Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web of Corrupt Leaders

Saturday, February 3, 2018

Eric Kings Journey From SDA, Hari Krishna, Armstrongism, New Age to Jesus Freak



It has been a long time since we heard from Eric King, the COG guru that was telepathically connecting with spirit beings from other worlds.  Eric has had an amazing journey that most Church of God members never dreamed about. After being part of Seventh Day Adventism, he ventured into many different groups searching for truth, which always seemed elusive.

Eric spent some time with the Hari Krishnas, sacred names groups, started his own group called Church of God Speaking to the Remnant where he witnessed to the splinter groups of Armstrongism, then branched out into starting a group that received divine revelation from spirit beings from other worlds and taught new age beliefs to his small cadre of followers.

It wasn't long into 2016 and early 2017 that Eric started believing he was the 7th Message Mormon:
All Mormon Christians should read this and pay attention. This is a foundational understanding to becoming a Seventh Message Mormon. If you do not understand this basic outline of the Christian Church as it moves through time you will not truly understand the Seventh Message which has come forth to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and indeed to the entire world in this the seventh-time. You must grasp this message and all of what it contains. You must understand just where the church is in prophetic history. May you be brought here by the Holy Spirit and may you be sealed with this final day message.
Our present church era is the Laodicean era. This era comes in two parts: first the typical-Laodicean era. We are currently experiencing the typical-Laodicean era which started on October 7th 2011 when two of the secret 12 apostles appeared to Mr. Eric William King and ordained and anointed him to bring forth what we now know to be the Seventh Message. ~
It was through Sir Eric William King that Heavenly Father merged the Worldwide Church of God reformation to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This was prophesied to occur by Joseph Smith himself. It was revealed to Joseph Smith: ~
Then towards the middle of 2017, Eric went quiet.  He no longer received messages from his intergalactic visitors, the Mormons ignored him, sacred names groups ignored him and COG groups ignored him.

Eric has now reemerged into his new alliteration, evangelical Christian.  He now runs a ministry called Straight Christianity, though still wrapped up in end time malarkey like the rapture and Hal Lindsey.



He now recognizes Jesus is our Sabbath, preaches about the Kingdom of God, preaches against new age beliefs, preaches against legalism and law-keeping, preaches against Judaizing and those keeping Jews days, is now for grace, and much more.

Would you now follow him?

Straight Christianity






See previous articles:


Is Eric the 7th Messenger?


Eric King Has Discovered The Real Name of Jesus So You Can Pronounce It Properly And Be Saved











SaveSave

I'm not posting this......

....to challenge your faith or steal your crown.  I'm not posting this to convince you of evolution.  I'm not posting this to give you a chance to make inane comments about Aron Ra's hair  in the same way Dave Pack dismissed Einstein because he "had wild hair."  (Idiot)   I clearly appreciate Aron's understanding of the topic compared to Dave Pack's ignorance of it.

I post this as an example of how badly Dave defends his views when he is clearly out of his league. I simply enjoy the takedown of Dave, over and over , as one who knows nothing about the topic of Evolution yet pretends he does with his bombast and authoritarian presentation.  Over and over Aron proves Dave a liar whose sources are bogus and his conclusions ridiculous.  Dave is out of his league here and needs to be exposed as such.

I'd debate Dave Pack on the Bible in a heart beat but still waiting..........................

Dave is also out of his league in his understanding of the Bible.  Dave is not "brilliant" as some declare.  Dave is clever and at times not much that either.

Dave is so out of date on everything including theology and higher criticism issues of all things Biblical he cries out at one point "Poppy Cock!"  LOL....   I heard HWA utter that rebuttal to something he also did not understand and Dave has HWA stuck in his head.  I have only ever heard HWA and now Dave Pack use the term to dismiss what is evidently true.

So if you, who are Christians get offended at me posting this most enjoyable take down of David C Pack, Fake Minister and Fake Theologian, you'll simply have to forgive me...

Those who wish to learn more in 30 minutes than in the last 30 years in Church and see how easily Dave Pack is taken apart topic by topic and boast by boast
enjoy...

Dave is equally ignorant of the Bible he claims to see himself as spoken of by the Prophets in as well.


Aaron Dean On Why Herbert Armstrong Refused To Put Rod Meredith In Charge Of The Church


Posted on a Yahoo COG group:

Aaron Dean writes about Rod Meredith and why Herbert Armstrong refused to put him over the church.

You asked about Rod Meredith. I have a little time so I will answer. It may be a bit long…but a short answer is difficult. 
RCM always saw things in a vertical line. He set much of the culture of strong control of people lives in the church.  Whether he ever got over his need for power or not I don’t know. God is the judge. I never disliked him, and hoped he would come to see all as team players and not as status in a vertical hierarchy.  I even sent some people to Global when their individual pastors went over the edge early in the 90’s. After that, when UCG started I would ask people “who in your area still keeps the Sabbath and Holy Days” without regard to the corporation. I wanted them to go to a Pastor I felt would help them rather than a corporation. (After all, we are in the salvation business pointing to God, not the corporate business collecting numbers.) 
Anyway, I always enjoyed HWA discussing the early years of the college. Many of the students were like the early disciples, vying for position.  When HWA decided to have a church administration director in the ’50s, he told me of a considerable argument between Raymond Cole and RCM who both wanted the positions.  HWA said Raymond was more qualified, but he was up in Eugene Oregon pastoring so he put RCM in since he was at the college. (Interesting both these men ended up over their own churches.)  RCM was always concerned with position and always would give everyone his history as credentials for why he should be near the top before HWA’s death…or at the top after his death.  
Sadly, RCM always did investigation of people who got between him and the top. He smarted when he was made 2nd vice president. (GTA being first)  The two main ones he went after were GTA and SRR.  He was right on both of them as to the problems, but his way of going about it was wrong.  HWA did put him back over Church Admin at the receivership because he said “I know Rod will be loyal to ME.” Interesting the way he said it.  It wasn’t “loyal to God”, but “loyal to me.” 
He knew RCM was a loyalist and demanded personal loyalty from those under him and gave it upward even when he didn’t like it. Sadly that made him susceptible to flattery. HWA put him back over the ministry because of his vertical nature and personal loyalty since HWA was kept away from Pasadena most of the 70’s – travelling or heart attack – and with the receivership didn’t know where each of the old guard was as information with the ’79 receivership crisis was sketchy and he was in Tucson.  
I was steward during these years and helped HWA by reading and helping him with his writing and heard a lot about everything as HWA was quite open to those around him, but sort of like Hogan’s heroes Sergeant Shultz “I heard NOTHING”. 🙂  It wasn’t my place to talk so I treated it all as confidential.  
Within six months of the ’79 receivership and being named in the positon, HWA was getting messages from ministers who were being asked by RCM “Who are you going to follow if HWA dies, me or Stan Rader.”  HWA asked, “What right does he have to even make himself a candidate let alone ask this question of the ministry”. He saw it would be divisive and also the same problem RCM had always had wanting authority.  RCM was sent to Hawaii to hopefuly come to see himself.  After receiving letters justifying himself HWA responding, HWA finally wrote a stong letter to RCM and stated in no uncertain terms that he should he never be over the church. This letter in his big type is on the web. While some accused me of putting this on the web, it was the Tkach administration that did this…people only asked me if it was true.   
To show what I mean by the vertical thinking, in 1980 when I was made HWA’s aide I was allowed to go to faculty dining.  I seldom did as HWA often left late and I had work.  One day he left early and I decided to go over.  There were 4 or 5 tables of 16 in the room. 15 people were seated with the one end chair open. The other tables were empty.  I didn’t know there was any protocol, and I didn’t want to sit by myself so I sat down at the end. A hush fell over the room and everyone looked directly at RCM. I said “is something wrong”.  After a long pause RCM finally spoke. “Well, that chair was always reserved for HWA, but he hasn’t been here for over a decade.  You have been named HWA’s assistant and Vice President and put on the Council of Elders so I guess that qualifies you to sit in that chair.  Now, the ranking person decides who opens with prayer to start the lunch.”  I replied, “I’m just here to eat, you can decide who prays.”   It was obvious RCM had to somehow justify in his mind how I was qualified to sit in that chair.  To me I was having lunch, and always tried to see everyone as a team – not who was over who. 
Interesting that later HWA gave RCM another chance as vice chancellor in Big Sandy.  Some issues came up concerning RCM decisions and statements that were brought to HWA’s attention and he decided again that RCM should be removed from influencing students, but HWA saw his health was failing and rather than hurt RCM’s feelings he decided to close the Big Sandy campus (which he announced in 1985 but JWT kept it open after HWA’s death on Jan 16, 1986.) There would be no reason to announce RCM’s removal since with the college closing as it would be a moot point. HWA had told me during his illness that after he died “the church would quit keeping the Sabbath, the income would drop, the foundation and college would close, but the church would go on”. 
Since JWT was over church administration he was in the hat to be in named as successor. Even HWA knew JWT was the least qualified, but the Council was to decide all doctrine issues instead of one man, to hold the church steady. Of course JWT took ownership of all this a bit later (with SRR’s help interestingly – remember SRR made sort of a hero of JWT in his book). He did this after I was removed from the Council and JWT had the men on the Council sign away their control – something I would not have done and others should not have – but we were hierarchical and it happened. 
A few months before Global started RCM took my wife and me to dinner. Even though later he said Global just started somewhat spontaneously, he already had members and a budget when we had dinner. Since I had faithfully served HWA, he wanted me to join him (as have others – I felt like David’s last wife whom Adonijah asked Solomon through Bathsheba to be his wife – as a billboard as if my being with them as their aid somehow made them the credible successor to HWA).  I told RCM it was premature and that he was pushing to be put out so he could start a church and be in charge. I reminded him of HWA’s letter to him. (Also HWA had made me promise to not follow RCM as he knew Rod would try to get in charge – why he decided to name someone instead of letting the Council of Elders decide. HWA said “Raymond and Dibar and….and named all those who did go with RCM and said “they might vote him in”, and “Rod should never be in charge of the church”.  A vocal repetition of his letter 6 years before. So HWA decided to name someone… and that changed several time the last few moths of his life.) 
Shortly after Global started WCG did start pushing the heresy but it was not so blatant or public before Global started and many thought JWT might stand up to Joe Jr and Mike Feazel as they were the ones changing things, not JWT.  
JWT and RCM had a history and very much disliked each other and RCM could not stand being under JWT who he saw as a nobody. HWA’s naming Tkach fueled what was already a very strained relationship.  After Globel started, Jr. and Feazel decided to push the heresy in WCG more directly and  pastors got pushed at different times, often depending on their individual regional pastor’s agreeing or disagreeing with heresy.  When it became blatant is when UCG formed, and men had already worked under RCM and didn’t want his form of control so they chose to start over since God had not placed one man in control.  To me it was a time when God was seeing who had chosen Christ as their king and not a man – although still willing to be under authority – just not absolute authority of a man. 
It was sad that Global split when RCM felt he wasn’t in charge.  That is another sad commentary (although all groups have some sad events).  When Denny Luker took some UCG office staff to visit Living it was interesting that RCM asked each person their job and “you should sit with him, and you with him…” all very much in the hierarchical style of his past. 
I do believe RCM may have softened somewhat in the “who is in charge” mentality as he saw he would not be alive till Christ returned – so it would no longer be him.  However I found it interesting in a letter in his last year he resold himself as God’s appointed and stated “I knew Mr Armstrong better than any man alive today”.  I had people jokingly asked if I was still alive since I was with him most of the last 12 years of his life and on a 365 days a year basis the last 5 years before his death.  RCM had very little contact during those 12 years and exaggerated his personal contact as HWA was close to many of the early graduates. 
I never disliked RCM (or anyone for that matter as I learned both good and bad from everyone) but I did know his peculiarities and his need for power, and hope he did come to a more humble position before his death. He was not alone in his desire to be in charge.  A number have started their own churches and even those who left UCG in the splits wanted power for themselves, and when they lost it, their lack of humility showed and they started their own groups to continue in power.   
It is not unusual for men to use their own talent or stories to be in charge.  Korah was with “men of renown, 250 princes of Israel” and the next day they accused Moses of killing their friends…they didn’t say “thank you for getting rid of those evil people.”   Absalom was well spoke, the most beautiful eloquent man in the kingdom. He stood at the gate and blogged “If I were only king I would give justice…” and stole the hearts of Israel from David – who slew Goliath and was anointed by Samuel.  John the Apostle wrote of “Diotrephes who seeks preeminence” and was able to throw out 
So this history is 2000 years old as God sorts out who is his.  Interesting that HWA said “The next thing is God purifying the bride”.  I believe he was right.  Everyone has had to choose what they believe and who they will follow. We will each be judged individually by God for our choices of belief of what his word says. May He show mercy on all of us.

Friday, February 2, 2018

COG Zerubbabel Starts 280 Million Dollar Go Fund Me Page



God has been working overtime influencing the mind of Michael Noordhoek, aka. Zerubbabel. Not even the other Zerubbabel, Bob Thiel, compares to this guy.  He is a fount of scriptural knowledge that puts James Malm to shame.  Never have we had a latter-day prophet who mooches off of other people as much as Zerub does.  Never has a COG prophet live in such a humble abode, as Zerub does, a one-room shack in the desert that allows him to have relations with his daughter in order to produce a biblical child.

Check out his Go Fund Me page here: Fundraiser by Michael Noordhoek

His previous Go Fund Me page only garnered $367.00. The idea that anyone gave him money shows just incredibly gullible COG members are.

Zerubbabel writes:

This campaign is the 2nd time that the Most High has sent forth His 2nd anointed Son of His Zechariah chapter 14, verse 4 prophecy to the scattered descendants of Israel to ask you to fill the depository of His house.

I am asking you to do so in obedience to His word.

What He has uncovered to us since the 1st time that He caused me to do so has been spectacular.

Before He sent His servant that He drew out from the waters of Egypt (Moses) before Pharaoh's faces He told him to command every "wife" to "ask" the inhabitants of the land and even those who were of their own house that were going to remain "turned aside" for their gold & their silver & even their clothing.

This is recorded in the last verse of Exodus chapter 3.

The 1st exodus was a foreshadow of the exodus out from the captivity of mystery babylon at this time.

At this time the wife is referring to those that will come out from this captivity in order to be the bride of His word.

His word clearly tells us that there is going to be a 2nd exodus at this time out from the captivity of mystery babylon.

One of the most straight forward places that He does so is in Hosea chapter 12, verses 9-10.

This prophecy tells us the following;

Hosea 12

9 I, YEHWEH your Elohiym, brought you out from the land of Egypt YET AGAIN (A 2nd TIME) I WILL MAKE YOU TO DWELL IN TENTS IN THE DAY OF MY APPOINTED TIME.

10 I have spoken through My prophets AND I WILL MULTIPLY MY REVELATIONS THROUGH SIMILITUDES through the hand of My prophets.

The day of His appointed time is not only the day of His restored appointed times such as His Sabbaths & His Feasts, it is also the day of the appointed time, dual appointed times & half of an appointed time that "the wife" is fled into the wilderness upon the dual wings of a great eagle per HIs Revelation chapter 12 prophecy to bring forth Mahare Shalawl Koosh Baz per His Isaiah chapter 8 prophecy.

This man-child has already been conceived in His Isaiah chapter 8 prophetess' womb.



This Isaiah chapter 8 prophecy tells us that YEHWEH is going to lift his mother & I up with the spoil of the captivity before Mahare knows to cry therefore before he is born.

Isaiah chapter 66 testifies to this as well, here YEHWEH tells us that He is going to accomplish this before Mahare's cord goes forth from her womb.

This is simply a reality that is at hand.

I am "asking" those of you that remain turned aside from living by every word that our Maker has sent forth from His mouth to fill the depository of His house because His word instructs me to do so.

I am doing so a 2nd time per His revelation chapter 10, verse 11 prophecy.

And I am "telling" you that if you do not do so and you do not separate yourself to Him to be His shut-up treasure, you are going to be burnt up along with that which He has given you to possess anyway.

I am telling you this because this is what His word tells us, I suggest that you believe His word in this matter.

In His "My Messenger" or His Malachi prophecy His word calls you thieves for failing to do so.

The 1st go fund me campaign that He caused me to send forth only yielded $367 in the 4 months that it was published.

This was $10 short of His 377 day account of the flood that He sent upon the inhabitants of the world minus the 8 adults that had separated themselves unto Him at that time.

These $10 parallel the 10 days that His word tells us that those that dwell at His house were going to be in prison, this prison has been the dire financial crisis that we have journeyed in as a result of your stealing from Him.

This 2nd time is going to be different, He is going to cause you to stop stealing from Him one way or another.

I say this because on the 8th day of the 12th month (on His restored calendar) the Most High brought forth the fulfillment of the 400 years of His Genesis chapter 15 vision that He gave to His servant Abram.

This vision is discussed the video that is featured with this campaign that is called "Woe to you when the 8th day = 400 & 430 & 370."

YEHWEH's fulfillment of these 400 years (along with Him losing His 4 messengers of blood from the great Euphrates River in the process of Him bringing forth Mahare Shalawl Koosh Baz in association with the end of this period of time) tells us that IT IS NOW TIME for those that are separated to Him at His house to be the bride of His word to spoil those of you that choose to remain turned aside from being the bride of His word.

280 million is 1 million for each day of the appointed time, dual appointed times & half of an appointed time of Him bringing forth Mahare Shalawl Koosh Baz.

If you want to think that Him holding back letting this loose until now is a result of failed prophecy, therefore use this as an excuse to not obey Him in this matter, this is certainly your choice to do so.

You will die in your rebellion to Him.

His word even tells us that you were going to do this, He does so in "These are the Truths" (a.k.a. deuteronomy) chapter 18 when He tells us the following in the last two verses of this chapter;

BECAUSE YOU WILL SAY IN YOUR HEART; "HOW DO WE KNOW THE WORD THAT THE PROPHET SPEAKS IN YEHWEH’S NAME IS THAT WHICH YEHWEH HAS NOT SPOKEN?

THE WORD DOES NOT EXIST AND IT HAS NOT COME TO PASS AND IT IS A WORD THAT YEHWEH HAS NOT SPOKEN AND THE PROPHET HAS SPOKEN IN ARROGANCE"

AND YOU WILL NOT GO OUT FROM YOUR SOJOURNING (FROM YOUR TURNING ASIDE).

The volume of proofs that He gave to us in the testimony of His word that testify to the fact that He has sent me (including the rest of this "These are the Truths" chapter 18 prophecy) is beyond incredible.

He has orchestrated this in a way that proves that you do not believe His word if you do not believe that He has sent me...

...and His word tells us that all who do not believe His word are going to have your place in the lake that burns with fire & brimstone.

BELIEVE HIM!



Please see the following for information:

Former Church of God Member Claims He Is Zerubbabel




Judge Says Stephen Allwine Was "incredibly cold and incredibly calculating" and "My perception is that you are an actor," during Sentencing Hearing.



Stephen Allwine was sentenced to life in prison today and received a stinging rebuke from the presiding  Judge.

But District Judge B. William Ekstrum told Allwine, 44, that he was "incredibly cold and incredibly calculating" before pronouncing the automatic lifelong sentence that comes with a premeditated first-degree murder conviction.
"My perception is that you are an actor," Ekstrum told Allwine.






The Star Tribune is reporting that their son, who Stephen deliberately let find his dead mother, has made a statement:

Amy's sister, Julie Brown, read a victim statement in court that included a comment from the Allwines' son, who was 9 when she was killed.
"My mom was a good mom. I will always love her and remember her," the boy said.
Statements also were read by Amy Allwine's brother and on behalf of her parents.
See:   Allwine, sentenced to life, insists he didn't kill his wife


Stephen Allwine Sentenced To Life In Prison For Murdering Wife

Prosecutors successfully argued that Stephen’s motive was to collect his wife’s $700,000 life insurance policy, of which he was the sole benefactor.
Allwine will be soon transferred to the St. Cloud Prison to serve his term. 

Amy's family related to the court how they live in fear of Stephen after Amy was killed as her parents reveal how they felt betrayed by him, especially after they let him live with them for two months after Amy's death.

See: Allwine receives life sentence for killing wife, staging suicide 
Amy Allwine's family described the terrifying final months of her life in their statements.  
The summer before her death, Amy Allwine received anonymous emails graphically threatening her family's lives and urging her to kill herself.
Prosecutors said the FBI contacted the family about the emails at the time.
A forensic search of Stephen Allwine's computer revealed searches for the names and addresses of his wife's relatives.
Julie Brown, Amy Allwine's sister, said the FBI warned the threats should be taken seriously.
Tasks like grocery shopping, Brown said, spurred intense anxiety.
Brown said her sister "lived in fear every waking moment of the last months of her life." 
In a written statement, Amy Allwine's parents Chuck and Joanne Zutz said the betrayal they felt as authorities investigated Stephen Allwine amplified their grief.
Stephen Allwine lived in the Zutz's home for two months after his wife's death, the statement said.


Thursday, February 1, 2018

Stephen Allwine, United Church of God Elder, Found Guilty Of Murder





The jury just reached a verdict in the Stephen Allwine murder trial.  He was found guilty of 1st-degree premeditated murder in the poisoning and shooting of his wife Amy.

Stephen Allwine found guilty of killing his wife, staging death as suicide

The Washington County jury deliberated for about eight hours after getting the case earlier in the day following six days of testimony. 
Prosecutor Fred Fink, in his closing argument, said evidence showed that Amy Allwine had been drugged with a life-threatening dose of scopolamine before she was shot with a 9-millimeter handgun in a hallway.
Stephen Allwine moved her body to the bedroom where he tried to disguise her murder as a suicide, Fink said.
“Physical and scientific evidence don’t lie,” Fink told the jury.
Fink said evidence showed the victim’s body was “posed,” with no blood spatters on the bedspread or nightstand next to her body and the gun resting on her left elbow even though she was righthanded.  STAR Tribune
___________________

Husband accused of trying to stage wife's death as suicide found guilty of first-degree murder
Stephen Allwine faces a mandatory life sentence after a jury in Washington County deliberated for eight hours in the 2016 slaying of 43-year-old Amy Allwine.
Investigators said that Stephen Allwine was having affairs, according to the Star Tribune, and that he searched the dark web in an attempt to find a hit man to kill his wife.
Stephen Allwine was an elder at the United Church of God, which frowned on divorce.
"This defendant wanted Amy Allwine out of his life and wanted to be free to play the field," prosecutor Fred Fink said, according to the newspaper. "He planned, prepared for and was absolutely determined to kill her." NYDailyNews

Stephen Allwine was convicted Wednesday night of first-degree premeditated murder in the killing of Amy Allwine on Nov. 13, 2016. CBSLocal Minnessota
 __________________
 - After six days of testimony, and six hours of deliberations, a Washington County jury has found Stephen Allwine guilty of first-degree murder in the killing of his wife. He’s expected to spend the rest of his life in prison. 
In closing arguments, prosecutors told the jury Stephen killed Amy because he was an elder in his church, and it would be embarrassing to seek a divorce. Evidence revealed Stephen had carried on at least two affairs with women he met on the cheaters site Ashley Madison. 
Over six days of testimony, the court room was filled with supporters from the Allwine church, where Stephen was a deacon and church leader.  FOX9
___________________
“We believe the jury did the right thing,” Fink said. “They had a lot of pieces of evidence to go through. … I’ve been doing this 43 years and it’s probably the most complex case I’ve ever tried.”
The evidence against Allwine included a trail of digital clues that connected him to a failed murder-for-hire plot hatched on the “dark web,” a hidden portion of the internet associated with crime."
"After a two-month investigation, Stephen Allwine was arrested in March 2017 and charged with Amy Allwine’s murder. Prosecutors alleged that Stephen Allwine was having at least two extramarital affairs. Rather than divorce his wife and jeopardize his position at a local church, he decided to have her killed." Twin Cities Pioneer Express

I have heard similar reports that United Church of God members were filling the courtroom viewing area in support of Allwine.  Many UCG members have claimed that this court trial is an attack by Satan on God's true church (UCG).  We have all heard that crap before in another court trial!  Many of those in attendance were reported to be quite vocal in their support of Allwine.

Thankfully a wise jury made a wise decision.

SaveSave

United Church of God Statement On Allwine Guilty Verdict



UCG has released a statement on the guilty verdict of Stephen Allwine.  Many on Facebook are ripping them to shreds over it.  It seems they are more concerned about the public scrutiny of the news media into the UCG and the potential drop in income that may result.


[February 12018] Back in late 2016 we reported on a shocking and tragic event in Minnesota. Amy Allwine, wife of Stephen Allwine, was found dead of a gunshot wound in the Allwine’s home. A lengthy and in-depth police investigation ensued and Mr. Allwine was eventually charged with premeditated first-degree murder by a Minnesota Grand Jury. A trial began earlier this month. Because of the sensational nature of the facts surrounding the case, a considerable number of international and national media outlets covered the events leading up to and including the trial.
Last Wednesday evening, after deliberating a little more than six hours, the Minnesota jury involved in the Amy Allwine murder trial delivered a verdict—finding Stephen Allwine guilty of first degree murder. After now being declared guilty, his formal sentencing is scheduled for Friday morning, February 2. Given the grim details of the terrible death of Amy, we expect media attention to continue for some time.
At this point it is important to remember that this situation remains profoundly tragic in a highly personal way for many. The justice system has acted and rendered a verdict, which we as a Church respect. But we should remember that this process has been exceptionally hard on the families involved, and also for close friends and extended members of the families. As innocent independent victims of this tragedy they face a difficult and challenging mix of strong emotions—including renewed shock and grief that will last for some time. We need to recognize this. Jesus instructed us that we are to love one another, and now is an especially good time to fulfill that.
Minnesota law will call for an automatic appeal, so the process will actually continue in some form. It is our fervent hope that all will continue praying to our merciful Father about the entire situation and be compassionate about what the extended families are going through.
Here is an important point: while we certainly respect the verdict, at the same time we personally are not to sit in judgment. As Jesus Himself instructs us, “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). Jesus also tells us that “there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known” (Luke 12:2). We can have confidence that our all-knowing God is aware of all aspects regarding this tragic situation. We need to remember what James, the brother of Jesus, writes to us from a spiritual perspective: “Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). As a result, we will not be making speculative comments about the verdict.
As noted, the details of the murder are terrible. Coupled with the fact that Mr. Allwine was technically a lay (unpaid) minister at the time of Amy’s death, this has made for heightened media coverage—which we expect will continue in some form. Regarding his status, it is important to know that during the police investigation Mr. Allwine publicly admitted to conduct that violated the established ethics policy for ministers of the United Church of God, an International Association. As a result, and given the policy’s zero-tolerance application of that policy, the Council of Elders removed him from the ministry in 2017. While that action has been appropriately taken, I do encourage all of us to continue praying to our almighty God for direction and comfort for all parties.
It is also important to note that some major media previously and erroneously asserted that the Church’s teachings on marriage and divorce may have been a contributing factor in the case. As we have been told by those who attended the trial, that was not a major focus during the actual proceedings. As a precaution, we did previously publish a public statement correcting this information, which is available on the members website . You are welcome to review and refer to that as needed. We may update it as appropriate.
Again, because the details of the murder are so graphic we expect a considerable amount of public attention about the verdict—both in the short-term and ongoing in the weeks and even months ahead. This public attention may have certain outcomes, including making things more complicated for the families.
On a related matter, given that both the United Church of God and the work that we do may come to the attention of the media as a result of this trial and verdict, we humbly ask that you pray that all will serve to ultimately further the will of God, particularly as it concerns what we have been called to do (Romans 12:1). As Paul writes with authority, “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Amy Allwine’s parents and siblings made this public statement: “We can summon no words to describe life without Amy. We loved her and miss her tremendously. We now turn to the path of privately healing and grieving.” We personally ask that we all join with them and all the families in praying for this healing.
May the work and mission of God advance urgently in these times of turbulent need. Thank you for your prayers. You remain in ours.

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

The Church of God Prayer



How many times have we heard people share horror stories of abuse in the church and then someone pops up and said it never happened that way and if it did then the abused person was somehow culpable.  


That didn't happen.
And if it did, it wasn't that bad.
And if it was, that's not a big deal.
And if it is, that's not my fault.
And if it was, I didn't mean it.
And if I did...
You deserved it.
A Narcissist's Prayer

The Abomination That Is Carob



Anyone with a long history of being a Church of God member surely knows about the "food" that was fostered off on us in the late 60's and early 70's that was carob.  Has there ever been such a vile food substitute as this?  Even turkey bacon was better than the abomination called carob.

We were told to eat this crap while God's almighty servant, Herbert W Armstrong, was eating real chocolate in his home prepared by his personal chef.  Only the finest chocolate would do! Flown in from Harrod's of London, or bought at the local high-end Jurgenson's Market in Pasadena, it was the best available!

Can you imagine Herbert Armstrong eating a carob cake with thick carob icing?  What about a steaming hot cup of carob!  We would be in Petra before that ever happened!

The New Yorker: How Carob Traumatized a Generation

A wry disgruntlement will forever unite those of us who were children during the height of the nineteen-seventies natural-foods movement. It was a time that we recall not for its principles—yes to organics, no to preservatives—but for its endless assaults on our tender young palates. There was brown rice that scoured our molars as we chewed, shedding gritty flecks of bran. There was watery homemade yogurt that resisted all attempts to mitigate its tartness. And, at the pinnacle of our dietary suffering, worse even than sprout sandwiches or fruit leather or whole-wheat scones, there was carob, the chocolate substitute that never could.
In the nineteen-seventies, carob infiltrated food co-ops and baking books as if it had been sent on a cointelpro mission to alienate the left’s next generation. “Delicious in brownies, hot drinks, cakes and ‘Confections without Objections,’ ” the 1968 vegan cookbook “Ten Talents” crowed, noting, too, that it was a proven bowel conditioner. “Give carob a try,” Maureen Goldsmith, the author of “The Organic Yenta,” encouraged, but even her endorsement came with a hedge; in the note to her recipe for carob pudding, she confessed that she still snuck out for actual chocolate from time to time—though less and less often! No one under the age of twelve could stand the stuff. Not the candy bars that encased a puck of barely sweetened peanut butter in a thin, waxy brown shell, nor the cookies—whole wheat, honey-sweetened—studded with carob chunks that refused to melt in the mouth, instead caking unpleasantly between the teeth. My mother—who, to her children’s lasting gratitude, never compromised her pie recipes, even during her peak whole-foods years—told me recently that she was never that fond of carob, either.
See full story here: How Carob Traumatized a Generation

United Church of God Meddles In Peoples Lives Concerning Tattoo's



It has always amazed me how the Church of God loves to meddle in its member's lives.  Many churches do this, but the COG movement is extremely good at it.  This week United Church of God struck out at people who have tattoos.  It has always been a hypocritical stance the church has taken considering the number of ministers that have tattoo's, from Garner Ted and on down the food chain. Oh, but these men got their tattoo's when they were unconverted...HA!, not so in many of the cases.  I know evangelists and ministers that got them while still part of WCG.

United Church of God says:

We are to reflect God’s thinking and values, and strive to follow His instructions for us carefully and respectfully. “Therefore ‘Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you’” (2 Corinthians 6:17). That is the context of Leviticus 19, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy” (Leviticus 19:2). A variety of actions which make one unholy are prohibited in this chapter, such as not revering one’s parents, breaking the Sabbath, idolatry, stealing or dealing falsely, prostituting your daughter, false weights, and making marks or patterns on the skin by pricking it with a needle coated with pigment (tattooing).
God’s clear intent with the above scriptures in mind is that our bodies should not be marked with tattoos. Statement From the Council of Elders
When will the Church of God learn to shut up about all the silly nonsense they concern themselves over and actually be "the church?"