Greetings from Grover Beach, California.
Today, I am scheduled to be a guest on another, new, podcast program. Again, this is a no-cost door to reach people that we otherwise would not be able to reach.
Last Sabbath, I was able to complete my tenth individual sermon on the Ten Commandments: Tenth Commandment: Sinning against yourself and society.
Having one sermon on each of the Ten Commandments had been a goal for some time.
Here are links to related articles and sermons:
FIRST COMMANDMENT: Priorities and the Most Broken Commandment Which commandment is broken the most? Which one is most involved with what should be your top priority? Here is a link to a related sermon: The Most Violated Commandment and Priorities.
SECOND COMMANDMENT: What Did the Early Church Teach About Idols and Icons? Did the early Church use icons? What was the position of Christians about such things? A related sermon is available: The Second Commandment, Idols, and Icons.
THIRD COMMANDMENT: Words Matter Are you obeying the Third Commandment? Are you sure? Could you be blaspheming with your euphemisms or life actions? Here is a link to a related sermon: Third Commandment Plus: Words Matter. Here is a link to a shorter video: Was Increased Cursing Prophesied?
FOURTH COMMANDMENT: 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 link to a related sermon: Fourth Commandment: Saturday or Sunday?
FIFTH COMMANDMENT: Honor and Be Honorable The fifth commandment involves family relationships. Is it more than parents and children? What about love and ruling well your household? Here is a link to a related sermon: Honor Your Parents and Rule Honorably.
SIXTH COMMANDMENT: Anger, Murder, Abortion, Sports, Self-Control, & Kindness Is there more to the 6th commandment than not murdering? What about abortion, hate, and violent sports? What is the attitude real Christians should have? Here is a link to a related sermon:: Murder, anger, kindness, and love.
SEVENTH COMMANDMENT: Love and Faithfulness, Not Sexual Immorality The seventh commandment prohibits adultery. Jesus made it clear that it involved more than marital infiedlity. What about the LGBTQ+ movement and the Bible? Here is a link to a related video sermon: 7th Commandment: Love and Faithfulness.
EIGHTH COMMANDMENT: Give not take. The eighth commandment prohibits stealing. This includes thievery, not tithing, debasing currency, cheating, and many other wrong acts. Here is a link to a related sermon: 8th Commandment: Do Not Steal or Cheat, Instead Produce and Give.
NINTH COMMANDMENT: No False Witness For a Better World What were the first lies in the Bible? What would happen if people obeyed God and did not bear false witness? Here is a link to a related sermon: NINTH COMMANDMENT: Joys to the World.
TENTH COMMANDMENT: Protects You From Sinning Against Yourself Lust is not a victim-less crime. A related sermon is available: Tenth Commandment: Sinning against yourself and society.
Christians from the beginning of the church age believed that they were to strive to keep the Ten Commandments.
True Christians strive to do so today.
Burundi
Burundi is a very small country in Africa. Most of the people there speak French.
While we have had one or two small families there affiliating with us, we sent three people from Kenya there last week–we also tried to send, Moise Nshimiyimana, our host from Rwanda who had been working with them, but he was refused entrance at the border because of his nationality, so he was unable to meet in Burundi.
Evangelist Evans Ochieng sent the following report about his visit to Burundi:
Pastor Dr Bob,
Greetings from Burundi.The meeting of today was beyond my expectations. The people were so many that I couldn’t fixed in my picture. I tried to go far in order to capture everybody but it couldn’t happen. The people were More than Three hundred people. The meeting was full. I gave a massage about the rulership of Christ on earth, why he went to heaven, the purpose of his coming and what will happen when he returns.People were very happy even me I was very happy.Let me tell you pastor that this church in Burundi will grow highly because they fear God.EvansHere are pictures that I capture.
Augustine Mpawenimana and Evans Ochieng
On the way back from Burundi, Evans Ochieng also met with a leader of a group of 120 in Tanzania that wish to be part of the Continuing Church of God. But, he was fighting an illness and cut that visit short–he plans to go back and visit him again later.
Now as far as Burundi goes, there are about 300 in that nation that want to be part of the Continuing Church of God. However, according to new laws there, a church with a foreign connection must have at least 500 persons, land, and a building, in order to legally operate. The United Church of God (UCG) and some other COGs there are facing issues with this there as well. I spoke to Aaron Dean of UCG about this some time ago, and he proposed attempting to see if we can come up with some type of confederated agreement to allow us, them, and another COG to legally function. Please pray about that.
Also, remember to pray as Jesus said:
37 … “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38)
In addition to faithful laborers, pray for additional financial supporters will also assist us in the harvest as we work towards the fulfillment of Romans 11:25 (see What About Romans 11:25 and the Full Number of the Gentiles?).
More Gentiles are to be called in this age, and we are reaching more and more of them.
This is something all truly Philadelphian Christians should support.
Let me add that those in Burundi have asked for French language hymnals and other literature that we hope to send them once they specify a mailing address to use.
On an indirectly related note, we were contacted several times by a pastor in Togo several days ago who also wants to be part of the Continuing Church of God. He had been a Sunday keeper, but now keeps the Sabbath and the Holy Days. Most of the people in Togo also speak French. He gave an address and we ordered some French language hymnals and booklets to be sent directly to him.
Brazil
Adao de Amorim sent the following photo from Sabbath services in northern Brazil last week:
We are reaching and preaching to people all around the world, as Jesus said to do in Matthew 28:19-20.
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