News of The Churches of God

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02/25/07 a.m. Two nights ago, I saw a short DVD presentation by CEM's Ron Dart titled Islamists. This may have been the first time I have ever actually heard him speak (though I have read a lot of his writings). Anyway, in that presentation which is from a 2005 seminar in Lexington, KY., he raises the fact that he is questioning some of what the COG has long taught about prophecy. But he then states that the only way the COG scenario can come to pass is if there is some type of war or uprising that will result in Moslems leaving Europe.

While that is NOT THE ONLY WAY, I will state here that yes, I believe that is what will happen. Furthermore, though he did not mention it, generally accepted private prophecy of the Roman Catholics' state that there will be civil wars in Europe that will lead to the rise of a Great Monarch. And other Catholic prophecies state that the Great Monarch will drive the Moslems out.

Catholic views to the contrary notwithstanding, the Bible warns about the one who does the above. Notice:

One of the many problems with Roman Catholicism is the emphasis of filtered "tradition" over the Bible. Because of this, Roman Catholics (as well as the Eastern Orthodox who they have some communion with) will be woefully unprepared for the fulfillment of many biblical prophecies. Lest I be seen as too hard of the Roman Catholics, even though Protestants claim Sola scriptura, they too have been affected by a variety of conflicting traditions which I am convinced will also leave them woefully unprepared for the fulfillment of many biblical prophecies.

False "scholars" are once again making inaccurate claims for fame. Here is one that is now in the news:

As alluded to at this page before, LCG has been planning for some time on doing something like this for its members, younger people, and yes, potential ministers. I believe that LCG has found apparently the most practical, and cost-effective, way to allow its members to receive further theological training. As there are probably at least four or more years until the end, I expect that Living University will help LCG become more ready for the final phases of the work.

Since I disagree with PCG regarding Iran (they claim Iran is the Future King of the South), I believe something will happen with Iran. But do not know who or how Iran will be dealt with this year.

On a related note, Bruce Porteus (former WCG member in New Zealand) in his newsletter provides his opinion:

While the US economy will ultimately collapse, I do not believe it is yet (though Iraq and potentially Iran almost certainly hasten the day.

China’s military expansion and recent missile testing are ”not consistent’’ with its stated peaceful objectives, Dick Cheney, the US vice president, said in Sydney on Friday.During a visit to Australia, Mr Cheney noted that Beijing had been sending mixed messages, but welcomed its role in securing a recent six-party agreement with North Korea to suspend its nuclear programme in return for economic concessions. Mr Cheney said: “The regime in Pyongyang has much to prove, yet this agreement represents a first hopeful step towards a better future for the North Korean people.”

Concerning China‘s recent test of its capacity to destroy satellites, as well as the increase in the size of its military, Mr Cheney said: “(They) are not consistent with China‘s stated goal of a peaceful rise.’’ He added: “We hope China will join us in our efforts to prevent the deployment and the proliferation of deadly technologies, whether in Asia or in the Middle East.” http://www.ft.com/cms/s/d7c0aa9e-c2ec-11db-9e1c-000b5df10621.html

Irrespective of what the objectives of China's military are, Bible prophecy shows that its military will be used. Please see the article China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 3: China in Prophecy

The following would be more humorous if it wasn't true:

KFC asks for Pope's blessing of new sandwich ABC 7 News, Chicago - Feb 22, 2007 Kentucky Fried Chicken is asking the Pope's blessing for its new fish sandwich. The Fish Snacker sandwich went on sale this week. KFC's president sent a letter to Pope Benedict asking for his personal seal of approval for its Fish Snacker sandwich as an appropriate meal for lent. The Vatican has only confirmed that it has received the request. http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=consumer&id=5060044

Speaking of the Vatican, a longtime reader of this page put together the following:

[T]he ground near an Italian Volcano called "Campi Flegrei" (near Naples) is rising and may indicate an imminent eruption. Because of the high population density, it is one of the most dangerous volcanic areas in the world.

Rome and the Vatican region of Italy are surrounded by volcanoes. Revelation 18:8 may indicate Rome's demise via volcanic activity: "She [Babylon] will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her". Interestingly, the volcanic area just north of Rome is called "Sabatini", where "Sabato" is Italian for "Saturday". Will the Sabbath destroy Rome ?

Italian Surnames: SABATO, SABATINI, SABATACCI, SABATINO, SABATELLA: From the first name Sabato,

Sabatino = Saturday, given at times to children born on said day of the week.

Although I have been to Vatican City several times (to see some photos, please go to Joyce's Photos of Rome), I had not realized how vulnerable it is to volcanic eruption.

On other matters, I made major updates to the article The New Testament Church and Unclean Meats. Here are only part of two of the many additions:

Here is how J.P. Green's Interlinear Greek-English New Testament (a standard scholarly reference) literally translates Mark 7:18-19:

Do you not perceive that everything having entered from the outside into the man is not able to defile him? (This is) because it does not enter into his heart but into the belly, and goes out through the toilet bowl, purging all the foods...

In many translations of Revelation 18:2, several words are not being translated and the part about unclean beasts is often missing...

Revelation 18:2 in somewhat normal English should be literally translated as:

And he cried with a strong voice, mightily saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every unclean spirit, and a cage of every unclean bird and a cage of every unclean and hateful beast."

If you have not read The New Testament Church and Unclean Meats before, or have not read it within the past fews days, you may wish to read it as it had major portions added to it Thursday and Friday of this week.

While some of that will happen, there are still some positives about the US economy as the following story shows:

I suspect between the above and the massive oil discovery in the Gulf, these and similar events will for the time being help prevent a collapse of the US dollar, although my reading of biblical prophecy shows that ultimately there will be a major collapse (but probably not in the next couple of years).

On other matters, for at least February 2007, the COGwriter article Polycarp of Smyrna has become much more popular with readers without a COG background that those with one. Since the old Church of God, Seventh Day, the old Worldwide Church of God, and current COG groups (including the Living Church of God) have traced church history through Polycarp of Smyrna, this may be an article you may wish to view.

Whether or not the USA gets involved with Iran, the king of the South must improve its arms in order for it to feel it can push at the king of the North.

I remember his illustrations in WCG's old The Bible Story (many volumes of which our family still has).

02/21/07 p.m. I noticed a variety of inaccurate statements about Dr. Mike Germano posted at the AW site (there were also a couple of inaccurate slams against me, that I will let slide at this time). Anyway, to set the record straight, after prayer, repentance, and study, Dr. Germano and his wife began attending LCG last June. He is not yet on LCG's payroll, though he is to be soon. Hence comments suggesting him coming to LCG only two months ago and being on the payroll since then are in error. Dr. Germano personally told me in January that he accepts what LCG teaches, including everything in LCG's Official Statement of Fundamental Beliefs. He came to LCG as a member, and not currently an LCG elder.

I have spent a decent amount of time with Dr. Germano this year (but not really before, and hence am not trying to indicate that I had anything to do with his coming to LCG) and am looking forward to his contributions to LCG in general and Living University in particular. Interestingly, Dr. Germano and I both have degrees from two of the same schools as we both graduated from the University of La Verne and the University of Southern California--though we did not attend the schools together. He and I once had a some communication a few years ago when I was doing research on binitarianism, which became the article Binitarian View: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning. He believes that LCG is the only COG really continuing the work that God did through HWA, and I agree.

Many COG sites are reporting increases in website activity. According to Alexa, CBCG's website ranks 652,829, this compares to 250,391 for the COGwriter site (the lower the number, the more popular it is per Alexa--COGwriter appears to be the most popular pro-COG one-person website, but is also more popular than all but a few COG group websites).

Legacy Institute's latest letter arrived last night. In it, Leon Sexton wrote that they are to have 7 graduate in their third commencement exercise. He also mentioned:

This increases his costs. Other COGs are affected when the US dollar drops the finances most of the COGs are often based on the US dollar.

That is certainly true of LCG in Malaysia--when we were there, all the members were Indian or Chinese. Also, we were aware of the law against conversion of Moslems.

Wittenberg, Germany (ENI). German President Horst Köhler has called on Christian churches to redouble efforts to promote unity, warning they risk squandering their opportunities by letting differences and disputes drown out the message of their faith.

"I too strongly believe in the importance of dialogue between the various Christian denominations. But the engine of ecumenism seems to have stuttered," Köhler told 150 representatives of Europe's main Christian traditions gathered in Wittenberg, where in 1517 Martin Luther set in train the Protestant Reformation...

"Shared Communion, for example, is a major issue," Köhler noted, referring to the desire for Protestants and Catholics to share in the Eucharist, or Holy Communion, something ruled out in most cases by Catholic teaching.

Köhler said he hoped the churches in Germany, where there are roughly equal numbers of Protestants and Catholics, would help give new impetus to ecumenism...

The Wittenberg meeting is being organized by the Council of European (Roman Catholic) Bishops' Conferences (CCEE) and the Conference of European Churches (CEC), which groups most Anglican, Protestant and Orthodox churches in Europe. It is one of a series of events that will culminate in September in the Romanian city of Sibiu at the Third European Ecumenical Assembly, which will gather several thousand people from Europe's main Christian traditions.

"I wish you the strength and courage to act in the spirit of ecumenism," said Köhler, quoting a prayer from Luther's collaborator, Philipp Melanchthon, calling on God to "consecrate and unite [the Church] with your Holy Spirit." The German president said, "May the Third European Ecumenical Assembly and the meeting here in Wittenberg today serve this same end." http://www.eni.ch/featured/article.php?id=611

One cannot help but wonder if having a German pontiff is also motivation for the German president.

The following news item may be a sign of things to come:

EU wants rest of world to adopt its rules

Financial Times - Feb 18, 2007

Brussels wants the rest of the world to adopt the European Union’s regulations, the European Commission will say this week.A Commission policy paper that examines the future of the Union’s single market says European single market rules have inspired global standard-setting in areas such as product safety, the environment, securities and corporate governance.“Increasingly the world is looking to Europe and adopts the standards that are set here,” the paper, seen by the Financial Times, says.

The paper calls on the EU to encourage other jurisdictions to follow suit – for example by “promoting European standards internationally through international organisation and bilateral agreements”...

“[The single market] gives the EU the potential to shape global norms and to ensure that fair rules are applied to worldwide trade and investment. The single market of the future should be the launch pad of an ambitious global agenda.” The Commission paper forms part of an ambitious review of the Union’s single market – widely seen as one of the proudest achievement of European integration. Thanks to product harmonisation, common business rules and the erosion of national trade barriers, the single market means that goods, services, capital and people can move freely among the EU’s 27 member states.http://www.ft.com/cms/s/af609b2c-bf72-11db-9ac2-000b5df10621.html

When I read the above, the following scripture came to mind:

... 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 (Revelation 13:17).

One of the reason that I post worldly news items here is to all follow Jesus' warning:

Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming--in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning-- lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!" (Mark 13:35-37).

Of course, WCG was once named "The Radio Church of God" and had a major radio presence in the USA for decades. The current group, however, called the Worldwide Church of God has no real presence, nor does it teach what the old WCG or Radio Church of God taught. An article of possible interest may be Did You Know What the First Changes the Tkach Administration Made to WCG?

Groups such as CEM, LCG, PCG, and UCG are still maintain a noticeable presence on radio/television (also, there are smaller COGs with some presence).

LCG announced its new Living University. It is intended to initially and primarily offer courses via the internet.

Cheney voices concerns on Chinese army

EU wants rest of world to adopt its rules