LCG: Mike DeSimone Infantilizing Members In Order to Control Them

A post on a previous thread:

Just this last week, in Charlotte LCG, little Mikey DeSimone delivered a beat-down to LCG members old enough to be his parents and grandparents. Completely ignoring the Bible's instructions that he honor his elders, this kid used the analogy of white-water rafting to demand that members obey the ministry without questioning. The Bible tells us to follow the ministry as they follow Christ, but Mikey believes that LCG members must follow his instructions even if we recognize that he is making a mistake. Members are to recognize how little they know, and how much Mikey (like other ministers) knows. 

Mikey seems unable to realize that if everybody took that approach, we would all still be Roman Catholics, and that if Rod Meredith had taken that approach he would have died as a member of Grace Communion International.

Unfortunately, Mikey is a good student of Rod McNair, who recognizes that if you can infantilize the brethren, you can control them more easily. God gives brethren the Holy Spirit to help them grow in maturity and discernment, which means that Rod and Mikey must work very hard to bully LCG members into quenching the Holy Spirit and becoming jelly-brained robots.

Bullying: The Hard Facts of Armstrongism's Attitude Problem

By SHT, Contributing Writer

In case you didn't realize it, the Armstrong Empire was full of bullies. From the top, down - through all the ranks of ministry to the deacons - it was a haven that produced, enabled, and promoted bullies. Nowhere was this most evident, however, than at the very top. An article in the Good News, November, 1962, displays a sample of the prevailing attitude in bold, stinging detail.

Garner Ted Armstrong had a member of the Church come to him - who was "in trouble" with the Local Church because he only attends once in a while. This individual was judged to be "plainly carnal", and had the absolute audacity to come up to Garner Ted to shake hands with him.... get this.... "as if he was really a brother in God's Own Church".

GTA might as well have said to this man:

"How DARE you come up and shake hands with ME, you smelly, stupid, indifferent person!"

He might have said to someone who is overweight:

"You're fat and lazy. You're also a glutton! Why do you believe you're not, you dummy!"

Then Garner Ted Armstrong goes off on those who came to church as unshaven, uncouth, and unclean as deaf, dumb and blind. And if that wasn't enough, let's go off on the little children as well - and call them virtual MONSTERS. Then, he calls their parents deaf, dumb and blind too.....

"You dummy! You come to church completely unclean - how can you be so blind?"

"These children are MONSTERS! Have you no control over them? You DUMMY!"

Garner Ted Armstrong then asks them if they are "REALLY" a Child of God!

But that's nothing.He basically looks at a person and says:

"Why, you MISERABLE, FOUR-FLUSHING, LYING, CHEATING, CONNIVING, HARD-HEARTED, SELFISH, LUSTFUL, RESENTFUL, REBELLIOUS, SINNING, NEGLIGENT, APATHETIC, GOD-REJECTING, DECEIVED, PLEASURE-MAD, STIFF-NECKED, CAST-OFF WORTHLESS HUNK OF HUMAN JUNK" .

Well, that is, anyone who isn't in a "converted member".

 

 Talk about a beat-down.

 

This is the way the Worldwide Church of God treated their members who were not meeting their mold in the 1950s and 1960s. This is also the way that many of the members were trained to act in their ministries decades later. It is classic bullying. It is indefensible. It is absolutely inexcusable.

This is how we were taught to view the world. This is how we were taught to view those who were not in our church, who were not us. This is how we were taught to view those who go to church on Sundays. Or our co-workers. Or our school-mates. Or those who were caught up in addictions, or struggles, or in divorces. This is how we were taught to look down on people who we regarded as unconverted. We were taught to look down at them in the same manner as this man looked down on those he did not regard as "brethren". They world, to us, was the literal scum of the earth - not fit for us to associate with, to eat with, to be with. And if they couldn't be charged with any of those things, then they were heathen, pagan, awful CHRISTMAS-KEEPING, HAM-EATING, SUNDAY KEEPERS. Which actually, to us, was a worse charge than the laundry list of names that was spewed on the struggling in the Church by an Armstrong.

This is the inner mentality that was firmly etched into many of those trained into ministry. Some of that mentality still exists in a few of the ministers even now who are in the splinters. They look down on those who struggle with issues with haughty arrogance and nauseating pride. Instead of teaching others the positive message of Jesus Christ, and how the Holy Spirit changes you to reflect and show the fruits of the Spirit in Christian love and positivity, they sent the members to boot-camp with the full force of a drill sergeant and a blast furnace of negativity.

But to some of them, as long as you keep the Sabbath, and the Holy Days, and call yourself, "The Church of God" - it's all going to be okay. That's the sign of the true church, they say. And they're fine with the thoughts and attitudes of judgement that harbor to others who aren't in the same place as they are.

In case you wonder why the Splinters are in the shape they are in today - all you have to do is look at the attitudes that were displayed in those who they listened to as their trainers.

Doesn't this cause you to wonder how many times Garner Ted had to be called names this way by someone, in some manner, to think this sort of bully behavior was okay?

Regardless of how you endeavor to spin this, the truth of the matter is, bully tactics have nothing to do with the fruits of the spirit.

Never mind the hypocrisy that you know too well in hindsight. But that's for another time and place.

 

Narcissistic Self-Appointed COG Leader Believes His Church Is So Great That All Other COG's Need To Just Shut Down And Join Him

The arrogance of certain Church of God leaders is mind boggling at times.  Of course, most of the issues come from the self-appointed milquetoasts that have never worked an honest days work in their lives and want others to support them.

Today, the Almost-arrested but not arrested Elijah, Elisha, Amos, Habakkuk, doubly cursed Bob Thiel has this to say about certain COG groups he looked at online today.

08/10/18 a.m. Visited the websites of the Church of God In Peace and Truth, COGNEOhio, Church of the Sovereign God, and Enduring Church of God today. They do not seem to update their websites very often and had no recent news of interest. In time, hopefully those associated with them will realize that they are not doing a Philadelphian work and then take proper steps to support that work in the 21st century.

Just ONE guess as to WHICH group is the one doing a work in the 21st century.  It is James Malm!!!!!!!

Oh, sorry, it is Thiel himself and his improperly named "continuing" Church of "god."

No one in their right mind would EVER join up with Bob Thiel and his band of church-hopping Africans.

Only an infinitesimal few....

ht: SHT

 What a weak and impotent god it is that allows only an"infinitesimal few" out of billions of people who will ever be chosen.  Church members do not seem to grasp how ludicrous this statement is.

Apparently, we were not called for salvation but to stand BEHIND Herbert...

well, we all know how THAT turned out...

UCG: That Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me...Except for HWA, Mystery of the Ages, That Rock...

United Church of God is starting a series on the 10 commandments in their United News.  It starts off with the 1st commandment and also makes reference to the 2nd commandment.  Like normal in Armstrongism, it is necessary to also lash out at Catholics and others because the church has always felt the need to claim they were worshipping idols.

The First Commandment is the most important commandment because it means that only God has the sovereign authority to establish commandments for every human being plus judge them by those commandments. Only God can define right versus wrong, good versus evil, virtue versus vice, and moral versus immoral.  

Confusion of the First and Second Commandments  

We in United Church of God know that Exodus 20:3 states the First Commandment and verses 4-6 state the Second Commandment (about not using images in religious worship). Sadly, many Christian and Jewish people are confused and regard verses 3 through 6 as only one commandment.  

The different meanings of the two first Commandments will be explained fully in the next article but we can briefly illustrate them now. If someone worships any image (like a statue or painting), that is breaking the First Commandment. But if someone is worshipping the true God but is trying to visually picture God with images, that is breaking the Second Commandment. 

It is always easy for the COG to smear others for supposedly worshipping statues and icons, all the while never seeing anything wrong with the blatant worship so many in the church have of Herbert Armstrong, Mystery of the Ages, and much more.  HWA has been elevated to position right up there next to Jesus Christ with many in the church believing that when Jesus returns HWA will be standing right next to Jesus along with Moses.

Others have elevated the writings of Herbert Armstrong to the point of canonization, claiming that the Mystery of the Ages is divinely inspired and is necessary for salvation.

Gerald Flurry traipsed over the fields of Oregon to dig up a dirty old rock that the holy hands of Herbert Armstrong supposedly touched, bringing it back to Edmond and placing it on display for the admirers who would sit and pray next to it.

Dave Pack runs his entire organization according to the very things he claims to have been taught while sitting at the feet of Herbert Armstrong.

Every single Church of God splinter group exists because of the idolatry of their worship of Herbert Armstrong. From Bob Thiel to the bastardizer of the law James Malm, these sick pissants have placed everything about Herbert Armstrong on par with Jesus Christ.  Rare is the moment when you hear any Church of God talk about Jesus, but oh how they love Herbert Armstrong.

So before any idolatrous Church of God incarnation starts smearing Catholics and others, they had better step back and look at the idolatry they commit daily with HWA. Take down his pictures from your hallways, dump his books in the garbage and publicly repent of your own idolatry first!  Hypocrites!

The Master Plan of Ambassador and 1975 In Prophecy

How was it that the Church could simultaneously predict the end of the world on the authority of Jesus Christ – AND develop and build a master plan for a distinguished private college at the same time?

Here's some of the facts of how this happened:

At around same time that “1975 In Prophecy” was published, The “present dimensions” of the Ambassador site were conceived in 1956, when the former estate of Hulett Clinton Merrit became available at auction.

While the Church was developing the Master Plan for the Ambassador College Campus, it became quite apparent that intense fundraising was needed. It was in 1956 that the Church came out with the largest push of Armageddon propaganda ever to come out – called “1975 in prophecy”.

As the Church was building toward a master plan to finish their College – they were publishing end-of-the-world propaganda to push their church – the main fund-raising vehicle of Ambassador College. The Church wrote the following in 1956, at the SAME TIME they were conceiving the master plan for Ambassador College.

This is the Master Plan that was finalized in 1963 – just SEVEN YEARS after the book 1975 in Prophecy was published, warning the world of a Very Soon to Come, Imminent Great Tribulation – which it is very obvious was not their “real concern”. (picture below from Ambassador Auditorium, the making of a cultural legacy, published 1994)

“While modern science and industry strive to prepare us a push-button leisure-luxury world by 1975, United States Assistant Weather Chief... warns us unofficially to really fear the big drought of 1975. But the indications of prophecy are that this drought will be even MORE devastating than he foresees... and that it will strike sooner than 1975... probably between 1965 and 1972! This will be the very beginning, Jesus said, of the GREAT TRIBULATION!” (1975 in Prophecy, published 1956) 

Notice what was going on in Ambassador College during the same time-frame and projection of “the very beginning of the GREAT TRIBULATION”. (1975 in Prophecy, published 1956)

“From 1957 to 1966, all properties within the projected Campus Boundaries were acquired.” (Ambassador Auditorium, the Making of a Cultural Legacy, published 1994)

Apparently, it was quite a fantastic, incredible and astounding coincidence that the greatest scare-mongering propaganda booklet called “1975 In Prophecy"came out just priorto the massive acquisition of all properties within the Campus boundaries – a booklet in which Herbert W. Armstrong unashamedly used the authority and the name of Jesus Christ to convince people the end of the world was near, and to join the “Work”, and save themselves from the terrors of Armageddon. It is very apparent that fear, intimidation, and the threat of destruction and war were used, with the full knowledge of the church, as a fund-raiser to complete the master plan of the Ambassador College Campus, including it's magnificent auditorium.

Notice the wording used in 1975 in prophecy in the quotes below. it's important to realize this was being penned by Herbert Armstrong ALL THE WHILE AND IN FULL KNOWLEDGE THAT THE MASTER PLAN OF AMBASSADOR COLLEGE WAS BEING FINALIZED, and a major push of properties purchase and financing was well underway: (All quotes from 1975 In Prophecy - 1956):

“GOD ALMIGHTY now reveals....that one third of all our people will soon die... that a second third of our people...of your personal friends, relatives, acquaintances – will be killed by the awesome hydrogen bomb...”

“our people will continue only a few more years in comparative economic prosperity”

“All this is now only a few years off.”

“people dying in every home, your loved ones, perhaps your children, or your parents, and scores of your close friends, perhaps even YOURSELF...”

“Only one in three of your friends, of your loved ones, will remain alive, unless they come under God's divine protection under HIS conditions!”

“YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED”

“Your immediate future is of your own choosing. You can take this lightly, let this slip from mind, allow yourself once again to be absorbed in the mechanics of today's complex society that you put this out of mind. If you do, I have now read YOUR FATE – and I say to you on authority of God Almighty that it is absolutely SURE”

The only thing that was absolutely sure was that while Herbert Armstrong was saying the above quotes on the authority of Jesus Christ, he did not believe a word of it – and was in the process of developing the master plans for the completion of his master building project – Ambassador College. Herbert Armstrong used tactics of great fear and panic of the end of the world to finance his vision of his college and his Auditorium – and the Church seems to have been the financing vehicle for his massive building projects and personal vision of “success”. (Image below from Ambassador Auditorium, the making of a cultural legacy, published 1994)

What then can we conclude?

Herbert Armstrong had absolutely no problem using the following methods to accomplish his building project: Co-Worker letters constantly touting financial emergencies, Using the name of Jesus Christ to suggest the end of the world while building a master plan for a college, using fear of war, death, and disease of friends and loved ones to entice growth in the church, the financial vehicle of funding for the project, and using God's name to grab money from any source possible to complete his project, without care or concern of the financial poverty afflicted on those who donated.

If anybody ever wondered how it was that one could summarily preach amazing prophecies of the end of the world, fully believed by the congregations of the fund-raising churches, and at the same time build up an expansive, expensive college campus - this sheds some enlightenment on the issue. We were all a part what I can only see myself - looking at the evidence - that all of this was one of the biggest doomsday-exploitation scams of the 20th century. Every prediction was a lie, and as we all know, never happened. I don't believe anyone ever expected them to occur. All eyes were on the final vision of the amazing campus of the Church and College, and Herbert Armstrong achieved his dream of becoming a successful, important person, with all of his treasures of worldly wealth at his control. 

You can look at the facts yourself with the following resources:

Ambassador Auditorium: A Cultural Legacy

1975 In Prophecy

And also, be sure to peruse the Co-worker letters to see the methods HWA used to fund his massive building project without regard or concern about the financial condition of those he was begging for money from:

December 20th, 1934 Co-Worker Letter

You will find the undeniable evidence that strongly indicates that the Church (and it's fund-raising conventions and Holy Days) was a well-planned financial operation, and the Media was a recruiting operation for HWA's dream real estate building project – using post-war doomsday propaganda in the name of Christ to accomplish his real estate dreams under religious pretense. 

If you dare, you may indeed begin to notice what appears to be much of the same use of familiar methodology in some of the splinters of Armstrongism even today. And it does not take much imagination to do so.

Contributed by SHT

The Harshest Lake of Fire Threat of All Time

David C Pack and Fraudulent Ministers, What Is the Difference?

Bible God Punishes Bob Thiel By Punishing His Church

Bob Thiel notices

  "In fact the difference is remarkable.  Note that both pictures are from the same field, same soil type, same seed and variety, same equipment used, same (natural) fertilizer package.  The poor stand (looking to the left) was planted on the sabbath.  The healthy stand (looking to the right) was planted (the field was finished) the following day, on Sunday.  Mxxxx did not move to take the pictures, other than to turn to the left and right.  He asked me: “Why don’t anybody else’s fields do this if they work in them on the sabbath?  Why me?”  I answered with another question: “When you planted this field on the sabbath, did you merely think that it was maybe wrong to do so or did you know in your heart that it was wrong?”  His reply: “I knew it was wrong but I thought it would be ok.  I think God is telling me otherwise.”

Others Notice

"In fact the difference is remarkable.  Note that both pictures are from the same planet, same human types, same genetics  and variety, same equipment used, same scriptures.  The poor attendance(pictured first) ) was planted on the sabbath.  The healthy stand (picture two) was planted (the church was full ) the following day, on Sunday.  Mxxxx did not move to take the pictures, other than to take the pictures on different rotations of the earth around the Sun).  He asked me: “Why don’t anybody else’s church  do this if they preach  in them on the Sunday?  Why me?”  I answered with another question: “When you planted this church on the Sabbath, did you merely think that it was maybe wrong to do so or did you know in your heart that it was wrong?”  His reply: “I knew it was wrong but I thought it would be ok.  I think God is telling me otherwise.” 

….perhaps so...

Church planted on the Sabbath

Church planted on Sunday

And too...Poor row planted on the same day between great crops

COG Wars: When they got their own planets...the unavoidable was destined

Trickster "god" Punishes Farmer By Punishing His Crops

Trickster god

The magical trickster god of Armstrongism is a petty god that continually gets pissed at some of his followers and potential followers. It is always hit and miss though as to who it will be punished.  Top church leaders, ministers, children of evangelists and self-appointed lying prophets all go unpunished while lowly members are always treated like degenerate worms worthy of punishment.

Almost arrested but not arrested Elijah Elisha Habbkuk doubly blessed Bob Thiel has a truly absurd post up about how his magical god deliberately destroys the crop of a potential member of the improperly named "continuing" Church of "god."

Elisha Thiel writes:

Should a farmer plant crops on the Sabbath? 

The commandment states:

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. (Exodus 20:8-11) 

4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “And on the seventh day God rested from all his work.” 5 And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.” 6 It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience…9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience (Hebrews 4:4-6,9-11, NIV). 

The New Testament confirms that Christians should not be disobedient, but should rest on the Sabbath.

No, it doesn't, but lets go on to see what Elisha Thiel has to say:

Several months ago, a woman sent me the following in an email:

 I have spent considerable time, energy and effort in looking for God’s true church (comparing statements of belief/doctrine and “teachings” to scripture) and have settled on CCOG although I have no congregation anywhere near where I am …

Anyway, the above person is new to the Church of God and had not yet been baptized. 

As it turns out she is engaged. Her fiancé, shares some of her views on the Sabbath and the true church, but has been unsure. 

So unsure, that he felt it was appropriate for him to plant crops on the Sabbath.

Things are already starting to look bad for this poor chap, you can just see what is coming next.  Magical god is about to pull some naughty tricks on this poor guy.

Today, I received the following in an email with the subject line “Blessings and Cursings?” from the woman (names edited out, with bolding below added) by me:

We met in Almont, Michigan in July and I had my fiancé, Mxxxx, with me.  You may or may not remember, but he is a farmer.  I just wanted to share something with you regarding God’s promises of blessings and cursings.  Whether anyone wants to believe that this is proof of such promises and of God’s existence is up to them, but Mxxxx wanted me to share this with you because his experience has brought him closer to God and strengthened his belief and resolve. 

Mxxxx is going through some trying times with many demands on his time and while he knows about the sabbath requirement, he often finds ways to justify to himself for working on it.  This past Saturday was no exception.  Early in the morning, I received a call from him to come out and look at one of his fields.  I objected as I know, and hold fast, to keep the sabbath but he insisted that it would be God’s work and not my agricultural work.  Attached are photos from that field.  Normally, a field planted a day before will come up sooner, be ahead of and look better than one planted later.  This is not the case here.  In fact the difference is remarkable.  Note that both pictures are from the same field, same soil type, same seed and variety, same equipment used, same (natural) fertilizer package.  The poor stand (looking to the left) was planted on the sabbath.  The healthy stand (looking to the right) was planted (the field was finished) the following day, on Sunday.  Mxxxx did not move to take the pictures, other than to turn to the left and right.  He asked me: “Why don’t anybody else’s fields do this if they work in them on the sabbath?  Why me?”  I answered with another question: “When you planted this field on the sabbath, did you merely think that it was maybe wrong to do so or did you know in your heart that it was wrong?”  His reply: “I knew it was wrong but I thought it would be ok.  I think God is telling me otherwise.”  I cited James 4:17 and after some thought he left the field and joined me for Bible study.  But that did not last.  He soon “had so many things to do” and returned to the field.  After his combine broke down and his tractor stopped in the middle of the field (to perform an automatic maintenance procedure he had been putting off), he called me up and returned to Bible study.  Frustrated at the seeming prosperity of commandment breakers, I went over Psalms 37 and 73 with him for a better understanding of what is expected of us and the timing of our reward as well as who it comes from (James 1:17).  He has been somewhat “stiff-necked” regarding obedience to this specific commandment but I think he is starting to understand although I think he may need another correction or two before he truly submits in this regard.  I continue to pray for him, knowing that God’s chastisements are both merciful and just. 

Feel free to use and share this story and pray for us as we pray for you, that we all may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and do those things that are pleasing to God.  May God keep you safe and inspire you according to his will.

Here is a screenshot of the pictures Elisha Thiel posted to go along with is the story:

Trickster god seems to be having some fun with the farmer, as Elisha Thiel wants you to believe.

The doubly blessed/cursed false prophet ends with this:

Many people do not believe that God cares enough to intervene or that God does not perform miracles in the 21st century. While God does not always perform massive physical miracles when He is calling someone, sometimes He does (cf. Acts 9). 

God is still on His throne, and yes, God does do miracles according to His will. 

God holds people to a higher standard that know the truth:

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” 

16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. (James 4:13-17) 

While some wonder about working to handle a seasonal surge or other such need, here is what the Bible says about planting and harvesting:

21 “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest. (Exodus 34:21) 

So, no, the ‘busy season’ at work does not negate the Sabbath.

Christian farmers should not plant on the Sabbath.

God does exist. His ways are best.

Fed Up, Stuck – and Tired of Life in a Carnal Church? Thoughts to think about.

Opinion Editorial –

- written by a Former Member of the “Church” - all opinions belong to the author. The views stated belong to the author only and may not necessarily be the views and opinions of this Blog.

Many times this has been discussed, but it can never be discussed enough. Why is it that members of the splinters put up with the spiritual abuse that is blasted at them by so-called “ministers” in the Churches of God?

There is no doubt that there are many disgruntled, unhappy members in the Splinter groups. And there is also no doubt that this is for good reason.

The PCG has been well-accounted for extraordinarily horrendous policies involving separation of families (including minors) for dissenters. The RCG has been well-accounted for their “All things common” financial policies, and fantastically failed prophecies, that have scarred members both financially and spiritually. The COG-PKG has been time and time again convincing members of the time of the end, with failed date after failed date, pocketing money for lavish expenses, whose leader was convicted with tax fraud. The LCG, with a new leader at the helm, continues to assert submission to it's members to church government – while refusing to tackle serious issues brought up by it's members who see widespread carnality within it's ranks. The other splinters not mentioned are certainly not immune. From controversies to scandals, to ministerial misconduct – there is never any shortage of spiritual abuse within the churches of God. Whether or not it's minister-to-minister, minister-to-member, even church-to-church – or even church-to-world, the levels of carnality, wickedness, and dare we even say just plain evil have been accounted for factually for years on this blog, on the Ambassador Reports, on other COG-related blogs and websites, and other media sources. And yet, though more than a few leave, many decide to sit, stay – and pay.

What is it then that is the glue that keeps them sitting? What is it that holds them in what they have themselves said is miserable, discouraging, depressing conditions?

A Place of Like-Minded Community

The biggest reason that has been mentioned by Splinter Members over and over again has been because of community. The church that they are in – regardless of doctrine, teaching, disagreements, and authority issues – is their place of community. Many times their immediate families are members of the church as well. Many times long-term friendships – some lasting decades – are members in the church. To even think of not seeing them or spending time with them every week would seem to be nothing less than traumatizing. Members are also aware that in most Church of God congregations, shunning ex-members is strictly practiced within the church. It is a very real threat that if they leave the church, they will lose contact with everyone they have ever known. “No one in the world understands me, or can relate to me or my issues and beliefs”. Indeed, loneliness and depression is an extremely real threat to those who leave the church – and it can be more than enough of a deterrent to leaving the church, that members are willing to put up with spiritual abuse than risk losing lifelong relationships with the only people they've ever really been close to.

The Threat of Marital Division

Just as big a reason is spiritual unity between a husband and a wife in the church. Perhaps one of them has come to realize the level of spiritual abuse that has been endured for years – even decades. Perhaps one has become so frustrated that they feel like leaving. However, this individual is well aware that the consequences of leaving the church may have dramatic, traumatizing, life-changing events for not only the individual, but the spouse, and most importantly, the children of the married couple.

Spiritual divisions within the family can create dramatic tension, disputes, and arguments that can lead to grudges, separations, and even full-on divorce situations, that can cause lasting damage to children – not to mention bitter and drawn-out divorce proceedings. Many times on consideration of the dreaded road that leaving the church could put them toward, the spiritual abuse inflicted by the church seems to be a better option for them then losing their family – and potentially their children. Not to mention, possibly their house, car, and other possessions.

A Desire to Worship How They Believe is Proper

The third reason that a member may decide to stay is because of how they want to worship. Most members will tell you that they stay because they believe that they have a desire to keep the Sabbath, and the Holy Days in the common and accepted manner of their church. Their surroundings, worship style, and messages are predictable, and familiar. They do not have to worry about unfamiliar doctrinal messages coming from the pulpit, which would nearly certainly happen in another Church of God Congregation. They do not have to worry about losing their “place” in the church, whatever that “place” might be. And regardless of how spiritually abusive their ministers may be, the truth is, they are more comfortable with what to expect with them than they would be with someone new, where there's no certainty of expectations in anything.

What to Do, What to Do?

These are primary reasons why many splinter members of the Churches of God make the grudgingly depressing decision to stay. But these aren't the only reasons. As one member recently said in response to such a question in a popular Church-of-God related blog, paraphrased - “It is enormously complicated, you can't just get up and go”. And that's true. Uprooting ones self and starting over is one of the most difficult and scary things anyone can even begin to consider – and the consequences of those actions can change the entire course of life. How does one even begin to make the right decision? How does one even begin to know what to do?

Don't Decide on Your Own Strength and Power

In situations like this, it can be extremely easy to forget that you are a believer in Christ. If you're debating with yourself what to do – you can't stand your church, you can't stand being treated the way you are being treated. You know it's wrong, you know it's not Christian – you see with your own eyes the carnality, and you are frustrated at the actions you see all around you with disbelief – you seem overwhelmed and overpowered. Don't decide what to do on your own strength and power. Immerse yourself in prayer. Ask God to guide you, to lead you, in a loving, caring, and fatherly way through the jungles you find yourself trapped in. Remind yourself of the promises of His Word to you. That he promised He would never leave you, nor forsake you. That He promised that all things work together for the good to those who love Him, according to His purpose. That God's plan is to prosper you, and not to harm you – to give you a hope and a future. That God is good, all the time – and his goodness never fails. And that He is a merciful and loving God. And when you put your trust in Him – then you can be strengthened by knowing that God is faithful to His Word, and that God WILL make a way, where there seems to be no way.

Place your Burden on God's Hands. Then Let God work.

More than anything – give it to God. Give it to God in prayer, and do something that is extremely hard in this situation – trust Him. Trust Him that all things are going to be okay. And when God moves you in a certain direction – don't be afraid. Trust. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and mind in Christ.

Through trying to figure out your path in life, one thing is sure. No person should ever be subject to spiritual abuse by those who are trusted as representatives of Jesus Christ. No person should have to be subject to wickedness, carnality, and evil inside the Church. There's enough of that outside to last anyone a lifetime. If you are one who feels you are spiritually abused, trapped, and no idea where to go, or what to do – it can be easy to want to throw your hands up in frustration and resign yourself to your circumstance.

Perhaps you're not used to hearing this – but Jesus Christ loves you, and He died for you – and He does not want you to be burdened by spiritual abusers and oppressors. You believe in Christ. Go to Him. Talk to Him, heart to heart – brother to Brother. And then follow the advice of a well known scripture in Exodus 14:14

“The Lord will fight for you; You need ONLY to be Still.”

COG Chief Pharisee Believes He Has Doug Winnail and LCG Trembling In Fear

The Church of God has had over 8 decades filled with self-righteous, self-appointed malevolent men who have set themselves up as the know-it-alls of the Bible and truth. They foolishly believe they are the final men to get the end time message of their god out to the world and particularly to the Church of God. Some of them, like Bob Thiel and James Malm, believe they and they alone are the Elijah's to the Church of God.

Bob Thiel believes that the Living Church of God is jealous of him and his so-called ministry. After being profoundly and painfully rejected by his spiritual "daddy" for his aberrant beliefs, Thiel set off on his own doing everything he could to denigrate the Living Church of God for his dismissal.

James Malm, the official Chief Pharisee of the Church of God has sunk to the bottom depths of legalism after his wife and the rest of the Church of God's rejected his bastardized version of law keeping.

Malm has announced today that Doug Winnail has reacted to a series of articles Malm has done on "personal salvation" and "ecclesiastical authority."  Malm believes that Winnail and the LCG are UNABLE to refute any of his hysterical teachings.

LCG-  Doug Winnail is reacting to our serialized weekly posts on “Personal Salvation” and “Ecclesiastical Authority”  by promoting organizational idolatry!  

Because they cannot refute the facts and doctrines presented on this site and at TheShiningLight; they are demanding that the brethren just follow them in whatever they do or teach, and refrain from asking questions: thereby setting themselves up as corporate idols and idols of men!  Thus fulfilling the Matthew 24 prophecy of Jesus Christ and the warning of Jude.

Malm is reacting to Doug Winnail's post that I put on this blog the other day:

LCG: Prideful Members, But Not The Prideful Ministry, Are Causing Issues In The Church

Humility—Key to Unity

King David wrote, “How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity” (Psalm 133:1). The Apostle Paul urged Christians to “walk worthy” of your calling “with all lowliness and gentleness… endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1–3). He stated that the work of the ministry is to edify (build up) the body (the Church) “till we all come to the unity of the faith” (Ephesians 4:12–13). Paul also told the contentious Corinthians that they should be “perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10). In order to grow together in unity, we need to understand what causes contentions that disrupt unity. The Scriptures reveal that pride is an underlying cause of contentions (Proverbs 13:10), and that pride will contribute to a person’s downfall and destruction (Proverbs 16:18). Insisting on our own way also causes dissentions and strife (James 4:1). However, humility will eventually bring a person honor (Proverbs 15:33; 29:23), and true humility will promote peace and unity (James 3:13–18). Just as Jesus Christ humbled Himself and followed His Father’s instructions (Philippians 2:5–9), as Christians we must be subject to government (within and without the Church) and not resist authority (Romans 13:1–2). As we learn to exercise true Godly humility and treat each other with love and respect (Romans 12:10–18), we will promote unity within the body of Christ.

Have a profitable Sabbath,

Douglas S. Winnail

If you want to take Doug Winnail's entry above at face value, then it is quite obvious that Malm has ZERO humility and has absolutely NO DESIRE for unity.

Both Malm and Thiel do all they can to divide people and confuse COG members with their so-called Christian beliefs.

Plus, in their arrogance and narcissistic superiority, they both believe that LCG reacts to every single thing they write.  Really?  As if Winnal or LCG cares what either of them thinks!  LCG is no more worried about the rantings of these two self-righteous fools than LCG is with this blog.  Though it is well known that LCG closely monitors what LCG members write here, they do not care in the long run.  LCG's own self-righteous superiority is on par with James Malm's and Bob Thiel's. After all, they all come from the same abominable source that worships the law more than it ever has with Jesus.

So no, Chief Pharisee Malm and no, Elijah Bob Thiel, Living Church of God is not jealous of you nor does it care what either of you two thinks!