Friday, November 3, 2017

Issue 199, The Journal: News of the Churches of God




Issue 199 of The Journal is out.

Besides the shocking revelation that Dixon Cartwright is shutting down the Journal, it is filled with several interesting articles, both in a good way and a bad way.

One of the lead article sis by UCG's Don Hooser on "Is there ever an appropriate reason to leave the church?"

Hooser claims that for those who fall away and stop attending church fall into darkness and will have a hard time every finding the light again. He also goes on to say that for those that leave the church that the Holy Spirit automatically leaves you.  Utter bullshit!  UCG wonders why people don't want to be baptized, this kind of crap is why!
This straying away from the truth of God’s Word is dangerous, though, because it can eventually lead to a complete falling away from the Church. The farther you stray from the light, the greater the darkness and the difficulty in finding your way back.
To completely fall away means to lose the Holy Spirit: The “light goes out.” For you to leave the Church means the Holy Spirit has left you. 
Hooser's bullshit just keeps getting deeper.  Those who leave the COG immediately become degenerate sinners where they will find it is impossible to come to repentance.  Because of that, they crucify Christ over and over and over and over again.  The poor dude has died so many times on the high school gym or Masonic Lodge stage that it has to be exhausting for the guy to have to keep climbing back up on the cross!
According to Hebrews 6:4-6, to completely fall away means it is “impossible” to come to “repentance,” since the fallen away “crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.”
This happens in conjunction with a complete hardening of the heart to “sin willfully” (Hebrews 10:26-31) 
There is an article about Spokesmen Club.  Men and women in the church either loved it or hated it with a passion.  Some claimed it helped them to overcome speaking fears, others got sick of the horrendous verbal and spiritual abuse dished out by abusive ministers and idiot members. 

There is the continuing series of flashback articles regarding the glory days of the church and the horrible result of the changes in the  mid-1990's.  As usual, they whitewash the story as if all of the people who now led the splinter groups are martyrs for the truth.  Ha Ha.

Alton Billingsley is back with his usual end of the world scenario.  With the horrific damage from hurricane Irma to the wildfires in California, the end is now here. Read it and weep.

Read issue 199 here.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is an example of how ministers use fear to keep members in their churches. How disgraceful! They are the depraved ones!

DennisCDiehl said...

Congrats Dixon on years of simply providing all the churches a forum and updates on all things church. I know it was a lot of work for you and abiding the criticism along the way for ten thousand things. You’re a good man. I will always thank you for setting up and reporting very accurately on Art Mokarrow and my “debate”. We both were stunned when, at the end, Art told the Church audience. “I want you to listen to Dennis. Everything he has told you today is true.” LOL. Still scratching my head over that one.

Best wishes and warm regards
Den

Sweetblood777 said...

It is obvious that the writer did not read or comprehend the article. Hooser explained the difference between leaving the 'church' small c, with leaving the 'Church' capital C. He applied the small c to the organization compared to the big C, to the body of Christ.

To twist accidentally, causes the same result.

To leave the body of Christ, capital C, does indeed mean that the Holy Spirit will leave you. To leave the organization, small c, does not remove the Holy Spirit.

Next time read first and then come to a conclusion. Don't draw a conclusion before reading.

Anonymous said...

The Churches of Armstrong (not God) continue to wither and fade. Simply not viable, realistic, or Godly institutions. The theological flaws, the actual inability to connect to the entirety of scripture (not just selected elements of The Law, the Old Covenant) eventually are realized, and people leave. It took me 13 very difficult years to realize the great errors I had committed.

Today, I live a Christian life, in a scripturally-based Christian church where the grace of Christ is the focus. I pray that all burdened by Armstrongism will find solace and salvation in an authentic Bible-based church.

Anonymous said...

the article by Hooser is excellent...couldn't have said it better myself.

Anonymous said...

I noticed that this issue, page 16 claims that Bob Thiel has 3000 members in Africa. It would be interesting to have more details.

Anonymous said...

when i was in the Church i knew of a member or two what was fornicating (i wasnt one of them, btw), but when i was kicked out i didnt suddenly become weak and start fornicating...

i have been celibate in the 12 years since my wife left me, and i have been so because i am determined to submit to the Holy Spirit of Righteosness instead of the tendencies that any dog would give in to (which is what it ultimately comes down to at the end of the day: will one act like a animal, or act like God in man as the man Christ Jesus did)...

Anonymous said...

7.56 AM
Hooser is wrong in condemning resentment. Resentment is a involuntary reaction to being the victim of evil. The scripture used to condemn resentment i.e., 'beware the root of bitterness' is not referring to resentment. It's referring to departing from God. Yet, it's regarded as the gospel truth because it's been repeated over and over and over. It's a favorite church lie. Most ministers and many members lie through their teeth on this one. Did I say that they lie?

So why condemn resentment? Because resentment is a MORAL EVALUATION. If one wants to sin and get away with it, the greatest sin becomes (others) passing moral evaluation.
Hence condemning resentment is the fox talking to the chickens, the wolf talking to the lambs. Note how these human foxes and wolves constantly pass hash moral evaluations.
One standard for me, another for thee.

Anonymous said...

"But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." Galatians 5:18...

the Law only doesnt apply to those what are led by the Holy Spirit...those who do not acknowledge the motivating factor of the Holy Spirit in man cannot possibly understand the concept, and by default are led by the spirit of the creature, i.e., an animal, in the case of the human being...

this is why so many so called "christians" what love to harp that we are not under the Law end up finding themselves behaving like what they truly are: under the Law...

Anonymous said...

I'd have to say the farther away I've gotten, I see more light. I also see more corruption than ever at theses illegitimate groups HQ's.

Margaret Walker said...

Christ said:
"But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."

John stated:
"For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities."

Let's address fornication:
God's judgment about it:
Ex.22:16,17 and Deut.22:28,29
WHICH COG or minister on the face of the WHOLE EARTH teaches this? They say baptism removes it; but the Children of Israel were baptized in the Red Sea before they heard of God's fornication judgment. They add, "Yes, but...that was a physical baptism, not a 'spiritual' baptism."
Baptism does NOT DO AWAY WITH THE LAW OF GOD contained in commandments, statutes AND judgments: see Mal.4:4-6

Ex.22:
16 And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife.
17 If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins.
Deut.28:
If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found;
29 Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days.

So what IF it is NOT "known"? Then the young man will MARRY HER, no problem - he owes no shekels; but if the rape was so bad she told her Father about it, the Father can VOID her bond, under the Statute of Num.30 and the LORD forgives her of her bond. The guy still pays shekels if it becomes KNOWN!

1 act of sex creates a BLOOD COVENANT, that only a Father can VOID, and the Heavenly Father has given His AUTHORITY to the girl's father to do just that.

Then it now makes sense WHY none of these ministers read the whole law in the solemn seventh year as commanded, and they don't know or CARE when that solemnized year even IS because they rely on the unbelieving Jew's calendar instead of going to Genesis 1 where God's calendar is stated in full, on Day 4, 1 Abib, year "1".

Are all these men so sexually oriented they can't teach spiritual principles of the Word of God? I think so. Ezekiel says God looked amongst them to find a man to "stand in the gap that the land shouldn't be destroyed, and He found NONE":

Where did God look?
1. Princes
2. Prophets
3. Priests
4. People

Who did God leave out? No one, only the women and children...

The land will be destroyed then... in a matter of time.

Sweetblood777 said...

Anon 8:52 the law that is being spoken of here is not the ten commandments. This is referring to the ritualistic law, which no one is under.

RSK said...

Whats the fornication fixation?

Anonymous said...

I noticed that this issue, page 16 claims that Bob Thiel has 3000 members in Africa. It would be interesting to have more details.
November 4, 2017 at 8:30 AM

Bitter, almost ordained, self-appointed Bob has 2850 "members" in Africa who saw a sucker to take advantage of when he appeared on the scene. 100 or so members are in the United States with a smattering of deceived men and women in other countries.

Lake of Fire Church of God said...

Anonymous 7:56 said, "the article by Hooser is excellent...couldn't have said it better myself."

MY COMMENT - Thank you, Mr. Hooser!

Richard

Lake of Fire Church of God said...

Did I correctly count from the obituaries and the "notes and quotes" from issue 199 of The Journal that 5 people died during the 2017 Feast of Tabernacles including 2 80-year-olds by an automobile accident on their way to the feast? Instead of "Best Feast Ever", this might have been, "Deadliest Feast Ever".

Richard

Anonymous said...

I believe in eternal security. When you become saved, it is a lock, you cannot become unsaved. Saved is something that has been done that can't be undone. The word "saved" is similar to the words, washed, graduated, walked ect. You can't unwash your car. You can't ungraduated from high school. You can't unwalk a mile. You can't become unsaved when you become saved.

Byker Bob said...

Well, there was always the smallest sin in the Bible: The flea fornication!

Anonymous said...

it is made very plain in the Word of God: "But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." Galatians 5:18

"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:3-4

the Law is fulfilled, and hence cancelled only for those that walk in the Spirit and not after the works of the flesh, i.e., those what routinely submit to fleshly tendencies and sin are still under the Law, but those what strive to submit to the Holy Spirit are not under the Law...

Anonymous said...

considering the fact that fornication has led to so many, many instances of heartache, e.g., unwanted children, financial burden, abortion, sexually transmitted disease, baby mama drama, etc., etc., i.e. a complicated, dramatic and unpleasant life, yes, i can say that in refraining from acting like a dog in heat has not only made my life simpler, but put me in compliance and obedience to my Creator...

Anonymous said...

"For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another" Romans 2:14-15


whether we admit it or not society is still under the Law because we are led by the flesh; hence we have our own laws, like the death penalty and other penalties pertaining to those what sin, which also happen to originate in the "ritualistic law"...

we have cherry picked what parts of the Law to retain, and rejected most of the other parts; hence, our society is filled with all manner of sins, and frankly we are all on borrowed time because the Lord will eventually simply destroy this rebellious society since we refuse to Obey the whole of the Law...

Anonymous said...

Sweetblood777, Scripture nowhere divides the law into different types. It simply doesn't.

(I have read that this division of the law was John Calvin's way of getting around keeping the parts of the law that he felt were obsolete.)

Jesus said that he did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. He did not say, "I have come to abolish parts of the law and keep other parts."

Paul wrote that the person who breaks one point of the law is guilty of breaking every point. He didn't say that the ritual parts don't count.

You are free to pick and choose the laws that you want to keep, but don't deceive yourself into thinking you are doing anything different than anyone else who wants to drag parts of the OT law into the NT.

Anonymous said...


Margaret Walker said...Deut22

Read on down further to 27:26 "cursed are (they) who do not continue.."(quoted out of context by antinomian Saul of Tarsus.) All the wcg brouhaha about upholding the torah, but did they? In one instance I saw a fornicator switched to a partner with high cult connections, wcg ignored torah: Were they cursed with disintegration? Yes. What if the offended was the catalyst of their downfall?

Anonymous said...

Since leaving the ACOG cult I've been happier for it. Don Hooser is an idiot!

RSK said...

So thats what the third plague was about. Those nasty little fleas!

Margaret Walker said...

The male replies to Gods fornication judgment are the main problem in the world, and were the moment Moses descended the mount and found thousands of men NAKED. God ordered them killed: all 3000 of them. It is no joking matter. They had all just heard what God said about it, and they went and did it anyway. The Lord rebuke any of you that mocks this. It is no "ritualistic" law, unless you me. Do it all the time as a ritual STILL!