Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web of Corrupt Leaders

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Fake COG Prophet Still Cannot Get Any Respect



It has to be so frustrating sitting in your home office day in and day out, stymied by the fact that all of the Church of God's laugh at you and members ridicule you.  How can God, who has personally set you apart as a witness to the world, allow such things to happen? But alas, the way of a martyr is always painful and fraught with tests that God allows because he has let Satan run the world.  Big bad meanie Satan is out to make sure COG members do not follow the real prophets of the church. Or, that is what these self-appointed deluded professional liars of the COG believe about themselves.

Almost-arrested and almost-ordained Bob Thiel, God's most highly favored COG leader in the history of the world, and the most disappointing "son" Rod Meredith could have ever imagined, is upset once again that Living Church of God has failed to see that he is the one true prophet of the end times.

This arrogant self-appointed fool has this to say about himself and Living Church of God's stance that there are no prophets in the Church of God today.

Living Church of God members must be devastated to know that when Almost-ordained Thiel left to start his own personality cult, that there are no longer any prophets in the church. Talk about narcissistic arrogance!

LCG’s position is that it has NO prophets (which is apparently the case as I stopped associating with LCG on 12/28/12). And it has had Dexter Wakefield publish that:
We are aware of no prophets in the Church today (Wakefiel D. Living Church News, July-August 2015, p. 26)
But it should be noted that its top leader had repeatedly taught in the past that God may consider Bob Thiel to be a prophet (see How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God). Consider also:
  • On August 26, 2012, LCG Evangelist Dr. D. Winnail told Bob Thiel, “We all think that you might be a prophet.”  In order in order to determine who “We all” was, on September 7, 2012, I asked if this was a reference to all three of the LCG Charlotte-based evangelists and Dr. Winnail concurred.
  • On January 7, 2013, Dr. Douglas Winnail sent me an email, which included the statement, “we made comments to you  that “you may be a prophet.””
Now that I am not in LCG, it seems obvious that LCG does not have any prophets. As far as LCG and other COGs go, they have at least 38 prophetic errors, which are cited in the article The Laodicean Church Era.
It is no wonder that Rod Meredith denied Thiel for many years and the things he taught.  Meredith no more named him a prophet than Gaylyn Bonjour set him apart to be a splinter cult leader. Everything Elijah Thiel does is because his deluded brain dreamed it up.  God is no more part of Amos Thiel's splinter cult than he is with Dave Pack's or James Malm's.

The false prophet of Africa continues to lie about Rod Meredith calling him a prophet. Elijah Thiel believes that because he is younger than most COG leaders, that HE and HE alone is that younger prophet.  Rod Meredith laughs from his grave at this idiocy!

LCG’s late Roderick C. Meredith taught that Elijah would be a younger man than he. Its Dr. Winnail has taught that the Elijah is not a person but an “Elijah-type work” which fulfills the Elijah prophesies in Matthew 17:10-11 and Malachi 4:4-6 (Winnail D. The Mission of the Church. Living Church News, March-April 2006, p. 7). The Bible shows that ‘Elijah’ will be a person (see also The Elijah Heresies). 
As far as rarity goes, I would ask, “How many people were told by an actual top evangelist in the Church of God that God may consider him to be a prophet?” In the 20th and 21st centuries, there is only one who comes to mind (details are in the article How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God). So, while prophets are “rare,” and being told one is a prophet by an ordained evangelist is also rare, rarity does not mean that there are none.
Thankfully, 99.99999% of the LCG membership know Amos Thiel to be a liar and a fraud.  That is why he has to run to Africa to find members.  Members who are using him for all they can get, but apparently the prophet is too limited in visions to see that.








After Leaving PCG, Ex Member Almost Debt Free And Close To Buying Home



The feel-good story of the day!  No longer burdened by the unscriptural lie of the demand to tithe and give countless offerings to one of the most perverse and spiritually bankrupt Churches of God's on earth today, an ex-member is close to being debt free and buying his first home.

Almost Financially Free After Exiting PCG:
 September 22, 2017
Ever since I left PCG I am much better off financially. They would say pay your 1st, 2nd and every 3rd year your 3rd tithe and of course the tithe of the tithe before FOT. I was always struggling for money and the "church" was like, well, if you are struggling you are not obeying the tithing law and need to do more. I was at one point considering bankruptcy until I finally left. Now, I am doing much better financially. I have paid down a substantial amount of debt and actually have money in my bank account, unlike when I had to send my tithe money and barely had 2 cents left in the bank. I am getting financially debt free and if I was still paying all those tithes I would likely still be struggling all the time. I could never afford a to buy a home and always rented in part because the PCG seem to frown upon people buying houses due to the "end of days" and all and money should be put towards God's Work and not physical things. Now, I actually believe in a few short months I will be able to buy a home. --Former PCG member   Exit and Support

Friday, September 22, 2017

Are COG Members Being Kidnapped, Held Against Their Will, Mentally Tortured and Deprogrammed?



God's most favorite Chief Pharisee is pulling a "Bob Thiel" today by claiming Church of God members are being intensely persecuted, so much so that some are being kidnapped and are being put in deprogramming programs.

This is what the lying fool Pharisee James Malm posted today:
In our modern society Gods faithful are persecuted everywhere; from being rejected by others, all to often including friends and family, to often being denied employment, but the most vile evil is the hiring of so called counselors to brainwash and try to intimidate people out of their faith.  
Such people prey on people of faith by trying to brainwash them; often using lying threats, holding people against their will and subjecting them to mental torture and psychological tricks; subjecting them to this “therapy of coercion” to get people to give up their beliefs outside their will, for big money of course.  
Can this idiot truly be serious????   It is people of faith being brainwashed by the blatant legalistic LIES of Malm, Thiel, Pack, Flurry, Kubik and others.  These men have all left trails of destruction in their wake as they destroy the spiritual and mental health of tens thousands of members.  Demanding the keeping of New Moons and blowing trumpets is just the tip of the legalistic bullshit these morons force on members.  They cannot talk about Jesus but will sit on their self-righteous asses with telescopes straining to see the faintest crescent of the moon rising.

The lying Pharisee then goes on to claim this is happening to COG members:
Such brainwashing mind control techniques as deprivation, hypnosis, the technique of having several persons take turns bullying and intimidating a person while giving the victim no rest until they collapse, and threats of violence and severe intimidation are used. 
If any COG members are dealing with this now it should be Philadelphia Church of God or Restored Church of God members.  They NEED to be deprogrammed!

I can guarantee you that not one single COG member is being bullied to the point they are ready to collapse.

The lying Pharisee continues:
These wicked men often prey on the vulnerable; young, old, weak, emotional, ill or borderline converted, in order to claim successes so as to make more money.  
Don't forget how the lying Pharisee is also begging for more money from his few hundred followers so that he can be supported instead of getting off his ass and getting a real job.  God forbid!
They are in the business of making money and when one stands up to them they will most often back down; if they persist then seek a remedy, first on your knees before God and then at court.  
Brethren, this vicious kind of attack has been practiced on many people of many different faiths even in our “land of the free”, and when the tribulation comes this will be happening on a much wider scale as the legal protections evaporate.
There are certainly cult deprogramming groups out there that deal with Scientology and others trapped in abusive and spiritually degenerate cults. These people have rescued people from dangerous cults and help guide them back to reality.
The lying Pharisee has these words of advice:
The way to deal with such vile evil is to:
  1. Remember The Seven Pillars of Wisdom and ground yourself fully in every Word of God, so you can resist the attacks of the devil,
  1. Go immediately to God for deliverance,  
  1. Remember that God is vastly wiser and more powerful than these wicked men,
  1. If you receive invitations to counseling by people who are hostile to your faith, respond by saying that you have as much right to worship God according to your conscience as anyone else does, and reject their invitation clearly, unambiguously and firmly, 
  1. Then keep copies of the correspondence or make copies of emails and store them with your lawyer or in a similar safe place, 
  1. Inform them that you have made copies of their correspondence and that you will seek a court order of protection if they continue to bother you, and that you will file criminal charges if you are kidnapped or if any further impingement on your constitutional rights occurs.  How to Defeat Satan's Agents
Spiritually degenerate men like Almost Ordained and arrested Bob Thiel, Chief Pharisee James Malm and others will lie through their teeth in order to make themselves look like martyrs for the crap they preach.  The world is not torturing them or persecuting them for their beliefs.  All they want is more money from their gullible sheep to support them in their "ministries."




Thursday, September 21, 2017

Taking The Apostle Dave Pack to the Woodshed



"Every time Pack says facts and truth I cringe really hard."
"Mr. Pack is so completely outclassed intellectually by AronRa that I find these videos endlessly amusing and fun to watch. Pack wouldn't know a fact if one slapped him in the face"

"I hate to ask, Aron, but is Pack done yet? He's been droning on for what seems like an interminable time, and his BS isn't getting any better.
And sadly, I doubt he would ever dare look at this series."
Part XVII

Part XVIII

United Church of God: Still Conning Members With Tithe of the Tithe



United Church of God members are still being hoodwinked into tithing on the second tithe they have saved for the Feast.  UCG has cunningly changed the name of the tithe of the tithe to the Festival Fund.  Neither one has any scriptural validity.  Of the millions and millions UCG rakes in each year a person would think that UCG would foot the bill for the members.  After all, UCG takes in several large "offerings" during this time that are supposed to be "free will" offerings.

UCG, like most of the other COG's have fine tuned the system to take and take from members, even though none of the ministry and some of the HQ staff save second tithe. Since they are considered "Levites," thanks to the old Worldwide Church of God teaching, ministers do not save second tithe.  On top of that, many ministers and staff staying free at resorts where the Feast sites are located.  Then add to this the "blessing" ministers and certain staff have of having all of their meals, travel, gas and some personal expenses paid for by the church, it is one big happy fun fest of never having to worry about expenses, unlike a large percentage of UCG members have to do.

The Feast of Tabernacles is the highlight of the year for many. It is a great blessing to be able to gather together at Feast sites around the world to picture the coming millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
A lot of planning goes into preparing the Feast every year. Those involved are happy to dedicate their time, effort and expertise, and the ministry looks to God as they prepare messages for our spiritual food.
But the Feast costs a lot of money. Hall rentals, equipment rentals, second tithe assistance for those who don’t have adequate funds, printing expenses, activities expenses and more add up to a lot.
We need your help in being able to provide the Feast venues that enhance our celebration. Please consider sending a portion of your second tithe to help support the Feast. If you have any questions contact your pastor or the treasurer, Rick Shabi, at any time. 
Go to http://donate.ucg.org/ and click on Festival Fund to support the Festival Fund now. Or you can download a PDF of the form to enclose in an envelope with a check or money order. Click the download link on the left hand side of this page to download the form. 

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Philadelphia Church of God: The key of David isn’t a message!




The key of David isn’t a message!
By
Lonnie C. Hendrix

Gerald Flurry, the founder and current leader of the Philadelphia Church of God, broadcasts his message to the world via The Key of David television program. Flurry claims that he and his followers constitute the "Philadelphia era" of God's Church, and that all of the other groups which attempt to adhere to the teachings of Herbert Armstrong are "Laodiceans." In other words, Christ has given his message to Flurry and the PCOG to deliver to the world.

Why did Flurry decide to call his church’s television program The Key of David? “We took that name right out of Revelation 3:7 and a couple other scriptures,” he explained in an article entitled “What is the ‘Key of David’?” (https://www.thetrumpet.com/10776-what-is-the-key-of-david)
In that same article, Flurry calls the key of David “one of the deepest truths in the entire Bible.”  He goes on to claim that “it is a message from God—the message that Jesus Christ gives His Church to deliver to this world in this end time.” Flurry then proceeds to summarize his teaching on the subject with seven bullet points (God named his message after King David, “Jesus Christ is the head of the church,” “Christ has the key,” Christ has set “an open door” before the PCOG, “No man can shut it,” PCOG has “kept His Word,” and they “have not denied His name”).

How do all of these claims square with the Bible? The short answer is:  they don’t!

Let’s take a closer look at the actual scriptures which Flurry is using to make his claims about himself, his television program and his church. In the third chapter of the book of Revelation, we read:  “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth, and shutteth, and no man openeth; I know thy works:  behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it:  for thou has a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.” (Revelation 3:7-8)

First of all, it is interesting to note that the language employed in this verse was borrowed from a passage found in the book of Isaiah. This particular prophecy foretold that Shebna (the then administrator of the palace in Jerusalem) would fall and be replaced by Eliakim. Through Isaiah, God says that he would clothe Eliakim with Shebna’s robe and commit the government into his hands. (Isaiah 22:21). He goes on to say:  “And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.” (verse 22) Hence, Isaiah is saying that Eliakim will receive the position/power/authority which previously belonged to Shebna.

This language agrees with what Strong’s and Blue Letter Bible have to say about the Greek word translated here as key. In their outline of the biblical usage of this word, we read:  “I. a key A. since the keeper of the keys has the power to open and to shut B. metaph. In the NT to denote power and authority of various kinds” (https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/Lexicon/Lexicon.cfm?
strongs=G2807&t=KJV). In this connection, it is interesting to note that this is the same Greek word which is used to denote “the keys of the kingdom of heaven” in Matthew 16:19. It is likewise the same word that Christ employs in the beginning of the book of Revelation when he proclaims that he is in possession of “the keys of hell and death.” (Revelation 1:18)

Hence, just a modest amount of research clearly demonstrates that “the key of David” is not a message, but a symbol of Christ’s power and authority. Notice again in the verses that Flurry is using (Revelation 3:7-8) that it is CHRIST who possesses the key and is the one who has the ability to open and shut. Moreover, I can’t find anywhere in these scriptures where either the key or that ability to open and close is given to the Philadelphians (and they certainly aren’t given permission to give that key or ability to others). And, as for the significance of the key bearing King David’s name, doesn’t that clearly suggest that Christ is the chief representative and power within the House of David?

We will lay aside the arrogance implicit in claiming to be the Philadelphia era of God’s Church for the purposes of this article. We cannot, however, allow such a clear perversion of the obvious meaning of these rather obscure verses in the book of Revelation to go unchallenged. Once again, it appears to this writer that an Armstrongite has misapplied Scripture to himself and his followers and twisted it to reinforce his own message and agenda.


  

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Living Church of God: Is Gerald Weston the New Peter?



Church of God News is reporting about Rod McNair's new video that Living Church of God has posted. The Living Church of God has been having issues ever since Gerald Weston's appointment with LCG with members not giving him the respect he supposedly deserves. McNair and others have spent considerable time trying to reinforce the importance of Weston's position as one that is in direct lineage with the Apostle Peter. Apostolic succession supposedly passed from Herbert Armstrong to Rod Meredith and then to Gerald Weston. The problem is the middleman in this equation, Roderick C Meredith. Herbert Armstrong found Meredith to be unfit to be running the church. Armstrong even banished Meredith to Hawaii for a year in order to do some self-examination. It did not work. Meredith could never understand why he was in trouble. Armstrong strongly informed Meredith that he was unfit to lead, yet Meredith rebelled over and over, eventually starting two splinter groups based solely upon his self-righteous personality.

On September 8th a video by Rod McNair, ‘Peter and the Key-Man Principle’, was uploaded onto both the lcg.org and Facebook websites, and also YouTube
In an interview with Jeff Booth in 1980, Herbert Armstrong declared:
“When Mr. Armstrong wanted to change a doctrine, he simply changed it. I think there should have been more of a deliberate process. The ministry should have been more involved in the doctrinal discussions and decisions.”
One doctrine, in particular, was a problem with Mr. Booth, and it mattered little how it had come into being. The doctrine was the so-called primacy-of-Peter teaching: that the apostle Peter was the first in a line of chief apostles from the 1st century to Mr. Armstrong. By 1980 Mr. Armstrong for several years had referred to himself as “an apostle” and “chief apostle” and even “God’s apostle.”
“In the course of the three hours and 20 minutes we discussed a number of things, one of the primary ones being the primacy of Peter,” said Mr. Booth. “Mr. Armstrong went into a discussion about having received direct revelation from God Himself of all the truth that he held and stated that he had learned nothing from any man.”
“The title, and the keys, passed from chief apostle to chief apostle, from Peter to Peter. Each chief apostle was the new Peter. He said, ‘Now I am the chief apostle, and I am the Peter’.”
“Whatever I bind is bound in heaven, and whatever I loose is loosed in heaven.” “The Day of Pentecost is now on Sunday. But, since I had made the decision to observe Pentecost on Monday, for years the Day of Pentecost was actually on Monday.”
Was the office of ‘The Peter’ passed from Herbert Armstrong to Roderick Meredith? Herbert Armstrong wrote to Roderick Meredith (later in 1980), rejecting him as a possible successor: (See below)
“Rod, in frankest candor, JESUS CHRIST will NEVER put any one at the head of His Work on earth who is competitive, covetous of power and status, and self-righteous. In brutal frankness, you lack the charisma to lead God's work. You do not attract - as I said before, you REPEL people. You are a harsh taskmaster over those under you. THAT IS YOUR RECORD!”
How then can the ‘Peter Principle’ pass the title and the keys’ to Gerald Weston - giving him the power to bind and loosen biblical doctrine?

Because Rod Meredith was an illegitimate church leader, due to his own self-appointment, Gerald Weston is not a legitimate church leader any more than Almost-ordained Bob Thiel is. If you want to go even further back in time, Herbert Armstrong was an illegitimate church leader too because he too rebelled and set himself up as a church leader.

March 14, 1980, Letter from Herbert Armstrong to Rod Meredith:

WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD WORLD HEADQUARTERSPASADENACALIFORNIA 91123

HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG                                 Tucson, March 14, 1980
President and Pastor 

Dear Rod:

Your letters of February 1 and March 7 show, I am sorry to say, that either you still cannot understand WHY the living Head of God's Church, Jesus Christ, had you sent to Hawaii, or you are unwilling to see or admit — and I prefer to believe the former.

There is no point in telling you this letter is written in LOVE for YOU — for you ought to know that without my saying it. But out of love for you, and DESIRE to see you back as PART OF GOD'S TEAM, working in full co-operation and right attitude with the rest o[f] us; I shall take time and space to make it clear once for all this time.

I have tried to hold the mirror up for you to see yourself as others see you. But still you don't see in that mirror the same YOU that others see-or are unwilling — I hope not the latter. But now I must be SURE! I shall speak plainly, candidly. If this letter hurts, I quote from a letter the Apostle Paul sent to brethren at Corinth: "For though I made you angry with a letter, I do not repent... for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance, for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.

"For godly sorry worketh repentance to salvation ... but the sorrow of the world worketh death." (II Cor. 7:8-10).
Now I'm going to come with plainness of speech as Paul said — in I Corinthians 2.
To overseas audiences, and to Kings, Emperors, Presidents and Prime Ministers, I simmer down the WAY OF GOD and the WAY OF THE WORLD in two very small words — "GET" and "GIVE." This world is geared to the way of "GET." That is the way of VANITY, SELF-centeredness, coveting, lust and greed, jealousy and envy, rebellion against authority, competition which leads to strife, violence and war. The way of "GIVE" is OUT-flowing LOVE, harmonious co-operation, serving, helping, sharing, giving.

In spiritual PRINCIPLE, the latter is the way of God's Law, the Ten Commandments-the former the way of Satan. I tell them that ALL the Unsolvable problems, troubles and evils in the world are caused by the fact the world lives by the "GET" principle.

Rod, WHY have so many who have worked [with you] said that you rub the fur the [w]rong way? You are DOCTRINALLY correct., But in II Corinthians Paul says we are not to live by the strict letter of the Law, but by the SPIRIT or obvious INTENT — the basic PRINCIPLE of it (II Cor. 3:6). You are a model of doctrinal correctness according to the LETTER — the strictness of the letter — but you do overlook the SPIRIT from the heart. You won the mile in a state high-school meet, You had know[n,] as Satan injects into us all from childhood, the spirit of competition. You b[e]came a COMPETITOR. In conversion you learned and accepted the strictness of the letter of God's Commandments. You wrote a good booklet on the Ten Commandments. But now I hold the mirror up for you to see in yourself what SO MANY who know you well see in you — the SPIRIT of COMPETITION is still there!

You are not going to like this, Rod. Members of your family will resent it. But I am the chosen apostle of Jesus Christ and in His name, I have to say these things to you, for I want to have you with us IN GOD'S KINGDOM — and there will be no contentions — no spirit of competition there! No one is going to be there who strives for himself to take over the CHIEF SEAT! 

Jesus Christ through me elevated you to the chief seat (which you had come to me suggestin[g] over the ministry of God's Church in what we then called CAD, you were a harsh task-master over the ministers. You, yourself, find it difficult and perhaps impossible to TAKE what you dished out. Dozens of ministers would testify to that. You rubbed the fur the wrong way! That has been your life-style!

In a sense, though I approved it at the time, you came to me [(]when Raymond Cole was trying to administer CAD from Eugene,[)] to jerk the rug out from under Raymond-and he feels that to this day. I knew, as did you, that CAD could not be handled from Eugene, and I approved your suggestion and put you in the driver's seat over the ministers of the Church when it was not yet so big.

When you were made second Vice President, it became a standing joke among leaders at Pasadena, the saying, "Well, after all, I am the second Vice President."

Jesus said, "And whosoever of you will be chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even th[e] Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister" (Mark 10:44-45). Jesus said further, "Beware of the scribes which wear long robes, ...and [love] the highest seats in the synagogue, and the chief rooms (offices-ranks-positions), at feasts" (Luke 20:46). Rod, am I qualified to call to your attention, these things? I came into the ministry more than fifty years ago, back in Oregon. I was never a member of the Church of God, Seventh Day, headquartered at Stanberry, Missouri. The church of Dugger and Dodd at Salem, W. Virginia, was an off-shoot, and, like Ted's present "church". Ray Cole's, and other's, NOT the true Church of God. However, I never became a member of the Salem offshoot. Half of the Oregon brethren (while all were in Stanberry) had incorporated as a separate church, "The Oregon Conference." I was ordained by them. Twice I was paid by them-about four months at $20 a week, and 15 mon[n]ths later, from February to July, 1933, at $3 per week.

But I did CO-OPERATE with the Stanberry people, from 1927 until ordained by the Oregon Conference, June, 1931-without salary, I co-operated with the Salem people after the start of the present Worldwide Church Of God (then called the Radio Church of God), and WITHOUT RECEIVING FROM THEM A PENNY OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT in any way, from 1934 (after both the World [T]omorrow radio program was going, and The PLAIN TRUTH was being published) until August, 1937. And after that, while building the present Church of God, Philadelphia era, I co-operated at my own expense with the Stanberry (Sardis era) people until October, 1945.

I DID NOT, as Ted claims (he was 5 years old when I ceased the co-operation with them because of the pressure of the Work in the present Church of God). I did not leave them to start something of my own. I continued working with them-GIVING, not getting-at my own exp[e]nse co-operating — GIVING — as long as my time allowed.

But the point I want to make is this: I SERVED — I HELPED — I co-operated. And I did not have or seek any high position. I always considered myself, just as the Sardis ministers did, that I was the LEAST of the ministers-the TAIL-ENDER!

When I conductedFirbute school house (36 seats) in 1933, I stopped receiving even the $3 per week salary from the Oregon Conference.

As the tail-end LEAST of the ministers, Christ started me in that little 36-seat school house, I constantly suffered persecution-first from Stanberry ministers, then again from Salem, W. Va.-ministers, then again from Stanberry. The 19 members we had from that Firbutte campaign was the START of the present Worldwide Church of God. The brethren at the start were my own converts-my own children in the Lord. NEVER in all my ministerial experience, I once sought a higher position.
Jesus Christ gave me the Pastor position at the start. The Church grew, as I held other campaigns in Eugen[e] and in Alvadore. Finally I appointed and ordained two other elders, one a preaching elder and one a local elder, at Eugene, beside two deacons. In those early years of this, our present Church, I served as pastor of a Stanberry church near Jefferson, Oregon. There I appoin[t]ed and ordained two elders, and two deacons — for THEIR church. All the time I "GAVE" — I did not "GET." Before that I had learned how Paul says, in II Corinthians 3:6, that we must obey the SPIRIT or obvious INTENT of the Law, not the letter. I had dedicated my life to "GIVE" and not to "GET." As the Work grew, Christ used me in founding Ambassador College. After their graduation I ordained m[y] son Dick, Raymond Cole, Herman Hoeh, Raymon[d] Mc Nair and his brother. From there you know the history, Your uncle and yourself came along about next, then others. I ne[v]er sought or moved up to a higher rank or office. Jesus Christ raised up the Church through me. I came to the position I hold as the simple result of what the living Head of this Church raised up through me.

But others have sought higher Position. There has been, it seems, NO END of worldly POLITICS at Pasadena Headquarters. As Christ blessed and prospered God's Church and Work, and we came to have better than $100,000,000 of net worth, and a near $80 million a year income, there devel[o]ped a mad scramble for ever higher and higher rank. Sure, I made some mistakes. I naively TRUSTED men like Al Portune, David Antion, my own son, Wayne Cole, many others no longer with us. But now, f[o]r the first time since about 1967, there is HARMONY and a spirit of Co-oper[a]tion at Pasadena. AND I AM DETERMINED TO KEEP IT THAT WAY!
Now back to you.

You have demonstrated, as seen clearly by many others, a spirit of rank-consciousness. In plain language that is coveting higher authority. I do not think you have coveted more money. I do not think more money is what Ted, Al Portune, Dave Antion, Ray Cole, Wayne or others really coveted. They coveted POWER — more authority — like a 15-year old boy coveting the POWER of a steering wheel and a throttle. We have gone through a House CLEANING. We now have PEACE and CO-OPERATION at Pasadena. And eight to ten others on the executive level there have voiced to me their fears and convictions that if you now come back to Pasadena, that PEACE, and HARMONY, and CO-OPERATION will be turned once again into constant contention, irritation, and HARM TO GOD'S WORK! I do not like to tell you this. I haven't mentioned this to all, but to those I mentioned your return, that is the unanimous feeling.

If I have you come back as Dean of the Faculty, several say you would delegate most or the real duties of the Dean, and devote yourself to trying to make yourself the LEADER and boss of the College, and even of the Chur[ch.] You have — and all are aware of it — been possessed with the idea that I will not live much longer, and that YOU are the "FIRST among equals" to take my place.
Rod, in frankest candor, JESUS CHRIST will NEVER put any one at the head of His Work on earth who is competitive, covetous of power and status, and [self-righteous]. In brutal frankness, you lack the charisma to lead God's work You do not attract-as I said before, you REP[EL-] people. You are a harsh taskmaster over those under you. THAT IS YOUR RECORD!

When I wrote you [] that a change of ATTITUDE is needed, perhaps I have at last made myself clear.

You have said that you only said a few statements you probably should not have made, but you didn't think you had said enough to warrant this six months' leave of absence. Rod, I'm very well aware of the amount of words you said against Christ's chosen apostle. But Jesus said, "of the abundance of the heart (attitude) the mouth speaketh." What you did say, affirmed to me by two witnesses, was sufficient, coupled with many other things, to show me the [a]ttitude back of those words. You try to c[o]nvince me of how glowingly and how numerous were the times you have shown loyalty by the things you have said "hundreds" or "thousands of times". But in this regard your attitude reflected [] OMISSION rather than the sparse and sparing things you did say. Ted was leading a conspiracy to destroy my credibility before the ministers and the brethren by saying nothing about me — as if the human leader did not exist — and blowing himself up. Radio and TV programs went under his name-no longer The World [T}omorrow. He even started correspondence under HIS OWN [Letter head] NAME, rather than that of the Church or College. Now I do not want any of our ministers flattering me, or trying to see how often they can mention my name.

But neither do I want it deliberately AVOIDED in both speaking and writing, as if I did not exist. Jesus Christ — NOT MAN — has made me the human leader under Christ. A leader cannot be a leader if all under him IGNORE his very existence. I never did want anyone to go out of his way deliberately to mention me — as you profess to have done. That is not what I mean. But I do not want the other extreme, caused by a competitive feeling, and deliberate non-mention.

Now another thing you cover in your letters. You imply that in what few things you did say, you were FOLLOWING MY ORDERS. Rod, that is hypocrisy. It is not a matter that I CHANGED MY MIND. Let me tell you how it [ac]tually was. When I told you and Raymond, and perhaps another or two, that IF I were no longer among the living, I wanted you to be su[re] Ted did not slip in and take over. At that time, I had heard SO MUCH talk about my dying right away, perhaps started by Ted, that for a while I was overly conscious of it.

It is not that later I changed my mind. But as time went on I began to realize very deeply that God has not prepared ANYONE to take my place. You, Rod, could never take it. I know that is 100% contrary to your own estimate of yourse[l]f. You have a WILL to lead, but not the qualifications. I came to realize that God raise[d] me [from the dead-f]rom total heart failure-in August, 1977, FOR A PURPOSE.

I have felt like the Apostle Paul, when he said earlier in life it would be more profitable for him to depart this life — and in the next split-second of consciousness, be with Christ in the resurrection, but it was more needful that he stay.

I did not CHANGE my mind. I did come to realize, as God caused me to realize, that He had raised me up as His instrument to raise up His present Church and Work — and that Work is not finished. So after my heart had completely stopped, my breath — no pulse — no blood-pressure — by mouth-to-mouth resuscitation I was br[o]ught back. I have not said I now believe God will keep me alive until Christ comes. I have said and I say now again, I do believe He will keep me alive AS LONG AS HE NEEDS ME!

You have taken the attitude that "some one GOT [you]." No one did but your own self.
I have tried here to make clear what I mean by a CHANGE OF ATTITUDE. I sincerely hope you "get the message" this time. Self-pity is not your need. A change of ATTITUDE from "GET" to "GIVE" is! If this letter does not get through to you, I shall not try again. So far you have not admitted a wrong attitude. Your RIGHTEOUSNESS you have maintained! But it has been only so much "filthy rags" to GOD! God said-rather, Christ to His disciples, that he who would seek the top seat should be the SERVANT of all. We should be as a little child.

So far, four months or more of your leave of absence has profited you NOTHING! Rod, in a candor, HAVE YOU EVER REALY REPENTED? To repent means much more than being sorry, or remorseful. It means a CHANGE OF HEART — a CHANGE OF ATTITUDE — a CHANGE FROM "GET" TO "GIVE." From competition, vanity, coveting power and position, to harmonious co-operation. BELIEVE ME, there is PEACE, and HARMONY at Pasadena now. Our men there do not want it disturbed. I have held up the mirror with BRUTAL frankness-in LOVE not only for you but also for GOD'S WORK! The Work is getting along wonderfully well now-without you. It can go on growing and pleasing Jesus Chris[t] an[d] prospering under His blessing WITHOUT YOU. I have written you are not coming back until I am CONVINCED BY THE FRUITS of a real REPENTANCE, and CHANGE OF ATTITUDE. I hope at last I have MADE IT PLAIN.

In deep LOVE as a father to a son,
In Jesus' name.

Herbert W. Armstrong