Church of God News

COGwriter

The Bible does say to confess sins, but how has that been historically understood? What is the position of the Bible? When did the Church of Rome develop its current practices? What did the old Worldwide Church of God teach?

First, let’s start by reading a passage from the Douay-Rheims Bible (a Catholic version, abbreviated herein as DRB):

16 Confess therefore your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much. (James 5:16, DRB)

Notice that this was not a command to confess sins to the clergy.

For those who prefer a more modern version, the following is the same verse from the New Jerusalem Bible (a Catholic version, abbreviated herein as NJB):

16 So confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another to be cured; the heartfelt prayer of someone upright works very powerfully. (James 5:16, NJB)

Both versions teach confession of sins to lay members of the church as opposed to auricular (essentially audible) confession to a priest.

Here is the other time the Bible specifically talks about confessing sins:

7 But if we walk in the light, as he also is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:7-10, DRB)

The above says that Christians are to confess sins, and Jesus will forgive them. There is no discussion of penance here or in James 5:16.

According to other scriptures, God/Jesus again is the one we are to confess to:

11 For it is written: As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 Therefore every one of us shall render account to God for himself. (Romans 14:11-12, DRB)

1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly vocation, consider the apostle and high priest of our confession, Jesus (Hebrews 3:1, DRB)

14 Having therefore a great high priest that hath passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God: let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we have not a high priest, who can not have compassion on our infirmities: but one tempted in all things like as we are, without sin. 16 Let us go therefore with confidence to the throne of grace: that we may obtain mercy, and find grace in seasonable aid. (Hebrews 4:14-16, DRB)

Notice also the following:

18 And many of them that believed, came confessing and declaring their deeds. 19 And many of them who had followed curious arts, brought together their books, and burnt them before all; and counting the price of them, they found the money to be fifty thousand pieces of silver. (Acts 19:18-19, DRB)

The above people apparently repented of their sins and destroyed certain wicked books, but this was not penance in the sense that the Church of Rome now advocates.

Since the Bible has a different view, than Rome now has, has the Roman Catholic Church changed its position? Well, yes it has.

Although the Church of Rome sometimes cites earlier sources, it needs to be understood that according to the Catholic saint and Bishop Augustine, auricular confession to a priest was not the practice in the 4th/5th century—instead he advised people to pray to God for forgiveness:

15. Forgiveness of sins. You have [this article of] the Creed perfectly in you when you receive Baptism. Let none say, I have done this or that sin: perchance that is not forgiven me. What have you done? How great a sin have you done? Name any heinous thing you have committed, heavy, horrible, which you shudder even to think of: have done what you will: have you killed Christ? There is not than that deed any worse, because also than Christ there is nothing better. What a dreadful thing is it to kill Christ! Yet the Jews killed Him, and many afterwards believed on Him and drank His blood: they are forgiven the sin which they committed. When you have been baptized, hold fast a good life in the commandments of God, that you may guard your Baptism even unto the end. I do not tell you that you will live here without sin; but they are venial, without which this life is not. For the sake of all sins was Baptism provided; for the sake of light sins, without which we cannot be, was prayer provided. What has the Prayer? Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. Once for all we have washing in Baptism, every day we have washing in prayer. Only, do not commit those things for which you must needs be separated from Christ’s body: which be far from you! For those whom you have seen doing penance, have committed heinous things, either adulteries or some enormous crimes: for these they do penance. Because if theirs had been light sins, to blot out these daily prayer would suffice.

(Augustine. Sermon to Catechumens on the Creed, Chapter 15. In: Seventeen short treatises of S. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo. Volume 22 of Library of fathers of the Holy Catholic Church. J. H. Parker, 1847. Original from Harvard University, Digitized Sep 28, 2007, p. 575)

And real Christians do pray to God for forgiveness of sins.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that the “sacrament of forgiveness” was changed in their church:

1447 Over the centuries the concrete form in which the Church has exercised this power received from the Lord has varied considerably. During the first centuries the reconciliation of Christians who had committed particularly grave sins after their Baptism (for example, idolatry, murder, or adultery) was tied to a very rigorous discipline, according to which penitents had to do public penance for their sins, often for years, before receiving reconciliation. To this “order of penitents” (which concerned only certain grave sins), one was only rarely admitted and in certain regions only once in a lifetime. During the seventh century Irish missionaries, inspired by the Eastern monastic tradition, took to continental Europe the “private” practice of penance, which does not require public and prolonged completion of penitential works before reconciliation with the Church. From that time on, the sacrament has been performed in secret between penitent and priest. This new practice envisioned the possibility of repetition and so opened the way to a regular frequenting of this sacrament. It allowed the forgiveness of grave sins and venial sins to be integrated into one sacramental celebration. In its main lines this is the form of penance that the Church has practiced down to our day. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1447. Imprimi Potest + Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. Image Books by Doubleday, NY 2003)

So, it took until the 7th century for the modern practice to develop widely.

Of course, repentance was taught for becoming a Christian, and acknowledging our sins to God is taught for remaining one:

8 If we say, ‘We have no sin,’ we are deceiving ourselves, and truth has no place in us; 9 if we acknowledge our sins, he is trustworthy and upright, so that he will forgive our sins and will cleanse us from all evil. (1 John 1:9, NJB)

And while the Bible advocates repentance, penance is from outside of sacred scripture as well as the earliest traditions of the true Church of God.

While some Catholics believe that sins cannot be forgiven without the “sacrament of confession,” this is not the case. And, as the Catechism admits (#1447) the current “sacrament of confession” was not an original apostolic practice.

While some people erroneously believe that God could not forgive them and that they have possibly committed the “unpardonable sin,” those who feel that way pretty much can be assured that they have not committed it–recall that scripture teaches:

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity. (1 John 1:9, DRB)

For more details about the “unpardonable sin,” please see the article What is the Unpardonable Sin?

The Catholic Encyclopedia points to John 20:23 as proof that auricular confession is to be made to priests (The Catholic Encyclopedia also pointed to Matthew 16:19, but for more details on that, please see the article Was Peter the Rock Who Alone Received the Keys of the Kingdom?).

Here are two Catholic translations of it and the two verses preceding it:

21 He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. 23 Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained. (John 20:21-23, DRB)

21 and he said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. ‘As the Father sent me, so am I sending you.’ 22 After saying this he breathed on them and said: Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained. (John 20:21-23, NJB)

What is the problem with the above?

Well, for one, no early leader in the Church of God or Greco-Roman Catholic Church believed that this meant that Christians were supposed to confess each of their sins to a priest who would then prescribe penance. This is clear from early church history as well as what the current Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches.

Historically, here is how the Church of God has explained John 20:23:

Some try to use John 20:23 to prove that persons in ecclesiastical offices have the power to forgive sins. This verse reads: “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (New King James Version). However, it does not mean that mere men can actually forgive sins in a spiritual sense. God alone can forgive sins (Mark 2:7-10; Luke 5:21-24). Christ spoke these words to His future apostles in the context of the Church authority He was giving them (see John 20:21)–the power to disfellowship those who were dissenters or heretics (see I Corinthians 5:2 and I Timothy 1:20) and bring them back into the congregation upon repentance (II Cor. 2:6-10). (Letter 032-0189, Confession. Personal Correspondence Course. WCG)

Why is the old Worldwide Church of God position correct? Well besides the scriptures cited, and the fact that the Church has the biblical right to “mark” dissenters (Romans 16:17, DRB, KJV), the reality is that is how early professors of Christ seemed to understand the Church of God’s authority. And forgiveness was related to allowing the marked or disfellowshipped to return.

Notice what Bishop Ignatius wrote (early 2nd century):

3…For as many as are of God and of Jesus Christ are also with the bishop. And as many as shall, in the exercise of repentance, return into the unity of the Church, these, too, shall belong to God, that they may live according to Jesus Christ. (Ignatius. Letter to the Philadelphians, Chapters 0,3. Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0108.htm>

This is consistent with what the presbyters of Rome wrote (late 1st century):

You therefore, who laid the foundation of this sedition, submit yourselves to the presbyters, and receive correction so as to repent, bending the knees of your hearts. (Letter to the Corinthians (Clement), Chapters 7,52,57. Translated by John Keith. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 9. Edited by Allan Menzies. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1896.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/1010.htm>)

That is the authority that they claimed regarding forgiving dissenters.

And that is consistent with the Church of God position that most groups claiming ties to the old WCG, like the Continuing Church of God, still teach.

Regarding priests, The Catholic Encyclopedia goes so far to teach:

Priest This word (etymologically “elder”, from presbyteros, presbyter) has taken the meaning of “sacerdos”, from which no substantive has been formed in various modern languages (English, French, German)…In this sense, every religion has its priests, exercising more or less exalted sacerdotal functions as intermediaries between man and the Divinity (Boudinhon A. Transcribed by Robert B. Olson. Priest. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XII. Copyright © 1911 by Robert Appleton Company. Online Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. Knight. Nihil Obstat, June 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York).

Yet, notice that the Bible teaches:

5 For there is one God, and one mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus: (1 Timothy 2:5, DRB)

The only mediator in the Christian religion is supposed to be Jesus the Christ. Thus, the opinion of certain Catholic scholars seems to be in conflict with scripture, since the Bible says the one Mediator is Jesus, not some priest or human leader.

It is partially because of this inaccurate “intermediary/mediator” position that Rome now has priests hear private confessions and claim to forgive sins.

The Bible says to confess sins to one another, but mainly to Jesus Christ. Scripture does not say to do so to a priest, nor does the Bible ever authorize what the Catholics generally mean by “penance” for sin.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

History of Auricular Confession and the ‘Sacrament of Confession’ Did early Christians confess their sins to priests? A related sermon is Confess to God and truly repent.
Elementary Doctrines of the Church: Hebrews 6 Seven doctrines are mentioned and discussed. A related sermon is also available titled: Basic Doctrines of Hebrew 6.
Are You Being Called by God? Norman Shoaf wrote various points to consider.
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? A related sermon is titled: Real Christian Repentance.
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.
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?
What was the Liturgy of the Early Church? Were early church services mainly scriptural, emotional, or sacramental? Who follows the basic original liturgy today? A related video is also available: What were early Christian church services like?
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. [Português: Qual é fiel: A igreja católica romana ou a igreja do deus?]
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.
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?

Justin Trudeau and Benoît Coeuré

COGwriter

Canada is having increased debt:

Living beyond our means requires us to borrow money to cover the difference between our income and our spending. Many Canadians now understand the financial consequences of this practice and regret the choices they’ve made. Unfortunately, Prime Minister Trudeau is not one of them, as evidenced by his government’s budget deficits which are further eroding the financial wellbeing of Canadians. He has broken a campaign promise, ignored basic economic principles, and seems hell-bent on setting an ignominious record.  According to the Fraser Institute: “Justin Trudeau is the only prime minister in the last 120 years who has increased the federal per-person debt burden without a world war or recession to justify it.”

The Broken Promise

The Liberals had won the 2015 federal election with a pledge to run annual shortfalls of no more than $10 billion over the first three years of their mandate, and to eliminate the deficit by 2019-20.

The deficit for 2016-17, Trudeau’s first full fiscal year, was $17.8 Billion. The forecast for 2017-18 is $19.9 Billion, and for 2018-19, the forecast is $18.1 Billion.

And now, from the government’s 2018 budget, we read this:

While austerity can come from fiscal necessity, it should not turn into a rigid ideology about deficits that sees any investment as bad spending.

The government says deficits are economically beneficial, and compares deficits to loans taken out by entrepreneurs and business owners. But here’s the rub: in order to spend, the government must first raise money by taxing or borrowing (deficits). This deprives the private sector of money which would otherwise be available for businesses to borrow and invest in new production, thereby creating jobs and raising our standard of living.

Moreover, government ‘borrowing and spending’ imposes a financial burden on future taxpayers who must pay pay back both the loan and the interest payments.05/19/18 https://mises.org/wire/canadas-debt-spiral

Increased governmental debt is not good and will be a factor in the elimination of the USA (Habakkuk 2:6-8; Daniel 11:39), which will also lead to the takeover of its Anglo-Saxon descended allies, like Canada (cf. Daniel 8:24-25).

Daily Reckoning had an interesting take on some comments from a European banker named Benoît Coeuré:

consider the recent “speech” by a certain Benoît Coeuré…

This Coeuré fellow is a grandee of the European Central Bank (ECB).

He dispatched the following message this week at a monetary conference in Geneva, (and we doff our cap to the folks at Phoenix Capital for alerting us to it):

I would like to share some more general thoughts on the role of the central bank’s balance sheet in the economy. My focus will be on central bank liabilities – that is, money created by central banks to be used as a means of payment and store of value…

What distinguishes the discussion today from previous discussions… are three new facts:

The first is that we are seeing a dramatic decline in the demand for cash in some countries, in particular Sweden and Norway.

Let us interrupt briefly to translate this “fact”:

Cash limits our options as central bankers. Private citizens should not be allowed so large a voice in monetary affairs. Besides, no one wants it anyway. The time has come to discard cash altogether, as we previously discarded the “barbarous relic,” gold.

Pardon our manners, Monsieur Coeuré. Please continue.

The second is that central banks today could make use of new technologies that would enable the introduction of what is widely referred to as a “token-based” currency – one based on a distributed ledger technology (DLT) or comparable cryptographic technology.

Once again, we must break in. The unvarnished message:

Cryptocurrencies are a threat to our control of the monetary system. Unacceptable. We cannot stop the technology, so we must co-opt it. We must ensure that the masses can only use authorized cryptocurrency — ours, that is. We must ban all rival cryptocurrencies.

Please… proceed, sir.

And the third “new” fact, at least from a long-term perspective, relates to the role of central banks in setting monetary policy, and more recently to the emergence of negative rates as a policy instrument and the consequences for the transmission of monetary policy.

The problem comes back to cash. No one will pay the bank to hold their cash, so the masses would withdraw their money from the banking system. Cash therefore prevents us from employing truly negative interest rates. In consequence, cash must go. Once all money is digital, we’ll completely capture the monetary system and can make negative interest rates a reality. https://dailyreckoning.com/central-bankers-plan-money/

So, a European banker is leaning towards the elimination of cash and towards a digital currency that can be controlled.

The Book of Revelation which makes the following statements concerning the financial controls of the coming Beast power:

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 13:16-18)

The Bible is clear that the time is coming when the Beast power will have implemented some type of strong financial control–blockchain technology may very well be part of it. (Watch also Sweden going to ‘666’ cashlessness?)

The Continuing Church of God put out the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

12:29

Blockchain, Karl Guttenberg, and 666

American Express just announced a deal with Ripple related to using its blockchain technology. No longer confined to Bitcoin, blockchain technology is moving towards the mainstream. Former German Economic and later Defense Minister, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg has long been an adviser to Ripple and has plans for internationally-expanding the use of blockchain money. Jim Rickards, Doug Casey, and others have expressed concerns that blockchain money will give governments too much control over buying and selling. Could any of this be related to biblical prophecies in the Books of Daniel and Revelation? Could any of this help fulfill the prophecies related to buying and selling and 666 in Revelation 13? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more.

Yes, expect to see more financial controls in the world in general and Europe in particular.

As far as gold goes, it will not be a total relic, but likely will be used to ‘back’ a European currency, whether or not it is blockchain (see also The Plain Truth About Gold in Prophecy. How Should a Christian View Gold?).

The Bible shows that Europe will ultimately turn to a ‘strongman’ of its own in Revelation 17:12-13 (see also Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations?)–one who is able to monitor buying and selling.

We are getting closer to that.

Some items of possibly related interest may include the following:

Canada in Prophecy: What Does Bible Prophecy, Catholic Prophecy, and other Predictions Suggest About the Future of Canada? There are prophecies that suggest involvement with Canada. And many are not positive about its future.
Protestant and Church of God views of the United States in Bible Prophecy Is the USA mentioned in Bible prophecy? Some Protestants say yes, while others say no. What does the Bible really teach? Learn the truth about this. There is also a video available: Is The United States Mentioned In Bible Prophecy?
Dangerous Protestant Prophetic Errors What are some errors that various Protestants hold to that will tend to prevent them from knowing when the Great Tribulation will begin? A related video is titled Ten Dangerous Protestant Prophetic Errors.
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? Here is a link to a related video sermon titled: The Short Work.
The Dangerous Rise of Preterists Has the Great Tribulation finished? What was the view of early Christians? Why is the preterist view dangerous? A related sermon video is titled Preterism: You’ve Gotta Be Kidding…Right?
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?
Sweden going to ‘666’ cashlessness? Sweden continues to reduce the amount of currency notes and coins in circulation as more and more Swedes turn to digital forms of payments. Even ‘farmers’ markets’ take debit and credit cards. Will this eliminate crime or lead to the rise of the Beast and Antichrist power? Could what is happening in Sweden be a prelude to the control of buying and selling that Revelation 13:16-18 associates with 666? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues from Stockholm, Sweden.
Blockchain, Karl Guttenberg, and 666. American Express just announced a deal with Ripple related to using its blockchain technology. No longer confined to Bitcoin, blockchain technology is moving towards the mainstream. Former German Economic and later Defense Minister, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg has long been an adviser to Ripple and has plans for internationally-expanding the use of blockchain money. Jim Rickards, Doug Casey, and others have expressed concerns that blockchain money will give governments too much control over buying and selling. Could any of this be related to biblical prophecies in the Books of Daniel and Revelation? Could any of this help fulfill the prophecies related to buying and selling and 666 in Revelation 13? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more in this video. A related written article is also available: Amex launches blockchain-based business payments using Ripple: Prelude to the Beast and 666?
The Plain Truth About Gold in Prophecy. How Should a Christian View Gold? What do economists and the Bible teach about gold? Gold and silver may drop in value. Inflation/deflation? What do Christians need to know about gold? A video of related interest may be: Germany, Gold, and the US Dollar.
Europa, the Beast, and the Book of Revelation discusses the largest church since the second/third century, which in a real sense is the eighth church mentioned in the Book of Revelation (it also endorses “eighth day” worship). What church would support the Beast? Here is a link to a video titled: Europe and the ‘Holy Roman Empire’.
Two Horned Beast of Revelation and 666 Who is 666? This article explains how the COG views this, and compares this to Ellen White. Here is a link to a prophetic video Six Financial Steps Leading to 666?
Eliminate the $100 bill? Various ones, like Harvard economist and Trilateralist Larry Summers have called for the elimination of the USD$100 bill and the 500 Euro note. In Asia, South Korea is heading towards cashlessness by 2020. Electronic currencies are information and subject to monitoring. Did something God inspired the Apostle John over 1900 years ago now able to come to pass? This is a video.
Collapse of the Euro and Dollar? War in 2020? Larry Edelson of Money and Markets described aspects of current economic difficulties and explained why he felt matters would get a lot worse. He said war, like World War III, could break out as early as 2020. What did he call the ‘granddaddy of all cycles”? Will matters go as he said? What does the Bible teach? Dr. Thiel provides biblical insights that secular sources often miss. This is a video.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be: Are Chinese threats against Australia for real?
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism?
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 is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
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? 2026 or 20xx? There is also a video titled The 6000 Year Plan: Is the end of humanity’s reign almost up? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2018, 2019, or 2020? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2018 o 2019? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon videos: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives and Can the Great Tribulation begin before 2020? A shorter video is: Can the Great Tribulation begin in 2018?
World War III: Steps in Progress Are there surprising actions going on now that are leading to WWIII? Might a nuclear attack be expected? Does the Bible promise protection to all or only some Christians? How can you be part of those that will be protected? A related video would be Is World War III About to Begin? Can You Escape?

Demonstrators in Caracas, Venezuela

COGwriter

Problems continue in Venezuela:

May 21, 2018

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Embattled socialist incumbent Nicolas Maduro won Venezuela’s presidential election by a landslide in a disputed vote marred by irregularities and mass absenteeism that led his main rivals to call for a re-run to prevent a national social crisis from exploding.

The National Election Council announced that with more than 92 percent of polling stations reporting, Maduro won nearly 68 percent of the votes Sunday, beating his nearest challenger Henri Falcon by more than 40 points.

As the results were being announced, residents of downtown Caracas just a few blocks from where Maduro supporters were celebrating banged on pots and pans in protest. Falcon accused the government of buying votes and dirty tricks to boost turnout among poor voters most hurt by widespread food shortages and hyperinflation in what was once Latin America’s wealthiest nation.

The election “without any doubt lacks legitimacy and we categorically refuse to recognize this process,” Falcon told supporters minutes before the results were announced, vowing to fight on instead of joining a growing list of beleaguered anti-government politicians who’ve fled into exile of late. https://www.apnews.com/619dd673396445c5917c7f97ba146bfc/Maduro-wins-Venezuela-election-challengers-call-illegitimate

May 30, 2018

CARACAS, May 21 (Reuters) – Venezuela’s socialist leader Nicolas Maduro faced fresh international censure on Monday after re-election in a vote foes denounced as a farce cementing autocracy in the crisis-stricken OPEC nation.

The 55-year-old successor to former president Hugo Chavez hailed his win as a victory against “imperialism,” but his main rival refused to recognize the result alleging irregularities. …

Declaring Sunday’s vote a “sham,” the United States is now threatening sanctions on Venezuela’s all-important oil sector, which is already reeling from falling output, a brain-drain and creaking infrastructure.

The European Union and major Latin Americans repeatedly warned in advance that conditions were unfair.

Chile’s President Sebastian Pinera was scathing about Sunday’s vote. “Venezuela’s elections do not meet minimum standards of true democracy,” he said. “Like most major democratic nations, Chile does not recognize these elections.”

Panama’s government followed suit, quickly saying it would not recognize the result. But fellow leftist-run nations Cuba and El Salvador sent congratulations. http://news.trust.org/item/20180521083259-dq52d

Venezuela has had serious problems for a number of years. Some hope the government will solve the problems there. One thing that may help the economy of Venezuela is that the price of oil has gone up in the past several months.

In other Latin American news, there was a presidential candidate debate in Mexico:

May 21, 2018

President Trump has had a lot to say about Mexico, and in a debate on Sunday, Mexican presidential candidates had some things to say about him.

In fact, Trump and relations with the U.S. dominated the discussion in the second of three debates featuring four candidates vying for the Mexican presidency in July 1 elections. …

The Dallas Morning News writes, “At play is whether Mexico will discard the neoliberal economic model it has shared with the United States for more than 20 years, the same one that Trump now rails against and that the leading Mexican presidential candidate questions with ominous warnings. The model, framed around the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement, has served as a catalyst for deeper integration between the U.S. and Mexico, locking the two not just economically and culturally but also ushering in unprecedented cooperation on matters of security.”

Leftist candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who has a 20 percentage point lead over his closest rival in opinion polls, … would be quick to answer any insult from Trump. “If he makes an offensive tweet, I’m going to take responsibility for answering him,” Lopez Obrador, a former Mexico City mayor said. …

Independent Jaime “El Bronco” Rodriguez said of the United States that Mexico needs “to put them in their place.”

Meanwhile, former Mexican President Vincente Fox, who is not running, has continued firing colorful verbal salvos at President Trump. https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/05/21/612949724/mexican-presidential-hopefuls-debate-relations-with-trump-and-u-s

May 21, 2018

The threats posed to Mexico by the Trump administration was the backdrop to the two-hour debate in Tijuana, with the four candidates discussing trade, immigration and cross-border security issues. Mexico and the United States are in the midst of a difficult renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, and Trump has angered many in Mexico with his disparaging comments about Mexicans and blaming its government for not doing enough to stop Central American migrants from reaching the U.S. border.  …

“You can’t appease tyrants and bullies. You have to confront them,” Anaya said, adding that he would negotiate all aspects of the bilateral relationship if he were elected president.

So far in the election season, Trump has not proven to be an issue that separates the candidates, as all of them tend to criticize his comments as offensive and promise to protect Mexican migrants in the United States. None of the candidates made specific promises about how they would confront Trump or alter the dynamic in the relationship.

“Trump is going to have to learn to respect us. That I can guarantee you,” said Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the front-runner in the race. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/you-cant-appease-tyrants-and-bullies-mexican-candidates-take-hard-line-on-trump/2018/05/21/e0f0c03a-5ab7-11e8-9889-07bcc1327f4b_story.html?utm_term=.1dea0349a38e

Statements from Donald Trump, threats of sanctions against Venezuela, and threats of tariffs against Mexico have consequences.

The situations with Venezuela and Mexico will change. While they, like other nations, need the Kingdom of God, in this age, they will look elsewhere.

Expect Latin American nations to make deals with Europe and others.

Notice two items I posted back in 2008:

Negotiations will continue and some type of loose agreements will happen. In the spirit of accommodation and personal interest, many of the “standards” of the European Union will be adopted by the USA, Canada and Mexico, as well as by nearly all of the countries of the world. The Arab nations will most likely agree with many of the standards as they seem to be destined to form a brief end-time alliance with the Europeans (The Arab World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy).

However, over time, it will become increasingly clear that the British will be in more agreement with the Canadians and Americans and that the European Union in more agreement with the Mexicans than the EU will have with the English-speaking nations.

Trade wars and/or serious trade disputes will most likely arise.

The Brits will ultimately decide that they are more supportive of the Americans and Canadians. They will be so much more supportive that they will end up in a trading agreement with them (with the Australians and New Zealanders probably also becoming part of that agreement).

The EU will decide that Mexico and the rest of Latin America are in more agreement with it and thus make some type of serious trading agreement with most (or all) of Latin America. The Vatican will also have influence here as Latin America is highly Roman Catholic.

The Europeans and Americans, however, will continue to have military agreements, though many will be tense about them. (Thiel B. A Combined EU & North American Trade Block Coming? COGwriter.com, March 3, 2008)

Certain parts of Latin America are also politically quite connected to Europe. French Guiana is actually part of France and uses the Euro as its currency. Suriname still maintains close ties to the Netherlands. There exists certain legal connections between those of Portugal and Brazil which ties those nations relatively closely. Guyana used to be part of the British Commonwealth (however, because of ethnic reasons, I suspect that in the end it may decide to be more closely aligned with the rest of Latin America and continental Europe than with the UK). Most of the Spanish-speaking nations have ties to each other as well as Spain.

Because of the cultural, ethnic, language, legal, and religious ties between Europe and Latin America, the two regions will likely cooperate more in the future. These ties will be primarily economic, but also may include some type of military cooperation. …

Notice that the Bible says that all trading nations will become wealthy trading with Babylon (the restored European Empire):

For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury (Revelation 18:3, NKJV).

Thus, the resource (Mexico and Venezuela are major oil exporters), and even agriculturally (Chile and Argentina are leading exporters of agricultural products), rich Latin American countries, including Brazil (which is also one of the world’s most successful rising manufacturing nations), appears to be prophesied to attain wealth from the coming restored European Empire. (Thiel B. What’s Ahead for Latin America? COGwriter, October 22, 2008)

The fact of Brexit and the EU’s response to it have been pushing the Brits to conclude that they need to move closer to the USA, and farther from Europe, on trade. Last year, Germany’s Angela Merkel met with leaders from Mexico and Argentina on trade matters–partially because of concerns related to Donald Trump’s trade statements (see Germany’s Merkel is in Argentina making deals with Mexico and Argentina). And last month they tentatively made a deal (see EU and Mexico making a trade deal, partially to send Donald Trump a message).

After Donald Trump’s election, but before his inauguration, I wrote the following in my book, Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse:

Daniel 11 … 39 Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain. …

Furthermore, the dividing of the land of the United States, etc., for gain, will in no small way help prosper the King of the North’s empire. Many others may assist in this attack outside of those in Psalm 83. Mexico, who wants its lost land back, comes to mind. (Thiel B. Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse. Nazarene Books, 2017)

There are many reasons to consider that indicate that will happen (see EU and Mexico making a trade deal, partially to send Donald Trump a message).

Last year, we made a video related to Mexico, Donald Trump, and trade:

17:43

Donald Trump and Mexico’s future

Mexico has increasingly been in the news because of statements and policies of US President Donald Trump. Many in Mexico are not intending to sit back and accept whatever Donald Trump attempts to force them to do. What will happen to Mexico? Will it make trade deals with Europe? Will it ultimately go to war against the USA? Will the Mexican economy decline at times and then improve? Dr. Thiel answers these questions and more.

Here is a link to our video: Donald Trump and Mexico’s future.

The Bible tells of a powerful trade empire arising in the last days in Europe, called “Babylon the Great” (Revelation 18). Mexico, and eventually the rest of Latin America, will support Europe (see also Mexico, Central America, South America, Brazil, and the Caribbean in Prophecy).

Comments and policies of US President Trump are driving Mexico and Venezuela further away from the USA.

COGwriter

Lying is hazardous to your health:

When we lie, blood pressure in the heart rises — and polygraphs pick up the change. Lying often enough, long enough can damage the heart and arteries.

Researchers at the University of Notre Dame carried out a 10-week honesty experiment with 110 people, half of whom were instructed to stop telling major and minor lies during the test. The rest got no special instructions about lying.

Both groups went to a lab each week to complete health and relationship surveys and to take a polygraph test assessing the number of major and “white” lies they had told that week.

“We found that the participants could purposefully and dramatically reduce their everyday lies, and that in turn was associated with significantly improved health,” Anita Kelly, the psychology professor who led the study, said in a statement after presenting her findings to the American Psychological Association…http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/health/liars-face-health-consequences-research-shows#ixzz2D9dMn7dt

Lying causes lots of problems. Often for those lied to and always for those doing the lying. The Bible teaches “love truth” (Zechariah 8:19) and that those who do not have the “love of the truth” will perish (2 Thessalonians 2:10).

Those of us who believe the Bible, have read the Bible, and believe in keeping the Ten Commandments have long realized that telling the truth contributes to happiness. Notice the following:

18 Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law. (Proverbs 29:18)

14 Happy is the man who is always reverent (Proverbs 28:14).

And since lying is a violation of the law, logic dictates that those who lie are less happy than those who do not.

Many lie because they fear the truth.

The Bible warns what will happen to unrepentant liars:

8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)

Jesus condemned Satan as the father of lies:

44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God. (John 8:44-47)

And the final Antichrist will be influenced by Satan as have all antichrists throughout church history. Not only do lies hurt individual health, they also hurt civilization and will be factors in leading to its destruction (Mystery of Civilization).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Lies Where did they originate? What was really the first lie? What happens for lies? Here is a link to it in Mandarin Chinese {,NN*ŒŠTŒWúwc_’v„aTs
The Mark of Antichrist What is the mark of Antichrist? What have various ones claimed? Here is a link to a related sermon What is the ‘Mark of Antichrist’?
Mystery of Civilization Why is civilization like it is? How will it end? What will replace it?Here is a link to a related sermon titled: Mystery of Civilization and How it Will End.
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.
The Ten Commandments Reflect Love, Breaking them is Evil Some feel that the ten commandments are a burden. Is that what Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John taught? For a more detailed discussion of the first four commandments, please see the video The Ten Commandments: Loving God. For a more detailed discussion of the last six commandments, please see: The Ten Commandments: Loving Your Neighbor. Here is a link to a related article in Mandarin Chinese 十条诫命显示爱，违反诫命的就是邪恶的
Was the Commandment to Love the Only Command? Some have stated that John’s writings teach this, but is that what the Bible really says?
The Ten Commandments and the Early Church Did Jesus and the Early Church keep the ten commandments? What order were they in? Here are quotes from the Bible and early writings. A related sermon is titled: Christians and the Ten Commandments.
Living as a Christian: How and Why? In what ways do Christians live differently than others. What about praying, fasting, tithing, holy days, and the world? There is also a YouTube video related to that also called: Living as a Christian: How and Why?
What is the Meaning of Life? Who does God say is happy? What is your ultimate destiny? Do you really know? Does God actually have a plan for YOU personally? There is also a video titled What is the meaning of your life?

An RFID tag visible under the skin soon after being implanted (James Wisniewski)

COGwriter

3000 Swedes have implanted microchips:

Convenient or risky?

lifestyle May 20, 2018 01:00

By Agence France-Presse
Stockholm

Microchips get under the skin of technophile Swedes</h23
IT’S THE SIZE of a grain of rice but could hold the key to many aspects of your life.

A tiny microchip inserted under the skin can replace the need to carry keys, credit cards and train tickets.

That might sound like an Orwellian nightmare to some but in Sweden it is a welcome reality for a growing number who favours convenience over concerns of potential personal data violations.

The small implants were first used in 2015 in Sweden – initially confidentially – and several other countries.

Swedes have gone on to be very active in microchipping, with scant debate about issues surrounding its use, in a country keen on new technology and where the sharing of personal information is held up as a sign of a transparent society.

Twenty-eight year-old Ulrika Celsing is one of 3,000 Swedes to have injected a microchip into her hand to try out a new way of life.

To enter her workplace, the media agency Mindshare, she simply waves her hand on a small box and types in a code before the doors open.

“It was fun to try something new and to see what one could use it for to make life easier in the future,” she told AFP. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/lifestyle/30345762

Some Americans have a microchip at work as well (see Visa’s ‘War on cash’ and microchips in employees).

Many think it is convenient.

But consider the following:

Thousands of Europeans who have had microchips embedded into their hands are at risk of their personal data being ‘used against them’.

More than 3,000 Swedes have microchip implants that let them pay for shopping, enter buildings and book train tickets.

But a scientist has warned the conveniences gained from the procedure by so-called ‘body-hackers’ do not outweigh the risks to their private data.

Ben Libberton, a microbiologist at the MAX IV Laboratory in the Swedish city of Lund which provides X-rays for research, told AFP: ‘At the moment, the data collected and shared by implants is small, but it’s likely that this will increase.

‘The more data is stored in a single place as could happen with a chip, the more risk it could be used against us. …

Swedish citizens have long accepted the sharing of their personal details. http://en.brinkwire.com/330786/3000-swedes-have-electronic-tag-embedded-in-their-hands/

But we have now reached the most inexplicable modern “advancement:” businesses implanting microchips into their employees, allowing those businesses to track these workers’ movements and purchases. …

Who’s to say some rogue company won’t develop a chip reader of its own to scan people as they walk down the street? What if a big box store starts reading you and mailing you coupons based on what section of the store you spent the most time in? What if your employer wants to monitor how much time you spend in the bathroom, or at lunch? Ninety percent of the time, I’d rather people not know where I am — I have no desire to live within The Matrix.

Employees who have had the chip implanted delight at the “convenience” of it all — imagine being able to purchase snacks at the company cafeteria by simply waving your hand! But have we really regressed to the point where the process of extracting a wallet from your trousers to exchange currency has become too much of a burden for common workers? https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/08/07/microchips-bad-idea-please-do-not-let-your-employer-implant-one-you-christian-schneider-column/540610001/

Privacy is one concern, control by governments should be another.

Yet, many Swedes and others do not seem to be concerned.

In May of 2017, my wife Joyce took a picture of signs in two shops in Stockholm, Sweden:

The vision of a cashless society, from a biblical perspective resembles something that those in Sweden will not really want:

Beast of the Sea (Revelation 13:1)

That society will control buying and selling according to Bible prophecy (Revelation 13:16-18). What we see now looks like a prelude to 666.

While in Sweden, we made a video:

Sweden going to ‘666’ cashlessness?

Sweden continues to reduce the amount of currency notes and coins in circulation as more and more Swedes turn to digital forms of payments. Even ‘farmers’ markets’ take debit and credit cards. Will this eliminate crime or lead to the rise of the Beast and Antichrist power? Could what is happening in Sweden be a prelude to the control of buying and selling that Revelation 13:16-18 associates with 666? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues from Stockholm, Sweden.

COGwriter

The Continuing Church of God continues to get additional materials translated into the Spanish language.

Here are links to the latest items we received today:

Mormons announce decision to pull out of Boy Scouts
Los mormones anuncian la decisión de retirarse de los Boy Scouts
http://www.cdlidd.es/los-mormones-anuncian-la-decision-de-retirarse-de-los-boy-scouts/

Israel claimed Iran attacked it from Syria, then Israel launched huge counter-strike
Israel afirmó que Irán lo atacó desde Siria, luego Israel lanzó un enorme contraataque
http://www.cdlidd.es/israel-afirmo-que-iran-lo-ataco-desde-siria-luego-israel-lanzo-un-enorme-contraataque/

If you survive, how may the prophesied coming earthquake of Revelation 16 affect you?
Si usted sobrevive, ¿cómo puede afectarle el terremoto profetizado de Apocalipsis 16?
http://www.cdlidd.es/si-usted-sobrevive-como-puede-afectarle-el-terremoto-profetizado-de-apocalipsis-16/

France’s President Macron receives the Charlemagne Prize and Germany’s Chancellor says Europe cannot rely on USA military — What are the prophetic ramifications?
El presidente de Francia, Macron, recibe el Premio Carlomagno y el Canciller de Alemania dice que Europa no puede confiar en el ejército de EE. UU. ¿Cuáles son las ramificaciones proféticas?
http://www.cdlidd.es/el-presidente-de-francia-macron-recibe-el-premio-carlomagno-y-la-canciller-de-alemania-dice-que-europa-no-puede-confiar-en-el-ejercito-de-ee-uu-cuales-son-las-ramificaciones-profeticas/

Temple Institute promoting ‘Temple Mount’ walk for Sunday’s ‘Jerusalem Day’
Instituto del Templo promueve caminata ‘Monte del Templo’ para el ‘Día de Jerusalén’ el domingo
http://www.cdlidd.es/instituto-del-templo-promueve-caminata-monte-del-templo-para-el-dia-de-jerusalen-el-domingo/

Nakba Day: Many upset because of Donald Trump’s decision
Día de Nakba: Muchos malestar debido a la decisión de Donald Trump
http://www.cdlidd.es/dia-de-nakba-mucho-malestar-debido-a-la-decision-de-donald-trump/

Mike Huckabee warns California is looking to ban the Bible via A.B. 2943
Mike Huchabee advierte que California está buscando prohibir la Biblia vía A.B. 2943
http://www.cdlidd.es/mike-huchabee-advierte-que-california-esta-buscando-prohibir-la-biblia-via-a-b-2943/

US Embassy and Israel’s 70 years
Embajada de los EE.UU. y 70 años de Israel
http://www.cdlidd.es/embajada-de-los-ee-uu-y-70-anos-de-israel/

PCG’s size down
Se reduce el tamaño de la PCG
http://www.cdlidd.es/se-reduce-el-tamano-de-la-pcg/

US Embassy in Jerusalem: Will it last?
Embajada de los EE.UU. en Jerusalén: ¿Durará?
http://www.cdlidd.es/embajada-de-los-ee-uu-en-jerusalen-durara/

The Continuing Church of God has a separate Spanish language website http://www.cdlidd.es. The term Continuing Church of God translates into La Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios in the Spanish language, also called Castellano or Español.

The Continuing Church of God is reaching people around the world in multiple languages via the internet, printed literature, and human church leaders. We also reach people over the radio and through videos in the English language.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Mexico, Central America, South America, Brazil, and the Caribbean in Prophecy [Español: México, América central, Suramérica, Brasil y el Caribe en la profecía] [Português: México, América Central, Ámérica do Sul, e Brasil na profecia] What will happen to those of Latin America? Will they have prosperity? Will they cooperate with Europe? Will they suffer in the future? What role might the various Caribbean nations/territories play?

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, and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.

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?

Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God “Contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3, NKJV), “Let brotherly love (Philadelphia) continue” (Hebrews 13:1) “…continuing stedfastly in the teaching of the apostles” (Acts 2:42 YLT). So, what does that really mean in terms of specific beliefs? Here is a related link in Spanish/español: Declaración de las Doctrinas de la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios. Here is a related link in Tagalog: Paglalahad ng Mga Paniniwala ng Patuloy na Iglesya ng Diyos. Here is a related link in Mandarin Chinese 继续神的教会的信仰声明. Here is a related link in Kiswahili: KATIKA LUGHA YA KISWAHILI. Here is a related link in Dutch: Verklaring van geloofspunten van de Continuing Church of God. Here is a related link in Deutsche (German): Glaubenserklärung der Continuing Church of God. Here is a related link in Italiano: Dichiarazione del Credo della Continuing Church of God. Here is related link in the French language: Déclaration des croyances de L’Église Continue de Dieu.

Faith for those God has Called and Chosen What is faith? Can faith be increased? Are you saved by faith? What about works? Do Christians need to keep the Ten Commandments? What is the ‘faith chapter’? How do the just live by faith? Is faith one of the weightier matters of the law? How does faith come? Here is a link to a pdf. booklet titled Faith for Those God has Called and Chosen. Marque aquí para ver el pdf folleto: Fe para aquellos que Dios ha llamado y escogido.Here is a link to a related sermon titled: Faith for the Called and Chosen. Here is a link to shorter version of the written article in Mandarin Chinese 一篇关于信仰的小文章

CCOG.ORG Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God. To see how CCOG has done so far, here are links to two sermons Continuing Church of God (CCOG) first year anniversary: What has been accomplished? and The Continuing Church of God: Two Years of Proclamation. Here is a written link to a version of that sermon in the Spanish language: Aniversario del primer año de la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios: ¿Qué se ha cumplido?

CCOG Animations channel. The Continuing Church of God has some animations to teach aspects of Christian beliefs.

Bible News Prophecy channel. Dr. Thiel has produced many YouTube videos for the BibleNewsProphecy channel. And you can find them there.

ContinuingCOG channel. Dr. Thiel has produced YouTube video sermons for this channel. Note: Since these are sermon-length, they can take a little longer to load than other YouTube videos. Here is a link to a short intro: ContinuingCOG Channel.

CCOGAfrica channel. This has messages from African pastors in African languages such as Kalenjin, Kiswahili, Embu, and Dholuo.

BibleNewsProphecy Podcast. This has audio-visual podcasts of the Bible News Prophecy channgel. It plays on i-Phones, i-Pads, and Windows devices that can play i-Tunes.

Bible News Prophecy online radio. This is an audio version of the Bible News Prophecy videos. It is also available as a mobile app.

CCOG.ASIA We in the Continuing Church of God also have the url www.ccog.asia which has a focus on Asia and has various articles in Mandarin Chinese as well as some in English, plus some items in other Asian languages. 我们在继续神的教会也提供此网址

CCOGAFRICA.ORG This is a website targeted towards those in Africa.

CCOGCANADA.CA This is a website targeted towards those in Canada.

CCOG.IN This is a website targeted towards those of Indian heritage. It has a link to an edited Hindi translation of The Mystery of the Ages and is expected to have more non-English language materials in the future.

CCOG.EU This is a website targeted toward Europe. It has materials in more than one language (currently it has English, Dutch, and Serbian, with links also to Spanish) and it is intended to have additional language materials added.

CCOG.NZ This is a website targeted towards New Zealand and others with a British-descended background.

PNIND.PH Patuloy na Iglesya ng Diyos. This is the Philippines website Continuing Church of God. It has information in English and Tagalog.

COGwriter

The Continuing Church of God (CCOG) is pleased to announce the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

11:03

Major Kabbalist Says Messiah is Imminent

Kabbalist Rabbi Dov Kook claims that the torrential rains in Israel during the Spring of 2018 is a sign that the coming of the Messiah is imminent. In addition to claiming to receive a supernatural message from Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, he pointed to other Jewish accepted writings as proof that this is so. In 1217, another Kabbalist, Rabbi Judah Ben Samuel, made predictions that came to pass centuries later. Are these to be relied on? What did the Apostle Paul warn of in the latter times? Is rain predicted before Jesus returns? What did Jesus teach would happen before He returned? What does Matthew 24 show will happen before Jesus returns? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more.

Here is a link: Major Kabbalist Says Messiah is Imminent.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

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? 2026 or 20xx? 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?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2018, 2019, or 2020? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2018 o 2019? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon videos: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives and Can the Great Tribulation begin before 2020? A shorter video is: Can the Great Tribulation begin in 2018?
The Times of the Gentiles Has there been more than one time of the Gentiles? Are we in it now or in the time of Anglo-America? What will the final time of the Gentiles be like? A related sermon is available and is titled: The Times of the Gentiles.
The Bible and Astrology Should Christians avoid participating in astrology or did God inspire it? Does the Bible encourage astrology? What does the Bible actually teach? What is astrology? How does astrology differ from astronomy? Should Christians Be Involved In Astrology?
OMENS? DIVINATION? HOROSCOPES? THE ORIGIN OF ASTROLOGY Where did astrology come from? Should you read your horoscope?
Does Astrology Work? Many believe and follow astrology–but does it work? Here is a link to the article in Mandarin Chinese: S`fg/QÆxnTÿ .
Close Encounters of a ‘Spirit’ Kind discusses some experiences I believe were (demon) ‘spirit’ related. A video is also available titled: Poltergeists and Lying Wonders.
Evangelical support for Donald Trump’s Jerusalem policy BBC asked, “Why do US evangelicals support Trump’s Jerusalem policy?” BBC provided quotes from some believing it has to do with the ‘last days’ while others saying that is not the reason. Hal Lindsey’s book, ‘The Late Great Planet Earth’ is one of the sources pointed to. In this video, Dr. Thiel addresses scriptures related to Jerusalem as well as prophetic ones. He goes over the common ‘fig tree’ interpretation, belief about a ‘Third Temple,’ and statements about animal sacrifices. He explains biblical statements on those subjects as well as the views of certain modern Jewish organizations. This is a video.
Jerusalem, Donald Trump, and Prophecy On December 6, 2017, US President Donald Trump fulfilled a campaign promise related to the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. This brought anger, protests, and rockets from some Palestinians. It also brought condemnation from European allies–it has been claimed to be disruptive and even catastrophic. The Palestinian President (Mahmoud Abbas) said that this pronouncement eliminated the USA as being a fair mediator for a peace deal. Others have claimed that Donald Trump is an end time Cyrus and his pronouncement will lead to a Third Temple in Jerusalem. Is there ever going to be a peace deal? If so, will Europeans be part of it? Is Donald Trump a ‘Cyrus.’ Do the Jews require a Third Temple for sacrifices? Dr. Thiel answer those questions and more in this video.
Israel, 1948, and Prophecy Was the formation in 1948 of the nation of Israel prophetically significant? Was this event what Jesus referred to in His “parable of the fig tree”? Are most Israelites in the modern nation of Israel? Are most Jews in that nation? If the prophecies Jeremiah 23:3-6 and Ezekiel 34:13-30 do not point to 1948, when will those prophecies be fulfilled? Are there prophecies that will be fulfilled related to the nation of Israel? What was the first sign that Jesus said would be seen by a particular ‘generation’? When might that have happened? What are the signs that Jesus’ fig tree parable point to?
The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation.
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? There is also a YouTube video with information Did Jesus Teach a Pre-tribulation Rapture?
Dreams, the Bible, the Radio Church of God, and the Continuing Church of God How has God used dreams in the past? Does God still use dreams? Did He use any involving those in the Continuing Church of God? A related sermon is also available: Dreams, COGs, and One Man Rule.
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?
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. Here are links to three related sermons: The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
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.
CCOG.ORG Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God. To see how CCOG has done so far, here are links to two sermons Continuing Church of God (CCOG) first year anniversary: What has been accomplished? and The Continuing Church of God: Two Years of Proclamation. Here is a written link to a version of that sermon in the Spanish language: Aniversario del primer año de la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios: ¿Qué se ha cumplido?
Congregations of the Continuing Church of God This is a listing of congregations and groups of the Continuing Church of God around the world.
Continuing Church of God Facebook page This has news and prophetic information.
CCOG.ASIA We in the Continuing Church of God also have the url www.ccog.asia which has a focus on Asia and has various articles in Mandarin Chinese as well as some in English, plus some items in other Asian languages. 我们在继续神的教会也提供此网址 www.ccog.asia, 关注于亚洲并且有各种各样的中英文文章，其中一些用菲律宾语翻译的文章也正在进行中，准备添加到这个网站中。 Here is a link to our Statement of Beliefs in Mandarin Chinese 继续神的教会的信仰声明.
CCOG.IN This is a website targeted towards those of Indian heritage. It has a link to an edited Hindi translation of The Mystery of the Ages and is expected to have more non-English language materials in the future.
CCOG.EU This is a website targeted toward Europe. It has materials in more than one language (currently it has English, Dutch, and Serbian, with links also to Spanish) and it is intended to have additional language materials added.
CCOG.NZ This is a website targeted towards New Zealand and others with a British-descended background.
CCOGAFRICA.ORG This is a website targeted towards those in Africa.
CCOGCANADA.CA This is a website targeted towards those in Canada.
CDLIDD.ES La Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios. This is the Spanish language website for the Continuing Church of God.
PNIND.PH Patuloy na Iglesya ng Diyos. This is the Philippines website Continuing Church of God. It has information in English and Tagalog.
CCOG Animations channel. The Continuing Church of God has some animations to teach aspects of Christian beliefs.
Bible News Prophecy channel. Dr. Thiel has produced many YouTube videos for the BibleNewsProphecy channel. And you can find them there.
ContinuingCOG channel. Dr. Thiel has produced YouTube video sermons for this channel. Note: Since these are sermon-length, they can take a little longer to load than other YouTube videos. Here is a link to a short intro: ContinuingCOG Channel.
CCOGAfrica channel. This has messages from African pastors in African languages such as Kalenjin, Kiswahili, Embu, and Dholuo.
BibleNewsProphecy Podcast. This has audio-visual podcasts of the Bible News Prophecy channgel. It plays on i-Phones, i-Pads, and Windows devices that can play i-Tunes.
Bible News Prophecy online radio. This is an audio version of the Bible News Prophecy videos. It is also available as a mobile app.

COGwriter

Today is the Day of Pentecost for 2018.

For those who cannot attend live services, here is our suggested format for Pentecost services this year:

• 2-3 hymns (our songbook, The Bible Hymnal, contains the materials from the 1974 Bible Hymnal from the old WCG with new covers, plus ten additional hymns; there is also some Choral Accompaniment online).
• Opening prayer.
• Offertory: Pentecost Offertory. Other sermonettes are available at the Bible News Prophecy channel.
• Announcements (if any) and one hymn.
• Sermon: Pentecost and Christianity. Other sermons are also available at the ContinuingCOG channel.
• Final hymn.
• Closing prayer.

For those who wish two services, here is a second suggested service:

• 2-3 hymns (our songbook, The Bible Hymnal, contains the materials from the 1974 Bible Hymnal from the old WCG with new covers, plus ten additional hymns; there is also some Choral Accompaniment online).
• Opening prayer.
• Animated message: Big Bang: Nothing or Creator? Other sermonettes are available at the Bible News Prophecy channel.
• Announcements (if any) and one hymn.
• Sermon: Pentecost: What it Teaches and When it is. Other sermons are also available at the ContinuingCOG channel.
• Final hymn.
• Closing prayer.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Pentecost: Is it more than Acts 2? Many “Christians” somewhat observe Pentecost. Do they know what it means? It is also called the Feast of Harvest, the Feast of Weeks, and the day of firstfruits. What about “speaking in tongues” and led by the Holy Spirit? (Here is a related link in Spanish/español: Pentecostés: ¿Es más que Hechos 2? plus one by Herbert Armstrong HWA sobre Pentecostés). Here is a YouTube sermon titled Pentecost: What it Teaches and When it is.
Pentecost is Part of God’s Plan. This combines a couple of articles from the 1980s, plus additional scriptures and modern comments about Pentecost. Here is a related sermon: Pentecost Plan.
Predestination: Did God really call You? Why? Predestination? Is your ultimate fate decided for you in advance? Here is a link to a related video sermon: Predestination: What it is and what it is not. Another related video is Predestination and Pentecost.
Is God Calling You? This is a draft booklet discussing calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond?
Pentecost Quiz This is a Pentecost quiz based upon the Old and New Testaments in the Bible.
Should You Keep God’s Holy Days or Demonic Holidays? This is a free pdf booklet explaining what the Bible and history shows about God’s Holy Days and popular holidays.
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by WCG which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean? Also you can click here for the calendar of Holy Days.
Holy Day Calendar This is a listing of the biblical holy days through 2024, with their Roman calendar dates. They are really hard to observe if you do not know when they occur 🙂 In the Spanish/Español/Castellano language: Calendario de los Días Santos. In Mandarin Chinese: 何日是神的圣日？ 这里是一份神的圣日日历从2013年至2024年。. 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?
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 c. 31 A.D. to 2014. Two related sermon links would 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. In Spanish: Marque aquí para ver el pdf folleto: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios.
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?

By COGWriter

So, you have two Sabbaths in a row and perhaps you wonder what you and/or your family should do?

Well, in addition to study, prayer, and church services, there are various quizzes and Bible games at the COGwriter website.

One is the Pentecost Quiz, developed by Michael Thiel.

A very popular one is the Who Wants to be a Biblical Millionaire? quiz, also developed by Michael Thiel.

It is an interesting game. It has over 1,000 different questions. Think of it as an entertaining way to assist your doctrinal memory.

Also, since it is the Pentecost season, perhaps you may wish to take Michael’s earlier (less sophisticated technically) Pentecost Quiz.

I believe that the quizzes and animations help reach a wider audience than just the doctrinal and news articles here.

We also have the Study the Bible Course available. Here are links to some of the lessons that are currently available:

Here is a: link to Lesson 1: Why Study the Bible?
Here is a: link to Lesson 2: Here’s good news…the MESSAGE sent from Heaven
Here is a: link to Lesson 3: Christ Will Stop World Suicide!
Here is a: link to Lesson 4: How to Study the Bible

Here is a link to Study the Bible Course: Test 1, for Lessons 1-4

Here is a: link to Lesson 5: The Millennium
Here is a: link to Lesson 6: Utopia!
Here is a: link to Lesson 7: Ending Your FINANCIAL Troubles
Here is a: link to Lesson 8: Why Are Natural Disasters Increasing?

Here is a link to Study the Bible Course: Test 2, for Lessons 5-8

The Bible teaches that there is a “time for every purpose under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Hence, there are new items, games, lessons, and other materials than simply doctrinal and prophetic ones at the www.cogwriter.com website.

Michael’s Free Bible Quizzes and Public Domain Animations.

Self Grading Bible Quiz 15 questions and a report card when you finish.
The Good Samaritan A public domain claymation for younger people.
Paul in Damascus Not a quiz, but a Lego-animation.
John 21 Not a quiz, but (other than a Lego suggesting a long-haired Jesus) a biblical story for young people.
David vs. Goliath A higher level animation for older young people.
Solomon’s Temple This is a a 5 minute animated film that shows one artist’s understanding of the details about Solomon’s temple.
Bible Crossword Puzzle
Who Wants to be a Biblical Millionaire? A sophisticated quiz. Now with over 1,000 questions to help challenge and build your knowledge of the Bible.
Pentecost Quiz This is a Pentecost quiz based upon the Old and New Testaments in the Bible.
The Antichrist Quiz Do you really know much about the Antichrist?
Michael’s Feasts and Fasts Quiz 15 questions, amusing wrong answer screens.
The Ten Commandments Quiz Developed by my son Michael.
Michael’s Day of Atonement Quiz Another free on-line Bible quiz by my son Michael.
Bible Hangman Michael’s most interactive Bible game to date. Another one of his free online Bible games.

  Anna Maria Taigi (Waerfelu photo)

COGWriter

I got two religious spam emails today. Normally, I do not report about such emails here, but thought that some points may be interesting to many of you.

One religious spam email was promoting the following:

The only site with the only accurate interpretation of the Day of the Lord according to the four digit numbers in the prophecy of the Book of Daniel in the Holy Bible. …

The Second Coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ has begun!

The Return of Our Lord is an Act of Justice, Love, and Mercy!

The Judgment is Everlasting : Eternal Peace is here to stay!

 

Against the falling, passing, wicked world, and all its works!

Three Days of Darkness : December 27-29, 2018 A.D.

 

You may resurrect your loved one(s) on Holy Family Sunday :

December 30, 2018 A.D., the First Sunday of the General Resurrection of the Dead.

 

*** – Today is Sunday, May 20, 2018 A.D., the 2,077th day of the 2,300 day cleansing period of Daniel 8:14 – …

The Day of the Lord, the Day of the Great Illumination, the Day of Triumph for the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the conversion of Russia

in fulfillment of the 2,300 day cleansing period of Daniel 8:14 concluding December 29, 2018 A.D. (* Malachi 4:5)

 

The day foretold that the world would be saved through Our Lady’s Brown Scapular and Holy Rosary. http://risen-from-the-dead.forumotion.com/

I also got another piece of religious spam in an email today from someone claiming Europe “does not fulfill the 10 Toes & 10 Kings prophetic symbols.​”

I told both to stop contacting me.

Before I explain why both are in error, let me post here something that is elsewhere at the COGwriter.com website:

Mistakes and Theories

If you notice actual mistakes (typos, improper citations, faulty links, etc.) at the COGwriter or ccog.org sites, please email me so I can try to correct them. My email address is COGwriter@aol.com and I greatly appreciate those of you who have assisted me throughout the years in this manner. If you have a sincere question about something written at the COGwriter or ccog.org sites, I will try to answer it if I can. Also, please provide the URL for the item if possible as there are over 10,000 articles on COGwriter and simply telling me that I wrote something does not tell me where to find it.

However, I am not interested in religious spam, newsletters I have not signed up for, non-personal emails, group emails, sales offers, slams against the Churches of God in general, broad-brushed condemnations of my writings by those who cannot cite where my references may be in error, nor peoples’ personal prophetic theories that disagree with what those in the Continuing Church of God believe. If you feel that somehow God has given you a special prophetic message or insight, please contact an appropriate COG minister for your geographical area to discuss that–do NOT CONTACT ME (my not taking time to shoot down contrary doctrines should not be interpreted that I “couldn’t find anything wrong” with them as some have improperly claimed). If the minister believes that I should be involved, he will contact me. If you will not do this, then please understand that I will not respect any such submissions. If you are not serious enough to contact a real Church of God minister, please understand that I consider such people as unwilling to accept biblical church governance and/or as religious hobbyists as opposed to those who are truly willing to be led by God–even if you think you are an apostle, prophet (see also How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God), one of the two witnesses (see also Who Are The Two Witnesses?), specially-called, had some dream/vision, etc.

Those who are being led by God, will seek to understand how and why He has a ministry and will submit themselves to God’s will to help accomplish His plan (Ephesians 4:11-16; 2:19-22; 1 Corinthians 16:16) (see also The Bible, Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, Roderick C. Meredith, and Bob Thiel on Church Government).

Now as far as the resurrection coming on December 30, 2018, as Jesus stated in Matthew 24:6, “the end is not yet.”

While the Bible is clear that there will be signs in the heavens, including darkness, the resurrection does NOT happen until after Jesus returns, which is AFTER the Great Tribulation which has not yet begun:

29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matthew 24:29-31)

51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed– 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)

So, no, it is not possible for the resurrection to be this year as the Great Tribulation is years away from starting, hence cannot end in time for a December 30, 2018 resurrection.

Now, this three days of darkness claim comes from a Catholic mystic named Anna Maria Taigi:

Bl. Anna-Maria Taigi (19th Century)…”After the three days of darkness, St. Peter and St. Paul, having come down from Heaven, will preach in the whole world and designate a new Pope. A great light will flash from their bodies and will settle upon the cardinal who is to become Pope. Christianity, then, will spread throughout the world. He is the Holy Pontiff, chosen by God to withstand the storm. At the end, he will have the gift of miracles, and his name shall be praised over the whole earth (Birch, DA. Trial, Tribulation & Triumph: Before During and After Antichrist. Queenship Publishing Company, Goleta (CA), 1996, pp. 362-363).

Catholic prophecy says a pope who does miracles is designated after the three days of darkness, not that there will be a resurrection. While a miracle-performing pontiff is consistent with scripture (cf. Revelation 13:11-17), darkness is NOT a biblically-prophesied event immediately before the resurrection.

Now, as far as the ‘brown scapular’ goes, it was originally a wool object that sometimes came in the form of metal instead.  It seems to have been worn like a medallion.

“Sister Lúcia has said all Catholics should wear the Brown Scapular as part of the Fatima message.”

Supposedly, when the Fatima apparition appeared on October 13, 1917, Lúcia, Francisco, and Jacinta saw her hold a brown scapular in her hand.

“At the end of the 40s…Lúcia… recalled that the Blessed Virgin…wished that devotion of the holy Scapular be propagated.”

Of course, if Mary of the Bible actually wanted this, it seems odd that it took Lúcia decades to tell this to anybody.

“The  Brown  Scapular  is  part  of  a  religious  habit belonging in its own right to the Carmelite order. Devotion for the Scapular of Our Lady of Carmel was born in the 13th   century when after being purchased from Palestine by the Saracens, the Carmelite brothers encountered great difficulties in getting established in Europe and elsewhere …

Simon Stock, elected Prior General of the order in 1247, had, a few years later an apparition … presenting the Scapular to him as a sign of salvation for his brothers.”

How can we know for sure that this is a reference to Europe?

Well, by looking at other scriptures related to the Beast in Daniel.

1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. 2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” (Revelation 13:1-4)

2 Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea. 3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. 4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.   5 “And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’   6 “After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.  7 “After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.  (Daniel 7:2-8)

The “Great Sea” that bordered the ancient lands of Israel (Numbers 34:6-7; Joshua 1:4; 9:1; 23:4; Ezekiel 47:13-16) is the Mediterranean Sea–and that is the sea that Daniel was referring to.  Despite some false claims by some, the Beast power is not a nation like Russia, which does not border the Mediterranean Sea, but Europe which does (Russia, however, will be a factor in eliminating the European beast power, see also The Eurasian Union, the Kings of the East, and Bible Prophecy). A comparison of the beasts in Revelation 13 and Daniel 7 shows that they share many of the same characteristics (for some details, you may wish to watch the YouTube video Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?).

Europe is the power that will control the “Great Sea.” And while the southern border of the Mediterranean Sea is currently under Arab control, the Bible shows that the King of the North will take over the Arab powers (Daniel 11:40-43; Ezekiel 30:1-9).

Another way to prove that the Beast is European has to do with Daniel 9:26-27. For details, check out the article The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27.

So, since both religious spammers were clearly and scripturally in error, why mention any of this?

Well, because of the abundance of false predictions, the love of many is waxing cold (cf. Matthew 24:12).

Very few, including actual Christians, have a sufficiently accurate grasp of biblical prophecies to prevent being subject to the coming Great Tribulation.

Jesus warned that most Christians needed to repent to prevent that, but that most would not.

Details on that are included in the article The Laodicean Church Era.

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.
Do Certain Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus? Will the final “Anti-Christ” be Jewish, insist on Saturday, be opposed to the trinity, and bring in the millennium? Certain Catholic writings indicate this, while others take a different view, but what does the Bible show? A related sermon is Will Jesus Christ be called the Antichrist?
Catholic Prophecies: Do They Mirror, Highlight, or Contradict Biblical Prophecies? People of all faiths may be surprised to see what various Roman and Orthodox Catholic prophets have been predicting as many of their predictions will be looked to in the 21st century.
The Great Monarch: Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Is the ‘Great Monarch’ of Catholic prophecies endorsed or condemned by the Bible?
What Did Early Christians Understand About the Resurrections? Is there more than one future resurrection? Did early Christians teach a physical resurrection? Did early Christians teach three resurrections? Here is a link to a related sermon: Understanding the Resurrections.
The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation.
Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions Do you know much about Mary? Are the apparitions real? What happened at Fatima? What might they mean for the rise of the ecumenical religion of Antichrist? Are Protestants moving towards Mary? How do the Eastern/Greek Orthodox view Mary? How might Mary view her adorers? Here is a link to a YouTube video Marian Apparitions May Fulfill Prophecy. Here is a link to a sermon video: Why Learn About Fatima?
Fatima and the ‘Miracle’ of the Sun On October 13, 1917, tens of thousands of people witnessed what they considered to be a miracle in the sky in Fatima, Portugal. Was this a miracle from God? Can you be certain? A video of some related interest is Fatima and Pope Francis. Here is a link to the sermon: Fatima and the ‘Miracle of the Sun’.: Why Learn About Fatima?
Protestant and Church of God views of the United States in Bible Prophecy Is the USA mentioned in Bible prophecy? Some Protestants say yes, while others say no. What does the Bible really teach? Learn the truth about this. There is also a video available: Is The United States Mentioned In Bible Prophecy?
Dangerous Protestant Prophetic Errors What are some errors that various Protestants hold to that will tend to prevent them from knowing when the Great Tribulation will begin? A related video is titled Ten Dangerous Protestant Prophetic Errors.
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? There is also a YouTube video with information Did Jesus Teach a Pre-tribulation Rapture?
There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be 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. There is also a video on the subject: 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?
This is PETRA! This is a 1962 Good News article by the late Dr. Hoeh.
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?.
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?
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? 2026 or 20xx? 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?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2018, 2019, or 2020? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2018 o 2019? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon videos: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives and Can the Great Tribulation begin before 2020? A shorter video is: Can the Great Tribulation begin in 2018?
The Times of the Gentiles Has there been more than one time of the Gentiles? Are we in it now or in the time of Anglo-America? What will the final time of the Gentiles be like? A related sermon is available and is titled: The Times of the Gentiles.Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2015?
The Sardis Church Era was predominant circa 1600 A.D. to circa 1933 A.D. Discusses early history of the Seventh Day Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, and COG-7th Day.
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.
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.
Laodicean Warning for God’s People Is there really a place of safety? Do God’s people need to be warned? Warned for what?