Church of God News

Constantinople Patriarch Bartholomew and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill

COGwriter

Consistent with what Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church said last month, his church essentially declared a schism between the Eastern and Russian Orthodox churches:

The Russian Orthodox Church has compared Ukraine’s moves for independence to the Great Schism of 1054 that split western and eastern Christianity, and warned they could lead to an irreversible rupture in the global Orthodox community.

Ilarion said Constantinople’s decision to back the Ukrainian Orthodox Church’s independence drive was illegal and that the Russian Orthodox Church would disregard it.

“We are hoping common sense will prevail and that the Constantinople Patriarchate will change its relations to existing church reality,” he said. 10/15/18 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-church-russia/russian-orthodox-church-breaks-with-constantinople-in-row-over-ukraine-idUSKCN1MP24G

The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church has ruled that further Eucharistic ties with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople are impossible, Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Department for External Church Relations Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk said after a session of the Holy Synod in Minsk,Belarus, on Monday.

“The decision was taken at a session of the Holy Synod to fully break contacts with the Patriarchate of Constantinople,” he said.

The Russian Orthodox Church does not accept these decisions and won’t abide by them,” he said. “Schism is schism, and leaders of schism remain leaders of schism. While the church that has started relations with the dissenters after recognizing them, has thus expelled itself from the canonical field of the Orthodox Church,” he said.

“This is the main reason why we have to stop contacts with the Patriarchate of Constantinople that has filly identified itself with schism,” he stressed. 10/15/18 http://tass.com/society/1026077

If Monday’s decision is a lasting one, the loss of the powerful and wealthy Russian church will be a serious blow to the global church. It also marks an important new facet for the rift between Russia and Ukraine, who have become bitter enemies since the annexation of Crimea and the war in Donbass. …

Ukraine’s government had lobbied strongly for autocephaly as part of a larger break from Russian influence in the country’s affairs.

“Autocephaly is part of our pro-European and pro-Ukrainian state strategy,” the Ukrainian president, Petro Poroshenko, said in a statement last week. He also called Moscow’s loss of control over the Ukrainian Orthodox Church “the fall of the ‘third Rome’ as the most ancient conceptual claim of Moscow for the global domination”.

Russia’s Orthodox Church already had a tense relationship with the religious authorities in Istanbul. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/15/russian-orthodox-church-cuts-ties-with-constantinople

This rift has been brewing in the Orthodox world between the Patriarch of Constantinople and the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) for some time.

Politics, more than theology, seems to be the main cause for it.

That being said, the Orthodox consider the split between them and the Church of Rome in 1054 as the “great schism.”

Perhaps this would be a good place to mention that it was the Sabbath-practices by the Orthodox which was one of the reasons that caused its schism from the Roman Catholic Church.

In the fifth century, the historian Socrates noted:

For although almost all churches throughout the world celebrate the sacred mysteries on the sabbath of every week, yet the Christians of Alexandria and at Rome, on account of some ancient tradition, have ceased to do this. The Egyptians in the neighborhood of Alexandria, and the inhabitants of Thebais, hold their religious assemblies on the sabbath, but do not participate of the mysteries in the manner usual among Christians in general (Socrates Scholasticus. Ecclesiastical History, Book V, Chapter XXII. Excerpted from Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Volume 2. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. American Edition, 1890. Online Edition Copyright © 2005 by K. Knight).

Rome actually fasted on the Sabbath. Notice, according to Victorinus, bishop of Pettau (circa 304), as to the reason those associated with Rome fasted:

On the seventh day…we are accustomed to fast rigourously…We must fast even on Friday in order that we not appear to observe the Sabbath with the Jews (Cited in Bacchiocchi S. Anti-Judaism and the Origin of Sunday, p. 74).

However, this was not the case in Asia Minor, where Constantinople was located, as many continued to observe the Sabbath:

R.L. Odom has persuasively brought out that the Roman insistence on making the Sabbath a day of fast contributed greatly to the historic break between the Eastern and Western Christian Church which occurred in A.D. 1054 (Cited in Bacchiocchi Anti-Judaism and the Origin of Sunday, p. 67).

The polemic work Against the Calumnities of the Greeks of Cardinal Humbert of Rome, provides additional evidence in this regard. The Cardinal argues that the Latins in no way resemble the Jews in their observance of the Sabbath, since on that day they “do all sorts of work, even as in the preceding five days and fast [on the Sabbath]. …” He proceeds then to show the Greeks that they are the ones who judaize since they observe the Sabbath in an identical manner of the Jews…the document date (ca. A.D. 1054)…the lengthy quotation from “the most blessed Pope Sylvester” (A. D. 314-355)…Cardinal Humbert cites to dissuade the Greeks from the observance of the Sabbath (Cited in Bacchiocchi Anti-Judaism and the Origin of Sunday, pp. 74-75).

Or in other words, the Roman Catholics were upset that the Orthodox (the Greeks) considered the Sabbath a festal and not a fast day and that this is one of the reasons why they separated from each other.

While the Orthodox tend to point to 1054 for the split, the Romans tend to have a mixed view:

In an attempt to quell the disturbance, the pope sent a three-man delegation, led by Cardinal Humbert, to visit Patriarch Cerularius, but matters worsened. The legates presented the patriarch with the pope’s reply to his charges. Both sides managed to infuriate each other over diplomatic courtesies, and when the smoke cleared, a serious rift had developed. This was not, however, the actual break between the two communions. It’s a popular myth that the schism dates to the year 1054 and that the pope and the patriarch excommunicated each other at that time, but they did not.

Orthodox bishop Kallistos Ware (formerly Timothy Ware) writes, “The choice of Cardinal Humbert was unfortunate, for both he and Cerularius were men of stiff and intransigent temper. . . . After [an initial, unfriendly encounter] the patriarch refused to have further dealings with the legates. Eventually Humbert lost patience, and laid a bull of excommunication against Cerularius on the altar of the Church of the Holy Wisdom. . . . Cerularius and his synod retaliated by anathematizing Humbert (but not the Roman Church as such)” (The Orthodox Church, 67).

The New Catholic Encyclopedia says, “The consummation of the schism is generally dated from the year 1054, when this unfortunate sequence of events took place. This conclusion, however, is not correct, because in the bull composed by Humbert, only Patriarch Cerularius was excommunicated. The validity of the bull is questioned because Pope Leo IX was already dead at that time. On the other side, the Byzantine synod excommunicated only the legates and abstained from any attack on the pope or the Latin Church.”

There was no single event that marked the schism, but rather a sliding into and out of schism during a period of several centuries, punctuated with temporary reconciliations. The East’s final break with Rome did not come until the 1450s (Catholic Answers.  Eastern Orthodoxy. NIHIL OBSTAT: Bernadeane Carr, STL, Censor Librorum, August 10, 2004 . IMPRIMATUR: +Robert H. Brom, Bishop of San Diego, August 10, 2004 http://www.catholic.com/library/Eastern_Orthodoxy.asp viewed 02/01/08)

Notice that Cardinal Humbert was sent to Constantinople, but made matters worse. However, it partially was because of his position in his “Against the Calumnities of the Greeks” paper that the Orthodox found Carindal Humbert so offensive–and part of why Cardinal Humbert was upset was because the Orthodox refused to change Saturday into a fast day (the Latin Church finally got rid of that itself in the Middle Ages–even though Cardinal Humbert was insistent about it in 1054).

How many Orthodox realize that offenses related to Saturday observance were a major factor in “the Great Schism”?

Perhaps if the Orthodox would study more into their history they will realize that the faithful in Asia Minor (including the Apostles Paul and John) did keep the seventh-day Sabbath and so should they.

Anyway, this current schism essentially places much of the world’s Orthodox outside of Constantinople as about half of world’s Orthodox were Russian Orthodox.

This schism has many ramifications, including what will happen in the Balkans and what will happen with the ecumenical movement.

The World Council of Churches has tended to support the Russian Orthodox as has Pope Francis.

Pope Francis has warned people against committing “sins against unity”:

“In a Christian community division is one of the most serious sins, because it does not allow God to act,” the Pope said in his Aug. 27 general audience address. “What God wants is that we be welcoming, that we forgive and love each other so as to become more and more like Him, who is communion and love.”

Addressing the thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the Roman Pontiff explained that as Catholics “we affirm in the Creed that the Church is one and that she is holy.”

“One because she has her origin in the Triune God, mystery of unity and full communion. Holy since she is founded by Jesus Christ, enlivened by his Holy Spirit, and filled with his love and salvation.”

We continue to refer to the Church as “one” and “holy” despite the fact that “we know by experience that it is also composed of sinners and that there is no shortage of divisions,” he said, recalling how the night before he was arrested Jesus “asked for the unity of his disciples: ‘that all be one.’”

“We trust in his desire that unity will be one of the characteristic features of our community,” the Pope continued, noting that “While we, the members of the Church, are sinners, the unity and holiness of the Church arise from God and call us daily to conversion.”

Observing how “We have an intercessor in Jesus, who prays…for our unity with him and the Father, and with each other,” the Bishop of Rome drew attention to the sins that often cause division.

“Sins against unity are not only schisms,” he said, “but also the most common weeds of our communities: envies, jealousies, antipathies … talking bad about others. This is human, but it is not Christian.” (Harris E. Pope: division is among greatest sins of Christian communities. CNA, August 27, 2014. http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-division-is-the-greatest-sin-of-christian-communities-12972/)

According to the Apostle Jude, it is a requirement, and not a sin, to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” Jude 3, NKJV) or to “fight hard for the faith which has been once and for all entrusted to God’s holy people” as the NJB puts it. Compromising part of the true faith for the sake of unity is the sin here.

While there are certain ceremonial similarities (as well as differences) between the Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox, if people really wish to become “the people of the book” they need to reject all non-biblical doctrines and not enter into greater unity with groups that promote non-biblical doctrines (as well as look into many of their own doctrines).

As far as unity matters go, notice a news item from this past Summer that came to a wrong ‘guarantee’ conclusion:

27 June 2018

In his greeting for the 70th anniversary of the institution, he defines it as “an exceptional space for dialogue between Christians of various confessions”. The appeal to help Christians in the Middle East and North Africa, threatened to disappear. The WCC support for Moscow Patriarchate over Kiev in Ukraine. …

Addressing the WCC secretary, the Norwegian Lutheran theologian Olav Fykse Tveit, and the entire Central Committee, the Russian Patriarch recalled that the Council is “a major international organization and unique platform for dialogue between Christians of various confessions. For the years of its work, the World Council of Churches has done much to develop inter-confessional dialogue, to promote justice in society and peace among nations. “. Kirill recalled how “the entry of the Russian Orthodox Church in the WCC in 1961 helped to open for it new opportunities” and how “our special concern were joint efforts in overcoming the confrontation between East and West and struggling for peace and justice in international relations.”. …

in conclusion of Kirill’s message, is the gratitude to the WCC “for the firm position expressed by the Secretary General in his appeal to the state authorities of Ukraine, in defence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church” – meaning the one faithful to Moscow, the only one considered “canonical” – “which is currently the subject of discrimination and persecution”. The WCC support for Moscow’s legitimacy in Ukraine, together with the support of Pope Francis and the leaders of the Catholic Church, should guarantee the Russians sufficient pressure to prevent the recognition of Ukrainian autocephaly (Kiev Patriarchate) by Constantinople , the most “burning issue” in inter-Orthodox relations in recent months. http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Patriarch-Kirill-praises-the-World-Council-of-Churches-44279.html

Now there is a major schism. Theological-political alliances alluded to above did not stop it.

As I have been writing for sometime, I believe a split/schism will be temporal, based upon scriptures in Revelation 13.

1887 depiction of the ‘Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse’

COGwriter

US debt is an important issue:

“The Next Financial Crisis Is Staring Us In The Face”…

October 15, 2018

Now America is 68 trillion dollars in debt, and our day of reckoning is so close that even the mainstream media is sounding the alarm. http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/global-markets-continue-to-fall-as-bloomberg-warns-the-next-financial-crisis-is-staring-us-in-the-face

4 Pillars of Debt in Danger of Collapse

By Nomi Prins

The big banks got subsidies and were propped up by quantitative easing (QE) to resurrect themselves into appearing financially healthy. The same cannot be said of all consumers in the country.

It’s consumers that have now piled on debt — and at much higher interest rates than the banks and large corporations have been given.

Indeed, to make ends meet, there have been four main pillars of consumer debt that have hit new records.

According to a recent New York Federal Reserve Bank report, total consumer debt is at higher levels now than going into the financial crisis.

By breaking down what that debt is, you can best understand how to navigate the world of finance, understand your own portfolio better and make more sound investments.

Here they are:

Overall Household Debt.

The state of household debt, which literally takes into account the combined debt within a given household, continues to flash red. According to a 2017 household financial survey by the Fed, “About one-quarter of U.S. adults have no retirement savings. And 41% say they would not have enough savings to cover a $400 emergency expense.”

The overall level of consumer debt has hit a new record. … The total borrowing of Americans hit $13.29 {trillion} …

Credit Card Debt.

The total of U.S. credit card loans has increased by $45 billion this year to a massive $829 billion total. …

Student Loan Debt. …

Currently, the amount of student loans grew to $1.41 trillion in the second quarter of 2018 …

Auto Debt.

While the rising cost of manufacturing autos has impacted the automotive sector, it has not deterred consumers from borrowing money.

Total auto debt in the U.S. has shot up to $1.24 trillion. …

Our economy rests upon four crumbling pillars of debt. If one of these collapses, the entire superstructure may not be far behind. 10/11/18 https://dailyreckoning.com/pillars-debt-danger-of-collapse/

Yes, the economy could collapse because of debt. Now, the $68 trillion figure tends to include obligations as opposed to simply federal treasury notes–the ‘official’ US Federal Debt, as of last Thursday (the latest amount shown when I checked at https://treasurydirect.gov/NP/debt/current today) is $21,590,013,434,727.39. And that does NOT include consumer debt, corporate debt, state and local government debt, nor unfunded federal liabilities.

As far as far as corporate and consumer debt goes, a couple of years ago the Daily Reckoning also had the following by Nomi Prins:

Four Horses Of The U.S. Debt Apocalypse

Crises are based on compound bets (or debts) gone awry. …

Over the past two decades, we’ve seen the emerging-market collapse in the late 1990s, the Enron-led crime spree in 2001–02 and the housing-spawned financial crisis of 2008. Since that last crisis, the Fed’s cheap money policy has helped big banks and corporate customers, but most regular people have not fully recovered.

Regardless of whether the Fed raises rates or keeps recklessly bating business media about the possibility, these connected debt pockets can crush the economy again. Here, I’ll lay out how they can push us over the edge. Understanding these connected debt bubbles means that you can not only survive the looming implosion but also come out ahead.

One: Student Loans — The student loan debt bomb is exploding … Americans owe about $1.3 trillion in student loan debt across 43 million borrowers. This a HUGE increase from $260 billion in 2004. …

Two: Subprime Auto Loans — You may have heard about the record amount of auto sales recently — over $1 trillion. …

Three: Credit Cards — U.S. credit card debit will surpass $1 trillion this year …

Four: 99% of Corporates’ Cash/Debt Ratios Are Poor …

These four horses of debt, galloping toward us simultaneously from different sectors, don’t show any sign of slowing.

They will trigger the U.S. Debt Apocalypse, bringing more defaults, vast job cuts and economic fallout than even the Great Recession. August 30, 2016 http://dailyreckoning.com/the-four-horses-of-us-debt/

Nomi Prins latest report shows that debt still remains a problem.

Plus, official USA government debt has increased.

Many ‘pundits’ act like all this debt is acceptable and fine.

But it is not.

Actually, the Bible indicates this debt should be frightening and cause people to run:

2 And the Lord answered me:

“Write the vision;
make it plain on tablets,
so he may run who reads it.
3 For still the vision awaits its appointed time;
it hastens to the end—it will not lie.
If it seems slow, wait for it;
it will surely come; it will not delay.

4 “Behold, his soul is puffed up; it is not upright within him,
but the righteous shall live by his faith.

5 “Moreover, wine is a traitor,
an arrogant man who is never at rest.
His greed is as wide as Sheol;
like death he has never enough.
He gathers for himself all nations
and collects as his own all peoples.”

6 Shall not all these take up their taunt against him, with scoffing and riddles for him, and say,

“Woe to him who heaps up what is not his own—
for how long?—
and loads himself with pledges!”
7 Will not your debtors suddenly arise,
and those awake who will make you tremble?
Then you will be spoil for them.
8 Because you have plundered many nations,
all the remnant of the peoples shall plunder you,
for the blood of man and violence to the earth,
to cities and all who dwell in them. (Habakkuk 2:2-8; English Standard Version)

The arrogance of political leaders in increasing the debt will not happen forever. The USA is the most indebted nation in the history of humanity and those in it should try to understand this prophecy–a prophecy that says the indebted nation (the USA) will be taken over.

The USA is facing MANY debt problems.

Debt will be a factor in the attack against the USA at the start of When Will the Great Tribulation Begin.

As far as economic factors and the end, here is a link to our latest uploaded video: Are Investors Facing The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse?

Some items of possibly related interest include the following:

When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2018, 2019, or 2020? 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 2018 o 2019? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon videos: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives and Can the Great Tribulation begin before 2020? A shorter video is: Can the Great Tribulation begin in 2018?
The Times of the Gentiles Has there been more than one time of the Gentiles? Are we in it now or in the time of Anglo-America? What will the final time of the Gentiles be like? A related sermon is available and is titled: The Times of the Gentiles.
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse What do each of the four horseman of the Apocalypse represent? Have they began their ride? Did Jesus discuss the any of this? Might their rides coincide with the “beginning of sorrows? Do they start their ride prior to the Great Tribulation? Did Nostradamus or any other ‘private prophets’ write predictions that may mislead people so that they may not understand the truth of one or more of the four horseman? There is also a related YouTube video titled The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing.
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 Plain Truth About Gold in Prophecy. How Should a Christian View Gold? What do economists and the Bible teach about gold? Gold and silver may drop in value. Inflation/deflation? What do Christians need to know about gold?
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? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
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.
Just What Do You Mean the Kingdom of God? A booklet that was written by Herbert Armstrong answers questions about the Kingdom.
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West?
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? A related video is titled: Donald: ‘Trump of God’ or Apocalyptic?
Trump Presidency Magic 8 Ball or Bible Prophecy? BBC reported that one might as well use a ‘Magic Eight-Ball’ to try to predict what will happen in the remaining time of Donald Trump’s presidency. What is a ‘Magic Eight-Ball’? Dr. Thiel not only explains that, but also briefly goes over 10 biblically-based warnings he wrote would happen if Donald Trump were elected that have already began to come to pass. He also goes over something he wrote back in 2008 that the Trump presidency is also helping lead to fulfillment. Should you trust Bible prophecy or not? Dr. Thiel says that Bible prophecy can be trusted, despite the view of skeptics and others that either overlook or despise the Bible. This is a video.
Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse This 188 page book is for people truly interested in prophecies related to Donald Trump and the United States, including learning about several that have already been fulfilled and those that will be fulfilled in the future. The physical book can be purchased at Amazon for $12.99 from the following link: Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse.
Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse-Kindle Edition This electronic version of the 188 page print edition is available for only US$3.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse-Kindle Edition.

COGwriter

US President Donald Trump was interviewed on 60 Minutes and has further taken shots at the European Union. Here is something from the German press:

15 October 2018

Donald Trump: ‘Nobody treats us much worse than the EU’

The comments targeting the trans-Atlantic relationship come as US-EU trade negotiations are in an early stage. …

US President Donald Trump on Sunday again railed against the trans-Atlantic trade relationship, claiming that “nobody treats us much worse than the European Union.” https://www.dw.com/en/donald-trump-nobody-treats-us-much-worse-than-the-eu/a-45888402

“The European Union was formed in order to take advantage of us on trade, and that’s what they’ve done,” Trump said in a televised interview on CBS.

Here are excerpts from a transcript of the actual interview by Leslie Stahl, starting with some comments related to trade and China, then the EU:

Lesley Stahl: China.

President Donald Trump: I get along with him. It’s very important. China, let’s go.

Lesley Stahl: I’m skipping across the world here. You’ve slapped a lot of tariffs–

President Donald Trump: $250 billion.

Lesley Stahl: Gonna do more?

President Donald Trump: Might. Might. …

Lesley Stahl: But you’re in a–

President Donald Trump: And it will be a fair deal–

Lesley Stahl: –trade war right now. Trade war.

President Donald Trump: You call it war, I don’t call–

Lesley Stahl: You– you–

President Donald Trump: –it–

Lesley Stahl: –you did today.

President Donald Trump: I called it a skirmish.

Lesley Stahl: I heard you, you called it a war.

President Donald Trump: I called it, actually I called it a battle. But, actually, I’m gonna lower that. I consider it a skirmish. And we’re gonna win.

Lesley Stahl: You have also slapped some tariffs on our allies.

President Donald Trump: I mean, what’s an ally? We have wonderful relationships with a lot of people. But nobody treats us much worse than the European Union. The European Union was formed in order to take advantage of us on trade, and that’s what they’ve done.

Lesley Stahl: But this is hostile.

President Donald Trump: And yet, they– it’s not hostile.

Lesley Stahl: It sounds hostile.

President Donald Trump: You know what’s hostile? The way they treat us. We’re not hostile.

Lesley Stahl: No, but can’t you deal with–

President Donald Trump: We’ve been– we’ve been–

Lesley Stahl: –them without–

President Donald Trump: –the stupid country for so many years.

Lesley Stahl: Are you willing to get rid of that Western alliance?

President Donald Trump: Now, I like NATO, NATO’s fine. But you know what? We shouldn’t be paying almost the entire cost of NATO to protect Europe. And then on top of that, they take advantage of us on trade. They’re not going to do it anymore. They understand that. …

Lesley Stahl: Is it true General Mattis said to you, “The reason for NATO and the reason for all these alliances is to prevent World War III?”

President Donald Trump: No, it’s not true. …

Lesley Stahl: Well, answer my question.

President Donald Trump: The answer is this. I will always be there with NATO, but they have to pay their way. I’m fully in favor of NATO, but I don’t wanna be taken advantage of. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-interview-60-minutes-full-transcript-lesley-stahl-jamal-khashoggi-james-mattis-brett-kavanaugh-vladimir-putin-2018-10-14/

Although Donald Trump in the above related to trade said, “we’re gonna win,” Europe, for a prophesied time at least, will eventually ‘win’ the trade war.

Essentially Europe will dominate world trade.

That is consistent with warnings in the Book of the Apocalypse, more commonly referred to these days as the Book of Revelation. That book teaches about an end time European power:

2 … Babylon … 3 For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury. (Revelation 18:2,3)

The above is referring to the fact that nations of the world are prophesied to get wealthy trading with end time Babylon, which will be a European entity. This European power will have religious ties to the City of Seven Hills–the Church of Rome:

1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” (Revelation 17:1-2)

9 Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. … 18 And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.” (Revelation 17:9,18)

The Bible tells of a trading power arising in Europe that is tied to the City of Seven Hills. Europe, the United Nations, and the Vatican have stated that they have agreed on essentially the same future for the world. Now, Europe is getting an opportunity to better mold trade in its image–with its standards and, at least indirectly, its control.

This will not go as well for the USA as its President Trump hopes. I have been warning since before he became president that there would be “unintended consequences” of his policies.

Notice statements from my book, Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse:

Has or will Donald Trump affect Europe?

Yes.

He will do so in many ways, including several that few consider.

The Washington Post reported in late 2016 that Donald Trump admired Richard Nixon. It also reported:

Donald Trump appears to have embraced, with gusto, Richard Nixon’s “Madman Theory” of foreign policy. He thinks he can use his reputation for unpredictability and lack of respect for long-standing international norms to unnerve and then intimidate America’s adversaries into making concessions that they would not otherwise make. (Hohmann J, Deppisch B. The Daily 202: Donald Trump embraces the risky ‘Madman Theory’ on foreign policy. Washington Post, December 20, 2016)

Donald Trump’s foreign policy statements have unsettled many—in the U.S.A. as well as foreign nations. He seems like he will more unpredictable than Richard Nixon.

There is also something referred to as the “law of unintended consequences.” There are consequences for the U.S.A., Europe, and elsewhere that have and will occur because of Donald Trump’s statements and actions. (Thiel B. Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse. Nazarene Books, 2017)

We are seeing “fallout” (unintended consequences) of Donald Trump’s policies affecting Europe. Europe’s relationship will NOT continue in the future with the USA as it has been–that is one reason that Europe is developing its own military (see also With PESCO, EU entering a ‘New Era’: An era that will NOT end well for the USA, Canada, or the UK).

While the Europeans do not want to overly rile up Donald Trump, they are more and more of the opinion that he does not like them (and his relatively recent statement about the EU being a foe basically confirms that–see Donald Trump considers European Union, Russia, and China to be foes; Germans fear Donald Trump more than Vladimir Putin). He is the one whose policies have them scrambling to try to figure out what to do next. “Self-preservation” can be a powerful motivator.

Things are going to change in Europe. In Bavaria there was an election yesterday, and the status quo in Germany is being affected:

15 October 2018

Mainstream erosion

So what does the outcome mean for German politics as a whole?

Mainstream parties have been hemorrhaging voters in recent state elections and especially in last year’s federal election: The major parties that have dominated German politics for decades and currently rule at national level in a coalition made up of the Social Democrats (SPD), the CDU and the CSU, are in decline. The latest debacle could very well spell the end for a coalition that none of the parties really ever wanted in the first place and that in the eyes of many voters is muddling through rather than shaping crucial policies, ranging from immigration to pensions.

The repercussions could also be dramatic for Merkel. …

if the CDU and the SPD experience another drubbing, all bets are off on the grand coalition surviving. That could mean new elections, a CDU-run minority government, or another attempt to form a Jamaica coalition, made up of the CDU, the CSU, the pro-business Free Democrats and the Greens and so named because of the parties’ respective colors: black, yellow and green.

None of the options are really palatable and what’s keeping the coalition together, albeit tenuously, is a lack of clear alternative. https://www.dw.com/en/germany-at-a-crossroads-after-bavarian-poll-debacle/a-45892514

Repercussions will be more than how one politician is affected. Europe will change and become militaristic.

Please understand that the Bible teaches that Europe will have a great army–which Donald Trump is unknowingly pushing Europe to develop:

25 “He shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South with a great army. (Daniel 11:25)

The “He” is identified as the final prophesied European King of the North in Daniel 11:40 (watch also Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?).

Donald Trump, by pressuring the EU to spend more on defense, is pushing Europe to fulfill its prophesied destiny in the end of this age.

The Bible shows that Europe will be a warring power (Daniel 11:39-44). It also shows that the success of the European Beast, King of the North, power will cause the world to marvel as well as defeat the strongest military power:

3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” (Revelation 13:3-4)

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 Beast of Revelation 13 and the “he” of Daniel 11:39 is a European leader, also called the King of the North. Notice that the strongest military power–which currently is the USA–will be taken over.

While Europe has been relying on the USA for defense, the time will come when Europe concludes it not only does not need the USA, but that it would prefer to destroy it!

The Europeans are mad at the USA for many reasons (including its President Trump), the UK for the Brexit vote, and will decide that places like Canada are too connected to them to remain.

The USA and its Anglo-Saxon descended allies will be defeated (Daniel 8:24-25).

The Bible teaches that this will come to pass (Daniel 11:39; see also USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses).

Donald Trump’s words and actions are a factor that will contribute to the rise of the European King of the North Beast power.

Despite his hopes, this will not end well for the USA (Daniel 11:39; Habakkuk 2:6-8).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Trade Disputes: CCOG Warnings Are Coming to Pass Trade tensions and talks of trade wars have escalated. US President Donald Trump has put Europe, China, Mexico, and other lands on notice that he wants to change how international trade with the USA has been going. Tariffs, retaliatory tariffs, and even more tariffs are being implemented. Is this all just happenstance? Are we yet in a trade war? What will Europe do? Has the Church of God been warning about trade disputes and a coming trade war for decades? What about the Continuing Church of God (CCOG)? What has been warned, what has been happening, and what will happen? Will trade disputes be a factor in World War III (WW3)? Dr. Thiel explains what has been taught and what to expect.
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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?
Forbes’ Brexit Monster is the Beast of Revelation Various ones have been properly convinced that there is a plan for a European superstate. Forbes’ writer Tom Worstall wrote that the Brexit vote was about the United Kingdom “not joining the monster of the European Union to come.” The Bible tells of a Beast monster that will arise in the end times in Europe. Dr. Thiel cites news reports, as well as the Old and New Testaments, to show that the monster many fear will arise in Europe, despite the vote by the British to exit the European Union.
Post Brexit Prophecy On June 23, 2016, the voters of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) chose to leave the European Union. Now with this BRitish EXIT (Brexit) vote, what is prophesied to happen to the UK? Will the UK do well or be taken over and made slaves? Dr. Thiel explains from biblical prophecies what is ahead for the UK, Europe, and even the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. This is a video.
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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.
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Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse This 188 page book is for people truly interested in prophecies related to Donald Trump and the United States, including learning about several that have already been fulfilled and those that will be fulfilled in the future. The physical book can be purchased at Amazon for $12.99 from the following link: Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse.
Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse-Kindle Edition This electronic version of the 188 page print edition is available for only US$3.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse-Kindle Edition.

Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. (Luke 12:32)

COGwriter

Church history is much more important than most realize. If people accepted the truth about early church history, most would have to change their faith and the world would be a much better place.

Many wonder how the churches of this world got the way they are. Mainly, it was because various ones had ideas that conflicted with the Bible and the original Christian faith. Sadly, many of those ideas ultimately got accepted by apparently billions throughout time.

Jesus taught that the true church would be a “little flock” (Luke 12:32), hated by the world (Matthew 10:22), and persecuted (Matthew 10:23). He also taught only a few would find the way to eternal life in this age (Matthew 7:14; 20:16). The Apostle Jude indicates that the number of saints was relatively small (Jude 14), while the Apostle Paul called the small group a “remnant” (Romans 11:5). Most who profess Christ, however, simply do not want to accept what the New Testament teaches about the church.

This post will contain a fairly brief overview of some events that led to the current state (more details are in the free online booklet Continuing History of the Church of God).

In the first century, apparently a false apostle, who is now called Mark, preached an allegorical interpretation of scripture in Alexandria. Alexandria was one of the most important intellectual centers of the Roman Empire in ancient times and had much influence in the Greco-Roman world. The falsely titled “Epistle of Barnabus” came from Alexandria in the early second century and preached an allegorical interpretation of scripture (see its chapter 10:2). The second century Gnostic heretics Valentinus and Basilides were Alexandrian.

In the early second century, historian Hegesippus claimed that there was one who introduced corruption into the Church of God in Jerusalem, named Thebuthis. Basically Thebuthis was considered to be the father of various heresies, including even Marcionism, which was a form of lawlessness:

1. Hegesippus in the five books of Memoirs which have come down to us has left a most complete record of his own views. …

4. The same author also describes the beginnings of the heresies which arose in his time, in the following words: And after James the Just had suffered martyrdom, as the Lord had also on the same account, Symeon, the son of the Lord’s uncle, Clopas, was appointed the next bishop. All proposed him as second bishop because he was a cousin of the Lord. Therefore, they called the Church a virgin, for it was not yet corrupted by vain discourses. 5. But Thebuthis, because he was not made bishop, began to corrupt it. He also was sprung from the seven sects among the people, like Simon, from whom came the Simonians, and Cleobius, from whom came the Cleobians, and Dositheus, from whom came the Dositheans, and Gorthæus, from whom came the Goratheni, and Masbotheus, from whom came the Masbothæans. From them sprang the Menandrianists, and Marcionists, and Carpocratians, and Valentinians, and Basilidians, and Saturnilians. Each introduced privately and separately his own peculiar opinion. From them came false Christs, false prophets, false apostles, who divided the unity of the Church by corrupt doctrines uttered against God and against his Christ. (Eusebius. Church History, Book IV, Chapter 22, verses 1, 4-5).

In time, that corruption affected many in Jerusalem. What were some doctrines of Simon Magus? Well his followers had statues, the pagan doctrine of the immortal soul, incantations, mysteries, mystic priests, divine titles for leaders, the practice of accepting money for religious favors, a preference for allegory and tradition over many aspects of scripture, a leader who wanted to be thought of as God/Christ on earth, the view they should divorce themselves from Christian biblical practices considered to be Jewish, and also revered a woman. And it appears that these doctrines of Simon Magus affected many areas (more on Simon Magus can be found in the article Simon Magus, What Did He Teach?). According to the 18th century historian E. Gibbon, many who professed Christ in Jerusalem chose to be led by a Latin leader, Marcus of Jerusalem, who urged them to compromise with God’s law (which Gibbon calls “the Mosaic law”, see article on the Ephesus Church era) in order to be tolerated by the Roman Emperor Hadrian who was incensed at the Jews because of the Bar Kohkba revolt. Certain compromises in Rome apparently occurred around the same time, apparently for the same reason (see articles Arab Nazarenes and Passover). By around 135 A.D., most who professed Christ in Jerusalem had compromised with the truth (for details, see The Ephesus Church Era and/or watch a related video sermon: Ephesus Church Era).

The main bastion of faithful Christian leaders in the second century was the region of Asia Minor–the Church of God leaders there did not accept improper doctrines that the Alexandrians or the compromised ones in Jerusalem were pushing. Actually, one way to help understand the Bible today is to look at how the faithful in Asia Minor understood it as they understood koine Greek (the language of the New Testament) better than translators of later centuries did (mistranslations have greatly impacted much of what calls itself ‘Christianity’ in the 21st century).

It should be mentioned that nothing that resembled modern Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, nor Eastern Orthodoxy existed in the first or second centuries among the faithful Christians. But in time, there were basically two groups: the faithful and the variety of compromisers (see also Early Church History: Who Were the Two Major Groups that Professed Christ in the Second and Third Centuries?; a related sermon is also available Christianity: Two groups).

Within the Roman Empire the religion of Mithraism was increasing in popularity as were various compromised versions of ‘Christianity’. Some considered that the two religions were in competition with each other (though that was really only the case with the compromisers and the followers of Mithras). Mithras was a pagan sun-god. Many beliefs and practices associated with Mithraism started to rub-off on many who professed Christ in the second through fourth centuries.

The acceptance of some of the doctrines held by other heretics (such as Simon Magus, Cerinthus, Marcion, Marcus, and Montanus) spread to many who professed Christ. Various allegorical heretics, such as Valentinus, went from Alexandria to Rome and elsewhere and began spreading various Gnostic and semi-gnostic teachings. And while history shows that second century leaders from Asia Minor opposed these heretics and their teachings, many of them were tolerated, at least for decades, by the main churches in Rome and Alexandria.

Part of the reason for that acceptance of certain Gnostic teachings was that it greatly increased the number of Gentiles going into those churches. Notice what one historian wrote:

The Gnostics blended with the faith of Christ many sublime but obscure tenets … the Gnostics were imperceptibly divided into more than fifty particular sects, of whom the most celebrated appear to have been the Basilidians, the Valentinians, the Marcionites… Each of these sects could boast of its bishops and congregations, of its doctors and martyrs; and, instead of the Four Gospels adopted by the church the heretics produced a multitude of histories in which the actions and discourses of Christ and of his apostles were adapted to their respective tenets. The success of the Gnostics was rapid and extensive. They covered Asia and Egypt, established themselves in Rome, and sometimes penetrated into the provinces of the West. For the most part they arose in the second century…

The Gentile converts, whose strongest objections and prejudices were directed against the law of Moses, could find admission into many Christian societies, which required not from their untutored mind any belief of an antecedent revelation. Their faith was insensibly fortified and enlarged, and the church was ultimately benefited by the conquests of its most inveterate enemies (Gibbon E. Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume III, Chapter XXVII. ca. 1776-1788).

While I do not agree with Gibbon that the true church “ultimately benefited” from this compromise as he indicated, this compromise did allow the mainstream Greco-Roman churches to “enlarge” as Gibbon wrote and become the majority of those who professed Christ.

Although many seem to accept blending of pagan ideas with their understanding of Christianity, this is not the way it was supposed to be. Notice, for one example, one of the accomplishments of Nehemiah:

30 I cleansed them of everything pagan. (Nehemiah 13:30)

However, many who professed Christ in the first few centuries did not share Nehemiah’s view as they introduced pagan concepts in their faith. Jesus Himself warned about adopting pagan practices of prayer (Matthew 6:7) and the Apostle Paul warned against adopting pagan festivals (2 Corinthians 6:14-16; 1 Corinthians 10:19-21). Christians are not supposed to have the “spirit of the world” (1 Corinthians 12:12) nor love its practices (1 John 2:15).

Despite biblical warnings, in the second century, one or more semi-gnostic schools developed in Alexandria, including the one headed by the semi-gnostic Clement of Alexandria and then Origen, whose teachings greatly influenced professing Christians in the Greco-Roman world. However, many of the teachings of the main school there have been condemned as heretical, even by Catholic and Protestant sources–and although many of the teachings had pagan ties, many who profess Christianity still have been influenced by them.

Notice what Dr. John Walvoord, who taught at the Dallas Theological Seminary for fifty years, wrote about that school:

In the last ten years of the second century and in the third century the heretical school of theology at Alexandria, Egypt advanced the erroneous principle that the Bible should be interpreted in a nonliteral or allegorical sense. In applying this to the Scriptures, they subverted all the major doctrines of faith…the Alexandrian school of theology is labeled by all theologians as heretical…(Walvoord, John F. The Prophecy Handbook. Victor Books, Wheaton (IL), 1990, pp. 9,15).

Over time, some of the more obvious Gnostic concepts (like Aeons) were never formally adopted as the Gnostics taught them, but others that the allegorists felt had some type of support from tradition and/or scripture were adopted by the forming Greco-Roman “Catholic/Orthodox” confederation. And although leaders stood up to the early allegorists (for two such leaders see What is the Appropriate Form of Biblical Interpretation?), the allegorizers continued to increase their influence. The Orthodox and even the former Pope Benedict XVI have praised Origen (who ran that Alexandrian school in the early third century) even though some of his beliefs have been portrayed as heretical by the same Pope Benedict (see Did The Early Church Millenarianism?).

After a local persecution by Roman Emperor Septimius Severus who died in 211 A.D., the church in Antioch ended up having a leader (Asclepiades) that was acceptable to those who compromised in Jerusalem and apparently other areas. Also in the early third century, a compromising Roman leader (Callistus) allowed abortion and generally lowered moral standards, which resulted in great increases among his and related churches.

Around 244 A.D., one “Gregory the Wonder Worker” of Neocaeseria claimed to see apparitions and apparently had mystical powers (Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions). He had been trained by Origin. Through the combination of Gregory’s influence (cf. Isaiah 47:5-6,12), Imperial persecutions, the rise of the allegorists, and doctrinal compromise, changes occurred in Antioch and Asia Minor. Allegedly Gregory “could cast his cloak over a man, and cause his death…he could bring the presiding demons back to their shrine” (Roberts A, Donaldson J, Volume 20, p. 3). He apparently was scarily impressive.

Around 250 A.D., during the severe empire-wide persecution by the Emperor Decius, the most public leader of the church in Smyrna (Eudaemon), apostatized. Shortly after this persecution, something new happened: A new leadership was installed throughout Asia Minor that was commended by the allegorist tolerating Bishop of Alexandria (Dionysius) who reported:

But know now, my brethren, that all the churches throughout the East and beyond, which formerly were divided, have become united. And all the bishops everywhere are of one mind, and rejoice greatly in the peace which has come beyond expectation. Thus Demetrianus in Antioch, Theoctistus in Cæsarea, Mazabanes in Ælia, Marinus in Tyre (Alexander having fallen asleep), Heliodorus in Laodicea (Thelymidres being dead), Helenus in Tarsus, and all the churches of Cilicia, Firmilianus, and all Cappadocia. I have named only the more illustrious bishops, that I may not make my epistle too long and my words too burdensome (Cited in Eusebius. Church History, Book VII, Chapter V, Verse I).

Notice that the Alexandrian Bishop acknowledged that those in the East (Asia Minor) that had been divided from the Alexandrian and Roman churches, were no longer divided. This is because there were no longer any original Christians publicly leading them, but only those who tended towards allegory and non-biblical traditions. Is your religion one that followed the faithful or one that followed the compromisers?

And shortly after this time is the first recorded instance of the Italians being able to influence a Roman Emperor enough so that they could install a bishop of their choice (probably either Dmonus or Timaeus) in Antioch (circa 270-273 A.D.) (please see the article The Smyrna Church era).

Hence, essentially due to compromise and persecutions, the semi-gnostic allegorizers tended to become the main group of professing Christians. For example, by the third and fourth century, the Roman Church no longer taught many apostolic teachings that it once had and instead included more and more teachings that did not originate in the Bible (this is documented in the article Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Continuing Church of God?).

The pagan Emperor Constantine allegedly saw a vision of the sun-god Sol in 310 and became more of a sun-god worshiper. Two years later, he claimed to have a dream with Jesus and within a day, another vision (one with a spear crossed with a sword). He ordered his soldiers to paint a cross-like image on their shields and fight.

Historians realize that this alleged apparition and dream changed the course of world history. Emperor Constantine, himself, was thankful for these apparent apparitions and believed that this indicated that some things should change in his empire. Constantine ended up making the first Sunday law, issuing an edict against those who would not accept his compromised religion, greatly exalting the political power of Greco-Roman bishops, and massively increased idolatry and military service amongst unfaithful professors of Christ. He also took away certain Church of God properties and ordered the death penalty to Church of God Christians in Jerusalem that would not eat pork.

He is known as Constantine the Great by the Roman and Eastern Orthodox Catholics for legalizing and essentially mandating their compromised faith throughout the Roman Empire. Other doctrinal compromises occurred because of him and afterwards. Even after his alleged conversion to his claimed version of the Christian faith in 312 (if he was ever baptized, it was supposedly on his death bed in 337 A.D., despite him declaring himself a lay “Christian” bishop by 325), years later, Emperor Constantine still put the sun god Sol on his coins.

While true Christians remained throughout history (please see the article The Churches of Revelation 2 & 3), they were often a persecuted minority (see also Persecutions by Church and State), and were more specifically persecuted by the State after the Council of Nicea in the fourth century and the subsequent “edicts against heretics” by Emperors Constantine (who had been a follower of Mithraism) in 331 and Theodosius in 381 (prior to that the Roman state normally persecuted Greco-Roman professors of Christ and original believers together)–so they fled into the wilderness for 1260 years (cf. Revelation 12:6). Theodosius actually decreed the death penalty for those who kept Passover on the same date as Jesus, John, Polycarp, and other early Christians did.

If people better understood church history, they would be keeping the biblical Holy Days (see also Should You Keep God’s Holy Days or Demonic Holidays?).

Throughout time, God continued to raise up faithful Church of God leaders and groups that kept “the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3)–for documentation please see the article The Churches of Revelation 2 & 3.

Over time people, like the Protestant reformers, sometimes stood up against those who often relied on allegory and tradition in an attempt to reverse some of the false doctrines that dominated mainstream Christianity. However, even though they were successful in removing some non-biblical practices (such as many idols and icons), they often retained many of the doctrines that the Alexandrian and Roman churches had accepted (some of this is documented in the article The Similarities and Dissimilarities between Martin Luther and Herbert Armstrong). It should be noted that there was nothing that really resembled evangelical Protestantism in early church history (see also Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God differs from most Protestants).

Nor did early Christians practice Mormonism (see Teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) and the Continuing Church of God).

Many today, cannot accept the idea that the faithful would truly be a very small flock.

In the 21st century, many in the mainstream are also hoping to end division that they have and to attain ecumenical unity between the Catholics of Rome, the Eastern Orthodox, and with many of the Protestants–thinking that this is God’s will (here is a link to a video Should you be concerned about the ecumenical movement?).

They, however, would do well to recall what Jesus said:

Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division (Luke 12:51).

Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able (Luke 13:24).

Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it (Matthew 7:14)

Hence, for any to suggest or imply that Jesus is behind the current ecumenical bent of many should be biblically questioned (also the Bible indicates that when there is essentially one-religion prior to the second coming of Christ, that it is not good–see Revelation 13:3-4,8-15)–the “many” are not to be able to enter the Kingdom in this age per Jesus’ words in Luke13:24 and elsewhere.

Thus, the true and genuine Church of God will be somewhat small, like the faithful Continuing Church of God. The group that has restored more truth about true church history than any other in the 21st century.

Teaching the truth about the Bible and history and the love of the word of God to the world in general and those called in this age in particular (Matthew 28:19-20) is the mission of the Continuing Church of God. You can click here for Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?
The Churches of Revelation 2 & 3 from 31 A.D. to present: information on all of the seven churches of Revelation 2 & 3. There is also a YouTube video: The Seven Church Eras of Revelation. There is also a version in the Spanish language: Las Siete Iglesias de Apocalipsis 2 & 3.
What was the Liturgy of the Early Church? Were early church services mainly scriptural, emotional, or sacramental? Who follows the basic original liturgy today? A related video is also available: What were early Christian church services like?
What Do Roman Catholic Scholars Actually Teach About Early Church History? Although most believe that the Roman Catholic Church history teaches an unbroken line of succession of bishops beginning with Peter, with stories about most of them, Roman Catholic scholars know the truth of this matter. Is telling the truth about the early church citing Catholic accepted sources anti-Catholic? This eye-opening article is a must-read for any who really wants to know what Roman Catholic history actually admits about the early church. There is also a YouTube sermon on the subject titled Church of God or Church of Rome: What Do Catholic Scholars Admit About Early Church History?
Nazarene Christianity: Were the Original Christians Nazarenes? Who were the Nazarene Christians? What did they believe? Should 21st century Christians be modern Nazarenes? Is there a group that exists now that traces its history through the Nazarenes and holds the same beliefs today? Here is a link to a related video sermon Nazarene Christians: Were the early Christians “Nazarenes”?
Location of the Early Church: Another Look at Ephesus, Smyrna, and Rome What actually happened to the primitive Church? And did the Bible tell about this in advance?
Teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) and the Continuing Church of God The genuine Church of God is not related to the Mormons and this article explains some differences and a couple of similarities. Also, might certain LDS prophecies apply to Mitt Romney? A sermon of related interest is available: Mormon vs. Church of God Teachings.
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God differs 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. As far as some changes affecting Protestantism, watch the video Charismatic Kenneth Copeland and Anglican Tony Palmer: Protestants Beware! [Português: Esperança do salvação: Como a igreja do deus difere da maioria de protestantes]. A sermon is also available: How Does the Church of God Differ from Protestantism?
Should You Observe God’s Holy Days or Demonic Holidays? This is a free pdf booklet explaining what the Bible and history shows about God’s Holy Days and popular holidays. A related sermon is Which Spring Days should Christians observe?
Apostolic Succession What really happened? Did structure and beliefs change? Are many of the widely-held current understandings of this even possible? Did you know that Catholic scholars really do not believe that several of the claimed “apostolic sees” of the Orthodox have apostolic succession–despite the fact that the current pontiff himself seems to wish to ignore this view? Is there actually a true church that has ties to any of the apostles that is not part of the Catholic or Orthodox churches? Read this article if you truly are interested in the truth on this matter! Here is a version in the Spanish language La sucesión apostólica. ¿Ocurrió en Roma, Alejandría, Constantinopla, Antioquía, Jerusalén o Asia Menor?
Early Church History: Who Were the Two Major Groups that Professed Christ in the Second and Third Centuries? Did you know that many in the second and third centuries felt that there were two major, and separate, professing Christian groups in the second century, but that those in the majority churches tend to now blend the groups together and claim “saints” from both? “Saints” that condemn some of their current beliefs. Who are the two groups? A related sermon is also available Christianity: Two groups.
Should You Keep God’s Holy Days or Demonic Holidays? This is a free pdf booklet explaining what the Bible and history shows about God’s Holy Days and popular holidays. A related sermon is Which Spring Days should Christians observe?
What Was the Original Apostles’ Creed? What is the Nicene Creed? Did the original apostles write a creed? When was the first creed written? Are the creeds commonly used by the Eastern Orthodox or Roman Catholics original?
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. December 25th was celebrated as his birthday. Do you follow Mithraism combined with the Bible or original Christianity? A sermon videoed in Vatican City is Church of Rome, Mithras, and Isis?
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 and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L Histoire Continue de l Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God.

COGwriter

A reader forwarded me a link to the following by Sabbatarian Tim McHyde:

Why I’m Convinced The End Begins in 2026—And What You Can Do About It

Since learning in 2001 that Yeshua must return in a Sabbath year, I’ve had to rule out three consecutive Sabbath year cycle windows for the final 7 years (2003-2009, 2010-2016, 2017-2023). This same insight enabled me to easily rule out every date-setting prophecy theory along the way, bringing comfort to many scared readers. With the next possible window for the 70th week coming next decade (2024-2030), I’m ready to share why I believe, based on the real end time sign of Mt 24:14, that this can be the one. …

To be clear as possible about my position on 2026:

• I’m not saying “thus saith the Lord” or doing this “in God’s name.” I offer you no hard proof in signs or wonders that would accompany such a statement by the prophets.
• As such, I am not a prophet nor making myself out to be one.
• I am not a “watchman” nor am I here to “warn” anyone, either.
• I am not even making a “prediction” nor a definitive statement that “the end will for sure come in 2026.” For an example of a definitive statement from me, go to my article “Jesus cannot/will not come back in 2018.” Note that those who make doomsday date predictions are usually surprised or confused when they fail to happen. I won’t be because I already know it is possible I misunderstood given I did not hear the audible voice of God explicitly say “2026 is it.”
• I’m only sharing my conviction that 2026 is the end. …
• I’m sharing this revelation to bless and build up brethren (1Co 14:26) who want or are waiting for confirmation that time is short. …
• If 2026 must be ruled out early in the 2020s, I will be relieved with nothing to apologize for because my conviction shared below coupled with my teaching on repentance to escape what is coming will only help listeners to prioritize God in their life. Urgency about the end is a blessing when you have been told what the Bible says to do about it.
• Finally, my “reputation as a teacher” is not “on the line” as my 2026 date is not a teaching as much as sharing a revelation I am convinced is from God (1Co 14:26). In other words, a teaching of mine would be that the 70th week will come in some Sabbath year cycle. My conviction is that God has confirmed that 2024-2030 is the right cycle, making 2026 the “beginning of sorrows.” …

By the way, I hope my conviction is wrong. 06/09/2017 https://escapeallthesethings.com/2026-in-prophecy/ accessed 10/14/18

Anyway, I had seen this before, but decided since someone else brought it up, to address some of this here.

Please understand that Jesus DID NOT say to calculate the Sabbatical year, Jubilee year, or anything similar to figure out when the end would be.

So, be careful about doing so yourself or relying on those who mainly point to such calculations.

That being said, there is a possibility that 2026 is a Sabbatical or Jubilee year.

Now, it is true that if by 2020 we do not see certain events take place, Jesus will not return in 2026.

What we need to do is to look at what Jesus said would happen.

Let’s look at Matthew 24:

1 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.

2 And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you.

5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. (Matthew 24:1-5)

Jesus warned that people would deceive many.

To help those with the love of the truth, He gave many specific signs to look for:

6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.

8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

9 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.

10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.

11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.

12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved.

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:6-14)

Tim McHyde is correct that Matthew 24:14 is a pivotal step that must be fulfilled before the end comes.

And that is something that we in the Continuing Church of God are working hard to help fulfill. See also our free online booklet: The Gospel of the Kingdom of God. This booklet is available in scores of languages as you can find if you scroll down at the home page at www.ccog.org

Now, see what Jesus said happens after the “gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations“:

15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),

16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.

18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.

19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!

20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.

21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.

22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. (Matthew 24:15-22)

Jesus referring to Daniel does add a time period. More on that can be found in the article The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27.

As far as WHEN Jesus will return, notice what He said:

29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matthew 24:29-30)

So, since Jesus returns AFTER the tribulation is over, many  have correctly figured out that this would be seven years after the deal of Daniel 9:27 is confirmed. If that does not happen by the end of 2019, Jesus will not return in 2026.

Now, Tim McHyde did not state that Jesus would come in 2026, only that he believed that the beginning of sorrows would start then. Well, there is evidence that this has began.

But we need to watch events to see other things that Jesus pointed out.

As far as watching goes, Jesus taught:

37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch! (Mark 13:31)

Let us notice here something that the Bible teaches:

10 … Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. (Revelation 19:10)

Prophecy is important.

But part of the point of prophecy is to get YOUR spiritual life in order. That is more important than knowing the date.

Enough people predict dates that some, by chance, will get it right.

But notice something else that Jesus taught:

34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.

35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.

36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:34-36)

In order to “be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man,” you need to get your spiritual life in order.

The following may be of assistance:

Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is a link to a related sermon: Could God be Calling You?

Christians: Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, Biblical instructions on living as a Christian This is a scripture-filled booklet for those wishing to live as a real Christian. A related sermon is also available: Christians are Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God.

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)?

Do not let people in or out of the COGs deceive you on prophecy. Believe the Bible.

15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. (2 Timothy 2:15-16, KJV)

Believe what the Bible teaches and do not be misled by calculations.

As it turns out, there are many biblical signs related to the Great Tribulation and Jesus’ return that few understand today.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2026 or 20xx? There is also a video titled The 6000 Year Plan: Is the end of humanity’s reign almost up?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2018, 2019, or 2020? 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 2018 o 2019? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon videos: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives and Can the Great Tribulation begin before 2020? A shorter video is: Can the Great Tribulation begin in 2018?
The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation.
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. One video of related interest is 17 Laodicean Errors in Prophecy.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to three related sermons: The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.

COGwriter

A supporter tipped me off to the following from Reuters:

Exclusive: Five Eyes intelligence alliance builds coalition to counter China

BERLIN (Reuters) – The five nations in the world’s leading intelligence-sharing network have been exchanging classified information on China’s foreign activities with other like-minded countries since the start of the year, seven officials in four capitals said. …

While China has been the main focus, discussions have also touched on Russia, several said. …

The increased cooperation by the Five Eyes alliance – grouping Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and the United States – with countries such as Germany and Japan is a sign of a broadening international front against Chinese influence operations and investments.

Some of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks, said the enhanced cooperation amounted to an informal expansion of the Five Eyes group on the specific issue of foreign interference. …

The officials who spoke to Reuters said the talks have been taking place “below the radar” and mainly bilaterally. Two sources said France was also involved, but on a less regular and comprehensive basis. …

Talks have taken place between diplomats, intelligence officials and heads of government, they said.

“We are living in a new world,” said a person from a Five Eyes country who has traveled extensively to other capitals over the past year to discuss China’s foreign activities.

“The sudden shock from authoritarian regimes is prompting closer coordination and a real expansion of intelligence sharing,” this person said. 10/11/18 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-fiveeyes/exclusive-five-eyes-intelligence-alliance-builds-coalition-to-counter-china-idUSKCN1MM0GH

For those unfamiliar with it, here is what Wikipedia has about the Five Eyes:

Five Eyes
Official languages	English (de facto)
Type	Intelligence alliance
Contributors	Australia  Canada  New Zealand  United Kingdom  United States
Establishment
• Atlantic Charter	14 August 1941
• BRUSA Agreement	17 May 1943

The Five Eyes, often abbreviated as FVEY, is an intelligence alliance comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. These countries are parties to the multilateral UKUSA Agreement, a treaty for joint cooperation in signals intelligence.^[1][2][3]

The origins of the FVEY can be traced back to the post–World War II period, when the Atlantic Charter was issued by the Allies to lay out their goals for a post-war world. During the course of the Cold War, the ECHELON surveillance system was initially developed by the FVEY to monitor the communications of the former Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc, although it is now used to monitor billions of private communications worldwide.^[4][5]

In the late 1990s, the existence of ECHELON was disclosed to the public, triggering a major debate in the European Parliament and, to a lesser extent, the United States Congress. As part of efforts in the ongoing War on Terror since 2001, the FVEY further expanded their surveillance capabilities, with much emphasis placed on monitoring the World Wide Web. The former NSA contractor Edward Snowden described the Five Eyes as a “supra-national intelligence organisation that does not answer to the known laws of its own countries”.^[6] Documents leaked by Snowden in 2013 revealed that the FVEY have been spying on one another’s citizens and sharing the collected information with each other in order to circumvent restrictive domestic regulations on surveillance of citizens.^{[7][8][9][10]}

In spite of continued controversy over its methods, the Five Eyes relationship remains one of the most comprehensive known espionage alliances in history.^[11]

NSA Headquarters, Fort Meade, Maryland, United States

GCHQ, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom

CSE, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Since processed intelligence is gathered from multiple sources, the intelligence shared is not restricted to signals intelligence (SIGINT) and often involves defence intelligence as well as human intelligence (HUMINT) and geospatial intelligence (GEOINT). (Five Eyes. Wikipedia, accessed 01/14/18)

Notice also the following:

May 8, 2018

Justin Trudeau recently promoted the “Anglosphere‘s” intelligence-sharing arrangement. Two weeks ago, in a rare move, the PM revealed a meeting with his “Five Eyes” counterparts. After the meeting in London, Trudeau labelled the 2,000-employee Communications Security Establishment, Canada’s main contributor to the “Five Eyes” arrangement, “an extraordinary institution.” Last year Trudeau said that “collaboration and co-operation between allies, friends and partners has saved lives and keeps all of our citizens safe.”

The praise comes as the government is seeking to substantially expand CSE’s powers and two months ago put up $500 million to create a federal “cybersecurity” centre. This money is on top of CSE’s $600 million annual budget and a massive new $1.2-billion complex.

Since its creation CSE has been part of the “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing framework. The main contributors to the accord are the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), Australian Defence Signals Directorate (DFS), New Zealand’s Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB), British Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) and CSE. A series of post-Second World War accords, beginning with the 1946 UKUSA intelligence agreement, created the “AUS/CAN/NZ/UK/US EYES ONLY” arrangement.

Writing prior to the internet, author of Target Nation: Canada and the Western Intelligence Network James Littleton notes, “almost the entire globe is monitored by the SIGINT [signals intelligence] agencies of the UKUSA countries.” With major technological advancements in recent decades, the Five Eyes now monitor billions of private communications worldwide.

The Five Eyes accords are ultra-secretive and operate with little oversight. NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden labelled it a “supra-national intelligence organization that doesn’t answer to the known laws of its own countries.”

In addition to sharing information they’ve intercepted, collected, analyzed and decrypted, the five SIGINT agencies exchange technologies and tactics. They also cooperate on targeting and “standardize their terminology, codewords, intercept–handling procedures, and indoctrination oaths, for efficiency as well as security.” http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/yves-englers-blog/2018/05/trudeau-promotes-five-eyes-spying-cse-gets-more-money

Over five years ago, the Snowden leaks had information about the Five Eyes and this offended the Europeans, including the Germans.

Notice something the Financial Times reported nearly 5 years ago:

28 October 2013

Confronted with European fury at US spying, Washington is divided over whether its allies’ anger is genuine or a calculation that they can use the revelations to change the terms of intelligence sharing and targeting….

Underlying the debate over Ms Merkel are longstanding and deep tensions over intelligence sharing between the US and European nations such as Germany and France.

The US has for decades, and with few interruptions, shared intelligence with four other countries, the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, under the so-called “five eyes” agreement which includes a proviso that they do not spy on each other.

“Germany and France have long resented this special relationship in intelligence,” said Tim Naftali, of the New America Foundation. “But the question is whether [France and Germany] would be able to accept the co-ordination of their foreign policies that comes along with the agreement.”

When intelligence agencies discuss targeting they are giving away what they know, said Mr Naftali. “Is the US prepared to do that across the board with France and Germany?” http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/b9fc90ae-3ff4-11e3-a890-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2j7WaaEUy

So, now the USA IS sharing more espionage information with Germany and France.

This will not end well for the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, or New Zealand.

The reality is that the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are considered to be more trustworthy as far as the USA goes than continental Europe–but now the USA has decided to share more with others like Germany.

Now, this IS consistent with something former US President Barack Obama reportedly stated as, according to a German source (the following was machine-translated into English from German), the USA will give the Europeans a lot of information:

2 July 2013

Obama promises EU all the information

Given the outrage over the U.S. spy in Europe, the U.S. president tried to relax. He also justified for intelligence operations.  http://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2013-07/snowden-brief-usa-prozess

This basically was confirmed by US Secretary of State John Kerry in November 2013:

November 5, 2013

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says the Obama administration will work more closely with allies to overcome privacy concerns raised by the revelation of U.S. intelligence operations in Europe. In Poland, Kerry discussed the spy scandal and efforts to end Syria’s civil war.

Kerry says the Obama administration welcomes the opportunity to discuss concerns raised by the disclosure of U.S. eavesdropping as Washington and its European allies are all trying to balance the protection and privacy of their citizens.

“Ultimately if we get it right, which we will, we can not only alleviate concerns but we can actually strengthen our intelligence relationships going forward, and we can all be more secure and safer as a result as well as protecting the privacy of citizens,” he said.  http://www.voanews.com/content/kerry-us-to-work-closely-with-allies-over-surveillance-concerns/1783733.html

This is not ‘intelligence strengthening’–the Europeans were very angry–this was appeasement. The Europeans are now also very angry at US President Trump.

So now the USA is now ‘sharing’ more intelligence with the Germans and other Europeans.

The ramifications of this are staggering. Appeasement does not have a great track record in preventing wars as those who followed Nevil Chamberlain will remember. But appeasement is part of what the USA appears to be trying to do.

The statements from US Secretary of State Kerry, as well as the Reuters’ report, provide further support of my assessment that the USA will help Europe by giving it strategic advantages against the USA when someone there decides war against the USA needs to happen (Isaiah 10:5-11). This will not bode well for the USA in the long run–this sharing of intelligence will help the coming European Beast power takeover the land that had the strongest military/fortresses in the world (cf. Daniel 11:39). These espionage matters are that important.

For years I have warned that perceived threats from China and/or Russia would lead the USA to not have its defenses ready for what will happen in Europe.  This intelligence sharing, apparently because of China and Russia is another step the USA has taken that will hurt it.

I have long warned that I believed that the USA would share too much of its military information with the Europeans and that this would be a factor in the eventual European takeover of the USA and the end of its Anglo-Saxon descended allies. This sharing is now happening.

Yet few Americans consider that any real threat will come from Germany and Europe. But according to biblical prophecy the final Beast power (Revelation 13; Daniel 11) will arise in Europe, and this will result in the takeover of the USA and its Anglo-descended allies (cf. Daniel 11:39; see also USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses).

Some links of possibly related interest may include:

The Snowden Leaks are Leading to the Destruction of the USA Can what happened with the leaks of what the NSA has done help the USA to be taken over? What does the Bible teach that seems to be related to this? Here is a related YouTube video titled Are the Snowden NSA leaks leading to the destruction of the USA?
Will USA Spying Help the Beast Power? Various allegations have surfaced about the United States government spying on its own citizens as well as its supposed allies in the European Union. Whether or not all the espionage allegations are true, and the main ones have not been publicly denied by the government of the USA, the reality is that this does have prophetic ramifications and will help the Beast of Revelation. This video provides quotes from the Bible showing how this is so. The USA is placing itself in a position to be taken over and its response to the allegations will make it easier for the Europeans to do so.
Europa, the Beast, and the Book of Revelation discusses the largest church since the second/third century, which in a real sense is the eighth church mentioned in the Book of Revelation (it also endorses “eighth day” worship). What church would support the Beast? Here is a link to a video titled: Europe and the ‘Holy Roman Empire’.
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters Where did the Chinese people come from? This article provides information showing that the Chinese peoples must have known about various accounts in the Book of Genesis up until their dispersion after the Tower of Babel. Here is a link to a version of this article in Spanish: ¿Prueban los caracteres chinos la exactitud de la Biblia?
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: The Sabbath and Some of God’s Witness in China When did Christianity first come to China? And is there early evidence that they observed the seventh day sabbath?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon? Two YouTube video are Is China THE Threat to the United States of America? and China: A King of the East.
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? Are we close to the battle with Gog and Magog? Three related videos are available: Ezekiel 38 Gog and Magog War: Is it Soon?, Ezekiel 38: For Russia, Ukraine, & Iran Now?, and Russia, Iran, Syria, & the Bible (Code).
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 and Catholic 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 is a version of the article in the Spanish language: Alemania en la profecía bíblic. Here are links to two English language sermon videos Germany in Bible Prophecy and The Rise of the Germanic Beast Power of Prophecy.
USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses Can you point to scriptures, like Daniel 11:39, that point to the USA in the 21st century? This article does. A related sermon is titled: Do these 7 prophesies point to the end of the USA?
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: Are Chinese threats against Australia for real?
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?
Will the UK Lose Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands? Spain wants Gibraltar and Argentina wants the Falklands (also known as the Malvinas). Does the Bible give clues as to what will happen with these ‘sea gates’? A related video would be Will the UK Lose Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands? A version in Spanish is ¿Perderá el Reino Unido a Gibraltar y las Islas Falkland (Malvinas)?
Canada in Prophecy: What Does Bible Prophecy, Catholic Prophecy, and other Predictions Suggest About the Future of Canada? There are prophecies that suggest involvement with Canada. And many are not positive about its future.
Protestant and Church of God views of the United States in Bible Prophecy Is the USA mentioned in Bible prophecy? Some Protestants say yes, while others say no. What does the Bible really teach? Learn the truth about this. There is also a video available: Is The United States Mentioned In Bible Prophecy?
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?
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? Is a Donald Trump presidency proving to be apocalyptic? Two related videos are available: Donald: ‘Trump of God’ or Apocalyptic? and Donald Trump’s Prophetic Presidency.
Trump Presidency Magic 8 Ball or Bible Prophecy? BBC reported that one might as well use a ‘Magic Eight-Ball’ to try to predict what will happen in the remaining time of Donald Trump’s presidency. What is a ‘Magic Eight-Ball’? Dr. Thiel not only explains that, but also briefly goes over 10 biblically-based warnings he wrote would happen if Donald Trump were elected that have already began to come to pass. He also goes over something he wrote back in 2008 that the Trump presidency is also helping lead to fulfillment. Should you trust Bible prophecy or not? Dr. Thiel says that Bible prophecy can be trusted, despite the view of skeptics and others that either overlook or despise the Bible. This is a video.
Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse This 188 page book is for people truly interested in prophecies related to Donald Trump and the United States, including learning about several that have already been fulfilled and those that will be fulfilled in the future. The physical book can be purchased at Amazon for $12.99 from the following link: Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse.
Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse-Kindle Edition This electronic version of the 188 page print edition is available for only US$3.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse-Kindle Edition.

COGwriter

The Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

15:46

Tulip Predestination?

Does the Bible teach predestination? John Calvin was a 16th century Protestant Reformer who had his views on it. What is five point TULIP Calvinism? Does the Bible teach this or is TULIP Calvinism in conflict with scripture? Is it something that a God of love would come up with? What about the ‘age to come’? Does TULIP Calvinism seem racist? Dr. Thiel explains each of the five points of Calvinism and provides scriptural quotes that are often in conflict with it. A free online booklet that discusses this is also available titled “Is God Calling You?“

Here is a link to the sermonette video: Tulip Predestination?

Some items of possibly related interest may include the following:

John Calvin, Calvinism, TULIP, and What is Predestination? Who was John Calvin? Did he believe in sola Scriptura or did he hold to unbiblical doctrines? TULIP analyzed. A sermonette related to this is also available: Tulip Predestination?
Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is a link to a related sermon: Could God be Calling You?
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? A related sermon is also available titled: Real Christian Repentance.
Universal Offer of Salvation: There Are Hundreds of Verses in the Bible Supporting the Doctrine of True Apocatastasis Do you believe what the Bible actually teaches on this? Will all good things be restored? Will God call everyone? Will everyone have an opportunity for salvation? Does God’s plan of salvation take rebellion and spiritual blindness into account? Related sermon videos include Universal Offer of Salvation I: God is love  and Universal Offer of Salvation II: The Age to Come and the ‘Little Flock’ and Universal Offer of Salvation III: All Are to Know Jesus, But When? and Universal Offer of Salvation IV: Will the Guilty be Pardoned? and Universal Offer of Salvation V: All Israel Will be Saved? A version of the main article was also translated in the Spanish language: Oferta universal de salvación: Hay cientos de versículos en la Biblia que apoyan la verdadera doctrina de la Apocatastasis.
Did the Early Church Teach Purgatory? Is there a place called purgatory? Does God have a plan to help those who did not become saints in this life?
What is Limbo? Is There Such a Place as Limbo? What Happens to Babies When They Die? When did Limbo start being taught? What is the truth about dead babies? Here is a link to the video: Popes Change on Limbo and Purgatory?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to three related sermons: The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to three related sermons: The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
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 and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L’Histoire Continue de l’Église de Dieu 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?
Congregations of the Continuing Church of God This is a listing of congregations and groups of the Continuing Church of God around the world.
Continuing Church of God Facebook page This has news and prophetic information.
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.
CCOGAFRICA.ORG This is a website targeted towards those in Africa.
CCOGCANADA.CA This is a website targeted towards those in Canada.
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.
CCOG Animations channel. The Continuing Church of God has some animations to teach aspects of Christian beliefs.
Bible News Prophecy channel. Dr. Thiel has produced many YouTube videos for the BibleNewsProphecy channel. And you can find them there.
ContinuingCOG channel. Dr. Thiel has produced YouTube video sermons for this channel. Note: Since these are sermon-length, they can take a little longer to load than other YouTube videos. Here is a link to a short intro: ContinuingCOG Channel.
CCOGAfrica channel. This has messages from African pastors in African languages such as Kalenjin, Kiswahili, Embu, and Dholuo.
BibleNewsProphecy Podcast. This has audio-visual podcasts of the Bible News Prophecy channgel. It plays on i-Phones, i-Pads, and Windows devices that can play i-Tunes.
Bible News Prophecy online radio. This is an audio version of the Bible News Prophecy videos. It is also available as a mobile app.

Picture from aclj.org

COGwriter

Protestant Pastor Andrew Brunson was released from Turkish imprisonment and is now in the USA:

October 13, 2018

U.S. Pastor Andrew Brunson, newly freed from detention in Turkey, thanked Donald Trump and prayed for the U.S. president at a televised White House meeting Saturday.

Brunson had been held by Turkey for two years. Grateful for the diplomatic effort to free him, Brunson said he “loves this country.”

Trump thanked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the return of Brunson, who was freed Friday by a Turkish court. Trump noted the U.S. did not negotiate an agreement with Turkey for Brunson’s release.

Brunson’s release ended a bitter diplomatic dispute between Washington and Ankara. He was facing 35 years in jail if he had been convicted on terrorism and espionage charges, allegations Washington called baseless.

The Turkish court found Brunson guilty Friday but sentenced him to only three years and one month in jail. The pastor had already served two years in pre-trial detention, so he was freed for time served.

During the fourth day of hearings Friday, three prosecution witnesses recanted earlier testimony. One said he didn’t know who Brunson was, while others claimed the court had misunderstood their previous statements.

The pastor’s case became the focal point of a crisis in Turkish-U.S. relations. Trump, partly in retaliation for Brunson’s prosecution, slapped Turkey with trade tariffs in August. The action made the Turkish currency collapse.

On Twitter on Friday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the Trump administration would continue to work to bring other “wrongfully imprisoned” Americans home. https://www.voanews.com/a/newly-freed-pastor-meets-trump/4612356.html

October 13, 2018 One day after he was released from house arrest in Turkey, American pastor Andrew Brunson arrived at the White House on Saturday afternoon to meet with President Trump in the Oval Office.

Brunson, from North Carolina, flew to Germany Friday for a medical checkup at a U.S. military hospital before flying on to the U.S. On Friday, a Turkish judge ordered Brunson freed from house arrest on Friday after sentencing him to time served on terror and treason charges; on Saturday shortly after noon E.T., an aircraft carrying Brunson landed at Joint Base Andrews.

The pastor was imprisoned in October 2016 due to his alleged ties to an outlawed group as part of a crackdown on a failed coup in Turkey against President Recep Erdogan’s government. Brunson had rejected the charges against him and maintained his innocence.

Upon Brunson’s arrival in the Oval Office, Trump said “from a Turkish prison to the White House in 24 hours, that’s not bad.”

The president then warned that “we do not pay ransom in this country, at least any longer,” but added that he wants to thank President Erdogan, after noting that he was “very surprised we didn’t work this out a couple of months ago.” https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-10-13/trump-meets-freed-american-pastor-andrew-brunson-oval-office

Irrespective of how one views US President Trump, he sent a strong enough message to Turkey to get Andrew Brunson freed.

Andrew Brunson has been in my prayers for some time as have others like the Egyptian Copts & Catholics, Yazidis, and Syrian Armenian Orthodox who are facing religious persecution in places like the Middle East.

This freeing of Andrew Brunson is expected to help US-Turkish relations as well as the Turkish economy (US President Trump had imposed limited sanctions when Brunson was not released in July and threatened stronger ones against Turkey).

However, since there are other religious Americans with issues in Turkey, Turkey is likely going to be pressured to do more.

And, Turkey will ultimately align with Europe and against the USA (cf. Psalm 83:3-8; see also Turkey in Prophecy).

The freeing of Andrew Brunson will help energize President Trump’s evangelical supporters and may impact next month’s mid-term elections.

That being said, Jesus spoke of persecutions to come (Matthew 24:9) before the start of the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21), and more persecutions are coming. Despite the good news of Andrew Brunson’s release.

Items of possibly related interest may include:

Persecutions by Church and State This article documents some that have occurred against those associated with the COGs and some prophesied to occur. Will those with the cross be the persecutors or the persecuted–this article has the shocking answer. There is also a YouTube video sermon you can watch: The Coming Persecution of the Church. Here is information in the Spanish language: Persecuciones de la Iglesia y el Estado.
The Spanish Inquisition and Early Protestant Persecutions Was the Church of Rome really responsible for this? What happened?
What Should You Know About Turkey in Prophecy Do you know the Turkish people descended from? Did the Ottoman Empire possibly fulfill a promise in Genesis? Will Turkey support the European King of the North or Arabic King of the South? Will it betray one of them? Will Turkey be involved in the encouraging the destruction of Israel? Is Turkey going to become Catholic? Is Turkey mentioned in Psalm 83, Daniel 11, and elsewhere in the Bible? This video provides answers.
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God differs 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. As far as some changes affecting Protestantism, watch the video Charismatic Kenneth Copeland and Anglican Tony Palmer: Protestants Beware! [Português: Esperança do salvação: Como a igreja do deus difere da maioria de protestantes]. A sermon is also available: How Does the Church of God Differ from Protestantism?
Nazarene Christianity: Were the Original Christians Nazarenes? Who were the Nazarene Christians? What did they believe? Should 21st century Christians be modern Nazarenes? Is there a group that exists now that traces its history through the Nazarenes and holds the same beliefs today? Here is a link to a related video sermon Nazarene Christians: Were the early Christians “Nazarenes”?
The Pergamos Church Era was predominant circa 450 A.D. to circa 1050 A.D. An especially persecuted Church.
The Thyatira Church Era was predominant circa 1050 A.D. to circa 1600 A.D. The Church during the Inquisition.
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?
Military Service and the Churches of God: Do Real Christians Participate in Carnal Warfare or Encourage Violence? Here are current and historical perspectives on a matter which show the beliefs of the true church on military participation. Is war proper for Christians? A related sermon would be: Christians, Violence, and Military Service.
What Did the Early Church Teach About Idols and Icons? Did Catholic and Orthodox “saints” endorse or condemn idols and icons for Christians?
Binitarian View: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning Is binitarianism the correct position? What about unitarianism or trinitarianism?
Is The Father God? What is the view of the Bible? What was the view of the early church?
Jesus: The Son of God and Saviour Who was Jesus? Why did He come to earth? What message did He bring? Is there evidence outside the Bible that He existed? Here is a YouTube sermon titled Jesus: Son of God and Saviour.
Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity? Most act like this is so, but is it? Here is an old, by somewhat related, article in the Spanish language LA DOCTRINA DE LA TRINIDAD.
Was Unitarianism the Teaching of the Bible or Early Church? Many, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, claim it was, but was it?
Binitarianism: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning This is a shorter article than the Binitarian View article, but has a little more information on binitarianism.
Is the Future King of the South Rising Up? Some no longer believe there needs to be a future King of the South. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? Might this King be called the Mahdi or Caliph? What does the Bible say? A YouTube video of related interest may be: The Future King of the South is Rising.
Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future What does the Bible say about Jerusalem and its future? Is Jerusalem going to be divided and eliminated? Is Jesus returning to the area of Jerusalem? There are also two related YouTube videos you can watch: Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated and God’s and Satan’s Plan for Jerusalem.
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: Are Chinese threats against Australia for real?
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? 2026 or 20xx? There is also a video titled The 6000 Year Plan: Is the end of humanity’s reign almost up?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2018, 2019, or 2020? 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 2018 o 2019? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon videos: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives and Can the Great Tribulation begin before 2020? A shorter video is: Can the Great Tribulation begin in 2018?
The Times of the Gentiles Has there been more than one time of the Gentiles? Are we in it now or in the time of Anglo-America? What will the final time of the Gentiles be like? A related sermon is available and is titled: The Times of the Gentiles.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to three related sermons: The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
Damascus and Syria in Prophecy Will Bashar Assad hold power as he has it? Does the Bible show that Damascus, the capital of Syria, will be destroyed? What will happen to Syria? Will the Syrians support the final King of the South that the Bible tells will rise up? Which scriptures discuss the rise and fall of an Arabic confederation? Does Islamic prophecy predict the destruction of Syria. This is a YouTube video.
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?  Is a Donald Trump presidency proving to be apocalyptic?  Two related videos are available: Donald: ‘Trump of God’ or Apocalyptic? and Donald Trump’s Prophetic Presidency.
Trump Presidency Magic 8 Ball or Bible Prophecy? BBC reported that one might as well use a ‘Magic Eight-Ball’ to try to predict what will happen in the remaining time of Donald Trump’s presidency. What is a ‘Magic Eight-Ball’? Dr. Thiel not only explains that, but also briefly goes over 10 biblically-based warnings he wrote would happen if Donald Trump were elected that have already began to come to pass. He also goes over something he wrote back in 2008 that the Trump presidency is also helping lead to fulfillment. Should you trust Bible prophecy or not? Dr. Thiel says that Bible prophecy can be trusted, despite the view of skeptics and others that either overlook or despise the Bible. This is a video.
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from 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 and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L’Histoire Continue de l’Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.

Logo of Grace Communion International

COGwriter

GCI (Grace Communion International, essentially the group that originally ran the new and changed Worldwide Church of God) posted the following:

An important event in GCI history will occur in a worship service to be held on October 14 in Charlotte, NC. In this setting of worship, we’ll be celebrating Dr. Joseph Tkach’s many years of service to our denomination, and the installation of Dr. Greg Williams as GCI’s new President (Dr. Tkach will continue as GCI Board Chairman). In the video below, Greg interviews Joseph concerning his tenure as GCI President and the preparations that have led to the passing of the GCI presidency baton to Greg. That weekend, we’ll also celebrate the retirement of a few other GCI leaders—we’ll include pictures and additional details in a special issue of GCI Update published on October 24. Thanks for your prayers concerning this event, including safe, trouble-free travel for those attending, some from overseas. https://update.gci.org/2018/10/passing-the-gci-presidency-baton/

Despite the pledge of Joseph Tkach (Sr.) to try to walk in the steps of the late Herbert W. Armstrong, he failed to do so. Some of the reason was pressure from his son. Joe Tkach, Jr. Apostasy set in and Jr. was named successor by his father.

After the apostasy set in, many of us left the changed WCG. There was a major falling away from the truth by many (see also The Falling Away: The Bible and WCG Teachings).

There were various ones who felt that WCG was always God’s church, and that one should never leave it no matter what it did nor the heresies it began to promote. Yet, that was not scriptural nor consistent with the practices of early faithful Christians.

The Tkach WCG clearly fell away from the truth (see The Falling Away: The Bible and WCG Teachings) and, after being renamed GCI, it has continued to get further away from the truth. Hopefully, those few actual Christians who may still feel that they need to support GCI will finally realize that GCI is not God’s church nor is it a real Christian one.

Whether or not you have been part of WCG, GCI, or simply wonder about the Christian church, you may find the following free online booklet helpful: Where is the True Christian Church Today?

Those who want more on the real history of the Christian church, including some information related to the Tkach impact, may also wish to read the free online booklet: Continuing History of the Church of God.

Some items of related interest may include:

The Falling Away: The Bible and WCG Teachings Who is 2 Thessalonians 2:3 referring to? Are there multiple falling aways? Here is a related link in Spanish/español: La Apostasía: Enseñanzas de la Biblia y de la WCG. There are also two YouTube videos on the subject that you can watch The Falling Away Part 1: From the Bible and Church History and The Falling Away Part 2: Positions Presented by Others.
The 18 Restored Truths: Do You Know What the First Changes the Tkach Administration Made? Some have said healing, others other subjects, but probably the first change had to do with eliminating being part of the Philadelphia era. This article documents what those changes were and compares the Tkach list of restored truths to Herbert W. Armstrong’s list of restored truths. It contains many quotes from Herbert W. Armstrong. Here are links to a related two-part sermon: The 18 Restored Truths: 1-8 and The 18 Restored Truths: 9-18.
Who Was Herbert W. Armstrong? How is He Viewed Today? Includes quotes from the 1973 edition of The Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong and explains who he was and how he should be viewed today.
17 Accusations and Truthful Responses About Herbert W. Armstrong He, even after his death, keeps being improperly maligned–here is the truth on these matters.
Should You Keep God’s Holy Days or Demonic Holidays? This is a free pdf booklet explaining what the Bible and history shows about God’s Holy Days and popular holidays. A related sermon is Which Spring Days should Christians observe?
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by the Tkach WCG which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean? Here is a related link in Spanish/español: Calendario Anual de Adoración Una crítica basada en la Biblia y en la Historia: ¿Hay un Calendario Anual de Adoración en la Biblia? A sermonette in English covers: Colossians, Galatians, and the Feasts of God.
Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity? Most act like this is so, but is it? Here is an old, by somewhat related, article in the Spanish language LA DOCTRINA DE LA TRINIDAD. A related sermon is available: Trinity: Fundamental to Christianity or Something Else? A brief video is also available: Three trinitarian scriptures?
Joyce’s Pictures of the Pasadena Campus of Ambassador College and the former Headquarters of the old Worldwide Church of God Here is some pictures of the old campus taken in 2016 for those interested in what it did look like and what remains.
The Falling Away: The Bible and WCG Teachings Who is 2 Thessalonians 2:3 referring to? Are there multiple falling aways? Here is a related link in Spanish/español: La Apostasía: Enseñanzas de la Biblia y de la WCG. There are also two YouTube videos on the subject that you can watch The Falling Away Part 1: From the Bible and Church History and The Falling Away Part 2: Positions Presented by Others.
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by the Tkach WCG which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean? Also you can click here for the calendar of Holy Days.
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God differs 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. As far as some changes affecting Protestantism, watch the video Charismatic Kenneth Copeland and Anglican Tony Palmer: Protestants Beware! [Português: Esperança do salvação: Como a igreja do deus difere da maioria de protestantes]. A sermon is also available: How Does the Church of God Differ from Protestantism?
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 and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L’Histoire Continue de l’Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
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?

COGwriter

The German press is reporting that things do not look good for Angela Merkel’s political power:

13 October 2018

Much is at stake for Angela Merkel in Bavaria’s state election. A poor result for her conservative allies could lead to more government instability. But the election also signals bigger changes in German politics.

Whatever happens in Bavaria’s election on Sunday, it promises to be a bellwether for German, or even European, politics for years to come.

At one level, the regional election will act as the next Angela Merkel litmus test, a series that has been going on for several years and is supposed to illustrate the relentless decline of the chancellor’s popularity. …

Anything could happen after Sunday, up to and including Merkel’s fall. …

The demise of German centrism …

Current polling suggests that only two parties are winning new voters in Bavaria — the Greens and the AfD. https://www.dw.com/en/why-the-bavarian-election-matters-for-angela-merkel/a-45867564

Irrespective of what happens in Sunday’s election, German politics is destined to change. The Green and the AfD are two of the more extreme political parties in German and both expect more influence.

Whether or not the AfD does well, some of its views will become more prevalent in Germany. Germany is the main economic engine of Europe and one day will lead a more militarily powerful Europe.

That being said, there still are unity and other problems in Europe.

Notice the following:

Italy Declares War on Merkel and the EU

If there were ever any doubts that the leaders of the Euroskeptic coalition that now runs Italy has a plan to defy the European Union its proposed budget should quell them. Both Deputy Prime Ministers, Luigi Di Maio of Five Star Movement and Matteo Salvini of The League, were adamant about locking horns with European Union leadership over all issues of sovereignty between now and May’s European Parliamentary elections. …

But, to do this Salvini and now Di Maio have to make a good faith effort to negotiate a good deal for Italy with Brussels, Berlin and the IMF. This is why the budget squeaked past the 2.0% limit and then they walked it back to 2.0% but with provisions they knew would anger the EU finance ministers.

The point of this is to push Brussels and paint them as the bad guys to shift public sentiment back towards an Italeave position. Italy’s problems are not solvable with Germany holding the purse strings for all the EU countries. …

With the rise in the polls of Euroskeptic parties across Europe, Salvini and Orban can drive real change in the structure of the parties within the European Parliament. The European People’s Party, which Orban’s Fidesz party is a member of, is vulnerable to losing its senior position in any coalition because of the huge change in Italy’s electoral make-up along with that in Austria with the less radical Sebastian Kurz.

But, the big swing is on the table in Germany. Alternate for Germany (AfD) is now pushing up towards 20% nationally and the next hurdle for its growth is this weekend’s Bavarian state elections. If AfD out polls the Greens and denies the CSU a path to a coalition government without them then that could have spillover effects for Angela Merkel. …

This will not end well. https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2018/10/12/italy-declares-war-merkel-and-eu.html

While what will rise up in Europe will not end well, Europe will still rise up for a time.

We may even see that Europe could have some type of temporary break up.

The Bible shows that there would be problems with unity in Europe, but that it will still be an influential power:

41 Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. 43 As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. (Daniel 2:41-43)

Despite unity issues, the Bible shows that Europe will reorganize and will essentially lose democracy:

12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast. (Revelation 17:12-13)

Some COG groups, like PCG and LCG, changed the historic COG understanding of this and have sometimes insisted that the ‘ten kings’ refers to 10 currently existing nations (LCG has said 10 or 11–it also has expressed doubts that France will be part of it–see also The ‘Lost Tribe’ of Reuben: France in Prophecy?). Yet, I have long contended that Revelation 17:12-13 is a reference to Europe reorganizing likely into regions (more details are in my article Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations?).

Will Italy be part of that?

Yes, the final European Beast power will include Italy.

The Roman Empire was the fourth Beast that Daniel saw:

2 Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea.

3 And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other.

4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it.

5 And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’

6 After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.

7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.

8 I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words. (Daniel 7:2-8)

The Great Sea of Daniel 7:2 is a reference to the Mediterranean sea (Numbers 34:6-7; Joshua 1:4; 9:1; 23:4; Ezekiel 47:13-16).

Despite some false claims by some, the Beast power is not a nation like Russia, which does not border the Mediterranean Sea, but Europe which does (Russia, however, will be a factor in eliminating the European beast power, see also The Eurasian Union, the Kings of the East, and Bible Prophecy). A comparison of the beasts in Revelation 13 and Daniel 7 shows that they share many of the same characteristics (for some details, you may wish to watch the YouTube video Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?).

Europe is the power that will control the “Great Sea.” And while the southern border of the Mediterranean Sea is currently under Arab control, the Bible shows that the King of the North will take over the Arab powers (Daniel 11:40-43; Ezekiel 30:1-9).

The ancient ROMAN Empire controlled the southern portion of the Mediterranean Sea. Eventually, the final European Beast power will as well.

France is one of the countries whose land was part of the old Roman Empire and ‘Holy Roman Empire.’

Notice something about one of its leaders:

My Europe: Macron and the eastern EU states must get past their headaches

French President Emmanuel Macron has grand plans for the EU, but he has to get eastern Europe on board. …

France is a key player in the EU, and supports its continued integration. That’s something Romania and other Brussels-friendly countries may get behind, but the idea has already been poorly received in Hungary and Poland. As such, it’s difficult to call Eastern Europe a unified bloc. Macron has certainly brought a new French-style leadership and impetus to the EU. He is happy to clash with an opposing coalition led by Hungary and Italy. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is a regional intellectual leader, but, unfortunately, not a constructive one for Macron’s grand European project.

In terms of EU leadership, Macron is credible and relatively predictable in his boldness. He has also put forward some interesting proposals. The eastern EU states have responded to them with mixed reviews. …

The European Parliament elections in 2019 may provide some clarity. Seeing how the split between Orban and Macron pans out could give us an idea of where the EU is headed. https://www.dw.com/en/my-europe-macron-and-the-eastern-eu-states-must-get-past-their-headaches/a-45848463

While some leaders seem to be working against closer European unity, others are pushing it. We will see what the EU elections in 2019 will bring.

Ultimately, we will see the rise of the final Beast power that Revelation 13 speaks of:

1 Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.

2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.

3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.

4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.

6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven.

7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation.

8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear.

10 He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. (Revelation 13:1-10)

Europe is a power that people have thought was mortally wounded (Revelation 13:3).

Europe will reorganize and rise up.

We are seeing more of the seeds for that.

But that will come to pass.