Rod Meredith Really Does Love the World In Spite of His Continual Bluster On How His God Is Spanking It

One of the first things Joe Tkach Sr. did when he was appointed by Herbert Armstrong was to reach out compassionately towards those outside the Church of God.  For decades, HWA, Meredith, Waterhouse and others screamed and snarled at the evil world around us and how it was not our position to do anything for them. God was going to fix it all in the end so why waste tithe money on them when it could go towards remodeling evangelists homes or buying gold and silver for HWA!

Meredith has obviously been influenced by younger ministers/members who are tainted by the evil world around them.  Someone saw a need and got Meredith to change his mind.  While he is not necessarily giving money,, LCG members are now starting to volunteer in community groups to help those less fortunate.  What is the Church of God coming to when it helps Habitat for Humanity?  Who would have imagined 20 years ago that COG members would be volunteering for a Jimmy Carter upstart!

James Malm and Bob Thiel will be having fits now.  When will they start helping in their community?  When will Thiel start volunteering with the homeless in Arroyo Grande where there are 11 different shelters needed to take care of all the people? 

Outreach—Exciting Upcoming Projects 

Dr. Meredith has encouraged us that, while powerfully preaching the Gospel to the whole world remains the priority of God’s Church (Mark 1:14, Matthew 24:14, etc.), we must remember that Jesus Christ Himself also said that His faithful servants would “feed the hungry, help the stranger, clothe the naked, visit those in prison,” etc. and that when we serve those in need, we actually serve Him (Matthew 25:31-46).  Following these biblical admonitions, as we have the time and resources, Living Church of God Outreach is active in “[doing] good to all” (Galatians 6:10) by engaging in community service work that especially helps those less fortunate, such as the widows and fatherless in their time of need (James 1:27) and also in assisting in local congregation service as desired by the local ministry.  Our Church member volunteers have been a wonderful light in both the local community as well as with organizations that have national and international reach.  These organizations include groups such as Habitat for Humanity, local hospitals and retirement homes, Goodwill, and others.  Coming soon, we have another Habitat for Humanity critical home repair project planned and will also be working with Ronald McDonald House to prepare and serve a large dinner for parents and families of children who are hospitalized with serious medical conditions.  To learn more, or for ideas about how you can get involved in local Outreach activities in your area, visit LCG.org and click on the “Outreach” menu item.—Wyatt Ciesielka, Outreach Coordinator LCG Weekly Update for May 3, 2014

Rod Meredith: Scare Them First Then Tell Them How Much God Is Pleased With Them

Rod Meredith has always had a way with words.  Everything he writes he starts off trying to scare the shit out of you with death and damnation, and then moves into how glorious and magnificent his work is.  That kind of crap might have worked well for Herbert Armstrong in the 1940's and 50's, but it no longer carries any wieght today and is in fact off putting to most who read it.

Everyone has turned their back on Rod's god and it is royally pissed!  His god is ANGRY, but never fear, his god is DELIGHTED in the world Rod and crew are doing.  Armstrongism is so screwed up on its prioritizes in life.

Severe storms and tornadoes again brought death and destruction to the mid-section of America this week, causing millions of dollars of damage. However, due to the politically correct, anti-biblical mentality that prevails in the western world, few today make any connection with weather-related disasters and prophetic warnings of the consequences to a nation for turning away from the laws of God. Here in Charlotte, Dr. Meredith has completed a semi-annual letter that will be mailed to more than 440,000 subscribers. Mr. Gerald Weston reports that 27 visitors attended Tomorrow’s World presentations last weekend in Regina and Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada. Mr. Hernandez has returned from visiting congregations in South America, and Dr. Wilner Pierre has returned after visiting congregations in the French Caribbean. We have a number of ministers and wives arriving for the Council of Elders meetings this week and for the General Ministerial Conference next week. Please pray that God will watch over His people and that He will guide these upcoming meetings.—DSW  LCG Weekly Update for May 3, 2014

David C Pack: Stop Picking On Him! "...men of God make mistakes once in a while."

A reader here is NOT happy that we pick on David C Pack who is the laughing stock of the Church of God community right now.  He is not happy that we pick on the certified liar and false prophet while completely ignoring the Old Testament scripture (the only version Armstrongites follow):

"But the prophet who shall speak a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he shall speak in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ ²¹ "And you may say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’ ²² "When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him," (Deut. 18:20-22). 

Our loyal reader writes:

I will be happy when the 1335 gets here and all you people who should know better stop and think to yourselves, "hey that church we would always scorn and shoot the lip at where are they?". All of you who are bitter and mad at God because you had to suffer a little bit, why don't you fast for a couple days and ask him to show you where to go. David C. Pack never said he was a prophet, and men even men of God make mistakes once in a while. But I forgot even though the man does not bend on any of Gods doctrines that the Bible teaches and has restored all what was restored by Mr. Armstrong, If he is off by a year are so lets forget all that and run are mouths till the cows come . Because everyone knows David, Noah, Peter, Paul, Abraham, Isac, and Jacob none of those men made mistakes. Right?

Even non-COG related sites are starting to expose Davey:

Pack pays himself $125,000 tax free salary and lives a luxurious lifestyle. He has been the author of over 20 books, and has established over 50 congregations. Psalms 49:12-13 reads: "People, despite their wealth, do not endure; they are like the beasts that perish. This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings." 

-----

David C. Pack, just like Herbert W. Armstrong, has been called the biggest false prophet in all of Christianity.

Dare I say, Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons are even more accepted than the Restored Church of God.

The best stinging rebuke of David C Pack came from one of his own.  A minister of his own church and an insider to the shenanigans that Dave pulls has this to say:

Philadelphia Church of 'god' Kicks Out New Member Till He Corrects His Attitude Towards Pagan Symbolism

Armstrongism has always had a strong dislike for the Mason's, Shriner's and other fraternal organizations.  Jack Elliot wrote a lot about the evils of the Masonic Lodge decades ago. Yet, in spite of all that rancor, the COG met in hundreds of Masonic Lodges, Elk's Lodges, Odd Fellows halls, and other fraternal organizations.  Paganism be damned, if the church could use the hall then it would.

I have fond memories of sitting in an Odd Fellow's hall during DUB high days looking at the "all seeing eye" staring down at me.  Standing directly underneath that eye was a WCG minister railing on about some silly topic that was never as fascinating as all the symbolism in the room.

Recently a new "convert" to the Philadelphia Church of God attend his first meeting which was held in a Masonic Lodge.  This new convert had the audacity to point out to someone that they were surrounded by all kinds of pagan symbolism.  That did not sit well with the big wigs of Flurrydom.  They told the man he had a "disobedient heart" and suspended him from church till he corrected his attitude and read a LOT of Flurry's writings, repented and accepted meeting in Masonic Lodges.

Here is what he wrote:

May 1, 2014
I arrived for my first PCG service at a Mason hall after tithing for over a year and was surprised to find Chaldean and satanic symbolism all over the place. I spoke up and was told I had a "disobedient heart" and was banned from further services until I read a lot of material and repented and accepted the Mason hall. I was told I was not welcome back--but my tithes were.  From Exit and Support

Never Ending Arguments About the Bible

The Internet is a treasure trove of opinions about the Bible, as it is on many other subjects.  Everyone who writes or speaks attempts to convince others that their view is right.  Naturally that is life.  Most of the arguments about the Bible are in my view, just opinions.  College degrees, such as PhD or whatever are no more a guarantee of truth than having no formal Bible schooling at all.  None of us lived thousands of years ago and everything we believe about the past is simply what we read that others said, sometime in the past, or what someone today thinks is truth based upon their own studies.  We all interpret what we read from different perspectives.  Many think God is a myth, because they believe the Bible is a fraud.  Granted the Bible is full of holes, but that does not disprove God.  I don't consider science as God either.

Humans assign their own beliefs or agendas to God and lying scribes have always attributed words to God, which the gullible and naive have never been able to discern as fraud.  Just because some author or liar long ago said "thus saith the Lord", does not mean that God Almighty is the author of whatever the lying scribe penned.  It is more than frustrating that so many people are so programmed and indoctrinated that their thinking cannot be penetrated.  Try telling a Mormon that his beliefs are bull.  Try telling a Jehovah Witness that her beliefs are far off the beaten path.  I have even tried to tell some splinter group people of the Worldwide Church of God that what they espouse has nothing to do with the truth in Christ, only to be told that I am so far removed from what they believe, why waste their time or mine?  What does it take to awake people from their stupor?

The human mind generally does not want to hear anything that challenges the comfort zone of its built in censorship.  Don't tell me anything that differs with what I am use to believing.  Indeed it can be very unsettling to learn that most of what one believes about the Bible, God, Jesus Christ and "truth" has amazing alternatives.  "Christians" always think that what they believe is an "exception" to what all others in the world believe.  Of course all others in the world have the same view about their beliefs.  Small world!

Most likely humans will be arguing about the Bible for as long as there is human life on earth.  Absolute TRUTH is only known by God Almighty, no matter what human beings think.  What we all think is simply personal opinion. Is there really such a thing as "proof of truth?"  You can say science proves this or that and many will counter that and say something different.  Of course gravity is true and not hard to prove, but when it comes to religion, God, the Bible and "spiritual" matters, is there really any proof of what people believe or teach?  I seriously doubt many things I have read in the Bible, such as the book of "Revelation", but many others think it is true.  Many think the "rapture" is true, but with time, it appears that millions have lived and died who believed in the rapture theory and they were never raptured(?).  I suppose only time will tell what really is and what is not truth.  Should there be another 10,000 years of life on earth, what then will church goers think?  Will they lose faith in the Bible and the self-appointed gurus who stand in pulpits?


Van Robison

Concubines, Purchased Women, and Women Who Are Worth Less Than Men

Apostle Malm has been giving HIS interpretation of what HE thinks Exodus is all about.  Women are worth less monetarily than men, and slaves and concubines are normal parts of society (in his world to come.)

Here is what he starts of with to prove everything in Exodus is necessary for a secure society:

The foundations of a successful society are: 1.  security of our person from harm  and security for our lives,  2. Security of our families, 3.  Security of our property,  and 4.  Security of our livelihood, or ability to make a living.

God’s judgments and statutes, many of which [such as divorce] are for a physical unconverted people, to maintain peace and order among a hardhearted people; fulfill the foundational principles on which successful societies can be built.. 

The commandments represent the whole law gelled down to the very basic principles of the nature of God.  These Statutes define the commandments a little further, by explaining how we should keep the commandments under various circumstances.  The Statutes are also principles by which we may make other judgments; for example if an ox gore a person is directly applicable to if our dog or any other [owned animal] animal attack a person.

Then he gets to the roll of women.  Women in Malmism, and in the world he thinks is coming, will be worth less than men in all accounts.

Women sold into servitude are not to go free on the seventh year. 

Concubinage  

Many of these are cases where a family is very poor and deep ion debt an da rich neighbour offers to pay off the debts or pay the family if they will agree to give their daughter in marriage to him or his son etc. 

This is about concubinage, where the lady is forced by circumstances into a relationship, as opposed to entering a marriage at her own full free will.

The sale of a female; not outright sale on the block, but the giving to wife in exchange for debt relief or a sum, is considered to be as a concubine; and the woman is to have some security from being sold to others as chattel as she has been united with her master as a wife.  However if she is rejected by her husband, she may be redeemed by her father back to his family as a divorcee would return to her father’s house, but she may not be sold to another.

This is a common practice even today in our western world, where often wealthy families unite in marriage for political or financial gain.

Robin Webber: "We’re humbled to be custodians of such devoted tithes and offerings..."

I find the following comment by Robin Webber, in his "Letter From The President" April 28, 2014, to be appalling in its arrogance.

One of the main reasons Webber and others plotted and schemed to start UCG in the mid 1990's was to keep their salaries in tact. While it was partially doctrinal, it was more about money than anything else.  All of them sat there taking salaries till they had enough money ready so they could continue their comfortable lifestyles. As they were plotting this new church, they were stealing tithe money from members of the WCG.  If they were not "good stewards of devoted tithes and offerings" at that time, why is today any different?

Any plans approved and implemented at this conference are only made possible by your faith-filled generosity that attests to your understanding of God’s spiritual blessings having touched your lives and your outgoing and out-flowing desire that others might be recipients of God’s calling. We’re humbled to be custodians of such devoted tithes and offerings and will strive our best with God’s guidance to boldly, yet humbly, preach the gospel, make disciples and care for you, the flock of God given in our charge.

Stephen Gilbreath: I Became An Auditorium Usher So I could Usher and Open the Doors When Herbert Armstrong Was Resurrected

My favorite Church of God lunatic is back again with a more fun.  Fast forward to the 8 minute mark and listen for a few minutes as Gilbreath gives HIS version of the Receivership and the blocking of doors.  He is appalled that Herman Hoeh  opened the Auditorium doors for the Receiver or Deceiver as Gilbreath calls him.  He is too blinded in his worship of HWA to realize that Herman Hoeh was NOT happy with the way the WCG was reacting to the Receiver and said that the church should have been cooperating.  Then he gets to the fun part.  He says he started volunteering as an Auditorium usher so that when HWA was resurrected he could be there to open the doors for the faithful. 

Watch the video from the 8 minute mark through 12:30 and be appalled.  He invites HWA to come onto his set and speak. after looking up to haven HWA appears!  Amazing!  I know for a fact that if HWA came back and found Gilbreath preaching all hell would break loose!