Even Elijah's Facebook Friends are Ignoring Him!

Did you know that Elijah III (Harold Reimann) has moved to Lucerne Valley, CA (up by Victorville) so he could  live in the desert like John the Baptist did?

Elijah III would tell you to quit saying, "Happy Birthday." You rave against Christmas and yet say the pagan happy birthday. It stamps you as Satan's, just as Rx, the eye of Horus, stamps drugs as Satan's. Just as the 2 snakes of the medical caduceus stamp the medical profession as Satan's.

Elijah III would tell women to quit wearing makeup. Don't look like a whore! Let your kosmeo (where we get cosmetics - your adorning) be in subjection to your husband like Sarah was. Not outward adorning but inward adorning of a meek and quiet spirit. Do not try to usurp authority over a man. Be keepers at home!

So where is Elijah III? He's here somewhere. If it's me, Lucerne Valley, CA. You think he lives in a big city? Wilderness probably like John the Baptist. That's why I moved to the desert. Plus I didn't want all the crime connected with all the minorities. Will he be a minister? God is sending a special messenger because his ministers are not doing their job. I don't think he will be a minister. Look for someone who has not changed in the midst of doctrinal change these last 50 years. I have not changed.

Elijah Harold has been posting  his junk about the evils of doctors for fifteen years now.  In all those years only 1 person has ever responded to his craziness. Even his so called 'friends' on Facebook are ignore him:

A daughter of one of the church's evangelists told me to to tell her when I found Elijah III. I told her everyone will know when Elijah III comes. Just like Elijah and John the Baptist. Both made a lot of waves! Now John did not perform any miracles. But then he preached before Jesus was killed. Elijah III will preach before Jesus comes as King of Kings and kills most of mankind. So I believe we shall see POWER from Elijah III. And that's why I destroyed my best work, "God Or Doctors?" I've had those words of TRUTH since 1996 on the web AND NO RESPONSE (except 1). I'm tired of words but still I write. I want to see POWER! I want to see Elijah III. And I'm so sure he's coming that I tied my hand behind my back, my proof that the whole church is off the track in healing and would go into the tribulation if it wasn't for the coming of Elijah III! That's why it's so easy to be on the inside track. The church isn't even racing.

Look, I've just started this book. I have 293 people on my friend's list in FB. Very few women because my page is very serious! Yet, not one response to my book as yet. Not even from Tim Hall. So so far, no interactive book. But this is only Day Two.

I bought this book when it first came out.  It is a fascinating read into life in Armstrongism.  Someone reading this outside of Armstrongism would be aghast at the things that went on in her family, but is instantly recognizable to anyone who has spent time in the Church of God.

Matches in the Gas Tank, A Memoir by Carla Powers

Matches in the Gas Tank, A Memoir by Carla Powers 

Carla Powers was Daddy's princess back in Arkansas in the late 1950s. Then Daddy got religion.
That religion, based in the teachings and deprivation of narrow-minded, punitive ministers, tormented her dangerous alcoholic father and her entire family. Growing up, Carla never knew a woman could do anything more than she was asked—or demanded—to do. She definitely never imagined that other worlds would open up to her and she would rise to become a powerful attorney.
Matches in the Gas Tank tells the story of life inside the Radio Church of God and the influence of Herbert W. Armstrong, the Church's founder and prophet. Under his influence, Carla's family moved away from relatives and friends to Big Sandy, Texas, an enclave in which everyone lived by strict and unforgiving rules arbitrarily determined by Armstrong. His vision of how to get to "The Kingdom of God" and avoid a sea of flames consisted of unending lists of rules covering everything from food consumption, to financial responsibilities, to sexual behavior. The only way to rise above the poverty level was to become a minister, and the only way to become a minister was to continually police your neighbors for sin. Ministers were allowed to barge in a home any time of the day or night to inspect everything from the cleanliness of a family's kitchen to the contents of their tax returns.
This is the story of how Carla escaped the control of the church and found a way to deal with the legacy of abuse and shame left to her by her father. As she embraces her difficult childhood, she comes to understand that while those we love have the power to hurt us, they can't destroy us. We can find strength in unexpected places.
Anyone who has had a less-than-perfect family, has struggled with the faith of her fathers or has gone through recovery from abuse, perfectionism, or any cult of personality will connect with the power of redemption in this moving memoir.

Apostle Malm: It is a SIN to Pay Road Tolls On The Sabbath!

If you thought Armstrongism could not get any wackier, take a look at the illogical thought process of Apostle Malm.

One of his acolytes asked:

Will UCG now begin to have some respect for the Sabbath by not cooking, traveling, or paying others to serve them on High Days and Sabbaths as God has commanded?

The Apostle replies:

The fact that Chairman Rhodes admits using public transport in London on the Sabbath should provide at least a partial answer. (How in the hell is a person not from the UK supposed to travel around London, especially if they were going to preach at a UCG service?)

Should we do what Orthodox Jews such as former U.S. Vice Presidential candidate Joseph Lieberman does on Sabbath – park the car and simply walk everywhere, including to worship?

I would gass up on Friday and then drive to a service myself. I think that in nearly all cases some kind of transportation arrangement can be made that does not involve paying for public transport. To me a Sabbath day’s journey by car is one that does not require any purchase [like more gas] and that does not tire [like work], say roughly somewhat less than an hour. (There you have it folks, no more two hour drives to be with like minded brethren, 45 minutes is your max because you will get tired. Oy!) In some cases issues such as road tolls can usually be dealt with by buying in advance, or using other roads, or if necessary establishing more local congregations. If we are trying to please God, he WILL provide the wisdom and the means. Your Orthodox example shows the lack of wisdom in modern apostate Judaism; for what requires more effort; to walk a mile or drive it? This is the same as the man who climbs four flights of stairs to avoid using electricty; just plain counter productive. In any case going to a [hopefully] godly assembly, is a little different than paying for a totally unnecessary restaurant meal [because we have not properly prepared ourselves]. Its all about zeal for the commandments coupled with wisdom. James (Actually it is all about burdening down members with useless, irrelevant rules and regulations!)

Does the Apostle not see the hypocrisy in his writings when he is sitting home on a Friday night and Saturday mornings using his computer, electricity, and someone else Internet service to post his drivel?  Why is he breaking HIS holy sabbath by doing such secular things?  Why is he profaning HIS sabbath?  Why does he not prepare all his missives and post them at 3:00 on a Friday afternoon so he will not be breaking HIS sabbath?

Dennis On : Paul and his "I have Become All Things to All Men..."

"I Have Become All Things to All Men..."

There is no one quite like the Apostle Paul in the New Testament and no one writes more than he does to explain his idea of Christ.  Paul had a way of reaching back, or over reaching, into the Old Testament to explain Christ. Of all things, though he may have been a "Hebrew of the Hebrews" and a "Pharisee of the Pharisees," and way ahead of his buddies in school, he only ever used the Greek Old Testament and often quoted the errors in it to make his point.  Go figure. You'd think he'd use the Hebrew and get the meaning correct.

Whatever kind of Apostle Paul was, only he and Luke seems to have recognized that ordination.  No one in the New Testament Church under Peter, James or John, as goes the story, ever called Paul an Apostle.  

 I say "Christ" because Paul was not big on any human Jesus.  He never met him in real life and never quotes him.  The Gospels were written long after the Apostle Paul died, and it is Paul's writings that are or should be listed first in the order of the New Testament.  For Paul, Christ was Cosmic in nature, was crucified in the heavens by wicked spirits and all the instructions Paul ever got from Christ came in the form of visions and voices in his head.   

But there is this other way of  being Paul brags about that has always been troubling to me. 

I Corinthians 9:20

" 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. "

It's no wonder the debate about is Paul for the Law or against it, a Jewish Pharisee or a Gentile wannabe, called on the Damascus Road or called from his mother's womb, as he noted in Galatians, is endless.  If Paul was a Pharisee, he was like no other Pharisee ever.  He says after his conversion he went immediately to the wilderness for three years.  Why?  No one knows and the "to be taught by Jesus" is just made up stuff and Paul never said that himself either.  On the other hand, Acts says he was taken immediately to Jerusalem to meet the Elders and while a big topic, both cannot be correct.  Someone is lying. 

Now please don't take this as a compliment to the more egocentric COG leaders.  It is not meant to be.  Paul loved to talk about himself.  

"I wanna talk about me." 

There are a number of reasons why many scholars today believe Paul was not the author of the book of Hebrews. One obvious reason is, in the other epistles credited to him, Paul doesn't hesitate to identify himself along with his supposed credentials. The author of Hebrews is strangely silent on these matters. Many scholars believe Barnabas was the author of Hebrews, but I think Apollos is a far better candidate... but that's a different subject. The point is, no one knows for sure.  But Paul certainly couldn't be in the running as the author of Hebrews when one also considers the statistical rate of the personal pronoun usage. The author of Hebrews refers to himself only 9 times, which is approximately 1.3 personal pronouns per thousand words. To help put this in perspective, let's compare the book of Hebrews to the book of Romans. They are both relatively large books of similar length, divided into 13 and 16 chapters respectively. Yet in only the first half of the first chapter of Romans, which is 16 verses worth, Paul uses twice as many personal pronouns as the author of Hebrews uses in his entire book! In the book of Romans, Paul refers to himself 103 times, which is rate of about 18.2 per thousand! That is 13x greater than Hebrews. In 1 Corinthians, Paul refers to himself 175 times, in 2Corinthians 103 times again, and in the relatively short book of Galatians, he refers to himself 69 times which is a rate of 25 personal pronouns per 1000 words!"
"No other epistle author in the Bible wrote like Paul. This would be true on a number of levels, but one aspect is of particular interest when we are considering how Paul views himself. He had a way of drawing attention to himself with his usage of personal pronouns. When it comes to how often he uses words like, "I", "me", "my", or "mine", the overall rate in his epistles is almost three times that of his next closest rival.

Scott Nelson,  Paul and Christianity

It's kinda like knowing that David C. Pack really wrote something because of the astounding numbers of personal pronouns, calling himself "Mr. Pack" when writing about himself or using the words "astounding,"  "incredible" and "I don't think I have ever given a sermon quite like this one...well maybe back in June of 1986, but not like this one..."  Stuff like that.  We'd be able to spot a genuine article in a second.  So it is with Paul. 

But there is this other thing Paul believed that is most troubling.  

I Corinthians 9:20;

" 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. "

If this really is the way Paul operates in ministry, how on earth would one ever know what he really believed?  Is this an admirable trait to act like everyone you come in contact with is just like you and you just like them?  Could you ever really trust a man who simply slipped in and out of costume depending on the kind of play he was in?  I don't recall Jesus, in the Gospels, becoming a Roman or Samaritan when it served him better to do so.  But then again, the Gospels NEVER heard of the Apostle Paul as Saul. Funny he should live right there in Jerusalem but never come up in the Gospels.  But then again, most theologians have never seen a Pharisee so cozy with the Romans , complete with Roman citizenship, as Paul seems to have enjoyed.  (Some suspect Paul was a Sadducee in fact and someone upgraded him along the way telling his story.)  Sadducee's loved the Romans and worked for the making some feel Paul was not so much a brilliant Pharisee "above all his fellows," (Sounds like Dave again..) but a temple thug who was sent out to harass the good folk not cozy with the Romans.  For this, I would recommend, Hyam Maccoby's  , Paul the Mythmaker

I won't repeat the argument that it was Paul that the early church considered a "Simon Magus" or why the Ephesian Church letter in Revelation probably can best be summed up by this short critique...

Paul to the Ephesians: "I am an apostle of Jesus"

The Ephesians to Paul: "No you're not."

Jesus  to the Ephesians: "Well done!" 

... but it is a great story!

So...should we trust a man and his view of Jesus, or rather the Cosmic Christ who would do and be anything to anyone they needed him to be to win them over?  I don't see the Peter, James or John of the New Testament thinking this was the way to go.  Would we not think such a way of being to be outright lying or duplistic?  Could you ever trust a man who bragged about doing his work that way?  

Paul went on to say,

"Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved. Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ."   1Corinthians 10:31-33

Whatever "Christ" he was imitating, it's not any Jesus I read about in the Gospels.  Pleasing all men???  When was this?   In Galatians 2:13-14 we have Paul practically cursing Peter and "withstanding him to his face," over Jewish sensibilities and seems he suspended his "all things to all men," and "pleasing" with this group from James.


Actually I believe we can argue that Peter plainly saw Paul was not even going by the Noahide ruling of James in answering the question, "if a Gentile can become a Jew with the Noahide rules, how can a Gentile become a Jewish Christian?"  The answer was..."The same way..."  Avoid meat sacrficed to idols etc....   Of course we see in I Corinthians that Paul went back to Corinth and had no intentions of abiding by even the Noahide rules given by James.  I believe Peter saw this at this meal and withdrew.

 
In my years of study on just who is this man that usurps the New Testament and out writes the 12 Apostles , who actually wrote nothing.  Sorry to say, Jesus himself never seems to have written anything so either he was illiterate or what? We find ourselves depending on this Apostle Come Lately for most of the NT theology about Christ.  


When you read the Gospels and try to match the Jesus of the Gospels with the Christ of Paul or the Killer Jesus of Revelation, well...it's a chore. 


Paul had a habit of saying, quite often,  "I lie not."  I think he was lying or at least was often accused of it by the Jewish Christian Church and Apostles of the Gospel  disciples to become Apostles stories.  Remember, Luke was Paul's biographer of sorts and the only one in the NT who seems to favor him.  Luke is also the only other human in the NT who calls this man who brags about being all things to all men an Apostle.  


So...if I had to pick a more accurate NT view of Jesus  (Not the Gnostic Heavenly Christ of Paul who is called "the hallucinatory Christ of Paul,"  I would pick the Jewish Christian view of Jesus.  I would leave the Apostle Paul out of the truth equation altogether.  The early church, if there really was one as presented, hated Paul and being hated by the Jewish Church does not prove he was God's man of faith and power and should get to write the story of whoever a man called Jesus really was.  I think I would pick the WCG again!  However, I don't trust the veracity of the entire story so, not to worry. 


I'd be the opposite of Marcion I suppose who cut out most of the OT and NT and only kept Paul's writings.  Today we understand that Paul's original writings are probably Romans, I and 11 Corinthians, Galatians, Phillipians, I Thessalonians and Philemon.  The rest are up for grabs and doubtful, containing church issues and topics that are far too far down the road to be issues in the life of Paul.  As we have seen, no Apostle Paul wrote the Book of Hebrews.


So...would you trust a man who brags about being all things to all men and who would do anything to please others?  i don't.  I also don't trust a man who is said to have fallen off his ass, heard the voice of Jesus in his head and saw a bright light, which are all the symptoms of temporal lobe epilepsy, (not the ass part) and all three renditions of it by Luke contradict each other. 

Dennis C
DenniscDiehl@aol.com

The People Don't Know Their True Power

If only Church of God members could take this to heart!  

They do not realize the power they have. 

 When their bloviating minister or evangelist is standing up there spitting at them 

they should remember there is a  door behind them!

ht: Dennis

LCG: Just Who Are The "Real" Christians Being Persecuted?

Today, the Living Church of God had their weekly newsletter go out and one of it's headlines is persecution of Christians in the middle east. That might be eye catching to mainstream Christians who read this, but this is the Living Church of God who does not consider  anyone outside the Living Church of God to be true Christians.  Anyone who is not a Sabbath keeping, holy day keeping, kosher eating Christian is NOT considered to be a true Christian.  Just look at the drivel Bob Thiel writes and you will see this teaching is quit predominate. All I can say is THANK YOU Bob Thiel for being the OFFICIAL mouthpiece for the Living Church of God. Thanks to YOUR writings the truth is out there!

So who is LCG really referring to in this post?  Is it the Coptic Christians in Egypt who are being murdered?  Iranian Christians? Egyptian Christians?  LCG's own self -righteous prophet damns all these people as fake so-called Christians which immediately puts them outside God's protection. So just WHO is LCG talking about here since they call these people "so-called Christians?"

Why doesn't the Living Church of God include a preface in their "news report" and clarify that there are no Christians outside the Living Church of God and that the  Christians being discussed here will actually be LCG members at some time in the future.  Armstrongite teachings clearly states that Satan hates the true Christians in the Church of God and will attempt to kill them until they are taken to the place of safety. Regular Sunday Christians are mere dung in God's sight.

War against Christians in the Middle East.

Source: CIA World Factbook

Newsweek magazine recently reported that "Terrorist attacks on Christians in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia increased 309% from 2003 to 2010." The article described how Christians in the Middle East are being attacked and suffering for their religious views. The author's rhetoric is more alarming than one would expect from the mainstream press. "Christians are being killed in the Islamic world because of their religion. It is a rising genocide that ought to provoke global alarm... [it is] the conspiracy of silence... Nothing less than the fate of Christianity--and ultimately of all religious minorities--in the Islamic world is at stake... It is a spontaneous expression of anti-Christian animus by Muslims that transcends cultures, regions and ethnicities" (Newsweek, February 13, 2012). The Bible reveals that Satan's society at the end of the age will hate followers of Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:9). In fact, Jesus said the world would hate His disciples, because they are of Him (John 17:14). The prophet Daniel reveals that in the last days, a predominantly Muslim King of the South will "push against" a predominantly "Christian" King of the North but will be overcome by the King of the North (see Daniel 11).
The recent surge in violence and intolerance against Christians could be one of the ways the King of the South will attempt to "push against" the North. This aggression against Christians in the Middle East will likely generate a backlash from the future Catholic European Beast Power. For more information on this long-prophesied confrontation, please review our booklet, The Beast of Revelation.

"If The Vision Is Big Enough, Then Facts Don't Matter!"

I don't think this is a splinter group of the old WCG, but just a group that took WCG's name and incorporated into theirs.

Nor do I think they realize how appropriate their web page banner is in it's description of Armstrongism.  Though HWA's vision was grand, it is quit obvious now that facts NEVER mattered!  Though Dave Pack's and Gerald Flurry's vision may be big, facts have never mattered.

Oh wait, that seems to be what's wrong with most of Christianity!  Facts never matter. Fluff, literalism, speculation, false prophecies, bigotry, homophobia, racism, stupid apostles and aberrant doctrines do.

It sure sounds like a happening group!  One Accord Worldwide Church of God, Inc.

"Apostle Wesley is a SPIRITUAL PARAMEDIC that helps resuscitate them back to life by providing a healing and delivering WORD of GOD.

"In January 2012, Friendship Worldwide Fellowship Ministries merged with One Accord Holiness Church; thus creating One Accord Worldwide Church of God, Inc., where the Presiding Bishop is Dr. John D. Wesley and Apostle serves as the Diocesan."

"

New Book: The End Will Be Graphic: Apocalyptic in Comic Books and Graphic Novels

There is a new book being published that discusses the graphics used by different illustrators to portray the end of the world.  One of those artists featured is Basil Wolverton.  Wolverton is the one who created teh nightmare inducing graphics for the children Bible Story books for WCG.

More info is here:  The End Will Be Graphic Apocalyptic in Comic Books and Graphic Novels

The End Will Be Graphic
Apocalyptic in Comic Books and Graphic Novels
Edited by Dan W. Clanton, Jr

This collection is based on the premise that apocalyptic imagery and themes pervade not only cultural products that employ specifically biblical imagery, but are also found in media that do not purport to impart biblical or even religious messages. Comic books and graphic novels are the focus here because, it is suggested, they are the medium that comes the closest to the imaginative malleability found in the history of biblical interpretation.

In Part One, the focus is on Indie/Creator-Owned works. Emily Laycock demonstrates the overwhelming influence of Herbert W. Armstrong and his apocalyptic Worldwide Church of God on Basil Wolverton’s work, especially his biblical art. Aaron Kashtan then introduces us to Kevin Huizenga’s short story, “Jeepers Jacobs,” in which the title character—a theologian whose main area of research is the Christian doctrine of Hell—tries to convert an acquaintance with odd and fatal results. In her chapter, Diana Green examines Alan Moore’s Promethea, a character whose purpose is to initiate an Apocalypse but whose journey is much more complicated. Finally, A. David Lewis engages humorous and profane examples of apocalyptic imagery in the recent Indie comics Battle Pope and The Chronicles of Wormwood.

Part Two examines more mainstream works and begins with Terry Ray Clark’s adroit examination of how Kingdom Come utilizes both the functions and forms of ancient apocalyptic literature. Greg Stevenson then analyses a variety of texts—including X-Men: The Age of Apocalypse and issues #666 of Superman and Batman—to discern the way(s) in which the mythological language of apocalyptic and the mythology of superheroes interact. And finally, Greg Garrett provides a broad and thoughtful rumination on the two most widely read mainstream comics that deal with the End of Days: Kingdom Come and Watchmen.

This is a volume in the series Apocalypse and Popular Culture (see Howard, Network Apocalypse, Gribben and Sweetnam, Left Behind and the Evangelical Imagination, Walliss and Quinby, Reel Revelations, Partridge).

Dan W. Clanton, Jr, is Assistant Professor of Religion at Doane College, Crete, Nebraska.

Mike Swagerty Thesis On Decline In Church Attendance

This may interest some here.  I have not read through most of it.  Mainstream Christianity has been going through a gradual decline over the last several years.  Evangelicals are the latest taking a hit.  People are tired of the hypocrisy, bigotry, legalism and other things they see wrong and are jumping ship.

While Swagerty claims to have written this geared towards all churches who are suffering from this decline, I have to wonder if the main reason for this paper was the continuing decline of the GCI/WCG membership.

It was thought for many years that the church would grow dramatically after the dust had settled after the changes.  People would be in awe of us and want to join.  It hasn't happened.  A few years ago GCI/WCG was closing down a church a week.  What membership it has now, is made up of current and former members who may be returning.  New ones, with no connection to Armstrongism, are few in number.

I don't care to weed through his thesis, but some may.

Mike Swagerty: Church Growth in America: Whose Responsibility Is It?

Theological House of Cards

Check out this story of a woman who went through the WCG changes, left the church came back, spent ten years in GCI and then left again.

Sandy Blank went through the big doctrinal changes in the Worldwide Church of God, became thoroughly disillusioned, and walked out. After having a powerful conversion experience she went back to Worldwide (now Grace Communion International) to try to make a difference, but left again after 10 years. In “My Theological House” she describes her experience using a punchy metaphor that captures the feeling of desolation that comes from leaving a Bible-based cult.

Her entry is here:  My Theological House

But Judge, We Were Only Following "The Plain Truth About Child Rearing" Booklet

	The other day I published an entry about a Church of God couple who are now in prison for 20+ years each for child abuse.  Here is an entry that I posted on another newsgroup just prior to the sentencing.  It quotes from The Plain Truth About Child Rearing, one of Armstrognism's most vile booklets. The millennial couple - followers of God's truth restored after 1,900 years through Herbert Armstrong took to heart the teachings promoted in  "The Plain Truth About Child Rearing" Here is how they will justify their degenerate child abuse practices. They will use Armstrongism writings and proof text parts of them to justify their actions. Everything has to come straight from the Old Testament. And as usual they pick and choose those 'laws' they think are still required while ignoring those laws that they don't like. This is straight from one of the loony splinter cult sites: Physical Punishment: God's Way of Rearing Young Children Proverbs 3:11-12, "My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth." Hebrews 12:7-11, "If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." Proverbs 13:24, "He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes [early]." Proverbs 19:18, "Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying." Proverbs 22:15, "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him." Proverbs 23:13-14, "Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell." Proverbs 29:15, 17, "The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame . . . . Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul." II Timothy 3:16-17, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."

Van Robison on ""Saint" Herbert W. Armstrong"

"Saint" Herbert W. Armstrong

Looking back after many years, it is really quite amazing how so many of us were deluded and deceived by "Saint" Herbert W. Armstrong.  At least some people come to their senses and take an exit from the "temple"
of Herbert W. Armstrong.  Herbert created his own "temple" and many worshiped at his feet.  Splinter group leaders learned well from Herbert and they imitate his success at fleecing the flock.  It is astonishing that
so many allow themselves to be sheared right down to the bare skin by the Herbert clones who stand in pulpits promoting themselves as the "anointed" of God.  It is hard to understand but I suppose when people are called "brethren", it means they are "special" and in the "inner circle" of those who are closest to the throne of God.

"Saint" Herbert was a master deceiver.  He deceived multitudes about "tithing", about divorce and remarriage, about building fund donations and about the "need" for the "work of God."  Herbert was not alone because the world is overrun with bedfellows of the same ilk.  There is something odd about the common sheeple who are persuaded that they "must" follow these human seducers.  The Worldwide Church of God is only one among many of the worlds most successful religious cults.  When men place themselves in the position of being "important", "special", "elite", "on the phone with God at all times", "a prophet or prophetess", "in tune with God Almighty", "the understander of all truth", "anointed by God", "ordained by God", "wiser than all others on earth", "an apostle of Jesus Christ" and so forth, if we really had any sense we would all run as fast as we could in the opposition direction.

What is that magnetic pull that draws so many into the spiders web of religious deception that devours humans like the graveyard?  It would seem that so many are really just simple minded humans, and I confess that as a young man, I was in that group.  Herbert was not a "saint" in the sense of being an angel from heaven and far from it.  The human mind is most definitely mysterious and it is subject to being deceived even when otherwise it is very intelligent.  Why do humans have that obvious weakness?  Having experienced "Saint" Herbert W. and "Saint" Garner Ted Armstrong, I did learn long ago that humans who stand in pulpits should be viewed with grave doubt and suspicion, because they are very capable of not only deceiving others, but even of self-deception.

There is something very disturbing about the human mind and the fact that it can be persuaded to believe what "Saint Pastors" in the pulpits say or speak.  Why should humans believe "pastors" just because they are
persuasive or charismatic public speakers?    All "Bible correspondence courses" and "literature" from the various splinter groups of the Worldwide Church of God are designed to indoctrinate those who are gullible enough to believe this INK on PAPER is what "truth" is.  The same can be said for all Bible colleges and schools.  Each group teaches what they think "truth" is.  There are no exceptions.  Allegiance to "pastors", churches, religious organizations or even human governments has NOTHING to do with following Jesus Christ.

"Saint" Herbert W. Armstrong was NOT God and not even close, nor was the infamous Garner Ted.  The same applies to ALL the leaders of ALL the splinter groups of the Worldwide Church of God, who promote their particular beliefs as being the absolute "truth" of God Almighty.  NOT SO!  Exposure to alternative thinking will set the captives free from the ridiculous claims of self-appointed "spiritual" rulers of cult religious groups.  Anyone who has the courage to exit the nonsense of man-made churchianity, in time will see that the church world is in reality a man-made farce.  Millions the world over have taken an exit from the world of churches of all flavors. The reason is because there is great disappointment with the pied pipers who stand in pulpits and who promote themselves as "religious kings" over the foolish who bow to their nonsense.


Van Robison

Van Robison on "Judgmental "Christians""

Judgmental "Christians"

There is none so blind as those who cannot see.  Jesus Christ said that it is not the outer man, but the heart that counts.  There are many in the world of churches who look down upon those who do not conform to the
standard they think all people should conform to.  The original Worldwide Church of God had the perception that they were the "only true church of God upon the face of the earth."  That is typical of a pharisee mind.
The WWCG was not the only church that believes that is so.  I suspect that God Almighty is not so narrow minded as to think that some human group is the only source of what "truth" really is.  Almighty God is no doubt so beyond (millenniums) the thinking of human beings that human beings are nothing more than a speck of sand upon the seashore of human thought.    In the Old Testament we even read that the nations of men are nothing more than a drop in a bucket to God.

God is monumental and far beyond the scope of human beings and their very limited thinking.  God IS NOT confined to INK on PAPER called "the Bible."  In fact no matter what human beings think, God is exponential beyond human thinking.  God does NOT stand in a pulpit on Saturday or Sunday.  God is awesome far beyond anything human beings even have the capacity or ability to comprehend.    Almighty God cannot be fathomed by natural human comprehension.  He can only be understood in all His Glory and Holiness when He Himself willing makes Himself known.  INK on PAPER is not capable of conveying who God is.    The Bible is extremely limited in capacity to convey God, simply because God is not really understood by reading words.

Most human beings are very limited in their understanding about life and the universe, simply because their world revolves around the walls and confinement of their particular circle in which they live.  Natives who may live in the jungles of the world, may run naked for thousands of years and their world revolves around that environment into which they are born.  It is really no different with human beings who are born into the various cultures of the world, such as the United States, India, China, Russia, South America or name your environment.  No matter what situation any human being is born into, no human being is responsible for the origin of their birth.  Is God so narrow minded that He only acknowledges those who "go to church on Saturday or Sunday?"

I would suggest that God the Creator of the universe is so beyond the thinking of human beings, that He is light-years and trillions of years beyond the thought life of humans.  The so called "Bible" in no way can possibly define God or give comprehension of who God Almighty really is.  If there is really any understanding of the Creator of the vast universe, then it is Jesus Christ and Christ alone.  The Worldwide Church of God under the direction of Hebert W. Armstrong was nothing more than a FART.

Van Robison

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Apostle Malm: 70% Chance Tribulation Will Start By End of 2012

Apostle Malm is bloviating today about his important track record of confirmed prophecies.  He is predicting that war is eminent in the middle east within the total defeat of the Muslim nations.  When that occurs then there is a 70% chance that the tribulation will start late 2012.  Of course the Pope is added to the mix too.  If the present one dies the chances increase, then if the new pope starts performing miracles then it increases even more to 100%.

If this war concludes with the defeat of Radical Islam, the chances that the tribulation will begin at the end of this year will be about 70%.   If this pope dies the chances will increase to 80%.  If a new Pope begins to do miracles,  assists to set up a New Europe and is scheduled to visit Jerusalem: The chances that the tribulation will begin within 75 days of his selection as pope and setting up in Rome; and during the period of his visit to Jerusalem will be 100%.

The Apostle though is having problems with too much unbelief in his acolytes.  He claims to have over a thousand people - including elders-waiting to see if his prophecies come to pass before they jump ship into his cult.

Right now I know that there are hundreds of people [over a thousand]  including elders who are thinking:  I agree with a lot he says on doctrine and the problems, but I have a problem with his prophecy.   His positions are completely new and are the exact opposite of what we have believed.   They are waiting to see the fruits of my effort, whether it is of God or not.  That is  a good and proper thing and I commend them!

Apostle Malm is just one more in a long line of liars that have spread their propaganda to scared and deceived chruch members that are looking to save their asses by any means possible. It's all about what more extra things can we do. Observing new moons, women and men wearing hats in worship, not having fun on Saturdays, and other irrelevant things have absolute no influence in ones salvation.

UCG Reject Larry McElroy: "We had been wandering in a toxic spiritual wilderness full of deadly vipers for five years."

United Church of God reject, Larry McElroy gives another spiel about having his eyes "anointed" so that he could see clearly that God was only working with Davie Pack.  Apostate McElroy abandoned his responsibilities in UCG in 1999 and then went splinter surfing for several years till he visited the worlds largest and most miraculous ministry that God had ever placed on earth. 

McElroy writes:

Upon leaving UCG (after four years there), we sought out, bumped into, observed, visited, and in some cases tried to participate in a wide variety of groups in our quest to find where God was working. We could categorize the groups in the following manner:

• Fellowships—loosely organized groups in which there were continual doctrinal conflicts and friction
• Prophecy groups—false prophetic nonsense was their main focus
• “One-issue” groups—such as calendar and sacred names groups
• Intellectual groups—leaders who didn’t want to serve people, but had a following
• Internet ministries—800 number call-ins for Sabbath services
• Groups playing Mr. Armstrong’s tapes—living in the past and doing nothing to give others the Truth today
• Isolation groups—taught members to leave the big city, strive to make themselves ready by living together, and not worry about warning the world

It's interesting that not one of then would have him.  He was looking for a place that would let him minister and they would not.

He then leaves all the splinter surfing behind and starts holding own home church.  He writes:

In 2004, we were on our own, meeting in our home with our family and several friends. Again, we asked, “Where is the Work of God?” Was the Work destined to just die out? The “churches of God” were contaminated, bickering, tepid, a confused consortium of individuals thinking they were “just fine” (Rev. 3:17)! Each group believing they were the answer! Blindness caused so many to depart from the “old paths” (Jer. 18:15).

Is McElroy too blind to see that he has just described the Restored Church of God? Only I would call it a cesspool.


Then low and behold, a message from God caused McElroy to see and ad for Davie's group.  He sent off for a reprogramming packaged of Davie's books.  Then a month and half later his eyes were anointed and he could see clearly.  Then he set up an appointment to go and visit the headquarters of Davie's group.  From meetings with King Davie and with back slapping Department heads, he went to members homes (hand selected so that no crazy RCG's members could influence McElroy into taking his money elsewhere).  It was one big lovey-dovey love fest.  Smiles and hugs all around.  Even the Care Bears could not get this sentimental.

He concludes his love fest with this:

Back to the beginning: Truth is the rarest and most important commodity on Earth, and it is few that find it. How far will we go to qualify for eternal life? How much effort will we exert to obtain salvation? How much will we give up to serve those who need a powerful message of hope in these desperate times?

Truth cannot be found in Packism, that is a plain and simple fact!  You cannot qualify for salvation.  All the law keeping and government following will never lead anyone to salvation.

Then he concludes with a final sentence that explains what Davie is doing with his posting by these apostate ministers.  He is wanting them to all come to his cult.  The more ministers that come to him, the more people he thinks will be drawn over with them.  More people equals more money.

His entire ad little letter is here:  A Most Important Trip

COGS2TR Has Designed a New National Flag

There is now a new flag for the United States. It has been designed by as Church of God member.  That alone should make you say, "Oh, give me a break!"  Our intrepid loony tune at the Church of God Speaking to the Remnant splinter cult has done just that.

All of you back sliding Laeodiceans now have something to unite you into a dynamic cause. Take a look at your new flag:

Just think how proud you will feel flying this from your front porch!  Especially if you live in parts of Detroit.

LCG Pastor: Valentines Day: A Day For Beating Women With Animal Skins

The fun never ceases in Living Church of God. If you bought a Valentines Day card for your sweetheart you were taking part in a ritual that allows for beating of women with bloody animal flesh.  That ranks right up there with the other favorite of Meredithism - red ornaments on Christmas trees are bull's testicles. I have to say I have seen more "yucky" things at Armstrongite Feast of Tabernacles sites than I ever have on Valentines day.

What is with Meredithism that is is so focused on blood, guts and gore?  They have went from beating women with animal skins to Meredith advocating spanking them.  So what is really the difference here?

Whatever.

The origins of Valentine’s Day are very clearly pagan and pre-Christian. Research into the details of where it came from can take you all sorts of places (some very yucky places, frankly), but standing out among them is Lupercalia, a pagan fertility ritual celebrated in February that involved, among other things, animal sacrifices (goats and dogs, apparently) and whipping women with strips made from the animals’ bloody flesh. Yes, I wish I was kidding.

If you want to just dip your toes a wee bit into the origins of Valentine’s Day, the History channel website is making it easy, with an interactive graphic (I’m not sure why a graphic that doesn’t do anything but sit there is called “interactive,” but there you go) and a video that shows a painting (apparently by Jon Foster) of a fellow looking delightfully popish presiding over a sacrifice-the-critter-and-hit-the-ladies-with-carcass-straps ceremony. (Full disclosure: The History channel video also shows old “classic” paintings with naked people. What is it with “classic” artists and naked people?)

So, no pagan, hit-your-woman-with-bloody-animal-parts, Lupercalia-warmed-over, Jeremiah 10:2 (et al.)-violating Valentine’s Day for me, thanks!

Valentine’s Day: A day for beating women with bloody animal skins? 

Wallace Smith

One thing I do have to hand to Wallace Smith is that he allows comments on his blog and he actually carries on a half way decent conversations with those that disagree with him, which is NOT something that would happen with Prophet Robert Thiel.  

Idiots In The Pulpit: Buzz Aldren Does What Many People Would Like To Do!

Here is an idiot minister who claims Buzz Aldren never walked on the moon.  

Pay close attention towards the end of the clip to see Aldren do what so many people would 

like to do to some ministers (including many in Armstrongism).

Van Robison on "Are You Offended Because Many Challenge the Validity of the Bible?"

Are You Offended Because Many Challenge the Validity of the Bible?

Searching for answers does not mean that one must automatically accept that the entire Bible is pure truth.  Nor does it mean that everything in the Bible is fiction.  Some don't like what they call "cherry picking", but who reads a newspaper and believes that everything in it is true, or that it is without bias?  It is very true that none of us would believe in Jesus Christ without the four Gospels and what we read about the life of Christ.  It has been passed down from that time forward.    We can either believe that Jesus Christ in fact is real and did exist or alternatively we can choose to not believe.  Either way, Jesus Christ has never appeared to any of us in a physical and visible form and spoken with us, so then all belief in Jesus is strictly based upon FAITH.  It is more than obvious that there would be no faith in Jesus without the Bible.  Still that does not make everything penned in the Bible---truth, as apologists want everyone to believe.

For those who want to believe that the Bible is 100% total truth, you have to admit that you only believe that based upon "faith" and not because you can prove it.  Many attempt to prove the Bible is infallible and inerrant, but it is impossible to do so.  Quoting from the Bible itself is not proof that it proves itself, simply because any human writer throughout history with pen in hand could write "thus saith the Lord" or any type of similar saying and then proceed to pen anything they wished to that phrase in an attempt to cause the readers to believe that God was the author, when He was not.  Like anyone I also quote from the Bible.  If faith in Jesus Christ hinges totally upon the belief that everything in the Bible from cover to cover is absolute truth, then it seems to me that those who think that way, do not really place faith in Christ, but in INK on PAPER.

There are two books in the Old Testament that do not so much as mention God and yet we are suppose to believe that these two accounts are "inspired" by God?  As with everything else, I have read how Bible apologists defend this issue, but it does not hold water.  The word "Easter" is found in the New Testament and it is a very obvious and flagrant insertion and not based upon the real meaning of the word from the original.  Should we deny Jesus Christ because even one word in the Bible is found to be a complete fraud?  The idea that you "cannot" believe in Jesus Christ "unless" you accept that the entire Bible is the infallible and inerrant word of God, is simply not reality.  I for one do believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and at the same time I discount that many things in the Bible are inspired by God.  What is the real reason people are offended by those who question the validity of the Bible in many parts of it?

Some sources have published entire books about the origin of the Bible and as with all other issues in human life, there are disagreements and differences of opinion.  On one side there are those who publish books in
defense of the "inspiration" of the Bible and then there are those who publish books dealing with many of the issues in the Bible and challenging what is said.  Often times it is the Bible apologists who attack the person
rather than confronting the subject matter and issues.  So when those who challenge subjects in the Bible such as who really authored the first five books of the Old Testament, the worldwide flood and Noah's ark and many other issues, the authors are often slandered.

Is it possible to confront facts, rather than to deal with issues on an emotional level?  We see the identical tug-of-war with "Biblical" archaeology.  On one side, there are those who publish their "findings" and assert that they have positive proof that the Old Testament is valid history and there are those who publish books detailing that archaeology proves that O.T. history has been greatly distorted as to what truth really is.  So who do you believe? Each side cast stones at the other.  I am not sure that it is even humanly possible to not have preconceived bias.

I am not sure what the issue is with Bible apologists, because it is not sufficient that one believes in Jesus Christ, unless one also accepts that the Bible is the total word of God.  Why is that?  Again, of course no one would believe in Jesus Christ without the Bible, but must we believe that it is totally true in every detail?  I wonder why Jesus Christ taught to BEWARE of false prophets and teachers, unless such people put words in the mouth of God that are not true, and Jesus knew it.  Is what is called "the Bible" an exception to potential deception?  I wonder why Jeremiah in the Old Testament spoke about LYING SCRIBES, false prophets, false pastors and false teachers?  How much of what we read in the Bible came from such sources?  So we read that "all scripture is given by inspiration of God" and yet we have no clue exactly what that "all scripture" is, that is supposed to be inspired by God.  The writers and those who compiled the many different writings into one volume and called it "the Bible", could just as easily have inserted many other works or deleted from some texts they included and they would still call it the "Holy" Bible and people would believe it.

I seriously doubt that God Almighty sat down at His desk, penned the Bible in His own hand writing and then sent it to earth by Fed-Ex or Ups.  Did He really dictate word for word what we read, to those who penned it?  I would suggest that if anyone believes in Jesus Christ, while doubting Bible infallibility, then that is OK.    In fact if one wants to be an atheist, that is their decision.  No one but God Himself really knows all truth and I have no doubt that there is no human being who ever lived, apart from Jesus Christ who understood then or now what all truth is.  Casting stones never serves a good purpose.  Jesus even stated once, that he that is without sin, let him be the first to cast a stone (talking about the woman taken in an adultery).

To proclaim that if one does not believe the Bible from cover to cover is totally inspired by God, misses the point that Jesus Christ never taught such a belief.  In fact Jesus Christ never mentioned a book called the New Testament, which was penned many years after the life of Christ, nor did Jesus mention the name of a man called the "apostle" Paul, or speak of a book called the book of "Revelation."  We all have an emotional attachment to what we want to believe.


Van Robison

Van Robison on "Obsessed About the Bible"

Obsessed About the Bible

The "Bible" the "Bible", the "Bible" and one would think that "the Bible" is God.  It borders on stupidity.  Anyone who views endless websites on the Internet has to know that many are obsessed with the so called "Bible" as if the Bible is God Himself.  The fangs come out when Bible apologists are challenged about the validity of the Bible.  Like vampires, Bible apologists sink their teeth into the necks of anyone who challenges the "infallibility" of the Bible.  I know from personal experience that Bible apologists will often attack anyone who challenges their religious position.  I wonder if Bible apologists would even nail other humans to a cross or stake for opposing Bible infallibility?  I have encountered a number of apologists, who ALWAYS see things from the perspective of God being the author of human writings called "the Bible."

Bible obsession is overwhelming in the world we live in.  It is the source and foundation of the belief system for millions of human beings the world over.  Bible obsession is overpowering.  I wonder if God Himself just
shakes His head at human beings in utter disbelief of how stupid human beings can be?  Oh yes, humans are very intelligent, just not in the area of religious understanding.  Obsession with the Bible is a major issue
in the world of Churchianity, including the Worldwide Church of God and its paraplegic clones.  Yes folks, the splinter groups of the Worldwide Church of God are living in spiritual wheelchairs.  They are spiritually crippled.

When your religious thinking has been formed in cement, it is next to impossible to breath.  It is sad for those who live in constant "fear" that they will lose their salvation or eternal life if they do not conform to the thinking
of the "spiritual" leaders of the particular group they are cemented in.  Many are stuck in spiritual glue.  Humans caught in the web of deception, often are scarred for years or even life, by the fraud that destroyed their
innocence.  No wonder Jesus Christ denounced man-made religion as reflected in Matthew 23 and you wonder why "modern" day churches don't see themselves in the mirror?

Believe it or not, when I took a voluntary exit from employment at Ambassador College in Pasadena, California in October, 1974, I was told by the office manager that "if you lose your salvation, it won't be because of us."

That is typical of cult mentality and it is pure 100% stupidity.  The thought was that since I was leaving voluntary, I was forfeiting my salvation by renouncing the Worldwide Church of God.  Unfortunately, the Bible is an obsession with Churchianity and it is in fact their "God" and specifically as each "pastor" and each church organization interprets it.


Van Robison