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Canada’s ‘Dominion Day’ is showing it did not live up to its intent

Monday, July 1st, 2024

COGwriter

On July 1, 1867, Canada became a self-governing dominion of Great Britain and a federation of four provinces: Nova Scotia; New Brunswick; Ontario; and Quebec. The anniversary of this date was called Dominion Day until 1982.

Since 1983, July 1 has been officially known as Canada Day.  My wife and I were last in Canada in October 2019.

Canada itself has grown:

As the bells rang out at noon on July 1, 1867, you were introduced for the first time as a fresh-faced nation of four provinces and 3,463,000 people.

Now here were are, 151 years later and you’ve grown into a country of 10 provinces and three territories and a population of 35,151,728. On a global scale, you rank 38th in total population while having the second-largest landmass. …

Canada Day carries many different meanings for people, with celebrations and protests as diverse as the country itself.

Depending on who you are it can be a source of pride and a celebration of independence from Britain; or it can be a source of contempt and derisively referred to as “colonial day” in protest of European settlement. 07/01/18 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/canada-day-confederation-constitution-1.4724575

Here is some insight from Time as to why Canada became self-governing and some other details related to it:

After the Northern U.S. states won the American Civil War, there was a big concern in British North America and London that “the victorious Americans up North would take Canada, and much of the motivation [for uniting the provinces] was to have a stronger line of defense against the U.S.,” says Peter H. Russell, a political scientist who specializes in Canadian history. “The other thing was, the constitution-makers — we call them ‘Fathers of Confederation’ — were convinced that what led to the Civil War was a weak federation, so they tried to create a much stronger federal government than America has.” …

The name Canada wasn’t established in 1867, however; it’s derived from the Huron-Iroquois word “kanata,” meaning “village” or “settlement” and had been in use since the 16th century, when locals pointed French explorer Jacques Cartier in the direction of the “village” now known as Québec City. That Canada became a “Dominion” is also a uniquely American story, Russell argues. The Confederation was originally to be named a “kingdom” of Canada until “the British foreign office said, ‘The Americans won’t like a kingdom on their border, call it something else, or we’re going to have bad relations with the Americans.'”

Leonard Tilley, one of the Fathers of Confederation, was inspired to suggest the word ‘dominion’ by Psalm 72:8, which states that Jesus Christ “shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.” (The Latin version, “A Mari Usque Ad Mare,” became the country’s national motto.) So that’s why Canada Day was originally known as “Dominion Day” when the July 1 national holiday was established in 1879. http://time.com/4828595/canada-day-150-years/

Basically, Canada was granted a self-governing status as the British were concerned that the USA might take it over. And it chose the term “dominion” based on the Bible.

But Canada does not accept the Bible at this time. Since a court decision in 2002, Canada has restricted freedom to quote and cite the Bible (watch Canadian censoring of the Bible). It also passed a motion limiting giving one’s view of Islam (http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-03-24/canada-passes-blasphemy-bill-silence-critics-islam).

Local Canadian officials have prohibited a Protestant school from being able to teach certain scriptures from the Bible. Here is an account of this from Canada:

Our Constitution has religion hard-wired into it — the word Catholic is in our Constitution four times, specifically to protect religious education. That’s part of the grand bargain of Canada, uniting French Canada and English Canada.

It’s shocking, but it’s not surprising. Christianity has been driven out of the public square everywhere in Canada. But surely this is a new low — Christianity is actually being banned in a Christian school.

Government bureaucrats would never dream of telling Muslim schools they couldn’t teach passages from the Koran — even ones that call for the murder of infidels and apostates. But banning the Bible is now official school board policy.

And, not surprisingly, the media and the political class are silent. Even supposedly Christian or conservative politicians are keeping their heads down — they don’t want to be attacked by the leftist mob at the CBC.

The school board is digging in. They’re closing ranks around Laurie Skori the chair. They’re bullying the school. David Eggen, the NDP education minister, he hates Christian schools, wants to shut them down, has taken steps to shut others down. He’s an anti-Christian bigot who doesn’t seem upset about this censorship in the slightest. 06/19/17 https://news.google.com/news/section?hl=en&ned=us&q=%22Battle+River+School+board%22

Notice also;

Alberta’s NDP says Christian school cannot state that God’s authority supersedes human authority

September 28, 2018

Alberta’s NDP government has made the next move against religious schools in the province—and this time, they’ve dropped any pretence that their ongoing attacks on religious schools are anything short of crass bigotry. At the end of August, Education Minister David Eggen announced that funding would be pulled from Christian schools that refused to accept Gay-Straight Alliance Clubs.  …

The NDP attacks on schools began as a radical progressive government forcing LGBT ideology into communities that did not want it, and have now metastasized into a blunt declaration by the government that schools cannot govern themselves according to their Christian beliefs. “Diversity” must be respected, by which the NDP means that a diverse array of religious schools must accept progressive ideology and accede to their demands or face further attacks from the government. This is no longer simply about Gay Straight Alliance clubs—the NDP is telling Christian schools that they cannot teach Christian doctrine, cannot state their belief that the Bible is God’s Word, cannot respect the primary role of parents in the education process, and cannot state that the biblical worldview is true.

And, most tellingly, the NDP had a problem with one school noting that God’s authority superseded man’s authority—because they do not believe that to be true. They believe that they are the final authority on everything, which is why they demanded that a Christian school remove acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty from their mission statement. https://thebridgehead.ca/2018/09/28/albertas-ndp-says-christian-school-cannot-state-that-gods-authority-supersedes-human-authority/

So, Canadian officials are often not acting in a manner consistent with what Canada was supposed to stand for.

Its top leaders have also pushed abortion and horrible agendas.

Notice also the following headlines since the last Canada Day:

Could Australia be moving towards the cashless world the WEF wants? (and then there is Canada’s ‘666’ move)

PCG: Canada’s Immigration Policy Is a Curse on the Nation; COGwriter: Scriptures warn of terrorism

Canada pushes more GMOs after Italy bans GMO fake meat

4.1% of ALL Deaths in Canada Last Year Caused By Government ‘Suicide’?

Here is something from a Roman Catholic source from the past:

July 1, 2022

As Canada Day rolls around again, many Canadians wonder why we should celebrate the nation that has of late disregarded so many of our basic rights and freedoms. …

As Canada becomes increasingly anti-Christian, some Canadians wonder: should we shake the dust from our feet and depart? …

Canada seems to have forgotten her past, rejecting Christian culture and ideals. Indeed, Canada has even forgotten her Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tramples our right to protest his vision of democracy. https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/canadians-should-remember-our-history-of-faith-and-freedom-this-canada-day/

The time will come when the most faithful Christians will realize they must flee Canada and most other lands on the earth (cf. Revelation 12:14-16; see also There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Near Petra).

More and more, in Canada as well as other lands, (see Germany approves ‘same-sex marriage’ and sets fines for Facebook, etc. to crack down on ‘hate speech’) are seeing governments taking steps to remove/control content on the internet.

This was partially because the prophet Amos was inspired to record the following:

11 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God,
“That I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine of bread,
Nor a thirst for water,
But of hearing the words of the Lord.
12 They shall wander from sea to sea,
And from north to east;
They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord,
But shall not find it. (Amos 8:11-12)

Notice that the Bible tells of a time that will come when the word of God will not be found. I do not believe that this means that there will be no more Bibles–but that those wanting to better understand it will have trouble finding explanations.

Amos is referring to something as dramatic as truth being scarce. In the 21st century that logically would point to it being taken off the internet. In the 21st century, the internet is accessed by people in every country, and thus some type of internet restriction/suspension/site removal is coming–more than what we have seen thus far.

We are getting closer to this time. More and more are starting to see that there are plans to censor speech from the internet.

That is part of why we in the Continuing Church of God are preparing for the ‘short work’ (Romans 9:28) and the coming ‘famine of the word.’

Jesus warned:

12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. (Matthew 24:12-13)

Officials in the Canadian and other governments around the world do not respect the laws of the Bible and push their own morality–which is often biblically immoral.

Notice the following headline from a Canadian writer a while back:

Can one of the nicest places in the world – Canada – survive what’s to come?

Well, without national repentance, the answer is NO (cf. Hosea 11:3a, 5b-7). For some details about Canada’s future, here is a link to the sermon we recently made: Canada in Prophecy.

Sadly, this has affected many–though the faithful who endure will be saved and people can still repent.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Canada in Prophecy: What Does Bible Prophecy, Catholic Prophecy, and other Predictions Suggest About the Future of Canada? There are prophecies that suggest involvement with Canada. And many are not positive about its future. A sermon of related interest is also available: Canada in Prophecy.
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.
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.
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? Here is a link to a related video sermon titled: The Short Work.
Should the Church Still Try to Place its Top Priority on Proclaiming the Gospel or Did Herbert W. Armstrong Change that Priority for the Work? Some say the Church should mainly feed the flock now as that is what Herbert W. Armstrong reportedly said. Is that what he said? Is that what the Bible says? What did Paul and Herbert W. Armstrong expect from lower level leaders? A related sermon is available titled Priority of the Philadelphia Work.
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.
Is God Calling You? This booklet discusses topics including calling, election, and selection. If God is calling you, how will you respond? Here is are links to related sermons: Christian Election: Is God Calling YOU? and Predestination and Your Selection. A short animation is also available: Is God Calling You?
Christian Repentance Do you know what repentance is? Is it really necessary for salvation? Two related sermons about this are also available: Real Repentance and Real Christian Repentance.
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
When You Sin: Do You Really Repent? This is an article by Charles F. Hunting. A related sermon is Confess to God and truly repent.
The Philadelphia Church Era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God, now the remnant of that era is basically the most faithful in the Church of God, like who hold to the beliefs and practices of the Continuing Church of God.
The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. The Laodiceans are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG or its offshoots. They do not properly understand the work or biblical prophecies and will face the Great Tribulation if they do not repent. One video of related interest is 17 Laodicean Errors in Prophecy. See also Do You Hold to Any of These Laodicean Prophetic Errors?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. A video of possible interest may be Will Will USA Spying Help the Beast Power?
Leading the Final Phase of the Work Matthew 24:14 teaches “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come ” will be fulfilled and RCG is not the group doing this. Who is leading the final phase of the work? What did Herbert Armstrong and the old WCG teach about that and about prophets? Does Bob Thiel meet the criteria that the Bible and the old WCG set? What is the proof? What has the Continuing Church of God been doing? This is a sermonette length video.
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.
Internet Control, Famine of the Word, and 666 On October 1, 2016, the USA officially relinquished control over the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), despite objections from certain political leaders and former military officials. Might this lead to more censorship, imposition on non-biblical ‘community standards,’ and loss of first amendment rights? Could this transfer of control have any prophetic ramifications? Will the internet be a factor in the ‘short work’ of Romans 9:28 and the coming ‘famine of the word’ that the Prophet Amos warned about? Will internet control be something that the 666 power will have? Dr. Thiel addresses these matters and more in this video.
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.
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 is something related in the Spanish language: Hay un lugar de seguridad para los Filadelfinos. ¿Puede ser Petra?
The Final Phase of the Work What is the final phase of the work? Who will lead it? Do you have the courage to support it? Here is a related YouTube video titled The Final Phase of the Work. The written article has been translated into Spanish La Fase Final de la Obra.
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? What about other peoples? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about Africa, Asia, South America, and the Islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?;  Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

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Juneteenth 2024

Wednesday, June 19th, 2024


Traditional African dance and music performed for Juneteenth
(photo in public domain per Wikipedia)

COGwriter

In the past several years, there has been increased interest in a previously little-known holiday called Juneteenth.

Now, even certain California State employees are getting the day off, as a paid holiday, for it.

Here is some information about Juneteenth:

What is Juneteenth, America’s newest federal holiday?

June 18, 2024

Juneteenth marks the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans.

Long a regional holiday in the South, It became the newest U.S. federal holiday in 2021 under U.S. President Joe Biden.

:: June 17, 2021

BIDEN: “This is a day, in my view, of profound weight and profound power…” …

U.S. government employees have the day off from work.

So do workers at some private businesses.

Traditionally, Juneteenth celebrations include parades, marches and barbecues.

This year’s holiday is expected to take place during a heat wave in some parts of the country so officials are advising people to be careful.

Other events will strike a more somber tone, with organizers using the day to draw attention to today’s racial inequities they say stem from the legacy of slavery … https://www.yahoo.com/news/juneteenth-americas-newest-federal-holiday-231111048.html

June 17, 2023

So, what is Juneteenth all about?

When I first heard of Juneteenth, while working at a summer job during my college days, I presumed that since it had something to do with the end of slavery in the United States, it must have been the date the 13th Amendment — which ended legal slavery in the country — was ratified. Later, I was perplexed, as I read that the 13th Amendment was made part of the U.S. Constitution in December of 1865.

In reality, Juneteenth had very little to do with the end of legal slavery in America, so the question then became, Why celebrate it in June, rather than in December?

The answer seems to be, as it is with so much in today’s world — whether it be nominations to the Supreme Court, the names of sports teams, or even pictures on boxes of pancake mix — that politics is in play: Democrats want to pander to black voters, and Republicans are generally afraid to call them on it, fearing they will just be accused of being racists and “white supremacists.”

President Joe Biden signed into law the observation of “Juneteenth” (June 19) as an official holiday of the United States two days before the date in 2021, making 2022 the first year that the holiday was fully observed across the country.  https://thenewamerican.com/juneteenth-what-is-it-all-about/

June 19, 2022

Sam Roberts and his family are planning for Juneteenth, the newest U.S. holiday commemorating the 1865 emancipation of Black enslaved people at the end of the Civil War.

On Sunday, the Roberts family and other Americans will attend celebrations and observances. It’s part of a growing national recognition of a pivotal moment in U.S. history that’s been a part of the fabric of Black culture for generations.

“Juneteenth is our Freedom Day and African American communities have been celebrating June 19th for a long time,” said Roberts, a father of two from Washington, D.C. It’s the second national observance of the holiday since Congress authorized it and U.S. President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law last year.

“While July 4th is the celebration of freedom for the United States, Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom for African Americans after the Civil War,” said Jesse Holland, an author and Black historian.

The push for a Juneteenth federal holiday came amid the popularity of the Black Lives Matter movement and a year after nationwide protests against racism and police brutality. It followed the murder of African-American George Floyd by a white Minneapolis police officer in 2020. Since then, the annual celebration has taken on a new meaning for some in the Black community.

“Juneteenth reminds Black Americans we still face the challenges of hate and discrimination our ancestors endured,” Roberts said. “We have to redouble our quest for equality.”

Some historians believe greater awareness of Juneteenth will encourage forward leaning conversations among Americans about race relations and the legacies of slavery. …

“Not every African American in the United States are descendants of slaves, but for the large majority of us who are, Juneteenth is the time for us to take stock of who we are today, where we came from and the sacrifices our ancestors went through before and since the Civil War,” Holland told VOA.

Freedom declarations

U.S. President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, a declaration following the end of the Civil War that legally freed more than three million enslaved Blacks in Confederate States. But not all slaves were free because the proclamation could not be implemented in parts of the southern United States.

To enforce the proclamation, Union Army Major General Gordon Granger marched into Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, to issue the “General Order Number 3,” which ended the enslavement of Blacks in Texas. The mandate freed an estimated 250,000 slaves two-and-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.

“White Texans knew the Civil War was [over] and slavery was banned, but they didn’t tell their slaves the war was over for years [in order] to continue to get free labor out of them,” said Holland. “Juneteenth is when the lie ended and federal forces showed up to enforce the new federal law saying slavery was illegal in the United States.”

While Juneteenth is celebrated as the end of slavery, the practice of involuntary servitude continued briefly in the states of Delaware and Kentucky. On December 6, 1865, ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution abolished slavery in the United States.

Juneteenth awareness

The first events commemorating Juneteenth date to 1866, when former slaves celebrated their new freedom with prayer, feasting, song, and dance. The anniversary saw a decline in popularity in the 1950’s and 60’s as Black Americans focused on the civil rights movement and ending racial discrimination. Juneteenth saw a revival in the 1980’s when Texas became the first state to declare the date a state holiday. https://www.voanews.com/a/us-observes-juneteenth-national-holiday-/6621998.html

Racial discrimination is a problem in many societies.

Liberation from oppression is a good thing.

Whether an additional holiday will help is a matter of debate. The real solution is the Kingdom of God.

Notice that Juneteenth occurred in Galveston, Texas. As it turns out, that is the city that the Continuing Church of God has a contract with to have the Feast of Tabernacles (which portrays the millennial kingdom of God) in 2024 (see also Feast of Tabernacles’ Sites for 2024).

Jesus came to proclaim that liberty:

1 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,  (Isaiah 61:1-2)

God has a plan which will result in people of every nation and race being saved:

9…I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”  (Revelation 7:9-10)

God has a plan where people of every nation will be able to rule:

9…You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
10 And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth.  (Revelation 5:9-10)

God has a plan where “all flesh shall see the salvation of God” (Luke 3:6):

21 And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved. (Acts 2:21)

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

God has a fantastic plan.

Whether or not you celebrate Juneteenth, pray for God’s Kingdom to come (Matthew 6:10).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

God’s Grace is For All Is being Jewish a hindrance to salvation? What about not being a descendant of Israel? What does the Bible really teach? Here is a link to a related sermon titled Race and Grace; Do you view race as God does? Watch also Mystery of Race.
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 are links to three related sermons: Mysteries of God’s Plan, Mysteries of Truth, Sin, Rest, Suffering, and God’s Plan, Mystery of Race, and The Mystery of YOU. Here are links to two videos in Spanish: El Misterio del Plan de Dios and El Misterio de Satanás, el Misterio de la Verdad, el Misterio del Reposo.
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 are links to a related sermon series: Universal Offer of Salvation 1: Apocatastasis, Universal Offer of Salvation 2: Jesus Desires All to be Saved, Mysteries of the Great White Throne Judgment (Universal Offer of Salvation part 3), Is God Fair, Will God Pardon the Ignorant?, Can God Save Your Relatives?, Babies, Limbo, Purgatory and God’s Plan, and ‘By the Mouth of All His Holy Prophets’.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. 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.

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Masks and ‘The Great Pandemic Walkback’

Friday, May 24th, 2024


(Pixabay photo)

COGwriter

Another study shows the basic uselessness of the COVID mask mandates:

New Study: Face Masks Completely Ineffective Against COVID Omicron Variant

May 19, 2024

Wearing face coverings did nothing to reduce the risk of infection by the Omicron variant of COVID-19, according to a new study from the University of East Anglia. The researchers utilized data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) COVID survey in England, which estimated infection rates.

From November 2021 to May 2022, the ONS surveyed individuals about their habits, including mask-wearing, work patterns, and travel, to determine if these factors correlated with infection risk. The study concluded that face coverings did not reduce the risk of infection by the Omicron variant.

However, the researchers noted that during the initial wave of COVID-19, before Omicron emerged, mask-wearing was associated with a decreased risk of infection. Co-author Dr. Julii Brainard explained, “This isn’t totally surprising because laboratory evidence suggests that the Omicron variant was better able to infect the cells lining the upper respiratory tract than previous variants and so be more transmissible” (source). https://yournews.com/2024/05/19/2788374/new-study-face-masks-completely-ineffective-against-covid-omicron-variant/

I was opposed to general mask use from the beginning for many reasons, including the beliefs that they would cause more harm than good by interfering with the development of natural immunity as well as potential toxins being repeatedly breathed in with N95 and other masks. Plus, most masks still allow viruses, which are much smaller than bacteria, to pass through.

As far as general protection from mask, notice a study that came out last year:

Massive Peer-Reviewed Mask Study Shows ‘Little To No Difference’ In Preventing COVID, Flu Infection

February 2, 2023

A massive international research collaboration that analyzed several dozen rigorous studies focusing on “physical interventions” against COVID-19 and influenza found that they provide little to no protection against infection or illness rates.
The study, published in the peer-reviewed Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, is the strongest science to date refuting the basis for mask mandates worldwide.

The study, published in the peer-reviewed Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, is the strongest science to date refuting the basis for mask mandates worldwide.

And of course, the CDC still recommends masking in areas with “high” rates of transmission (fewer than 4% of US counties, as Just the News notes), along with indoor masking in areas with “medium” rates of transmission (27%).

Masks are still required in educational institutions in Democratic strongholds such as New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Washington and California, according to the Daily Mail. Boston Public Schools denied its “temporary masking protocol” in early January was a “mandate,” following a public letter against the policy by student Enrique Abud Evereteze.

South Korea is still requiring masks on public transport and in medical facilities after dropping COVID mandates in most indoor settings, including gyms, Monday, Reuters reported. -Just the News

According to the Cochrane study, which included the work of researchers at institutions in the  U.K., Canada, Australia, Italy and Saudi Arabia, a total of 78 studies were analyzed. Most recent additions to the meta-analysis were 11 new randomized controlled trials. …

We’re sure the cult of Fauci will now start insisting peer-reviewed meta-analyses aren’t ‘the science.’ https://www.zerohedge.com/political/massive-mask-study-shows-little-no-difference-preventing-covid-flu-infection

Many forget that the main purpose of medical masks has been to reduce the risk of the medical worker from passing disease to a patient, particularly during surgery (particularly bacterial, not viral ones). Masks also can be helpful in very close contact to reduce the transmission of some communicable diseases–but this is not the same as being out in public.

Permit me to add that Dr. Anthony Fauci initially said masks were not helpful to help stop the spread of COVID. He later basically said he lied about that as he wanted health care professionals to be able to get masks.

With those matters in mind, notice the following opinion piece about COVID enforced measures:

The Great Pandemic Walkback

May 23, 2024

His tenure there overlapped with the beginning of the lockdowns but he always seemed out of his element, outrun and overwhelmed by the bureaucratic miasma that washed through the agency at the time.

He has always tried to be a team player but you can sense his bitterness today. .. He says that healthy people under the age of 60 never really needed the shots, and, further, that the injuries from the shots are high and must be recognized and acknowledged. True, this is information that everyone who has kept up already knows. What’s significant is the source.

“Those of us that tried to suggest there may be significant side effects from vaccines … we kind of got canceled because no one wanted to talk about the potential that there was a problem from the vaccines, because they were afraid that that would cause people not to want to get vaccinated,” Dr. Redfield said.

He still thinks that the shots should be credited for saving “a lot” of lives, though that research is much in dispute. What’s remarkable is to have the former head of the CDC openly putting down the idea that healthy adults and children did not need these shots. They are included in the childhood schedule now and mandates still pervade academia and U.S. policy for citizenship. Clearly the pharma industry pushing these products remains more powerful than even former heads of the top agency in charge.

In addition, in compelling testimony, former head of the National Institutes for Health Francis Collins has admitted that there never was any science behind social distancing. The rule of six feet of distance, which sounds innocuous, masks a totalitarian ambition. It was the reason for the school closures since there was no way to practice it. It was why there were no gatherings. It was why businesses had to be only half-full or closed. It was the reason for the crazy dance everyone was doing for nearly two years. Even now, you sometimes encounter people who jump out of the way when a human is near.

There was never any science to it. We knew that from the very outset. …

As for the damages done by the shots, the vaccine makers were indemnified by law against paying for any harms they caused. So there is no question of any liability on their part. The pharma companies say that if they had to be held responsible for damages that they could never make any vaccines. That claim alone should raise alarm bells. In a market economy under the rule of law, makers of products bear responsibility for harms caused by their use. Pharma should be no different especially with a product imposed by force on most of the population.

In addition, there is a real question of fraud against which the shot makers are not indemnified. Those claims are now in litigation. We shall see how they end up. …

Now to the burning question. If all the evidence was clear that none of this could control a virus, and if even the vaccine trials were revealing high injury and a lack of effectiveness of the shots, why did they go ahead with the crazy experiment in the first place?

Here is where we have to get into some speculation. Having studied and written about all of this for four years, and looking even at the prevailing pandemic plans for the future, it’s my considered opinion that the whole protocol was designed for one purpose. The intention from the beginning was to preserve the immunological naivete of the whole population for as long as possible so that the vaccines could come to the rescue and save the population. In other words, everything they did, from closures to forced separation and masks, was designed to stop the emergence of natural immunity. https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/great-pandemic-walkback

As long time readers of this COGwriter Church of God News page are aware, I specifically warned about risks associated with the coronavirus in 2013 (see Coronavirus: A new risk for humans? and Saudi Arabia warning visitors to Mecca about coronavirus risk) and 2014 (see Saudi Arabia, MERS, and Missiles and Infection-gate: A dangerous scandal hitting the USA?). Additionally, I have also warned also about human engineered pathogens without mentioning the coronavirus in 2018 (see DARPA to weaponize insects to spread viruses across the population… sinister plans exposed by team of scientists) and November 2019 (see DARPA: ‘Militarized Microbes’ To Spread GMO Bacteria).

In November 2019, I warned in a video that bad pathogens were coming and that vaccines were not the answer. That was removed by YouTube during the ‘pandemic’ and even today, here is what YouTube has up instead of it:

This video has been removed for violating YouTube’s Community Guidelines

That video was based on mainly mainstream sources and scripture. It did not violate YouTube’s so-called ‘Community Guideline,’ but was retroactively removed by YouTube as part of its efforts to suppress the truth. Since we do not trust YouTube’s improper enforcement of its changing standards, we already had it up on other platforms, so it is still available. Here is a link to it from our BitChute platform: Superbugs, antibiotics, and vaccines.

The Bible warns of, “all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18)–and that is what YouTube and others often did during COVID (like Twitter censoring a peer-reviewed mask study in 2021: https://www.globalresearch.ca/twitter-censors-peer-reviewed-mask-study/5743892).

In January 2020, I made a video about biological warfare and tied what was then called the ‘novel coronavirus’ to a lab leak from Wuhan China (watch Biological Warfare and Prophecy). Yet, that was called a “conspiracy theory” even though it was correct.

Sadly, Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, Google, and others in Big Tech suppressed the truth of a lot of scientifically accurate information. More censorship is coming (cf. Amos 8:11-12; see also Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word).

The Bible warns about the last days that:

13 … evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:13, KJV)

In addition to Big Tech, many in governmental as well as much of mainstream media often misled the public on many things associated with COVID-19.

Furthermore, notice something that the Apostle Paul warned about believers:

20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: 21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. (1 Timothy 6:20-21, KJV)

Many think they have relied on science, when in reality they have been deceived.

Instead of promoting improving diet and health, the government and pharmaceutical industry have been working on more vaccines and may push one for the Flirt variant as well. For me telling people how to eat better to support their immune system, YouTube censored and removed a video I put out (but it is still available on another platform: COVID-19: Eat what is good!).

The YouTube censored video went over much of the following:

  1. People should decrease their consumption of junk food. Instead that has increased and many Americans have gained unhealthy weight (see Using scale for weight loss? Americans gain weight during COVID-19 shut downs) which will not bolster their innate or adaptive immune systems.
  2. Exercise is beneficial for the immune system (watch The Plain Truth About Exercise), yet during the corona/COVID lockdowns, many have gotten less exercise. Some because of fear of going outside and some because many gyms have been closed by government orders. Yet, the Bible teaches ‘bodily exercise profits a little’ (1 Timothy 4:8).
  3. Avoiding smoking (see also Should Christians Smoke Tobacco or Marijuana?) and polluted air (watch Air Pollution, Autism, and Prophecy) help the immune function. Yet, cigarette purchases in the USA went up last year during the COVID lockdowns.
  4. People should increase their consumption of high vitamin C fruits (like citrus and berries) and vegetables (like tomatoes and bell peppers) as vitamin C is proven to bolster the immune system, help protect tissues (like lungs), and fight viruses (see also COVID-19 and Vitamin C: The truth, the myth, and the hype). Many also contain fruits and vegetables supply betacarotene, which also supports the immune system.
  5. Eleven years ago it was reported in a scientific journal that zinc was effective against coronaviruses to reduce their replication (see‘CDC Triples Number of Possible CCP Virus Symptoms;’ Don’t swallow Lysol to fight COVID-19! What about Zinc? Bloodclots?). Various foods, like pumpkin seeds, contain zinc.
  6. Selenium may also be helpful. Eating a couple of Brazil nuts per week can supply adequate amounts of selenium.
  7. Substances like methylene blue and hydroxychloroquine help improve zinc absorption (see also Donald Trump taking zinc and hydroxychloroquine to prevent COVID-19: Mainstream media aghast! Vitamin D? Vitamin C?).
  8. Sunlight helps convert cholesterol into vitamin D and vitamin D looks to be helpful for those facing the coronavirus (see Donald Trump taking zinc and hydroxychloroquine to prevent COVID-19: Mainstream media aghast! Vitamin D? Vitamin C?). Even the CDC’s Dr. Fauci has admitted that vitamins D and C can be helpful (see COVID interview: Dr. Fauci takes isolated vitamin D and synthetic vitamin C).
  9. Many herbs can help with viruses (see ‘Ghanaians Look to Herbal Remedies for COVID-19’ ‘Enti wobԑdi Onyankopↄn Nna Kronkron anaa Ahonhommↄnee Ahomegyeԑ Nna?’).
  10. Jesus said His followers would fast (Mark 2:20). Fasting boosts the immune system (see Reuters: Why is New Orleans’ coronavirus death rate seven times New York’s? Obesity is a factor; BNP: ‘How to Change Your Life in 5 Seconds’). Fasting, for those who can, can truly help the immune system (see Fasting aids longevity and provides other benefits).
  11. Blood clots can be destructive and even deadly with COVID-19, hence people who get COVID-19 may wish to take nattokinase (see ‘CDC Triples Number of Possible CCP Virus Symptoms;’ Don’t swallow Lysol to fight COVID-19! What about Zinc? Bloodclots?).
  12. Lung tissue damage is associated with COVID-19 and bovine lung tissue helps support healthy lungs (see CBS: Blood types may play role in which COVID patients get sickest; Isaiah: Eat what is good.).
  13. People should avoid consuming biblically unclean meat (see The New Testament Church, History, and Unclean Meats), which look to have been implicated in the cause of COVID-19 (see NPR: Where Did The Coronavirus Originate? Virus Hunters Find Genetic Clues In Bats; WND: Biblically unclean animals responsible for pandemics and Clean and unclean meat arguments, COVID-19, and the Bible).
  14. Humans can help maintain healthy kidneys and other organs with bovine kidney and other organ tissues (see https://doctorsresearch.com/articles/2759/the-truth-about-glandulars-in-nutritional-supplements/). Plural glandular supplements can be helpful.
  15. Even vaccine advocates think that the rushed vaccine will have safety risks (e.g. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/22/trump-circle-pressure-fda-rush-covid-19-vaccine-election)–hence caution and wisdom are advised.

All the above have the potential to help support one’s innate immune system, which helps the body fight many types of pathogens–not just one.

But apparently, YouTube and others were not interesting in letting the public know things that they could do to help themselves.

It is not wrong to tell people ways to consider to improve their health. But that was censored.

Furthermore, the Bible teaches:

2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good (Isaiah 55:2).

Information on how to do so should not be suppressed.

Anyway, COVID variants are not the only pestilential risk right now. Bird Flu is another that has been in the news (see ‘The lie of the century: The origin of COVID-19’ & ‘Bird Flu’ & ‘Chinese scientists create mutant Ebola virus to skirt around biosafety rules’).

Biblically, we know that pestilences are coming, and historically many have involved animals (watch also COVID, Pandemics, and Unclean Meat). We also have the issues of humans intentionally producing biological weapons that can cause pestilences (watch: Biological Warfare and Prophecy).

But we also know that more censorship and suppression of the truth is coming.

The end of this age is getting nearer.

Pray, as Jesus said in Matthew 6:8-10, for God’s Kingdom to come.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Fourth Horseman, COVID, and the Rise of the Beast of Revelation. Here is a version of that sermon in Spanish: El Cuarto Caballo, El COVID y El Surgimiento de la Bestia del Apocalipsis. Some shorter related videos may include Amphibian Apocalypse: Threat to Humans? and Zombie Deer Disease is Here! Are the 10 Plagues on Egypt Coming? Here is a version of the article in Spanish: El cuarto jinete de Apocalipsis, el caballo pálido de muerte y pestilencia.
Biological Warfare and Prophecy Is biological warfare possible? Was it prophesied? Scientists have long warned that pathogenic organisms like the coronavirus could be weaponized. Furthermore, back in 2017, there were concerns that the biological research facility being constructed in Wuhan, China was risky and that a coronavirus from it could be released. On January 25, 2020, China’s President Xi Jinping publicly stated that the situation with the Wuhan-related strain of the coronavirus was grave. Did Church of God writers like the late evangelist Raymond McNair warn that engineered viruses (the “Doomsday bug”) were consistent with prophecies from Jesus? Did a warning from CCOG leader Bob Thiel warn about risks of genetically-modified (GMO) mosquitoes come to pass? Could human research and/or the consumption of biblically-unclean animals such as bats and snakes be a factor in current outbreaks or coming future pestilences? What about famines? How devastating have pestilences been? How devastating are the prophesied ones going to be? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more in this video.
COVID 19 is NOT the End, but could it be TEOTWAWKI? The novel coronavirus called COVID-19 is wreaking havoc around the world. Many states of the USA as well as countries in Europe are on lockdown with shelter in place /shelter in residence requirements. In France, a form is required when you are not at your house. In Spain, drones are being used to warn people who are outside to got back to their homes–does that bring up feelings of ‘Big Brother’? Italy, France, and other areas are using police and/or military force to encourage people to stay inside. According to the Bible could this be the end? If not, what has to happen first? Have the second and third of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse started their ride? Could COVID-19 be the fourth horseman? Why or why not? Could we be seeing The End of the World as We Know It (TEOTWAWKI) like the R.E.M.’s 1987 single song discussed? Do Christians need to fear? What did Jesus teach? What did the Psalmist teach? This is a video. Here is a link to a version in the Spanish language: Corona 19 no es el final PERO es el TEOTWAWKI.
COVID-19 Leading to 666? The novel coronavirus of Wuhan, China fame, is now called COVID-19. It has also been called the ‘Coronapocalypse.’ Does COVID-19 have any prophetic ramifications? What did Jesus teach about pestilences and sorrows in the Olivet prophecy in Matthew 24? Could COVID-19 be the ride of the fourth horseman of the Apocalypse? Why was this type of disease expected according to the Old Testament prophecies in Deuteronomy and Leviticus? What has the US Centers for Disease Control warned about? What has the CDC reported about the flu? Were there lessons about fear and infections in the 2011 movie ‘Contagion’? Because of COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO), nation of Iran, and certain French locations are telling people not to use cash, but instead electronic forms of payment. The US Federal Reserve is now quarantining money repatriated from Asia to reduce the potential spread of the coronavirus on US currency bills. Is COVID-19 worse than we have been told or could this all be a ‘false flag’ event to encourage people to move towards a cashless society? If the thousands of deaths associated with COVID-19 are pushing parts of the world towards cashlessness, how much more likely will the ride of the fourth horseman and over a billion human deaths motivate people to move to making electronic payments that can be monitored? The Bible tells of a soon coming society that controls buying and selling to force allegiance to a coming European Beast power, known as 666 (Revelation 13:16-18). Does the ‘great tribulation’ begin before ride of the fourth horseman or with the opening of the fifth seal of Revelation 6? Do the words of Jesus helps us better understand the sequence of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse and the start of the Great Tribulation? Will the ride of the fourth horseman help lead to the rise of 666? Is that ride very close? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more. Here is a link to a version in the Spanish language: El COVID-19 ¿Conduce al 666?
Are Americans & Asians setting themselves up for destruction from antibiotic use? In the Spring of 2015, a study came out highlighting the increasing use of antibiotics fed to livestock in order to decrease production costs. This was mainly affecting livestock in the Americas and Asia, but not in Europe. Excessive antibiotic use increases the risks of ‘super bugs’ and presents health risks to humans and livestock. Could those in the USA, Canada, UK, Russia, China, India, Brazil, and South Africa be setting themselves up for pestilence and/or famine? Could Europe miss some plague because of this? What does the Bible prophesy?
Ten Simple Rules that Lead to Health Herbert Armstrong gives his opinions on this.
Could God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2031 or 2025 or? There is also a video titled: When Does the 6000 Years End? 2031? 2035? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
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? What about modern censoring, censorship, and shadow banning? Here is a link to a related video sermon titled: The Short Work. Here is a link to another: Preparing to Instruct Many.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. It is available in over 1,000 languages at ccog.org. Here are links to four kingdom-related sermons:  The Fantastic Gospel of the Kingdom of God!, The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.

Posted in Other News | Comments Off on Masks and ‘The Great Pandemic Walkback’

America is medicated, drugged, and deceived

Tuesday, May 14th, 2024


(Wikipedia photo)

COGwriter

Those in the USA use a lot of medications:

Medicine Use

  • A total of 6.3 billion prescriptions were dispensed in 2020 with growth slowing to 1.7% after adjusting for the increased use of 90-day prescriptions for chronic therapies.

Medicine Spending and growth drivers

  • U.S. medicine spending increased 0.8% on a net price basis to $359 billion, which reflects an increasing gap between list or invoice prices and manufacturer net revenues.
  • Real net per capita spending – adjusting for net prices, population, and economic growth – declined in 2020 to $1,085 and has increased only $56 since 2010.  • Specialty medicines now account for 53% of spending, up from 27% in 2010 and driven by growth in autoimmune and oncology therapies.   accessed 06/26/22 https://www.iqvia.com/insights/the-iqvia-institute/reports/the-use-of-medicines-in-the-us

If it seems like about half the country is on drugs, that is because it is actually true. According to a new survey from the National Center for Health Statistics, almost half of all Americans have taken a pharmaceutical drug within the past 30 days, and that officially makes us “the most medicated country in the world”. And needless to say, those dealing these drugs are becoming exceedingly wealthy at our expense. The average American spends $1,200 a year on prescription drugs, but of course many Americans spend far more than that and others spend nothing at all. …

Without a doubt, there are some pharmaceutical drugs that greatly help people. In fact, many people wouldn’t be alive today without them.

On the other hand, it has been estimated that Americans spend somewhere around $200 billion a year on drugs that they do not need, and this new survey from the National Center for Health Statistics discovered that 46 percent of all Americans have taken a prescription drug within the last 30 days…

I am sorry, but there is no way that half the country needs to be hooked on drugs.

And for senior citizens that number is much higher. In fact, the survey found that a whopping 85 percent of Americans over the age of 60 are currently on at least one pharmaceutical drug.

For adults under the ago of 60, antidepressants are being taken more than anything else…

For young adults antidepressants are king. According to the most recent numbers, 11.4 percent of 20- to 59-year-olds had taken a drug to help with their mood in the last month when they took the survey.

Could this help to explain why so many people are walking around like zombies these days?

And since nearly all mass shooters have been found to be on some kind of mind-altering drug, perhaps Congress should finally take some action in this area. It can be exceedingly difficult to get off these insidious drugs, and many that get hooked on them end up staying on them for the rest of their lives.

Of course antidepressants are just one part of the problem. For example, opioids are some of the most addictive drugs on the entire planet, and their overuse has destroyed countless lives all across America. 05/08/19 http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/the-most-medicated-country-in-the-world-46-of-americans-have-taken-a-pharmaceutical-drug-within-the-last-30-days

Plus, more and more are accepting the use of marijuana. Many have been deceived about medications and drugs like marijuana.

Before going further, note that there are side effects also from medications. Notice this report:

Diabetes drug may cause infection that destroys genitals, study warns

A certain type of drug used to treat diabetes may help manage the disease, but a new study advises physicians to look for troubling signs of a dangerous flesh-eating infection in patients taking that drug—one that could even kill.

Per USA Today, the study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine examined ties between sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors, used in Type 2 diabetes treatment, and a genital infection called Fournier gangrene, an “extremely rare but life-threatening” disorder, per the Food and Drug Administration, which looked at 55 cases of patients with the infection. https://fox8.com/2019/05/09/diabetes-drug-may-cause-infection-that-destroys-genitals-study-warns/

As far as medications and costs go, notice that an earlier report found that the United States spends more on medications than other developed nations, yet Americans do not live longer:

November 5,, 2015

Americans spend twice that of other developed countries on drugs, but don’t live longer.

An annual report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development compares spending on health care and outcomes for its 34-member nations. Here are some of the findings:

  • The U.S. spends twice the average annually on pharmaceuticals.
  • Health care spending is 16.5 percent of GDP, the highest of all the organization’s nations and 2.5 times more than the average.
  • In 1970, average life expectancy in the United States was a year above the average. Now it is almost two years behind the average, at 78.8 years versus 80.5.
  • Although the growth of U.S. health care spending has slowed, high-priced medicines will continue to drive up costs in coming years.

Two factors drive spending on pharmaceuticals: more Americans than ever take prescription drugs and companies have been hiking prices. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/americans-pay-more-for-drugs-but-dont-live-longer/

November 4, 2015

The United States spends more on health care than any other developed nation.

That’s one finding from a new report, “Health at a Glance 2015,” from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

We’re spending more than twice the amount on health care compared to several other countries including Germany, Canada, and France, where actual health outcomes have been better for years.

In 2013, the report found, we outspent all other OECD countries “by a wide margin,” shelling out roughly $8,713 for each resident.

The average of all OECD countries in the report was $3,453, putting our spending at 2.5 times that amount. http://www.businessinsider.com/oecd-health-report-on-health-expenditure-2015-11

Pharmaceutical drugs, artificial medicines, are not the answer for many health issues. For what its worth, it has been several decades since I personally took any medications (I do take nutritional supplements, which I do not consider to be in the same category).

The results of the report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development brought to mind some scriptures, which I then added to:

11 In vain you will use many medicines; You shall not be cured. (Jeremiah 46:11)

12 And in the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa became diseased in his feet, and his malady was severe; yet in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but the physicians. (2 Chronicles 16:12)

4 But you forgers of lies, You are all worthless physicians. (Job 13:4)

25 Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. (Mark 5:25-26)

The USA is already technically bankrupt, meaning that it cannot pay back its bills so it keeps borrowing more. The cost of prescription drugs, which President George W. Bush signed into law (called the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act) in 2003, and the ‘Affordable Care Act’ (ObamaCare), that Barack Obama signed into law, are both expensive and are adding to the debt burden of the USA (for something else on ObamaCare, see CBS: Obamacare designed to take advantage of the stupidity of USA voters).

There are multiple factors that affect health and for many of those, medications really cannot help.

The USA pushes and promotes GMO ‘foods’ around the world that I have major health concerns about (GMOs and Bible Prophecy). The USA also pushes and promotes a lot of excessively-processed ‘foods’, which now also include GMOs.

For example, grits, which once were made of ground, whole organic corn, are now made with degerminated GMO corn, ‘fortified’ with synthetic (petroleum-derived) vitamins. After corn was ‘degerminated’ thousands of 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.

Breakfast cereals used to be one of the original ‘health foods’ when Dr. Kellogg first introduced Corn Flakes at his clinic in Battle Creek, Michigan. It was basically made of whole organic corn. Now, it seems to be made with GMO corn (its label does not state otherwise, which in the USA means the corn source is almost always genetically-modified) and is ‘fortified’ with synthetic vitamins.

Many other breakfast cereals, especially the ones targeted towards children are made of refined, degerminated grains, synthetic vitamins, a lot of sugar, and artificial colors. Pop-Tarts are made of refined, degerminated grains, synthetic vitamins, fruit, sugar, gelatin (probably biblical unclean; see also The New Testament Church and Unclean Meats), and artificial colors.

As far as sodas go, they are not healthy, often contain GMOs, and most should avoid them, yet the USA is a big consumer of them.

As far as bacon (biblically unclean), biscuits, and gravy go, a study came out showing that the typical Southern diet (which tends to contain those) was unhealthy and increased risk for strokes (see Obesity, processed foods, health risks, and the Bible).

Processed and uncleaned meats are a health risk for many (see Certain American ‘foods’ gross out foreigners, while American hotdogs often have ingredients no one should eat).

Furthermore, the Bible warns about eating things that are not really food:

2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good (Isaiah 55:2).

Refined processed “breads,” refined and artificial sweeteners, chemical additives, and some other items commonly associated with junk foods, and hydrogenated fats would seem to be consistent with that warning.

What should you eat? You should eat real food and be careful about your quantities.

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

People should try to eat real, not artificial, foods. Artificial medications are not the solution.

People should also get enough physical activity and exercise, if appropriate (1 Timothy 4:8).

Fasting can also be helpful.

The USA can spend its way into artificial health. It is currently spending its way into more debt.

Back in 1976, the old Worldwide Church of God published the following:

Psychoactive Drugs

Technically speaking, a drug is any substance (other than food) that by its chemical nature affects the structure or function of a living organism.

Doctors usually refer to a drug in terms of its ability to treat physical and mental diseases. They stress the therapeutic value. But many laymen now focus on the negative connotations of the word. For them, “drug” has become a four-letter word of the worst kind, an epithet, an obscenity. When used in conversation it provokes strong emotional reactions. It’s a good word to start an argument with, or even a fight.

Medicine and Menace

You encounter a lot of this when discussing drugs. They can relieve pain, prevent infection and save lives. That’s good! But they can also destroy bodily tissue, impair healthy bodily metabolism, enslave by addiction and ultimately kill. That’s bad!

The drug problem would be greatly simplified if drugs were not ambivalent, if they were very selective in their effects. If only drug X eased pain, but was not addicting, if only drug Y helped people relax but didn’t adversely affect the brain or the liver.

But drugs don’t work that way. Rather, their effects are varied and often ambivalent — they have the potential to simultaneously hurt or harm, depending on a number of variables. Because any drug can play both the role of medicine or health menace, any description of its effects is bound to sound like a “that’s-good, that’s-bad” routine.

Morphine presents a good example of a “that’s-good, that’s — bad” story. It came into widespread use as a pain-killer during the American Civil War (1861-65). So effective was it as an analgesic for wounds and amputations that physicians sometimes referred to it as “G.O.M.” — “God’s own medicine.”

That’s good!

But in time morphine was found to be addicting — prolonged use followed by abstinence led to agonizing withdrawal symptoms. “God’s own medicine” turned out to be “the Devil’s own misery.” Hundreds, if not thousands (accurate statistics are hard to come by), of war veterans inadvertently became drug addicts.

That’s bad!

But that’s the nature of opiates. And it illustrates a fundamental principle of pharmacology: any drug can be dangerous depending on the dosage, the duration of use, its purity and many other factors. No drug is completely “safe.”

Recognizing this, the Federal government under the Controlled Substances Act regulates drugs according to their potential for abuse. The drugs are listed in five schedules in descending order of proven abuse potential and current medical usage.

Schedule I lists drugs deemed to have great abuse potential and no legitimate medical use. The score or so drugs on this list include heroin, LSD, mescaline, psilocybin and marijuana.

Schedule II lists drugs with great abuse potential that have legitimate medical uses. Drugs in this list can come under production quotas, and telephone and refillable prescriptions are prohibited. The psychoactive drugs listed here include the opiates such as morphine and synthetic opiates such as methadone and Demeral, certain barbiturates of the short-acting type, methaqualone and amphetamines. Altogether over 1300 drug preparations are listed!

Schedules III, IV and V list drugs with correspondingly less proven abuse potential. The widely used tranquilizers Librium and Valium are in Schedule IV — a classification the manufacturers have protested. Altogether over 3600 drug preparations are covered by these three schedules.

The list is not static. On the basis of new evidence and accumulated experience, drugs are often being added to the list. And drugs already listed are sometimes moved to higher schedules, indicating greater proven abuse potential.

The dual nature of drugs guarantees that the debate over their benefits versus hazards will continue for some time. (Graunke DP. The Dilemma of Drugs. Worldwide Church of God, 1976)

Since that came out in 1976, the opioid crisis has worsened.

Notice also the following:

The term “big pharma” is really making its rounds as more and more people become aware of the fact that the major corporations that manufacture the majority of our “medicine” are actually criminals. The latest example comes from a recent case where a federal jury found multiple top executives of Insys-Therapeutics, a well-known pharmaceutical company that sold a fentanyl-based painkiller (opioids), guilty of racketeering charges and contributing to America’s current opioid epidemic.

According to the New York Times:

The verdict against Insys executives is a sign of the accelerating effort to hold pharmaceutical and drug distribution companies and their executives and owners accountable in ways commensurate with the devastation wrought by the prescription opioid crisis. More than 200,000 people have overdosed on such drugs in the past two decades. Federal authorities last month for the first time filed felony drug trafficking charges against a major pharmaceutical distributor, Rochester Drug Cooperative, and two former executives, accusing them of shipping tens of millions of oxycodone pills and fentanyl products to pharmacies that were distributing drugs illegally. …

The U.S. Department of Justice document reads:

Several pharmaceutical executives and managers, formerly employed by Insys Therapeutics, Inc., were arrested today on charges that they led a nationwide conspiracy to bribe medical practitioners to unnecessarily prescribe a fentanyl-based pain medication and defraud healthcare insurers.

Pretty wild, isn’t it?

This is great, but how deep does the deception go? How much power do these corporations and their executives hold? Below is a great quote from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that explains the issue quite well:

The pharmaceutical companies have been able to purchase congress. They’re the largest lobbying entity in Washington D.C.. They have more lobbyists in Washington D.C. than there are congressman and senators combined. They give twice to congress what the next largest lobbying entity is, which is oil and gas… Imagine the power they exercise over both republicans and democrats. They’ve captured them (our regulatory agencies) and turned them into sock puppets. They’ve compromised the press… and they destroy the publications that publish real science. (source)

We don’t really live in a democracy, we are living in a ‘corporatocracy.’ There are many products manufactured by pharmaceutical companies that are highly questionable in light of evidence like the example above. Take, for example, when pharmaceutical companies were not disclosing all information regarding the results of their drug trials. Researchers looked at documents from 70 different double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI) and found that the full extent of serious harm in clinical study reports went undocumented. (source)

Another great example comes from documents showing that pharmaceutical companies are deliberately concealing information for the sole purpose of getting us to comply with an “official” vaccination schedule. https://www.collective-evolution.com/2019/05/09/big-pharma-exec-pushing-opioids-found-guilty-of-racketeering/

Yes, many in the pharmaceutical industry are drug pushers. And yes, money influences a lot of “medical” decisions.

As far as opioids go, the reality is that many people have physical and spiritual pain and they reach out to drugs for relief. This tends to be addictive.

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


13:19

Since 1997, over 700,000 Americans have died related to opioids. What are opioids? What does the National Institute on Drug Abuse teach about them? Why do people use them? Are they effective? Can they be addictive when medically-prescribed? Does the UK have a problem with opioids? Did Great Britain force China to accept opioids in the 19th century? Has pharmaceutical greed been a factor in the opioid crisis? What is the dilemma of drugs? Is switching to non-opioid substances like marijuana the answer? Does the Bible provide insights related to mind altering substances? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more. A written article of related interest is available titled “Opioid Crisis Leaves 700,000 Americans Dead.”

Here is a link to the sermonette video: Opioid Crisis.

While the USA is facing an opioid epidemic that it is hoping to fight, it is in the process of increasing its marijuana epidemic, which more and more US states are encouraging.

18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18)

21 For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty (Proverbs 23:21)

Notice something the Apostle Paul was inspired to write:

19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

As God inspired Jeremiah to write:

11 In vain you will use many medicines; You shall not be cured. (Jeremiah 46:11)

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

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.
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God differs from Protestantism How the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants, is perhaps the question I am asked most by those without a Church of God background. As far as some changes affecting Protestantism, watch the video Charismatic Kenneth Copeland and Anglican Tony Palmer: Protestants Beware! [Português: Esperança do salvação: Como a igreja do deus difere da maioria de protestantes]. Several related sermon 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?; and How Does the Church of God Differ from Protestantism? These sermons also cover materials not in the book.
Should Christians Smoke Tobacco or Marijuana? Is smoking a sin? What does the Bible teach? What have COG leaders written? Can smokers change? What about marijuana? Here is a link to a related video: Should You Smoke? Would You Like Help to Quit?
Marijuana: Should a Christian Get High? There is increasing acceptance of the use of marijuana. How should Christians view this? Here is a related video titled How Should a Christian View Marijuana?
Alcohol: Blessing or Curse? This is an article from the old Good News magazine that attempts to answer this question.
Binge Drinking, Health, and the Bible Many college students and others overindulge in alcohol. Are there health risks? What does the Bible teach? A related video is also available: Binge Drinking and the Bible.
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)?
Importance of Fasting An old article by Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject. Here is a link to it in Mandarin Chinese 禁食的重要性.
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.
Living as a Christian: How and Why? In what ways do Christians live differently than others. What about praying, fasting, tithing, holy days, and the world? There are also two YouTube video related to this: Living as a Christian: How and Why? and Living as a Christian: Pure Milk of the Word. The Day of Atonement–Its Christian Significance The Jews call it Yom Kippur, Christians “The Day of Atonement.” Does it have any relevance for Christians today? What is the Jubilee? Is fasting healthy? Here is a link to a sermon: Day of Atonement: How Jesus fulfilled His part for the Atonement. Here is a link to a related article in the Spanish language: El Día de Expiación –Su significado cristiano.
Building Character: Going on to Perfection Once you have accepted Jesus, do you need to strive for perfection and build character? A related video sermon is available: Going on to perfection and building character.
What is the Meaning of Life? Who does God say is happy? What is your ultimate destiny? Do you really know? Does God actually have a plan for YOU personally? If you would like to watch videos covering subjects of this article, you can click on the following links: Why YOU? Why Do YOU Suffer? and What is the meaning of your life?
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.
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? A related video would be Eating Right, Eating Too Much, and Prophecy.
Ten Simple Rules that Lead to Health Herbert Armstrong gives his opinions on this.
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?
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?
The New Testament Church, History, and Unclean Meats Are foods considered to have been unclean in the Old Testament considered to be food in the New Testament? This article discusses this from the perspective of the New Testament. It also has a list of clean and unclean animals. It also answers the question, is pork healthy or is pork dangerous? There is also a sermon-length video on this: Christians and Unclean Meats; a short video is also available: Did Jesus declare all animal flesh food?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be: Are Chinese threats against Australia for real?
Will the Anglo-Saxon-Celtic Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism?
Australia and New Zealand in Prophecy Do biblical prophecies help explain the wealth blessings for Australia and New Zealand? Might cursings from disobedience come in the 21st century?
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.
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2029 or 20xx? There is also a video titled 6000 Years: When will God’s Kingdom Come? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
The Times of the Gentiles Has there been more than one time of the Gentiles? Are we in it now or in the time of Anglo-America? What will the final time of the Gentiles be like? A related sermon is available and is titled: The Times of the Gentiles.
Armageddon Who is involved and when will this gathering happen? Here is also a video from Dr. Thiel, from Tel Megiddo in Israel: Armageddon. Other videos include: Armageddon Will it come on Trump’s watch?, Iraq, Armageddon, & Prophecy, Freemasonry, Armageddon, and Rome, Is China paving roads to Armageddon?, and Jordan, Petra, and Armageddon.

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Domestic violence: A ‘national crisis’ in Australia and elsewhere

Monday, April 29th, 2024

(Pixabay photo)

COGwriter

Domestic violence in Australia is in the news:

Australian prime minister describes domestic violence as a ‘national crisis’

April 29, 2022

CANBERRA, Australia — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Monday described domestic violence as a “national crisis” after thousands rallied around the country against violence toward women.

Thousands protested in cities around Australia on Sunday to draw attention to the deaths of 27 women so far this year allegedly caused by acts of gender-based violence in a population of 27 million.

Albanese said Monday that the rallies were a call to action for all levels of the Australian government to do more to prevent gender-based violence.

“Quite clearly, we need to do more. It’s not enough to just have empathy,” Albanese told Nine Network television.

“The fact that … a woman dies every four days on average at the hand of a partner is just a national crisis,” he added.

Albanese said there needed to be more focus on perpetrators and prevention of violence. “We need to change the culture, we need to change attitudes — we need to change the legal system,” he told the rally. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/australian-prime-minister-describes-domestic-violence-national-crisis-rcna149735

Yes, attitudes and culture need to be changed.

But so does morality and religion.

The problem is not limited to Australia. The United Nations has the following on its website:

What Is Domestic Abuse?

Domestic abuse, also called “domestic violence” or “intimate partner violence”, can be defined as a pattern of behavior in any relationship that is used to gain or maintain power and control over an intimate partner. Abuse is physical, sexual, emotional, economic or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviors that frighten, intimidate, terrorize, manipulate, hurt, humiliate, blame, injure, or wound someone. Domestic abuse can happen to anyone of any race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender. It can occur within a range of relationships including couples who are married, living together or dating. Domestic violence affects people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and education levels.

Anyone can be a victim of domestic violence, regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, faith or class

Victims of domestic abuse may also include a child or other relative, or any other household member. …

For Concerned Staff – How Can You Help?

How you can help victims of domestic abuse?

  • Listen and believe the abused person to let them know they are not alone.
  • Encourage her/him seek support through a confidential hotline to connect with a professional in the field.
  • Express concern for him/her, show support, and offer referrals to available resources.
  • If you have not been directly approached but have reason to believe that a colleague may be in an abusive relationship, consult with your Organization’s Counselling or Ombudsman’s Office >

Note: Keep in mind that a survivor often makes several attempts to leave the abusive relationship before succeeding.

For Abusive Partner – Are You An Abuser?

The old Worldwide Church of God put out the following:

The problem of battered women and children must be understood, dealt with and solved.

THERE are some subjects so gruesome that humans don’t want to hear about them.

Yet in our world of increasing violence, these problems must be faced.

The rising tide of domestic violence, which includes wife beating, child beating and even beating of aging parents, has forced the public to become aware of what, in the past, has been a behind-closed-doors, secret sin.

No Longer Secret

This once-hidden sin is still extremely difficult to discuss publicly. But discuss it we must.

While this article was being prepared for the press, I noticed a Los Angeles, California, television station had announced a weeklong segment of their evening news would be devoted to the problem of battered women. I tuned in.

The reporter who had worked on the project began the broadcast something like this: “When our program planners suggested a segment on battered women, no one wanted the task of investigating this horrible social problem. We all knew we would find shocking stories, fear, isolation, tears and pain. But we also knew it was our journalistic responsibility to make the public aware of the severity of this problem.”

I knew how that reporter felt. It is far easier to turn to something much more pleasant to write. But once one focuses on the tragedy of family abuse, no one can shake it from the mind. And by reporting it, we hope that maybe, just maybe, someone will be helped. That some of the abused can escape their plight. We even hope that those who are doing the abusing will somehow see the need to change.

Worldwide in Scope

Our regional office managers around the world investigated this problem in their areas. The truth confirmed our suspicions — it is indeed a shocking worldwide problem. From Europe, Australia, South America, Africa — it mattered not where — attention has been awakened to the problem of battered women and other tragic family abuses.

Our West German office sent in translation this official report from the Federal Ministry for Youth, Family’ and Health:

“From the beginning of the project [a center for abused women and children in Berlin], approximately 2,500 women, and just as many children, came to the abuse center for protection and help in a seemingly hopeless situation. The center was constantly overcrowded — something that almost all abuse homes for women experience shortly after their establishment….

“The experience of the women’s homes showed violence against women occurs in all social classes, educational and professional groups.”

From one of our offices in Africa comes this published summary: “African women have learned a painful lesson about the liberation of their continent from colonial domination. They’re still in bondage — to their menfolk. And the continent’s men, traditionally absolute masters over their wives, want to keep it that way.”

That report continued, “Men are up in arms over suggestions … that husbands should be taken to court if they beat their wives.”

One postal clerk in Zimbabwe responded to a survey on wife beating, “You cannot talk sense to a woman who nags or is lazy. You must take a stick to her back. That is the custom and all the family agrees.”

On August 21, 1983, the Los Angeles Times reported the results of a Gallup poll taken in South Korea. In answer to the question, “Have you ever beaten your wife?” more than 61 percent of the South Korean men who were asked said yes. Fewer than I percent refused to reply to the question. …

Then What Is the Answer?

While there are no easy answers to complex questions, there are answers. We can tell you, from the pages of the Bible, how a husband should treat his wife and his children. This problem spans all ethnic, national and socioeconomic boundaries. So the solution must span all these as well. It boils down to whether or not an individual who is abusing his wife or children is willing to apply the way of life that leads to happiness.

Safe houses, shelters for battered women, homes for abused children are only a small part of the answer. They are noble causes that help as many as they can.
But unfortunately such shelters cannot solve the cause of the problem. Such methods are the best human means so far devised to treat the result. In the end, only those who are committing the sin can stop it, and perhaps put together again a family imbued with love for wife and children.

Dr. James Dobson put it as well as I have ever seen it put. While he was not specifically dealing with the problem of family abuse in his book Straight Talk to Men and Their Wives, he said, “If America [or any other nation] is going to survive the incredible stresses and dangers it now faces, it will be because husbands and fathers again place their families at the highest level on their system of priorities!”
Nothing could be more applicable to the subject of battered women and children.

The first and most important step in treating the cause of family abuse is for men who have become husbands and fathers to realize the awesome importance of their responsibilities. Loving, providing for and protecting a wife is infinitely more important than rising to fame and fortune in the business world. Spending time with, teaching and loving children makes any other accomplishments in this life pale into insignificance.

The apostle Paul must have looked into our time today when he described the society of the last days: “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, ABUSIVE, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (II Tim. 3:2-4).

If that doesn’t describe this last half of the 20th century A.D., then I don’t know what does.

That same apostle gave vivid, explicit and loving instructions on building the proper marital relationships.

Here’s what he wrote in Ephesians 5:25-29: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy… and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church.”

What a world it would be if just those verses were applied in marriage!

If just one husband who has abused a wife reads this article and sets his will to change, it will well be worth the time and effort.

There is simply no excuse at any time and for any reason for a man to hit, kick, bruise and batter his wife — or any woman or child.

Peter admonished husbands: “In the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker [physically] partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers” (I Pet. 3:7).

When God created mankind in his own image he made Adam, the man, first. But Adam was not complete — he was only half there. God permitted him to experience, for a few hours, what it was like to be alone. In all the animal kingdom there was not a suitable companion for Adam.

So God caused a deep sleep to fall upon him and made the first woman, Eve, from his own bone and flesh. Together they could love, share, reproduce. Apart from each other they were unable to accomplish any of these.

Woman was not made a subspecies. A lesser creature. A property to be dragged about by a hank of hair.

In all human history there has not been a society, ancient or modern, that has fully understood the plain truth. Satan has deceived them all.

With God’s help though, you can understand.

Husbands and wives should never abuse one another, their children or their parents. Their intentions and desire should be one of constant love — growing love — and the establishment and maintenance of a strong family headed by a loving husband and father who guides his responsive family.

Then and only then will there be no secret sins of battered wives and children cowering for fear behind closed doors.

When God’s ways are practiced, family dignity and love abound. It’s the only way that will ever work. (Kelly R. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE The Secret Sin. Plain Truth, April 1984)

Obeying the following scriptures would solve all spousal violence:

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Ephesians 5:25-33)

Sadly, there is less proper fear of God in many places and this leads people to harm others:

13 “Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit”; “The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways;
17 And the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3:13-18)

The Bible shows that God is against violence and that destruction will come because of it:

23 ‘Make a chain,
For the land is filled with crimes of blood,
And the city is full of violence.
24 Therefore I will bring the worst of the Gentiles,
And they will possess their houses;
I will cause the pomp of the strong to cease,
And their holy places shall be defiled. (Ezekiel 7:23-24)

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality…30…violent, proud, boasters,…31…unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. (Romans 1:28-32)

8 … And the violence of the land and the city, And of all who dwell in it. ( Habakkuk 2:8)

Consider also the following prophecy for the last days:

1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, (2 Timothy 3:1-4).

We are in “the last days.” We are in what Jesus referred to in Matthew 24:4-8 as the “beginning of sorrows.” Sadly, many are brutal and unloving.

But, ultimately, there will be good news. Jesus will return and the millennial Kingdom of God will be established, and such violence will be stopped.

Pray for that Kingdom to come (Matthew 6:10).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Husbands Love Your Wives An article written by the late Selmer Hegvold.
Crime can be stopped…here’s how! This was a booklet that was edited with some updates by Dr. Thiel. Here is a link to a related sermon: Crime and How it Will be Stopped!
Why Terrorism? Is Terrorism Prophesied? What does the Bible teach? Which nations may be affected? Here is a link to a related sermon: Terrorism, Christianity, and Islam.
The Ten Commandments Reflect Love, Breaking them is Evil Some feel that the ten commandments are a burden. Is that what Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John taught? For a more detailed discussion of the first four commandments, please see the video The Ten Commandments: Loving God. For a more detailed discussion of the last six commandments, please see: The Ten Commandments: Loving Your Neighbor. Here is a link to a related article in Mandarin Chinese 十条诫命显示爱，违反诫命的就是邪恶的
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.

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109th anniversary of the Armenia genocide

Wednesday, April 24th, 2024


Murdered Armenians 1915

COGwriter

April 24th marks the 109th anniversary of the date traditionally believed to have been the start of the Armenian genocide in 1915:

April 24, … is Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, marked annually to commemorate the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians a century ago, a mega-crime the nation of Turkey has never acknowledged. 04/23/21 https://www.wnd.com/2015/04/the-armenian-genocide-and-my-grandmothers-secret/

The US Congress has discussed it in the past and voted for it to be declared genocide by the Biden-Harris Administration:

April 24, 2021

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has formally recognized that the systematic killings and deportations of hundreds of thousands of Armenians by Ottoman Empire forces in the early 20th century were “genocide” — using a term for the atrocities that his White House predecessors have avoided for decades over concerns of alienating Turkey.

With the acknowledgement, Biden followed through on a campaign promise he made a year ago Saturday — the annual commemoration of Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day — to recognize that the events of 1915 to 1923 were a deliberate effort to wipe out Armenians.

Biden used a presidential proclamation to make the pronouncement. While previous presidents have offered somber reflections of the dark moment in history via remembrance day proclamations, they have studiously avoided using the term genocide out of concern that it would complicate relations with Turkey — a NATO ally and important power in the Middle East. https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-turkey-government-and-politics-middle-east-europe-dbe6bc9ddac90c1393e6c33ff2220781

This has pleased Armenians around the world.

Notice a Russian report related to the Armenian genocide:

YEREVAN, April 22. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited earlier on Friday the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide memorial complex.

He examined the museum exposition, left a note in the book for official delegations and then laid a wreath at the eternal flame. “Thank you for preserving this memory so that the Armenian people’s tragedy is never forgotten,” the minister’s note says. http://tass.ru/en/politics/871829

Germany released a statement about it before:

April 24, 2015

YEREVAN — Armenia marked the centenary Friday of a mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as Germany became the latest country to recognize it as a genocide.

Turkey denies that the killing of up to 1.5 million Armenians in what is now Turkey in 1915 constitutes genocide, and relations with Armenia are still blighted by the dispute.

Germany’s parliament approved a resolution Friday branding the killings a “genocide,” risking a diplomatic rupture with Ankara in a significant change of stance for Turkey’s biggest trade European Union trade partner.

The European Parliament refers to the killings as genocide, as did Pope Francis this month. The U.S. has refrained from doing so. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan as recently as Thursday refuted the description of the killings as genocide. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/armenian-genocide-100th-anniversary-germany-becomes-latest-use-term-n347641

Here is some information about what happened over a century ago:

The Armenian Genocide (Armenian: Հայոց Ցեղասպանություն Hayots Tseghaspanutyun), also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, traditionally by Armenians, as Medz Yeghern (Armenian: Մեծ Եղեռն, “Great Crime”), was the Ottoman government’s systematic extermination of its minority Armenian subjects from their historic homeland within the territory constituting the present-day Republic of Turkey. The total number of people killed as a result has been estimated at between 1 and 1.5 million. The starting date is conventionally held to be 24 April 1915, the day Ottoman authorities rounded up and arrested some 250 Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in Constantinople. The genocide was carried out during and after World War I and implemented in two phases: the wholesale killing of the able-bodied male population through massacre and subjection of army conscripts to forced labour, followed by the deportation of women, children, the elderly and infirm on death marches leading to the Syrian desert. Driven forward by military escorts, the deportees were deprived of food and water and subjected to periodic robbery, rape, and massacre. (Armenian Genocide, Wikipedia, accessed 04/12/15)

The government of Turkey has tended to deny it was genocide, instead saying that most were killed in WWI and civil wars during that time. The Armenians strongly disagree.

Armenians still face issues. A while back, a COG member sent me the following:

My mom’s side relatives have lived in Aleppo, Syria all their lives, which has had a large thriving Eastern Orthodox Christian Armenian community for nearly a century. A number of them have left during the recent turmoil if they were able. An article in a recent daily news update on cogwriter referred to Christian persecution there. Well, the rebel groups are the ones bombing churches and persecuting those who refer to themselves as Christians (including Armenians). Two of my relatives were kidnapped by rebel forces (now released by ransom money). My relatives are upset at the so-called Arab Spring. It has destroyed the peace, the economy and their way of life, which they were happy with. The more secular Arab leaders like Assad have treated professing Christians very well for decades (though they may be harsh in other ways). The Armenians had no trouble with their religion, churches, schools, cultural activities, and speaking the language. They were highly regarded in the community. Now the rebels want to overthrow the regime and have a fanatical Moslem government, and, like you say, eventually try to establish a caliphate across the Middle East. They persecute any group calling itself Christian and are causing the disintegration of the Orthodox Christian communities.

The situation in Syria has been horrible, but hopefully since ISIS lost its territories, it may be improving. I have been praying for those affected in Syria for some time and again ask others to also do so.

While the Continuing Church of God does not consider that the modern Armenian Orthodox are part of the Church of God, there are certain doctrinal similarities (as well as important doctrinal differences, see Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Continuing Church of God).

The records of history demonstrate that as early as the first century A.D. there were Church of God Christians in Armenia. The Armenian Orthodox have claimed:

Christianity was preached in Armenia as early as the second half of the first century by the two disciples of Jesus Christ, namely, St. Thaddeus (John 14:22-24) and St. Bartholomew (John 1:43-51). During the first three centuries Christianity in Armenia was a hidden religion under heavy persecution.

The true Church of God has long endured persecution and I do believe that there were true Christians in Armenia for quite some time, though not really the way many Armenians understand it.

Around the time of Constantine it was known that there were binitarian Paulicians in Armenia who also kept the seventh-day Sabbath. Tamar Davis reported:

Eustathius was succeeded by Erius, a priest, and semi-Arian…Erius…condemned multiple marriages by the priests … Erius also condemned fasts, stated feasts, prayers for the dead, and the celebration of Easter; he urged a purer morality and a stricter observance of the Sabbath. He had many followers, whose numbers were augmented by one of Paul of Samosota, from whom they were called Paulicians. Notwithstanding the opposition of the prelates, who invoked the secular arm to prevent the defection of their spiritual subjects, the tenets of this sect struck deep root in Armenia and many of its eastern provinces, and finally the great body of Christians in the former country, withdrew from the Episcopal communion, and publicly espoused the sentiments of the Paulicians … The bishops of Syria, Pontus, and Cappadocia, complained of the defection of their spiritual flocks … induced the Grecian emperors to commence, and continue for nearly two centuries, the most terrible persecutions against the Paulicians.

Armenian scholar Nina Garsoian in The Paulician Heresy, wrote: “It would, then, appear that the Paulicians are to be taken as the survival of the earlier form of Christianity in Armenia” (p. 227). She also wrote that the Paulicians were “accused of being worse than other sects because of adding Judaism” (p. 213).

The Catholic Encyclopedia calls the Paulicians heretics because they were basically against idolatry and Catholic ritualism:

The Paulicians, as part of their heresy held … that all external religious forms, sacraments, rites, especially material pictures and relics, should be abolished. To honour the Cross was especially reprehensible.

Furthermore, note this historical writing about the Paulicians in Armenia:

From the earliest ages they have devoutly hated the error and idolatry of the Greeks. Like the primitive Christians, they have ever exhibited an unconquerable repugnance to the use or abuse of images, which, in the eighth and ninth centuries spread like a leprosy…and supplanted all traces of genuine piety in the visible church …

The Greco-Roman Catholic saint and doctor Jerome said that various of the Nazarene Christians were in Armenia in the fourth and fifth centuries (see Nazarene Christianity: Were the Original Christians Nazarenes?). Some of the Paulicians and many of the Nazarene Christians were part of the Church of God. See also: Beliefs of the Original Catholic Church.

In the eighth and ninth centuries, many of the Armenian Paulicians were forcibly resettled in the Balkans by Byzantine emperors. After being relocated to the Balkans, the Paulicians came to be called Bogomils.

The Eastern Orthodox also oppressed the Bogomils. Notice this odd admission from an Orthodox scholar (bolding mine):

The Orthodox, as have all religions, berated other confessions and denominations. But Orthodoxy was always benign – no “jihad”, no bloodshed, no forced conversions and no mass expulsions – perhaps with the exception of the forcible treatment of the Bogomils. It was all about power and money, of course. Bishops and archbishops did not hesitate to co-opt the Ottoman administration against their adversaries…

Notice that the Orthodox claim to have not caused bloodshed, forced conversions, or mass expulsions of any group, except what they did to the Bogomils. It is not completely clear how they treated others, but obviously, they felt mistreating people that were associated with the original Church of God was acceptable. Of course, some of the Orthodox began their persecutions much prior to the Bogomils with the early Paulicians (not just the Samosatans), various (like 4th century) Sabbath-keepers, and the Quartodecimans.

This type of persecution is consistent with what happened to true Christians in the Pergamos and Thyatira eras of the true Church of God.

The historian, Fred C. Conybeare observed this about the Armenians affiliated with the Paulicians:

They are accused by their Armenian opponents of setting at naught all the feasts and fasts of the Church, especially Sunday…The Sabbath was perhaps kept… they were probably the remnant of an old Judaeo-Christian Church, which had spread up through Edessa into Siuniq and Albania…We know that the Pauliani continued to keep Passover on the fourteenth of Nisan…Of the modern Christmas and of the Annunciation, and of the other feasts connected with the life of Jesus prior to his thirtieth year, this phase of the church knew nothing. The general impression which the study of it leaves on us is that in it we have before us a form of Church not very remote from the primitive Jewish Christianity of Palestine.

The following is from the Catholic Priest Basil Sarkisean’s work Manichaean Paulician Heresy and is from a 987 A.D. letter written by Gregory of Narek against the Paulicians (Note that I have left out additions by the editor/translator F. Conybeare):

Then among the observances which we know to have been repudiated by them as neither apostolic or divine the mysterious prayers of genuflexion…

The Font is denied by them…

the communion of immortality…is denied…

We know that they deny the adored sign, which God, made man, raised and carried on his shoulders.

Harvard scholar H. Brown wrote:

The Bogomils…Its doctrine of God is highly dualistic…There is no True Trinity

One of their so-called “dualistic” teachings was that this is Satan’s world. One scholar noted that an:

… important idea of Bogomils and Cathars, i.e. that this world is the kingdom of the devil.

Perhaps it should be noted that groups like the faithful in the Church of God also believe that this is Satan’s world (cf. Matthew 4:8; Luke 4:5; 2 Corinthians 4:4). This will change, however, when Christ returns (Revelation 11:15). This being Satan’s world is part of the reason that the Bible warns us to not love this present world (1 John 2:15-17).

Another reason that their teachings are called dualistic is probably because, as non-trinitarians (see also Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity?), they would have most likely been binitarian (see also Binitarian View: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning).

Notice this from The Catholic Encyclopedia:

The heresy of the Bogomili was started in the tenth century…followers called themselves Christians and considered their faith the only true one. In Bosnia they were named Paterines. The Paterines, or Bogomili…forbade intercourse with those of other faiths, disbelieved in war.

The true Church of God remains opposed to Christians participating in carnal warfare (see Military Service and the Churches of God: Do Real Christians Participate in Carnal Warfare or Encourage Violence?).

It is of historical interest to note the following doctrinal admissions in the article on the Paulicians in The Catholic Encyclopedia (bolding mine):

They honoured not the Cross, but only the book of the Gospel. They were Iconoclasts, rejecting all pictures…

The whole ecclesiastical hierarchy is bad, as also all Sacraments and ritual. They had a special aversion to monks…

Since Gibbon the Paulicians have often been described as a survival of early and pure Christianity, godly folk who clung to the Gospel, rejecting later superstitions, who were grossly calumniated by their opponents…

In Armenia the sect continued in the “Thonraketzi” founded by a certain Smbat in the ninth century. Conybeare attributes to this Smbat a work, “The Key of Truth”, which he has edited. It accepts the Old Testament and the Sacraments of Baptism. Penance, and the Eucharist. This work especially has persuaded many writers that the Paulicians were much maligned people. But in any case it represents a very late stage of their history, and it is disputed whether it is really Paulician at all.

The following is apparently from the work History of Armenia by Chamich and is from a 1054-1058 A.D. letter written by Gregory Magistros against the Manichaean (Note that I have left out additions by the editor/translator F. Conybeare):

… they represent our worship of God as worship of idol. As if we, who honour the sign of the cross and the holy pictures, were still engaged in worshiping devils.

Those who opposed idols and icons (see What Did the Early Church Teach About Idols and Icons?) were often persecuted (see Persecutions by Church and State).

Interestingly, The Catholic Encyclopedia article also admits:

The emperor Alexius Comnenus is credited with having put an end to the heresy. During a residence at Philippopolis, he argued with them and converted all, or nearly all, back to the Church (so his daughter: “Alexias”, XV, 9). From this time the Paulicians practically disappear from history. But they left traces of their heresy. In Bulgaria the Bogomile sect, which lasted through the Middle Ages and spread to the West in the form of Cathari, Albigensians, and other Manichaean heresies, is a continuation of Paulicianism. In Armenia, too, similar sects, derived from them, continue till our own time.

Notice that even some Roman Catholic scholars know that it is possible that some called Paulicians were the survivors of an early and pure Christianity and that they had spiritual descendants that continued into the future (Alexius Comnenus died in A.D. 1118 and essentially dealt with the Paulicians at Philippopolis in the late eleventh century), such as those within the Thyatira era, and well into modern times! This, combined with Gibbon’s account, is supportive of the view that a laying on of hands continued from the beginning, through the late eleventh century and beyond. The Cathari were also known to be pacifists, as were the faithful among the Paulicians. Of course, there were many called by those names that were not faithful. But completely faithful or not, they were often persecuted.

There has long been a history of persecution against those who hold Church of God teachings. And the Armenians, including those that no longer hold Church of God teachings, have also been persecuted. The persecution and atrocious massacre by the Turks about a century ago is still an important issue for Armenians. The persecution of Armenians in Syria and elsewhere in the 21st century is atrocious as well.

Between civil war, chemical weapons, murders, deaths, and war crimes, it is terrible what the people in Syria, Armenian or not, have had to endure. They, along with all of us, need to pray “Thy kingdom come” (Matthew 6:10, KJV).

Some prophetic information related to Armenia is in the article: The Eurasian Union, the Kings of the East, and Bible Prophecy.

Items of possibly related interest may include:

Persecutions by Church and State This article documents some that have occurred against those associated with the COGs and some prophesied to occur. Will those with the cross be the persecutors or the persecuted–this article has the shocking answer. There is also a YouTube video sermon you can watch: The Coming Persecution of the Church. Here is information in the Spanish language: Persecuciones de la Iglesia y el Estado.
The Spanish Inquisition and Early Protestant Persecutions Was the Church of Rome really responsible for this? What happened? A video of related interest is titled: The Past and Future Inquisition.
Ten Steps to Rid Yourself of Fear This is a vastly expanded version of a shorter article by the late Dr. Herman Hoeh on getting past fear. Here is a link to a related sermon: Ten Plus Steps to Rid Yourself of Fear.
The Eurasian Union, the Kings of the East, and Bible Prophecy Is there a Eurasian union that will be formed? Is one being formed right now? Are any leaders working on that in the 21st century? Does the Bible teach that there will be a Eurasian union? If some type of Eurasian union is formed, who might it benefit and who will it destroy? A related video would be Is The Eurasian Union Rising?
Turkey in Prophecy Do you know the Turkish people descended from? Did the Ottoman Empire possibly fulfill a promise in Genesis? Will Turkey support the European King of the North or Arabic King of the South? Will it betray one of them? Will Turkey be involved in the encouraging the destruction of Israel? Is Turkey going to become Catholic? Is Turkey mentioned in Psalm 83, Daniel 11, and elsewhere in the Bible? A related video is also available: What Should You Know About Turkey in Prophecy.
Nazarene Christianity: Were the Original Christians Nazarenes? Who were the Nazarene Christians? What did they believe? Should 21st century Christians be modern Nazarenes? Is there a group that exists now that traces its history through the Nazarenes and holds the same beliefs today? Here is a link to a related video sermon Nazarene Christians: Were the early Christians “Nazarenes”?
The Pergamos Church Era was predominant circa 450 A.D. to circa 1050 A.D. An especially persecuted Church.
The Thyatira Church Era was predominant circa 1050 A.D. to circa 1600 A.D. The Church during the Inquisition.
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Continuing Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are?
Military Service and the Churches of God: Do Real Christians Participate in Carnal Warfare or Encourage Violence? Here are current and historical perspectives on a matter which show the beliefs of the true church on military participation. Is war proper for Christians? A related sermon would be: Christians, Violence, and Military Service.
What Did the Early Church Teach About Idols and Icons? Did Catholic and Orthodox “saints” endorse or condemn idols and icons for Christians?
Binitarian View: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning Is binitarianism the correct position? What about unitarianism or trinitarianism?
Is The Father God? What is the view of the Bible? What was the view of the early church?
Jesus: The Son of God and Saviour Who was Jesus? Why did He come to earth? What message did He bring? Is there evidence outside the Bible that He existed? Here is a YouTube sermon titled Jesus: Son of God and Saviour.
Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity? Most act like this is so, but is it? Here is an old, by somewhat related, article in the Spanish language LA DOCTRINA DE LA TRINIDAD.
Was Unitarianism the Teaching of the Bible or Early Church? Many, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, claim it was, but was it?
Binitarianism: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning This is a shorter article than the Binitarian View article, but has a little more information on binitarianism.
Is the Future King of the South Rising Up? Some no longer believe there needs to be a future King of the South. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? Might this King be called the Mahdi or Caliph? What does the Bible say? A YouTube video of related interest may be: The Future King of the South is Rising.
Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future What does the Bible say about Jerusalem and its future? Is Jerusalem going to be divided and eliminated? Is Jesus returning to the area of Jerusalem? There are also two related YouTube videos you can watch: Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated and God’s and Satan’s Plan for Jerusalem.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be: Are Chinese threats against Australia for real?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2031 or 20xx? There is also a video titled 6000 Years: When will God’s Kingdom Come? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2023, 2024, or 2025? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede la Gran Tribulación comenzar en el 2020 o 2021? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? A related video is: Great Tribulation: 2026 or 2027? A shorter video is: Can the Great Tribulation start in 2022 or 2023? Notice also: Can Jesus return in 2023 or 2024? Here is a video in the Spanish language: Es El 2021 el año  de La Gran Tribulación o el Grande Reseteo Financiero.
The Times of the Gentiles Has there been more than one time of the Gentiles? Are we in it now or in the time of Anglo-America? What will the final time of the Gentiles be like? A related sermon is available and is titled: The Times of the Gentiles.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. It is available in hundreds of languages at ccog.org. Here are links to four kingdom-related sermons:  The Fantastic Gospel of the Kingdom of God!, The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
Just What Do You Mean the Kingdom of God? A booklet that was written by Herbert Armstrong answers questions about the Kingdom.
Damascus and Syria in Prophecy Will Bashar Assad hold power as he has it? Does the Bible show that Damascus, the capital of Syria, will be destroyed? What will happen to Syria? Will the Syrians support the final King of the South that the Bible tells will rise up? Which scriptures discuss the rise and fall of an Arabic confederation? Does Islamic prophecy predict the destruction of Syria. This is a YouTube video.
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries and Continuing History of the Church of God: 17th-20th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, French: L’Histoire Continue de l’Église de Dieu and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
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.

Posted in Other News | Comments Off on 109th anniversary of the Armenia genocide

World Water Day 2024

Friday, March 22nd, 2024


Many in Africa and elsewhere do not have safe drinking water.

COGwriter

Today has been declared as World Water Day. World Water Day became a UN observance day in 1993:

World Water Day March 22, 2024

771 million (1 in 10) people do not have access to safe water. Furthermore, about 4 billion people, representing nearly two-thirds of the world population, experience severe water scarcity during at least one month of the year. The United Nations has reported that “Water use has been growing globally at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century, and an increasing number of regions are reaching the limit at which water services can be sustainably delivered, especially in arid regions.” If nothing changes, intense water scarcity could displace 700 million people by 2030.

Gaining a better understanding of how water impacts economic, political, and social stability around the globe and knowing how to solve these problems is vital to addressing the growing water and sanitation crisis.

Why It Matters:

Water is essential not only to health, but also to poverty reduction, food security, peace and human rights, ecosystems and education. Below are a handful of facts and statistics about how sanitation and access to clean water impact people and communities around the world.

Health and Hygiene

  • Hygiene promotion is the most cost effective health intervention. (World Bank 2016)
  • 700 children die every day from diseases linked to unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene. (WHO/UNICEF 2021)
  • 1 in 3 healthcare facilities does not have access to hand hygiene where care is provided.Almost 2 billion people depend on health care facilities without basic water services.
  • Timely hand hygiene prevents up to 50 per cent of avoidable infections acquired during health care delivery, including those affecting the health workforce.
    (WHO/UNICEF 2021)
  • Over the past five years, half a billion people have gained access to basic hand hygiene facilities – a rate of 300,000 per day. (WHO/UNICEF 2021)

Education

  • Women and girls are responsible for water collection in 8 out of 10 households with water off premises, which means reducing the population with limited drinking water services will have a strong gender impact. (WHO and UNICEF, 2017)
  • 43% of schools around the world lack access to basic handwashing with soap and water (WHO)
  • 1 in 3 schools worldwide have either limited drinking water or no drinking water at all (WHO)

Environment

  • People living in poverty are especially vulnerable to the impact of climate change because of their reliance on unstable water and sanitation systems, weaker institutional protections, and limited access to funding.
  • Climate change affects water and sanitation, and water and sanitation services contribute to climate change because of the use of energy.
  • Increasing access to sanitation and improved wastewater management can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
  • The potential risks to water and sanitation services posed by climate change include damage to infrastructure, leading to the loss of services and to deterioration in water quality – impacts that will increase risks to health.
  • Floods and other water-related disasters account for 70 per cent of all deaths related to natural disasters (UN)

Economic 

What is World Water Day?

World Water Day, on 22 March every year, is about focusing attention on the importance of water. The theme for World Water Day 2018 is ‘Nature for Water’ – exploring nature-based solutions to the water challenges we face in the 21st century.

Damaged ecosystems affect the quantity and quality of water available for human consumption. Today, 2.1 billion people live without safe drinking water at home; affecting their health, education and livelihoods.

Sustainable Development Goal 6 commits the world to ensuring that everyone has access to safe water by 2030, and includes targets on protecting the natural environment and reducing pollution. http://worldwaterday.org/

The day was first observed in 1993 when the United Nations General Assembly declared March 22 as World Day for Water. This day was first formally proposed in Agenda 21 of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Observance began in 1993 and has grown significantly ever since.The UN and its member nations devote this day to implementing UN recommendations and promoting concrete activities within their countries regarding the world’s water resources. Each year, one of various UN agencies involved in water issues takes the lead in promoting and coordinating international activities for World Water Day. Since its inception in 2003, UN-Water has been responsible for selecting the theme, messages and lead UN agency for the World Day for Water.In addition to the UN member states, a number of NGOs promoting clean water and sustainable aquatic habitats have used World Day for Water as a time to focus public attention on the critical water issues of our era. The text “World Water Day” has been taken from www.cute-calendar.com February 12, 2016Four billion people — or two out of every three on the planet — do not have enough water to meet their basic needs. That is far greater than previously understood, according to a new study that presents a more accurate picture of the problem.

Water scarcity is fueled by population growth, consumption habits and demands from agriculture. http://www.voanews.com/content/four-billion-people-lack-fresh-water/3188751.html

To celebrate water’s big day, here are some facts about access to water around the globe, courtesy of Water.org:

1. 1.8 billion people around the world lack access to safe water.

2. Globally, a third of all schools lack access to safe water and adequate sanitation.

3. In low- and middle-income countries, a third of all healthcare facilities lack a safe water source.

4. The World Economic Forum in January 2015 ranked the water crisis as the No. 1 global risk based on impact to society (as a measure of devastation).

5. The incidence of children suffering from stunting and chronic malnutrition — at least 160 million — is linked to water and sanitation.

6. More than 840,000 people die from a water-related disease each year, including diarrhea caused by bad drinking water, hygiene and sanitation.

7. Eighty-two percent of people who don’t have access to “improved” water live in rural areas.

8. More than one-third of people worldwide lack access to a toilet, more than the number of people who have a mobile phone.

9. Women and children spend 125 million hours collecting fresh water every day. Individual women and children spend as many as six hours collecting fresh water daily.

10. Every 90 seconds a child dies from a water-related disease.

11. Universal access to safe water and sanitation would result in $18.5 billion in economic benefits each year from deaths avoided alone, a return of $4 for every dollar spent on safe water access.

12. The amount of safe water could drop by 40 percent in 15 years if people do not change the way they use water. March 22, 2016 http://www.ibtimes.com/world-water-day-2016-12-facts-things-know-2340534

Many places in the world have water problems. Drinking water problems are probably the worst in parts of Africa and Asia.

Keeping water clean is a major problem in much of the developing nations.

Fresh water shortages affect many parts of the world, including part of the USA.

That being said, World Water day has linked itself to ‘climate change’:

Adapting to the water effects of climate change will protect health and save lives.

Using water more efficiently will reduce greenhouse gases.

We cannot afford to wait. Everyone has a role to play. accessed 02/09/20 .https://www.worldwaterday.org/

Biblically, people’s role includes turning to God.

Notice, for example, the following scriptures from the Book of Amos:

7 “I also withheld rain from you,
When there were still three months to the harvest.
I made it rain on one city,
I withheld rain from another city.
One part was rained upon,
And where it did not rain the part withered.
8 So two or three cities wandered to another city to drink water,
But they were not satisfied;
Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the Lord.

9 “I blasted you with blight and mildew.
When your gardens increased,
Your vineyards,
Your fig trees,
And your olive trees,
The locust devoured them;
Yet you have not returned to Me,”
Says the Lord. (Amos 4:7-9)

Without mentioning here much about what the Bible teaches about weather and rain (some of which can be found in the article Weather Blessings and Sorrows), a point about sanitation should be considered now. Notice the following:

12 “Also you shall have a place outside the camp, where you may go out; 13 and you shall have an implement among your equipment, and when you sit down outside, you shall dig with it and turn and cover your refuse. 14 For the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and give your enemies over to you; therefore your camp shall be holy, that He may see no unclean thing among you, and turn away from you. (Deuteronomy 23:12-14)

So, the Bible teaches that there should be places designated for defecation and that human feces should be covered and not seen. This was written over three thousand years ago and still would improve human health today if places that do not heed this would now do so.

While obviously it would be helpful to have toilets in private locations, as far as the water-borne diseases like cholera, dysentery, and diarrhea that accompany poor elimination habits, if the biblical injunction to cover human feces was followed, the incidents of those diseases would be reduced.

The laws of God work and will be implemented around the world when Jesus returns and sets up His kingdom. But until then, there are even more troubles and sorrows expected (cf. Matthew 24:4-22).

Perhaps in closing I should mention that in CCOG we sent funds for two water pumps to be purchased in Malawi a few years ago to assist the people there. That and more is mentioned in the CCOG: Letter to the Brethren: March 19, 2020. In CCOG, we strive to be doers of the word and not hearers only.

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 kingdom-related sermons:  The Fantastic Gospel of the Kingdom of God!, The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.
The Bible, Christians, and the Environment How should Christians view the environment? Does the Bible give any clues? What are some of the effects of air, water, and land pollution? Is environmental pollution a factor in autism and death? Do pollutants seem to double the autism risk? What will Jesus do? Here is a link to a related sermon: Christians and the Environment (there is also a YouTube video available titled Air Pollution, Autism, and Prophecy, one titled Will Pollution lead to the End?, and one called COP 27 and Solving Climate Change).
Weather Blessings and Sorrows Are weather problems a warning? What should be done? What does the Bible teach about weather? What about floods, droughts, heat, earthquakes, tornadoes, and solar storms? Here is a related YouTube video Does God Use Weather? A related item in the Spanish language would be Bendiciones y maldiciones del clima.
United Nations: Humankind’s Last Hope or New World Order? Is the UN the last hope for humanity? Or might its goals end up with sinister results? Two related videos include UN’s ‘New Universal Agenda’ is a False Gospel! and United Nations and Vatican Are Planning the New World Order.
Lost Tribes and Prophecies: What will happen to Australia, the British Isles, Canada, Europe, New Zealand and the United States of America? Where did those people come from? Can you totally rely on DNA? What about other peoples? Do you really know what will happen to Europe and the English-speaking peoples? What about Africa, Asia, South America, and the Islands? This free online book provides scriptural, scientific, historical references, and commentary to address those matters. Here are links to related sermons: Lost tribes, the Bible, and DNA; Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications; 11 Tribes, 144,000, and Multitudes; Israel, Jeremiah, Tea Tephi, and British Royalty; Gentile European Beast; Royal Succession, Samaria, and Prophecies; Asia, Islands, Latin America, Africa, and Armageddon;  When Will the End of the Age Come?;  Rise of the Prophesied King of the North; Christian Persecution from the Beast; WWIII and the Coming New World Order; and Woes, WWIV, and the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

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Vladimir Putin wins re-election and states world is laughing at the USA

Monday, March 18th, 2024

Valdimir Putin (photo from Kremlin.ru via Wikipedia)

COGwriter

As widely expected, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin won re-election:

March  18, 2024

Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrated winning a new six-year term …

Putin told supporters that he considered the election democratic and dismissed those who protested the vote.

“We have many tasks ahead. But when we are consolidated – no matter who wants to intimidate us, suppress us – nobody has ever succeeded in history, they have not succeeded now, and they will not succeed ever in the future,” Putin said.

The three-day election that began Friday to extend Putin’s 24-year rule took place in a tightly controlled environment …

Results from Russia’s Central Election Commission showed Putin got 87% of the vote. …

China congratulated Putin on his win, highlighting strategic ties between the two countries.”We firmly believe that under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Putin, China-Russia relations will continue to move forward,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters when asked about the vote.The leaders of North Korea, Honduras, Nicaragua and Venezuela also issued messages celebrating Putin’s victory. …But despite the show of opposition to Putin, the longtime Russian leader’s victory was not in doubt. If he completes the new six-year term, Putin would pass Josef Stalin and become Russia’s longest-serving leader in more than two centuries. https://www.voanews.com/a/putin-wins-election-with-no-effective-opposition/7531874.html

Vladimir Putin excoriated U.S. democracy on Sunday in a speech claiming victory in the Russian presidential election that, despite a war aboard and protests at home, only ever had one possible outcome: extending his political reign for another six years.

“Out of every voice, we are building a common will of the people of [the] Russian Federation,” he said from his campaign headquarters in Moscow, according to the BBC.

He shrugged off international criticism—including from the United States, where a White House National Security Council spokesperson decried the elections as “obviously not free nor fair.”

“What did you want, for them to applaud us?” Putin asked, The Guardian reported. “…Their goal is to contain our development. Of course they’re ready to say anything.”

He went on to suggest “the entire world is laughing” at the U.S., saying it was “a disaster, not a democracy,” according to a translation by Sputnik, a state-owned news agency.

“I have every reason to believe that no democracy, at least in the presidential election campaigns in certain countries of the West, including the United States, does not exist,” he continued. 03/17/24 https://www.thedailybeast.com/protests-erupt-outside-russian-polling-stations-ahead-of-putins-victory-in-election-landslide

Considering the USA and other elections, remember that the Bible teaches that God decides who He wants in various offices:

17 ‘This decision is by the decree of the watchers, And the sentence by the word of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, Gives it to whomever He will, And sets over it the lowest of men.’ (Daniel 4:17)

Anyway, in addition to limited opposition, many Russians approve of Vladimir Putin because of the Russian economy, the moves of annexing territories such as Crimea and parts of the Donbas, as well as on matters such as the LGBTQ+ agenda.

As far as Russia’s economy goes, notice the following:

Despite several rounds of sanctions levied by Western powers over the war in Ukraine, the Russian economy registered strong growth in 2023 after a recession the previous year. Fuelled by increased public spending – particularly military spending – other industrial sectors also benefited from the war in Ukraine, with the country’s economic resurgence aided by continued revenue from oil and gas exports. …

In recent weeks, the Russian president has again denounced the wide-ranging Western sanctions that have targeted his country since the start of the February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, labeling them a “failure”.

“We have growth and they have decline,” Putin said in a January speech in Moscow, referring to Ukraine’s allies. …

Russia has recorded robust growth since the economic contraction of 2022, surpassing many expert forecasts. Rosstat, Russia’s national statistics agency, reported a growth rate of 3.6 percent for the Russian economy in 2023 while the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimated growth at around 3 percent. The IMF has thus revised its forecast for 2024 upward to 2.6 percent given the Russian economy’s strong performance last year.

“It’s interesting to note that Russia’s growth surpassed even the most optimistic forecasts, including those of its own institutions,” said Igor Delanoë, deputy director of the Franco-Russian Observatory. https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20240316-after-two-years-war-ukraine-russian-economy-resilient-sanctions-putin-but-how-long

As far as LGBTQ+ matters, back in late 2021, Vladimir Putin held his annual end-of-the year Q&A session and made some true statements that western leaders did not like:

President Putin: I Will Never Allow the ‘New World Order’ To Pervert Nature – There Are Only TWO Genders

December 24, 2021

Speaking to journalists at an end-of-year press conference, Putin warned that the elites in the West are deliberately trying to pervert nature by claiming that men can be women and women can be men.

“It’s inevitable [that these concepts will arrive in Russia],” Putin warned. “If someone thinks men and women are the same thing, let them think that, but let us think about common sense.”

“I believe that the traditional approach is correct. Male is male, female is female, mother is mother, and father is father. I sincerely hope that our society has the moral armor to protect us against this,” Putin added.

He also spoke about the far-left movement in the US to allow inmates to legally change their gender to female in order to enter women’s prisons.

“To fight against that, we should not just shout and point fingers, but we should support our own traditional values,” he declared.

Rt.com reports: Putin’s statement isn’t the first time a senior Russian politician has spoken out against modern, progressive ideas in regards to gender issues. Earlier this month, Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko said that it is “unacceptable” to impose foreign values on a country without taking into account its history, faith, religion, and national characteristics.

“They are trying to impose alien values on us. And not only on us but on the advancement in the world in general,” she said. “It’s sexual minority rights. There are already 85 genders in Europe. It is unacceptable for us.” https://newspunch.com/president-putin-i-will-never-allow-the-new-world-order-to-pervert-nature-there-are-only-two-genders/

As far as two genders go, females have xx chromosomes and males have xy. There are also differences in bone structure, brain connectivity, voice, blood thickness, muscle/fat composition, etc. Surgery does not change one’s sex–it changes mainly how one may appear. Let me add that some in Europe have at least publicly suggested that gender mutilating surgeries be at least reduced–so not every leader outside of Russia is insane about this.

As far as the Putin Administration goes, it has been consistently supporting the idea of biblical marriage as well as not pushing the LGBTQ agenda. Actually, it has long been my view that it is precisely because of that, that Hillary Clinton and the Obama Administration turned against Russia years ago (I figured that out after reading Hillary Clinton’s book Hard Choices as she was not pleased with Russia’s response to her pushing LGBTQ matters inside of Russia). That led to US support to overthrow the Russia-supporting, lawfully-elected government of Ukraine. And is still a factor in how various politicians in the US view Russia.

Vladimir Putin has been the most powerful political leader in the world to take a stand against several parts of the LGBTQ+ agenda, vulgarity (see Russia’s Vladimir Putin takes a stand against vulgar language), and some other sins that plague western society. China’s President has taken some views as well, but not quite as publicly and on as much as Vladimir Putin has.

Yes, there are ongoing horrors associated with Russia’s ‘Special Military Operation’ into Ukraine.

Not to excuse that, but the USA itself needs to consider its ongoing horrors of advocating the mutilation of children in the USA and elsewhere under the guise of falsely labeling that ‘gender-affirming treatment.’

That said, let me close by stating that despite his re-election, Vladmir Putin is NOT the prophesied Prince of Rosh as PCG has claimed (see Putin and Lavrov: Ukraine is about pushing aside USA dominance; PCG wrongly posts that Vladimir Putin is the prophesied ‘Prince of Rosh’).

However, Vladimir Putin is a leader that could well be involved in fulfilling various biblical prophecies against the USA and Europe.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Russia and Ukraine: Their Origins and Prophesied Future Russia in prophecy. Where do the Russians come from? What about those in the Ukraine? What is prophesied for Russia and its allies? What will they do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end? There is also a video sermon available: Russia in the Bible and in Prophecy as are two video sermonettes Russia, Ukraine, Babylonian Europe, and Prophecy and Ukraine in Prophecy?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach? Here is a link to a video, also titled Is Russia the King of the North?
Ezekiel 38: For Russia & Iran in Our Day? Is Ezekiel 38 about to be fulfilled? Are we close to the battle with Gog and Magog? Four related videos are available: Ezekiel 38 Gog and Magog War: Is it Soon?, Ezekiel 38: For Russia, Ukraine, & Iran Now?, Russia, Iran, Syria, & the Bible (Code), and Gog, Magog, Vladimir Putin, and Ezekiel 38?
Russia and Ukraine: Their Origins and Prophesied Future Russia in prophecy. Where do the Russians come from? What about those in the Ukraine? What is prophesied for Russia and its allies? What will they do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end? There is also a video sermon available: Russia in the Bible and in Prophecy as are two video sermonettes Russia, Ukraine, Babylonian Europe, and Prophecy and Ukraine in Prophecy?
PCG: Teachings Unique to the Philadelphia Church of God Simply calling oneself ‘Philadelphia’ does not make one so (see Revelation 3:7-9), nor does Gerald Flurry calling himself “that prophet” make it so. This article provides many quotes from this group which tries to look faithful.
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.

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USA, etc. Daylight Saving Time

Friday, March 8th, 2024

COGwriter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There are also health ramifications associated with the change:

5 ways DST can affect your health

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

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

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

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

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

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

CNN reported the following:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Is Revelation 1:10 talking about Sunday or the Day of the Lord? Most Protestant scholars say Sunday is the Lord’s Day, but is that what the Bible teaches?
Another Look at the Didache, Ignatius, and the Sabbath Did Ignatius write against the Sabbath and for Sunday? What about the Didache? What does the actual Greek reveal? Are there intentional mistranlations? A related sermon is available: The Didache, Ignatius, and the Lord’s Way.
The Sabbath in the Early Church and Abroad Was the seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath observed by the apostolic and post-apostolic Church? Here is a related sermon video The Christian Sabbath and How and Why to Keep It.
The Dramatic Story of Chinese Sabbathkeepers This reformatted Good News article from 1955 discusses Sabbath-keeping in China in the 1800s.
Is God Unreasonable? Some have suggested that if God requires Sabbath-keeping He is unreasonable. Is that true?
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by the Tkach WCG which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean?
Holy Day Calendar This is a listing of the biblical holy days through 2033, with their Roman calendar dates. They are really hard to observe if you do not know when they occur 🙂 In the Spanish/Español/Castellano language: Calendario de los Días Santos. In Mandarin Chinese: 何日是神的圣日？ 这里是一份神的圣日日历从2013年至2024年。.

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International Woman’s Day 2024

Friday, March 8th, 2024


1914 Poster from Germany

COGwriter

March 8th is considered to be International Women’s Day. Here is a little bit of its history:

March 8 was suggested by the 1910 International Socialist Woman’s Conference to become an “International Woman’s Day.” After women gained suffrage in Soviet Russia in 1917, March 8 became a national holiday there. The day was then predominantly celebrated by the socialist movement and communist countries until it was adopted in 1975 by the United Nations. …

In 1914 International Women’s Day was held on March 8, possibly because that day was a Sunday, and now it is always held on March 8 in all countries. The 1914 observance of the Day in Germany was dedicated to women’s right to vote, which German women did not win until 1918.

In London there was a march from Bow to Trafalgar Square in support of women’s suffrage on March 8, 1914. Sylvia Pankhurst was arrested in front of Charing Cross station on her way to speak in Trafalgar Square.

On March 8, 1917, on the Gregorian calendar, in the capital of the Russian Empire, Petrograd, women textile workers began a demonstration, covering the whole city. This marked the beginning of the Russian Revolution. …

The day is an official holiday in Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, China (for women only), Cuba, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Madagascar (for women only), Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Zambia.

In some countries, such as Cameroon, Croatia, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria and Chile, the day is not a public holiday, but is widely observed nonetheless. (Wikipedia, accessed 03/08/18)

#BalanceforBetter is the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day, which is observed each year on March 8. The 2019 initiative is aimed at gender equality, a greater awareness of discrimination and a celebration of women’s achievements, according to the International Women’s Day website. That includes reducing the global pay gap between men and women and making sure all are equal – and balanced – in activist movements, boardrooms and beyond. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/03/07/international-womens-day-2019-balanceforbetter-theme/2904077002/

As far as women go, they do have rights, and should not be mistreated.

Sadly, in modern times, many act like being able to kill unborn babies is an important right for women–and murder is wrong.

That being said, here is something from the old Radio Church of God related to women:

To be truly happy, a real woman should bear in mind the purpose of which she was created – and set herself definite GOALS to fulfill in the accomplishment of that purpose.

First of all, she should remember that she was called to help and supplement her husband. She should learn to be responsive to him and to his direction of the home, entertainment and way of life.

She should realize that her husband’s success is her success also – and fully SHARE and delight in the triumphs and achievements of her husband, knowing that they are partly her own. Also, she should equally share in his sorrow and disappointments – trying always to give the right kind of balanced and positive sympathy and encouragement so that he will rebound to other successes in the future.

A second area in which a woman should cultivate success and service is that of bearing and TRAINING her children. Certainly, young mothers exert a powerful influence on the leaders of tomorrow. And women should realize the overwhelming IMPORTANCE of zealously and joyously dedicating themselves to this as their highest physical calling. FAR MORE IMPORTANT it is than that of an office worker or secretary on any level.

In His Word, God instructs older women: “That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, KEEPERS AT HOME, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed” (Titus 2:4-5). …

The ULTIMATE Goal

Then, for the woman who reads and understands the Bible, another goal presents itself. That is the goal of preparing to help RULE and reconstruct this entire society in the World Tomorrow (Rev. 2:26; 5:10). Some Christian women wonder how they are being prepared for this. If they, themselves, are not leading and directing businesses, families and public activities today, how are they learning and preparing for tomorrow’s world?

The ANSWER is that a woman, with the physiological and psychological nature given her by God has magnificent opportunities – too often untapped – for preparing toward this goal. She needs to set herself to be a really successful wife, mother and contributor today. (True Womanhood: A Lost Cause?)

As far as the role of women in the church, check out the article: Women and the New Testament Church. A related sermon is also available: Women’s Roles in the Church.

There are many roles for women in the church and in the Continuing Church of God we have women supporting the work and preparations for the Final Phase of the Work.

Some items of possibly-related interest may include:

Women and the New Testament Church What roles did women play in the ministry of Jesus and the apostles? Did Jesus and the Apostle Paul violate Jewish traditions regarding their dealings with women? Do women have any biblical limitations on their role in the Church? Were there female prophets? Do women have any special responsibilities in terms of how they dress? What does the New Testament really teach about women? Here are links to two related sermons: Women’s Roles in the Church and New Testament Women.
True Womanhood: A Lost Cause? Is there still a place for being feminine? Here is an article from Herbert Armstrong about his thoughts relating to women and womanhood.
Abortion, the Bible, and a Woman’s Right to Choose Do you know what the Bible teaches on this? Has the Roman Catholic Church allowed abortions? What about the real Church of God? Some may wish to view the YouTube videos: Abortion and Birth Control: History and Scriptures. Abortion, the Bible, and US Debt, American Infanticide, Euthanasia: Mercy killing or murder?, and Land of ‘Free’ Abortions and Debt.
Priscilla and Aquila An early Christian married couple from Rome who moved to Asia Minor.
The Final Phase of the Work What is the final phase of the work? Who will lead it? Do you have the courage to support it? Here are two related YouTube videos titled Final Phase of the Work: Need and Background and The Final Phase of the Work. The written article has been translated into Spanish La Fase Final de la Obra.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God This free online pdf booklet has answers many questions people have about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God and explains why it is the solution to the issues the world is facing. It is available inover 1,000 languages at ccog.org. Here are links to four kingdom-related sermons:  The Fantastic Gospel of the Kingdom of God!, The World’s False Gospel, The Gospel of the Kingdom: From the New and Old Testaments, and The Kingdom of God is the Solution.

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