Friday, August 9, 2019

Restored Church of God: "Members who were treated with disdain by their parents might find it difficult to receive correction from the Church’s leadership, or even find it hard to talk to them."

Those fun folk over in Wadsworth, Ohio have a few words of wisdom on why church unity is so important and that it should produce a "joyful life."

Dave Pack's, Restored Church of God has a new article up on its web site by Salasi D. Jezhi, titled Is Your Joy Full?

If you are an RCG member there is a quick answer to that question and it is NO!  How can a church members life be "joy full" when Dave and his henchmen strip every bit of your humanity away by unnecessary demands and unchristian doctrines?

Jezhi writes:

“Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” This famous phrase in the United States Declaration of Independence summarizes the ultimate goal in each person’s mind—happiness.
Happiness is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a state of well-being and contentment…a pleasurable or satisfying experience.”
One way many seek to achieve this is by building a family. Many experience their greatest happiness within their families or with cherished friends. The support and security of family and friends provide a sense of content.
However, many people do not experience such support in their families. Instead they witness disagreement, division and chaos—leaving members unhappy. Others are isolated from family relationships or friendships.
Family was designed by God to foster joy. Yet mankind has not practiced obedience to the laws God put in place that would allow him to form and preserve reliable relationships. The result is the majority of people have not been able to have true, lasting joy.

God is joyful, and He wants His children to be this way as well. Jesus Christ made this clear when He described the path to full joy. He told His disciples: “If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love…so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be full” (John 15:10-11). Christ’s joy was the result of keeping God’s Law, and it was full—meaning replete, crammed, leveled up, satisfied and finished.
Remember, this is the Restored Church of God speaking here.  A church that has ripped families apart and destroyed hundreds of lives over its few short years of existence. A church that is run by a megalomaniac who has alienated his own children, demanded that his followers give him everything they have, because he already owns it, and has uttered hundreds of failed prophecies that have the potential to lead to deadly consequences.

Jezhi continues by pointing out the roadblocks that are the  root of unhappiness that may occur in church members lives,

In God’s Church, His Holy Spirit gives us understanding of the right way to live. Regardless of what state we are in when He calls us out of the world, we can overcome our past problems and become united with our new spiritual family to live sincerely happy lives.
One of the most common roadblocks Church members face is moving past the problems that stem from their upbringing. When these are not properly addressed, they can cause a person to view the doctrines in God’s Church, its traditions, or the conduct of fellow brethren through a negative perspective. A few examples:
  • Members who were reared in an economically depressed area might view successful brethren with suspicion. Or they may be critical of brethren who have finer homes or newer cars.
  • Members who were treated with disdain by their parents might find it difficult to receive correction from the Church’s leadership, or even find it hard to talk to them.
  • Members who were treated unfairly by their childhood peers might find it difficult to start friendships in the Church.
As usual, it is all the member's fault that they are not submitting to the overlords of the RCG and their heavy demands that they place upon members lives.  Having bad parents can cause you to rebel against correction from Dave Pack and his ministers.

Having a been picked upon hi school will lead you to mistrust church members and prohibit friendships.  Never mind the fact that so many church members are vindictive and manipulative in their so-called friendships. Friendships that are friendships as long as they can use you for their benefit.  "friends" that will gossip about you and turn you in to the ministry for the slightest infraction, practically if they think it will give them more power in the sight of the minister they are trying to impress.
The point is Christians often have excess baggage from their pasts that can affect them now—sometimes for the rest of their lives. Continuing to carry these issues can lead to withdrawing from Church activities and opportunities to serve and fellowship. The end result is tragic. Such individuals often leave God’s Church.
There is NOTHING tragic about RCG members leaving the church.  They find newfound freedom from abuse and from deadly doctrines that strip every bit of humanity away from individuals. 

Dave Pack and his henchmen have a hard time with anyone who does not participate 100% in all HQ and church functions.  It makes no difference if you are dead tired, have had no time off from work, sick, or on vacations.  If Dave calls, you are to drop everything and do his bidding at any activity he designates.

Role of Church Unity

Read Hebrews 10:24-25: “Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting [comforting] one another: and so much the more, as you see the day approaching.”
We cannot be comforted and provoked to love unless we meet with others. With our earthly families, we enjoy a network of love, support and encouragement naturally. But, in the Church, we must choose and put effort into developing bonds of unity and expressing outgoing concern.
Those full of joy are frequently involved, craving to be around others who are of like mind. They observe that it is good and pleasant for brethren to dwell (meaning remain) together (Psa. 133:1).
We must put the world behind us and befriend fellow brethren, those who will eventually stick closer to us than even our physical brothers and sisters (Prov. 18:24). God says we are to prioritize spending time with brethren over those outside the Church who do not share our beliefs (Gal. 6:10).
Unhappy, downcast members tend to avoid Church activities with excuses ranging from having “other things to do” to not liking a particular activity. Recognize that this is often the carnal mind justifying its preference to stay where it is—in the past!
Church activities (socials, picnics, dances, camping trips, potlucks and more) should not become routine in a Christian’s mind—events that must be done and with which we must get through. They are for the benefit of the Church and should result in fellowship for all involved. These events stimulate camaraderie among God’s people and help to build lasting friendships, which result in happiness.
Remaining unified with brethren ensures “iron sharpens iron” (Prov. 27:17) and we glean profitable experiences that help us overcome our weaknesses.

Ask: Am I as involved in Church activities as I should be? Do I willingly serve and promote unity to help brethren mature, overcome the past and become truly happy?

Those who do not want to participate in events are proving to others that they have no joy in their lives. Really?  They don't want to do these things because they are unhappy and downcast? Really?

It is also a well-known fact that Church of God brethren do NOT stick by other members better than close family members.  Church members will stab you in the back quicker than anyone else will.  Those who have left the church can testify to that and to the fact that those in the "world" treat them better than any church member ever did.

Jezhi then goes on to state that glum church members will find these words hard to swallow.  

Servitude is a requirement of Christians!  If you do what Dave commands of you, you WILL be happy!  Only when you lower yourself below Dave's level will you ever achieve happiness. So go ahead and debase yourself and be a willing servant to Dave! Give him all your belongings and money and you will be happy!

The contents of this article may be difficult to swallow for those of us who tend to be more glum. Yet we must all take an honest look at ourselves. Whenever people drown in their sorrows they focus on one thing—THEMSELVES!
Being preoccupied with personal problems causes people to neglect serving others and prevents others from effectively serving them.
When brethren become unhappy they find “reasons” to shun and pull away from serving others. They forget or neglect this biblical advice: “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” (Phil. 2:3-4).
Servitude is a spiritual law that, if consistently applied, results in happiness. When we choose to serve people, we develop a selfless mindset because we lower ourselves. We then feel fulfilled knowing we contributed to improving others’ situations. This elation makes us want to repeat such acts to experience those emotions again.
Every Christian must suffer. We can endure trials and difficulties as they come and still rejoice because we know that “weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning”
Remaining unified with and serving brethren in the Church are keys to building and maintaining joy in your life.
Strive to never miss ANY OPPORTUNITY to be around your spiritual family. Forget those things that are behind! With God’s help, crush thoughts of resentment and bitterness, realizing that Satan wants you to be socially isolated from others who have God’s Spirit.
Overall, remain obedient to God to ensure you experience happiness and are able to bring it to others. Ultimately, it will keep you on the path to the true fullness of joy in God’s Kingdom.
Everything in the Church of God boils down to obedience and being unified.  One must always be obedient to whichever overlord is in charge, no matter how ridiculous and absurd the man might be and the things he might say are.

God certainly never intended for the Dave Pack's, Gerald Flurry's, Bob Thiel's and James Malm's of the world to trap church members in such legalistic hellholes of existence.  It's no wonder people are miserable in the Church of God these days.  There is nothing to be happy about or to look forward to.  The only happy COG members are those who have left!









































25 comments:

What About The Truth said...

I guess Mr. Jezhi must not have heard Mr. Pack demand in a sermon that all members must not only have a job but they must work 6 days a week because that is as much of the commandment as keeping the 7th day as a sabbath is. Not much time left for all that service and the get together of members that are scattered wide and far apart.

What these newbies in the Churches of God have never experienced is what men in the name of religion can do to corrupt a way life and the people in it because of their selfish ambitions.

Having engrossed myself in exactly the way Mr. Jezhi describes in his article for 13 years + 4 years in the COGs has left me with nothing - no one in any of my established spiritual families to which has any contact with me. Every one is scattered and fractured and trying to find their own path in life. So much for those lasting friendships that Mr Jezhi talks about that can only happen in God's only true church

What Mr. Jezhi describes in his article has always been a hard push in the RCG. If it wasn't for nefarious purposes it wouldn't be a bad thing. But the RCG uses this policy to purposely drive a wedge in members' non attending families especially marriages with only one mate attending. Another reason this is pushed so hard in the RCG is because the leadership knows that the bond of spirit begotten fellowship between brethren fosters in their mind a strong belief that "this has to be God's Church". And with this solid belief these members let slide and overlook the abominable atrocity that is being perpetrated upon them by their ever present leader who holds nothing back in vomiting himself all over his membership.

Where is the servitude and selfless mindset in the leader of the RCG? Yes, the same one who demands of poor widow ladies to clean out their bank accounts and when they do he chastises them for not doing it sooner all under a self perceived unraveling of a 10,000 piece biblical puzzle?

This is just another article or diatribe on trying to legislate or dictate spiritual matters. Instead of calling out the "glum" member, why isn't Mr. Jezhi doing anything personally to guide and foster the spiritual growth of said glum person(s)? Calling out and public humiliation is a persona of the RCG leader. This is something that is reflected and exemplified by the ministry often in their writings and sermonettes.

Maybe Mr Jezhi needs to to take a more in depth look at who is above him and then look closely at himself and see how and where he fits in with that "servitude and selfless mindset" that he proposes in his writing.

TLA said...

Maybe they could borrow Jonathan McNair's sermon on Followship.
https://www.lcg.org/sermons/2018-04-21/followership-forgotten-side-leadership

Anonymous said...


The United States Declaration of Independence: Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

The Restored Cash Grab (RCG): Destitution, slavery, and the pursuit of unhappiness.

Anonymous said...

Writing an article in RCG is a joke. I guarantee what ever Jehzi wrote was rewritten nine times at HQ before it was published. All they want from you is some ideas and HQ does the rest. Sorry Jehzi, you know it’s true.

Byker Bob said...

I agree with the header statement for this post. It is true, as it well should be. To the offspring, the parents were the embodiment of the church. How could the parents do other than represent it as being cruel, defective and non functional? Some stuff runs so deep that you just cannot masquerade it, adequately buffer your children from it, or cover it up. And, the problem deepens in that we get our concept of God from our parents, as they are a type of God.

The solution to this is not further exposure to Dave and the RCG ministers, or a program to overcome the defense mechanisms one had to adapt to survive an Armstrongite childhood. The solution is to stop having fu(k€d up Armstrongite churches. Develop a better, actually functional church model, and concentrate on improving family relationships. It’s such an easy solution, but these cretins pretend that they don’t know!

It would have been far better for RCG had this missive never been written. They have exposed a major problem of Armstrongism, and as usual, have held the victim responsible to overcome or resolve it soas to love, respect, and conduct a relationship with the evil ministry who caused and exacerbated the problem in the first place!

Typical Armstrongism. No wonder people throw out the baby with the bath water!

BB

Anonymous said...

Hey Byker

Anonymous said...

Since leaving armstrongism, I’ve tried attending mainstream churches and I’ve found that I do not trust pastors or any leader in any church. The last church I attended, at the recommendation of my sister, I almost walked out. The sermon was about obedience. Couldn’t hack it.

I’m in a conundrum. I live alone in a senior apartment building. I have hardly any visitors and I feel the need to build friendships. But how? I don’t drink so I don’t go to bars. I can’t dance because of my disability, so that’s out. And I can’t go to a church. Terrible trust issues. And the people here? Don’t get me started. So, it’s just me and my pet.

I guess it’s all my fault. Heh.

Hoss said...

Anon 1056 - rewritten nine times at HQ before it was published

HWA wrote something that mentioned Herman Hoeh's first attempt at writing an article. He said he wouldn't publish it because it needed to be written in "the Plain Truth style".

Anonymous said...

Anonymous at 10:56

LOL- You must be an ex minister of RCG just like me. Since what you are saying is spot on...

Anonymous said...

The sad truth about this article is that it gives no reasonable solutions to any of the problems mentioned. Only a canned "Armstrongish" type answer. ie. Go to more Church functions, shun non member family, etc. This article is a repeat of any similar Church article of the 1960's, 1970's, 1980's, etc. A typical counseling session with an RCG minister ends up with them giving you a RCG booklet to read on whatever subject you are "supposedly" being corrected for. Which, of course, gives no real solutions to any issue, just the typical "formatted" Church answer. Yes, RCG ministers and members, you know it's true.

Anonymous said...

Maybe they could borrow Jonathan McNair's sermon on Followship.
Followership-The Forgotten Side of Leadership


How ironic! Jonathan McNair has a well-earned reputation as a maverick who largely did as he pleased as a field pastor, a thorn in the side of anyone who tried to manage him and look out for the members in his areas. Throughout his career he has expected others to follow him, but he is a terrible example to emulate as a follower.

Anonymous said...

If I remember correctly Jezhi is from Africa, far removed from the crazy that us RCG HQ. when these guys come over for conferences they
only see the facade of HQ.

Anonymous said...

unity at all costs is not unity.

Anonymous said...

In their vain imagination do RCG patronize their members into the ground. Bringing low rate psychology skills to create base cartoon characters in place of intelligent human beings.

Anonymous said...



The Priests did not ask 'Where is the LORD ?' Those who taught my word ignored me, the rulers turned against me, and the prophets spoke in the name of Baal, wasting their time on worthless idol's.
Jeremiah 2:8



TLA said...

Try a smaller church.
I have attended 2 Messianic churches. Both have casual dress, food and fellowship. Messages are friendly and about 30 to 40 minutes. I always feel better at the end instead of drained.
Plus they work with other unaffiliated church groups.
They don’t feel they have the truthiest truth and everyone else is wrong.
Try different churches until you find one that fits you.

Anonymous said...

"Try different churches until you find one that fits you."

Good advice TLA. Only thing I'd personally change is "until you find two or three that fits you". Why limit ourself? I'd include at least one Protestant church in that.

km

Byker Bob said...

Try a church with rock-based music. So much more inspiring! So glad for the band “Petra”. They really made an awesome impact on the whole church experience. They did a killer version of Argent’s “God Gave Rock n Roll to You!” My personal favorite is “Grave Robber”

BB

Anonymous said...

They hide that serving is a two way street. It's nothing more than the game of the unjust steward with some religious window dressing thrown in. Eventually the victims wise up, but by this time new naive members take their place. So the swindle continues. It's like a Bernie Madoff pyramid scheme.

Anonymous said...

Serving is indeed a two way street, we're all to minister. The blind alley is the lie that a certain group of men are an elite "clergy class". Totally Catholic.

There are many gifts and we're "all" given at least one upon receiving the Holy Spirit. There's a gift of teaching, which few "ministers" have, but there is also a gift of knowledge.

The WCG "clergy class" wanted us to believe they had both the gift of teaching and the gift of knowledge. Most had neither. A correct system would be a person with the gift of knowledge explaining a subject to the gifted teacher and the teacher teaching others. They work together as the eyes work with the hands in a body.

We were lied to. There is no physical "government of God" in the church.

How many are now able to hold on to biblical truth (I have no desire to argue what is truth, God gave each of us a brain to use to determine for ourselves just what biblical truth is) while throwing out the hierarchical heretical "Government of God being an elite group of ministers" lie?

km

Anonymous said...

km
Isn't your 'gift of knowledge' like the 'gift of money?' Both have to be worked for, so how is that a gift?
Should a person with the gift of money give their money to the person with the gift of wisdom, so that the money can be wisely spent?

Anonymous said...

4:37am, what the hell are you talking about? That makes absolutely no sense. The bible calls knowledge a gift, you have a problem with that take it up with the God.

If you don't believe in God then your opinion on this subject doesn't matter one bit anyway!

km

Anonymous said...

1Co 12:4 - Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

1Co 12:8 - For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

Rom 12:6 - Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

Rom 12:7 - Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;


Let he who is a moron understand!

km

Anonymous said...

km
Try buying a self help book, then read it while considering its contents accuracy plus supporting scriptures. Then tell me that knowledge is a gift from God. According to you, all schools and colleges can be shut down since God pours down knowledge from heaven, just like manna.
Who is the twit? I suggest you observe the world around you when interpreting scripture rather than blindly believing some translation like a trained monkey.
You need to evolve beyond the trained monkey interpretation of the bible.

Anonymous said...

9:07am This is for.....

YOU!!!!!

km