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Moldovan Parliament

COGwriter

Voice of America had the following about Moldova:

Moldova’s Corruption Blocking Its Path to European Future

Daniel Schearf

Published February 29, 2016

Corruption scandals have tainted Moldova’s pro-European leadership and boosted support for pro-Russia parties who argue closer ties with its Soviet-era ally, Moscow, is a better choice. While public support for a European path remains high, a demographic crisis is on the horizon as many Moldovan youth take advantage of EU visa-free travel to leave for better opportunities. http://www.voanews.com/media/video/moldova-corruption-scandals-increase-struggle-for-european-future/3212781.html

While Voice of America seems to be taking the USA/European Union’s position on Moldova regarding Moldova and Russia, consider that corruption is not good for any government.

Notice some passages from the Bible:

34 Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people. (Proverbs 14:34)

3…they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice (1 Samuel 8:3).

9 Do not gather my soul with sinners,
Nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
10 In whose hands is a sinister scheme,
And whose right hand is full of bribes. (Psalms 26:9-10)

23…Everyone loves bribes,
And follows after rewards.
They do not defend the fatherless,
Nor does the cause of the widow come before them. (Isaiah 1:23)

12 For I know your manifold transgressions
And your mighty sins:
Afflicting the just and taking bribes;
Diverting the poor from justice at the gate. (Amos 5:12)

4…corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:4)

Corruption is not good.

Now, cries about corruption in Moldova are not new. Notice something reported a while back related to an election in Moldova:

December 3, 2014

Igor Botan, a Moldovan political scientist, says that for most voters the elections represented a strategic choice between “pro-European crooks and pro-Russian crooks”.

Many citizens are questioning the election’s very legitimacy, because the party they planned to vote for was blocked from participating. On November 29th Moldova’s supreme court confirmed an earlier ruling that Patria, a new party led by Renato Usatii, a wealthy businessman, should be barred from the election. The court claimed that the party had been financed using illegal funds from abroad, presumably from Russia. http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21635339-moldovans-choose-europe-barely

So Moldovans see corruption in both Russia and the European Union.

The European Union wants nearly all of continental Europe to be part of it, and that includes Moldova, Moldova is a land, which like Ukraine, some in the West see as a ‘buffer’ against Russia because of geographic proximity.

Georgia (another potential “buffer”), Ukraine, and Moldova  have all formally made steps to become part of the European Union.

Russia’s Vladimir Putin, on the other hand, wants all the former Soviet states to become part of Russia or at least part of his new Eurasian Economic Union,.

Moldovans are somewhat torn about this.

They took some steps towards the European Union in the past few years which has made them poorer as this displeased Russia, which restricted aspects of trade. Many in Moldova do not trust Russia and believe that they will be freer and wealthier as part of the European Union. Others have been disappointed with the Europeans, have been made poorer by turning away from Russia, and have serious doubts that the Europeans can improve their lives for some time. The migrant crisis in the European Union this year did not turn Moldovans towards the EU, however.

Anyway, Moldova has long had ties with Russia, Moldova is very poor by Western standards. It would seem to be the poorest nation in the EU, if it were to join. Moldova hopes the European Union will help, while Russia hopes Moldova will decide that Russia is a better economic partner.

So what will happen?

The Bible teaches that the European Beast power will expand to the south and the east.

Notice that, in Daniel 8, the Bible prophesied that a little horn would mainly expand South and East:

9 And out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Glorious Land. 10 And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them. 11 He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. 12 Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered. (Daniel 8:9-12).

And while the above has had a past fulfillment, this prophecy seems to be dual (compare with Daniel 11:27-39). The European Union has mainly expanded south and east of the Benelux nations Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)–which is where it initially formed. Now, approximately 500 million people are now under a new, single (though not completed united) government, called the European Union, headquartered in Brussels. Ukraine is mainly east of much of the EU–thus its geography is consistent with being part of the EU. And Moldova and Georgia are south and east, which is also consistent. Do not be surprised if Moldova ends up with the Europeans for a time. But this is not certain.

Consider also the following:

27 Behold, the name of the Lord comes from afar,
Burning with His anger,
And His burden is heavy;
His lips are full of indignation,
And His tongue like a devouring fire.
28 His breath is like an overflowing stream,
Which reaches up to the neck,
To sift the nations … (Isaiah 30:27-28)

From a prophetic perspective, we appear to be seeing some sifting/separation between some of the peoples that live within the borders of Ukraine as well as Georgia and Moldova. According to Bible prophecy, those that appear to have descended from the ancient Medes will mainly ultimately align with Russia.

This does not mean that some or all of Ukraine, Moldova, etc. will not be part of the European Union, at least for a time.

The European Union has demonstrated a history and willingness to enlarge–and it is interested in Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia. The U.S.A. keeps encouraging all of this, but this will not end well for the U.S.A. (cf. Daniel 11:39; Isaiah 10:5-11).

Of course, even now, not all in Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia want to be part of the European Union, some prefer to be in Russia’s upcoming Eurasian Union. Those that become disillusioned/disappointed by the EU may ultimately back out of it.

Notice also the following:

1 The burden against Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw…

17 “Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them,
Who will not regard silver;
And as for gold, they will not delight in it.
18 Also their bows will dash the young men to pieces,
And they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb;
Their eye will not spare children.
19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms,
The beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride,
Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. (Isaiah 13:1, 17-19)

11 Make the arrows bright!
Gather the shields!
The Lord has raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes.
For His plan is against Babylon to destroy it,
Because it is the vengeance of the Lord,
The vengeance for His temple. (Jeremiah 51:11)

Biblically (because of prophecies involving the Medes, some of which are in Ukraine, and some in the “north and east” in Daniel 11:44), it would seem that Russia (a power of the “far north” Ezekiel 38:3,6) would be closer to at least parts of Ukraine (like some of the eastern portions of it) and possibly Moldova and Georgia in the end than many realize. (There is also a YouTube video available titled Ukraine in Prophecy?)

This will ultimately not end well for Europe:

50:41 “Behold, a people shall come from the north,
And a great nation and many kings
Shall be raised up from the ends of the earth.
42 They shall hold the bow and the lance;
They are cruel and shall not show mercy.
Their voice shall roar like the sea;
They shall ride on horses,
Set in array, like a man for the battle,
Against you, O daughter of Babylon.

43 “The king of Babylon has heard the report about them,
And his hands grow feeble;
Anguish has taken hold of him,
Pangs as of a woman in childbirth…”(Jeremiah 50:41-43).

8 O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed,
Happy the one who repays you as you have served us!
9 Happy the one who takes and dashes
Your little ones against the rock! (Psalms 137:8-9)

That is some of the bad news.

The good news is that Jesus will return after this and usher in the millennial kingdom of God. Until then, expect ups and downs and ups, and then ultimately major downs in Europe.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

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?
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?
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?
British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism?
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.
Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism? Was the millennium (sometimes called chiliasm) taught by early Christians? Who condemned it? Will Jesus literally reign for 1000 years on the earth? Is this time near? A related sermon is titled The Millennium.
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? 2023 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? 2016, 2017, or 2018? 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 2016 o 2017? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives. A shorter video is: Can the Great Tribulation Start in 2016?

Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg

COGwriter

A German language publication reported that it seems that former German Economics Minister and Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg is resisting a call to come back into German politics. The following was machine-translated into English, with the original German following:

29 February 2016

Has he returned to the political stage? Horst Seehofer wants a political comeback for Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, not least for the purpose to brake the rise of Markus Söders. But the ex-political star of the CSU now has no interest. He initially declined.

Horst Seehofer is not the biggest political supporter of his finance minister, Markus Söder. To prevent its ascent to the new strong man in the CSU, Horst Seehofer now seems to want to get his last ace out of his sleeve. In the party apparently increasing indications that the Bavarian Prime Minister wishes to return Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg.

But he does not seem interested. The former political star of the CSU currently resides in the USA. He has a consulting and investment company with its expansion, he of the “Süddeutsche Zeitung was” According entirely filled. This he had the newspaper in an email letting them know. In it he writes: “Regardless of the legitimate reasons for my resignation and my lousy deal would thus not justify a return.” 2011 Guttenberg had resigned due to a plagiarism scandal as defense minister.

A final rejection?

Whether this rejection is final, is still unclear. The Bavarian Prime Minister Horst Seehofer has brought in him as a consultant in his campaign team.

29.02.2016

Kehrt er auf die politische Bühne zurück? Horst Seehofer wünscht sich ein politisches Comeback von Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, nicht zuletzt um Markus Söders Aufstieg zu bremsen. Doch der Ex-Politstar der CSU hat kein Interesse. Er hat vorerst abgesagt.

Horst Seehofer ist nicht der größte politische Unterstützer seines Finanzministers, Markus Söder. Um dessen Aufstieg zum neuen starken Mann in der CSU zu verhindern, scheint Seehofer nun sein letztes Ass aus dem Ärmel holen zu wollen. In der Partei verdichten sich offenbar die Hinweise darauf, dass sich der bayerische Ministerpräsident eine Rückkehr Karl-Theodor zu Guttenbergs wünsche.

Doch der scheint nicht interessiert. Der ehemalige Polit-Star der CSU lebt derzeit in den USA. Dort hat er eine Beratungs- und Investmentfirma mit deren Expansion er der “Süddeutschen Zeitung” zufolge gänzlich ausgefüllt sei. Dies habe er die Zeitung in einer Email wissen lassen. Darin schreibt er weiter: “Unabhängig davon würden die berechtigten Gründe für meinen Rücktritt sowie mein lausiger Umgang damit eine Rückkehr nicht rechtfertigen.” 2011 war Guttenberg in Folge einer Plagiatsaffäre als Verteidigungsminister zurückgetreten.

Eine endgültige Absage?

Ob seine Absage endgültig ist, ist derzeit noch unklar. Der bayerische Ministerpräsident Horst Seehofer hat ihn als Berater in sein Wahlkampfteam geholt. http://www.focus.de/politik/deutschland/absage-an-csu-chef-seehofer-karl-theodor-zu-guttenberg-lehnt-rueckkehr-an-die-csu-spitze-ab_id_5321130.html

As long time readers of this page are aware, I have written that we should look for Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg to, at some point, re-enter politics.

Currently, his younger brother Philipp is assisting someone who may soon become Prime Minister (see Might the rise of Guttenberg help his brother Karl-Theodor?). This would be an interesting political connection.

I have been following Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg since 2009 after seeing the following from a Canadian writer:

Given the realities of geoeconomics it is not inconceivable that a far more dynamic leader such as German Economics Minister Karl Theodor von und zu Guttenberg might one day be in charge.

Is the past key to the future? If one goes back five centuries China and India ruled the global economy. Turkey dominated the world of Islam. Europe suddenly came together under the leadership of the young dynamic Habsburg Charles V, who ruled from Belgium. Charles sought to halt the expansion of Islam, defend European civilization, unite the continent and forge a Latin American empire. Europe enjoyed a global reach under his reign, not only by military might but by “soft power” and diplomacy.

If America declines, will Europe fill the vacuum, partly in response to the Chinese challenge? To some this seems unlikely but think back to the world of only a scant 10 years ago when the Anglo-American model of stakeholder capitalism stood triumphantly (and perhaps a tad arrogantly) and practically alone on the top of the heap, and how much has changed since then. (Moore K, Lewis D. The decline of America. Ottawa Citizen, Canada – Dec 24, 2009. http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology/decline+America/2377175/story.html)

In 2010, a writer for Die Tageszeitung concluded:

Europe needs a directly elected leader with charisma (‘Europe Needs a Directly Elected Leader with Charisma’. Spiegel, 8 September, 2010. http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,716361,00.html)

The Bible warns of a strong leader who will rise up in the area north of Jerusalem (like Europe) that will apparently be charismatic (cf. Daniel 7:20,11:21-24,31; Revelation 13:3-5). He will lead a confederation that does not stick well together (Daniel 2:42-43), like many of the nations of the European Union.

Another wrote this about Herr Guttenberg and his family:

Baron zu Guttenberg’s grandfather (his mother’s father) was the late German winemaker & Croatian politician the Count of Vukovar. From the Count, Baron zu Guttenberg is descended from the noble house of Eltz…At the ripe age of 70, the Count of Vukovar took up arms in defence of the town of Vukovar during the Yugoslav Wars of 1991…

The Baron’s wife, meanwhile, is Stephanie, Countess of Bismarck-Schönhausen, great-great-granddaughter of the “Iron Chancellor”, Otto von Bismarck. A portent of this economics minister’s future? (Cusack A. The Freiherr of Finance. October 5th, 2009, http://www.andrewcusack.com/2009/10/05/guttenberg-germany/ viewed 04/25/10).

So, even in 2009, some started to wonder if the Baron (who was economics minister in mid-2009, and until March 2011 defense minister) might wind up in a much more influential role.

In 2011, the then 97 year-old former WWII codebreaker for the UK, Harry Beckhough put together a video where he stated he wanted:

…to introduce to you the man that may well become the new Führer of Germany…Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg…here is my man to watch as future Führer…more educated, more aristocratic…than Hitler (Europes New Fuhrer – by Harry Beckhough WW II Codebreaker, uploaded February 9, 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LplCcxyPo4 viewed 20120501)

Some had thought that the political career of Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg was over because of his plagiarism scandal that led to his resignation as Germany’s Defense Minister in March 2011. Others thought he might re-emerge in politics about now.

Herr Guttenberg was an upcoming star for the CSU. So much so, Karl-Theodore zu Guttenberg was once considered to be a likely replacement for German Chancellor Angela Merkel, until he resigned in disgrace after being accused of plagiarizing substantial parts of his doctrinal dissertation.

I have been warning since that time that he would be expected to re-emerge in European politics, but he seems to be waiting until he thinks the time is better. Yet, he has remained in the international spotlight through various articles, positions, and interviews.

Since I first wrote about him in late 2009, there have been at least nine speculative predictions that I posted online that Baron Guttenberg has somewhat fulfilled.

On June 3, 2010, also at my Los Angeles Church History and End Time Prophecy Examiner column, I posted an article titled Baron Karl Guttenberg and defense cuts. Might he be the Catholic Great Monarch? which explained why various Catholic prophecies about the “Great Monarch,” including one about being exiled, might point to Herr Guttenberg.  The same article also stated:

If Karl Guttenberg is part of a major Middle East peace deal, if he later establishes armies (or a great army), and if he establishes something like a new religious order within his version of the “Catholic” faith, he hopefully will get more people’s attention.  And if Karl Guttenberg ultimately does gain the top job in a restructured Europe (especially if there are various signs and wonders at and after that time, cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 ), all would be wise to realize that he pretty much is the one who will be the final King of the North (despite the type of denials that would be expected).

Related to the above, on December 12, 2010, at the Los Angeles Church History and End Time Prophecy Examiner column, I posted an article titled Guttenberg to fulfill warning from Los Angeles End Time Prophecy Examiner? that included the following:

Well, late Thursday Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg announced that he {is} taking steps that seemed to fulfill one of those warnings:

German defense minister seeks more European military cooperation

Deutsche Welle – Dec 9, 2010

So, he took at least an initial step in trying to come up with a multi-national great European army (which would also be multi-lingual).

On June 14, 2010, when he caught some flack about some of his statements related to Afghanistan, I posted (see Guttenberg Hints of Resigning):

If he does resign, this would not be a surprise.  For various reasons, he may be out of the limelight for a while, if he does, in fact, become the final King of the North.

And of course, while the Baron did not resign in 2010, he did end up 2011 resigning for other reasons.  The fact that he indicated he might resign in 2010 was another factor that got me to consider that he might be the final King of the North. As far as being out of the limelight, on December 23, 2012, Der Speigel ran an article pointing out the fact that he was staying away from publicity, etc. (see Karl-Theodor Guttenberg working in secret?), hence providing further confirmation to my speculation.

Also, in June 2010, in my article Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North?, I posted the following:

As far as being exiled goes, the Baron is not always popular, and he may become unpopular for a time.

And not only did the plagiarism charge reduce his popularity, shortly thereafter he did go into a self-imposed exile.  Even the German press has referred to his later move to the USA as “Exil” (TV-Kolumne: „Maybrit Illner“: Das Guttenberg-Rätsel – weiter lesen auf FOCUS Online: http://www.focus.de/kultur/kino_tv/focus-fernsehclub/tv-kolumne-maybrit-illner-das-guttenberg-raetsel_aid_687881.html) which is “Exile” in English.

On August 6, 2010, at my Los Angeles Church History and End Time Prophecy Examiner column, I posted (Karl Guttenberg most popular German politician. Might he rise further?):

Even if he temporarily loses popularity again, ultimately he may rise much further.

And the plagiarism scandal has, temporarily in a sense in my view, caused him to lose popularity.

On October 21, 2010, at my Los Angeles Church History and End Time Prophecy Examiner column, I posted (Guttenbergs rising: Might Europe turn to Karl Guttenberg?):

Despite the Guttenbergs rising popularity, Karl Guttenberg is virtually unknown to those I have spoken to about him in Southern California (the American media tends to spend less time on foreign affairs than they do to American celebrities).

I have been one of relatively few to regularly post prophetic articles about him, and seem to be the first newswriter to specify that Karl zu  Guttenberg may become the final King of the North of Bible prophecy and Great Monarch of Catholic and Byzantine (Eastern/Greek Orthodox) prophecy.

On February 25, 2011, I posted (Guttenberg Down, But Not Out):

And it is possible that he could end up out of the limelight, or even out of a political office, for a while.

And although Angela Merkel had wanted him to remain as Defense Minister at that time, he resigned from political office shortly after (March 1, 2011, see Guttenberg Resigns!) a few days after I posted that he might.

On March 4, 2011, I posted the following written by the Living Church of God in a post titled LCG on Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg:

Mr. zu Guttenberg may reemerge in politics in the future (and this bears watching)…

In that same March 4, 2011 post, I wrote (bolding added):

And the Baron is certainly one to watch…I have had my eye on Karl Guttenberg since late 2009 when I initially reported about him. And he may be one to watch to rise up as the final “King of the North”…If Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg eventually establishes a new religious order within Catholicism (cf. Daniel 11:38), promotes European unity, promotes ecumenism, promotes peace in the Middle East, and/or otherwise rises up in European politics, he could be very interesting to watch. He now may have the time to do some of these things…As I reported before, certain Roman and Orthodox Catholic prophecies seem to suggest that a certain leader will arise in Europe after being exiled for something…

The fact that he is now “otherwise” trying to rise “up in European politics” is consistent with that speculation on my part, and makes him one to watch.  Also in March 2011, in my article Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North?, I posted:

If he becomes more involved in issues with the Vatican, a religious order, and/or the EU, watch out!

And this last item has began to happen as Karl zu Guttenberg on 12/12/11 was appointed to a position in the EU (Guttenberg Criticized, But…), though this is not the final role I suspect that he may have.

On May 10, 2011, I posted the following in an article titled Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg Out But…:

Here are Catholic and Eastern Orthodox prophecies that could apply to the Baron:

Josefa von Bourg (d. 1807): God will choose a descendant of Constantine, Pepin, and St. Louis, who has been tried by a long period of exile to rule over Europe. He will have the sign of the cross on his breast…Under him the Catholic religion will spread as never before (Culleton, The Prophets and Our Times, pp. 181-182; Connor, p.37).

Anonymou Paraphrasis (10th century): The one true King, who is inhabiting a humid place to avoid the heat; whom men have expulsed from his own dwelling and gave a place to live in the islands; who is engaged in navigation and fishing every week; (this King): will be revealed when the time of the power of the Ishmaelites comes to an end. (Tzima Otto, p. 30)

For those who are unaware, Karl zu Guttenberg descends from the Habsburg line and all the Habsburg line seems to have descended from Charlemagne (King Pepin was the father of Charlemagne).  So the idea of one who is to become a ruler who has Baron Guttenberg’s ancestry is supposed to be exiled.

So, before he announced his exile, I suspected that he may fulfill exile prophecies.

A month later, on June 10, 2011, it was reported that the Baron would perhaps leave Germany for a couple of years (Karl Guttenberg Plans Two-Year Sabbatical Abroad).  On July 28, 2011, it was reported that he was moving to Connecticut (Baron Karl zu Guttenberg Moving to USA).

Why was that location of importance?

Well, on August 25, 2011, in the post Baron Guttenberg’s House May Fulfill a Prophecy (and is in a Celebrity Neighborhood) I re-posted one of the old Eastern Orthodox prophecies about the Great Monarch (who seems to be the same person as the final King of the North in Bible prophecy) and then commented about how his new location may fit the prophecy:

Anonymou Paraphrasis (10th century): The one true King, who is inhabiting a humid place to avoid the heat; whom men have expulsed from his own dwelling and gave a place to live in the islands; who is engaged in navigation and fishing every week; (this King): will be revealed when the time of the power of the Ishmaelites comes to an end. (Tzima Otto, p. 30)

The coastal portion of Connecticut, where he now owns a house near other celebrities, has been described as a humid subtropical climate.  Whether the Baron goes to islands, navigates, or fishes much, will be seen.

The fact that he moved to a location that somewhat fits that prophecy was of interest to me.

Interestingly, Karl zu Guttenberg’s first major speech after moving to the USA was actually in Canada, and he called for a stronger leadership in Europe.  This is something that I covered at this National Church History and End Time Prophecy column on November 21, 2011 (see Baron Guttenberg back on public stage and is advocating stronger EU leadership for details).  In that article I mentioned “23 items to consider as to why Karl zu Guttenberg could possibly fill the role that he now seems to be advocating,”  thus I felt that part of the purpose of his speech was to tell the world that he might be interested in providing Europe the strong leadership he was advocating.

I wrote back in March of 2011 that Herr Guttenberg should be watched for possible re-emergence in the political arena. And this is one more step by him confirming those speculations.  Notice something that I posted on December 9, 2011 (see Guttenberg Makes Return to EU Politics in Brussels):

If Karl zu Guttenberg is the one to become the final King of the North of Daniel 11, he will further re-emerge as a force in European politics–this is something that I am now, and have been for some time, watching for. And yes, I also suspect that he will have some disappointments on the way, but that does not change what I feel may happen with him.

The final Beast will ultimately become the political leader of Europe. And according to the Bible, he will have military abilities (Revelation 13:1-4) and apparently be popular and charismatic (cf. Daniel 7:20,11:21-24,31; Revelation 13:3-5).

The Baron did officially reemerge in EU politics (first article below is google translated):

12/12/2011

New Job for Guttenberg

Advisor to the EU Commission

On November 20, 2015, he publicly took a step that, in my view, did it when he pushed for Germany to be a leader in data collection (see article in German, which also acknowledges that he is learning a lot about dealing with the USA: http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/karl-theodor-zu-guttenberg-arbeitet-jetzt-fuer-start-up-ripple-labs-a-980675.html)–here is information in English: Karl Guttenberg sees Germany as a potential leader in ‘data protection’).

In my article on him, back in 2011, I had the following:

Also notice:

Anonymou Paraphrasis (10th century): He is graceful and charming his cheeks are turning red when he blushes. He is tall in stature, he has a beard, and there is a moustache also…he has dark hair, his head begins to turn bald in the front, he has an elderly look… (Tzima Otto, p. 43)

The Baron is considered to be graceful and charming. And while the Baron is not tall by modern standards, he would be tall by the standards of the time the above was written (the average height for a male was about 5 foot 6 inches a century or so ago). I do not know if his cheeks are able to turn red. He is slightly balding in the front. In the hundreds of photographs I have viewed of him, he never had a beard or moustache. So, either the prophecy is in error (or does not apply to him) or he will get both a beard and a moustache. If so, then he might have that “elderly look.”

And then, in an interview uploaded 4/29/15 on TheStreetTV, Herr Guttenberg had a beard and a moustache!

In summary, here are nine speculative predictions that Baron Guttenberg fulfilled after I wrote about them:

1. He has advocated more European military cooperation.
2. He became unpopular for a time (and still is among many).
3. He ended up, for a time, outside of political office.
4. He went out of the limelight for a while.
5. He went into exile (self-imposed).
6. His exile was to a humid location.
7. He has partially re-emerged in European politics.
8. He has called for Germany to consider being a leader in data protection.
9. He grew a beard and moustache.

Of course, none of this proves that Karl-Theodor von und zu Guttenberg will have to be the King of the North, but these items may be more than an interesting coincidence. Time will tell.

Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg could simply be a politician, like many others, that has problems and is considering his options. And all his intentions could be fine. We will see.

It is important to remember that there are more than a dozen New Testament admonitions to watch and be alert to the signs of the times in the last days (see Matthew 24:42-44; 25:13; Mark 13:33-37; Luke 21:34-36; Acts 20:31; 1 Thessalonians 5:6, 20).

Although Karl Guttenberg may not become the Beast leader, at this time, it still seems that he is one to watch. The fact that his younger brother is getting involved with politics, is consistent with having Europeans turn to Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg in the future (cf. Revelation 17:12-13).

The UK turned to Winston Churchill after repeatedly rejecting him. We could see not only Germany, but all of Europe, turning to Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg in the future. For those that doubt that Europe could turn to a ‘strong man,’ consider that 1) the Bible teaches this in Revelation 17:12-13, and 2) even many in the USA have turned towards Donald Trump.

Laodicea has many questionable structures

COGwriter

Disfellowshiped former LCG members Patrick and Elizabeth Scarborough have sued the Living Church of Godand some of its leaders for slander with a mediation hearing apparently scheduled for July 11, 2016:

MECKLENBURG COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT MEDIATION CALENDAR SESSION BEGINNING WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2016 COURTROOM NUMBER 3420, MECKLENBURG COUNTY COURTHOUSE, 832 EAST 4TH STREET, CHARLOTTE WILLIAM R. BELL ,PRESIDING JUDGE MEDIATIONS BEGINNING WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2016 AT 8:00 AM PURSUANT TO THE LOCAL RULES, ADR EXTENSIONS WILL NOT BE GRANTED BEYOND THIS DATE UNLESS EXIGENT CIRCUMSTANCES EXIST. MEDIATIONS MUST BE COMPLETED EIGHT WEEKS PRIOR TO THE TRIAL DATE. …

Monday, July 11, 2016 15-CVS-017573 SCARBOROUGH,PATRICK SCARBOROUGH,PATRICK S,S S,I SCARBOROUGH,ELIZABETH SCARBOROUGH,ELIZABETH -VS- LIVING CHURCH OF GOD PRO,SE MEREDITH,RODERICK,C OFFICIAL WARREN,BRIDGET,V CAPACITY GAROFALO,MEL,J MEREDITH,RODERICK,C WARREN,BRIDGET,V GAROFALO,MEL,J MCNAIR,ROD OFFICIAL CAPACITY GAROFALO,MEL,J WARREN,BRIDGET,V MCNAIR,ROD GAROFALO,MEL,J WARREN,BRIDGET,V LEAGUE,BOB ESTATE OF GAROFALO,MEL,J WARREN,BRIDGET,V LEAGUE,BOB ESTATE OF OFFICIAL GAROFALO,MEL,J CAPACITY WARREN,BRIDGET,V LIVING CHURCH OF GOD INC PRO,SE LIVING CHURCH OF GOD GAROFALO,MEL,J INTERNATIONAL INC WARREN,BRIDGET,V ISSUES: OTHR – SLANDER PDAM – PUNITIVE DAMAGES OTHR – SLANDER NEGO – NEG – OTHER PDAM – PUNITIVE DAMAGES DISM – COURT DISMISSED DISM – COURT DISMISSED DISM – COURT DISMISSED DISM – COURT DISMISSED EODF – ENTRY OF DEFAULT WDCN – WITHDRAW AS COUNSEL

http://www1.aoc.state.nc.us/www/data/MECKLENBURG/civil/FEBRUARY.24.2016/S._WILLIAM_R_BELL.3420.8_00_.MEDIATIONS.txt

This is something I posted earlier about at the News of those once affiliated with the Global Church of God page 02/29/16 a.m. post. See also post on an older News of Those Once Affiliated with the Global Church of God  page 09/26/14 p.m. post.

While I do not support this type of lawsuit, I will add that I personally was libeled and slandered by leaders in the Living Church of God. I left LCG mainly because I did not feel that the top leadership had the character to hold the Philadelphia mantle. For some libel and other details, see Why Bob Thiel Left the Living Church of God and Response to a Letter from Dr. Roderick C. Meredith Dated December 28, 2012.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

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?)
Journal Report on Continuing Church of God Leader Bob Thiel Bob Thiel was interviewed by The Journal News of the Churches of God related to him being a prophet, the proclamation goals of the Continuing Church of God, and why he left LCG.
Response to a Letter from Dr. Roderick C. Meredith Dated December 28, 2012 In violation of Matthew 18, Dr. Meredith publicly sent out a letter that forced Dr. Thiel to conclude that the Continuing Church of God must be formed. Here is that letter and some of Bob Thiel’s comments about it. Here is a version in the Spanish language Respuesta a una carta del Dr. Roderick C. Meredith fechada el 28 de diciembre, 2012.
What About the Living Church of God? Are there Doctrinal Differences with the Continuing Church of God? This article explains some information and doctrines of the Living Church of God as led by Roderick C. Meredith and some concerns about them. (En el idioma español: ¿Qué hay acerca de la Iglesia de Dios Viviente? ¿Hay diferencias doctrinales con la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios?)
The Bible, Peter, Paul, John, Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, Roderick C. Meredith, and Bob Thiel on Church Government What form of governance did the early church have? Was it hierarchical? Which form of governance would one expect to have in the Philadelphia remnant? The people decide and/or committee forms, odd dictatorships, or the same type that the Philadelphia era itself had? What are some of the scriptural limits on ecclesiastical authority? Do some commit organizational idolatry? Here is a Spanish language version La Biblia, Policarpo, Herbert W. Armstrong, y Roderick C. Meredith sobre el gobierno de la Iglesia. Here is a link to a sermon titled Church Governance.
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?
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.

COGwriter

On this last day of  Black History Month, I thought it might be appropriate to quote some writings from the late Martin Luther King Jr. Particularly, those on the ancient sun-god religion of Mithraism, that was popular in the Roman Empire from about the first century B.C. until the fourth century A.D.

So here is some of what Dr. King wrote on Mithraism, in a document dated November 23, 1949:

In Avesta, Mithra was the genius of celestial light…The doctrine of the immortality of the soul was another view which was very prominent in Mithraism…

Women were compelled to seek salvation in some other cult, for Mithraism excluded them entirely…

When Mithraism is compared to Christianity, there are surprisingly many points of similarity. Of all the mystery cults, Mithraism was the greatest competitor of Christianity…

That Christians did copy and borrow from Mithraism cannot be denied (King ML. The papers of Martin Luther King, Jr, Volume 4. Clayborne Carson, Ralph Luker, Penny A. Russell editors/compliers. University of California Press, 1992, pp. 213-214, 217, 222, 224).

Of course, true Christians did not really borrow from Mithraism, but the Greco-Roman faiths did.

Here is some of what Dr. King wrote in a document dated February 15, 1950:

Mithraism…was suppressed by the Christians sometime in the latter part of the fourth century A.D.: but its collapse seems to have been due to the fact that by that time many of its doctrines had been adopted by the church, so that it was practically absorbed by its rival.

…the Church made a sacred day out of Sunday partially because…of the resurrection. But when we observe a little further we find that as a solar festival, Sunday was the sacred day of Mithra: it is also interesting to notice that since Mithra was addressed as Lord, Sunday must have been “the Lord’s Day” long before Christian use. It is also to be noticed that our Christmas, December 25th, was the birthday of Mithra, and was only taken over in the Fourth Century as the date, actually unknown, of the birth of Jesus.

To make the picture a little more clear, we may list a few of the similarities between these two religions: (1) Both regard Sunday as a Holy Day. (2) December 25 came to be considered as the anniversary of the birth of Mithra and Christ also. (3) Baptism and a ritual meal were important parts of both groups…

In summary we may say that the belief in immortality, a mediator between god and man, the observance of certain sacramental rites…were common to Mithraism and Christianity. (King ML. The papers of Martin Luther King, Jr, Volume 4. Clayborne Carson, Ralph Luker, Penny A. Russell editors/compliers. University of California Press, 1992, pp. 307, 309.)

Notice that Martin Luther King, Jr. clearly understood that the Sunday churches dropped the Sabbath, that “the Lord’s Day” essentially first meant the day of Mithra, and that the worlds’ churches did adopt many practices from Mithraism.

I wish he and others emphasized this aspect of his writings more. His writings on Mithraism should help raise the awareness of its influence to all. Hopefully, so people who claim Christ will realize that they should not continue practices that many obtained outside of the Bible, but from the influence of Mithraism.

I would again like to emphasize that Christians faithful to the original teachings of Christ, the apostles, and the New Testament did not adopt the practices of Mithraism.

While Dr. King was most known for his civil rights protests, he figured out that much of what passed for Christianity in his day was really a form that adopted Mithratic practices. Does that include your version? Are you sure?

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Do You Practice Mithraism? Many practices and doctrines that mainstream so-called Christian groups have are the same or similar to those of the sun-god Mithras. Do you follow Mithraism combined with the Bible or original Christianity? A sermon video from Vatican City is titled Church of Rome, Mithras, and Isis?
Marcus, the Marcosians, & Mithraism: Developers of the Eucharist? Marcus was a second century heretic condemned for having a ceremony similar to one still practiced by many who profess Christ. Might he also be in the apostolic succession list of the Orthodox Church of Alexandria? Where did the eucharistic host and IHS come from?
God’s Grace is For All Is being Jewish a hindrance to salvation? What about not being a descendant of Israel? What does the Bible really teach? Here is a link to a related sermon titled Race and Grace; Do you view race as God does?
Africa: Its Biblical Past and Prophesied Future What does the Bible teach about Africa and its future? Did the early Church reach Africa? Will God call all the Africans?
Is Revelation 1:10 talking about Sunday or the Day of the Lord? Most Protestant scholars say Sunday is the Lord’s Day, but is that what the Bible teaches?
The Sabbath in the Early Church and Abroad Was the seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath observed by the apostolic and post-apostolic Church? Here is a related sermon video The Christian Sabbath and How and Why to Keep It.
What Does the Catholic Church Teach About Christmas and the Holy Days? Do you know what the Catholic Church says were the original Christian holy days? Was Christmas among them? Is December 25th Jesus’ birthday or that of the sun god? Here is a link to a related sermon: What do Catholic and other scholars teach about Christmas?
Sunday and Christianity Was Sunday observed by the apostolic and true post-apostolic Christians? Who clearly endorsed Sunday? What relevance is the first or the “eighth” day? A related sermon is also available: Sunday: First and Eighth Day?
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God differ from most Protestants How the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants, is perhaps the question I am asked most by those without a Church of God background.
The Similarities and Dissimilarities between Martin Luther and Herbert W. Armstrong This article clearly shows some of the doctrinal differences between in the two. At this time of doctrinal variety and a tendency by many to accept certain aspects of Protestantism, the article should help clarify why the genuine Church of God is NOT Protestant. Do you really know what the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther taught and should you follow his doctrinal example?
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Continuing Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions.
Why Should American Catholics Should Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster? Is doctrinal compromise good?
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Continuing Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are?
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump

COGwriter

The two front runners for the US presidential nomination seem to be gaining momentum:

February 28, 2016

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA—Hillary Clinton easily won the U.S. Democratic presidential primary in South Carolina on Saturday, cementing her status as front-runner in her party’s race and delivering a key defeat to Bernie Sanders ahead of the crucial Super Tuesday nominating contests.

Clinton won the backing of almost three-fourths of Democrats who went to the polls in the first Southern state to vote during the presidential candidate nominating season. …

In her victory speech, Clinton took on front-running Republican Donald Trump, who has said he will make America “great again.” http://www.voanews.com/content/final-contest-for-clinton-sanders-before-super-tuesday/3210747.html

February 27, 2016
Clinton took down Trump by referencing his slogan. Former Sec. Clinton said, “Despite what you hear, we don’t need to make America great again. America has never stopped being great. But we do need to make America whole again, instead of building walls, we need to be tearing down barriers.” http://www.politicususa.com/2016/02/27/hillary-clinton-destroys-donald-trump-3-sentences-south-carolina-victory-speech.html

February 28, 2016

Ted … Cruz tells CBS’ “Face the Nation” that “there is no doubt that if Donald steamrolls through Super Tuesday, wins everywhere with big margins, that he may well be unstoppable.” http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/02/28/us/politics/ap-us-campaign-2016-the-latest.html

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump seem to have a lot of support and both may become their party’s nominee to become the next President of the United States.

I have read several news reports about why one or the other will defeat the other in November, presuming they both win the nominations from the respective parties.

As I have written before, neither one of them is a Christian.

Without going into a lot of details here, not only are neither one of them trustworthy (cf. Romans 1:28-32), they have both made statements that clearly go against the Bible (for specific details on them, see Hillary Clinton in Prophecy and Donald Trump in Prophecy).

Which of them might Russia’s Vladimir Putin prefer?

Publicly, he indicated that he likes Donald Trump and Donald Trump seemed to accept his ‘endorsement’ a couple of months ago. When Vladimir Putin praised Donald Trump last December, I posted the following:

Vladimir Putin is correct that Donald Trump has been a flamboyant presidential candidate.  How well the two of them would actually get along remains to be seen.

Vladimir Putin does NOT get along with top Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton.

Vladimir Putin says he will work with whoever is elected the next USA president.  Which one he really feels would be better for Russian interests may not be one he has publicly stated. (Thiel B. Vladimir Putin praises Donald Trump and blasts Turkey. December 17, 2015).

Last evening, World News Daily posted the following:

NEW YORK – Russia’s Vladimir Putin wants Donald Trump to lose the 2016 presidential race because he believes Russia would have a much easier time taking advantage of Hillary Clinton in the White House, according to an international adviser and expert who once was dubbed the “Global Sherpa.”

Theodore Roosevelt Malloch … said Putin is calculating for the future much the same as Gorbachev calculated in 1982, when officials in the Soviet Union feared a Ronald Reagan victory over Jimmy Carter could spell trouble for the Kremlin. …

“The Russians fear real strength and Trump shows no sign of being afraid of confronting anybody, Putin included,” Malloch told WND.

“What the Reagan presidency showed is how weak the Soviets really were,” he continued. “What Putin has learned from Obama’s presidency and Hillary’s time as secretary of state was how weak both Democrats were when it came to confronting Russia on a score of issues.”

For example, he pointed out the capitulation of the Obama administration over placing a missile defense shield in the Czech Republic and Poland in the first term, and to the Obama administration’s decision to send weapons to support anti-Russian forces in Ukraine during Obama’s second term. …

“What Putin fears is that a Trump presidency would mark a return of the United States to a foreign policy of confrontation with Russia,” Malloch argued.

Would Trump, like Reagan, use oil as a weapon?

“Putin has studied Gorbachev and he understands how Reagan used oil to win the Cold War,” Malloch pointed out.

“Trump would probably be willing to take the same economic gamble Reagan took in 1982,” he continued. “In 1982, Reagan calculated the Soviet Union’s economic dependence upon oil created a vulnerability the U.S. could exploit by encouraging the Saudis to pump, aiming to create a worldwide oil glut that would cause the price of oil to plummet.

“Today, the same economics are in play, such that Donald Trump in the White House would need no weapon greater than the price of oil to bring Putin to his knees,” Malloch stressed, completing the comparison. http://www.wnd.com/2016/02/global-sherpa-russia-rooting-for-hillary/#My5ShmHPZSh5r5D3.99

Some think that Donald Trump’s style is the answer to Russia, the Islamic State, China, and Mexico.  How well he would truly fare with them remains to be seen. Hillary Clinton has much more actual experience dealing with Vladimir Putin and aspects of foreign diplomacy than Donald Trump.

Today, we put together a new video Could Donald Trump be Apocalyptic? (We previously put one together on Hillary Clinton: Hillary Clinton and Bible Prophecy.)

The USA truly needs national repentance, which is something that neither “the Donald” or Hillary Clinton have truly called for.

The USA needs the Kingdom of God.

Pray (Matthew 6:10; 1 Timothy 2:1-3).

COGwriter

The movie based on the horrifying book, Fifty Shades of Grey, was a box office sensation. But CBS reported the following about it today:

Razzies 2016: “Fifty Shades of Grey” named Worst Film

February 28, 2016

LOS ANGELES – “Fifty Shades of Grey” came out on top — or perhaps the bottom — at this year’s Razzies.

The awkward adaptation of author E.L. James’ erotic novel nabbed five prizes at Saturday’s Golden Raspberry Awards, including tying it up with superhero flop “Fantastic Four” as the year’s worst film.

“Fifty Shades of Grey” also “won” for worst screenplay, worst actor for Jamie Dornan and worst actress for Dakota Johnson, with the pair pinning down the worst screen combo award. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/razzies-2016-fifty-shades-of-grey-named-worst-film/

What it should have “won” for was being one of the most influential pro-semi-rape movies of the year.

Here are some reports about it that came out last year:

February 16, 2015

Fifty Shades of Gilded Cages: The Luxury Branding of Domestic Abuse

Strip Christian Grey of his wealth and trappings of nobility and he’s just a misogynistic jerk who beats his girlfriends. …

It’s lifestyle porn as much as it is actual porn—it’s just another entry in the long, long history of films and TV shows that serve as one long commercial for the American Dream of achieving one-percenter-hood.Nor is Fifty Shades of Grey particularly subtle about it—E.L. James is, again, as open about her drooling consumer lust as her actual lust. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/02/16/fifty-shades-of-gilded-cages-the-luxury-branding-of-domestic-abuse.html

LOS ANGELES — Moviegoers turned out en masse to see the sadomasochistic love story “Fifty Shades of Grey” over the Presidents’ Day weekend, delivering a triumph for Universal Pictures and potentially altering Hollywood’s approach to sex.

“Fifty Shades of Grey,” capitalizing on the fall of Valentine’s Day on a Saturday, will take in about $90.7 million between Thursday night and Monday, according to Rentrak, which compiles ticketing data. The movie, which cost $40 million, attracted an audience that was 68 percent female, Universal said.

The film, directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and based on the erotic novel by E. L. James, played in 3,646 theaters in North America, the largest release in history for an R-rated movie, according to Nick Carpou, Universal’s president of domestic distribution. “Theater owners added screens in response to a clamor from their patrons,” Mr. Carpou said on Sunday.

Female fans of the best-selling book — apparently dragging along a lot of reluctant husbands and boyfriends to theaters — created a wave of interest that pushed past reviewers, who gave the film terrible notices. Also drowned out were those calling for a boycott, among them the feminist group Stop Porn Culture, several domestic abuse organizations and the Roman Catholic archbishop of Cincinnati.

There were also small protests overseas, where the film took in an additional $158 million through Sunday. (Sample placard in London: “50 Shades of Nay!”) The movie was banned in some countries, including Indonesia, Kenya and Malaysia. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/16/movies/fifty-shades-of-grey-leads-weekend-box-office-stirring-reflection-on-sex-films.html?_r=0

Fifty Shades of Grey promotes semi-rape and fornication. Perhaps it should have been called Fifty Shades of Sin.

The term “Grey” while the main character’s name, suggests something that is not good or bad, but in-between. The movie and what it depicts is bad. And no, I did not watch it or need to watch it personally (I also have never watched an X-rated movie, but have read enough about them to realize why they are wrong)–I read book and movie reviews about Fifty Shades of Grey that gave me enough details to be able to conclude it was bad.

So, I denounced Fifty Shades of Grey in accordance with the following:

1 Cry aloud, spare not;
Lift up your voice like a trumpet;
Tell My people their transgression,
And the house of Jacob their sins. (Isaiah 58:1)

Notice some more passages from the Bible:

18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. (1 Corinthians 6:18)

24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:24-32)

A movie whose entire message is basically fornication and semi-rape is bad.

Of course, it has long been said that “sex sells.” It is just sadistic sex used to be only something that a relative few were involved in.

Notice also the following prophetic warning:

3 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God (2 Timothy 3:1-4)

Fifty Shades of Grey has been book and movie sensation promoting brutality around the world. That is not good.

David Cameron, United Kingdom Prime Minister

COGwriter

The Continuing Church of God is pleased to announce this sermonette from its ContinuingCOG channel:

19:59

Will the UK’s ‘special status’ with the EU last?

On February 19, 2016, British Prime Minister David Cameron finalized a deal with the European Union to grant ‘special status’ to the United Kingdom. The agreement states that the UK is exempt from having to become part of a more unified state that Europe is working on, allows it to keep its currency (the pound), and reduce certain benefits to migrants. The purpose of the ‘special status’ is to hope that voters in the UK will decide to stay in the EU, when a referendum is held on June 23, 2016. Yet, many eastern and western European nations are displeased that the UK was granted its special status. What will be the end result of the relationship between the UK and Europe? Will the UK end up losing its sovereignty because of Europe no matter how it votes? What does Bible prophesy show?

A related written article is also available: UK gets ‘special status’ in the EU, so David Cameron announces date for possible secession vote.

Here is a link to our video: Will the UK’s ‘special status’ with the EU last?

Some items of related interest may include:

British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism?
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.
Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous. A related sermon is titled Ten Kings of Revelation and the Great Tribulation.
Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North? Is the former German Defense Minister (who is also the former German Minister for Economics and Technology) one to watch? What do Catholic, Byzantine, and biblical prophecies suggest?
Germany’s Assyrian Roots Throughout History Are the Germanic peoples descended from Asshur of the Bible? Have there been real Christians in Germanic history? What about the “Holy Roman Empire”? There is also a You-Tube video sermon on this titled Germany’s Biblical Origins.
Germany in Biblical Prophecy Does Assyria in the Bible equate to an end time power inhabiting the area of the old Roman Empire? What does prophecy say Germany will do and what does it say will happen to most of the German people? Here are links to two sermon videos Germany in Bible Prophecy and The Rise of the Germanic Beast Power of Prophecy.
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
When You Sin: Do You Really Repent? This is an article by Charles F. Hunting. A related sermon is Confess to God and truly repent.
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. A video of possible interest may be Will Will USA Spying Help the Beast Power?.
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?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2016, 2017, or 2018? 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 2016 o 2017? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives. A shorter video is: Can the Great Tribulation Start in 2016?
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 c. 31 A.D. to 2014. A related sermon link would be Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. 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. To see how CCOG has done so far, here are links to two sermons Continuing Church of God (CCOG) first year anniversary: What has been accomplished? and The Continuing Church of God: Two Years of Proclamation. Here is a written link to a version of that sermon in the Spanish language: Aniversario del primer año de la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios: ¿Qué se ha cumplido?
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 others with a British-descended background.
CDLIDD.ES La Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios. This is the Spanish language website for the Continuing Church of God.
PNIND.PH Patuloy na Iglesya ng Diyos. This is the Philippines website Continuing Church of God. It has information in English and Tagalog.
Bible News Prophecy online radio. This is an audio version of the Bible News Prophecy videos as well as some ContinuingCOG channel sermons. It is also available as a mobile app.
ContinuingCOG channel. Dr. Thiel has produced scores of 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 channel. Dr. Thiel has produced many YouTube videos for the BibleNewsProphecy channel. And you can find them there.

Minuteman launching from Vandenberg

COGwriter

The US military is realizing that it aging nuclear missiles are eroding its credibility:

February 27, 2016

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) — In describing how little room the Pentagon has to extend the life of its decades-old nuclear forces, the top U.S. nuclear war-fighting commander, Navy Adm. Cecil Haney, says “we’re at the brick wall stage.”

Time to begin modernizing the country’s nuclear weapons is running short, he and other Pentagon leaders say. They contend the force is still in fighting shape – “safe, reliable and effective” is the official mantra. But they also argue the time has come to begin modernizing the force or risk eroding its credibility as a deterrent to attack by others.

Robert Work, the deputy secretary of defense, said the Pentagon will need an estimated $18 billion a year between 2021 and 2035 to modernize the three “legs” of the U.S. nuclear triad – weapons capable of being launched from land, sea and air.

“We need to replace these,” Work said. “We can’t delay this anymore.”

The enormous sums needed are at risk of getting squeezed by high-priority requirements for non-nuclear, conventional weapons. And Work’s numbers don’t include the billions that would be needed to modernize the nuclear warheads on the business end of missiles and bombs.

“Modernization now is not an option” – it must happen, Haney, the commander of U.S. Strategic Command, said in an interview on Friday, just hours after watching a test launch of an unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM. The Minuteman, which has been on constant 24-hour alert since 1970, has long surpassed its 10-year life expectancy.

Haney said the U.S. stockpile of nuclear warheads is the oldest it has ever been. As head of Strategic Command he is the military’s top nuclear war-fighter.

“We have to realize we can’t extend things forever,” Haney said, noting that the Navy is planning to replace its aging Ohio-class ballistic nuclear missile submarines, while the Air Force intends to build a new nuclear-capable bomber to replace the B-52. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_NUCLEAR_MISSILE_TEST?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-02-27-07-40-01

So, it looks like some in the defense world believe that the 2021 and 2035 time period is critical.  This suggests a perceived vulnerability to attack during those years.

As far as the Minuteman program goes, the US military has been launching Minuteman missiles from Vandenberg for decades.  According to something I heard on the radio yesterday, two were launched and tested this month. They test them to see how well they work, and apparently some US military officials have doubts about them, even after these recent tests.

Here is some information on the history of the Minuteman missile:

Development of the Minuteman began in the mid-1950s as the outgrowth of basic research into solid fuel rocket motors which indicated an ICBM based on solids was possible. …

Minuteman entered service in 1962 as a weapon tasked primarily with the deterrence role, threatening Soviet cities with a counterattack if the US was attacked. … The Minuteman-II entered service in 1965 with a host of upgrades to improve its accuracy and survivability in the face of an anti-ballistic missile (ABM) system the Soviets were known to be developing. Minuteman-III followed in 1970, using three smaller warheads instead of one large one, which made it very difficult to attack by an anti-ballistic missile system which would have to hit all three widely separated warheads to be effective.

Peaking at 1000 missiles in the 1970s, the current US force consists of 450 Minuteman-III missiles in missile silos around Malmstrom AFB, Montana; Minot AFB, North Dakota; and F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming. By 2018 this will be reduced to 400 armed missiles, with 50 unarmed missiles in reserve, and four non-deployed test launchers to comply with the New START treaty. The Air Force plans to keep the missile in service until at least 2030. (LGM-30 Minuteman. Wikipedia, accessed 02/27/16)

Much of the USA’s nuclear deterrent is aging.  And the Minuteman is clearly one component that is.

Many think that the military of the USA is too strong to ever be beat militarily. Those who place their trust in that notion are 0verlooking scripture as well as what has been happening the past several years.

A couple of years ago, the US Army announced that it would cut its forces to pre-World War II levels (US Army plans to shrink to pre-WWII levels).

Several years ago, the US Air Force announced major cuts last year (Budget cuts to ground 1/3 of US Air Force); as did the US Navy (Pentagon concerned about additional looming defense cuts–prophetic ramifications?).

About three years ago, the US Army removed all of it tanks from Germany (There are no longer USA tanks in Germany: Do Americans understand this is a serious risk?). This helps put the USA in a situation that it simply will not be able to effectively react if European forces attack.

The Europeans are not comfortable standing by as the USA slowly diverts military protection away from them, while it also cuts the size of its military.

The ‘social experiments’ happening in the US military are also another risk that many have overlooked (Sexual corruption at the US military academies). This is a risk that even with the ‘right’ equipment, those involved with it may not act as defense officials will want them to in a real military emergency–character counts.

The current concern that defense officials have is money. The Obama Administration has ‘kicked the can’ down the road the past seven years, as I taught back in 2009 it would do:

“Because of domestic economic concerns and international pressures, Barack Obama is shifting priorities away from defense spending… This will help lead to the destruction of the United States, when the Europeans are ready and the U.S.A. is not” (Thiel B. 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect. Nazarene Books, 2009, p. 147).

Here is something I posted on this page about two years ago:

While the USA will do some modernization, it has so many political considerations (including economic) when it makes defense spending decisions that optimal defense capabilities are not always the top priority (often getting or keeping defense-related jobs in certain areas plays a major role).  The essentially bankrupt USA cannot really afford to be on top militarily and its political system will likely contribute to it making the wrong decisions for its next major war.  The USA’s recent focus on terrorism seems to have gotten it to overlook who its future enemies will be.  Thus, the USA will likely modernize the wrong aspects of its defenses. (Thiel B. After START Treaty, Russia Announces New Military Build-Up. February 24,  2011)

The USA still has those problems. We are getting closer to World War III (see World War III: Steps in Progress), and the USA will NOT win then.

Notice that the Bible shows that the power with the strongest military will be taken over:

39 Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain. (Daniel 11:39)

The ‘He’ above is the European King of the North. In the 21st century, the USA is the power with the strongest fortresses.

Many still do not accept what scripture teaches on this, but biblical prophecy will be fulfilled.

The USA, itself, tends to be focusing on how to deal with China and Russia and Middle East terrorists, which is part of why it will not see what is happening in Europe. The current world order dominated by the USA, and formerly by the UK is being changed. The Bible shows that the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7) is getting nearer–and that will greatly affect the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand which have descendants from Jacob also known as Israel. The Bible also tells of the final time of the Gentiles. (Luke 21:23-24; Revelation 11:2), which means the time when the descendants of Israel will no longer dominate the world scene.

We are getting closer to that time (see also When Will the Great Tribulation Begin?).

It may well happen in the 2021 and 2035 time period Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work pointed to as enemies tend to strike when they perceive a power is most vulnerable.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2016, 2017, or 2018? 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 2016 o 2017? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives. A shorter video is: Can the Great Tribulation Start in 2016?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
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? 2023 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?
World War III: Steps in Progress Are there surprising actions going on now that are leading to WWIII? Might a nuclear attack be expected? Does the Bible promise protection to all or only some Christians? How can you be part of those that will be protected? A related video would be Is World War III About to Begin? Can You Escape?
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?
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.
Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous. A related sermon is titled Ten Kings of Revelation and the Great Tribulation.
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.
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?
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.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States Some claim that Barack Obama is the prophesied “son of Kenya”, based up an early 20th century writing–here is a short article.
Barack Obama in Islamic Prophecy? There is actually a 17th century Shiite prophecy that some believe that Barack Obama will fulfill that will lead to a rising up of Islam.
Donald Trump in Prophecy Prophecy, Donald Trump? Are there prophecies that Donald Trump may fulfill?  Are there any prophecies that he has already helped fulfill?  Could a Donald Trump presidency be apocalyptic?
Hillary Clinton in Prophecy  Prophecy, Hillary Clinton? Are there prophecies that Hillary Clinton may fulfill?  Are there any prophecies that she has already helped fulfill?  Could Hillary Clinton be apocalyptic?  Could Hillary Clinton be the final Antichrist? A video of related interest is titled Hillary Clinton and Bible Prophecy.

Purple and Light Blue are Represented in G-20, Pink are Guest Nations (map by Marcin n®)

COGwriter

The group of powers called the G-20 have expressed concerns about a possible British exit from the European Union as the BBC reports:

February 27, 2016

Finance ministers from the world’s leading economies have warned of a “shock” to the global economy if the UK leaves the EU.

The ministers gave their opinion in a statement released at the end of a two-day meeting of G20 nations in China.

Chancellor George Osborne, who is at the event, told the BBC the referendum issue was “deadly serious”.

But UKIP’s Nigel Farage said the G20 announcement was “no surprise” as it was “mates helping each other out”.

“I’m not surprised that big government gets together to support David Cameron,” he added.

“This is big banks, big business, big government all scratching each other’s backs, I don’t think that impresses voters.”

UK, Chinese and American officials, and Christine Lagarde – head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) – have been discussing key issues for the global economy during the G20 summit in Shanghai.

‘Adventurous journey’

The outcome of the UK’s in-out EU referendum has been mentioned among global risks to the world economy and is set to appear in the final communique, according to a draft seen by BBC News. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35677385

Several weeks ago, David Cameron came back with a deal he negotiated with leaders of the EU. Most in the UK did not find that enough to convince them to want to stay in the EU (see Most in the UK not convinced it should remain in the EU). So, David Cameron went back, and got a ‘better’ deal on February 19, 2016, granting the UK ‘special status’ within the EU (watch Will the UK’s ‘special status’ with the EU last?). He did this in the hopes that more in the UK would vote to remain in the EU.

The possible departure of the UK from the EU has often been called a Brexit (BRitish EXIT) and Brixit (BRItish exIT) in the press.

Here is an update on London Mayor, and member of David Cameron’s political party, Boris Johnson:

‘Out is out’

Meanwhile, London Mayor Boris Johnson has clarified his position on the idea that a vote to leave the EU could force Brussels to give Britain a better deal and trigger a second referendum.

Mr Johnson had previously suggested that only by voting to leave would the UK “get the change we need”.

But in The Times, Mr Johnson stated categorically: “Out is out”.  http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-35677385

So, a vote to leave the European Union is believed to be permanent, at least by London’s mayor.

Many, like Nigel Farage and his United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) and even members of Prime Minister’s own Conservative party, want the UK out of the EU. They tend to believe that the European Union wastes UK money, tries to impede UK sovereignty, is moving towards a type of ‘superstate’ that the UK does not want to be part of, and that overall EU membership hurts the economy of the UK.

A possible British exit from the European Union should not come as a surprise to long-term readers of this news page.

Back on June 26, 2007, (see Tony Blair a Catholic EU Leader?), I posted the following:

We in the COGs tend to believe that the final beast power will be nominally Catholic (see Europa and the Beast of Revelation)…we in the COGs do believe that Britain will pull out of the EU…

On August 9, 2012, I posted (see Tony Blair ‘Deeply Worried’ that UK May Leave EU):

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will not be an equal part of the European Union.  Britain will either pull out or be forced out or at least truly lose its sovereignty.

The voters of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland may not believe it, but the UK will lose its sovereignty.  Getting ‘special status’ would basically make the UK more of a target of resentment by others in the EU as has already somewhat pulled out.

For quite some time, the idea of Britain leaving the European Union has been called a “Brexit” or “Brixet” – British exit.

On June 28, 2014, I posted (see A Brixit, a Brexit, EU concerned about a British exit):

The Bible shows that Europe will have at least three reorganizations (see also Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations?).

Yet, whether it is called a Brixit or a Brexit, in some way, some day, the United Kingdom will exit.

We will see how the vote on June 23, 2016 turns out as polls seem to vary on this.

If the UK votes to leave, then those in the European Union will feel that the UK has betrayed Europe, and will hold this against the UK. Various Europeans have indicated that London will cease its role of being the financial center of Europe, should the UK vote to leave the EU.  There have been threats of trade being impacted, etc.

But what if the UK votes to stay in?

Well, this will be problematic in many ways.

Both eastern and western European nations are opposed to the ‘special status’ deal that David Cameron was able to negotiate with EU officials (watch Will the UK’s ‘special status’ with the EU last?) and it is already alienating the UK from Europe.

Relationships between the EU and UK will worsen.

David Cameron claims, “Britain will never be part of a European superstate.” But a superstate is what the elite in Europe want and is what they will get (cf. Revelation 17:12-13)–and the UK will be taken over by it.

A week ago, I recorded a message that we made available online: Will the UK’s ‘special status’ with the EU last?

Some items of related interest may include:

British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism?
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.
Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous. A related sermon is titled Ten Kings of Revelation and the Great Tribulation.
Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North? Is the former German Defense Minister (who is also the former German Minister for Economics and Technology) one to watch? What do Catholic, Byzantine, and biblical prophecies suggest?
Germany’s Assyrian Roots Throughout History Are the Germanic peoples descended from Asshur of the Bible? Have there been real Christians in Germanic history? What about the “Holy Roman Empire”? There is also a You-Tube video sermon on this titled Germany’s Biblical Origins.
Germany in Biblical Prophecy Does Assyria in the Bible equate to an end time power inhabiting the area of the old Roman Empire? What does prophecy say Germany will do and what does it say will happen to most of the German people? Here are links to two sermon videos Germany in Bible Prophecy and The Rise of the Germanic Beast Power of Prophecy.
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
When You Sin: Do You Really Repent? This is an article by Charles F. Hunting. A related sermon is Confess to God and truly repent.
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. A video of possible interest may be Will Will USA Spying Help the Beast Power?.
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?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2016, 2017, or 2018? 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 2016 o 2017? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from

Scared child (photo by D Sharon Pruitt)

COGwriter

The Continuing Church of God is pleased to announce this sermon from its ContinuingCOG channel:

1:17:35

Cowardice and Overcoming Fear

What does the Bible teach about fear and cowardice? Are Christians ever afraid? Does the Bible have a different standard for courage and cowardice then the world? Why have the fear of God? How can you overcome your fears? Does Jesus chastise Christians for being afraid? What are some of the things the parable of the talents should be teaching us about fear? What did Jesus tell His “little flock’ about fear? What is the fate of the cowardly? Perfect love casts out fear, so how do you develop ‘perfect love’?

Here is a link to the sermon: Cowardice and Overcoming Fear.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Christian courage vs. cowardice As you courageous? What biblically is cowardice? Do YOU really understand this? How can you overcome fear? Here are links to two related sermons: Courage and Cowardice and Cowardice and Overcoming Fear.
Top Ten Fears What are the top ten fears that Americans in the USA have? Chapman University put out a list fears. Has that list changed? Is there any basis for some of the top fears? Should Christians take any physical or spiritual steps? Will anything Americans fear possibly affect biblical prophecy? Will anything people fear perhaps affect the work and result in the famine of the word? Dr. Thiel answers these questions and more. He also goes over some of what Jesus said about worry and fear.
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 pdf. booklet titled Faith for Those God has Called and Chosen. Marque aquí para ver el pdf folleto: Fe para aquellos que Dios ha llamado y escogido. In German: Glaube für die von Gott Berufenen und Auserwählten. In French: La Foi pour ceux que Dieu a Appelés et Choisis. Here is a link to a related sermon titled: Faith for the Called and Chosen.and here is a link to another sermon Faith and Courage. Here is a link to shorter version of the written article in Mandarin Chinese 一篇关于信仰的小文章.
Prayer: What Does the Bible Teach? This free booklet contains 28 biblically-based tips on improving the effectiveness of your prayers. This is a pdf. A related two part sermon is available: What Does the Bible Teach About Prayer? and What does the Bible Teach About Prayer (& Healing)?
What Should I Pray About? An old article by Lynn Torrance on prayer. Here is a link to it in Mandarin Chinese 我应该祷告什么？
Importance of Fasting An old article by Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject. Here is a link to it in Mandarin Chinese 禁食的重要性.
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 to the 21st century. Related sermon links 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. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
CCOG.ORG Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God. To see how CCOG has done so far, here are links to two sermons Continuing Church of God (CCOG) first year anniversary: What has been accomplished? and The Continuing Church of God: Two Years of Proclamation. Here is a written link to a version of that sermon in the Spanish language: Aniversario del primer año de la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios: ¿Qué se ha cumplido?
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 others with a British-descended background.
CDLIDD.ES La Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios. This is the Spanish language website for the Continuing Church of God.
PNIND.PH Patuloy na Iglesya ng Diyos. This is the Philippines website Continuing Church of God. It has information in English and Tagalog.
Bible News Prophecy online radio. This is an audio version of the Bible News Prophecy videos as well as some ContinuingCOG channel sermons. 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.
ContinuingCOG channel. Dr. Thiel has produced scores of YouTube video sermons for this channel. Note: Since these are sermon-length, they can take a little longer to load than other YouTube videos.