Church of God News

A Twitter account affiliated with Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, posted an image over the weekend that appears to portray U.S. President Barack Obama holding a gun to his head. (Source: Twitter/CNN)

COGwriter

Iranian leader Ayatollah Khamenei is taking figurative shots against US President Barack Obama:

July 28, 2015

(CNN) – Regardless of the recent deal over Iran’s nuclear program, officials in Tehran are still taking sharp jabs at the United States. A Twitter account affiliated with Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, posted an image over the weekend that appears to portray U.S. President Barack Obama holding a gun to his head.

The picture shows a silhouetted figure holding the gun. No facial features are visible – only a white shirt, red tie and a Stars and Stripes lapel pin stand out from the shadow.

“US president has said he could knock out Iran’s military,” the tweet said.

It then continues with a quote attributed to Khamenei from July 18 that’s written out in full on the image: “We welcome no war, nor do we initiate any war, but if any war happens, the one who will emerge loser will be the aggressive and criminal U.S.”

Account regularly criticizes U.S.

It’s unclear how much involvement Iran’s Supreme Leader has in deciding what’s posted on the account, @khamenei_ir, which describes itself as providing “regular updates and news” about him.

Some of its posts are first-person statements from Khamenei, others refer to the leader in the third person alongside photos of him at events.

Strong criticism of the U.S. and Israel are recurrent themes, including posts in recent months about racial tensions in places like New York, Ferguson and Baltimore.

The tweet with the gun image has been retweeted more than 1,750 times since it was posted Saturday, far more than other recent posts.  http://www.ksla.com/story/29650600/iran-leaders-tweet-appears-to-show-obama-with-gun-to-head

Some have felt like Barack Obama felt he had no choice but to give Iran a deal that it wanted.  Hence, holding a figurative gun to his head.  On the other hand, with this tweet Iran more directly seems to be telling the USA that military action against it will be suicidal.  Iran has several ways it could harm the USA, including electro-magnetic pulse (EMP) bombs which could fry much of the electrical infrastructure of at least parts of the USA.  While Iran could harm the USA, it is in no position to beat it in an out-and-out war.

As far as the deal goes, yesterday, I saw a news report that the Iranian government informed the journalists in Iran to NOT be critical of the nuclear deal that Iran has tentatively agreed to.  This is an indication that Iran’s top leader plans to, at least for now, publicly accept the deal.

The Iranian deal was in the news in the USA today:

July 28, 2015

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told skeptical lawmakers Tuesday that if the U.S. rejects the internationally brokered Iran nuclear deal there would be “no restraints” on Tehran developing a nuclear weapon.

“It’s a good deal for the world, a good deal for America, a good deal for allies and our friends,” Kerry told the House Foreign Affairs Committee. …

Obama vows veto

Kerry appeared before the panel along with Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, who met repeatedly with Iranian officials to close the long-sought agreement earlier this month, and Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew.

The three secretaries took part in a similar hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week where Kerry said rejecting the deal would be turning away from the best chance to peacefully resolve the issue of Iran’s nuclear activity.

U.S. President Barack Obama has vowed to veto any congressional rejection measure, meaning both the House and Senate would need to muster two-thirds majorities to override the president and refuse to lift congressionally imposed sanctions. http://www.voanews.com/content/kerry-moniz-return-to-capitol-hill-to-push-iran-deal/2881178.html

Despite John Kerry’s comments, this deal is not ‘good’ for the world.  It is a deal for the world, and one that will likely end in a less rosy way than Secretary Kerry and President Obama have publicly indicated.  Look for war to come to Iran and/or its ally Syria.  And more war in Syria that the present conflict–something that will render Damascus a ‘ruinous heap’ (Isaiah 17:1).

Many are concerned about the deal.  Notice the following fron the Wall Street Journal:

Israel’s Choice: Conventional War Now, or Nuclear War Later

July 28, 2015

I agree wholeheartedly with the critics that, far from “cutting off any pathway Iran could take to develop a nuclear weapon,” as he claims, the deal actually offers Tehran not one but two paths to acquiring the bomb. Iran can either cheat or simply wait for the sunset clause to kick in, while proceeding more or less legally to prepare for that glorious day. …

The brutal truth is that the actual alternatives before us are not Mr. Obama’s deal or war. They are conventional war now or nuclear war later. John Kerry recently declared that Israel would be making a “huge mistake” to take military action against Iran. But Mr. Kerry, as usual, is spectacularly wrong. Israel would not be making a mistake at all, let alone a huge one. On the contrary, it would actually be sparing itself—and the rest of the world—a nuclear conflagration in the not too distant future. http://www.wsj.com/articles/israels-choice-conventional-war-now-or-nuclear-war-later-1438125451

Many in Israel would seem to agree with the above.

Now the Europeans are interested in the deal with Iran as many there believe it will be good for European businesses and hope it will be a good deal:

July 28, 2015

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini insisted Tuesday during a visit to Tehran that she made the trip to begin implementation of the nuclear accord with Iran.

Iranian state TV highlighted the visit, broadcasting EU foreign policy chief Mogherini’s press conference with Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Mogherini said she wanted to ensure the “smooth implementation” of the nuclear accord between Iran and the international community, which she said would pave the way toward better relations.

“Implementing in full the agreement is the best possible way of opening up the way of investments and trade relations with Europe,” she said. “My personal role in facilitating this process [is] making sure the implementation from all sides will be substantial and consistent.”

The EU foreign policy chief stressed she was intent on delivering the same message to all states in the region: the nuclear agreement is “a good one,” and would build trust, confidence and cooperation.

“This agreement is an agreement that is going to improve the security of this region, being an agreement that is a solid one, a good one. This gives us the potential to build on it,” said Mogherini.  http://www.voanews.com/content/eu-mogherini-visits-iran-commits-to-implementing-nuclear-deal/2881513.html

The Europeans are interested in trade with Iran and have, again, publicly admitted it.

The reality is that after Iran gets much or all of its frozen assets, it will have little incentive to comply with the deal.  But could use some of that money to trade with the Europeans as well as others.  Some believe that Iran will be better able to fund terrorism with the funds that are expected to be released.  Israel realizes this.

Iran has no intention of wanting to be the friend of the USA or anything but an enemy to Israel.  Iran’s top leader clearly has also indicated that (see After deal, Iran’s Khamenei calls USA ‘arrogant’ and ‘the real terrorists;’ he also says Iran will not change its policies in Middle East).

So, what will happen with Iran? What does it really want?

Iran wants to takeover Jerusalem and lead the Islamic world. It then wants to takeover the world.

It hopes that the West will let it get far enough in its military plans to make that a possibility.

The time may well come when Iran ‘overplays its hand.’ We in the Continuing Church of God do not believe that Iran will be the final King of the South of Bible prophecy (cf. Daniel 11:4-43). Because of that, I have tended to believe that Iran may somehow get “neutralized” before this final king rises up. And it may be that provoking some type of conflict with Israel (through an attack or through simply possessing nuclear bombs) and/or the USA, etc. Since no later than May of 2010, I have been writing that since Iran cannot be the final King of the South that it may be neutralized (see Iran Slams Russia). If it overplays its hand, it may well be neutralized.

This nuclear deal, including its access to funds, and Iran’s overall ambitions make Iran dangerous. Iran may well damage Israel (Isaiah 22:1-14) and even the USA. But that will not end well for Iran (cf. Jeremiah 49:34-38).

But although it does provide support to various Islamic causes now, and probably will in the future, Iran will not be the power that the Bible teaches will be the coming King of the South. And if it is discovered not properly handling its latest nuclear agreement, its neutralization could come soon from outside sources.

While a temporary peace will come to the Middle East (cf. Daniel 9:27, see also The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27), as I have said before, this deal is not that one. However, let me add that the fact that it has a time element to it, in that sense will help set a precedent for a time period like the one for Daniel 9:27. Daniel 9:27 could be, for example, a ten-year deal, that is ‘confirmed’ after three years (or an eight year deal confirmed after one, etc.).

Anyway, as the tweet shows, expect more issues from Iran.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Iran in Prophecy Is Iran in Bible prophecy? If so, what does the Bible teach? What names, other than Persia, may be used to describe Iran? There is also a YouTube video titled Iran in Prophecy. Here is a related video Iran In Prophecy.
Damascus and Syria in Prophecy Will Bashar Assad hold power as he has it? Does the Bible show that Damascus, the capital of Syria, will be destroyed? What will happen to Syria? Will the Syrians support the final King of the South that the Bible tells will rise up? Which scriptures discuss the rise and fall of an Arabic confederation? Does Islamic prophecy predict the destruction of Syria.
The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation.
How Will Middle East Peace be Brought About? Can humans bring peace to the Middle East? Here is a link to a related video: Middle East Peace? When?
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? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach? Here is a related YouTube video: Military Technology and the Beast of Revelation.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
United Nations: Humankind’s Last Hope or New World Order? Is the UN the last hope for humanity? Or might its goals end up with sinister results? A related video would be United Nations and Vatican Are Planning the New World Order.
Prophecies of Barack Obama? Reasons why Barack Obama is apocalyptic and 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? Read it and decide for yourself if President Obama seems to be fulfilling various prophecies. Watch also the YouTube Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.

NATO Nations in Green (by Addicted04)

COGwriter

Turkey called for an emergency meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to deal with the Islamic State:

July 28, 2015

NATO held an unusual emergency meeting Tuesday to support Turkey, whose President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his forces are pressing their campaign against Islamic State militants and Kurdish rebels in Syria and Iraq.

“No steps back will be taken in our fight against terrorism,” Erdogan said at a news conference in Ankara. “This … will continue with the same determination.”

Even before NATO’s closed-door session began in Brussels, the alliance’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said, “We stand in strong solidarity with our ally Turkey.”

Tuesday’s meeting was called at Turkey’s request to discuss the conflict in Syria and Iraq. Erdogan, who spoke in the Turkish capital before departing for a previously scheduled visit to China, said he was confident that NATO leaders would take “the necessary steps” on the crisis.

Ankara requested the meeting under Article 4 of NATO’s founding treaty, which allows countries to ask for consultations when they believe their territorial integrity, political independence or security is threatened. It is only the fifth meeting of its kind since the alliance’s founding in 1949. …

Islamic State-free zone

A U.S. official told news agencies the goal is to create an “Islamic State-free zone” to “ensure greater security along Turkey’s border with Syria.”  …

Turkey’s aerial attack to push Islamic State fighters out of its long boundary with Syria is likely to complicate fighting on the ground, where Syrian Kurds are among the most effective forces battling extremists in Syria and Iraq. But Ankara fears they could boost a Kurdish insurgency inside Turkey. The U.S. is backing Turkey’s two-pronged air offensive and artillery strikes against Islamic State militants in Syria and Kurdish rebel targets in Iraq.  http://www.voanews.com/content/nato-chief-back-turkey-anti-terror-campaign-in-syria-and-iraq/2881296.html

July 28, 2015

NATO’s North Atlantic Council is meeting Tuesday at the request of Turkey, which called for special talks due to heightened concerns over its security.

In his opening statement, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg offered his condolences to the victims of recent terrorist attacks in Turkey.

“Terrorism can never be tolerated or justified,” Stoltenberg said. “We stand in strong solidarity with our ally.”

Turkey made its request for Tuesday’s special session under Article 4 of NATO’s founding treaty, which allows countries to ask for consultations when they believe their territorial integrity, political independence or security is threatened.

It’s the fifth time in NATO history that members will meet under Article 4, NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu told CNN.

“In the wake of increased security threats following the attacks against our security and law enforcement forces in the provinces of Diyarbakır, Sanlıurfa and Kilis, in particular the terrorist attack that took the lives of 32 innocent Turkish citizens in Suruc on 20 July 2015, all necessary measures are being taken and in this context, operations are also being carried out by the Turkish Armed Forces,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“Upon these recent attacks and threats directed against our national security, the North Atlantic Council has been called to a meeting by Turkey this week under Article 4 of the Washington Treaty with a view to informing our Allies about the measures we are taking and the operations we are conducting against terrorism, as well as to holding consultations with them.”  http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/28/middleeast/turkey-nato-talks/

So, basically, Turkey is telling the USA, Canada, and Europe that it wants more military protection from the Islamic State and probably Syria.  The USA itself has publicly committed itself to eliminate both the Islamic State and the current government in Syria.

The Bible tells of several end time confederations, none of which include the USA: the European King of the North, the North African/Middle Eastern King of the South, and the kings of the east.  At some point in time, NATO will be gone.

The Bible shows that although Turkey will, for a time, be part of the coming King of the South (Daniel 11:40-43), it will likely betray it (Daniel 11:26-27) and keep some alliance with the Europeans (Psalm 83:2-8).

(As far as the USA goes, consider reading Who is the King of the West?)

Today’s emergency NATO meeting is part of a plan to eliminate the Islamic State.  While today’s meeting will not eliminate that group, it may well set some of the military stage to do so.

As I have repeatedly written, the Bible does tell of a confederation of nations which currently are predominantly Islamic (Daniel 11:40-43; Ezekiel 30:2-9), but that I do not believe that the current ‘Islamic State’ will become the King of the South.

What I do believe is that, partially because of the presence of the Islamic State, the Islamic countries in the region will decide to form that biblically-prophesied confederation and that the Europeans and Americans (including Canada) will support that move.  Getting NATO together to discuss the threats from the Islamic State is another step in that direction.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

What Should You Know About Turkey in Prophecy Do you know the Turkish people descended from? Did the Ottoman Empire possibly fulfill a promise in Genesis? Will Turkey support the European King of the North or Arabic King of the South? Will it betray one of them? Will Turkey be involved in the encouraging the destruction of Israel? Is Turkey going to become Catholic? Is Turkey mentioned in Psalm 83, Daniel 11, and elsewhere in the Bible? This video provides answers.
Iraq, the King of the South, Armageddon, and Prophecy What will happen to Iraq? What about the Islamic State? Is Iraq the prophesied Mystery Babylon? What is Armageddon and how does that have to do with Iraq? Here is a related video Iraq, Armageddon, & Prophecy.
Is the Future King of the South Rising Up? Some no longer believe there needs to be a future King of the South. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? Might this King be called the Mahdi or Caliph? What does the Bible say? A YouTube video of related interest may be: The Future King of the South is Rising.
The Muslim Brotherhood and the Rise of the King of the South The Bible tells of the formation of a power of nations that are in the Middle East and North Africa that are part of the final “King of the South” (Daniel 11:40-43) The Muslim Brotherhood wishes to have an Islamic empire with basically the same nations. This YouTube video explains what to expect from such a confederation.
The Arab and Islamic 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? What about the Imam Mahdi? What lies ahead for Turkey, Iran, and the other non-Arabic Muslims? An item of possibly related interest in the Spanish language would be: Líderes iraníes condenan la hipocresía de Occidente y declaran que ahora es tiempo para prepararse para el Armagedón, la guerra, y el Imán Mahdi.
The Prophesied ‘Islamic’ Confederation Where is an Islamic caliphate prophesied? Will one happen? Should you be concerned about it? A related video is Will an Arabic Calphiphate Destroy the West?
Libya, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia in Prophecy What is ahead for North Africa? What does the Bible teach?
Gaza and the Palestinians in Bible Prophecy What does the Bible teach about Gaza and the fate of the Palestinians? Here is a link to a related video: Gaza and Palestine in Prophecy.
Damascus and Syria in Prophecy Will Bashar Assad hold power as he has it? Does the Bible show that Damascus, the capital of Syria, will be destroyed? What will happen to Syria? Will the Syrians support the final King of the South that the Bible tells will rise up? Which scriptures discuss the rise and fall of an Arabic confederation? Does Islamic prophecy predict the destruction of Syria. This is a YouTube video.
Egypt in Prophecy Does Egypt have a special role in end time prophecy? Will Egypt rise up and then be defeated. What does God teach will happen to those in Egypt? Here is a link to a YouTube video titled Egypt and End Time Prophecy.
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? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2022 or 20xx? There is also a video titled The 6000 Year Plan: Is the end of humanity’s reign almost up? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2015, 2016, or 2017? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2014 o 2015? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives.
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.

Laodicea has many ineffective structures

COGwriter

James McBride of the Church of God, UK, which has ties with CGOM, distributed the following in the July-August 2014 edition of its outreach newsletter:

It Will Happen…

Many Bible believers express concerns as to how to interpret the end-time prophecies or doctrinal issues. If they get it wrong—will that condemn me to ‘the great tribulation’? …

Then there’s the interpretation of the prophecies. Who is ‘the Beast’ or the ‘False Prophet’ or the ‘man of sin’? Or, is the ‘King of the South’ an Islamic force, or a secular power? Or other? What if I’m not sure this truly is ‘the end time’, and it turns out it is? Will I be left behind? And what about Daniel’s much-discussed prophecies? All genuine concerns! And yes—we should…

And prophecy? The interpretations are endless! Given enough time most human speculations—that’s what they are—fall by the wayside. I don’t need to know when Jesus will return. I must just stay in a state of preparedness. I needn’t know who may be the ‘two witnesses’; God will manifest them for all to see in His good time. . I need not be concerned about world chaos— just be personally ready for when the end comes.

There is, however, one clear instruction direct from the lips of Jesus: ‘…Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them … and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world’ (Matthew 28:19-20).

(McBride J. It Will Happen… OUTREACH Newsletter: July-August 2014)

The Knowledge That Counts

What do you need to know to become a Christian? Is doctrine important? And must you understand the prophecies? …

That is exclusive— acceptance of Jesus as Saviour, and commitment to him and to the Father. Anything else?

Not prophecy. For multitudes have died in the faith not understanding them—or getting it wrong!

(McBride J.The Knowledge that Counts. OUTREACH Newsletter: July-August 2014)

Knowledge of the Bible, Jesus, the Kingdom of God, and salvation are important, but some of that knowledge also is based upon future prophetic events. Those who misunderstand about certain aspects of doctrine and prophecy are not growing in grace and knowledge of Jesus as they should (cf. 2 Peter 3:18) and are subject to deception and not being a Christian and/or living as a Laodicean (which Jesus prophetically warns against in Revelation 3:14-20).

Those who wish to possibly be protected from the Great Tribulation need to ‘gather together’ as the Bible tells in Zephaniah 2:1-3, and specifically with the end time Philadelphians as they are the only ones Jesus promised protection from the coming hour of trial in Revelation 3:7-13 (see also There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra).

Regarding prophetic subjects James McBride brought up, Laodicean groups have been teaching prophetic errors about the King of the South (see Is the Future King of the South Rising Up?), the man of sin (see Who is the Man of Sin?), and the prophecies in Daniel (e.g.The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 and Who is the King of the North?). For a longer list, please check out the list in the article The Laodicean Church Era.

Jesus taught a lot about prophecy and groups like CGOM are not teaching that as they should.

I believe that because of following false and/or Laodicean teachers, those in groups like CGOM will not know what is happening prophetically. As far as whether one should be concerned about ‘world chaos,’ Jesus repeatedly told His followers to watch those type of events, as He did five times in Mark 13:5-37. Watching world events from a biblical perspective helps us realize that this age will come to an end and that Jesus will return to reign and establish the Kingdom of God–this helps proper watchers keep their lives in perspective and should motivate them to live as a proper Christian. Notice something that Jesus taught:

34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:34-36)

Notice that Jesus used the information about coming prophecies related to world chaos to motivate Christians. Should that not exhortation be done today as we are closer to the time of that day approaching (Hebrews 10:25; Romans 13:11).

Notice also something that CGOM published in the past:

Two Witnesses…Oil represented God’s Holy Spirit which seems to indicate that these two sons of oil may be symbolic of spirit beings rather than human…These two witnesses, if cherubim, will be manifested in the form of men…Although the Bible does not definitely say whether the two witnesses will be angelic beings or human there is enough evidence in the Bible to suggest that they most likely will be angelic beings. But some may have difficulty with the concept of spirit beings being killed and resurrected which is prophesied for the two witnesses (Revelation 11:7-11)…As the world moves closer to the end-time configuration will we see more false witnesses pronouncing Christ’s return? (Morton, John. Two Witnesses. New Horizons, a CGOM magazine. July-Augist 2007, pp. 4-5).

Since the two witnesses do die and the Bible clearly calls them “men,” CGOM’s John Morton’s speculation should be ignored. Those wishing to learn more may wish to read the article Who Are the Two Witnesses?

Unless they change, those associated with CGOM, like the other apparently Laodicean groups, will end up going through the Great Tribulation. Not because they do not understand all the nuances of end time prophecy, but because of their attitudes about themselves, the work, others, etc. they will not listen enough to change or understand prophecy. See also Is there a need for a prophet now?

Remember Jesus’ words:

14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,

‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ — and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked — 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”‘” (Revelation 3:14-22)

Will groups of people decide to remain Laodicean? Sadly, yes, though they likely do not think so.

Perhaps some individuals will realize the truth, check out the facts, and decide that they should return and support the leading remnant of the Philadelphia era of the Church of God, which is currently the Continuing Church of God.

Jesus repeatedly told people to watch world events and prophecy. Jesus warned against remaining Laodicean and not being willing to truly listen to all that He taught.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Church of God Outreach Ministries This was a CGI spin-off that says it is not a church.
Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word What is the ‘short work’ of Romans 9:28? Who is preparing for it? Here is a link to a related video sermon titled: The Short Work.
The Final Phase of the Work What is the final phase of the work? Who will lead it? Do you have the courage to support it? Here is a related YouTube video titled The Final Phase of the Work. The written article has been translated into Spanish La Fase Final de la Obra.
Leading the Final Phase of the Work Matthew 24:14 teaches “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come ” will be fulfilled and RCG is not the group doing this. Who is leading the final phase of the work? What did Herbert Armstrong and the old WCG teach about that and about prophets? Does Bob Thiel meet the criteria that the Bible and the old WCG set? What is the proof? What has the Continuing Church of God been doing? This is a sermonette length video.
Why Be Concerned About False and Heretical Leaders? There have been many false leaders–here is some of why you should be concerned about them.
How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God There are many false prophets. How can Christians determine who is a true prophet? There is also a sermon-length video titled How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God. Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Cómo determinar si alguien es un verdadero profeta de Dios?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2015? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives.
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?
Should the Church Still Try to Place its Top Priority on Proclaiming the Gospel or Did Herbert W. Armstrong Change that Priority for the Work? Some say the Church should mainly feed the flock now as that is what Herbert W. Armstrong reportedly said. Is that what he said? Is that what the Bible says? What did Paul and Herbert W. Armstrong expect from evangelists?
Why Bob Thiel Left the Living Church of God Several have speculated reasons, but here is the truth. (En el idioma español: ¿Por qué Bob Thiel dejó la Iglesia del Dios Viviente?)
The Churches of Revelation 2 & 3 from 31 A.D. to present: information on all of the seven churches of Revelation 2 & 3. There is also a YouTube video: The Seven Church Eras of Revelation. There is also a version in the Spanish language: Las Siete Iglesias de Apocalipsis 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 the remnant of that era is basically the most faithful in the Church of God, like who hold to the beliefs and practices of the Continuing Church of God.
7. The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. The Laodiceans are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG or its offshoots.  They do not properly understand the work or biblical prophecies and will face the Great Tribulation if they do not repent.
Are the Laodiceans the Modern Sadducees and Pharisees? Discusses similarities of the Sadducees and Pharisees to various COGs in this end-time.

The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

COGwriter

In a move that was not unexpected, the organization known as the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) made another immoral change:

July 27, 2015

The Boy Scouts of America lifted its outright ban on openly gay adult leaders and employees on Monday, rolling back a policy that has deeply divided the membership of the 105-year-old Texas-based organization.

The new policy, which takes effect immediately, comes three years after the organization removed its prohibition on gay youth, but local Boy Scout units chartered by religious organizations will still be permitted to exclude gay adults from serving as den leaders, scoutmasters or camp counselors.

Churches and other faith-based organizations account for about 70 percent of the 100,000-plus Boy Scout units nationwide. The rest are chartered to civic groups and educational organizations.

The latest action, the Boy Scouts said in a statement posted online, “respects the rights of religious chartered organizations to choose adult volunteers whose beliefs are consistent with their own.”

However, no adult applying for a job as a paid employee or as a volunteer outside a local unit will be denied on the basis of sexual orientation, according to the resolution approved on Monday night.  http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/28/us-usa-boyscouts-idUSKCN0Q113220150728

Boy Scouts are supposed to be “morally straight” as that is part of the Boy Scout oath. Remaining a homosexual is not being morally straight.

While the Bible recognizes that some have homosexual tendencies, it also teaches that those with them must change, and not stay in that condition:

9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

The Boy Scouts of America apparently does not agree that homosexuals need to change or “be washed.” It appears that this new policy is a compromise, and one that will likely lead to more compromises in the future.

There were other societies that have had their own issues of openly advocating sin relationships that their residents seemed to view as acceptable. Notice what happened in a couple of such towns between three thousand and four thousand years ago:

24 Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens. 25 So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. (Genesis 19:24-25)

And why did it happen?

7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. (Jude 7)

Why mention this in the 21st century? Because God turned:

6…the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly (2 Peter 2:6,
NKJV)

National repentance is the only real long-term hope for the Anglo-Saxon peoples (and it seems to be too late for that).

Keeping the Ten Commandments reflects love. Breaking them and/or condoning those that do is evil. This should be clear to those who believe the God of the Bible. Thus, the BSA should not consider allowing the homosexuals in.

But many in the USA and other Anglo-Saxon dominated lands seem inclined to truly listen to those who are strongly advocating wrong changes in the moral direction of the land.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

The Bible Condemns Homosexuality “Same-sex marriage” for “gays” and lesbians is becoming more acceptable to many. What does the Bible teach about homosexuality?  Can homosexuals change? A related video sermon is titled What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality?
Love, Marriage, and Sex It is important to get them in the right order.
What is the Meaning of Life? Who does God say is happy? What is your ultimate destiny? Do you really know? Does God actually have a plan for YOU personally?
What Did Jesus Teach About the Ten Commandments? This article quotes what Jesus actually said about them (His words are in red).
The Ten Commandments Reflect Love, Breaking them is Evil Some feel that the ten commandments are a burden. Is that what Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John taught? For a more detailed discussion of the first four commandments, please see the video The Ten Commandments: Loving God. For a more detailed discussion of the last six commandments, please see: The Ten Commandments: Loving Your Neighbor. Here is a link to a related article in Mandarin Chinese 十条诫命显示爱，违反诫命的就是邪恶的
The Ten Commandments and the Early Church Did Jesus and the Early Church keep the ten commandments? What order were they in? Here are quotes from the Bible and early writings. A related sermon is titled: Christians and the Ten Commandments.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.

Scattered Structures in Laodicea (Photo by Joyce Thiel)

COGwriter

Various ones in the Churches of God (COGs) want unity. The United Church of God (UCG) seemed to have been partially formed under the belief that it would be able to unify those that did not fall away via the apostasy of the Tkach Administration.  Since its formation, however, UCG itself has had various splits, such as with Ray Wooten, David Hulme, and COGWA to name just three of several.

As far as the Tkach Administration goes, what many who were once part of the old Worldwide Church of God (WCG) fail to realize is that about the first thing the Tkach group did to lead its followers into apostasy was to stop teaching the idea of ‘church eras’ (see The 18 Restored Truths: Do You Know What the First Changes the Tkach Administration Made?) related to Revelation 2 & 3.  Since then, most once part of WCG lost much of the knowledge about them.

David Pack of the so-called Restored Church of God (RCG) is one who does not truly understand about Revelation 2 & 3.  He also has been publicly claiming for years that those scattered would reunify and come to him.  He just put out a new video about his claims for that.

But before getting to his latest posted video, I would like to show some of what David Pack said, in a sermon, apparently given on 11/03/07  to his followers apparently titled Clarion Call — The Time is NOW!:

“If you hold those riches, I’m telling you, you trust in them”“Go get a big chunk out of your home. And put your money where your mouth is and send it here. And I’m not talking about one, two, three thousand either. How about ten, twenty, thirty, fifty, or one hundred thousand dollars? Go do it”

“Wives, you can be independent in this. You have 1/2 the worth of whatever you have in your house. I’m officially telling you this…Wives, legally you have the 1/2 the funds. What are you going to do about it?…Husbands…’well, my wife is not in the church’…tell her…’you don’t have a voice woman’ ”

“Go get those assets and get them here”

“Don’t sit on vast resources that we can use now”

“This is announcing the last blast, the clarion call as it were, to finish the work…Whether it is 4,5,7, 9 years to go, God knows…This is liquidating assets…I have the authority to tell you to do it…I have the moral and spiritual, and ecclesiastical authority to tell you to do what I have also done”“Now you just have a second mortgage…and frankly we flee before most of it ever becomes due”

“There is only one place He works…Where the…work is…that’s where God is working…one elder commented here at headquarters, if people can’t be motivated by a clarion call to finish the work such as this, why will those same people somehow believe the internal signal given to the church of the 1335? Why would they believe it?”

Here is some of what David Pack taught in his nearly three hour RCG 2008: The Great Turning Point sermon in Dec 2007/January 2008:

I’ve been waiting a long time…for the phase of the work that is now upon us…the work will grow large…this next phase begins this year…

Every aspect of our website…will be remodeled…We are going to spend a lot of money. Well into the six-figures…

We are the largest religious publishers in the world…

A new building is now necessary…A new world headquarters’ building for God’s work…We are planning to break ground this year…We proposed phasing four buildings in our plan…

The campus does the work of God…it will also make a powerful statement to the splinters…

We are going to have a building fund…it is part of the grand pattern of the past.

For years, David Pack’s plan has been to build a big headquarters with the hope that this will lead to reunification of those who are in the COG that he calls splinters.

David Pack had much of the campus built in 2013 and that is part of why he falsely believed that thousands of others would come to be with him in 2013.  The building projects continued into 2014 and 2015.  In early 2015, David Pack made another strong pitch for assets that his members own (see RCG’s David Pack claims, ‘You’re not allowed to hold on to your own assets.’).

Back in 2013, David Pack started a major series of posts about “reunification.” Basically his posts were based upon a false hope that once David Pack built at least part of his hoped for headquarters buildings, that those in the various COG groups would flock to him. He decided that portions of the Book of Haggai pointed to the fulfillment of his dreams on August 30, 2013.

Here are some statements from David Pack’s posts related to that fantasy of his (bolding his):

All of God’s people wish they were back together. This is heard everywhere. But these many thousands have come to believe it is “just not time” to be in one organization. If you feel this way, you are about to see why this is wrong. God not only wants His people together again, but is planning to bring it about…If you are in the United Church of God (UCG), Living Church of God (LCG), Philadelphia Church of God (PCG), Church of God, a Worldwide Association (COGwa), or any other splinter or sliver that came out of the WCG, this will be the single most important article you will ever read…the Work of The Restored Church of God is mushrooming and exploding—think of just our media efforts going up like a rocket all over the world! Thousands of letters are arriving each week at our Headquarters, and we now project it cannot be long before this number will be over 10,000…

All Will Come Here! …

A towering question faces YOU—and you must confront it: Must every person with God’s Spirit—regardless of where they now attend—come to The Restored Church of God or lose the Holy Spirit? Yes, absolutely! If not, the Scripture would be broken (John 10:35)—and in many places!…You have been duly warned. (Pack D. Back Together Soon, http://rcg.org/sep/gods-people-back-together-soon.html)

Haggai Fulfilled—When Reunification Occurs

Most are by now probably wondering: When will the events described in Haggai take place? Before which Feast of Tabernacles (remember, Haggai means “My Feast”) will brethren be reunified? The answer is found by returning to Haggai 1. Verses 14 and 15 state that “all the remnant of the people…came and did work in the House of the Lord of Hosts, their God, in the four and twentieth day of the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.” We saw in an earlier announcement that this is the 24th day of the sixth month (Elul) in God’s sacred calendar.

For now, I will merely state that the prophecy applies to THIS SUMMER—August 30, 2013. (Who Is the Modern Joshua of Haggai and Zechariah? June 29, 2013, http://rcg.org/sep/who-is-the-modern-joshua-of-haggai-and-zechariah)

There are certain immediate implications to Haggai 1:14-15…

First Sabbath Together

Next is the Sabbath of August 31. You may at this time of course believe or disbelieve what follows. You will later be glad it was written and can be readily referenced. Obviously, when the size of the remnant joining us becomes clearer, as well as at least generally where most of these brethren live—countries and cities—more detail can follow…and very quickly. This will include seeing how many ministers are faithful and also where they live—countries and cities.

In six short weeks, the “Church of God landscape” will forever change. Saturday, August 31 will be a Sabbath unlike any other in history. It will be the first time in decades that all of God’s people around the world will be meeting together in the same locations for services. Words cannot describe the excitement and happiness that will be everywhere soon after this reunification. In many areas, much of or possibly even entire congregations might “roll over” into The Restored Church of God. Brethren will have had weeks to prepare for this and to “consider their ways” before God. Those who come will have been led to return to the Body of Christ the day before this Sabbath. Reread this last sentence.

Realize that a host of logistical details must be worked out for this to occur. God has been planning this event for thousands of years—at least 3,000—and His Church has been preparing for it for almost a year. Headquarters and our ministers will be ready to receive potentially a great many phone calls from splinter ministers and members even in the days and weeks before August 31.

The Feast of Tabernacles

Next, the 2013 Feast of Tabernacles: This will also be among the most special and inspiring times in Church history. It will be a Feast of unity and harmony among all of God’s people. Everyone will keep this joyous occasion as members of The Restored Church of God in scores of sites across the world. At this time, we have 21 sites, but we anticipate adding many more. In some areas, former splinter brethren will attend our current sites. In other locations, we will have to quickly add new ones. In still other areas, splinter sites will simply become Restored sites. The total number of Feast sites, and where they are, will depend entirely on how many brethren answer the “stirring” of Jesus Christ to return to His Church, and in what areas they live. Details may begin (and only begin) to come into view on the first of the month of Elul (in God’s calendar—August 7 in the Roman Calendar). A more complete picture will emerge by Elul 24 (August 30). Right now, all are urged to have in their thinking that they will be reassigned to a new nearby Feast site, and those who choose to return to the Body of Christ will attend with what becomes a much bigger organization—probably significantly bigger than the largest splinter! (Crucial Questions—Important Answers! July 19, 2013, http://rcg.org/sep/crucial-questions-important-answers)

Last Friday’s announcement closed with when the Haggai prophecy will occur—that all brethren will be reunited this summer, in time to attend the Feast of Tabernacles together in 2013. (Recall that Haggai means “My Feast.”) This announcement presents 24 reasons for this timing. There is much proof!…The dates revealed in Haggai have nothing whatsoever to do with any decision that I made. God decided that this prophecy would be fulfilled after planning it over 3,000 years ago (it is referenced in several Psalms). I am not so arrogant as to decide what God must do and when. I repeat again, these events in NO WAY parallel the Return of Jesus Christ. This prophecy is directly tied to a date…The men leading PCG, LCG, UCG and COGwa are God’s ENEMIES!…

Now comes a series of reasons Haggai’s prophecy will be fulfilled this year. They are summarized, with only a very little detail added. More could be said of each, but the descriptions given will suffice to those willing to think just a little about them. Realize there are over 30 more reasons—many of them very powerful—that I have left off the list because some will be covered later or because they would only be recognized as proofs by our Headquarters ministry (involving various miracles, some big). Readers would be largely unable to appreciate them as proofs:…

3) Also related, if God waited 2,500 years to reveal the prophecy’s meaning (3,000 years when various related much older Psalms are considered), is not His waiting done? Does His revealing it not signal that He has reached the time to fulfill it rather than having reached a point one, two or three years out?

4) Next, why would God wait longer? What would He wait for? The remnant is absolutely ripe for deliverance.

5) Internally, and this is no small thing, God’s Church is truly ready to expand the Work in a BIG WAY. The prophecy features this as the MAIN PURPOSE of the remnant returning! Without the prophecy’s fulfillment, this expansion would be delayed one year—or more! Why would God notify His Church of the prophecy’s existence at the very same time our staff is ready, our websites are ready, our literature is ready and even God’s college is ready for more students if the prophecy were not imminent? Why would God notify His Church if HE were not ready?

6) Related to this, the buildings on our campus can very soon handle significantly more staff than we have now. This is already true without the other two buildings scheduled for completion in the late fall. However, this extra size works perfectly if the prophecy occurs this year.

7) Also related, but separate, our infrastructure is ready to receive and serve a much larger flock this fall! This includes field ministry being ready, but also other things…

I repeat: There are many more reasons for a 2013 fulfillment, with a few of a personal nature—and others involving God moving miraculously to reveal crucial things at certain times within an extraordinarily complex prophecy that involves hundreds of verses. (Why Reunification THIS YEAR!, posted July 5, 2013 http://rcg.org/sep/why-reunification-this-year)

Complete Destruction!

We learned that God is bringing “desolation” on the splinters…the objective person concludes that God foretells complete desolation of the splinters and slivers…

Some Final Points

Next consider that God has never dealt with people or done with leaders exactly as He plans with the three shepherds. In fact, there may be other miraculous events immediately surrounding this one…

Of course, many are eager to learn “Who are the three shepherds?” We will know soon enough. But we might ask: Which three leaders are the greatest obstructionists to God’s stated purpose in Haggai—returning HIS people to doing HIS Work? (The Final Announcement. August 2, 2013, http://rcg.org/sep/the-final-announcement)

I denounced this at the time, and David Pack was proven to be wrong about his reunification then.

On October 11, 2013, David Pack posted:

Originally we took the “sixth month” to be the sixth month of God’s sacred calendar, which is Elul. This was wrong. Upon closer examination, it became clear that the reference to the “sixth month” is simply to the sixth month and second year of King Darius’ reign from when it started…A series of clues point to Haggai 1:1 being in the SPRING of the year, NOT the fall.

Haggai 1:1 records the third overall date—the first day of the sixth month. This would be early March our time.

The fourth date is in Haggai 1:15—the 24th day of the sixth month. It describes the people coming to work in God’s House. Again, this would be about April 1 in our calendar.

The fifth date is in Haggai 2:1—the 21st day of the seventh month—and would be late in April. We originally thought this was the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, but it would be more like right after Passover.

The sixth date is in Haggai 2:10—the 24th day of the ninth month—and continues through Haggai 2. This would be the equivalent of late July…

We should now at least ask: Will God’s people keep the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread together in 2014?—in 2015?—or later? The reader may draw his own conclusions…

The answer to the first and second question that I posted on October 12, 2013 was that there was:

NO POSSIBLE WAY WILL ALL OF GOD’S PEOPLE BE UNIFIED IN 2014 OR 2015 AS DAVID PACK HAS INDICATED THAT MAY. I continue to conclude that David Pack is delusional and any who believe him are allowing themselves to be deceived in many ways.

Of course, the reunification did not happen on the Passover for 2014 or 2015. David Pack’s hopes on this have been proven wrong.

Now, here is something I posted about David Pack early this morning at the News of those once affiliated with the Global Church of God page:

07/27/15 a.m. RCG’s David Pack just released a pompous false and arrogant video titled The Coming Signal to God’s People. In this seven-minute diatribe, David Pack claims that thousands in the Churches of God will be led by God’s Spirit to unite with him. He says it took over three years to see this (actually, he has been teaching versions of this since at least 2007, but since he was proven wrong about 2013 and 2014, he apparently has decided that those years were to help teach him his current wrong position).

David Pack says that there will be a single event that will be impossible for those in the COGs to miss. He then gives three signals supposedly which prove this is about to happen:

1. Based on Zechariah 11:14, David Pack claims that there will be ‘a full rupture’ between the USA and Israel and this is something to watch for.
2. That because of its (often false) literature, websites, staff, and headquarters, that RCG is ready for the coming influx of thousands that will lead to an unbelievable work. Well, I certainly do not believe that David Pack is leading God’s end time work, so in that sense it is unbelievable. David Pack claims that Wadsworth will soon be ‘everybody’s headquarters.’ That is not true. David Pack wants people to ‘walk by sight related to his campus that he claims is so magnificent that it ‘staggers the imagination.’ Yet, the Bible says Christians are to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7)–which is the opposite of what David Pack is essentially teaching.
3. David Pack claims that it is so obvious that world events have sped up, that God must do something with RCG soon. He claims that the time when no man can work, John 9:4, is getting close. While it is relatively close, RCG is not doing that work (see also Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word).

Let me add here that David Pack has misunderstood God’s work for a long time and falsely acts like the main RCG work is to draw COG members from other groups to RCG.

In the video, David Pack said that all (presumably other COG) leaders will call his message false. Well, his message is false. Yet, David Pack claims that all will realize that it is true.

David Pack then boldly stated that all COG members all say that they all want to get together, to reunify. That is NOT the case. I, for one, do NOT believe that the COGs should all reunify. The Book of Revelation is clear that there will be multiple COG groups around at the time of the end. Here are links to articles about four types of groups that Jesus indicated would be around at the end:

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 the remnant of that era is basically the most faithful in the Church of God, like who hold to the beliefs and practices of the Continuing Church of God.
7. The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. The Laodiceans are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG or its offshoots.  They do not properly understand the work or biblical prophecies and will face the Great Tribulation if they do not repent.

David Pack ignores what the Bible teaches about unity. Just like Pope Francis, David Pack does not realize that unity of the faith will not happen until after Jesus returns. He and his followers need to properly study and understand Zechariah 2:6-12 and other scriptures.

Anyway, in the video, David Pack also misinterprets Habakkuk 1:5. He then claims when God intervenes with RCG, you will see this as it will be ‘impossible to miss.’ He closed his video with the following statement:

Do not worry about missing the signal–you won’t.

Yet, the main signal to notice about David Pack is the following:

1 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. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 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)

David Pack has long used ‘covetous words’ and is a false teacher. He is NOT God’s apostle nor the Elijah to come as he also claims. David Pack’s prior prophesies related to reunification have been shown to be false in the past and will be so in the future. There is NO WAY that thousands of Philadelphian Christians will come part of RCG. See also the article Why Not the Restored Church of God?

David Pack is NOT a true watchman (watch also Go, Set a Watchman).  David Pack will again be proven false.

Most in the COGs who hear about this ‘coming signal’ will realize that David Pack is wrong.

Yet, many still wonder if unity will occur within the COGs before Jesus returns?

If the question is related to full unity, then no, that is not possible.

The fact of the ‘Church of the Laodiceans’ (Revelation 3:14)–plural–combined with the remnants of other churches of Revelation 2 & 3 that were prophesied by Jesus make this biblically impossible.

Sadly, this has not stopped David Pack or even Pope Francis from advocating it:

May 8, 2015

“A Church where its people are always arguing and there are lobbies and people are betraying their brothers and sisters, is a Church where there is no Holy Spirit!” Pope Francis made this strong statement today during his daily morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta, reported Vatican Radio. …

Discussions within the Church are to seek unity, the Pope said, noting they should not be places where people are always clashing, betraying each other and forming lobbies to win their argument.

The Holy Spirit, he said, has the power to create unity among all the members of the Church, for the Spirit brings change and moves things forward in the Church.

While acknowledging that sometimes this movement may at first appear to be confusion, Francis said that if the change or movement is welcomed with prayer and a spirit of dialogue, it always generates unity between Christians. http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/pope-s-morning-homily-a-church-with-clashing-is-one-without-holy-spirit

I do not believe that God’s Holy Spirit is behind the type of unity that Pope Francis is working towards. Notice the following he was involved with earlier that same week:

Pope hopes 2017 Reformation anniversary will encourage Christian unity

May 6, 2015

Pope Francis says he hopes the 2017 anniversary of the Reformation, as well as a joint document by the Lutheran-Catholic commission for unity, will further encourage steps for Christian accord.

The Pope was referring to the Lutheran-Catholic unity document, “From Conflict to Communion” during a May 4 private meeting with Church of Sweden Archbishop Antje Jackelen. …

Francis said he hopes this initiative will encourage further steps toward unity, with God’s help, “and our collaboration with Him and one another,” Catholic News Agency reported.

On December 18, the general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, Rev. Martin Junge, said relations between the Lutheran and Catholic churches have reached an epoch-making turning-point.

He spoke during preparations in Rome for the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation in 2017 when Lutherans and Catholics are expected to cooperate in an act of Christian unity. …

Pope Francis said at his meeting with Archbishop Jackelen that Christians seeking unity should not be afraid to broach potential areas of disagreement such as marriage, family, and sexuality.

“All Catholic faithful” are invited “to take up, recognize the signs of the times, the way of unity for overcoming divisions among Christians,” the pontiff said during his audience with Jackelen.

He said division is not only in opposition “to the will of Christ, but is also a scandal to the world and causes damage to the holiest of causes: the preaching of the Gospel to every creature.” …

Born in Germany, Jackelen is the first female head of the Lutheran church in Sweden, and the nation’s first foreign archbishop since the 12th century. http://www.ecumenicalnews.com/article/pope-hopes-2017-reformation-anniversary-will-encourage-christian-unity-29564

So the Church of Rome is striving for unity with the Lutherans and others, continues to want to work together for 2017.

Jesus DID NOT come so that the world, or even the Church of God, would be united in this end time age. Notice something that Jesus said:

51 ‘Do you suppose that I am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. (Luke 12:51, NJB).

Scripture warns against an improper coming ecumenical unity which it teaches will be successful:

4 They prostrated themselves in front of the dragon because he had given the beast his authority; and they prostrated themselves in front of the beast, saying, ‘Who can compare with the beast? Who can fight against it?’ 5 The beast was allowed to mouth its boasts and blasphemies and to be active for forty-two months; 6 and it mouthed its blasphemies against God, against his name, his heavenly Tent and all those who are sheltered there. 7 It was allowed to make war against the saints and conquer them, and given power over every race, people, language and nation; 8 and all people of the world will worship it, that is, everybody whose name has not been written down since the foundation of the world in the sacrificial Lamb’s book of life. 9 Let anyone who can hear, listen: 10 Those for captivity to captivity; those for death by the sword to death by the sword. This is why the saints must have perseverance and faith. (Revelation 13:4-10, NJB)

The Bible warns against an end time Babylon unity (note: the New Jerusalem Bible, a Catholic-approved translation, is shown):

1 One of the seven angels that had the seven bowls came to speak to me, and said, ‘Come here and I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute who is enthroned beside abundant waters, 2 with whom all the kings of the earth have prostituted themselves, and who has made all the population of the world drunk with the wine of her adultery.’ 3 He took me in spirit to a desert, and there I saw a woman riding a scarlet beast which had seven heads and ten horns and had blasphemous titles written all over it. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet and glittered with gold and jewels and pearls, and she was holding a gold winecup filled with the disgusting filth of her prostitution; 5 on her forehead was written a name, a cryptic name: ‘Babylon the Great, the mother of all the prostitutes and all the filthy practices on the earth.’ 6 I saw that she was drunk, drunk with the blood of the saints, and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus; and when I saw her, I was completely mystified. (Revelation 17:1-6, NJB)

9 ‘This calls for shrewdness. The seven heads are the seven hills, on which the woman is sitting…18 The woman you saw is the great city which has authority over all the rulers on earth.’ (Revelation 17:9,18, NJB)

1 After this, I saw another angel come down from heaven, with great authority given to him; the earth shone with his glory. 2 At the top of his voice he shouted, ‘Babylon has fallen, Babylon the Great has fallen, and has become the haunt of devils and a lodging for every foul spirit and dirty, loathsome bird. 3 All the nations have drunk deep of the wine of her prostitution; every king on the earth has prostituted himself with her, and every merchant grown rich through her debauchery.’ 4 Another voice spoke from heaven; I heard it say, ‘Come out, my people, away from her, so that you do not share in her crimes and have the same plagues to bear. 5 Her sins have reached up to the sky, and God has her crimes in mind: treat her as she has treated others. 6 She must be paid double the amount she exacted. She is to have a doubly strong cup of her own mixture. 7 Every one of her pomps and orgies is to be matched by a torture or an agony. I am enthroned as queen, she thinks; I am no widow and will never know bereavement. 8 For that, in one day, the plagues will fall on her: disease and mourning and famine. She will be burned to the ground. The Lord God who has condemned her is mighty.’ 9 ‘There will be mourning and weeping for her by the kings of the earth who have prostituted themselves with her and held orgies with her. They see the smoke as she burns, (Revelation 18:1-9, NJB)

Although COG members correctly understand that Revelation is referring to the world’s churches, some do not consider that unity is not to be part of the Laodicean period.  In Zechariah, the Bible warns against a coming Babylon and shows that proper unity will not happen until after Jesus return.  Notice what Protestant and Catholic translations show:

10 “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord. 11 “Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. 12 And the Lord will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem. 13 Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!” (Zechariah 2:10-13, NKJV)

10 Look out! Look out! Flee from the land of the north — Yahweh declares- for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven — Yahweh declares. 11 Look out! Make your escape, Zion, now living with the daughter of Babylon!

12 For Yahweh Sabaoth says this, since the Glory commissioned me, about the nations who plundered you, ‘Whoever touches you touches the apple of my eye. 13 Now look, I shall wave my hand over them and they will be plundered by those whom they have enslaved.’ Then you will know that Yahweh Sabaoth has sent me! 14 Sing, rejoice, daughter of Zion, for now I am coming to live among you -Yahweh declares! 15 And on that day many nations will be converted to Yahweh. Yes, they will become his people, and they will live among you. Then you will know that Yahweh Sabaoth has sent me to you! 16 Yahweh will take possession of Judah, his portion in the Holy Land, and again make Jerusalem his choice. (Zechariah 2:10-16, NJB; in translations such as the NKJV these are shown as Zechariah 2:6-12)

The type of true unity that many want now will NOT happen now.

David Pack and others who believe that they need to unify all Christians now are in biblical error.  It will not happen.

So what about COGwriter.com?  Notice the following from the home page:

The purpose of this web page is to promote biblical doctrines, help unify the remnant of the Philadelphia era of God’s Church (so that those who are truly part of it may more effectively get the Gospel truth out as a witness and the final phase of the work per Matthew 24:14; Revelation 3:8), support the Ezekiel warning (Ezekiel 2 & 3), support Matthew 28:19-20 (etc.), and to alert true Philadelphian Christians so they can be kept “from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth” (Revelation 3:10). While there are Philadelphians in various churches and independent fellowships, the group that best represents the commitment to Philadelphia era truths is the Continuing Church of God. It is also hoped that those who are not Philadelphian will be able to benefit from the content of this website, including those who had never previously received the witness of Christ’s gospel of the kingdom.

There is a difference in trying to unify the remnant of the Philadelphia era of God’s Church and the belief that all Christians now need to be unified.

Since Jesus promises to protect the Philadelphians from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth” (Revelation 3:10) and Zephaniah 2 says to gather together (see There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians and/or watch also the video Zephaniah’s ‘Gather Together’ Prophecy).

Anyway, Jesus words in Revelation 2 & 3 to the seven churches clearly show many Christians will NOT unified at the time of the end.  No one should believe David Pack’s or Pope Francis’ improper assertions on reunification.

COGwriter

The Continuing Church of God is pleased to mention at the COGwriter.com website, the availability of its booklet titled Faith for Those God has Called and Chosen.

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

In addition to other booklets, printed literature published by the Continuing Church of God includes our Bible News Prophecy magazine which is the official magazine of the Continuing Church of God and it has articles on a wide variety of subjects of Christian interest. It is produced in multiple languages including English, Spanish, Tagalog, Kiswahili, German, Dholuo, and Mandarin Chinese.

Here now is a link to the booklet Faith for Those God has Called and Chosen.

We also just received it in the German language today and it is now available at: Glaube für die von Gott
Berufenen und Auserwählten.

Spanish is also available: Marque aquí para ver el pdf folleto: Fe para aquellos que Dios ha llamado y escogido.

Here is a link to shorter version of a related written article in Mandarin Chinese 一篇关于信仰的小文章

From http://conservativebyte.com/2014/01/want-hillary-elected-president/#

COGwriter

A reader sent me the following:

Christianity, government and reality

July 25, 2015

Many, if not most, conservatives think a person who is a pro-life, anti-gay, pro-traditional marriage Christian would make a good president and solve all our ills. The late Charles Colson saw both sides of the presidency as an insider during Nixon’s tenure and as an outsider who spoke for conservative Christian causes after his conversion. He said in his book “Kingdoms in Conflict,” “To suggest that electing Christians to public office will solve all public ills is not only presumptuous and theologically questionable, it is also untrue.”

When Christians become aligned with a candidate or party, Colson continued, the church “gives priority to the compromises and temporal successes of the political world rather than its Christian confession of eternal truth. And when the church gives up its rightful place as the conscience of the culture, the consequences for society can be horrific.”

Despite campaign promises, the president does not have sole authority to pass laws; he has to work through Congress. Many conservative Christians believe a Republican president will align with the Republican Congress to pass laws that will “Christianize” our government. It seems this is their only criteria for judging a candidate’s worthiness. The president’s duty as a private citizen, however, is to ensure justice and religious liberty for all our population and people of all faiths.

…Power has destroyed even the best of people. Politicians will sometimes use whatever means are at their disposal to attain or remain in office, even lying about their opponents and their own agenda. That’s the way politics works.

Even Christian leaders are not immune to the power of politics. …

Those in my poll also looked for a candidate with beliefs similar to their own in areas such as capital punishment, social concerns and social welfare. …

I think we’re all weary of being bombarded with news of mass killings, senseless rioting in the streets, a teen shooting to death a person he was arguing with, gay pride marches, unwed mothers who raise children alone because the “father” wants no responsibility for what he helped to create, abortion, same-sex marriages, movies and TV programs that portray our society’s mores near nudity and cursing that’s just part of the vocabulary. No wonder we’re looking for someone who can change all this … who can change people.

History shows that a leader who passes laws to change society’s behavior may have motives that are political; i.e. to control the people.

Phillip Yancy, in his book “What’s So Amazing About Grace,” quotes a report by a U.S. delegate to the Baptist World Alliance congress in 1934.

“It was a great relief to be in a country where salacious sex literature cannot be sold; where putrid motion pictures and gangster films cannot be shown. The new Germany has burned great masses of corrupting books and magazines … ”

The leader was Hitler, and we all know how that turned out.

History shows that the only times our society has changed was because of a powerful spiritual movement among people, not because laws were passed to change behavior. However, not changing our behavior through laws puts the burden of change directly on us as Christians. Are we truly God’s agents of change or are we merely spouting our beliefs without changes in our own behavior that will be a fragrant aroma to those who need Christ? … Prayers and grace-full living can change people more than any judgments and angry rhetoric.

We would be wise to heed Colson’s reminder of the difference between the government of man and the kingdom of God. The latter “is not a blueprint for some new social order, nor does it merely set the forces of radical cultural changes in motion. Rather, God’s Kingdom promises radical changes in human personalities.” Changed people change laws, not the other way around. How will we respond?

— Gayle Raif is a Longview resident

The many people running for the Presidency of the USA will not fix the problems that the USA faces.

Many seem to believe that if the Obama Administration can be replaced by a Republican Administration that this will be pleasing to God and the USA will reverse its downward slide. Depending upon who wins the next election, whether a Democrat or Republican, at more he or she might slow down the slide and at worse accelerate it.

Gayle Raif is correct that the Bible teaches that the Kingdom of God is what is needed.

Since Adam and Eve turned away from God and cut off from the tree of life, God has given humankind 6000 years to live doing things its way (see also Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?). Most seem to believe that humanly devised systems are the answer and that one or more political leaders will ultimately bring ‘utopia’ to the planet.

But that is not the case.

Jesus said that it would get so bad that God would have to intervene for the elect’s sake:

21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. (Matthew 24:21-22)

The next USA President will NOT prevent the world from getting to the point of total destruction. Instead, he or she will take steps that will lead to it. Whether or not the next president is a Republican, Democrat, Independent, or ‘other.’

For more about the 6000 years, check out Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?

For more on Christians and elections, check out Should a Christian Vote?

For more on what will happen to the USA, check out Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel.

Artist’s Portrayal of the Destruction of Jerusalem

COGwriter

Today is Tisha B’Av, a day of mourning for many Jews.  There were problems in Jerusalem today related to it:

July 26, 2015

JERUSALEM — Israeli police entered a holy Jerusalem site on Sunday to prevent Arab youths from attacking visiting Jews marking a biblical holiday, a police spokesman said.

Micky Rosenfeld said police received prior warnings that masked Arab youths were barricading themselves inside the al-Aqsa Mosque armed with rocks and fire bombs. He said the youths planned to attack Jews visiting the area Sunday for Tisha B’Av — the Jewish holiday marking the destruction of ancient Hebrew temples.

Rosenfeld said some officers were wounded as they pushed the youths back, without providing further details.  https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/israeli-police-enter-jerusalem-holy-site-block-arab-youths/2015/07/26/29add4ce-336b-11e5-a879-213078d03dd3_story.html

Despite peace talks over the years, there is still not peace in Jerusalem–though a temporal peace will come (check out The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27).

While the article is correct that Tisha B’Av is a Jewish holiday, it is NOT, per se,a biblically required one.

The Bible never enjoins that God’s people need to observe Tisha B’Av.  Now the Bible says that some of the children of Israel seem to have observed a version of it (cf. Zechariah 7:3), but that God said they did it for themselves and not Him:

1  Now in the fourth year of King Darius it came to pass that the word of the Lord came to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the ninth month, Chislev, 2 when the people sent Sherezer, with Regem-Melech and his men, to the house of God, to pray before the Lord, 3 and to ask the priests who were in the house of the Lord of hosts, and the prophets, saying, “Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years?”

4 Then the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, 5 “Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me — for Me? 6 When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves?  7 Should you not have obeyed the words which the Lord proclaimed through the former prophets when Jerusalem and the cities around it were inhabited and prosperous, and the South and the Lowland were inhabited?'” (Zechariah 7:1-7).

Here is some of what Judaism 101 teaches about Tisha B’Av:

Tisha B’Av Level: Basic

Significance: Remembers major communal tragedies Observances: Fasting; reading the book of Lamentations Length: 25 hours Customs: Torah cabinet is draped in black

Five misfortunes befell our fathers … on the ninth of Av. …On the ninth of Av it was decreed that our fathers should not enter the [Promised] Land, the Temple was destroyed the first and second time, Bethar was captured and the city [Jerusalem] was ploughed up. –Mishnah Ta’anit 4:6

…Should I weep in the fifth month [Av], separating myself, as I have done these so many years? -Zechariah 7:3

In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month …came Nebuzaradan … and he burnt the house of the L-RD… -II Kings 25:8-9

In the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month… came Nebuzaradan … and he burnt the house of the L-RD… – Jeremiah 52:12-13

How then are these dates to be reconciled? On the seventh the heathens entered the Temple and ate therein and desecrated it throughout the seventh and eighth and towards dusk of the ninth they set fire to it and it continued to burn the whole of that day. … How will the Rabbis then [explain the choice of the 9th as the date]? The beginning of any misfortune [when the fire was set] is of greater moment. -Talmud Ta’anit 29a

Tisha B’Av, the Fast of the Ninth of Av, is a day of mourning to commemorate the many tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people, many of which have occurred on the ninth of Av.

Tisha B’Av means “the ninth (day) of Av.” It occurs in July or August.

Tisha B’Av primarily commemorates the destruction of the first and second Temples, both of which were destroyed on the ninth of Av (the first by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.E.; the second by the Romans in 70 C.E.).

Although this holiday is primarily meant to commemorate the destruction of the Temple, it is appropriate to consider on this day the many other tragedies of the Jewish people, many of which occurred on this day, most notably the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492 and from England in 1290. (Tisha B’Av. Judaism 101. © Copyright 5756-5771 (1995-2011), Tracey R Rich. http://www.jewfaq.org/holidayd.htm accessed 07/26/15)

Jews have interpreted their history and scripture to mean that they should observe Tisha B’Av as a day of mourning.

Interestingly, when the Romans battered down the walls of the city of Jerusalem and the second temple in 70 A.D., many of the stones from the temple were moved to another location.

Christians moved some of the rectangular large stones, called ashlars, to build the first Christian building in Jerusalem. Notice the following from the biblical archeologist and Catholic priest Bargil Pixner:

I BELIEVE that the famous Church of the Apostles… is really a Roman-period synagogue… not a usual Jewish synagogue, but a Judeo-Christian Synagogue.

At first, places where Jewish Christians worshipped were of course called synagogues. Only later, as I will explain, did Christian places of worship come to be called churches instead of synagogues.

The earliest Christians were all Jews. Moreover, they did not regard themselves as having abandoned Judaism…

Not only were the original Christians all Jewish, but for several centuries Judeo-Christians and even some gentile Christians referred to their houses of worship as synagogues. In Hebrew the Jewish house of prayer was – and still is – called Beit or Beth Knesset, which means simply “house of assembly.” Under Hellenistic influence, this became “synagogue,” a Greek word meaning “assembly.”…

To distinguish themselves from the Jews, the gentile Christians began to refer to their gatherings by the Greek word ekklesia, also meaning “assembly.” This word was then applied to the gathering place and later to the church building itself. Another word for the building was the Greek kyriake, meaning “belonging to the Lord (kyrios),” from which the English word “church” is derived.

…this synagogue – or more precisely, its niche – is not oriented exactly toward the Temple Mount, where the Jewish Temple once stood. As several observers have now noted, the synagogue is oriented slightly off north, rather than toward the northeast where the Temple was located. The difference is small, but important. And with the Temple Mount but a few hundred yards away, the builders surely knew the difference. In fact, the synagogue’s orientation is toward what is presently the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which, at the time the synagogue was built, was believed to be the site of Jesus’ tomb and of his crucifixion at Golgotha.

Was this directional orientation intentional? I believe it was. Would it not be logical that, after the Temple had been destroyed, Judeo-Christians, instead of orienting their synagogues toward the destroyed Temple as was the case with traditional Jews, would orient their synagogues toward the new center of their redemption, the site of Jesus’ burial and resurrection?…

In the lowest layer, Pinkerfeld found pieces of plaster with graffiti scratched on them that came from the original synagogue wall. In his own words: “In the first [Roman] period, the hall was plastered. The fragments were handed over to the late Prof. M. Schwabe for examination.” Both Schwabe and Pinkerfeld died without publishing these graffiti.

Ultimately they were published by a team of experts from the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum led by Professors Emmanuele Testa and Bellarmino Bagatti. Their interpretation is as follows:

“One graffito has the initials of the Greek words which may be translated as ‘Conquer, Savior, mercy.’ Another graffito has letters which can be translated as ‘O Jesus, that I may live, 0 Lord of the autocrat.’ …

The historical conditions after the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and some new archaeological evidence suggest the circumstances under which this Judeo-Christian synagogue was built…This destruction, indeed, included the western hill, Mt. Zion (Zion III)…

Thus, it is safe to conclude that the building that stood on the site of the adjacent Judeo-Christian synagogue also fell victim to the Roman onslaught…

The Judeo-Christian community in Jerusalem escaped this terrible catastrophe by fleeing to Pella in Transjordan and the countryside of Gilean and Bashan…they realized that the time of Jesus’ return was not yet at hand, they decided to go back to Jerusalem to rebuild their sanctuary…They were free to do this because they enjoyed a certain religious freedom from the Romans (religio licita) inasmuch as they were Jews who confessed Jesus as their Messiah, and not gentile converts.

The archaeological evidence is consistent with this suggestion. On the outside face of the synagogue, at the base of the eastern and southern walls, we can see building stones of the original Roman-period building, which still exists to a considerable height. These large stones (for example, in the third course, 3 by 3.5 feet [96 by 110 cm]) are assigned by most archaeologists to the Herodian period, that is, before 70 A.D. But these stones were not originally hewn for this building. They were brought here from elsewhere and are in secondary use. This is evident because the corners of the stones were damaged during transport. Moreover, squared ashlars (large rectangular stones) of different heights were used in the same course on the eastern wall. Had this been original construction, the heights of stones in any one course would have been uniform.

Someone during the Roman period (after the destruction of Jerusalem) must have erected this synagogue structure by using ashlars brought here from elsewhere. Who would have done this? I believe that the returning Judeo-Christians did it in the late first century, when they put up their synagogue on the site…The most probable period when such an imposing structure would have been built was between 70 and 132 A.D. According to Eusebius, during those years there was a flourishing Judeo-Christian community in Jerusalem presided over by a series of 13 bishops from the circumcision (that is, Judeo-Christians)…

Bishop Epiphanius (315-403 A.D.), a native of the Holy Land, transmitted to us the following information: When the Roman emperor Hadrian visited Jerusalem in 130/131 A.D., there was standing on Mt. Zion “a small church of God…

Who built this synagogue-church — already standing on the southwestern hill in 130 A.D. — in memory of the place of the Last Supper and the Pentecost event? Some information comes from a tenth-century Patriarch of Alexandria named Euthychius (896-940 A.D.), who wrote a history of the church based on all the ancient sources that were available to him. According to Euthychius, the Judeo-Christians who fled to Pella to escape the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. “returned to Jerusalem in the fourth year of the emperor Vespasian, and built there their church.” The fourth year of Vespasian was 73 A.D., the year Masada, the last outpost of the Jewish rebellion, fell to the Romans. The Judeo-Christians returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of Simon Bar-Kleopha, who was the second bishop of Jerusalem after James, “the brother of the Lord,” and, like Jesus, a descendant of the royal Davidic family.

The Judeo-Christians probably built their church, at that time called a synagogue, sometime in the decade after 73 A.D. For its construction, they could have used some of the magnificent ashlars from Herod’s destroyed citadel, not far away. Or perhaps they used the stones from the ruins of the Temple itself…with the intention of transferring some elements of the Holy Temple to a site becoming a new Mt. Zion (Zion III).

If that is so, the event may in fact be referred to in one of the apocryphal Odes of Solomon composed about 100 A.D. by a rival sectarian Judeo-Christian group. The fourth ode begins:

“No man can pervert your holy place, 0 God, nor can he change it, and put it in another place, because [he has] no power over it. Your sanctuary you designed before you made special places.” (Charlesworth, Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, p. 736.)

Was this passage in condemnation of the effort of the Judeo-Christians who built the synagogue on Mt. Zion to transfer some of the holiness of the destroyed Temple to their place of worship on the new Mt. Zion by constructing it in part with stones from that Temple?

From this time on, the western hill of Jerusalem was referred to by Christians as Mt. Zion (Zion III). Very few places in Jerusalem can point to such an enduring tradition as Zion’s claim to be the seat of the primitive church. No other place has raised a serious rival claim…

By this time the Judeo-Christian synagogue on Mt. Zion had become known as the Church of the Apostles. It became known as the Church of the Apostles not only because the apostles returned there after witnessing Christ’s post-resurrection ascent to heaven, but also because the building was built, as we have seen, under the leadership of Simon son of Kleophas. Kleophas was known as a brother of Joseph of Nazareth, therefore Simon was a cousin of Jesus. Simon was later considered one of the apostles, outside the circle of the 12. For this reason, the house of worship built by Simon could rightfully be called the Church of the Apostles.

(Pixner B. Church of the Apostles Found on Mt. Zion. Biblical Archaeology Review, May/June 1990: 16-35,60. Also found at http://www.centuryone.org/apostles.html –yet that site and others who seemed to have copied it have left out important statements on page 26, which are included above and italicized by me as they are left out of the that online version)

The original bricks seem to have come from the old Jewish Temple. I and another with me personally examined some of them on October 24, 2013. The original bricks physically constitute a type of “temple” in the sense that this seems to have been the closest thing to a physical church building (and actually more closely resembled a synagogue) where real Christians attended for services.

Here is a photo from October 2013 of some of the original ashlar bricks of the Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill (that hill is also known as Mt. Zion) that I took:

Here is more information from Bargil Pixner:

Their adherence to Jewish customs, especially circumcision and observance of Jewish holy days, naturally alienated them from the church of the gentiles. The fissure became a gaping canyon with the strongly anti-Judaic positions taken by the Byzantine church after the Council of Nicea (325 A.D.).

Though recognizing the authenticity of the place, the gentile Christians looked with suspicion and almost contempt at the synagogue of the Judeo-Christians on Mt. Zion, considering their way of life outdated, if not heretical…This was the situation during the second half of the fourth century A.D… (Pixner, Church of the Apostles Found on Mt. Zion, pp. 29-30,34)

Notice that the Catholic scholar admits that the early Christians did keep the holy days, but that those of his faith considered that outdated.  Yet, even Catholic translations of the Bible teach:

3 I felt that I must write to you encouraging you to fight hard for the faith which has been once and for all entrusted to God’s holy people. (Jude 3, New Jerusalem Bible)

3 I was under a necessity to write unto you: to beseech you to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints. (Jude 3, Challoner Douay-Rheims)

The original practices of the faithful Christians in Jerusalem were not outdated nor heretical.  Christians are to contend earnestly for them, not call them outdated or heretical.

Although the Bible does not enjoin the observation of Jewish traditions, it does enjoin the observance of God’s Holy Days.

While true Christians are to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6), we also are aware that the veil of the temple was torn in two (Matthew 27:51) and that in the New Testament, Christians are often portrayed as the “temple of God” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

We Christians do not mourn the loss of a Jewish Temple, but strive to live our lives as God’s temple (1 Corinthians 6:19; 2 Corinthians 6:16).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill Could this building, often referred to as the Cenacle, which is located on a Mount Zion, possibly have been the oldest actual Christian church building? There is also a video titled Might the oldest church building have prophetic ramifications?
The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation.
Does the ‘Cenacle’ deal have prophetic ramifications? After a 20 year negotiation, the Church of Rome has negotiated the right to have Catholic mass in the building known as the Cenacle. It is in the area where the Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill once stood. This is believed to be the location of the earliest Christian church building. How does the Bible define the ‘temple of God’ in the New Testament? Could this be the area where the ‘man of sin’ will sit in the “temple of God’ that Bible prophecy discusses in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4? This is a YouTube video.
Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future What does the Bible say about Jerusalem and its future? Is Jerusalem going to be divided and eliminated? Is Jesus returning to the area of Jerusalem? There is also a related YouTube video you can watch titled Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated.
The Red Heifer, Jewish Beliefs, and the End of the World The Temple Institute is watching a ‘red heifer.’ Why might this be important in the sequence of end time events? Here is a related link in the Spanish language Novilla roja descubierta en EE.UU. e Instituto del Templo está interesado en ella. Here is a related video in English The Red Heifer and the End of the World.
Why is a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem Not Required? Although people like Timothy LaHaye teach a third Jewish temple is required, who is ‘the temple of God” in the New Testament? Does the Bible require a rebuilt Jewish Temple? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Por qué no se requiere un templo judío en Jerusalén? Here is a link to a sermon titled The Temple, Prophecy, and the Work.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People.
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by the Tkach WCG which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean? Also you can click here for the calendar of Holy Days. (Here is a related link in Spanish/español: Calendario Anual de Adoración –Una crítica basada en la Biblia y en la Historia: ¿Hay un Calendario Anual de Adoración en la Biblia?
Holy Day Calendar This is a listing of the biblical holy days through 2024, with their Roman calendar dates. They are really hard to observe if you do not know when they occur 🙂 In the Spanish/Español/Castellano language: Calendario de los Días Santos. In Mandarin Chinese: 何日是神的圣日？ 这里是一份神的圣日日历从2013年至2024年。.
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 in the first century to the 21st century. Two related sermon links would include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries. In Spanish: Marque aquí para ver el pdf folleto: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios.

COGwriter

The Continuing Church of God is pleased to announce the following video on our Bible New Prophecy YouTube channel:

19:07

Alternative to the US Dollar in the Fall of 2015?

Is the US dollar about to lose its dominance as the world’s reserve currency? Does the Bible teach anything about that? Could Porter Stansberry be correct that the International Monetary Fund will announce an alternative to the US dollar in the Fall of 2015? Do Does the IMF, European Union, BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), and other groups want the US dollar dethroned? Are China and other nations doing something to try to make this happen?

A written article of related interest is titled: Stansberry: US dollar replacement to be revealed October 20, 2015? What about 2016?

Here is a link to our video: Alternative to the US Dollar in the Fall of 2015?

Some items of possibly related interest may include:
Project Prophecy: Economic Collapse Starting in 2015? Jim Rickards once worked for the CIA and also was once part of a a USA government program called called ‘Project Prophecy.’ He has a video were he claims that starting in 2015, the USA may have economic collapse resulting in a 25-Year Great Depression. He mainly cites debt figures and claims advises alternatives to the USA dollar which he says will collapse? What did Rand Paul state? Can the USA dollar collapse?
Market Collapse then New World Order in 2015? A long-time financial adviser named Harvey Organ claims that claims that because of insufficient gold in the central banks of USA and UK, that Shanghai would bring about exposing this and that this would lead to a massive, overnight, rise in the price of gold and silver, diminished value of their currencies. He states a market collapse will occur before the end of 2014, that the petroyuan will replace the petrodollar, and that a Chinese led New World Order will be in place for 2015. Is this possible? Where does the leader of the ‘New World Order’ come from? What does the Bible teach?
The Plain Truth About Gold in Prophecy. How Should a Christian View Gold? What do economists and the Bible teach about gold? Gold and silver may drop in value. Inflation/deflation? What do Christians need to know about gold?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
The Eurasian Union, the Kings of the East, and Bible Prophecy Is there a Eurasian union that will be formed? Is one being formed right now? Are any leaders working on that in the 21st century? Does the Bible teach that there will be a Eurasian union? If some type of Eurasian union is formed, who might it benefit and who will it destroy? A related video would be Is The Eurasian Union Rising?
Russia and Ukraine: Their Origins and Prophesied Future Russia in prophecy. 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? There is also a video sermon available: Russia in the Bible and in Prophecy and a video sermonette available: Ukraine in Prophecy?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach? Here is a link to a video, also titled Is Russia the King of the North?
Ezekiel 38: For Russia & Iran in Our Day? Is Ezekiel 38 about to be fulfilled? A related video is available titled Ezekiel 38: For Russia, Ukraine, & Iran Now?
Islands and Bible Prophecy What’s ahead for islands? What does the Bible prophesy about them?
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters Where did the Chinese people come from? This article provides information showing that the Chinese peoples must have known about various accounts in the Book of Genesis up until their dispersion after the Tower of Babel. Here is a link to a version of this article in Spanish: ¿Prueban los caracteres chinos la exactitud de la Biblia?
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: The Sabbath and Some of God’s Witness in China When did Christianity first come to China? And is there early evidence that they observed the seventh day sabbath?
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? A YouTube video of interest may be Is China THE Threat to the United States of America?
How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God There are many false prophets. How can Christians determine who is a true prophet? There is also a sermon-length video titled How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God. Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Cómo determinar si alguien es un verdadero profeta de Dios?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2015, 2016, or 2017? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2014 o 2015? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives.
Gaza and the Palestinians in Bible Prophecy What does the Bible teach about Gaza and the fate of the Palestinians? Here is a link to a related video: Gaza and Palestine in Prophecy.
How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God There are many false prophets. How can Christians determine who is a true prophet? There is also a sermon-length video titled How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God. Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Cómo determinar si alguien es un verdadero profeta de Dios?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God 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? You can also see a YouTube video sermon The Gospel of the Kingdom.
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from c. 31 A.D. to 2014. Two related sermon links would include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries. In Spanish: Marque aquí para ver el pdf folleto: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios.
CCOG.ORG Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God.
CCOG.ASIA We in the Continuing Church of God also have the url www.ccog.asia which has a focus on Asia and has various articles in Mandarin Chinese as well as some in English, plus some items in other Asian languages. 我们在继续神的教会也提供此网址 www.ccog.asia, 关注于亚洲并且有各种各样的中英文文章，其中一些用菲律宾语翻译的文章也正在进行中，准备添加到这个网站中。 Here is a link to our Statement of Beliefs in Mandarin Chinese 继续神的教会的信仰声明.
CCOG.IN This is a website targeted towards those of Indian heritage. It has a link to an edited Hindi translation of The Mystery of the Ages and is expected to have more non-English language materials in the future.
CCOG.EU This is a website targeted toward Europe. It has materials in more than one language (currently it has English, Dutch, and Serbian, with links also to Spanish) and it is intended to have additional language materials added.
CCOG.NZ This is a website targeted towards New Zealand and other British-descended dominated lands.
CDLIDD.ES La Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios. This is the Spanish language website for the Continuing Church of God and has articles in español/castellano.
PNIND.PH Patuloy na Iglesya ng Diyos. This is the Philippines website Continuing Church of God. It has information in English and Tagalog.
ContinuingCOG channel. Dr. Thiel has produced YouTube video sermons for this channel. Note: Since these are sermon-length, they can take a little longer to load than other YouTube videos.
Bible News Prophecy online radio. This is an audio version of the Bible News Prophecy videos. It is also available as a mobile app.
Bible News Prophecy channel. Dr. Thiel has produced many YouTube videos for the BibleNewsProphecy channel. And you can find them at that channel.