Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web of Corrupt Leaders

Sunday, December 31, 2017

2018 Promises to be Another Crazy Year for the Church of God


It is hard to believe that we are entering year 8 with this blog dealing with the craziness of the One True Church.  Has there ever been a church that is filled with some of the absolutely craziest leaders we could ever imagine?  From self-appointed upstarts like Thiel and Malm who twist the bible to fit their perverted mindsets, to some of the most narcissistic leaders like Pack and Flurry.  The lies flowing forth from these men get more astounding every day.  2018 promises to be even crazier as the days go by.  Join us for the ride!
SaveSave

Is Fred Coulter's Christian Biblical Church of God Imploding?



Word is leaking out of England that Fred Coulter's group is having huge issues there.  It has been reported on Church of God News that it has imploded:
In the early years of CBCG Fred Coulter referred to his then small group as “the no hassle, recycle, last resort, Church of God.” It still can be - but not if you have a disagreement with Fred Coulter over doctrine or policy. 
David Obey, the UK ‘Office Manager’ (there was never an actual ‘office’) for the past decade has been described by someone who knew him well as “abrasive” and “easily offended”.  
A parting of the ways at some point seemed inevitable. He resigned earlier this year, warning subscribers of ‘dangers’ of keeping their names and contact details on the mailing list.  
His reluctant replacement found the situation so difficult that he soon resigned in frustration - much to the fury of Fred Coulter. 
There was no Festival of Tabernacles site this year (and no prospect of one any time soon). The remaining subscribers to CBCG’s material are now receiving their regular mailings from Australia.

Fred Coulter was disfellowshipped by the Worldwide Church of God in 1980 along with several other Pasadena leaders:  

Editor's note: The following list, provided by Ministerial Services, is in addition to previously published lists of disfellowshipped ministers. 
Charles Barrett, David Bierer, Bobby Boyce, Henry Buck, Rod Carnes, Lor Chamberlain, Fred Coulter, Hollis Crotts, Brent Curtis, Richard Gipe, John Hammer, Robert Hoops, Joe Horchak, Bronson James, Charles Oehlman, John Ouvrier, George Panteleeff', Ted Phillips, Bill Porter. Jack Pyle, V. Ray PyleDavid Robinson and Doug Taylor. 



Fred Coulter is also know for his voluminous reorganization of the Bible into its "correct" order.

The New Testament In Its Original Order—A Faithful Version with Commentary is the only English New Testament in which the books are arranged in their correct, original order. It retains the grace and grandeur of the King James Version while clarifying many of its problematic passages. Included are commentaries that answer such questions as: What is the New Testament? Who wrote it? When was it written? Who canonized it? Other commentaries thoroughly explain the history and preservation of the Bible. Various appendices cover numerous controversial New Testament teachings in detail. It is no longer in print. The New Testament Text, Commentaries and Appendices have now been incorporated in The Holy Bible In Its Original Order.
Fred is also known for hsi interst in phrenology where he claimed he could read peoples problems by feeling the bumps on peoples heads.

Fred has always been known for his weird beliefs and teachings.  His god was speaking to him in 2011 and revealed a new species that was to evolve in the world, "transhumans."


Transhumanism: Becoming Gods—Satan’s Way: The recent messages I have given on Transhumanism (TH) actually show that God’s timetable is going to be much longer than we may have anticipated. TH is a widespread philosophical, scientific, and religious movement that will bring about man’s greatest achievements under the direct influence of Satan the Devil. TH combines advancements in nanotechnology with the sophisticated genetic mixing of the human and animal genome in order to create super humans. Ultimately, this is Satan’s perverted plan to convince men that they can become gods and obtain immortality without God.  Fred Coulter: Transhumans To Rule Earth Before Tribulation
Why is it that Armstrongism is filled with such extremely spiritually degenerate men? Are there any real spiritually grounded men in the church?  Has there ever been any in the last 80 some years? There certainly are none in the 21st century!





Which COG leader "...is guilty of a shocking display of dishonesty and sophistry"



The Painful Truth has an excellent article about Bob Thiel.  A few choice morsels are here:


The Year Ahead. Bob Thiel and the ACOG’s.


One of the PT editors recently made this statement to me: “Bob Thiel is guilty of a shocking display of dishonesty and sophistry.” I confess to a similar sentiment, but as it is, Thiel, who is a peddler of Herbert Armstrong’s fictional and failed prophecies, is generally considered by the ACOG community as  a huckster and poses little threat if he is constantly challenged and kept in check. He certainly does not display the honesty or character of Ian Boyne, who allowed people to challenge his thoughts and his writings.

"With this short article, we want to share with you our view about Bob Thiel’s malignant beliefs and what damage we can expect in the coming year. We would not have to do so if Thiel allowed comments at his website where we could challenge him and refute his writings."

"Keep in mind that opinions are like sphincters: we all have them. As we know, Bob’s opinions are certainly not filled with gumdrops and happiness or even pink unicorns. His opinions on religion, or world politics, mostly everything are grossly mistaken, and the conclusions from what he wrongly takes to be evidence that supports his views are dreadfully distorted. He sees the world through false prophet Herbert W. Armstrong’s eyes instead of implementing objective thought." 

"As we march forward into the future this following year, it remains to be seen whether Bob’s sick racialism will be capable of self-critique. Can he, will he acknowledge his own insularity and excesses, or will he continue down the path of smug self-congratulation and vanity, never passing up an opportunity to destroy, debauch, devalue, and dehumanize a wide assortment of innocent people?" 
Read the story here:  The Year Ahead. Bob Thiel and the ACOG’s

Saturday, December 30, 2017

Happy 5th Birthday To One Of The Biggest Excuse Making COG's in 80 Some Years.



Today is the 5th birthday anniversary of the truest Church of God to exist in human history.  No other COG has ever been like this one.  No other COG has had to make as many excuses for its existence as this one. No other COG has had a leader that has suffered as much butthurt as this one. No other COG has so few American/Canadian/European members as this one. No other COG leader has ever been such a HUGE disappointment to Rod Meredith as this one. No other COG has been mocked as much as this one.

It is birthday time for the Continuing Church of God, the one true holy catholic church that God is only using in the 21st century.

Even on this joyous occasion, Not Arrested, but almost arrested Bob Thiel is letting his bitterness shine through yet again.  That ornery Living Church of God had to go and ignore his demands and then turned their backs on him, FORCING him to start a new church.

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:
Greetings again from the Five Cities region of California.
Today, on the Roman calendar, marks the fifth anniversary of the official start of the ContinuingChurch of God as a separate entity.
Without going into all the details, suffice it to say that my prior Church of God organization made it clear on December 28, 2012 that it would not keep promises to correct errors, while then putting out more false information about me personally (see also Why Bob Thiel Left the Living Church of God). After concluding that their words and actions demonstrated further attempts towards reconciliation were futile, I informed that group I would not be part of them. Later that day, my wife, I, and some witnesses then notarized paperwork for the start of the Continuing Church of God.
Delicate Bob had a tummy ache and made sure to let his African followers how ill he was feeling, which I am sure was a major disappointment that the Apostle could actually get sick!
The sermon recommended for this Sabbath goes over some of what has been happening in the Continuing Church of God over the past five years. Perhaps I should mention that I got ill and was not feeling well when giving the sermon (and am not quite back to normal yet). It is not an excuse, but when mentioning areas with financial supporters, I forgot to mention that we get financial support from a couple of supporters in Australia and one from Trinidad & Tobago. Anyway, the sermon was still made, despite how I physically felt.
The great deluded one still believes his personality cult is the fastest growing COG ever to exist in the 21st century. No other human leader has been as successful in drawing in members as he has, even though most are money mooching Africans looking for a quick handout from another rich American "evangelist."
The Continuing Church of God started out actually smaller than what became the old Radio Church of God–but became much larger than it did after five years. The Continuing Church of God has averaged more than the 30% growth per year that Herbert Armstrong thought reflected God’s blessings. This has been unmatched by any Church of God group this century.
No other COG in human history has never compromised its church governance as has this one. Every single other COG has failed in church governance and are apostates. Only Elijah Thiel is the one true human.  Jesus Christ Thiel!

The self-appointed apostate apostle then makes the claim that his group is supported not only by some nightmares and double blessings but also by the entire Bible, Peter, Paul, John, Polycarp, good old Herbert and dismissive daddy Rod Meredith.  What a list of names to toss out in support for starting a COG!
We also have not compromised on church governance as other Church of God groups have (see also The Bible, Peter, Paul, John, Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, Roderick C. Meredith, and Bob Thiel on Church Government), taught the truth, and strove to have the priorities that Philadelphian Christians should have. The fruits of the work have confirmed this.
You can read the rest of the most astounding letter ever written to COG members here:

Letter to the Brethren: December 28, 2017



Is it possible to have a true friendship with another in the Church of God?


Everyone longs for true friendship with another.  A close friend you can confide in with your deepest thoughts and concerns.  A friend who will stand by you and support you in the best of times and when struggling through the worst of times.

Those in the Church of God claim to have the truest friendships that the word can ever exemplify.  Friendships in the COG are deeply true because friends are united in a single core of belief.  The "truth" binds hearts to one another. But, does it really?

Friendships in the COG tend to be more "acquaintances" than ever being deep and loyal.  Acquaintances will slap you on the back and have a beer with you, but will in the next moment vilify you if you ever dare to question doctrine or the church.  Just look at what happened to the Scarborough family in Living Church of God.  They were publicly vilified, lied about and smeared with one accusation after another.  When church leadership lowers the boom, friends scatter like cockroaches when the kitchen light is turned on.

We have all heard the stories in various blogs, newsgroups, and websites on how when a person decides to leave the church because they have proven it wrong that their friends immediately turn their backs on them. They will see their friend at the store, or in the park, or walking down the sidewalk and the so-called friend will ignore them and look away.  Facebook is filled with numerous secret or hidden groups where hundreds, if not thousands of former church members share horror stories on how they were treated, with some of the vilest things coming from the ministry, who are supposed to know better.

Is it truly possible to have a Proverbs 17:17 friendship in the Church of God?



The Dynamics of Friendship:  
God has given us vital keys in the Bible to help us meet our most important needs as human beings—including how to cultivate friendships. The Scriptures reveal that if we want to have friends, we must learn how to be friendly and remember that true friends are supportive during difficult times (Proverbs 17:1718:24). A friend is someone we can confide in and share important thoughts and concerns with (John 15:15). Real friends may not always agree with us, and sometimes they will tell us things about ourselves and our plans and actions that we may need to hear, but might not want to hear (Proverbs 27:6, 17). The Bible also cautions that we should choose our friends carefully because we will be influenced by the company we keep (Proverbs 12:26). Abraham chose to be a friend of God by obeying His instructions to leave a former way of life (Genesis 12:1-4; James 2:23) instead of being a “friend” of this world and its ways (James 4:4). Jesus told His disciples, “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you” (John 15:14). Let’s seek to be a “friend” of God by following His instructions, and a true friend to those who will not influence us in the wrong direction.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail

Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Gerald Weston: How Dare People Give Presents! They Should Give That Money To Us!



Gerald Weston dares to criticize Christians who keep Christmas claiming they all "give presents  to everyone except the One they think they are honoring." Well if that is not calling the kettle black I don't know what is!

Here is a church that ignores almost everything about Christ and yet dares to question others. Here is a church that worships the law more than the Christ they have forgotten.

Weston makes it clear where the money being spent on presents should be going...into LCG's pockets.

Is it not interesting that at this time of year, people will give​ presents to just about everyone except the One they​ think they are honoring? Christ is forgotten! We should not give to Christ for the purpose of​ celebrating Christmas, but neither should we neglect Him. Because many are deceived and still observe Christmas customs, their donations drop off at this time of year. 
Dear Brethren and Co-workers, we still have a great Work to do. God​ is not calling everyone today (John 6:44; Matthew 13:10-17),​ and I often ask the question, “If God is not calling everyone, why is He calling anyone?”​ The clear answer is He has called us to do a Work! We must preach the good news of the Kingdom of God and warn our peoples of the consequence for rejecting God and His commandments. We must do what we can do, but in the end, it will be God doing it through us. As our predecessor Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong used to tell us, “We must work as though it all depended on us, but pray as though it all depends on God.” In the end, God will do through us far more than we can ever imagine, and He will reward us far more than we can imagine. 
Thank you again for your faithfulness. May God truly bless you!
Sincerely, in Christ’s service,
Gerald E. Weston 
P.S. Please remember that any contributions dated in December that are postmarked on​ or before 12/31/2017 will be counted as 2017 donations,​ and may be tax-deductible in 2017, even if we receive them in January 2018. So be sure​ any December donation is dated and postmarked no later than December 31. If you prefer to use our online donation system found at www.lcg.org/donations.shtml, the cutoff for 2017 donations will be 11:59 p.m.December 31.

Here is a Quick Way To Earn $10,000 By Proving The Sabbath Is A Weekly Command



We will give $10,000 dollars to anyone who can:
  1. Give us a single Bible verse where the weekly Sabbath commandment is quoted in the New Testament. (Almost all the 10 commandments are listed in the New Testament, find the 4th commandment quoted in the New Testament.)
  2. Give us a single Bible verse after the resurrection of Christ, that says Christians should keep the Sabbath day. (Heb 4:9 is not the weekly Sabbath, but the eternal Sabbath rest in heaven. Looking carefully at the text, you will see four rests in Hebrews 4: 1. Eternal rest in heaven. 2. The creation rest of God in Gen 2:2. 3. Canaan rest in the promised land for the Jews that Joshua gave: Deut. 12:9-10. 4. 7th day Sabbath rest. Hebrews 4 shows that the weekly Sabbath was merely one of three anti-types of our eternal Sabbath rest in heaven! It certainly cannot be a command to keep the weekly Sabbath!)
  3. Give us a single Bible verse where exclusively Christians came together on the Sabbath day as a church or prayer meeting after the resurrection of Christ. (We have an example of a church meeting with exclusively Christians were in the audience who came together for the purpose of partaking of the Lord's supper and preaching on the first day of the week, Sunday, in Acts 20:7. Paul preaching to Jews on the Sabbath to convert them, is not an example of the church meeting on the Sabbath day, but is an example of Paul going into a Jewish worship service.) 
  4. Give us a single Bible verse where the Hebrew word for the weekly Sabbath found in the ten commandments, is found in the book of Genesis. (Sabbatarian preachers always say that Adam and Abraham kept the Sabbath, yet offer no proof! Sabbatarians will find the common word for "rest" in Genesis, but never the special word for the weekly Sabbath!)
Collect your money here. Imagine how great your next Feast vacation will be with this!

Monday, December 25, 2017

Delicate, But Not Bitter, COG Leader Continues His Crybaby Matinee Series

And the show continues!


A former follower of Not Almost-arrested and Not Bitter Bob Theil sent me Thiel's list of "proofs" he is a martyr because this blog, Ambassador Watch, The Painful Truth and other blogs and websites have been picking on him.

It is actually quit funny reading his list while realizing that REAL prophets, apostles, church leaders, etc., could care less what people thought about them, nor have they ever found the need to publish detailed lists defending themselves from vicious attacks by perceived persecutors.

Here is the detailed list of "profs" that Improperly Named But Actually True Almost-arrested Not Bitter Bob Thiel writes about himself:

  1. I am not now, nor have I ever been, a chiropractor.
  2. I did not attend, nor graduate from, the old Ambassador College.
  3. As far as being repeatedly called 'almost arrested Thiel' by a critic online who seemingly wants to imply I was some type of criminal, it is true I faced possible arrest for keeping the Day of Atonement when I was still part of the US military. I was told by the military leaders that I had no legal ground to stand on, and I knew would be arrested after I failed to show up at on the Day of Atonement. However, after I prayed, got an answer to prayer, and gave that answer (cf. Luke 21:14-15; Nehemiah 2:1-6) the military backed down, and I was not arrested, but was able to properly keep the Day of Atonement that year (1979). I also left the military with an honorable discharge when my enlistment ended 6 months later (I was not part of the COG when I initially enlisted).
  4. My Ph.D. degree is real and the Union Institute and University is not a diploma mill. (FWIW, former UCG, and now COGWA minister, Dr. Ralph Levy attended Union Institute & University when I did and that is also where he got his doctorate.)
  5. My M.S. degree is real and I really did attend, and graduate from, the University of Southern California.
  6. The fact that I have pursued other education beyond my M.S. and Ph.D. degrees should not be considered a negative as some of my critics imply. As I already had an accredited doctorate, an international school that would allow me to study aspects of church history was later chosen for cost, convenience, and the fact that I would not be forced to accept doctrines I disagreed with, but instead could rebut them was a logical choice, irrespective of what others may think of it. The fact that a foreign school I studied theology from changed its name (and some people online have tended to make a big deal about this), does not change the fact that I wrote a 589 page, single-spaced, doctoral dissertation with 1302 end-note references plus hundreds and hundreds of scriptures for my Th.D. which may or may not have 'accreditation.' The work done there and in my doctoral dissertation helped restore much that many have lost related to the true history of the Church of God. Information from that work is included in the booklet. Perhaps I should mention that when I was in the Living Church of God, after reviewing my degree, I was told I would be given the title of 'Adjunct Professor for Theology' at Living University--shortly before I left that church.
  7. I have never knowingly posted incorrect information about anyone in any of my articles, etc. And I do correct factual errors that are properly brought to my attention. Those who claim I am a liar and do not fix factual errors are bearing false witness as I have always corrected factual errors and do so after such errors are learned.
  8. Most of my articles are documented with references to news articles, books, and the Bible. Yet, for some reason, many critics seem to overlook the facts when they make a variety of odd (and sometimes false) statements about me and/or my writings.
  9. The overall cost of production, distribution, and promotion of theological books that I have written exceeds the revenues and royalties that they generate, hence I have no overall net profit from the sale of theological books--so no, I am not making a living off of them.
  10. I have made no false prophecies about Karl-Theodor Guttenberg nor anyone else. Actually, seven-nine of my speculative predictions about Baron Guttenberg have been confirmed (Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North?) and world events have confirmed at least thirty-three predictions in my book about 2012 (see End of Mayan Calendar 2012--Might 2012 Mean Something?).
  11. I have never personally claimed to be an apostle.
  12. In order to try to separate aspects of my life from my COGwriter site, as well as to minimize certain potential criticisms, I do not list every possible piece of information about myself, my education, or my job. I suspect that if I did, I would also receive additional false criticism that I do COGwriter/CCOG to make money for a business I own, etc. I believe that there is enough factual information here and at COGwriter.com and CCOG.org that those interested in the truth should be able to recognize it.
  13. I took no salary from the Living Church of God despite the articles and work I did for it for over a decade (and turned down two offers from its then presiding evangelist to pay me). I am not, no ever have been, a 'hireling' like some liars have posted. A 'hireling' is a minister who is in the ministry for a paycheck, and I have never taken a paycheck from the Global, Living, or Continuing Church of God.
  14. I still take no salary from the Continuing Church of God nor does my wife. Nor was the Continuing Church of God began as some type of personal revenue generator like several have falsely indicated on the internet.
  15. I am not a religious 'profit.' Critics who falsely call me a 'profit' to imply that I run CCOG and/or am working on the final phase of the work as some type of a personal fund raiser are extremely wrong. Doing the work I have done associated with COGwriter/LCG/CCOG these past two decades has cost my business and family more money than they would believe. This fact alone should get any who see this false accusation to realize that I am serious about doing the work that I believe God wants done.
  16. Despite insults and other names, I am not bitter, but am disappointed that certain COG leaders I worked with for years broke their words and espouse improper doctrines. It seems mainly to be bitter people who falsely ascribe that 'bitter' word to me. And yes, I do regularly, "pray for those who spitefully use ... and persecute" (Matthew 5:44) me.
  17. Although mainly because of lighting, the late Herbert W. Armstrong did wear makeup when being filmed, I do not. Nor have I ever had a spray-on tan like some critics have alleged online. The fact that I have worked in the hot sun doing church videos/research in some parts of the world, and have gotten tanned sometimes through the process, is not a negative.
  18. As a Church of God leader I have never 'destroyed peoples lives' nor attempted to profit from their tithes & offerings as some who libel/slander me on the internet have asserted without proof. I have repeatedly worked to keep marriages and families intact.
  19. Hands were laid upon me as I was privately anointed with oil and prayed over to receive a 'double-portion of God's Spirit' on December 15, 2011. Since King David ended up getting anointed in private and in public, I, too, was also publicly anointed--that was on February 9, 2017 by Evangelist Evans Ochieng (formerly of GCG) and Overseer/Pastor Samuel Ofosu Gyeabour (formerly of CG7). I am not a self-anointed nor false prophet, but do meet the New Testament criteria (see also How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God). Sadly, most people have their own prejudices and will not believe what the Bible teaches on that subject (see, for example, Bob Thiel addresses some false statements from ‘accusers of the brethren’). The Apostle Paul warned to not to "despise prophecies" (1 Thessalonians 5:20) and explained that there would be prophets in the church (Ephesians 4:11), yet people do not accept the criteria he was inspired to lay out (e.g. 1 Corinthians 14:29-32).
  20. Despite the FACT that God says He speaks to prophets through dreams per Numbers 12:6, some scoff and make fun of how God has said He reveals Himself to prophets. I did have two dreams that were confirmed, and others had dreams related to the CCOG that were also confirmed (see Dreams, the Bible, the Radio Church of God, and the Continuing Church of God).

Not almost-arrested, but really almost arrested,  but not bitter Bob also writes:

Notice something that Jesus said:
11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:11-12)
And many have reviled me and said all kinds of evil against me falsely (to see some false accusations and responses, check out the article Banned by HWA and Ambassador Watch.).





In 2009 I Removed The Curse On Women That Has Existed Since The Beginning




Ron Weinland says:
So when you read (I think it's Act 10) when finally Peter had this vision that he had of this cloth descending three different times with everything that was unclean and so forth and there are those in the world that try to say, "Well, see, God was showing him that everything is clean to eat." You think, "You moron! Just read a little bit farther. It doesn't say that at all. It tells you exactly what it was all about.” But they don't want to read farther. They don't want to read the rest. It was about the gentiles – incredible – not about clean and unclean foods. 
They already have an attitude. You know, sometimes people just have an attitude about what they believe and what they think and certain things they don't agree with anyway and so they use something like that as an "opportunity," if you want to call it that, for them to twist and distort something into something that isn't there. Going on: 

These few simply did not agree and chose to believe instead that “their” God would not require such a thing, and thereby concluded that this must not be of God. 
All I can do is shake my head at that through time. So quickly they forgot how they learned the truth in the first place, through whom they learned it, different ones who had battles here within the Church. Going on: 
This is also like some in the Church after 2009 who rejected the truth of God’s removal of the “curse” from women that has existed since the beginning, or not believing that a woman should ever be ordained into the ministry.
That tried and tested people. It was progressive revelation that God was giving, and had no intention of revealing this or giving any indication of this until the very end of an age before His Son was going to return. Incredible to understand the timing that God chose to reveal certain things as He has. So it puts people to the test. It reveals attitudes. It reveals thinking that's hidden deep down inside of us sometimes. God uses trials and tests to bring things to the surface, like the gold or the silver that's heated up and the dross rises to the surface. It does in our minds so often when God reveals something, and it will reveal things that aren't in agreement with God. That's the dross. That's what has to be removed because it's not in agreement with God! 



The COG minister who touched many lives


It is interesting to see the various news articles and comments by the public in regard to Ian Boyne's untimely death.   Ian touched far more lives that just the COGI culture.  The Jamaican public and other leaders of faith have had many words of praise for Ian's willingness to talk across the many divides in Christianity and society in general. Two things that you will not see in any other Church of God leader, especially the self-appointed ones.

Sunday, December 24, 2017

Oh Noes!!!!!!!! God has sent fires to punish California



It was only a matter of time before the self-anointed One made a declaration about God being really pissed at the citizens of California, so much so he sent the fires that have destroyed homes and claimed lives. After all, God is a pyromaniac that takes great pleasure in seeing people suffer.  That is the God of Armstrongism and he likes that kind of stuff.

God has never had a human instrument on earth in 6,000 years who is as knowledgeable on how God speaks and acts as our own illustrious Almost-arrested, self-ordained, doubly-cursed, Elijah, Elisha, Amos, Joshua, Habbakuk, bitter Bob Theil, the marked and disfellowshipped and highly disappointing "son" of Roderick C Meredith.

Elijah Thiel writes:

Fires have hit many places, Significant wildfires have hit California. Shortly after the start of the Thomas Fire, California Governor Jerry Brown warned that US President did not have “the fear of the wrath of God.” Does God use fire to encourage people to change? What are some of the scriptures associated with fire in the Bible? What is sin? What are some of the scriptures associated with the wrath of God in the New Testament? Is Governor Brown being hypocritical here? What happened to Sodom and Gomorrah? Is this relevant now? What did Jesus teach about the time of Sodom and the coming time of troubles? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more.

You too can watch this astounding God-breathed message from the anointed One here:





Saturday, December 23, 2017

COG Self-appointed Prophet Claims Germany Is Building Concentration Camps To House Americans






Germany is apparently gearing up to imprison Americans in camps located throughout Germany.  This is according to our resident Church of God lying false prophet Almost-arrested Bitter Bob Thiel.  Of course this fool is making a huge leap with his imagination, much like his belief that his god supposedly spoke to him to start a new COG splinter cult.

Germany has been dealing with its huge influx of Arab refugees over the past several eyes and built several refugee centers to house the refugees.  Some of them are sitting empty and Germany is scrambling to make new uses for them.  If you have had any  time in the COG, you will immediately know where this is going to go.  Apostate Thiel starts off with this:
Germany’s empty refugee shelters: Sensible backup, or waste of money?
Two years ago, German communities were forced to open refugee shelters at breakneck speed to accommodate the new arrivals. Many remain vacant, especially in rural areas. …
In Dusseldorf, temporary shelters are now being converted into permanent housing. This is because the city will have to ensure that 5,000 refugees, who have been granted the right to stay in Germany and cannot afford regular accommodation, will have a home in 2018. Initially, authorities had estimated a demand for merely 3,000 individuals. This has proven to be an underestimation because German asylum law stipulates that such individuals may not freely chose where to live. They cannot, in other words, move to more affordable rural areas.  12/22/17 http://www.dw.com/en/germanys-empty-refugee-shelters-sensible-backup-or-waste-of-money/a-41913204
The Apostate continues with this crap from Herbert Armstrong printed in 1958:
So, while Germany will use many of the refugee shelters in its larger cities, the rural ones are mainly empty. 
What might Germany use some for? 
Notice what the old Radio Church of God taught:
SLAVE LABOR CAMPS are coming back!
History is filled with the accounts of captive peoples, held as slaves in the aftermath of war-bought and sold as laborers, herded and driven as cattle. …
Yes! I know it’s horrifying! It’s difficult to BELIEVE such cruelties and bestial treatment could be perpetrated on help- less women and children, sick, wounded and exhausted prisoners of war! But it happened! And Your Bible foretells IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN-ON A MORE GIGANTIC SCALE THAN EVER BEFORE! …
God has foretold some STAGGERING things for our nations! …
God gave Ezekiel a mysterious duty to perform. He said, “And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp knife, take thee a barber’s razo4 a;nd cause it to pass upon thine head and upon thy beard. Then take thee balances to weigh and divide the hair.” What a strange commission to perform! What did God mean by it? “Thou shalt bum with fire a third pan in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled, and thou shalt take a third part, and smite it about with a knife, and a third, part thou shalt scatter in the wind, and I will draw out a sword after THEM” (Ezek.5:1-2). …
SLAVE TRADE to be Renewed!
God’s prophet said a THIRD would be left alive-but that third would be “scattered” into all the winds, That means they’ll be taken into many different nations as CAPTIVES-used as abject slaves. …
YOU Can Escape All This
God says You don’t need to suffer! There Is something You can do about it! “Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping and with mourning. And rend your HEART, and not your garments, and turn unto the Eternal your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth Him of the evil” (Joel 2:12-13). God now commands all men everywhere to REPENT! (Acts 17:30.) (Armstrong GT. Pain Truth, June 1958)
This sick perversion of scriptures was used as a tool to keep church members in line and compliant. Armstrongism was manipulative in how it used pshycological fear inducement to keep members in line and in the church.

Apostate Thiel ends his silliness with this:
Jacob’s trouble is punishment inflicted on the descendants of Israel. And this includes Ephraim and Manasseh (cf. Genesis 48), which means the United Kingdom and the United States in the 21st century. 
It appears likely that empty ‘refugee camps’ in Germany will one day be used to house British and American slaves.
Apostate Thiel expereinces no guuilt when he sinks to this kind of sick depravity when he promotes these kind of lies on his blog.
























After Another Year of Banned, Some Personal Food for Thought



Forgiveness is such a difficult topic to deal with and has so many complicated dynamics. Either it is almost an impossibility for people to grasp, or maybe it is so simple, we simply don't get it. It's probably both.

Most of the time we focus on either being forgiven by others, which has it's own dynamics, or trying to figure out how to forgive those that hurt or offended us. Everyone has both kinds forgiveness going on and so it can get complicated at times. We often are motivated by the idea of "well, I guess I have to forgive them because they said they forgave me...how dare them, damn it." Even the Bible encourages Christians to forgive simply because they were forgiven by God,through Jesus. It even says that God forgave us, not for our sake, but for Jesus sake, which seems a bit like missing the intended mark. I want to be forgiven for my sake for Jesus sake!

Frankly, most don't really forgive but rather let it go to a point of trying not to think about it and yet it simmers on the stove, always available to continue in some form of drama or painful memories to throw back and forth like lawn darts trying to hit the ring right in the middle and claim points over.

I have people in my life who I hope in time would forgive me and I have issues with some for which I need to keep growing toward a more complete and genuine forgiveness. I am at a stage where I am able to look back and see that sometimes what seems such an insult is really an opportunity to grow past something where things can work out better than it ever could have without the push. It is not always this way, of course, but can be if we look for the good in the "bad," which often lurks there grinning at us.

I'd like to talk a bit about the one kind of forgiveness that seems the most difficult of all. That would be forgiving YOURSELF. Forgiving yourself is something that is the final issue to be resolved when offenses have occurred for which forgiving or being forgiven has run it's course. We either can forgive others, and we do it over time and in degrees, or we can't. We are either forgiven, again over time and to various degrees, or we are not. We can control the pace of the one, forgiving others, but not when, if or how others forgive us. That is their issue, not ours, even though we wish it could be given in such a ways as to feel genuine and perhaps open some new doors to reconciliation in any way.

I have lots of topics in my own story to forgive myself for.  Getting involved with WCG might be one. Letting Church Administration move me all over creation without one protest on my part.  Not demanding they put in print their promise for retirement.  Signing off on Social Security as a mere kid because they said it all would be fine.  Divorce, broken relationships, relationships and the assorted crazies that go with reckless change and recognition that , yes, I should have been a geologist or paleontologist.  We all have lots to forgive ourselves for.

But forgiving yourself feels almost impossible. Why? First of all, there is that funky part of our nature that feels our forgiving ourself is contingent on being forgiven FIRST by others for our offenses. Once they do that, then MAYBE, one can think of forgiving themselves. The problem is you might wait until hell freezes over before you are given permission of this kind to forgive yourself. If you forgive yourself without being forgiven by others, there tends to be a voice in your head that says, "How dare you forgive yourself. We have not forgiven you yet. What are you thinking!" It is followed by, "when we get around to forgiving you, we will let you know and then you can play at forgiving yourself, you jerk."

You see , forgiving oneself seems to others a some form of denial or that you don't take what has happened very seriously. To forgive yourself is to send a message that you are rather shallow or oblivious to the pain caused, when in fact, only you know that it is the depth of the pain that makes you want to be able to forgive yourself and move on.

NO ONE can be harder on me than me. That is my own experience. I am the monkey on my own back when I cause pain to others. Perhaps others don't know this, believe this or even want to think this as it might take away some of the sting they can inflict if they choose to, but it is true. Most sensitive people, who even care about this topic are way ahead of their accusers in self condemnation and knowing the pain they have caused that they seek forgiveness for. There are flippant types who hurt others and seem oblivious to it. I do not speak of this type of person, nor is that who I am.

Secondly, as mentioned, we feel that if we forgive ourselves, even if there is no forgiveness extended to us, we are not taking the drama seriously enough. I felt and can feel guilty if not careful for even enjoying life as that might prove I don't take things seriously enough on this topic of forgiveness. "No I won't forgive you. You don't seem miserable enough yet." So often, being forgiven includes requirements and proof you are really sorry for the offense and prove it day and night, over and over by being miserable, practically forever...amen.

Sometimes the requirements that one must meet to be forgiven are just impossible to comply with. Sometimes there is a temptation to comply just to feel forgiven, but it won't last as the two really can't be connected. Forgiveness is a clean experience that allows everyone to be who they really are and think as they really think, no apologies. Anything less is mere compliance for a time and then of course, on go the masks until the next time they fall off. Messy forgiveness is the obligatory kind usually enforced by a fear that if we don't, then Jesus or God or some Deity might just not forgive us of our picky little sins, that we really have very few of.

So in order to forgive ones self, one has to not connect the forgiveness with performance as proof. I can only speak for myself, and I am sure this would be a point of contention, but when I cause the need to be forgiven, I was doing the best I could at the time of the perceived problem. We always do our best at any particular moment which is different from doing better as others might wish us to do to come up to standards they feel are more correct, in their view. But doing better is a future thing.

Doing our best is what we always do at any moment we do what we do, or we would do better!

Finally, it is hard to forgive ourselves because we tie being able to do that with fixing that which we are needing to be forgiven for. I am a fixer and caretaker by nature. That is how I am wired. ENFP according to Meyers and Briggs. That is Extrovert, Intuitive, Feeling and Perceptive. People like me become ministers, counselors, negotiators and of all things, massage therapists. So I have not strayed far from how I was wired at birth. We are negotiators because we tend to see both sides of all stories and the points that both sides make for their views. But the downside to this is that we can get stuck in views and not make decisions. If we can't fix it, we can't move on. If we can't fix it, then we don't mean it. If we can't fix it, then we are shallow and gutless. The fact is that some things just don't fix. That is painful but true. All things broken cannot be fixed and if forgiveness of the self is based on first fixing that which is broken, or different, or changed or one sided, then you can't forgive yourself and never will. And so you spin. Damned if you do and damned if you don't. Stuck between rocks and hard places, heaven and earth, the devil and the deep blue sea.

But, fixing is not a criteria for forgiving yourself. It can't be because we can't always fix that which is broken but we must forgive ourselves as a part of real living.

So examine how things came to be.

Know that you probably were doing the best you could under the circumstances at that time and that is not the same as doing better.  These are two different things.

Don't base your need to forgive yourself on whether anyone else on the planet forgives you for what you have done, not done or said you wished you could do.

Realize that, of course, you have taken this all very seriously. This might be proven by, oh say, the tears, the anxiety, the doubt, the head banging against the wall, the depression, which is anger turned inwards. It might be the shame you feel which is a perception that you have not lived up to tribal or religious expectations, as if most do, or the guilt over breaking the taboos of the group. Only you need to know how seriously you take that which happens in life and do not let your forgiving yourself depend on whether others give you permission to do so

And finally, some things don't fix. Just getting back into some box that doesn't work is not a fix. Patching is not fixing and trying to be what others expect as the only way to fix is patching and masking. Often things don't fix because one is not accepted for what they are, how they think or what they believe. This is why many with marital problems separate for six months, return, separate for three months, return and then separate for one week , return for their socks and can't fix it.

Forgiveness is not something to take for granted, but a healthy life includes the ability to see through this topic in practical ways and forgive YOURSELF as well, and maybe even first of all.


Friday, December 22, 2017

LCG: Get Your Free Defunct "University" Clothing!



As Living Church of God starts its annual Christmas weekend gathering, make sure to drop by and get some defunct "university" apparel!  What a treat!  It is really sad that God had to shut down his 4th  College/University.  It is such a sad time in the True Church.
LU Apparel Give-Away This Weekend in Charlotte NC
Greetings to all of you,
For those of you attending the Charlotte Family Weekend this weekend, we will be giving away remaining LU apparel on Monday morning at the hotel. We will have an LU booth set up outside the meeting rooms beginning at 8:30am, between the seminar sessions at 10:15am, and for a short while after the seminars at noon. We will be giving apparel away to all brethren, but wanted you as current and past LU students to have the opportunity to pick something first. We would recommend you come by the booth before 9am on Monday in order to have the best selection. 
For those of you who will not be attending the weekend, we are very sorry we cannot offer this apparel to you at this time. For those of you who are finishing up the Fall semester, congratulations on a job well done!!
May you all have a wonderful and uplifting Sabbath.
Warm regards, Scott Winnail

UCG Members Prefer Annual Christmas Party Over Attending Feast Sites



Vic Kubik made a telling remark the other day on the UCG web page about their Winter Family Weekend.
One of the biggest weeks of the year for us here in Cincinnati begins Friday evening with the annual Winter Family Weekend. It is the largest gathering of United Church of God members in one place. It will be larger than any Feast site.
The theme this year is “In the world, but not of the world” based on Jesus Christ’s final prayer for His disciples in John 17.
This year, we have 300 more players registered for basketball and volleyball with about a dozen more teams. All available rooms at the Great Wolf Lodge were immediately sold out. 
Did you catch the comment above?  Their Christmas weekend gathers more people together than any of their Feast sites are capable of doing.

It seems it is more important for members to play and have fun than it is to sit and listen to one
butt-numbing sermon after another at a Feast site.

UCG members will be walking by all the lights, great smelling baked items and wonderful food with ear plugs in because after all, they are in the world but not of the world.

See brochure here


You and I both know that many UCG members will be humming along to Christmas carols, eating Christmas candy and cookies and soaking up the holiday ambience of all the beautiful Christmas decorations and lights.

Merry Christmas UCG! Merry Christmas!