Church of God News

Palace of Westminster in London

COGwriter

The Queen of England has concerns about Vatican’s offer to take in the Anglicans:

Queen’s adviser meets Archbishop of Westminster after Pope’s offer to Anglicans

A senior adviser to the Queen has met secretly with the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales to express concern over the Pope’s offer for disaffected Anglicans to convert to Rome.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7113262/Queens-adviser-meets-Archbishop-of-Westminster-after-Popes-offer-to-Anglicans.html

It has been a while since the Queen seemed to pay this much public attention to the Anglican religion in the UK.

Ecumenicalism is prophesied to cause problems in the future.  All should be aware of that.

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?
Why Should American Catholics Should Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster?
Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics The talks for unification involve compromise and the apparent rising up of a changed religion that no one should accept.
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living 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 viva do deus? Tambien Español: Cuál es fiel: ¿La iglesia católica romana o La Iglesia del Dios Viviente? Auch: Deutsch: Welches zuverlässig ist: Die Römisch-katholische Kirche oder die lebende Kirche von Gott?
Women and the New Testament Church Were women important in the New Testament Church? Which women and how were they involved?  Were they ordained to be presbyters?

Herman Van Rompuy

COGwriter

In its latest update, LCG reported:

European Council President Wants Rapid Reaction Force. In response to the devastating earthquake in Haiti, Herman Von Rompuy stated that the European Union needs to create its own “humanitarian rapid reaction force.” Currently, the EU’s aid is sent through the United Nations. President Von Rompuy appears to be moving Europe to the point where it can act independently of the UN. Von Rumpuy’s plan is for this force to be used for future emergencies (www.bbc.com, January 19, 2010). Bible prophecy does indicates that a military power will soon arise in Europe (Revelation 13:1). Any Rapid Reaction Force would necessarily have military backing in order to accomplish extremely difficult tasks. For example, in addition to all of the aid being sent to Haiti by the United States, thousands of military personnel are also being deployed to keep the peace and provide humanitarian assistance. Once an EU force is established, it could be used for humanitarian aid around the globe. In theory, too, this EU force could even be used to “aid” the U.S. in a future major disaster, like those mentioned in Leviticus 26. Time will make clear just how such a force will be used.

Herman Van Rompuy is the first permanent President of the European Union.  Events are moving forward for a strong European Empire (though there will be various problems within the EU before this fully happens).  The Bible shows that much military force will be used by this re-emerging power and the world will marvel (Revelation 13:3-4).

(Those interested in what is happening with LCG members in Haiti can go to my News of the Living Church of God page.)

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?
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”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe?
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?
2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect This is a link related to a book by Bob Thiel (COGwriter). This also has YouTube videos related to 2012.  The book contains documented prophecies as well as an end time sequence of events that Christians should study and understand.  Including the role of Europe and how it is pivotal to end time biblical prophecy.

COGwriter

It appears that certain Arctic animals pass on ‘tropical diseases’ to those who eat them:

The kind of worm and protozoan infections that are often called neglected “tropical” diseases are also common among aboriginal peoples living in the Arctic, according to a recent survey.

Outbreaks of trichinosis, a larval-worm disease commonly associated with eating undercooked pork and carnivorous wild game, also occur among people who eat infected polar bear and walrus meat, and the Arctic harbors a unique species of the worm that can survive subzero temperatures…

The survey was published in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases by Dr. Peter J. Hotez, who edits the online journal.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/health/26glob.html

Most have been aware of the diseases that unclean animals such as pigs can carry, but less seem to be aware that other animals that were not listed as being edible for humans in the Bible also can carry diseases.

And while clean animals can also get diseases, they tend to be more resistant and less likely to pass them to humans. (Inhumanely raised clean animals tend to have much more of that type of problem than properly raised ones.)

An article of possibly related interest may include:

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

COGwriter

In his commentary today, LCG’s Wyatt Ciesielka wrote:

Commentary: Has the Red Horse been released?

More human beings have been killed in war and genocide from World War I to now than ever before in the same span of time.  Warfare, natural disasters, religious confusion and religious strife, economic calamity, immorality and famine all seem to be increasing.  Prophecy is clearly marching forward.  Has the second seal been opened? Has the Red Horse been released?

The United States appears stuck in Afghanistan and Iraq, while China, Iran and North Korea continue to threaten and provoke America.  Throughout Africa, the Middle East, South America and Indonesia ethnic and civil conflict rages.  Pakistan and India appear ready to escalate.  The list goes on.

Jesus revealed the “signs of the times and the end of the age” and the sequence of those major end-time events in the Olivet prophecy in Matthew 24…

Before the second seal is opened and the Red Horse is released, the first seal must be opened and a militaristic false religious movement must sweep the earth.  Leading this religious confusion will be a great false religious leader who will rise up at the end of the age.  His blasphemous reign will coincide with the White Horse.  He will demand to be worshipped as God (2 Thessalonians 2:4)!  This great false prophet will be destroyed by Christ at His Second Coming (2 Thessalonians 2:8)!

The first seal occurs before the second seal.  As brutal as the last 100 years of war and genocide have been, the second seal has not yet been opened and the Red Horse has not yet been released to ride in full fury across the earth.

But the Four Horsemen only introduce “the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8).  Those who survive the first four seals must then face the fifth seal – the Great Tribulation followed by the Day of the Lord – an episode from which “no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:22).

Mr. Richard Ames summarized the seals and their timing in his recent Tomorrow’s World telecast: “The first five seals of Revelation outlined in Chapter 6 cover a period of about two and one-half years of the Great Tribulation … the sixth seal is the heavenly signs … The heavenly signs introduce the one year prophetic time period known as the Day of the Lord” (“You Can Understand Prophecy”).

These events will soon shake the earth! But, a true Christian who is seeking righteousness and God’s Kingdom, and is fully surrendered to Christ’s will (Galatians 2:20) does not need to fear these events (Luke 12:31-32, Revelation 3:10).Read more

And while the second horseman has not yet started his final ride, it is remotely possible that the first one has started to make inroads (the false prophet, the final Antichrist, is alive today).

We are getting to the end of the 6,000 years that God has allowed humans to rule themselves, which will soon be followed by the 1,000 year reign of Christ.  This is something that nearly all of those who professed Christ believed in the first and second centuries A.D.  And many still (correctly) believe it today.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

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?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2010, 2011, or 2012? 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? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse What is the Book of Revelation trying to tell us about them? Does the first one deceive many?
The Antichrist Quiz Do you really know much about the Antichrist?
Some Doctrines of Antichrist Are there any doctrines taught outside the Churches of God which can be considered as doctrines of antichrist? This article suggests at least three. It also provides information on 666 and the identity of “the false prophet”. Plus it shows that several Catholic writers seem to warn about an ecumenical antipope that will support heresy.

Berlin Reichstag

COGwriter

Although the State of California has taken some actions against homeschoolers, not all is negative in the USA on this matter.  A US judge has granted political asylum to homeschoolers from Germany:

German homeschoolers granted political asylum in US

A German couple who fled to America so they could homeschool their children have been granted political asylum by a US immigration judge.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/7080790/German-homeschoolers-granted-political-asylum-in-US.html

Hopefully, officials in Germany will re-look into this matter there.

Ancient Laodicea

COGwriter

John D. Carnack, a member of UCG posted the following:

Why the COG is not “Evangelical”

When there was the tragic shooting and death in a congregation of LCG, some news reports said that LCG was an evangelical organization.  However, that is not true in the strictest sense.  Let us look at a definition first.

Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian theological stream which began in Great Britain in the 1730s…

The first thing you note is that Evangelicalism is one of the three legs of Protestantism.  The COGs were never part of the Church of Rome, and, therefore, never protested against or broke away from them in the first place.  This alone distinguishes the COG from Evangelicalism.

You might also note the “born again” designation.  Most in the COG, even in UCG, do not truly believe you have completed the “born again” process until you become a spirit being.  You are literally “born” as a spirit and become a permanent member of the Family of God.  Some in UCG might quibble about details, but in effect that is what most still teach.

Another feature of Evangelicalism that distinguishes them and all other Protestants from the COG is the teaching on the trinity.  Most Evangelicals would not consider the COG as Evangelical because we do not believe in some hypostasis called God, but rather we believe that God the Father and Jesus the Son are united in love and unity as a family.

Therefore, you can only really conclude that the COGs are NOT Evangelical.  http://cogperspective.blogspot.com/2010/01/comparison-of-cog-to-evangelicals-part.html

Now LCG is definitely not evangelical in the modern sense.  We did not come out of the Protestant movement and our history predates the establishment of Rome.

Other COGs, if they are true ones, also are not Protestant.  (It probably should be pointed out that UCG documents suggest that UCG does have a position on “born again” similar to the evangelicals, however.)

Now John D. Carnack pointed out that many evangelicals do have a zeal and a certain respect for scripture, and while that is a good first step, most seem to accept many non-biblical doctrines as few evangelicals seem to understand what original Christians actually believed and taught.

Those interested in learning more about the COGs and the history of Christianity may wish to study the following:

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?
The Churches of Revelation 2 & 3 from 31 A.D. to present: information on all of the seven churches of Revelation 2 & 3.
1. The Ephesus Church Era was predominant from 31 A.D. to circa 135 A.D. The Church of James, Peter, Paul, and John, etc.
2. The Smyrna Church Era was predominant circa 135 A.D. to circa 450 A.D. The Church led by Polycarp, Melito, Polycrates, etc.
3. The Pergamos Church Era was predominant circa 450 A.D. to circa 1050 A.D. An especially persecuted Church.
4. The Thyatira Church Era was predominant circa 1050 A.D. to circa 1600 A.D. The Church during the Inquisition.
5. 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.
6. 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 basically the Living Church of God.
7. The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. These are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG.
Nazarene Christianity: Were the Original Christians Nazarenes? Should Christians be Nazarenes today? What were the practices of the Nazarenes.
Location of the Early Church: Another Look at Ephesus, Smyrna, and Rome What actually happened to the primitive Church? And did the Bible tell about this in advance?
Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity? Most act like this is so, but is it?
Differences between the Living Church of God and United Church of God This article provides quotes information from the two largest groups which had their origins in WCG as well as commentary.
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

A European panel is checking out whether or not data associated with the “swine flu” had been faked:

On Tuesday, the Council of Europe launched an investigation into whether the World Health Organization “faked” the swine flu pandemic to boost profits for vaccine manufacturers.   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/niko-kyriakou/swine-flu-didnt-fly_b_438783.html

When USA President Obama declared a “Swine Flu Emergency” (see Swine Flu Emergency Declared), I wrote the following at COGwriter:

It is true that the Bible warns of pestilences in the end-time (Matthew 24:7-8; Revelation 6:7-8) and many will likely die from the swine flu.  However, unless this particular strain of the flu lies dormant and possibly mutates, I do not believe that it will be the one that fulfills the ride of the fourth horseman of the Apocalypse, which ultimately (and probably through more than one pestilence combined with hunger and the sword) kills one quarter of humankind (Revelation 6:7-8).

It is simply a bit too early from a biblical perspective.

And, I was correct, thus far.  Now, this does not mean that there may not be a major flu before the end, it is just that the data did not seem to suggest (to me, and apparently others) that the “swine flu” was it.  Hopefully, money was not a factor in affecting WHO and other scientists.

Two articles related to timing of end-time events and one even related to pork 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? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2010, 2011, or 2012? 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?
The New Testament Church and Unclean Meats Are foods considered to have been unclean in the Old Testament considered to be food in the New Testament? This article discusses this from the perspective of the New Testament. It also has a list of clean and unclean animals. It also answers the question, is pork healthy or is pork dangerous?

Rebuilt Gymnasium in Sardis

COGwriter

In the latest edition of CG7-Denver’s Bible Advocate was the following:

BA asked dozens of CoG7 ministers two questions to help us shape the magazine for 2010 and beyond. Read their answers here.

What are the great challenges this church faces in the next decade?

• One overlooked factor is the peculiar effects of our nation killing off our next generation, while the Muslim world and a few others procreate at full speed…

• Our greatest need will be to use resources wisely to minister among our two primary cultures: Hispanic and Anglo. Should these groups be blended into an integrated whole, or should they be served differently? If so, how?

• The Church needs to recognize how permissive we’ve become, how seduced by the world. Our children and we live in compromise.

• We need to be relevant and realistic in an increasingly anti-Christian society…

• Focus on preaching the gospel. Jesus is coming soon, and we’d better be ready. Understanding
prophecies is secondary…

• Elevate preaching. Programs are packed with other activities before the preacher gets his lim-
ited “filler” time. God’s Word is not emphasized enough…

How can BA help address those needs and challenges in every congregation?…

• By printing articles that call Christians to be the biblically defi ned children of God and bride of Christ, creatures of both grace and law, faith and works, sentiment and substance, properly tensioned between the  sovereignty of God and the appropriate free-will response of humanity; realizing salvation by what God has done, is doing, and will do; growing spiritually by applying  what God has entrusted to us all.

• By bringing to mind the importance of Church and by staying the course, thus producing unity and identity.

• By providing Scripture-based content that can be integrated into our weekly and special gatherings. Such material, carefully written and edited, can help preachers andteachers illustrate their points and nourish listeners with sound insights.

The comment about being “seduced by the world” is consistent, in my view, with what Jesus warned Sardis.  As well as the hint that CG7 may not be highly relevant and that it does not emphasize God’s Word enough.  Here is what Jesus seemed to see as the primary needs for the group that represent the remnant of the Sardis era in the end times:

3:1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,

‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. 3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you (Revelation 3:1-3).

Historically, we in the Living Church of God have felt that this was a prophecy that CG7-Denver tended to fit.  Amongst other things, it seems to teach against watching as it de-emphasizes Bible prophecy.

In recent years, CG7 has given people like me more reason to conclude this.

CG7 needs to better teach what the Bible teaches.  It needs to change its views on prophecy (nearly 1/3 of the Bible is prophecy), which often are in error (e.g. see CG7 Does Not Understand the Book of Revelation and CG7 on Daniel).  CG7 needs to heed Jesus’ warnings.   Those in CG7 should realize that it is NOT faithful and study their Bibles to realize that the Living Church of God is the most biblically faithful group currently on earth.

Again teaching against understanding prophecy in CG7-Denver’s Bible Advocate is sad.  It is not that prophecy is the only subject of importance, but downplaying it and teaching wrong concepts about it is not what Jesus wanted.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Church of God, Seventh Day: History and Teachings Nearly all COG’s I am aware of trace their history through this group. Whaid Rose is the president of the largest CG7 group (Denver). Do you know much about them?
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.
Why Prophecy? Because the World Will Not End Next Week Some question or downplay the role of prophecy. This article gives some of the biblical reasons what it is important and explains why the world cannot end for at least 3 1/2 years from now.
Attending the Church of Choice This article discusses whose choice is important to worship God; should you attend the church of your choice or the church of God’s choice?
Unity: Which COG for You? Why so many groups? Why is there lack of unity in the Churches of God? Has it always been this way? What can/should be done about it?
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.

The 220 kg Gold brick displayed in Taiwan

COGwriter

A writer from Forbes reported the following:

So what is true inflation? It seems the answer resides in the price of gold. Used as a money measure for thousands of years, gold achieved its purely monetary role precisely because its role in the productive economy is so minuscule.

http://www.forbes.com/2010/01/24/inflation-prices-gold-standard-opinions-columnists-john-tamny.html?boxes=Homepagechannels

Now, it should be understood that the price of food relative to currencies is the most important inflationary measure for most people, so gold itself should not be seen as the only or primary measure.  However, it is an important measure as humans have relied on gold for thousands of years.

It is even mentioned in one of the earliest chapters of the Bible (Genesis 2:11) and as part of the wealth of Abraham (Genesis 13:2).

Both biblical and Catholic prophecy suggest that gold will be valuable in the latter days.

First notice what the Bible teaches about the end time King of the North:

³⁸—he {the King of the North} shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things. ³⁹ Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory…43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels (Daniel 11:38–39a,43).

The fact that the King of the North will accumulate gold is consistent with several Byzantine (“Greek” Orthodox Catholic) prophecies of their expected Great Monarch:

Emperor Leo the Philosopher (died 912): You will amass gold…And you will be the leader of the surrounding nations…

Addressed to Emperor Manuel II Palaeogous (died 1425): The Emperor…will discover gold and silver…

Saint Andrew Fool-for-Christ (c. 4^th century):  God will reveal to this king all the gold wherever it happen to lay concealed from view…(Tzima Otto H. The Great Monarch and WWIII in Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Scriptural Prophecies.  Verenikia Press, Rock Hill (SC), 2000, pp. 76, 102, 114)

Roman Catholics (and others) may wish to consider that those last three predictions sound a lot like a prophecy from one of their saints about Antichrist:

Saint Ephrem (died 375): Antichrist will use worldly goods as bait. He will entice many Christians with money and goods to apostatize…The devil will help him find all the hidden treasures of the world, even those at the bottom of the ocean. With those treasures he will attain greater success for the reign of Satan than at any other time in past centuries (Connor, Edward. Prophecy for Today. Imprimatur + A.J. Willinger, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno; Reprint: Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford (IL), 1984, pp.73.74).

So does the Great Monarch amass gold with God’s help like Orthodox prophecies suggest or does he amass gold with the help of Satan that one Catholic prophecy and certain biblical prophecies (Daniel 11:43; Revelation 18) indicate?

The answer should be obvious to all who wish to believe the God of the Bible.  Also notice what a Catholic priest declared:

Priest S. Berry (20th Century): The great harlot sitting upon many waters is Rome holding sway over many nations that share in her corruption and infidelity to God…The harlot wears a mantle of purple and gold, an emblem of the imperial power possessed by Rome as capital of the world…Through her power and riches, Rome leads other nations to worship Antichrist and imitate her own immoralities...(From Interpretation of the Apocalypse, quoted in Culleton, The Reign of Antichrist, pp. 207,208).

Thus, many realize that gold will be valuable in the end-times and that it will likely be used by the Beast and Antichrist powers (666) to corrupt humans.

Lest any feel that gold is a completely safe and permanent investment, it needs to be understood that at some point in time it will be considered less than worthless.  It also has had major pricing variations and can go down in value (as it has many times).  Furthermore, governments (including that of the USA) have be known to confiscate gold in times of crisis.

And while the prophecies about the King of the North support the idea that gold will be valuable towards the beginning of the great tribulation (and Revelation 18:12 shows that it will be valuable throughout most of the great tribulation), the following verse shows that sometime towards the end of that (during the Day of the Lord), gold (and silver) will be less than worthless:

They will throw their silver into the streets,
And their gold will be like refuse;
Their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them
In the day of the wrath of the LORD;
They will not satisfy their souls,
Nor fill their stomachs,
Because it became their stumbling block of iniquity (Ezekiel 7:19).

This may be because gold and silver can store nuclear radiation better than many other substances.  Hence after nuclear attacks they may be so unsafe to hold that people will get rid of them. Plus even if that is or is not the case, food will be a such a premium in certain places that so-called precious metals will not be precious enough to exchange for something to eat.

There will be more problems, but it is not gold or silver that will ultimately deliver humans:

16 How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver.17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; He who keeps his way preserves his soul (Proverbs 16:16-17).

¹ Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! ² Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. ³ Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days (James 5:1-3).

We need to understand that we should be striving for the kingdom of God:

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26…

32 “For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble (Matthew 6:19-26,32-34).

It is not gold or riches, but Jesus who can save us from the wrath to come:

…wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10).

And while gold will ultimately outlast the US dollar as valuable, in this age it is likely to have ups and downs.  But it will not go down as much as the US dollar will by the start of the Great Tribulation.

Several articles of related interest may include:

Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?
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 2010, 2011, or 2012? 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? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
Some Doctrines of Antichrist Are there any doctrines taught outside the Churches of God which can be considered as doctrines of antichrist? This article suggests at least three. It also provides information on 666 and the identity of “the false prophet”. Plus it shows that several Catholic writers seem to warn about an ecumenical antipope that will support heresy.
The Antichrist Quiz Do you really know much about the Antichrist?
Two Horned Beast of Revelation and 666 Who is 666? This article explains how the LCG views this, and compares this to Ellen White.
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”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe?
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.
Are You Saved? Do You Love Jesus? What is a True Christian? What is the Gospel? Evangelist Richard Ames answers those important questions.

Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev

COGwriter

The following religious news was of interest:

Moscow, January 25, Interfax – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has congratulated Bishop Irinej on being elected the new Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Kremlin reports.

http://www.interfax-religion.com/?act=news&div=6851

Essentially, the Russians want to maintain ties with Serbia and to maintain ties with apparently all the Eastern Orthodox groups that they can.

In the meantime, the heads of the Russian and Constantinople Orthodox churches sent a book to the Pope in order to encourage ties with the Vatican that should be received today:

Benedict XVI to Receive Copy of Pauline Codex

At Closing of Prayer Week for Christian Unity
ROME, JAN. 22, 2010 (Zenit.org).- A 424-page “Codex Pauli” that honors the Apostle to the Gentiles with illustrations and writings in the spirit of the ancient monastic codices, will be presented to Benedict XVI.

While events are not quite ready for re-unification, this seems to be the goal of the Vatican, Constantinople, and some of the other Orthodox.  How closely Russia will support this unification is still not clear, but to some degree, it seems to be supporting some of it (see also Russia and the Vatican Establish Full Diplomatic Ties).

But according to biblical, Catholic, and Orthodox prophecy, such re-unification will be a disaster.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Russia: Its Origins and Prophesied Future Where do the Russians come from? What is prophesied for Russia? What will it do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end?
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.
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?
Why Should American Catholics Should Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster?
Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics The talks for unification involve compromise and the apparent rising up of a changed religion that no one should accept.