Church of God News

Amsterdam Square where attacks began
(Photo Dragan Jankovic Faza by via WIkipedia)

COGwriter

Although Jesus said:

43 You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew 5:43-45)

Most take a different view.

There is a lot of anti-Semitism around the world, and this includes the Dutch capitol of Amsterdam which has long prided itself on its “tolerance.”

Here are two reports about attacks against Jews that happened there:

Israeli soccer fans were attacked in Amsterdam

November 8, 2024

Leading political figures in the Netherlands have condemned a night of violence in Amsterdam, after Israeli soccer fans visiting the city were attacked in the streets.

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said on social media he had followed updates over the “antisemitic attacks” on Israeli supporters of the Tel Aviv Maccabi soccer team “with horror,” and said the violence had been “completely unacceptable,” while Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Saar, said on social media he plans to travel to the Netherlands urgently for an “unplanned visit.”

Saar called the attack “a blaring alarm call for Europe and the world,” that allowed “unbridled hatred to roam the streets with impunity.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initially described it as a “very violent incident.”

Amsterdam police said 62 people have been arrested following several clashes between the Israeli fans and Amsterdam residents in the city center late into the evening.

In a news conference Friday, Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema condemned what she called “hit-and-run” attacks on the visiting fans, who had traveled to watch their team take on the Dutch giants Ajax in an annual soccer tournament that involves teams from across Europe.

She said local men on scooters had sought out Israeli fans for several hours, in what she described as a threat to Jewish life and culture in Amsterdam. https://www.npr.org/2024/11/08/nx-s1-5183812/israeli-soccer-fans-attacked-in-amsterdam

Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam ambushed by gangs of anti-Israel attackers shouting ‘Free Palestine,’ Netanyahu sends planes to evacuate citizens

November 8, 2024

Hundreds of Israeli soccer fans were hunted down and viciously assaulted by gangs of anti-Israel thugs shouting “Free Palestine” in Amsterdam overnight – prompting the Jewish state to send rescue planes to help evacuate its terrified citizens, officials said Friday. …

Scores of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were set upon by rioters as they were leaving the stadium following a Europa League game against a Dutch team, AFC Ajax, late Thursday in what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decried as a “planned antisemitic attack.”

At least 10 Israelis were left injured, including five who had to be hospitalized, the Times of Israel reported, citing officials.  …

Netanyahu directed two rescue planes to be flown to Amsterdam to assist Israeli citizens, his office said early Friday.

The Israeli National Security Council also urged Israelis to hunker down in their hotel rooms and avoid going out on the street or wearing any visible Jewish or Israeli symbols in the wake of the attack. …

“Once again, we are forced to witness that the world has failed to learn from the dark lessons of history as Jewish blood is once again shed with impunity,” Yaakov Hagoel, Chairman of the World Zionist Organization, said in a statement.  …

Ahead of the game, video showed large crowds of Israeli supporters chanting pro-IDF messages and police pushing several anti-Israel protesters away from a Maccabi fan gathering in a square earlier in the day.

Antisemitism has skyrocketed since Hamas terrorists carried out a deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, leading to a wider and ongoing conflict in Gaza. https://nypost.com/2024/11/08/world-news/israeli-soccer-fans-ambushed-in-amsterdam-after-europa-league-game-in-netherlands/

There is a lot of anti-Semitism around the world, and what just happened was horrible.

Note that the persecutors were hunting down Jews.

As far as the starting location shown above, my wife, son David, and I have walked by that square many times. The area seemed safe, but in this age, even “safe” appearing places can be dangerous as many Jews found out last night.

The Bible teaches

8 You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:18)

But there are people who hold hateful grudges.

Yes, many want Jews gone and some of them also want Christians gone.

There was a poem many years ago by Martin Niemöller:

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

So, yes, some came for the Jews in Amsterdam.

It is not just Jews that are hated or will be in the future. Throughout history, true Christians have sometimes been called “Jews” and have been subject to persecution supposedly directed towards Jews. True Christians also had to suffer through the so-called Inquisition (see The Spanish Inquisition), which utilized torture against those that had Church of God beliefs–and more is expected in the future (see Persecutions by Church and State).

Protestant leaders, including Martin Luther, have also promoted antisemitism and Church of God persecution (see The Similarities and Dissimilarities between Martin Luther and Herbert W. Armstrong) as have various ones who were Eastern Orthodox (see John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople and Antisemite).

Real Christians have always been on the side of being persecuted and have never been on the side of the persecutors. And this will be true again in the future.

People should not be antisemitic. People should not hate others.

It is not just certain Muslims who hate Jews–many who claim Christ still hold anti-Semitic views, and some take direct anti-Semitic actions.

Sadly, we will see persecution greatly increase before Jesus returns (cf. Daniel 7:25; 11:30-35; see also Persecutions by Church and State)–this will affect Philadelphian Christians.

All the faithful will be subject to persecution and being betrayed by professing believers (Matthew 24:9-13, Mark 13:12-13; Luke 21:16-18; Daniel 11:32-35).

Even though it looks like last night’s attackers were mainly Islamic, the underlying antisemitism in Europe and throughout the world will allow for future persecution, especially when the time comes when the Beast’s government mandates it (Revelation 13:15-17).

This will happen in Europe according to Revelation 13.

In the past, Christians were persecuted because they:

• Claimed Christianity
• Kept Passover on the 14th
• Refused to eat unclean meat
• Would work on Sunday
• Had false accusations railed against them
• Were binitarian
• Kept the Sabbath on Saturday
• Kept the Fall Holy Days
• Were not trinitarian
• Taught that the pope was an Antichrist and precursor of the final Antichrist
• Having and teaching from the Bible
• Rejected papal authority
• Did not accept idols
• Had different teachings than the Church of Rome
• Had writings Rome did not like
• Rejected Roman sacraments
• Objected to the dress of the Roman ministry
• Considered Rome to be the prophesied Babylon
• Taught that in the time of the final Antichrist that some would fall away
• Had practices that Rome considered Jewish
• Refused to baptize infants
• Did not participate in carnal warfare
• Teaching the millennium
• Taught the Kingdom of God
• Baptized adults

In the future, according to Catholic teachings, they will also be persecuted for:

• Not accepting non-biblical teachings about Mary
• Not accepting the Great Monarch (Beast, King of the North)
• Teaching that the Kingdom of God will come soon
• Not wearing crosses as a mark (cf. Revelation 13:16-17; see also Mark of the Beast)
• Keeping the biblical Sabbath in accordance with the commandments
• Possessing/advocating writings that disagree with the Church of Rome
• Teaching after the Great Tribulation begins that Jesus will return within a few years

Christians have been persecuted for holding doctrines that we in the Continuing Church of God hold and are clearly expected to be persecuted in the future for holding Continuing Church of God doctrines.

Persecution is a fact of history. It has happened before and we should be prepared for the fact that it will happen again.

Jesus said that His followers would sometimes have to flee:

23 When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes (Matthew 10:23).

Severe persecution is expected to occur against the Sabbath-keeping Philadelphian Christians just prior to the time the true Church is to flee (please see the article There is a Place of Protection for the Philadelphians):

9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. 15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. (Matthew 24:9-20)

And then will come the Great Tribulation:

For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand (Matthew 24:21-25).

It may well be that Philadelphian Christians in Europe, Latin America, and elsewhere may decide that they need to flee to the tiny nation of Israel prior to the start of the Great Tribulation. And that may be why Jesus made comments about fleeing Judea (watch also What is the Fate of Christians in Europe and Elsewhere?).

Jesus indicates that the end time persecution may be the biggest test of faith for believers. Notice:

7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:7-8)

The Bible and the facts of history have revealed persecutions for the people of God. While false Christians have also been persecuted, true Christians have never been the persecutors as true Christians “do not imitate what is evil” (3 John 11). Those who really want to know what happened to the true Church of God should begin with the The History of Early Christianity page.

The Bible shows that end time persecution will come (Daniel 7:25; Revelation 12:13,17).

The underlying anti-Semitism in Europe and throughout the world will allow for this, especially when the time comes when the Beast’s government mandates it (Revelation 13:15-17).

Old New World Order seal (Ipankonin)

COGwriter

Notice the following relating to a view about Donald Trump and certain international matters:

Trump’s New World Order: His ‘plans to end Ukraine war with 800-mile buffer zone’ and what his victory means for the rest of the world

Updated 8 November 2024

Donald Trump‘s dominant victory in this week’s US presidential election has left politicians, captains of industry and military chiefs the world over scrambling to calibrate their approaches ahead of his return to office. …

Russia’s war with Ukraine is rumbling on toward its third year, the Middle East has been plunged into chaos amid Israel’s conflict with Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran, and America’s great power rivalry with China is at its most tense.

Trump’s approach to these highly charged and complex problems remains to be seen, though a recent report claimed his transition office is considering a proposal that would seek to freeze the conflict in Ukraine with an ‘800-mile demilitarised zone’.

That is unlikely to be welcomed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his European partners …

With that in mind, it is difficult to see how such a plan could be pushed through other than by strong-arming Kyiv with threats of withholding sorely needed US military aid.

This would dramatically undermine Washington’s relations with all of Europe and call into question the legitimacy of NATO.

Some analysts and politicians have cautioned it could even embolden the likes of China to capitalise on the West’s perceived disunity and seek to expand its influence in the Pacific. …

Trump’s previous administration slapped tariffs on EU steel and aluminium in 2018, prompting Europeans to retaliate with duties on US-made motorcycles, bourbon, peanut butter and jeans, among other items.

This time round, Trump has floated the idea of imposing a blanket 10% tariff on all goods imported into the US, with the possibility of higher rates on high-value items.

Goldman Sachs economists estimate that if Trump went ahead with his tariffs, their direct effect plus the trade uncertainty they would generate could cost the eurozone countries at least one percentage point of GDP growth.

Finland‘s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said he was concerned about the prospect of a trade war as economists warned of a scenario in which both sides ramped up fees and more restrictive import measures. …

China’s growing aggression toward US-allied regional neighbours, particularly Taiwan, is also a significant factor.

The self-governed island also elected a new leader earlier this year, Lai Ching-te, who has angered Beijing on several occasions with his staunchly pro-sovereign rhetoric.

Trump has unnerved the democratically governed island, having declared that Taiwan should pay the US for its defence while complaining its advanced semiconductor industry had taken business away from America.

Taiwan may therefore feel the need to demonstrate it takes Donald Trump’s ‘protection’ money demand seriously. …

Most analysts agree that Washington’s support for Israel is likely to increase as Trump is expected to take a tougher stance toward regional foe Iran.

But analysts are split over what such support might look like and whether Trump will give Israel free rein to continue its military offensives in Gaza and Lebanon …

Trump will be intent on safeguarding US interests in Africa and likely cannot afford to implement any dramatic cuts in aid or investment as a result. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14053195/Trump-new-world-order-election-plan-Ukraine-Israel-Russia-China-Middle-East.html

Now, notice a tweet from Elon Musk related to Donald Trump’s election:

Novus Ordo Seclorum pic.twitter.com/RKTU7pATXl

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 7, 2024

Novus Ordo Seclorum means New World Order.

The following is view is from Leo Hohmann who has concerns about mainly the domestic ramifications of the re-election of Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s New World Order:

Elon Musk declares ‘New World Order’; Patrick Wood describes ‘TechnoPopulism’ and the appeal of Trump: ‘Like a moth into the flame’

Warning signs and words of caution for thinking conservatives as we head into Trump 2.0

November 7, 2024

Many Americans, myself included, feel a strong sense of relief not to have another four years of Marxocrat rule from the likes of Kamala Harris. Content creators like myself were seriously worried we might get a “knock at the door” from federal storm troopers had Harris been elected. She seemed to hate us that much.

But we cannot sit back and tune out now that Trump has won, thinking he will fix all of the many problems America is faced with.

Closing the open border and “drill baby drill” will not fix America, folks. And, sadly, that’s all many of the most dedicated Trumpsters seem to care about.

In some ways, the deception is stronger under a Republican regime. At least we know what to expect from the Democrats, who show outright contempt for Christianity. They hate us and hate our values.

Leo Hohmann is correct with the hinting that the view toward writers on the internet, that do not agree with the government on various matters, was at risk and that many in the US federal government hate those who hold to what has been called Christian values. Now, back to his article:

Trump presents us with problems that, while different from the Biden-Harris Marxist wing of the Uniparty, are every bit as worrisome and much more deceptive. Trump is not as sound on the Second Amendment as most Americans think. He is on the record in support of the insidious “red flag laws” that allow the government to seize your weapons without due process, and he was the president who banned bump stocks. Nor will he be as solidly pro-life as he was even in his first term.

But the biggest concern is Trump’s connection to wealthy technocrats and transhumanists like Peter Thiel and Elon Musk.

Musk is in bed with China and claims to be for free speech. But at what cost? In a post to X on Wednesday, Musk showed a picture of himself with Donald Trump and declared the dawning of a “Novus Ordo Seclorum”— or a new order of the ages. That’s not exactly music to the ears of a Christian conservative who is familiar with the history of that Latin phrase and its connection to Free Masonry.

Trump tends to lean too heavily on his advisers and he often picks deep-state actors. … Trump actually sat down with evil Bill Gates early on in his first term and let Gates convince him to embrace vaccines. On what planet does a Republican “America-first” president take any advice from arguably the world’s most dangerous globalist predator, Bill Gates? https://leohohmann.substack.com/p/elon-musk-declares-new-world-order

The idea of a new world order is not new. It is something that is publicly being promoted by the UN, World Economic Forum, numerous politicians, people like Bill Gates, various groups–including the Freemasons and the Vatican.

The Vatican, Eastern Orthodox, the World Council of Churches, and various interfaith organizations are working towards a non-biblical, new world order.

Related to the Freemasons, who also support the interfaith movement, the Continuing Church of God put out the following sermon on its ContinuingCOG channel:

1:16:04

Freemasonry, Armageddon, and Rome

What is Freemasonry? How long has it been around? Does Freemasonry point to cataclysms, such as Armageddon in 2022? Were many US founders and presidents Freemasons? Is there a difference between the USA/UK Freemasons and those in continental Europe? Can a biblical Christian be a Freemason? Are Roman Catholics allowed to be Freemasons? Do the Freemasons have a plan that includes an ecumenical Pope? Are Rotarians Freemasons? What about the Illuminati? Are many conspiracies about the Freemasons false? Could Freemasonry play a role in the rise of Europe and the destruction of the Church of Seven Hills?

Here is a link to the sermon: Freemasonry, Armageddon, and Rome.

Now, in Leo Hohmann’s article, he also had this from Patrick Wood:

Indeed, I have warned for several years that the rise of Technopopulism, the synthesis of Technocracy and Populism, was inevitable. …

Another Harris/Biden/Obama administration undoubtedly would have ground America into a powder in short order. With a Trump administration bonded with prominent Technocrats, it will take longer – UNLESS we mitigate the Technocrat influence and ensure they don’t get into policy-making positions in government.

My work on Technocracy is mature and well-positioned to help America refute Technopopulism. Globalism and Technocracy are not a fait accompli, but they are dangerous enemies that must be taken seriously. …

The only valid observation here is that Technocrats are always in demand by political leaders, who have no reservation about using them to further political objectives. Political administrations come and go, but the underlying Technocrats continue on uninterrupted.

In today’s world, the curious attraction between Populists and Technocrats is akin to a moth being attracted to the flame: Populists cannot prevent being ultimately dominated and burned by Technocrats.

Well, while some aspects appear attractive, there are reasons to be concerned about both technology and globalism. And yes, ultimately the world will be burned by the combination of humanist totalitarian leaders using technology (cf. Matthew 24:21-22; Revelation 11:18).

While both technology and globalism are not yet, as Patrick Wood put it, a fait accompli, in the United States, that is the direction that the world is moving towards.

The Bible points to global tyranny coming from Europe and it will involve technology:

15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.  (Revelation 13:15-18)

Donald Trump will NOT stop that from happening, though he may delay certain related aspects of it from coming to the USA soon. As, for one example, he said he opposes the US adopting a digital Central Bank Digital Currency (see https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2024/02/02/trump-calls-central-bank-digital-currency-very-dangerous-after-vowing-to-prohibit-feds-digital-dollar/). But that will NOT stop the Europeans from doing that, and I believe that Europe will have a digital currency in order to fulfill the prophecies in Revelation 13:16-17.

Anyway, just because Donald Trump is not as strident in supporting abortion and LGBTQ+ issues as Kamala Harris is, that does not mean that he will usher in utopia or some version of the Kingdom of God.

But do not be depressed either. Remember the words of Jesus:

25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

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. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:25-34)

Have the right biblical priorities, seek first the kingdom of God, and strive to have a blessed Sabbath.

Statue at Fatima Chapel and Image of What the Children in Fatima Said They Saw

COGwriter

November 8th is the day that the Roman Catholic Church claims is for ‘Holy Relics.’ Its followers partially cite the Council of Trent from the 16th century as proof this is acceptable:

Feast of the Holy Relics

Protestantism pretends to regard the veneration which the Church pays to the relics of the Saints as a sin, and contends that this pious practice is a remnant of paganism.

The Council of Trent, on the contrary, has decided that the bodies of the martyrs and other saints who were living members of Jesus Christ and temples of the Holy Ghost, are to be honored by the faithful. This decision was based upon the established usage of the earliest days of the Church, and upon the teaching of the Fathers and of the Councils. http://saints.sqpn.com/pictorial-lives-of-the-saints-the-feast-of-the-holy-relics/ viewed 11/06/13

Holy relics?

There are a few points to consider.

The first is that the Bible is opposed to the idea of ‘holy relics.’ Here is one admonition from the Apostle John:

21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols (1 John 5:21).

The second is that those that the Church of Rome consider to have been early ‘Fathers’ and saints were opposed to them as well.

After John died, his disciple Polycarp of Smyrna became perhaps the most well-known Christian leader in the second century.

Even though the Roman Catholics and Orthodox leaders consider that Polycarp was an important saint, note what Polycarp wrote in the mid-second century:

I exhort you, therefore, that ye abstain from covetousness, and that ye be chaste and truthful. “Abstain from every form of evil.” For if a man cannot govern himself in such matters, how shall he enjoin them on others ? If a man does not keep himself from covetousness, he shall be defiled by idolatry, and shall be judged as one of the heathen. But who of us are ignorant of the judgment of the Lord? (Polycarp. Letter to the Philippians, Chapter XI. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 1as edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1885).

Thus, Polycarp says that those who practice idolatry, even if they profess Christ, will be judged as a heathen!

In the early, mid-second century there was an apologist named Marcianus Aristides who wrote the following to the emperor:

But it is a marvel, O King, with regard to the Greeks, who surpass all other peoples in their manner of life and reasoning, how they have gone astray after dead idols and lifeless images. And yet they see their gods in the hands of their artificers being sawn out, and planed and docked, and hacked short, and charred, and ornamented, and being altered by them in every kind of way. And when they grow old, and are worn away through lapse of time, and when they are molten and crushed to powder, how, I wonder, did they not perceive concerning them, that they are not gods? And as for those who did not find deliverance for themselves, how can they serve the distress of men?

But even the writers and philosophers among them have wrongly alleged that the gods are such as are made in honour of God Almighty. And they err in seeking to liken (them) to God whom man has not at any time seen nor can see unto what He is like. Herein, too (they err) in asserting of deity that any such thing as deficiency can be present to it; as when they say that He receives sacrifice and requires burnt-offering and libation and immolations of men, and temples. But God is not in need, and none of these things is necessary to Him; and it is clear that men err in these things they imagine (Marcianus Aristides. TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK AND FROM THE SYRIAC VERSION BY D. M. KAY. Apology of Aristides the Philosopher, Chapter XIII. Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 9. Edited by Allan Menzies, D.D. American Edition, 1896 and 1897. Online Edition Copyright © 2005 by K. Knight).

It should be noted that Marcianus Aristides argued against the concept that it was acceptable to believe that the idols only represented God–he clearly taught that God was not to be worshiped with idols.

Melito also wrote against idols. Melito was a bishop of Sardis and is considered to be a saint by both the Catholics of Rome and the Eastern Orthodox.

Here is what Melito wrote around 170 A.D.:

We are not those who pay homage to stones, that are without sensation; but of the only God, who is before all and over all, and, moreover, we are worshippers of His Christ, who is veritably God the Word existing before all time (Melito. Translation by Roberts and Donaldson. From the apology addressed to Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. Online version copyright © 2001 Peter Kirby. http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/melito.html 11/18/06).

For there are some men who are unable to rise from their mother earth, and therefore also do they make them gods. from the earth their mother; and they are condemned by the judgments of truth, forasmuch as they apply the name of Him who is unchangeable to those objects which are subject to change, and shrink not from calling those things gods which have been made by the hands of man, and dare to make an image of God whom they have not seen…

Who is this God? He who is Himself truth, and His word truth. And what is truth? That which is not fashioned, nor made, nor represented by art: that is, which has never been brought into existence, and is on that account called truth. If, therefore, a man worship that which is made with hands, it is not the truth that he worships, nor yet the word of truth…”

There are, however, persons who say: It is for the honour of God that we make the image: in order, that is, that we may worship the God who is concealed from our view. But they are unaware that God is in every country, and in every place, and is never absent, and that there is not anything done and He knoweth it not. Yet thou, despicable man! within whom He is, and without whom He is, and above whom He is, hast nevertheless gone and bought thee wood from the carpenter’s, and it is carved and made into an image insulting to God. To this thou offerest sacrifice, and knowest not that the all-seeing eye seeth thee, and that the word of truth reproves thee, and says to thee: How can the unseen God be sculptured? Nay, it is the likeness of thyself that thou makest and worshippest. Because the wood has been sculptured, hast thou not the insight to perceive that it is still wood, or that the stone is still stone? The gold also the workman: taketh according to its weight in the balance. And when thou hast had it made into an image, why dose thou weigh it? Therefore thou art a lover of gold, and not a lover of God…

Again, there are persons who say: Whatsoever our fathers have bequeathed to us, that we reverence. Therefore, of course, it is, that those whose fathers have bequeathed them poverty strive to become rich! and those whose fathers did not instruct them, desire to be instructed, and to learn that which their fathers knew not! And why, forsooth, do the children of the blind see, and the children of the lame walk? Nay, it is not well for a man to follow his predecessors, if they be those whose course was evil; but rather that we should turn from that path of theirs, lest that which befell our predecessors should bring disaster upon us also. Wherefore, inquire whether thy father’s course was good: and, if so, do thou also follow in his steps; but, if thy father’s course was very evil, let thine be good, and so let it be with thy children after thee. Be grieved also for thy father because his course is evil, so long as thy grief may avail to help him. But, as for thy children, speak to them thus: There is a God, the Father of all, who never came into being, neither was ever made, and by whose will all things subsist…

And then shall those who have not known God, and those who have made them idols, bemoan themselves, when they shall see those idols of theirs being burnt up, together with themselves, and nothing shall be found to help them (Melito. Translation by Roberts and Donaldson. A DISCOURSE WHICH WAS IN THE PRESENCE OF ANTONINUS CAESAR, AND HE EXHORTED THE SAID CAESAR TO ACQUAINT HIMSELF WITH GOD, AND SHOWED TO HIM THE WAY OF TRUTH. Online version copyright © 2001 Peter Kirby. http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/melito.html 11/18/06).

Notice that Melito taught against the use of images/idols/icons AND then taught NOT to accept them even if it was handed down by fathers (in other words, do not rely on traditions that say that idols are correct). Since Melito is considered to be both a saint and a ‘father’ of the Church, by those Roman Catholics and Orthodox, then they should heed what he said as it is consistent with scripture.

About the same time that Melito was around, Theophilus also was a church writer. Theophilus of Antioch is not only considered to have been a saint by the Catholics and Orthodox, he also is in the Orthodox list of successors from the apostles. Here is a little bit of what he wrote about idols:

The divine law, then, not only forbids the worshipping of idols, but also of the heavenly bodies, the sun, the moon, or the other stars; yea, not heaven, nor earth, nor the sea, nor fountains, nor rivers, must be worshipped (Theophilus of Antioch. To Autolycus, Book 2, Chapter XXXV. Translated by Marcus Dods, A.M. Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume II. Edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1885. Online Edition Copyright © 2004 by K. Knight).

And concerning piety He says, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I am the LORD thy God” …Of this divine law, then, Moses, who also was God’s servant (Theophilus of Antioch. To Autolycus, Book III, Chapter IX. Translated by Marcus Dods, A.M. Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 2. Edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1885. Online Edition Copyright © 2004 by K. Knight).

Other second century writers, though they were not in the true Church of God, such as Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Athenagoras, and Tertullian also wrote against idols.

Notice that Irenaeus actually wrote that when God was going to call Gentiles (basically quoting Isaiah 17:7-8), that they would no longer have or worship idols:

And that these promises the calling from among the Gentiles should inherit, to whom also the new testament was opened up, Isaiah says thus:

These things saith the God of Israel: In that day a man shall trust in his Maker, and his eyes shall look to the Holy One of Israel: and they shall not trust in altars, nor in the work of their own hands, which their fingers have made. For very plainly this was said of such as have forsaken idols and believed in God our Maker through the Holy One of Israel. And the Holy One of Israel is Christ: and He became visible to men, and to Him we look eagerly and behold Him; and we trust not in altars, nor in the works of our hands.

(Irenaeus, St., Bishop of Lyon. Translated from the Armenian by Armitage Robinson. The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching, Chapter 91. Wells, Somerset, Oct. 1879. As published in SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE. NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN CO, 1920).

The Catholic Encyclopedia calls Athenagoras a “Christian apologist of the second half of the second century”. Here is some of what he wrote:

Because the multitude, who cannot distinguish between matter and God, or see how great is the interval which lies between them, pray to idols made of matter, are we therefore, who do distinguish and separate the uncreated and the created, that which is and that which is not, that which is apprehended by the understanding and that which is perceived by the senses, and who give the fitting name to each of them—are we to come and worship images? If, indeed, matter and God are the same, two names for one thing, then certainly, in not regarding stocks and stones, gold and silver, as gods, we are guilty of impiety. But if they are at the greatest possible remove from one another— as far asunder as theartist and the materials of his art— why are we called to account? (Athenagoras the Athenian. A Plea for the Christians, Chapter 15. Translated by B.P. Pratten. From Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 2. Edited by Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1885.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <http://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0205.htm>).

Notice some of what Tertullian wrote:

The principal crime of the human race, the highest guilt charged upon the world, the whole procuring cause of judgment, is idolatry…

God prohibits an idol as much to be made as to be worshipped. In so far as the making what may be worshipped is the prior act, so far is the prohibition to make (if the worship is unlawful) the prior prohibition. For this cause–the eradicating, namely, of the material of idolatry–the divine law proclaims, “Thou shall make no idol;”…All things, therefore, does human error worship, except the Founder of all Himself. The images of those things are idols; the consecration of the images is idolatry.

(Tertullian. On Idolatry, Chapters 1,4. Translated by S. Thelwall. Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 3. Edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. American Edition, 1885. Online Edition Copyright © 2004 by K. Knight).

Furthermore, there is no evidence that any who professed Christ had idols/icons, such as what are seen in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches, or even endorsed them in the second century. Thus, the early church was always against the use of idols and icons. Actually, the Roman Catholics clearly realize this as well as The Catholic Encyclopedia notes:

Long before the outbreak in the eighth century there were isolated cases of persons who feared the ever-growing cult of images and saw in it danger of a return to the old idolatry. We need hardly quote in this connection the invectives of the Apostolic Fathers against idols (Athenagoras “Legatio Pro Christ.”, xv-xvii; Theophilus, “Ad Autolycum” II; Minucius Felix, “Octavius”, xxvii; Arnobius, “Disp. adv. Gentes”; Tertullian, “De Idololatria”, I; Cyprian, “De idolorum vanitate”), in which they denounce not only the worship but even the manufacture and possession of such images. These texts all regard idols, that is, images made to be adored (Fortescue A. Transcribed by Tomas Hancil. Veneration of Images. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume VII. Copyright © 1910 by Robert Appleton Company. Online Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. Knight. Nihil Obstat, June 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York).

Furthermore, notice an accusation against those who professed Christ in the second/third century (date uncertain):

Why have they no altars, no temples, no acknowledged images? (Minucius. Octavius. Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 4, Chapter 10. Edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1885. Online Edition Copyright © 2004 by K. Knight).

It should be noted that no Christian prior to the late second or early third century is ever described as carrying an idol, having images in any worship services, or even wearing a cross (though some apostates started to advocate crosses in the second and third centuries).

The third point to mention is that it took councils of men to accept the relics for the Church of Rome.

It was not until the ninth century that the arguments over idols were resolved between the Roman Catholics and Orthodox (the Orthodox generally wanted them, but many Roman bishops/pontiffs up until that time fought against them). The Orthodox Church teaches this:

The Seventh Ecumenical Council (787 and 843) decreed the use of icons, following in the main the teaching of St. John of Damascus” (Litsas FK. A Dictionary of Orthodox Terminology – Part 2. http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article9152.asp 8/27/05) .

…within Christianity itself there had always existed a ‘puritan’ outlook, which condemned icons because it saw in all images a latent idolatry…The final victory of the Holy Images in 843 is known as ‘the Triumph of Orthodoxy’…One of the distinctive features of Orthodoxy is the place which it assigns to icons. An Orthodox church today is filled with them…An Orthodox prostrates himself before these icons, he kisses them and burns candles in front of them…Because icons are only symbols, Orthodox do not worship them, but reverence or venerate them…icons form a part of Holy Tradition…The Iconoclasts, by repudiating all representations of God, failed to take to full account the Incarnation” (Ware T. The Orthodox Church. Penguin Books, London, 1997, pp. 31-33).

Notice that the Orthodox call that acceptance of icons as “the victory of Orthodoxy” over those of anti-idol professing Christian faiths (the date appears to have been March 11, 843).

However, since the use of idols and icons was not the position of the first or even second century church, it is truly not orthodox to use idols and icons. (More information on the Orthodox Church can be found in the article Some Similarities and Differences Between the Orthodox Church and the Continuing Church of God.)

One Protestant scholar noted:

For the Jews and the early Christians, all attempts to create a likeness of God were prohibited…Gradually this reluctance faded, and at the beginning of the eighth century we find images in widespread use in the East; in the West they were less common (Brown HOJ. Heresies: Heresy and Orthodoxy in the History of the Church. Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody (MA), 1988, p. 212).

But why did idols win for the Greco-Romans? It is my opinion that the Romans felt that they needed unity with the Orthodox in order to put up a united front against Islam. Islam was properly against idols, and apparently Rome felt that its sometimes historically-correct position against idols portrayed a divided “Christianity,” hence this was one additional major compromise for it.

The fourth point is that not only are the relics not holy, they often are not what people think.

At the beginning of this post are two statues. The first one is one normally in Fatima, Portugal, that Pope Francis had flown to Rome to bow and pray before. My wife and I saw this particular statue when we visited Fatima. While millions have bowed down before and/or prayed to this statue, I will mention again to all who will hear that the statue IS NOT DRESSED like what the three children at Fatima (Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta) claimed the ‘Lady of Fatima’ looked like in 1917. What they described was a young female with a short skirt as also shown at the beginning of this post. There is no possible way that Mary, the mother of Jesus, appeared in Fatima, Portugal before Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta in 1917. Suggesting that the first image, which is not even an approximate representation of what was seen in Fatima, was somehow holy is wrong. It should also be pointed out that the relics of the Apostle Peter are also not in the Vatican according to various Catholic-related sources.

The Bible shows that the use of images will be forced upon the world in the end:

11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. 12 And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. 15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. (Revelation 13:11-15)

This will not end well for the Vatican (Revelation 17:15-17) nor for the rest of the world (Revelation 18).

The Bible does NOT endorse the ‘Feast of Holy Relics’ day.

For more information, please check out the following:

SECOND COMMANDMENT: What Did the Early Church Teach About Idols and Icons? Did the early Church use icons? What was the position of Christians about such things? A related sermon is available: The Second Commandment, Idols, and Icons.
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.
What is the Origin of the Cross as a ‘Christian’ Symbol? Was the cross used as a venerated symbol by the early Church? Two related YouTube videos would be Beware of the ‘Ecumenical Cross’ and Origin of the Cross.
Fatima Shock! What the Vatican Does Not Want You to Know About Fatima, Dogmas of Mary, and Future Apparitions. Whether or not you believe anything happened at Fatima, if you live long enough, you will be affected by its ramifications (cf. Isaiah 47; Revelation 17). Fatima Shock! provides concerned Christians with enough Catholic-documented facts to effectively counter every false Marian argument.
Fatima Shock! YouTube Dr. Thiel highlights a few points of why no one would support Fatima, etc. as discussed in the documented book Fatima Shock!
Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions Do you know much about Mary? Are the apparitions real? What might they mean for the rise of the ecumenical religion of Antichrist? Are Protestants moving towards Mary? How do the Orthodox view Mary? How might Mary view her adorers?
Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy? Pope Francis has taken many steps to turn people more towards his version of ‘Mary.’ Could this be consistent with biblical and Catholic prophecies? This article documents what has been happening. There is also a video version titled Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy?
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.
The Malachy Prophecies and “Peter the Roman” An Irish bishop allegedly predicted something about 112 popes in the 12th century. Pope Benedict XVI was number 111. Francis would be number 112–if he is that one–and if so, he is to reign until Rome is destroyed. May he be an antipope/final Antichrist? Here is a related YouTube video The Malachy Prophecies and “Peter the Roman”.
Could Pope Francis be the Last Pope and Antichrist? Former Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio is now Pope Francis. According to some interpretations of the prophecies of the popes by the Catholic saint and Bishop Malachy, Pope Francis is in the position of “Peter the Roman,” the pontiff who reigns during tribulations until around the time of the destruction of Rome. Do biblical prophecies warn of someone that sounds like Peter the Roman? This is a YouTube video.
Why Should American Roman Catholics Should Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster? Is doctrinal compromise good?
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Continuing Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are?
Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics Unity between these groups will put them in position to be part of the final end time Babylon that the Bible warns against as well as require improper compromise.
What Do Roman Catholic Scholars Actually Teach About Early Church History? Although most believe that the Roman Catholic Church history teaches an unbroken line of succession of bishops beginning with Peter, with stories about most of them, Roman Catholic scholars know the truth of this matter. Is telling the truth about the early church citing Catholic accepted sources anti-Catholic? This eye-opening article is a must-read for any who really wants to know what Roman Catholic history actually admits about the early church. There is also a YouTube sermon on the subject titled Church of God or Church of Rome: What Do Catholic Scholars Admit About Early Church History?
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Continuing Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions. [Português: Qual é fiel: A igreja católica romana ou a igreja do deus?]
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L Histoire Continue de l Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.

Official Logo (from Wikipedia)

COGwriter

A new European report says that temperatures have been rising and 2024 looks to set another record:

European climate agency says this will likely be the hottest year on record — again

November 7, 2024

For the second year in a row, Earth will almost certainly be the hottest it’s ever been. And for the first time, the globe this year reached more than 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming compared to the pre-industrial average, the European climate agency Copernicus said Thursday.

“It’s this relentless nature of the warming that I think is worrying,” said Carlo Buontempo, director of Copernicus.

Buontempo said the data clearly shows the planet would not see such a long sequence of record-breaking temperatures without the constant increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere driving global warming.

He cited other factors that contribute to exceptionally warm years like last year and this one. They include El Nino — the temporary warming of parts of the Pacific that changes weather worldwide — as well as volcanic eruptions that spew water vapor into the air and variations in energy from the sun. But he and other scientists say the long-term increase in temperatures beyond fluctuations like El Nino is a bad sign.

“A very strong El Nino event is a sneak peek into what the new normal will be about a decade from now,” said Zeke Hausfather, a research scientist with the nonprofit Berkeley Earth.

News of a likely second year of record heat comes a day after Republican Donald Trump, who has called climate change a “hoax” and promised to boost oil drilling and production, was reelected to the U.S. presidency. It also comes days before the next U.N. climate conference, called COP29, is set to begin in Azerbaijan. Talks are expected to focus on how to generate trillions of dollars to help the world transition to clean energies like wind and solar, and thus avoid continued warming.

Buontempo pointed out that going over the 1.5 degree Celsius threshold of warming for a single year is different than the goal adopted in the 2015 Paris Agreement. That goal was meant to try to cap warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius since pre-industrial times on average, over 20 or 30 years. https://www.voanews.com/a/european-climate-agency-says-this-will-likely-be-the-hottest-year-on-record—-again-/7854854.html

Since scripture points to higher heat coming (Revelation 16:9), the Bible shows that COP29 will not be able to possibly stop that.

Trump win worries international partners ahead of COP29 climate summit

November 7, 2024
WASHINGTON, Nov 7 (Reuters) – Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election has darkened the outlook for a strong deal at the COP29 climate summit next week and will increase pressure on Europe and China to lead international progress in curbing planetary warming, according to climate negotiators.

Trump, who has called climate change a hoax, has said he plans to withdraw the U.S. from the landmark 2015 Paris climate agreement at the start of his second presidency, and his policy advisers have floated removing the U.S. from the underlying UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) ratified by the U.S. Senate in 1992.

Climate negotiators and observers preparing for the COP29 conference from Nov. 11-22 in Baku, Azerbaijan, said Trump’s decisive win over Vice President Kamala Harris in Tuesday’s poll reduces the ability of countries to agree a new global finance target, or increase the pool of countries that should contribute – goals for the summit. …

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz cancelled plans to attend COP29, a chancellery spokesperson confirmed to Reuters, due to an unfolding political crisis at home.

Failure to land a strong climate finance deal would be a particularly big setback for the 45-country group of Least Developed Countries in U.N. climate negotiations, which is demanding countries pay up. …

TRANSITION WILL SURVIVE

One climate minister from Latin America said that while the return of pro-oil drilling Trump and his likely Paris withdrawal are a setback to global climate efforts, the deployment of renewables is attracting trillions of dollars in investments and will continue despite his political maneuvers.

“The election feels like a slap in the face to climate progress, but it won’t stop the global push for clean energy,” the official said. “Sticking with fossil fuels is a dead end.”

Germany’s Morgan agreed.

“We have seen over the past years, through various election results, that the implementation of the Paris Agreement has gone forward,” she said. https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/trump-win-worries-international-partners-ahead-cop29-climate-summit-2024-11-07/

Even though the world HAS NOT been living up to the Paris Accords, the US looks like it will be blamed in the future. Europe thinks it has the moral highground on this (see https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/11/06/trump-victory-casts-shadow-over-upcoming-cop-global-climate-talks) and one day will consider that the US is so immoral that it needs to be eliminated, consistent with several biblical prophecies.

That said, there is a solution to ‘climate change,’ but the political and religious leaders of this world will not heed it.

Related to COP27, we put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

Here is a link to our video: COP 27 and Solving Climate Change.

The Bible does reveal that there is a solution to pollution and ‘climate change.’

Disobedience to God is the cause of it and obeying and turning to the true God is the solution.

But, partially because of Donald Trump and his stated policies, the US will be blamed for the world not hitting its climate goals. Goals that it was not meeting otherwise.

The Bible is also clear that the world will NOT fix problems with the environment as it will take the return of Jesus who will destroy the destroyers of the earth:

18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come,
And the time of the dead, that they should be judged,
And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints,
And those who fear Your name, small and great,
And should destroy those who destroy the earth. (Revelation 11:18)

Since the United States will be conquered years before Jesus returns, note that it is not the US that the above prophecy is specifically referring to–despite past, current, and expected future condemnations of the US by Europe and others.

That said, while Christians do not want to promote pollution, temperature records are going to be broken and new ones set consistent with prophecies such as the following:

8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory.  (Revelation 16:8-9)

The solution is to turn to God and seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness as Jesus said (cf. Matthew 6:33).

Some items of related interest may include:

The Bible, Christians, and the Environment How should Christians view the environment? Does the Bible give any clues? What are some of the effects of air, water, and land pollution? Is environmental pollution a factor in autism and death? Do pollutants seem to double the autism risk? What will Jesus do? Here is a link to a related sermon: Christians and the Environment (there is also a YouTube video available titled Air Pollution, Autism, and Prophecy, one titled Will Pollution lead to the End?, and one called COP 27 and Solving Climate Change).
Christian Health Matters Should Christians be concerned about their health? Does the Bible give any food and health guidelines? Here are links to three related sermons: Let’s Talk About Food, Evil is Affecting the Food Supply, and Let’s Talk About Health.
United Nations: Humankind’s Last Hope or New World Order? Is the UN the last hope for humanity? Or might its goals end up with sinister results? Two related videos include UN’s ‘New Universal Agenda’ is a False Gospel! and United Nations and Vatican Are Planning the New World Order.
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? Two related sermons are available 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 titledWhen 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.
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.
Will the Interfaith Movement Lead to Peace or Sudden Destruction? Is the interfaith movement going to lead to lasting peace or is it warned against? A video sermon of related interest is: Will the Interfaith Movement lead to World War III? and a video sermon is also available: Do You Know That Babylon is Forming?
Laudato Si: Pope’s Agenda or Kingdom of God? Pope Francis’ 2nd encyclical is titled ‘Laudato Si.’ In it, he goes over his views related to environmental, economic, social, moral, agricultural, and spiritual issues. He advocates international cooperation to solve various problems he believes are affecting humanity. Is that Pope’s agenda the solution? What about the Kingdom of God? does the Bible teach? Two related articles include Laudato Si: Will Pope Francis’ economic actions match his words? and Laudato Si: A call for a one-world government?

German newspaper front covers

COGwriter

The German press appears shocked and horrified about Donald Trump’s re-election. Here is a report from the German Deutsche Welle news about that:

‘The nightmare’: Germany’s media react to Trump’s victory

Updated 7 November 2024

Donald Trump’s US election victory dominated German headlines on Wednesday and Thursday, even as the country faced its own domestic political crisis.

The election was seen as a referendum on issues like migration and economic policy at home, but also pivotal for geopolitical issues around the world.

Germany’s most widely-read tabloid Bild said the election outcome was “the last warning signal for our government”…

An opinion poll held days before the vote found that 74% of Germans supported Kamala Harris whereas only 11% supported Trump.

Yet Trump was “exactly the man that Americans wanted,” according to one of Germany’s newspapers of record, the center-left, Munich-based Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ).

“They want Trump,” added the US correspondent for the center-left magazine Der Spiegel. …

National broadcaster ARD’s flagship news program, Tagesschau, said on its website that “the outcome of the US election is likely to mean further shocks for German politics.” …

A sense of impending doom

Other newspapers were more blunt. …

Die Zeit, a centrist, weekly paper, also ran an article … {where}

the author compared their experience watching the US election to seeing a mushroom cloud on the horizon.

“When Trump was president last time, he could not stop raving about the size, power and functionality of his red button,” the author added.

On the same website, other articles about Trump’s win had titles including “The nightmare” and “Now he can do what he wants.” https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-media-react-to-donald-trumps-us-election-victory-v2/a-70715243

Yes, the re-election of Donald Trump is causing fear and horror among various ones in Germany–and elsewhere.

The above article translated the headlines of the front covers of the two German newspapers shown at the beginning of this post as ‘All power to Trump’ and ‘The danger in the White House.’

Consider something posted here one day BEFORE the US election in 2016:

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

Was that confirmed?

Yes.

By November 11, 2016, German leaders did so, with at least one doing so publicly (see Thiel B. As foretold here, more calls for a European army! Guttenberg: ‘There will be a terrible awakening for Europe’. COGwriter, November 11, 2016). In addition, a survey in late December 2016 found that the majority of Germans want to build a formidable European army. (Thiel B. Majority of Germans want a European army. COGwriter, December 30, 2016). In 2017, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Europe should now longer be naive and rely on others for defense (Thiel B. Donald Trump says he’s a ‘stable genius’ as Europe is driven to arm. COGwriter, January 6, 2018).

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

9:49

Germany and World War 3

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

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

With another Donald Trump term on the horizon, Germany will take more steps!

The Bible shows that Europe will have a great army (Daniel 11:25). Because of Donald Trump and other factors, the Europeans have been taking more steps towards one.

Now there are economic and other concerns in Germany related to Donald Trump. Notice a report from Fortune:

As Germany lurches from crisis to crisis, analysts fear ‘tariff man’ Trump could be 2025’s disaster

November 7, 2024

The German economy has been plagued with economic (and now political) problems in the last few years, and analysts expect that to worsen under President-elect Donald Trump.

The self-proclaimed “tariff man” has repeatedly affirmed plans to impose additional levies of 10-20% across the board and has made no secret of targeting the likes of Germany.

“They don’t take our cars. They don’t take our farm products. They sell millions and millions of cars in the United States. No, no, no, they are going to have to pay a big price,” Trump said at a rally last week, in reference to European countries.

Germany, Europe’s largest economy and one of America’s largest trading partners in the region, exported twice as much to the U.S. as it imported, thanks to Germany’s manufacturing prowess. However, Trump has a problem with that disparity and wants to remedy it.

Analysts expect Trump’s tariff plan to hit Germany particularly hard, with its GDP shrinking 0.6% as a direct result of the tariffs.

“While the 10% across-the-board tariff is a clear risk, our baseline expectation is that Trump imposes a more limited set of tariffs on Europe, including on autos-related imports worth $80bn, worth 0.9% of EU exports,” Goldman Sachs analysts wrote in a note Wednesday.

The analysis assumes that European countries, which collectively form the U.S.’s biggest trading partner, will impose retaliatory tariffs of the same level. …

Aggravated trade tensions are the last thing Germany needs right now. While the country is a force to be reckoned with in the region, it’s on the verge of economic decay, impacting its biggest industries as well as political turmoil that’s caused its government to break down.  …

For its part, Europe seems to be bracing for Trump 2.0 by finding avenues to strike a deal on exports. The region may have to impose further protective measures to prevent too much of a blow to industries like automobiles, which are the most exposed to U.S. trade.  …

“We must be prepared for the U.S. to distance itself further from open, global cooperation,” Lisandra Flach, director of the ifo Center for International Economics, said. “Germany and the EU must now strengthen their position through measures of their own.” https://fortune.com/europe/2024/11/07/germany-crisis-tariffs-trump-2025/

In addition to military steps, Germany will decide it has to take economic steps. But one economic step will include switching from the production of as many consumer items to an increased production of military ones. There will be many unintended consequences of Donald Trump’s policies.

Donald Trump’s re-election will be interpreted as another wake-up call for Europe in general, and Germany in particular, to take economic and military steps to be able to function more independently from the United States.

Since the Bible says that will happen (cf. the 13th, 17th, and 18th chapter of the Book of Revelation as well as Daniel 11:39-44 and Isaiah 10:5-11), this may be one of the reasons that God allowed for the re-election of Donald Trump.

That being said, Germany is also currently experiencing a political crisis:

Germany faces sudden turmoil after ruling coalition collapses

November 7, 2024

Germany’s government coalition has collapsed in dramatic fashion after Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the pro-business Free Democrats in a late-night move following a marathon of crisis meetings.

The three remaining ministers of the Free Democrats resigned in response, leading to the downfall of the government coalition. Scholz is expected to lead the country with a minority government, but the opposition is calling for an immediate no-confidence vote.

But early Thursday, Transport Minister Volker Wissing from the Free Democrats unexpectedly took back last night’s resignation and told reporters that after talking to Scholz, he had decided to stay on as minister and leave the party instead. …

Scholz’s left-leaning Social Democrats will now effectively lead a minority government with the remaining coalition partner, the environmentalist Greens. …

Achim Wambach from the Leibniz Center for European Economic Research cast doubt that a prolonged period with a minority government would help Germany’s economy get back on track.

“Germany’s problems are too big to tolerate political gridlock,” the analyst said.

“The government set out to reconcile the transformation towards climate neutrality with economic growth and social security,” the analyst said in a statement. “It has not lived up to this claim. The economy is stagnating and investments are failing to materialize.”

“This daunting task was compounded by geo-economic tensions: wars in Europe and the Middle East as well as economically damaging interventions through tariffs and national subsidy policies,” he added. “ The election of Donald Trump has exacerbated these problems. Europe must do more for its security and will have to reckon with increased tariffs.” https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/germany-faces-sudden-turmoil-ruling-coalition-collapses-rcna179078

Irrespective of how that ends up, German governmental matters look to also be helping set the stage for a strong man to rise up in Germany.

Remember that when Germany faced massive economic problems after its defeat in WWI, a little known strong man named Adolf Hitler arose.

Back in 2016, the Continuing Church of God put out this sermonette from its ContinuingCOG channel:

Boris Johnson, the former Mayor of London, stated that the European Union wanted to be what Adolf Hitler and Napoleon Bonaparte tried to create. Duncan Smith agreed. But European Council President Donald Tusk called Johnson’s comments absurd and then stated that the EU was the answer to the problems facing Europe. But what does the Bible teach about the future of Europe? Is European unity the answer or will it usher in something worse than Adolph Hitler? Dr. Thiel quotes Jesus and others in the Bible for those who truly want to know what will happen in a unified Europe.

Here is a link to our video: European Unity to be like Hitler?

Another strongman will arise in Germany.

Notice some items from the old Radio/Worldwide Church of God that were published last century related to a coming strong man in Europe (bolding mine):

Watch the emergence of a strong man in West Germany (Hogberg G and Walter EM. NATO at the Crossroads. Plain Truth, May 1969)

The attempt to unify Europe as one economic, military and political power bloc restoring the “Holy Roman Empire,” has been the one aim of all the “great” men who dominated European history from Napoleon’s “Waterloo” until now. Mussolini, dominating Eritrea, Italian Somaliland, Libya, and conquering Ethiopia, did officially name his weak “Empire” the “Roman Empire.” But now the dream of a mighty, powerful, resurrected Roman Empire at last is becoming a hard-driving reality.

… nations of United Europe have succeeded in their aim far beyond the wildest dreams of the original signers of the Treaty of Rome. In far less time, at a far greater pace than anticipated, these nations of Europe have risen from the economic chaos of World War II to the dizzying heights of a standard of living never known to them before! With the present success well beyond the proportions of that expected three years ago, with a future success — in a world of peace — sure to produce a near — utopia, Western Europe is more concerned about war than any other economic and political entity on the face of this earth! “This is very probably the last year in which anyone except Europe will be able to negotiate with the Soviet Union for Europe!” (London Sunday Times). These nations are ENJOYING their economic recovery and they will let nothing stand in its way — they will stop at nothing to keep ‘What they have, and, GO ON TO MORE! SO it is that a blueprint has been drawn up by the Six, that demands meetings among themselves to decide the MILITARY AND FOREIGN POLICY questions that come up regarding Europe! …

“Fascism in Europe is about to be reborn in respectable business attire, and the Treaty of Rome will finally be implemented to its fullest extent.. the dream of a Holy Roman, Empire returning to power to dominate and direct the so-called forces of Christian mankind of the Western world is not dead, but still stalks through the antechambers of every national capital of continental Western Europe… IN THE DETERMINATION OF THE LEADERS IN THE COMMON MARKET NATIONS TO RESTORE THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE WITH ALL THAT THAT MEANS!” (Northwest Technocrat, Vol. XXV, No. 205.) United within the ancient boundaries of the Holy Roman Empire; united by the common spiritual bond of universal Catholicism; united in a burgeoning and booming industrial economy that dominates today’s world; united geographically in the most productive and industrial complex of all the earth — at least TEN NATIONS OF MODERN EUROPE WILL MARCH ONTO THE SCENE OF WORLD HISTORY AS THE GREATEST SINGLE HUMAN FORCE EVER SEEN BY MAN! (Hill DJ. What is Germany’s Destiny? Plain Truth, March 1962)

The prophecy of Daniel 11 details events — at that time, still future — from the remaining days of the Medo-Persian empire, through the reign of Alexander the Great and his successors in Syria and Egypt, and on through to the second coming of Christ! Beginning in verse 40 we read of a conflict between two great powers: “And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind….”

This is an important “end-time” prophecy. Following the chronological progression of the chapter, it becomes apparent that the phrase “king of the north” had at first referred to Syria under the Seleucid dynasty, and later, in the New Testament times, to the Emperor of the Roman Empire. … Thus, in its final end-time application, the “king of the north” is the prophesied strong man who will lead a coming union of ten European nations — the seventh and final revival of the ancient Roman Empire prophesied by Daniel and in the book of Revelation (see Revelation 17:12-13).

But who is the “king of the south”? In the earlier portions of Daniel 11, the phrase refers without question to ancient Egypt under the rule of the Ptolemaic dynasty, later including Ethiopia which was annexed to Egypt. But in verse 40 we skip to “the time of the end” … Its greater fulfillment is yet future! Just as there is yet to be a final “king of the north” — called in Bible symbolism “the beast” — who will arise as superdictator over an end-time European confederation, there may very well emerge in the same manner a final “king of the south” — an overall leader of an Arab-Moslem confederation, possibly even bearing the very title Mahdi! And these two individuals will eventually find themselves in a head-to-head confrontation — possibly over oil — which will ultimately lead to devastating war in the Middle East!

King David of ancient Israel, in a prophetic psalm (Psalm 83) provides additional insight into the coming Mideast picture. Germany (Assyria in Bible prophecy) and perhaps the rest of Europe will be in league in the future with a union of Arab nations — a vast confederacy bound together in an effort to crush out the name “Israel” from the face of the earth! This Arab-Moslem confederacy may very well be the previously mentioned “king of the south” of Daniel 11 — a sphere of power encompassing vast portions of the Islamic world. …

But in the end, this European-Arab alliance will prove short-lived. As shown earlier, the “king of the north” of Daniel 11 — the leader of the German-led European union — will ultimately turn against the Arab “king of the south,” with disastrous consequences for the entire Middle East — both Jew and Arab alike. The entire region will be subjected to armed invasion! …

The Arab-Moslem Confederation will, of course, be thrown into chaotic disarray in the face of invasion. Some of its component countries will be directly occupied by European troops. However, as revealed in Daniel 11:41, Jordan (the present-day descendants of Moab and Ammon) and Turkey (Edom) will escape occupation. Other Arab countries may also avoid full occupation, possibly remaining in some sort of limited alliance with United Europe. “Libya” (or Put, the North African Arabs) along with ” Ethiopia” (or Cush, certain black African nations) shall be “at his [the king of the north’s] steps” — or “following him” as some translations render it. (Stump K. THE ARAB WORLD IN PROPHECY. Plain Truth, December 1979)

And the Bible?

The Bible clearly shows that a reorganization will come to Europe and power will be given to a dictator:

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

(More on the reorganization is discussed in the article: Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations?)

The Bible shows that the European beast leader, also called the King of the North, will arise promising peace.

21 And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue. 22 With the force of a flood they shall be swept away from before him and be broken, and also the prince of the covenant. 23 And after the league is made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people. (Daniel 11:21-23, NKJV)

25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. (Daniel 8:25, KJV).

(To prove this leader will be European, please watch the video: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?)

Yes, Germany is in shock because of the re-election of Donald Trump.

Yes, one day Germany, and the rest of Europe, will reorganize and put in a strongman that the Bible refers to as the Beast and the King of the North.

This week’s election results in the United States look to be an impetus for that.

Biblical prophecies will be fulfilled and world events are aligning with them to be fulfilled.

(Pixabay)

COGwriter

Notice the following headline from Inc. magazine:

How to Change Your Life in 5 Seconds

Can you change your life in five seconds?

Yes.

Here is a story about someone who claims that she did.

In 2008, author, entrepreneur, and award-winning television commentator Mel Robbins was out of work and out of money and running out of options.

Her husband, Chris, had invested in a restaurant that was struggling and the family was facing bankruptcy. Simple, everyday decisions like getting out of bed in the morning suddenly became a real effort.

“You talk about not feeling motivated?” Robbins asks in this interview. “I didn’t have the motivation required to play the hand that life had dealt me and that I had created, frankly.”

Robbins realized she needed more than motivation to pull herself out of her funk. She needed a strategy — something that would propel her to take action even when she didn’t feel like it …

“Most of the time when you have stuff that you need to do, you’re not going to feel like doing it. And it’s a major mistake to sit around and think that you need to be motivated first, and it’s an even bigger mistake to think that at some point you will feel like doing it,” Robbins said.

The five-second rule.

So, after stumbling across a television commercial with the image of a rocket launching, Robbins decided she would launch herself out of bed the very next day with the same gusto and determination. When the alarm clock rang, she counted backwards from five just “like NASA when they launch a rocket,” she said.

It worked.

So she did it the next day and the day after, and pretty soon, Robbins was counting down on every action she didn’t really feel like taking. In just five seconds, she was doing things she hadn’t felt like doing before.

It soon became her new rule.

“Life, and business in particular, is about pushing yourself to do the things that are uncomfortable so that you can achieve the results that you want,” Robbins said. “The secret is all about not waiting until you feel like it.” https://www.inc.com/brenda-barbosa/how-to-change-your-life-in-5-seconds-yes-5-seconds.html May 2, 2017, accessed 10/26/19

Many people delay doing what they should, because they do not feel like it.

The article continued with:

The Significance of Five Seconds

It’s estimated that Americans make about 35,000 decisions a day. And most of the time, those decisions are made unconsciously.

“We like to think we make decisions based on logic, based on what’s best for our businesses,” Robbins said. “The fact is that 95 percent of the decisions we make are based on the way we feel in the moment.”

What’s worse, negative emotions like fear, anger, and uncertainty seem to have strong influence over our decisions.

Research shows there’s a roughly five-second window of time between a thought, an idea, or intuition, and the brain’s move to support it — or kill it.

“It turns out that inside that five-second window, your entire life and business, everything changes if you wake up and take control of that moment right before you’re about to make a decision,” Robbins said.

The Science Behind the Hack

So how does a deceptively simple hack create such drastic change?

Here’s how: Rather than defaulting to familiar defense mechanisms, counting backward from five (5-4-3-2-1) forces your brain to stop, focus, and occupy itself with something else. Your brain’s no longer being hijacked by fear, doubt, anger, or any other powerful emotion that can lead to bad, knee-jerk decisions.

Sometimes simple actions can pull us out of inaction.

Jesus warned about inaction based on emotions:

14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. (Matthew 25:14-15)

24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’

26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, … 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.

29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matthew 25:24-26a-28-30)

Notice, the inaction was based, at least partially, on the emotion of fear.

Many have falsely persuaded themselves that it is safer to do nothing than to take proper action.

The Bible warns:

9 “The heart is deceitful above all things,
And desperately wicked;
Who can know it?
10 I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give every man according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 17:9-10)

Yes, people persuade themselves they do not need to take action based on their feelings, but God judges based on the fruits of what you actually do.

Notice also:

17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. (James 4:17)

9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:9-10)

Inaction can be sinful.

Now, let’s notice something from the Book of Proverbs:

27 The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting, But diligence is man’s precious possession. (Proverbs 12:27)

Having grown up in a hunting household, I fully understand how one may not feel like cleaning and cooking what was killed. But, as the scripture suggests, you should do that even if you do not feel like it.

Notice something else from Proverbs:

25 The desire of the lazy man kills him, For his hands refuse to labor. (Proverbs 21:25)

The Bible clearly is teaching to not let emotional feelings prevent you from doing what you should.

Now, you might not consider yourself as lazy and you may actually work hard at your job. But might you be spiritually lazy?

Consider the following:

16 The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes
Than seven men who can answer sensibly. (Proverbs 26:16)

Many will not make the right choices about church, because they are emotionally comforted with telling themselves they know better on various points. (I get emails from people all the time who have that ‘people decide’–Laodicean–emotional mindset.)

And to cite an American expression, many cannot see the forest for the trees.

They miss the importance of the commission that Jesus gave His church in Matthew 28:19-20 as well as Matthew 24:14.

Jesus stated what the truth was:

17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. (John 17:17)

The Bible also teaches that:

18 it is impossible for God to lie, (Hebrews 6:18).

2 God, who cannot lie (Titus 1:2)

So, whatever God says is the truth. A lie is something that is opposed to the truth. Not taking action when you should is accepting the lie that your feelings are more important than following the word of God.

In time however, the more you obey the word of God, the more your emotions and it will agree.

The Old Testament teaches that all of God’s word is the truth:

160 The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever. (Psalms 119:160)

It is interesting to note that the Bible teaches:

151 And all Your commandments are truth (Psalm 119:151).

Yet, according to the third chapter of the Book of Revelation, most in the end times will NOT act on the truth as Jesus wants them to. Most are lukewarm about it. Some are ‘burnt out’ about prophecy, etc. They are not interested in the signs of Acts 2:17-18 (see Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18?). Others are unwilling to support a group unless there is a congregation nearby for them to attend–because they FEEL that is more important than truly being Philadelphian. Others have other priorities. Others are more emotionally comfortable with religious or personal traditions than being willing to act on the truth (see also Tradition and Scripture: From the Bible and Church Writings).

Notice a way to tell which church is the correct one:

4 For the word of the Lord is right, And all His work is done in truth. (Psalms 33:4)

Only a church that does God’s work in truth would possibly be the one that God endorses (see also Where is the True Christian Church Today?). Jesus said that knowing the truth sets one free (John 8:32).

While it is difficult to measure which church has the most truth, let me state that when it comes to church history and prophecy, that would have to be the Continuing Church of God in the 21st century. There are many links in the Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God. To see some more details on that consider Continuing History of the Church of God and The Laodicean Church Era (prophetic differences between CCOG and other COGs are summarized there). For longer versions and more details, there are numerous articles at the COGwriter.com and CCOG.org websites that go into more depth on matters of history, doctrine, and prophecy.

There is more truth about church history and prophecy at the COGwriter.com and CCOG websites than any other group that I am aware of.

How can you know if that is actually true?

Well, we would recommend that you be like the Bereans of old:

10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. (Acts 17:10-11)

The Bereans did not know whether or not the Apostle Paul was who he claimed to be, but after hearing him, they thought he could be a teacher from God. They did not spend their time trying to disprove him, but searched the scriptures daily to verify that he was teaching the truth. That is what we in the the Continuing Church of God suggest you do today.

Of course, if you are willing to be like the Bereans of old, it will take more than five seconds to check if something is true. Particularly since the scriptures in the Bereans’ day were written on scrolls that had to be unrolled. You could not flip to a page in a book or do an electronic search in those days.

Anyway, with God’s help you can change as the Apostle Paul taught:

13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

How?

The New Testament teaches:

6 … “God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”

7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. (James 4:6-10)

Do not let pride get in the way. Do not be double-minded–do the right thing.

Proverbs teaches:

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
8 It will be health to your flesh,
And strength to your bones. (Proverbs 3:5-8)

You might not think you have any evil to depart from, but if according to the word of God, you are not a real Christian or you are a Laodicean one (Revelation 3:14-19), you do.

Follow God, do what is right:

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

Do not let fear stop you from moving ahead.

The New Testament teaches:

13 for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified (Romans 2:13)

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. 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 1:22-27)

Do not talk yourself out of doing what is right. And yes, we in CCOG do support orphans and widows.

Take proper action (cf. Galatians 6:9-10; Revelation 3:7-13; Zephaniah 2:1-3).

Interested in a spiritual ‘five second’ rule?

Tell yourself and pray:

I will act on the truth and not put it off because I do not feel like it. Jesus help me.

Most people can quietly pray that in 5 or so seconds. And while you may need to do that often, each time you can change your life for the better in 5 seconds.

And physically, if it will help you, count backwards from five or use some other technique to motivate you to do what is right. But then pray for God’s assistance.

Related to this, we put out the following video:

16:02

‘How to Change Your Life in 5 Seconds’

Inc. magazine posted an article online titled ‘How to Change Your Life in 5 Seconds.’ In it, Mel Robbins explains how she developed a technique to be more productive. She observed that 95% of decision are based on emotion instead of logic, and how and why adding a five second countdown helped her life. She mentions that fear, anger, and other factors often interfere with our ability to be better people. In this video, Dr. Thiel quotes a lot from that article, including some of the science behind the technique. He also quotes Jesus as well as many passages from the Bible. He also teaches a 5 second statement to say and pray to use as a five second spiritual statement to help Christians change.

Here is a link to the video: ‘How to Change Your Life in 5 Seconds’.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

CCOG and What is Truth? What does the Bible teach about truth? Does the CCOG teach the truth?
Christian courage vs. cowardice As you courageous? What biblically is cowardice? Do YOU really understand this? Two sermons related to this article are available and are titled Courage and Cowardice and Cowardice and Overcoming Fear. A Spanish language article is also available: Valor Cristiano vs Cobardía.
Faith for Those God has Called and Chosen What is faith? Can faith be increased? Are you saved by faith? What about works? Do Christians need to keep the Ten Commandments? What is the ‘faith chapter’? How do the just live by faith? Is faith one of the weightier matters of the law? How does faith come? Marque aquí para ver el pdf folleto: Fe para aquellos que Dios ha llamado y escogido. In German: Glaube für die von Gott Berufenen und Auserwählten. In French: La Foi pour ceux que Dieu a Appelés et Choisis. Here is a link to a related sermon titled: Faith for the Called and Chosen.and here is a link to another sermon Faith and Courage. Here is a link to shorter version of the written article in Mandarin Chinese N{ÇQsNŽOáNðv„\e‡zà.
Prayer: What Does the Bible Teach? This free booklet contains 28 biblically-based tips on improving the effectiveness of your prayers. This is a pdf. A related two part sermon is available: What Does the Bible Teach About Prayer? and What does the Bible Teach About Prayer (& Healing)?
Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is 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.
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
When You Sin: Do You Really Repent? This is an article by Charles F. Hunting. A related sermon is Confess to God and truly repent.
Do Christians Sin? This is an article by Herbert W. Armstrong.
Overcoming Sin What is sin? How are Christians suppose to overcome it? Here is a link to a version in Mandarin Chinese: QKg f/‘͉v„. Here is a link to a version in Spanish: Vencer al pecado. Here is also a link to a video in English titled How YOU Can Overcome Sin.
How to Prevent Sin This is an article by Herbert W. Armstrong. Here is a version in Mandarin: Y‚OUN r¯j
The Two Trees: Only Two Ways of Life This is from a two-part radio broadcast from Herbert W. Armstrong.
Real Conversion Many think that they are converted Christians. But are they? Would you like to know more about conversion?
False Conversion! Have you really been converted? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote an article on this important subject–but more scriptures have been added to it. How can you tell false conversion? A related video is also available: False Conversion.
Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18? Does any church have the confirmed dream and prophetic signs of Acts 2:17-18? Should one? Here is a link in the Spanish language: ¿Tiene la CCOG confirmadas las señales de Hechos 2: 17-18?
Church of God Leaders on Prophets Have there been prophets throughout the church age? Are any supposed to be around in the last days? What have COG leaders stated or written about prophets? Here is a link to a related sermon: Church of God Leaders on Prophets.
How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God There are many false prophets. How can Christians determine who is a true prophet? There is also a sermon-length video titled How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God. Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Cómo determinar si alguien es un verdadero profeta de Dios?
Unity: Which COG for You? Why so many groups? Why is there lack of unity in the Churches of God? Has it always been this way? What can/should be done about it? Here is a link to a related sermon: Church of God Unity. Here is a related article in the Spanish language: Unidad: ¿Cuál Iglesia de Dios para usted?
18 Truths Restored to the Churches of God: Mission of the Philadelphia Church Era Herbert W. Armstrong wrote that he felt he had restored at least 18 lost truths to the Church, here is Herbert W. Armstrong’s list given 12/17/83. This articles also has links to show that these truths were believed by professors of Christ in earlier times, hence they were not some invention of Herbert Armstrong.Here is a related link in Spanish/español: Lista de Herbert W. Armstrong de las 18 verdades restauradas. As far as the mission goes, here is a link to a sermon: Mission of the Remnant of the Philadelphia Church Era. Here are links to a related two-part sermon: The 18 Restored Truths: 1-8 and The 18 Restored Truths: 9-18.
Do You Believe God Used Herbert W. Armstrong to Raise Up the Philadelphia Era of the Church of God? Nearly everyone while in WCG used to believe this, most do not seem to anymore.
Herbert W. Armstrong, the Philadelphia Church, & the Mantle Herbert Armstrong claims God had him raise the Philadelphia up. Are there reasons to believe that the Philadelphia mantle in now within the CCOG? Here is a link to a related sermon: Herbert W. Armstrong and the Philadelphia Mantle.
5. The Sardis Church Era was predominant circa 1600 A.D. to circa 1933 A.D. Discusses some early history of the Seventh Day Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, CG7-Salem, Jerusalem 7DCG, and COG-7th Day-Denver.
6. The Philadelphia Church Era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God, now the remnant of that era is basically the most faithful in the Church of God, like who hold to the beliefs and practices of the Continuing Church of God.
7. The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. The Laodiceans are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG or its offshoots. They do not properly understand the work or biblical prophecies and will face the Great Tribulation if they do not repent. One video of related interest is 17 Laodicean Errors in Prophecy. See also Do You Hold to Any of These Laodicean Prophetic Errors?
Independent/Unaffiliated: Independent Members of the COG: Herbert W. Armstrong Comments, Plus Questions and Answers What did Herbert W. Armstrong teach about being independent of the organized Church? Should independents who claim to accept Herbert W. Armstrong’s teachings support the end time Philadelphian work? Here is a link to a related sermon: Church of God Unity. Watch also Zephaniah’s ‘Gather Together’ Prophecy.
Herbert W. Armstrong, the Philadelphia Church, & the Mantle Herbert Armstrong claims God had him raise the Philadelphia up. Are there reasons to believe that the Philadelphia mantle in now within the CCOG? Here is a link to a related sermon: Herbert W. Armstrong and the Philadelphia Mantle.
What is Armstrongism? Did Herbert W. Armstrong raise a new faith or promote the original Christian faith? Here is a link to a related video: What is Armstrongism? Are Some Dismissive of Original Christianity?
17 Accusations and Truthful Responses About Herbert W. Armstrong He, even after his death, keeps being improperly maligned–here is the truth on these matters.
Tradition and Scripture: From the Bible and Church Writings Are traditions on equal par with scripture? Many believe that is what Peter, John, and Paul taught. But did they? A related sermon is titled Tradition and Scripture.
Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18? Does any church have the confirmed dream and prophetic signs of Acts 2:17-18? Should one? Here is a link in the Spanish language: ¿Tiene la CCOG confirmadas las señales de Hechos 2: 17-18?
The 18 Restored Truths: Do You Know What the First Changes the Tkach Administration Made? Some have said healing, others other subjects, but probably the first change had to do with eliminating being part of the Philadelphia era. This article documents what those changes were and compares the Tkach list of restored truths to Herbert W. Armstrong’s list of restored truths. It contains many quotes from Herbert W. Armstrong. Here are links to a related two-part sermon: The 18 Restored Truths: 1-8 and The 18 Restored Truths: 9-18.
There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Near Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory. Two sermon-length videos of relaled interest are available Physical Protection During the Great Tribulation and Might Petra be the Place of Safety? Here is something related in the Spanish language: Hay un lugar de seguridad para los Filadelfinos. ¿Puede ser Petra?
Christians: Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God, Biblical instructions on living as a Christian This is a scripture-filled booklet for those wishing to live as a real Christian. A related sermon is also available: Christians are Ambassadors for the Kingdom of God.
The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast This is a free pdf book explaining the what the Ten Commandments are, where they came from, how early professors of Christ viewed them, and how various ones, including the Beast of Revelation, will oppose them. A related sermon is titled: The Ten Commandments and the Beast of Revelation.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. Here are links to three related sermons: The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
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.
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.

(Pixabay image)

COGwriter

Europeans talk nice, but many are concerned about Donald Trump as CNBC reports:

Europe praises Trump’s victory amid wider fears of an impending economic nightmare

November 6, 2024

European officials have been quick to congratulate Donald Trump after he defeated his Democratic rival Kamala Harris to return to the White House, despite a stark realization that renewed economic warfare could be just around the corner.

European diplomats and their respective leaders have been preparing for the eventuality of a Trump victory for more than 12 months, placing a growing focus on policies that could protect the European economy from potential trade disputes.

Some European officials woke up to election results on Wednesday “not wanting to believe” them, several sources told CNBC.

“I am seeing it, [and] not wanting to believe,” said one EU official, who did not want to be named due to the sensitive nature of the transatlantic relationship. …

A second EU source, who also did not want to be named because of the sensitivity of the relationship, said: “It is not great, again.” …

EU leaders are scheduled to meet for a regular meeting Thursday and Friday in the Hungarian capital of Budapest, which will provide them with an opportunity to discuss their future plans for the transatlantic relationship.

Trump has threatened to impose an additional 10% in tariffs on European nations, …

Trade with the United States is critical for European nations. The EU and the U.S. have the largest bilateral trade and investment relationship in the world, which reached an all-time high of 1.2 trillion euros ($1.29 trillion) in 2021, according to data from the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU.

Any additional tariffs could further pressure the already moribund economic growth levels across the EU.

“There will be a first discussion [on the outcome of the U.S. election] in Budapest,” a third anonymous EU source told CNBC Wednesday morning, regarding the meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) which will start Nov. 7.

“We will see what sort of rhetoric [Trump] will have, but if it is not very different, the main challenge will be Ukraine,” the third diplomat said. “Our big focus is to keep the European unity,” the same diplomat said. …

ING analysts said that Europe’s “worst economic nightmare” has come true with the election of Trump.

“A looming new trade war could push the euro zone economy from sluggish growth into a full-blown recession. The already struggling German economy, which heavily relies on trade with the U.S., would be particularly hard hit by tariffs on European automotives,” said the team of analysts, led by James Knightley. …

German Finance Minister Christian Lindner warned there could be retaliation if the U.S. kicked off a trade war with the European Union.

“We need diplomatic efforts to convince whoever enters the White House that it’s not in the best interest of the U.S. to have a trade conflict with [the] European Union,” he said, adding, “We would have to consider retaliation.”  https://www.cnbc.com/2024/11/06/eu-reaction-to-us-election-2024.html

Trade war is a major concern that the Europeans have. Trade disputes between the US and Europe will happen.

Notice something I posted here the morning after Donald Trump’s election in 2016:

• Donald Trump has already offended the Europeans, with his trade and other policies, though he gets along with some. Despite a certain accuracy in his statements related to NATO, the result will not turn out quite as Donald Trump expects. Some of his statements may be leading to the rise of the prophesied King of the North, who is to be the final leader of the Beast of Revelation (Revelation 13:1)–and some in Europe have looked forward to Donald Trump’s rise for their own agenda as they believe “Trump presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for emancipation from American influence” (see ‘Why Europe Secretly Roots For Donald Trump’?). (Thiel B. How Will President-Elect Trump be Apocalyptic? Two false prophets exposed! COGwriter, November 9, 2016)

Since the above was posted, the Europeans have been working on getting involved with infrastructure projects in Asia and elsewhere to improve its trade and international influence (see More action on India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, which is a subset of Europe’s ‘Global Gateway’ program and watch EU’s Global Gateway, Trade, and War?) as well as become less dependent upon trade with the USA.

Despite issues with the US, the Bible prophesies that Europe will, for a time, dominate the world economically (cf. Revelation chapter 18).

Also, notice that the Europeans are trying to use the election of Donald Trump to push their hopes for a more unified Europe.

As reported earlier here today (see Media declares Donald Trump won the election–now what?) the heads of France and Germany agreed to “work towards a more united, stronger, more sovereign Europe in this new context.” In other words, Europe wants more unity and the ability to handle military needs without the US.

The truth is that some in Europe wanted Donald Trump to win so that they can use that as a reason to further arm. Politico reported the following:

‘Bitter medicine’: Why some EU officials quietly yearn for Trump

October 30, 2024

BRUSSELS — Here’s a dirty little secret about the U.S. presidential election: Some European officials think a victory by former President Donald Trump could be what the European Union needs to muscle up on defense and get tough on China.

“The return of Trump would be a beneficial shock that will enable the EU to move forward, like the pandemic or the energy crisis following the war in Ukraine,” said one senior EU diplomat who, like others quoted in this article, was granted anonymity to speak freely.

This view, shared confidentially by several EU diplomats and EU officials, doesn’t stem from affection for the Republican candidate or his policy proposals.

Nevertheless, a second Trump term would administer the “bitter medicine” a fractious EU needs to overcome its divisions and move forward as a bloc, six EU diplomats and officials conveyed to POLITICO.

A Trump presidency would be so hostile to Europe, the thinking goes, that the bloc would have no choice but to bolster its defense spending, …

As the Nov. 5 election draws near, don’t expect European officials to voice these views in public. Trump is deeply unpopular in most of Europe, and there are few political points to score from embracing him.

But officials have said it might be time to embrace autonomy, suggesting that Europe should prepare for a big change in EU-U.S. relations, no matter who is elected.

“Europeans must take their destiny into their own hands, regardless of who is elected U.S. president,” French Europe Minister Benjamin Haddad said on French TV last week. https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-eu-officials-china-union-policy-kamala-harris-medicine-ukraine-defense/

Yes, many in Europe want it to have a stronger military. The Bible says that Europe will end up with a “great army” (Daniel 11:25) and “many ships” (Daniel 11:40).

Donald Trump winning this election will further motivate the Europeans to arm more.

Expect Europe to push its PESCO projects harder now that Donald Trump won the election. PESCO was essentially put together and formally agreed to because of Donald Trump’s election in 2016.

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

15:25

PESCO and a Great European Army

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

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

Regarding climate concerns, Euronews reported the following:

Trump victory casts shadow over upcoming COP global climate talks

6 November 2024

Donald Trump already pulled the US out of the Paris Agreement to halt global heating once, and his presidential election victory means he could be about to do so again. Many are now looking to the EU to hold the line. …

In his victory speech, president elect Donald Trump made clear his position on fossil fuels: “We have more liquid gold, oil and gas, we have more liquid gold than any country in the world, more than Saudi Arabia. We have more than Russia.” His campaign team signalled in June that he would pull out of the Paris Agreement again.

For many it was already clear that he planned to take a wrecking ball to domestic green policy as well as throwing a spanner in the works of global climate diplomacy. …

EU has ‘moral imperative’

The reaction of many in Europe suggested that incumbent president Joe Biden’s negotiating team – announced just last week – for the COP29 summit in Baku has been transformed into something of a lame duck by the spectre hanging over it of a likely US withdrawal after Trump takes office in January.

“Lack of US leadership does not alter the scientific and moral imperative to immediately address global emissions and build climate resilience,” said Chiara Martinelli, director of Climate Action Network Europe.

“It also doesn’t change the high expectations of the EU to constructively contribute in reaching an agreement in Baku for a new financial goal that meets the scale of the emergency and truly moves resources from the rich to the most climate vulnerable countries, particularly in the global south,” she said.

A major question to be answered in the Azeri capital is the degree to which other powerful and growing economies, and major polluters, will feel less pressure to contribute if they sense the largest economy in the world is about to walk away from the table. https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/11/06/trump-victory-casts-shadow-over-upcoming-cop-global-climate-talks

Even though the world HAS NOT been living up to the Paris Accords, the US looks like it will be blamed in the future. Europe will consider that the US is immoral and needs to be eliminated one day, consistent with several biblical prophecies.

As far as being called immoral for that, notice something I warned about in my January 2017 book Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse:

Donald Trump does not seem to think there is any climate problem.[i] But many who do believe there are climate problems tend to equate them with fossils fuels, not biblically-immoral behavior (other than greed). …

Donald Trump’s view of climate change is expected to set up some type of issue between the USA and Europe. Europe will tend to see the USA as an irresponsible polluter of the planet, while Europe will claim to be the protector that the world needs.

[i] Eilperin J. Trump says ‘nobody really knows’ if climate change is real. Washington Post, December 11, 2016

Notice also the following other conflicts between the US and Europe from our 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?:

Donald Trump also upset many in Europe by calling NATO “obsolete.” [i]

Furthermore, he called out many European countries for not paying enough on the military in relationship to NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). He also threatened to NOT defend NATO nations that would not spend more on their militaries.[ii]

While many in the Trump-Pence Administration thought that the Europeans would have no choice but to cater to their demands, the Europeans moved in a way many did not expect. Less than one year after the Trump-Pence Administration began, 25 European countries formed a pan-European military alliance called the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). [iii]

The Europeans are concerned about Donald Trump perhaps again becoming U.S.A. president[iv]—and the prospect of another Trump presidency is pushing them to be more independent of the U.S.A.

While some have resisted it, there have been more and more calls for Europe to develop its own military force that will not have to defer to the U.S.A. [v]

Furthermore, shortly after Russia’s “special military operation” into Ukraine began in 2022, Germany announced it was increasing its military spending to levels that Donald Trump had pushed for.[vi]

Europe already has its own space agency, satellite system, and many other military components.

For decades, Washington has pushed the Europeans to spend more on their militaries. The U.S.A. needs to be careful about what it has been asking for. Although it is true that the U.S.A. contributes a vastly disproportionate share to NATO, the more the Europeans themselves spend, the more independent they will be about their spending and military priorities.

Since the Bible says that Europe will have a “great army” (Daniel 11:25), we know Europe will end up with a great army. It will also end up with a substantial navy as the Bible says it will have “many ships” (Daniel 11:40). Europe is prophesied be an amazingly marvelous military power that will surprise the world (Revelation 13:3-4).

This will not end well for the U.S.A. or the other Israelitish nations. …

While European leaders have begun to publicly challenge reliance on the U.S.A., biblically, the time will once again come when Europe cannot be trusted militarily (Isaiah 10:5-11; Daniel 11:21-39; Lamentations 1:2).

The U.S.A., itself, has repeatedly shown the Europeans that it does not trust them, yet scripture suggests it sometimes will trust them too much. According to the Bible, the time will come when the U.S.A. will find that continental Europe will be an enemy (cf. Isaiah 10:5-11) and not an ally (Ezekiel 23:4,9-10). The Bible warns:

² All her friends have dealt treacherously with her; They have become her enemies. (Lamentations 1:2)

Europe will cooperate with the U.S.A. as long as it feels the relationship is beneficial, and then (as prophecy foretells) one day turn totally against the U.S.A.

The Bible is clear that there will be problems in Europe (Daniel 2:41-43), yet it also shows that Europe will undergo several reorganizations (Revelation chapters 16-18), and the two reorganizations in Revelation 17:12-13 specifically will not turn out well for the U.S.A. (cf. Daniel 11:39), the Arab world (cf. Daniel 11:40-43), nor ultimately Europe (cf. Jeremiah 50:41-46, 51:27-32; Daniel 11:44-45; Joel 2:2-6). … the Bible shows that the Beast of Revelation (also called the King of the North in Daniel 11) and the final Antichrist (a European-supporting false religious leader) will rule in Europe and over some of the American lands (Daniel 11:39) …

This King will employ deceit:

²¹ … he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue. (Daniel 11:21)

²³ “And in the latter time of their kingdom, When the transgressors have reached their fullness, A king shall arise, Having fierce features, Who understands sinister schemes. ²⁴ His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; He shall destroy fearfully, And shall prosper and thrive; He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.

²⁵ “Through his cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule; And he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy many in their prosperity. (Daniel 8:23-25)

The King of the North will deceitfully proclaim “peace and safety” while plotting for the sudden destruction of those opposing him (1 Thessalonians 5:2–3). He will destroy the mighty American-British alliance.

Because of not accepting and understanding biblical prophecies, many political and other leaders will be hoping for and believing in a false peace. The sudden destruction to come is likely to include a nuclear or other high tech attack, and could possibly happen in conjunction with a NATO training or other exercise that would catch the U.S.A. and its Anglo-Saxon-Celtic allies off guard (cf. Lamentations 1:1-2). Other nations are likely to also be involved.

Nuclear Destruction?

Doesn’t the following sound like nuclear-type destruction?

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 … (Deuteronomy 29:23-25)

God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah for their pride and sexual immorality (Ezekiel 16:49-50; 2 Peter 2:6).

God’s word points out what will happen to the Anglo-lands will actually be worse than what happened to Sodom:

⁶ The punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people Is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, Which was overthrown in a moment, With no hand to help her! (Lamentations 4:6)

The time will come when the U.S.A. and NATO will be no more. NATO or other arrangements will give the Europeans cover for publicly preparing for a military event, while giving it the ability to publicly state that such preparations are only parts of an exercise. The Germans have historically used the element of surprise to gain military advantage—remember WWII and blitzkrieg? Europe one day will turn on the U.S.A. (Lamentations 1:1-2, Daniel 11:39; Isaiah 10:5-12). Weapons of mass destruction, and not necessarily just nuclear, will be employed.

Europe to Rise Up

Germans and others see the U.S.A. declining. Europe will go in a direction that U.S.A. leaders, including its ‘foreign policy experts,’ do not comprehend (Daniel 11:39; Isaiah 10:5-11).

[i] Trump worries Nato with ‘obsolete’ comment. BBC, Janaury 16, 2017

[ii] Trump defence chief Mattis threatens less commitment to Nato. January 15, 2017; ^{Sanger DE, Haberman M. Donald Trump Sets Conditions for Defending NATO Allies Against Attack. New York Times, July 20, 2016}

[iii] ^{Stur B. The making of a European Defence Union. New Europe. December 12, 2017}

[iv] Trump 2024 is a threat to Europe’s security. Public News Time, July 1, 2022

[v] ^{Bosotti A. EU army plot to fuel ‘antagonistic’ fury from global enemies and spark conflict threat. December 1, 2020; Flores J. The End of NATO? Macron Laments ‘Brain Death’ and Pushes for a European Military. Strategic Culture, November 10, 2019}

[vi] Germany commits €100 billion to new armed forces fund. Deutsche Welle, February 27, 2022

Current leaders in the European Union are more and more calling for the Europeanization of national militaries and the increased ability to function militarily without the USA.

They are helping to set the stage for what is coming.

Furthermore, the Bible shows that Europe will reorganize and become totalitarian:

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

This Beast leader will eliminate the Anglo-American world order with a new, and even worse, world order.

Consider the following prophecies about the one who will be in charge:

21 And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue. (Daniel 11:21)

39 Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain. … the king of the North (Daniel 11:39, 40)

23 “And in the latter time of their kingdom,
When the transgressors have reached their fullness,
A king shall arise,
Having fierce features,
Who understands sinister schemes.
24 His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power;
He shall destroy fearfully,
And shall prosper and thrive;
He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.

25 “Through his cunning
He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule;
And he shall exalt himself in his heart.
He shall destroy many in their prosperity. (Daniel 8:23-25)

The above leader is the final European King of the North Beast power. He is an autocrat. He will eliminate the USA, Canada, and the UK.

As far as being an autocratic strong man in Europe goes, old Radio and Worldwide Church of God published the following decades ago (bolding mine):

Watch the emergence of a strong man in West Germany (Hogberg G and Walter EM. NATO at the Crossroads. Plain Truth, May 1969)

The attempt to unify Europe as one economic, military and political power bloc restoring the “Holy Roman Empire,” has been the one aim of all the “great” men who dominated European history from Napoleon’s “Waterloo” until now. Mussolini, dominating Eritrea, Italian Somaliland, Libya, and conquering Ethiopia, did officially name his weak “Empire” the “Roman Empire.” But now the dream of a mighty, powerful, resurrected Roman Empire at last is becoming a hard-driving reality. …

“Fascism in Europe is about to be reborn in respectable business attire, and the Treaty of Rome will finally be implemented to its fullest extent.. the dream of a Holy Roman, Empire returning to power to dominate and direct the so-called forces of Christian mankind of the Western world is not dead, but still stalks through the antechambers of every national capital of continental Western Europe… IN THE DETERMINATION OF THE LEADERS IN THE COMMON MARKET NATIONS TO RESTORE THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE WITH ALL THAT THAT MEANS!” (Northwest Technocrat, Vol. XXV, No. 205.) United within the ancient boundaries of the Holy Roman Empire; united by the common spiritual bond of universal Catholicism; united in a burgeoning and booming industrial economy that dominates today’s world; united geographically in the most productive and industrial complex of all the earth — at least TEN NATIONS OF MODERN EUROPE WILL MARCH ONTO THE SCENE OF WORLD HISTORY AS THE GREATEST SINGLE HUMAN FORCE EVER SEEN BY MAN! (Hill DJ. What is Germany’s Destiny? Plain Truth, March 1962)

The prophecy of Daniel 11 details events — at that time, still future — dynasty, and later, in the New Testament times, to the Emperor of the Roman Empire. … in its final end-time application, the “king of the north” is the prophesied strong man who will lead a coming union of ten European nations — the seventh and final revival of the ancient Roman Empire prophesied by Daniel and in the book of Revelation (see Revelation 17:12-13). (Stump K. THE ARAB WORLD IN PROPHECY. Plain Truth, December 1979)

When Europe has faced some additional crises, some there will be persuaded to support an autocratic leader.

That is what the Bible teaches.

The re-election of Donald Trump will serve to accelerate certain steps in Europe.

This will not end well for the USA, nor Canada, the UK, Australia, nor New Zealand (Daniel 8:24-25, 11:39; Isaiah 10:5-11). Nor, according to the Bible, will it end well for the Muslim nations  (cf. Daniel 11:40-43)–nor, ultimately for Europe itself (cf. Daniel 11:44-45; Revelation 17:14).

🔴Follow live updates as Donald Trump wins the US election, securing a second term in the White House 👇https://t.co/CN3D2ptIIM pic.twitter.com/qmRNhKJyEg

— Sky News (@SkyNews) November 6, 2024

COGwriter

According to the major media, Donald Trump won re-election. The reason that the headline of this post says, “Media declares Donald Trump won the election,” is because the final ratification technically is not until January. Anyway, here are some media reports:

Trump wins the White House in political comeback rooted in appeals to frustrated voters

November 6, 2024

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday, an extraordinary comeback for a former president …

“I want to thank the American people for the extraordinary honor of being elected your 47th president and your 45th president,” Trump told throngs of cheering supporters in Florida even before his victory was confirmed.

In state after state, Trump outperformed what he did in the 2020 election while Harris failed to do as well as Joe Biden did in winning the presidency four years ago. Upon taking office again, Trump also will work with a Senate that will now be in Republican hands, …

There will be far fewer checks on Trump when he returns to the White House. He has plans to swiftly enact a sweeping agenda that would transform nearly every aspect of American government. His GOP critics in Congress have largely been defeated or retired. Federal courts are now filled with judges he appointed. The U.S. Supreme Court, which includes three Trump-appointed justices, …

As he prepares to return to the White House, Trump has vowed to swiftly enact a radical agenda that would transform nearly every aspect of American government. That includes plans to launch the largest deportation effort in the nation’s history, …, to dramatically expand the use of tariffs and to again pursue a zero-sum approach to foreign policy that threatens to upend longstanding foreign alliances, including the NATO pact. https://apnews.com/article/election-day-trump-harris-white-house-83c8e246ab97f5b97be45cdc156af4e2

Trump vows to lead ‘golden age of America’ in victory speech: ‘Fix everything’

November 6, 2024

President-elect Donald Trump addressed his supporters in the nation early Wednesday morning after earning more than 270 electoral votes, vowing he will lead the “golden age of America” after launching the “greatest political movement of all time.”

“This was, I believe, the greatest political movement of all time. There’s never been anything like this in this country, and maybe beyond. And now it’s going to reach a new level of importance because we’re going to help our country heal,” Trump said just before 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

“We’re going to help our country here. We have a country that needs help, and it needs help very badly. We’re going to fix our borders. We’re going to fix everything about our country and we’ve made history for a reason tonight. And the reason is going to be just that. We overcame obstacles that nobody thought possible,” he added to cheers from the crowd.  …

Trump said that he will lead the “golden age of America” upon his inauguration.

“Every citizen, I will fight for you, for your family and your future. Every single day, I will be fighting for you. And with every breath in my body, I will not rest until we have delivered the strong, safe and prosperous America that our children deserve and that you deserve. This will truly be the golden age of America. That’s what we have to have. This is a magnificent victory for the American people that will allow us to make America great again,” he said. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-vows-lead-golden-age-america-victory-speech-fix-everything

So will Donald Trump fix everything that is wrong in the US?

No.

Before going into more about what is next, let’s also see a report from CBS regarding international matters:

Foreign leaders react as Donald Trump wins 2024 U.S. presidential election

November 6, 2024

From enthusiasm voiced by Israel’s leader as he wages an expanding, multi-front war to anxiety from some of America’s closest, generations-old European allies, the reaction to Trump’s election performance started rolling in long before the final votes were counted across the U.S. …

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered his congratulations to Trump on Wednesday, calling his election performance “history’s greatest comeback!” …

Ukraine’s war-time President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated Trump Wednesday for what he called an “impressive election victory,” … Zelenskyy offered no comment on Trump’s repeated vows to “quickly” end the nearly three-year war that began with Russia … Zelenskyy has warned that if the resolve of Ukraine’s Western backers crumbles and Russia is allowed to seize Ukrainian territory, the war his country is fighting could spread, with direct implications for Americans. …

Leonid Slutsky, who heads the Committee on International Affairs in Russia’s State Duma, or parliament, was quoted Wednesday by the country’s state-run RIA Novosti news agency as saying a Trump victory offered “a chance for a more constructive approach to the Ukrainian conflict.”

“Can we expect changes in approaches to the role of the U.S. in the Ukrainian conflict, which has been fueled by the Democratic administration since 2014? Judging by the election rhetoric (if it can still be believed), the Republican team is not going to send more and more American taxpayers’ money into the furnace of a proxy war against Russia,” Slutsky was quoted as saying. “Perhaps there is a chance for a more constructive approach here.” …

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer did his best Wednesday, despite a clear delineation between his own policies and those expected of another Trump administration, to maintain the decorum of the storied “special friendship” between the two nations. …

“As the closest of allies, we stand shoulder to shoulder in defense of our shared values of freedom, democracy and enterprise,” said Starmer, who came to power only months ago as Britain’s left-leaning Labour Party won national elections in a landslide after a decade and a half of Conservative Party rule.

“I know that the US-UK special relationship will continue to prosper on both sides of the Atlantic for years to come,” added Starmer. …

“Congratulations, President @realDonaldTrump,” France’s President Emmanuel Macron said in a brief statement posted on social media Wednesday. He declared his administration “ready to work together” again as it did during Trump’s first term in office, “with your convictions and mine. With respect and ambition. For more peace and prosperity.”

But an hour later, the French president issued another statement that hinted at the concerns he and many of his European colleagues are likely to share about Trump’s commitment to the transatlantic NATO alliance, America’s future backing of Ukraine in the war with Russia, and his stance on foreign import tariffs.

In his second tweet, Macron said he had just spoken with German Chancellor Olaf Sholz, and that the leaders of the EU’s two biggest economies had agreed to “work towards a more united, stronger, more sovereign Europe in this new context. By cooperating with the United States of America and defending our interests and our values.” …

Fatemeh Mohajerani, a spokesperson for Iran’s ruling Islamic regime, appeared on the country’s state-run TV network IRIB Wednesday and was quoted as dismissing the potential impact of Trump’s election victory amid her country’s standoff with the West over its support for armed proxy groups across the Middle East and its nuclear program.

“The election of the U.S. President is not relevant to us,” she said according to a translation of her remarks on state media. …

Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority that administers the Israeli-occupied West Bank, congratulated Trump on his reelection and wished him success. …

Basem Naim, a long-time senior figure in the Hamas regime that ruled over the Palestinian Gaza Strip for almost two decades before the group sparked the ongoing war with Israel with its unprecedented terrorist attack more than a year ago, called Trump’s reelection, “a private matter for the Americans,” but said in a statement Wednesday that “Palestinians look forward to an immediate cessation of the aggression against our people, especially in Gaza, and look for assistance in achieving their legitimate rights of freedom, independence, and the establishment of their independent self sovereign state with Jerusalem as its capital.” …

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated “my friend Donald Trump” Wednesday with a message posted on social media. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-us-election-2024-results-foreign-leaders-react-wars-ukraine-russia-israel/

As far as what is next, let’s first address some of the international matters the CBS report touched upon.

Donald Trump worked on a peace plan for the Middle East and likely will attempt to build upon it and/or change it. Based on Daniel 9:26-27, we know some type of a regional peace deal will be confirmed by a European “prince,” who will later be called the King of the North and later break that deal (Daniel 11:31-40). The timing of such a deal looks to be consistent with the next presidential term. If that deal is made and biblically confirmed by July of 2025, then the Great Tribulation could begin before the next presidential term ends. Otherwise, I do not expect the Great Tribulation to begin in the Trump-Vance Administration.

However, peace deals normally do not come until after war. While there are wars and rumors of wars in the Middle East, Israel has not be damaged to the point it looks to be ready for the deal of Daniel 9:27. Yet there is a prophecy in Isaiah 22:6-9 about an Iranian-led coalition that will cause great damage to Jerusalem. So, although Iran has stated the next US president is irrelevant, there are reports hinting that it is considering an attack consistent with Isaiah 22:6-9 relatively soon so as not to have to deal with Donald Trump, or perhaps to do so to spite him. Some in Iran have actually wanted Donald Trump to win as they have hope he might help overthrow the government in Iran (see Iran’s government wants to triple military spending, whereas many in Iran want Donald Trump to win election against Kamala Harris). Since the government of Iran does not wish to be overthrown, it may take military steps itself soon.

What about Ukraine?

In 2013 I posted that Russia would end up with at least some Ukrainian territory. That happened with the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014. In 2019, I posted that parts of eastern Ukraine would end up as part of Russia:

It remains my view that Crimea and at least parts of eastern Ukraine will ultimately align with Russia.

International sanctions will not stop biblical prophecies from being fulfilled.

(Thiel B. ‘Putin in Crimea as Russia Marks Five Years Since Annexation’ the ‘Kings of the Medes’ will arise. COGwriter 2019)

I also did a video a few days before Russia’s ‘Special Military Operation’ into Ukraine began where I again asserted that Russia would end up with Ukrainian territory (watch Russia, Ukraine, Babylonian Europe, and Prophecy). On September 30, 2022, Russia annexed Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia.

Under Donald Trump, I do NOT believe that Russia plans to give up Crimea or Eastern Ukraine. And while precise borders may change, the fact is that Russia has ended up with Ukrainian territories.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy knows this, and while he prefers a different outcome, there are biblical prophecies that peoples prophetically referred to as Medes will support Russia in the end times against the soon rising European Babylon (Isaiah 13:1, 17-19; Jeremiah 51:11). Since some in Russia and Ukraine are descended from the Medes, that is why I have asserted for over a decade that at least some in Ukraine would support Russia in the end and that at least parts of that land would support Russia.

What about Europe?

Notice that French President Macron said that he and the German Chancellor agreed to “work towards a more united, stronger, more sovereign Europe in this new context.” In other words, because Donald Trump won, they want Europe to be able to be separate from the US and be as strong militarily. Despite many European Union leaders despising Donald Trump, many privately wanted him to win in order to use his re-election as a catalyst for Europe’s military ambitions (see Landmark report states EU urgently needs to act on defense; With the possibility of a Donald Trump presidency, remember PESCO?). Europe was able to develop PESCO because of Donald Trump’s first term in office and Europe will 1) take more steps to develop PESCO 2) become more unified, and 3) take more steps to increase its military strength. Plus, Donald Trump will pressure Europe to spend more on its military.

This will NOT end well for the US per Isaiah 10:5-11 and Daniel 11:39. An “unintended consequence” of Donald Trump’s policies will be that one day the European Beast power will conquer the US, along with the UK, Canada, and at least indirectly Australia and New Zealand.

Furthermore, Donald Trump’s pointing to tariffs as the answer for US trade imbalances and manufacturing decline will incense the Europeans. Some type of trade war is coming. Europe will get more serious about trade deals with others internationally, such as being more motivated to approve the trade deal with the Mercosur block of South America.

Donald Trump previously pulled the US out of the Paris Climate Accords, but the Biden-Harris Administration rejoined that. Expect Donald Trump to pull the US out again. Unless he breaks that campaign promise. Pulling out makes the world in general, and the Europeans in particular, despise the US.

On what could be considered a related item, Donald Trump has promised more domestic oil and energy production. Unlike his tariff proposals, this would be anti-inflationary. But would also raise international concerns about pollution and the climate.

Now, what about Donald Trump’s assertion his administration will “fix everything about our country”?

That, of course, is nonsense.

Sin is the real cause of the problems facing the US and Donald Trump does not even know what sin is, hence how can he fix that?

He has never called for national repentance, nor according to him, has he ever actually repented.

That said, while Donald Trump did keep his promise and nominate anti-abortion leaning judges to the US Supreme Court, they were not as anti-abortion as they should have been. The sin of abortion will continue across much of the US.

Donald Trump vowed to be a friend of the LGBTQ+ crowd. And while his views on this were not as extreme as those held by the Biden-Harris Administration, remember that the Bible says that even condoning that behavior is “deserving of death” (Romans 1:18-32).

Donald Trump has supported the sin of pornography.

He is also covetous. The Bible teaches:

19 Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God. 20 And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. 21 Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. (Exodus 18:19-21)

Donald Trump is not a leader who could be called a man “of truth,” nor does he endorse God’s laws and statutes nor does the covetous Donald Trump hate covetousness.

Donald Trump lies a lot. He will lie more.

Donald Trump is a leader with a history of basically violating most, if not all, of the Ten Commandments.

But, he will oversee rises in US debt.

Donald Trump once stated:

I’m the king of debt. I love debt. (Egan M. Donald Trump: ‘I’m the king of debt.’ CNN, May 7, 2016)

The Bible warns that debt, and having to borrow from foreigners, is a curse that would hit those who received various biblical blessings as they became more disobedient (Deuteronomy 28:15,43-46).

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

On January 19, 2021, the debt had risen $27,752,835,868,445.35, the end of Donald Trump’s term. https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/datasets/debt-to-the-penny/debt-to-the-penny

Donald Trump’s Administration will raise debt and this will one day end in disaster for the US consistent with prophecies such as Habakkuk 2:6-8.

The price of gold will hit record highs against the US dollar. But it may first go down. While gold will have ups and downs, the Bible shows that one day it will have value when the US dollar is gone (cf. Daniel 11:39-43; Revelation 18).

There may be protests and violence in the US. This could get quite violent if he keeps his promise about deporting lots of illegal and other aliens.

At risk of repeat, the following (which is like what I posted here yesterday) shows warnings and predictions I made related to Donald Trump, mainly before he took office on January 20, 2017, that were at least partially fulfilled:

1. WARNING ONE: Donald Trump will offend the Europeans. FULFILLED.
2. WARNING TWO: Donald Trump’s election will be used to further push European unity. FULFILLED.
3. WARNING THREE: Increased civil unrest will come to the USA. FULFILLED.
4. WARNING FOUR: The fourth warning was that Donald Trump’s rise would encourage the Europeans to arm: FULFILLED–THOUGH MORE STEPS WILL TAKE PLACE.
5. WARNING FIVE: There is a fifth warning related to the fourth: Germany will want a stronger military. FULFILLED. FILLED–THOUGH MORE STEPS WILL TAKE PLACE.
6. WARNING SIX: Donald Trump’s views on climate change will cause problems with Europe. FULFILLED.
7. WARNING SEVEN: Donald Trump will be one that is involved in fulfilling 2 Timothy 3:1-5. FULFILLED.
8. WARNING EIGHT: Debt will increase under Donald Trump. FULFILLED.
9. WARNING NINE: Donald Trump may propose a peace deal consistent with Daniel 9:27. FULFILLED–THOUGH MORE STEPS WILL TAKE PLACE.
10. WARNING TEN: Donald Trump would support aspects of ecumenical unity. FULFILLED.
11. WARNING ELEVEN: People will call for Donald Trump’s impeachment. FULFILLED.
12. WARNING TWELVE: Donald Trump would encourage the rise of the final King of the South of biblical prophecy–a power involving peoples in the Middle East and North Africa. FULFILLED–THOUGH MORE STEPS WILL TAKE PLACE.
13. WARNING THIRTEEN: The rise of Donald Trump will confirm to various ones that the USA is in decline. FULFILLED.
14. WARNING FOURTEEN: Daily sacrifices will one day resume in Jerusalem (cf. Daniel 9:27; 11:31). PARTIALLY FULFILLED–STEPS IN PROCESS (Note: I did NOT post that the daily sacrifices would start during a Donald Trump Administration, only that they one day would need to start. The Trump Administration took steps that at least indirectly helped set the stage).
15. WARNING FIFTEEN: Donald Trump will support increased government surveillance. FULFILLED.
16. WARNING SIXTEEN: Donald Trump’s Administration would focus too much on China and not consider the military threat that Europe poses. FULFILLED.
17. WARNING SEVENTEEN: Donald Trump’s position on the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP) will assist China. FULFILLED.
18. WARNING EIGHTEEN: Mexico will look more towards Europe and less towards the USA on trade matters. AT LEAST PARTIALLY FULFILLED–THOUGH MORE STEPS WILL TAKE PLACE.
19. WARNING NINETEEN: His attitudes toward GMOs. FULFILLED.
20. WARNING TWENTY: The price of gold will hit record highs against the USA dollar. FULFILLED in July/August 2020–THOUGH OTHER RECORDS WILL TAKE PLACE.

Details related to the fulfillment of the above are in the article: Donald Trump in Prophecy.

For a 21st and 22nd item (as well as to show there were at least 20 items related to Donald Trump as number 14 and 20 are not directly related), it should be noted that I correctly wrote years ago that 1) The Great Tribulation would NOT begin in the first term of a Donald Trump Administration and 2) Armageddon would not start under the first term of a Donald Trump Administration (watch: Armageddon Will it come on Trump’s watch). There is also another to mention which happened while he was in office, that there would be negative consequences for the US dollar because of Donald Trump’s sanctions policies (watch from 2018: US Sanctions and Tariffs leading to New World Order?; watch from 2024: SWIFT end to the US dollar?).

Donald Trump will again do many of the things listed as warnings, etc. above.

Biblical prophecies will be fulfilled, and some will be the unintended (as well as intended) consequences of Donald Trump being in office (presuming he takes office and survives).

Update 11/10/24: We now have a related video in the English language:

14:48

Donald Trump – Now What?

Donald Trump won the election again. Will he fix everything wrong in America and bring in a golden age as he claims? Why or why not? What are concerns from the international community? Will Russia end up with territory that was once part of Ukraine? Might we see a regional war involving Iran? What about the peace deal of Daniel 9:26-27? Can the Great Tribulation begin in the next US presidential term? What are some of the 20+ predictions Dr. Thiel made before Donald Trump’s last presidential term that have been confirmed? Will US debt be a problem in the future per Habakkuk 2:6-9? What are some of the unintended consequences of a Donald Trump presidency? What about Europe? Dr. Thiel and Steve Dupuie go over these matters.

Here is a link to our video: Donald Trump – Now What?

Update 11/09/24: We now have a related video in the Spanish language:

Here is a link to a Spanish language version of this message: Donald trump y eventos para observar.

Some items of possibly related interest may include the following:

Donald Trump in Prophecy Prophecy, Donald Trump? Are there prophecies that Donald Trump may fulfill?  Are there any prophecies that he has already helped fulfill?  Is a Donald Trump presidency proving to be apocalyptic?  Two related videos are available: Donald: ‘Trump of God’ or Apocalyptic? and Donald Trump’s Prophetic Presidency.
Trump Presidency Magic 8 Ball or Bible Prophecy? BBC reported that one might as well use a ‘Magic Eight-Ball’ to try to predict what will happen in the remaining time of Donald Trump’s presidency. What is a ‘Magic Eight-Ball’? Dr. Thiel not only explains that, but also briefly goes over 10 biblically-based warnings he wrote would happen if Donald Trump were elected that have already began to come to pass. He also goes over something he wrote back in 2008 that the Trump presidency is also helping lead to fulfillment. Should you trust Bible prophecy or not? Dr. Thiel says that Bible prophecy can be trusted, despite the view of skeptics and others that either overlook or despise the Bible. This is a video.
Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse This 188 page book is for people truly interested in prophecies related to Donald Trump and the United States, including learning about several that have already been fulfilled and those that will be fulfilled in the future. The physical book can be purchased at Amazon for $12.99 from the following link: Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse.
Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse-Kindle Edition This electronic version of the 188 page print edition is available for only US$3.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Donald Trump and America’s Apocalypse-Kindle Edition.
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.

COGwriter

Many are not pleased with the results of the US election.

There are also many wars and rumors of war as well as troubles, like Jesus prophesied (Mark 13:6-8).

Yet, a better world is coming.

Christians are to believe that:

14 … Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. (Mark 1:14-15, KJV)

Notice the following from the old Worldwide Church of God written by the late evangelist Raymond McNair:

The Coming Millennium – Utopia at Last

Jesus Christ is about to return to usher in, on earth, His 1,000-year reign of peace, happiness and prosperity. What does the Bible say about that glorious time? … the word gospel means “good news” …

God’s Kingdom set up on earth

Jesus Christ will return to set up God’s Kingdom at the last moment before carnal man, under Satan’s sway, finally destroys himself (Matt. 24:21-22). If the Creator-Ruler of the universe didn’t intervene, not a single human being would be left alive on this earth.

The book of Revelation shows us what will happen when Christ returns to rule this world: “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years [the Millennium] should be fulfilled” (Rev. 20:1-3).

One of Christ’s first acts at His Second Coming will be to bind Satan so that the devil can no longer deceive the world (Rev. 12:9).

Then what will happen?

“And I saw thrones, and they [the saints] sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them… and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years [the Millennium]. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection [the resurrection of the saints, who will rule with Jesus Christ during the Millennium]. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign [on the earth] with him a thousand years” (Rev. 20:4-6).

Jesus promised that the saints — those who allow themselves to be ruled by God’s law, who overcome and who endure to the end — would be given power over the nations (Rev. 2:26-27, 3:21) and that they would reign with Him on the earth (Rev. 5:10, Dan. 7:27, 2:44).
Jesus will then be “Lord of lords, and King of kings” (Rev. 17:14). Zechariah prophesied that “the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one” (Zech. 14:9). Jesus’ headquarters will be in Jerusalem (Jer. 3:17), from which He and

His saints will rule the world.

At last — utopia!

God’s Kingdom — God’s Family — will rule this earth in true peace, prosperity and happiness. Let us notice some of the many scriptures that describe the coming wonderful world tomorrow.

With Satan bound — put in an abyss and restrained, for 1,000 years, from deceiving the nations — what will happen?

“He [Satan] who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth. The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing” (Isa. 14:6-7). Yes, the nations will break forth into singing when Satan is bound. The earth will finally know peace — no more strife or war.

God will then open, for the first time, the minds of all people to His truth (Isa. 25:7). God will begin to offer His Holy Spirit and salvation to mankind as a whole. Man’s very nature — his carnal, selfish orientation toward getting instead of giving — will be changed to God’s way of giving, serving, sharing, of having concern for others equal to or greater than concern for self (Jer. 31:31-34).

At last, God’s law will be written in the hearts and minds of all mankind, and crime, war, sickness and violence will vanish. Man will learn that obedience to God’s law pays big dividends.

Mankind will actually begin to seek God — will want to learn of and live by God’s way:

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains … and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law [of God], and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

“And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn war any more” (Isa. 2:2-4).

The prophet Micah adds this interesting detail: “But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it” (Mic. 4:4).

Today people live in constant fear of violence and crime from fellowman; nations live in dread of the nuclear mushroom cloud. But in the wonderful world tomorrow, “None shall make them afraid”!

Man will not only be at peace with his fellowman, but with nature itself. God will change the animals’ nature also:

“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed [together]; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice den.

“They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Isa. 11:6-9).

What a wonderful, utopian age is about to dawn on this planet!

A world of abundance

Revolutions will take place in agriculture and construction. Man will no longer be occupied with war and trying to harm his fellowman. Under the direction of Christ and the immortal rulers, man will be able to devote his energies to food production and rebuilding — properly — civilization. God will even change the weather and landscapes to promote man’s physical prosperity (Isa. 30:23-25).

Isaiah 35 gives further details about the Messiah’s reign:

“The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing… Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water… And an highway shall be there, and a way… of holiness” (verses 1-2, 5-8).

No more will thousands starve to death daily, while millions of others suffer malnutrition because of lack of food (Amos 9:13-15).

What a time of prosperity! Man will have abundant reason to rejoice (Jer. 31:12-13, 30:19).

During the Millennium, God’s people will show the nations of this earth how to build and how to restore, unlike today, when so many are bent on tearing down and destroying (Isa. 61:4).

Right religion and education

Under the training of Christ and God’s immortal, spirit-born children, man will finally learn and practice God’s way — the way to every abundant blessing. Religion and education will be inextricably intertwined (Isa. 30:20-21).

The immortal saints will be able to suddenly appear and rebuke anyone who goes the wrong way.

True religion will be enforced. Mankind will begin to keep all God’s laws, which will include observing His Sabbaths and Holy Days (lsa. 66:23-24, Zech. 14:16-19). Individuals who rebel against Christ’s rule will be dealt with swiftly and surely.

When man begins keeping God’s Holy Days, including the Feast of Tabernacles, he will learn that God’s festivals reveal God’s great master plan.

In addition, there will be no more confusion of tongues — the whole earth will be united with one language (Zeph. 3:9).

And during the Millennium Jesus Christ — God Himself — will dwell on earth, at Jerusalem, with mankind (Isa. 33:17-20, Joel 3:20-21). Jerusalem will truly become the “City of Peace” during the Millennium.

The whole world will rejoice

This earth cannot know true, lasting peace (lsa. 59:8) until the “Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6-7) returns to this planet and establishes His world-ruling government.

We are commanded to rejoice during our Feast of Tabernacles celebrations because this great Feast of Ingathering pictures the soon-coming Kingdom of God, when Christ will do just that.  …

When God restores His law and His way of life — His divine government — to this war-weary earth, then we shall have unprecedented peace, happiness, abundant health and worldwide prosperity. This wonderful world tomorrow — the 1,000-year rule of the Kingdom of God — will be a time of supreme rejoicing for all nations.

What a world that will be! (Good News, September 1982)

God’s Word has much more to say about what God’s Kingdom will be like. If you would like to know more, please read our free booklet, The Gospel of the Kingdom of God.

Now, notice something else put out by the old Worldwide Church of God:

You CAN Be Positive in Today’s World

Sure, there’s a better world coming In the future, but how can you stay positive in this evil age? The Bible tells!

Terrorism! Murder! Financial crises! War! Family breakups! Weather upsets! Famine! Pollution!

Every day, terrifying tragedies jump out at us in startling headlines from the front pages of our newspapers.

Just hearing the morning news is enough to make anyone start the day gloomy and pessimistic. Thinking only of today’s difficult times and the even more traumatic times to come can lead us into discouragement and despondency. While Jesus Christ tells us to watch world events (Luke 21:36), He also expects us to think and act in a positive manner. We should not become overwhelmed or dismayed by what we see happening or what we know is prophesied to strike the earth.

Paul, in Colossians 3:15, says, “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.”

God’s peace should reign supreme in our minds. We as God’s people are called to peace. Those whom God has called and chosen to be in His Family have the assurance that nothing can force them to fall prey to Satan.

Consider John 6:37 and 39: “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out…. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.”

Most people are in bondage to the uncertainty, fear, worry and anxiety of the times in which we live. The Christian is different. He has tranquility and peace of mind. Romans 8:15 explains, “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption [sonship] by which we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.'”

Formula for a right attitude

But does God simply tell us to have peace of mind, without telling us how? No indeed. In Philippians 4:8, God gives us a formula that, if followed, will guarantee that we stay in a positive frame of mind: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Authorized Version).

In other words, God wants us to focus our minds not on the negative side of this life, but on the positive.
Let’s examine this verse phrase by phrase, noting some examples in each area where Paul said we should direct our thoughts.

Focus on truth

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true…”

God’s promises are true and sure. In Psalms 119:160 we read that God’s Word is true in its entirety. God has revealed the purpose of life, that He is reproducing Himself and desires that every human being enter His Family (Romans 8:14-17).

In spite of the appalling conditions now prevalent in this world, God will soon restore health and well-being to humanity and make the earth a sparkling, magnificent gem (Isaiah 35). That is what is true!

It’s also true that humanity’s greatest enemy — death — will be abolished, and that all our loved ones will see God (I Corinthians 15:26).

One of Jesus Christ’s names, in fact, is True: “Then I saw heaven opened, and, behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True” (Revelation 19:11).

When we read the Bible we can know absolutely that whatever God has promised, He will do, because He speaks truth and cannot lie (Numbers 23:19). This should be a great comfort to us. There is never any need to doubt what God says.

“Whatsoever things are honest [or honorable]…”

Dishonesty is everywhere. People write checks knowing that they will bounce. Advertising is notorious for its exaggerated claims and outright falsehoods. Theft has reached into every person’s pocket.

But occasionally, when a little honesty comes to light — taxi driver returns a watch left by a passenger, for instance, or a dry cleaning worker hands in money found in a pocket — we see a little light in the darkness. Think what the world tomorrow will be like when similar examples will be the norm, not rare exceptions.

Now let’s turn to the other meaning of this phrase — “honorable.” What can you think of that is honorable?
Hebrews 13:4 tells us that the marriage union is honorable. If you are married, think of the ways you can honor your spouse and your marriage by giving of yourself.

The Bible tells us that anyone who fears God should be honored (Psalm 15:4).

The elderly couple who have reared fine children or led lives of service to others are worthy of honor (Proverbs 16:31). So is the young man or woman who shows character and clings to high values. Even the child who strives diligently to master long division is worthy of honor.

“Whatsoever things are just…”

In the Bible, the word just means far more than fair or equitable. It also refers to righteousness. God’s commandments are just (Romans 7:12), and are an excellent subject for meditation. David said that God’s law is perfect, sure, right and pure (Psalm 19:7-8), and that meditation on it made him wiser than his teachers. God’s laws and statutes are excellent subjects to think on, for God’s commandments reveal just what a righteous and just God He is.

In God’s Kingdom, Jesus Christ will rule justly. We can look forward to disputes being settled justly, whether among nations or individuals, for God can read the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Notice the attitude of the world’s coming ruler , Jesus Christ: “His delight is in the fear of the Lord, and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears; but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth” (Isaiah 11:3-4).

Under God’s rule, humanity will receive the benefits of its labor. No human or government will take away that which rightfully belongs to any individual. Imagine how wonderful the world will be when everyone can rest assured that his problem will be resolved justly.

“Whatsoever things are pure…”

Purity means clarity or freedom from anything that weakens or pollutes. And what is the most important thing of all for anyone to keep pure? Character.

Developing pure character — the courage and conviction to find out what is right and the will and ability to do what is right, despite temptations to compromise — is the very purpose for which man was put on the earth.

Pure love and friendship are hard to find in this era of me-first attitudes. But we can learn to love with purity, without reservation or deceit.

I Peter 1:22 states, “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart.”

I Timothy 1:5 reads, “Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart.” Keeping God’s commandments leads to being able to love with pure motives.

“Whatsoever things are lovely…”

God’s creation is the quintessence of loveliness. The majesty of the Rocky Mountains of North America, the Alps of Europe and New Zealand, the fjords of Scandinavia, lift the spirit. Think of the spectacularly or subtly beautiful places you have seen, either in person or in pictures.

Many of humanity’s highest works and achievements can also be called truly beautiful. Learn to admire and enjoy beauty and loveliness in art, literature, poetry, dress, ornament and music. Enjoy what is lovely now, anticipating the time when God will make the earth a lovely place to live, a place where beauty will be perfected.

“Whatsoever things are of good report…”

Remember what God said about His Son Jesus when John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River? “And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased'” (Matthew 3:17). Words of praise and appreciation from a parent or respected person are like music to a son’s or a daughter’s ears.

Rejoice when others succeed, not when they fail. And don’t forget that there’s potential for success in all people. God likes to hear good reports of His people. He has planned for everyone to receive a good report at Jesus’ return if they accept His way.
What else is of good report? The work of God is growing all over the world. The true Gospel of God’s Kingdom is reaching more people now than ever before, adding hope and happiness to these people’s lives every day. That’s definitely a good report.

How encouraging to think of what God is accomplishing!

“If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise…”

How often do we count our blessings? Do we praise God for what we have? We may not have perfect health, but we can be encouraged by the strength and hope that others, with even more serious problems, show. Remember the man who complained that he had no shoes?

He changed his attitude when he saw a man who had no feet.

God is to be praised for all He has done for us. Read the Psalms, for instance. They are full of words of praise for the great God who made heaven and earth.

As a person thinks…

Philippians 4:8 ends with the admonition, “Think on these things.”

Thought leads to action. Dwelling upon sinful pleasures leads to sin, but a positive approach to life leads to success.

David had a positive approach toward his battle with Goliath. He understood what Proverbs 23:7 explains: “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” David knew that he could beat the Philistine giant because he had faith God was on his side. He didn’t let negative thoughts about Goliath’s size and power deter him.

In his match with Goliath, David was battling for his physical life. We are in a similar battle, but our eternal life is at stake.

Satan would like to have us feel it is useless to go on. He would like us to think only on the hopelessness of this world. If he can get us into a negative frame of mind, he can destroy us!

But God is on our side with a full arsenal of spiritual weapons!

As Christians we are to be lights to the world (Matthew 5:14-16). We must stand positive about the future and the ultimate destiny of humankind. (Adair C. Good News, March 1985)

As far as some information on the good news of the coming Kingdom of God, the Continuing Church of God put out the following sermon on its ContinuingCOG channel:

1:12:03

Utopia: From Humans or God?

Is utopia possible? Will humans bring it about? Are we about to go from a time of chaos to a time of humanitarian peace? Will climate change policies result in equity? Will gender fluidity and reproductive rights lead to peace? What about the World Council of Churches, the Vatican, the ecumenical/interfaith movement? Was the United Nation’s the last real hope for human peace? Should we expect the ‘great reset’ to be the answer? What about a possible European utopia? Is a time of peace going to come? What about the Kingdom of God? Will it be a millennium of peace? Is it really real? Can a church-state combination bring in a time of abundance, peace, and prosperity? Will the kingdom of God be based on law and God’s governance? Who will teach people in the millennium? Will the nations of this world be angry when Jesus returns? Can you count on the coming millennium utopia from God? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more.

Here is a link to our sermon: Utopia: From Humans or God?

No matter what views you have on politics and elections, a better world is coming.

Remember, Jesus said;

25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

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. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:25-34)

Yes, put your focus on the coming Kingdom of God.

Some additional items of possibly related interest may include:

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.
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 titledWhen Does the 6000 Years End? 2031? 2035? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
Should a Christian Vote? This article gives some of the Biblical rationale on this subject. Would Jesus vote for president/prime minister? Is voting in the Bible? This is a subject Christians need to understand. A video of related interest is available titled: Should Christians Vote? Another video is Biden, Trump, and the Bible.
Should the Church Still Try to Place its Top Priority on Proclaiming the Gospel or Did Herbert W. Armstrong Change that Priority for the Work? Some say the Church should mainly feed the flock now as that is what Herbert W. Armstrong reportedly said. Is that what he said? Is that what the Bible says? What did Paul and Herbert W. Armstrong expect from lower level leaders? Two related sermons are available The Work per HWA and the Bible and Priority of the Philadelphia Work.

Vladimir Putin (Kremiln.ru)

COGwriter

NewsMax published the following:

Putin to West: Russia Committed to Mutually Beneficial Cooperation

November 5, 2024

President Vladimir Putin told Western ambassadors Tuesday that Russia remained committed to mutually beneficial cooperation, but wanted a fair world order.

Putin, who met newly appointed ambassadors from across the world, including Japan, Canada and Israel, said Russia was against “illegal” sanctions and restrictions.

But Russia would use all possible means in response to a potential NATO aggression, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in remarks reported by RIA news agency Tuesday.

“Nobody will be safe, neither those across the Atlantic, nor those across the English channel,” Lavrov said in an interview. https://www.newsmax.com/world/globaltalk/peace-war-russia/2024/11/05/id/1186709/

It looks like Vladimir Putin is again making a pitch to the West in general, as well as probably specifically to the winner of the US Presidential election, that there is a choice: either cooperate with Russia to make the world a better place or fight and lose safety.

Notice also something that Russia’s Foreign Minister said:

5 November 2024

The hybrid war being waged by the US and its allies against Russia is hurting the world’s poorest nations the most and backfiring on Washington, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has argued. …

By struggling to preserve its “privileged position,” Washington is “chopping down the branch on which it sits” and “destroying the system of globalization that they have fostered and promoted to the world,” according to Lavrov.

“The dollar, which for decades has been advertised to us as the common property of all mankind, has been turned into a weapon of oppression and punishment against geopolitical competitors and dissenters. In doing so, they have essentially written a sentence for the dollar as a global reserve currency and a means of international settlement,” Lavrov said.

Last month, at the BRICS Summit in Kazan, President Vladimir Putin noted that Washington has made a “big mistake” by weaponizing the dollar. In pursuing de-dollarization, Moscow is not trying to undermine the US currency but is merely “forced to look for alternatives” in trade with its partners, he stressed.

“The United States itself is withdrawing the dollar from circulation, as more countries begin to fear that they may be next. No one knows what they can be punished for,” Lavrov noted on Monday, recalling Putin’s words. …

Over the past ten years, Russia has faced more than 21,000 sanctions across various sectors, from economics and trade to culture and sports, according to Lavrov. Russian financial institutions were largely cut off from the Western system in 2022 in response to Russia’s military operation in Ukraine. As a result, Moscow has accelerated trade with international partners using their national currencies, a trend increasingly supported by BRICS members, who have shifted away from using the dollar and euro for trade settlements. https://www.rt.com/russia/607000-lavrov-us-dollar-sentence-sanctions/

The US keeps hurting itself with its sanctions and other weaponizations of its dollar (watch also our new video SWIFT end to the US dollar?).

Now, let’s look at something a couple of years ago from Sergei Lavrov:

Russian foreign minister says Russia’s war with Ukraine is ‘meant to put an end’ to US world domination and NATO expansion …

April 11, 2022

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Monday that Russia’s unprovoked war with Ukraine was “meant to put an end” to US-led global domination and the expansion of NATO, a report said.

“Our special military operation is meant to put an end to the unabashed expansion [of NATO] and the unabashed drive towards full domination by the US and its Western subjects on the world stage,” Lavrov told the state-owned television news channel Rossiya 24, according to a translation from the Russian state-run media outlet RT.

Additionally, Lavrov accused the US of international-law violations over what he said were America’s attempts to impose its own “rules-based international order,” according to the report.

“This domination is built on gross violations of international law and under some rules, which they are now hyping so much and which they make up on a case-by-case basis,” Lavrov said during the interview, RT reported. https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-foreign-minister-says-ukraine-war-meant-stop-us-domination-2022-4

The USA has almost always had some type of sanctions on Soviet and post-Soviet Russia since shortly after the end of World War II

The statements from Russia’s President and Foreign Minister show that Russia is determined to reduce USA domination of itself and the rest of the world.

Whether or not the leadership of the US will listen, one day Europe will, to a degree, anyway.

Back in 1962, notice something that the old Radio Church of God published:

United within the ancient boundaries of the Holy Roman Empire; united by the common spiritual bond of universal Catholicism; united in a burgeoning and booming industrial economy that dominates today’s world; united geographically in the most productive and industrial complex of all the earth — at least TEN NATIONS OF MODERN EUROPE WILL MARCH ONTO THE SCENE OF WORLD HISTORY AS THE GREATEST SINGLE HUMAN FORCE EVER SEEN BY MAN! This United Europe will form a nonaggression pact or political alignment of some sort with the Soviet East. …

Modern Europe is counseling and making treaties and alliances and agreements to conquer this earth! … Germany, those living in Germany, even the German government, may not yet know that they are going to join in a treaty with the Russians to destroy the United States and bring it to its knees-it is not in his “heart” to think so, but on the other hand it IS in his “heart” to destroy-the very characteristic of the Assyrian, the modern German, is a harsh, cruel, iron, dedication to militarism and destruction! …

MAN’S ONLY HOPE LIES IN TURNING TO HIS CREATOR GOD!

“At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom. to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, TURN FROM THEIR EVIL, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them… Behold, I frame evil against YOU, and devise a device against YOU: return ye now EVERY ONE from his evil way and make your ways and your doings good!” (Jer. 18:7, 8, 11).

The case of America and Great Britain is hopeless! (Hill DJ,What is Germany’s Destiny? Plain Truth, March 1962, pp. 28-29)

The German people are now asking themselves: “Can we rely on the Americans and British?” … These questions lead to the logical conclusion that maybe the only people the Germans can rely on themselves. They are now thinking: “Perhaps we can strike a better bargain with the Russians ourselves.” …

Once a German-dominated Europe is fully established, Germany will be ready to negotiate and bargain with Russia- and behind the backs of the Western Allies if necessary. …

When will a Russo-German deal be made? Here is a quotation from a circular letter issued in September, 1950 by the Nazi Geo-political Center in Madrid:

“However long we may continue to milk the Americans of millions of dollars, there must come the inevitable moment when we shall have to make it crystal clear to them that we are not willing to join the fight against Russia for American interests … (Germany Plots with the Kremlin by T H. Terens, p. 15). …

Most Americans and Britons are not aware of what Germany and Europe are planning against them. This is partly due to the cunning of German. politics. …

World events are moving swiftly toward the climax when Great Britain and the United. States will be attacked, conquered and DESTROYED! (Boraker R. Are the Germans Secretly Dealing with Moscow? Plain Truth, May 1962, pp. 45-47)

It has long been my view that Russia will make a deal with the Europeans.

That being said, the USA-British dominated world order is going to come to an end.

While Russia, on its own, is not prophesied to make that happen, Russia’s public statements show it wants that to happen.

Other nations, who have not recently been so vocal about it, want the end of USA-UK dominance as well.

And that will come to pass (cf. Daniel 8:24-25; 11:39: Isaiah 17:3).

Some items of possibly related interest may include the following:

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.
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?