Church of God News

COGwriter

Living University sent out the following:

Monday, August 17, begins the fall semester of Living University’s third year. I am writing to all our currently enrolled students and those who have registered in the e-learning system but are not necessarily taking LU courses, to bring you up-to-date on the growth, plans, and opportunities at Living University.

We begin the year with our first on-site class at Charlotte. On Thursday we have Orientation for New Students where they will hear from Dr. Meredith, Mr. Ames, and Drs. Winnail. That evening Dr. and Mrs. Scott Winnail are hosting a faculty reception at their home where students will meet the faculty and their wives.  While our goal is an entering class of four students this fall we plan to expand that to ten for our next academic year. We understand that five students will be enrolled as full-time students in Adelaide, Australia, as the Australian Office staff begins a third year of hosting LU online students. Truly, these young people in the USA and Australia are pioneers and have put their hand at building God’s very own university. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers…

If you would like to discuss courses, plan a program of study, or seek information about the university and its programs please contact Dr. Scott Winnail. He is available at 7604 844-1966 Extension 304 or by email at swinnail@lcg.org.

Regents Approve Offering AA Degree

This week the Living University Board of Regents authorized the offering of the Associate of Arts degree at Living University. This authorization permits the administration to file an application for a license to offer the AA degree with the State of North Carolina authorizing agency. The university plans to file the application in December and anticipates an onsite visit by NC officials in the fall of 2010. The approval process can take up to a year. The tentative date for implementation of the AA degree program is January 2011.

Still Time for You to Register for Fall Classes

We hope you will consider enrolling in at least one LU course. Living University has several courses for you! If you have not yet registered there is still time. This semester you can choose from:
THL 111 Biblical Writing Basics (3)
THL 114 Biblical Principles of Health and Wellness (3)
THL 135 Life, Ministry and Teachings of Jesus (3)
THL 150a Introduction to Biblical Communication (2)
THL 200 Principles of Christian Living (3)
THL 211 Old Testament Survey I (3)
THL 320 Introduction to Church History (3)
THL 332 The Biblical Text (3)
THL 412 Epistles of Paul I (3)
THL 421 History of Christianity I (3)
THL 473 Archaeology and the Old Testament (3)
THL 499abc Independent Study (1-3)
To register click on https://at.livinguniv.com/login.php, logon, and once you have accessed the ATutor e-learning system then select Browse Courses. Click on the title of the course or courses to register.
If you have forgotten your password, simply click on https://at.livinguniv.com/password_reminder.php.

Don’t miss this opportunity to delve deeper into the Word of God online at Living University.

Living University registration for the 2009 semester can be began at www.livinguniv.com.

Living University is essentially an online institution and is affiliated with the Living Church of God.

Gerald Flurry

COGwriter

Steven Flurry, son of the self-appointed prophet Gerald Flurry of the improperly named Philadelphia Church of God, wrote the following in the August edition of the Philadelphia Trumpet:

The Rise of the King of the South

The rise of Iran and radical Islam and its inevitable clash with a German-led European superpower is the keynote prophecy of Gerald Flurry and the Trumpet. The prophecy is found in Daniel 11:40: “And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.”

The Islamic Republic of Iran is the head of the international network of Islamic terrorism—the biblically prophesied “king of the south.” …

The Bible reveals that neither America nor Israel will confront this prophesied king of the south. (Flurry S. Five Prophecies to Watch. The Philadelphia Trumpet, August 2009, p. 4)

So, does the above mean that if Israel, for example, does confront Iran and possibly eliminate the Iranian nuclear threat that PCG will admit its “keynote prophecy is in error?

PCG is out on a prophetic limb.

Hopefully those that still support PCG will wake up. And hopefully, those that will prayerfully study this and other matters will now realize that PCG is simply not how it represents itself.

If Israel does confront Iran, then one of Gerald Flurry’s KEYNOTE PROPHECIES will clearly be shown to be false.

If that happens, he should repent.  I would suggest that he do that now, however as Gerald Flurry simply is not God’s prophet as he claims.  He has too many teachings that deviate from the Bible.  His followers need to realize that now and not wait any longer.

Two articles of possibly related interest may include:

Teachings Unique to the Philadelphia Church of God Simply calling oneself ‘Philadelphia’ does not make one so (see Revelation 3:7-9), nor does Gerald Flurry calling himself “that prophet” make it so. This article provides many quotes from this group which tries to look faithful.
Is There A Future King of the South? Some no longer believe there needs to be. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? What does the Bible say?

COGwriter

The following news item caught my eye this morning:

Chevy Volt to get 230 mpg rating

Ultra-high mileage for GM’s electric-drive Volt could give it a marketing boost.

By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNNMoney.com senior writer

Last Updated: August 11, 2009: 8:42 AM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The Chevrolet Volt, GM’s electric car that’s expected to go on sale in late 2010, is projected to get an estimated 230 miles per gallon, the automaker announced Tuesday.

That exceptionally high government mileage rating could give the Volt a major boost. For the first time, car buyers will easily be able to compare electric cars with ordinary gas-powered cars.

“Having a car that gets triple-digit fuel economy can and will be a game changer for us,” said GM CEO Fritz Henderson.

Determining fuel economy for an electric car is a tricky matter, and General Motors (GM, Fortune 500) has been working with the Environmental Protection Agency for years on the issue…

The Chevrolet Volt, on other hand, runs on electricity that comes from two sources — a battery as well as a gasoline engine. How much is generated by burning gasoline depends on how far the car is driven.

The Volt’s lithium-ion batteries will hold enough juice to drive the car for about 40 miles, GM has said. Once the car goes beyond that, a small gasoline engine will turn on, generating electricity to power the wheels for longer drives.

When gasoline is providing the power, the Volt might get as much as 50 mpg.

But that mpg figure would not take into account that the car has already gone 40 miles with no gas at all.

So let’s say the car is driven 50 miles in a day. For the first 40 miles, no gas is used and during the last 10 miles, 0.2 gallons are used. That’s the equivalent of 250 miles per gallon. But, if the driver continues on to 80 miles, total fuel economy would drop to about 100 mpg. And if the driver goes 300 miles, the fuel economy would be a just 62.5 mpg.

The EPA rating for the Volt is based on a draft report and applies to city driving.

GM started pre-production of the car in June is making about 10 a month. “Volt is becoming very real, very fast,” Henderson said.

Other manufacturers, including Ford (F, Fortune 500) and Nissan, are expected to have electric-only cars hitting the market around the same time as GM. Those vehicles are expected to have a range of 100 miles on a fully charged battery. But these cars won’t have an on-board gas generator and must be recharged to drive farther. http://money.cnn.com/2009/08/11/autos/volt_mpg/?postversion=2009081108

After reporting a lot of negative news, I was pleased to be able to report something that appears positive for the US automakers and the economy.

This in no way changes my long-term outlook on the USA economy, but instead is consistent with my long-standing position that the USA economy would have some ups as well as many downs until the end.  But being from Michigan originally, I do appreciate hearing positive information related to the American auto industry.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism? Was the millennium (sometimes called chiliasm) taught by early Christians? Who condemned it. Will Jesus literally reign for 1000 years on the earth? Is this time near?
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? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?
Prophecies of Barack Obama? Eight reasons why Barack Obama is apocalyptic and eight reasons why Barack Obama is not the Antichrist. This article includes many biblical and non-biblical prophecies, from around the world, that seem to discuss Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist?  Might Barack Obama set the stage for the kings of the North and South as at least one Shiite prophecy suggests?  This is the longest and most complete article on this page on Barack Obama prophecies. Read it and decide for yourself if President Obama seems to be fulfilling various prophecies.

Typhoon Mike in 1990 Caused Massive Financial Damage to the Philippines

COGwriter

A typhoon that affected the Philippines is now apparently causing even more damage in China and is also affecting other parts of Asia according to the following AP report:

1 Million Evacuated as Typhoon Hits China

BEIJING —  A powerful typhoon toppled houses, flooded villages and forced nearly 1 million people to flee to safety on China’s eastern coast before weakening into a tropical storm Monday.

Named Morakot, the storm struck after triggering the worst flooding in Taiwan in 50 years, leaving dozens missing and bringing down a six-story hotel. It earlier lashed the Philippines, killing at least 22 people.

Morakot, or emerald in Thai, slammed into China’s Fujian province Sunday afternoon as a typhoon carrying heavy rain and winds of 74 miles (119 kilometers) per hour, according the China Meteorological Administration. At least one child died after a house collapsed in Zhejiang province.

By early Monday, the storm packed winds of 52 miles per hour (83 kilometers per hour) and churned at about 6 mph (10 kph), it said.

Hundreds of villages and towns were flooded and more than 2,000 houses collapsed, the official Xinhua News Agency said…

Taiwan’s Disaster Relief Center said Morakot killed 12 people and another 52 were missing, including 14 people whose makeshift home was swept away. Two policemen were washed away while helping to evacuate villagers in southeastern Taitung county…

In Japan, meanwhile, Typhoon Etau slammed into the western coast Monday. Nine people were killed in raging floodwaters and landslides and nine others were missing, police said.

In the northern Philippines, the death toll from Morakot rose to 22 Monday with 18 injured and four missing, including three European tourists who were swept away. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,538583,00.html

Weather-related problems can greatly disrupt many lives.

LCG has long had a booklet of possibly related interest titled “Who Controls the Weather? ” that is available for those interested in more on the weather and Bible prophecy.

Jesus foretold on a time of natural disasters as “the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:7-8), but the Book of Revelation (16:8-11) tells of a time of even greater disturbances during “the Day of the Lord”.

Now there is good news as ultimately, God’s kingdom will come and those issues will be gone (Revelation 7:16).

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about? True religion should be based upon the true gospel.
Universal Offer of Salvation: There Are Hundreds of Verses in the Bible Supporting the Doctrine of True Apocatastasis Do you believe what the Bible actually teaches on this? Will all good things be restored? Does God’s plan of salvation take rebellion and spiritual blindness into account?
Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism? Was the millennium (sometimes called chiliasm) taught by early Christians? Who condemned it. Will Jesus literally reign for 1000 years on the earth? Is this time near?
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? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?
Islands and Bible Prophecy What’s ahead for islands? What does the Bible prophesy about them?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, Japanese, and others of Asia? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon?
Japan, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Any Witness? This is a brief article about Japan. Have they had any witness?
Japan, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: Prophecy Japan in prophecy. What is prophesied for Japan? Will God save the Japanese?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?

COGwriter

US President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper are in Mexico for a summit:

Obama Arrives in Mexico for Start of Summit

By GINGER THOMPSON and MARC LACEY

Published: August 9, 2009

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — President Barack Obama began a summit meeting here Sunday night with his Mexican and Canadian counterparts that touched on a broad range of issues including climate change, the economic crisis, the swine flu pandemic and the battle against illegal drugs…“I think the summit is going to be a step in the continuing dialogue from which agreements will undoubtedly come,” Gen. James L. Jones, Mr. Obama’s national security adviser, said before the meetings began. “I think we’ll see more of these dialogues. And as I said, from that, I think good things will come.”

Immigration was raised again, but this time tensions were expected to be focused on Mexicans entering Canada, not the United States.

Too many Mexicans, the Canadian government complained, are fraudulently claiming political asylum in Canada, overwhelming the system. So Canada announced last month that it would begin requiring Mexican citizens to secure visas before entering the country, a decision that elicited outrage in Mexico.

The Mexicans struck back with an announcement that Canadian diplomats and government officials would now require visas to enter Mexico.

Although some angry Mexican lawmakers urged President Felipe Calderón to go further and require visas for all Canadian visitors, Mr. Calderón held off, not wanting to damage Mexico’s tourism industry, which relies heavily on North American visitors.

Mexico also raised a trade dispute that began when the United States Congress canceled a program, in violation of Nafta, that allowed Mexican trucks to operate in the United States.

Mexico responded by imposing billions of dollars in tariffs on American products. The Obama administration said it was seeking to resolve the dispute, but did not have a deal ready in time for the meeting.

Another irritant is the “Buy American” clause in the Obama administration’s economic stimulus plan, which both Canada and Mexico oppose. An aide to Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada told reporters last week that he “wouldn’t be surprised” if the Canadian leader raised the issue of protectionism with Mr. Obama.  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/10/world/americas/10prexy.html?em

As I have long written at this website, ultimately the USA and Canada will find that Mexico will align itself with the Europeans and Latin Americans instead of those that are to the north of its land.

This is basically because of religion and Bible prophecy.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Mexico, Central America, South America, and Brazil in Prophecy [Español: México, America Central, Suramérica, y el Brasil en profecíal] [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 rule might the various Caribbean nations/territories play?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Prophecies of Barack Obama? Eight reasons why Barack Obama is apocalyptic and eight reasons why Barack Obama is not the Antichrist. This article includes many biblical and non-biblical prophecies, from around the world, that seem to discuss Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist?  Might Barack Obama set the stage for the kings of the North and South as at least one Shiite prophecy suggests?  This is the longest and most complete article on this page on Barack Obama prophecies. Read it and decide for yourself if President Obama seems to be fulfilling various prophecies.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States Some claim that Barack Obama is the prophesied “son of Kenya”, based up an early 20th century writing.

Mount Apo in Mindanao, Philippines

COGwriter

Here is a report on the situation in the Philippines:

Felipe Casing, Davao Area Pastor, reports: Terrorist bombings in selected areas in Mindanao continue. Our economy is still suffering and more inhabitants move from the provinces to urban areas for refuge and support from relatives. Sadly, the provinces are being used for sanctuary camps by the rebels, which puts the locals and farmers at risk. Recently, a bomb exploded in front of a church building in Cotabato City, Maguindanao, leaving dozens injured and many dead. There are also rumors indicating that the bombings and kidnappings are by the outlawed Abu Sayyap, and other organized crime groups. It is said that they may be targeting Christian groups. If this rumor is true, it could trigger a religious conflict in Mindanao and endanger Christians travelling to Muslim dominated areas.

Amidst the turmoil, God’s people are doing fine and continue to work in their businesses and on their farms. In some places in Cotabato province, at harvest time when crops are ready for sale or milling for food, armed groups show up and ask for produce. If the farmer is unwilling or tries to fight back, he is shot with an automatic machine gun. So it is best to just hand it over. In spite of the banditry, crop failure and typhoon damage, the brethren in Davao are all doing fine and, so far, unaffected directly. We are really happy and thankful for God’s protection. It makes all the difference since we lean on the power from the Almighty God.

LCG supplied some aid to other regions of the Philippines recently (see Food & Aid for the Philippines) and it helped those in the Mindanao area (see World Ahead Weekly Update).

The Philippines is the 12th most populous nation in the world and with a population of about 92,000,000.

The Living Church of God has over thirty congregations in the Philippines:

Bangued, Abra; Orion, Bataan; Baguio City, Benguet; Naval, Biliran; Don Carlos, Bukidnon; Kiara, Bukidnon; Mauswagon, Bukidnon; San Fernando, Bukidnon; Imus, Cavite; Cebu, Cebu; Compostela, Compostela Valley; Monkayo, Comval Province;  Nabunturan, Comval Province; Davao City, Davao del Sur;  Borongan, Eastern Samar; San Mateo, Isabela; Iligan City, Lanao Del Norte; Tacloban, Leyte; Claveria, Masbate; Quezon City, Metro Manila; Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental; Kidapawan, North Cotabato; Makilala, North Cotabato; San Jose, Nueva Ecija; Bani, Pangasinan; Pozorrubio, Pangasinan; Lucena, Quezon; Teresa, Rizal; Polomolok, South Cotabato; Lilo-An, Southern Leyte; Maasin City, Southern Leyte; Hinabangan, Western Samar; Bongabongan, Zamboanga del Norte; Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte.

I believe that the Philippines has the second highest number of  LCG congregations in the world.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Islands and Bible Prophecy What’s ahead for islands? What does the Bible prophesy about them?
There are Many COGs: Why Support the Living Church of God? This is an article for those who wish to more easily sort out the different COGs. It really should be a MUST READ for current and former WCG/GCI members or any interested in supporting the faithful church. It also explains a lot of what the COGs are all about.

EU Flag

COGwriter

Might a new lawsuit trigger the peace deal in Daniel 9:27?  Notice the following:

European-Israeli in Sderot Sues EU for Rocket Protection

Israel National News – Aug 9, 2009

A precedent-setting court suit has been filed with the European Union’s High Court, demanding that the EU provide protection to its citizens living in Israel.Just this morning (Sunday), Hamas terrorists in Gaza fired a Kassam rocket at Israel’s Negev region. The rocket landed near Kibbutz Alumim, causing no casualties or damage. It was the second attack of this nature in several weeks.Eyal Katorza, a resident of the Kassam-beleaguered city of Sderot and a European Union citizen of French nationality, filed the suit, at the initiative of the European Citizens Council in Israel, a nonprofit organization representing Israelis of EU nationalities.

Represented by attorneys Mordechai Tzivin, Nechama Tzivin, and Mordechai Eisenberg of Tel Aviv, Katorza demands that the EU carry out a series of measures, both passive and active, to ensure his safety as a EU citizen living within range of potentially lethal rockets. The suit was also filed with the European Union Commission with the help of a Belgian lawyer, a member of the Belgian Parliament.

The suit notes that Article 3.2 of the European Treaty stipulates that the EU shall “offer its citizens an area of freedom, security and justice without internal frontiers, in which the free movement of persons is ensured.”  Article 3.5 of the same treaty states that the EU shall uphold and promote its values and interests and contribute to the protection of its citizens

In addition to the EU’s obligation to protect and provide security for its citizens even if they live abroad, the suit states, the European Union must specifically protect its citizens against terrorism. This is confirmed by a note of December 12, 2005 from the Counter-Terrorism Coordinator to the European Council on “The Implementation of the Action Plan to Combat Terrorism.”

EU Must Pay for Protection and Stop Money Transfers to Gaza

Specifically, the suit demands that the EU provide protection in the form of reinforced buildings and the like in areas adjacent to Hamas-run Gaza. The EU must also cease transferring monies to the Palestinian Authority government in Gaza, as well as to organizations that are likely, for lack of supervision, to use the money to fund terrorism.

“We plan to add to the claim any Israeli who holds a European passport and who lives within terrorist-rocket range,” said Attorney Tzivin. “There are about 300,000 European citizens living in Israel, and thousands of them are estimated to be living in range of terrorist rockets. The EU grants hundreds of millions of euros a year in aid to Gaza, and it is inconceivable that European citizens should be harmed by money supplied by the EU. It’s time that the EU takes responsibility.”

“The EU Commission must stop transferring money to Gaza,” Tzivin says, “and must reimburse its citizens for their reinforcement expenses – in fulfillment of its obligations to protect its citizens.” http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/132795

While this suit may simply be thrown out-of-court or somehow otherwise settled, a lawsuit raises the subject to a higher level for the EU to consider getting more involved in the peace process in the Middle East.

Some Israelis have publicly called for a deal similar to the one in Daniel 9:27 to be brokered by the EU.  And if the EU stops supplying money to Gaza, those living there may also want a deal brokered.

Here is what Daniel 9:26b-27 states:

26b And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.
The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,
Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate (Daniel 9:27).

Various religious commentators believe that this involves a deal with Israel that leads to problems.  Notice two:

Dan 9:27
Evidently the covenant is to be made between Antichrist and Israel when the Jews are back in their homeland in the last days. The exact nature of the covenant is unknown. The evil and destructive events described in the remainder of this verse should be interpreted as summary information…
(from The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1962 by Moody Press).

…the covenant of Daniel 9:27 is not the covenant of grace…this refers to the coming world ruler at the beginning of the last seven years…He will make a covenant with Israel for a seven-year period. As Daniel 9:27 indicates, in the middle of the seven years he will break the covenant, stop the sacrifices offered…and become their persecutor instead of their protector (Walvoord JF. The Prophecy Knowledge Handbook. Victor Books/SP Publications, Wheaton (IL), 1990, p. 257).

Some have correctly pointed out that the deal is confirmed by the prince, someone ethnically part of the old Roman Empire (which in modern times would be the European Union). Notice one (bolding in the original):

Let us stay by what the passage says. C. F. Keil (Comm., in loco) is correct in asserting that the prince is said to be coming (habba’), because he has already been introduced and discussed in the prophecy of chapter 7 as the final Antichrist. The Romans who destroyed Jerusalem (A.D. 70) were his people because they and he belong to the fourth stage (the Roman) of world empire (chs. 2; 7) (Walvoord, p. 257).

Many have also tied the breaking of the deal with the invasion involving the abomination of desolation in Jerusalem as mentioned in Daniel 11:31.

There are many reasons to believe that a coming peace deal with Israel and the Europeans will lead to the beginning of the Great Tribulation (which starts 30 days after the deal is broken).

To learn more about this and related end-time prophecies, please see the following articles:

Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? What is ahead for Europe?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11?  Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the Europeans and the Anglo-nations?

VS.

COGwriter

Yesterday, Ronald Weinland preached in Richmond, Virginia.  There were a couple of relevant comments.  He stated that some have asked him if he will pull the book he wrote titled 2008 God’s Final Witness, since 2008 is “outdated”.

He said that he would not because he stated:

2008…It’s important to understand that WAS God’s final witness…And when the book came out, we couldn’t make uh really fit to day is WAS God’s final witness because of the timing it came out.

Now this is disingenuous.  In 2007 and early 2008, Ronald Weinland claimed that 2008 was it.  That he would rise up in April 2008, that the USA would be nuked by mid-June 2008, that the USA dollar would be worthless around then, that the USA would likely not have a presidential election in 2008, but that if it was able to do so that a new president would not take office in January 2009.

He did NOT go around teaching that the main issue in 2008 would be that he gave a final witness.  After all, he still claims that he is one of God’s two witnesses and his wife is the other one.

But, although he has impact on the internet, he is basically an unknown and ignored witness.  In his sermon he also mentioned that his early book The Prophesied End Time would be unavailable for a while and that people had one week to download it from the internet.  He indicated that it would be back again, but he did not indicate if he would revise it.

In his sermon, he also mentioned that a family in the Richmond area left his group.  Hopefully, all who will compare his teachings to what he has said, what has and has not happened, as well as with the Bible, they will see that Ron Weinland is and has been a false prophet.

I believe that Ronald Weinland (and people like him) fulfill the following prophecy:

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

Sadly, false prophets, false apostles, and other false teachers continue to arise and make it so people simply will blaspheme the way of truth that we in the Living Church of God teach. Unlike those of us in the Living Church of God who believe Jesus is God, Ronald Weinland is also “unitarian“–hence he truly does deny the truth about the Lord.

But despite people like Ronald Weinland, there still is a true and faithful Church of God.  Please do not let self-appointed “prophets” like Ronald Weinland cause you to not pay attention.

Some articles that will help you, your followers, and others interested in end-time prophecy would include the following:

Concerns About Ronald Weinland’s Church of God-Preparing for the Kingdom of God Ronald Weinland falsely claims to be one of the two witnesses God is raising up and that the end will come in 2008 (first April 17th, then June 2008, now December 14, 2008). Why is he a false prophet? He also has at least one other view that suggests that he is not part of the Church of God.
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
Who Are The Two Witnesses? What is their job? What does the Bible reveal? What has the Church of God taught on this subject? Might even Roman Catholic prophecies give some clues here?
There are Many COGs: Why Support the Living Church of God? This is an article for those who wish to more easily sort out the different COGs. It really should be a MUST READ for current and former WCG/GCI members or any interested in supporting the faithful church. It also explains a lot of what the COGs are all about.

Living Church of God Sign & Family, In Charlotte, NC, January 2008

COGwriter

In today’s announcements was the following from LCG’s Presiding Evangelist Roderick C. Meredith:

Dear fellow servants of Christ,

It is with great pleasure that I am able to announce the new members of the Council of Elders! Some weeks ago, I told you that we had for years planned for a regular rotation. Normally, the term was to be two years—though we let it go by and it ended up being two and one-half years this time. But now, Messrs. Rodger Bardo, Martin Fannin and Sheldon Monson are appointed to the Council of Elders. Each of them brings various strengths and diverse backgrounds. So this should be a good help in our discussions. Each of them has served quite a long time—Mr. Bardo, for instance, being one of the very first elders to come with us back in the early 1990s and helping hold together the Orange County church when the “split” occurred in 1998. Mr. Monson, like Jonathan McNair, brings a youthful experience and has also been heavily involved in the youth programs and summer camps. So he should be able to bring that background and experience into the Council. Mr. Fannin has been with us quite a long time and has served so faithfully in the Knoxville, TN area and we are glad to have his experience also as a former successful businessman and leader in his own right before joining the Work fulltime.

Let us all pray fervently for these men and their wives in this new responsibility! And—as I stated in my last memo about this—we will plan to continue this rotation process every two years so that a greater number of you may have this opportunity, and that the Council may have a broader input from diverse points of view.

This announcement has been expected for some time.   I have personally met each of the new Council members in various travels. BTW, the three that are no longer on are Bob League, Jonathan McNair and Ben Whitfield.

Dr. Meredith also announced:

As time goes on, we will no doubt replace a number of the current members on the Council so that others may have this opportunity—and that we may gain a broader input from our ministry. That is the only reason this is being done. And, again, we do want to thank those who have already served on the Council—plus the present continuing ministers on the Council of Elders of the Living Church of God. Please announce this to the members and let us all be encouraged by the depth of unity and loyalty which we have—with Christ’s blessing—in the Living Church of God.

Additionally, Dr. Meredith also announced:

Brethren, some of you may have heard, but our average church attendance around the world has gone up approximately 5% for the first six months of 2009, compared to the same period last year—the U.S. attendance increasing by 5.7% in June 2009 compared to June 2008! We are very thankful for this and for the ever larger number of “GoTos” that are coming in as well.

LCG’s telecast responses this year are also up significantly.

An article of possibly related interest may be:

There are Many COGs: Why Support the Living Church of God? This is an article for those who wish to more easily sort out the different COGs. It really should be a MUST READ for current and former WCG/GCI members or any interested in supporting the faithful church. It also explains a lot of what the COGs are all about.

COGwriter

While Europe is a mult-lingual area, it wants to speak with one voice.  And the Europeans are concerned that there culture is being excessively influenced by Muslims.

Muslim Europe: the demographic time bomb transforming our continent

The EU is facing an era of vast social change, reports Adrian Michaels, and few politicians are taking notice

By Adrian Michaels
Published: 11:11AM BST 08 Aug 2009

Britain and the rest of the European Union are ignoring a demographic time bomb: a recent rush into the EU by migrants, including millions of Muslims, will change the continent beyond recognition over the next two decades, and almost no policy-makers are talking about it.

The numbers are startling. Only 3.2 per cent of Spain’s population was foreign-born in 1998. In 2007 it was 13.4 per cent. Europe’s Muslim population has more than doubled in the past 30 years and will have doubled again by 2015. In Brussels, the top seven baby boys’ names recently were Mohamed, Adam, Rayan, Ayoub, Mehdi, Amine and Hamza.

Europe’s low white birth rate, coupled with faster multiplying migrants, will change fundamentally what we take to mean by European culture and society. The altered population mix has far-reaching implications for education, housing, welfare, labour, the arts and everything in between…

Jerome Vignon, the director for employment and social affairs at the European Commission, said that the focus of those running the EU had been on asylum seekers and the control of migration rather than the integration of those already in the bloc. “It has certainly been underestimated – there is a general rhetoric that social integration of migrants should be given as much importance as monitoring the inflow of migrants…

The population changes are stirring unease on the ground. Europeans often tell pollsters that they have had enough immigration, but politicians largely avoid debate.

France banned the wearing of the hijab veil in schools and stopped the wearing of large crosses and the yarmulke too, so making it harder to argue that the law was aimed solely at Muslims. Britain has strengthened its laws on religious hatred. But these are generally isolated pieces of legislation.

Into the void has stepped a resurgent group of extreme-Right political parties, among them the British National Party, which gained two seats at recent elections to the European Parliament. Geert Wilders, the Dutch politician who speaks against Islam and was banned this year from entering Britain, has led opinion polls in Holland. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/5994047/Muslim-Europe-the-demographic-time-bomb-transforming-our-continent.html

Today’s article mentioned Geeert Wilders.  Notice two news items he has from other sources on his personal website:

Half of Dutch Muslims wants to leave because of Wilders
By Radio Netherlands Worldwide
More than half the people with Turkish and Moroccan backgrounds in the Netherlands say they would consider leaving the country due to the growing popularity of anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders. A third say they would definitely like to emigrate…

Geert Wilders – the Next Dutch PM?

Wilders is known worldwide for his views on Islam. He created the short movie Fitna, which links Koranic verses to modern terrorism, and has called the Koran “fascist” and Islam a “totalitarian ideology.” He suggests that the right to religious freedom should not apply to Islam, and he has called for his country to ban the building of new mosques.

He is currently planning a sequel to Fitna that will document the effects of mass Muslim immigration to non-Muslim countries.

Backlash over Fitna and over Wilders’ controversial statements on Islam appears to have boosted his popularity…Anti-Islam and anti-immigration parties won elsewhere in the EU as well…

If more leaders like Geert Wilders rise up, Europe may see a net outward migration of Muslims.  However, those that stay might cause problems that will cause the Europeans to take even more dramatic actions.

The reality is that the Muslims will force Europe to wake-up and re-establish themselves.  Historically, when Europe has been strongly opposed to Islam it has had greater ties to the Vatican.

This is what will occur.  The Bible shows that a European military leader will line up with a religious leader from the city of seven hills (Rome) and ultimately defeat the forces of Islam.

For more on what is expected to happen, please see the following:

Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? What is ahead for Europe?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?
Is There A Future King of the South? Some no longer believe there needs to be. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? What does the Bible say?
The Arab World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam?
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? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?