Author Archive

Debt increasing budget passed, there are risks according to Ray Dalio and the Book of Habakkuk

Saturday, March 15th, 2025


(Unsplash photo)

COGwriter

Donald Trump and various others in the USA are pleased that a debt-laden bill passed the US Senate:

Senate passes stopgap funding bill

March 15, 2025

The Senate passed a stopgap funding bill Friday to avoid a government shutdown. The measure funds federal agencies through September. Ten Senate Democrats supported the bill, exposing divisions within a party struggling over how to best push back against President Donald Trump’s agenda. https://www.cbsnews.com/video/senate-passes-stopgap-funding-bill/

President Donald Trump on Friday congratulated Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for “doing the right thing” by backing the Republican-led bill to avert a government shutdown, a choice that’s put the New York Democrat at odds with many in his party. https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/03/14/congress/trump-congratulates-schumer-00230577

March 14, 2025

But the effect of the agreement is to continue federal spending at the same exaggerated level that has recently prompted outrage from debt hawks.  …

Rep. Thomas Massie (R., Ky.) was the only House GOP member to vote against the continuing resolution. He argued it merely extended President Joe Biden’s spending levels and said that Republicans have continued to kick the can on significant cuts to discretionary spending.

“The closer you get to the next election, the less spine these people have,” Massie said in a video posted to X earlier this week. “I hope there is a fight to cut spending. I just don’t see it.” https://www.barrons.com/articles/ai-stocks-nvidia-amazon-microsoft-coreweave-ipo-ddee09ff

The USA is drowning in debt, but many do not realize that.

A couple of days before this bill passed the US Senate, Ray Dalio put out a warning. Fortune reported the following:

If you think the current outlook is bad, just wait until the White House can’t find anyone to buy its debt, warns Ray Dalio

March 12, 2025

Ray Dalio warns the U.S. faces an imminent debt crisis as its debt-to-GDP ratio climbs past 122%, with experts worried foreign buyers will pull back or raise interest payments, making borrowing unsustainable. He suggests drastic measures may be needed, including debt restructuring, political pressure on buyers, and potentially cutting payments to certain countries. … what will rock the boat is America’s national debt, Ray Dalio has warned, and it’s a crisis coming down the pipe “imminently.”

Speaking at CONVERGE LIVE in Singapore, the Bridgewater founder explained, “We have a very severe supply and demand problem. Some people think we’ll handle it because we’ve handled it so far. I don’t think they understand the mechanics of debt.”

What is concerning experts like Dalio now more so than in the past is America’s debt-to-GDP ratio: the amount Uncle Sam owes in comparison to the value of its output and hence, how capable it is to repay its debts.

In 2013, Amercia’s debt went beyond the value of what it produces and, at the time of writing, has risen to 122% of GDP, per the St Louis Fed.

This figure is also set to swing even higher—a sweep made all the more dramatic by the increasing burden of interest payments required to bankroll the debt. …

Dalio continued that, at some point, the U.S. will have to “sell a quantity of debt that the world is not going to want to buy.” This is an “imminent” scenario of “paramount importance,” Dalio said.

The man worth $16.2 billion isn’t the only economic expert to have this opinion. https://fortune.com/2025/03/12/national-debt-burden-ray-dalio-foreign-government-pressure/

Regarding the USA’s debt situation, Nick Giambruno wrote the following last September, where he also quoted Ray Dalio:

The Debt Spiral Crosses the Point of No Return …

Drowning in a Stadium

Imagine you’re sitting in a large sports stadium that is completely watertight. A single drop of water is placed in the middle of the stadium, and the amount of water then doubles every minute.

At first, the growth seems slow. You won’t even be able to notice the water until it’s almost too late.

Let’s say it takes 48 minutes for the stadium to become full of water. At 47 minutes, the stadium would only be half full, and at 46 minutes, it would only be a quarter full, and so on.

By the time you become aware of the water’s presence, you are only a few minutes away from drowning.

The stadium and chessboard examples are metaphors to illustrate the power of exponential growth.

With exponential growth, things can seem under control or manageable for a long time. Then, an inflection point is reached, and the situation rapidly becomes overwhelming, growing to unimaginable scales.

Exponential growth is a concept that is initially deceptive because humans are more accustomed to recognizing linear growth rather than exponential patterns.

That’s precisely why many people are missing what could be the most important financial trend of the decade.

The Debt Spiral

Ray Dalio is one of the world’s most successful hedge fund managers.

His success is due to his consistent ability to get the Big Picture right.

He recently said this:

“We are at a point in which we are borrowing money to pay debt service.

When you keep having debt growth faster than income growth, that means you have debt service encroaching on your spending, and you want to keep spending at the same time.

As that happens, there is a need to get more and more into debt. It accelerates.

We are at the point of that acceleration. We are near that inflection point.”

Dalio is warning about the explosive nature of the US government’s compounding debt situation. …

The financial position of the US government has been gradually deteriorating for decades, so it’s not surprising that many people are complacent. They’ve long heard about the debt problem, and nothing has happened.

However, it is now reaching the tipping point.

That’s because the US government is now borrowing money to pay the interest on the money it has already borrowed, as Dalio noted. Politicians are adding more debt to solve the problems of prior debt.

It’s creating a self-perpetuating doom loop.

It will result in the total debt growing not linearly but exponentially.

The debt increases at a faster rate over time because it is compounding.

Each calculation period adds more interest to the total amount owed, which requires more borrowing and causes a larger interest expense. …

Dalio says the US is near the inflection point where the debt growth will accelerate and explode into previously unimaginable levels.

I think he is correct, and that has enormous implications.  …

But I’m not just talking about a stock market crash or a currency collapse…

It’s something much bigger… with the potential to alter the fabric of society forever.

It’s created an economic situation unlike we’ve ever seen before, and it’s all building up to a severe crisis on multiple fronts.

It could all go down soon… and it won’t be pretty.  09/10/24 https://internationalman.com/articles/the-debt-spiral-crosses-the-point-of-no-return/

Yes, the US debt is rising and is dangerous.

Ray Dalio keeps warning that foreigners will not want the US debt–that is consistent with prophecies in the Bible.

Debt will end in disaster for the USA.

The time will come, according to Bible prophecy, when the nations of the world will no longer accept the pledges (US Treasury Bills and Notes) of the indebted one:

2 Then the Lord answered me and said:

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

Notice that the word of God states it will tarry, take a while, but the results will surely come. And that the result is that people should run (flee) because of it.

Here are some details about what is coming and why:

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

Please pay attention to the fact that that above is a prophecy for the appointed time of the end–essentially the time of the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21). The USA has been accumulating pledges in the form of US Treasury bonds and notes, and is the most indebted nation of all time. It is descendants of Israel, like the USA, that are prophesied to have debt issues with foreigners if they turn from God’s laws (cf. Deuteronomy 28:43-44)–that is consistent with Habakkuk 2:6-8. The above prophecy is NOT a reference to the nation calling itself Israel as it has nothing compared to USA debt.

As far as how much the USA is indebted to foreigners, notice the following:

Foreign creditors already hold a net claim of $22.5 trillion (and growing) on U.S. assets. Many of these creditors will be inclined to sell American stocks and bonds rather than buy more — especially if they are encouraged by Trump to raise cash to buy American exports. Foreign producers who, for decades, have exchanged their manufactured goods for American stocks and bonds would stop reinvesting export earnings. (Amoss D. From Biden to Trump: Navigating the Economic Ship Through Troubled Waters. Jim Rickard’s Strategic Intelligence, December 2024, p. 10)

The USA has been setting itself up for the penalties prophesied by Habakkuk.

Consider that the prophecy in Habakkuk says what will happen is so bad, that people should run who read it. That is, they should seriously consider what this means and take the appropriate steps.

Foreign creditors will rise up.

The Bible clearly warns that an indebted people will be destroyed by people whose language that they do not understand, and that the destruction will be fairly total:

43 The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. 44 He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail. 45 Moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you, until you are destroyed…47 “Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, 48 therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the LORD will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you. 49 The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand, 50 a nation of fierce countenance, which does not respect the elderly nor show favor to the young. 51 And they shall eat the increase of your livestock and the produce of your land, until you are destroyed; they shall not leave you grain or new wine or oil, or the increase of your cattle or the offspring of your flocks, until they have destroyed you. 52 They shall besiege you at all your gates until your high and fortified walls, in which you trust, come down throughout all your land; and they shall besiege you at all your gates throughout all your land which the LORD your God has given you (Deuteronomy 28:43-45,47-52).

7 The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender. (Proverbs 22:7)

13 And the Lord said, “Because they have forsaken My law which I set before them, and have not obeyed My voice, nor walked according to it, 14 but they have walked according to the dictates of their own hearts…16 I will scatter them also among the Gentiles, whom neither they nor their fathers have known. And I will send a sword after them until I have consumed them.” (Jeremiah 9:13,14a,16)

12 One-third of you shall die of the pestilence, and be consumed with famine in your midst; and one-third shall fall by the sword all around you; and I will scatter another third to all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them. (Ezekiel 5:12)

Most will not believe, but that was expected:

6 “Don’t say such things,” the people respond. “Don’t prophesy like that. Such disasters will never come our way!” (Micah 2:6, New Living Translation)

16 … You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel, And do not spout against the house of Isaac.’ (Amos 7:16)

People will not want to hear or believe! See also Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word.

Watch also the following:

14:44 

And the Debt Goes On…

Here is a link to our video: And the Debt Goes On…

The amount of debt increase has been accelerating.

While many hope that Donald Trump and his team will change that, the Bible is clear that the USA will be taken over (cf. Daniel 11:39) and debt will be a factor per Habakkuk 2:6-8.

The Bible also tells of a time when the most faithful will flee (Revelation 12:14-17)–but also that people should be “gathered together” before that happens (Zephaniah 2:1-3).

More on that can be found in the article: There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Near Petra.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Near Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety,’ Zephaniah 2 to ‘gather together,’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on fleeing to a place–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory. Two sermon-length videos of related interest are available Physical Protection During the Great Tribulation and Might Petra be the Place of Safety?  Here are two related items in the Spanish language: Hay un lugar de seguridad para los Filadelfinos. ¿Puede ser Petra? and Existe un Lugar de Seguridad.
The End of US Dollar Dominance Is the USA losing its economic status? What about the petro-gold-yuan? A related video is also available: US Dollar being challenged by Gold-Petro-Yuan.
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?
Spiritual Samaritans: Old and New Who were the Samaritans? Do the represent true Christianity or something else? Here is a link to a related sermon: USA in Prophecy: Samaria.Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses Can you point to scriptures, like Daniel 11:39, that point to the USA in the 21st century? This article does. Two related sermon are available: Identifying the USA and its Destruction in Prophecy and Do these 7 prophesies point to the end of the USA?
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin? A related sermon is also available: The Bible, the USA, and the King of the West.
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?  Three related videos are available: Donald: ‘Trump of God’ or Apocalyptic? and Donald Trump’s Prophetic Presidency and Donald Trump and Unintended Consequences.

Sermon: How is God One? Creeds?

Saturday, March 15th, 2025

COGwriter

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

1:12:47

The Bible teaches that God is one. The Bible also uses plural terms for the Godhead. How is God one? Is God one being like the unitarians teach? One trinity like many believe? Or is God one family, consisting of the Father and Son, with true Christians to be born into that family after the resurrection? What are the oldest ‘creeds’? Were the earliest creeds binitarian or trinitarian? Was what is called the ‘Nicene Creed’ original? What about the ‘Creed of Lucian’? Do scholars admit that the Bible supports a binitarian or trinitarian view of the Godhead? What about early leaders considered to be saints by the Greco-Roman Catholics? Do the Hebrew scriptures and the words of Jesus teach that in a marriage, two people are one? Does God want godly offspring? Is Jesus Melchizedek, our High Priest, and the Rock of Matthew 16? Did John Chrysostom teach that the “keys” were given to the Apostle John? Could there be two ‘Yahwehs’? Dr. Thiel covers these matters and more in his third sermon covering the mysteries of God.

Here is a link to our sermon video: How is God One? Creeds?

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Mysteries of God. What is God? Is God omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent? Does the Godhead consist of a closed trinity or an expanding family? Here are links to related sermons: Mysteries: Is God Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and Omniscient? and Where Did God Come From? What Does God Look Like? and How is God One? Creeds?
The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN: Why Did God Create Anything? Why did God make you? This free online book helps answers some of the biggest questions that human have, including the biblical meaning of life. Here is a link to three related sermons: Mysteries of God’s Plan, Mysteries of Truth, Sin, Rest, Suffering, and God’s Plan, and The Mystery of YOU.
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. Here is a video in Spanish: ¿Qué es un verdadero cristiano?
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.
Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences.
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
Faith for Those God has Called and Chosen What is faith? Can faith be increased? Are you saved by faith? What about works? Do Christians need to keep the Ten Commandments? What is the ‘faith chapter’? How do the just live by faith? Is faith one of the weightier matters of the law? How does faith come? Marque aquí para ver el pdf folleto: Fe para aquellos que Dios ha llamado y escogido. In German: Glaube für die von Gott Berufenen und Auserwählten. In French: La Foi pour ceux que Dieu a Appelés et Choisis. Here is a link to a related sermon titled: Faith for the Called and Chosen.and here is a link to another sermon Faith and Courage. Here is a link to shorter version of the written article in Mandarin Chinese 一篇关于信仰的小文章. Here are links to the sermons Christian Faith and Increasing Faith.
Prayer: What Does the Bible Teach? This free booklet contains 28 biblically-based tips on improving the effectiveness of your prayers. This is a pdf. A related two part sermon is available: What Does the Bible Teach About Prayer? and What does the Bible Teach About Prayer (& Healing)?
Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is a link to a related sermon: Could God be Calling You? A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?

Proof Jesus is the Messiah This free book has over 200 Hebrew prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus. Plus, His arrival was consistent with specific prophecies and even Jewish interpretations of prophecy. Here are links to seven related sermons: Proof Jesus is the Messiah, Prophecies of Jesus’ birth, timing, and death, Jesus’ prophesied divinity, 200+ OT prophecies Jesus filled; Plus prophecies He made, Why Don’t Jews Accept Jesus?, Daniel 9, Jews, and Jesus, and Facts and Atheists’ Delusions About Jesus
Is God’s Existence Logical? Is it really logical to believe in God? Yes! Would you like Christian answers to give atheists? This is a free online booklet that deal with improper theories and musings called science related to the origin of the origin of the universe, the origin of life, and evolution. Two animated videos of related interest are also available: Big Bang: Nothing or Creator? and A Lifegiver or Spontaneous Evolution?
Universal OFFER of Salvation, Apokatastasis: Can God save the lost in an age to come? Hundreds of scriptures reveal God’s plan of salvation Will all get a fair chance at salvation? This free book is packed with scriptures showing that God does intend to offer salvation to all who ever lived–the elect in this age, and the rest in the age to come. Here is a link to a related sermon series: Universal Offer of Salvation 1: Apocatastasis, Universal Offer of Salvation 2: Jesus Desires All to be Saved, Mysteries of the Great White Throne Judgment (Universal Offer of Salvation part 3), Is God Fair, Will God Pardon the Ignorant?, Can God Save Your Relatives?, Babies, Limbo, Purgatory and God’s Plan, and ‘By the Mouth of All His Holy Prop
hets’.
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.
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
CCOG.ORG Continuing Church of God The group striving to be most faithful amongst all real Christian groups to the word of God. There are links to literature is about 100 different languages there.
Congregations of the Continuing Church of God This is a listing of congregations and groups of the Continuing Church of God around the world.
Continuing Church of God Facebook page This has news and prophetic information.
Continuing Church of God, Africa, Facebook page This has news and prophetic information.
Continuing Church of God, Canada, Facebook page This has news and prophetic information.
Continuing Church of God, Europe, Facebook page This has news and prophetic information.
CCOG.AFRICA This is a website targeted towards those in Africa.
CCOG.ASIA We in the Continuing Church of God also have the url www.ccog.asia which has a focus on Asia and has various articles in Mandarin Chinese as well as some in English, plus some items in other Asian languages. 我们在继续神的教会也提供此网址 www.ccog.asia, 关注于亚洲并且有各种各样的中英文文章,其中一些用菲律宾语翻译的文章也正在进行中,准备添加到这个网站中。 Here is a link to our Statement of Beliefs in Mandarin Chinese 继续神的教会的信仰声明.
CCOG.IN This is a website targeted towards those of Indian heritage. It has a link to an edited Hindi translation of The Mystery of the Ages and is expected to have more non-English language materials in the future.
CCOG.EU This is a website targeted toward Europe. It has materials in more than one language (currently it has English, Dutch, and Serbian, with links also to Spanish) and it is intended to have additional language materials added.
CCOG.NZ This is a website targeted towards New Zealand and others with a British-descended background.
CCOGCANADA.CA This is a website targeted towards those in Canada.
CDLIDD.ES La Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios. This is the Spanish language website for the Continuing Church of God.
CG7.ORG This is a website for those interested in the Sabbath and churches that observe the seventh day Sabbath.
PNIND.PH Patuloy na Iglesya ng Diyos. This is the Philippines website Continuing Church of God. It has information in English and Tagalog.
CCOG Animations YouTube channel. The Continuing Church of God has some animations to teach aspects of Christian beliefs. Also available at BitChute COGAnimations https://www.bitchute.com/channel/coganimations/
Bible News Prophecy channel. Dr. Thiel has produced hundreds of videos for the BibleNewsProphecy channel. You can find them at them on YouTube at BibleNewsProphecy https://www.youtube.com/user/BibleNewsProphecy, plus also on Vimeo at Bible News Prophecy https://vimeo.com/channels/biblenewsprophecy as well as on Brighteon Bible News Prophecy https://www.brighteon.com/channel/ccogbnp and Bitchute Prophecy https://www.bitchute.com/channel/prophecy/
CCOGAfrica channel. This has messages from African pastors in African languages such as Kalenjin, Kiswahili, Embu, and Dholuo. Also available at BitChute COGAfrica https://www.bitchute.com/channel/cogafrica/
CDLIDDSermones channel. This contains messages in the Spanish language
BibleNewsProphecy Podcast. This has audio-visual podcasts of the Bible News Prophecy channgel. It plays on i-Phones, i-Pads, and Windows devices that can play i-Tunes.
Bible News Prophecy online radio. This is an audio version of the Bible News Prophecy videos. It is also available as a mobile app.
Bible News Prophecy International radio. This has links to our non-English language online radio station as well as materials in multiple languages.
ContinuingCOG channel. Dr. Thiel has produced scores of YouTube video sermons for this channel. Note: Since these are sermon-length, they can take a little longer to load than other YouTube videos. Also available at BitChute COGTube https://www.bitchute.com/channel/cogtube/
Study the Bible Course A free online course to help you learn and study the word of God.
Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of GodContend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3, NKJV), “Let brotherly love (Philadelphia) continue” (Hebrews 13:1) ” & continuing stedfastly in the teaching of the apostles” (Acts 2:42 YLT). So, what does that really mean in terms of specific beliefs–the Statement gives answers? Here is a related link in Spanish/español: Declaración de las Doctrinas de la Continuación de la Iglesia de Dios. Here is a related link in Tagalog: Paglalahad ng Mga Paniniwala ng Patuloy na Iglesya ng Diyos. Here is a related link in Mandarin Chinese ~ç~íy^v„eYOv„OáNðXðf. Here is a related link in Kiswahili: KATIKA LUGHA YA KISWAHILI. Here is a related link in Dutch: Verklaring van geloofspunten van de Continuing Church of God. Here is a related link in Deutsche (German): Glaubenserklärung der Continuing Church of God. Here is a related link in Italiano: Dichiarazione del Credo della Continuing Church of God. Here is related link in the French language: Déclaration des croyances de L’Église Continue de Dieu. Here is a related link in the Chichewa language: ZIKHULUPIRIRO ZA MPINGO WA CONTINUING CHURCH OF GOD. Here is a link in Romanian: Declarația de credințe a continuării Bisericii lui Dumnezeu. Here is a link in Portuguese: Declaração de Crenças da Continuação da Igreja de Deus. Here is a link in Russian: Утверждение верований о продолжении Церкви Божьей. Here is a link to a related English-language sermon: Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God.

Is Germany implementing Orwellian ‘1984’ or communist totalitarianism?

Friday, March 14th, 2025


Front Cover of the First (1949) Edition of ‘1984’

COGwriter

Are we seeing things that George Orwell’s 1984 book warned of?

Yes.

Consider the following:

March 13, 2025

George Orwell’s 1984 is one of those works that seems to become more relevant as time goes on. …

The silent creep of mass surveillance

One of the most famous concepts from 1984 is the idea that “Big Brother is always watching.” This phrase has become a shorthand for the sense that our every move is monitored.

While most of us don’t have literal telescreens in our homes, we do carry pocket-sized tracking devices—our smartphones.  …

The manipulation of language

In 1984, Orwell introduces “Newspeak,” a constructed language aimed at limiting the range of thought. …

Doublethink in everyday life

Orwell’s concept of “doublethink” is the ability to hold two contradictory beliefs at once and accept both as reality. …

The dangers of constant censorship

In 1984, the Thought Police are tasked with sniffing out dissenting ideas, effectively controlling what citizens can think or say.

In today’s world, outright censorship might not always come from a menacing, uniformed agency.

Instead, it can emerge through social media bans, intimidation, or platforms that use opaque algorithms to filter out certain viewpoints—sometimes with the best intentions, but not always transparently. …

Fear as a tool of control

Orwell’s regime uses fear to keep citizens in line …

George Orwell wrote 1984 more than seven decades ago, but its warnings seem uncannily relevant. https://dmnews.com/kir-9-chilling-warnings-from-george-orwells-1984-that-are-eerily-relevant-today/

While a lot of that is relevant to the USA, are the Europeans, like those in Germany, implementing ‘1984’ controls or something like the totalitarianism of communism?

Some see signs that this is so.

For example, notice the following:

Report Your Family For Wrong Think, Says German Government Initiative

March 3, 2025

Germany’s Interior Ministry, headed by Nancy Faeser – known for banning media outlets – and the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth have launched a project dubbed, “Advice Compass on Conspiracy Thinking.”

The center is there to provide advice to anyone who “suspect their friends or family members have fallen victim to conspiracy theories,” according to the Interior Ministry. …

“Holistic” is how Faeser chose to describe this approach and the inclusion of the “advice” center into Germany’s overall fight against what the authorities consider to be extremism and disinformation.

Faeser chose to justify the project by linking the issue of conspiracy theories with disinformation and lies, and as has become the habit over these last years, assigning immense power to these phenomena (“They are spread deliberately to divide our society and destroy trust in independent science, free media or democratic institutions.”) …

Faeser observes that people know their family members and friends the best, and are therefore uniquely positioned to know what they think (this is, after all, about policing citizens’ thinking, not actions).

But what to do if a person in your life thinks differently, and cannot be persuaded to change their mind and agree with you? Maybe let them think about what they like?

Not according to Faeser and her political and NGO allies. Hence – “the Compass on Conspiracy Thinking contact point,” is now available to citizens across Germany.

“The first appointment is for anonymous initial advice and assessment of individual needs,” a statement explained, adding, “If the initial consultation reveals a longer-term need for advice, the subsequent advice process is passed on to a local advice center.” https://reclaimthenet.org/germany-advice-compass-conspiracy-theories-reporting

The above sounds a lot that was warned about in George Orwell’s book 1984. Here are some quotes from it:

  1. “It was almost normal for people over thirty to be frightened of their own children. And with good reason, for hardly a week passed in which the Times did not carry a paragraph describing how some eavesdropping little sneak—’child hero’ was the phrase generally used—had overheard some compromising remark and denounced its parents to the Thought Police.”
  2. “Your worst enemy, he reflected, was your own nervous system. At any moment the tension inside you was liable to translate itself into some visible symptom.”
  3. “The family had become in effect an extension of the Thought Police. It was a device by means of which everyone could be surrounded night and day by informers who knew him intimately.”

Also, in places like East Germany, people were encouraged to turn in friends and relatives, as were people in the old Soviet Union, the old Soviet block, and various other communist nations.

Now, the supposedly “free” government of Germany wants that done now.

Jesus warned:

53 Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. (Luke 12:53)

The government in Germany is now encouraging that.

Notice also:

The EU’s Ministry of Truth: A Globalist Power Grab Disguised as a Fight Against ‘Disinformation’

January 10, 2025

In a chilling move that reads like a page from Orwell’s 1984, the European Union is formalizing its role as a gatekeeper of information with the creation of an “Information Sharing and Analysis Center” under the European External Action Service (EEAS). The declared purpose? To combat so-called “disinformation” campaigns from foreign actors like Russia and China. But make no mistake—this is not about protecting truth or democracy. It is a brazen attempt by the EU’s globalist elite to control opposition to narratives, silence dissent, and reshape public opinion to align with their own agenda.

A Veil of Legitimacy for Authoritarian Censorship

The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell cloaked the initiative in noble rhetoric, declaring that disinformation undermines democracy by distorting public perception. According to Borrell, democracy cannot function if citizens lack access to “accurate” information—defined, of course, by the very institutions that stand to benefit most from this censorship apparatus.

Under the guise of protecting democracy, the EU has positioned itself as the arbiter of truth. This centralized platform seeks to monitor, analyze, and counter “manipulated” information in real-time, coordinating with NGOs, member states, and cybersecurity agencies. In reality, this infrastructure risks becoming a weapon to stifle independent journalism, dissenting voices, and any narrative that challenges the EU’s policy positions. …

By framing the “struggle for narrative” as an ongoing battle, the EU justifies ever-expanding surveillance and regulation of online platforms and pressuring companies like Twitter to align with its goals. This centralization of control over digital spaces threatens to erode the freedoms of expression and access to diverse viewpoints.

The Real Targets: You and Me

While the EU claims to combat “foreign actors,” its focus on “toxicity” in information opens the door to policing domestic dissent. The language of combating “biased choices” and ensuring the “quality of information” is a thinly veiled justification for narrative engineering. If information contrary to the EU’s worldview is deemed “toxic,” how long before ordinary citizens become the targets of censorship? How long before critics of EU policies are labeled agents of “disinformation”? https://rairfoundation.com/eus-ministry-truth-globalist-power-grab-disguised-as/

Yes, the EU is taking steps to control information and yes, this will impact individuals and not just foreign nations.

A reader sent me a link to the following by Michael Snyder back in 2023:

…  Signs That the Futuristic Control Freak Agenda of the Globalists Is Rapidly Moving Forward

The future is here, and if you enjoy being dominated by control freaks you are going to love it.  “Digital identification” is one of the primary areas the globalists are focusing on right now, and as you will see below, the radical changes that are now being proposed are extremely scary.  But most Americans have no idea that any of this is happening.

Instead, many of them are obsessing over the relatively meaningless dramas that our corporate news outlets are constantly pushing.  Meanwhile, the globalists are achieving their goals at lightning speed, and there is hardly any resistance at all.   …

#1 Starting in September, the EU will “mandate” that all member states offer a “digital identity wallet” to all of their citizens and businesses…

The European Union will mandate digital identity under eIDAS 2.0, which will go into effect in September 2023 and ensure all Member States offer a digital identity wallet (DIW) to citizens and businesses. According to the European Commission, “At least 80% of citizens should be able to use a digital ID solution to access key public services by 2030.”

#2 A system of “digital fingerprints” for Americans has suddenly become Barack Obama’s biggest issue

Former President Barack Obama suggested in a new interview the development of “digital fingerprints” to combat misinformation and distinguish between true and misleading news for consumers.

Obama sat down with his former White House senior adviser David Axelrod for a conversation on the latter’s podcast, “The Axe Files,” on CNN Audio. During the interview, Axelrod noted he’s seen “misinformation, disinformation, [and] deepfakes” targeting Obama.

#3 A UN policy brief that you can find right here is proposing a global system of digital identification that is linked to our bank accounts

Digital IDs linked with bank or mobile money accounts can improve the delivery of social protection coverage and serve to better reach eligible beneficiaries. Digital technologies may help to reduce leakage, errors and costs in the design of social protection programmes.

#4 The World Health Organization has adopted “the European Union (EU) system of digital COVID-19 certification” and plans to transform it into a “global system”

In June 2023, WHO will take up the European Union (EU) system of digital COVID-19 certification to establish a global system that will help facilitate global mobility and protect citizens across the world from on-going and future health threats, including pandemics. This is the first building block of the WHO Global Digital Health Certification Network (GDHCN) that will develop a wide range of digital products to deliver better health for all.

“Building on the EU’s highly successful digital certification network, WHO aims to offer all WHO Member States access to an open-source digital health tool, which is based on the principles of equity, innovation, transparency and data protection and privacy,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “New digital health products in development aim to help people everywhere receive quality health services quickly and more effectively”.

#5 Federal agencies in the United States have been purchasing massive amounts of information about U.S. citizens from data brokers, and we are being warned that such information could potentially be used for “blackmail, stalking, harassment and public shaming”

Federal agencies are secretly accumulating mountains of data that could be used for “blackmail, stalking, harassment and public shaming” of American citizens.

That allegation doesn’t come from a pink-haired civil-liberties fanatic — it’s in a new report for the nation’s chief spymaster, Avril Haines. 06/25/23 https://discernreport.com/8-signs-that-the-futuristic-control-freak-agenda-of-the-globalists-is-rapidly-moving-forward/

Yes, moves towards totalitarian globalism are taking place–particularly in Europe, where we know they are prophesied to take place (cf. Revelation 13).

While the digital wallet is not yet fully in place, steps towards that have also been happening.

Coming Soon: The European Digital Identity Wallet

26 February 2025

The elite are already running large-scale pilot schemes for the future they want and we don’t. They are not being subtle about this. They are not hiding it.

The plan is a single government-issued app that holds your medical records, employment records, travel records, education records, vaccination records, tax records, financial records as well as (potentially) copies of your signature, fingerprints, facial scans, voice samples and DNA.

All stored handily on your phone…and shared with the governments of nineteen countries (plus Ukraine) and over 140 other public and private partners. Everyone from Deutsche Bank to the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Progress to Samsung Europe.

You will use this app to make payments, apply for loans, pay your taxes, pick up your prescriptions, cross international borders, start businesses, book doctor’s appointments, apply for jobs and even sign digital contracts online.

Businesses and government agencies would access this data from the back-end to conduct “automated background checks”.

The German Federation of Consumer Organizations (Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband, VZBZ) has raised concerns that such an app would “pose privacy and data risks”, to which the only response is “duh, that’s what it’s for!”.

None of this a hypothetical, by the way. …

Just one of the pilot schemes “building prototypes and testing use-cases” for the European Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet, there are three others at least.

This is the latest development in a roll-out dating back to the birth of Covid and beyond, with the EUID wallet being touted since 2021. https://off-guardian.org/2025/02/26/coming-soon-the-european-digital-identity-wallet/

What has been Europe’s and the USA’s basic positions on this?

This transcript is from a CSIS event hosted on February 26, 2025:

EU’s Perspective on Digital Regulations with the Lead Negotiator of the Digital Services Act

Since taking office, the Trump administration has increasingly scrutinized European digital legislation, particularly the Digital Services Act (DSA), on the grounds that it encourages digital censorship. …

Laura Caroli: The Trump administration has been putting European legislation increasingly under scrutiny, especially laws on digital services, claiming it almost amounts to a form of digital censorship. This only – this not only puts transatlantic relations at strain, but also makes enforcement of European laws increasingly difficult. … We are talking about the Digital Services Act, the law that is under the highest scrutiny from the Trump administration. …

Christel Schaldemose: Thank you.

Dr. Caroli: And from the Danish Social Democrats. You have been the lead negotiator of this law, the Digital Services Act. …

Dr. Caroli: Thank you. So, indeed, the Digital Services Act is just a continuation, if I understand correctly, of what was already in place in Europe, this E-Commerce Directive of 20 years ago. But so how much would you say the Digital Services Act is about transparency, as opposed to imposing practices to platforms?

Ms. Schaldemose: Well, it’s a combination of many things. What we’re doing is that we’re, in fact, regulating the level playing field for intermediates. It could be Amazon, you know, online marketplaces, it could be search engines, or it could be social media, et cetera. https://www.csis.org/events/eus-perspective-digital-regulations-lead-negotiator-digital-services-act

No, it does not ‘level the playing field,’ the Digital Services Act is a platform that involves censorship, control, and surveillance.

Let me add that the European Public Prosecutor’s Office officially started operations on 1 June 2021 (https://www.eppo.europa.eu/en/background). It was established to be able to prosecute what it considers to be financial crimes.

So, there is an office to prosecute, there is a ‘Ministry of Truth’ agency, and Europe has been working on supercomputers, a digital currency, and Artificial Intelligence–all of those types of things are leading to the fulfillment of the 666 and other totalitarian prophecies for Europe.

And according to the Bible, more and more censorship and surveillance is coming.

The Digital Services Act is a partial prelude to the coming ‘666’ controls the Bible prophesies in the following:

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)

A few years back, Matt Taibbi posted the following:

Orwell Was Right

March 13, 2022

This weekend I re-read 1984, a book I tend to reach for when I get Defcon-1 depressed about the state of the world. Deep in the novel, Winston ponders the intricacies of doublethink:

To know and not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies, to hold simultaneously two opinions which canceled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them… To forget whatever it was necessary to forget, then to draw it back into memory again at the moment when it was needed, and then promptly to forget it again… that was the ultimate subtlety.

In the last weeks, Russia took an already exacting speech environment to new extremes. A law was passed that would impose 15-year prison sentences for anyone spreading “fake news” about the Ukraine invasion; access was cut to Facebook and Twitter; …

On the flip side, a slew of actions have been taken to crack down on “fake news” and “misinformation” in the West. The big one was the European Union banning RT and Sputnik:

Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube also cut access to all Russian state media, because the EU sanctions also required that internet platforms delist any RT or Sputnik content, even from individuals. The statute reads, “As regards the posts made by individuals that reproduce the content of RT and Sputnik, those posts shall not be published, and if published, shall be deleted.”

Other governments across the West, from Australia to Canada, have taken similar actions. In the U.S., Google and YouTube disallowed Russian state media ads (following a request by Senator Mark Warner) and demonetized “a number of Russian channels,” including RT but also many non-Russian individuals, before proceeding to demonetize all individual Russian content creators, even the individuals opposing the invasion. Even DuckDuckGo, the speechier, more pro-privacy alternative to Google, announced it was de-ranking “sites associated with Russian disinformation.” A growing list of Westerners have seen accounts frozen for supposed parroting of Russian talking points or “abusive” commentary.

YouTube banned Oliver Stone’s documentary Ukraine on Fire, while Netflix is going so far as to shelve a production of Anna Karenina. In what might have been the craziest move of all, Meta reportedly followed up a decision to un-ban the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion with a mind-blowing decision to alter its hate speech policies to “allow Facebook and Instagram users in some countries to call for violence against Russians and Russian soldiers in the context of the Ukraine invasion,” according to internal emails seen by Reuters. …

One would hope there would be at least a few Americans left who’d hear about Russia barring the BBC and Voice of America and at least recognize the sameness of the issue involved with banning RT and Sputnik. …

We don’t, however, because we long ago reached the doublethink phase predicted by Orwell, where most of the population is conscious of double standards but ignores them effortlessly.  https://taibbi.substack.com/p/orwell-was-right?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoyODUxMjc5OSwiXyI6InR1U1pyIiwiaWF0IjoxNjQ3MTkzMzU1LCJleHAiOjE2NDcxOTY5NTUsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0xMDQyIiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.oclSppJuChm9f8drCGuW1jxVANBtEisTGUMjMVLy3Wc&s=r

Yes, more and more are seeing the formation of the dystopian world of George Orwell’s book.

The Bible warns:

13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:13)

Sadly, the Bible shows that deception and improper censorship will worsen in the future (cf. Revelation 13:14-18; Amos 8:11-12).

With digital surveillance and electronic financial transactions, more and more governments are watching more and more. And Europe is moving faster than the Americas on this.


(Wikipedia)

In his book 1984, the society George Orwell also warned about had surveillance cameras all over and they recognized individual people. What is starting to happen now is actually more widespread than his book warned about. There will be even more surveillance than George Orwell anticipated.

Many parts of the world are getting closer to totalitarian control. The COVID restrictions have shown the willingness of governments to impose fairly totalitarian controls.

Update 03/16/25: We just uploaded the following related video:

14:40

Is Germany Becoming Orwell’s 1984?

In his novel 1984 George Orwell described a totalitarian government that controlled all aspects of human existence. “Big Brother is Watching You” was the reality of this government. George Orwell introduced “Newspeak”, a language that was designed to limit the range of thought. He also defined his concept of “Doublethink”, which is the ability to hold two contradictory beliefs at once and, yet accept both as reality. In 1984, the Thought Police were tasked with actually controlling what people can even think, let alone what they can say! The year 1984 has come and gone, but has George Orwell’s “Big Brother” government finally started to arrive? Are many governments in the world today adopting many of the ideas and tactics outlined in George Orwell’s book? If so, what government or governments are leading the way? Has Germany just put in its own version of “Thought Police”? Think about this: There is now a German Government initiative to report your family for wrong think Dr. Thiel quotes Luke 12:53 in our Bible and then goes on to further shine the light of Biblical prophecy on the answers to these ‘666’ matters. Answers from the verses of the Bible that bring prophecy to life.

Here is a link to our video: Is Germany Becoming Orwell’s 1984?

Believe the Bible, repent, accept Jesus as savior, be baptized, and strive to live as a Philadelphian Christian as Jesus promised special end time protection for the Philadelphians He mentioned in the 3rd chapter of Revelation.

The other biblical reality to mention is that without national repentance, which looks unlikely, a globalist-type agenda from Europe will be implemented. This will result in the end of the USA and its British-descended allies (cf. Daniel 11:39)–nor will Europe end up fairly well–1984 will be more real!

The ONLY real hope is the return of Jesus and the good news of the coming Kingdom of God.

Some 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 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.
Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word What is the ‘short work’ of Romans 9:28? Who is preparing for it? Will Philadelphian Christians instruct many in the end times? Here is a link to a related video sermon titled: The Short Work. Here is a link to another: Preparing to Instruct Many.
Facial Recognition and Christian Persecution? Will facial recognition systems help the coming European Beast of the Sea (Revelation 13) power gain totalitarian control? Are steps being taken along those lines? Is Europe in the process of putting together a massive database to surveil all that they can? What about Prüm? Might USA be involved with this? Could this result in Christian persecution? Does any of this have to do with what George Orwell warned about in his 1949 book titled ‘1984’? What about the UK? What has Big Brother watch warned? What is facial recognition and how does it work? What are concerns that the ACLU and the Electronic Watch foundation have raised? Would the King of the North (666) of biblical prophecy (Daniel chapters 7,8,11) be expected to use this type of technology? What about his religious associate, the two-horned beast, also known as the final Antichrist? What did Jesus tell His followers to do when persecuted? What has to happen before totalitarian control occurs in Europe? Dr. Thiel addresses these questions and more in this video.
Internet Censorship and Prophecy Are concerns about internet censorship limited to nations such as Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. But what about the USA, Canada, and Germany? What about the European Union? What about internet media companies such as Facebook, Google, YouTube, or email services like MailChimp? Has the attempt to control information been made by various ones over the centuries? Was the New Testament affected by it? What about the church throughout the centuries? Has the Bible already been partially censored? Which Bible prophecies point to coming Internet censorship? What about the Book of Amos? What about the coming 666 Beast and final Antichrist? Is there anything that can be done about this? Should Philadelphian Christians be working on anything now? Will preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God vs. a highly media-supported alternative lead to a ‘famine of the word’? More internet censorship is coming as various statements in the Bible support.
The Great Monarch: Biblical and Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies Is the ‘Great Monarch’ of Catholic prophecies endorsed or condemned by the Bible? Two sermons of related interest are also available: Great Monarch: Messiah or False Christ? and Great Monarch in 50+ Beast Prophecies.
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach? Here is a related YouTube video: Military Technology and the Beast of Revelation.
Canadian censoring of the Bible In 2017, Lauri Skori of the Battle River School board told a religious school in Alberta, Canada that it could not teach/read certain portions of the Bible. In 2002, a court in Canada ruled against one who referred to certain scriptures that some homosexuals objected to. In 2017, there was “An Act to Amend the Canadian Human Rights Act and Criminal Code” related to those who wish to be considered transgendered. Government officials in Canada and elsewhere have been ruling against the Bible. Is any of this prophesied? Will this get worse? What was the prophet Amos inspired to write? This is a video.
Internet Control, Famine of the Word, and 666 Is the internet going to be used to suppress the teaching of the word of God?

The Spanish Inquisition and Early Protestant Persecutions Was the Church of Rome really responsible for this? What happened? Here is a link to a related video sermon: The Past and Future Inquisition.
Banning the Bible? Could we see a ban of the Holy Bible in North America? Have there been partial bans proposed and enforced by government officials in Canada? Do any USA politicians consider any biblical teachings as fraudulent and hence banning them is NOT a violation of the 1st amendment to the Constitution of the USA? Are there risks associated with AB 2943? Have politicians like Hillary Clinton and California Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi called for long-held religious beliefs to change and “evolve with the times”? What about Jude 1:3 and 2 Timothy 3:14? Are there biblical prophecies about not being able to hear the word of God? Might we see more restrictions on explaining teachings of the Bible on the Internet and other forms of media? What are some of the verses that various government people do not want made public? Dr. Thiel provides facts on these issues and more.
Persecutions by Church and State This article documents some that have occurred against those associated with the COGs and some prophesied to occur. Will those with the cross be the persecutors or the persecuted–this article has the shocking answer. There is also a YouTube video sermon you can watch: The Coming Persecution of the Church. Here is information in the Spanish language: Persecuciones de la Iglesia y el Estado.
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 DNALost tribes, prophecies, and identifications11 Tribes, 144,000, and MultitudesIsrael, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British RoyaltyGentile European BeastRoyal Succession, Samaria, and PropheciesAsia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?;  Rise of the Prophesied King of the NorthChristian Persecution from the BeastWWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

Donald Trump proposes higher tariffs and gold hits another all time high

Friday, March 14th, 2025


(Photo via UnSplash)

COGwriter

Donald Trump’s tariff statements and actions are having a variety of unintended consequences. One of which looks to be a factor in increasing the price of gold, again, as gold hit all time highs today and yesterday:

March 14, 2025

The moment gold investors had long anticipated and many experts had long predicted finally arrived on March 14, when the price of gold broke a landmark price record of $3,000 per ounce. Officially at $3,001.08 as of Friday morning, according to American Hartford Gold, the record price is the latest in a series of highs the precious metal has seen over the past 14 months. And there are strong indications that the price will rise even higher. Priced at just $2,063.73 in January 2024, the metal has gained around $1,000 in price and risen 45% in value, making it one of the hottest assets to invest in right now. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/golds-price-breaks-record-3000-per-ounce-everything-to-know-now-march-2025/

14 March 2025

Gold prices reached a record high on Thursday as investors spooked by mounting concerns over a global trade war seek safe-haven assets. The latest rally comes amid on-off tariff announcements by the US.

Import taxes on steel and aluminum imposed by US President Donald Trump took effect on Wednesday, sparking concerns in export-dependent Asia and prompting immediate retaliatory measures from the EU and Canada. Prior to the tariff imposition, Trump threatened to hike the levy on Canadian metals to 50%, but reversed the plan after Ontario Premier Doug Ford overturned his decision to introduce a 25% surcharge on electricity exports to several US states.

Gold futures for April delivery briefly hit $3,003.90 per ounce Thursday night on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) before retreating to $2,989.50, marking the first time a contract has crossed the psychologically important $3,000 threshold. Prices for the precious metal are up nearly 14% so far this year after making a solid 27% gain in 2024. https://www.rt.com/news/614196-gold-historic-high-trade-war/

March 13, 2025

Between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m., Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent spoke on CNBC regarding tariffs, the economy, and their impact on the stock market. Around the same time, Donald Trump made similar comments. The focus here is on Bessent’s remarks and the subsequent market reaction.

The key takeaway: Bessent reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to tariffs and signaled that additional measures were on the table. …

Shortly after 10:15 a.m., a sharp rally began in gold, silver, and copper, accelerating every 15 minutes.

As far as gold goes, notice something from my latest book available at Amazon Kindle: Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies? as well as Amazon print Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies?:

Since many are now questioning the role of the USA dollar as the world’s reserve currency, more are looking into other currencies as well as gold.

Gold will set records in U.S. dollar terms. … gold will set further records in U.S. dollar terms in the relatively near future.

(Thiel B. Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies? Nazarene Books, 2025, pp. 204, 205)

And we have already seen gold hit a record price at least four times (01/31/25, 02/10/25, 03/13,25, and 03/14/25) since that book came out less than two months ago.

Notice, also, excerpts from my article 25 items to prophetically watch in 2025:

14. Gold

While some economists have called gold a ‘relic,’ it still has value internationally. …

I have repeatedly written that gold will hit record highs against the USA dollar and that keeps happening–and despite ups and downs, that is not over.

Furthermore, yes, many in the world are looking to gold. Fiat currencies, like the USA dollar and British pound are backed by nothing. Many know this and think that will last forever–well the monetary system will not stay as it has been.

The Bible prophesies King of the North will get gold which end time Babylon will trade with:

37 He shall regard neither the God of his fathers nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall exalt himself above them all. 38 But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things. 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. 40 “At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, … 43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt … (Daniel 11:37-40,43)

10 … ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’ 11 And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: 12 merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; 13 and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. 14 The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. 15 The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 16 and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! (Revelation 18:10-16)

While the Bible is clear that gold will, for a time, not be wanted but tossed (Ezekiel 7:19), it is obvious that into the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21-22), which starts in verse 39 of Daniel 11, gold will have value (see also The Plain Truth About Gold in Prophecy. How Should a Christian View Gold?).

The old Worldwide Church of God published the following:

Of course, since gold is regarded as a disaster hedge by many investors, prudence might dictate that perhaps a small fraction of your liquid assets be in gold: (Caulkins J. WHEN MONEY FAILS. Good News, October-November 1979) In Revelation 18, we are given a graphic description of Europe at its future economic peak. Remember this prophecy occurs after the United States, Canada and other Israelitish nations have been conquered and brought into subservience. … In verse 11, Europe’s coming economic wealth and scope is described as John sees it, shortly before the final crisis (to occur at Christ’s coming) takes place. “And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her, for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: The merchandise of gold and silver … (Catherwood CA. Europe and Our Prophetic Message. Good News, October-November 1979)

Yes, gold will outlast the US dollar and the European Beast power will have it.

In terms of world events, understand that Germany has been repatriating gold–and even did so ahead of schedule (watch Germany, Gold, and the US Dollar). Europeans have a lot of gold (see The Plain Truth about European Gold) and want more.

The continental European gold reserves (excluding the UK and Russia) collectively hold approximately 12,924.42 tons of gold. –that is more than the official USA (8,133.5) and China (2,264 tons) holdings combined.

Gold will be an item of value in 2025 and at least a few years beyond.

Nations in Asia, Europe, and even Africa will look to increase gold reserves.

Gold will break records in US dollar terms.

There is a growing mistrust of the USA and its dollar.

Part of that is because of Donald Trump.

Part of that is because of massive USA debt.

Part of that is because of the USA’s weaponization of its dollar.

But other parts go back much further–which have been setting the stage for the time to come when the USA dollar will be worthless, and gold will have value.

Because the USA was starting to not have enough gold to back its dollar, way back in 1961, the Plain Truth reported:

Germany, Japan have the largest surpluses of GOLD and DOLLARS…Rich Uncle {Sam} has the greatest deficit in governmental history and a GREATER DEBT than all the REST OF THE WORLD COMBINED!…

Vast foreign aid programs drain the U.S. Treasury … American spending to supply services and to support our troops in foreign countries and military installations around the world amounts to…dollars flowing out of the frightened U.S. Treasury. All of these factors, combined with heavy taxes, gigantic public and private debt, and no gold backing for our own currency if foreign investors demanded gold for their dollars, adds up to the staggering revelation that the U.S., richest nation in the world, is bordering on bankruptcy! (Hill DJ. What the US Gold Crisis Means to You. Plain Truth. February 1961, p. 9).

France did finally cash in dollars and this caused a crisis in the USA. The US answer was to go off the gold standard completely on August 11, 1971. About the same time it made a deal with Saudi Arabia to price oil in dollars. So, while this prevented “foreigners” from being able to redeem US dollars for something from the USA treasury, instead it meant that dollars could be used to by oil. As other (mostly smaller) oil producers followed Saudi Arabia’s lead, this has served to support the US dollar for several decades. However, Saudi Arabia and others are now looking at not only pricing/selling in US dollars. One day in the future, the USA dollar will be worthless.

Gold has increased in value much more than the official government inflation rates since the USA detached its dollar from any type of gold standard. The price of gold will fluctuate, but is prophesied to have value after the USA is gone (cf. Daniel 11:39-43; Revelation 18).

Although the Bible opposes “dross” money (Proverbs 25:4; Isaiah 1:22-25; Ezekiel 22:18-22), modern ‘experts’ have a different view. Back in 1965, the USA decided to turn its silver coinage into dross as the value of its dollar had dropped too much compared to silver. The wrong views on economics will lead to economic problems and ultimately the total crash of the dollar of the USA.

Once the US dollar does fully collapse, I maintain that somehow, Europe will have at least an implied gold backing of its currency (for details see Gold to be used to back European currency?).

Back in 1979, the old Worldwide Church of God also published the following in the old Good News magazine:


Good News, Oct-Nov 1979

Of course, since gold is regarded as a disaster hedge by many investors, prudence might dictate that perhaps a small fraction of your liquid assets be in gold: (Caulkins J. WHEN MONEY FAILS. Good News, October-November 1979)

While gold will help some for a time, gold will not save humanity, only Jesus can do that, but gold may be prudent for people to consider the signs of the times.

That said, the price of gold and silver do not always go up in US dollar terms.

However, as I have written for many years, according to biblical prophecies, gold and silver will have value after the US dollar is out.

For additional information, check out the following articles:

The Plain Truth About Gold in Prophecy. How Should a Christian View Gold? What About Silver? What do economists and the Bible teach about gold? Gold and silver may drop in value. Inflation/deflation? What do Christians need to know about gold and silver? Two videos of related interest may be: Germany, Gold, and the US Dollar and Silver, Science, and Scripture.
25 items to prophetically watch in 2025 Much is happening. Dr. Thiel points to 25 items to watch (cf. Mark 13:37) in this article. Here is a link to a related sermon video: 25 Items to Watch in 2025.
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin? A related sermon is also available: The Bible, the USA, and the King of the West.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here are links to two related videos: The King of the North is Alive: What to Look Out For and The Future King of the North.
The Great Monarch: Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Is the ‘Great Monarch’ of Catholic prophecies endorsed or condemned by the Bible? Two sermons of related interest are also available: Great Monarch: Messiah or False Christ? and Great Monarch in 50+ Beast Prophecies.
The End of US Dollar Dominance Is the USA losing its economic status? What about the petro-gold-yuan? A related video is also available: US Dollar being challenged by Gold-Petro-Yuan.
Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something? Here is a version in the Spanish language Escrituras sobre Preparación física para los Cristianos. Here is a link to a related sermon: Physical preparedness for Christians.
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is are links to related videos: European history and the Bible, Europe In Prophecy, The End of European Babylon, and Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European? Here is a link to a related sermon in the Spanish language: El Fin de la Babilonia Europea.
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.

CG7’s 1911 view of the Kingdom of God

Friday, March 14th, 2025

COGwriter

Notice the following letter in the October 24, 1911 edition of The Bible Advocate, then put out by the General Conference of the Church of God of the Church of God, seventh-day:

What is the Kingdom of God?

O. P. WILLIAMS

This subject is one that every child of God should be very deeply interested about. It is to our interest to study this subject, so that we may know what we are seeking. We are commanded to seek the kingdom first of all, and the things that we need in this present life God will give them to us. Luke 12: 31.

Now let us search and see what it takes to constitute a kingdom. Daniel says that the kingdom we ought to seek will be under heaven when it comes. So if we live right the kingdom will come to us and save us of that long journey that so many of our preachers tell us we are to take at death. Daniel 7: 27. And our Lord taught us to pray for the kingdom to come. Matt. 6: 9, 10. The kingdom as I see it, it takes first of all a terri­tory; 2, a king; 3, subjects; 4, rules or laws. The earth is the territory or seat of the kingdom, for it is a place where the righteous will dwell. Matt. 5:5.

I cannot see how men can afford to teach that the church or the people is the kingdom, when the Bible sets it forth so plain that they are only subjects of the kingdom. See Matt. 13: 38. They are the church and not the king­dom, for it is evident that the church was in existence when Christ was here with his disciples. Acts 1:6. Now we learn from reading the above passage that Israel had once been in possession of the kingdom, for they asked Christ if he would restore the kingdom at that time. Now it is evident that they knew that they had the king with them, and the territory, and subjects, but their ruling power had been taken from them. Jesus would not have taught us to pray for something that we were in possession of, for we have the people, which is the church, with us, and the king­dom is something God is going to give us. See Luke 12: 32.

And it must be that Christ is to set up David’s throne and rule the world from this throne, is what we are promised. Now in regard to the people not being the kingdom, see James 2: 5 also 2 Peter 1:11. In regard to this world being the territory of our Lord’s kingdom, see Rev. 11:15. So let us all become willing to remain on earth, and to have Christ Jesus to reign over us, for this is the blessed promise that God has promised those that overcome, and if I am permitted to remain on earth and be one of Christ’s subjects in his king­dom I will be exceedingly well pleased, for it will be a noble good gift, for it is a gift that comes from God and he never gives any other kind but good gifts.

Let us all join in earnest prayer to God to let the kingdom come. Then his blessed will will be done and when his will is being done there will not be any confusion, and this will be a glorious place to live.

Yes, the the Kingdom of God will be a glorious place to live.

One of the reasons that I posted this is that this is the earliest writing I have come across in COG circles explaining the four points of a government/kingdom.

The four points were often brought up by the old Worldwide Church of God.

And while they may not have been the official policy of the old General Conference of the Church of God, the four points are correct.

Here is something from our free online book The Gospel of the Kingdom of God:

Human kingdoms, as well as God’s kingdom, have a king (Revelation 17:14), they cover a geographic area (Revelation 11:15), they have rules (Isaiah 2:3-4; 30:9), and they have subjects (Luke 13:29).

God’s government will replace the governments of this earth. Here is more from the free online book The Gospel of the Kingdom of God:

The last book of the Bible specifically discusses the Kingdom of God.

15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” (Revelation 11:15).

Jesus will reign in the kingdom! And the Bible reveals two of His titles:

16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS (Revelation 19:16).

But is Jesus the only one who will reign? Notice this passage:

4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years . . . 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years (Revelation 20:4,6).

True Christians will be resurrected to reign with Christ for a thousand years! Because the kingdom will last forever (Revelation 11:15), but that reign mentioned was only one thousand years. This is why I referred to this earlier as the first phase of the kingdom—the physical, the millennial, phase as opposed to the final, more spiritual, phase.

And we are much closer to the establishment of the millennial kingdom now than when that was published over a century ago.

That said, we also have had our The Gospel of the Kingdom of God translated into over 1500 languages (see also Preaching the Gospel in Over 1500 Languages).

That is something that it is not likely that the Bible Advocate thought would be possible over a century ago.

Some items of 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 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.
Preaching the Gospel in Over 1500 Languages Which languages are being used to fulfill Matthew 24:14? Are all languages significant? Here is a link to the sermon: Behind the Work 2024: Languages for the Kingdom.
CG7.ORG This is a website for those interested in the Sabbath and churches that observe the seventh day Sabbath.
CG7-D: Church of God, (Seventh Day): History and Teachings Nearly all COG’s I am aware of trace part of their history through some affiliation with this group. Loren Stacy is the president of the largest CG7 USA group (Denver). Do you know much about them?
CG7-S: Church of God 7th Day, Salem (West Virginia) This group formed by A.N. Dugger in 1933 when he split from the CG7 group he was once president of.
MCGSD: Meridian Church of God Seventh Day A group that was a split from the old Stanberry COG.
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.
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. These sermons also cover materials not in the book.
Sola Scriptura or Prima Luther? What Did Martin Luther Really Believe About the Bible? Though he is known for his public sola Scriptura teaching, did Martin Luther’s writings about the Bible suggest he felt that prima Luther was his ultimate authority? Statements from him changing and/or discounting 18 books of the Bible are included. Do you really want to know the truth?
The Similarities and Dissimilarities between Martin Luther and Herbert W. Armstrong This article clearly shows some of the doctrinal differences between the two. At this time of doctrinal variety and a tendency by many to accept certain aspects of Protestantism, the article should help clarify why the genuine Church of God is NOT Protestant. Do you really know what the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther taught and should you follow his doctrinal example? Here is a related sermon video: Martin Luther and Herbert Armstrong: Reformers with Differences.
Persecutions by Church and State This article documents some that have occurred against those associated with the COGs and some prophesied to occur. Will those with the cross be the persecutors or the persecuted–this article has the shocking answer. There are also three video sermons you can watch: Cancel Culture and Christian Persecution, The Coming Persecution of the Church, and Christian Persecution from the Beast. Here is information in the Spanish language: Persecuciones de la Iglesia y el Estado.
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction! What is going on in the Protestant world? Are Protestants turning back to their ‘mother church’ in Rome? Does the Bible warn about this? What are Roman Catholic plans and prophecies related to this? Is Protestantism doomed? watch the video Charismatic Kenneth Copeland and Anglican Tony Palmer: Protestants Beware!
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?
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. Here are two historical sermons: Sardis Church Era: Beginnings, Doctrines, and Leaders and Sardis: SDBs, SDAs, & CG7s.
6. The Philadelphia Church Era and Remnant Though the era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D., but a remnant has continued. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God were part of the era, and 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. Here is a link to a related sermon: Philadelphia Church Era: History & Teachings.
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 50+ Laodicean Prophetic Errors. See also Do You Hold to Any of These Laodicean Prophetic Errors?
The Sabbath in the Early Church and Abroad Was the seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath observed by the apostolic and post-apostolic Church? Here is a related sermon video The Christian Sabbath and How and Why to Keep It.
The Christian Sabbath. This is a series of articles from the Catholic Mirror essentially proving that the biblical Sabbath was Saturday, that the Lord’s day in Revelation 1 is not a reference to Sunday, that the Church of Rome implemented Sunday, and that nearly all Protestants followed Rome. Here is a link to a related sermon: Roman Catholic teachings on the Sabbath, Sunday, and Protestantism.
How to Observe the Sabbath? How should you keep the Sabbath? This is an old article by Raymond Cole, with updated information for the 21st century.
The Dangerous Rise of Preterists Has the Great Tribulation finished? What was the view of early Christians? Why is the preterist view dangerous? A related sermon video is titled Preterism: You’ve Gotta Be Kidding…Right?
Is God Unreasonable? Some have suggested that if God requires Sabbath-keeping He is unreasonable. Is that true? Here is a link to a related article in Mandarin Chinese 一个不合理的神?
Another Look at the Didache, Ignatius, and the Sabbath Did Ignatius write against the Sabbath and for Sunday? What about the Didache? What does the actual Greek reveal?
The Ten Commandments: The Decalogue, Christianity, and the Beast This is a free draft/unedited 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.
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.
MCGSD: Meridian Church of God Seventh Day A group that was a split from the old Stanberry COG.

HHS Secretary Kennedy putting the spotlight on harms from ultraprocessed foods

Thursday, March 13th, 2025

(Pixabay photo)

COGwriter

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. wants people to realize risks and harms associated with ultra-processed foods:

RFK Jr. is targeting ultraprocessed foods. What are they, and are they bad for you?

March 12, 2025

In the Trump administration’s quest to “Make America Healthy Again,” there may be no bigger target than ultraprocessed foods.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s new health secretary, has cited “highly chemically processed foods” as a chief culprit behind an epidemic of chronic disease in the U.S., including ailments such as obesity, diabetes and autoimmune disorders.

Such foods are “poisoning” people, particularly children, Kennedy said during Senate confirmation hearings. He has vowed to work to remove such foods from federal programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

“I will do everything in my power to put the health of Americans back on track,” he told lawmakers.

Key to that goal, however, could be making sure that consumers understand basic facts about ultraprocessed foods and the role they play in daily meals.

From sugary cereals at breakfast to frozen pizzas at dinner, plus in-between snacks of potato chips, sodas and ice cream, ultraprocessed foods make up about 60% of the U.S. diet. For kids and teens, it’s even higher — about two-thirds of what they eat.

That’s concerning because ultraprocessed foods have been linked to a host of negative health effects, from obesity and diabetes to heart disease, depression, dementia and more. One recent study suggested that eating these foods may raise the risk of early death. … foods created through industrial processes and with ingredients such as additives, colors and preservatives that you couldn’t duplicate in a home kitchen, said Kevin Hall, a researcher who focuses on metabolism and diet at the National Institutes of Health.

“These are most, but not all, of the packaged foods you see,” Hall said.

Such foods are often made to be both cheap and irresistibly delicious, said Dr. Neena Prasad, director of the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Food Policy Program.

“They have just the right combination of sugar, salt and fat and you just can’t stop eating them,” Prasad said. https://apnews.com/article/ultraprocessed-foods-kennedy-f6a2607b14c4a2787c68801a8e0646bc

Monday, on FNC’s “Hannity,” Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pledged “radical transparency” in efforts to “Make America Healthy Again.” …

“Well, you know, processed foods and seed oil is one of the components of processed foods,” Kennedy replied. “And that is, you know, all the science indicates that ultra-processed foods are what are behind — the principal culprit. And it’s an extraordinary explosion, the epidemic we have of chronic disease. When my uncle was president, 3% of Americans had chronic disease. Today, 60% do. We have 66% of adults are diabetic or pre-diabetic, 38% of teens. When you and I were kids, Sean, the average pediatrician would see one case of juvenile diabetes in his lifetime, over a 40 or 50-year career. Today, one out of every three kids who walks to his office store is diabetic or pre-diabetic.”

“Diabetes and other mitochondrial diseases are now costing America more than our military budget,” he continued. “We spend two to three times on healthcare what other countries do, and we have the worst outcomes. And it’s not — and we have the best medical system in the world. We are poisoning ourselves and it’s coming from you know principally these ultra-processed foods and what we’re trying to do, and this President Trump wants us to have radical transparency and to incentivize companies like this one to switch to traditional ingredients like beef tallow.” https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2025/03/11/rfk-jr-vows-radical-transparency-on-food-supply-we-are-poisoning-ourselves/

Ultra-processed foods are highly consumed and are dangerous:

Our food supply is 73% ultra-processed foods that cause health to suffer, expert says

March 10, 2025

The ultra-processed diet that experts believe gives you cancer: Britain’s top doctors now blame modern foods for unprecedented spike in cancer rates

25 August 2024

This month, a major study found people born in 1990 are three times more likely to develop certain forms of the disease than those over the age of 70. And other types were on the rise in younger age-groups, while rates declined in older people.

So what is fuelling the trend? Numerous theories have been put forward: antibiotic over-use, mobile phone radiation and even invisible particles of plastic in drinking water. But a growing number of experts are pointing to one major cause: ultra-processed foods.

Also known as UPFs, these are ready-made foods – including bread, cereals and even salad dressing – packed with artificial ingredients used to preserve, add flavour and enhance texture.

Some have even gone as far as to say they could be as dangerous as tobacco – and should come with a cigarette-style health warning.

It might sound far fetched. But, increasingly, some of Britain’s top cancer experts believe there is some truth to it.

Professor Charles Swanton, oncologist and chief clinician at Cancer Research UK, has raised the alarm over the ‘disturbing’ rise in cancer in young people and linked it to increased consumption of junk food.

Speaking at the American Society of Clinical Oncology, he said a growing body of research suggests that some bowel cancers could be ‘initiated’ by changes in the gut caused by low-fibre, high-sugar diets.

Prostate oncologist and Queen’s University Belfast professor Dr Joe O’Sullivan puts it more simply. ‘The spike in young cancer rates has to be due to something we’re consuming,’ he said.

‘And ultra-processed foods are the biggest lifestyle change in the last 40 years.’

Britain’s foremost commentator on the topic, Dr Chris van Tulleken, whose book Ultra-Processed People was a best-seller last year has ‘no doubt’ that the two are connected.

‘We have more than a dozen good quality studies indicating a link between cancer and ultra-processed foods,’ he told The Mail on Sunday. ‘Governments took action to reduce the number of people who smoke cigarettes based on far less evidence.’ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-13776129/How-ultra-processed-foods-linked-cancer-experts-believe-cause-tumours-doctors-blame-modern-diets-unprecedented-spike-cancer-rates.html

25 August 2024

We’re all guilty of indulging in ultra-processed foods such as ice cream, sandwich meats, sausages, crisps, mass-produced bread, cereal, biscuits and fizzy drinks.

According to The British Heart Foundation, ultra-processed foods are bad for you as they often contain high levels of saturated fat, salt and sugar leaving less room in our diets for more nutritious foods. https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/food/1940213/how-quitting-ultra-processed-foods-transformed-my-health

Last Summer, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. also made some comments about ultra-processed foods:

August 24, 2024

RFK Jr. informed journalists at his special press conference in the early afternoon of Friday that America’s health crisis stems from ultra-processed foods pushed by giant food/pharma companies that have corrupted various federal agencies:

Autism rates were about one in 10,000 in my generation – in my kids Generation 1 in 34. I’ll repeat in California 1 and 22. Why are we letting this happen? Why are we allowing this to happen to our children? These are the most precious assets that we have in this country how can we let this happen to them.

About 18% of American teens now have fatty liver disease, that’s like one out of every five – that disease when I was a kid only affected late stage alcoholics who were elderly.

Cancer rates are skyrocketing in the Young and the old young. Adult cancers are up 70-79%. One in four American women is on anti-depressant medication. About 40% of teens have a mental health diagnosis and 15% of high schoolers are on Aderall, and half a million children on SSRIs.

So what’s causing this suffering? I’ll name two culprits first and the worst is ultra-processed food. About 70% of American children’s diet is ultra-processed that means industrial manufacturing – these Foods consist primarily of processed sugar, ultra-processed grains, and seed oils.

Scientists who, for many of them, formerly worked for the cigarette industry, which purchased all the big food companies in the 1970s and 80s, deployed thousands of scientists to figure out chemicals new chemicals to make the food more addictive, and these ingredients didn’t exist a 100 years ago. Humans aren’t biologically adapted to eat them. Hundreds of these chemicals are now banned in Europe but ubiquitous in American processed foods.

The second culprit is toxic chemicals in our food and our medicine and our environment pesticides food additives pharmaceutical drugs and toxic waste permeate every cell of our bodies. The Assault on our children’s cells and hormones is unrelenting – name just one problem many of these chemicals increase estrogen – because young children are ingesting so many of these hormone disruptors, America’s puberty rate is now occurring at age 10 to 13, which is six years earlier than girls were reaching puberty in 1900 our country has the earliest puberty rates of any continent on the Earth and no this isn’t because of better nutrition – this is not normal – breast cancer is also estrogen-driven and it now strikes one in eight women. We are mass poisoning all of our children. 

RFK Jr. then touched on the processed food industry lobbyists who have corrupted Washington, resulting in a food supply chain filled with poison that is killing Americans. He said several federal agencies that are supposed to protect consumers have also been corrupted.

He pointed out that the processed food industry has been “destroying small farms, and they’re destroying our soils.” https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/rfk-jr-donald-trump-will-end-war-small-wars-save-nations-food-supply-chain

While some in mainstream act like Kennedy is a bit of a nut, the fact is that, yes, ultraprocessed foods are dangerous.

Last year, NewsMax reported the following:

Ultra-Processed Foods Linked to 32 Illnesses

February 29, 2024

Ultra-processed foods can cause dozens of terrible health problems among people who eat them too often, a new review warns.

Researchers linked diets high in ultra-processed foods to an increased risk of 32 separate illnesses. In particular, these foods are strongly tied to risk with early death, heart disease, cancer, mental health disorders, overweight and obesity, and Type 2 diabetes, researchers said.

For example, ultra-processed foods are associated with a 50% increased risk of heart-related death, a 48% to 53% increased risk of anxiety and common mental disorders, and a 12% risk of type 2 diabetes, researchers said. …

Ultra-processed foods include packaged snacks, sugary drinks, instant noodles, sweet cereals and ready-to-eat meals.

The products undergo multiple industrial processes to make them tasty and shelf-stable, and contain additives like emulsifiers, coloring agents and chemical flavors.

Unfortunately, ultra-processed foods now account for up to 58% of total daily energy intake in some high income-countries, and are proliferating in low- and middle-income countries, researchers said in background notes.

“Notably, over recent decades, the availability and variety of ultra-processed products sold has substantially and rapidly increased” in countries around the world, wrote the research team led by Melissa Lane, …

Alterations in the food made during manufacturing “may affect digestion, nutrient absorption and feelings of satiety,” the researchers wrote.

Emerging evidence in humans also has linked some additives used in the foods — non-sugar sweeteners, emulsifiers, colorants and nitrates or nitrites — with poor health outcomes, researchers said.

Intensive industrial processing of food might also produce harmful substances that contribute to chronic inflammation, and even packaging materials can contain contaminants, they added. … profit motives discourage food makers from switching to nutritious products. https://www.newsmax.com/health/health-news/ultra-processed-foods-illness/2024/02/29/id/1155395/

Yet, in the USA, various dietitians are pretending that obesity and processed foods are good and healthy (see General Mills funded dieticians who try to claim being obese is healthy and that ultra-processed foods are good).

But they are not healthy.

The Apostle Paul warned:

10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, (1 Timothy 6:10)

Greed, not health, drives much of the food processing industry.

In 2023, the BBC reported the following:

3 June 2023

Twenty years ago, no-one had heard of the term ultra-processed foods – or UPF – but about half the things we now eat in the UK are made that way. …

Ultra-processed convenience foods contain chemicals that UK regulators say are safe, but Panorama investigates emerging scientific evidence of a link between some of these chemicals and cancer, diabetes and strokes. …

Common ultra-processed foods:

  • Mass-produced bread and sweetened breakfast cereals
  • Instant soups, pre-packaged and microwave ready meals
  • Fruit-flavoured yogurts
  • Reconstituted meat – like ham and sausages
  • Ice cream, crisps and biscuits
  • Soft drinks and some alcoholic drinks – like whisky, gin, and rum

The first investigations into mortality and consumption of ultra-processed food started in France at the University Sorbonne Paris Nord, as part of the ongoing study into the eating habits of 174,000 people.

“We have 24-hour dietary records during which they tell us all the foods, the beverages and so on, that they are eating,” explains Dr Mathilde Touvier who heads up the study.

The ongoing research has already published results showing UPF may drive an increased burden of cancer. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-65754290

In 2022, CNN reported the following:

Cognitive decline linked to ultraprocessed food, study finds

August 1, 2022

Eating ultraprocessed foods for more than 20% of your daily calorie intake every day could set you on the road to cognitive decline, a new study revealed.

We all know eating ultraprocessed foods that make our lives easier — such as prepackaged soups, sauces, frozen pizza and ready-to-eat meals — isn’t good for our health. Nor is gobbling up all the pleasure foods that we love so much: hot dogs, sausages, burgers, french fries, sodas, cookies, cakes, candies, doughnuts and ice cream, to name just a few.

Studies have found they can raise our risk of obesity, heart and circulation problems, diabetes and cancer. They may even shorten our lives.

Now, a new study has revealed eating more ultraprocessed foods may contribute to overall cognitive decline, including the areas of the brain involved in executive functioning — the ability to process information and make decisions.<

In fact, men and women who ate the most ultraprocessed foods had a 28% faster rate of global cognitive decline and a 25% faster rate of executive function decline compared with people who ate the least amount of overly processed food, the study found.

“While in need of further study and replication, the new results are quite compelling and emphasize the critical role for proper nutrition in preserving and promoting brain health and reducing risk for brain diseases as we get older,” said Rudy Tanzi, professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and director of the genetics and aging research unit at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He was not involved in the study. https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/01/health/ultraprocessed-food-dementia-study-wellness/index.html

Eating wrong can increase the production of advanced protein glycation end-products which tend to accumulate in the brain and can contribute to cognitive deterioration. I was the lead scientist on paper published in a major medical journal dealing with that a while ago (see Can Cognitive Deterioration Associated with Down Syndrome be Reduced? Medical Hypotheses, 2005; 64(3):524-532).

It is not good that the youth in the UK, USA, and elsewhere are consuming so much ultra-processed foods.

That said, remember Eve in the Garden:

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. (Genesis 3:6)

Eve reasoned around God’s restriction. The fruit looked like good and desirable food to her. Ultra-processed foods and many unclean meats that God’s word prohibits look like good and desirable foods to many.

Self-control is something Christians should have (e.g. 2 Peter 1:6).

Highly-processed junk foods may look good, taste good, and seem convenient, but if consumed at all, should be a very small part of anyone’s diet.

Yet most in the West deceive themselves that they are not eating too much of them or that they are fine. Plus there is a lot of advertising that promotes them. That brings to mind another warning from the Apostle Paul:

1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, … 13 … evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:1-2,13)

Because the negative effects take time, many are wrongly persuaded by advertisements and availability to eat too much highly processed foods. Many also deceive themselves into falsely believing that they cannot cause serious problems–yet they can.

The following scripture came to mind:

11 Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. (Ecclesiastes 8:11)

As far as food processing goes, it really started to become a problem in the 19th century. This is when refined flour came out. Then we saw degerminated corn meal and white rice. Grits, which once were made of ground, whole organic corn, are now made with degerminated GMO corn, ‘fortified’ with synthetic vitamins. After corn was ‘degerminated’ many people in the Southern USA died from a disease called pellagra. Instead of going back to whole corn, chemically-derived synthetic vitamins were added, which I consider to be dangerous.

In the 19th century, after natural brown rice became refined on a large scale, white rice became popular. Many preferred white rice because it could be stored longer than natural brown rice, plus it cooked faster.

In the 19th century, a disease called beriberi began to cause many deaths in parts of Asia. Symptoms of beriberi include weight loss, emotional disturbances, impaired sensory perception, weakness and pain in the limbs, and periods of irregular heart rate.

At first no one connected the consumption of white rice in with beriberi. Leading ‘infectious disease’ experts attempted to figure out what caused this beriberi outbreak, without success. The real cause was the greatly reduced consumption of B-vitamins that was in the portion of the rice that was refined away—but no one realized this at first.

Now, we have even more highly processed items in the food supply–and also genetically-modified substances that there is limited data on the possible long-term health consequences of their consumption.

What should you eat? You should eat real food and for most people, at least two or more servings of fruit and three of more servings of vegetables daily, relatively small amounts of meats, whole grains, and olive oil come to mind. Refined grains, sugars (whether natural or artificial), sodas, and GMOs should be highly limited or not consumed at all

God’s word says:

2 … Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good (Isaiah 55:2).

People should try to eat real, not artificial, foods. And if you take vitamins and minerals, take the type whose nutrients are 100% food (which is what I personally do).

In 2022, the Continuing Church of God put out the following sermon on its ContinuingCOG channel:

1:11:59

The Bible says to eat what is good. Does the Bible give any information on what to eat and not eat? What happened in the Garden of Eden? What about Noah? What are clean and unclean animals? Did early Christians avoid biblically-unclean animals? What are some of the health risks associated with eating pork, shellfish, and bats? Are pigs associated with the flu? Could bats have been involved related to the corona virus pandemic? Should humans consume blood? What are enzymes? Can raw foods aid in health? Is the typical US diet deadly? What about processed foods? Is eating refined sugar necessary? How were vitamins discovered? What about United States Pharmacopeia (USP) vs. food vitamins? Are most mineral supplements composed of processed rocks? What about genetically-modified organisms (GMOs)? What about sodas and other beverages? Dr. Thiel addresses these matters and more.

Here is a link to the sermon: Let’s Talk About Food.

In addition to ultra-processed foods, we also now have genetically-modified foods as well as lab grown and other artificial meats–some of which are evil.

In 2023, the Continuing Church of God put out the following sermon on its ContinuingCOG channel:

1:07:48

Evil is Affecting the Food Supply

God gave humans food and said what He made was good. What about unclean animals? What about genetically-modified organisms (GMOs)? What about ‘bioengineered foods’? What about lab meat? What about human-cloned salami? What about ‘Piggy Sooy’? Are Christians supposed to eat what is good according to Isaiah 55:2? What should we eat? What should Christians avoid eating? Dr. Thiel addresses these matters and more.

Here is a link to the following: Evil is Affecting the Food Supply.

There are personal costs to eating too many things that you should not.

It is nice that some are warning about some of the evils affecting the food supply.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Christian Health Matters Should Christians be concerned about their health? Does the Bible give any food and health guidelines? Here are links to three related sermons: Let’s Talk About Food, Evil is Affecting the Food Supply, and Let’s Talk About Health.
American foods that gross out foreigners A study done in the Fall of 2014 found out which foods that non-USA Americans considered weird or gross that Americans eat. This video discusses those foods, ingredients in some of those foods, and warns against consuming ‘that which is not bread’ (Isaiah 55:2). Dr. Thiel also warns about synthetic vitamins and some of the issues associated with them. He also discusses something promoted by the late Seventh-day Adventist, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg.
The New Testament Church, History, and Unclean Meats Are foods considered to have been unclean in the Old Testament considered to be food in the New Testament? This article discusses this from the perspective of the New Testament. It also has a list of clean and unclean animals. It also answers the question, is pork healthy or is pork dangerous? There is also a sermon-length video on this: Christians and Unclean Meats; two short videos are also available: Did Jesus declare all animal flesh food? and COVID, Pandemics, and Unclean Meat.
Obesity, processed foods, health risks, and the Bible Does the Bible warn about the consequences of being obese? Is overeating dangerous? Is gluttony condemned? What diseases are associated with eating too much refined foods?
Eating Right, Eating Too Much, and Prophecy Are there disadvantages to being overweight? Is junk food really bad for you? Does the Bible discuss overeating and/or obesity? Is overeating having an effect on the US military? What are the ramifications of personal and national health for overeating? What should you eat? This is a sermonette-length YouTubevideo.
GMOs and Bible Prophecy What are GMOs? Since they were not in the food supply until 1994, how could they possibly relate to Bible prophecy? Do GMOs put the USA and others at risk? Here are some related videos: GMO Risks and the Bible and GMOs, Lab meat, Hydrogenation: Safe or Dangerous?
Chimeras: Has Science Crossed the Line? What are chimeras?  Has science crossed the line? Does the Bible give any clues? A video of related interest is Half human, half pig: What’s the difference?  and Human-Monkey Embryos and Death.
Ten Simple Rules that Lead to Health Herbert Armstrong gives his opinions on this.
Does God Heal Today? What does the Bible teach? Herbert Armstrong tries to explain this.
UK Study Supports Daniel Diet Daniel and his companions looked better eating more vegetables and avoiding strange meats. Has modern science confirmed this?
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 DNALost tribes, prophecies, and identifications11 Tribes, 144,000, and MultitudesIsrael, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British RoyaltyGentile European BeastRoyal Succession, Samaria, and PropheciesAsia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?;  Rise of the Prophesied King of the NorthChristian Persecution from the BeastWWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

Germans want Europe to replace America as global leader

Thursday, March 13th, 2025


COGwriter

US President Donald Trump has threatened tariffs on many things, including specifically on automobiles from Europe. He has also pressured the Europeans, and specifically the Germans, to spend more on military weaponry.

A reader sent me a link to an article in Italian (https://www.renovatio21.com/la-volkswagen-produrra-armi-la-ue-riporta-lindustria-ai-tempi-dei-nazisti/) which I machine-translated into English. Here are excerpts:

Volkswagen to Make Weapons. EU Takes Industry Back to Nazi Times

13 March 2025

Struggling German carmaker Volkswagen is open to producing weapons and military equipment, CEO Oliver Blume has said.

Blume made the comments in response to a recent EU announcement of a plan to spend up to €840 billion on its defense sector. …

Speaking to German state broadcaster NDR on Tuesday, Blume said the automaker was carefully examining the needs of the defense industry.

All options are on the table, he said, including repurposing some factories from civilian to military production. “We are fundamentally open to such arguments,” Blume said.

The idea has been backed by Germany’s largest arms manufacturer Rheinmetall. Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger said Wednesday that VW’s Osnabrück facility would be suitable for a conversion.

For VW, for Germany, for Europe, this is actually a return to the past. During the Second World War, VW had already produced military vehicles for the Wehrmacht, the armed forces of Nazi Germany, including the Kübelwagen light transporter and the Schwimmwagen four-wheel drive amphibious vehicle.

A VW plant was involved in the production of components for the V-1 flying bomb, a type of cruise missile used to devastating effect by the Nazis.

The EU has stepped up its efforts to militarize the Union after US President Donald Trump repeatedly criticized European NATO members for failing to meet their defense spending commitments.

In response, Brussels announced a major militarization initiative proposed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Called ReArm Europe, the plan could channel more than €800 billion into the defense sector over the next four years.

Another reader sent me a link to the following from German-Foreign-Policy.com:

‘We’re a global power’

Calls for the EU to become a major global force independent of the US are gaining traction. An unprecedented military build-up is planned – where possible without buying American weapons. …

10 Mar 2025

BERLIN (own report) – In view of the Trump administration’s power play, calls are getting louder in Germany for the European Union to become an independent force on the global stage. As a statement from the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) put it, “Europe must mobilise its ample resources to replace America as a global leader.” Berlin and Brussels are setting out unprecedented spending plans, in the high three-digit billion range, for arming Germany and the EU. Proponents of rapid militarisation want to procure European weaponry rather than American. This view is now being adopted even by traditionally transatlantic-aligned media. As the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung puts it, “A country that, overnight, stops military aid for a partner at war can no longer be trusted.” A concerted arms build-up will be accompanied by moves to give all of Berlin’s activities abroad a sharper focus on national interests. To this end, there are calls for Germany’s international development ministry to be incorporated into the Federal Foreign Office – creating a kind of “Ministry for German Interests”.  …

‘Replacing America’

Just a few hours after the polls closed on 23 February, the presumed future German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared that it was now his “absolute priority … to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible” so that it would achieve “independence” from the United States in every respect.[1] Since then, calls for far-reaching independence from the American superpower have quickly become louder. … EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas declared that “the free world now needs a new leader; it is up to us Europeans to take up this challenge.”[2] …The advice has become: “Europe must mobilise its ample resources to replace America as a global leader.” Poland’s Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, was already calling in January for Europe to position itself independently of the US, saying, “We are a global power.”[4] His only caveat: “But we must believe in it.”

Record arms drive

Demands to become independent of the United States are now echoed in an unprecedented wave of militarisation in the EU and the UK. “Europe,” a DGAP experts writes, “holds all the cards that it needs.” Militarily, its armed forces are “among the world’s strongest, most experienced, and most innovative.”[5]  …

Buy European

There are now voices increasingly calling for EU members to “avoid arms purchases in the US … wherever possible”, as the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, a paper traditionally transatlantic-aligned, put it at the weekend. Referring to the Trump administration’s position on Ukraine, it argues, “A country that, overnight, stops military aid for a partner at war can no longer be trusted.”[7]

‘Ministry for German Interests’

The plans for an unprecedented militarisation of Europe along with far-reaching independence from the United States go hand in hand with calls to focus all of the German government’s activities abroad even more strongly on pursuing and enforcing German interests. …

‘More courage to assume global power’

By embarking on a policy of compulsory militarisation in Europe and moving towards an exclusive focus on national  interests for all German activities abroad, Berlin is reviving a longstanding goal of the German elites: … . Back in 1966, the then CSU leader and former Defence Minister (1956 to 1962) Franz Josef Strauß spoke out in favour of “a united Europe” rising to “the position of an independent power between the United States and the [then] Soviet Union”.[11] In 2003, Werner Weidenfeld, then an advisor to German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, wrote in an article in the Springer-owned newspaper Die Welt that the EU already had potential strengths that can “define the status of a global power”. Indeed, he saw the EU as superior to the US in some key areas. “The integrated Europe,” he wrote, “is a world power in the making.”[12] Ideas for giving Germany a much stronger role on the world stage have been discussed many times. In 2020, for example, a piece entitled “More courage to assume global power” in the weekly Die Zeit reflected this trend by urging EU leadership in world affairs.[13] The title of an article in the Welt am Sonntag in 2020, co-authored by former International Development Minister Gerd Müller ran “Europe has the makings of a world power.”[14] https://www.german-foreign-policy.com/en/news/detail/9903

Yes, Europe wants to buy European weapons and be the global power. Furthermore, Germany wants to be the force of that power.

This is not a new idea, of course. Adolf Hitler’s book, Mein Kampf, is filled with ideas about nationalism, expansion, and the role of Germany in Europe and the world. Here are a few quotes:

    • “The German nation must be brought back to the position of a European Great Power, and in the final analysis, to the position of the world power to which it is entitled.” (Vol. 1, Chapter 2)
      • “It is the duty of the German nation to become the dominant power in Europe, for this is its natural right and destiny.” (Vol. 1, Chapter 2)
        • “The expansion of the German nation is not a matter of ‘aggression,’ but the only possibility of securing the future of the German people.” (Vol. 1, Chapter 3)
          • “The struggle for land and space is not a struggle for the existence of a single people, but for the existence of the whole of humanity.” (Vol. 2, Chapter 14)

Adolf Hitler wanted Germany to be the dominant power in Europe and for Europe to expand.

This has happened since his death.

But now, Germany and the rest of Europe is entering a new phase–a phase where it is more active in its military interests in order to push aside the United States.

There is a shift going on in Europe. Notice also:

Germans no longer see US as trustworthy partner

7 March 2025

US no longer reliable

Trump has been back in office for only six weeks and has already been calling into question core policies, which is having a massive impact on how Germans view Trump and the United States.

One in two respondents to the infratest poll say their opinion of Trump has worsened since he took office. Just one in seven expresses a favorable opinion of the US president. The United States’ reputation is plummeting to new lows.

This month only one in six voters described the US as a partner who Germany can trust. Three quarters believe that NATO members cannot currently rely on the United States for protection.

The Germans polled are not skeptical of NATO itself: 84% said that the North Atlantic defense alliance is important for securing peace in Europe. Nevertheless, there is growing support for greater European independence. One in two said they favor establishing a European military alliance. https://www.dw.com/en/germans-no-longer-see-us-as-trustworthy-partner/a-71858094

After various crises, the Bible shows that Europe will reorganize and support a leader that the Bible called ‘the beast”:

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)

Notice that the Beast will come up from that ‘unity.’

As far as European unity goes, you may wish to watch the following:

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?

One aspect of European unity is moving towards the prophesied “great army” that Europe will get per Daniel 11:25.

Notice something that was claimed by the German Press after Donald Trump’s first election victory:

For 100 years, the United States was the leader of the free world. With the election of Donald Trump, America has now abdicated that role. It is time for Europe … to step into the void. …

America was long the benchmark for the West. But if Trump governs as he promised he would during the campaign, the land of the free will abdicate its role as leader of the free world. Then, it will be Europe’s turn. (Kurbjuweit D. America Has Abdicated Its Leadership of the West. Spiegel Online, November 16, 2016)

Europe wants to rise up. Consider also the following report from 2016:

No European politician will say so publicly, but to some on the Continent, Trump presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for emancipation from American influence.

To varying degrees, America-bashing has been a mainstay on both the Right and Left of European politics for decades. From GMOs to Guantanamo, from the drone war to the death penalty, European politicians have rarely had difficulty finding reasons to rail against the U.S. (Karnitschnig M. Why Europe secretly roots for Donald Trump. Strategic-Culture.org. September 22, 2016)

Since then, more European leaders as well as the European public favor a powerful military and becoming independent of the USA.

While Europeans want that, for now at least, they recognize a need for USA military protection, so they remain in NATO.

But how trustworthy will that alliance be?

It has long been my view that Europe will likely attack the USA and/or the UK under the guise of a NATO (or some other defense treaty) military exercise and that is consistent with the following prophecy about the coming European King of the North Beast:

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. 24 He shall enter peaceably, even into the richest places of the province; and he shall do what his fathers have not done, nor his forefathers: he shall disperse among them the plunder, spoil, and riches; and he shall devise his plans against the strongholds, but only for a time. (Daniel 11:23-24, NKJV)

Notice that he, the European King of the North, pretends peace then devises a plan against the strongholds. This looks to be a reference to the nation with the strongest military, the “strongest fortresses,” that Daniel 11:39 shows he will conquer–that is the USA and its British-descended allies (see also USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses). Notice those verses say he will do what his fathers and forefathers failed to do. Well, in WWI and WWII Germany failed to defeat the USA or even have major invasions of the USA.

Notice something about Germany’s history published decades ago by the old Worldwide Church of God:

In 1933 Adolf Hitler, using Germany’s growing economic crisis as a stepping-stone to power, gained control of Germany, inaugurating the Third Reich of German history.

It quickly became clear that Hitler’s geopolitical aims far transcended his own country’s borders. Hitler held an unshakable conviction that his German Reich would one day rule all of Europe — and from there seize the leadership of the world! He dreamed of a “new world order” that would remake the political face of the earth, with himself at its helm.

In 1939 Hitler began in earnest his struggle for the mastery of the world. (Stump K. Coming Soon – A New World Order. Good News, 1985)

Adolf Hitler used an economic crisis to rise up and form his so-called third reich.

Could there be some type of a ‘fourth reich’ this century to follow the ‘third reich’ of last century?

The old Radio Church of God thought so, even decades earlier:

The “German Problem” is not dead. Germans are thinking more than ever of an undivided Reich – and of an undivided Europe! … On the 17th of June, Germans celebrated a national holiday a day dedicated to AN UNDIVIDED GERMANY. Stores closed. No one worked. The striking thing is that this day signifies something that has not happened yet! Most holidays commemorate an event – something that has already taken place. Not this one – it looks forward to an event which all Germans hope for and even pray for – AN UNDIVIDED GERMANY! (Kelly R. The March for an Undivided Germany. Plain Truth, September 1964)

Well, since that came out, East and West Germany united, the European Union formed, and a European currency has been implemented.

So, is a ‘fourth reich’ in the process of forming? Some in Germany and elsewhere seem to think so.

Now this does not mean that everyone in Germany wants it to militarily dominate the world, but Bible prophecy shows that deep down, those there do want to dominate.

Notice the following prophecy:

5 “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger
And the staff in whose hand is My indignation.
6 I will send him against an ungodly nation,
And against the people of My wrath
I will give him charge,
To seize the spoil, to take the prey,
And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
7 Yet he does not mean so,
Nor does his heart think so;
But it is in his heart to destroy,
And cut off not a few nations.
8 For he says,
‘Are not my princes altogether kings? (Isaiah 10:6-8)

Notice that the leader of the final empire will not think that he wants to destroy nations, but he really does, and really will.

Notice that Isaiah tells of a time when the end time Assyrian power will be sent against an ungodly nation (NKJV), translated as “an hypocritical nation” in the KJV. The Hebrew word used signifies being “soiled” or impious, and certainly that is now the case for the nation known as the United States.

Biblically, the final European King of the North will lead a revived ‘Holy Roman Empire.’ This will be the empire of the Beast power of Revelation 13. This new world order, which will have German dominance, will in a sense be its fourth militaristic reich (reich means reign).

The Bible prophesies that Europe will have a “great army” (Daniel 11:25), various weapons, and  “many ships” (Daniel 11:40).

Furthermore, technology will, in my view, be key in the establishment of a militaristic beast power consistent with scriptures such as Revelation 13:4.

A Beast power is prophesied to arise from Europe after various crises (cf. Revelation 6:1-8; 13:1-4).

A few days ago, we uploaded the following video:

14:48

Should Europe Still Consider Itself a US Ally?

The United States has paused aid to Ukraine. Europe is nervous and wonders about the United States’ commitment to European security is unclear. Some leaders in Europe “agree they must strengthen their defense capabilities”. Europe is dedicating huge amounts of money to weapons. And Europe’s military technology is advancing. Revelation 13 tell us of a militaristic “beast with a mortal head wound” – this is Europe. The Bible asks –“who can make war with the beast?” Is WWIII on the horizon? What nation is Lamentations 1:1-2 referring to who will be betrayed by her “friends”–and who are her “friends” that become her “enemies”? Dr. Thiel helps shine the light of Biblical prophecy on the answers to these questions. Answers from the verses of the Bible that bring prophecy to life.

Here is a link to our video: Should Europe Still Consider Itself a US Ally?

Many in Europe want it to be the global power.

And, Germany wants to lead Europe and the world.

Even Volkswagen is looking to be an arms producer again.

There will be many unintended consequences of the Trump-Vance Administration.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is are links to related videos: European history and the BibleEurope In ProphecyThe End of European Babylon, and Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European? Here is a link to a related sermon in the Spanish language: El Fin de la Babilonia Europea.
The European Union and the Seven Kings of Revelation 17 Could the European Union be the sixth king that now is, but is not? Here is a link to the related sermon video: European Union & 7 Kings of Revelation 17:10.
Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous. Here is a link to a related sermon in the Spanish language: ¿Deben los Diez Reyes gobernar sobre diez naciones? A related sermon in the English language is titled: Ten Kings of Revelation and the Great Tribulation.
European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach? Here is a related YouTube video: Military Technology and the Beast of Revelation.
The Large Hadron Collider has Military Potential Some say this European project is only peaceful. So why is it working on capturing antimatter? Here is a link to a related video: Could the Large Hadron Collider lead to destruction?
USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses Can you point to scriptures, like Daniel 11:39, that point to the USA in the 21st century? This article does. A related sermon is titled: Do these 7 prophesies point to the end of the USA?
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin? A related sermon is also available: The Bible, the USA, and the King of the West.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
The Great Monarch: Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Is the ‘Great Monarch’ of Catholic prophecies endorsed or condemned by the Bible? Two sermons of related interest are also available: Great Monarch: Messiah or False Christ? and Great Monarch in 50+ Beast Prophecies.
Germany’s Assyrian Roots Throughout History Are the Germanic peoples descended from Asshur of the Bible? Have there been real Christians in Germanic history? What about the “Holy Roman Empire”? There is also a You-Tube video sermon on this titled Germany’s Biblical Origins.
Germany in Biblical and Catholic Prophecy Does Assyria in the Bible equate to an end time power inhabiting the area of the old Roman Empire? What does prophecy say Germany will do and what does it say will happen to most of the German people? Here is a link to a video Is the USA Pushing Germany to Start WWIII?
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 DNALost tribes, prophecies, and identifications11 Tribes, 144,000, and MultitudesIsrael, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British RoyaltyGentile European BeastRoyal Succession, Samaria, and PropheciesAsia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?;  Rise of the Prophesied King of the NorthChristian Persecution from the BeastWWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.
Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies?  Is Donald Trump going to save the USA or are there going to be many disastrous unintended consequences of his statements and policies? What will happen. The link takes you to a book available at Amazon.com.
Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies? Kindle 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 Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies?

12 years later, Pope Francis still acts like an antipope

Thursday, March 13th, 2025


COGwriter

March 13, 2025 marks the 12th anniversary of Jorge Bergoglio becoming the Vatican’s Pope Francis.

At the beginning of2024, a priest was excommunicated from the Church of Rome for referring to Francis as an antipope:

An Italian Catholic priest has been excommunicated for having publicly committed “an act of a schismatic nature” while celebrating Mass at his parish near Livorno.

The priest, Father Ramon Guidetti, dedicated his homily Dec. 31 to marking the anniversary of the death of Pope Benedict XVI, whom he named as being “the true pope” who “never fled the barque of Peter.”

In his 20-minute homily, the 48-year-old priest detailed the qualities of “real priests” and cardinals versus those who side with “Bergoglio (Pope Francis) and his mercenaries.” He said the See of Peter is occupied by a “masonic Jesuit tied to a group of globalists, an antipope usurper.”

Bishop Simone Giusti of Livorno issued the decree declaring the priest’s excommunication Jan. 1 and posted it on the diocese’s website. https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2024/01/03/italian-priest-excommunicated-pope-francis-246813

His positions on homosexual unions are one reason some Roman Catholics consider him to be a type of antipope:

“Pope Francis’ Christmas gift to the church was finally confirming that he is a heretic and quite likely an antipope,” another Catholic X user, @n3liason, wrote. “He must be opposed completely now, and any bishop who doesn’t is complicit.”

“It doesn’t matter how orthodox the documents are, simply by allowing blessings, Pope Francis has given an inch,” @JadeAtrophis posted. “And they will take a mile with it. The only way to prevent this at all is to not give an inch in the first place.”

“The Vatican has fallen!” @LarryDJonesJr wrote, echoing language used in the past in reaction to businesses or institutions adopting LGBTQ-friendly practices. “Pope Francis has approved priests blessing same-sex couples. Did you see that coming?” 12/18/23 https://www.newsweek.com/pope-francis-same-sex-marriage-blessing-backlash-1853397

In the Summer of 2024, an archbishop was excommunicated from the Church of Rome. In late 2024, he made a variety of comments about Jorge Bergoglio, aka Pope Francis. Lifesite News posted the following translation from an interview with Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò conducted by Andrea Caldart:

Archbishop Viganò: The Catholic Church has nothing to do with the Bergoglian church

Andrea Caldart: Bergoglio’s Church seems to be in turmoil: many faithful continue to watch this Pope excommunicating priests and others because they produce evidence that Pope Benedict XVI has never actually renounced the Petrine “munus.” Archbishop Viganò, in which Church are we living?

Carlo Maria Viganò: Bergoglio’s “church” is not only in turmoil: it is in full delirium. If this can happen, it is precisely because it is no longer the Catholic Church, but her scandalous counterfeit; and because in the place of the Pope on the Throne of Peter sits a heretical and usurper tyrant. …

Those who think that the crisis began with this “pontificate” are mistaken: the desire to tamper with the Roman Papacy dates back to the Second Vatican Council, was continued with John Paul II’s encyclical Ut unum sint, was confirmed by the anomaly of Benedict XVI’s Resignation and was then embraced by Bergoglio – in full coherence with his predecessors – with the Study Document The Bishop of Rome issued by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. Redefining the Papacy “in an ecumenical and synodal mold” is the typical modus operandi of heretics to conceal behind vague formulas a deliberately subversive action, contrary to the Faith and the constant practice of the Roman Catholic Church.

We must take note of the coup d’état that was hatched by the deep church and that brought to power, up to the very top of the Catholic hierarchy, the fifth columns of the enemy, that is, of the Masonic anti-church, of the Synagogue of Satan. …

Andrea Caldart: How do you evaluate the current state of the Catholic Church with respect to traditional values and modernity?

Carlo Maria Viganò: The Catholic Church has nothing to do with the Bergoglian church, which is “conciliar,” “synodal,” and “ecumenical,” but certainly not Catholic. … The assertion that the Church must be democratic and that the laity can or should participate in its government is obviously a colossal lie: not only because this contradicts the monarchical structure that Our Lord gave Her  …

Andrea Caldart: A question arises: where does the Catholic Church “subsist” today? How can the Catholic Church exist without a visible head?

{Carlo Maria Viganò: } The Catholic Church certainly does not exist in the Bergoglian church: certainly not in the conventicle of cardinals and bishops who support the tyrant out of fear, timidity, self-interest, blackmail, or acquiescence. …

Carlo Maria Viganò: The task of a Bishop, that is, of a Successor of the Apostles, is summed up by Saint Paul (2 Tim 4:1-5): I beseech you, before God and Christ Jesus, who must judge the living and the dead, by his appearance and his kingdom: preach the word, insist on every favorable and unfavorable occasion, convince, rebuke, exhort with all kinds of teaching and patience. For the time will come when they will no longer endure sound doctrine, but, having itching ears, they will seek teachers in great numbers according to their own desires, and they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn to fables. But be vigilant in all things, endure suffering, carry out the task of evangelist, faithfully fulfill your ministry. 12/23/24 https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/archbishop-vigano-the-catholic-church-has-nothing-to-do-with-the-bergoglian-church/

Here is a brief summary of points where I believe that Carlo Maria Viganò was correct:

  1. Pope Francis is not faithful to the beliefs of the original catholic church.
  2. The Roman Catholic Church is a “scandalous counterfeit.”
  3. The problems in it began long before Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis.
  4. There is a “deep church” associated with the Church of Rome with Masonic ties.
  5. Yes, the “Synagogue of Satan” (Revelation 2:9, 3:9) is an applicable title for the Roman Catholic Church (see also What is the Synagogue of Satan?).
  6. The true catholic church “has nothing to do with the Bergoglian church.”
  7. The true catholic church is not ecumenical.
  8. The true catholic church is not democratic.
  9. The true catholic church has hierarchical governance (see also The Bible, Peter, Paul, John, Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, Roderick C. Meredith, and Bob Thiel on Church Government).
  10. The true catholic church “certainly does not exist in the Bergoglian church.”
  11. The true catholic church does not exist “in the conventicle of cardinals.”
  12. The truly faithful bishops/overseers/ministers have apostolic succession (see also Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession?).
  13. The Church of Rome long ago broke away with being faithful to many true Christian doctrines (see also Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession?).
  14. That faithful leaders are to “contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3), which is what he implied with citing 2 Timothy 4:1-5.

As far as Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò goes, he used to hold a high position within the Church of Rome, but he was excommunicated last Summer (see Vatican excommunicates Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò who responds with a warning about Freemasonsry and the WEF’s influence on the Vatican)–though some say he excommunicated himself.

The Vatican currently seems to believe that Carlo Maria Viganò leads a break-away sect that is not part of them.

That said, neither the Church of Rome nor the group associated with Carlo Maria Viganò holds to the beliefs of the original catholic church.

The majority in the Church of Rome turned against the faithful beliefs in the second century A.D. For documented details, see the free online book: Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church.

All who claim to be Christian are “to contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

Francis keeps pushing his agenda, which some support and others oppose–the Bible basically opposes much of his agenda.

Here are some past comments related to Francis from the Associated Press:

March 13, 2023

Pope Francis marks the 10th anniversary of his election as pope on Monday. …

July 29, 2013: During his first airborne press conference as pope, Francis is asked about a purportedly gay priest and replies, “Who am I to judge?” His comment while flying home from World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro signaled a more conciliatory, welcoming tone for LGBTQ Catholics who long felt marginalized by the church. …

Feb. 13, 2016: “We are brothers,” Francis says as he becomes the first pope to meet with the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill. The historic meeting in Havana, Cuba, wouldn’t be repeated, as hoped, following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Feb. 4, 2019: Francis signs a document pledging Christian-Muslim cooperation to work for peace with the grand imam of Egypt’s Al-Azhar, the seat of Sunni learning, during the first-ever papal trip to the Arabian Peninsula. The “Human Fraternity” document would go onto become a cornerstone of the pope’s effort to forge better relations with the Muslim world.

Oct. 21, 2019: Conservative Catholic activists steal three Amazonian Indigenous statues from a Vatican-area church and throw them in the Tiber River, claiming they were pagan idols. The so-called “Pachamama” stunt during Francis’ synod on the Amazon epitomized the depth of conservative opposition to the pope, which only intensified after he launched a crackdown on the use of the old Latin Mass. …

Jan. 5, 2023: Francis bids farewell to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, presiding over his funeral in St. Peter’s Square … https://apnews.com/article/pope-anniversary-migrants-lgbtq-covid19-abuse-indigenous-702c74da897b79532ca3aba7cf2aa5f9

Various ones have called for his resignation in the past (see ‘Former Vatican official calls for Pope’s resignation amid sex abuse scandal’, Francis says no comment on resignation letter; ‘By secular standards, the Catholic Church is a corrupt organization and German priest pedophilia, Pope Francis calls for conference, ‘Civil war,’ and Francis pushes for salvation with Mary).

Some even thought he would resign in 2019 (see Pope Francis to resign in February 2019?) as well as in 2020 (see “End of the world: Why Pope’s 2020 resignation ‘will fulfil 900-year-old doomsday prophecy’”).

But that has not happened, and he also has suggested that resignations should not be normal for popes:

February 16, 2023

Pope Francis has made clear in comments published Thursday by a Jesuit journal that he believes being pope is a lifetime position and that Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation was an exception.

“I for the moment do not have that on my agenda,” Francis told Civita Cattolica, in the clearest statement he has made on the issue. https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/pope-francis-underlines-papacy-lifetime-post-97255237

Various ones have been disappointed about his deal with China and pushing Islam:

March 13, 2022

Francis and his Vatican team, for instance, recently signed a controversial agreement with China over the appointment of bishops that’s been excoriated by critics as a deal with the devil. Vatican diplomats have defended the pact on the basis that, however imperfect, it at least keeps channels of communication with Beijing open, providing some potential leverage.

If ever there was a moment to try spending some of that political capital, this may well be it.

As for the Gulf States, Pope Francis made a highly successful outing to the UAE in 2019, signing a “Document on Human Fraternity” with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar in Egypt. In general, Francis has made outreach to the Islamic world a key priority, and he’s won the gratitude of many Muslim leaders for his solidarity at key moments, including his repeated insistence that Islam is a religion of peace and terrorism is, therefore, a betrayal of Islamic values. https://cruxnow.com/news-analysis/2022/03/how-pope-francis-could-lead-a-soft-power-push-on-ukraine

Pope Francis has been around longer than he felt he would as his statements from 2015 attest:

March 13, 2015

Hearing confessions to mark his second anniversary as head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis offered a confession of his own Friday: He doubts he’ll be pontiff for long.

“I have the feeling that my pontificate will be brief, 4 or 5 years; I do not know, even 2 or 3,” the 78-year-old Francis said during an interview with Mexican broadcaster Televisa.

“Two have already passed. It’s a somewhat vague sensation,” he said, according to a Vatican translation from Spanish. “I feel that the Lord has placed me here for a short time, and nothing more.”

He compared the feeling to “a gambler who convinces himself he will lose so he won’t be disappointed. And if he wins, he’s happy.” http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/03/13/pope-francis-papacy-anniversary-pizza/70277854/

In the past, he dropped a hint or two that he might like to resign like Benedict XVI did.

Notice some reports about his pontificate:

13 March 2021

Going into the 2013 conclave, few people considered Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio a frontrunner—least of the cardinal-archbishop of Buenos Aires himself. As America’s Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell details in his book The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Account of the Conclave that Changed History (Orbis, 2019), when Francis emerged on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica for the first time as pope, he “just stood there in silence, immobile. He seemed stunned by the sea of humanity that stretched out in the darkness before him across the square, right down the Via della Conciliazione reaching toward Castel Sant’Angelo.” …

During his papal trip to Istanbul, Pope Francis asked Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodox Christians, to bless him and “the church of Rome.” When he bowed for the blessing, the patriarch kissed him gently on the head.

The two men have a warm relationship, often kissing one another on the cheek and embracing when they meet. Achieving unity between the Eastern and Western churches, which have been in schism since the Middle Ages, is one of Pope Francis’ major goals. https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2021/03/13/pope-francis-eight-year-anniversary-papacy-images-240226

13 March 2021

POPE BENEDICT’s “determination” to “destroy” Pope Francis’ legacy has been laid bare by an expert, as the pontiff marks his eighth year as leader of the Catholic church. …

Images of Francis embracing a man covered in tumours, kissing the feet of ex-warring African leaders, and praying on his own in St. Peter’s Square while the world was restricted by the devastating coronavirus pandemic, have dominated his time within the Vatican.

Yet, while he has managed in some respects to shift the church’s identity, through moves such as indicating support for same-sex civil unions last year, many observers have noted how Benedict’s presence in the upper echelons of the Vatican have stifled Francis’ agenda.

Lynda Telford, who penned Women in the Vatican – Female Power in a Male World, told Express.co.uk that since Benedict continues to live within the Vatican, he is able to exert his influence over cardinals and senior members of the church.

This has frustrated some of Francis’ decision-making, and ensured that the church doesn’t pass its traditionalist past, something Benedict’s reign as pontiff is remembered for.

Ms Telford accused Benedict of “pushing himself into the forefront of events in a way that’s highly unsuitable”, claiming the ex-pontiff “should be ashamed of himself”.

Her remarks came after Benedict commented on how some conservative-leaning worshippers still believed he was the “real” Pope, despite standing down nearly a decade ago due to his deteriorating health.

Ms Telford said Benedict “would be delighted to be mistaken for the ‘real’ Pope”, adding: “Frankly, due to his behaviour, which seems to be getting worse, and his interference more blatant, I wouldn’t put anything past him in his determination to put someone in power who would carry on his traditionalist agenda, destroying the good work done by Francis.

“It would be a disaster for the church, and I’m sure many would be disappointed by such an outcome and withdraw from any further interest in it, should that happen.” https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1409528/christian-news-pope-benedict-destroy-pope-francis-legacy-pontiff-vatican-italy-rome-spt

13 March 2018

Pope Francis: The Catholic Church’s Superman?

He has made it his mission to tear down walls. After five years in office, Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, has become a theological and political pop star. DW looks back on his papacy so far. …

The now 81-year-old Argentine Jorge Bergoglio, the first pope from Latin America, has been in office for five years now. Just two minutes after his election on March 13, 2013, it was clear that this Pope “from the end of the Earth,” as Bergoglio introduced himself at the time, wasn’t like his predecessors. …

Francis is both political and pastoral. …

There are also signs of change within the Catholic Church itself, though this only becomes apparent on closer inspection. …

Now another major event for church policy is on the horizon: the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region, to be held in the Vatican in 2019. A decision could be made on allowing married men to be consecrated as priests.

From the Catholic point of view, relaxing the rule on celibacy, which has been in place for centuries, would be a revolution. http://www.dw.com/en/pope-francis-the-catholic-churchs-superman/a-42937351

March 13, 2018

Having accompanied him, literally, into the conclave that elected this Argentine Jesuit Bishop of Rome on March 13, 2013, I have followed him closely over the past five years of his remarkable impact on the Church and on the entire world. I have listened to his admirers, his disciples and his critics. …

Many are calling Francis the great revolutionary. … Through the powerful and provocative messages deep within Evangelii Gaudium, Laudato Sì and Amoris Laetitia, and daily reflections flowing from simple, Eucharistic celebrations in the chapel of a Vatican Guest House, Francis has connected with and encountered a humanity that hungers and thirsts for a message of hope and consolation. https://zenit.org/articles/forum-pope-francis-five-years-later/

What I would say is that he has taken steps that an ecumenical antipope might take. And I believe that several steps he has taken will make it easier for the final Antichrist to arise. His encyclicals, Laudato Sì and Amoris Laetitia, document that he wants change, as well as his intentions to push an interfaith and ecumenical agenda with groups like the United Nations. He also received the Charlemagne Prize for promoting European unity (see Pope Francis given ‘Charlemagne Prize;’ EU leaders worried about EU’s future).

Throughout the years, various ones have wondered if Pope Francis is actually Roman Catholic based up some of his writings and statements.

Here is something from 2017:

Christians asking is the pope still Catholic?

November 16, 2017 Is the pope Catholic?

It’s not a punch line.

It’s a question being asked about the current head of the Roman Catholic Church, Francis, who critics believe is showing signs of abandoning fundamental Catholic doctrines – including the existence of hell.

In a recent address, Pope Francis declared “everything will be saved” upon Christ’s return.

“The thought that at the end of our history there will be merciful Jesus suffices in order to have faith and not to curse life,” the pope said. “Everything will be saved. Everything.”

That would suggest the church is opening up to “universalism,” the doctrine that everyone will ultimately be given salvation, according to Eugenio Scalfari, founder of the Italian newspaper la Repubblica.

Scalfari, a major Italian journalistic and cultural influence, believes Francis has “abolished the places where souls were supposed to go after death: hell, purgatory, heaven.”

Instead, the souls dominated by evil will “cease to exist.” The pope has also been accused of even warping the words of Scripture to make God appear less judgmental.

Father Thomas Weinandy, a member of the Vatican’s International Theological Commission, accused Francis of presiding over “a chronic confusion” in a letter.

The former chief of staff for the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Doctrine said the pope had demeaned the importance of doctrine and undermined church unity. Weinandy was asked to resign from his position not long after sending the letter.

The pope’s reign has long been marked by attacks on conservatives both within the church and the larger Christian community. Many Christian leaders are becoming fed up.

“This man has turned the papacy into a social justice organization that seems far more concerned with global warming and poverty than the proclamation of the gospel,” said Jan Markell of Olive Tree Ministries.

“Catholics should be very concerned. Pope Francis is a type of the false prophet who will reign with the antichrist. I am not saying he is the false prophet, but he has characteristics that would suggest a man just like him could step into that role. If I were a Catholic, I would be looking either for another pope or another faith such as Protestantism. Heaven and hell represent eternal issues that are sacred and no human being should be trying to alter them.” …

Pastor Carl Gallups … agrees with Catholic dissidents that the pope has thrown the Catholic Church into confusion.

“Thus far, Pope Francis appears to have thrown the Catholic Church into further confusion since his reign. We are undoubtedly living in profoundly prophetic times. How people can miss this truth, right before our eyes every day, is beyond comprehension.” http://www.wnd.com/2017/11/christians-asking-is-the-pope-still-catholic/

Pope Francis IS helping set up the end time for the rise of the final Antichrist–and that seems to be consistent with both biblical and even certain Roman Catholic prophecies.

Also, Pope Francis’ apparent diminishing of places of punishment like purgatory will help endear him to the Eastern Orthodox, as well as Protestants, as they do not accept purgatory. Perhaps it should be mentioned that the prior pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI, indicated that the place called limbo also may not exist. As far as universal salvation goes, although the Bible does not teach that, many would be surprised to realize that the Bible does teach that all will be OFFERED salvation through Jesus, and that this was the view of early Christians. For details, check out the article, Universal Offer of Salvation: There Are Hundreds of Verses in the Bible Supporting the Doctrine of True Apocatastasis.

Now, although WND is a Protestant-run organization, many Roman Catholics have questioned Pope Francis’ Roman Catholicism as well.

Notice the following from the Roman Catholic-publication CRUX in 2016:

“Is the Pope Catholic?” suddenly a serious question

April 20, 2016

It’s always been the jokey answer to a dumb question, but it’s now a serious issue for Catholic intellectuals who have been criticizing, and defending, the Catholic bona fides of Pope Francis, especially since the pontiff released a landmark document on family life earlier this month that some say calls into question the church’s teachings on the permanence of marriage.

“A catastrophe,” one traditionalist blogger called the apostolic exhortation, “Amoris Laetitia,” or “The Joy of Love,” which was released by the Vatican on April 8. Francis “departs from Church teaching” in the exhortation, wrote another.

“Suddenly the rhetorical question, ‘Is the pope Catholic?’ doesn’t seem so rhetorical anymore,” Claire Chretien wrote in a pointed critique at the conservative Web outlet The Federalist.

The unusual debate — after all, it’s not often that a pope is accused of heterodoxy — has grown so serious, in fact, that on Tuesday evening (April 19), the Jesuit-run Fordham University hosted a panel of Catholic experts titled: “Is the Pope Catholic?”

Among the four participants was New York Times columnist Ross Douthat, who has been one of Francis’ leading critics on the Catholic right, openly wondering about the pontiff’s doctrinal purity and whether he is leading the Catholic Church into schism. …

While none of the panelists directly challenged Francis’ faith, Douthat was most outspoken in criticizing Francis’ approach in general, and in “Amoris Laetitia” specifically, a document that Douthat said was “designed to introduce a level of ambiguity into church teaching that had been absent.”

“It’s clearly a deliberately destabilizing document. And whether that destabilization is good or bad is something that liberals and conservatives can argue about,” he said. http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2016/04/20/is-the-pope-catholic-suddenly-a-serious-question/

Amoris Laetitia is only one of the moves by Pope Francis that is clearly unbiblical (watch Pope Francis’ Tolerance of Immorality is Not Biblical) as well as not consistent with certain Roman Catholic understandings. It should also be noted that even this week, I saw Catholic articles arguing about this.

It was eleven years ago when Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio from Argentina became Pope Francis. He has been different in many ways and many “conservative Catholics” have had concerns about him:

March 13, 2016

Jorge Mario Bergoglio, better known as Pope Francis, is undeniably a history maker. He is the first Jesuit Pope, the first from the Americas and the first non-European Pope since Syrian Gregory III who died in 741. Now the current pontiff is presiding over the Catholic church version of the Alpha Course which is seeing tens of thousands of churchgoers engaging with the Holy Spirit. But possibly the Pope’s most unexpected initiative occurred last year when his progressive rock album ‘Wake Up!’ was released and entered the mainstream album charts in Italy and Spain. http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/Pope_Francis_The_most_unlikely_prog_rock_artist_of_all/57847/p1/

ROME, February 8, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) ― A respected Italian theologian has signaled that Pope Francis is failing in his duty to protect the doctrine of the Catholic faith

In a January interview with Italian Catholic online newspaper La Fede Quotidiano, Fr. Giovanni Cavalcoli, O.P. said that Benedict XVI could be an excellent theological resource for Francis, but the pontiff doesn’t seem to consult him.

“My impression is that Francis doesn’t listen much to Benedict who, in my estimation, had undertaken a line of reform more balanced than that of Francis, more in accordance with … the interpretation that sees the doctrine of the [Second Vatican] Council in continuity, even if more advanced, with the preceding Magisterium,” Cavalcoli stated.

“It seems to me that instead Francis indulges in an interpretation that concedes too much to the progressives […] which is same as saying that he is conceding too much to the Protestants, to the Marxists and to freemasonry, while struggling to dialogue with the traditionalists and followers of Archbishop Lefebvre [i.e. the Society of St. Pius X], something which Benedict managed to do.” https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/dominican-theologian-pope-francis-compromises-too-much-with-enemies-of-christianity

So, Pope Francis is even accused of promoting freemasonry and Protestantism. Related to Freemasonry, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) recently produced the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:

14:58

Freemasons and Vatican Officials Seek Cooperation

On February 16, 2024, some high-level clergy of the Roman Catholic Church in Italy met with three Grand Masters of the Freemasons. Since the Vatican has prohibited its members from being Freemasons, why might this be? Are there related ‘globalist’ interests? Do the Freemasons assert that Pope Francis’ encyclical Fratelli Tutti (Brothers All), saying the Church had finally embraced “universal fraternity” is in line with “the great principle of modern Freemasonry”? Are there any biblical reasons to consider that the Church of Rome and the Freemasons may cooperate? What is Freemasonry according to the Freemasons? Could at least one of the kings mentioned in Revelation 17:12 be a Freemason or at least have ties to it? Are there any scriptures that suggest that the Freemasons may betray the Church of Rome? Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel address these matters.

Here is a link to the sermonette: Freemasons and Vatican Officials Seek Cooperation.

Pope Francis has a lot of worldly popularity and is considered to be energetic:

March 12, 2016

Cardinal Nichols said that for him one surprising thing about Pope Francis is his “remarkable energy, his vibrant presentation of the gospel” and his “ability to maintain a very full, personal and heartfelt presence.” He said he believes the reason for this energy this can be found in the Pope’s deep relationship with the Lord.

“Nothing else could give a man of his age the kind of vitality and freshness that he’s sustained over these past three years.”

Cardinal Nichols goes on to describe how the Pope Francis’ fidelity to the Lord and his message, together with his concern for people, “especially those on the margins of society,” is what “captures and enthralls the world.” http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/03/12/uk_cardinal_the_reason_for_pope_francis_remarkable_energy/1214733

The Bible warns about a leader that looks like a lamb to people, has the words of a dragon, but whose energetic-power is demonic:

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. (Revelation 13:11)

13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. (Revelation 16:13-14)

Notice that the above leader pushes a political agenda that many think looks good, but biblically it is not. Pope Francis is working on an ecumenical and interfaith ‘Babylonian’ unity that the Bible repeatedly warns against (Revelation 17,18). To much of the world, Pope Francis looks like a lamb. His agenda aligns with those of the United Nations and many world leaders.

Newsweek had the following front cover in September 2015:

Notice something I had published in 2013, within 24 hours of Jorge Mario Bergoglio being declared Pope Francis, in my book: The Last Pope: Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis?:

3. Do Catholic Prophecies Warn About an Antipope?

Could Pope Francis I be an “antipope”?

Is an “antipope” coming? …

Technically, the final Antichrist could also be construed as an “antipope” in that he will accept changes to the current Roman Catholic religion that the “King of the North” (Daniel 11:37-40) prefers and promote emperor worship (Revelation 13:14). …

Although some Roman Catholic scholars seem to ignore or discount the idea of a future King of the North in Daniel 11 (Kurz, p. 68), quite a few Catholic writers expect that an ecumenical pope and a conquering emperor will come on the scene.

What is an antipope/anti-pope? Here is a short definition from The Catholic Encyclopedia:

Antipope

A false claimant of the Holy See in  opposition to a pontiff canonically elected. (“Antipope.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. Nihil Obstat. March 1, 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York. 25 Feb. 2013 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01582a.htm> )

While historically most have considered that antipopes falsely claimed the Roman Bishopric when others had it, I would contend that it is reasonable to conclude that one who was elected under false pretenses would also be a false claimant and hence antipope. Or if a pope changed and became demonically-possessed, such as the situation involving the False Prophet of Revelation 16:13, would that not make him an antipope? Most Catholics, at least now, would tend to agree that such a one would be a false claimant to the papal role. If so, that would seem to make him an antipope.

Although there have not been any recognized antipopes for several centuries, The Catholic Encyclopedia shows a list of thirty individuals that have been considered antipopes (Ibid) .This is roughly one for every ten claimed “Bishops of Rome.” …

Is the Pope Catholic or Will He Betray Rome?

In some households, the expression, “Is the Pope Catholic?,” is asked with the intent of suggesting a “yes” or “obviously yes” response to a question. Since the fourth century, the popes have all claimed to be Catholic (they were not called “pontifex maximus” prior to then) and the vast majority have been Roman Catholic in their faith. Some were more hypocritical, etc. and thus this author would be hesitant to claim that all the Bishops of Rome have truly held to the faith of that church.

But is it possible that the last pope, who could be Pope Francis I, will not be Roman Catholic? On the surface this seems absurd.

As discussed in chapter 2, prior to becoming Pope Francis I, Jorge Mario Bergoglio went to Catholic seminary, became a Catholic priest, then a bishop, then a cardinal, and then on March 13, 2013, the Bishop of Rome. So, to most he clearly is a Catholic. And Pope Francis I may well truly be.

But if he is the last and final pope, then the Bible shows that he will allow compromise mightily and allow the Catholic Church of Rome to be betrayed, hence suggesting that he would not then be true to the Catholic faith.

Connecting the Dots

As cited earlier, the Bible tells of a religious leader who will rise up and support the final European Beast power to the point of attempting to force people to worship that Beast (Revelation 13:11-17).

Although some have suggested that the ten-horned Beast of the Sea (Revelation 13:1-4) will turn against and burn the two-horned Beast of the Earth (Revelation 13:11), based upon the teachings of Revelation 17:16-17, since this two-horned Beast is the False Prophet of Revelation 16:13 and he gets burnt by Jesus and His angels (Revelation 19:15-21, someone or something else must get destroyed in Revelation 17.

The Bible specifies that the someone/something is a city that rules over the world. Since the time of Jesus, what are the only organizations that ruled over much of the old Roman Empire from a seven-hilled city?

They would include the old Roman Empire, the Church of Rome, and to a lessor degree, the Eastern Orthodox Church (Constantinople/ Istanbul is on seven-hills, similar to Rome and had a certain prominence for about 1,000 years). They have had relations with world rulers that have not always lived up to New Testament ideals and actually are the only ones that could possibly fit the historical record.

Now since parts of both Roman and Orthodox Catholic prophecy show that Rome wins out between the two in the end in terms of final top leader, this is consistent with the historical understanding within the Church of God that Rome is the unfaithful woman in Revelation 17. Presuming that is the case, then if one connects-the-dots, it is the Church of Rome that gets betrayed by supporters of the ten-horned Beast in Revelation 17. And since the two-horned Beast is a major supporter of the ten-horned Beast, he then has at least some responsibility in this end time destruction of the Church of Rome (for more dots to connect, see also chapters 5 and 12).

Since it should be almost inconceivable that a pope that was truly Roman Catholic in the sense of the Catechism of the Catholic Church would totally betray his church, this is why I am suggesting that the last pope will not truly be Catholic.

This destruction of Rome is consistent with various Catholic private prophecies that suggest that a top Roman clergy member (like a pope) would betray their church and oversee the destruction of Rome…

For years I have believed that the last pope would not truly be Catholic. He would be a different type of “antipope” (most antipopes occurred because of disputed elections, but I have suggested that a pontiff who does not hold too many of the core beliefs of the Church of Rome would also seem to fit the definition of an antipope).

Will Pope Francis I end up being that pontiff?

(Thiel B. The Last Pope: Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Nazarene Books, 2013, pp. 22-24, 86-89)

Pope Francis has taken steps that many Roman Catholics do not believe are appropriate for the Bishop of Rome.

Now, Francis has made publicly chiding comments to others to support the poor, one of his key positions.

National Catholic Register reported the following in 2017:

Caring for the poor is our ‘passport to paradise’, says Pope Francis

People have a basic choice in the way they live: either striving to build up treasures on earth or giving to others in order to gain heaven, Pope Francis has said.

“What we invest in love remains, the rest vanishes,” the Pope said in his homily on Sunday, the first World Day of the Poor.

Between 6,000 and 7,000 poor people attended the Mass in St Peter’s Basilica, where altar servers included the poor, migrants or homeless. …

“All too often, we have the idea that we haven’t done anything wrong, and so we rest content, presuming that we are good and just,” the Pope said.

“But to do no wrong is not enough. God is not an inspector looking for unstamped tickets; he is a Father looking for children to whom he can entrust his property and his plans.”

If in the eyes of the world, the poor they have little value, he said, “they are the ones who open to us the way to heaven; they are our ‘passport to paradise. http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2017/11/20/care-for-the-poor-says-pope-francis-they-are-your-passport-to-paradise/

While people should care for the poor (cf. Galatians 2:10, 6:7-10; James 2:15-17), giving to the poor is not our “passport to paradise.”

In the past, Pope Francis has condemned financial idolatry. On October 23, 2017, Zenit.org, a pro-Vatican news agency, reported the following:

“An idolatry that kills,” rather, that engages in “human sacrifices,” were the harsh words used by Pope Francis during the Mass this morning, October 23, 2017, to lament the present “rampant consumerism” and “attachment to money.”

Thus, stressed the Pontiff, whose words were reported by Vatican Radio, there are so many people hungry for money and for earthly goods, who already have “so much,” while there are so many “hungry children that don’t have medicines, that don’t have education, that are abandoned.”

“This idolatry makes many people die of hunger,” repeated Francis, who called the attention of those present to the plight of the Rohingya children.

“We think of just one case: of the 200,000 Rohingya children in refugee camps. “There are 800,000 people there” of which “200,000 are children. They have scarcely anything to eat, they are malnourished <and> without medicines,” lamented the Holy Father, who will visit Myanmar in about a month’s time and later Bangladesh.

“Our prayer must be strong: ‘Lord, please touch the heart of these people that adore the god, the god of money,’” continued Francis, adding: “it also touches my heart, so that I won’t fall in to that, that I may be able to see.”

Attachment to the god of money also causes war, even within “the family,” noted the Pope, thinking of the quarrels between brothers or parents over the inheritance. “We all know what happens when the inheritance is at stake: families split and end in hatred,” he observed. https://zenit.org/articles/santa-marta-an-idolatry-that-kills/

The Vatican has more than enough money to help feed and better take care of those in Rohingya. But we did not hear of the Vatican parting with its vast wealth to solve this.

The Book of James teaches:

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

Pope Francis’ pattern to berate others for keeping money, while not selling off the Vatican’s vast wealth, has been a hallmark of his pontificate.

Consider that Pope Francis made a video in February 2017 related to that as well:

“Don’t abandon them,” appeals Pope Francis in his prayer intention on video for the month of February 2017, dedicated to “those who are afflicted, especially the poor, the refugees and the marginalized.”

In the video made public on February 2, the Pope said “we live in towns that build towers, commercial centers, engage in real estate business, but leave a part of themselves on the margin, on the peripheries.” 02/02/17 https://zenit.org/articles/dont-abandon-the-poor-and-the-refugees-exhorts-the-pope/

A year before that, Pope Francis made another call for others to give away their wealth:

Pope at General Audience Calls for Loosening of Purse Strings

February 10, 2016

“If the Jubilee does not come out of your pockets, it’s not a true Jubilee. You understand?”

Pope Francis said this during his General Audience in St. Peter’s Square this morning, his last before taking off Friday on his Apostolic Journey to Mexico, Feb. 12-18, stressing that a call to loosen the purse strings to help the needy is throughout the Bible, not something the Pope has “invented.” …

Today, Francis stressed, we must ask ourselves what we have and what we can give to those who have nothing. “Ten percent, fifty percent,” he said, adding, “Let the Holy Spirit inspire each of you.”

“If I’m not mistaken,” the Pope went on to say, “More or less, I’m not certain about the figures, but about 80% of humanity’s wealth is in the hands of less than 20% of the population.”

How many fruits, the Pope exclaimed, are born from donating to those in need. https://zenit.org/articles/pope-calls-for-loosening-of-purse-strings-at-general-audience/

But Pope Francis did not empty the Vatican’s pockets in his ‘jubilee’ year. Here is information about his ‘Jubilee Year of Mercy’ from his Bull of Indiction where he discussed it:

The Jubilee year will close with the liturgical Solemnity of Christ the King on 20 November 2016. On that day, as we seal the Holy Door, we shall be filled, above all, with a sense of gratitude and thanksgiving to the Most Holy Trinity for having granted us an extraordinary time of grace. We will entrust the life of the Church, all humanity, and the entire cosmos to the Lordship of Christ, asking him to pour out his mercy upon us like the morning dew, so that everyone may work together to build a brighter future. How much I desire that the year to come will be steeped in mercy, so that we can go out to every man and woman, bringing the goodness and tenderness of God! May the balm of mercy reach everyone, both believers and those far away, as a sign that the Kingdom of God is already present in our midst!

Notice that Pope Francis seems to think that the Kingdom of God is already here or at least within the Church of Rome.

It is not.

The Kingdom of God will not be here until after it has been sufficiently proclaimed to the world as a witness (Matthew 24:14) and Jesus returns to establish the millennial kingdom. However, since the Church of Rome now strongly teaches against the millennial kingdom, it tends to indicate that the Kingdom of God is here or within itself. It is not, though some who are to be in it are currently alive (see also the free booklet: The Gospel of the Kingdom of God.

Back in 2013, a few days after Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis, he made the following statement:

“Oh, how I would like a poor Church, and for the poor.” http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/16/us-pope-poor-idUSBRE92F05P20130316

He has repeatedly told others to give to the poor. But in his 11 years as pontiff, the Vatican still retains its vast wealth and has not loosened its own purse strings significantly beyond what previous pontiffs did.

While on the surface the Pope’s words are what a ‘lamb’ may say, could it be part of the speech of a dragon (Revelation 13:11)?

So far, Pope Francis has repeatedly made statements about the poor (e.g. Laudato Si: Pope’s Agenda or Kingdom of God? and Pope tells United Nations to push wealth redistribution–a sign of Revelation 13 & 17?), but has not done much that seems tangible that way.

The Bible tells about an unfaithful harlot church that wallows in wealth (Revelation 17:1-9, 18:7). Having been to Vatican City numerous times, I have seen some of that wealth on display.

As far as Pope Francis himself, On March 22, 2013 he said:

As you know, there are various reasons why I chose the name of Francis of Assisi, a familiar figure far beyond the borders of Italy and Europe, even among those who do not profess the Catholic faith. One of the first reasons was Francis’ love for the poor. How many poor people there still are in the world! And what great suffering they have to endure! After the example of Francis of Assisi, the Church in every corner of the globe has always tried to care for and look after those who suffer from want, and I think that in many of your countries you can attest to the generous activity of Christians who dedicate themselves to helping the sick, orphans, the homeless and all the marginalized, thus striving to make society more humane and more just. http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/francis-address-to-diplomatic-corps

Will he take specific steps, such as the wealth redistribution he advocates?

He has not yet.

Though he has repeatedly preached it for others.

In English, there is an expression that one should, “Put your money where your mouth is.” So far, Pope Francis has not done this to any substantial degree in the years since his election to become pontiff.

Could that change?

What might happen if Pope Francis finally sells off some of the vast treasures (such as jewels and land) of the Vatican and/or gives significant amounts of money/land away to the poor?

Well, if he does that, it will likely greatly enhance the pedophile-damaged image of the Church of Rome for the media and many others around the world. This will enhance the appeal of the religion that Rome will promote. Even if it gives away only a quarter of its vast wealth.

The Bible warns that the whole world will profit financially from the final end time Babylon (Revelation 18:9, 15-19). And in addition to trade, giving away wealth and land–in conjunction with the final King of the North (Daniel 11:24, 39), that the final Antichrist will support–will be a factor in the temporal success of this condemned system.

Notice that financial pressures will be something that the Antichrist is associated with:

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. (Revelation 13:16-17)

The “He” above is the two-horned beast (Revelation 13:11), also known as the False Prophet (Revelation 16:13), and Antichrist (1 John 4:1-3).

The Bible also says that the merchants of the world will have gotten wealthy from the system that the Antichrist will promote:

2 Babylon the great…has become a dwelling place of demons…a cage for every unclean and hated bird! 3…and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury. (Revelation 18:2a,b,d, 3c)

So, there are several biblical prophecies that tie the power that the Antichrist supports with a type of deceitful prosperity. Did you notice the connection to a cage of birds above? Well, then notice then also the following:

27 As a cage is full of birds,
So their houses are full of deceit.
Therefore they have become great and grown rich.
28 They have grown fat, they are sleek;
Yes, they surpass the deeds of the wicked;
They do not plead the cause,
The cause of the fatherless;
Yet they prosper,
And the right of the needy they do not defend.
29 Shall I not punish them for these things?’ says the Lord.
‘Shall I not avenge Myself on such a nation as this?’

30 “An astonishing and horrible thing
Has been committed in the land:
31 The prophets prophesy falsely,
And the priests rule by their own power;
And My people love to have it so.
But what will you do in the end? (Jeremiah 5:27-31)

So, the supporters of the Beast and Antichrist/False Prophet will prosper for a time, then God will punish them.

Furthermore, notice three Roman Catholic writings/prophecies about the final Antichrist:

Saint Mechtilda (died 1299): Antichrist will, through base and false strategem, and with presents of gold and gems, attain influence over the worldly princes. They will look up to him as their Lord and God (Culleton, The Reign of Antichrist, pp. 133-134).

Saint Ephrem (died 375): Antichrist will use worldly goods as bait. He will entice many Christians with money and goods to apostatize…The devil will help him find all the hidden treasures of the world, even those at the bottom of the ocean. With those treasures he will attain greater success for the reign of Satan than at any other time in past centuries (Connor, pp.73.74).

Saint Jerome (died 420): Antichrist…will gain support with many gifts and money. He will sell himself to the devil…(Connor E. Prophecy for Today. Imprimatur + A.J. Willinger, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno; Reprint: Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford (IL), 1984, p. 74).

The Bible, by the way, does mention that the King of the North will end up with a lot of gold, silver, and precious stones (Daniel 11:38,43) and that a seven-hilled/mountain-based power will have “gold and precious stones and pearls” (Revelation 17:4).

But is it possible that before the Beast rises up that the Antichrist will use material items for bait?

Might the Antichrist use some of the wealth of the Vatican to support certain European nations/leaders?

Yes. And he may point to Pope Francis’ many statements (and, perhaps, his receipt of the ‘Charlemagne Prize’) as partial justification to use the Vatican’s wealth to support Europe.

Over a decade ago, someone asked “Ask a Catholic” about that church’s wealth:

You said:

  • I’m wondering why the Catholic Church has such a huge amount of wealth, as can be seen in the beautiful buildings and costly objects in them, when Jesus clearly encourages us to sell all of our possessions and give to the poor?
  1. Because the historical riches it has going back to 33 A.D. are priceless and preserved for all Christendom
  2. Because the faithful believe in the Church and give what they can to support the Church, following the wishes you mentioned and what the Lord has asked from us.
  3. Because of the number of faithful that make up the Church are over 1.125 billion members worldwide, 65 million in the United States.

Nevertheless, the implication in your question is that the Church does not give to the poor and neither spreads the Gospel to those who have not heard it. This is a distortion of the great outreach and support work the Church has done worldwide for centuries. http://www.askacatholic.com/_WebPostings/Answers/2011_08AUG/2011AugWhyIsTheChurchSoWealthy.cfm

While the Church of Rome does some charitable works, it still has vast wealth and is not poor. We do not find that the Apostle Peter, who many erroneously claim founded the Church of Rome (even Catholic scholars realize that he did not, see What Do Roman Catholic Scholars Actually Teach About Early Church History?), accumulated wealth. Actually, Peter once stated:

6 “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” (Acts 3:6)

But this is not the case with the Church of Rome. In addition to historically receiving property and wealth from kings and emperors and the Crusades, the Church of Rome also gets a lot of bequeaths, which some believe is related to the belief that priests can help pray people out of a non-existent place called purgatory (Did the Early Church Teach Purgatory?). And yes, people have been told that the more they give to the Church of Rome the more priests will pray for them.

The Vatican does have vast wealth. Yet, whatever was accumulated in/by the Vatican since supposedly 33 A.D. was originally not anything biblical (see also What Did the Early Church Teach About Idols and Icons?).

I suspect the time will come when the Vatican will actually sell/give away/pledge some of its wealth to influence world events and affect communities. Pope Francis has been hinting at this for 5 years, so at some point in time he probably intends to take action to match his rhetoric. This will increase his popularity with the media, European leaders, and others in the world.

If Pope Francis does not end up doing this, at a minimum, he has made various statements that the final Antichrist and the Beast can point to as justification for wealth distribution/asset pledging.

He, himself, appears to be too old to fill the role of the final Antichrist, the ‘Peter the Roman’ of the Catholic Bishop Malachy’s list (see also The Malachy Prophecies and “Peter the Roman”).

Some believe that Francis may not be the legitimate successor of Benedict. Now, if Francis is not counted in the Malachy list, the one who comes after him may very well be the antipope of certain Catholic prophecies.

Now, perhaps it should be mentioned that Pope Francis is more ‘Marian’ than most of his predecessors. So much so, he has prayed to his version of ‘Mary’ to protect Rome and Italy, apparently from the coronavirus:

Pope Entrusts Rome & Italy to Mary’s Help & Protection

March 12, 2020

Pope Francis has entrusted Rome and all Italy to the Blessed Virgin Mary’s help and protection. …

The following is the full Vatican-provided text of the video message:

***

O Mary,

You always shine on our path

as a sign of salvation and hope.

We rely on you, Health of the sick,

You who, at the cross, united with Jesus’ pain,

keeping steadfast your faith.

You, Salvation of the Roman people,

you know what we need

and we are sure that you will provide

for, as at Cana of Galilee,

may joy and celebration return

after this trial.

Help us, Mother of Divine Love,

to conform to the will of the Father

and to do what we are told by Jesus,

Who has taken our suffering upon Himself

and has burdened Himself with our sorrows

to lead us through the cross,

to the joy of resurrection. Amen.

Under your protection we seek refuge, Holy Mother of God.

Do not spurn the pleas of we who are in trial

And free us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin. https://zenit.org/articles/pope-entrusts-rome-italy-to-marys-help-protection/

The Bible teaches that there is one mediator:

5 For there is one God, and one mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus: 6 Who gave himself a redemption for all, a testimony in due times. (1 Timothy 2:5-6, DRB:
Douay-Rheims)

Mary is NOT supposed to mediate or make one attentive to what God asks.

Christians are to entrust their faith to Jesus, as the following Catholic-translation of Hebrews 12:2 shows:

2 Looking on Jesus, the author and finisher of faith (Hebrews 12:2, DRB)

We are not to call on, or turn to, Mary, but on the Lord God Jesus:

22 But flee thou youthful desires, and pursue justice, faith, charity, and peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. (2 Timothy 2:22, DRB)

It is only through the name of Jesus that people can be saved, not Mary. Notice what the Apostle Peter taught:

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, addressed them, ‘Rulers of the people, and elders! 9 If you are questioning us today about an act of kindness to a cripple and asking us how he was healed, 10 you must know, all of you, and the whole people of Israel, that it is by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, and God raised from the dead, by this name and by no other that this man stands before you cured. 11 This is the stone which you, the builders, rejected but which has become the cornerstone. Only in him is there salvation; 12 for of all the names in the world given to men, this is the only one by which we can be saved.’ (Acts 4:8-12, NJB)

The more Pope Francis emphasizes Mary, the less people will understand about Jesus.

Instead of relying on Jesus as a true Christian should, Pope Francis continues to push for his version of Mary.

And, he also has been using Marianism as part of his interfaith and ecumenical agendas.

The Continuing Church of God put out the following video on our Bible New Prophecy YouTube channel:

Some cardinals and other members of the Roman Catholic clergy are concerned that Pope Francis has deviated from its traditional positions on matters such as homosexuality, salvation, fornication, remarriage, and other doctrines.  Australian Cardinal George Pell even mentioned ‘antipopes’ when discussing Pope Francis.  North American Cardinal Raymond Burke has raised many concerns about Francis’ pontificate.  Did Catholic saints teach that popes could become heretics?  Will the final pope not be Catholic? Is an ecumenical pontiff possibly the final Antichrist? What do both biblical, and even Roman Catholic, prophecies warn about?  Could Pope Francis be an antipope and final Antichrist?

Here is a link to our video:  Anti-Pope Francis?

Francis’ pushing the ecumenical and interfaith agendas, while watering down certain aspects of Roman Catholicism will make it that much easier for an antipope, who according to various Roman Catholic writings would be the final Antichrist, to rise up.

Some items of related interest may include:

Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church: Could a remnant group have continuing apostolic succession? Did the original “catholic church” have doctrines held by the Continuing Church of God? Did Church of God leaders uses the term “catholic church” to ever describe the church they were part of? Here are links to related sermons: Original Catholic Church of God?, Original Catholic Doctrine: Creed, Liturgy, Baptism, Passover, What Type of Catholic was Polycarp of Smyrna?, Tradition, Holy Days, Salvation, Dress, & Celibacy, Early Heresies and Heretics, Doctrines: 3 Days, Abortion, Ecumenism, Meats, Tithes, Crosses, Destiny, and more, Saturday or Sunday?, The Godhead, Apostolic Laying on of Hands Succession, Church in the Wilderness Apostolic Succession List, Holy Mother Church and Heresies, and Lying Wonders and Original Beliefs. Here is a link to that book in the Spanish language: Creencias de la iglesia Católica original.
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
Do You Practice Mithraism? Many practices and doctrines that mainstream so-called Christian groups have are the same or similar to those of the sun-god Mithras. December 25th was celebrated as his birthday. Do you follow Mithraism combined with the Bible or original Christianity? A sermon video from Vatican City is titled Church of Rome, Mithras, and Isis?
What Did the Early Church Teach About Idols and Icons? Did Catholic and Orthodox “saints” endorse or condemn idols and icons for Christians? A related sermon is available: The Second Commandment, Idols, and Icons.
Freemasonry and the Destruction of Rome? What is Freemasonry? What about ties to the Illuminati? Could they be involved in the fulfillment of prophecy? Here is a link to a related sermon: Freemasonry, Armageddon, and Rome.
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?
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? A related video would be United Nations and Vatican Are Planning the New World Order.
Europa, the Beast, and the Book of Revelation discusses the largest church since the second/third century, which in a real sense is the eighth church mentioned in the Book of Revelation (it also endorses “eighth day” worship). What church would support the Beast? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster? Is doctrinal compromise good? Here is a link to a related video Should you be concerned about the ecumenical movement?
Will the Interfaith Movement Lead to Peace or Sudden Destruction? Is the interfaith movement going to lead to lasting peace or is it warned against? A video of related interest could be Do You Know That Babylon is Forming?
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?
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 four 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.
Can the Final Antichrist be Islamic? Is Joel Richardson correct that the final Antichrist will be Islamic and not European? Find out. A related sermon is titled: Is the Final Antichrist Islamic or European? Another video is Mystery Babylon USA, Mecca, or Rome?
Christ or Antichrist? 1961 article by David Jon Hill, originally published in the old Good News magazine.
Will You Be Deceived by Antichrist? 1964 article by David Jon Hill, originally published in the old Good News magazine.
Satan’s Plan Does Satan have a plan? What is it? Has it already been successful? Will it be successful in the future? Here are links to a two-part sermon series: What are Some of the Parts of Satan’s Plan? and Satan’s Plan is More Dramatic than Many Realize.
Do Certain Greco-Roman Catholic Prophecies About Antichrist Warn Against Jesus? Will the final “Anti-Christ” be Jewish, insist on Saturday, be opposed to the trinity, and bring in the millennium? Certain Catholic writings indicate this, while others take a different view, but what does the Bible show? A related sermon is Will Jesus Christ be called the Antichrist?
Some Doctrines of Antichrist Are there any doctrines taught outside the Churches of God which can be considered as doctrines of antichrist? This article suggests at least three. It also provides information on 666 and the identity of “the false prophet.” Plus it shows that several Catholic writers seem to warn about an ecumenical antipope that will support heresy. You can also watch a video titled What Does the Bible teach about the Antichrist?
Could Pope Francis be the Last Pope and Antichrist? According to some interpretations of the prophecies of the popes by the Catholic saint and Bishop Malachy, Pope Francis I 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? Could Francis I be the heretical antipope of Catholic private prophecies and the final Antichrist of Bible prophecy? This is a YouTube video.
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 seem to 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?
The Last Pope Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Why might Pope Francis be the last pope? What happens if he is? Biblical and other prophecies help explain what to expect.
The Last Pope: Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Amazon Book What does the Bible say about a pope near this time? Is the final pope to be an antipope and antichrist? Does Catholic prophecy point to Pope Francis as being the dreaded “Peter the Roman”? This 186 page book provides information and answers.
The Last Pope: Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Kindle This electronic version of the printed book which is available for only US$2.99. 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 The Last Pope: Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Kindle.

Grace Communion International pushing Easter

Wednesday, March 12th, 2025

COGwriter

In its latest public letter, Greg Williams, president of Grace Communion International (the current name of the Protestant group that took over and changed the old Worldwide Church of God) had the following:

March 12, 2025

The apostle Paul writes to the beloved believers in Thessalonica, reminding them to live vigilantly, with clear thinking, as they anticipate the pending coming of the Lord.  …

But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you, and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil. May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24 NRSV

Methodically go through the list of actions in this passage, asking yourself, “How am I doing in this area?”

      • Esteeming the church leaders in my life.
      • Being at peace with others.
      • Graciously confronting idlers.
      • Encouraging the downcast.
      • Helping the weak (James says to especially care for widows and orphans).
      • Being patient with others.
      • Actively seeking to do good to all people.
      • Expressing joy.
      • Having a vibrant prayer life.
      • Leaning into the guidance of the Spirit.
      • Discerning between good and evil and then choosing the good.
      • Taking to heart the teaching of my pastor and church.
      • Minding the condition of my body, mind, and soul with intention.

Wow! That’s quite a list for consideration. Perhaps this would be a wonderful guide during this season of Easter Preparation?

While Christians are advised to examine themselves before Passover (1 Corinthians 11:27-29), and the Greco-Roman Catholics and Protestants consider that their Easter is actually Passover, that is simply not true.

Here is something else that the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians:

13 For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. 14 For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus.  (1 Thessalonians 2:13-14)

Well, the word of God enjoins Passover, which is held after sunset on the 14th of the month of Nisan/Abid (Leviticus 23:5). Jesus kept it, and so did the Churches of God in Judea, and also so did the Thessalonians who imitated them.

But those those that, instead accept traditions of men for false unity, changed the date, the time, and the practices of the Christian Passover.

A while back, Greg Williams sent out the following in an earlier public letter:

Unity

July 20, 2022

During Easter season, we studied John 17 and explored the prayer of Jesus that he prayed for the disciples and us. How amazing for Jesus to include all believers in his prayer, and even more amazing to include us in his life and love. The essence of the prayer is, “that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.” (John 17:21) …

Paul … says this, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3, NIV).

The oneness, the unity that Jesus prayed for us is produced through the presence and power of the Spirit. It is a gift for us to receive, and then for us to pass along. https://update.gci.org/2022/07/unity/

GCI has a false, and unbiblical vision of Christian unity.

By discussing Easter in this context, Greg Williams reminded me that the one of the reasons the world celebrates “Easter”–which was supposed to be Passover–on a Sunday as a “Christian” holiday is because the sun-worshiping Emperor Constantine wanted his version of “unity” above the Bible.

Passover was always kept on the 14th of Nisan by those who claimed to be faithful to the practices of the Apostle John and the Bible.

But, since many compromised and wanted to keep it on a Sunday, there were two different dates the professing world was keeping Passover in the fourth century.

Emperor Constantine did not like that at all and convened the famous Council of Nicea in 325 A.D. to decide on a universal date:

…the emperor…convened a council of 318 bishops…in the city of Nicea…They passed certain ecclesiastical canons at the council besides, and at the same time decreed in regard to the Passover that there must be one unanimous concord on the celebration of God’s holy and supremely excellent day. For it was variously observed by people… (Epiphanius. The Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis, Books II and III (Sects 47-80), De Fide). Section VI, Verses 1,1 and 1,3. Translated by Frank Williams. EJ Brill, New York, 1994, pp.471-472). A Sunday date was selected, instead of Nisan 14 (which can fall on any day of the week).

Notice what Constantine declared about this:

The commemoration of the most sacred paschal feast being then debated, it was unanimously decided, that it would be well that it should be everywhere celebrated upon the same day. What can be more fair, or more seemly, than that that festival by which we have received the hope of immortality should be carefully celebrated by all, on plain grounds, with the same order and exactitude? It was, in the first place, declared improper to follow the custom of the Jews in the celebration of this holy festival, because, their hands having been stained with crime, the minds of these wretched men are necessarily blinded. By rejecting their custom, we establish and hand down to succeeding ages one which is more reasonable, and which has been observed ever since the day of our Lord’s sufferings. Let us, then, have nothing in common with the Jews, who are our adversaries. For we have received from our Saviour another way… (Theodoret of Cyrus. Ecclesiastical History (Book I), Chapter IX. Excerpted from Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Volume 3. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. American Edition, 1892. Online Edition Copyright © 2005 by K. Knight).

Actually, the Saviour observed Passover on the 14th of Nisan. It is those who reject the ways of our Saviour who accept the decision of the Roman Emperor over the Bible who do not observe it then. Notice that the first consideration was to not follow the Jews–and they were the ones who followed the Bible. Second, he claimed that people always accepted his Sunday date, but there is absolutely no evidence of this–Sunday Passover was something that second century Romans implemented–there is no proof whatsoever that any observed it on Sunday prior to that, thus Constantine’s second reason is also in error.

According to Eusebius’ Life of Constantine, Book III chapter 18, a more accurate translation of that last line above from the Roman Emperor Constantine should be:

Let us then have nothing in common with the detestable Jewish crowd; for we have received from our Saviour a different way.

I do not recall Jesus indicating that Jews were detestable (He was a Jew) nor that He ever changed the date of Passover. But apparently Constantine felt otherwise. And the Sunday observance is now known as Easter (a related article of interest may be Did Early Christians Celebrate Easter?). Instead of biblical unity, ‘Constantinian’ unity is what GCI and others seem to want.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches:

1170 At the Council of Nicea in 325, all the Churches agreed that Easter, the Christian Passover, should be celebrated on the Sunday following the first full moon (14 Nisan) after the vernal equinox (Catechism of the Catholic Church. Imprimatur Potest +Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. Doubleday, NY 1995, p. 332).

But the idea that “all the Churches agreed” is not true as the bishops from the faithful churches did not attend that Council.

Notice what the Roman Catholic priest and historian Bellarmino Bagatti wrote:

…the inhabitants of Syria, of Cilcia and of Mesopotamia were still celebrating Easter {Passover} with the Jews…

The importance of the matters to be discussed and the great division that existed had led Constantine to bring together a big number of bishops, including confessors of the faith, in order to give the impression that the whole of Christendom was represented.

In fact…the churches of Jewish stock had had no representation…From this we can conclude that no Judaeo-Christian bishop participated in the Council. Either they were not invited or they declined to attend. And so the capitulars had a free hand to establish norms for certain practices without meeting opposition or hearing other view points. Once the road was open future Councils would continue on these lines, thus deepening the breach between the Christians of two-stocks. The point of view of the Judaeo-Christians, devoid of Greek philosophical formation, was that of keeping steadfast to the Testimonia, and therefore not to admit any word foreign to the Bible, including Homoousion (Bagatti, Bellarmino. Translated by Eugene Hoade. The Church from the Gentiles in Palestine. Nihil obstat: Ignatius Mancini, 1 Februari 1970. Imprimi potest: Herminius Roncari, 26 Februari 1970. Imprimatur: +Albertus Gori, die 28 Februarii 1970. Franciscan Printing Press, Jerusalem, 1971, pp. 47-48).

So not every church was represented. Nor did everyone accept the decree of the sun-worshipping emperor as the Roman Catholic-supporting Epiphanius noted a few decades after that Council:

The Quartodecimans contentiously keep Passover on one day, once per year…They keep the Passover on whichever day the fourteenth of the month falls…Christ had to be slain on the fourteenth of the month in accordance with the law (Epiphanius. The Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis, Books II and III (Sects 47-80), De Fide). Section IV, Verses 1,3;1,6;2,6. Translated by Frank Williams. EJ Brill, New York, 1994, pp. 23-25).

The Quartodecimans only kept Passover once per year–not daily like most Roman Catholic priests do–not weekly or monthly like some Catholics/Protestants do. It is of interest to note that Epiphanius recognized that Jesus HAD to be slain on the 14th of the month. It is sad that he and others did not believe they needed to observe it when and how Jesus taught. Strangely he wrote this about the practices of the Greco-Roman church (which we now call Roman and Orthodox Catholics, but he calls “God’s holy church”):

But God’s holy church does not miss the truth in any way in her fixing the date of this mystery. She uses not only the fourteenth day, but also the seven days which recur order of the seven days of the week…And she uses not only the fourteenth day of the lunar month, but the course of the sun as well, to keep us from observing two Passovers in one year and not even one in another. We observe the fourteenth day, then, but we wait until after the equinox and bring the end of our full observance to the sacred Lord’s day (Epiphanius. The Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis, Books II and III (Sects 47-80), De Fide). Section IV, Verses 3,1; 3,2; 3,3-4. Translated by Frank Williams. EJ Brill, New York, 1994, pp. 25).

Well, the Greco-Roman Catholics and Protestants most certainly do not observe Passover on the evening of the 14th unless that happens to fall when some observe an evening mass–the equinox argument is not scriptural. And since the “Lord’s Supper” is observed frequently, most practicing Greco-Roman Catholics and Protestants do observe it more than once per year.

The fourth/fifth century historian Epiphanius even admits that the church used to observe the 14th when he wrote:

Audians…they choose to celebrate the Passover with the Jews–that is they contentiously celebrate the Passover at the same time as the Jews are holding their Festival of Unleavened Bread. And indeed that this used to be the church’s custom (Epiphanius. The Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis, Books II and III (Sects 47-80), De Fide). Section VI, Verses 8,11; 9,2. Translated by Frank Williams. EJ Brill, New York, 1994, pp. 410-411).

Anyway, since Constantine’s declarations did not stop everyone from properly observing Passover, a later Roman Emperor after he became a baptized “Christian”, decreed the death penalty:

Edicts of Theodosius against the heretics, A.D. 380-394…Theodosius…decreed that…by the death of the offender; and the same capital punishment was inflicted on the Audians, or Quartodecimans, who should dare to perpetrate the atrocious crime of celebrating on an improper day the festival (Gibbon E. Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume III, Chapter XXVII. ca. 1776-1788).

The various enactments against heretics are contained in the Code of Theodosius (16. tit. 5. s. 6—23 ; and the commentary of Gothofredus): the Eunomians, whose guilt consisted in denying any resemblance between the two sub- tances, and who were accordingly Anomoeans, were also deprived of the power of testamentary disposition, and of taking by testamentary gift: they seem, in fact, to have been deprived of all the rights of citizens. The Manichaean heresy was punishable with death; and the same penalty threatened the Audians or the Quartodecimans, who celebrated the festival of Easter on the wrong day. To the reign of Theodosius belonged the glory or the infamy of establishing Inquisitors of Faith, who seem to have been specially enjoined to look after the crime of the Quartodecimans (Smith W. A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology : Oarses-Zygia. J. Murray, 1890 Item notes: v. 3 Original from Harvard University Digitized Jul 8, 2008, p. 1064).

Is killing those that followed the example of Jesus and John, to observe the Passover on the 14th instead of Sunday, a sign of a true Christian leader or a sign of a supporter of antichrist? Notice that the office of the “Inquisitors” was actually first formed to deal with people who kept Passover on the original biblical date–did you know that the date of Passover was considered to be that important?

Greg Williams wrote of “the bond of peace,” but those who endorsed a Sunday ‘Passover’ (which he and others often call Easter) became murderers.

The Roman Catholic and Orthodox saint John Chrysostom preached the following in 387 A.D.:

In speaking about this feast of the Passover, the Law says to them something such as this: “You will not be able to keep the Passover in any of the cities which the Lord your God gives to you.” The Law bids them keep the feast on the fourteenth day of the first month and in the city of Jerusalem. The Law also narrowed down the time and place for the observance of Pentecost, when it commanded them to celebrate the feast after seven weeks, and again, when it stated: “In the place which the Lord your God chooses.” So also the Law fixed the feast of Tabernacles. (4) Now let us see which of the two, time or place, is more necessary, even though neither the one nor the other has the power to save. Must we scorn the place but observe the time? Or should we scorn the time and keep the place? What I mean is something such as this. The Law commanded that the Passover be held in the first month and in Jerusalem, at a prescribed time and in a prescribed place…But the Passover comes to an end on the twenty-first of that month. If they began the feast on the fourteenth day of the first month and then continued it for seven days, they then come to the twenty-first …the Law said they must not observe those rituals outside Jerusalem (John Chrysostom. Homily IV Against the Jews IV:3-4,V:4,5. Catholic Christians of Antioch. Turning to Sabbath and The New Moon Day and Other Holy Days. 387 A.D.).

Although he is correct that the Bible specifies the dates of the Holy Days, John Chrysostom is incorrect that Jerusalem is the only place.

That is never taught in the law.

To the contrary, the Jews were not even in Jerusalem when God listed the holy days in the books of Exodus and Leviticus (Jerusalem was not taken by the children of Israel until after the death of Joshua, see Judges 1:1-8).

Another question is, “Was the church supposed to change its beliefs and practices throughout history or be faithful to what the apostles originally received?”

No, not if the change conflicts with scripture.

The Apostle Jude wrote:

3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3).

The reality is that GCI is focused on being, and appearing to be, Protestant to the world.

GCI wants unity with the world.

Its cross-containing logo (see picture at the beginning of this post) was intended to do that.

GCI certainly did not get that from the Bible or the practices of original Christians (for proof, check out the article What is the Origin of the Cross as a ‘Christian’ Symbol?).

Now, let me add that there was a falling out between the Church of Rome and the Eastern Orthodox Catholics centuries after Constantine, which resulted in those groups keeping Easter on two different dates. But they hope to change that.

Notice the following from a link a reader sent me:

CHANGING THE DATE OF EASTER – In this year of 2025 two historical events will take place. The first is the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which gathered in 325 from May to July in that little town not far from Constantinople.  …

So, the plan of Pope Francis is to take advantage of this anniversary to make an ecumenical encounter at Nicaea. He will invite to it the “orthodox” patriarch of Constantinople as the supposed spokesman of all the other branches of “orthodoxy,” as well as representatives of the World Council of Churches (WCC), which includes various Protestant sects. The goal of the meeting is to reaffirm the Nicaea Creed that is still professed by both Catholics and the “Orthodox,” and to unify the Easter date so that the Catholics and the “Orthodox” will celebrate this important feast on the same date each year. …

According to Francis’ plan, this meeting at Nicaea would signify a landmark event for reuniting Catholics with all those heretics and schismatics. https://www.traditioninaction.org/bev/304bev02-28-2025.htm

Well, it is those that do not keep the biblical date of Passover that are the heretics and schismatics.

The Bible warns:

14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”

17 Therefore

“Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you. 18 ‘I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

It is because of scriptures like the above that the faithful had to leave the Tkach WCG, which later changed its name to Grace Communion International. It was also a reason that those in Asia Minor and Antioch were NOT part of the confederation of churches that began to align with Rome in the second century A.D.

Anyway, my hope for any still part of GCI is that they will study God’s word, agree to truly live by it, repent, and pray that Jesus would set them free (cf. John 8:32) from Protestant and Greco-Roman Catholic errors and support the most faithful church.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Examine Yourself before Passover This article goes into some of why real Christians are to do this. Three related sermons are Really examine yourself before Passover, Passover Examination, and Passover Preparation. Here is a link to this article in the Spanish language: Examínese antes de la Pascua.
Preparing for Passover The Apostle Paul taught that Christians should examine themselves prior to taking Passover. This YouTube video sermon gives suggestions on how to prepare.
Passover and the Early Church Did the early Christians observe Passover? What did Jesus and Paul teach? Why did Jesus die for our sins? There is also a detailed YouTube video available titled History of the Christian Passover.
Did Early Christians Celebrate Easter? If not, when did this happen? Where did Easter come from? Is Easter supposed to be Passover? What do scholars and the Bible reveal? Here is a link to a related video: Amazing Facts About Easter.
Being Separate: What Did Herbert W. Armstrong and the Bible Teach About Where Not to Fellowship? Some believe that it is acceptable to attend groups called COG, but who are not actually. What did Herbert W. Armstrong and the Bible teach about this?
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God Differs from Protestantism The CCOG is NOT Protestant. This free online book explains how the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants. Several sermons related to the free book are also available: Protestant, Baptist, and CCOG History; The First Protestant, God’s Command, Grace, & Character; The New Testament, Martin Luther, and the Canon; Eucharist, Passover, and Easter; Views of Jews, Lost Tribes, Warfare, & Baptism; Scripture vs. Tradition, Sabbath vs. Sunday; Church Services, Sunday, Heaven, and God’s Plan; Seventh Day Baptists/Adventists/Messianics: Protestant or COG?; Millennial Kingdom of God and God’s Plan of Salvation; Crosses, Trees, Tithes, and Unclean Meats; The Godhead and the Trinity; Fleeing or Rapture?; and Ecumenism, Rome, and CCOG Differences.
Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is a link to a related sermon: Could God be Calling You? A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?
What is 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’, The Chrislam Cross and the Interfaith Movement, and Origin of the Cross.
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? Here is a link to a short animation: Which Church would Jesus Choose?
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.
Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction! What is going on in the Protestant world? Are Protestants turning back to their ‘mother church’ in Rome? Does the Bible warn about this? What are Catholic plans and prophecies related to this? Is Protestantism doomed? See also World Council of Churches Peace Plan.
The MYSTERY of GOD’s PLAN Why Did God Create Anything? Why did God make you? This free online book helps answers some of the biggest questions that human have. Here is a link to two related sermons: Mysteries of God’s Plan and Mysteries of Truth, Sin, Rest, Suffering, and God’s Plan.
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.

Trade war escalates as European Union hits back against Donald Trump’s tariffs

Wednesday, March 12th, 2025

COGwriter

Trade issues, brought on by Donald Trump’s tariff proposals, are impacting many nations. The European Union made an attempt to hit back against them with more tariffs of its own:

European Union retaliates against Trump’s tariffs as trade war escalates

As President Donald Trump’s global steel and aluminum tariffs take effect, the E.U. announces it will respond with its own levies, including on bourbon and motorcycles. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/03/12/europe-tariff-retaliation-trump/

Trump metals tariffs draw swift retaliation from Canada and EU

March 12, 2025

Donald Trump’s increased tariffs on all U.S. steel and aluminum imports took effect on Wednesday, stepping up a campaign to reorder global trade in favor of the U.S. and drawing swift retaliation from Canada and Europe.

Trump’s action to bulk up protections for American steel and aluminum producers restores effective tariffs of 25% on all imports of the metals and extends the duties to hundreds of downstream products, from nuts and bolts to bulldozer blades and soda cans. …

The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union charged with coordinating trade matters, responded swiftly, saying it would impose counter tariffs on up to 26 billion euros ($28 billion) worth of U.S. goods – often with more symbolic than economic impact – from next month. …

Canada, the biggest foreign supplier of steel and aluminum to the United States, will announce C$29.8 billion in retaliatory tariffs on Wednesday, a Canadian official who declined to be named said.
China’s foreign ministry said Beijing would take all necessary measures to safeguard its rights and interests, while Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said the move could have a major impact on U.S.-Japan economic ties.
Close U.S. allies Canada, Britain and Australia criticised the blanket tariffs, with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the move was “against the spirit of our two nations’ enduring friendship”. However, he ruled out tit-for-tat duties, as did Britain.

The other countries most affected by the tariffs are Brazil, Mexico and South Korea, which all enjoyed some level of exemptions or quotas. …

Trump initially threatened Canada with doubling the duty to 50% on its steel and aluminum exports to the U.S. but backed off after Canada’s Ontario province suspended a move to impose a 25% surcharge on electricity exports to some U.S. states. https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/trumps-steel-aluminum-tariffs-take-effect-us-canada-trade-war-intensifies-2025-03-12/

March 12, 2025

Brussels hit back after the US tariffs came into force on Wednesday, as Trump pressed ahead with his trade agenda despite growing concern over the risk of a domestic recession.

As part of its retaliation, Brussels reinstated measures introduced during Trump’s first term on €4.5bn of US exports from April 1. These include levies of up to 50% on products such as bourbon whiskey, jeans and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. That’s right: when you barely imports goods from the US, these are the “essential” products you are forced to crack down on.

The EU has also drawn up levies on a further €18bn of US goods, which could include cosmetics, clothes, wood, soybeans, chicken, beef and other agricultural produce the FT reported. The measures, which could be expanded to include another €3.5bn of goods, require approval by EU countries and would come into force on April 13.

A senior EU official said soybeans were on the list of targets because they are grown in Louisiana, home state of House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson. 

“We’re happy to buy our soybeans from Brazil or Argentina,” they added. “We want to ensure there is pressure within the American system to lift their tariffs,” a second official said.

But in a stark example of just how much Trump has broken the world’s resolve, the UK broke with the European Union and its decision to retaliate immediately, and reaffirmed its commitment to US trade talks even as British exports were also swept up in President Donald Trump’s global steel and aluminum tariffs.

UK leftist Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was “disappointed” by the US decision to impose 25% levies on foreign metal products without exemptions on Wednesday morning, telling the House of Commons that his government would keep “all options” on the table in terms of a response. Yet despite the jawboning, Junior Treasury minister James Murray told Times Radio the UK wouldn’t retaliate immediately while reserving the right to do so in due course. 

Despite the US being the UK steel industry’s second-biggest export market, the UK said it was “focused on a pragmatic approach” as it seeks to negotiate a broader economic deal with the White House. https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/eu-retaliates-after-trump-tariffs-take-effect-uk-breaks-europe-and-refuses-respond

The EU moves to protect itself

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement that the bloc “will always remain open to negotiation.”

“As the U.S. are applying tariffs worth 28 billion dollars, we are responding with countermeasures worth 26 billion euros,” she said. The commission manages trade and commercial conflicts on behalf of the 27 member EU countries.

“We firmly believe that in a world fraught with geopolitical and economic uncertainties, it is not in our common interest to burden our economies with tariffs,” von der Leyen said. https://www.newsmax.com/finance/streettalk/europe-tariffs-retaliate/2025/03/12/id/1202452/

As far as the European Union goes, it has been taking steps to increase trade with other nations, partially driven by Donald Trump’s election last November.

Notice also the following report:

A trade agreement with the Latin American bloc – comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay – and further integration of Ukraine into the common agricultural market, particularly in light of its potential EU membership, offer opportunities that the EU cannot afford to overlook amid global trade tensions, EU Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen told Euronews’ Europe Conversation. … a potential trade war with the US strengthens the case for finalising the long-negotiated EU-Mercosur agreement.

Hansen explained that some European agricultural products – such as wines, spirits, and dairy – are particularly strategic, as they serve as the EU’s key “export hammers” and as such require protection.

“If the United States were to target such products, [thanks to an EU-Mercosur deal] we would have alternative ways to sell our products ensuring stability [to our farmers],” he said. https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/02/27/trade-ties-with-ukraine-mercosur-can-shield-eu-from-us-tariffs-says-agriculture-commission

The EU is also looking to finalize a trade deal with India (see European Union seeks to improve trade ties with India as it faces Donald Trump’s tariff threats) as well as Mexico, the Caribbean, and Latin America:

The new EU-Mexico agreement: the EU fast-tracks integration with Latin America

February 3, 2025

These are the questions about the modernisation of the EU-Mexico Global Agreement:  … The renewal of the EU-Mexico FTA updates an agreement that has been in place since 2000, eliminating restrictions in key sectors such as agri-food, services and public procurement, in addition to incorporating regulations on digital trade and data protection.

The EU accelerates its integration with Latin America & the Caribbean (LAC) in response to the geopolitical reconfiguration and the uncertainty and risks of a second Donald Trump presidency. In the last 13 months the EU has modernised key agreements with Mexico and Chile, and finalised the agreement with Mercosur, seeking to strengthen its presence in the region and diversify its alliances in the face of US unilateralism and protectionism and the growing influence of China. …

For LAC, the EU emerges as a large and sophisticated third market, complementing existing trade opportunities and allowing LAC countries to integrate into high value-added value chains and diversify their economic relations, thus reducing their dependence on the two main global powers, the US and China.

The next key step should be the interoperability and regulatory convergence among the network of trade agreements between the EU and Latin America (covering 95% of the GDP of Latin America and the Caribbean) to transform the architecture of EU-LAC trade and Latin American intraregional trade. …

If the EU-Mercosur agreement is ratified, the EU would become the global power with the largest presence and deepest ties in the region: the EU would have agreements with all LAC countries (except Cuba and Venezuela) covering 95% of the LAC’s GDP, compared with 44% for the US and 14% for China

https://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/en/analyses/the-new-eu-mexico-agreement-the-eu-fast-tracks-integration-with-latin-america/

Yes, Europe is looking to increase trade with places other than the USA and many of them are also looking to reduce their dependence on trade with the USA. The UK  has, wisely from a carnal perspective, decided to hold off retaliating–that hesitancy probably will aid it in future trade negotiations with the USA.

In our free e-book: Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America?, we have the following:

Latin America has a lot of ethnic and social ties to Europe, as do many other nations in the Caribbean and South America (which includes a few non-Latin nations—which also have European ties). Though there may be some initial hesitation, those areas are expected to align with the coming Beast power and prosper from it (cf. Revelation 18:15).

We see that Europe and Latin America are now trying to more closely align.

There will be many unintended consequences of Donald Trump’s statements and policies, including relating to trade and tariffs. Notice something from my latest book available at Amazon Kindle: Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies? as well as Amazon print Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies?:

Trade

Historically, Donald Trump has called for “fair trade” and indicated that various nations, including several in Asia, are not engaged in fair trade, so he has proposed high tariffs.[i]

Donald Trump has called tariffs, “the most beautiful word in the dictionary” and even proposed massive tariffs (up to 2000%) on Mexico if it will not do what he wants.[ii] He has basically also proposed a minimum of 10% tariffs on goods from much of the rest of the world.

Some believe that Donald Trump’s positions on trade will lead to a global trade war.[iii] Europe has said it will hit back against Donald Trump’s tariff policies.[iv] It is my position that trade disputes will be a factor in Europe taking military action against the USA one day.

One of the unintended consequences of Donald Trump’s threats of tariffs and other trade matters is that it is motivating nations he has threatened to look to trade more with each other.

The morning after his reelection, I wrote:

According to the major media, Donald Trump won re-election. … 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.[v]

On December 6, 2024, Politico reported that the European Union approved the massive Mercosur trade deal, despite opposition from France and others, and also pointed to Donald Trump’s reelection as a factor.[vi]

Donald Trump’s tariff and other economic policies are getting the Gentile nations of Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia to look to trade more with each other. An unintended consequence of his rhetoric and policies is that they are encouraging the end-time rise of the final time of the Gentiles.

Energy and climate policy differences between the Europeans and Donald Trump look to increase the negative view many in Europe already have about the USA. …

  • Pushing tariffs and other policies that foreign nations do not like is contributing to other nations looking to bypass the USA dollar, as well as trade more with each other and less with the USA. This will further push various globalist’s moves forward without the USA. This is also helping set the stage for the coming European Babylonian Beast to dominate international trade.

[i] Trade: Donald J. Trump’s Vision. https://www.donaldjtrump.com/policies/trade accessed December 16, 2016

[ii] Pan J. Donald Trump calls tariff ‘the most beautiful word,’ threatens up to 2,000% tariff to block Mexican car imports. Yahoo News, November 3, 2024

[iii] Islam F. Will Trump’s victory spark a global trade war? BBC, November 7, 2024

[iv] Vella JH. EU’s game plan for Trump trade war: ‘Hit back fast and hard.’ Polico.eu, October 21, 2024

[v] Thiel B. Media declares Donald Trump won the election–now what? y Donald trump y eventos para observar. COGwriter, November 6, 2024

[vi] Gijs C, Leali G. EU snubs France to seal huge Latin American trade deal. Politico, December 6, 2024

(Thiel B. Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies? Nazarene Books, 2025)

More of the world’s nations are starting to look away from the USA for trade.

The Bible shows that Europe will, temporarily, dominate trade, which means that the USA will not:

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

9 The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her … 19 in which all who had ships on the sea became rich by her wealth! (Revelation 18:9,19)

Europe does not have to be perfect to do this, but perceived for a time, as the best economic option for the world.

Although it does not look like that now to most people, Europe is prophesied to do so.

The reelection of Donald Trump has accelerated the desire of the Europeans–and others–to secure trade deals outside of the USA.

Biblical prophecies will come to pass.

We continue to see steps that are aligning with them.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Trade Disputes: CCOG Warnings Are Coming to Pass Trade tensions and talks of trade wars have escalated. US President Donald Trump has put Europe, China, Mexico, and other lands on notice that he wants to change how international trade with the USA has been going. Tariffs, retaliatory tariffs, and even more tariffs are being implemented. Is this all just happenstance? Are we yet in a trade war? What will Europe do? Has the Church of God been warning about trade disputes and a coming trade war for decades? What about the Continuing Church of God (CCOG)? What has been warned, what has been happening, and what will happen? Will trade disputes be a factor in World War III (WW3)? Dr. Thiel explains what has been taught and what to expect.
Brexit Happened: Now What? At 11:00 pm January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom formally left the European Union. Many celebrated, while many mourned. Nigel Farage stated, “This is the greatest moment in modern British history.” What will happen to the United Kingdom? Will the UK be involved in trade deals with the United States of America and the Europeans? Will the UK regret the BRitish Exit (Brexit) from the EU?What will happen with the European Union? Is Europe prophesied to have a great army and many ships? Does the Bible prophesy a reorganization of Europe? Does it prophesy that the Europeans will become a conquering military power? Is the United Kingdom prophesied to be conquered? How does the Bible name the British-descended peoples? Was the British Empire the largest in world history? Was Brexit predicted by Church of God leaders in 1970 and the early 1990s? Will the European Union be negatively affected financially by the departure of the UK? Will this turn out well for the UK or the Europeans? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more in this video.
Trade Wars: Are COG warnings coming to pass? Trade issues, tariffs, and talk of trade wars are in the news. Can trade wars lead to World War III like they did to World War II? Are the events going on with the USA, UK, Asia, and Europe consistent with warnings published by the true Church of God (COG) over the past several years and decades? Do Germany and China hope to take advantage of trade frictions involving the Trump Administration and the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement? What about Mexico and South America? Does the Bible teach that Europe will become a major trading power? Will the final European Babylonian trading power be destroyed? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more in this video.
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is are links to related videos: European history and the Bible, Europe In Prophecy, The End of European Babylon, and Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European? Here is a link to a related sermon in the Spanish language: El Fin de la Babilonia Europea.
25 items to prophetically watch in 2025 Much is happening. Dr. Thiel points to 25 items to watch (cf. Mark 13:37) in this article. Here is a link to a related sermon video: 25 Items to Watch in 2025.
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.
Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies?  Is Donald Trump going to save the USA or are there going to be many disastrous unintended consequences of his statements and policies? What will happen. The link takes you to a book available at Amazon.com.
Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies? Kindle 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 Unintended Consequences and Donald Trump’s Presidency: Is Donald Trump Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Greco-Roman Catholic, Buddhist, and other America-Related Prophecies?