New Moon Message 1/5/32/120

Dear Friends,

Thank you for the response to the last Sabbath Message. Some of us are truly generous. Thank you Canada.

We mentioned that God is adding to the church everywhere and there are seminars underway for the conversion of Sunday-worshippers who wish to join CCG. We noted that there is a great movement of people to CCG in many places.

There are new seminars being convened in Sembabule (Sembabure) Uganda (north of Masaka) to induct another 80 ministers into CCG from eight ministries from all over Sembabule and the surrounding areas. All 80 of these ministers were Sunday-worshippers at the head of 8 cooperating ministries of approximately a thousand people in the Sembabule regions. One of their leaders knew our leader at Sembabule and when they found out about our doctrines and organisation they were convicted. They approached us last week for admission. They were consolidated and briefed this Sabbath by the Mityana Coordinator, Benon Njirabatwale, and will be credentialed and tasked next Sabbath by Bizimana Bosco, the National Coordinator.

Aside from the groups being inducted at Sembabule and Regions, CCG Uganda has so far this week inducted four new churches and appointed coordinators for them. Three are in the Ibanda District and one is in the Kirahura District. One group came from the Lutherans and three came from the Church of Uganda.

We have also been approached by a significant Sabbath-keeping Church in India that already keeps our doctrines. We are now going to direct efforts at organising the Indian work. It is now time for us to do the work of God in India.

This is a testimony to the way in which God is directing the Holy Spirit in all areas. When the Holy Spirit opens our minds to the truth we are able to understand and act on what we are given. Over the centuries it has been difficult to establish our people because to do so means they have to suffer persecution for the faith. When God calls people in groups like this the keeping of God’s Laws becomes increasingly easy and less persecution is suffered, provided the nation is just and not controlled by a Trinitarian religious system that persecutes its opposition, like it has been in the past.

Soon we will have so great an influence that we will be a part of the society that everyone takes for granted. Then we will have less difficulty in organising and keeping God’s Laws. The truth of the Bible will no longer be resisted but will be accepted. Once Satan is out of the way in the pit and the Holy Spirit is poured out on all humans we will become the accepted social structure and the world will be governed according to God’s Laws and His calendar. Over that period it will be the truth that will be enforced and there will be a clear and direct penalty for disobeying God’s Laws and authority. The nexus of the law will be restored. It will become obvious what we have to do, as there will be an obvious penalty when we disobey God’s will.

As we said last Sabbath, we have had to schedule induction seminars for almost 200 ministers through Uganda alone in the period from end June to mid August 2009. We have not had feedback from the two church systems of Sunday-worshippers over a number of countries, with over 15000 members, that came to us on the one day for admission to CCG. We suspected that it would be too hard for them. Some of these ministers treat their people as a captive milch cow and do not wish to properly educate them but rather live off the proceeds. We have actually had some ministers tell us that in those words. That does not just happen in the developing countries. It is standard practice in the US in the religion business and is the main reason that the Churches of God are in such a mess. The ministers use the brethren as a wage earner and travel around with them like a travelling circus. The fact of the matter is that such a system is unlawful in East Africa and no person who was head of one religious organisation can leave and head another. What the leaders of the Churches of God did in the USA is contrary to law in Kenya and they would be imprisoned. The fact is that most are not even lawfully registered in Kenya.

As we said, God rarely works with large groups. He calls two of a family and one of a city. However, as we have noted He is working with churches now in a way we have not seen to date. He is consolidating the Sabbath-keeping churches on a large scale in Africa.

We were going to speak to the authorities in Nairobi about the matter of the deaths in Isiola but Walter arrived in Nairobi too late for the Attorney General’s office last Friday and we had to put it off until Monday. The whole church is requested to continue to pray for God to remove the threat to our people.

Walter inducted four churches in the Coastal province of long term Sabbath–keepers who are very sincere and dedicated. He went to the Northern Rift to induct another church at Nanyuki. As we have said many times, vegetarianism is a doctrine of demons and a death sentence in developing countries. All coordinator are to emphasise that aspect in dealing with the Adventist and vegetarian elements in Africa and in all nations.

We had some three thousand join us last week. We had well over a thousand this week so far and how many will there be next week? There are many, many thousands of baptised adults in CCG Uganda alone. It is one of our biggest national churches now. It may be bigger than Kenya, which itself has some 55 or more churches. Tanzania just doubled in size or more, and is similar to Kenya. There are many sub-churches in each district. We haven’t documented them yet. It is all too fast. We have 42 or more officers still to be inducted and documented in the Southern Sudan with a few hundred people there around the capital, Juba City.

Bizimana, Theophile and their officers are still inducting and documenting the Ugandan ministry. We don’t even know how many ministers we have now let alone how many members. There must be well over 300 officers in Uganda. That is more than any other COG has in the whole world.

The existing churches are also growing significantly. Walter said they baptised another ten members in CCG Nairobi South under Bernard Auko when he came back through this week. He baptised the ministry of the SDAs as they themselves were not comfortable with their previous baptisms. Baptisms are occurring everywhere and new churches are being founded from our existing churches. There are new baptisms all over the world.

Joash Okinyi has just returned from reorganising the churches at Musoma and appointing new senior leaders, at the church member’s request. He has just reported in from Utegi. This visit is a follow on from my visit there in 2005 with Jeremy and Angel. The churches at Musoma have been reorganised under Peter Matito. Kenneth Hamisi is appointed coordinator for Irugwe, and Yosuf Mambo is appointed coordinator for Ukerewe Island. Mwanza is all under our coordinator there Mr. Sharonge Wiga. There are multiple thousands of people in the area that are Sabbath-keepers. Some have been faithful members of the Churches of God for years. The majority, however, came in from the North from Uganda and Kenya. They have never been part of the Church of God system. Thus they need to get to know the other coordinators.

Joash reports there are many, many people joining CCG there. A number of the leaders were there who were at the 2005 Seminar in Musoma and have been trying to get organised with CCG. They sent their regards. It appears we will consolidate the entire area in the not too distant future.

Joash reports that he has still to go to many churches there. He will attend the church at Bunda near the Serengeti this week and establish them with CCG and return for the conference. There are well over 100 district churches (say 180) and they know about CCG and our doctrines. Bunda officers may be at the conference also. Joash is also travelling to Ngorongoro for the New Moon to establish the church there.

There is a Tanzanian Conference at Tarime this week for all coordinators to meet one another. They are all long standing Sabbath-keepers but not all ex-WCG and offshoots. The Musoma, Irugwe and Ukerewe Island people are from the local Sabbatarian community although some at Irugwe did attend with an LCG appointee for a short while. They have to get to know one another and plan their operations and registration which is underway.

We have yet to fully organise the West African Churches but if we are able to consolidate all of those currently interested we will be in the multiple tens of thousands there also and as strong as East and Central Africa.

If we continue at this rate of growth, by Passover, or Pentecost at the latest, we should exceed the size of the WCG at its peak before the collapse under Tkach. God will have performed something that was thought impossible a few years ago. Many think that our strength is mostly outside of the US but another statistic that should give our friends some food for thought is that a significant proportion of our web access comes from the US. Some 20,000 people a week study the Church websites from the US and most of it is not html access, but ftp, and is recurrent. There are some 130,000-180,000 hits from there each week. It does not show on the Quantcast.com stats because it is ftp. That is why the COGs are warning their people not to read other material, precisely because they are doing so. There is a lot of study going on in the US. When God wants them He will call them and the reorganisation will be nearly complete. God says He will tear the sheep out of the hands of the shepherds and Scripture cannot be broken (Jn. 10:35).

As I have said, we do not number Israel. We have no idea how many people we actually have and we at World Conference cannot even keep up with the names of the ministers we have, as they are joining us at such a rate.

The secret of the growth of CCG is sound doctrine. President Roosevelt said: “Speak softly and carry a big stick”. We do not answer fools according to their folly. Nor do we engage in gossip and waste money on expensive media. The strength of CCG is our sound doctrine and it is converting the others whom God is calling.

Our honesty and integrity is commented on by all those who join us. It is spreading across denominations and independent groups who see us, and their minds are opened. You are all examples for the faith. They know we do not tolerate corrupt officers. That is a major reason why they trust us.

The Adventists see us and many remember that our doctrines on the Nature of God were once their doctrines before they were infiltrated. They understood much until the false prophetess Ellen G. White corrupted their minds and understanding. Many will understand. The Seventh Day Baptists and other Sabbatarians know that outside of the US they are Biblical Unitarians and it was from the US that Trinitarianism entered their midst.

They understand the pre-existence of Jesus Christ (see the paper The Pre-existence of Jesus Christ (No. 243)). They also know that there is one true God and that He sent Jesus Christ (Jn. 17:3; see also the paper Binitarian and Trinitarian Misrepresentation of the Early Theology of the Godhead (No. 127b)). It was Christ that gave the law to Moses at Sinai as the Angel of the Presence who was with Israel in the wilderness. He was the rock from which they drank. As Paul says: that rock was Christ (1Cor. 10:4) (see also the paper Angel of YHVH (No. 024)).

The Muslims see our doctrines and are forced back to the Koran to study what we say and find they have misunderstood what it says. The Koran says, if you do not keep the Sabbath you are an ape, meaning you have no salvation and die as an animal. Many are stunned by what it actually says (see the Sabbath in the Qur’an (No. 274)). They are joining us in significant numbers, sickened by the mindless extremism of the fundamentalists of the babbling of the traditions of the Hadith.

I am saddened by the silly sorts of comments on the doctrines of the Church by untrained people. There are many self-appointed experts on all things. Many are in the Churches of God; some are those who left in bitterness and make railing accusations against it. The Churches of God have been led astray by many people over the years and into false doctrines. The church is like the moon that waxes and wanes in its understanding. Many periods have had better understanding than the recent Churches of God. We have tried to restore the correct true doctrines of the church and remove the heresies of Binitarianism and Ditheism that have entered the Churches of God from the US. Some of the people in the US think somehow that being a Binitarian is pious. It is idolatry and the doctrine of a pagan god. It is the reason or basis upon which Trinitarianism was formed and why that doctrine is held so central to the false or pseudo-Christian faith. God will sort that issue out soon and is indeed doing so (see also the paper Role of the Fourth Commandment in the Sabbath-keeping Churches of God (No. 170)).

Why did the Churches of God of the WCG system, from the US, stop growing? Why did God scatter them when they allegedly had the same doctrines and which they claim to be true? Why did God remove the power of healing from those churches and allow corruption to enter them all? They knew it had been removed because they have had fasting vigils for God to restore the power of healing. They were in serious error and God allowed them to wither and die. Some think they are rich but are poor, pitiable, blind and naked. Others have the name that they are living but are dead. One of their main ministry in the major offshoot said to one of ours a while ago: “We tried, now it is up to you people.”

Why do some of their people come to us for healing in desperation and get that healing yet go back to the same vomit when they are healed?

Do not be confused. God took the power of healing from them but He gave it to CCG from its inception. Each of the officers of CCG is to carry a vial of oil. If any are sick they are to go to the officers and ask them to anoint them. All officers are to anoint the sick on their foreheads for healing and lay hands on them and pray over them. Anointed cloths are available for those too distant. The sick may request a cloth and place the cloth on their heads and the affected part and pray for healing. God will do the rest. No officer is to refuse to anoint another member. All new officers are to be instructed in this matter.

Until many of the people of the Churches of God get a better understanding, God will work with others to bring the world to the correct understanding so the work is not hindered by the uninformed.

We work according to sound doctrine and reject the teachings of the pagan God Attis held by the Binitarians and Trinitarians that follow his doctrines and festivals. We keep the correct calendar.

Those pagan doctrines will be stamped out by 2027.

In the meantime, pray for the work and its rapid growth and our capacity to support it. Remember we did not take over the Promised Land except bit by bit, so that it was not too hard a task for us. God will assist us. We worked for decades to establish the sound doctrines we have and once we had most of it in place God dealt with the situation and used them to full effect. This and the media we have been given was the open door that Revelation speaks about that was given to the Church of the Philadelphians (see the paper Pillars of Philadelphia (No. 283))

Each nation is to be self-reliant. Do not lean on the shattered reed of the West. It is under threat. We have to organise each nation as a powerful cooperative unit in its own right. All of us need to be interdependent.

Our officers are undertaking more and more work and are going to distant places to consolidate the church. Please pray for their safety and success.

Wade Cox
Coordinator General