Rhinestones, Books, and Hospitals vs. Plaques, Scandals, and Endless Splits

Armstrongism had a real knack for denigrating anyone outside their exclusive little circle—especially if they were an entertainer, and heaven forbid, a professed Christian entertainer. Nothing set Herbert Armstrong’s blood boiling more than country music. Yet the man would happily sink into the velvet cushions of the Ambassador Auditorium and elsewhere, reveling in grand operas dripping with adultery, murder, and every other sin that Armstrongites supposedly held in such high disdain. Oh, the sheer hypocrisy of it all—the self-proclaimed apostle of purity getting his cultural high from highbrow debauchery while sneering at the honest, heartfelt twang of ordinary folks. How “godly.”

Today, Dolly Parton died. She was a larger-than-life figure who captured the attention of people from every walk of life, across political parties, racial lines, and cultural boundaries. She grew up in a strict Pentecostal faith-filled home in Tennessee, where gospel music filled the air as her entire family sang. Like many raised in fundamentalism, she later stopped attending church regularly and said the most important part of her day was talking to God by herself in the mornings. She wrote many songs about God, faith, love, and hope. She believed that true faith means loving everyone without conditions, supporting people from all walks of life, and avoiding hypocrisy.

Dolly Parton passed away on August 25, 2026, at the age of 80 in Nashville after a brief battle with cancer, surrounded by loved ones. Her husband of nearly 60 years, Carl Dean, had predeceased her in 2025.

A Jewish woman wrote today:

Dolly passed away at 80 years old today.She was a woman of strong faith-the healthy kind. Although I am Jewish, I have many Christian friends who have demonstrated,as Dolly did, what it means to truly follow Christ's teachings. Unlike the phonies that we snark about here, she was the complete opposite. I wish more people were like her, in every faith. She embraced everyone regardless of race, religion,sexual orientation, and nationality. She not only talked the talk, she walked the walk.

Another person wrote:

In 1988 Dolly Parton pulled every 7th and 8th grader in Sevier County into a room and told them to pick a buddy. She made them sign a contract.. if BOTH graduate, she hands you both $500. One fails, nobody gets paid. The county dropout rate went from 35% to 6%. She handed out the checks herself. 

In 1989 she offered $500 to every kid in the county who wanted to go to the local college. 

 

When Gatlinburg burned in 2016, she sent 900 families $1,000 a month for six months. You've probably heard that part. Here's the part you haven't: The fund raised more than expected, so she showed up in May and handed every one of those families another $5,000 on top. Then she quietly put $3 million into the recovery group that handles the years after the news trucks leave. 

She built her county an entire hospital. She played a benefit concert in 2007, Dollywood and the Stampede matched it, and LeConte Medical Center opened in 2010 with a birthing unit and a women's center in it. 

In 2022 she started covering 100% of tuition, books, and fees for Dollywood employees. Full-time, part-time, AND seasonal. 

In 1991 she paid for a bald eagle sanctuary because the birds couldn't be released back into the wild, no press release. 

And when Hurricane Helene came through here in Western North Carolina, she wrote a personal check for $1 million and her companies matched it. She didn't owe North Carolina anything, but she helped us anyway. 

She started the Imagination Library because her daddy couldn't read or write. Before he passed, he told her it was the most important thing she ever did.

So, right now, I know that there is a certain element reading here that is getting all pissy and offended in self-righteous indignation at the mention of Dolly on this blog. So my question is: What will the Churches of God be remembered for in 50 years from now? What will people say about Church of God leaders who ruled their churches with heavy hands and abusive tactics?

What legacy has Herbert Armstrong left in Pasadena? Ninety percent of the city now knows nothing about the guy, other than a few plaques on the dismantled grounds of the old Ambassador Campus. Those that do remember recall all of the scandals and news articles eviscerating the church and its leaders. What lasting legacy has HWA left, other than hundreds and hundreds of splinter groups all claiming they are the one and only true church and that they and they alone are the best? What has Bob Thiel, Dave Pack, or Gerald Flurry ever given us that was meaningful and worthwhile? Endless “prophetic” updates that somehow never quite land, demands for more tithes to keep their personal empires humming, and the constant reminder that everyone else is wrong while they alone hold the keys to the kingdom. A true monument to humility and service, no doubt—scattered little kingdoms more skilled at condemning the world (and each other) than actually lifting a finger to help it.

A lot of the major religions (Catholic and Protestant) formed the first schools of learning in Europe and the US. Though today most have drifted from their religious roots, churches have built hospitals, nursing homes, retirement communities, schools, and much more.

What will our legacy be as a church? At the present moment in COG history it is rather a shitty mess.

At whatever point in time Dolly meets her moment of glory and in whatever location it might be, she will be told: “Well done, my good and faithful servant!”

UCG: New Generation Incoming! Quick, Someone Tell Them We’ve Been Busily Being ‘Almost Ready’ Since the ’90s

Thirty Years of “Almost There”: 

UCG’s Epic Journey to Finally Doing the Work

Ah, yes, the United Church of God Council of Elders Report. Always a treasure trove of understated comedy. John Elliott, in a recent report, delivers the kind of announcement that would make any corporate consultant weep with envy: 

We have now reached a position where we are ready to perform—to do the Work in an enhanced way. We have a number of quality publications like Beyond Today, United News and Compass Check. With Council collaboration, we will begin focusing on setting other objectives for enhancing our target initiatives.

Thirty. Years.  That’s not a typo. After three full decades of existing as an organization, the United Church of God has finally arrived at the position where it is ready to “do the Work in an enhanced way.” One can only imagine the collective sigh of relief echoing through the halls: “At last! The warm-up is over. Time to start the actual race.”  

What, pray tell, was the previous 30 years for? According to the unofficial highlight reel that everyone outside the Council seems to remember: constructing buildings, assembling a staff roster that would make a mid-sized university jealous, and—of course—the occasional enthusiastic splintering. Nothing says “urgent proclamation of the gospel” quite like another round of organizational charts and real-estate closings.

Elliott continues with the inspiring vision: 

Operations for Ministerial and Member Services have been enhanced with the addition of new senior managers specifically managing Member Services and International Services. Media and Communications Services has a beautiful opportunity to provide our members with quality material. There is so much advertising everywhere that our message is getting lost to the public. We need to pray that God will open doors… 

 

Yes, the message is getting lost in the noise of modern advertising. Shocking. Perhaps if the previous three decades hadn’t been spent perfecting the art of internal bureaucracy and “growing relationships,” the public might have noticed a bit sooner. But no matter—new senior managers are here! Collaboration is blooming! Weekly meetings with the Chairman! Monthly chats with committee heads! Cohesive modules! The machinery of oneness is humming.

And let’s not forget the youth: 

A new generation is coming on—we need to encourage them with a firm foundation for the great work that God wants to do. There is a tendency to compare accomplishments in our current work to the work that was done in the past… ‘…be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the Lord, ‘and work; for I am with you… 

 

The classic Haggai pivot. Don’t you dare compare today’s “enhanced” efforts to the past. That would be unfair—especially when the past was spent mostly getting ready to get ready. The younger generation must be so thrilled to inherit this firm foundation of “we’re finally positioned.” Nothing engages the youth like watching their elders congratulate themselves on three decades of preparatory harmony while the actual Work waits politely in the lobby.

So here we are in 2026, after 30 years of buildings, bloated staffing, and the occasional organizational divorce, UCG has reached the summit. They are ready. They will now begin focusing on objectives. They will pray for open doors. They will demonstrate oneness.  

One can only wonder what the next 30 years will look like once they actually start. Perhaps another round of senior managers. Or a really nice new building. Or—dare we dream—an “even more enhanced” way of doing the Work.  

In the meantime, the rest of us will try not to compare. As the prophet (and the Council) reminds us: just be strong… and wait for the next report.

We have now reached a position where we are ready to perform—to do the Work in an enhanced way. We have a number of quality publications like Beyond Today, United News and Compass Check. With Council collaboration, we will begin focusing on setting other objectives for enhancing our target initiatives. 

 

Operations for Ministerial and Member Services have been enhanced with the addition of new senior managers specifically managing Member Services and International Services. 

 

Media and Communications Services has a beautiful opportunity to provide our members with quality material. There is so much advertising everywhere that our message is getting lost to the public. We need to pray that God will open doors and show the way to reach those whom He wants us to reach. 

 

In 1 Corinthians 12:25, we read that all of the members of the body should have the same care for one another. Mr. Elliott thanked everyone for pursuing oneness over the past year. Biblical unity and harmony are some things that Jesus Christ died for so that we can be one with God and each other. We will really shine as Christ’s disciples by the love that we will show and the oneness that we will demonstrate. 

 

Mr. Elliott thanked the Council and the administration for a great year of growing relationships and the wonderful strides that have been made in collaboration, respect and doing our work in harmony. He mentioned that he meets with Chairman Pebworth each week and with the Council Committee heads monthly. We need each other and we are growing together in cohesive modules that are doing the work of God. 

 

Mr. Elliott is encouraging discussions about how we can accomplish this work ever more effectively. A new generation is coming on—we need to encourage them with a firm foundation for the great work that God wants to do. There is a tendency to compare accomplishments in our current work to the work that was done in the past. In Haggai, there is an important lesson urging us not to compare today’s efforts with those of the past. To those who had returned from Babylon and constructed a less spectacular second temple, God said, “‘…be strong, all you people of the land,’ says the Lord, ‘and work; for I am with you,’ says the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:3-4).

Jesus Is Coming Back… to Enforce the Shadow While the Substance Sits in the Front Row Looking Confused

 

The Importance of Truth (Armstrongism Edition)

Or: How to Preach John 8:32 While Running a Multi-Decade Fact-Free Zone

Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Beautiful verse. Timeless.

Now watch the Living Church of God, and the rest of the certified Armstrongist truth-cartel, try to weaponize it with a straight face.

Doug Winnail earnestly informs us that we live in an age of misinformation, fake news, and conspiracy theories. Satan is the real author of confusion. Prophets of old warned that truth would perish. And when Jesus finally returns, Jerusalem will become “the City of Truth,” and the liberating truth of His law will blanket the planet—thanks, of course, to the faithful remnant He is currently calling (i.e., whoever still mails in the tithe checks).

Because nothing says “we are the guardians of truth” quite like a theological movement that has spent the better part of a century cranking out failed prophecies the way a bakery cranks out doughnuts. Herbert Armstrong’s “1975 in Prophecy” aged about as well as milk left on a dashboard in July. The successive waves of “this is the year,” “the Great Tribulation starts next Tuesday,” and “Christ returns before I die” from the various splinter apostles have been so consistently wrong that the only remaining mystery is why anyone still treats the next prediction as anything other than performance art.

And the current flock of certified truth-merchants? 

• Bob Thiel, the self-anointed prophet who discovers new “truths” with the same reliability as a Magic 8-Ball on a bumpy road. 
• Gerald Flurry, still insisting the Philadelphia Church of God is the sole repository of pure doctrine while the rest of the world is Laodicean trash. 
• David Pack, whose “Christ will return by [insert date that has already expired]” series has more reboots than a comic-book franchise. 
• Ronald Weinland, the convicted felon who announced the Day of the Lord so many times the calendar itself filed a restraining order.

These are the men (and the organizations they lead) who now lecture the world about the “global epidemic of misinformation.” The irony is so thick you could spread it on unleavened bread and call it a holy day.

Then comes the theological head-scratcher that Winnail’s little Sabbath pep-talk never bothers to address.

The law—the very law they insist will be enforced worldwide when Christ returns—was, according to the same New Testament they selectively quote, a shadow. A tutor. A pointer. It pointed to Him.  

So the plan, apparently, is this:

Jesus returns in glory, the King of kings, the One to whom the entire sacrificial system, the Sabbaths, the holy days, and the clean-and-unclean distinctions were pointing…

…and His first official act is to reinstate the shadow and force everyone to keep it forever.   

 

It’s like the entire movie building up to the hero’s reveal, only for the hero to walk on stage and announce, “Great news, everyone—we’re going back to the trailer!”

What, exactly, was the point of the incarnation, the cross, the resurrection, and the entire “I have come to fulfill” speech if the endgame is just “keep the law harder this time, under divine martial law”?  

Armstrongism’s answer is essentially: “Because we said so, and if you question it you’re Laodicean.”  

Which brings us full circle.

The same people who spent decades moving the prophetic goalposts, rewriting history, and demanding absolute loyalty while the facts changed underneath them now want us to believe they are the ones who will usher in the “City of Truth.” 

Sure.

And I’m the King of the North.

Have a profitable Sabbath, everyone.
Just don’t look too closely at the invoice—or the track record.

The Importance of Truth: Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Today, we face a global epidemic of misinformation, fake news, and conspiracy theories that generate mistrust of the media, governments, individuals, and major institutions. The Bible reveals that Satan is the god of this age and that he is a liar and the real author of the confusion we see around us (2 Corinthians 4:4; John 8:44; 1 Corinthians 14:33). The ancient prophets foretold that the time would come when truth would perish and be suppressed (Isaiah 59:4, 14–15; Jeremiah 7:28; 9:3–5; Romans 1:18). However, when Jesus Christ returns, His capital of Jerusalem will be known as “the City of Truth,” and the liberating truth of His law will be spread around the world by His servants He is calling today (Zechariah 8:1–3; Psalm 119:142; Isaiah 2:2–4; 11:9; 1 John 3:19). This is your exciting future—if you hold fast to the truth (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

Have a profitable Sabbath,

Douglas S. Winnai

Gerald Flurry’s Masterclass in Irony: Preaching Forgiveness While Enforcing Family Exile

 

Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection do not make any of us “worthy” in the sense of earning God’s favor through our own effort. Scripture is blunt: every human being is a sinner who falls short (Romans 3:23). None is righteous on their own (Romans 3:10). Our righteousness is like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). What the cross and empty tomb do accomplish is far better. God made the sinless Christ to be sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). While we were still sinners, Christ died for us; we are justified by His blood (Romans 5:8-9). Salvation is by grace through faith—not of ourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works (Ephesians 2:8-9). The believer’s standing is Christ’s perfect righteousness credited to them, not something they must continually earn or maintain by institutional loyalty, endless self-improvement, or returning to a particular group. Philippians 3:9 puts it plainly: not a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ.  Colossians 1:12 even uses language of being “qualified” or “made meet” to share in the inheritance—not because we worked harder, but because the Father has already done it through the Son. This is finished work. It is not a treadmill of perpetual proving.Gerald Flurry’s brand-new book, The Father’s Love, whose introduction (published in the September 2026 Philadelphia Trumpet) takes Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15 and turns it into an urgent appeal to “God’s prodigal sons”—specifically those Flurry labels Laodiceans who have left his Philadelphia Church of God. Flurry correctly notes that the father in the parable represents God the Father. The younger son demands his inheritance, leaves, squanders everything, and finally “comes to himself.” He returns rehearsing a speech of unworthiness: “I am no more worthy to be called thy son.” The father sees him from a great way off, runs, embraces, kisses, and restores him completely—best robe, ring, shoes, fatted calf—without a single lecture. Flurry writes movingly of the father’s joy and of heaven’s rejoicing over one sinner who repents. He insists God is waiting with open arms for anyone who leaves “His Church” and returns in repentance. He also addresses the older brother, urging faithful members to share the father’s heart. All of that is true to the text of Luke 15. The irony is so thick you could cut it with a knife.  For roughly two decades, Gerald Flurry has enforced a strict no-contact policy that requires PCG members to completely sever relationships with former members and anyone deemed “Laodicean”—including their own parents, children, siblings, and closest friends—except in very narrow cases involving an unconverted spouse who is “pleased to dwell,” or you are one of the PCG elite where this rule has never applied.In a December 2005 Pastor General’s Report and subsequent sermons, Flurry clarified that partial contact (“as long as religion is not discussed”) is not forbidden, but later he  said the cut-off is to be total. He has described the pain this causes as useful: God wants the “sting” of shunning to drive people back. Former members and their families have documented years of silence, broken marriages, children cut off from grandparents, and in at least one tragic case a daughter’s body returned only after years of enforced separation. So the same organization that has systematically broken families in the name of “protecting the Church” is now publishing a book that celebrates a father who runs to the returning son and refuses even to let him finish his speech of unworthiness. Flurry tells “prodigals” that the Father is watching the horizon. Meanwhile, his own policy has instructed loyal members to keep those same people firmly off the horizon. The parable’s father never demanded the son rejoin a specific human organization or submit to a particular man’s government before the embrace. He simply saw repentance and rejoiced. Flurry’s version quietly inserts an extra condition: return to this church, accept this authority structure, and then the kisses and the feast can begin. That is not the father’s heart in Luke 15. That is institutional control dressed up in biblical language. True worthiness before God is not restored by crawling back into any human group. It was secured once for all at the cross and confirmed by the resurrection. Believers already stand clothed in Christ’s righteousness. They do not have to keep working to become worthy; they already are declared so by grace through faith. Any teaching that turns the father’s open arms into a recruitment tool for a particular organization has missed the point of the parable—and of the gospel itself. Flurry’s book may move some readers with its description of divine compassion. The lived history of the Philadelphia Church of God under his leadership tells a very different story about how that compassion has actually been practiced toward those who walked away. The contrast is not subtle. It is the definition of irony.

The Suspenders of Doom: How One Man in Iowa Just Demoted Germany and Promoted Trump to Full-Time Beast

 

God's greatest gift to the church (after Bob Thiel, of course) is Samuel Kitchen—the self-appointed restorer of the last true remnant of the Worldwide Church of God, just did a video broadcast straight from what appears to be a red-curtain bacchanal in one of those trailers at Stateline behind the casinos on your way to Vegas (or is that the official “ripped-off photo from Pasadena headquarters from the 1980s?). And what a fashion statement our new fearless end-time watchman was as he heralded in the imminent Beast system! Red shirt to symbolize the scarlet beast and black suspenders to symbolize its two horns.  

Yes, brethren. Nothing says “I am the sole authorized spokesman of the New and Improved Worldwide Church of God, holder of the sacred name, collector of tithes, owner of the greatest aggregator of COG literature since Ron Stephens, and sole possessor of the official COG decoder ring for the Bible, quite like dressing like a 1950s short-order cook on Route 66.  

In this latest prophetic masterpiece titled “Donald Trump…Future Beast?” (59 whole views and counting!), our suspendered sage continues his noble quest of recycling Herbert W. Armstrong’s greatest hits—British-Israelism, Germany-as-Assyria, place of safety in Petra, the whole dusty catalog—except now he’s improvising. Apparently the classic “man from Germany” Assyrian plot twist is getting a little stale, so why not pivot mid-sentence and declare that the Beast might actually be…Donald Trump? 

Half-German, half-whatever, building a great economy, auditing the nation like a cosmic receiver, and preparing to be possessed by Satan for a tidy 3½ years.  

Brilliant. 

Decades of meticulous Armstrongist charts proving the Beast rises from a United States of Europe just got yeeted into the Iowa cornfields because one man in suspenders had a new revelation while blabbering in front of the beastly red curtain. 

The Worldwide Church of God “fell into the hands of apostates,” you see, so only Samuel can now properly warn the world that looking “across the pond” for the Beast is so 1986. Look in the backyard instead! Or the Oval Office! Or wherever the algorithm points next week!  

Truly the cutting edge of 21st-century prophecy. Dave Pack, Bob Thiel and Gerald Flurry are shaking in their boots right now.

Make-A-Will Month Special: Leave It to LCG, Because Family Is Just a Bunch of Esaus Waiting to Squander Your Money

 

“Dear Brethren… Please Die Conveniently”

Gerald Weston’s Latest Money-Grubbing Masterpiece

The classic Armstrongist con: wrap a naked cash grab in a few cherry-picked Bible verses, sprinkle in some “we never beg” false humility, and watch the faithful sign over the family farm. Gerald E. Weston has once again polished Herbert W. Armstrong’s favorite parlor trick—telling members that the best way to “lay up for their children” is to make damn sure a hefty chunk of that inheritance never reaches those children.

Weston opens with the charming discovery that August is “National Make-A-Will Month.” How convenient! Right on cue, the letter arrives in members’ mailboxes like a friendly reminder from the Grim Reaper’s accounting department. He assures everyone he “spends most of the time updating you on what your prayers and financial contributions are doing, rather than begging for more money.”
Translation: “I am totally not begging… except for the part where I am about to beg for your entire estate.”

Then comes the biblical smoke screen. Parents should leave an inheritance to their children (2 Corinthians 12:14, Proverbs 13:22). Noble! Heartwarming! Until you notice the immediate pivot: some kids are responsible, some are Esau-level losers who will “quickly squander” it. God Himself “discriminated” between Jacob and Esau, after all. So if your offspring look a little too much like the biblical bad boy who sold his birthright for a bowl of stew… well, maybe the Living Church of God would be a safer bet.  

Weston even throws in the Prodigal Son for good measure. The younger kid blew it, the older one came out ahead. Moral of the story according to LCG: better to give early and often to headquarters, just in case your own flesh and blood turns out to be a disappointment.  

But the real emotional blackmail arrives with the tragic tales of two dearly departed members who wanted to leave everything (or a “substantial sum”) to “this Work of God”… yet failed. One neglected to put it in writing. The other forgot to sign the will. Cue the collective gasp: their money went to the state! Or worse—actual blood relatives! The horror! Weston doesn’t say the quiet part out loud, but the message lands like a brick: Don’t be those guys. Don’t let your hard-earned assets slip through the church’s fingers just because you were too busy dying to update the paperwork.

And if you do feel a sudden holy urge to remember the Living Church of God in your will? Why, they’ll happily mail you their free booklet Planned Giving—only if you request it, of course. No pressure. Just a gentle, loving suggestion from the same organization that historically demanded multiple tithes while living and still keeps the collection plate open after you’re in the ground.

This is pure Armstrongist tradition, distilled. Herbert used to preach that the “Work” was the only thing that mattered in the end times. His successors refined the pitch: your family might waste it, the government will seize it, but we—the self-appointed guardians of “true” Christianity—will use it for prophecy charts, telecasts, and whatever else keeps the headquarters lights on. Families get the guilt. The church gets the check.  

Disgusting? Absolutely. But in the world of Armstrongism, it’s just another Tuesday… or rather, another “Make-A-Will Month.” So next time Gerald writes to remind you that “death does not always come at old age,” remember: he’s not worried about your legacy. He’s worried about theirs.  

Your kids can always get a nice framed photo of Dad instead. The church prefers the cash. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

A lot is happening around the world, but I want to get back to something I only learned a few days ago. I opened a letter from an organization that I follow and learned that “August is Make-A-Will Month” in the U.S. I wondered: Is that correct? Is there really a month to highlight this purpose? Sure enough, a quick Internet search shows that August is recognized as National Make-A-Will Month to encourage individuals to create or update their wills, thus protecting loved ones and preserving their legacy. Canada is beginning to do the same, though our friends north of the border designate the month of November.

Now before you stop reading, those of you who receive these letters know that I spend most of the time updating you on what your prayers and financial contributions are doing, rather than begging for more money. You also know that on our telecasts and in our literature we do not ask the public for contributions. Everything we have we give away absolutely free of charge, thanks to you members and co-workers. You are the only ones who receive these letters.

However, I do want to say a few things about the subject of wills and legacies, as this is vitally important no matter how you distribute the assets you accumulate in this life. What you do regarding your legacy is very personal, and although we greatly appreciate the fact that a few people do remember us in this way, my message to you, and why I bring this up, is that the advice to make a will and keep it updated is important. Death does not always come at old age. As Solomon wrote, “For man also does not know his time: Like fish taken in a cruel net, like birds caught in a snare, so the sons of men are snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them” (Ecclesiastes 9:12).

God tells us that even in death we have responsibilities. We are told in 2 Corinthians 12:14 that parents ought to lay up for their children. And Proverbs tells us, “A good man leaves an inheritance [even] to his children’s children” (13:22). But it is important to make your wishes known in writing to ensure that the assets you have worked for all your life are distributed as you desire. If you die without a will, your wishes may not be fulfilled.

My parents left equal amounts to my sister and me, and they had everything in perfect order, but some parents may have valid reasons to leave a greater or lesser amount to each of their children—not because some are favorites, but because a parent may realize that one child is responsible and he or she will benefit from that gift, while another child would quickly squander it. Even God discriminated between Jacob and Esau. Neither child was perfect. Jacob was a crafty man who had to learn some painfully hard lessons in life—and he did—but Esau is described as a “fornicator” and a “profane person… who for one morsel of food sold his birthright” (Hebrews 12:16). We also read that “Esau despised his birthright” (Genesis 25:34). He failed to value the inheritance that would normally have been his by right of birth. Even though Jacob was not a very nice brother in his younger days, he looked beyond the immediate and God knew it would be better to pass along the birthright promises to his descendants rather than to those of his brother.

But even here, if you read the whole story, you see that God did not totally neglect Esau, and it is important that parents leave something to each child, if for no other reason than to mitigate a legal challenge that could follow. We must also not forget one of the most famous of Jesus’ parables, that of the Prodigal Son, who squandered the inheritance his father gave him early in life. Yet, his father still loved him, as God our Father does us despite our sinfulness. Nevertheless, since the younger son squandered his inheritance, the older son would have come out further ahead as his inheritance would have grown greater over time before it finally came to him.

It is remarkable how selfish people can be when it comes to inheritances. We have all heard stories about how one sibling cheated (stole) an inheritance from the other siblings. How sad, but it happens all the time. Maybe it happened to you. There is a proverb addressing this subject that indicates this problem is not new. “An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning will not be blessed at the end” (Proverbs 20:21).

The importance of putting your house in order was brought out this last year when two individuals that we know of wanted to leave all or a portion of their estates to this Work of God. However, in both cases, they failed to have their wills or trusts in order. One man I personally knew quite well, and I know that he wanted to leave a substantial sum to the Church. Even though he was in failing health the last few years, he neglected to put his heart’s desire down on paper. The other man made out his will but failed to sign it. In this latter case, the man had no heirs, and his substantial estate has gone to the state in which he lived—something he definitely did not want.

Whether you want to pass along a portion of your legacy to the Living Church of God, which is the sponsor of Tomorrow’s World, or to family, friends, or another charity, please be sure to make your wishes known in a manner consistent with your desires and the laws where you live. Having a simple will is a starting point, but it is always better to receive legal advice to ensure that your legacy goes where you want it to go. And if you do want to give a portion to the Living Church of God, or need general advice on wills, we can send you a copy of our short and easy-to-read resource Planned Giving. We will only send it if you request it. It can also be accessed online at lcg.org/planned-giving.

Thank you again, dear brethren and co-workers, for your dedication to this Work of the living God. Let us remember one another, recognizing that there are many dangers in our world and that we are one body. Let us pray for one another, whether in our own country or somewhere far away.

Sincerely, in Christ’s service,

Gerald E. Weston

Shake, Rattle & Roll… Straight Into the Cult: Crackpot Bob's Earthquake Evangelism

 

Crackpot Bob, the self-appointed prophet of perpetual doom, is once again staring into the camera from his book-lined bunker of doom, waving his hands like a man who’s just spotted a magnitude-12 personal crisis on the horizon. This month’s special? Earthquakes. Not the ordinary ones that keep seismologists employed and insurance companies solvent—no, the really big one. The Revelation 16 special. The “cities of the nations fell… every island fled away… mountains were not found” model. Bigger than anything Pliny the Elder ever hyperventilated about. And conveniently, if you’re one of Bob’s loyal followers and manage to scramble into the rocky embrace of Petra, you’ll get a front-row seat to the fireworks while the rest of us heathens get turned into tectonic confetti.

Armstrongism has always been a masterclass in marketing misery. Herbert W. Armstrong perfected the formula decades ago: scan the headlines, cherry-pick every famine, pestilence, and tremor, then scream “BEGINNING OF SORROWS!” until the donation envelopes start arriving. Bob simply inherited the family business. His writings don’t just mention tragedy—they dwell in it, roll around in it, build a timeshare on it. Every article is a guided tour of the apocalypse gift shop: “ San Andreas Research is Small Potatoes Compared to the Really BIG ONE!" And don’t forget the scoffers of 2 Peter 3 who dare to suggest that tectonic plates have been doing their thing for a few billion years! The message is crystal clear: the world is a dumpster fire, Jesus is basically the fire marshal with a very specific guest list, and the only way to avoid getting roasted is to join the club, keep the Sabbath, avoid the unclean meats, and start packing for Jordan.

New Covenant Christians, however, have this radical idea that the New Testament might actually mean what it says.

Under the New Covenant, we are not trembling children waiting for Daddy to finish the global demolition project so He can finally notice us. We are already reconciled. Already seated with Him in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). Already sealed with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee (Ephesians 1:13-14). The “day of the Lord” that will melt the elements is not a surprise pop quiz for those who are in Christ; it is the final cleanup of a creation that has been groaning for redemption (Romans 8:19-23). And when that day arrives, believers are not scrambling for a cave in Petra—we are “looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God” because we already belong to the One who holds the keys.

Perfect love, Scripture insists, casts out fear (1 John 4:18). Not “perfect doctrinal charts about the place of safety.” Not “perfect attendance at the Feast of Tabernacles in a Jordanian canyon.” Perfect love. The kind that flows from knowing the finished work of the cross. The kind that lets us watch the news, shrug at the latest 6.8, and still sleep at night because our security is not measured in Richter scale readings or the slip rate of the San Andreas.

Bob, of course, cannot dwell there. Armstrongism never could. If you stop selling fear, the entire revenue model collapses. No more “watch therefore… that you may be counted worthy to escape.” No more urgent calls to “consider your ways” while the real consideration—grace, rest, the indwelling Christ—gets quietly ignored. Misery is the product. Tragedy is the branding. And the New Covenant is the competition that must never be mentioned, lest people realize they don’t need a cult membership card to survive the end of the age.

So keep watching those earthquakes, Bob. Keep updating the “biggest one ever” spreadsheet. Keep pointing the faithful toward Petra like it’s the ultimate Airbnb for the elect. New Covenant Christians will be over here, sipping coffee, reading the actual gospel, and marveling that the same Jesus who predicted “earthquakes in various places” also promised, “Peace I leave with you… Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

The ground may shake. The mountains may move. But the New Covenant doesn’t.