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10/31/05 a.m. I just got back to from the FOT this morning and wish to thank my son Michael (who came back a few days earlier for posting the recent updates to this website. I have had less than 15 minutes access to the internet over the past 2 weeks and wish to apologise for either delays in answers or providing quite short answers to some emails I received.

There are a couple of interesting pieces from Israel National News (INN):

A Jewish driver in Los Angeles has received $20,000 in compensation after being dismissed for refusing to work on the Sabbath and Jewish holidays.

The outcome of this case means that from now on, the employers of observant Jewish drivers in the LA area will have to take their religious needs into account.

The driver, referred to as Henry, was taken on as an apprentice driver for the Los Angeles Metropolitan District Transportation Authority on June 2nd, 2005. Before long, he was asked to drive on the Sabbath and Jewish holidays. When he asked if he could either change his shifts or take unpaid leave on those dates, the authority refused. Henry ended up having to stay away from work without permission on two days that month, which resulted in his dismissal.

However, Henry did not let the matter rest, and he sued the authority for unfair dismissal on the grounds of religious discrimination.

The case ended with Henry being awarded a compensation settlement of $20,000. At the same time, the authority and the Justice Ministry agreed that any drivers whose work schedules clashed with their religious holidays would be able to either change their shifts or take unpaid leave on those dates. Up to thirty days per year would be allowed for religious holidays, so that drivers could work shifts compatible with their religious requirements.

It is nice that sometimes that law will provide protection for those who wish to try to obey the Bible.

INN also reported:

An official Vatican newspaper has reported that during his upcoming visit to the Vatican, President Moshe Katsav will sign an agreement giving parts of David’s Tomb over to papal control.

If such an agreement is signed, it will put an end to drawn out negotiations that began in 1998.

Israeli and Vatican representatives began discussing issues of jurisdiction over certain sites around seven years ago. These sites include various buildings and parcels of land that the Catholic church claims it used to control.

The church is now seeking to reclaim its ownership of these sites. Among the places under debate is an area that the church refers to as the site of the “last supper,” which is situated at the burial site of Kings David, Solomon, Rechavam, Assa, Chezekiyahu and Amatzia.

The COGs have long claimed that the Vatican would make sufficient territorial claims in Israel to justify its temporal move there.

Zenit reports:

The fathers of the EU were convinced Christians; most were practicing Catholics, who had a vision of Europe built on its Christian foundations.

Its goal was to make national identity something relative by subsuming the concerns of individual states to the greater common good of the broader community, first at the economic level and later, it was hoped, at the cultural and political level. The rejection of the proposed EU Constitution by the citizens of France and Holland shows how much these efforts failed. The reasons for the failure are complex, but the end result is clear...

But is the EU Europe? The short answer is: no. The present Pope has pointed out that the first recorded use of the term -- by the Greek historian Herodotus in the fifth century before Christ -- shows that from the start Europe was never simply a geographical term. It does not refer primarily to a geographical continent but to a spirit.

Here is an article on Europe and the Beast.

10/30/05 a.m. Is Sunday the day for Christians to worship?

The first true reference to Sun-day worship for any professing Christianity was around 150 A.D. by Justin Martyr (over a century after Jesus' death and about 1/2 century after John died). And he used the expression Ηλίου λεγομένη ἡμέρᾳ which literally means "Sun said (called) day". Justin did not use the expression Κυριακη as it was simply not accepted for the first day of the week when John wrote Revelation 1:10. Most of the Protestant, Orthodox, or Roman Catholic faiths , if they studied Justin, would conclude that Justin made many statements that are heretical (for documented proof, please see the article Justin Martyr: Saint, Heretic, or Apostate?).

Many Sunday observers point to The Didache and Ignatius' Letter to the Magnesians as the earliest proof that the early church kept Sunday (as they were probably written decades before Justin Martyr wrote the above), but neither use the expression that Justin Martyr did.

It should be noted that some (mainly 19th century scholars and those who have perpetuated their mistranslations) have intentionally mistranslated the term κυριακήν in The Didache and Ignatius' Letter to the Magnesians as "Lord's day", but all scholars will acknowledge the Greek word for day (ἡμέρᾳ) is missing in the text (I have the text in Greek and can also verify that). Also, real (as opposed to improperly biased) scholars will admit that κυριακήν is more literally translated as "Lord's way" than "Lord's day" ("Lord's day" is a stretch that the term does not literally support). In the Didache, the Greek expression normally translated by 19th Century Protestant scholars as "On the Lord's day" is Κατα κυριακήν δε κυριου, which literally means "According to the Lord of Lords", and not "Lord's day" (the context actually appears to actually be referring to the Christian Passover). In Ignatius’ Letter to the Magnesians, `κυριακήν should be translated as “Lord’s way” or combined with the Greek word that follows it , ζωντες, “Lord’s way of life” or “Lord’s living”.

Actually the the first early document that uses the expression "Lord's day" and specifically ties it to the first day of the week is the apocryphal Gospel of Peter which neither Catholics, Protestants, etc. accept as inspired. No scholar believes that Peter the apostle wrote it (Peter died around 65 A.D.). One researcher noted this about when it was written, "Ultimately, the only certain fact about the date of the origin of the Gospel of Peter is that it was written before 190 C.E. (at that time, Serapion, the bishop of Antioch, condemned it by name). How long before cannot be determined with any degree of certainty" (Bernhard A. Gospel of Peter, Additional Information. http://gospels.net/additional/peteradditional.html 09/15/05).

Although no one knows when the apocryphal Gospel of Peter was written, it most certainly over a century since Jesus died and decades after John died. Surely God would not expect Christians to rely on a late non-inspired writing as proof of a change that is not discussed in the Bible.

All of this and more are discussed in the updated article Is Revelation 1:10 Refering to the Lord's Day or the Day of the Lord?

On the other hand, in the November 2005 edition of the Philadelphia Trumpet, PCG's Gerald Flurry erred a little when he wrote:

Sunday observance was initiated by Constantine, not a pope—but it was enforced by the Roman Catholic Church...

Constantine changed the official day of worship to Sunday during the Nicene Council of a.d. 325.

Constantine did not initiate nor change the official day of worship for the Roman Catholic Church. He simply made their day of worship the official day of worship for the Empire--that is quite a different thing.

The truth is that pagans in the Roman Empire initiated Sunday worship long before Constantine (which is what a quote in that article from HWA correctly states). The bishops of Rome (the ones who later called themselves Popes) observed Sunday long before Constantine. It either occurred about the time that the Bishops of Rome changed Passover from Nisan 14 to a Sunday (Quartodeciman controversy) or by the time that Justin Martyr's influence was successful.

All, and not just PCG, need to be careful that what is reported historically is as accurate as possible.

If any visitor to the COGwriter page is aware of any historical errors in any of my articles, please contact me COGwriter@aol.com

10/29/05 a.m.

10/28/05 a.m. October is commonly considered to be "Reformation Month" by many Protestants (though the first time I read about it was from CG7's Whaid Rose who was promoting it).

For those interested in the truth about Martin Luther, and how Protestants differ from those in the COGs, the following articles should be of interest:

Hope of Salvation: How the COGs differ from most Protestants How the COGs differ from mainstream Protestants, is perhaps the question I am asked most by those without a COG background.
Sola Scriptura or Prima Luther? What Did Martin Luther Really Believe About the Bible? Though he is known for his public sola Scriptura teaching, Martin Luther's writings about the Bible suggest he felt that prima Luther was his ultimate authority.
The Similarities and Dissimilarities between Martin Luther and Herbert Armstrong This article clearly shows some of the doctrinal differences between in the two. At this time of doctrinal variety and a tendency by many to accept certain aspects of Protestantism, the article should help clarify why the COG is NOT Protestant.
Is Revelation 1:10 talking about Sunday or the Day of the Lord? Most Protestant scholars say Sunday, but is that what the Bible teaches?

10/26/05 a.m. Post Feast of Tabernacles greetings! This year we went to the Feast in Clearwater, Florida. This is the first time that we attended a FOT in Florida. We trust that everyone had a spiritually and physically uplifting Feast, in spite of the various tragedies that are occurring.

Of course, the world has it own holidays. Here is some of what a 1967 Plain Truth article, by Gerhard O. Marx, says about it:

EACH YEAR millions around the world observe the strangest of all festivals, Hallowe'en -- All Hallows Evening. Especially so in Great Britain, Scandinavia and the United States. Every autumn, young and old alike anticipate its revels. It's a night of frolicking fun and frivolous foolishness. All kinds of nonsense and superstitions are associated with this festival.

But Why?...

You may not have realized it, but the ancient pre-Christian Druids in Britain, the pagan Romans and Greeks, and even the Babylonians, among others, kept a Hallowe'en festival...

Yes, Hallowe'en long antedates Christianity! It was only later introduced into the professing Christian world -- centuries AFTER the death of the Apostles.

Notice! "The earliest Hallowe'en celebrations [in Britain] were held by the Druids in honour of Samhain, Lord of the Dead, whose festival fell on November 1" (see "Halloween Through Twenty Centuries", by Ralph Linton, p. 4). "It is clearly a RELIC OF PAGAN TIMES"! ("The Book of Days", Chambers, v. 2, p. 519.)

Further, "It was a Druidical belief that on the eve of this festival Saman, lord of death, called together the wicked spirits that within the past 12 months had been condemned to inhabit the bodies of animals" ("Enc. Brit.", 11th ed., v. 12, pp. 857-8). Read what this November celebration was like! It was a pagan belief that on one night of the year the souls of the dead return to their original homes, there to be entertained with food. If food and shelter were not provided, these spirits, it was believed, would cast spells and cause havoc towards those failing to fulfill their requests. "It was the night for the universal walking about of all sorts of spirits, fairies, and ghosts, all of whom had liberty on that night" ("Highland Superstitions", Alexander Macgregor, p. 44). Literal sacrifices were offered on this night to the spirits of the dead, when, so the belief went, they visited their earthly haunts and their friends.

A couple of years ago, I also wrote an article titled Is Halloween Holy Time for Christians? This article provides some additional historical and biblical insight on this question.

10/16/05 a.m. In his latest sermon, LCG's Dibar Apartian cited this portion of scripture:

"And it shall be, when you show this people all these words, and they say to you, 'Why has the LORD pronounced all this great disaster against us? Or what is our iniquity? Or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?' "then you shall say to them, 'Because your fathers have forsaken Me,' says the LORD; 'they have walked after other gods and have served them and worshiped them, and have forsaken Me and not kept My law. And you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, each one follows the dictates of his own evil heart, so that no one listens to Me. Therefore I will cast you out of this land into a land that you do not know, neither you nor your fathers; and there you shall serve other gods day and night, where I will not show you favor.' (Jeremiah 16:10-13)

It brought the latest disasters to my mind.

In the latest Philadelphia Trumpet, Joel Hilliker wrote,

Americans seem increasingly unable to distinguish luxuries from necessities. We are virtually all, to one degree or another, accustomed to affluence, softened by push-button technology, reliant on the infrastructure of commerce, dependent on openhanded government....

What if the affluence ended?

What if the government checks stopped coming? Or if they became worthless?

What if the convenient food ran out—if Americans by the millions faced boarded-up fast food joints and grocery stores with empty shelves?

What would happen if gasoline first became too expensive to afford—and then too scarce to find?

How much patience would Americans exhibit? For how long would they peacefully suffer such conditions? How well would they work together under the rule of law?

Likely, the vast majority would bear up relatively well. But what about the rest? And how long before the criminals emerged?...

Independent analysts and federal officials are imagining such eventualities based on observable evidence in order to plan their responses and to mitigate the devastation. But their imaginations simply cannot conceive what actually awaits.

What these individuals don’t realize is that—barring national repentance—these disasters are prophesied to claim the lives of one third of the people within our borders. God’s prophecy will stand. “The sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine within: he that is in the field shall die with the sword; and he that is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour him” (Ezekiel 7:15). The pestilence—the plague of rioting, terrorist violence and burning—will ravage our cities. People in the country, or field, will die from other causes (verse 24).

The seeds of this future calamity have already been sown.

There is only one solution to this nightmare: Our people must repent and turn to God. If we fail to do that, the suffering is just beginning.

That is true.

Also in the latest Philadelphia Trumpet, Stephen Flurry wrote,

In May of 2001, the Trumpet’s editor in chief announced that the world had entered into its last hour before Jesus Christ’s Second Coming (see 1 John 2:18, Revised Standard Version). In September of that year, we referred to that proclamation in the pages of this magazine. And about the same time that issue landed in mailboxes all over the world, 19 Islamic terrorists were putting the finishing touches on their plan to blow up the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the Capitol...

Earlier this year, on June 4, our editor in chief announced in a sermon that the world had now entered the last half of the last hour. Less than five months after his 2001 announcement, 9/11 jolted the United States. After the June announcement, in less than three months, Katrina smashed into the Gulf Coast.

It seems that PCG is saying that there are only fours years left or that the next four years will have more turmoil. I tend to believe that the latter is correct.

In the Good News, UCG's Vince Szymkowiak writes:

Following the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles is a final feast day, the eighth day (Leviticus 23:36). This festival has an ultimate and profound meaning in the plan of God.

Many today worry about loved ones who died before they came to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. They worry about loved ones who died before they repented and were baptized in faith. Their concern is that their loved ones are lost, doomed forever...

But God is a God of love. He will never allow any human being to be lost without first being given a fair opportunity to hear the gospel. All who have gone to their graves without the knowledge of God will ultimately be given an opportunity to know God and respond to Him.

In Ezekiel 37:10-14 we read of a great resurrection of people, Israelites who had died without really having understood God's great plan: "So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceeding great army."

God's words to them are: "Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it."

Ezekiel 37 tells us that a time is coming when those who died without the full knowledge of God will be given an opportunity for salvation. They will finally recognize Jesus Christ for what He really is, our Lord and our Savior.

Non-Christians who lived their entire lives without ever hearing the name of Jesus —the only name by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12)—will at last have the opportunity to accept His sacrifice as payment for their sins and be given their opportunity to receive God's Spirit.

This last of God's festivals represents the Last Judgment. The meaning of this final festival is that a time is yet coming in God's timetable in which those who never had the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will be raised from their graves and learn God's truth for the first time.

Jesus described it as a time when the long-dead inhabitants of Nineveh and people like the Queen of Sheba would rise in a period of judgment with those of Jesus' day (Matthew 12:41-42). Since the Father "has committed all judgment to the Son" (John 5:22), Jesus himself will be the final judge of all mankind.

This festival does not symbolize, as Pentecost does, those who presently are called and who know the Lord's will. We know that our time of judgment is right now, and that we must be busy serving God today.

But those who have never known the truth will someday be given the opportunity to know God and understand His great plan. The meaning of this festival is that it will not ultimately be only the few who will be given opportunity for salvation, but the many. God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4, compare 2 Peter 3:9).

The above is pretty consistent with what the COGs teach on this subject.

However, keeping with UCG's doctrinal study paper, you will note that he does not refer to John 7:37 or call this day "the Last Great Day". This is one of the many changes that UCG has made, yet they do not consider this to have been a change that requires 75% of their eldership to approve.

Those interested in determining if UCG made this change based on the Bible or Protestant scholarship, may wish to read the article on UCG's Last Great Day study paper.

10/15/05 a.m. The latest (Aug 31, 2005) edition of The Journal: News of the Churches of God is out. You can access its front and back pages by opening this pdf link: www.thejournal.org/issues/issue103/jf083105.pdf

Just in time for the Feast of Tabernacles, I have just written an article about it titled The Feast of Tabernacles: A Time for Christians? Whether you are new to the idea of a Feast of Tabernacles or quite familiar with it, this breif article may be of interest.

More information on the Holy Days can be found in the booklet, The Holy Days - God's Master Plan

In addition the following individual articles include information not in the above booklet (and some that is):

Is There "An Annual Worship Calendar" In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles which state that this should be a local decision. Also you can click here for the calendar of Holy Days.
Should Christians Keep the Days of Unleavened Bread? Do they have any use or meaning now? This article supplies some biblical answers.
Melito's Homily on the Passover This is one of the earliest Christian writings about the Passover. This also includes what Apollinaris wrote on the Passover as well.
UCG and Its Unleavened Bread Study Paper What does the Bible say about eating unleavened bread for seven days? What has UCG officially said about it?
The Book of Life and the Feast of Trumpets? Are they related? Is so how? If not, where not?
The Day of Atonement--Its Christian Significance The Jews call it Yom Kippur, Christians "The Day of Atonement". Does it have any relevance for Christians today?
The Feast of Tabernacles: A Time for Christians? Is this pilmagrage holy day still valid? Does it teach anything relevant for today's Christians?

Actually God's plan as revealed through the Holy Days is a major way that the COGs differ from Protestants. More information can be found in the article Hope of Salvation: How the Church of God Differs from Protestantism

10/14/05 a.m. Yesterday, I put together a small article titled The Day of Atonement--Its Christian Significance.

I realize it is a day late on this page, but still is appropriate for Christians to read.

WCG's Tom Hansen reported:

"Hurricane Rita

We’ve heard from Gene Koch and James Scales, our pastors in Beaumont, Texas, on how members fared during Hurricane Rita. They had ten nights of pitch blackness at night and lack of communications. Gene evacuated for about six days and came back to a house with only a few shingles missing. He used a generator for about six days.

Here {part]...of their report:

Words cannot describe the damage done. All streets were blocked with downed trees. All members in the Beaumont church have been contacted with the exception of two and those contacted have minimal damage to their homes".

On a related note, LCG's prayer request site mentioned:

"Thank you for asking. There are several more;(In addition to the Cecil Burks & Lawrence Johnson families.) Mrs. Wanda Sablich lost the roof of her home to a tornado. They have been “camping out” in an adjacent utility room. Mr. and Mrs. Dennis and Virginia Peristeras’s home was inundated by 4 feet of water and smashed by a big oak tree. Two of their vehicles were destroyed in addition to most of their furnishings, etc. Our deacon, Mr. Steve Climer and his wife Cynthia suffer flooding up to 3 feet—ruining walls, and some furnishings. Mrs. Julia Quave suffered damaged to her mobile home, allowing water to pour inside. Phone communication continues to be random and non-existent in some areas.

The families of Cecil Burkes and Lawrence Johnson are doing well. However, they suffered massive damage to property. Mr. Johnson and family were in the homes when the tree hit their home. It is a total loss. Fortunately, they were preserved without bodily injury. The Burkes have been camping out in the front of their home. MRE’s and ice have been a real blessing. Electricity should be hooked up soon, if not already. Both their vehicles were totaled in addition to damage to their mobile home."

There will be other disruptions that those in the COG will have until a separation occurs.

From time to time, the "Sacred Name Movement" pops up with its arguments against the name of God and Jesus. Here are two articles that address most of their issues:

Why the Names Jesus and Christ in English? Was the New Testament Written in Hebrew or Greek? Various groups believe that the name Jesus should not be used, but instead other pronunciations and spellings. This is an article, which appeared in the The Living Church News by the late evangelist John Ogwyn, addresses this, as well as if the New Testament was written in Hebrew or Greek.
God’s Names and the Jewish Reading Tradition This article which appeared in the The Living Church News by John Wheeler, addresses this, as well as a few other Hebrew and Greek points.

10/13/05 a.m. This morning I received an offer (which I consider to be religious spam since it was not personal and I did not ask for it) to list my "church" with a particular website. However, when I went to the page it stated:

"PLEASE REMEMBER: By posting your church directory listing on GodlyPlaces.com, you are stating that you comply with the Statement of Faith and Participation Requirements as outlined on the Mission page."

Of course the site is trinitarian.

The claimed part of the site's mission is:

"To give the Christian community a single portal of access into a world of Christian information, ministries, sharing of the gospels in fellowship, merchandise and other useful resources. "

So even though the trinitarians take offense at those in the COGs calling them "professing Christians", they continue to try block us out as they do not wish us to be considered Christian. The simple fact that in the past several weeks, I keep running into Protestants who try to block what we in the COGs teach. I truly believe they fear that if people knew the truth about what we teach, they would support us.

Of course the site claims to believe the Bible, Old and New Testaments. If they do, they should read the article Binitarian View: One God, Two Beings from Before the Beginning.

This AP story was in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, CA :

"Natural disaster in the United States has morphed to a dangerous new level. Some experts say the nation can expect to be pummeled by more of these mega-catastrophes over the next 20 or 30 years in a nasty conspiracy of unfavorable weather patterns, changing demographics and political denial.

It's not clear how the United States will play the new hand that nature has apparently dealt.

"Are we prepared to lose a major city every year?" asks Carnegie Mellon University risk strategist Baruch Fischhoff. "It's cowardice not to ask the question, and cowardice on the public's part not to get engaged in the answer."

"We failed quite significantly," says sociologist Havidan Rodriguez, director of the Disaster Research Center at the University of Delaware. "Will what we've seen over the last few weeks continue to be the case? It could unless we prepare. People tend to forget lessons learned. Governments tend to forget."

Governments often simply blame the past leaders and claim that they do everything they can. The entire story is at http://www2.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_3104877

10/12/05 a.m. Tonight is the Day of Atonement (which Jews call Yom Kippur). My son Michael wrote a short Feasts and Fasts Quiz (15 questions).

In the current edition of Vision, COGaic's David Hulme answers the question "Was Constantine a Christian?" with historically accurate statements such as:

"Soon after he captured Rome, “the Christian emperor” approved a new priesthood in Egypt, dedicated to the worship of his imperial family, the Flavians. This action was to be expected, since the imperial cult was still in vogue. And if there was not a compelling reason to change a popular custom that kept him elevated in people’s esteem, why do so? What Constantine succeeded in doing was to adapt previous traditions for new purposes. According to Jones, “the institutions devoted to the imperial cult were without difficulty secularized and continued to flourish under the Christian empire” (Constantine and the Conversion of Europe, 1978).

In a related example, the emperor retained the pagan religious title Pontifex Maximus (supreme pontiff; literally “great builder of the bridge” [between the gods and men]) throughout his life.

Its practical aspect was that he continued to hold supreme authority over all religions, including, of course, his preferred version of Christianity.

This is not to say that he did not move away from pagan practice at times. For example, in 315, as the celebration of his 10th anniversary as Augustus got under way, he refused to allow sacrifices to the traditional Roman gods.

The sun nevertheless provided the emperor, like so many others before him, with a symbol of life-sustaining power, strength and heavenly light, which he could manipulate to his advantage. In 274 the emperor Aurelian had declared Sol Invictus (the Unconquered Sun) the one supreme God. It is not surprising that soon after succession to emperor in 306, Constantine, filled with overweening ambition, had coins struck with the words “To the Unconquered Sun my companion”—a practice he continued into the 320s...

When the emperor established a permanent day of rest empirewide in 321, he was no doubt happy to choose a day that had significance for Roman Christianity and that happened to coincide with his devotion to Apollo. Accordingly he wrote, “All magistrates, city dwellers and artisans are to rest on the venerable day of the Sun.” Nowhere did he mention Christ or “the Lord’s day.” He only mentions veneration of the sun. Jones notes that it seems the emperor “imagined that Christian observance of the first day . . . was a tribute to the unconquered sun.”

When Constantine established the date for the celebration of Easter, he formalized the method still used today: Easter Sunday is the first Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox, when the sun’s position marks the beginning of spring. This was the practice of the churches at Alexandria in Egypt and in the West when Constantine came on the scene, whereas the churches in the East established the date based on the Jewish Passover. While the sun’s position was part of the new method of calculation, it was probably Constantine’s hatred of the Jews rather than his devotion to Apollo that caused him to insist on the change. As he wrote in a summary letter, “Let there be nothing in common between you and the detestable mob of Jews! . . . with that nation of parricides and Lord-killers” (Eusebius, Life of Constantine 3.18.2; 3.19.1)...

Constantine’s actual conversion to Christianity did not occur until he was dying, for only then did he receive a rite of baptism...His involvement in the executions of his wife, Fausta; his son, Crispus; and his sister’s stepson, Licinianus, a year after the ecclesiastical conference of Nicea, leave little doubt that his value system was anything but that of a follower of Christ. Certainly, aspects of Christian belief influenced his rule, but his career demonstrates more evidence of continued pagan adherence than personal Christian commitment."

Actually, it was during his reign that resulted in more Christians of various sorts (including true ones) being killed than by most of those who had been emperor previously. More information is in the article Europa, Europe, and the Beast of Revelation.

10/11/05 a.m. The October-November 2005 edition of CG7's Bible Advocate had this from Loren Stacey on choosing a Church:

"The question now becomes "Which church?" As you indicate, each denomination and congregation has its own unique flavor. As someone has said, if you're looking for a perfect church, you're going to be disappointed. Even if you could find one, it probably wouldn't let you join!

Because churches are composed of people, perfection waits for Christ's return. But there are qualities that recommend some denominations and congregations over others, and the people in those churches are a factor. You may wish to consider your options using questions like these: Are the teachings and practices of this church in agreement with God's Word? Are members of this church doers, not just hearers, of God's Word (James 1:22-25)? Does this church lift up Jesus and give Him all that is His due? Does this church produce mature, obedient disciples of Christ? Are leaders of this church persons I can respect and to whom I can submit (1 Thess. 5:12-13; Titus 3:1)? Is this church a place where I will be encouraged and enabled to develop and serve?

And perhaps most important: Is this the church to which Christ is calling me (Eph. 4:11-13)?"

Actually, there are some more specific guidelines which can be found in either of the following articles:

Attending the Church of Choice This article discusses whose choice is important to worship God; should you attend the church of your choice or the church of God's choice?
Unity: Which COG for You? Why so many groups? Why is there lack of unity in the Churches of God? Has it always been this way? What can/should be done about it?

LCG also has a telecast titled Where is God's True Church Today? available at http://www.lcg.org/cgi-bin/tw/telecast/tw-telecast.cgi?category=Media1&item=1104439490

Those more interested in CG7 should read the article on the teachings of the Church of God, Seventh Day.

I was quite surprised to see that the Bible Advocate also had an article from Brian Knowles. As far as I can tell, since he is part of Ken Westby's ACD, I presume that he (like Westby) denies the deity of Christ. Those of us in the COGs DO believe that Jesus was God. More information can be found in the article Binitarian View: One God, Two Beings from Before the Beginning.

On other matters, is this AP story:

"FRANKFURT, Germany -- The runways that once helped feed a blockaded Berlin, bade Elvis Presley farewell after his Army service and provided the first glimpse of freedom for hostages returning from Iran now stand empty.

A hub of U.S. military activity for decades, Rhein-Main Air Base, is being given back to Germany, its logistical functions taken over by bases at Ramstein and Spangdahlem. Ceremonies set for Monday will mark the hand-over, which will take until the end of the year.

"The mission has moved," said U.S. Air Force Col. Tom Schnee, who is overseeing the shutdown.

Since 1945, the base has had a role in nearly every major conflict for the United States, from ferrying troops to Europe to providing support for the 1990 gulf war, and again in the 2003 invasion of Iraq."

Prophecy moves on.

10/10/05 a.m. AOL News carried this AP story:

"MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan (Oct. 10) - Shopkeepers clashed with looters Monday, and hungry families huddled under tents while waiting for relief supplies after Pakistan's worst earthquake razed entire villages and buried roads in rubble. Death toll estimates ranged from 20,000 to 30,000. "

The New York Times carried this AP story:

"MIAMI, Oct. 9 (AP) - Hurricane Vince formed Sunday in the far eastern Atlantic, but the storm did not immediately threaten land, forecasters said.

The storm, the 11th hurricane this season, the second-busiest on record, was about 550 miles east-southeast of the Azores and heading northeast. Richard Pasch, a hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, said it was unlikely to reach land.

Forecasters said it appeared to be the farthest east and north that a hurricane had been recorded."

Things are getting interesting. And the following story shows it in a different way:

"VATICAN CITY, OCT. 9, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo asked a blunt question when addressing the Synod of Bishops: "May access to Eucharistic Communion be allowed to those who deny human and Christian values and principles?"

The president of the Pontifical Council for the Family raised the question in connection with politicians and lawmakers. He answered his own question with a "no."

"So-called personal option cannot be separated from the sociopolitical duty," the cardinal said Friday. "It is not a 'private' problem. The acceptance of the Gospel, of the magisterium and of right reasoning are needed!"

The Bible talks about the woman that rides the Beast (see Revelation and the Europa article). The Catholic Church is determined to have more political influence as the above story shows.

However, to put it all in perspective, in the latest LCG Commentary, Gary Ehman states:

"Jesus Christ warned His disciples that in the end-times these very issues would dominate the world scene. But in the face of this prophesied human misery, He inexplicably told them: “See that you are not troubled” (Matthew 24:6). Was Jesus being callused to the individual and communal misery caused by natural disasters of earthquake, hurricane, or from war and other human depravity? Does He want His followers not to relate to, or be moved by the sufferings of this end-time age? "

You can click here for the entire commentary.

10/09/05 a.m. This morning, ABC News reported this AP story:

"BALAKOT, Pakistan Oct 9, 2005 — Villagers desperate to find survivors dug with bare hands Sunday through the debris of a collapsed school where children had been heard crying beneath the rubble after a massive earthquake killed more than 30,000 people in Pakistani-controlled Kashmir alone.

"I have been informed by my department that more than 30,000 people have died in Kashmir," Tariq Mahmmod, communications minister for the Himalayan region, told The Associated Press.

Saturday's magnitude-7.6 quake also struck India and Afghanistan, which reported hundreds dead."

"And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows" (Matthew 24:7-8).

On other matters, one reader sent in this news piece:

"The EUROSYSTEM is the world’s largest single holder of gold, easily exceeding the amount held by the world’s previous largest holder, the US  - as a consequence of the changes resulting from the introduction of the euro.   The Eurosystem consists of the European Central Bank (ECB) in Frankfurt and the national central banks of the member countries that have joined the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), under the terms of the 1992 Maastricht treaty.   The ECB controls more than a THIRD of all the gold held by central banks and international monetary institutions.

While the gold and foreign exchange reserves of the national central banks will remain in their possession,  it is important to emphasise that - under the terms of the Maastricht treaty - ALL gold and foreign exchange reserves are at the disposal of the ECB.   According to the Maastricht treaty, transactions above a certain limit will be subject to approval by the ECB.  Guidelines covering any gold and foreign exchange transactions carried out by the former national central banks have been adopted but have not, however, been published."

The fact of the huge gold reserves, combined with US debt, and German exports will make the US decrease as Europe will increase. Some history on Europe and religion (including where Europe claims it got its name) can be found in the article Europa, Europe, and The Beast.

UCG's President Clyde Kilough reports:

"I am pleased to announce that the Council of Elders recently approved the name for the new video program (for both television and Internet) that we will soon begin producing at the home office. We are going to call it, Beyond Today: Understanding Your Future. The main title, Beyond Today, obviously speaks to the hope we preach of God's soon-coming Kingdom, but we will also focus on helping viewers grasp the gospel's relevance to their lives today, how that "godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come" (1 Timothy 4:8)."

While I hope this does well, it should be noted that it has essentially taken UCG a decade to come up with this. Actually, over 9 years ago, a UCG chairman stated the following:

"Some get overly anxious about doing a work...Some would like to see us do it right this time." (Dick, Bob. From the Chairman: How Would God Start a Church? New Beginnings. March 4, 1996).

That, and other quotes, can be found in the documented article, Differences Between UCG and LCG.

10/08/05 a.m. There have been many earthquakes since yesterday:

Jakarta, Oct. 8 (AP): A strong earthquake rocked parts of Indonesia's tsunami-ravaged Aceh province today, causing panic among residents, official and witnesses said. There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck near southern Aceh's Singkil town and its surrounding areas at 11:30 am (1000 IST), said Muslih, an official at the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency.

Friday October 7, 2005 11:16 PM

A Magnitude 5.8 hit 35 miles SW of San Salvador.  "A magnitude-5 earthquake can cause considerable damage".

And none of these were in Southern California--were most experts expect a significant big one.

Yesterday, ICG's Mark Armstrong reported:

"This morning’s news carried terrorist threats against the New York subway system, and included the evacuation of the Washington monument due to a bomb threat. President Bush delivered a live address yesterday to bolster support for the war on terror, the war in Iraq, and to remind us that we’re in for a very long haul before this menace is defeated. I personally doubt it can be defeated with all the restrictions that are being applied. He did however make quite a profound statement, which I believe that we as a group can take to heart in a way that the president never intended. He said we should never underestimate the difficulties that lie ahead. "

On other news, PCG now has a picture of its version of Ambassador Auditorium (http://www.pfconcerts.org/docs/whatsnew.asp).

GF still does not get it, it is not trying to have the appearance of the material aspects of the old WCG that makes one Philadelphian. Philadelphians love there brethren by placing their top priority on proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom to the world as a witness (Matthew 24:24), while holding fast to the truths restored to that era (Revelation 3:11), and going through those doors that Christ opens (Revelation 3:8).

More information can be found in the article Teachings Unique to the Philadelphia Church of God and What is a True Philadelphian?

10/07/05 a.m. The Times On-Line UK posted the following article:

"THE hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church has published a teaching document instructing the faithful that some parts of the Bible are not actually true.

The Catholic bishops of England, Wales and Scotland are warning their five million worshippers, as well as any others drawn to the study of scripture, that they should not expect “total accuracy” from the Bible.

“We should not expect to find in Scripture full scientific accuracy or complete historical precision,” they say in The Gift of Scripture...In their foreword to the teaching document, the two most senior Catholics of the land, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, Archbishop of Westminster, and Cardinal Keith O’Brien, Archbishop of St Andrew’s and Edinburgh, explain its context.

They say people today are searching for what is worthwhile, what has real value, what can be trusted and what is really true...

UNTRUE

Genesis ii, 21-22

So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh; and the rib which the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man

Genesis iii, 16

God said to the woman [after she was beguiled by the serpent]: “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”

Matthew xxvii, 25

The words of the crowd: “His blood be on us and on our children.”

Revelation xix,20

And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had worked the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with brimstone.”

The entire article is at: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-1811332,00.html

I should mention that a Catholic colleague I discussed this with this morning says that this is a heretical group of Catholics and that their position is clearly against Catholic teaching.

My researching into the Catholic views of prophecy already confirmed that the Roman Catholics officially do not believe many of the portions of the Book of Revelation should be interpretted literally. I personally left the Catholic Church after I began to read the New Testament and saw basically no relationship between it and the normal practices of the Roman Catholic Church. I also left the Worldwide Church of God after a letter from Pasadena told me to not rely on the Bible to determine doctrine--it said to rely on human hermaneutics (a fancy word for tradition). Should we rely on the Bible or Tradition?

Zenti reports:

"WHEATON, Illinois, OCT. 5, 2005 (Zenit) - From antagonists following the Reformation to allies in recent years, Catholics and evangelical Protestants are forming new bonds and identifying points of common Christian affirmation.

So says Mark Noll, the McManis Professor of Christian Thought at Wheaton College, senior adviser to the Institute for the Study of American Evangelicals, and co-author of "Is The Reformation Over?: An Evangelical Assessment Of Contemporary Roman Catholicism" (Baker Publishing Group) with Carolyn Nystrom.

Noll shared with ZENIT how he thinks Catholics and evangelicals are bridging the gap -- and what may still stand in the way of Christian unity...

Mary remains a sticking point for a number of reasons. With our strong focus on Christ as the only redeemer of sinners, we evangelicals are nervous about any talk concerning Mary that makes her sound like a savior.

Practically speaking, what I think most Catholics consider devotion to Mary is perceived by evangelicals as worship of Mary."

Unless the current Pontiff does something about bishops calling parts of the Bible untrue, there will be more than the Mary issue that Protestants will have major issues with. The reality is that the Catholics are trying to get Protestants and Orthodox back in the Catholic fold.

10/06/05 a.m. In his commentary about the Iraq situation, CEM's Ron Dart wrote:

This war had to be fought.

Note, I do not say "has to be fought." At this point only a blithering idiot thinks we can walk away from it. This war was inevitable and had to be joined at some point. Yes, it is dangerous. Yes, we are losing men, but the Iraqi people are losing many more than we are, and they have no choice but to fight on. Even if we believe the war was a mistake, honor demands that we fight and die, if necessary, alongside the Iraqis. And don’t forget, while all those criminals are fighting us in Iraq, they aren’t blowing up trains in New York...

Islamic fascism has been advancing strongly throughout the world of Islam for decades. Hatred for the west in general and the Jews in particular is taught in every Mosque, in every school, it dominates the newspapers, television and has spread like a virus. Sooner or later, battle would be joined, and if Osama had been patient, on terms even less favorable to the west than they are today.

While it is true that there may have been no WMD in Iraq, this war would still have had to be fought...

Christian people must not undermine the administration at this most dangerous time."

While I agree with the last statement, I do not agree with Christian Educational Ministries Ron Dart's advocacy of this war in particular, or his previous condoning of true Christians being in the military. Those truly in the COGs do not fight in wars, no do we get involved in promoting wars. Those interested in more information should read the article Military Service and the COGs which quotes the Bible, Ron Dart, and others.

On the other hand, I do not believe that the COGs should do what Norman Edwards did on the war. He still has this open letter at his Servant's News site, that includes statements such as:

THE HYPOCRISY OF ATTACKING IRAQ
An Open Letter to President George Walker Bush...

"There is also much more that you could do to protect our nation other than war. We could secure our borders for much less than the cost of this war. As it is now, illegal aliens can walk across the border into our national parks—with only greatly understaffed park police to worry about. Furthermore, we could require all non-citizens from terrorist countries to report to law enforcement on a regular basis—this is not unconstitutional—aliens do not have constitutional rights. Finally, we could invoke the death penalty for illegal aliens from “terrorist nations” who do not report within a certain length of time. This is much less harsh than starting a war and killing a lot of Iraqi people who are legally living in their own country.

4) We are hypocritical if we fight Saddam just because he kills innocent people. Saddam believes he is killing to “protect his own interests”—just like we thought we were protecting our own interests by killing in Cuba (Bay of Pigs), Viet Nam, Grenada, Afghanistan, etc. America has lost about 4,000 innocent civilians due to terrorist attacks. Iraq would probably lose many more innocent civilians if we attack. They will probably lose even more soldiers—men who have no option to avoid Saddam’s wars, but only the choices to fight or to die...

6) Our approach to nations and the UN has been hypocritical. A few months ago, you were saying that Saddam was a menace to the world because he was violating UN rules on forbidden arms. You sought the support of the UN—which decided upon weapons inspections, rather than immediate war. But now that the UN and many other nations do not see enough evidence to fight, you have said that we are ready to fight without their approval—for having arms forbidden by the UN. If the UN is a valid international body of law, then both of us should follow it. But if it is not, then how can we fault Saddam for having arms “forbidden” by the UN?

If Saddam is so evil, why do other nations not see it? If his weapons of mass destruction are so dangerous, why are few of his neighbors ready to help depose him? Is it possible that they think Saddam is a bad neighbor, but that more American control in the region is even worse?"

It is not that he never made any valid points, but I simply do not believe that the COGs should try to get involved in worldly politics of this type in this manner.

I should add that Ron Dart, even though supporting the war, also wrote, "What is the correct anti-war effort? Vote for a candidate who says he won’t go to war. That is what democracy is all about."

He and others should read the article Should a Christian Vote?

I should also add that I believe that UCG has a good article that COG young men in the US should read about dealing with a potential draft. It is available at http://www.ucg.org/un/un0509/warfare.htm

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Volume 9, issue 15