wave patterns and that the police should have the ability to look at the brain wave data to determine whether or not someone has similar brain wave patterns to criminals.

The WEF speaker stated that the technology to do that already exists and she seemed to be promoting this.

Long ago, my wife and I saw the 2002 movie ‘Minority Report.’ In it, government agents would arrest people for crimes that the government said they would commit in the future. Here is some information about it:

Minority Report is a 2002 American neo-noir science fiction action film^[5] directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Tom Cruise, and loosely based on the 1956 short story “The Minority Report” by Philip K. Dick. The picture is set primarily in Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia in the year 2054, where PreCrime, a specialized police department, apprehends criminals based on foreknowledge provided by psychics called “precogs“. (Wikipedia, retrieved 05/22/21)

We are getting closer to that type of thing in many parts of the world–but instead of ‘precogs” being used, police profiles, internal espionage, use of ‘political’ & religious words, and ‘artificial intelligence ‘ are getting involved. What the WEF seems to be advocating is very close to that.

What governments are working on is not the way to stop crime. We have a sermon on crime that some may wish to watch: Crime and How it Will be Stopped!

Here are some other reports about what the WEF seems to be trying to do:

How about “swiping with your mind” instead of using your fingers – because that’s one of the “conveniences” mentioned at the WEF event as a tradeoff for granting full access to your person to outside actors.

The nightmarish scenario – of healthy people subjecting themselves to this – is something many of us will see within our lifetimes, the professor also predicted from the WEF stage. But why would anyone do it?

The presentation was preceded by an animated video, the goal of which was, ostensibly, to provide that answer in an easy-to-digest format.

The video is introduced as a glimpse into what a presenter literally referred to as “a wonderful future” where brainwaves will be used for wonderful things: fighting crime, being more productive, and even “finding love.”

What’s not to like about this, right? Especially if you are an employer wanting to access every aspect of your employees’ personality and even humanity, or a government with the same intent toward its citizens. The potential for abuse is enormous.

So if you happen to be on the opposing side of the drive toward this “wonderful future,” the concept might seem disturbing. Also disturbing was Farahany revealing during her presentation that some form of brain activity tracking is already very much so happening in the workplace.

To be precise, according to the professor: more than 5,000 companies around the world are at this point monitoring their employees’ brains for “fatigue levels.” Needless to say, this is happening in China, among other places. And obviously, many others share the same “values” when it comes to this type of surveillance. 01/23/23 https://reclaimthenet.org/wef-brain-thought-monitoring/

“What you think, what you feel: It’s all just data,” said Nita Farahany, professor of law and philosophy at Duke Law School and faculty chair of the Duke MA in bioethics and science policy. “And large patterns can be decoded using artificial intelligence.” 01/30/23 https://www.theblaze.com/news/wef-event-hypes-era-of-brain-transparency

So, notice that WEF’s Nita Farahany considers all that you think and feel as data.

There goes much hope for privacy if various globalists get their way.

As long-term readers of this COGwriter Church of God News page are aware, we have warned for years about the use of artificial intelligence as well as the agenda of the WEF. We have also put out numerous videos related to those topics: Artificial Intelligence and Prophecy, Will there be a “Great Reset”?, Globalism Conspiracy or Convergence?, and ChatGPT and 666.

Two years ago, Michael Snyder (MS) posted the following:

Big Brother Is Spying On You In Thousands Of Ways, And All Of That Info Now Goes Into Centralized “Fusion Systems”

Big Brother is watching you. Sadly, most people don’t realize how extensive the surveillance grid has now become. As you drive to work or to school, license plate readers are systematically tracking where you travel. In major cities, thousands of highly advanced security cameras (many equipped with facial recognition technology) are monitoring your every move. If authorities detect that you are doing something suspicious, they can quickly pull up your criminal, financial and medical records. Of course if they want to dig deeper, your phone and your computer are constantly producing a treasure trove of surveillance data. Nothing that you do on either one of them is ever private.

In the past, compiling all of that information would take a great deal of time. But now tech giants such as Microsoft, Motorola, Cisco and Palantir are selling “fusion systems” to governments all over the planet. These “fusion systems” can instantly integrate surveillance data from thousands of different sources, and this has totally transformed how law enforcement is conducted in many of our largest cities. …

Arthur Holland Michel got the opportunity to test out the “fusion system” that Microsoft had built for New York City…

The NYPD official showed me how he could pull up any city resident’s rap sheet, lists of their known associates, cases in which they were named as a victim of a crime or as a witness, and, if they had a car, a heatmap of where they tended to drive and a full history of their parking violations. Then he handed me the phone. Go ahead, he said; search a name.

A flurry of people came to mind: Friends. Lovers. Enemies. In the end, I chose the victim of a shooting I’d witnessed in Brooklyn a couple of years earlier. He popped right up, along with what felt like more personal information than I, or even perhaps a curious officer, had any right to know without a court order. Feeling a little dizzy, I gave the phone back.

If this is what is going on in major cities such as Chicago and New York, can you imagine the technology that the alphabet agencies of the federal government must now possess?

Of course this isn’t just happening in the United States. …

Strict new laws against “hate speech” and “political extremism” are being instituted all over Europe, and this new tool will help to track down “thought criminals”.

In particular, this new tool will be heavily monitoring “social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube as well as normal telecommunications platforms”…

A product of the EU funded Horizon 2020 to foster new surveillance technology, ROXANNE works across social media sites such as Facebook, YouTube as well as normal telecommunications platforms to identify, categorise, and track faces and voices enabling authorities to paint a more in depth picture of the network being investigated, whether it be in relation to criminal activity or those deemed politically extreme.

Enabling authorities to draw on raw data from a variety of sources and platforms in order to recognise common speech patterns, facial features, and geolocation, the end result is both to identify suspects and paint an intricate picture of the networks being put under the microscope.

So if you live in Europe and you think that you might be guilty of “thought crime” at some point, you might want to get rid of your phone and your computer. 02/07/21 http://endoftheamericandream.com/big-brother-is-spying-on-you-in-thousands-of-ways-and-all-of-that-info-now-goes-into-centralized-fusion-systems/

We know that the Bible tells of a time when the 666 Beast power will have totalitarian control (cf. Revelation 13:16-18)–the stage for this is being set. Artificial Intelligence, brain wave monitoring, financial controls, and other items are falling into place.

As far as the USA goes, its many espionage agencies pretty much already know what everyone does on the internet. Yes, they do not have 100% knowledge, but they are very close to that.

Some may find it interesting to understand that the old WCG predicted a time of totalitarian control in various articles. Here are excerpts from several of them:

“You had to live in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and, except in darkness, every movement scrutinized.”

That is the frightening world of George Orwell’s 1984 — a world where two-way “telescreens” and unremitting surveillance make solitude an impossibility, privacy a punishable crime. It is the government of “Big Brother,” a government that pries into all aspects of citizens’ lives.

It is also a world which lies nearer at hand than most of us would like to admit. It is a world which many well-meaning people are unwittingly helping to usher in. …

A surprising amount of what we do or say in public — and often in private — is gathered, summarized, evaluated, codified, transferred, combined and filed away by number. The erosion of personal privacy has become a hallmark of our computerized, technologically sophisticated age. Indeed, the right to privacy now stands in greater jeopardy than at any time in the history of mankind!

What emerges, upon investigation, is a chilling picture of a democracy being eaten away by the unrestrained use of intrusive technology, a democracy being undermined by governmental and private institutions left to their own devices through the apathy of the citizenry. The implications are frightening.

This erosion of privacy can be traced to the workings of two main power centers; government and the news media. …

The framers of the U.S. Constitution well remembered the infamous British “writs of assistance” — general warrants authorizing wide-ranging searches. It was not uncommon for officials of the British Crown to burst unannounced into colonial homes and businesses, arresting the occupants and seizing property.

Nevertheless, that “most valued” right of privacy which the Founding Fathers built into the Constitution is now being increasingly trampled upon, pushing us ever closer to the brink of Orwell’s “Big Brother” world of 1984. Few realize the extreme gravity of the situation. (Rader SR, Stump KW. Big Brother Is Watching You: THE ASSAULT ON PRIVACY! Plain Truth, May 1979)

Orwell (his real name was Eric Blair) caught the fancy of many readers with his best-selling 1984, which has since become the standard definition for extreme mental and physical oppression. … George Orwell’s novel is centered in England, where in that isle by 1984 is headquartered an extreme socialistic philosophy that dominates the United States, Latin America and what was once the British Empire. Orwell vividly paints the scene of a world-ruling empire that enslaves humanity rather than frees it. … (INGSOC is short for English Socialism) …

Numerous literary critics believe Orwell meant the novel as a warning. …

The apostle Paul warned that there were those “who suppress the truth” (Rom. 1:18, RAV). …

Jesus knew that his message of government would be suppressed. But he also determined that the time would come when his original unadulterated message would be thundered across this globe. The exciting aspect of this foreknowledge is that this prophesied event barely precedes the actual reestablishment of God’s kingdom upon earth. Jesus himself thus declared: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end [Greek: alon — this “age” of man, not this physical globe] will come” (Matt. 24:14, RAV). …

Orwell, as one writer put it, was convinced “that modern man [is] inadequate to I cope with the demands of his history.” Indeed, the Orwellian INGSOC will appear in form. The Bible prophesies a terrible time soon to come (Matt. 24:21) — a short dark age of religious and political persecution. (Snyder MA. Is a New Dark Age Coming? Plain Truth, January 1984)

God asserts that children are His gift (Psalm 127:3). God puts responsibility for proper child rearing squarely on the parents (Deuteronomy 6:7, Proverbs 22:6). A parent is, while not an absolute owner of a child, God’s trustee who has the God-given right to care for and train the child as God’s steward.

But a different idea is gaining influence today. The idea is government owns your child. The reason behind the idea is that social planners-people who consider it their business to remake society according to what they think is good-will be unable to bring about a “just” or “equal” society unless government is able to control child rearing.

Mark the following frightening words: “… the fact that children are raised in families means there is no equality. In order to raise children with equality we must take them away from families and communally raise them” (emphasis ours). The statement was made by Mary Jo Baine, assistant professor of education at Wellesley College.

The sentiment is echoed by top government bureaucrats in the United States. “Children do not belong to parents,” says Edward Zigler, director of the U.S. Government Office of Child Development.

The 1972 Minneapolis Declaration of Feminism, as you would expect, follows the antifamily party line: “… With the destruction of the nuclear family, children must be seen as the responsibility of the entire society, rather than the individual.” (Evidently, the Minnesota feminists don’t even recognize the existence of parents, only that of society and individuals).

Even more chilling is the fact that such jackboot antifamily sentiments are occasionally found among judges in our society. Judge Lisa Richette of the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania, reportedly said: “If there is a least detrimental alternative, remove the child and don’t worry about the right of the parents. The child belongs to society. The parents were only biological producers.” (Evidently, Judge Richette has never read the decision of the American Supreme Court made in 1925 before the recent attack on the family, which directly contradicts her sentiments. “The child,” said the Supreme Court in one of its greatest moments, “is not the mere creature of the state” (Pierce v. Society of Sisters).

When you read of the statements of people such as Professor Baine, Mr. Zigler or Judge Richette, you cannot help but be reminded of a book that showed penetrating insight into the modern world. It is George Orwell’s 1984.

The book prophesies a horrible, nightmarish future for mankind. Life will be a vast prison-human government will be in control of everything. There will be no freedom. There will be no individuality, and the family will be or made the servant of the state.

The following passage from 1984 practically describes to a tee the kind of world advocated by Ms. Baine, Mr. Zigler and Judge Richette: “Nearly all children nowadays were horrible. What was worst of all was by means of such organizations as the Spies they were systematically turned into ungovernable little savages, and yet this produced in them no tendency whatever to rebel against the discipline of the Party. On the contrary, they adored the Party and everything connected with it.”

In George Orwell’s nightmare world of 1984, children will be allowed to remain with parents, but the human state will claim their loyalties. Children will certainly “not belong to their parents.” They will belong to “Big Brother” (the government). In fact, in Mr. Orwell’s prophetic novel, children are encouraged to spy on, turn in and terrorize their parents!

Compare author Orwell’s prophecy with the equally prophetic words of Jesus Christ, describing the time before the return of Christ: “… the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death” (Matthew 10:21). (Calkins J. THE MOVEMENT TO DESTROY THE FAMILY. Plain Truth, May, 1980)

The world already too much resembles George Orwell’s nightmare vision of 1984, where Big Brother regulated the lives of everyone. But in addition to the dangers of totalintarianism, Orwell also warned of the corruption of language which inevitably accompanies it. The rulers of the 1984-state will tell you that they are protecting your basic human rights – to be their slaves. Orwell summed it up when he described the slogan of Big Brother society: “Freedom is Slavery. War is Peace. Ignorance is Strength.”

It calls to mind the words of the Old Testament prophet: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil” (Isa. 5:20). Indeed, Isaiah’s point is essentially the same as Orwell’s: Language must have consistent and specific meaning or all manner of evil will be called good. The reluctance of world leaders to say precisely what they mean by “human rights” is a serious matter. (Calkins J. HUMAN RIGHTS COME FROM GOD. Plain Truth, August 1978)

Since these articles came out, governments, computer technologies. and internet companies have been used, which make the situation worse.

Now we are seeing more totalitarian steps, and the time of totalitarian control is even easier to predict.

As far as control and loss of freedom to spread the truth goes, notice these scriptures:

15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. (Revelation 13:15-18)

11 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God,
“That I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine of bread,
Nor a thirst for water,
But of hearing the words of the Lord.
12 They shall wander from sea to sea,
And from north to east;
They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord,
But shall not find it. (Amos 8:11-12)

A totalitarian system will be put in place. Internet companies are making it easier for this to occur.

Amos told of a time that will come when the word of God will not be found. I do not believe that this means that there will be no more Bibles–but that those wanting to better understand it will have trouble finding explanations. That is part of why we in the Continuing Church of God are preparing for the ‘short work’ (Romans 9:28) and the coming ‘famine of the word.’

Consider, however, that Jesus said:

4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. (John 9:4)

Philadelphian Christians want to respond to the doors that Christ opens to proclaim the gospel (2 Corinthians 2:12; 1 Corinthians 16:8-9; Colossians 4:2-4) and do the work. We will stand up for the truth, despite realizing that the ‘famine of the word’ that the prophet Amos referred to, is coming. We must do the work and persevere to the end–despite totalitarian and Orwellian calls by various ones.

Furthermore, there is good news as the Kingdom of God will come and replace the Babylonian (Revelation 13:16-18) system that we see being put together today.

Yet, have no doubts, the type of totalitarian Beast society that the Bible warned about for the end times is truly taking shape in many parts of the world.

It is ONLY the Philadelphian Christians that are promised a way of escape from the coming Great Tribulation.

Almost no one will be able to hide from the coming totalitarian power. Do not deceive yourself that you will escape without taking the proper spiritual steps.

Remember that the Bible warns NOT TO WAIT UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE TO ‘GATHER TOGETHER’ to possibly be able to escape (Zephaniah 2:1-3).

The time to strive to be a Philadelphian Christian is now.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

The Philadelphia Church Era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God, now the remnant of that era is basically the most faithful in the Church of God, like who hold to the beliefs and practices of the Continuing Church of God.
Persecutions by Church and State This article documents some that have occurred against those associated with the COGs and some prophesied to occur. Will those with the cross be the persecutors or the persecuted–this article has the shocking answer. There are also three video sermons you can watch: Cancel Culture and Christian Persecution, The Coming Persecution of the Chur
Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word What is the ‘short work’ of Romans 9:28? Who is preparing for it? Will Philadelphian Christians instruct many in the end times? Here is a link to a related video sermon titled: The Short Work. Here is a link to another: Preparing to Instruct Many.
The Final Phase of the Work What is the final phase of the work? Who will lead it? Do you have the courage to support it? Here are two related YouTube videos titled Final Phase of the Work: Need and Background and The Final Phase of the Work. The written article has been translated into Spanish La Fase Final de la Obra.
Zephaniah’s ‘Gather Together’ Prophecy Is it safe to be ‘independent’ or in a non-Philadelphian Church of God? What did God inspire Zephaniah to write?
Herbert W. Armstrong, the Philadelphia Church, & the Mantle Herbert Armstrong claims God had him raise the Philadelphia up. Are there reasons to believe that the Philadelphia mantle in now within the CCOG? Here is a link to a related sermon: Herbert W. Armstrong and the Philadelphia Mantle.
There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Near Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory. Two sermon-length videos of relaled interest are available Physical Protection During the Great Tribulation and Might Petra be the Place of Safety? Here is something related in the Spanish language: Hay un lugar de seguridad para los Filadelfinos. ¿Puede ser Petra?
Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something? Here is a version in the Spanish language Escrituras sobre Preparación física para los Cristianos. Here is a link to a related sermon: Physical preparedness for Christians.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. It is available in hundreds of languages at ccog.org. Here are links to four kingdom-related sermons:  The Fantastic Gospel of the Kingdom of God!, The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
Internet Control, Famine of the Word, and 666 On October 1, 2016, the USA officially relinquished control over the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), despite objections from certain political leaders and former military officials. Might this lead to more censorship, imposition on non-biblical ‘community standards,’ and loss of first amendment rights? Could this transfer of control have any prophetic ramifications? Will the internet be a factor in the ‘short work’ of Romans 9:28 and the coming ‘famine of the word’ that the Prophet Amos warned about? Will internet control be something that the 666 power will have? Dr. Thiel addresses these matters and more in this video.
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin? A related sermon is also available: The Bible, the USA, and the King of the West.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here are links to three related videos: The King of the North is Alive: What to Look Out For. The Future King of the North, and Rise of the Prophesied King of the North.
The Great Monarch: Biblical and Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies Is the ‘Great Monarch’ of Greco-Roman Catholic prophecies endorsed or condemned by the Bible? Two sermons of related interest are also available: Great Monarch: Messiah or False Christ? and Great Monarch in 50+ Beast Prophecies.

Celebration of Black History Month

COGwriter

February was designated as Black History Month in 1969 and observed since 1970 by various Americans. Its origins are even earlier:

February marks the launch of Black History Month, a time to recognize the central role and revolutionary work of black people in America.

Historian Carter G. Woodson created Negro History Week in 1926 and it officially evolved into a month-long celebration forty years later. 02/01/17 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/this-black-history-month-we-declare-we-too-are-america_us_588fa515e4b0c90efeff4088

Throughout February, there will tend to be more documentaries and mainstream news articles related to ‘Black History.’ Some will also probably point to Kamala Harris.

Instead of focusing on secular history in the USA, this post will attempt to cover some of the history of Christianity in Africa as well as some African-related news, but will start with scripture.

The New Testament discusses in some detail the conversion of at least one influential African and shows that God intended him to receive the message:

6 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. 27 So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 The place in the Scripture which he read was this:

“He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
33 In His humiliation His justice was taken away,
And who will declare His generation?
For His life is taken from the earth.”

34 So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?”

35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. 36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water.

And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”

37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.”

And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing (Acts 8:26-39).

According to Fox’s Book of Martyrs, at least one of the twelve apostles preached in Africa:

XV. Simon Surnamed Zelotes, preached the Gospel in Mauritania, Africa, and even in Britain, in which latter country he was crucified, A.D. 74. (Fox’s Book of Martyrs. Edited by William Byron Forbush. Copyright 1926/1967. Zondervan, Publishing, Grand Rapids (MI), pp. 3-5).

Another source agrees that the apostles got to Africa (Ruffin C.B. The Twelve: The Lives of the Apostles After Calvary. Our Sunday Visitor, Huntington (IN), 1997, pp. 17-171).

Early church history shows that there were both true as well as false Christians in northern Africa (as well as other places).

In the third century, Origen noted in northern Africa that there were two groups that he considered to be “Ebionites,” one who believed in the virgin birth (and that would be those who this paper suggests were also known as the Nazarenes) and those who did not:

Let it be admitted, moreover, that there are some who accept Jesus, and who boast on that account of being Christians, and yet would regulate their lives, like the Jewish multitude, in accordance with the Jewish law,—and these are the twofold sect of Ebionites, who either acknowledge with us that Jesus was born of a virgin, or deny this, and maintain that He was begotten like other human beings…(Origen. Contra Celsus, Book V, Chapter 61).

The true Christians in Africa were not those associated with Origen (please see what happened in Alexandria), nor those that denied the virgin birth. The true Christians were those who professed Jesus and had practices similar to those of the Jews.

Origen of Alexandria, however, was not a true Christian. Origen even appeared to recognize several non-canonical writings as scripture and had been influenced by some Gnostic teachings. Sadly, Origen, who referred to The Epistle of Barnabas like he does actual parts of the Bible (Origen. Contra Celsus, Book I, Chapter 63), seems to also do so with the falsely titled Gospel of Peter (Origen. Commentary on Matthew, Book X, Verse 17. ANF), and even calls what I consider to be the “demonically-influenced” Shepherd of Hermas as “divinely inspired” (Cited in Metzger, Bruce M. The Canon of the New Testament: Its Origin, Development, and Significance).

Serapion of Antioch denounced the false “Gospel of Peter.”

It probably should also be mentioned that around the time of Serapion, at least one African leader named Nepos stood up to allegorists like Origen. The Catholic Encyclopedia reported:

An Egyptian bishop, Nepos, taught the Chiliastic error that there would be a reign of Christ upon earth for a thousand years, a period of corporal delights; he founded this doctrine upon the Apocalypse in a book entitled “Refutation of the Allegorizers” (Chapman, John. “Dionysius of Alexandria.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. 14 Aug. 2008 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05011a.htm>.).

A nineteenth century anti-millennial scholar named Giovanni Battista Pagani went as far as to write the following about Nepos and those who supported the millennium:

…all those who teach a millennium framed according to Jewish ideas, saying that during the millennium, Mosaic law will be restored…These are called Judaical Millenarians, not as being Jews, but as having invented and upheld a millennium according to Jewish taste. The principal authors of this error were Nepos, an African Bishop, against whom St. Dionysius wrote his two books on Promises; and Apollinaris, whom St. Epiphanius confound in his work against heresies (Pagani, Giovanni Battista. Published by Charles Dolman, 1855. Original from Oxford University. Digitized Aug 15, 2006, pp. 252-253).

It should be of interest to note that neither Nepos nor Apollinaris were Jews, but were condemned for having a religion that had “Jewish” beliefs. And since Apollinaris is a Greco-Roman Catholic saint (see article Apollinaris of Hierapolis), it should be clear that the respected and non-Jewish Christian leaders in the early third century clearly did hold to ideas that were condemned by the allegorists.

The following from Dionysius clearly shows that Nepos was still respected after he died (Nepos died prior to Dionysius’ mid-third century writing of the following) and really did not refute him from a biblical perspective:

But as they produce a certain composition by Nepos, on which they insist very strongly, as if it demonstrated incontestably that there will be a (temporal) reign of Christ upon the earth, I have to say, that in many other respects I accept the opinion of Nepos, and love him at once for his faith, and his laboriousness, and his patient study in the Scriptures, as also for his great efforts in psalmody, by which even now many of the brethren are delighted. I hold the man, too, in deep respect still more, inasmuch as he has gone to his rest before us. Nevertheless the truth is to be prized and reverenced above all things else. And while it is indeed proper to praise and approve ungrudgingly anything that is said aright, it is no less proper to examine and correct anything which may appear to have been written unsoundly. If he had been present then himself, and had been stating his opinions orally, it would have been sufficient to discuss the question together without the use of writing, and to endeavour to convince the opponents, and carry them along by interrogation and reply. But the work is published, and is, as it seems to some, of a very persuasive character; and there are unquestionably some teachers, who hold that the law and the prophets are of no importance, and who decline to follow the Gospels, and who depreciate the epistles of the apostles, and who have also made large promises regarding the doctrine of this composition, as though it were some great and hidden mystery, and who, at the same time, do not allow that our simpler brethren have any sublime and elevated conceptions either of our Lord’s appearing in His glory and His true divinity, or of our own resurrection from the dead, and of our being gathered together to Him, and assimilated to Him, but, on the contrary, endeavour to lead them to hope for things which are trivial and corruptible, and only such as what we find at present in the kingdom of God. And since this is the case, it becomes necessary for us to discuss this subject with our brother Nepos just as if he were present (Dionysius of Alexandria. From the Two Books on the Promises. Copyright © 2008 by Kevin Knight. Viewed 8/14/08).

In other words, Nepos knew his Bible, but did not hold to the same position that allegorists like Dionysius of Alexandria held. But those who held to Judaeo-Christian beliefs, while slightly chastised, simply were almost never condemned by the early allegorists during the Smyrna Church Era.

Mainly, because the early allegorists knew that the original Christians held to beliefs and practices that the allegorists considered to be Jewish–and at this stage, the allegorists simply did not have the ability to condemn the literalists because most who professed Christ at the time knew that the literalists had ties to the original apostolic church. (More information on faithful Christians in northern African locations can be found in the article Arabic Nazarenes May Have Kept Original Christian Practices.)

in the fourth century related to Ethiopia, Frumentius reported:

“And we assemble on Saturday,” he continues; “not that we are infected with Judaism, but to worship Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath” (Davis, Tamar. A General History of the Sabbatarian Churches. 1851; Reprinted 1995 by Commonwealth Publishing, Salt Lake City, pp. 41-42).

Africa has long had groups of people who have kept the seventh-day Sabbath. In the 21st century, there are Church of God groups throughout Africa.

Since it is USA ‘Black History Month,’ I thought it might be appropriate to quote some writings from the late Martin Luther King Jr. Particularly, those on the ancient sun-god religion of Mithraism, that was popular in the Roman Empire from about the first century B.C. until the fourth century A.D.

So here is some of what Dr. King wrote on Mithraism, in a document dated November 23, 1949:

In Avesta, Mithra was the genius of celestial light…The doctrine of the immortality of the soul was another view which was very prominent in Mithraism…

Women were compelled to seek salvation in some other cult, for Mithraism excluded them entirely…

When Mithraism is compared to Christianity, there are surprisingly many points of similarity. Of all the mystery cults, Mithraism was the greatest competitor of Christianity…

That Christians did copy and borrow from Mithraism cannot be denied (King ML. The papers of Martin Luther King, Jr, Volume 4. Clayborne Carson, Ralph Luker, Penny A. Russell editors/compliers. University of California Press, 1992, pp. 213-214, 217, 222, 224).

Of course, true Christians did not really borrow from Mithraism, but the Greco-Roman faiths did.

Here is some of what Dr. King wrote in a document dated February 15, 1950:

Mithraism…was suppressed by the Christians sometime in the latter part of the fourth century A.D.: but its collapse seems to have been due to the fact that by that time many of its doctrines had been adopted by the church, so that it was practically absorbed by its rival.

…the Church made a sacred day out of Sunday partially because…of the resurrection. But when we observe a little further we find that as a solar festival, Sunday was the sacred day of Mithra: it is also interesting to notice that since Mithra was addressed as Lord, Sunday must have been “the Lord’s Day” long before Christian use. It is also to be noticed that our Christmas, December 25th, was the birthday of Mithra, and was only taken over in the Fourth Century as the date, actually unknown, of the birth of Jesus.

To make the picture a little more clear, we may list a few of the similarities between these two religions: (1) Both regard Sunday as a Holy Day. (2) December 25 came to be considered as the anniversary of the birth of Mithra and Christ also. (3) Baptism and a ritual meal were important parts of both groups…

In summary we may say that the belief in immortality, a mediator between god and man, the observance of certain sacramental rites…were common to Mithraism and Christianity. (King ML. The papers of Martin Luther King, Jr, Volume 4. Clayborne Carson, Ralph Luker, Penny A. Russell editors/compliers. University of California Press, 1992, pp. 307, 309.)

Notice that Martin Luther King, Jr. clearly understood that the Sunday churches dropped the Sabbath, that “the Lord’s Day” essentially first meant the day of Mithra, and that the worlds’ churches did adopt many practices from Mithraism.

I wish he and others emphasized this aspect of his writings more. His writings on Mithraism should help raise the awareness of its influence to all. Hopefully, so people who claim Christ will realize that they should not continue practices that many obtained outside of the Bible, but from the influence of Mithraism.

I would again like to emphasize that Christians faithful to the original teachings of Christ, the apostles, and the New Testament did not adopt the practices of Mithraism.

The Continuing Church of God , which opposes Mithraism, has many congregations in various African countries such as Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, and Tanzania. We also have members/tentative supporters that we know of in Uganda, South Africa, Sudan, and elsewhere. I personally visited Africa back in 1985 and was able to visit Africa again in 2014 (information related to a conference held there is in the post CCOG Letter and Nairobi Conference). I was also able to attend for the Continuing Church of God for leaders across Africa in 2017 (information related to a conference held there is in the post). CCOG evangelist Evans Ochieng has visited numerous countries in Africa where people have first contacted us because of finding out about us on the internet–and the list of places continues to grow.

We must, of course, go through those doors that Jesus opens for us.

Jesus taught:

7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,’These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: 8 I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. (Revelation 3:7-8)

37 “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

Are more Gentiles going to be called in this age?

Yes.

In Romans 11, verse 25, the Apostle Paul wrote the following:

25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. (Romans 11:25)

In the second century A.D., Irenaeus of Lyon, who claimed to have received some of his doctrines from Polycarp of Smyrna wrote:

God has made the Gentiles, whose salvation was despaired of, fellow-heirs (Against Heresies, Book I, Chapter X)

It is not possible to name the number of the gifts which the Church, [scattered] throughout the whole world, has received from God, in the name of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and which she exerts day by day for the benefit of the Gentiles (Against Heresies, Book II, Chapter XXXII)

God did purpose to take from among the Gentiles a people for His name (Against Heresies, Book III, Chapter XII)

God has justly rejected them, and given to the Gentiles outside the vineyard the fruits of its cultivation. (Against Heresies, Book IV, Chapter XXXVI)

God shall enlarge unto Japheth, and he shall dwell in the house of Shem, and Ham shall be his servant. That is to say: In the end of the ages he blossomed forth, at the appearing of the Lord, through the calling of the Gentiles, when God enlarged unto them the calling; and their sound went out into all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. The enlarging, then, is the calling from among the Gentiles, that is to say, the Church. (A Discourse on the Demonstration of Apostolic Preaching. Chapter 21)

So, the idea of reaching Gentiles did not die out after the writing of the New Testament.

Getting back to the Apostle Paul, he wrote:

26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:

“The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
27 For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins.” (Romans 11:26-27)

So, in the sequence of Romans 11, we see the full number of the Gentiles will come into the faith (Romans 11:25), prior to Jesus’ return (Romans 11:26).

The late Pastor General of the old Worldwide Church of God, Herbert W. Armstrong, taught the following about Romans 11:25:

Now I want you to study carefully one of the most wonderful, important chapters in all the Bible — the 11th of Romans. … Verse 23 says those who abide not still in unbelief shall YET receive salvation. … Now study carefully beginning verse 25: “Blindness in part is happened to Israel [HOW LONG? Forever? No — note it], UNTIL the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” — the end of this age during which God is calling a people from among the gentiles to bear His name (Acts 15:14). And so, says Romans 11:26, “all Israel SHALL BE SAVED [how?]: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.” The Deliverer, Jesus Christ, is coming again!

When He comes, the gentile times will be over — the BLINDNESS will be removed from the Israelites — and their opportunity — their FIRST chance — of salvation will then come to those whom God had blinded! This is at the time when He comes to REIGN on HIS THRONE — the throne of David, with the saints made immortal reigning and ruling with Him — and the time is DURING THE THOUSAND YEARS!

Notice verse 31. These blinded Israelites have not now, in this age, received mercy, that through the mercy of the gentiles saved in this age, they MAY, THEN, obtain mercy and salvation. How? Because these saved gentiles will then be kings and priests, assisting in this wonderful Work! (Armstrong HW. Where Will The MILLENNIUM Be Spent? Tomorrow’s Word magazine, September 1971, p. 5)

25: “Blindness in part is happened until Israel”-HOW LONG? Forever? No-note it-“UNTIL the fulness of the Gentiles be come in” -the end of this age during which God is calling a people from among the Gentiles to bear His name (Acts 15: 14). … These blinded Israelites have not now, in this age, received mercy, that thru the mercy of the Gentiles saved in this age, they MAY, THEN, obtain mercy and salvation. How? Because these saved Gentiles will then be kings and priests, assisting in this wonderful work! (Armstrong HW. Where Will The MILLENNIUM Be Spent? Plain Truth, February-March 1954 , pp. 4-5)

(25) For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel [or that part of Israel, meaning the great part, the big part — all but a few, have been blinded. It’s the big part actually] until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. [Or the number of Gentiles to be converted becomes complete — as other translations have it] (Armstrong HW. Romans 11-13. Bible Study, June 27, 1980)

Clearly, we are much closer to the time when all the Gentiles are to come in to later be kings and priests than when those articles were published (see also: Christians are to Rule).

More of the Gentiles had to be called and converted– and that is happening now!

Sadly, many people are affected by prejudices and other factors which stop them from acting on the truth and supporting the reaching of the Gentiles.

Jesus taught that the end does NOT come until the ‘Gospel of the Kingdom of God‘ reaches enough nations (Matthew 24:14) and, based on Paul’s writings, we also see that “the full number” (as the NIV, NLT, BSB, CEV, GNT, HCSV, ISV, and NET Bible, put Romans 11:25) of Gentiles God wants in this age come in.

In CCOG we are reaching Gentiles and non-Gentiles (cf. Romans 9:27; see also What is the Ezekiel Warning?).

And that is basically why we have been the fastest growing xWCG church in the 21st century.

The Continuing Church of God has sent songbooks, Bible News Prophecy magazines, other books, history booklets, literature, and other support (including laborers for the harvest) to those in Africa (including food for the hungry and support for widows and orphans). In addition to English, the Continuing Church of God has had literature, such as the Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God (see KATIKA LUGHA YA KISWAHILI) and our Study the Bible Course (see Somo 1 Katika Kiswahili), translated into Kiswahili which is the ‘linga-Franca’ in many nations in Africa.

While English is understood in many parts of Africa, it is often a second or third language. Right now, in addition to English and Kiswahili, we have produced literature in Ekegusii and Dholuo and Asante Twi. We also have limited information in Chichewa and several other African languages (to see a list go to: www.ccog.org).

We also now have a YouTube channel called CCOGAfrica. This channel features messages from ministers in Africa and mainly in African languages (see also CCOGAfrica YouTube channel now live!). Plus, we have a website CCOGAFRICA.ORG which is targeted towards those in Africa–its recent posts tend to feature news as well as new literature available in African languages.

As far as recent news goes, we sent our Kenya-based evangelist Evans Ochieng along with Moise Nshimiyimana from Rwanda to the Democratic Republic of Congo last week, which has resulted in two small congregations coming with us. Now we are in the process of registering the CCOG in the Congo.

That said, as ancient Nepos, for example, demonstrated, Africans are sometimes willing to stand up for what is right when others do not.

Martin Luther King, Jr. pointed out theological changes that many in the world accept, that they should not have.