Church of God News

Kurt Koch (photo from http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=37189)

COGwriter

Swiss Bishop Kurt Koch was appointed to lead the Vatican’s top ecumenical office yesterday:

Swiss Bishop Tapped for Unity Office

Brings “Direct Experience” of Ecumenism to Pontifical Council

VATICAN CITY, JULY 1, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Bishop Kurt Koch of Basel, Switzerland, has been appointed to succeed Cardinal Walter Kasper as the president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

The announcement of Archbishop Koch’s appointment was made today, coming simultaneously with elevation to the dignity of archbishop. Cardinal Kasper, 77, had resigned for reasons of age after more than a decade leading the council.

The 60-year-old archbishop has already served on the pontifical council since 2002, as well as being a member of the International Mixed Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. He also has formed part of the International Catholic-Lutheran Commission for Unity.

Archbishop Koch is already in Rome today, beginning his new mission. In a personal letter posted on the Basel Diocese’s Web site, he explains that Benedict XVI had asked him about accepting the position as early as February.

Christian leaders pay tribute to Cardinal Walter Kasper

by Aaron J Leichman, Christian Post
Posted: Friday, July 2, 2010…

Koch, who was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as the new president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU), has been a member of the Catholic Church’s ecumenical arm since 2002…

Bishop Koch was praised for his “openness and deep ecumenical commitment” by the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, Dr Olav Fykse Tveit.

“We rejoice at the appointment of Bishop Kurt Koch as president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity,” he said.

“We welcome his appointment and look forward to working with him for the visible unity of the church.”

Since its creation, the PCPCU has established a “cordial cooperation” with the WCC, which reportedly connects 349 churches, denominations and church fellowships in more than 110 countries and territories throughout the world.

Aside from the WCC, the PCPCU has develop dialogue and collaboration with the other church bodies and global church communions, including the Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, the World Methodist Council, and the Baptist World Alliance, among others.  http://www.christiantoday.com/article/christian.leaders.pay.tribute.to.cardinal.walter.kasper/26219.htm

Already, there is a Wikipedia updated article about him that include information such as:

Kurt Koch, ThD (born 15 March, 1950) is a Swiss prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, currently serving as president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity since his appointment was announced on 1 July 2010. He is also the bishop emeritus of Basel having served from 1995 until he resigned the see in 2010. Born in Emmenbrücke, he was ordained to the priesthood on 20 June 1982. On 21 August 1995, Koch was elected Bishop of Basel and was confirmed as such by Pope John Paul II on the following 6 December. He received his episcopal ordination on 6 January, 1997 from John Paul II himself, with Archbishops Giovanni Battista Re and Jorge María Mejía serving as co-consecrators. When a group of Swiss intellectuals and theologians called for John Paul’s resignation on 20 May 2004, Bishop Koch described the act as “disgusting and disloyal”…

In 2006, he voiced his disagreement with opposition to building Muslim minarets in Switzerland…

Koch…also the served as President of the Swiss Episcopal Conference from 2007 until 2010, and sits on the Swiss Council of Religions.

As I mentioned earlier this week, the replacement for Cardinal Walter Kasper is one to watch (Cardinal Walter Kasper to Retire: Watch Out for His Successor!).

Today, I would like to give several specific reasons for watching him.

1. Catholic prophecies suggest that Switzerland will be part of the final revived “Holy Roman Empire” (there are at least two, please see Catholic Prophecies).  Having a high level Swiss-born leader in the Vatican may make this a little more palatable for the Swiss people (though I believe an economic or other crisis in Switzerland will likely also be involved).
2. His minaret stance means that he will have some credibility with the Islamic community, which may help fulfill biblical prophecies in Daniel 9:27 and 11:27.
3. Both Roman and Eastern Orthodox Catholic prophecies tell of a time when a major ecumenical council will take place. This council is supposed to result in Catholic-Orthodox unity with much compromise on Rome’s side.  As the new president of Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, he would be expected to have involvement (even if he is moved or promoted out of that position by then) in such a council
4. Bishop Koch is both young enough and old enough to be a candidate to either be the next pope or to support the next pope.
5. Catholic and biblical prophecies warn of a leader who will not truly support the Christian faith, though he may look like he is among the “ministers of righteousness” (2 Corinthians 11:15). Ecumenical leaders historically have tended to compromise for the sake of unity (for some biblical, Catholic, and other related prophecies, see Why Should American Catholics Should Fear Unity with the Orthodox?; Orthodox may wish to read the article Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics).
6. According to the prophecies of the Catholic Bishop Malachy in the 12th century, only one pope remains.  Since other Catholic prophecies foretell the rising up of an antipope who may betray that faith, and since there has not been an “antipope” since Felix V 1439-1449 (and many of the Catholic prophecies warning about a future antipope tend to be more recent than that).  IF these sets of Catholic prophecies are correct, the next pope will be  an “antipope” and betray the Church of Rome.  This “pontiff” will have accomplices.
7. Based upon biblical writings, various Christian and professing Christian leaders have believed that God had a six-thousand year plan for humankind to rule before Jesus would return (for details, see Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?).  According to biblical chronology, this time period is likely to end while Kurt Koch is alive.
8. At least one Catholic prophecy specifically warns of a German antipope.  Kurt Koch appears to be Swiss-German.  Again this does not mean it will be him, but this may suggest another reason he may be one to watch.

Now, as I do not know Bishop Koch, I am not saying that he is necessarily anything other than a loyal Catholic bishop.  But historically, those in ecumenical leaderships make statements that suggest compromise.

If Bishop Kurt Koch lives and remains in office, he is likely to be supportive of, if not the, the final “ecumenical” Antichrist.

And this leader is warned about in both biblical and Catholic prophecies.  Now I am not saying that Kurt Koch must become the final Antichrist, but since prophecies are clear that the final Antichrist will be an ecumenical leader that sounds an awful lot like an “antipope”, he is one to watch for his involvement in end time matters.

As mentioned in my book 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect, Catholics need to be careful of ecumenical leaders who wish to compromise to attain unity with the Eastern Orthodox and others.  And Bishop Koch is an ecumenical leader.

While he may not become the “antipope” Antichrist (and there are others that I have in mind as possible), Bishop Koch would likely be supportive if he remains ecumenical.  And if he elevated to the rank of Cardinal, he may have further elevation in his future.  He is one to watch.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

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.
Is There an Islamic Antichrist?Is Joel Richardson correct that the final Antichrist will be Islamic and not European? Find out.
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.
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? Are there Mayan calendar predictions for change in 2012? Changes were centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans. Do Mayan/Hindu/Hopi/Buddhist/New Age/Nostradamus prophecies have any value here? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood? Can the great tribulation start before 2012? How might the next pope be involved in 2012?
2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect This is a link related to a book by Bob Thiel (COGwriter). This also has YouTube videos. This book documents and explains hundreds of prophecies. And since it was published, many have already started to come to pass.
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?

Wheat

COGwriter

The production of wheat has been affected by hot and dry weather in several parts of the world:

Wheat Gains as Hot, Dry Weather May Hurt Crop in Europe, Russia

July 02, 2010, 7:07 AM EDT

By Rudy Ruitenberg and Luzi Ann Javier

July 2 (Bloomberg) — Wheat futures climbed in Paris and Chicago on concerns that hot and dry weather will hurt production in Western Europe, Russia and Australia…

Temperatures in France and Germany, the European Union’s biggest wheat growers, exceeded 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) this week. Russia said yesterday that grain output will be lower than expected as the country suffers its worst drought in a decade, and dry weather in Australia may cause deterioration of winter crops including wheat.

Wheat is “lifted by concerns related to reduced harvest potential in Europe, but also the Black Sea region after the publication of the most recent production estimates in Russia,” Paris-based farm adviser Agritel said in a comment.

Grain output can be hurt by heat stress…

Dry weather may hurt yields in the U.K., Europe’s third- largest wheat producer, Wolverhampton, England-based consultant ADAS Holdings Ltd. reported yesterday. The U.K. had its driest first half since 1929, the Met Office said June 30…

Russia will cut its forecast for grain production this year, deputy Agriculture Minister Alexander Petrikov said on state-run Vesti-24 television two days ago. The previous forecast was for a grain crop of 88 million to 90 million tons.

Australia, the world’s fourth-largest wheat exporter, had its fourth-driest June on record, the country’s Bureau of Meteorology reported. A lack of rain is eroding the outlook for wheat in Western Australia…http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-07-02/wheat-gains-as-hot-dry-weather-may-hurt-crop-in-europe-russia.html

I should probably add that both China (see Drought, Wheat, & China) and Argentina (see Argentina, Drought, & Wheat) are also having drought-related reductions in their wheat production.

Jesus foretold of a time prior to the start of the Great Tribulation, called the “beginning of sorrows”, where famines would be a factor (Matthew 24:7-8).  Might we be getting close to this now?

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2010, 2011, or 2012? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What is the “beginning of sorrows”?  When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
Russia: Its Origins and Prophesied Future Where do the Russians come from? What about those in the Ukraine? What is prophesied for Russia and its allies? What will they do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end?Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon?
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?
Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something?
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?
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?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2010, 2011, or 2012? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?

Herman Van Rompuy

COGwriter

Might EU President Herman Van Rompuy fulfill the following scripture?

20 “There shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on the glorious kingdom; but within a few days he shall be destroyed, but not in anger or in battle.  (Daniel 11:20)

News events suggest that he may raise taxes.  Notice two reports:

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

The Tax in the EU’s Haystack

[Denis Boyles]

It sounds as if Bruno Waterfield’s blind source is somebody close to EU president Herman van Rompuy, since raising taxes to pay for “the welfare state” is the line the Belgian has been following since his enthronement.

Belgium is also ready to pick a fight with Britain over plans for new European-wide taxes to directly fund the EU independently of contributions from national treasuries.

“We can also explore, for example, the financing of European projects via new sources of revenue,” said the government source.

…It’s a magical formula, and so far it’s worked perfectly. Disregard voter’s wishes — in fact, disregard democracy as a governing principle, lest “no EU agreements would ever be possible” — then impose taxes on the powerless voters. http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=Y2MxNDJhMjU0NTgxNmRlMTRkMWI0ZTUwZTEwNGY3NjI=

• JUNE 23, 2010, 5:47 A.M. ET

EU Barroso,Van Rompuy: G20 Should Cut Deficits Starting 2011

BRUSSELS (Dow Jones)–The world’s 20 largest economies should begin cutting their deficits starting 2011 at the latest, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said in a letter to world leaders…

“Substantial consolidation starting at the latest in 2011 should be coupled with structural reforms to foster growth,” the letter says.

The letter also calls for the nations to consider the possibility of a financial transaction tax, even though EU nations are divided on the subject.

“For many members of the EU, the financial transaction tax has to be pretty global to ensure that a level playing field is maintained,” an EU official said Wednesday.  -By Matthew Dalton http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20100623-702863.html

I have felt within days of when he was elected the EU’s first president  (see Herman Van Rompuy May Fulfill Daniel 11:20) that Herman Van Rompuy may fulfill Daniel 11:20.  If he does raise taxes and then is gone or dies soon, notice what happens shortly thereafter:

21 And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue. 22 With the force of a flood they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, and also the prince of the covenant. 23 And after the league is made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people. 24 He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time. (Daniel 11:21-24)

Time may be getting short.  And if various taxes are raised in Europe, this may signal how close we may be to the rising up of the final King of the North, and also the Antichrist.

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?
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?
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.

Rebuilt Gymnasium in Sardis

COGwriter

In an article in the July-August 2010 edition of CG7-Denver’s Bible Advocate titled Anabaptist Who? Calvin Burrell reported:

One piece of faith-practice we have in common with Baptist friends is liturgy, our public worship style with its centrality of the spoken word. This traces, in part, to the fact that CoG7 and SDA churches share some common heritage with many Baptists…

Anabaptist was the tag given those who insisted on re-baptizing (by immersion) believers who  were previously just sprinkled…

The first Anabaptists were radical in their commitment to basic Christian faith and discipleship, distinct yet diverse in their secondary views, and mostly peacemakers toward their adversaries. As carriers of several pieces of Anabaptist tradition, we do well to investigate and imitate more of that heritage…

While the above article did mention that the Anabaptists differed from the Protestant Reformers, it failed to mention most of the doctrinal differences.

There were some Sabbath-keeping “Anabaptists” and some of them were apparently part of the true Church of God.  The late John Ogwyn reported:

By the end of the 1500s, congregations that the world labeled “Sabbatarian Anabaptists” had emerged from remnants of the Waldensians and were growing in Central Europe, Germany and England. They were termed Sabbatarian because they taught and observed the seventh-day Sabbath. They were called Anabaptists, meaning “re-baptizers,” because they refused to accept as Christians those who had merely been sprinkled as babies. They taught that baptism was only for adults who had come to believe the Gospel and had repented of their sins (cf. Acts 2:38) (Ogwyn, J. God’s Church Through the Ages. LCG Booklet. 2003).

It may be of interest to note that the Anabaptists were condemned by the Lutherans because they did not support infant baptism, taught one could reject salvation, taught that Christians should not be soldiers, taught that there would be an end to punishments, and that Jesus would rule with His people on the earth:

Article IX: Of Baptism. Of Baptism they teach that it is necessary to salvation, and that through Baptism is offered the grace of God, and that children are to be baptized who, being offered to God through Baptism are received into God’s grace. They condemn the Anabaptists, who reject the baptism of children…

Article XII:…They condemn the Anabaptists, who deny that those once justified can lose the Holy Ghost…

Article XVI: Of Civil Affairs. Of Civil Affairs they teach that lawful civil ordinances are good works of God, and that it is right for Christians to bear civil office, to sit as judges, to judge matters by the Imperial and other existing laws, to award just punishments, to engage in just wars, to serve as soldiers, to make legal contracts, to hold property, to make oath when required by the magistrates, to marry a wife, to be given in marriage. They condemn the Anabaptists who forbid these civil offices to Christians.

Article XVII: Of Christ’s Return to Judgment. Also they teach that at the Consummation of the World Christ will appear for judgment and will raise up all the dead; He will give to the godly and elect eternal life and everlasting joys, but ungodly men and the devils He will condemn to be tormented without end. They condemn the Anabaptists, who think that there will be an end to the punishments of condemned men and devils. They condemn also others who are now spreading certain Jewish opinions, that before the resurrection of the dead the godly shall take possession of the kingdom of the world, the ungodly being everywhere suppressed. (The Confession of Faith: Which Was Submitted to His Imperial Majesty Charles V. At the Diet of Augsburg in the Year 1530. by Philip Melanchthon, 1497-1560. Translated by F. Bente and W. H. T. Dau. Published in: Triglot Concordia: The Symbolical Books of the Ev. Lutheran Church. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, pp. 37-95.)

Furthermore, Anabaptists were also denounced by other 16th century Protestant leaders such as Jacob Würben of Biel because they stated that they got certain doctrines from the Book of Revelation (Guggisberg HR.  Jabob Würben of Biel: A thoughtful admonisher against Ludwig Hätzer and the Anabaptists.  Mennonite Quarterly Review, VOl. XLVI, July 1972, pp. 239-255). The teachings of the Book of Revelation were NOT popular with the early Protestant Reformers and were often condemned by them (for Martin Luther’s view of the Apocalypse, please see the article Sola Scriptura or Prima Luther? What Did Martin Luther Really Believe About the Bible?).

In the sixteenth century, “Anabaptists” taught Millenarianism and were condemned by Roman Catholics for that belief (Birch D. Trial Tribulation & Triumph. Queenship Publishing, Goleta (CA), 1996, p. lvii).

Carefully look at this admission from the Protestant scholar and theologian H. Brown:

Although classical theology is certainly not without its problems, historically it is almost always the case that the appeal to the Bible alone…leads to the reemergence of ancient heresies…The Reformation began with the slogan “To the sources!” and sought to deal a fatal blow to the place of church tradition in shaping life and faith…Despite their efforts not to be influenced by the authority of tradition, each of the major Reformation churches found itself borrowing from the past and building up a traditionalism of its own…when the Anabaptists and other radicals discovered Scripture to be teaching things the Lutherans found detestable, Lutherans learned the usefulness of tradition…(Brown HOJ. Heresies: Heresy and Orthodoxy in the History of the Church. Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody (MA), 1988, pp. 335,350-351).

While tradition has some value, it should never supersede scripture.

It should be noted that the above is not limited to one Protestant scholar, even Martin Luther truly did not believe in rallying cry sola scriptura (an article of related interest may be Sola Scriptura or Prima Luther? What Did Martin Luther Really Believe About the Bible?).

To pursue these subjects further, please prayerfully study the following:

Tradition and Scripture: From the Bible and Church Writings Are traditions on equal par with scripture? Many believe that is what Peter, John, and Paul taught. But did they?
Sola Scriptura or Prima Luther? What Did Martin Luther Really Believe About the Bible? Though he is known for his public sola Scriptura teaching, did Martin Luther’s writings about the Bible suggest he felt that prima Luther was his ultimate authority? Statements from him changing and/or discounting 18 books of the Bible are included. Do you really want to know the truth?
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 Churches of Revelation 2 & 3 from 31 A.D. to present: information on all of the seven churches of Revelation 2 & 3.  CG7 is one of 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.
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.
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.