Church of God News

COGwriter

Joel Osteen is one of the most popular Protestant ministers in the world.  He and his wife have a huge following, both on television and in print.

And while I do not agree with much of his theology, a few years he decided that he should not eat pork or shellfish.

He took a bold step by  telling people not to eat those biblically unclean animals and only to eat biblically clean ones.

There is an abbreviated YouTube where he says that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU5kek3D-4I

And while Joel Osteen and I do not agree on a lot of doctrine, I thought that this was a bold and courageous step for him to take. Teaching this may cost him followers.  But it is true.

To learn more about clean and unclean meats, please study the following article:

The New Testament Church and Unclean Meats Are foods considered to have been unclean in the Old Testament considered to be food in the New Testament? This article discusses this from the perspective of the New Testament. It also has a list of clean and unclean animals. It also answers the question, is pork healthy or is pork dangerous?

The 220 kg Gold brick displayed in Taiwan

COGwriter

LCG reported the following in its latest World Ahead Weekly Update:

India and China Buying Gold. Gold prices are a powerful indicator of national trust in world currencies. As confidence in national currencies increases, the price of gold falls. However, gold prices increase as confidence in national currencies falls. As confidence in the U.S. dollar declines, other nations are increasing their gold holdings and using them to replace their stock of U.S. dollars. This week, India purchased 200 tons of gold from the International Monetary Fund—even though gold was selling at a near all-time high. This transaction was worth almost US$7 billion. Economists expect China to follow suit in the very near future as it works to convert some of its US$2 trillion of foreign currency reserves into a safer source. All of this translates into declining confidence in the U.S. dollar and its continued decline in value on the world stage (MSN.com, November 3, 2009). The “greenback” (U.S. dollar) and British pound were once the coveted currencies of the world, but as these and other Israelite-descended nations move further afield from God’s way, these currencies are approaching the value of “just” the paper that they are printed on. God encouraged the Israelite nations long ago, that if they would be obedient to Him, they would be the head and the nations of the world would be the tail—they would be the lenders and the rest of the nations would be the borrowers (Deuteronomy 28:12-14).

Historically, nations do not tend to buy massive amounts of gold when it is at or near all time highs.  Taiwan is also a major holder of gold.

Also notice the following news item:

“To have India step in and buy half of the IMF gold was a big surprise,” said Joe Foster, a precious metals analyst at Van Eck Global. “It shows that other central banks are looking to buy gold.”

Analysts say many monetary policy makers are looking for ways to reduce their exposure to the U.S. dollar, which is the traditional reserve currency of choice for many foreign central banks…

Traders say gold could emerge as the “new dollar” when it comes to reserve currencies.

(Rooney B. Gold hits a record near $1100.  CNNMoney, November 4, 2009 http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/04/markets/gold/?postversion=2009110415

So why are certain nations buying gold now?

Certain nations like India are correctly convinced that even if gold drops in value, ultimately, the dollar itself will dip much further.  The Bible is clear that after the Great Tribulation begins, gold will still have value.  And it will until sometime during what the Bible calls “the day of the Lord”.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

India, Its Biblical Past and Future: Any Witness? The Bible discusses the origins of those of Indian heritage and discusses some of the witness to them (including those in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka).
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters This article provides information showing that the Chinese peoples must have known about various accounts in the Book of Genesis up until their dispersion after the Tower of Babel.
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: The Sabbath and Some of God’s Witness in China When did Christianity first come to China? And is there early evidence that they observed the seventh day sabbath?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies 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?  Why does he accumulate gold?

EU Flag

COGwriter

In his update last night, ICG’s Mark Armstrong reported the following about the news of the week:

The biggest news of all from a prophetic standpoint is the fact that the so-called Lisbon treaty for the European Union has now cleared the last roadblocks and been ratified.  From this day forward Europeans of every nationality and culture are citizens of the EU.  No national government in Europe any longer has the legal ability to challenge or opt out of any law or action taken by the new supranational European State.

They’re still calling it the European Union, as the name has long been recognized and accepted.  But, now that the Lisbon treaty has (by hook or crook) been “legally” ratified, as of November 3, 2009 the world has entered a completely new era in Europe’s history.

Consider the following points on this development compiled by Prof. Anthony Coughian, and published by The Brussels Journal.

1. It establishes a legally new European Union the constitutional form of a supranational European State.

2. It empowers this new European Union to act as a State vis-à-vis other States and its own citizens.

3. It makes all Europeans citizens of this new European Union.

4. To hide the enormity of the change, the same name—European Union—will be kept while the Lisbon Treaty changes fundamentally the legal and constitutional nature of the Union.

5. It creates a Union Parliament for the Union’s new citizens.

6. It creates a Cabinet Government of the new Union.

7. It creates a new Union political President.

8. It creates a civil rights code for the new Union’s citizens.

9. It makes national Parliaments subordinate to the new Union.

10. It gives the new Union self-empowerment powers.

…This development represents the culmination of so many things that my Dad, and his Dad pointed out that were leading to this over the decades.  They always believed and taught that, in order for Europe to fulfil the role suggested by Bible prophecy, it would ultimately have to merge into a single economic, political, and ultimately militaristic entity.  From our standpoint, this news is absolutely huge, and has enormous implications for the entire world.  But, at least so far, there has been little if any notice paid by the mainstream media.

For all intents and purposes, national sovereignty no longer exists anywhere in Europe.  It has all been rendered legally obsolete by the emergence of a new European State.

It should be pointed out that the EU does not yet run like the above indicates.  However, this certainly is the direction that the EU is heading towards.

Herbert W. Armstrong predicted a coming European supranational state at the end of WWII.  Dr. R.C. Meredith of the Living Church of God worked for Herbert W. Armstrong from the early 1950s until Herbert W. Armstrong died in 1986.  Dr. Meredith has been teaching that a European supranational state would come for nearly 60 years himself.

And as regular readers of this page are aware, I have believed and taught this for over three decades myself.  Prophetic events are lining up.

Two articles of possibly related interest may include:

Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? What is ahead for Europe?  Is it destined to rule?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies 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?

COGwriter

A reader forwarded me the following article related to Sony’s upcoming 2012 movie:

The maker of the upcoming apocalyptic film “2012” has conceded he enjoyed orchestrating the visual disintegration of the world’s religious symbols, such as the Vatican and the famous statue of Jesus overlooking Rio de Janeiro.

But he left an Islamic symbol alone because he feared the reaction from the Muslim world.

In an interview with the online SciFiWire website, Roland Emmerich said he had considered including the destruction of the Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure in Mecca worshiped by Muslims as being built by Abraham and his son Ishmael.

“Well, I wanted to do that, I have to admit,” Emmerich said. “But my co-writer Harald [Kloser] said I will not have a fatwa on my head because of a movie. And he was right. … We have to all … in the Western world … think about this.”…

The new movie depicts the destruction of Rome, Rio and Washington. The White House gets it when a wave carries the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy and drops it atop the structure, and St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican rolls over onto a crowd of the faithful…

“Because I’m against organized religion,” he said. http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=115011

While I will not comment now on Roland Emmerich’s views on religion, it may be of interest to note that although flooding is not supposed to be the cause, there are biblical and non-biblical prophecies that indicate that Rome will fall.

Some of Catholic predictions associated with this are included in the article Catholic Prophecies: Do They Mirror, Highlight, or Contradict Biblical Prophecies?

A more detailed and in-depth sequence, including how certain non-biblical predictions line up with biblical passages, is available in my book 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect.

BTW, we just got the printed copies of my book in Spanish this week and it is available at 2012 y el surgimiento de la secta secreta.

Pope Benedict XVI

COGwriter

Some Anglicans are accepting the Vatican’s offer of unity:

Anglican Province Accepts Pope’s Offer

Posted by EDWARD PENTIN

Thursday, November 05, 2009 1:46 PM

The Traditional Anglican Communion’s province in Great Britain has become the first to accept Pope Benedict XVI’s Apostolic Constitution for Anglicans.

http://www.ncregister.com/daily/anglican_province_accepts_popes_offer/#When:17:46:13Z

How many Anglicans, overall, will accept the offer is still unknown.  Some will, and others will not.

Now this offer included a little compromising on Rome’s part.  For example, the Vatican is allowing the Anglicans to keep much of their liturgy and their leadership.  And while there always has been an order within eastern Catholicism that allowed married priests, this has not been the case in the Latin (church of Rome in the west) for many centuries.  Of course, early Christian leaders (including bishops) were often married, as the Bible endorses that (1 Timothy 3:2).  But Rome has tended to change from some of those practices.

This unification is an indication to me, at least, that compromise on the behalf of the Vatican will likely be involved as other groups (the Orthodox and Lutherans come to immediate mind) get closer with the Church of Rome.

Some articles of possibly related interest include the following:

Why Should American Catholics Should Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster?
Was Celibacy Required for Early Bishops or Presbyters? Some religions suggest this, but what does the Bible teach? What was the practice of the early church?
Did the Early Christian Church Practice Monasticism? Does God expect or endorse living in a monastery or nunnery?
Were the Early Duties of Elders/Pastors Mainly Sacramental? What was there Dress? Were the duties of the clergy primarily pastoral or sacramental? Did the clergy dress with special liturgical vestments? Can “bishops” be disqualified as ministers of Christ based on their head coverings?
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?

COGwriter

Here is a link to an MP3 file for a radio interview I did on KKZZ 1400am radio in Ventura, California yesterday:

KKZZ Interview with Bob Thiel, author of 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect

The above link will be there for about 5 more days.  It takes several minutes to download.  I do not come on until about eight-twelve minutes after it starts, and am on until the end of the first hour of the show.  This is essentially news radio show, which starts with news, includes a variety of questions to me, commercials, and local traffic and weather reports.

Since mid-September 2009, I have done twelve radio interviews.  Some on scattered local stations throughout the USA, and at least three that were syndicated into multiple markets.  This is only the second one I have done on a California station.

One problem with doing radio via the telephone line is that it is sometimes difficult to keep the radio show hosts from veering off course and sometimes I cannot get in all the clarifying statements that I want to.  But overall, I have been able to get some of the message out about things that are predicted to come to pass.

All of the interviews so far have been related to 2012, Sony’s 2012 movie, and my book 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect.  In the book, I basically explain how certain predictions line up with (or are opposed to) biblical prophecies.  The book provides a sequence of events which readers can check out for themselves to see if the events are coming to pass.

Two links of essentially related interest could include:

End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? Are there Mayan calendar predictions for change in 2012? Changes were centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans. Do Mayan/Hindu/Hopi/Buddhist/New Age/Nostradamus prophecies have any value here? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood? Can the great tribulation start before 2012? How might Barack Obama be involved in 2012?
2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect This is a link related to a book by Bob Thiel (COGwriter). This also has YouTube videos related to 2012. The book is for those truly interested in understanding how prophecies inter-relate and who want to see a real sequence of end time events.

VS.

COGwriter

Ronald Weinland of CGPFK made the news for being wrong yesterday:

10 Failed Doomsday Predictions

By Benjamin Radford, LiveScience’s Bad Science Columnist

posted: 04 November 2009…

With the upcoming disaster film “2012” and the current hype about Mayan calendars and doomsday predictions, it seems like a good time to put such notions in context.

Most prophets of doom come from a religious perspective, though the secular crowd has caused its share of scares as well. One thing the doomsday scenarios tend to share in common: They don’t come to pass…

God’s Church Ministry, Fall 2008

According to God’s Church minister Ronald Weinland, the end times are upon us– again. His 2006 book “2008: God’s Final Witness” states that hundreds of millions of people will die, and by the end of 2006, “there will be a maximum time of two years remaining before the world will be plunged into the worst time of all human history. By the fall of 2008, the United States will have collapsed as a world power, and no longer exist as an independent nation.” As the book notes, “Ronald Weinland places his reputation on the line as the end-time prophet of God.”  http://www.livescience.com/strangenews/091104-doomsday-predictions.html

The above article pointed out false predictions for the end in the 19th-21st centuries.  But the problem is not prophecy, it is false prophets.  The Bible specifically warns against them:

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. (2 Peter 2:1-2)

Because of false prophets, people seem less willing to believe the true predictions of God’s word as explained by His servants.  But whether people believe the prophecies of the Bible or not, they will come to pass.

Now, as long term readers of the COGwriter page are aware, I first denounced Ronald Weinland for being wrong about four years ago.  Thus far, he has never been right, and my track record for denouncing false prophets even before their prophecies have proven to be false has not failed.

Ronald Weinland is a self-appointed “prophet” who also claims to be one of the two witnesses.  He still claims that he is God’s prophet, but his current prediction that Jesus will return on is also in error.  In his 3/15/08 sermon he said. “September 29, 2011, Jesus Christ returns”.  Here is what he and his church now teach:

As regular readers/listeners are aware, on December 14, 2008, the world entered the final 3 1/2 years spoken of throughout prophecy as the end-time of man’s rule on earth. On Pentecost of 2012, the world will experience a final transition from mankind ruling himself to that of God’s government ruling over all nations. (Weinland R.  “In” the Final Three & One Half Years.  March 9, 2009, www.ronaldweinland.com)

1260 Days: The blowing of the first Trumpet will occur/occurred on the 14th of December, 2008. This is the beginning of the Great Tribulation and 3 1/2 years until the return of Jesus Christ on the day of Pentecost. The beginning of the fall of the USA and other Israelite countries begins from the start of the 1260 days (CGPFK website, FAQ–Timeline Questions Answered.  viewed 2/25/09).

Pentecost in 2012 is May 27, 2012.  But, Jesus cannot and will not return then.

Now Ronald Weinland is not unique in being wrong of course.

A relatively well known semi-Protestant, Harold Camping, has made somewhat of a splash too.  In his  publications, We are Almost There! and To God be the Glory, he inaccurately claims that certain biblical passages teach that May 21, 2011 is the date of Jesus’ return (which he calls the Rapture) and October 21, 2011 is the date for the end of the world.  And while some day I will post more about Harold Camping, let me go on record and state that Jesus cannot and will not return on May 21, 2011.

Despite false prophets rising up, the truth is that the Great Tribulation will begin relatively soon, Jesus will return, and the final Bible prophecies will be fulfilled.  But Jesus cannot return prior to 2016 and the Great Tribulation cannot begin prior to 2013.

Some articles of related interest may include the following:

Concerns About Ronald Weinland’s Church of God-Preparing for the Kingdom of God Ronald Weinland falsely claims to be one of the two witnesses God is raising up and that the end will come in 2008 (first April 17th, then June 2008, now December 14, 2008). Why does the Bible show that Ron Weinland is a false prophet? He also has at least one other view that suggests that he is not part of the Church of God.
Is There A Secret Rapture for the Church? When and Where is the Church Protected? What does the Bible really teach? Does the Church flee or is it taken up just prior to the great tribulation? Who really is left behind?
Why is a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem Not Required? Although people like Timothy LaHaye teach a third Jewish temple is required, who is ‘the temple of God” in the New Testament? Does the Bible require a rebuilt Jewish Temple?
Laodicean Warning for God’s People Is there really a place of safety? Do God’s people need to be warned? Warned for what?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
Who Are The Two Witnesses? What is their job? What does the Bible reveal? What has the Church of God taught on this subject? Might even Roman Catholic prophecies give some clues here?
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? Are there Mayan calendar predictions for change in 2012? Changes were centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans. Do Mayan/Hindu/Hopi/Buddhist/New Age/Nostradamus prophecies have any value here? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood? Can the great tribulation start before 2012? How might Barack Obama be involved in 2012?
2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect This is a link related to a book by Bob Thiel (COGwriter). This also has YouTube videos related to 2012. The book is for those truly interested in understanding how prophecies inter-relate and who want to see a real sequence of end time events.

Palace of Westminster in London

COGwriter

Some in the United Kingdom are concerned about the signing of the Lisbon Treaty:

Lisbon Treaty: more of Britain’s powers surrendered to Brussels

Britain’s power to govern itself is to be surrendered increasingly to Brussels after the European Union’s Lisbon Treaty was finally ratified.

Telegraph, London – Nov 3, 2009

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/eu/6496336/Lisbon-Treaty-more-of-Britains-powers-surrendered-to-Brussels.html

A new world order is developing.  In it, the USA and the UK are NOT going to stay on top.

Notice the following prophecy:

43 The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. 44 He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail. 45 Moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you, until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. 46 And they shall be upon you for a sign and a wonder, and on your descendants forever (Deuteronomy 28:43-46).

Because the Anglo-American nations have not obeyed God, they have racked up massive debt, and will no longer remain on top.

The European Union is rising up.  Instead of being essentially a confederation where any nation can veto any action from Brussels that it does not like, the reality is now the EU itself will have more power and more sovereignty.

Although almost overlooked by American news sources yesterday, the signing of the Lisbon Treaty was a major event that lines up with what we in the Church of God have been teaching for many decades.  (It is also consistent with the predictions explained in my book, 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect.)

People need to realize that the world is changing and that there are explanations that they really should understand.  The implications for the UK and USA are enormous.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? What is ahead for Europe?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies 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?

Bas-relief at Angkor Wat depicting a demon performing an ancient abortion.

COGwriter

The director of a Planned Parenthood clinic resigned her position after she actually saw an abortion from the inside:

Planned Parenthood Director Quits After Watching Abortion on Ultrasound

November 1, 2009

The former director of a Planned Parenthood clinic in southeast Texas says she had a “change of heart” after watching an abortion last month — and she quit her job and joined a pro-life group in praying outside the facility…

Johnson said she became disillusioned with her job after her bosses pressured her for months to increase profits by performing more and more abortions, which cost patients between $505 and $695.

“Every meeting that we had was, ‘We don’t have enough money, we don’t have enough money — we’ve got to keep these abortions coming,'” Johnson told FoxNews.com. “It’s a very lucrative business and that’s why they want to increase numbers.”  http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,571215,00.html?test=latestnews

Unlike in many countries, abortion is truly a lucrative business in the USA.  Yet, abortion is wrong.

Many politicians, medical professionals, and others, have, in my opinion, sold out on this subject.

Abortion is one of the many national sins of America that helps tell the world that it is not truly a “Christian nation”.

An article of possibly related interest may include:

Abortion, the Bible, and a Woman’s Right to Choose Do you know what the Bible teaches on this?

Vaclav Klaus

COGwriter

The EU took a major step to becoming its own entity when Vaclav Klaus signed the Lisbon Treaty on behalf of the Czech Republic today:

EU to call extra summit on top jobs

DPA – Nov 3, 2009

Brussels – The European Union is to call an extraordinary summit in the coming days to discuss who should be the bloc’s first-ever president, the EU’s Swedish presidency said Tuesday after the Czech president signed the reforming Lisbon Treaty…

“I am very pleased that President Klaus today signed the Lisbon Treaty,” Reinfeldt said.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/293073,extraeu-to-call-extra-summit-on-top-jobs.html

The European Beast power is forming right now, and many simply do not see it.

And while I do not believe that whoever is about to become the President of the EU (which many believe originally seemed to have the UK’s Tony Blair as the front-runner) will be the final King of the North, the stage is being set for the rise of that Beast.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies 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?
Is Tony Blair Apocalyptic? The former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom converted to Catholicism shortly after leaving his office and has been active in European affairs. What role might he play?
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? There is a Mayan calendar prediction for change in 2012. 2012 changes were also centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans (the Hindus may have some predictions for the next decade as well). Do these Mayan/Hindu/Hopi prophecies have any value? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood? Can the great tribulation start before 2012?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? What is ahead for Europe?