Letter to the Brethren: February 16, 2023

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:

Greetings from Grover Beach, California.

Online Radio and Flipboard Statistics

Shirley Gestro Hickey sent the following report from New Zealand:

Bible News Prophecy Flipboard Page
https://flipboard.com/@ProphecyNews or on the Flipboard app on your mobile, search for Prophecy News or Bible News Prophecy.
Statistics:
As of 9 February 2023.
Followers: 4,400
Magazines: 23
Articles: 18,387
Views: 34,649
Page flips: 388,560
Bible News Prophecy Radio
Radio streaming server statistics for Feb 7, 2022 to Feb 6, 2023
Total Listeners: 60,704
Average listening time: 34 minutes
Top 5 countries: USA, UK, Australia, Canada and South Africa
Analytics for this streaming server does not provide total countries, this is something they are working on.
Previous streaming server, prior to transitioning to the current radio streaming platform, statistics for June 2018 total countries: 185.
BNP radio website
Feb 1, 2022 to Feb 9, 2023
Pages views: 40,000
Some Top items of interest are:
  • 2022-2023 Shemitahs Destruction/Reset – 6,430 views
  • 5 Red Heifers and the Year 5783 – 2,450 views
BNP radio on Tune In App – 1,400 people added it to favourites.
BNP Radio Pinterest Page
These are COGwriter news articles, radio content, CCOG literature, sermons, sermonettes. We have several boards some are titled Daily Bible News Updates, Bible Q & A, and Sermons, Christian Living. An article or item will be added to a board, these are called Pins.
Statistics for Nov 11, 2022 – Feb 9, 2023
Impressions: 37,190 (how often people see your pins, like views)
Engagements: 1,490 (includes clicks and saves)
Followers: 663
Top board: Bible Q & A, and Sermons – 16,150 impressions.
Top Pins:
  • John 13-15: Footwashing and the Words of Jesus – 8,246 impressions
  • Pope Francis ecumenical exorcism conference a Sign of the End? – 5,411 impressions
BNP Radio Tumblr Page
Articles: 2070
Followers: 177
Top item of interest, re-blogged (shared) or liked, a digital poster was created for this:
  • Cashlessness and 1984, by Dr. Thiel and Mr. Steve Dupuie
BNP Radio MeWe Page
Nov 11, 2022 – Feb 9, 2023
It is a social media site, similar to facebook, but without the censorship, ads, or news feed manipulation. Content from the radio site, are added to this page, including any new literature.
Followers: 310
Posts: 84
BNP Radio Ello Page
Ello is the Creators Network. According to Ello.co:
Ello is a community to discover, discuss, publish, share and promote the things you are passionate about.
I only add items on this page when I create digital posters, or for posting CCOG magazines and book covers.
Views: 74,200
Posts: 261
Top viewed items are:
  • CCOG on European Gospel Radio – 8,600 views
  • The Three Angel’s Messages – 4,800 views
  • Is The European Beast Growing Horns? – 4,500 views
  • Russian, Ukraine, Food & the Ride of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse – 1,500 views
  • These Signs of the Four Horsemen Have Begun – 1,200 views
  • Great Tribulation: 2026 or 2027? – 701 views

Shirley was also the person behind the basic design of the Bible News Prophecy banner that we use as a backdrop for recording our weekly sermonettes now.

As far radio goes, in addition to the online radio, we are on commercial radio in Europe and Africa, and shortwave radio stations covering Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, North America, and the Far East of Asia. For more details, check out the CCOG Multimedia page.

As far as Shirley Gestro Hickey herself goes, she and/or her supportive role for the Continuing Church of God was in dreams that three of our members have had–for those details, check out Dreams, the Bible, the Radio Church of God, and the Continuing Church of God.

Radio Reach in Kenya and Tanzania

Deacon Ondigo Ochieng (not related to evangelist Evans Ochieng) sent the following radio report and photo:

RADIO HARVEST REPORT

May I take this opportunity to thank God and those who have taken the step of faith to support this program. Indeed, it is an open door for evangelism and for reaching out to the unreached. Many people listen to the radio in so many areas ranging from urban to rural areas.

So far, we have traversed several areas with the truth through the radio program. We have so far received a total of 388 phone calls and several messages from people who are following and keenly listening the radio program within four months.

We have also visited 7 places and taught in the “synagogues” and answered several questions concerning our faith ( 1 Peter 3:15) with humility. We have also faced spiritual warfare both from within and outside. From within the Church, there are those who think that through the radio program, there are some stuff attached to it or may be we are somehow benefiting. Satan uses those close to us to  create difficulties and doubt in whatever we are doing and such people he is using, many a times think that they can do it better than us. They connive with a lot of reasonings which from the outset look so very convincing but hold no water as Beyond the Work program is concerned. From outside the Church, we usually come across those who are strongly opposing the truth. Most of them are clergymen and women who pretend to be so godly but denies the truth with a lot of bitterness ( 2 Timothy 3:5).

Personally, through God’s grace, I have survived poisoning and other traps that some have laid on my way. I have also been so very ill several times after the spiritual warfare we faced while in Tanzania at a place called Serengeti-Mugumu.

So far, we have covered the following topics within four months:

  1. Ten Commandments-Decalogue, Christianity and the Beast. This was covered within 6 sessions in Radio Togotane 88.3 FM.
  2. The Gospel of the Kingdom of God has been covered in a four sessions in Milambo 13.8 FM with a lot of emphasis on the wonderful World Tomorrow and How it will be like.
  3. When will the end of the age come? This was a recent program presented on KBC National station and it attracted 28 callers with different questions.
  4. Rise of the Prophesied King of the North ( This is a discourse from CCOG video sermon) which was presented over KBC National station ( Pwani FM).
  5. Who gave the World the Bible? The Canon. Why do we now have the books we now do? This has been covered over the Radio Togotane 88.3 FM. This has been handled in 4 sessions.

RESULTS OF THE RADIO PROGRAM AND THE FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES

Pastor Francis Gisiri from the Messianic Assembly of Yahweh, who agreed to work with us got a  phone call from one of their member who was listening to us from Serengeti-Mugumu in Tanzania. This man is called Yohana Mali who has so joined Francis but when he went back to their homeland in Serengeti in a small village of Machochwe, he heard more deep teachings from Radio Togotane 88.3 FM and decided to request Francis who had earlier baptized him to invite me and Francis for a four day seminar in Tanzania.

We went there last month from 11th January 2023 to 15th January 2023. We agreed to only teach two topics i.e The True and complete Gospel and the Biblical Baptism. Our host was called Pastor Francis Sabora, a brother to Yohana Mali Sabora. We travelled through the rough road from Sirare border to Mugumu town before we went by a motorbike that transported us to the interior part of Serengeti in a village called Machochwe.


Ondigo group being received at Pastor Sabora’s home (Sabora wearing the white cap)

What impressed us was the fact that the members of the Holy Spirit Church where pastor Francis Sabora pastors, agreed to board in the church compound for four days except some few who featured on the last day. The total number of the people who came on the last day were 240.

These people were amazed and cut to the heart ( Acts 2:37) and 6 of them insisted that they must be baptized. What could we do? Francis baptized 6 people who were fully convinced that they were sinners and have not been walking on the way. They confirmed their consecration by baptism and had hands laid on them by pastor Francis. We had no option of waiting for any person to do that because we knew that Satan will not allow these people to go any step if we leave them to wait for the normal protocol of sending Evangelist Evans to go and baptize.

The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was such a wonderful and at the same time a piercing truth to many who heard it for the first time. I have never in my life seen how concentrated the people can be when the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is explained in different perspectives. God gave us more courage and confidence to traverse the Scripture and answer several questions that were asked.

God’s grace and His Holy Spirit was before us. We went with transport only and also strained to stay in such a place for those four days. Our major happiness is that God intervened to provide for our transport in a way we did not expect. God always works things His own way when He wants His Will to be done. He breaks all the protocols and does things in an amazing way. We were so much welcomed and we ate the traditional Kuria dishes though a lot of meat was in their meal. That made all of us to be affected by Brucellosis after coming back to Kenya. I myself, has been sick all along not only because of the meal and conditions we stayed in during that visit but also because of the spiritual warfare after praying for several people who were delivered from the evil spirits that masqueraded in most of those people as the Spirit of truth. Some were also healed from different maladies.

We gave out booklets of the Kingdom of God in Swahili and they gladly received them. About 70 copies were given out to help understand the theme of our seminar and also to answer several of their questions.

We again met a fierce opposition emanating from pastor Sabora, our host which was triggered by his bishop who thought that we had gone to destroy their Church. Later on we heard that the 6 baptized members were chased out of that congregation and later 24 people followed them and they began a congregation near Mara River where one of the baptized member has given them land to built the hall of meeting.

It is great that we are reaching people in Tanzania and Kenya through the radio there. Fruits are being born.

The funds we received from our affiliates in France which have paid for this has basically ran out, and although they tried to send funds last week, American bank bureaucracy has so far stopped the funds from coming in, so we will try to provide some other funds for this for the time being.

Suggested Sabbath Day Service

Here is a suggested Sabbath day service for our scattered brethren and other interested people:

Note: If you have a slow internet connection, you can watch these by starting the video, then below it (and towards the right) look for an outline of a gear–if you click on that, it will allow the YouTube video to be played with lower video quality, but at least it will not stop often–you can select a quality as low as 144p. If your internet connection is still too slow (as my home one is) and/or you prefer audio messages to audio-visuals ones, go to the YouTube link for the message, click on SHOW MORE related to the description. You will then see something that says, “Download MP3.” Below that is a link to an MP3 file. Most computers (and even some cellular telephones) will allow MP3 files to be downloaded and played. This is an option we have made available (but we are also looking into ways to improve that as well)–and, of course, we have written article options. Some people have found that if their internet connections are not fast enough, that they can simply listen to the messages that are found at the Bible News Prophecy online radio channel.

IN CASE YOU DO NOT RECEIVE A ‘LETTER TO THE BRETHREN’ FOR ANY WEEK, REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE MANY SERMON MESSAGES ON THE ContinuingCOG channel AND MANY SERMONETTE MESSAGES ON THE Bible News Prophecy channel. There are also some messages at the CCOGAfrica channel. There are also messages in the Spanish language at the CDLIDDSermones channel.

World News Items

We seem to be in another presidential campaign season as Nikki Haley announced her candidacy on Tuesday (see Nikki Haley announces presidential campaign). Former President Donald Trump announced his in November and current US President Joe Biden has indicated that he will run for re-election. None of the announced nor likely future candidates for the 2024 US presidential election will solve the problems that the USA is facing. Do not put your trust in humans (Psalm 146:3)–seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33).

This week, World Economic Forum (WEF) founder and president Klaus Schwab called for being able to master computer technologies to be able to master the world (see WEF’s Klaus Scwab really wants a globalist totalitarian government). This is something the WEF wants Europe to do, and for a time, it will (Revelation 13:1-18) until Jesus eliminates the coming European Beast power (cf. Revelation 17:12-14).

As the fighting continues between Russia and Ukraine, the government of Moldova (a nation that borders Ukraine) is having more concerns about Russia (see Moldova concerned about Russian plans, while Ukraine admits Russia is making gains in Bakhmut). Jesus warned of a time of wars and rumors of war (Matthew 24:6) and we’ve been seeing a lot of that (see also Emmanuel Todd, ‘we are now in an endless war’; Jesus, ‘wars and rumors of war’).

Jesus also warned of a time of earthquakes and troubles as part of the “beginning of sorrows” (Mark 13:8). The massively deadly quakes in Turkey/Syria, the toxic spill in Ohio, and the food issues in parts of Africa are consistent with that (see also Over 40,000 dead from Turkey-Syria earthquakes; Plus massive toxins still an issue in Ohio; Compassion?). Pray for God’s kingdom to come (Matthew 6:10).

Concluding Comments

Jonah the prophet said the following:

7 “When my soul fainted within me,
I remembered the Lord;
And my prayer went up to You,
Into Your holy temple.

8 “Those who regard worthless idols
Forsake their own Mercy.
9 But I will sacrifice to You
With the voice of thanksgiving;
I will pay what I have vowed.
Salvation is of the Lord.” (Jonah 2:7-9)

Brethren, Jonah is saying false religion is worthless and harmful.

Regarding the modern temple, in this age that is the church.

Your efforts, thus, should support the work of God in the Continuing Church of God.

Salvation comes from God, not from false religion.

Sincerely,

Bob Thiel
Pastor and Overseer

Posted in Uncategorized
About CCOG
The Continuing Church of God, which attempts to represent the most faithful remnant of the Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7) portion of the Church of God, bases its beliefs on the Holy Bible. Read CCOG's statement of beliefs for more information.