Why God Does Not Answer Prayers?

Why God Does Not Answer Prayers?

Many pastors and preachers will try to tell you that the reason God does not answer prayer is because of your sins, or because you are asking for the wrong things, or you ask something that is not the will of God, or perhaps you ask in lust or you ask amiss or your prayer is not according to scripture.

Are those valid reasons why God does not answer prayer?  What if you pray to God, but you are not a Christian? Perhaps you pray, but your beliefs differ from those who read the King James Bible.

What if your country or nation is being bombed and attacked, as happened to Iraq and you prayed to God or Allah, but the death and destruction happened anyway?  What if members of your family perished in war and you prayed your heart out?

What if you were a church going Christian and a tornado ripped through your neighborhood and destroyed many homes and even the lives of other church goers?  What then?   What if a horrendous earthquake happened when you were living in California and freeways collapsed upon cars and crushed church going Christians to death?

What if your child developed leukemia and you as parents and your church going friends, prayed with all your might for healing and the child died anyway?  What then?

Does God really answer prayer?  Why would God selectively answer the prayers of some, but neglect the prayers of millions of other human beings?

I once read that a man was driving his vehicle and suddenly the thought came to him, that he should not go around a curve ahead and sure enough a truck came around in a manner that would have resulted in a head-on collision.  Was that God?  The man thought so.  Why would God put that thought in his mind, while allowing 50,000 other people to die in auto accidents that same year?

Many people attribute "healing" recovery to God, but at the same time there are thousands of others who are not healed.  Why would God heal some people and not others?  Makes no sense whatsoever.

Even in sports, many sports players thank God for their victory, as if God micro-managed their winning game? Is that really just a false belief?

Why on earth would God place a priority over a football or basketball game, while allowing thousands of people to die in wars, tornadoes, hurricanes, cancer, auto accidents or whatever???

Christians and church goers seem to live in a fantasy world about answered prayer.  Some Christians think God directed them to get a job flipping hamburgers, and then when they want to go elsewhere, suddenly God directed them to go to work for another business.  Is that God?

Does God really micromanage the lives of human beings?  If he did, then do humans have freewill?  Would God really cause you to buy a lottery ticket, in which you won $200-million dollars?

After 73 years of living on planet earth, I would have to come to the conclusion that church going Christians are very gullible and naive human beings, with almost zero discernment about God or reality.  And the belief that INK on PAPER is "inspired" by God, is a fatal false belief.


Van Robison

It's OK to salt unleavened bread but not wear alligator cowboy boots, especially if you are a woman who has just given birth to a daughter

The Church of God has always had Pharisees in its midst that took things to the extreme when it came to law keeping. The law was always the god that demanded total obedience. Every unreasonable rule and regulation was expounded upon and taken to the extreme. Every booklet, article, coworker letter, sermon and telecast talked about the law while Jesus was relegated to a few days around Passover.

With the demise of the Worldwide Church of God various groups broke off trying to preserve  the law with even more extreme measures.  Everyone of these groups claim that only they are right and the others are apostate heretics. Everyone tries to out do the other group when it comes to all keeping.

That Judaizing continues on today with the Chief Pharisee of the Churches of God who claims only he has the really understanding of the law.  For several years now James Malm has been rewriting the bible to fit his own twisted interpretations.

One of his acolytes recently asked about salting unleavened bread.  We are getting up to that season, remember....  The fact that someone had to even ask for permission shows how brainwashed his followers are.

A question has come about salting the unleavened bread for Passover and the sacrifices and I have added the following explanation to the  Leviticus 2:13 post. 

All Unleavened Bread for Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the sacrifices  is to be seasoned with salt as commanded in Lev 2:13. 

Salt is a preservative which is added to indicate the eternal everlasting nature of our Covenant with God and our faithful everlasting abiding in that Covenant (Numbers 18:19). 

Then the Chief Pharisee moves on to what is supposedly "clean" and "unclean."  As usual in the mind of an Armstrongite, that is open to interpretation, and interpret his own views is what he does.

Here are his convoluted ideas he passes off as "truth."

While we are commanded to not even touch a dead unclean animal, many sects claim that the commandment is only concerned with eating the flesh. Using that false premise they say that any other products from dead unclean creatures may be used at will. 

Living “unclean” animals are not unclean to touch and neither is the hair or wool sheared from living animals; it is the DEAD animals that are unclean and not to by eaten or even touched. That means that the skin and furs of dead unclean animals are not to be touched.  

We may not eat, use or touch the dead body of any creature that does not BOTH chew the cud and split the hoof among animals, or any under water creature that does not have BOTH fins and scales at the time we take it. We may not eat, use or touch the dead body of any bird that does not have a crop and is not able to fly, nor can we eat any insect that does not have both legs for leaping and wings for flying.

To even touch the carcass [dead body] of an unclean creature; becomes unclean and must bathe and be unclean until the sun is set. 

To touch the dead body makes one unclean and if we wear skins and furs from unclean creatures it is as if we have eaten them; for both acts make us unclean. 

Dang it!  Now that I have my alligator boots broken in I have to throw them out!

The next time you pick up the dead bird carcass your cat brings in or that lizard, you are unclean the second you touch it.  Slide on those comfy Hush Puppies made with pig skin and your are unclean!  Wear those alligator cowboy boots and you are unclean.  Carry that camel purse and you are unclean!

Next he tries to make his acolytes do the impossible.  Any follower of the new covenant knows that what he writes is a lot of useless hooey.

We should be zealous to be physically clean, in our overwhelmingly unclean world; and we should go forward from the physical; to be zealous to become spiritually clean, without any spot, blemish or wrinkle of spiritual uncleanness or sin. 

We should be as shocked, disgusted and appalled at the very idea of eating some scripturally unclean thing, or for some spiritual uncleanness and sin like calling the Sabbath holy and then paying others to serve us; as we would be if we were served a bowl of sewage.

This is the kind off crap that is fostered off as truth when you leave Jesus out of the picture.

Then the Chief Pharisee has this to say about women who have children.  If you have a daughter it is even worse!

If the child is female the mother’s separation shall be double that of a male child 

12:5 But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying threescore and six [66] days.  

66 days plus two weeks is 80 days. My wife and I practiced this by mutual consent for our three sons and one daughter. 

We make these specified sacrificial offerings to day, by going to God the Father in prayer and asking that the sacrifice of Christ be applied to us and to the child, setting apart the child through our faithfulness, and asking for an understanding of these things.

A sin offering for the shed blood; which goes back to Eden where sin and bloodshed entered the world and a burden was placed on women for that sin, as a perpetual reminder of sin (Gen 3:16); the sin offering for the mother, being the application of Christ’s sacrifice for the repentant obedient woman. And a burnt offering to demonstrate the wholehearted faithful service to God the Father and Jesus Christ and those of like-mind.

What a relief to be free from this tyranny!

COG Prophet Declares New Zealand is NOT the Place of Safety!

God's most highly favored prophet and leader of the ONLY true church active in 2016, Bob Thiel, has declared that New Zealand is NOT the place of safety!  Who knew!

Super rich hedge fund managers are buying ‘secret boltholes’ where they can hideout in the event of civil uprising against growing inequality, it has been claimed.  

Nervous financiers from across the globe have begun purchasing landing strips, homes and land in areas such as New Zealand so they can flee should people rise up.  

With growing inequality and riots such as those in London in 2011 and in Ferguson and other parts of the USA last year, many financial leaders fear they could become targets for public fury.

Thiel then adds:

Jesus taught that a very rough time was going to come: 

21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. (Matthew 24:21-22) Is the solution to attempt to hide in a country such as New Zealand?  

No. 

The prophet continues:

While there is a certain escape involved in this, the protected Christians are not going to their personal ‘bolthouses,’ but are going to a place that God has prepared in the wilderness. And this is NOT a wilderness in New Zealand. 

While Thiel does not mention Petra is this tirade, he has in the past publicly preached that it is the place of safety.  The place where only his chosen will be able to gather at his feet to be taught words of wisdom.

Then in one finally jab at New Zealand, he writes:

As far as New Zealand goes, many do not realize that the British-peoples in New Zealand are actually descendants of the biblical Joseph’s son Ephraim, the grandson of Jacob. Because of that, New Zealand will be affected by “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7). 

Since those in New Zealand will be greatly affected by the Great Tribulation, any wealthy who attempt to escape there will find that they trusted too much in their wealth (cf. Matthew 10:24), instead of trusting the Bible. A place of safety will be prepared for the true Philadelphians, but one cannot simply buy admission to it (Revelation 3:7-13; Luke 21:36).

God Punishes Kentucky and California Because of Joe Biden

According to Prophet Bob Thiel, the East coast was punished by snow this past weekend because Vice President Joe Biden made some remarks that were gay friendly while in Europe.  As a result Kentucky was severely punished with beauty and charm.

Meanwhile in California, all those gays caused record amounts of snow to fall in the Sierra's that will greatly benefit the state later this spring and summer.

El Nino Dumps Snow Across California

I too am a child survivor of Herbert W. Armstrong's church from 1960 on...

A reader here shares his/her story:

I believe my mother was drawn to the Radio Church of God broadcast because she was so emotionally unstable and unhappy. I think like all cults, it drew folk with deep emotional/spiritual voids. And folk with mental health issues. I remember being abused physically by my mother in the guise of "discipline" as taught by the church when it actually became a physical church that she could attend - the World Wide Church of God. The "discipline" progressed to a 2 by 4 board. I can't blame the church on all the abuse suffered at the hands of my mother, given she had begun the abuse years prior to her discovering the Radio Church of God. Both my parents came to the marriage with lots of unresolved baggage. Within three years, my mother had three children and a husband who worked late most nights. And she was Jewish, he Methodist. She raised in a pampered creative, city family life. He from a sheltered, poor farm upbringing.

I know I was damaged even before my mother started going to Armstrong's church. But her becoming part of it all, was devastating to us kids and my father. Before she joined the church, we had Chanukah and Christmas and of course all the other holidays and festivities that are considered traditional. I remember the day the men in dark suits came to our house. My Dad was at work. From that day forward, she stopped smoking, never wore makeup again and life was never the same in our house. No more birthdays, nothing. I was about 9, my younger brother 7 and my older brother 10. No explanation, nothing, Just all of a sudden everything changed. It further put a wedge between my parents and he recognized quickly that her church was "nuts". His response was to delve deeper into his job. To be abused at home and have such a volatile mother and then have to attend long church services with her and sermons about 'the Lake of Fire" and kids are sinful and need to receive the rod and the never ending sermons on the Book of Revelation and the tribulation and the end of the world - it was frightening to me. I had nightmares throughout my childhood. Even after her church became more mainstream and "normalized", she still hung on to some of the old teachings esp. regarding the world coming to an end. The last words I ever heard from her, at my last visit a few months before her death she said" It's only going to get worse". and I knew she was referencing the end times. For supposedly loving the Lord and being born again, she was miserable. And her minister never wanted to address the issues in our house and help with it. 

Anyway, I joined the army just to get out of the house, after I graduated high school. It took me years to be comfortable celebrating birthdays and holidays. Now, I love to celebrate those. I do believe her religion greatly affected my spiritual path which has led me to atheism. It has been an agonizing path. Living a human life without religion and all the camaraderie a church can provide, has been lonely indeed. My trust in people has been damaged. I do feel I am the victim of religious abuse. even hearing the word God triggers my PTSD. I have had to pay quite a bit of money over the years for psychotherapy. I'd have loved to have sent that bill to H. Armstrong.

You have my permission to print this 

COG Members Sick of the divisive church divisions

double click to enlarge

These are photographs are of an ICOG Feast of Tabernacles sign from this past year.  This same location also had UCG, COGWA and LCG groups meeting in the same building and close by in the same city. 

 COG members are getting sick of the divisions that abusive leaders continue to use as control measures.  There were at least three groups meeting in the same town and none of them officially acknowledged the other, with some even discouraging members to stay away from the other groups.

COG False Prophet Says: Snowmageddon Was Punishment From God For Joe Biden's Comments

Only in Armstrongism (and World Net Daily) can such stupidity abound:

Bob Thiel writes;

I would suggest that if this particular storm “Jonas” was a punishment for a recent action, it was more likely a punishment for US Vice President Biden’s promotion of the LGBT agenda at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday ss opposed to the lifting of sanctions related to the Iranian deal. 

Why? 

Because the Bible does ties aspects of the LGBT agenda in with weather punishments (cf. Amos 4:7-12).  Plus the Bible teaches that God will remove “the protection from Judah” (the nation currently called Israel) and perhaps allow the Iranians to damage it (cf. Isaiah 22:6-8).

Bitter Bob's bumbling proof?

Scripture is clear that God controls the weather and sometimes provides extreme weather for correction. And that includes snowy weather. Notice the following: 

5 God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend. 6 For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’;… 9 From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind, And cold from the scattering winds of the north. 10 By the breath of God ice is given, And the broad waters are frozen. 11 Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds; He scatters His bright clouds. 12 And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance, That they may do whatever He commands them On the face of the whole earth. 13 He causes it to come, Whether for correction, Or for His land, Or for mercy. (Job 37:5-6, 9-13)

22 “Have you entered the treasury of snow, Or have you seen the treasury of hail, 23 Which I have reserved for the time of trouble, For the day of battle and war? (Job 38:22-23)

COGWA Members Say If A Merger Happens With LCG They Will Return To United

If Rod Meredith is truly considering merging with the Church of God a Worldwide Association  (COGWA) he is going to be in for a big shock.  While some in the leadership may want to do this, the members do NOT!  Many are saying they will return to United Church of God before their feet ever grace the door of an LCG church. What a stinging indictment that is!

Also  it is interesting to note is that COGWA ministers are preaching about Rod Meredith's "issues" (his preoccupation with homosexuality) and that he has become "unhinged." Its a sad indicator to LCG members if COGWA ministers are publicly bad mouthing Rod Meredith. This is starting to look like the epic failure of Dave Pack where he thinks tens of thousands of COG members will soon be joining his church.

Really AWKWARD!! How do we in COGWA, who have listened for a while now to insinuations about Rod Meredith’s “issues” given his pre-occupation with rants against homosexuals, and suggestions that he has “come unhinged” with his new teachings of a rapture (something to do with the timeline of the wedding supper) all coming from our own ministers (and I hear also from friends in the UK that these thoughts are also disseminated by the COGWA leadership there)—- how are we expected to happily ‘merge’ with a group that we are told is so way off-base?! In our immediate circles at services today we all pretty much agreed that if this merger happened, most of COGWA would flee back to UCG — a windfall for them. LCG would inherit a hefty payroll with insufficient tithe-payers to support it. For my husband and I it would confirm our worst fears since the beginning that Franks & Co. were perhaps just financial opportunists in the first split, and are doing the same again with no principles — and we would certainly be back in UCG. Certainly we never understood making merchandise of the brethren as well as we do now.  Shining Light comments

Also to note, is the distaste that COGWA members seem to have for Jim Franks and crew.  They are referred to as "financial opportunists."

LCG COGWA can not join because it is unequally yoked, Jim Franks represents a corrupt leader, full of ambition, Walker, Langarica sacked the United Church of God in South America and Franks knows, out corrupt leaders, hopefully this is just rumor, LCG should not thieves at his side. Ali Franks and the 40 Thieves.

It should be quite obvious that not only is Living Church of God having member issues, but COGWA, UCG, PCG and RCG are too.   Members are starting to rebel again at the appalling things they are being going on in their churches.  Yet, the ministers and hierarchy continue to turn a blind eye and pretend that things have never been better in the church. As I have said before, the church is eating itself alive.  Persecution is not coming from the outside, but from within.