Archive for October, 2020

DW: Russia to ‘assist’ Armenia if conflict with Azerbaijan spreads beyond Nagorno-Karabakh

Saturday, October 31st, 2020


COGwriter

Armenia and its ally Artsakh (also known as Nagorno-Karabakh) have been fighting Azerbaijan, a nation that claims the Artsakh territory. Russia, who has attempted to mediate the conflict, looks like it will get more involved, after Armenian Prime Minister asked it to:

Armenia asks Moscow for help amid Nagorno-Karabakh fighting

October 31, 2020

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — Armenia’s leader urged Russia on Saturday to consider providing security assistance to end more than a month of fighting over Nagorno-Karabakh, and both sides in the hostilities accused each other of breaking a mutual pledge not to target residential areas hours after it was mad.

The fighting represents the biggest escalation in decades in a long conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the separatist territory. As Azerbaijani troops pushed farther into Nagorno-Karabakh, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to quickly discuss possible security aid to Armenia. …

Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan but has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since a war there ended in 1994. The latest outburst of hostilities began Sept. 27 and left hundreds — perhaps thousands — dead, marking the worst escalation of fighting since the war’s end. …

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has insisted that Azerbaijan has the right to reclaim its territory by force after three decades of fruitless international mediation. He said that Armenia must pledge to withdraw from Nagorno-Karabakh as a condition for a lasting truce.

Azerbaijani troops, which have relied on strike drones and long-range rocket systems supplied by Turkey, have reclaimed control of several regions on the fringes of Nagorno-Karabakh and pressed their offensive into the separatist territory from the south. https://apnews.com/article/nikol-pashinian-moscow-azerbaijan-russia-vladimir-putin-cd2ed7be23043a1bd3170f951eaa399e

Russia to ‘assist’ Armenia if conflict with Azerbaijan spreads beyond Nagorno-Karabakh

October 31, 2020

Russia would be prepared to render “all necessary assistance” to treaty partner Armenia if the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict expanded to Armenian territory, Russia’s Foreign Ministry declared Saturday.

Overnight, Armenia and Azerbaijan had again accused each other of shelling residential areas of the separatist Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh — internationally recognized as lying within Azerbaijan.

That followed a fourth ceasefire bid, negotiated Friday in Geneva via the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). …

Armenia requests assistance

Early on Saturday, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had formally asked Russian President Vladimir Putin for “urgent consultations” on security assistance, reiterating that Turkey was backing Azerbaijan.

Russia and Armenia have a 1997 mutual assistance treaty, with Russia maintaining a base in Armenia’s second-largest city of Gyumri. …

Nagorno-Karabakh authorities said Saturday shelling had struck the central market in Stepanakert, the enclave’s largest city. Armenia’s Defense Ministry said several civilians had been wounded in Shushi in the enclave’s south. https://www.dw.com/en/russia-to-assist-armenia-if-conflict-with-azerbaijan-spreads-beyond-nagorno-karabakh/a-55457174

The basic Azerbaijan view seems to be that since Nagorno-Karabakh was under the control of the Azerbaijan Soviet Republic, and that in the 1980s the Azerbaijanis were displaced, that it wants territory it considers to be its own back. It thinks it should have gotten the territory back by now, and it feels its attacks to get the territory are necessary and justified.

Armenia basically believes that the area known as Nagorno-Karabakh was historically Armenian, and since the overwhelming majority of residents are Armenian, and since they do not want to be under Azerbaijani control as they have repeatedly asked for Armenian assistance in military and other matters, that Azerbaijan should not be involved in that territory. Armenians also believe that it was a mapping error that the Soviet’s made that put the Nagorno-Karabakh territory in Azerbaijan. Hence, the Armenians consider it part of their ancestral homeland, and feel that Azerbaijan has not right to it and should leave it alone.

Militarily, and particularly with help from Turkish forces, Azerbaijan believes it has the military advantage and that this is the time to take the land.

Armenians seem to feel that without Russian or other help that Azerbaijan may win. Many Armenians and are determined to fight to the death to keep the land out of Azerbaijan control, despite Azerbaijan’s current military advantage.

Notice also some history, a military agreement between Russia and Armenia, and some perceived tensions:

Bilateral relations between modern-day Armenia and the Russian Federation were established on 3 April 1992, though Russia has been an important actor in Armenia since the early 19th century. The two countries’ historic relationship has its roots in the Russo-Persian War of 1826 to 1828 between the Russian Empire and Qajar Persia after which Eastern Armenia was ceded to Russia. Moreover, Russia was viewed as a protector of the Christian subjects in the Ottoman Empire, including the Armenians. …

Armenia and Russia are both members of a military alliance, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), along with four other ex-Soviet countries, a relationship that Armenia finds essential to its security. Among the contracts and the agreements, which determine intergovernmental relations – a treaty of friendship, collaboration and mutual aid of 29 August 1997 are a number of the documents, which regulate bases of Russian military units and liaisons in the Republic of Armenia. Armenia became a full member of the Eurasian Economic Union on 2 January 2015. …

The Russian Federation, the successor state of the Soviet Union, is believed to have been instrumental in achieving victory by Armenians in the Nagorno-Karabakh War (1988–1994).  …

Relations between the countries′ governments strained following the election of Nikol Pashinyan as prime minister of Armenia in May 2018. …

Tensions were further raised following the arrests of former president Robert Kocharyan and CSTO secretary general Yuri Khatchaturov as well as business disputes involving Russian companies operating in Armenia.

Russia was described as reluctant to intervene in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in support of Armenia due to the ongoing diplomatic tensions between Putin and Pashinyan. … Military cooperation between Armenia and Russia is based on both states being members of the military alliance (CSTO) as well as participants in the Joint CIS Air Defense System. (Armenia-Russia relations. Wikipedia, accessed 10/31/20)

Religious ties essentially are the the Russians mainly are Russian Eastern Orthodox and the Armenians are mainly something between that and Roman Catholics. Doctrinally, they tend to be fairly close.

At this moment, Russia does not want to fight Azerbaijan, but also does not want to be seen as abandoning an ally–which in this case is Armenia.

That being said, it should be pointed out that Russia basically has a treaty to assist Armenia itself, and not the Nagorno-Karabakh territories. It likely has reminded both Armenia and Azerbaijan that. Probably a warning to Azerbaijan about any military intervention against Armenia itself, and probably explaining to Armenia that since even it does not officially recognize Artsakh as an independent nation, Russia is not obliged to get involved with that territory.

Jesus said that before the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21), that we are to expect wars, rumors of wars, and various sorrows (Matthew 24:4-8). What we are seeing between Armenia and Azerbaijan is certainly consistent with that.

Related to the end times, we put out the following sermon:


1:15

Revelation 6:1-8 shows the opening of four seals and discusses the rides of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Each of which appears to be associated with aspects of the “beginning of sorrows” that Jesus mentions in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. What do each of the horsemen represent? Did the old Worldwide Church of God teach that these rides were still in the future in the late 21st century? Could any have began in the 21st century? Does the rider of the white horse represent Jesus or false religion? Are there ties to the interfaith and ecumenical movements? What might the bow the horseman has represent? Could this be a tie to Satan the Devil? What about the Beast and False Prophet? Has the “beginning of sorrows” started? Could the first seal be opened? Could COVID-19 have anything to do with the second seal? Has “the peace” been taken from the earth? Could the rider of the red horse have begun with an opening of the second seal? What about riots, looting wars, and rumors of war? Are food inflation, food shortages, and famines associated with the opening of the third seal and rider of the black horse of famine? Could human actions such as evolution teachings, genetically-modified crops, and viral research be factors in the rides of the four horsemen? Is more than death related to pestilences associated with the rider of the pale horse, the fourth seal? Why might this be a factor in 666? Will most people fail to recognize the rides of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse until it is too late to take action? What about the fifth seal and the start of the Great Tribulation? Are there problems with Roman and Eastern Orthodox prophecies concerning the end and the Great Monarch? What about prophecies related to Noah, the King of the North, Armageddon, and Antichrist? Dr. Thiel covers these issues and also includes some speculation and analysis.

Here is a link to the sermon video: Sorrows and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Biblically more violence is expected.

Armenia has religious, political, economic, and military ties with Russia. Armenia is part of the Eurasian Union, now Eurasian Economic Union (EEU/EAEU).

Russia would like to avoid direct military involvement, but may feel it has no choice if Azerbaijani forces clearly attack much of the interior of Armenia itself (as opposed to border regions only). It may also be more inclined now to assist since Armenia’s Prime Minister has publicly indicated that he wants Russia’s help.

Whether or not Russia intervenes militarily over what is happening now, military ties between Armenia and Russia are prophesied to be together militarily in the future (Jeremiah 51:27-29).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

The Eurasian Union, the Kings of the East, and Bible Prophecy Is there a Eurasian union that will be formed? Are any leaders working on that in the 21st century? Does the Bible teach that there will be a Eurasian union? What about the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)? A related video would be Is The Eurasian Union Rising?
Russia and Ukraine: Their Origins and Prophesied Future Russia in prophecy. Where do the Russians come from? What about those in the Ukraine? What is prophesied for Russia and its allies? What will they do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end? There is also a video sermon available: Russia in the Bible and in Prophecy and a video sermonette available: Ukraine in Prophecy?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach? Here is a link to a video, also titled Is Russia the King of the North?
Ezekiel 38: For Russia & Iran in Our Day? Is Ezekiel 38 about to be fulfilled? 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).
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 Sorrows and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
20 items to prophetically watch in 2020 Much is happening. Dr. Thiel points to 20 items to watch (cf. Mark 13:37) in this article. Here is a link to a related sermon: 20 Prophetic Items to Watch in 2020.
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?
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 Sorrows and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
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? A related video is also available: What Should You Know About Turkey in Prophecy.
The Great Tribulation: What Happens First? What events have happened? What are some events that are now happening? And what events need to happen for the Great Tribulation to start? Here is a link to a related sermon video: Counting Down to the Great Tribulation.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2020, 2021, or 2022? 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 la Gran Tribulación comenzar en el 2020 o 2021? ¿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 and newer video is: Could the Great Tribulation Begin in 2020? Here is a link to the Spanish version of that video: ¿Podría la Gran Tribulación comenzar en 2020?
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.
Armageddon Who is involved and when will this gathering happen? Here is also a video from Dr. Thiel, from Tel Megiddo in Israel: Armageddon. Other videos include: Armageddon Will it come on Trump’s watch?, Iraq, Armageddon, & Prophecy, Freemasonry, Armageddon, and Rome, Is China paving roads to Armageddon?, and Jordan, Petra, and Armageddon.

Daylight Saving Time ending for USA, Canada, Bahamas, Bermuda, Cuba, and Haiti

Saturday, October 31st, 2020

COGwriter

Sunday, November 1, at two a.m., the USA and several other nations (Canada, Bahamas, Bermuda, Cuba, and Haiti) change their clocks to go back to Standard Time and off of Daylight Saving Time:

It’s that time of year again.

The “fall back” day is coming to clocks across the nation…
Remember, you’ll “fall back” and set your clocks back one hour. Many electronic devices automatically adjust when Daylight Saving…Time begins or ends. http://ames.patch.com/articles/fall-back-daylight-saving-time-2012-ends-sunday-4b97ab65

Since the mid-1960s, most of Arizona has refused to adopt daylight saving time. It is also not observed in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2015/1031/Daylight-saving-time-Why-it-isn-t-going-away-video

New Zealander George Hudson proposed the modern idea of daylight saving in 1895. Germany and Austria-Hungary organized the first implementation, starting on 30 April 1916/ 1 May 1916. Many countries have used it at various times since then, particularly since the energy crisis of the 1970s.

Here is something else related to it from Time:

That Daylight Saving Time began in Germany on May 1, 1916, in the hopes that it would save energy during World War I, according to Michael Downing, author of Spring Forward: The Annual Madness of Daylight Saving Time. But, though Germans were first to mess with their clocks, they likely got the idea from Britain—and from someone whose ideas about Daylight Saving had little to do with conserving fuel.

William Willett had in 1907 published The Waste of Daylight. Willett was inspired by an early-morning epiphany that “the sun shines upon the land for several hours each day while we are asleep” and yet there “remains only a brief spell of declining daylight in which to spend the short period of leisure at our disposal.” Though he did mention that it would save money to reduce the use of artificial lighting, his main purpose was the increase enjoyment of sunlight. He lobbied Parliament for such legislation until his death in 1915—not living to see the law passed in England shortly after it was in Germany. …

Across the pond, the first U.S. law on Daylight Saving Time went into effect on March 19, 1918 for the same fuel saving reasons, about a year after the country entered the war. But again, though the official reason was fuel saving, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce was the major backer for the policy, Downing argues, because Americans getting off work while it was still light out meant they would be more likely to go out shopping in the evening. http://time.com/4549397/daylight-saving-time-history-politics/

Because of the clock change, sunset will be over an hour earlier next Friday in the USA, Canada, Bahamas, Bermuda, Cuba, and Haiti.

Those of us who observe the weekly Sabbath from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday may wish to remember this time change.

This will affect not only those in the Churches of God, but others who keep the seventh-day Sabbath such as observant Jews, Messianic Jews, and Seventh-day Adventists.

Here is a link for Sunset Times for the U.S.A. (and international cities if longitudinal location is known).

Daylight Saving Time for Europeans ended last Sunday.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

The Sabbath in the Early Church and Abroad Was the seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath observed by the apostolic and post-apostolic Church? Here is a related sermon video The Christian Sabbath and How and Why to Keep It.
Early Sabbath Keeping in North America When did Europeans first keep the Sabbath in North America? Did the pilgrims who arrived on the Mayflower keep Saturday or Sunday?
How to Observe the Sabbath How should you keep the Sabbath? This is an old article by Raymond Cole, with updated information for the 21st century.
The Dramatic Story of Chinese Sabbathkeepers This reformatted Good News article from 1955 discusses Sabbath-keeping in China in the 1800s.
Is Revelation 1:10 talking about Sunday or the Day of the Lord? Most Protestant scholars say Sunday is the Lord’s Day, but is that what the Bible teaches?
Is God Unreasonable? Some have suggested that if God requires Sabbath-keeping He is unreasonable. Is that true?
CG7.ORG This is a website for those interested in the Sabbath and churches that observe the seventh day Sabbath.
Messianic Judaism Beliefs Differ from the Continuing Church of God Both groups keep the seventh-day Sabbath, but have important differences in doctrines and practices. Here is a link to a related sermon: Messianic Jewish Beliefs.
SDA/CCOG Differences: Two Horned Beast of Revelation and 666 The genuine Church of God is NOT part of the Seventh-day Adventists. This article explains two prophetic differences, the trinity, differences in approaching doctrine, including Ellen White. Did Ellen White make prophetic errors? Did Ellen White make false prophecies? Here is a version in the Spanish language: SDA/COG Diferencias: La bestia de dos cuernos de Apocalipsis y 666. Here is a sermon in the English language: CCOG and SDA differences and similarities.
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.

Most do not know the truth about Martin Luther

Saturday, October 31st, 2020


Martin Luther

COGwriter

Today is known as Reformation Day.

October 31st marks the day that Martin Luther reportedly hammered his now famous 95 theses on the Wittenberg (Germany) church back in 1517.

He was essentially posting on a board issues he felt that the Church of Rome needed to fix.

Since then, the Church of Rome has ‘fixed’ nearly all of those issues.

But in today’s post, I would like people to pay attention to many statements few seem to know that Martin Luther made. Reading them should help people realize that Martin Luther was not an actual Christian leader like most Protestants tend to believe. Nor did he actually believe in the sola Scriptura rallying cry that Protestants tend to point to.

For one thing, Martin Luther was an antisemite.

Martin Luther wrote:

I had made up my mind to write no more either about the Jews or against them. But since I learned that those miserable and accursed people do not cease to lure to themselves even us, that is, the Christians, I have published this little book, so that I might be found among those who opposed such poisonous activities of the Jews and who warned the Christians to be on their guard against them…They are so blind and stupid that they see neither the words found in Genesis 17 nor the whole of Scripture, which mightily and explicitly condemns this lie…They are real liars and bloodhounds who have not only continually perverted and falsified all of Scripture with their mendacious glosses from the beginning until the present day. Their heart’s most ardent sighing and yearning and hoping is set on the day on which they can deal with us Gentiles as they did with the Gentiles in Persia at the time of Esther…The worse a Jew is, the more arrogant he is, solely because he is a Jew … David and other pious Jews were not as conceited as the present-day, incorrigible Jews … I wanted to present this to us Germans so that we might see what rascals the blind Jews are and how powerfully the truth of God in our midst stands with us and against them (Medieval Sourcebook: Martin Luther (1483-1546): On the Jews and Their Lies, 1543)

Martin Luther advised his followers:

… to burn down Jewish schools and synagogues, and to throw pitch and sulphur into the flames; to destroy their homes; to confiscate their ready money in gold and silver; to take from them their sacred books, even the whole Bible; and if that did not help matters, to hunt them of the country like mad dogs (Luther’s Works, vol. Xx, pp. 2230-2632 as quoted in Stoddard JL. Rebuilding a Lost Faith, 1922, p.99).

Accordingly, it must and dare not be considered a trifling matter but a most serious one to seek counsel against this and to save our souls from the Jews, that is, from the devil and from eternal death. My advice, as I said earlier, is: First, that their synagogues be burned down, and that all who are able toss in sulphur and pitch (Martin Luther (1483-1546): On the Jews and Their Lies, 1543 as quoted from Luther’s Works, Volume 47: The Christian in Society IV, (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1971).

We in the Continuing Church of God do not condone antisemitism.

We strive to reach Jews and Gentiles about Jesus (see also the free book, online Proof Jesus is the Messiah).

While it does not show antisemitism, notice something Martin Luther reportedly said about a disabled child (who seems to have had seems to have had symptoms of Prader-Willi Syndrome) in one of his Table Talks:

Eight years ago, there was one in Dessau whom I, Martinus Luther, saw and grappled with. He was twelve years old, had the use of his eyes and all his senses, so that one might think he was a normal child. But he did nothing but gorge himself as much as four peasants or threshers. He ate, defecated, and drooled and, if anyone tackled him, he screamed. If things didn’t go well, he wept. So I said to the Prince of Anhalt: “If I were the Prince, I should take the child to the Moldau River which flows near Dessau and drown him.” But the Prince of Anhalt and the Prince of Saxony, who happened to be present, refused to follow my advice. (T.E.C., Jr. MARTIN LUTHER’S ATTITUDE TOWARD THE MENTALLY RETARDED. Pediatrics, May 1968, VOLUME 41 / ISSUE 5)

He also reportedly said that child should be suffocated (Mile M. Martin Luther and Childhood Disability in 16th Century Germany: What did he write? What did he say? Independent Living Institute, 2005). Yet, there are some who have tried to defend his indefensible statements (e.g. Ibid).

When Jesus dealt with a disabled child, He healed him (Mark 9:17-25), not advocate for his death like Martin Luther.

Martin Luther had a history of promoting hate and violence.

The Apostle John was inspired to record:

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 13:9-10).

Notice that even until the end, saints are to be patient and NOT be among those that kill with the sword. Is it any wonder that Martin Luther discounted the literal understanding of the Book of Revelation? Otherwise he and his followers would have to change their positions on warfare

Martin Luther, himself, was a type of warmonger:

I, Martin Luther, slew all the peasants in the rebellion, for I said that they should be slain; all their blood is upon my head. But I cast it on the Lord God, who commanded me to speak this way (Werke, Erl. Edition, lix, p. 284 ‘Table Talk’ as quoted in Stoddard JL.Rebuilding a Lost Faith, 1922, p.96).

Pure devilry is urging on the peasants…Therefore let all who are able, mow them down, slaughter and stab them, openly or in secret, and remember that there is nothing more poisonous, noxious and utterly devilish than a rebel. You must kill him as you would a mad dog…

The authorities must resolve to chastise and slay as long as they can raise a finger… The present time is so strange that a prince can gain Heaven easier by spilling blood than by praying (Luther M. Against the Murderous and Rapacious Hordes of the Peasants, May 4, 1525-Erl, 24, 287, ff. As cited in O’Hare PF. The Facts About Luther, p. 232).

God did NOT command Martin Luther to speak that way. That is Satan’s way–Protestants generally do not act like Satan is the “god of this world,” but he currently is (2 Corinthians 4:4, KJV).

Anyway, it was reported that 100,000 perished at that time.

The followers of Martin Luther also condemned those who were not willing to be warriors. And they officially declared “it is right for Christians … to engage in just wars, to serve as soldiers.” (Melanchthon P. The Augsburg Confession, Article XVI).

We in the Continuing Church of God hold to the original Christian teaching on this and hence do not participate as soldiers in carnal warfare nor do we endorse watching intentionally violent sports.

Martin Luther, despite claiming sola Scriptura, disparaged various books of the New Testament as of questionable value.

Up to this point we have had the true and certain chief books of the New Testament. The four which follow have from ancient times had a different reputation. In the first place, the fact that Hebrews is not an epistle of St. Paul, or of any other apostle (Luther, M. Prefaces to the Epistle of the Hebrews, 1546).

St. James’ epistle is really an epistle of straw…for it has nothing of the nature of the gospel about it” (Luther, M. Preface to the New Testament, 1546).

James … In the first place it is flatly against St. Paul and all the rest of Scripture in ascribing justification to works…Besides, he throws things together so chaotically that it seems to me he must have been some good, pious man, who took a few sayings from the disciples of the apostles and thus tossed them off on paper. Or it may perhaps have been written by someone on the basis of his preaching (Luther, M. Preface to the Epistles of St. James and St. Jude, 1546).

Concerning the epistle of St. Jude, no one can deny that it is an extract or copy of St. Peter’s second epistle…Therefore, although I value this book, it is an epistle that need not be counted among the chief books which are supposed to lay the foundations of faith (Luther, M. Preface to the Epistles of St. James and St. Jude, 1546).

Jesus said, “Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). Therefore, James’ epistle is NOT “against St. Paul and all the rest of Scripture,” but instead is against Martin Luther’s misunderstandings of law and grace.

Contrary to Martin Luther’s assertion, it also should be understood that Jude’s epistle is not too similar to 2 Peter. Yet, if even it was, should it be discounted?

Maybe Martin Luther discounted it because Jude warns people:

3 … to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3).

And this, sadly, is not something that Martin Luther really did (though he did sometimes make some efforts towards that).

Perhaps none of Martin Luther’s writings on the Bible are as harsh as what he wrote about “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:1). Specifically he wrote,

About this book of the Revelation of John … I miss more than one thing in this book, and it makes me consider it to be neither apostolic nor prophetic … I can in no way detect that the Holy Spirit produced it. Moreover he seems to me to be going much too far when he commends his own book so highly-indeed, more than any of the other sacred books do, though they are much more important-and threatens that if anyone takes away anything from it, God will take away from him, etc. Again, they are supposed to be blessed who keep what is written in this book; and yet no one knows what that is, to say nothing of keeping it. This is just the same as if we did not have the book at all. And there are many far better books available for us to keep…My spirit cannot accommodate itself to this book. For me this is reason enough not to think highly of it: Christ is neither taught nor known in it” (Luther, M. Preface to the Revelation of St. John, 1522).

The above may be part of why Martin Luther did not accept the millennium and certain other teachings. Did Martin Luther not care that Jesus was the one who told John to write the Revelation down (Revelation 1:9-11)?

Martin Luther’s discounting of prophecies is dangerous for his followers living in the 21st century.

Another reason Martin Luther may not have been able to accommodate this Revelation of Jesus Christ is because he clearly violated this warning from it:

18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book (Revelation 22:18-19).

Martin Luther took away from this book through his comments about it, and this is the same Martin Luther who, it will be shown, added words to the Bible that were not there.

Although Martin Luther decried John for penning the Revelation of Jesus Christ, he did like John. According to Martin Luther:

The first three speak of the works of our Lord, rather than His oral teachings; that of St. John is the only sympathetic, the only true Gospel and should undoubtedly be preferred above the others. In like manner the Epistles of St. Peter and St. Paul are superior to the first three Gospels (O’Hare PF. The Facts About Luther, 1916–1987 reprint ed., p. 203).

Martin Luther’s position on this, and some of his other matters, appear to be blasphemous and in contraction to 2 Timothy 3:16. It was Jesus’ oral teachings, in Matthew 24, for example, that Martin Luther disagreed with.

The Bible, in Romans 3:28, states:

28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.

Martin Luther, in his German translation of the Bible, specifically added the word “allein” (English ‘alone’) to Romans 3:28-a word that is not in the original Greek. Martin Luther wanted people to believe that Romans 3:28 “a man is justified by faith alone,” but that verse does not say that.

Notice what Protestant scholars have admitted:

… Martin Luther would once again emphasize … that we are “justified by faith alone”, apart from the works of the Law” (Rom. 3:28), adding the German word allein (“alone”) in his translation of the Greek text. (Brown HOJ. Heresies: Heresy and Orthodoxy in the History of the Church. Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody (MA), 1988, pp. 64-65).

Furthermore, to justify his change, Martin Luther reportedly said:

You tell me what a great fuss the Papists are making because the word alone in not in the text of Paul … say right out to him: ‘Dr. Martin Luther will have it so,’ … I will have it so, and I order it to be so, and my will is reason enough. I know very well that the word ‘alone’ is not in the Latin or the Greek text (Stoddard J. Rebuilding a Lost Faith. 1922, pp. 101-102; see also Luther M. Amic. Discussion, 1, 127).

This passage strongly suggests that Martin Luther viewed his opinions, and not the actual Bible as the primary authority–a concept which should be prima Luther and not sola Scriptura. By “papists” Luther was condemning Roman Catholics.

He also made another change in Romans. Romans 4:15 states:

…because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.

Yet in his German translation, Martin Luther added the word ‘only’ before the term ‘wrath’ to Romans 4:15 (O’Hare, p. 201).

This presumably was to attempt to justify his position to discredit the law.

Matthew 3:2 states:

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

Martin Luther, in his German translation, according to at least one Catholic source, changed the word ‘repent’ to ‘mend’ or ‘do better’ (ibid, p. 201), presumably to justify his position that one does not need to obey God’s laws through repentance (others disagree on that point and indicate that the German term chosen can or should be translated as repent).

Acts 19:18, states:

“And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds…”

Yet according to one source, Martin Luther rendered it, “they acknowledged the miracles of the Apostles” (O’Hare, p. 201).

There are several possible reasons why Martin Luther intentionally mistranslated Acts 19:18, but the point here is to show that he did.

Martin Luther also taught:

And John 1 says: “The Word was made flesh,” when in our judgment it would have been better said, “The Word was incarnate,” or “made fleshly” (Disputation On the Divinity and Humanity of Christ February 27, 1540 conducted by Dr. Martin Luther, 1483-1546 translated from the Latin text WA 39/2, pp. 92-121 by Christopher B. Brown).

This was apparently done to justify his belief that Jesus was fully God and fully human while on the earth in conflict with being emptied Philippians 2:7 (literally translated).

Luke 10:28 states:

“And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live” (KJV).

Yet Martin Luther taught:

To do means to believe-to keep the law by faith. The passage in Matthew: Do this and thou shalt live, signifies Believe this and thou shalt live. The words Do this, have ironical sense, as if our Lord should say: Thou wilt do it tomorrow, but not today; only make an attempt to keep the Commandments, and the trial will teach thee the ignominy of thy failure (O’Hare, p.205).

It is because of such misinterpretations of what the Bible states that many Protestants have tossed out the necessity to keep the Ten Commandments, even though scholars agree that they were kept by the early Christians. (Note: Although Martin Luther mentioned Matthew’s account–which is in Matthew 19:16-21–the quote in question is actually from Luke 10:28.)

Martin Luther’s disparaged various books of the Old Testament as well. Martin Luther changed or diminished the importance of at least 19 books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Esther, Job, Ecclesiastes, Jonah, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, Hebrews, James, Jude, and Revelation) and did not truly believe in his sola Scriptura rallying cry.

Martin Luther was not a real Christian.

Anyway, instead of being a celebration of rebellion against the Church of Rome, Reformation Day is being used for ecumenical purposes.

Let me add here that according to the Bible a false ‘ecumenical’ church will rise up (Revelation 17). According to Roman and Eastern Orthodox writings, their churches and the Protestant ones will get together in some type of ecumenical reformation. According to the Bible, that will not end well for the Church of Rome (Revelation 17:15-18) or others involved with it (cf. Revelation 18).

How many now view ‘Reformation Day’ should serve as a warning that an unbiblical ecumenical reformation is coming.

The fact that Martin Luther really did not believe in sola Scriptura is a factor in Rome’s ‘daughters’ working to refer to her.

In order to assist those who wish to believe the Bible, we put out the following book this year: Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism.

Early Protestant leaders, like Martin Luther and John Calvin really did not believe (or practice) in sola Scriptura. Actually, anyone who does, would not actually be a Protestant, but part of the Church of God.

Furthermore, since today is October 31st, it should be pointed out that those who believe in sola Scriptura also would not be celebrating Halloween (for details, watch the 2020 sermon Let’s Get Real About Halloween).

Those interested in learning more should consider studying the following:

Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences.
Is Halloween Holy Time for Christians? Here are some historical and biblical insight on this question. There are many cultures that have celebrations and observances that are similar to some associated with Halloween. What did the Druids do? Is Halloween one of the most important holidays for Satanists? Do the Japanese, Indians, and Chinese have any practices that are similar to some associated with Halloween? Does the Bible endorse or condemn practices that are associated with Halloween? Here is a link to a related sermon: Let’s Get Real About Halloween. Here are links to three related sermonette length videos: Debunking 17 reasons to celebrate Halloween, Halloween: Are there 7 reasons for Christians to celebrate it?, and International ‘Halloween’ Should Christians observe Halloween?
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 Similarities and Dissimilarities between Martin Luther and Herbert W. Armstrong This article clearly shows some of the doctrinal differences between the two. At this time of doctrinal variety and a tendency by many to accept certain aspects of Protestantism, the article should help clarify why the genuine Church of God is NOT Protestant. Do you really know what the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther taught and should you follow his doctrinal example? Here is a related sermon video: Martin Luther and Herbert Armstrong: Reformers with Differences.
Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox? (And the Protestants) Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster? Is doctrinal compromise good? Here is a link to a related video Should you be concerned about the ecumenical movement?
Will the Interfaith Movement Lead to Peace or Sudden Destruction? Is the interfaith movement going to lead to lasting peace or is it warned against? A video sermon of related interest is: Will the Interfaith Movement lead to World War III? and a video sermon is also available: Do You Know That Babylon is Forming?
Freemasonry and the Destruction of Rome? What is Freemasonry? What about ties to the Illuminati? Could they be involved in the fulfillment of prophecy? Here is a link to a related sermon: Freemasonry, Armageddon, and Rome.
Sola Scriptura or Prima Luther? What Did Martin Luther Really Believe About the Bible? Though he is known for his public sola Scriptura teaching, did Martin Luther’s writings about the Bible suggest he felt that prima Luther was his ultimate authority? Statements from him changing and/or discounting 18 books of the Bible are included. Do you really want to know the truth?
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?
The Dangerous Rise of Preterists Has the Great Tribulation finished? What was the view of early Christians? Why is the preterist view dangerous? A related sermon video is titled Preterism: You’ve Gotta Be Kidding…Right?
Pope Francis’ Celebration of Reformation’s 500th Anniversary The Vatican announced that Pope Francis plans to attend a celebration commemorating the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s nailing his 95 theses on the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517. Is this part of the ecumenical movement? Is this a good thing? Does the Bible warn against this? Do Protestant leaders favor ecumenical unity? What did early Protestants teach about the papacy? Should the Bible or human committees be listened to?
Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction! What is going on in the Protestant world? Are Protestants turning back to their ‘mother church’ in Rome? Does the Bible warn about this? What are Catholic plans and prophecies related to this? Is Protestantism doomed? See also World Council of Churches Peace Plan.
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.

Sermon: Lost Books of the Bible?

Saturday, October 31st, 2020


COGwriter

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

1:00:54

Lost Books of the Bible?

Do we have a complete Bible? What about the so-called ‘lost books’ of the Bible? Do you know much about them or what any of them teach? Were some books not accepted in order to suppress women as the best selling book “The DaVinci Code’ states? What are pseudepigrapha? Can we rely on the Urantia Book, Book of Jasher, Book of Enoch, or the Book of Jubilees? Are any accepted by groups like the Ethiopian Coptic Orthodox? What about the Gospels of Peter, Thomas, or Mary Magdalene? What did Polycarp, Polycrates, and Serapion teach related to the scriptures? What about the Qu’ran? What about the Book of Mormon? Dr. Thiel answers these questions and more and reads passages from many of the claimed ‘lost books of the Bible.’

Here is a link to the sermon: Lost Books of the Bible?

Some items of related interest may include:

Who Gave the World the Bible? The Canon: Why do we have the books we now do in the Bible? Is the Bible complete? Are there lost gospels? What about the Apocrypha? Is the Septuagint better than the Masoretic text? What about the Textus Receptus vs. Nestle Alland? Was the New Testament written in Greek, Aramaic, or Hebrew? Which translations are based upon the best ancient text? Did the true Church of God have the canon from the beginning? Here are links to related sermons: Let’s Talk About the Bible, The Books of the Old Testament, The Septuagint and its Apocrypha, Masoretic Text of the Old Testament, and Lost Books of the Bible?
Read the Bible Christians should read and study the Bible. This article gives some rationale for regular bible reading, certain ancient texts, and discusses translations. Is the King James Version completely trustworthyy? Here is a link in Mandarin Chinese: ‹ûW#~Ï Here is a link in the Spanish language: Lea la Biblia..
Bible: Superstition or Authority? Should you rely on the Bible? Is it reliable? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
How to Study the Bible David Jon Hill wrote this initially and Dr. Thiel added scriptures, tips, and suggestions to it. A 2015 sermon is available and is also titled
How to Study the Bible.
Is God’s Existence Logical? Is it really logical to believe in God? Yes! Would you like Christian answers to give atheists? This is a free online booklet that deal with improper theories and musings called science related to the origin of the origin of the universe, the origin of life, and evolution. Here is a link to a related sermon: Evolution is NOT the Origin of Life. Two animated videos of related interest are also available: Big Bang: Nothing or Creator? and A Lifegiver or Spontaneous Evolution?
I have made the decision to follow God. Now what? Have you proven all things? Will you hold fast to that which is good? This article will help you do so. Here is a link to a related video: You Want to Follow God? Then Prove the Truth!
Faith for Those God has Called and Chosen What is faith? Can faith be increased? Are you saved by faith? What about works? Do Christians need to keep the Ten Commandments? What is the ‘faith chapter’? How do the just live by faith? Is faith one of the weightier matters of the law? How does faith come? Marque aquí para ver el pdf folleto: Fe para aquellos que Dios ha llamado y escogido. In German: Glaube für die von Gott Berufenen und Auserwählten. In French: La Foi pour ceux que Dieu a Appelés et Choisis. Here is a link to a related sermon titled: Faith for the Called and Chosen.and here is a link to another sermon Faith and Courage. Here is a link to shorter version of the written article in Mandarin Chinese 一篇关于信仰的小文章. Here are links to the sermons Christian Faith and Increasing Faith.
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)?
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? A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?

Proof Jesus is the Messiah This free book has over 200 Hebrew prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. Plus, His arrival was consistent with specific prophecies and even Jewish interpretations of prophecy. Here are links to seven related sermons: Proof Jesus is the Messiah, Prophecies of Jesus’ birth, timing, and death, Jesus’ prophesied divinity, 200+ OT prophecies Jesus filled; Plus prophecies He made, Why Don’t Jews Accept Jesus?, Daniel 9, Jews, and Jesus, and Facts and Atheists’ Delusions About Jesus
Is God’s Existence Logical? Is it really logical to believe in God? Yes! Would you like Christian answers to give atheists? This is a free online booklet that deal with improper theories and musings called science related to the origin of the origin of the universe, the origin of life, and evolution. Two animated videos of related interest are also available: Big Bang: Nothing or Creator? and A Lifegiver or Spontaneous Evolution?
The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why did God make you? This free online book helps answers some of the biggest questions that human have, including the biblical meaning of life. Here is a link to three related sermons: Mysteries of God’s Plan, Mysteries of Truth, Sin, Rest, Suffering, and God’s Plan, and The Mystery of YOU.
Universal OFFER of Salvation, Apokatastasis: Can God save the lost in an age to come? Hundreds of scriptures reveal God’s plan of salvation Will all get a fair chance at salvation? This free book is packed with scriptures showing that God does intend to offer salvation to all who ever lived–the elect in this age, and the rest in the age to come. Here is a link to a related sermon series: Universal Offer of Salvation 1: Apocatastasis, Universal Offer of Salvation 2: Jesus Desires All to be Saved, Mysteries of the Great White Throne Judgment (Universal Offer of Salvation part 3), Is God Fair, Will God Pardon the Ignorant?, Can God Save Your Relatives?, Babies, Limbo, Purgatory and God’s Plan, and ‘By the Mouth of All His Holy Prop
hets’.
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.
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? A short animation is also available: Is God 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.
The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast This is a free pdf book explaining the what the Ten Commandments are, where they came from, how early professors of Christ viewed them, and how various ones, including the Beast of Revelation, will oppose them. A related sermon is titled: The Ten Commandments and the Beast of Revelation.
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, 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. There are links to literature is about 100 different languages there.
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.
Continuing Church of God, Africa, Facebook page This has news and prophetic information.
Continuing Church of God, Canada, Facebook page This has news and prophetic information.
Continuing Church of God, Europe, Facebook page This has news and prophetic information.
CCOG.AFRICA This is a website targeted towards those in Africa.
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.
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.
CG7.ORG This is a website for those interested in the Sabbath and churches that observe the seventh day Sabbath.
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 YouTube channel. The Continuing Church of God has some animations to teach aspects of Christian beliefs. Also available at BitChute COGAnimations https://www.bitchute.com/channel/coganimations/
Bible News Prophecy channel. Dr. Thiel has produced hundreds of videos for the BibleNewsProphecy channel. You can find them at them on YouTube at BibleNewsProphecy https://www.youtube.com/user/BibleNewsProphecy, plus also on Vimeo at Bible News Prophecy https://vimeo.com/channels/biblenewsprophecy as well as on Brighteon Bible News Prophecy https://www.brighteon.com/channel/ccogbnp and Bitchute Prophecy https://www.bitchute.com/channel/prophecy/
CCOGAfrica channel. This has messages from African pastors in African languages such as Kalenjin, Kiswahili, Embu, and Dholuo. Also available at BitChute COGAfrica https://www.bitchute.com/channel/cogafrica/
CDLIDDSermones channel. This contains messages in the Spanish language
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.
ContinuingCOG channel. Dr. Thiel has produced scores of YouTube video sermons for this channel. Note: Since these are sermon-length, they can take a little longer to load than other YouTube videos. Also available at BitChute COGTube https://www.bitchute.com/channel/cogtube/
Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of GodContend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3, NKJV), “Let brotherly love (Philadelphia) continue” (Hebrews 13:1) ” & continuing stedfastly in the teaching of the apostles” (Acts 2:42 YLT). So, what does that really mean in terms of specific beliefs–the Statement gives answers? Here is a related link in Spanish/español: Declaración de las Doctrinas de la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios. Here is a related link in Tagalog: Paglalahad ng Mga Paniniwala ng Patuloy na Iglesya ng Diyos. Here is a related link in Mandarin Chinese ~ç~íy^v„eYOv„OáNðXðf. Here is a related link in Kiswahili: KATIKA LUGHA YA KISWAHILI. Here is a related link in Dutch: Verklaring van geloofspunten van de Continuing Church of God. Here is a related link in Deutsche (German): Glaubenserklärung der Continuing Church of God. Here is a related link in Italiano: Dichiarazione del Credo della Continuing Church of God. Here is related link in the French language: Déclaration des croyances de L’Église Continue de Dieu. Here is a related link in the Chichewa language: ZIKHULUPIRIRO ZA MPINGO WA CONTINUING CHURCH OF GOD. Here is a link in Romanian: Declarația de credințe a continuării Bisericii lui Dumnezeu. Here is a link in Portuguese: Declaração de Crenças da Continuação da Igreja de Deus. Here is a link in Russian: Утверждение верований о продолжении Церкви Божьей. Here is a link to a related English-language sermon: Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God.

New Zealand votes to legalize euthanasia (physician-assisted suicide), but not recreational marijuana

Friday, October 30th, 2020


Anti-euthanasia poster (Unsplash photo)

COGwriter

New Zealand voters went for legalized physician-assisted suicide:

New Zealand votes to legalize euthanasia but not marijuana

October 30, 2020

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealanders voted to legalize euthanasia in a binding referendum, but preliminary results released Friday showed they likely would not legalize recreational marijuana use.

With about 83% of votes counted, New Zealanders emphatically endorsed the euthanasia measure with 65% voting in favor and 34% voting against.

The “No” vote on marijuana was much closer, with 53% voting against legalizing the drug for recreational use and 46% voting in favor. That left open a slight chance the measure could still pass once all special votes were counted next week, although it would require a huge swing. …

The euthanasia measure, which would also allow assisted suicide and takes effect in November 2021, would apply to adults who have terminal illnesses, are likely to die within six months, and are enduring “unbearable” suffering. Other countries that allow some form of euthanasia include The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Canada, Belgium and Colombia.

“It is a victory for all New Zealand as we become a more compassionate and humane society,” said lawmaker David Seymour, of the libertarian ACT Party. “Thousands of New Zealanders who might have suffered excruciating deaths will have choice, dignity, control, and autonomy over their own bodies, protected by the rule of law.”

But Dr. John Kleinsman, an ethicist for the New Zealand Catholic Bishops, said the vote put vulnerable people on a dangerous path. He said the mere option of euthanasia would be a burden and pressure for many ailing people and their families, as well as for healthcare and religious workers. https://apnews.com/article/referendums-marijuana-elections-euthanasia-new-zealand-0023a13c7bcfdd431c353adbf284e28b

Yes, it is a wrong and dangerous path for people to kill other people. Voting is supposed to show the will of the people–and the will of the people to support murder is wrong. (And it looks like further attempts to get marijuana voted in will happen.)

Here is some information:

Active euthanasia involves “the direct administration of a lethal substance to the patient by another party with merciful intent”… Physician-assisted suicide refers to a medical professional aiding a patient in terminating their life upon the patient’s request. (Med Princ Pract. 2019 Jun; 28(3): 199–207)

Basically, euthanasia is a form of intentional poisoning.

The late USA  Dr. Jack Kevorkian (nicknamed “Dr. Death”) pushed for physician-assisted suicide during his life. And sadly, it has been approved in 8 states in the USA, plus the District of Columbia.


“Dr. Death”

Here is some information about him:

3 June 2011

Jack Kevorkian, the controversial American doctor who claimed to have assisted more than 100 suicides, has died aged 83.

To his critics, he was Dr Death. To other detractors, Jack the Dripper.

Kevorkian was given plenty of nicknames after receiving international attention in the 1990s, throughout which he waged a defiant campaign to help people end their lives. …

His career ignited in 1989 when he demonstrated his “suicide machine” on television and even had business cards printed advertising his services …

Wesley J Smith, author and leading campaigner against assisted suicide, says the media fawned over him and failed to see the damage he wrought.

“I think his more important place in contemporary history was as a dark mirror that reflected how powerful the avoidance of suffering has become as a driving force in society, and indeed, how that excuse seems to justify nearly any excess.”

Kevorkian was prophetic in calling for the creation of euthanasia clinics, which now exist in Switzerland, says Smith. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-13649381

As far as media acceptance, notice something from decades ago:

The abortion attitude is already being extended to newborn infants. Pro-abortionists themselves are becoming bolder in admitting the connection. Thus Dr. Robert Crist, testifying before the Louisiana state legislature, said that he was just as comfortable killing a newborn child. a week old as a week before birth, and that only lawyers haggle over this point of birth as having any special significance (“A New Conscience of the Pro-Life Movement,” Conservative Digest, December, 1979, p. 19). 

The liberal, pro-abortion New Republic reflects the same attitude. The following words were taken from its July 2; 1977, editorial on abortion. The words accurately reflect the magazine’s position. They also reflect just where the abortion attitude leads:

“Metaphysical arguments about the beginning of life are fruitless. But there is clearly no logical or moral distinction between a fetus and a young baby; free availability of abortion cannot be reasonably distinguished from euthanasia. Nevertheless we are for it. It is too facile to say that human life is always sacred; obviously it is not…” (Calkins K. The Silent Holocaust. Plain Truth, September 1980)

The atheistic media is all about its own wants and desires. They do not understand God’s plan, so they see no value in allowing suffering as they view it. They are among those who believe they “have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). But you do not have to be in ignorance like the media is. To learn more about God’s plan, check out the free online book: The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why Did God Make You?

Related to infanticide, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put out the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

12:55

February 23, 2019 was declared a ‘day of mourning’ by some concerned about infanticide and other ramifications of the State of New York’s “Reproductive Health Act.” The American College of Pediatricians reported they were grieved by efforts by several states to allow infanticide. Statements from disgraced Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, as well as proposed laws in Illinois, Rhode Island, and Vermont have gotten more to be concerned about infanticide in the United States of America. Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse proposed S. 311 the ‘Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act failed in a voice vote–and 17 “public health organizations’ denounced S. 311 as “a dangerous government intrustion.” Is the destruction of humans wrong. Does human life begin at conception? Is there a light flash at conception? Has there been infanticide throughout human history? What does God say about the shedding of “innocent blood’? What about Judaism and Molech?

Here is a link to the sermonette video: American Infanticide.

Notice what the Bible warns about following the wrong type of leadership that many are accepting:

12… O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err, And destroy the way of your paths (Isaiah 3:12).

16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed (Isaiah 9:16).

32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:32)

Perhaps I should add that the idea of physician-assisted suicide is also a violation of the Hippocratic oath that medical doctors used to take (and it originally prohibited assisting in causing abortion).

Notice something related to medical ethics and the Hippocratic oath:

Code of Ethics

The most current version of the American Medical Association‘s Code of Ethics states that physician-assisted suicide is prohibited. It prohibits physician-assisted suicide because it is “fundamentally incompatible with the physician’s role as healer” and because it would be “difficult or impossible to control, and would pose serious societal risks”. [18]

Hippocratic Oath

Some doctors[19] remind that physician-assisted suicide is contrary to the Hippocratic Oath, which is the oath historically taken by physicians. It states “I will give no deadly medicine to anyone if asked, nor suggest any such counsel”.[20][21] The original oath however has been modified many times and, contrary to popular belief, is not required by most modern medical schools, nor confers any legal obligations on individuals who choose to take it.[22] There are also procedures forbidden by the Hippocratic Oath which are in common practice today, such as abortion. (Assisted Suicide. Wikipedia, accessed 10/30/20)

Yes, both euthanasia and abortion are prohibited by the Hippocratic Oath. Physicians are not supposed to be involved with murder, but assisting healing.

The Bible teaches that one is not to murder (Exodus 20:13). And that includes murdering oneself, as well as one’s unborn baby. Notice also the following:

Is suicide a crime? …

God commands: “THOU SHALT NOT KILL” (the sixth commandment). Webster defines the word kill as “to deprive of life.” To commit suicide, then, is breaking one of the Ten Commandments -and is definitely condemned by God. Paul admonishes us saying, “Know you not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

If any man DESTROY (KJV margin) the temple of God, him shall God DESTROY; for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are” (1 Cor. 3 : 16, 17 ) . “What, know you not that your BODY is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own?” (I Cor. 6: 19). No murderer-or suicide-has eternal life abiding in him (I John 3: 15). He has no hope unless and until in the general resurrection after the millennium he repents of his sin (Matthew 11 :20-24). (Plain Truth. January 1960, pp. 15-16)

What about mercy killings (euthanasia), capital punishment, killing in self-defense, taking revenge, “just” wars, abortions (killing of unborn infants) and suicide? God, the giver of life (Gen. 2:7, Deut. 32:39), has the right to take any life if and when He chooses. But man does not have that power, unless God grants it to him. (McNair R. Could You Be Guilty of Murder? Good News, January 1983)

Subtle forms of murder include abortion, euthanasia … (Crime can be stopped…here’s how! Ambassador College, 1975)

Both abortion and euthanasia are wrong.

Let me add that refusing extreme medical interventions is NOT wrong. But having someone poison someone, which is what euthanasia via physician pretty much always is, is wrong.

The Bible teaches:

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

Euthanasia is one of those sins that we are denouncing.

The destruction of the USA and its British-descended allies including New Zealand, is coming and disobedience to various laws of God will be the reason.

Physician-assisted suicide, infanticide, and abortion is wrong.

Some items of possibly related concerns may include:

Australia and New Zealand in Prophecy Do biblical prophecies help explain the wealth blessings for Australia and New Zealand? Might cursings from disobedience come in the 21st century? Here is a link to a related sermon: Australia and New Zealand: Origins and Prophecy.
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-Celtic 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?
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. A sermon of related interest is also available: Canada in Prophecy.
Abortion, the Bible, and a Woman’s Right to Choose Do you know what the Bible teaches on this? Has the Roman Catholic Church allowed abortions? What about the real Church of God? Some may wish to view the YouTube videos: Abortion and Birth Control: History and Scriptures. Abortion, the Bible, and US Debt, American Infanticide, and Land of ‘Free’ Abortions and Debt.
Marijuana: Should a Christian Get High? There is increasing acceptance of the use of marijuana. How should Christians view this? Here is a related video titled How Should a Christian View Marijuana?
The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast This is a free pdf book explaining the what the Ten Commandments are, where they came from, how early professors of Christ viewed them, and how various ones, including the Beast of Revelation, will oppose them. A related sermon is titled: The Ten Commandments and the Beast of Revelation.
The Ten Commandments Reflect Love, Breaking them is Evil Some feel that the ten commandments are a burden. Is that what Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John taught? Here is a link to a video The Ten Commandments: Loving God.
Crime can be stopped…here’s how! This was a booklet that was edited with some updates by Dr. Thiel. Here is a link to a related sermon: Crime and How it Will be Stopped!
The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why Did God Make You? This free online book helps answers some of the biggest questions that human have, including the biblical meaning of life. Here is a link to three related sermons: Mysteries of God’s Plan, Mysteries of Truth, Sin, Rest, Suffering, and God’s Plan, and The Mystery of YOU.

Temple Institute’s given reason to build another temple is not biblically valid

Friday, October 30th, 2020


Temple Institute entrance
(Photo by Bob Thiel)

COGwriter

The Temple Institute had the following in its latest newsletter:

Marcheshvan 12, 5781/October 30, 2020

Why the Holy Temple? Why should we want to build it? Why do we need it? How will it be good for the Jews? How will it be good for the world? “Any prayer, any supplication, which will be made by any man, or by all Your people Israel, who shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house.” (I Kings 8:38) The Holy Temple is the Place to pray and the Place where your prayer will be answered!

But, while people often like to pray in specific buildings, a building is not needed to pray. Praying in a Jewish temple is not a guarantee of prayers being answered. That is a false assertion by the Temple Institute.

Notice something from the New Testament:

19 The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”

21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:18-24)

The Samaritan woman looks to have been pointing to the temple in Jerusalem as the place to pray according to the Jews. At that time, Samaritans were essentially only allowed on the outskirts of it, whereas the Jews could come in the temple to pray.

Instead of supporting a temple to pray, Jesus emphasized that it was important to worship God is spirit and in truth. Those who fail to do so are not truly worshiping God, nor do they tend to understand God’s plans for His creation or their lives (which is spelled out in the free online book: The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why Did God Make You? ).

Sadly, because they have rejected Jesus as the Messiah, Jews have a major blind-spot, if you will, regarding the truth. This is despite the fact that if the Jews would believe the Hebrew scriptures (which we commonly call the Old Testament), they should realize that Jesus is the Messiah.

Getting back to the Samaritan woman, John’s account continues with:

25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”

26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” (John 4:25-26)

If modern Jews would believe their scriptures, as well as select writings of some of their prominent rabbis, they would conclude that Jesus is the Messiah. This is laid out in our free online book: Proof Jesus is the Messiah.

As far as prayer goes, we have a free online booklet.

PRAYER Book Cover - Front Final

Here is a link: Prayer: What Does the Bible Teach?

As far as another temple goes, the Temple Institute believes that regular animal sacrifices are needed and that it would be best to have another temple in order to do so. Whereas Christians point to the blood of Jesus to cleanse, therefore we do not need animal sacrifices (Hebrews 9-10).  Since it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins (Hebrews 10:4), another temple for that purpose is not needed.

Jesus takes away sins (John 1:36). All interested in the remission of sins, should repent of their sins and accept Jesus. And that includes those at the Temple Institute.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Proof Jesus is the Messiah This free book has over 200 Hebrew prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. Plus, His arrival was consistent with specific prophecies and even Jewish interpretations of prophecy. Here are links to seven related sermons: Proof Jesus is the Messiah, Prophecies of Jesus’ birth, timing, and death, Jesus’ prophesied divinity, 200+ OT prophecies Jesus filled; Plus prophecies He made, Why Don’t Jews Accept Jesus?, Daniel 9, Jews, and Jesus, and Facts and Atheists’ Delusions About Jesus. Plus the links to two sermonettes: Luke’s census: Any historical evidence? and Muslims believe Jesus is the Messiah, but … These videos cover nearly all of the book, plus have some information not in the book. We also have the book translated in the Spanish PRUEBA de que JESÚS es el MESÍAS and French PREUVES QUE JÉSUS EST LE MESSIE languages.
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)?
The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why Did God Make You? This free online book helps answers some of the biggest questions that human have, including the biblical meaning of life. Here is a link to three related sermons: Mysteries of God’s Plan, Mysteries of Truth, Sin, Rest, Suffering, and God’s Plan, and The Mystery of YOU.
Why is a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem Not Required? Although people like Timothy LaHaye teach a third Jewish temple is required, who is ‘the temple of God” in the New Testament? Does the Bible require a rebuilt Jewish Temple? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Por qué no se requiere un templo judío en Jerusalén? Here is a link to a sermon titled The Temple, Prophecy, and the Work.
Nascent Sanhedrin and Prophecy The reconstituted Sanhedrin wants the reimplementation of animal sacrifices. A related video is titled Sanhedrin pushing animal sacrifices. And a newer one is: Sanhedrin makes burnt offering to dedicate altar!
The Red Heifer, Jewish Beliefs, and the End of the World The Temple Institute is watching a ‘red heifer.’ Why might this be important in the sequence of end time events? Here is a related link in the Spanish language Novilla roja descubierta en EE.UU. e Instituto del Templo está interesado en ella. Here are links to two related videos in English: Red Heifers and the Fate of the World and The Red Heifer and the End of the World.
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? A short animation is also available: Is God 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.
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.

Halloween, All Saints Day, Day of the Dead

Friday, October 30th, 2020


Day of the Dead decorations
(Tomascastelazo)

COGwriter

Many Greco-Roman-Protestants will attempt to celebrate Halloween tomorrow.

It is not a biblical nor Christian holiday.

The truth is that those who really obey and believe the God of the Bible do not celebrate Halloween.

Yet, several years ago, actor Kirk Cameron put out a film called Saving Christmas. As it turns out, it was reported to be a box office flop (see Kirk Cameron’s Christmas movie flops).

The reason to bring that up is that while promoting his movie, he made several comments intended to encourage people to celebrate Halloween.

In light of his new film “Saving Christmas,” Kirk Cameron is also speaking out on Halloween celebrations, urging Christians to get into the spooky spirit this year.

“Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas” hits select theaters on Nov. 14,… Cameron addressed the same theories as they are applied to Halloween, clarifying why Christians “should have the biggest Halloween party on your block.”

“The real origins have a lot to do with All Saints Day and All Hallows Eve,” the actor told The Christian Post. “If you go back to old church calendars, especially Catholic calendars, they recognize the holiday All Saints Day, with All Hallows Eve the day before, when they would remember the dead. That’s all tied in to Halloween.”

Moreover, the “Unstoppable” star went on to cite the meaning behind dressing up in frightening costumes on Halloween, clarifying the meaning of Oct. 31.

“When you go out on Halloween and see all people dressed in costumes and see someone in a great big bobble head Obama costume with great big ears and an Obama face, are they honoring him or poking fun?” Cameron asked.

“They are poking fun at him,” the actor said, answering his own question before comparing the concept of costumes to early Christianity.

“Early on, Christians would dress up in costumes as the devil, ghosts, goblins and witches precisely to make the point that those things were defeated and overthrown by the resurrected Jesus Christ,” Cameron continued. “The costumes poke fun at the fact that the devil and other evils were publicly humiliated by Christ at His resurrection. That’s what the Scriptures say, that He publicly humiliated the devil when He triumphed over power and principality and put them under his feet. Over time you get some pagans who want to go this is our day, high holy day of Satanic church, that this is all about death, but Christians have always known since the first century that death was defeated, that the grave was overwhelmed, that ghosts, goblins, devils are foolish has-beens who used to be in power but not anymore. That’s the perspective Christians should have.  10/24/2014 http://www.christianpost.com/news/kirk-cameron-on-halloween-christians-should-have-the-biggest-party-on-the-block-128345/

Isn’t the perspective real Christians should have is what does the Bible teach and what did early Christians do?

Consider also the following:

Cameron continues in the interview:

“Over time you get some pagans who want to go this is our day, high holy day of Satanic church, that this is all about death, but Christians have always known since the first century that death was defeated, that the grave was overwhelmed, that ghosts, goblins, devils are foolish has-beens who used to be in power but not anymore. That’s the perspective Christians should have.”

Everything in this quote shows extreme diarrhea of the mouth. Christians right up until the modern day have been afraid of devils, goblins, and ghosts, and that fear often manifested on Halloween. To the Christian of the Middle Ages the night was full of terrors, and things didn’t really change until the 20th Century. http://www.patheos.com/blogs/panmankey/2014/10/kirk-cameron-doesnt-get-halloween-like-most-people/#udp0U90wBMfduxrG.99

Despite Kirk Cameron’s claims, the Bible condemns pagan celebrations and early Christians did NOT dress up as witches and devils. Related to that, someone properly commented, “If there is anything Kirk Cameron is fond of, other than bananas, it is making up his own facts about things. … this week, he brings us his version of the history of Halloween” (https://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/229911/kirk-cameron-explains-how-jesus-invented-halloween-to-mock-obama-or-something/).

The Bible teaches:

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; (Ephesians 6:10-17)

The Bible does not teach to put on costumes of witches or other things associated with darkness. Early Christians did NOT dress up as witches. True Christians rely on the word of God.

The Bible condemns pagan celebrations and early Christians did NOT dress up as witches and devils. Jesus was not even born on December 25th (see also How did December 25th become Christmas?).

Notice something that Jesus taught:

23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:23-24)

Christmas is a lie. True worshipers will NOT be celebrating it. To learn more about who the true Christians are, check out the following: Where is the True Christian Church Today?

Kirk Cameron not only overlooks this, he seems to be pushing a more ‘ecumenical’ and anti-biblical view of what he calls Christianity. This is wrong, and will NOT end well (cf. Revelation 18).

The Continuing Church of God put together the following sermon related to Halloween on its ContinuingCOG channel:

1:11:52

Is Halloween an actual Christian holiday? Is it listed among the ‘Feast of the Lord’ in Leviticus 23? Where did the date October 31 come from? What about All Saints Day and the Mexican Day of the Dead? Did Celtic Druid observations of Samhain (pronounced sah-vah) occur then? Any similarities to Japanese, Chinese, or Scottish traditions? Is Halloween an important holiday to Satanists and those involved with Wicca? What is the origin of bonfires, costumes, and going door to door? Should Christians dress up as ghosts, witches, harlots, or ‘sexy nurses’ to celebrate it? What are reasons that Protestant pastors and publications like ‘Christianity Today’ say Halloween should be observed? What are the arguments that celebrities such as Kirk Cameron and Hailey Bieber promoted? Do they agree with the Bible? Did early Christians observe anything like Halloween? Are there Roman Catholic leaders for and against the observation of Halloween? How is Halloween claimed to be similar to Christmas and Easter? Does Halloween promote the gospel of the Kingdom of God? Was Halloween part of the original faith that the Apostles Paul and Jude said should be continued/contended for? When did Halloween begin to be observed? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more.

Here is a link to our sermon: Let’s Get Real About Halloween.

Some Protestants and many Roman Catholics will not only observe Halloween, they will observe All Saints’ Day on November 1st, with some Mexicans celebrating the ‘Day of the Dead’ until November 2, 2020.

Those other days are also not biblical. Related to all three of these observances, the Continuing Church of God isput together the following sermon on its ContinuingCOG channel:


1:13:16

Since the 1950s, groups like the United Nations and the United World Federalists have been working towards a one-world government. The world has problems like hunger, injustice, poverty, pollution, crime, and mistreatment. Is a one-world government the solution to these and other problems facing humanity? Will humanity bring about utopia? Will the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development succeed? What are the 17 goals and are there any problems with their attainment? Will the objectives of Pope Francis’ ‘Laudato Si’ and other efforts bring lasting peace? What about the World Council of Churches and other pushing for a one-world religion? Is any of this in conflict with scripture? Is the Kingdom of God here now? Will there be a conflict between the true followers of Jesus and the Babylonian one-world cooperation that the UN and Vatican want? What message did Jesus come to preach? Does God have the solution? Dr. Thiel addresses these and other matters.

Here is a link to the sermon: All Hallowed Saints’ Day of the Dead.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

All Saints’ Day, the Day of the Dead, and All Souls’ Day When did “All Saints Day” and the “Day of the Dead” begin? “What about All Soul’s Day”? Here is a link to a related sermo: All Hallowed Saints’ Day of the Dead.
Is Halloween Holy Time for Christians? Here are some historical and biblical insight on this question. There are many cultures that have celebrations and observances that are similar to some associated with Halloween. What did the Druids do? Is Halloween one of the most important holidays for Satanists? Do the Japanese, Indians, and Chinese have any practices that are similar to some associated with Halloween? Does the Bible endorse or condemn practices that are associated with Halloween? Here is a link to a related sermon: Let’s Get Real About Halloween. Here are links to three related sermonette length videos: Debunking 17 reasons to celebrate Halloween, Halloween: Are there 7 reasons for Christians to celebrate it?, and International ‘Halloween’ Should Christians observe Halloween?
Debunking 17 reasons to celebrate Halloween What is Halloween? What do Druids and saints have to do with it? Does the Bible endorse Halloween? When did people start to observe it? Should Christians celebrate it? It seems like more reasons are given by some Protestants and Catholics each year to observe it. In this video, Dr. Thiel gives 17 reasons that have been given to celebrate Halloween and debunks each of them from the Bible. Three reasons he debunks have been promoted by the actor Kirk Cameron–with others from pastors and religious writers. He also debunks what could be called an 18th reason from a Catholic source–plus cites Catholic sources (including the Vatican) opposed to its observance.
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 video from Vatican City is titled Church of Rome, Mithras, and Isis?
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences.
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?
Holy Day Calendar This is a listing of the biblical holy days through 2024, with their Roman calendar dates. They are really hard to observe if you do not know when they occur ? In the Spanish/Español/Castellano language: Calendario de los Días Santos. In Mandarin Chinese: 何日是神的圣日? 这里是一份神的圣日日历从2013年至2024年。.
Hanukkah: Jewish Christmas and Hidden Key to Prophecy? Originally a Jewish national holiday, has Hanukkah morphed into a Jewish Christmas? Does it hold hidden secrets to prophecy? Here is a related video: Hanukkah, Tradition, and Prophecy.
Canadian & Philadelphian Mummers Parades: Another tie to Saturnalia In Canada there is a ’12 days of Christmas’ celebration involving Mummers. In Philadelphia, a parade is held on New Years. Does this come from the Bible or where?
Was Jesus Born in the Grotto of the Nativity? Was Jesus born in a below ground cave? Was Jesus born below the “Church of the Nativity”? Were the wise men there?
How did December 25th become Christmas? Was Jesus born then? If not, why December 25? Here is the article translated into Mandarin Chinese 12月25日最后是怎么被许多基督的信仰者采纳的.
Is Keeping Christmas a Sin? Is keeping Christmas acceptable for true Christians? What are some scriptures to consider?
What Does the Catholic Church Teach About Christmas and the Holy Days? Do you know what the Catholic Church says were the original Christian holy days? Was Christmas among them? Is December 25th Jesus’ birthday or that of the sun god? Here is a link to a related sermon: What do Catholic and other scholars teach about Christmas?
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Continuing Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions.
Did Early Christians Celebrate Birthdays? Did biblical era Jews celebrate birthdays? Who originally celebrated birthdays? When did many that profess Christ begin birthday celebrations? A related sermon video is available and is titled: Birthdays, Christians, and December 25th.
International ‘Halloween’ Should Christians observe Halloween? There are many cultures that have celebrations and observances that are similar to some associated with Halloween. What did the Druids do? Is Halloween one of the most important holidays for Satanists? Do the Japanese, Indians, and Chinese have any practices that are similar to some associated with Halloween? Does the Bible endorse or condemn practices that are associated with Halloween? This is a video.
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. Two related sermon would be Which Spring Days should Christians observe? and Fall Holy Days for Christians.

“Unless the US stops printing money, the dollar will collapse.”

Thursday, October 29th, 2020


(Unsplash photo)

COGwriter

Today the US Treasury reported that the latest amount of official US government debt was $27,175,866,775,866.84 (https://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/pd_debttothepenny.htm).

Notice the following:

October 29, 2020

Peter Schiff delivered a key-note speech at the Virtual Investor Day Conference. …

“We are headed for a US dollar crisis and a sovereign debt crisis. The magnitude of this crisis will be unlike anything we’ve ever experienced. Because this is not just mortgages blowing up. This is the credit of the United States government. This is the risk-free asset becoming the most toxic asset on the planet. And it’s not just US Treasuries that are going to collapse, but it’s the entire US-denominated bond market which is built on top the foundation of US Treasuries. So, Treasuries go — it all goes — corporate bonds, muni bonds, mortgages. Any debt instrument that is denominated in US dollars is going to collapse.”

So where will people run?

Gold.

The world is going to return to gold-backed paper money.” https://schiffgold.com/videos/peter-schiff-the-fed-has-never-been-right/

Yes, the Bible shows that gold will have value after the US dollar is worthless (cf. Daniel 11:39-43). And the US is pushing its dollar to be worthless one day.

Late yesterday, the Wall Street Journal reported:

U.S. States Face Biggest Cash Crisis Since the Great Depression

The drop in tax revenue has led to a total shortfall expected in the hundreds of billions of dollars—greater than 2019’s K-12 education budget for every state combined, or more than twice the amount spent that year on state roads and other transportation infrastructure

October 28, 2020 https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-states-face-biggest-cash-crisis-since-the-great-depression-11603910750

The damage that the USA federal, state, and local governments have caused the economy with COVID policies is greater than many realize.

One of the longer term damages is the accumulation of debt. That has, to a great degree, been the federal government’s response to the economy because of COVID-blamed restrictions.

Notice the following assessment:

“Unless the US stops printing money, the dollar will collapse.”

There seems to be a wide rift in US politics, which is not just pragmatic or ideological, but perceptual too: The two “camps” and their supporters appear to be living in and arguing about two different versions of reality, and neither corresponds to the actual experiences of most ordinary citizens, taxpayers and savers. This disconcerting dissonance became painfully apparent in the first Presidential debate, at least to those who had the patience to keep watching after the first few minutes. It was especially pronounced when the candidates were asked about their economic policies and recovery plans. Both had all these grand plans, big-spending dreams and voter-pleasing promises, and for those of us who understand even the very basic lessons from our monetary history, one thing was clear as day: If there’s one thing the two sides can agree on, it’s that fiscal prudence, responsibility and long-term thinking, are at the bottom of their priority list. …

Claudio Grass (CG): For any student of monetary history, the past decade was a fascinating period. Many of us expected this reckless experiment with QE, negative rates and aggressive expansionism by central bankers to end in tears, but few could have foreseen the response to the Covid crisis. Do you expect this move to “double down” on bad policies to expedite the monetary system’s demise or perhaps to breathe new life into it and simply prolong it?

Patrick Barron (PB): An old grad school professor of mine always reminded us that all analogies distort, yet I will give an analogy just the same. Printing money is analogous to taking some stimulant such as cocaine. Taking cocaine and printing money out of thin air don’t really improve one’s health or the economy, and the user and the economy may improve due to other factors. But over time, one needs to take bigger and bigger doses in order to achieve the same effect. If the drug user continues, at some point the drug will kill him. How much cocaine is too much? No one knows.

Undoubtedly the dosage differs with the individual–the stronger being able to take larger doses over a longer period of time than the weaker. The US is stronger than Zimbabwe, for example. This means that the US can print more money over a longer period of time. But it does not mean that the US can print money forever and in ever increasing quantities and always experience the same artificial high. No one really knows when the dollar will collapse. But, we do know that unless the US stops printing money, the dollar WILL collapse. The response to the Covid crisis has undoubtedly hastened that day. 10/27/20 https://claudiograss.ch/2020/10/unless-the-us-stops-printing-money-the-dollar-will-collapse/

Yes the responses of many federal and state governments in the US, that are blamed on COVID-19, are hastening the day that the US dollar will collapse. As far as gold and silver goes, there will be issues with them, but they will have value for a time after the US dollar collapses.

The US dollar will one day be worth no more than its scrap or burning value, other than perhaps as a collector’s novelty.

Now as far as the contention from Patrick Barron, “No one really knows when the dollar will collapse,” biblically we have a pretty good idea.

We are close to the end of the 6000 years God has allowed humans to manage things their way.

The US dollar will collapse a few years before the end of that 6,000 years and Jesus returns.

Notice a prophecy God inspired the prophet Habakkuk to write:

2 Then the Lord answered me and said:

“Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry. (Habakkuk 2:2-3)

6 “Will not all these take up a proverb against him,
And a taunting riddle against him, and say,
‘Woe to him who increases
What is not his — how long?
And to him who loads himself with many pledges’?
7 Will not your creditors rise up suddenly?
Will they not awaken who oppress you?
And you will become their booty.
8 Because you have plundered many nations,
All the remnant of the people shall plunder you,
Because of men’s blood
And the violence of the land and the city,
And of all who dwell in it. (Habakkuk 2:6-8).

The above is a prophecy for the appointed time of the end–essentially the time of the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21). The USA has been accumulating pledges in the form of US Treasury bonds and notes, and is the most indebted nation of all time. Notice that the prophecy says it is so bad, that people should run who read it. That is, they should seriously consider what this means and take the appropriate steps.

The Bible shows that foreign creditors will rise up.

Because US and British-descended leaders ignore and even despise instructions and warnings from the word of God, destruction will come to them. Notice something God inspired the prophet Isaiah to record:

12 Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel:

“Because you despise this word,
And trust in oppression and perversity,
And rely on them,
13 Therefore this iniquity shall be to you
Like a breach ready to fall,
A bulge in a high wall,
Whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant.
14 And He shall break it like the breaking of the potter’s vessel,
Which is broken in pieces;
He shall not spare.
So there shall not be found among its fragments
A shard to take fire from the hearth,
Or to take water from the cistern.” (Isaiah 30:12-14)

Most of the leaders in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand despise the word of God, trust in perversion, and think nothing of oppressive debt levels.

Increasing debt for the USA was number 11 from my list of 20 items to prophetically watch in 2020:

11. Debt

The Bible teaches that the result of debt accumulation will be far worse than even many pessimists believe. …

(Habakkuk 2:2-8; English Standard Version)

The USA is the most indebted nation in the history of humanity and those in it should try to understand this prophecy.

God told Habakkuk that this should be a very serious matter.

US debt will increase in 2020.

Have you been paying attention to this?

This year it looks like the USA will increase the absolute dollar amount of its debt higher than any year since its founding!

If Donald Trump is re-elected or if Joe Biden wins the election next week, debt is expected to increase further–that cannot go on forever.

Increasing debt will not end up well for the USA and its British-descended allies.

Yes, the US dollar will collapse.

But while there can be temporal benefits to gold and silver, ultimately they will be considered worthless just before Jesus returns.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something? Here is a version in the Spanish language Escrituras sobre Preparación física para los Cristianos. Here is a link to a related sermon: Physical preparedness for Christians.
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? A video of related interest may be: Germany, Gold, and the US Dollar.
The End of US Dollar Dominance Is the USA losing its economic status? What about the petro-gold-yuan? A related video is also available: US Dollar being challenged by Gold-Petro-Yuan.
COVID 19 is NOT the End, but could it be TEOTWAWKI? The novel coronavirus called COVID-19 is wreaking havoc around the world. Many states of the USA as well as countries in Europe are on lockdown with shelter in place /shelter in residence requirements. In France, a form is required when you are not at your house. In Spain, drones are being used to warn people who are outside to got back to their homes–does that bring up feelings of ‘Big Brother’? Italy, France, and other areas are using police and/or military force to encourage people to stay inside. According to the Bible could this be the end? If not, what has to happen first? Have the second and third of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse started their ride? Could COVID-19 be the fourth horseman? Why or why not? Could we be seeing The End of the World as We Know It (TEOTWAWKI) like the R.E.M.’s 1987 single song discussed? Do Christians need to fear? What did Jesus teach? What did the Psalmist teach? This is a video. Here is a link to a version in the Spanish language: Corona 19 no es el final PERO es el TEOTWAWKI.
COVID-19 Leading to 666? The novel coronavirus of Wuhan, China fame, is now called COVID-19. It has also been called the ‘Coronapocalypse.’ Does COVID-19 have any prophetic ramifications? What did Jesus teach about pestilences and sorrows in the Olivet prophecy in Matthew 24? Could COVID-19 be the ride of the fourth horseman of the Apocalypse? Why was this type of disease expected according to the O. Here is a link to a version in the Spanish language: ld Testament prophecies in Deuteronomy and Leviticus? What has the US Centers for Disease Control warned about? What has the CDC reported about the flu? Were there lessons about fear and infections in the 2011 movie ‘Contagion’? Because of COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO), nation of Iran, and certain French locations are telling people not to use cash, but instead electronic forms of payment. The US Federal Reserve is now quarantining money repatriated from Asia to reduce the potential spread of the coronavirus on US currency bills. Is COVID-19 worse than we have been told or could this all be a ‘false flag’ event to encourage people to move towards a cashless society? If the thousands of deaths associated with COVID-19 are pushing parts of the world towards cashlessness, how much more likely will the ride of the fourth horseman and over a billion human deaths motivate people to move to making electronic payments that can be monitored? The Bible tells of a soon coming society that controls buying and selling to force allegiance to a coming European Beast power, known as 666 (Revelation 13:16-18). Does the ‘great tribulation’ begin before ride of the fourth horseman or with the opening of the fifth seal of Revelation 6? Do the words of Jesus helps us better understand the sequence of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse and the start of the Great Tribulation? Will the ride of the fourth horseman help lead to the rise of 666? Is that ride very close? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more in this video. Here is a link to a version in the Spanish language: El COVID-19 ¿Conduce al 666?
Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse What is the pale horse of death and pestilences? What will it bring and when? Some related videos may include Amphibian Apocalypse: Threat to Humans?, Zombie Deer Disease is Here! Are the 10 Plagues on Egypt Coming?, and Biological Warfare and Prophecy. Here is a version of the article in Spanish: El cuarto jinete de Apocalipsis, el caballo pálido de muerte y pestilencia.
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 Sorrows and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
20 items to prophetically watch in 2020 Much is happening. Dr. Thiel points to 20 items to watch (cf. Mark 13:37) in this article. Here is a link to a related sermon: 20 Prophetic Items to Watch in 2020.
The New World Order Is Leaving the US Behind Bloomberg reported that the New World Order is leaving the USA behind. Other secular news sources are also reporting the rise of a new world order and decline of the influence of the USA. What about NAFTA, the Paris Accords, TPP, TWO, and NATO? Russia, China, and Europe are all working towards reducing dominance of the USA. Is this consistent with biblical prophecy? When did the time of Anglo-American dominance begin? Will the coming world order be dominated by a European Babylonian power? What will happen to the USA, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand after military actions by the coming order and the Great Tribulation? Are there any ties to Armageddon? Dr. Thiel addresses and more from the Bible.
Spiritual Samaritans: Old and New Who were the Samaritans? Do the represent true Christianity or something else? Here is a link to a related sermon: USA in Prophecy: Samaria.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.
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. Two related sermon are available: Identifying the USA and its Destruction in Prophecy and Do these 7 prophesies point to the end of the USA?
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? A related sermon is also available: The Bible, the USA, and the King of the West.
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 are links to two related videos: The King of the North is Alive: What to Look Out For and The Future King of the North.
The Great Monarch: Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Is the ‘Great Monarch’ of Catholic prophecies endorsed or condemned by the Bible? Two sermons of related interest are also available: Great Monarch: Messiah or False Christ? and Great Monarch in 50+ Beast Prophecies.
Satan’s Plan Does Satan have a plan? What is it? Has it already been successful? Will it be successful in the future? Here are links to a two-part sermon series: What are Some of the Parts of Satan’s Plan? and Satan’s Plan is More Dramatic than Many Realize.
Will the Anglo-Saxon-Celtic 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?
Brexit Happened: Now What? At 11:00 pm January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom formally left the European Union. Many celebrated, while many mourned. Nigel Farage stated, “This is the greatest moment in modern British history.” What will happen to the United Kingdom? Will the UK be involved in trade deals with the United States of America and the Europeans? Will the UK regret the BRitish Exit (Brexit) from the EU?What will happen with the European Union? Is Europe prophesied to have a great army and many ships? Does the Bible prophesy a reorganization of Europe? Does it prophesy that the Europeans will become a conquering military power? Is the United Kingdom prophesied to be conquered? How does the Bible name the British-descended peoples? Was the British Empire the largest in world history? Was Brexit predicted by Church of God leaders in 1970 and the early 1990s? Will the European Union be negatively affected financially by the departure of the UK? Will this turn out well for the UK or the Europeans? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more in this video.
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. A sermon of related interest is also available: Canada in Prophecy.
Australia and New Zealand in Prophecy Do biblical prophecies help explain the wealth blessings for Australia and New Zealand? Might cursings from disobedience come in the 21st century? Here is a link to a related sermon: Australia and New Zealand: Origins and Prophecy.
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.
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? 2028 or 20xx? There is also a video titled 6000 Years: When will God’s Kingdom Come? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2020, 2021, or 2022? 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 la Gran Tribulación comenzar en el 2020 o 2021? ¿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 and newer video is: Could the Great Tribulation Begin in 2020?
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.
Armageddon Who is involved and when will this gathering happen? Here is also a video from Dr. Thiel, from Tel Megiddo in Israel: Armageddon. Other videos include: Armageddon Will it come on Trump’s watch?, Iraq, Armageddon, & Prophecy, Freemasonry, Armageddon, and Rome, Is China paving roads to Armageddon?, and Jordan, Petra, and Armageddon.

AP: Trump paints apocalyptic portrait of life in US under Biden; COGwriter: Yes, but …

Thursday, October 29th, 2020

 

COGwriter

The Associated Press reported the following:

Trump paints apocalyptic portrait of life in US under Biden

October 29, 2020

WASHINGTON (AP) — The suburbs wouldn’t be the suburbs anymore, the economy would sink into its worst depression ever and police departments would cease to exist. Even America’s older adults would be left to figure out how to get by without heat, air conditioning or electricity.

This is the apocalyptic version of American life that President Donald Trump argues would be the dire consequence of turning over the White House to Democrat Joe Biden.

“He’ll bury you in regulations, dismantle your police departments, dissolve our borders, confiscate your guns, terminate religious liberty, destroy your suburbs,” Trump said …

“This election is a choice between a TRUMP RECOVERY or a BIDEN DEPRESSION,” the president tweeted, echoing what he tells supporters at rallies. “It’s a choice between a TRUMP BOOM or a BIDEN LOCKDOWN. It’s a choice between our plan to Kill the virus – or Biden’s plan to kill the American Dream!” https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-police-economy-3082b995c1fd89129671b245797bc902

Will a Biden-Harris Administration be apocalyptic?

Well, if Joe Biden and Kamala Harris win the election and believe what they claim they wish to promote is the case, then absolutely yes.

How so?

Here are ten reasons that come to immediate mind:

  1. Their pushing of the LGBTQ agenda–this will end in death (cf. Romans 1:18-32).
  2. Their stated willingness to increase USA debt–this will end in the destruction of the USA (cf. Habakkuk 2:6-8).
  3. Their stated agenda to increase funding for abortions–those that promote the shedding of innocent blood will not know peace (Isaiah 59:7-8).
  4. Their stated policies related to Islamic immigrants look to be a factor in more terror coming to the USA (Isaiah 9:11-12; Deuteronomy 32:25).
  5. Their stated policies on racial preferences and other racial matters will result in violence consistent with biblical prophecies (cf. Ezekiel 7:23-24). A house divided will not stand (Matthew 12:25).
  6. Their lack of understanding of biblical prophecies will not allow them to see dangers from Europe until it is too late–the USA will be taken over (cf. Daniel 11:39).
  7. Their stated policies about religion in the workforce show that they are “despisers of good … from such people turn away” (2 Timothy 3:1-7).
  8. Their hypocrisy, that of the media, and others, will be a factor in the coming end of the USA (cf. Isaiah 5:-12, KJV).
  9. Their policies on GMOs and vaccines will not stop the prophesied famines, food shortages, and pestilences (cf. Matthew 24:4-8; Revelation 6:5-8).
  10. Their timing. We are close to the end of the 6,000 years God has given humans to reign prior to the beginning of His millennial kingdom. It is almost up. Whichever party wins next week will be apocalyptic.

Does this mean that Donald Trump has not been apocalyptic?

No, he certainly has been.

Plus, he has helped fulfill many warnings I have written about him.

Let’s look at 20 such warnings.

WARNING ONE: Donald Trump will offend the Europeans.

The Bible shows that the USA will be betrayed by friends (cf. Lamentations 1:1-2) and the USA will one day be taken over by a European led power (Daniel 11:39; see also USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses).

Here are some warnings I made that Donald Trump would offend the Europeans:

Should he actually become President of the United States, his flamboyance and brashness are bound to offend the Europeans, and ultimately that will not turn out well for the USA (cf. Daniel 11:39). (Thiel B. Can Donald Trump make America great again? COGwriter, December 20, 2015)

Donald Trump will take steps to upset the Europeans. (Thiel B. Savage claims Obama would trash the economy if Trump wins; German press sees USA becoming more rotten. COGwriter, May 3, 2016)

Should Donald Trump become USA president, look for him to even more offend the Europeans. (Thiel B. Hillary Clinton, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States. Nazarene Books, June 2016, p. 98)

Has he?

Certainly. There are many examples, but here are five: Shadow president or mere shadow? In Europe, Pence seeks to reassure allies unnerved by Trump and G20 concludes with increased tension with the USA; Pope Francis pushes for federal Europe and Angela Merkel again says EU ‘can’t rely’ on USA, FPIF says ‘Europe should bolt NATO’ and Europe concerned about Donald Trump and ‘Trump Claims Germany Owes $1 Trillion In NATO Obligations’ ‘A European travel ban on Americans could be a sign of disastrous things to come …’.

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

20:34

The reaction of many leaders in Europe to US President Donald Trump’s trade statements and his withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear arms deal has led some to state this is a “revolt” from Europe. Some say ‘America First.’ should lead to ‘Europe First.’ It has been reported that Europe needs to be “clever” as it develops its military and economy to be less dependent upon the USA. EU Council President Donald Tusk tweeted that with friends like the USA, who needs enemies. EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said , “We have to replace the United States.” Will some of the unintended consequences of Donald Trump’s actions lead to World War Three and the end of the USA? Does the Bible teach this? Does the Bible teach that friendly allies will become enemies? Will an ally that defeats the USA say it happened because of being clever? Are things the same or are we seeing real changes that align with properly understood biblical prophecies? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more.

Here is a link: Will Europe’s Revolt Against Donald Trump Lead to WWIII?

WARNING TWO: Donald Trump’s election will be used to further push European unity.

The Bible shows that Europe will have unification problems, but will still arise (Daniel 2:41-43).

It may be interesting to note that the “best response’ to Donald Trump, according to various European leaders is European unity. Notice two reports:

3 February 2017

European Union leaders on Friday vowed to remain united and assert the bloc on the world stage in response to the U.S. President Donald Trump’s criticism of the EU. https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-raises-concerns-for-leaders-at-eu-summit-1486126798

May 28, 2017

“Europe is the answer,” Schulz said. “Closer European cooperation on all fronts is the answer to Donald Trump. Above all, we cannot let ourselves be subjugated to Trump’s rearmament policy.”

Schulz, who served as president of the European Parliament from 2012 to 2017, said European states must take a decisive approach to dealing with Trump, whose presentation and attitude in Brussels and Taormina he compared to that of a dictator. http://www.dw.com/en/merkel-europe-can-no-longer-rely-on-us-and-britain/a-39018097?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf

This was warned about on the COGwriter.com news page. Also, on February 28, 2016, my son Brian and I put out a video where I warned that Donald Trump’s rise would lead the Europeans to take steps to further unite (Could Donald Trump be Apocalyptic?) and a link was posted on this page on that date in the article Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump front runners: Who does Vladimir Putin reportedly prefer and why?

Related to that, on September 6, 2016, I posted related to Donald Trump:

Some of his statements may be leading to the rise of the prophesied King of the North, who is to be the final leader of the Beast of Revelation (Revelation 13:1). (Thiel B. Rabbi calls Donald Trump ‘America’s messiah,’ but is he? COGwriter, September 6, 2016)

Some additional European unity will be needed for that to occur (cf. Revelation 17:12-13) and Donald Trump has already been a motivator for this.

The day AFTER the November 2016 election, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker sent out a tweet over Twitter:

Trump wins … Wake up call for Europe to further unite & take charge of its own destiny (11/09/16)

How did I know Donald Trump could trigger this?

The Bible shows that Europe will rise up again (Revelation 13:1-10), have a great army (Daniel 11:25), and will one day defeat the USA (Daniel 11:39). Because of where we are in God’s 6000/7000 year plan (see Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?), the timing of Donald Trump and Europe’s disdain for him fit.

Notice also:

July 10, 2018

BRUSSELS — European Council President Donald Tusk on Tuesday lobbed a verbal grenade at President Trump ahead of a crucial week of diplomacy, warning the U.S. leader not to mix up his friends and his rivals …

“I would like to address President Trump directly, who for a long time now has been criticizing Europe almost daily for, in his view, insufficient contributions to the common defense capabilities,” Tusk said after signing a cooperation agreement between the European Union and NATO. …

“Dear America, appreciate your allies. After all, you don’t have that many. And dear Europe, spend more on your defense, because everybody expects an ally that is well-prepared and equipped.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/07/10/dear-america-appreciate-your-allies-after-all-you-dont-have-that-many-e-u-leader-warns-trump/?utm_term=.f503b5049934

European unity has been encouraged because of Donald Trump. See also Politico: Back off, Trump. Germany wants to Make Europe Strong Again. Berlin’s EU presidency motto has echoes of MAGA.

WARNING THREE: Increased civil unrest will come to the USA.

This is something I warned about here in September 2016:

For years I have warned that more civil unrest was coming to the USA. We have already seen a re-emergence of civil unrest already in 2015 and 2016.

That does not mean that I agree that globalists will necessarily trigger it, etc. But the media certainly has fanned the flames in the past and I expect them to do more such fanning in the future if Donald Trump were to win. (Thiel B. ‘Chaos will erupt across America in less than 100 days… no matter who wins the election’. COGwriter, September 5, 2016)

Plus, here is something related to that in my book Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse:

For one prophetic example, on September 5, 2016, I warned that the media would fan the flames for civil unrest if Donald Trump were elected. The morning after his election I warned that we would see civil unrest. Less than 24 hours later, tens of thousands, of various backgrounds, were protesting (Blau M, et al. Protesters target Trump buildings in massive street rallies. CNN, November 10, 2016 ) and certain ones in the media helped fan those flames of those protests. Expect more protests against Donald Trump. (Thiel B.Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse. Nazarene Books, 2017, pp. 15-16)

Donald Trump has been a polarizing figure and has offended many including minorities and Muslims. Expect civil unrest and rioting. The Bible prophesies “There shall be terror within” (Deuteronomy 32:25). (Thiel B.Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse. Nazarene Books, 2017, p. 86)

That has happened.

Furthermore, with Donald Trump’s trashing the mainstream media as the “Enemy of the American people” (see, for example Trump Calls the News Media the ‘Enemy of the American People’ and Berkeley turns violent against Donald Trump supporters: Is violent protesting being advocated?), expect various ones in the mainstream media to help provoke protests and civil unrest against Donald Trump. The Bible warns, “There shall be terror within” (Deuteronomy 32:25)–and the mainstream media seems inclined to provoke some of that itself.

In 2011, I posted the following, not specifically related to Donald Trump, but biblical prophecies:

Specifically, I expect violent protests in the USA, UK, and Canada (though it may be different there).  (Thiel B. Riots in London and Spain. COGwriter, August 7, 2011)

Furthermore, notice the following from 2017:

Leftist Website Urges Violence

A website called “It’s Going Down” is actually encouraging physical violence against Trump supporters and proponents of capitalism. It’s meant to be used as a resource for Antifa, a group of self-described anti-facists who oppose the president. http://www.lifezette.com/video/leftist-website-urges-violence/

(Thiel B. Antifa hopes to remove Donald Trump with massive November 4, 2017 protests. COGwriter, October 6, 2017)

The mainstream media has, in general, been supportive of protesters and even those that will use violence to oppose Donald Trump. See also More rioting, more politics, and more racial agitation.

WARNING FOUR: The fourth warning was that Donald Trump’s rise would encourage the Europeans to arm:

I have been saying for a long time that Donald Trump’s rise would encourage the Europeans to arm. (Thiel B. Growing anti-Americanism will change the USA/UK world order. COGwriter, October 3, 2016)

Since 2015, I have written that Donald Trump’s rise would be a factor in Europe deciding it needs more unity and its own army. (Thiel B. As foretold here, more calls for a European army! Guttenberg: ‘There will be a terrible awakening for Europe’. COGwriter, November 11, 2016)

This has happened. Notice the following:

DONALD Trump’s election victory – along with Brexit in the UK- will speed up the plans for a European army, according to Germany’s defence minister Ursula von der Leyen. (Thiel B. As foretold here, more calls for a European army! Guttenberg: ‘There will be a terrible awakening for Europe’. COGwriter, November 11, 2016)

10 November 2016

Europe should build its own army and not rely on security guarantees from Washington, the European Commission president said following the election of Donald Trump. At the same time, Jean-Claude Juncker called for the preservation of the transatlantic partnership. …

“We need more security in Europe, and I do not mean just the anti-terror fight,” Juncker said.

“Talking about security we need a different way of organizing a European defense … the French National Assembly in 1954 prevented the European community of defense.”

“We need it now. The idea that the Americans will eternally see to … European security is not true. Independent of the outcome of the US election, the Americans will not see to Europe’s security forever. We have to do it ourselves. And this is why we need a new approach to the European community of defense, including a European army,” Juncker said. …

The EU ministers are expected to meet in Brussels on Monday to discuss plans to strengthen the EU military cooperation and capabilities. https://www.rt.com/news/366177-european-army-security-juncker/

Furthermore, in December 2017, Europe’s new military cooperation organization, called PESCO (Permanent Structured Cooperation), formed (see PESCO: The making of a European Defence Union) and announced plans related to military cooperation and technology (see PESCO moving forward with technology).

In November 2018, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:


15:25

PESCO and a Great European Army

In November 2018, French President Macron called for a “true European army” because of China, Russia, and the USA. Some others in Europe have echoed that sentiment. On November 9, 2018, US President Donald Trump called that an insult, but the next day said that the USA wanted “a very strong Europe.” Emmanuel Macron referred to Donald Trump as “my friend” and indicated a desire to strengthen Europe’s military spending. In December 2017, 25 European nations agreed to be part of a military alliance called PESCO. Europe also has NATO and IEI. Will Europe end up with “a great army”? Has Donald Trump’s announcement to withdraw from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty gotten some to say that Europe must rebel against the USA? Is the idea of a United States of Europe and a European army a “paranoid fantasy” or a biblical reality? Will the USA regret Europe becoming a stronger military power? Will the USA be betrayed by “friends” such as its continental European allies? Does the Bible teach any or all of this? Are there connections to the Beast of Revelation or the King of the North of Daniel 11? Dr. Thiel addresses these matters in this video.

Here is a link to the sermonette video: PESCO and a Great European Army.

Notice also:

10 January 2019

‘This community needs to be able to defend itself’: Germany’s defence minister says the EU is already building a ‘united’ army

  • German defence minister says how Europe is already creating a joint force
  • Ursula von der Leyen said Germany and France are the ‘driving forces’ of defence
  • She hit back at those sceptical at the European Union’s PESCO defence scheme
  • One PESCO project, adopted in late November, involves France, Belgium and Cyprus developing a Beyond Line of Sight Land Battlefield missile systems family …

The PESCO scheme, an acronym for Permanent Structured Cooperation, involves 25 armies working with one another.

One such project, adopted in late November, involves France, Belgium and Cyprus developing a Beyond Line of Sight Land Battlefield missile systems family.

Another project, adopted in March last year, involves Greece, Italy and Slovakia developing and building a prototype European Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicle.

She said that 25 countries had joined ‘not because we’re following requirements from Brussels but voluntarily because the benefits are obvious and because it’s in Europe’s security interests’. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6579077/Germanys-defence-minister-says-EU-building-united-army.html?ITO=applenews

November 10, 2019

With less than a month until the next big NATO meeting, scheduled for the first week of December, France’s Macron has jumped into public relations mode to prepare the public for some big changes on the horizon. Indeed, Macron’s major interview with the Economist on November 7th on the question of the US’s alleged wavering commitment to NATO is a stunning sign of the times.

Europe wants its own Army

Cutting through a lot of intentionally confusing messaging, is that France and Germany are just fine with any end to NATO because it helps justify the coming European Army – one that they want, and believe they need anyhow. It only happens to be part of the same reality that US hegemony, and its ability to finance NATO in turn, are coming to an end. In sounding more like a radical post-structuralist international relations theorist than a fiscally conservative leader of a capitalist democracy, Macron shocked the world when he stated in no uncertain terms that this period we are in marks the end of ‘Western Hegemony’. …

We will recall when President George W Bush attacked Iraq, it came not long after moves by the Iraqi government to do their oil dealings in Euros. The Europe-wide hatred for Bush’s war on Iraq seemed to the politically naïve as an expression of social-democratic pacifism, but in reality was an expression of Europe’s sovereign financial interests versus dollar hegemony. These questions really have not gone away. …

Macron’s apparent lamentations over the ‘brain death’ of NATO is quite revealing. In this, he refers to truths that everyone knew, but couldn’t say: “NATO is essentially a military occupying force against European sovereignty – for the EU to be a geostrategic entity, it must be in control of its own military forces”. …

Macron has iterated the call for an EU army a number of times. … Back in August, speaking on how isolating Russia is a mistake, Macron explained that “Western hegemony” is over. This leave us an interesting formula: Western hegemony is over, European regional hegemony must begin. …

Turkey is NATO’s second largest army after the US.

Macron isn’t wrong then to imply – what is NATO without the US and Turkey? It is the European Army. This is the view which both France and Germany enter into the December meeting with. https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2019/11/10/end-nato-macron-laments-brain-death-pushes-for-european-military/

Donald Trump’s NATO statements have encouraged that (see also Donald Trump allegedly saying United States should leave NATO, while PESCO is building a European army).

WARNING FIVE: There is a fifth warning related to the fourth: Germany will want a stronger military.

The above was partially based upon Isaiah 10:5-12 which tells of a Germanic-influenced power taking over places, which in the end time include the USA (see also Germany in Biblical Prophecy).

On November 7, 2016 (the day before Donald Trump’s election), I posted:

If Donald Trump is elected, the Germans will see this as proof that they cannot rely on the USA for their defense, etc. Germany will push for a European army. Some in Europe actually want Donald Trump to win for this basic reason (see ‘Why Europe Secretly Roots For Donald Trump’?). (Thiel B. Germans opposed to Donald Trump, but not too optimistic about Hillary Clinton. COGwriter, November 7, 2016)

Was this fifth warning confirmed?

Yes.

By November 11, 2016, German leaders did so, with at least one doing so publicly (see Thiel B. As foretold here, more calls for a European army! Guttenberg: ‘There will be a terrible awakening for Europe’. COGwriter, November 11, 2016). In addition, a survey in late December 2016 found that the majority of Germans want to build a formidable European army. (Thiel B. Majority of Germans want a European army. COGwriter, December 30, 2016). In 2017, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Europe should no longer be naive and rely on others for defense (Thiel B. Donald Trump says he’s a ‘stable genius’ as Europe is driven to arm. COGwriter, January 6, 2018).

Furthermore, in November 2018, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put out the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

9:49

Could preparations for WWIII began? German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron called for a European army to be independent of the USA and NATO. One of the reasons was to be able to protect against the USA. Is the fourth German reich in progress? What does the Bible teach about Germany, Europe, and WW3? Dr. Thiel addresses these matters in this video.

Here is a link to the sermonette video: Germany and World War 3.

February 8, 2019

BERLIN (Reuters) – Nearly 85 percent of Germans have a negative or very negative view of U.S.-German relations, and most want to put more distance between the traditionally close transaltantic allies, a new poll showed on Friday.

Just over 40 percent of those polled view China as a better partner for Germany than the United States, the survey of around 5,000 people, conducted by Atlantik-Bruecke and the Civey institute in poll in November and December, showed.

Ties between the United States and Germany, Europe’s largest economy, have been strained since the 2016 election of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has criticized Germany repeatedly for its trade practices, defense spending and its participation in the Russian-led Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. …

A total of 57.6 percent of those polled want to see more distance between Berlin and Washington, and 42.3 percent consider China a better partner.

About a third of those polled said they viewed right-wing populism and protectionism as the most dangerous global crises, compared to only 1.9 percent worried about Russia, and 2.2 percent who feared the growing influence of China. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-usa/nicht-gut-nearly-85-percent-of-germans-see-u-s-german-ties-as-negative-idUSKCN1PX1C7

Over 84% of Germans now having a negative view of the USA!

Here is something from Bloomberg:

June 10, 2020

Not every American troop withdrawal from foreign bases is a catastrophe. U.S. military assets are finite, after all, and so repositioning them from time to time can make good sense. Yet reports that President Donald Trump plans to withdraw 9,500 of the roughly 34,000 U.S. troops stationed in Germany have caused a great deal of dismay on both sides of the Atlantic. …

If the policy thus seems incoherent, that’s because something else is probably going on here. The withdrawal decision came just days after Trump’s most recent spat with Berlin, this one involving Chancellor Angela Merkel’s decision not to attend an in-person meeting of the Group of 7 in the U.S. this month — and her resistance to inviting Russian President Vladimir Putin to join the group. Given that Trump has long seen Merkel more as an antagonist than an ally, and given how often the president has used foreign policy to pursue his own grievances, it is all too plausible that the primary issue here is Trump’s effort to punish an uncooperative foreign leader. And if that’s troubling enough, even more worrying is what this episode shows about the decaying state of the U.S.-German relationship. …

In a single move, Trump has once again exposed the capricious and vindictive nature of U.S. policy, qualities that are particularly worrying in a superpower. He has confirmed that he still doesn’t understand that the U.S. maintains large peacetime military deployments overseas not as a favor to other countries but as a favor to itself. Not least, he has given us a glimpse of just how badly one of America’s most critical alliances has deteriorated, at a time when an increasingly disordered world can afford it least. https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-06-10/trump-cutting-troops-in-germany-is-about-merkel-not-security

WARNING SIX: Donald Trump’s views on climate change will cause problems with Europe.

In my book, Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse, I wrote:

Donald Trump’s view of climate change is expected to set up some type of issue between the USA and Europe. Europe will tend to see the USA as an irresponsible polluter of the planet, while Europe will claim to be the protector that the world needs. (Thiel B.Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse. Nazarene Books, 2017, p. 45)

This is in the process of being confirmed. Notice:

February 1, 2017

Faced with a U.S. retreat from international efforts to tackle climate change, European Union officials are looking to China, fearing a leadership vacuum will embolden those within the bloc seeking to slow the fight against global warming.

While U.S. President Donald Trump has yet to act on campaign pledges to pull out of the 2015 Paris accord to cut greenhouse gas emissions, his swift action in other areas has sparked sharp words from usually measured EU bureaucrats.

When Trump’s former environment adviser, until the president’s inauguration this month, took to a stage in Brussels on Wednesday and called climate experts “urban imperialists”, a rebuke from Britain’s former energy minister drew applause from the crowd packed with EU officials.

‘WE LOST A MAJOR ALLY’

China’s partnership with former U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration helped get nearly 200 countries to support the Paris climate change pact in 2015.

That agreement, which looks to limit the rise in average global temperature to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius compared with pre-industrial levels, entered into force late last year, binding nations that ratified to draft national plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

But despite Beijing’s green policy drive, propelled by domestic anger over smog and the environmental devastation wrought by rapid economic growth, some EU officials are skeptical it can pull as much weight as the United States on climate issues.

“We will make a lot of noises (about allying with China), but let’s be honest we lost an ally – a major one,” a senior EU energy diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-eu-climatechange-idUSKBN15G5B3

Trump’s attack on the climate will fail, spectacularly

President Donald Trump’s most recent assault on the environment not only makes the US into a rogue state on climate change. It will also fail in its goal to create jobs and stimulate the economy, says DW’s Sonya Diehn.

29 March 2017

US President Donald Trump’s latest attempt to pander to a tiny constituency – aside from being a thinly veiled gift to the fossil fuel industry – is bound to fail.

In a PR event on Tuesday, Trump stood flanked by coal miners and climate-denying Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt as he announced his latest assault on global environmental security.

Not only does Trump’s executive order deny the existence of climate change, it also rejects the existence of well-documented risks resulting from our changing climate

What, then, will be the result of this executive order?

Step toward self-destruction

Trump’s executive order reversing the climate protections introduced by former President Barack Obama will stand as another milestone in a gradually failing administration.

Just as Trump demonstrated a lack of knowledge, negotiating skills and general competency in the dramatic failure of Trumpcare last week, so too will this executive order ultimately act to undermine the administration.

Even if it does salvage some coal jobs, this won’t outweigh missed opportunities in the renewables sector. It’s a round conclusion that the US turning its back on the development of renewable energy will set the country back economically. …

China and the European Union will now have to take the lead, as they’ve already been doing. …

Where will this story end? http://www.dw.com/en/opinion-trumps-attack-on-the-climate-will-fail-spectacularly/a-38184209

The Trump Administration’s position on ‘climate change’ upset the Europeans. His executive orders in March 2017 got the USA to be called a “rogue state” (watch also The USA Declared a ‘Rogue Nation’!) and his position at the Hamburg G20 meeting in July 2017 was called deplorable by Germany’s Chancellor Merkel (see G20 concludes with increased tension with the USA; Pope Francis pushes for federal Europe).

His position at G7 meeting was called “a watershed” moment in a Twitter post by Richard N. Haas, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations:

Merkel saying Europe cannot rely on others & needs to take matters into its own hands is a watershed-& what US has sought to avoid since WW2

8:08 AM – 28 May 2017

Donald Trump’s position on this and other points from his administration has concerned many:

19 January 2019

In his first two years in office, US President Donald Trump pulled the US out of the landmark international nuclear arms agreement with Iran, out of the signature global climate accord … Because of its potential long-term negative consequences for international efforts to combat global warming, Nye ranks the US withdrawal from the Paris climate compact among Trump’s most damaging political decisions yet. https://www.dw.com/en/two-years-in-donald-trump-remains-the-unprecedented-president/a-47113128

US accused of blocking ambitious global action against plastic pollution

15 March 2019

Environmental groups involved in talks at a United Nations conference in Kenya have accused the US of blocking an ambitious global response to plastic pollution. … a coalition of environmental groups at the conference condemned the US for blocking the ambitious attempts to tackle plastic pollution at source as well as downstream. …

“It’s hard to find one solution for all member states,” Siim Kiisler, the president of the UN environment assembly, told Agence France-Presse before the final decision. “The environment is at a turning point. We don’t need verbose documents, we need concrete commitments.”

When asked whether the US had pushed to have the commitments watered down during the week’s negotiations, Kiisler said: “I will not answer that question.”

David Azoulay, from the Center for International Environmental Law, condemned the weakening of the commitment.

He said: “The vast majority of countries came together to develop a vision for the future of global plastic governance. Seeing the US, guided by the interests of the fracking and petrochemical industry, leading efforts to sabotage that vision is disheartening.” https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/15/us-accused-of-blocking-ambitious-global-action-against-plastic-pollution-un-conference-environment

September 23, 2019

World leaders are gathering Monday in New York for a United Nations summit on climate change as scientists warn much more ambitious action must be taken to meet targets to mitigate the effects.

Some 60 presidents and prime ministers are due to address the day-long event on topics including shifting away from coal toward renewable energy sources, preventing and responding to disasters, and climate finance.

U.S. President Donald Trump will not be among those attending the summit. …

The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, which has been ratified by 186 nations, calls for actions to prevent global temperatures from surpassing 2 degrees, and ideally remain within 1.5 degrees by cutting greenhouse gas emissions. One of the world’s biggest emitters – the United States – announced under President Trump that it would leave the pact. https://www.voanews.com/usa/world-leaders-gather-climate-summit

Because of Donald Trump’s announcement to withdraw the US from the Paris Accords, the US was declared a “rogue nation.” Because of that, we made the following video:


17:19

Because of US President Donald Trump’s position on ‘climate change’ as well as certain executive orders from him, the USA has been declared a rogue nation by various ones in Europe, Africa, Asia, and other parts of the world. How does Webster’s Dictionary define ‘rogue’? Is it possible that considering that the USA is a rogue nation will be part of the justification for it getting taken over in the future? What does the Vatican want done? Does the Bible teach that friends, who do not mean to takeover the USA will one day destroy it? Might ‘climate change’ be part of a false gospel?

Here is a link to our video: The USA Declared a ‘Rogue Nation’!

The prediction in my book, Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse, about the climate and Europeans and Donald Trump has happened. And the US is increasingly being considered an international outlier as well as being considered an obstacle to a better world.

The new European Commission President, Ursula vonder Leyen, declared in December 2019 that she wants the EU to essentially lead the world on climate change matters (https://ec.europa.eu/clima/news/un-climate-conference-madrid-president-von-der-leyen-presents-climate-ambitions-world-leaders_en dated 12/02/19).

The nations of the world, and particularly in Europe, will not forgive the USA for its positions on these matters–even if someone replaces Donald Trump in 2021.

The separation between the USA and Europe is going to become even more real (though many will act like it is not until it is too late for the USA).

WARNING SEVEN: Donald Trump will be one that is involved in fulfilling 2 Timothy 3:1-5.

In my book,Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse, I wrote:

We are living in perilous times (2 Timothy 3:1-5). Partially because of this, Donald John Trump was elected to be the 45th President of the United States. …

Like certain others, Donald Trump is helping to fulfill the following prophecy for the “last days”:

1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 3:1-7)

Proud, boasters, lovers of themselves, and lovers of money. …He does not seem to value his word. He will make public statements and then not hold himself to them. (Thiel B. Donald Trump and America’s Apocalyps. Nazarene Books, 2017, pp. 9, 82)

Notice a headline from April 29, 2017: Trump broke 80 promises in 100 days and yet another from January 18, 2018: Donald Trump Averages Five Lies Per Day, Seattle-Based Website Finds. Whether or not he broke over 80 promises or told over 1000 lies, President Donald Trump has made many inaccurate public statements and not held himself properly accountable for them.

Of course, he is not the only one as the media, in general, has been more than willing to report misinformation about him.

In my book, Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse, I also wrote:

Some Protestants have even claimed that Donald Trump could be the ‘trump of God.’ …

King James Bible: 1 Corinthians 15:52

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

All Biblical musicians know that the last trump equals a musical note! So that would mean the last note or sound coming out of the trumpet! So when Mr. Donald J. Trump speaks his last word, that will be the last note. This is a spiritual sign!

This is the key to interpreting Revelation

King James Bible: Revelation 1:19,

(1) Write the things which thou hast seen, and (2) the things which are, and (3) the things which shall be hereafter;
So you will use the living words of GOD in the past to interpret the future!

Why Mr. Donald J. Trump, (the trump of God) will be an act of grace. It will call the undeserving Church into heaven. (Breaking News: The Trump of God vs Rev 17:1 Number 1 of a Series of Signs By: Johnnie Roy Maul. http://www.themaulreport.com/2016/08/13/breaking-news-the-trump-of-god-vs-rev-171-number-1-of-a-series-of-signs-by-johnnie-roy-maul/ accessed 12/19/16)

Let it be explicitly stated that all end-time biblical prophecy will not be wrapped up by 2019. Although it is remotely possible that Jesus will return during a Donald Trump presidency, we would need to see the deal of Daniel 9:27 confirmed in 2017 for that to be the case–and that currently does not seem likely.

Furthermore, I do not believe that Donald Trump’s name is specifically related to scriptures in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 or 1 Corinthians 11:51-53. Those are end time prophecies related to the return of Jesus, not a Donald Trump Administration. (Thiel B. Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse. Nazarene Books, 2017, pp. 78, 80-81)

I do not believe that God will use Donald Trump to be the one calling Christians to meet with Jesus.

WARNING EIGHT: Debt will increase under Donald Trump.

In my book, Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse, I wrote:

Donald Trump and many other American politicians have not run away from increasing U.S.A. debt—that will be to the nation’s peril. …

Although as president Donald Trump inherited a debt-laden nation, his policies, according to his own public pronouncements will continue to lead to, increased U.S.A. debt. … Increasing national debt will lead to destruction at the appointed time of the end (Habakkuk 2:3–8). (Thiel B. Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse. Nazarene Books, 2017, pp. 35,37)

According to the US Treasury, the debt of the USA as of 01/19/2017 was 19,944,429,217,106.77 (https://treasurydirect.gov/NP/debt/current).

According to the US Treasury, the debt of the USA as of 01/17/2019 was 21,954,771,806,120.41 (https://treasurydirect.gov/NP/debt/current).

According to the US Treasury, the debt of the USA as of 10/26/2020 was 27,175,866,775,866.84 https://www.treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/pd_debttothepenny.htm).

Notice also the following:

July 25, 2019

After claiming to be the greatest at just about everything, Donald Trump has finally found an area where he can stake a credible claim. By negotiating a disastrous budget deal with Democrats, the President could become the greatest creator of government debt in the history of the country. …

As the self-proclaimed “King of Debt,” in the private sector Trump never had any problems borrowing more than he could reasonably be expected to pay back, as long as there was an opportunity to renegotiate with his creditors in the long run. Individually, he has been repudiating debt (largely without consequence) for the past 40 years, so why would anyone expect him to stop now?

But deficits under Trump have expanded even faster than I had expected. The really alarming part is that this occurred with GDP growth higher than I anticipated, and without the additional red ink of a $1 trillion plus infrastructure spending plan that I had assumed would pass in the first two years of his presidency. If the economy slows significantly, as I suspect it will in the near term, we may see annual deficits in the multi-trillion dollar range almost immediately. Republicans and Democrats may be inclined to think that deficits of that size won’t matter either, but I suspect that they will. …

The recent budget developments should make it perfectly clear that there is no resistance to the trend of budgetary catastrophe. …

In the coming years, multi-trillion dollar annual deficits could be the norm, until we start measuring the numbers by the tens of trillions. This merry-go-round will keep spinning until the ride crashes.https://www.europac.com/economiccommentary/trump-kills-the-tea-party/

Debt is rising as warned and is expected to get much worse (e.g. CBO: Massive rise in debt; COGwriter: CBO is optimistic).

This will not end well for the USA (cf. Habakkuk 2:6-8).

WARNING NINE: Donald Trump may propose a peace deal consistent with Daniel 9:27.

27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,
Even until the consummation, which is determined,
Is poured out on the desolate. (Daniel 9:27)

In my book, Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse, I wrote:

In the future, Donald Trump may attempt to get Israel to accept the type of “peace deal” that Daniel 9:27 seems to refer to. (Thiel B. Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse. Nazarene Books, 2017, p. 67)

Donald Trump has called his proposal “the deal of the century”:

January 30, 2020

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A tectonic shift in relations quietly underway for years now was on full display as representatives of Gulf Arab states attended President Donald Trump’s unveiling this week of an Israeli-Palestinian plan that heavily sides with Israel and all but crushes Palestinian aspirations.

The audience at the White House, when Trump presented the plan alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, included Christian Zionist leaders and staunch pro-Israel supporters, such as Republican party donor Sheldon Adelson. Rounding out the crowd were ambassadors of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman, who posed for a photo at the White House ceremony for the plan, which Palestinians have outright rejected.

The Saudi response was also significant for what it didn’t say — the kingdom did not endorse the plan, but also made no explicit mention of long-held Arab demands for a Palestinian state on occupied land with east Jerusalem as its capital.

Rather, Saudi Arabia encouraged Palestinians to start “direct peace negotiations,” essentially urging the Palestinians to accept the White House’s framework as the starting point for talks.

“The Saudis crafted their message to appeal to two audiences: their domestic public and the Trump administration,” Kristin Diwan Smith, a scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, said. Their formal statement, she said, does nothing to offend Trump or deter the Israelis.

With the exception of Kuwait, all Gulf Arab countries have engaged in outreach with Israel or pro-Israeli figures in recent years. https://apnews.com/62c5bce2faca400b862f76b8a723eeb1

While this is not yet THE deal of Daniel 9:27, he has had some success (see Bahrain king’s peace with Israel opposed by Palestinians, Iranians, and Bahrain opposition) and he is pushing for more (see also The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27).

WARNING TEN: Donald Trump would support aspects of ecumenical unity.

The Bible warns about the Babylonian unity in the end times (cf. Revelation 17).

In my book, Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse, I wrote:

18. His religious views hint that he is somewhat ‘ecumenical.’ An ecumenical power is warned about in the Bible and is expected to rise up in the end times (Zechariah 2:6-8; Revelation 17; 18). I expect him to make inter-faith/ecumenical supporting statements. (Thiel B. Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse. Nazarene Books, 2017, p. 88)

Later, Donald Trump announced what appears to be an interfaith step, and his comment about cardinals (since he is not Roman Catholic) sounds ecumenical:

May 4, 2017

WASHINGTON — President Trump will add visits to Saudi Arabia, Israel and Rome to his pre-planned trip to Europe later this month, the White House said Thursday, making his first foreign trip as president a tour of three great world religions.

Trump made the announcement after meeting with Roman Catholic cardinals in the Oval Office Thursday, and during an event to mark the National Day of Prayer with an executive order on what he called “religious freedom.”

“Tolerance is the cornerstone of peace and that’s why I’m proud to make a major and historic announcement this morning and to share with you that my first foreign trip as President of the United States will be to Saudi Arabia, then Israel, and then to a place that my cardinals love very much, Rome.” https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/05/04/donald-trump-israel-rome/101281488/

May 21, 2017

President Trump delivered his first big international speech …

“This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilizations,” Trump told some 50 Muslim leaders gathered in an ornate conference center in Riyadh. “This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it. This is a battle between good and evil.” http://www.dailywire.com/news/16686/he-says-it-saudi-arabia-trump-condemns-islamist-joseph-curl

WARNING ELEVEN: People will call for Donald Trump’s impeachment.

Now this one was mainly based upon political observation, though Jesus’ comments about a house being divided (Mark 3:25) as well as prophesies about the end ot the USA (cf. Daniel 11:39; Isaiah 10:5-11) were also factors in getting me to write:

There are issues with what Donald Trump says when he speaks. I expect people will call for his impeachment. (Thiel B.Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse. Nazarene Books, 2017, p. 41)

So, notice something that seems to be unprecedented:

May 6, 2017

The Los Angeles City Council passed a resolution Friday calling for an investigation in Congress into whether President Donald Trump has committed any impeachable offenses.

“Today I ask the Council to put our city on the record and tell Congress to do its job by investigating whether President Donald J. Trump has violated the Foreign Emoluments Clause of the U.S. Constitution or committed any other high crime or misdemeanor sufficient to warrant commencement of impeachment proceedings,” L.A. City Council member Bob Blumenfield (D-San Fernando Valley) said in a written statement.

“With this resolution the city of Los Angeles calls on our Congress members and our Senators for the good of the country to investigate Trump’s international finances and make sure that he is actually working on behalf of the American people,” Blumenfield, who sponsored the measure, added. “Every day more alarming information comes out regarding Trump’s business dealings and brazenness about lack of transparency and conflicts of interest.” https://www.lifezette.com/polizette/l-city-council-passes-trump-impeachment-resolution/

And then here is a report from CNN:

December 4, 2019

(CNN) The stunningly consequential accusation spelled out in the Democrats’ impeachment report represents the most sweeping effort yet to capture the span of President Donald Trump’s alleged offense and to boil it into a crisp indictment.

In effect, the 300-page House Intelligence Committee summary of witness testimony, timelines and phone records accused Trump of perpetrating one of the most serious political crimes in the history of the United States.

The report is a roadmap toward formal articles of impeachment — an argument to a nation split in two on Trump’s political fate that there is no alternative but to remove him from office 11 months before the next general election over his pressure on Ukraine for political favors.

The stark charge that the House Judiciary Committee will take up in its first impeachment hearing Wednesday fits the gravity of Congress’ most somber duty — deciding whether to end a presidency.

It is that the 45th President presents an immediate, clear and future threat to American national security, the Constitution and the resilience of the republic’s democratic self-governance itself.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/04/politics/democrats-public-impeachment-case/index.html

After the House passed its impeachment bill, the US Senate essentially denied it. And the talk is still not over.

In September 2020, Nancy Pelosi suggested perhaps another impeachment.

We’ve seen more impeachment action on Donald Trump than any US president since Bill Clinton (see also Donald Trump impeachment and USA hypocrisy)–and it may actually be more than Bill Clinton.

WARNING TWELVE: Donald Trump would encourage the rise of the final King of the South of biblical prophecy–a power involving peoples in the Middle East and North Africa.

Here is something from the Bible:

40 ‘When the time comes for the End, the king of the south will try conclusions with him; but the king of the north will come storming down on him with chariots, cavalry, and a large fleet. He will invade countries, overrun them and drive on. 41 He will invade the Land of Splendour, and many will fall; but Edom, Moab, and what remains of the sons of Ammon will escape him. 42 ‘He will reach out to attack countries: Egypt will not escape him. 43 The gold and silver treasures and all the valuables of Egypt will lie in his power. Libyans and Cushites will be at his feet: (Daniel 11:40-43, New Jerusalem Bible)

Notice some of what I wrote about this in my book Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse::

Expect President Donald Trump to take steps that will help lead to the rise of the King of the South. …

Donald Trump supports the arming of various nations to defend themselves and not expect the USA to defend them. This suggests he would be supportive of the type of confederation that will lead to the formation of the final King of the South of biblical prophecy (Daniel 11:40-43).

(Thiel B. Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse. Nazarene Books, Grover Beach (CA), 2017)

On his trip to Saudi Arabia, Donald Trump signed what was hailed as the largest single US arms deal with Saudi Arabia yesterday (see Largest single arms deal in US history! Is Donald Trump arming part of the King of the South?).

Notice something else from his trip:

May 21, 2017

King Salman of Saudi Arabia says he is committed to stamping out the Islamic State group and other terrorist organizations.

Salman is speaking at a gathering of the leaders of more than 50 majority-Muslim countries attending the Arab-Islamic-American Summit in Riyadh.

He says that “we all, peoples and countries, reject in every language and in every form damaging the relations of Muslim countries with friendly countries and profiling countries based on a religious or sectarian basis.”

He’s also railing against Iran, calling the country “the spearhead of global terrorism.”

President Donald Trump says the U.S. seeks a “coalition of nations” in the Middle East with the aim of “stamping out extremism.” …

Trump is speaking in front of an audience of leaders from Arab and Muslim-majority nations.

He says the U.S. is prepared to stand with those leaders in the fight against extremists, but that those countries must take the lead. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/the-latest-trump-gets-royal-treatment-from-saudis/2017/05/20/ea5fd262-3dc8-11e7-a59b-26e0451a96fd_story.html?utm_term=.5035b9fa6a26

This sounds a lot like Donald Trump is encouraging the formation of the foundation of a confederation that one day will be led by one called the King of the South (cf. Daniel 11:40-43; Ezekiel 30:1-8).

Notice also items from 2018:

April 16, 2018

WASHINGTON—The Trump administration is seeking to assemble an Arab force to replace the U.S. military contingent in Syria and help stabilize the northeastern part of the country after the defeat of Islamic State, U.S. officials said.

John Bolton, President Donald Trump’s new national security adviser, recently called Abbas Kamel, Egypt’s acting intelligence chief, to see if Cairo would contribute to the effort, officials said. https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-seeks-arab-force-and-funding-for-syria-1523927888?mod=e2tw

29 July 2018

US bids to revive ‘Arab NATO’ alliance as part of measures against Iran

The aim for the alliance of the six Gulf Arab states, Egypt and Jordan is increased cooperation on missile defense, military training, counter-terrorism and developing regional economic and diplomatic ties, according to US and Arab sources quoted by Reuters.

The Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA) would, in part, counter Iran’s expansion in the region.

“MESA will serve as a bulwark against Iranian aggression, terrorism, extremism, and will bring stability to the Middle East,” a spokesperson for the White House’s National Security Council said. …

The US, Saudi Arabia and the UAE accuse Iran of destabilizing the Gulf region, involvement in the Syria and Yemen conflicts and increasing threats towards Israel. https://www.dw.com/en/us-bids-to-revive-arab-nato-alliance-as-part-of-measures-against-iran/a-44866600

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Trump administration is quietly pushing ahead with a bid to create a new security and political alliance with six Gulf Arab states, Egypt and Jordan, in part to counter Iran’s expansion in the region, according to U.S. and Arab officials.

The White House wants to see deeper cooperation between the countries on missile defense, military training, counter-terrorism and other issues such as strengthening regional economic and diplomatic ties, four sources said.

The plan to forge what officials in the White House and Middle East have called an “Arab NATO” of Sunni Muslim allies will likely raise tensions between the United States and Shi’ite Iran, two countries increasingly at odds since President Donald Trump took office. …

The administration’s hope is that the effort, tentatively known as the Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA), might be discussed at a summit provisionally scheduled for Washington on Oct. 12-13, several sources said.

The White House confirmed it was working on the concept of the alliance with “our regional partners now and have been for several months.” 07/27/18  https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-gulf-alliance/trump-seeks-to-revive-arab-nato-to-confront-iran-idUSKBN1KH2IK

Plans for an ‘Arab NATO’ gathering momentum

November 14, 2018

With Arab nations’ militaries working more closely together than ever before and the political situation ripe, speculation abounds that we will witness the birth of the so-called “Arab NATO” this month.

The idea for such a security alliance was conceived by the Obama administration. …

Now, because of the second Qatar crisis, the plan to accelerate an Arab solution for a regional military alliance is a key project being pushed for by US National Security Adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.http://www.arabnews.com/node/1404891

Inadvertently, Donald Trump seems to be helping laying the foundation for the coming prophesied King of the South.

WARNING THIRTEEN: The rise of Donald Trump will confirm to various ones that the USA is in decline.

The time of ‘Jacob’s trouble’ is coming (Jeremiah 30:7) along with the final time of the Gentiles (Luke 21:24; see also The Times of the Gentiles), which is consistent with the decline of the USA (see also Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel).

In my book, Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse, I wrote:

Some consider that Donald Trump’s rise is a sign that the USA is in decline. (Thiel B.Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse. Nazarene Books, Grover Beach (CA), 2017, p. 50)

Consider also the following:

18 January 2018

Global confidence in US leadership has fallen to a new low, and the country now ranks below China in worldwide approval ratings, according to a new Gallup poll.

The survey of opinion in 134 countries showed a record collapse in approval for the US role in the world, from 48% under Obama to 30% after one year of Donald Trump – the lowest level Gallup has recorded since beginning its global leadership poll over a decade ago. …

The latest study confirms some of the worst fears of foreign policy analysts in the US and Europe that Trump’s “America first” approach, combined with his volatile and irascible personality, is weakening cohesion among western democracies in the face of a growing challenge from autocracies in Russia and China, and the rise of illiberal democracies and xenophobic nationalism inside Europe.

Germany is now seen as a global leader by many more people (41% of the sample), with China in second place on 31%. …

Trump’s first year in office has aroused particular intense antipathy. Gallup found that the median of worldwide disapproval of US leadership has hit a new record of 43%, higher than disapproval of Russia (36%), China (30%) or Germany (25%). https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/18/us-leadership-world-confidence-poll

8 February 2018

“In the last year, the world has gotten closer — much too close — to the brink of a significant conflict,” wrote Munich Security Conference (MSC) Chairman Wolfgang Ischinger, who has served as Germany’s former ambassador to the US and UK. …

American ‘sabotage’

The latest MSC report followed up on last year’s forecast that the United States under President Donald Trump could forfeit its established role as the guarantor of international security by acting unilaterally and furthering an American-centric vision at the cost of its traditional allies.

Under Trump, the US has given up on policies based on shared values, showing little interest in developing regional or global institutions that shape international relations, and instead favoring bilateral ties that serves its own interests, according to the report’s assessment. …

“The world’s most powerful state has begun to sabotage the order it created,” the report said, quoting John Ikenberry, a US foreign policy expert at Princeton University.

A new era for Europe

For Europeans, the US’s policy shift means doing more to provide for their own security, including rethinking defense spending, streamlining capabilities and defining a defense union.

The report quotes German Chancellor Angela Merkel as a reminder of Europe’s newfound predicament: “The times in which we could completely depend on others are, to a certain extent, over … We Europeans will have to take our fate into our own hands.” http://www.dw.com/en/world-on-the-brink-warns-munich-security-report/a-42492462

Notice the following:

Rabobank: Is The Era Of American Global Hegemony Coming To An End

September 21, 2020

Friday saw the death of US Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at 87. She was a true titan of the law, and leaves a critical (until now very liberal) Supreme Court seat vacant at a time when the US is bitterly divided on all issues. President Trump insists on pressing ahead with a hearing on a new appointment before the election – just as President Obama did before him when the (very conservative) justice Scalia died; Senate Republicans are saying they will proceed, which they wouldn’t in 2016; and the Democrats insist on not proceeding until after the election, which they didn’t in 2016. So business as usual.

However, this makes the US election even more important and heated than it already was – and harder to call. … the era of American global hegemony is close to a humiliating end, akin to the British at Suez. …

As all this unfolds, Europe keeps on Europe-ing. …

It’s hard work being a hegemon. Imagine if Europe were one again. https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/rabobank-era-american-global-hegemony-coming-end

Well, as regular readers of this page are aware, it is not necessary to imagine if Europe were a hegemon again, because the Bible shows that it will be.

The leadership role of the USA around the world has diminished since Donald Trump became US President.

WARNING FOURTEEN: Daily sacrifices will one day resume in Jerusalem (cf. Daniel 9:27; 11:31).

In my book, Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse, I wrote:

Of course for the daily sacrifices to stop, they will have had to start—thus this is a prophetic event that one can watch for (cf. Matthew 24:15; Luke 21:20). (Thiel B. Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse. Nazarene Books, Grover Beach (CA), 2017)

Some believe that Donald Trump’s announcement related to Jerusalem will lead to this (cf. Donald Trump reportedly a ‘Cyrus’ preparing the way for a new Jewish temple). While Donald Trump is really not like the prophecies for biblical Cyrus (Isaiah 44:24-28; 45:1-4), Donald Trump is apocalyptic, meaning his actions will help lead to the Great Tribulation.

After a sacrifice and burnt offering took place by the Sanhedrin in December 2018, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put out the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:


6:57

Sanhedrin makes burnt offering to dedicate altar!

The Reconstituted Sanhedrin performed a ceremony on December 10, 2018 to dedicate a new altar for the use of daily sacrifices. High Priest Rabbi Baruch Kahane officiated. How does this align with Bible prophecy? Daniel wrote three times that the daily sacrifices must stop, hence they first must resume. The Great Tribulation will begin shortly after these sacrifices stop. In this video Dr. Thiel, who has also been to Israel and spoken with The Temple Institute quotes several scriptures and explains why the actions by the Sanhedrin align with prophecy and the end times.

Here is a link to our newest video: Sanhedrin makes burnt offering to dedicate altar!

Regular animal sacrifices will again happen in Jerusalem prior to the start of the Great Tribulation.

WARNING FIFTEEN: Donald Trump will support increased government surveillance.

In my book, Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse, I wrote:

Perhaps  it  should  be  noted  here  that  like  the  Obama Administration, Donald Trump has been in favor of many aspects of government surveillance and loss of personal privacy rights. .. He has made statements suggesting a of loss of privacy and favoring unlimited government control. This type of thing will be exploited by 666 of Revelation 13:16-18. (Thiel B. Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse. Nazarene Books, Grover Beach (CA), 2017)

Now, notice the following:

January 18, 2018

The Senate on Thursday gave the Trump administration and national security hawks a significant victory, approving a long-term extension of controversial surveillance programs over bipartisan opposition.

Lawmakers voted, 65-34, to renew a set of powerful digital spying tools that intercept the digital chatter of foreign targets but also incidentally collect personal information on an unknown number of Americans. The bill now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk, where he is expected to sign it shortly. https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/18/fisa-bill-senate-pass-trump-293130

January 19, 2018

Trump signs bill extending surveillance law — the same law he says was used to spy on him

WARNING SIXTEEN: Donald Trump’s Administration would focus too much on China and not consider the military threat that Europe poses.

As mentioned before, the Bible indicates that “friends” will be involved in the USA’s destruction (cf. Lamentations 1:1-2), and Europe is considered to mainly be a friend of the USA–much more so than places like Russia or China.

In my book, Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse, I wrote:

By focusing too much on threats from China and almost always considering the Europeans as some type of allies, a Donald Trump Administration is currently not expected to reverse the Asian ‘pivot’ strategy. Unless he changes that, this pivot will help result in destruction of the USA. (Thiel B. Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse. Nazarene Books, Grover Beach (CA), 2017)

Notice the military priorities of the Trump Administration:

January 19, 2018

The U.S. military’s advantage over Russia and China is “eroding,” according to an unclassified summary of the Pentagon’s new National Defense Strategy unveiled Friday by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in Washington. The document also says that ISIS no longer remains a top threat.

“Great power competition, not terrorism, is now the primary focus of U.S. national security,” Mattis said. “We face growing threats from revisionist powers as different as China and Russia, nations that seek to create a world consistent with their authoritarian models.”

Mattis named the rogue regimes in North Korea and Iran as top threats as well. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/01/19/mattis-us-military-advantage-over-china-and-russia-eroding.html

February 9, 2018

The Pentagon is considering plans to send heavily armed, versatile Marine Corps Expeditionary Units to East Asia, curtailing some deployments in the Middle East as it repositions forces in response to growing Chinese influence, military officials said. https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-considers-boosting-asia-forces-with-special-marine-units-1518195306

The US has been sending naval ships into Asia:

US Military Deploys Forces to Asia Surrounding China

July 22, 2020

Washington is deploying its military forces throughout Asia for a potential confrontation with China, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Tuesday. The message was communicated in an effort to outline the military aspect of Trump’s hardening stance against Beijing …

Esper added that Washington would continue sending Navy ships into the region to challenge China’s expansionary policies. It should be noted that the U.S. has now officially rejected China’s claims of sovereignty in most of the South China Sea.

Esper added that the US would continue selling arms to Taiwan so that it can defend itself against an increasingly belligerent China.

Esper noted that based on China’s actions in Hong Kong, Taiwan has no reason to believe that Beijing will honor its commitments vis-a-vis the defunct “one country, two systems” model. https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/155145/us-military-deploys-to-asia-to-surround-china/

This warning is coming to pass.

WARNING SEVENTEEN: Donald Trump’s position on the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP) will assist China.

In my book, Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse, I wrote:

Donald Trump has stated his firm opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP) (Trade: Donald J. Trump’s Vision. https://www.donaldjtrump.com/policies/trade accessed December 16, 2016). However, various members of his staff support it. Without something like TPP, many nations who were involved with it are likely to move closer to China, as opposed to away from it as China was not part of TPP. (Thiel B. Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse. Nazarene Books, Grover Beach (CA), 2017)

Notice the following:

January 19, 2018

Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, whose countries account for about 40% of the global economy, are offering competing visions for the future of global trade, capital flows and economic integration in this age of widening income inequality and populist angst.

In an historic role reversal, it’s the leader of the Chinese Communist Party who has emerged as a defender of the Davos consensus, last year using his speech in the Swiss ski resort to defend globalization. And it’s an American president — the main event this year — insisting his country’s economic interests take precedence over gauzy visions of a more inter-connected world.

Trump comes to the World Economic Forum, set to kick off on Jan. 23, with a rap sheet in the eyes of the Davos true believers. In his first year in office, he’s withdrawn the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal and the Paris Agreement on climate change. …

As America withdraws, China’s global influence is growing. Xi has dispatched his trade negotiators to help formulate a new Asian trade pact in the wake of TPP. China’s ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, which calls for massive infrastructure investment and the development of new trade routes, is reshaping the terrain in the world’s most economically dynamic region. http://www.farmfutures.com/trade/chinas-global-influence-growing-us-withdraws

The world’s largest trade deal could be signed in 2020 — and the US isn’t in it

November 12, 2019

  • A group of 15 Asia-Pacific countries is aiming to sign the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, in 2020.
  • The mega-deal started with 16 countries but India decided not to join the trade pact over concerns that it would hurt domestic producers.
  • The urgency to conclude RCEP increased after U.S. President Donald Trump pulled his country out of another major free trade agreement, the TPP. …

The deal, called Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership or RCEP, involves all 10 countries from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc and five of its major trading partners: Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/12/what-is-rcep-asia-pacific-trade-deal-slated-to-be-worlds-largest-fta.html

This warning is coming to pass.

WARNING EIGHTEEN: Mexico will look more towards Europe and less towards the USA on trade matters.

Notice something I wrote back in 2008:

The Brits will ultimately decide that they are more supportive of the Americans and Canadians. They will be so much more supportive that they will end up in a trading agreement with them (with the Australians and New Zealanders probably also becoming part of that agreement).

The EU will decide that Mexico and the rest of Latin America are in more agreement with it and thus make some type of serious trading agreement with most (or all) of Latin America. The Vatican will also have influence here as Latin America is highly Roman Catholic. (Thiel B. A Combined EU & North American Trade Block Coming? COGwriter.com, March 3, 2008)

Notice the following news reports which basically confirmed that:

February 1, 2017

The European Union and Mexico have set two new rounds of trade talks in the first half of 2017, an acceleration of negotiations to deepen economic ties in the wake of Donald Trump’s inauguration as U.S. president.

The European Commission said on Wednesday that EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom and Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo had scheduled subsequent rounds for April 3-7 and June 26-29.

“Together, we are witnessing the worrying rise of protectionism around the world. Side by side, as like-minded partners, we must now stand up for the idea of global, open cooperation,” the two said in a joint statement.

European leaders have said Brussels should take advantage of a more protectionist U.S. leader, who has already withdrawn from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, to step up negotiations with would-be partners.http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/02/01/european-union-and-mexico-expedite-trade-talks-to-update-existing-pact.html

The uncertainty in trade relations has led Mexico to strengthen ties with other countries and explore opportunities in Asian, European and South American markets instead of the US.
After Mexico featured repeatedly in the US elections, Trump himself is now playing a role in who will become Mexico’s next leader. http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/29/politics/trump-world-leaders-image-100-days/

Europe is trying to move to fill in areas where Donald Trump has indicated he wants to change trade terms. The Bible foretells the end of the USA (cf. Daniel 11:39) along with the rise of a major international trading power in Europe as well as the downfall of that Babylonian power (Revelation 18). That is why I wrote to expect a deal between the Mexicans and the Europeans.

A while back, we made a video related to Mexico, Donald Trump, and trade:


17:43
Mexico has increasingly been in the news because of statements and policies of US President Donald Trump. Many in Mexico are not intending to sit back and accept whatever Donald Trump attempts to force them to do. What will happen to Mexico? Will it make trade deals with Europe? Will it ultimately go to war against the USA? Will the Mexican economy decline at times and then improve? Dr. Thiel answers these questions and more.

Here is a link to our video: Donald Trump and Mexico’s future.

WARNING NINETEEN: His attitudes toward GMOs.

In my book, Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse, I wrote:

Humans should eat what is good (cf. Isaiah 55:2). Donald Trump, like others before him, has made statements supporting the use of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) to be consumed as foods (Goldberg M. President-Elect Donald Trump and Organic Food – How Concerned Should We Be? Living MaxWell, November 10, 2016). Increased reliance on GMOs by the United States puts the nation at major risk for nearly complete crop failures. The Bible warns that famines (Matthew 24:7) and food shortages (Revelation 6:5-6) are coming and Donald Trump may further help set the stage for this.

Notice something the Trump Administration did:

June 11, 2019

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday directing federal agencies to ease rules for approving genetically modified crops and other agricultural biotechnology. …

Trump signed the order Tuesday during a stop at an ethanol plant in politically important Iowa. The order is intended to speed approval of new agricultural biotechnology, reduce developers’ costs and encourage more investment in GMO crops, the White House said in a fact sheet. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-11/trump-plans-to-sign-order-to-ease-approval-of-new-gmo-crops

Yes, Donald Trump has made it even easier to add more GMO crops to the food supply. More on GMOs can be found in the article: GMOs and Bible Prophecy.

WARNING TWENTY: The timing of his presidency will lead to him taking many actions that are apocalyptic.

In my book, Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse, I wrote:

The last book of the Bible is referred to as “Revelation” or the Apocalypse (the Greek term which means revealing, and this was given to the Apostle John on the island of Patmos, per Revelation 1:9).  For purposes of this section, we will use the term “apocalyptic” to mean related to events that lead to the end-time events prophesied in the Bible.

Although Donald Trump is not, and will not, be the final Antichrist (see chapter 3), there are reasons to believe that the rising of the prophesied final ten-horned beast power (Revelation 13:1) and the destruction of the United States could take place under his administration if it lasts two full terms (eight years). And this destruction is likely to include terrorism and partial nuclear devastation.

My use of the word “apocalyptic” is intended to emphatically be biblical (not political), as rooted in the understanding of the prophetic books of the Bible, including the Book of Revelation, also called the Apocalypse.

Because he does not seem to understand many end-time biblical events, this perhaps will lead him to be more accommodating to the rise of the King of the North and King of the South powers than one who believed and understands end-time prophecy would likely have supported.

Here are twenty specific reasons indicating some of how Donald Trump is “apocalyptic”:

  1. The timing of his rise in prominence. We are in the last days of God’s 6000/7000 year plan. A day to God is like 1000 years (2 Peter 3:8; Psalm 90:4), and since it is wise to know the days (Psalm 90:12), this is a reason that Donald Trump would be apocalyptic. We are getting close to the end of the time God gave humans to rule themselves. Thus, we are close to the start of the Great Tribulation (which will not happen in Donald Trump’s first presidential term) and the fulfillment of related prophecies in the Book of Revelation.

The rest of those twenty reasons Donald Trump is apocalyptic are in that book.

Anyway, Donald Trump truly has taken steps that should be considered as apocalyptic. As far as where we seem to be in the 6000/7000 year plan, check out the article: Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?

As far as timing goes, in 2019 the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put out the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:


16:09

A news article had the following: “Armageddon: Will it come on Trump’s watch?” It then answered that question, but without referring to the Bible. What is Armageddon? What does the Bible teach about it? If US President Donald Trump serves two consecutive terms, can the prophesied gathering at Armageddon take place while he is in office? When is the earliest year that Armageddon can occur? What are some of the events that have to happen prior to the start of Armageddon? Whether or not he can be around for Armageddon, what are some of the ways that US President Donald Trump is apocalyptic? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and does explain the earliest time when Armageddon can occur. A written article of related interest is available titled “ Armageddon: Will it come on Trump’s watch? Is 2019 going to be the year of the Armageddon?

Here is a link to the sermonette video: Armageddon Will it come on Trump’s watch?

Now, none of this should be taken to imply that I feel that Donald Trump is a worse president than the last one (to see a list of predictive warning I made about him that came to pass, check out the article Prophecies of Barack Obama?) or that his political opponents would have been better. But what this should show all with “Ears to hear and eyes to see” (Proverbs 20:10), that properly understood biblical prophecies are coming to pass.

Many of the warnings that I made based upon the Bible related to Donald Trump are also applicable to the Biden-Harris team.

They will, if elected, encourage a confederation of Islamic states, be a factor in the coming unity in Europe, and take other steps that will help pave the way for the apocalypse–the start of the Great Tribulation.

Regarding some similarities between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put out the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel related to Joe Biden and Donald Trump:

10:25

The USA presidential campaign is in full swing. Though Democratic party candidate Joe Biden and Republican party candidate Donald Trump have differing economic and climate policies as well as different views on abortion and racial matters, there are many similarities both share. Do they have policies that they share that are leading to the destruction of the USA? What do Bible prophecies reveal about sexual immorality, debt, and hypocrisy? What are some of the national sins of the USA? Does the Bible endorse voting? What did Jesus teach related to what to seek and pray for? What does the New Testament teach that Christians are to do related to leaders? Is the lesser of two evils still evil? Dr. Thiel goes over these matters, including going over eleven similarities the two major party candidates share and some of what the Bible teaches about evil.

Here is a link to our sermonette video: Biden, Trump, and the Bible.

Neither of those men are dedicated to the God of the Bible.

As written before, we in the Continuing Church of God “have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19, KJV).

The Apostle Paul taught:

20 Do not despise prophecies. (1 Thessalonians 5:20)

Sadly, many despise prophecies and even prophetic dreams, despite them being expected for the last days per Acts 2:17-18 (see also Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18?).

Remember that Jesus taught:

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

As we get closer to the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21), this is definitely a time to watch and take heed to prophecy.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Should a Christian Vote? This article gives some of the Biblical rationale on this subject. Would Jesus vote for president/prime minister? Is voting in the Bible? This is a subject Christians need to understand. A video of related interest is available titled: Should Christians Vote? Another video is Biden, Trump, and the Bible.
Crime can be stopped…here’s how! This was a booklet that was edited with some updates by Dr. Thiel. Here is a link to a related sermon: Crime and How it Will be Stopped!
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. Two related sermon are available: Identifying the USA and its Destruction in Prophecy and Do these 7 prophesies point to the end of the USA?
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? A related sermon is also available: The Bible, the USA, and the King of the West.
Abortion, the Bible, and a Woman’s Right to Choose Do you know what the Bible teaches on this? Has the Roman Catholic Church allowed abortions? What about the real Church of God? Some may wish to view the YouTube videos: Abortion and Birth Control: History and Scriptures. Abortion, the Bible, and US Debt, American Infanticide, and Land of ‘Free’ Abortions and Debt.
Cross-dressing and other assaults against your children.  What should you do? Is there an agenda to turn your children and/or grandchildren away from biblical morality and towards practices promoted by homosexuals? What does the Bible teach about cross-dressing? What should parents do? If there is an agenda, what has been going on?  There are also three YouTube videos related to this, titled Transgender ‘Woe to those who call evil good’ and Cross dressing and Other Assaults Against Your Children and USA pushing gender confusion.
The Bible Condemns Homosexuality “Same-sex marriage” for “gays” and lesbians is becoming more acceptable to many. What does the Bible teach about homosexuality and the LGBTQ agenda?  Can homosexuals change? A related video sermon is titled: What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality? A short video is available titled: Gay Gene? Born That Way?
Pornography: A scourge on society Is pornography harmless fun? Does the Bible teach anything about it? What are the views of some involved with it? A related sermons is titled: Pornography, False Comfort, and False Religion. Here a shorter YouTube video Pornography: Harmless Fun or a Scourge on Society?
Why Terrorism? Is Terrorism Prophesied? What does the Bible teach? Which nations may be affected? Here is a link to a related sermon: Terrorism, Christianity, and Islam.
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 are links to two related videos: The King of the North is Alive: What to Look Out For and The Future King of the North.
The Great Monarch: Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Is the ‘Great Monarch’ of Catholic prophecies endorsed or condemned by the Bible? Two sermons of related interest are also available: Great Monarch: Messiah or False Christ? and Great Monarch in 50+ Beast Prophecies.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?
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? 2028 or 20xx? There is also a video titled 6000 Years: When will God’s Kingdom Come? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2020, 2021, or 2022? 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 la Gran Tribulación comenzar en el 2020 o 2021? ¿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 and newer video is: Could the Great Tribulation Begin in 2020? Here is a link to the Spanish version of that video: ¿Podría la Gran Tribulación comenzar en 2020?
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.
Armageddon Who is involved and when will this gathering happen? Here is also a video from Dr. Thiel, from Tel Megiddo in Israel: Armageddon. Other videos include: Armageddon Will it come on Trump’s watch?, Iraq, Armageddon, & Prophecy, Freemasonry, Armageddon, and Rome, Is China paving roads to Armageddon?, and Jordan, Petra, and Armageddon.

Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach? Here is a related YouTube video: Military Technology and the Beast of Revelation.
Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous. A related sermon is titled Ten Kings of Revelation and the Great Tribulation.
WTO/TTIP and the Babylonian Beast Will international trade agreements like WTO/TTIP/CETA lead to the fulfillment of end time prophecies concerning the Babylonian Beast power that the Book of Revelation warns against? What does the Bible teach? A related video would be WTO Trade Deal and the Rise of the European Beast Power.
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-Celtic 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?
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. A sermon of related interest is also available: Canada in Prophecy.
Australia and New Zealand in Prophecy Do biblical prophecies help explain the wealth blessings for Australia and New Zealand? Might cursings from disobedience come in the 21st century? Here is a link to a related sermon: Australia and New Zealand: Origins and Prophecy.
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.

Banned condemns COGWA’s advice not to marry unbelievers

Thursday, October 29th, 2020


Newlywed Couple and supporters (Jean-Pierre Dalbéra)

COGwriter

The anti-COG site, Banned by HWA has condemned COGWA for advising people not to marry unbelievers:

COGWA: Christians Should Be Considered Unbelievers If Looking To Marry Outside COGWA

One of the great myths of Armstrongism is that COG “believers” are special and set apart from the rest of Christianity. The rest of Christianity apparently is too stupid to understand God, Christ, and scriptures unlike COG sects located here and there in the United States. … none of these groups are in a position to tell members who they can or cannot marry.

In an article on whether a COGWA member should marry outside the COGWA belief system there was this:

What, then, is an unbeliever? In brief, an unbeliever is the opposite of the person above. Regardless of his academic knowledge of Bible instruction, he does not believe the truth and does not follow Christ with commitment and action. Again, the Scriptures must be our guide.

John 3:36: “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

Acts 14:2: “But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren” (emphasis added throughout).

Romans 4:20: “He [Abraham] did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,”

1 Timothy 1:13: “Although I [Paul] was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.”

Hebrews 3:12: “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.”

Unbelief is thus described as a lack of belief or faith in God and His Son Jesus Christ. An unbeliever will not always worship idols or be hostile to God, but may simply not know or believe God and His truth. What about the millions today who “believe” in Christ? There is more to being a believer than just claiming the name of Jesus—one has to understand and follow Jesus, as preached by the apostles. Notice Paul’s words:

2 Corinthians 11:4: “For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!”

Today many preach “another Jesus”—for example, one who came to abolish God’s law by “nailing it to the cross.” Those in God’s Church are begotten through faith in the gospel of Christ, while others are attracted to a gospel about Christ. The point is that a person who does not share that same belief in (understanding and desire to obey) Jesus is not spirituallycompatible with one who is a believer. So a professing “Christian” is not necessarily a believer in biblical terms. Only those who are called by God can become believers (John 6:44). Marrying Within The Faith

While normally I would not have gotten involved with this type of matter here, the marriage post was of interest as I added the following this afternoon to my article on the Thyatira Church Era before I saw the Banned condemnation:

Notice also:

Monsignor de Vigne, 40 years a Waldensian pastor says, ‘We live in peace and harmony with one another, having intercourse and dealings chiefly among ourselves, never having mingled ourselves with the members of the church of Rome by marrying our sons to their daughters nor their sons to our daughters.’ (Blackwell D. A HANDBOOK OF CHURCH HISTORY. A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Ambassador College Graduate School of Theology, April 1973, p. 151).

Waldenses … They were acquainted with French, so far as was needed for understanding the Bible and the singing of Psalms. (Cook H, et al. The true psalmody; or, The Bible psalms the Church’s only manual of praise. J. Gemmel, 1883, p. 117)

So, certain doctrines consistent with those of the Church of God were held by some of the Waldensians: We in the Continuing Church of God do not authorize our ministers to marry people outside the faith and our Bible Hymnal is mainly from the Book of Psalms.

Yes, throughout history, those with COG doctrines were separate from those without them and were opposed to marriage outside the COG.

That being said, no, we in the CCOG do not consider that Greco-Roman-Protestants are stupid at all. But we believe that if God was calling them in this age, they would become COG (see also Is God Calling You?).

Nor do we in the CCOG practice Armstrongism, which is a pejorative term from those who do not wish to practice original Christianity in this century.

That being said, many have questions about dating and marriage.

The Continuing Church of God put together the following animation related to dating:

Should a first date be between two experienced pickup artists interested in fornication? Or should it be between a man and a woman who would like to actually know each other better? Does the Bible give any guidelines that Christians who date should pay attention to? If so, what are some? This brief animation shows a worldly pickup date at a bar, and an inelegant, but appropriate request for a date in a more open environment. Dating should be fun and involve communication, and not regrets. So, check out our animation on worldly vs. Christian dating. A free online book with more information on dating is available and titled: Dating: A Key to Success in Marriage, a practical guide for Christians.

Here is a link to our video: First Date: Worldly vs. Christian.

The Continuing Church of God also has this sermon from its ContinuingCOG channel:

1:19:51

Dating is a key to success in marriage. Should Christians have different dating standards than those who are not real Christians? How are men and women different? Can people fall in love? What should people do on a date? What about getting physical? Who should pay for the date? What should a man expect from a date? What should a woman expect from a date? What should be the authority for morals? What should a date be like? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more. This is part one of a two-part series.

Here is a link to the sermon: The Art of Christian Dating. Here is the second part:

1:25:50

This is the second part of a two-part sermon on dating for Christians. In it, Dr. Thiel covers subjects such as what do you do if there is no one to date, if Christians can date or marry someone not part of the Continuing Church of God, dating for marriage, and pre-engagement counseling. He also provides answers to questions that teens have had about dating. He goes into the use of ‘social media’, avoidance of trolling, sexting, and some other matters somewhat unique to the 21st century. Dr. Thiel goes over factors such as cultural, racial, financial, age, mental, education, family, and other factors Christians should consider. He also discusses dating for those who have been married before, as well as if married couples should still date.

Here is a link to the sermon: No One to Date? Teen Q&A? Engagement? 2nd Marriage?

We also have the following sermon on marriage:

God created marriage, but many do not seem to know how to make their marriages work. How are men and women different? What should happen in the first year of marriage? What about love and selfishness? Why are there divorces? What can be done to make your marriage work? Why is there marriage? Is marriage part of a God-plane relationship? In addition to going over scriptures, Dr. Thiel goes over a list of five ways to rebuild your marriage and a list of eleven keys to a happier marriage. You can make your marriage work if you truly have faith and believe God. A related written article is titled: Making Your Marriage Work.

Here is a link to the video sermon: You Can Make YOUR Marriage Work.

Having been married for over 39 years, I agree that those in the COG should only marry someone else in a COG.

COGWA should not be criticized for that.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

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? A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?
What is Armstrongism? Did Herbert W. Armstrong raise a new faith or promote the original Christian faith? Here is a link to a related video: What is Armstrongism? Are Some Dismissive of Original Christianity?
Making Your Marriage Work Marriage is not also easy, but it pictures a divine relationship. How can you make your marriage work? Here is a link to the video sermon: You Can Make YOUR Marriage Work.
Here’s the Plain Truth About OLD TESTAMENT POLYGAMY by Herbert Armstrong. Here is a related article in the Spanish language: ¿Es la poligamia una senda de Dios?
Love, Marriage, and Sex It is important to get them in the right order.
Husbands Love Your Wives An article written by the late Selmer Hegvold.
Ceremonies: Marriage, Funeral, Baptismal, and Laying on Hands Called ‘sacraments’ by some groups, what are the ceremonies in the Bible that Christians may be involved in? A related sermon is available online and is titled: Church of God Ceremonies.
The Bible Condemns Homosexuality “Same-sex marriage” for “gays” and lesbians is becoming more acceptable to many. What does the Bible teach about homosexuality? Can homosexuals change? A related video sermon is titled What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality?
Pornography: A scourge on society Is pornography harmless fun? Does the Bible teach anything about it? What are the views of some involved with it? A related sermons is titled: Pornography, False Comfort, and False Religion. Here a shorter YouTube video Pornography: Harmless Fun or a Scourge on Society?
Five Rules for Effective Parenting Do you know that there are five simple rules that can make you a more effective parent? There is also a 12 1/2 minute YouTube video on this, also titled Five Rules for Effective Parenting.
What Psychologists do not Know About Child Rearing This is an article by Herbert Armstrong that was used as the introduction to the pdf booklet The Plain Truth About Child Rearing.
The Plain Truth About Child Rearing This is a pdf booklet that the old WCG put out.
The Ten Commandments Reflect Love, Breaking them is Evil Some feel that the ten commandments are a burden. Is that what Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John taught? For a more detailed discussion of the first four commandments, please see the video The Ten Commandments: Loving God. For a more detailed discussion of the last six commandments, please see: The Ten Commandments: Loving Your Neighbor. Here is a link to a related article in Mandarin Chinese 十条诫命显示爱,违反诫命的就是邪恶的
Was the Commandment to Love the Only Command? Some have stated that John’s writings teach this, but is that what the Bible really says?
The Ten Commandments and the Early Church Did Jesus and the Early Church keep the ten commandments? What order were they in? Here are quotes from the Bible and early writings. A related sermon is titled: Christians and the Ten Commandments.
The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast This is a free pdf book explaining the what the Ten Commandments are, where they came from, how early professors of Christ viewed them, and how various ones, including the Beast of Revelation, will oppose them. A related sermon is titled: The Ten Commandments and the Beast of Revelation.