Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web of Corrupt Leaders

Friday, April 18, 2014

Churches and Religions Destroy Individuality





Like it or not, religions cause human beings to become non-persons.   Religion is God to those who stand in pulpits and those who sit in pews.   Individuality is foreign to the concept of religion and churches.   The church world does not want anyone who thinks or asks questions, they only want those who comply and are willing to shut-up.

Even though ever human being on earth has a unique personality and should have the God given right to express that personality, the church world only wants group-think, group molding, group compliance, group obedience, group followers and no independent thinkers.

Anyone who attends church is stripped of being a person, because once anyone becomes a member of a particular branch of church theology, that person is no longer an individual, but a piece of clay, molded together with others, and they all become clones of their leader.

Church is group theology, group think, group worship, group tithing, group doctrines and group bowing before the pastor, elder, bishop or priest.    On the other hand, for those who find a way to break free from the chains and bondage of this group mentality, they become FREE IN CHRIST, and Jesus came to set the captives free.

Jesus does not require group worship, group tithing, group bowing before preachers, group indoctrination by pastors, group religious festivals, group church going, group this and group that, where everyone is no longer a person, just a part of a religious program, called "church."

The clergy/laity system of the church world is a box, where those involved travel within that box and never outside of it.    The laity of course are the pawns and the "professional" clergy are the benefactors of the free $cash that flows like a river into their bank vaults.   All of course in the name of Jesus Christ, as if those who preach are always preaching the Gospel to the world.

So then, if you are a church goer, you have lost your individuality and have become a group with others,  and you are no longer a person, you are a group.    Strange indeed, because Jesus Christ taught that individuals follow Him, and groups have nothing to do with it.


Van Robison

Staggering Self Importance in the Pulpits




Normal human beings have no desire to have power or control over other human beings.   Why then do those in pulpits and those in politics have such an inordinate lust for power?    The staggering self-importance of pulpit masters is really very embarrassing.   In fact those who stand in pulpits and pretend to speak for God, are very immature human beings, whose low-self-esteem is more than evident to any discerning thinker.

God in fact does not need preachers or pastors.   Virtually anyone can convey Jesus Christ to another human being and it does not require a fake religious degree from some bible college.    The idea that those who accept and believe in Jesus, must be treated as school children for life, is the stuff of silliness.

Why must a preacher or pastor stand before a crowd of people, with an open "Bible" and read to them and expound to them, as if they are morons, incapable of understanding without being told what to think?   This is of course the world of man-made CHURCHIANITY.

If you belong to a church, then you are a religious slave to the pastor, priest, bishop, elder or overlord of that church. Never mind that we read where Jesus said "call no man master (which is the same as calling a man pastor or elder or shepherd). "

At least for those who do believe in God, there is no master aside from God, so then pastors of churches are usurpers, who feign that they represent God, when in fact they do not.    The hidden motive for churches and their overlords is always the same, and that is the free $cash.


Van Robison

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Ex Weinland Elder Asks: "Who Wants To See Laura Weinland and Her Band of Merry Women?"

  Jeremy, Audra, Laura, Felonious, and Convictus


Since Ron has been languishing in Club Fed as a felon over the last year, he has had to send out his wife Laura, his divorced daughter Audra and a couple other women to keep the rapidly dwindling sheeple in line.  The more Laura and Audra speak the more that leave.

On Mike's  False Prophet Ronald Weinland: Don't Drink the Flavor Aid Served by False Prophets  there was this comment by one of Ron Weinlands's ex-elders. 
Mike:

Regarding Wayne, he is one to watch for this reason. Laura and her band of merry women are beginning to realize that they cannot be the face and voice of pkg. Who really wants to see laura, audra, or Jeremy?

Wayne has the personality and voice to attract the attention of the remaining membership. Wayne is sociable and friendly. Laura is all about character assassination and demonizing all who oppose her.


“IF” Wayne becomes the saving face and voice of pkg, this will become a very real threat to ronnie and company. “IF” this popularity grows it would give Wayne the ability to take it all away from the false and fake prophets and witnesses. However, pkg is in decline and on its way to becoming extinct. The question is, “will the weinlands run the risk of this”? In this game, winner takes all!!

Johnny does not have the sociability aspect and lacks in charismatic speaking. Let’s face it; Johnny is riding the “yankee” gravy train for as long as he can. When pkg implodes, he will still have a following in Georgia and he knows this. However, he has learned about corporations and the collecting of tithes. Johnny gains, Ronnie looses!

This is something that should be watch for further development. Read other comments here.

Vile Sinners, Gays, Porn, and So-Called Christians Are the Cause of Strange Weather in United States and Canada



Bob Thiel's god is still one angry pissed off dude. Thiel is attempting to prove that the severe smog that is plaguing China and that is now blowing across into the Untied States is NOT the cause of some weather problems. It's really the fault of all the sinful, porn-addicted, fake Christians who have gay friends.

The National Academy of Sciences has concluded that Chinese air pollution is a factor in increasing the intensity of storms in North America:

April 15, 2014

Pollution from China’s coal-burning power plants is pumping up winter storms over the northwest Pacific Ocean and changing North America’s weather, a new study finds.

Northwest Pacific winter storms are now 10 percent stronger than they were 30 years ago, before Asian countries began their industrial boom, according to research published April 14 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

North America will be hardest hit by the intensifying storms, which move from west to east, said lead study author Yuan Wang, an atmospheric scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

Thiel continues with his two cents:

I recall seeing a report some time back that if Chinese air pollution continued growing at the rate it had been that the West Coast of the USA would have unhealthy particulate pollution levels just from what comes across the the ocean from China, even if there was no human caused pollution in California, for example. The threat from Chinese air pollution is that serious.

Yet, it should be noted that North America buys a lot from China.  Despite having air pollution laws in the USA and Canada, a lot of goods in these countries come from Asia, and China, which does not have the same degree of enforcement for air pollution laws.  The USA and Canada can decide to overlook this, but they are reaping part of what they have sown (cf. Galatians 6:7).

Yesterday’s national evening news showed a variety of storms, tornadoes, and odd weather patterns hitting and expected to hit the USA and parts of Canada this month. Years ago, I warned of weather problems coming.

Ah yes, the prophet Thiel has been walking about for many years warning us of the end of his world that is to come.

God uses weather and other events to warn people.  Sins, such as societal acceptance of homosexuality (see The Bible Condemns Homosexuality) and other forms of sexual immorality (Romans 1:18-32; see also Pornography: A scourge on society) can affect weather (Amos 4:7-12).
As far as pollution goes, the following passage which involves the second coming of Jesus, and comes from the book also known as the Apocalypse, ends with an interesting statement:
8 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come,
And the time of the dead, that they should be judged,
And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints,
And those who fear Your name, small and great,
And should destroy those who destroy the earth. (Revelation 11:18)
Are not massive air, water, and other pollution problems part of how humankind is destroying the earth? In a sense, pollution will be a factor in the Apocalypse as the above passage shows.  Chinese pollution blamed for intensifying storms in North America–but sin is the real cause.
His world is coming to an end because of sinners, gays, porn addicts and others.  Its never because of the lying ministers of Armstrongism or its false prophets.  Its never because of the Church of God ministers that have lead people to their deaths or drove them into suicide.  Its never the child molesters or rapists that were ministers.  Its never because sick ministers drove tens of thousands into mental and physical anguish because of disgusting doctrines or teachings. Its always someone else fault.  The House of Armstrongism needs to clean its own dirt up first before it can blame others.

Maybe, just maybe, the US/Canada, and others are being punished because they continue to allow false prophets in their midst that deceive and lie to its citizens.

Church of God Ministers Still Proclaim: "a few wrong predictions never hurt anybody"



For decades we have all heard various minister get up and make ludicrous prophecy predictions.  Every single one of them has failed.

Today it is no different.  We still have Flurry, Thiel, Meredith, Pack, Kubik and many others still spouting  end of the world scenarios.  Prophecy addiction, in spite of its 100% failure rate in Armstrongism, is still the main game for these "men." They lie through their teeth and members worship at their feet.  Eighty years of epic prophecy failures still have not tarnished the beliefs of those who cannot ever dream of thinking of themselves.  They need to be told what to think and believe.  A book that barely made it into the canon is 100% true. So let it be said, so let it be done!





Everywhere we turn today it seems we are beset by self-proclaimed "prophets" trying to make a profit by predicting the future for us. We can read our daily horoscope in the local newspaper, consult a palm reader in our area, read what the ten leading psychics predict will befall Liz Taylor, or tune in to radio evangelists proclaiming what the Bible foretells for the future. Most of these prognosticators do well to have a prophetic batting average as high as .200. Looked at another way, these seers are wrong more than 80% of the time! It's no wonder these "prophets" fare so poorly, according to Roderick Meredith, for only one organization on earth today is being used by God and only that one fully understands prophecy:
 
"The popular, denominationally supported evangelists often make statements like this: 'I believe that God may use Russia to punish America for her sins.' Or, 'It now seems likely that World War III may come within five years.'... They use the words 'may,' 'could,' or 'might.'... The truth of the matter is that they dare not be specific about the future because they just do not know what the Bible says is going to happen! But on 'The World Tomorrow' broadcast and in this magazine we have dared to unlock the Bible prophecies and apply them to specific nations and events that are now being affected.
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The leading WCG ministers attempt to rationalize their ridiculous prophecies with half-thought-out quips like "a few wrong predictions never hurt anybody" or "we were just trying to fulfill our commission in Matthew 24:14 to preach a witness to the world." (Evidently many have never realized Matthew 24:14 is a prophecy, not a commission to the church.) Speaking in a ministerial conference in January 1974, Ted Armstrong was also at first reluctant to admit that the church's false predictions had caused serious problems for anybody:
 
"[We prophesied in] fifteen years the U.S.A. will no longer be a nation, and 15 years has come and gone. Was that a mistake or not" ? Yes! But why get violently emotional about it? We were utterly sincere at the time it was said! We all believed it, and furthermore that kind of copy never caused anybody to lose out on salvation, or drop out of church, or make a wrong move in their personal lives, or to throw the word of God to the ground...."
 
Only moments later Ted all but contradicted himself by offering justifiable reasons for a person to "get violently emotional" about a prophecy that failed. He began to name a few of the "wrong moves" that had been made in personal lives:
 
"But '72 was the date that, you know, everything hinged on that. Nobody saved any money, nobody bought any property, nobody thought about laying up for his children's children.... We [thought we] were all going to flee or be taken away to a place of safety and everything would be left behind so [we thought]: "Why put any roots down?"
 
So even Ted begrudgingly admits false prophecies do cause harm in people's lives. Some WCG members, believing the "end of the world" was coming between 1972 and 1975-as the church had prophesied so often-postponed needed dental work. Others decided not to buy homes, while still others sold theirs and gave a portion of the cash they received to the church. Some young people decided not to go to college but took jobs instead to earn money for the church, hoping to thereby help Herbert fulfill the prophecy found in Matthew 24:14. Many gave their savings to the church and even borrowed money in response to Herbert's pleas to help his church avert another financial crisis-especially after being told Christ was coming soon and their money would be worthless then. Now some of these people are almost penniless, but the church says, "I never knew you."
 
To God, prophesying falsely is not a light matter. The Bible carries dozens of warnings from God for Christians to watch out for false prophets who "through covetousness" with "feigned words" shall "make merchandise" of them (II Peter 2:3, KJV). (The RSV renders it: "In their greed they will exploit you with false words.")
 
How could one recognize a false prophet? "You will know them by their fruits," Christ answers (Matt. 7:16, RSV). Continuing the analogy Christ explains, "A good tree is incapable of producing bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit" (Phillips translation). What do you think Christ would say about the WCG's false prophecies in view of Matthew 7? To those WCG ministers who remain unrepentant he will declare: "Depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Matt. 7: 23, KJV).  The Prophecy Game

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Michael W Stevenson: Is He the Most Prolific Church of God Starter Ever?



Many Church of God leaders have started numerous splinter groups ever the decades.  None though can be more prolific than Michael W Stevenson.

It is no surprise to find that Stevenson also has Mormon roots.  Armstrongism  incorporated several Mormon teachings into its beliefs in its early formative years. 

Stevenson believed he was a Prophet and Apostle in the Restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

RESTORED CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST
OF LATTER DAY SAINTS

Dear John Dawson:

It is always awesome to receive e-mails from people around the world. This present time, we have about 3,800 members throughout the United Kingdom. I was also disillusioned by the LDS Church and that is why I left the LDS in 1999. Coming to understand the truth as presented in the Restoration, I found that it was then time for a Reauthorization of the truth as was found in the Reorganization. Today, I am the Prophet/President of the Restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Since you have been baptized in the Restoration, we do not feel that you need to be re-baptized. What we need from you is your full name, date of birth, mother and father's names, your full mailing address and also the names of family members that are desiring to join with us. Further we need to know if you hold or have held any priesthood offices and the baptism date of when you were baptized.

We will then begin to share member resources with you and also send you via email our magazine. Enclosed with this e-mail you will find a copy of the magazine.

Thank you for contacting us here at the Restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Michael W. Stevenson
Prophet/President
Another writer mentions this about Stevenson's Mormon links:
If you go into the blog of the Latter Day Church of Jesus Christ at http://thelatterdaychurchofchrist.blogspot.com/ you will find an entry for today, July 8, 2008 which says that Michael W. Stevenson is an investigator and that a revelation that Michael Stevenson received on January 22nd has been added to the Latter Day Church of Jesus Christ’s Book of Prophecies and Revelations. Michael W. Stevenson is, of course, supposedly the prophet of the Restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and a is a former apostle in the Church of the Firstborn and the General Assembly of Heaven.
You can also see him mentioned as the the President of the Restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints here.  One interesting note about this page is that you will see the following illustration at the top that contains a lion and a lamb.

He later claimed to be over the Reorganized Church of the Firstborn and the General Assembly of Heaven.  


We welcome you to the Reorganized Church of the Firstborn and the General Assembly of  Heaven, a church where the fundamental doctrines restored by the Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr and his successors are now again being reaffirmed.

The doctrines of the Church are those which were restored in the latter days by those who received of revelation, the true doctrines which were missing. This Church, however, seeing that Terrill Dalton and Geody Harmon are NOT who they claim to be, was founded by Michael W. Stevenson, the true successor of Joseph Smith, Jr.

Today, we again look forward with hope to that which will be renewed throughout the works of this Church.

He supposedly left Mormonism 2003:


Michael W. Stevenson (Minister to Mormons), Jan. 2003 I left the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because I found that they cannot possibly be the Church of Jesus Christ. Instead, I found a church that I can truly be comfortable with.

I served a full-time mission in 1995-1997 in the Arizona Tucson Mission and a stake mission from 1997-1999 in the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Stake. I felt much of the time that something was wrong with what I was teaching. Yet, I dared not "prove" it.

In December of 1999, my mother had a severe breakdown partly due to the local bishop who insisted that she pay her tithing (most of what they want the most is money) and this added way to much pressure upon her.

Finally, on Christmas Eve, I gave myself to Jesus Christ and I knew from that moment on that the LDS Church of Salt Lake City, UT could not be right; they had changed the teachings of truth as we find in the Bible; they have perverted the right ways of God and have defiled themselves in the temple by teachings that are completely Satanic.

In 2002, I came to find that they also teach sexual perversion through touching peoples parts on their bodies when they are going through the washing of the temples. How can any organization such as this, which is now accepted by governments be so wrong? I found that it is because they are "afraid" of what truths may actually come out about their temples.

As a former Mormon, I have now found that there is a need to educate the public on what is really happening and that the time is here for people to actually hear that the Mormons are not what it claims to be. The truth needs to be heard whether the LDS Church wants it to be heard. So, I have now become the Minister to Mormons. I teach them the right ways of God and that grace is indeed free from works. They have the choice to accept if they want, but, I also leave them with enough knowledge of their own so-called "birth-rite" that they may perhaps have some doubts and that perhaps somehow, they really allow the truth to be revealed to them.

I pray for those in the Mormon Church because I know that they, as I was; are blinded by the deciet and the lies of the General Authorities of the Church. I pray that they will come to a true knowledge that the LDS Church is not what they thought it would be.
He found the Mormons to be offensive and doctrinally corrupt, yet he dumped that for the  doctrinally corrupt Churches of God.  

From one cult to the next.

He next start two more churches, both now defunct, the Church of God (Sabbath Day) and the Reorganized Church of God.  Both relied heavily upon Herbert Armstrong's teachings.

The Journal: News of the Churches of God ran this blurb about him in issue 133.


He is also tied in with the Simple Salvation Church of God where he lists himself as Pastor General in an article on Jesus before his birth.



 Then it was the Church of God Worldwide where he was Pastor General again:




His most recent church start up is the Faithful Church of God.  This one incorporates lots of Herbert Armstrong's teachings as well as a few LDS goodies.



A Brief History of the Faithful Church of God
Through the doctrinal changes of the Worldwide Church of God, there came to be a need for brethren to be fully united in the faith. Thus, at the Feast of Tabernacles 1995, 500 brethren met in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho for a feast site. Here, during the feast, meetings were held and it was decided that the brethren was going to form the Faithful Church of God.

The Church from early on sought to continue the New Testament Church teachings and to continue on the Philadelphian era of the Church. It was also realized that there were brethren who never was a part of the Worldwide Church of God present. This also made for a new unique Church-while a great deal of brethren were former members of the Church, others came from various other backgrounds and beliefs. But, the one thing all the brethren had in common was that they wanted to hold fast to the biblical doctrines of God’s Church.

The Church (k)new that they needed to preach the Good News-the Gospel-of which Jesus Christ came preaching (Mark 1:14-15) which was about the soon-coming Kingdom of God. The beliefs of the Church are the same as they were "once delivered unto the saints." Christ never changed anything and nor does the Church change anything.
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The various brethren of the Church of God realize that there is an impact which must be had upon them that come to hear and read the truth of God’s Work. Therefore, all that the Church of God seeks to accomplish has a great impact, just as it did during Mr. Armstrong’s days, the Church today continues on the same tradition, reaching through television, radio, and print. We also employ the means of internet and make available the Word of God through these varied means.
Why anyone follows morons like Stevenson, Flurry, Pack, Meredith and all the other fraudulent COG ministers is beyond reason.