Friday, April 11, 2014

Rod Meredith Continues To Reward David Hulme's Backstabbing Ministers




When David Hulme's personalty cult imploded this past December, several of his ministers formed a new "church" along with Brian Orchard.  Stephen Elliot and Bob Rodzaj were two men who plotted behind the scenes in Hulme's group to start this new "church."  Then as soon as they jumped ship with Orchard, they started plotting again.  This time they were negotiating with Rod Meredith to remain as ministers and still get paid.  Surprisingly, Meredith welcomed them in with open arms and did not give these two a "grace" period to see how they fit in theologically.  Many LCG members are not happy with this, including some ministers!




As a clarification to a previous announcement, Mr. Stephen Elliott will become the Associate Pastor, under Dr. Jeffrey Fall, of congregations in southern California as well as Las Vegas.  Mr. Bob Rodzaj will become the Associate Pastor, under Mr. Rodger Bardo, of congregations in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas.  Mr. Gary Stein will pastor the Dallas, Abilene and Midland, Texas, congregations. 

Dr. Germano and Living Church of God "University" Seek Accreditation



About three decades ago Ambassador College sought to be accredited as a University so that its graduates would have a diploma that was actually worth something.  Things were clicking along for it to happen until HWA went into apoplectic fits over it.  HWA felt that he would loose control of the Board and worldly teachers would enter and destroy the "work" he had started.

Throughout most of its history, Ambassador operated under state approval or its international equivalent. Regional accreditation was not sought, primarily because it required that the college have a functioning board that was separate and distinct from the church's administration.[1] Armstrong resisted this requirement, apparently concerned that such a separation would result in the truth of God, as he believed and taught it to be, being watered down at an Ambassador that would become increasingly secular. He held this opinion despite the fact that numerous accredited colleges and universities around the country were operated by the Catholic Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other Christian denominations, without those organizations being required to alter church teachings.  Wikipedia
A thorough rundown on the accreditation process is written about here and includes recommendations of the Accreditation Board, all of which were actually needed.

Through this process Michale Germano was actually helping push for accreditation.  As soon as HWA spoke out against it, he too was against it.  Jump forward to the early 1990's when the college was trying to get accredited again.  Germano actively worked for it to happen as did many others.  Then as soon as they got the accreditation through, the church shut the colleges down.  You can read more about Germano's accreditation work here.

The shut down of the colleges happened when all the changes started coming down the pipeline in the Worldwide Church of God.  Germano jumped on that band wagon too and praised the changes up one side and down the other.  Here is what the Germano's said in 1995


It was not long after that that the Germano's jumped ship and joined up with Rod Meredith's personalty cult.  The Germano's knew the fallacies of Armstrongism, they suffered under its harshness and also dished out a lot of that same harshness onto others.

They were overjoyed to have "...the veil removed...as spiritual renewal was being worked out in  powerful and wonderful way..."  If they were so overjoyed by the Spirit working in the renewal of the church then whey did they leave and join up with Rod Meredith were they once more became mired in the pig slop of Armstrongism?  Does that sound harsh?  It is meant to be.  Why give up freedom and grace for Moses?  They know better!

Now Germano has went full circle and is working to get Living Church of God's "University" accredited as a university.  In the latest LCG Weekly Update they have this:


Here in Charlotte, Mr. Meredith has conducted a number of meetings and is planning a co-worker letter. Mr. and Mrs. Ames left today to spend the Sabbath in Indianapolis, Indiana and then observe the Passover and first Day of Unleavened Bread in Louisville, Kentucky. Dr. Germano and Dr. Scott Winnail were in Florida this week attending a conference related to accreditation for Living University.
Rod Merdith stood beside HWA's side as he shouted and spit on how evil accreditation was to the college and church. Now Meredith has changed his mind, like he has on several other things HWA taught him, and has also rejected HWA's truth on this matter too.   Each time the accreditation process started in the WCG era major church upheavals happened.  Is LCG setting itself up for another church upheaval?   Who will the Germano's jump to next?  Will they soon be leading Dave Pack's "University" or head on over to Edmond and whip Gerald Flurry's monstrosity into shape?



What Is The UCG Afraid Of On Facebook?



The United Church of God cannot stand anyone that thinks differently than they do.  Of course that has been the typical COG stance for generations, at least through the Armstrong version of it.

Several people are reporting that UCG went through and deleted comments by readers on the Good News Facebook page.  The few times I have checked it I have seen friendly conversations by people from differing view points, but that is no longer the case. Now it  is silencing anyone that thinks differently. 

So much for a "new and improved" United Church of God.  Legalistic thuggery still is the game of the day.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Stephen Gilbreath Disfellowships and Marks the Kitchen Family



The silliness in Armstrongism continues to roll on like a freight train with no brakes.  Just when you think the silliness cannot get any sillier along comes Stephen Gilbreath barreling past the station.

Gilbreath has one of the most pathetic COG sites out there today.  Even Bob Thiel, with his crooked bookcases and laptops in front of his face are no match for Gilbreath's incredibly BAD videos.  Gilbreath sits at a small desk and has someone insert video to his side as if he is sitting in a major studio. It's bad beyond measure.
 
Gilbreath claims he was "ordained" by Robert Collins, a COG "minister" who was on his death bed.

Gilbreath seems to think he is an authority on everything that is happening in the world today.  Below you can see a quote from his web site about how his incredible training at Ambassador College helps him counteract the liberalism at the BBC news  From what I have been told he never graduated from the college but took classes.  That is why he states he"attended" Ambassador.

Lest you think I am picking on god's anointed, just check out one of his videos.  At the 9 minute mark he warns all those who ridicule him.  Gilbreath  thinks he speaks with God's authority.  Its one hour of the dumbest speaking you will ever witness.  Fast forward through the video to any location and you will be rewarded.







He cannot remain on topic, jumps around continually, looses his train of thought, keeps looking to his left to his lap top and even has a person read from HWA's book on baptism.  Pathetic!
1) A Nightly News Program is produced that features video clips of the day's current world news related to the Bible and Prophecy.  The initial host for this program who named the program
''Night-Cast .TV,'' was James Robert Collins -- a fifty-year minister of the Philadelphia-era of the Church of God.  After the death of Mr. Collins, the program has been continued by its new host Stephen Lloyd Gilbreath, an initial co-producer of the program.  The program features video of the day's current world news events under a license from the BBC News -- an organization of the British government which is renowned for producing the best in worldwide news coverage.  Any liberal reporting that may exist in the video clips is balanced out by the host's Ambassador College training and continued counsel and guidance from the former director of World Watch.

Now lets get to the Gilbreath/Kitchen flap.

Kitchen caught Gilbreath plagiarizing one of HWA's charts from his book, "Who and What is the Prophetic Beast."  Not only did he plagiarize it, Gilbreath added to it with his own commentary which sent the Kitchens into a frenzy that God's inspired words of HWA had been "corrected" and changed.  According to the Kitchen's HWA never made a mistake theologically.

Gilbreath lashed back and threatened to disfellowship and mark the Kitchen's putting their salvation in jeopardy.  What incensed the Kitchens most of all with Gilbreath is that they were not even apart of Gilbreaths silly "ministry."

Recently, a woman went onto my brothers account and mentioned that Stephen Gilbreath has mentioned us favorably on his "webcast" and was saying he was parallel to Mr. Armstrong's message. We looked into it some, but not like before. God was behind this, because it wouldn't have been revealed like it was if we did do the research beforehand. So he 'assumed" we were on page with him and his fellowship/group. So he befriended us on Facebook, clung to us with flattery, until we confronted him with his edit of "Who and What is the Prophetic Beast?" Chart. He has from that point on twisted and distorted the facts to blur the lines in the eyes of the public. We just said we will not support someone who changes God's Apostle's writings and books. He (like any carnal human would do) take that as a personal attack on him. Now, we have been "Marked" from this group also.

Gilbreath sent several women to post on the Kitchen's Facebook pages.  This did not sit to well with the Kitchen's either.


And to you “infiltrators” that are going on all these forums, sites and chat rooms “Pretending” to agree with God’s “True Believers” and through lies and flatteries (deception), seduce God’s people only to ferret them out and attack and deceive them. To him or her that does this “undercover” work (Behind the veil). Read Ezek 13:17-23. (vs 18) “Thus says the Lord God: “Woe to the women (a good deal of these infiltrators must be women) who sew magic charms on their sleeves (to make themselves appear spiritually attractive, and make veils for the heads of people(something to hide your face or “identity”: (perhaps like on facebook , in other words, they are deceivers!)) of every height to hunt souls! Notice here the purpose of these people “You hunt souls”! They prey on God’s People! 
The only persecution that is going on the Churches of God is coming from within.  The world now sits and laughs at their stupidity.  Those worldly people that have any inkling as to who HWA was, know for certain that even he would be appalled at the comedy club Armstrongism has turned into.


Guess Who Set The Infamous 1975 in Prophecy Date....




All of you hate filled miscreants out there that still claim that HWA set the 1975 date, I am here to tell you, YOU ARE WRONG!!!!!!!!  According to Tim Kitchen, Science and Industry set that date, NOT Herb!!!!!

Did Mr. Herbert W Armstrong Set a Date? Did He set the date 1975? Many people took what he wrote in the book "1975 in prophecy" as him setting the date "1975", but is that TRUE? NOTICE these words which will explain WHO made that prediction! IT is in the beginning of the booklet.
"Feverishly, science, technology and industry are working to produce a fantastic, push-button world of leisure by 1975. The emphasis today is on “saving steps.” Everything is to be done for us, by machines. Just push the magic button, and your work will be done automatically."

If you read the Booklet(not many of these accusers have really read it) it explains that SCIENCE and INDUSTRY set the date of 1975! And Mr. Armstrong goes on to explain, IF THAT DATE WAS TRUE, then this is to happen BECAUSE the BIBLE says it will! Is this "setting a date"?


NO!


It is science setting a date. But do they get the blame? No. This is how you know Mr. Herbert W Armstrong was a man of God. They'll attach ANYTHING to discredit God's Chosen.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Bob Thiel Now Poaching Ministers From UCG and Other COG's



Some things in Armstrongism never change!  Well, maybe I should have said, Things NEVER change in Armstrongism.

All the 700 some splinter personalty cults of Armstrongism are only in existence because they poached ministers and members from other COG's.  Not a single one of these men have ever had the balls to step out and do something original.  Almost all worked behind the scenes in their respective COG's as they plotted and schemed to move into a reincarnated COG.

Bob Thiel is now doing the same thing.  He admits that he has brought on board UCG ministers and others who have been scheming behind their own COG organizations back for the best time to leave and get paid by Bob Thiel.

As far as leaders new to the CCOG, after the conference, one of the attendees who asked for a meeting with myself and Pastor Ochieng, became one.  This was John Owak.  For the past ten years he had been a minister in the United Church of God (UCG). John Owak explained that he had been studying CCOG literature for some time (he had also contacted me in the past), and the conference convinced him he wanted to be part of CCOG.  We discussed also differences in the governance, prophetic understandings, and the work between CCOG and UCG. He then asked if we would accept him as a volunteer (unpaid, and he did not ask for a salary) pastor of the CCOG in his geographic area, working under the direction of our Regional Pastor Evans Ochieng, myself, and ultimately Jesus Christ.  Pastor Ochieng and I agreed and welcomed him into the CCOG.

Leaders once part of GCG, LCG, WCG, COGaIC, COGIT, COGTE, CG7, SDA, and/or VWCG, but now part of CCOG also attended.  This was the first time I had been able to meet any of them in person (some had email contacts with me prior).  CCOG has over 20 congregations in East Africa.

Gerald Flurry Dares To Write About Self-Righteousness



Of all the hypocritical things that Gerald Flurry could have written about he has to choose "self-righteousness." There is not a humble bone in Flurry's body, nor in his son Stevie and the rest of the extended family.  They have set themselves up as the pinnacles in godly virtue where all truth flows from.

Flurry writes:

Have you ever been around a person who made you feel guilty, or very unrighteous, because you felt this person was doing so many righteous deeds? You didn’t want to become close friends with him because he always made you feel so unrighteous. Job had that effect on people.

We need to understand that self-righteousness repels, while the true righteousness of God draws people to you as it did to Jesus Christ. People liked Christ. He was a nice man to be around because He didn’t put people down or make them feel inferior.

Flurryism is all about making people feel guilty and unrighteous.  He is right though in one thing, Flurry is REPELLENT to everyone because of his self-righteousness.  His constant belittling of members, his destructive rules that have destroyed families, marriages and lives, have all contributed to his repellent personality.

He then writes:

Christ condemned the Pharisees for their self-righteousness. “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). Christ said plainly that if our righteousness doesn’t exceed what these fellows had, we can’t even be in the Kingdom of God. It is that serious.

This is coming from a man who set himself up as a "true" minister, published books that he claims were hand delivered to him by angels, and builds monuments to himself and Herbert Armstrong.

That is why we feel uncomfortable sometimes around people who flaunt their self-righteousness. If we are self-righteous, that will turn people off more quickly than anything—guaranteed. If we want friends, we can’t go around feeling superior to them. On the contrary, we should work to make all people feel like royalty.

The above is incredibly comical coming from a man who feels he is superior to every single person in the Philadelphia Church of God.  If all people are truly royalty in the PCG, they why are so many living in abject poverty while the fat cats live in luxury?  When will Stevie and others give their salaries to the poor members so that can build luxury homes like they have?

Then he gets even more self-righteous:

How do you feel, down deep in your heart, when you are in the presence of an adulterer or somebody who has committed a horrible sin? Do you feel uncomfortable? Jesus Christ sat with people like that all the time. The Pharisees hated Him for doing so.

When is the last time Gerald Flurry sat down with an adulterer, or a gay member,, or a member that is not tithing? When was the last time he invited the family with a disable child into his home?

Like any good Armstrongite, Flurry wants you to know that he is only discussing this because his god is not happy and wants to spank self-righteous people:

We need to realize that our own human righteousness doesn’t contribute one thing to the Work of God, or to God’s Kingdom, or to the growth of any person spiritually. Only the Spirit of God does those things. Good things only come from what God builds within us, and that is the mind of Jesus Christ.

Without this perspective, we get into all sorts of improper reasoning. For example, when we come into the truth of God, we tend to remember what we gave up: Oh, I had to give up this; I gave up that. We feel so righteous because we gave up all these things, instead of saying, Oh wow, look what God gave me! I’ve been given so many things! And He is letting me be a part of His Family!

Imagine being a father or mother and having your child tell you, You know, it is really important that I am in this family; I don’t know how it would function without me. You would probably paddle his little bottom. God feels the same way. He doesn’t want you to have an attitude of, Look at what I am contributing in this Work. Rather, He wants you to say, Thanks for working through me and letting me be a part of your Family and for sharing all you have with me. That is reality—the other view is a fantasy.

Since Flurry is totally ignorant about what Jesus accomplished or taught, he has this to say about what he thinks most of his members really are:

Here is the approach that we ought to have. “But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people” (Psalm 22:6). This is just understanding what you are as a human being without God. It is the attitude Jesus Christ had on the stake.

Christ realized the human condition. We are no different from worms crawling around in the earth, as far as our future life is concerned.

If you are a believer you know Flurry's comment above is utter bullshit. 

Then Flurry admits he is a spiritual bastard:

It is easy for us to look at our problems and become discouraged. Yet, if it weren’t for having some problems, we would not be building character and headed for the Kingdom of God! Correction in your life is the greatest blessing you can receive. It is an act of love designed to get you into God’s Family. What a privilege to be tried and tested by God, receiving the education we need to be in His Family.

God lovingly corrects His sons. If we reject His correction, then we are spiritual bastards. We are no longer sons.

Amen to that Six-Pack!