Church of God News

(From a Tweet)

COGwriter

The Associated Press reported the following (bolding below from COGwriter):

March 10, 2024

CAIRO (AP) — Observant Muslims the world over will soon be united in a ritual of daily fasting from dawn to sunset as the Islamic holy month of Ramadan starts. For Muslims, it’s a time of increased worship, charity and good deeds. Socially, it often brings families and friends together in festive gatherings around meals to break their fast. Ramadan is followed by the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr.

This year, Ramadan comes as the latest Israel-Hamas war has killed thousands of Palestinians, left much of Gaza in ruins and created a humanitarian catastrophe, with many Palestinians there, especially in the devastated northern region, scrambling for food to survive.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar; the month cycles through the seasons.

The start of the month traditionally depends on the sighting of the crescent moon; this year, the first day is expected to be on or around March 11.

Muslim communities may start Ramadan on different days, due to declarations by multiple Islamic authorities around the globe on whether the crescent has been sighted or different methodologies used to determine the start of the month. …

Muslims see various meanings and lessons in observing the fast.

It’s regarded as an act of worship to attain God-conscious piety and one of submission to God. The devout see benefits including practicing self-restraint, cultivating gratitude, growing closer to God, and feeling for the poor and hungry.

The daily fast in Ramadan includes abstaining from all food and drink; not even a sip of water is allowed from dawn to sunset before breaking the fast in a meal known as “iftar” in Arabic. Those fasting are expected to also refrain from bad deeds, such as gossiping, and increase good deeds. …

Many social rituals center on gathering and socializing after the daily fast. Some Muslims decorate their homes, put out Ramadan-themed tableware and centerpieces or throng to markets and Ramadan bazaars.

In Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous country, Ramadan is typically a festive time.

Colorful lanterns, in different shapes and sizes, dangle from children’s hands and adorn homes or the entrances of buildings and stores. Ramadan songs may be played to welcome the month. So-called Ramadan tents, featuring food and entertainment, pop up to cater to gatherings. https://apnews.com/article/ramadan-islam-fasting-islamic-holy-month-d8c9e002e4904c5d8e0ccee2b77f9ad4

Let’s look at two items I bolded above. Here is the first:

The devout see benefits including practicing self-restraint, cultivating gratitude, growing closer to God, and feeling for the poor and hungry.

The Bible connects fasting with the poor, but is more specific about what to do about it:

6 “Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry …? (Isaiah 58:6-7)

15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. (James 2:15-17)

So, according to the word of God part of why people should fast is to be able to aid the hungry, not just feel for them. But let me add that as part of the “good deeds,” some Muslims do give to the poor during Ramadan.

Here is the second:

Those fasting are expected to also refrain from bad deeds,

One would hope that all would strive to refrain from “bad deeds” at all times, not just during times of fasting.

As far as Ramadan itself goes, here is additional information about it from the Encyclopedia Britannica:

Ramadan, Arabic Ramaḍān, in Islam, the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and the holy month of fasting. It begins and ends with the appearance of the crescent moon. Because the Muslim calendar year is shorter than the Gregorian calendar year, Ramadan begins 10–12 days earlier each year, allowing it to fall in every season throughout a 33-year cycle. …

Islamic tradition states that it was during Ramadan, on the “Night of Power” (Laylat al-Qadr)—commemorated on one of the last 10 nights of Ramadan, usually the 27th night—that God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad the Qurʾān, Islam’s holy book, “as a guidance for the people.” For Muslims, Ramadan is a period of introspection, communal prayer (ṣalāt) in the mosque, and reading of the Qurʾān. God forgives the past sins of those who observe the holy month with fasting, prayer, and faithful intention. accessed 04/02/22 https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ramadan

During Ramadan, practicing Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset and feast after dark.

Those of us in the Continuing Church of God do NOT accept that God inspired the Quran, so we do not participate in Ramadan. We also do not accept that the Book of Mormon, Malachi’s Message, etc. are inspired by God.

But, of course, we do consider that the Bible is the inspired word of God (see also the free online book: Who Gave the World the Bible? The Canon: Why do we have the books we now do in the Bible? Is the Bible complete?) and that Jesus is the Messiah.

Although Muslims also believe Jesus is the Messiah, they do not accept a lot of what is true about Him; this is documented in the free online book Proof Jesus is the Messiah).

More on Islam can also be found in the article: Differences Between Islam and the Continuing Church of God .

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Is the Future King of the South Rising Up? Some no longer believe there needs to be a future King of the South. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? Might this King be called the Mahdi or Caliph? What does the Bible say? A YouTube video of related interest may be: The Future King of the South is Rising. Here is a version the Spanish language: ¿Esta Surgiendo el Rey Del Sur?
The Muslim Brotherhood and the Rise of the King of the South The Bible tells of the formation of a power of nations that are in the Middle East and North Africa that are part of the final “King of the South” (Daniel 11:40-43) The Muslim Brotherhood wishes to have an Islamic empire with basically the same nations. This YouTube video explains what to expect from such a confederation.
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. Here is a shorter video: Afghanis: Potential terrorists?
The Arab and Islamic World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam? What about the Imam Mahdi? What lies ahead for Turkey, Iran, and the other non-Arabic Muslims? An item of possibly related interest in the Spanish language would be: Líderes iraníes condenan la hipocresía de Occidente y declaran que ahora es tiempo para prepararse para el Armagedón, la guerra, y el Imán Mahdi.
The Prophesied ‘Islamic’ Confederation Where is an Islamic caliphate prophesied? Will one happen? Should you be concerned about it? A related video is Will an Arabic Calphiphate Destroy the West?
Libya, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia in Prophecy What is ahead for North Africa? What does the Bible teach?
Gaza and the Palestinians in Bible Prophecy What does the Bible teach about Gaza and the fate of the Palestinians? Here is a link to a related video: Gaza and Palestine in Prophecy.
Damascus and Syria in Prophecy Will Bashar Assad hold power as he has it? Does the Bible show that Damascus, the capital of Syria, will be destroyed? What will happen to Syria? Will the Syrians support the final King of the South that the Bible tells will rise up? Which scriptures discuss the rise and fall of an Arabic confederation? Does Islamic prophecy predict the destruction of Syria. This is a YouTube video.
Egypt in Prophecy Does Egypt have a special role in end time prophecy? Will Egypt rise up and then be defeated. What does God teach will happen to those in Egypt? Here is a link to a YouTube video titled Egypt and End Time Prophecy.
Iraq, the King of the South, Armageddon, and Prophecy What will happen to Iraq? Is it the prophesied Mystery Babylon? What is Armageddon and how does that have to do with Iraq? Here is a related video Iraq, Armageddon, & Prophecy.
Iran in Prophecy Is Iran in Bible prophecy? If so, what does the Bible teach? What names, other than Persia, may be used to describe Iran? There is also a related YouTube video titled Iran In Prophecy.
Jordan in Bible Prophecy What does the Bible show will happen to the inhabitants of Jordan? Will they escape and then be punished? A related video is titled Jordan, Petra, and Armageddon.
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 Roman 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.
Africa: Its Biblical Past and Prophesied Future What does the Bible teach about Africa and its future? Did the early Church reach Africa? Will God call all the Africans? A related online sermon is also available: Africa: Its biblical past, present, and future. A video of possible interest is: Nairobi Conference: All About Love.
Arabic Nazarenes May Have Kept Original Christian Practices Were their faithful Arabs who held to original Christianity?
Nazarene Christianity: Were the Original Christians Nazarenes? Should Christians be Nazarenes today? What were the practices of the Nazarenes.
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, and Let’s Talk About the New Testament, The New Testament Canon From the Beginning, English Versions of the Bible and How Did We Get Them?, What was the Original Language of the New Testament?, Original Order of the Books of the Bible, and Who Gave the World the Bible? Who Had the Chain of Custody? Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is are links to related sermons: Christian Election: Is God Calling YOU? and Predestination and Your Selection. A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? Two related sermons about this are also available: Real Repentance and Real Christian Repentance.
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.
Differences Between Islam and the Continuing Church of God What are some of the main differences? Are there any similarities? A video of related interest is titled: Islam: Any Christian Concerns or Similarities?

Pope Francis (photo from Quirinale.it via Wikipedia)

COGwriter

Pope Francis seems to realize that Ukraine is in no position to militarily push Russia out and that Ukraine should negotiate a settlement:

Pope Francis says Ukraine should have “courage of the white flag” against Russia

March 10, 2024

Pope Francis said in an interview that Ukraine, facing a possible defeat, should have the courage to negotiate an end to the war with Russia and not be ashamed to sit at the same table to carry out peace talks.

The pope made his appeal during an interview recorded last month with Swiss broadcaster RSI, which was partially released on Saturday.

“I think that the strongest one is the one who looks at the situation, thinks about the people and has the courage of the white flag, and negotiates,” Francis said, adding that talks should take place with the help of international powers.

Ukraine remains firm on not engaging directly with Russia on peace talks, …

Russia is gaining momentum on the battlefield in the war now in its third year and Ukraine is running low on ammunition. …

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Saturday that Francis picked up the “white flag” term that had been used by the interviewer. He issued a statement of clarification after the pope’s “white flag” comments sparked criticism that he was siding with Russia in the conflict.

Throughout the war, Francis has tried to maintain the Vatican’s traditional diplomatic neutrality, but that has often been accompanied by apparent sympathy with the Russian rationale for invading Ukraine, such as when he noted that NATO was “barking at Russia’s door” with its eastward expansion.

Francis said in the RSI interview that “the word negotiate is a courageous word.”

“When you see that you are defeated, that things are not going well, you have to have the courage to negotiate,” he said. “Negotiations are never a surrender.”

Well, negotiations, in this case, are a type of surrender. But for Ukraine, the alternatives may be worse.

Francis is being criticized for his remarks:

March 10, 2024

Four world leaders visited the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Saturday (Feb 24), a day that marked the completion of two years of the Ukraine war. It was on this day in 2022, that Russian forces launched was President Vladimir Putin calls a ‘special military operation’. On

Ukrainian and allied officials criticized Pope Francis for saying that Kyiv should have the “courage” to negotiate an end to the war with Russia, a statement many interpreted as a call on Ukraine to surrender.

The foreign minister of Poland, a vocal ally of Kyiv, and Ukraine’s ambassador to the Vatican both used World War II analogies to condemn the pope’s remarks, while a leader of one of Ukraine’s Christian churches on Sunday said that only the country’s determined resistance to Russia’s aggression had prevented a mass slaughter of civilians. …

A Vatican spokesman later clarified that the pope supported “a stop to hostilities (and) a truce achieved with the courage of negotiations,” rather than an outright Ukrainian surrender. Matteo Bruni said that the journalist interviewing Francis used the term “white flag” in the question that prompted the controversial remarks. …

Kyiv remains firm on not engaging directly with Russia on peace talks, …

During the Angelus prayer on Sunday from the window overlooking St. Peter’s Square, Francis said that he was praying “for peace in the tormented Ukraine and in the Holy Land.”

“Let the hostilities which cause immense suffering among the civilian population cease as soon as possible,” he said. https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/russia-ukraine-war-pope-francis/2024/03/10/id/1156669/

Anyway, note something from today as well as last week: something that Time reported last month:

March 10, 2024

The trend … seems to be that the more clearly Ukraine forces are losing, the more unhinged and bellicose some Western officials become.

Ukraine is in retreat, following Russia’s capture of the eastern city of Avdiivka last month. Several other smaller towns and cities have also fallen, with Ukraine’s front lines in disarray. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/madness-west-conducting-all-out-militarization-defeat-russia-serbian-president-warns

March 2024

Russian troops continued a relentless march in eastern Ukraine for a third straight week, giving defenders no respite since seizing Avdiivka on February 17.

Geolocated footage on February 29 showed Russian troops had advanced 5km (3 miles) west of Avdiivka to the outskirts of Orlivka and Berdychi.

The following day, they were in central Orlivka. By Monday, they were spotted close to a road that connects Orlivka to the village of Tonenke to its south.

By the estimate of the Russian Ministry of Defence, it took Moscow’s forces four months to advance 9km (5.6 miles) through the Donetsk region before seizing Avdiivka.

By that standard, 5km in three weeks – including 3km (nearly 2 miles) in the past week alone – was fast progress. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/6/russia-takes-more-ground-in-east-ukraine-but-loses-another-ship-at-sea

Last month, Time and The Hill posted the following:

Ukraine Can’t Win the War

February 24, 2024

he long-awaited counteroffensive last year failed. Russia has recaptured Avdiivka, its biggest war gain in nine months. President Volodymyr Zelensky has been forced to quietly acknowledge the new military reality. The Biden Administration’s strategy is now to sustain Ukrainian defense until after the U.S. presidential elections, in the hope of wearing down Russian forces in a long war of attrition.

This strategy seems sensible enough, but contains one crucially important implication and one potentially disastrous flaw, which are not yet being seriously addressed in public debates in the West or Ukraine. The implication of Ukraine standing indefinitely on the defensive—even if it does so successfully—is that the territories currently occupied by Russia are lost. Russia will never agree at the negotiating table to surrender land that it has managed to hold on the battlefield. …

Yet supporters of complete Ukrainian victory have engaged in hopes that range from the overly optimistic to the magical. At the magical end of the spectrum is the notion, set out by retired U.S. Army General Ben Hodges among others, that Russia can be defeated, and even driven from Crimea, by long-range missile bombardment.

This is folly. Ukrainians have scored some notable successes against the Russian Black Sea Fleet, but to take back Crimea they would need to be able to launch a massive amphibious landing, an exceptionally difficult operation far beyond their capabilities in terms of ships and men. Attacks on Russian infrastructure are pinpricks given Russia’s size and resources.  …

For Ukrainians to stand a chance, military history suggests that they would need a 3-to-2 advantage in manpower and considerably more firepower. Ukraine enjoyed these advantages in the first year of the war, but they now lie with Russia, and it is very difficult to see how Ukraine can recover them. … the lost Ukrainian territories are lost … https://time.com/6695261/ukraine-forever-war-danger/

Ukraine can no longer win

February 22, 2024

There is no path for Ukraine to win this war. American support will not change this reality. …

The reality, two years in, is that there is no path to victory for Ukraine, at least not in the sense of pushing Russian troops back to 2021 lines of control. After Ukrainian troops abandoned Avdiivka following some of the war’s heaviest fighting — the most significant loss or gain by either side in nine months — almost all advantages accrue to Russia.

The seizure of Avdiivka does not materially change the war, but it does change the momentum. Moscow can throw mass in terms of bodies, tanks, artillery, and drones at exhausted Ukrainian forces until they crack. Ukraine is exhausted and outnumbered, struggling to recruit new troops. The best Ukraine can do now is fight Russia to a negotiated settlement that allows it to keep its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security against another Russian invasion. Even these provisions may now seem unrealistic. …

None of this is fair to the people of Ukraine, who have placed their hopes of sovereignty on America’s commitment to them. It is, however, the tragic reality of the situation. https://thehill.com/opinion/national-security/4481154-ukraine-can-no-longer-win/

Ukraine is not winning this conflict. As far as the lost territories go, President Zelensky has stated that Ukraine would not give them up nor negotiate with the Putin regime unless Russia would give them up.

Furthermore, Russia has basically stated that since they annexed various areas previously controlled by Ukraine, those lands are now part of Russia and that Russia would use nuclear weapons if it thought it faced defeat.

As long-time readers of the COGwriter site are aware, since 2013 I have written that at least part of the territories that Ukraine controlled would end up supporting Russia. That happened in 2014 with Crimea. Also on February 5, 2022, I spoke in a video that stated that more areas of Ukraine (in addition to Crimea) would end up aligning with Russia (watch Russia, Ukraine, Babylonian Europe, and Prophecy). That has happened.

Ukraine is in a tough spot.

More and more destruction is occurring.

It can continue to fight and hope that Russia will not take it over completely.

It can negotiate and hope that Russia will not later take it over completely.

It could repent and trust God, but it has shown no indications of that.

It might decide to negotiate with Russia and try to get its remaining territory to be part of the European Union.

Because of various prophecies in the Bible, I remain convinced that parts of the territory that Ukraine claims will end up supporting Russia when it helps lead a massive invasion of Europe–an invasion that will NOT occur until AFTER the European Beast power defeats the USA (cf. Daniel 11:39,44-45).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Russia and Ukraine: Their Origins and Prophesied Future Russia in prophecy. Where do the Russians come from? What about those in the Ukraine? What is prophesied for Russia and its allies? What will they do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end? There is also a video sermon available: Russia in the Bible and in Prophecy as are two video sermonettes Russia, Ukraine, Babylonian Europe, and Prophecy and 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? Four related videos are available: Ezekiel 38 Gog and Magog War: Is it Soon?, Ezekiel 38: For Russia, Ukraine, & Iran Now?, Russia, Iran, Syria, & the Bible (Code), and Gog, Magog, Vladimir Putin, and Ezekiel 38?
The Eurasian Union, the Kings of the East, and Bible Prophecy Is there a Eurasian union that will be formed? Is one being formed right now? Are any leaders working on that in the 21st century? Does the Bible teach that there will be a Eurasian union? If some type of Eurasian union is formed, who might it benefit and who will it destroy? A related video would be Is The Eurasian Union Rising?
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. It is available inover 1,000 languages at ccog.org. Here are links to four kingdom-related sermons:  The Fantastic Gospel of the Kingdom of God!, The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism? Was the millennium (sometimes called chiliasm) taught by early Christians? Who condemned it? Will Jesus literally reign for 1000 years on the earth? Is this time near? Three related sermons are available Let’s Talk About the Earthly Millennium, Millennial Utopia, and The Millennium.
Could 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? 2031 or 2025 or? There is also a video titled: When Does the 6000 Years End? 2031? 2035? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? What about other peoples? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about Africa, Asia, South America, and the Islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?;  Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

Obese females (Pixabay)

COGwriter

The Continuing Church of God (CCOG) is pleased to suggest the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

14:55

Is Obesity OK with Scripture?

In March 2024, the BBC reported that research pointed to over a billion people being obese worldwide. Professor Majid Ezzati, of Imperial College London, said “In many of these island nations it comes down to the availability of healthy food versus unhealthy food. In some cases there have been aggressive marketing campaigns promoting unhealthy foods, while the cost and availability of healthier food can be more problematic.” Does the Bible teach to eat what is good? While millions are dying from hunger, over a billion are obese. What are diseases that the obese are more susceptible to? Since the obese tend to die sooner than others, should obesity be accepted or encouraged? What did Bill Maher state about the ‘body positive movement’? Does the Bible condemn gluttony (overeating) and obesity? Did Jesus say to ‘come as you are’ or to ‘repent and believe’? What are some ways to help lose weight? Is losing weight very difficult? Can Jesus help? If you fail, should you give up? What about the five second method of changing? Should the obese eat less? If that does not work, what should they do? What about exercise? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel address these issues.

While it is highly tempting for most people to overeat, we do want to watch that and obey the word of God.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Christian Health Matters Should Christians be concerned about their health? Does the Bible give any food and health guidelines? Here are links to two related sermons: Let’s Talk About Food and Let’s Talk About Health.
Obesity, processed foods, health risks, and the Bible Does the Bible warn about the consequences of being obese? Is overeating dangerous? Is gluttony condemned? What diseases are associated with eating too much refined foods? Two related video would be Is Obesity OK with Scripture? and Eating Right, Eating Too Much, and Prophecy.
Should Christians Exercise? What does the Bible teach? What are some of the benefits and risks of exercise? Here is a link to a related video: The Plain Truth About Exercise.
Ten Simple Rules that Lead to Health Herbert Armstrong gives his opinions on this.
The New Testament Church, History, and Unclean Meats Are foods considered to have been unclean in the Old Testament considered to be food in the New Testament? This article discusses this from the perspective of the New Testament. It also has a list of clean and unclean animals. It also answers the question, is pork healthy or is pork dangerous? There is also a sermon-length video on this: Christians and Unclean Meats; a short video is also available: Did Jesus declare all animal flesh food?
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? 2031 or ? 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?
Might the U.S.A. Be Gone by 2028? Could the USA be gone by the end of 2028 or earlier? There is a tradition attributed to the Hebrew prophet Elijah that humanity had 6,000 years to live before being replaced by God’s Kingdom. There are scriptures, writings in the Talmud, early Christian teachings that support this. Also, even certain Hindu writings support it. Here is a link to a related video: Is the USA prophesied to be destroyed by 2028? In Spanish: Seran los Estados Unidos Destruidos en el 2028?
Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is are links to related sermons: Christian Election: Is God Calling YOU? and Predestination and Your Selection; here is a message in Spanish: Me Está Llamando Dios Hoy? A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? Two related sermons about this are also available: Real Repentance and Real Christian Repentance.
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? What about other peoples? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about Africa, Asia, South America, and the Islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?;  Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

COGwriter

The Continuing Church of God continues to get additional materials translated into the Spanish language.

Here are the translations that we just received:

TCD: Survival expert shares ancient hack for naturally preserving food & MS: Millions Of Americans “Prepare For The Apocalypse”

TCD: Experto en supervivencia comparte un antiguo truco para conservar los alimentos de forma natural y EM: ​​Millones de estadounidenses “se preparan para el Apocalipsis”

https://www.cdlidd.es/tcd-experto-en-supervivencia-comparte-un-antiguo-truco-para-conservar-los-alimentos-de-forma-natural-y-em-%e2%80%8b%e2%80%8bmillones-de-estadounidenses-se-preparan-para-el-apocalipsis/

ZH: US Establishes New Stockpile In Australia To Prepare For War Over Taiwan

ZH: Estados Unidos establece un nuevo arsenal en Australia para prepararse para la guerra por Taiwán

https://www.cdlidd.es/zh-estados-unidos-establece-un-nuevo-arsenal-en-australia-para-prepararse-para-la-guerra-por-taiwan/

1911 ‘Bible Advocate’ on the Kingdom of God

1911 ‘Abogado de la Biblia’ sobre el Reino de Dios

https://www.cdlidd.es/1911-abogado-de-la-biblia-sobre-el-reino-de-dios/

Russia threatens the use of nuclear weapons–will it now nuke the USA? ‘Russia warns WWIII “inevitable” if West sends troops to Ukraine’

Rusia amenaza con el uso de armas nucleares: ¿Atacará ahora a Estados Unidos? ‘Rusia advierte que la Tercera Guerra Mundial es “inevitable” si Occidente envía tropas a Ucrania’

https://www.cdlidd.es/rusia-amenaza-con-el-uso-de-armas-nucleares-atacara-ahora-a-estados-unidos-rusia-advierte-que-la-tercera-guerra-mundial-es-inevitable-si-occidente-envia-tropas-a-ucrania/

Study concludes more than a billion people are obese

Un estudio concluye que más de mil millones de personas son obesas

https://www.cdlidd.es/un-estudio-concluye-que-mas-de-mil-millones-de-personas-son-obesas/

DW: Moldova: Breakaway Transnistria asks Russia for ‘protection’

DW: Moldavia: la separatista Transnistria pide “protección” a Rusia

https://www.cdlidd.es/dw-moldavia-la-separatista-transnistria-pide-proteccion-a-rusia/

MS: Shoplifting In America Is Wildly Out Of Control

MS: El hurto en tiendas en Estados Unidos está tremendamente fuera de control

https://www.cdlidd.es/ms-el-hurto-en-tiendas-en-estados-unidos-esta-tremendamente-fuera-de-control/

‘Secret plan’ for King Charles III to abdicate in favor of Prince William?

¿’Plan secreto’ para que el rey Carlos III abdique en favor del príncipe Guillermo?

https://www.cdlidd.es/plan-secreto-para-que-el-rey-carlos-iii-abdique-en-favor-del-principe-guillermo/

WSWS: New York Times report demolishes the narrative of the “unprovoked war” in Ukraine

WSWS: Un informe del New York Times derriba la narrativa de la “guerra no provocada” en Ucrania

https://www.cdlidd.es/wsws-un-informe-del-new-york-times-derriba-la-narrativa-de-la-guerra-no-provocada-en-ucrania/

Jim Rickards says 2024 is ‘The Year of Cascading Crises’

Jim Rickards dice que 2024 es “el año de las crisis en cascada”

https://www.cdlidd.es/jim-rickards-dice-que-2024-es-el-ano-de-las-crisis-en-cascada/

Vatican promoting the memory of a false prophet with a new stamp

Vaticano promueve la memoria de un falso profeta con un nuevo sello

https://www.cdlidd.es/vaticano-promueve-la-memoria-de-un-falso-profeta-con-un-nuevo-sello/

‘To Understand The Globalists We Must Understand Their Psychopathic Religion’

‘Para comprender a los globalistas debemos comprender su religión psicopática’

https://www.cdlidd.es/para-comprender-a-los-globalistas-debemos-comprender-su-religion-psicopatica/

Zelensky says: ‘We will win’; Time headline: ‘Ukraine Can’t Win the War’

Zelensky dice: “Venceremos”; Titular de Time: “Ucrania no puede ganar la guerra”

https://www.cdlidd.es/zelensky-dice-venceremos-titular-de-time-ucrania-no-puede-ganar-la-guerra/

PCG continues to wrongly post that Iran is the ‘King of the South’

La PCG sigue publicando erróneamente que Irán es el “Rey del Sur”

https://www.cdlidd.es/la-pcg-sigue-publicando-erroneamente-que-iran-es-el-rey-del-sur/

Germany’s non-Roman Catholic chancellor meets the pope

El canciller no católico de Alemania se reúne con el Papa

https://www.cdlidd.es/el-canciller-no-catolico-de-alemania-se-reune-con-el-papa/

The Continuing Church of God has a separate Spanish language website http://www.cdlidd.es. The term Continuing Church of God translates into La Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios in the Spanish language, also called Castellano or Español.

We have also additional Spanish language videos on our CDLIDDSermones channel.

Our Spanish translator normally provides translated news items once or twice per month.

So, in addition to having magazines and books in the Spanish language, we also post news items in it as well.

This is another avenue we utilize to teach all that we can in accordance with Matthew 24:14, Mark 13:28-37, and Matthew 28:19-20.

The Continuing Church of God is reaching people around the world in multiple languages via the internet, printed literature, and human church leaders.

We also reach people over the radio and through videos in the English language.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Mexico, Central America, South America, Brazil, and the Caribbean in Prophecy [Español: México, América central, Suramérica, Brasil y el Caribe en la profecía] [Português: México, América Central, Ámérica do Sul, e Brasil na profecia] What will happen to those of Latin America? Will they have prosperity? Will they cooperate with Europe? Will they suffer in the future? What role might the various Caribbean nations/territories play? Two videos of related interest are available: Will Mexico Regain USA Territories? and Donald Trump and Mexico’s future. A sermon of related interest is available: Latin America in Prophecy.

CDLIDDSermones channel. This contains messages in the Spanish language.

CDLIDD.ES La Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios. This is the Spanish language website for the Continuing Church of God and has articles in español/castellano.

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.

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?

Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God “Contend 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. Here is a link to a booklet titled: Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God.

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

CCOG.ORG Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God. To see how CCOG has done so far, here are links to two sermons Continuing Church of God (CCOG) first year anniversary: What has been accomplished? and The Continuing Church of God: Two Years of Proclamation. Here is a written link to a version of that sermon in the Spanish language: Aniversario del primer año de la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios: ¿Qué se ha cumplido?

CCOG Animations channel. The Continuing Church of God has some animations to teach aspects of Christian beliefs.

Bible News Prophecy channel. Dr. Thiel has produced many YouTube videos for the BibleNewsProphecy channel. And you can find them there.

ContinuingCOG channel. Dr. Thiel has produced YouTube video sermons for this channel. Note: Since these are sermon-length, they can take a little longer to load than other YouTube videos. Here is a link to a short intro: ContinuingCOG Channel.

CCOGAfrica channel. This has messages from African pastors in African languages such as Kalenjin, Kiswahili, Embu, and Dholuo.

BibleNewsProphecy Podcast. This has audio-visual podcasts of the Bible News Prophecy channgel. It plays on i-Phones, i-Pads, and Windows devices that can play i-Tunes.

Bible News Prophecy online and European Gospel radio. This has an audio version of the Bible News Prophecy videos and other radio broadcasts. It is also available as a mobile app.

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

CCOGAFRICA.ORG This is a website targeted towards those in Africa.

CCOGCANADA.CA This is a website targeted towards those in Canada.

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.

PNIND.PH Patuloy na Iglesya ng Diyos. This is the Philippines website Continuing Church of God. It has information in English and Tagalog.

Study the Bible Course Want to learn more about the Bible? This new course is for you! Here is a: link to Lesson 1: Why Study the Bible? Here is a: link to Lesson 2: Here’s good news…the MESSAGE sent from Heaven. Here is a: link to Lesson 3: Christ Will Stop World Suicide! Here is a: link to Lesson 4: How to Study the Bible. Here is a link to Study the Bible Course: Test 1, for Lessons 1-4. Here is a: link to Lesson 5: The Millennium. Here is a: link to Lesson 6: Utopia! It is also available in French (Leçon 1 En francés), Kiswahili (Somo 1 Katika Kiswahili), Mandarin Chinese (™–˜u : N-Vý), Tagalog (KURSO SA PAG-ARAL NG BIBLYA), and Spanish (Lección 1 En castellano).
Youth Bible Lessons We have scores of lessons for the very young through teenage to learn about the ways of God.

Armenia’s capital Yerevan in with Mount Ararat in Background
(photo from Սէրուժ Ուրիշեան via Wiipedia)

COGwriter

Back in 2021, I reported that the European Union was interested in Armenia, which technically is not in Europe, joining it (see EU has ‘Babylonian Beast’ symbols and plans consistent with biblical prophecies).

Now, some leaders in Armenia are considering it:

Armenia mulling EU membership application, foreign minister says

March 9, 2024

Armenia is considering applying to join the European Union, its Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said on Friday.

In a television interview with Turkish channel TRT on the sidelines of a diplomatic gathering in Antalya, Turkey, Mirzoyan said Armenia is seeking to get closer to the West amid worsening relations with Russia.

“New opportunities are largely being discussed in Armenia nowadays,” Mirzoyan said. “That includes membership in the European Union.”

His remarks follow reports in the Armenian press that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan plans to start the EU application process by late 2024. https://www.politico.eu/article/armenia-mulling-eu-membership-application-foreign-minister-mirzoyan-says/

March 9 (Reuters) – Armenia is considering applying for European Union membership, foreign minister Ararat Mirzoyan said on Friday, as it seeks to forge closer ties with the West in the face of tensions with traditional ally Russia. …

Since coming to power in a 2018 revolution, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has deepened Armenia’s ties with Europe and the United States, repeatedly drawing the ire of traditional ally Russia. Yerevan has repeatedly said that its alliance with Moscow does not stretch to the war in Ukraine, while Pashinyan has accused Russia of seeking to undermine his government. Armenia also accuses Russia of failing to defend it against long-standing rival Azerbaijan, which has drawn closer to Moscow in recent years. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/armenia-is-considering-seeking-eu-membership-foreign-minister-says-2024-03-09/

Russia has never been keen on Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Many in Armenia are also upset with Russia for not stopping Azerbaijan from taking over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh which Armenians normally call Artsakh.

Now, Armenia is part of Russia’s Eurasian Economic Union and I believe, unless something changes, a nation cannot be in that and the European Union at the same time.

Armenia recently suspended its role in Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which is an intergovernmental military alliance in Eurasia consisting of six post-Soviet states. Russia is not pleased with that:

Margarita Simonyan, a pro-Putin editor-in-chief of the Russian state-controlled international news television network RT, has said Armenia’s spat with Russia over the Moscow-led security bloc CSTO could see the South Caucasus country cease to exist within half-a-decade.

Newsweek, on March 5, reports that Simonyan predicted the demise of Armenia during a Q&A at the World Youth Festival in Russia’s Krasnodar region.

Simonyan, addressing a panel discussion at the festival, criticized Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan for suspending Armenia’s participation in CSTO. …

“Armenia’s youth must understand that Pashinyan is a traitor to the Armenian people and is leading Armenia to complete destruction if he remains in power,” Simonyan told festival goers on Monday. https://hetq.am/en/article/164878

There is also concern about Russia from another former Soviet state, Moldova which (like Armenia) is getting closer to France and the EU:

9 March 2024

Moldovan President Maia Sandu signed a defense cooperation agreement with France during her visit to Paris on Thursday.

The deal comes as Western nations seek to strengthen the former Soviet state, located between Ukraine and Romania, amid what they say are attempts by Russia to destabilize the region.

President Emmanuel Macron pledged France’s “unwavering support” for Moldova, as his nation is boosting its presence in countries that it believes Russia sees as its area of influence. Last month, Paris struck similar defense deals with Armenia.

Sandu warned that if President Vladimir Putin isn’t stopped in Ukraine, he’ll carry on. “If the aggressor is not stopped, he will keep going, and the front line will keep moving closer. Closer to us. Closer to you,” Sandu said. “Europe must therefore present a united front.”

The defense accord commits both countries to future training and intelligence sharing. …

Last month, the head of Moldova’s autonomous region of Gagauzia asked Russia for support. Also in February, Transnistria, a breakaway region of the country, asked Russia to help protect itself from Moldovan “pressure”.

Late last month, Macron’s increasingly hawkish rhetoric raised eyebrows when he stated that European Union states could send troops to Ukraine. Macron’s remarks provoked a mixed reaction from Kiev’s Western supporters, who are trying to avoid direct conflict with Russia amid fears of a global war and lead to concerns from the opposition. https://www.rt.com/russia/593988-moldova-france-sign-defense-accord/

Regarding the section of Moldova called Transnistria, we recently made the following related video:

14:51

Russia, Sanctions, Transnistria, Europe & Prophecy

In 2014 the USA and European Union put sanctions on Russia because of its acquisition of Crimea. Since Russia’s ‘Special Military Operation’ into Ukraine, more sanctions were added. On February 23, 2024, the EU and USA announced more sanctions. Did the sanctions turn the “ruble into rubble” as Joe Biden hoped? Did Russia acquire more territory as Dr. Thiel warned in 2013, 2018, and 2022 prior to the current conflict? Was he right about sanctions? Will Russia and Europe acquire more territory? Will they one day trade more with each other? Will they one day turn against each other? What about Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Georgia, and Armenia? Are the Russian-led ‘kings of the Medes’ prophesied to destroy the coming Babylonian European Beast power? Does Europe, starting with Benelux to the European Economic Community to the European Union look to be fulfilling Daniel 8:9? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel address these issues.

Here is a link to our video: Russia, Sanctions, Transnistria, Europe & Prophecy.

Now, Moldova itself has applied for membership in the European Union and was granted candidate status in June 2022. But that offended Russia which resulted in some economic losses to Moldova.

Moldova remains the poorest country in Europe and the per capita GDP for Armenia is not much better. So, both are interested in the EU and the EU is interested in both.

So what will happen?

Some areas, like Armenia, will ultimately according to scripture, align with Russia.

Yet, the Bible also teaches that the European Beast power will expand to the south and the east.

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

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

And while the above has had a past fulfillment, this prophecy seems to be dual (compare with Daniel 11:27-39). The European Union has mainly expanded south and east of the Benelux nations (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)–which is where it initially formed. Now, approximately 447 million people are under a new, single (though not completed united) government, called the European Union, headquartered in Brussels. Ukraine is mainly east of much of the EU–thus its geography is consistent with at least some of it being part of the EU. And Moldova and Armenia are south and east, which is also consistent.

In the old Radio Church of God, the late evangelist Dr. Hoeh taught that this little horn of Daniel 8 was the power that would become the final King of the North:

Turn in your Bible to verse 9: “And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.” …

The King of the North

The little horn in Daniel 8 is none other than the LAST KING of one of the four divisions of Alexander’s Empire. He is, in fact, the final “King of the North” described in Daniel 11. (Hoeh H. The 2300 Days. Plain Truth, August 1965)

Now, it looks like at least part of Moldova will support the Europeans for a time. The same may be the case for Armenia.

However, at least part of those both lands look like they will ultimately align with Russia. Here is something from my free online book Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?:

Russia, which is both in Europe and Asia, will, for a time, prosper through trade with the coming European Beast (as will Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine). …

Central Asia and East Asia

Those in Asia look to prosper, for a time, from the coming Babylonian power led by the European King of the North.

Yet, the Bible teaches that “news from the east and the north shall trouble” (Daniel 11:44) the European King of the North. This will be from a confederation led by Russia, and will include others, including peoples from Central and East Asia.

Various peoples in Asia are prophesied to be involved with the Northern power (king of the Medes below):

²⁷ Set up a banner in the land, Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations against her, Call the kingdoms together against her: Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a general against her; Cause the horses to come up like the bristling locusts. ²⁸ Prepare against her the nations, With the kings of the Medes, Its governors and all its rulers, All the land of his dominion. ²⁹ And the land will tremble and sorrow; For every purpose of the Lord shall be performed against Babylon, To make the land of Babylon a desolation without inhabitant. (Jeremiah 51:27-29)

“Today the Georgians, Ossettes, Armenians and others occupy the region near Ararat.”[i] The Minni appear to be an Armenians reference.[ii] …

Peoples prophetically called Medes are also shown to destroy the final Babylon according to both Isaiah and Jeremiah:

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

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

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

The fact that there are multiple kings of the Medes indicates that powers involved in this end time confederation represent multiple governments. This would seem to include Russia, Belarus, and likely Crimea, Donbas, and some others in Ukraine, some in Moldova, perhaps some from the nation of Georgia, and some in Iran, etc.

[i] White. In Search of … , p. 194

[ii] Ellicott CJ. Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers. CASSELL AND COMPANY, LIMITED, 1905

So, while Moldova and Armenia may draw much closer to the European Union–and may even become part of it–biblically we can expect Armenia to ultimately align with Russia, and likely also parts of Moldova.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? What about other peoples? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about Africa, Asia, South America, and the Islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?;  Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.
The Eurasian Union, the Kings of the East, and Bible Prophecy Is there a Eurasian union that will be formed? Is one being formed right now? Are any leaders working on that in the 21st century? Does the Bible teach that there will be a Eurasian union? If some type of Eurasian union is formed, who might it benefit and who will it destroy? A related video would be Is The Eurasian Union Rising?
Russia and Ukraine: Their Origins and Prophesied Future Russia in prophecy. Where do the Russians come from? What about those in the Ukraine? What is prophesied for Russia and its allies? What will they do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end? There is also a video sermon available: Russia in the Bible and in Prophecy as are two video sermonettes Russia, Ukraine, Babylonian Europe, and Prophecy and 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? Four related videos are available: Ezekiel 38 Gog and Magog War: Is it Soon?, Ezekiel 38: For Russia, Ukraine, & Iran Now?, Russia, Iran, Syria, & the Bible (Code), and Gog, Magog, Vladimir Putin, and Ezekiel 38?
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 are links to related videos: European history and the Bible, Europe In Prophecy, The End of European Babylon, and Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European? Here is a link to a related sermon in the Spanish language: El Fin de la Babilonia Europea.

(Wikipedia from the 1845 book of The Sermon on the Mount)

COGwriter

Should Christians call God Father?

Is it simply sexist or accurate to do so?

Until relatively recently, all biblical writers and all theologians I am aware of, believed that the Father was and is God.

However, some Protestants like to shy away from terms like ‘Father.’ And various moderns object to its use as male-bias.

There is even a small movement among Roman Catholics that disapprove of biblically-gendered language, like Father.

What does the Bible teach on this? What was the view of early Christians?

Let’s start off with a passage from the Old Testament:

6 A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? (Malachi 1:6, NKJV throughout unless otherwise cited)

Clearly God wants to be honored as Father.

Notice also what Isaiah was inspired to write:

16 Doubtless You are our Father, Though Abraham was ignorant of us, And Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O Lord, are our Father; Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name. (Isaiah 63:16)

8 But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand. (Isaiah 64:8)

Yes, God is Father.

Jeremiah also confirmed that (Jeremiah 31:9).

In the Old Testament He was also called the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9.13).

What about the New Testament?

The many writers of the New Testament recorded that the Father was God. Actually a couple of hundred times.

But let’s start with the words of Jesus.

Concerning the Father being God, 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).

27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” (John 6:27).

Jesus taught that one of the things He came to do was to reveal the Father:

25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” (John 7:25-26)

25 “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. 26 I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.” (John 7:25-26, NLT)

Notice the following:

31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”

33 The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”

34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods” ’? 35 If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” (John 10:31-38)

Jesus clearly taught He was the son of God the Father.

And when asked about how to pray, Jesus said:

9 In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name. (Matthew 6:9)

So, yes, God is to be addressed as Father.

Paul wrote about God being Father on so many occasions, that I will only quote the first one here:

7 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 1:7).

James wrote:

27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world (James 1:27).

Peter wrote:

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3).

The Apostle John wrote:

3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love (2 John 3).

Jude wrote:

1 Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: (Jude 1).

Thus, the first century writers acknowledged the Father as God.

What about early post-New Testament Christian writers?

Second century Christian writers also referred to the Father as God. And that He was the Father of Jesus.

In “the oldest complete Christian sermon that has survived” (Holmes M.W. The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations, 2nd ed. Baker Books, Grand Rapids, 2004, p. 102)–was given perhaps with a year or so of the Apostle John’s death. It states:

So then, brothers, if we do the will of God our Father…(An Ancient Christian Sermon (2 Clement), 14:1. In Holmes M.W. The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations, 2nd ed. Baker Books, Grand Rapids, 2004, p.121).

Polycarp of Smyrna wrote (mid second century):

But may the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ Himself, who is the Son of God, and our everlasting High Priest, build you up in faith and truth, and in all meekness, gentleness, patience, long-suffering, forbearance, and purity; and may He bestow on you a lot and portion among His saints, and on us with you, and on all that are under heaven, who shall believe in our Lord and God Jesus Christ, and in His Father, who “raised Him from the dead (Polycarp. Letter to the Philippians. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 1as edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1885. Section 12 modified by R. Thiel to correct omission in translation).

Melito of Sardis wrote (mid-late second century):

No eye can see Him, nor thought apprehend Him, nor language describe Him; and those who love Him speak of Him thus: `Father, and God of Truth” (Melito. A Discourse Which Was in the Presence of Antoninus Caesar).

This was the apparent historical position of all groups that I am aware of that profess any form of Christianity until relatively recently.

God is our heavenly Father. Notice more of what Jesus taught:

14 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you (Matthew 6:14).

31 Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 “For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you (Matthew 6:31-33).

13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him! (Luke 11:13).

The Bible also teaches:

16 ‘Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you (Deuteronomy 5:16).

If human fathers are to be honored, how much more your heavenly Father?

But not all moderns like this.

The male gender of the Godhead is clear from the Bible. Yet, although the scriptures in the Old and New Testaments use the male gender for the Godhead, some ‘modern’ Protestants wish to move away from this.

United Church of Christ goes ‘Father’-free in ‘updated’ bylaws

USA Today – July 6, 2011…

Rev. Bennett Guess, spokesman for the denomination. Guess explained what happened last night in Tampa where the UCC wrapped up its biannual governance meeting.

We are still a Trinitarian denomination. This was not a theological document. It was a restructuring from five boards to one. And in doing this, we dealt with bylaws written decades ago, before the denomination’s commitment to using inclusive and expansive imagery for God.

We no longer use exclusively male language to refer to God. We haven’t for a long time.

The board-consolidation resolution passed Monday night after several hours of debate on restructuring that has taken six years to accomplish, Guess says. With the change came the edit that replaces “Heavenly Father” with the “Triune God.”

How is that different? Barbara Powell, a spokesperson for the UCC, explains,

It could be Father or Mother or Creator God. Our language reflects the God of all.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/Religion/post/2011/07/god-father-ucc-obama-religion/1

In the 21st century, apparently many religious leaders care more for about opinions of those other than God.

Of course, that was a problem also in Jesus’ day as He said:

5 But all their works they do to be seen by men. (Matthew 23:5a)

3 “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? (Matthew 15:3b)

5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. (Matthew 6:5)

16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.  17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. (John 17:16-17)

9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. (Matthew 15:9)

These new “politically-correct” traditions are in violation of scripture. Of course, the UCC teachings on the Godhead have long been based more on traditions of men than sacred scripture. And its no-Father announcements are even more away from scripture than even before.

Now, UCC is not the only Protestant group to hold such positions, just one of the more recent to further compromise on this point.

Despite the rallying cry of sola Scriptura, Protestants often ignore what the Bible teaches (see also the free online book: Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism).

What about Roman Catholics?

A group of Roman Catholic women and priests came up with a translation called the Inclusive New Testament. It ignores the literal Greek where it feels that there is a “gender-bias.” Notice the following about it:

“Son of Man” becomes Chosen One or Promised One.  …

“Lord” becomes Sovereign or Savior, and Jesus’ frequent references to “the Father” become Abba God.

Those who have winced at the misogyny of expressions like “the whore of Babylon” will see Good News in the rendering of Revelation 17:5, which describes the scarlet beast covered with blasphemous names. “This cryptic name was written on its forehead: Babylon the Great, Source of All Idolatry and of the Abominations of the Earth.” …

The intention of the Priests for Equality was to make The Inclusive New Testament truly inclusive by focusing “on those whom society has marginalized: women, ethnic and racial minorities, lesbians and gay people, and those typecast in terms of their afflictions” (Introduction, p. xx).

https://eewc.com/the-inclusive-bible/ accessed 03/07/24

That is wrong, but many do not care for the truth. While Abba God does mean Father God (abba is the Aramaic word for father), most do not think of the word Abba that way.

Abba is also the name of a famous Swedish band which consisted of two men and two women.

That said, consider also that Jesus said the following:

9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. (Matthew 23:9)

Yet, Roman Catholic priests are called ‘father’ by others of their faith despite what the Bible warns. And some priests do not wish to call God Father.

The Apostle Peter warned that “untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:16), and even some “taught” people (like Roman Catholic priests) have ignored proper teaching in order to twist scriptures and their meaning. Do not be like them.

Sadly, this is not the only area where Roman Catholics have abandoned the original catholic faith (for documented details, check out the free online book: Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession?).

The fact is that the Old and New Testaments teach that the Father is God. That is the plain truth on this matter. It is only by intentionally twisting and mistranslating the word of God to want to say that God is not the Father.

Yet, Jesus said to pray to God as “Our Father,” so it makes no sense that people claiming Christianity should drop the word Father when referring to God.

The first and century Christian writers acknowledged that the Father is God. Jesus call the Father our “heavenly Father.”

Unlike a lot of early Christian beliefs, until recently this one has remained as nearly all associated with any form of Christianity acknowledge the Father as God as well.

But just because scripture states this, some who apparently wish to please other humans do not wish to teach this any longer. And that is sad as well as very wrong.

UPDATE 03/10/24: We just uploaded the following related video:

14:39

Should You Call God Father?

Is it sexist to call God ‘Father’? What does the Old Testament teach? What about the New Testament? What did Jesus teach? Who did Jesus say to pray to? Are we supposed to worship God in truth or according to our preferences and traditions? Did any post New Testament writers, like Melito of Sardis, state that one needed to call God ‘Father’? What did the Protestant United Church of Christ do related to that? Were they right to replace ‘Heavenly Father’ with ‘Abba God’? What about the Roman Catholic ‘Inclusive New Testament’? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel address these matters.

Here is a link to our video: Should You Call God Father?

The Bible clearly calls Jesus the Son of God and God His Father.

Do not be dissuaded by those who do not truly believe the word of God.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.
Binitarian View: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning Is binitarianism the correct position? What about unitarianism or trinitarianism?
Is The Father God? What is the view of the Bible? What was the view of the early church? Here is a link to a related video: Should You Call God Father?
Jesus: The Son of God and Saviour Who was Jesus? Why did He come to earth? What message did He bring? Is there evidence outside the Bible that He existed? Here is a YouTube sermon titled Jesus: Son of God and Saviour.
Did Early Christians Think the Holy Spirit Was A Separate Person in a Trinity? Or did they have a different view? A related sermon is available: Truth about the Holy Spirit: What THEY do not want you to know!
Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity? Most act like this is so, but is it? Here is an old, by somewhat related, article in the Spanish language LA DOCTRINA DE LA TRINIDAD. Two related sermons are available: Trinity: Fundamental to Christianity or Something Else? and The Godhead and the Trinity. A brief video is also available: Three trinitarian scriptures?
Was Unitarianism the Teaching of the Bible or Early Church? Many, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, claim it was, but was it? Here is a link to a related sermon: Unitarianism? How is God One?
Did the Archangel Michael become Jesus? The Jehovah’s Witnesses teach this, and SDA Ellen White did, but does the Bible allow for this? Here is a link to a related video message: Is Jesus the Archangel Michael? Here is a related article in the Spanish language: ¿Se convirtió el Arcángel Miguel en Jesús?
Binitarianism: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning This is a longer article than the Binitarian View article, and has a little more information on binitarianism, and less about unitarianism. A related sermon is also available: Binitarian view of the Godhead.
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.
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.

(Pexels photo)

COGwriter

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

1:18:17

Raising Successful Children

Are there things you as a Christian parent can do to increase the probability of your children being successful? This sermon goes over ten points. It delves into such topics as teaching God’s law, having fun, discipline, social media, gender reassignment interventions, hypocrisy, truth, hopes, marriage, the millennial kingdom of God, artificial intelligence, the world’s claimed experts, and work. Do children of ‘conservative’ parents tend to have better mental health than children of ‘liberal’ parents? Do scientific studies point to adolescents being happier if they spend less than 3 hours per day on social media? Do teens face new dangers because of being online? What are differences that can help your children and grandchildren be more successful? Dr. Thiel addresses these matters.

Here is a link to the sermon: Raising Successful Children.

Some items of related interest may include the following:

Five, Now Ten, Points for Effective Parenting Can you improve your child’s chances for success? Do you know that there are scriptures that can make you a more effective parent? Here is a link to a version in Mandarin Chinese N”ga{€SUg eHv„[PYsQ{€²‰ÄR. There is also a 12 1/2 minute English language YouTube video on this, also titled Five Rules for Effective Parenting. There is also a video in the Spanish language: Crianza de hijos éxitosos.
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. Also watch, Teach Children Self-Discipline, Self-Control.
The Seven Laws of Success by Herbert W. Armstrong and Bob Thiel: What Does the Bible Teach? Herbert W. Armstrong had seven laws that he felt could help people become successful.Do scriptures support them? Here are links to three related sermons: Three Scriptural Laws of Success, Jesus and Guaranteed Success, and Rely on God for Real Success.
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 videos related to this, titled Transgender ‘Woe to those who call evil good’, Cross dressing and Other Assaults Against Your Children, Disney’s abominable promotions!, USA pushing gender confusion, and New Transgender Study.
Dating: A Key to Success in Marriage, a practical dating guide for Christians This is a scripture-filled dating guide. It discusses many aspects of dating, as well as who to not consider for marriage. Two related sermons are available: The Art of Christian Dating. and No One to Date? Teen Q&A? Engagement? 2nd Marriage? A short animation is also available: First Date: Worldly vs. Christian.
Love, Marriage, and Sex It is important to get them in the right order.
God Created Marriage Some falsely claim that God did not create marriage and that fornication is fine.  What does the Bible really teach? Here is a version in Mandarin Chinese y^R ZZYû.
Making Your Marriage Work Marriage is not always 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.
Why sex and marriage? What are each spouse’s responsibilities regarding sex in the marriage? What is not allowed according to God’s word? Why is there sex and why is there marriage? Parental discretion is advised as to whether or not everything in this article is now appropriate for their children. Dr. Thiel goes over scriptures, The Missing Dimension in Sex, and provides answers to questions many have had. A related sermon is available: Sex and Marriage. Here is that sermon in the Spanish language: Matrimonio y sexo.
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, and Let’s Talk About the New Testament, The New Testament Canon From the Beginning, English Versions of the Bible and How Did We Get Them?, What was the Original Language of the New Testament?, Original Order of the Books of the Bible, and Who Gave the World the Bible? Who Had the Chain of Custody?
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about the peoples of Africa, Asia, South America, and the islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?;  Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of 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.
About Baptism Should you be baptized? Could baptism be necessary for salvation? Who should baptize and how should it be done? Here is a link to a related sermon: Let’s Talk About Baptism and Baptism, Infants, Fire, & the Second Death.
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.Two related sermons are also available:  Living as a Christian and Christians are Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God. Here is a video in Spanish: ¿Qué es un verdadero cristiano?
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 …
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?
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.
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.
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.
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, Mystery of Race, and The Mystery of YOU. Here is a link to a video in Spanish: El Misterio del Plan de Dios.
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 Prophets’.
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. It is available in hundreds of languages at ccog.org. Here are links to four kingdom-related sermons:  The Fantastic Gospel of the Kingdom of God!, 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.ASIA We in the Continuing Church of God also have the url www.ccog.asia which has a focus on Asia and has various articles in Mandarin Chinese as well as some in English, plus some items in other Asian languages. 我们在继续神的教会也提供此网址 www.ccog.asia, 关注于亚洲并且有各种各样的中英文文章，其中一些用菲律宾语翻译的文章也正在进行中，准备添加到这个网站中。 Here is a link to our Statement of Beliefs in Mandarin Chinese 继续神的教会的信仰声明.
CCOG.IN This is a website targeted towards those of Indian heritage. It has a link to an edited Hindi translation of The Mystery of the Ages and is expected to have more non-English language materials in the future.
CCOG.EU This is a website targeted toward Europe. It has materials in more than one language (currently it has English, Dutch, and Serbian, with links also to Spanish) and it is intended to have additional language materials added.
CCOG.NZ This is a website targeted towards New Zealand and others with a British-descended background.
CCOGAFRICA.ORG This is a website targeted towards those in Africa.
CCOGCANADA.CA This is a website targeted towards those in Canada.
CDLIDD.ES La Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios. This is the Spanish language website for the Continuing Church of God.
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 God “Contend 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. Here is a link to a booklet titled: Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God.

COGwriter

Sunday at two a.m., the USA and some other nations change their clocks to go off of Standard Time and back to Daylight Saving Time.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Time isn’t on your side this weekend.

One less hour (of sleep) isn’t the end of the world, but you may be a bit sleepier Sunday morning.

Time to abide by the adage to spring forward (though it’s not yet spring). The shift from standard to daylight saving time comes at 2 a.m. local time Sunday across most of the United States. Consider setting clocks an hour ahead before bed Saturday night.

Daylight will begin to last longer into the evening but the sun will take an hour longer to emerge in the morning.

No time change is observed in Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas. 03/09/19 https://www.apnews.com/a8f1b380a486431895b3f95efad43911

At 2 a.m. on the morning of Sunday, March 12, those in the USA and many other nations will need to spring our clocks forward – and losing an hour of the day – for Daylight Saving Time. Sunset will be an hour later.

Because of that, sunset will be over an hour later next Friday.

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

Come Sunday at 2 a.m., Daylight Saving Time clicks into place like, well, clockwork. You know the drill: Spring ahead — as in, shift your timepieces an hour forward before you turn in on Saturday night. Sure, you’ll wake up groggy on Sunday. …

DST was introduced in the U.S. in 1918 when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Standard Time Act into law. It’s been something of a bumpy ride since. DST was repealed a year later, but parts of the U.S. continued to observe it. Which meant headaches for transportation and broadcasting businesses. In 1966, Congress enacted the Uniform Time Act, which ensured that states observing DST began and ended the time adjustment on the same dates. Start and stop dates have changed over time. Since 2007, DST has been bookended by the second Sunday in March and the first Sunday in November. http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/8-illuminating-facts-daylight-saving-time-article-1.2994488

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

There are also health ramifications associated with the change:

5 ways DST can affect your health

1. “A 2014 study published in Open Heart found a 25% jump in the number of heart attacks occurring the Monday after DST starts, compared to other Mondays during the year.” Health.com

2. “In general, ‘losing’ an hour in the spring is more difficult to adjust to than ‘gaining’ an hour in the fall. An ‘earlier’ bedtime may cause difficulty falling asleep and increased wakefulness during the early part of the night.” WebMD

3. “People who already are at risk for stroke may face an increased risk after the switch to daylight saving time — at least temporarily, a new study shows.” Cleveland Clinic

4. The US National Highway Transportation Safety Administration “found a very small, but significant, increase of road deaths on the Monday after the clock shift in the spring. The number of deadly accidents jumped to an average of 83.5 on the “spring forward” Monday compared with an average of 78.2 on a typical Monday.” Vox.com

5. “When your body hasn’t had enough rest, the nervous system is overworked, causing stress. Also, consistent lack of sleep can negatively affect your body’s ability to regulate stress hormones, which leads to high blood pressure.” The Active Times

http://www.newsnet5.com/news/its-not-your-imagination-5-ways-daylight-saving-time-can-affect-your-health

CNN reported the following:

(CNN) Daylight saving time is Sunday, and losing sleep after clocks “spring forward” an hour could be more than just an annoyance. This small time shift can significantly raise the risk of health-related issues.

A recent study found that the overall rate for stroke was 8% higher in the two days after daylight saving time. Cancer victims were 25% more likely to have a stroke during that time, and people older than 65 were 20% more likely to have a stroke.

The researchers, based in Finland, compared the rate of stroke in more than 3,000 people hospitalized the week after a daylight saving time shift to the rate of stroke in more than 11,000 people hospitalized two weeks before or after the week of transition.

“Stroke risk is highest in the morning hours,” Dr. Jori Ruuskanen, study author from the University of Turku, said in an email. “Previous studies have also shown that the disruption of the circadian clock due to other reasons (e.g. due to rotating shift work) and sleep fragmentation are associated with an increased risk of stroke. However, we did not know whether stroke risk is affected by DST transitions. What is common in these situations is the disturbed sleep cycle, while the immediate mechanisms for the increased risk are unknown at the moment.

Daylight saving time is a small change, Ruuskanen said, but it affects whole nations twice a year. 03/11/16 http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/11/health/daylight-saving-time-health-effects/

Irrespective of any possible health risks, the changing of the clocks, etc. can be annoying and affect sleep cycles. Either way, in the USA the clocks change at 2:00 a.m.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

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?
Another Look at the Didache, Ignatius, and the Sabbath Did Ignatius write against the Sabbath and for Sunday? What about the Didache? What does the actual Greek reveal? Are there intentional mistranlations? A related sermon is available: The Didache, Ignatius, and the Lord’s Way.
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.
The Dramatic Story of Chinese Sabbathkeepers This reformatted Good News article from 1955 discusses Sabbath-keeping in China in the 1800s.
Is God Unreasonable? Some have suggested that if God requires Sabbath-keeping He is unreasonable. Is that true?
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 2033, 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。.

(Pixabay photo)

COGwriter

Is Europe militarily concerned that Donald Trump may again become President of the United States?

Yes.

Notice the following from USA Today:

‘Dismay and disbelief’: What US allies are saying about the chance of another Trump presidency

March 6, 2024

Now, with Trump pulling slightly ahead of President Joe Biden in some national polls, U.S. allies are steeling themselves for a possible MAGA restoration with equal measures of dread and pragmatism. … some allies say they are preparing for a revenge presidency that might actively work against European interests − a dictator-loving administration that could turn its back on NATO while descending into chaos and political theater.

“We now know how Trump likes to operate. He likes to surprise us. He has a transactional approach. In this regard, we won’t be surprised,” said a senior official from a major Western European country who spoke on condition of anonymity. “But if Trump wins it will still be a shock.”

“There is a huge level of dismay and disbelief in Europe among our allies. They are saying: ‘Are you really going to do this again? Is Trump really going to be the guy you go for again?’” said Lewis Lukens, a retired U.S. diplomat. …

France’s leader Macron has cautioned that regardless of who wins the White House in November, Europe should brace for the possibility that, long-term, U.S. priorities may lie elsewhere. …

A senior security official in Europe …, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Trump’s recent comments about NATO, as well as his many threats to withdraw from the alliance while he was president, were “very disturbing” and “counterproductive” because they undermined faith in collective security arrangements.

The official said if Trump is re-elected he threatens to upend U.S. and European relations  https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2024/03/06/what-trump-presidency-would-mean-america-allies/72801477007/

Is Europe considering to go nuclear because of concerns about the USA and the possible re-election of Donald Trump?

Yes.

Notice the following from Vox:

Caught between Trump and Putin, are European countries ready to go nuclear?

March 6, 2024

Thanks to a renewed threat from Russia as well as doubts about America’s security umbrella thanks to the potential return of Donald Trump to the White House next year, the topic of nuclear deterrence is back in a big way, and has some European leaders to talking openly about whether their countries should acquire nuclear deterrents of their own — independent from a suddenly less predictable US.

Leaders in Poland, literally on the frontline of the conflict between NATO and Russia, have proposed hosting NATO nuclear weapons on their soil. Manfred Weber, a senior German politician who leads the center-right European People’s Party, the largest grouping in the EU parliament, recently argued for Europe to develop its own nuclear deterrent. He told Politico: “Europe must build deterrence, we must be able to deter and defend ourselves …We all know that when push comes to shove, the nuclear option is the really decisive one.”  …

The debate over “Euronukes” is not new, but recent events have given it greater urgency. “The French have been talking about this since the ’90s,” said Heather Williams, director of the Project on Nuclear Issues at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “What’s different now is a couple of things. The first thing that’s different is that there is a war going on in Europe. The second thing is Donald Trump.” …

{French President} Macron has repeatedly called for Europe to shore up its own defenses and act more strategically independent from the United States, and in 2022, his office affirmed that he was still open to “Europeanizing” France’s nuclear deterrent, suggesting he was open to extending France’s own nuclear umbrella to its European partners. Poland’s new prime minister, Donald Tusk, expressed support for the proposal last month.

Meanwhile, a host of German politicians from across the political spectrum, including Weber, have been tentatively calling for Germany to seek a European nuclear deterrent, separate from the United States, https://www.vox.com/world-politics/24091566/europe-nuclear-weapons-poland-germany-france-putin-trump

Notice also:

As Trump looms, top EU politician calls for European nuclear deterrent

Center-right leader Manfred Weber says EU needs to prepare for war without US help and must build its own atomic shield.

Facing the potential return of Donald Trump to the White House, the head of the EU’s biggest political grouping is calling for Europeans to prepare for war without support from the United States and to build its own nuclear umbrella. …

“We want NATO, but we also have to be strong enough to be able to defend ourselves without it or in times of Trump,” Weber said in a phone interview with POLITICO … “Regardless of who is elected in America, Europe must be able to stand on its own in terms of foreign policy and be able to defend itself independently,” the influential German conservative said. 01/25/24 https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-nuclear-warfare-detterence-manfred-weber-vladimir-putin-ukraine-russia-war/

Might Europe really ever have nuclear weapons independent of USA control?

Yes.

Is this a new position from the Church of God or a longstanding one?

Consider that last century, the late Radio Church of God Pastor General Herbert W. Armstrong taught:

The indication is the armies of the “beast” of Revelation 17, entering Jerusalem…From this time (Daniel 12:11) to Christ’s coming will be 1290 days. … Forty-five days later “the beast’s armies” will surround Jerusalem. Thirty days later the Great Tribulation will probably start with a nuclear attack on London and Britain–and possibly the same day or immediately after, on the United States and Canadian cities. (Armstrong HW. The Time We Are In, Now. Pastor General’s Report-Vol 1, No. 15, November 20, 1979, Page 2)

Do any other verses in the Bible support the idea of something like a nuclear war?

Yes.

Consider the following:

23 ‘The whole land is brimstone, salt, and burning; it is not sown, nor does it bear, nor does any grass grow there, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the Lord overthrew in His anger and His wrath.’ 24 All nations would say, ‘Why has the Lord done so to this land? What does the heat of this great anger mean?’ 25 Then people would say: ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt; 26 for they went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods that they did not know and that He had not given to them. 27 Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against this land, to bring on it every curse that is written in this book. 28 And the Lord uprooted them from their land in anger, in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.’ 29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. (Deuteronomy 29:23-29).

The whole land being “brimstone, salt, and burning” is consistent with a nuclear type of attack.

Consider also the following from the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel:

19 Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts
The land is burned up,
And the people shall be as fuel for the fire; No man shall spare his brother.
20 And he shall snatch on the right hand
And be hungry;
He shall devour on the left hand
And not be satisfied; Every man shall eat the flesh of his own arm. 21 Manasseh shall devour Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh; Together they shall be against Judah (Isaiah 9:19-21).

6 In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste (Ezekiel 6:6).

Nuclear and certain other modern attacks tend to burn land up and make waste cities.

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

Devastation that is consistent with at least a nuclear war and probably something worse is coming according to Jesus.

Do you believe that?

So now, we are at a time when Europe is seriously in the process of spending more on its military while also looking to develop its own nuclear arsenal.

In my 2017 book, Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse, I warned of  “unintended consequences” in “Europe, and elsewhere that have and will occur because of Donald Trump’s statements and actions.” The increase of European military spending and its serious consideration of acquiring nuclear weapons because Donald Trump may become president again, is consistent with those warnings.

Some may think that since the USA is the strongest military in the world that it cannot be defeated by Europe.

However, the Bible shows that in the end time, the strongest military power will be defeated:

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

The “he” above is the European King of the North Beast power.

Could USA friends and allies really attack and win?

Yes.

Notice also that allies/friends are prophesied to do that:

1 How lonely sits the city
That was full of people!
How like a widow is she,
Who was great among the nations!
The princess among the provinces
Has become a slave!

2 She weeps bitterly in the night,
Her tears are on her cheeks;
Among all her lovers
She has none to comfort her.
All her friends have dealt treacherously with her;
They have become her enemies. (Lamentations 1:1-2)

The USA has been great among the nations, but it will be destroyed by some of its allies.

Yes, it is prophesied to be destroyed, whether or not Donald Trump wins.

Even the prospect of a Donald Trump win is getting the Europeans concerned enough to publicly discuss having their own nuclear weapons.

UPDATE 03/11/24: We just uploaded the following related video:

14:32

 

Donald Trump, Europe, and Nuclear Weapons?

Are European leaders quite concerned about a possibly second Donald Trump presidency? Have any European leaders publicly proposed developing ‘Euronukes’ because of Donald Trump? Do European leaders believe that Europe should have nuclear weapons independent from the United States of America? Does the Bible prophesy anything like nuclear destruction coming to the USA and its British-descended allies? Do biblical prophecies really point to the USA being destroyed by its European friends in places like Daniel 11:39 and Lamentations 1:1-2? Do Europeans think they need to have nukes whether or not Donald Trump gets into office again? Did the late Herbert W. Armstrong state back in 1989 that the Great Tribulation could actually begin with a nuclear attack by the coming European King of the North Beast power against cities in the USA, UK, and Canada? Are the Europeans now increasing their military spending and considering adding their own nukes? Is there hope from the coming Kingdom of God and the return of Jesus? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel address these matters.

Here is a link to our video: Donald Trump, Europe, and Nuclear Weapons?

Devastation is coming.

However, the good news of the Kingdom of God is that Jesus will return and put a stop to the type of nuclear and/or other devastation that will happen during the Great Tribulation:

29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:29-30)

6…And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:6-7)

1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4)

Real peace is coming (check out the free online booklet: The Gospel of the Kingdom of God).

But the Great Tribulation, which will include something at least as bad as nuclear destruction, will come first.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

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 three related videos: The King of the North is Alive: What to Look Out For, The Future King of the North, and Rise of the Prophesied King of the North.
Might the U.S.A. Be Gone by yhe end of 2028? Could the USA be gone by the end of 2028 or earlier? There is a tradition attributed to the Hebrew prophet Elijah that humanity had 6,000 years to live before being replaced by God’s Kingdom. There are scriptures, writings in the Talmud, early Christian teachings that support this. Also, even certain Hindu writings support it. Here is a link to a related video: Is the USA prophesied to be destroyed by 2028? In Spanish: Seran los Estados Unidos Destruidos en el 2028?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2024, 2025, or 2026? 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? A related video is: Great Tribulation: 2026 or 2027? A shorter video is: Tribulation in 2024? Here is a video in the Spanish language: Es El 2021 el año  de La Gran Tribulación o el Grande Reseteo Financiero.
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.
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. It is available in over 1,000 languages at ccog.org. Here are links to four kingdom-related sermons:  The Fantastic Gospel of the Kingdom of God!, The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.

COGwriter

Caught bits and pieces of Joe Biden’s State of the Union address last night, went to a fact checking website about it, and went over a transcript of it today.

The following is from FactCheck.org:

FactChecking Biden’s State of the Union

March 8, 2024

• Biden boasted that under his leadership “wages keep going up.” But over the entirety of Biden’s presidency, wages are down when adjusted for inflation.
• Biden claimed that the more recent U.S. inflation rate of about 3% is the “lowest in the world!” But several nations reported lower rates than the U.S. in December.
• He again claimed to have “cut the federal deficit by over one trillion dollars” …
• Biden said he had created a “record” 15 million new jobs. His 14.8 million new jobs is a record for any president in the first three years, but it’s not the highest job growth rate that any president has achieved in that period of time.
• He suggested that “many” of the new jobs in U.S. semiconductor factories will be “paying $100,000 a year and don’t require a college degree.” But an industry trade group previously reported that only workers with bachelor’s or graduate degrees make that much.
• Biden said that, “My policies have attracted $650 billion in private sector investment in clean energy [and] advanced manufacturing.” Those are announcements about intentions to invest, not actual investments.
• Biden highlighted recent decreases in murder and violent crime rates, but neglected to mention that they are still coming down from their pandemic peak. …
• The president said billionaires pay an average federal tax rate of only 8.2%, but that’s a White House calculation that includes earnings on unsold stock as income.
• Biden said that because of the Affordable Care Act, over 100 million people can no longer be denied health insurance due to preexisting conditions. But pre-ACA, employer plans covered many of those people and couldn’t deny policies.
• Biden said he was “cutting our carbon emissions in half by 2030.” That’s the U.S. goal, relative to 2005 emissions, but studies suggest current policies will not reduce emissions by that much. https://www.factcheck.org/2024/03/factchecking-bidens-state-of-the-union/

Yes, Joe Biden’s speech was full of lies.

As far as US debt goes, according to the US Treasury, the day before Joe Biden took office, the official debt of the USA on 01/19/2021 was $27,752,835,868,445.35 (https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/datasets/debt-to-the-penny/debt-to-the-penny).

According to the US Treasury, the debt of the USA as of 03/07/2024 was $34,440,831,955,756.54 (https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/datasets/debt-to-the-penny/debt-to-the-penny).

An increase in debt of over $6 trillion.

Here are some excerpts of a transcript from CBS of some other statements that were in Joe Biden’s State of the Union address:

I believe Roe v. Wade got it right. And I thank Vice President Harris for being an incredible leader, defending reproductive freedom and so much more.  … abortion …

If Americans send me a Congress that supports the right to choose, I promise you, I will restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land again! …

I want to protect other fundamental rights!

Pass the Equality Act, and my message to transgender Americans: I have your back! https://www.cbsnews.com/news/state-of-the-union-transcript-2024/ 03/08/24

By “reproductive rights,” Joe Biden means abortion. Joe Biden wants more access to abortion, supports mutilation of teens, and is pushing against religion and biblical morality with that improperly titled ‘Equality Act.’