LCG Assures Us That They Have The Most Humble Leaders Who Never Seek Personal Aggrandizement

It is such a relief to know that there is at least one COG movement that has no one in leadership positions that seek self-aggrandizement.  They have the most humble men who serve with such humility that even Jesus is impressed...at least when they take the time to talk to him.

But of course, what Winnail is talking about below is actually aimed at the members to encourage them to not seek lofty positions, because we all know that not one single man in leadership positions in LCG have EVER sought self-aggrandizement. Nope! Never has the church seen such humble men than those in LCG.  Woo Hoo!

What Motivates You? In our world today, many people are motivated by a personal quest for a position, power, prestige, pleasure or a paycheck—and failure to be acknowledged or acclaimed is hard for some to deal with. Sometimes this attitude even spills over into the Church and local congregations when individuals jostle for positions and seek to be noticed or be given positions and responsibilities. However, Jesus sternly admonished the religious leaders of His day against seeking prominent positions and relishing public recognition (Matthew 23:6–7). In place of these self-seeking motives, Jesus emphasized to His disciples the importance of genuine humble service, “whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant” (Matthew 20:26). The Apostles Paul and Peter also warned against seeking offices in the Church for personal aggrandizement, and instead, they urged Christians to be examples to others by serving with humility (1 Timothy 6:5; 1 Peter 5:2–6). As we strive to come out of this world, we need to understand that when we eliminate selfish motives and develop a genuine desire to serve others as Jesus Christ did, then God can use us to be more effective instruments in His hands (Philippians 2:3–12).
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail

We All Wonder: Why Are So Many COG Members Attracted To Such Crazy Men As We Have Leading COG's today? :)

Why People Believe Weird Things

About the book

In this age of supposed scientific enlightenment, many people still believe in mind reading, past-life regression theory, New Age hokum, and alien abduction. A no-holds-barred assault on popular superstitions and prejudices, with more than 80,000 copies in print, Why People Believe Weird Things debunks these nonsensical claims and explores the very human reasons people find otherworldly phenomena, conspiracy theories, and cults so appealing. In an entirely new chapter, “Why Smart People Believe in Weird Things,” Michael Shermer takes on science luminaries like physicist Frank Tippler and others, who hide their spiritual beliefs behind the trappings of science.

Shermer, science historian and true crusader, also reveals the more dangerous side of such illogical thinking, including Holocaust denial, the recovered-memory movement, the satanic ritual abuse scare, and other modern crazes. Why People Believe Weird Things is an eye-opening resource for the most gullible among us and those who want to protect them.

“Humans are pattern-seeking story-telling animals, and we are quite adept at telling stories about patterns, whether they exist or not.”
― Michael Shermer 

“There are many sources of spirituality; religion may be the most common, but it is by no means the only. Anything that generates a sense of awe may be a source of spirituality. Science does this in spades.”
― Michael Shermer

“Smart people believe weird things because they are skilled at defending beliefs they arrived at for non-smart reasons.”

― Michael Shermer 

"This page is quoted from chapter three of Michael Shermer's book Why People Believe Weird Things. The chapter, titled How Thinking Goes Wrong, contains a list of "Twenty-five Fallacies That Lead Us to Believe Weird Things". These 25 Fallacies cover nearly every aspect of how non-skeptics, non-critical thinkers, pseudoscientists, and yes, even scientists, fail in their thinking processes and end up accepting conclusions based on incorrect assertions and false logic. Also presented are Hume's Maxim and Spinoza's Dictum, both important tools used in critical thinking."

http://skywise711.com/Skeptic/WPBWT/index.html#23

From  Why People Believe Weird Things

Heresy Does Not Equal Correctness

(Nor does perceived "persecution" Gerry, Dave, Bob, Ron and all you minor players who believe weird, self centered and deviant theology)

"They laughed at Copernicus. They laughed at the Wright brothers. Yes, well, they laughed at the Marx brothers. Being laughed at does not mean you are right. Wilhelm Reich compared himself to Peer Gynt, the unconventional genius out of step with society, and misunderstood and ridiculed as a heretic until proven right: "Whatever you have done to me or will do to me in the future, whether you glorify me as a genius or put me in a mental institution, whether you adore me as your savior or hang me as a spy, sooner or later necessity will force you to comprehend that I have discovered the laws of living" (in Gardner 1952, p.259). Reprinted in the January/February 1996 issue of the Journal of Historical Review, the organ of Holocaust denial, is a famous quote from the nineteenth-century German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, which is quoted often by those on the margins: "All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as self-evident." But "all truth" does not pass through these stages. Lots of true ideas are accepted without ridicule or opposition, violent or otherwise. Einstein's theory of relativity was largely ignored until 1919, when experimental evidence proved him right. He was not ridiculed, and no one violently opposed his ideas. The Schopenhauer quote is just a rationalization, a fancy way for those who are ridiculed or violently opposed to say, "See, I must be right". Not so.

    History is replete with tales of the lone scientist working in spite of his peers and flying in the face of the doctrines of his or her own field of study. Most of them turned out to be wrong and we do not remember their names. For every Galileo shown the instruments of torture for advocating a scientific truth, there are a thousand (or ten thousand) unknowns whose "truths" never pass muster with other scientists. The scientific community cannot be expected to test every fantastic claim that comes along, especially when so many are logically inconsistent. If you want to do science, you have to learn to play the game of science. This involves getting to know the scientists in your field, exchanging data and ideas with colleagues informally, and formally presenting your results in conference papers, peer-reviewed journals, books, and the like."

Michael Shermer

Burden of Proof

Who has to prove what to whom? The person making the extraordinary claim has the burden of proving to the experts and to the community at large that his or her belief has more validity than the one almost everyone else accepts. You have to lobby for your opinion to be heard. Then you have to marshal experts on your side so you can convince the majority to support your claim over the one they have always supported. Finally, when you are in the majority, the burden of proof switches to the outsider who wants to challenge you with his or her unusual claim. Evolutionists had the burden of proof for half a century after Darwin, but now the burden of proof is on creationists. It is up to creationists to show why the theory of evolution is wrong and why creationism is right, and it is not up to the evolutionists to defend evolution. The burden of proof is on the Holocaust deniers to prove the Holocaust did not happen, not on Holocaust historians to prove that it did. The rationale for this is that mountains of evidence prove that both evolution and the Holocaust are facts. In other words, it is not enough to have the evidence. You must convince others of the validity of your evidence. And when you are an outsider this is the price you pay, regardless of whether you are right or wrong.

Michael Shermer

Bold Statements Do Not Make Claims True

"And yes Brethren...I am an Apostle"

Something is probably pseudoscientific if enormous claims are made for its power and veracity but supportive evidence is scarce as hen's teeth. L. Ron Hubbard, for example, opens his Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health, with this statement: "The creation of Dianetics is a milestone for man comparable to his discovery of fire and superior to all his invention of the wheel and arch" (in Gardner 1952, p.263). Sexual energy guru Wilhelm Reich called his theory of Orgonomy "a revolution in biology and psychology comparable to the Copernican Revolution" (in Garnder 1952, p.259). I have a think file of papers and letters from obscure authors filled with such outlandish claims (I call it the "Theories of Everything" file). Scientists sometimes make this mistake, too, as we saw at 1:00 P.M., on March 23, 1989, when Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann held a press conference to announce to the world that they had made cold nuclear fusion work. Gary Taube's excellent book about the cold fusion debacle, appropriately named Bad Science (1993), thoroughly examines the implications of this incident. Maybe fifty years of physics will be proved wrong by one experiment, but don't throw out your furnace until that experiment has been replicated. The moral is that the more extraordinary the claim, the more extraordinarily well-tested the evidence must be.

Michael Shermer

Unexplained Is Not Inexplicable

 Many people are overconfident enough to think that if they cannot explain something, it must be inexplicable and therefore a true mystery of the paranormal. An amateur archeologist declares that because he cannot figure out how the pyramids were built, they must have been constructed by space aliens. Even those who are more reasonable at least think that if the experts cannot explain something, it must be inexplicable. Feats such as the bending of spoons, firewalking, or mental telepathy are often thought to be of a paranormal or mystical natures because most people cannot explain them. When they are explained, most people respond, "Yes, of course" or "That's obvious once you see it." Firewalking is a case in point. People speculate endlessly about supernatural powers over pain and heat, or mysterious brain chemicals that block pain and prevent burning. The simple explanation is that the capacity of light and fluffy coals to contain heat is very low, and the conductivity of heat from the light and fluffy coals to your feet is very poor. As long as you don't stand around on the coals, you will not get burned. (Think of a cake in a 450° oven. The air, the cake, and the pan are all at 450°F, but only the metal pan will burn your hand. Air has a very low heat capacity and also low conductivity, so you can put your hand in the oven long enough to touch the cake and pan. The heat capacity of the cake is a lot higher than air, but since it has low conductivity you can briefly touch it without getting burned. The metal pan has a heat capacity similar to the cake, but high conductivity too. If you touch it, you will get burned.) This is why magicians do not tell their secrets. Most of their tricks are, in principle, relatively simple (although many are extremely difficult to execute) and knowing the secret takes the magic out of the trick.

    There are many genuine unsolved mysteries in the universe and it is okay to say, "We do not yet know but someday perhaps we will." The problem is that most of us find it more comforting to have certainty, even if it is premature, than to live with unsolved or unexplained mysteries.

Michael Shermer

                           

Why Are So Many COG Members Attracted To Such Crazy Men As We Have Leading COG's today?

When Herbert Armstrong was alive, the church had its fill of crazy men rising up with all kinds of lunacy, BUT they never gained much of a following due to Armstrong's threats, his magnetic personality, and his stable of henchmen threatening salvation issues. Self-appointed prophets, Elijah, and others regularly delivered messages to the front desk at the Hall of Administration of the Worldwide Church of God. Each and every one of them ended up being massive failures in their prophecies.

Fast forwards to today and we have a whole stable of crazy men who have actually diverted members into their perverse ministries.  From Gerald Flurry who now imagines himself a King and in possession of the new coronation stone that Jesus will come back to sit on. Dave Pack, who declared "all things in common" in order to shame members into sending him all of their retirement funds, cashing in stocks, selling homes and basically bankrupting themselves in order to obey Dave's commands. Then there is James Malm who has whored himself out to the law in such a sick manner that Jesus is surely shaking his head in heaven in the biggest "WTF" moment he has ever seen. And then...then there is Bob Thiel.  Even God the father is appalled at the sheer arrogance and self importance that drips like putrid honey from his mouth.

As crazy and as mentally ill these men all are, nothing compares to another man who is attracting COG members to his message. That person is Tim Carpenter of "I Saw the Light Ministries."  A lot of his stuff sound just like Armstrongite ideas, until you weed further down into his writings.

Here is some of the things he writes about:

Help for Vampires

Leviticus 17:10-11

10 And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among you, that eateth any manner of blood; I will even set my face against that soul that eateth blood, and will cut him off from among his people.
11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

To learn the different kinds of real vampires please visit the Vampires Studies website. They are NOT affiliated with us and they are not necessarily meant as a help to vampires but rather as a research and study page for people to learn what real vampires are. I recommend reading it with caution only after prayer and only if you think you may be a vampire. Then return here for help to recover from this satanic affliction. When you click on their link above, it will first come to an internet archive page (because their webpage is no longer active). Click on the word "impatient" and the page will come up quicker!

For help in recovery from vampirism, read our "How to overcome anything" article.

Also, Be sure to take daily supplements of Vitamin D at least 1000-4000 mg per day. Also take Garlic capsules or even better eat real garlic in your pasta dishes. This boosts your immune system to fight any virus that might be related to that kind/type of vampire. Sun exposure is important. Be of Gods Light, not of darkness, avoid all appearance of evil, be transformed by the renewing of your mind in Christ Jesus. Jesus is the answer for all kinds and all types of vampires. By Christ Blood YOU can be HEALED!!! 

And then there is this:

Who or What Are Aliens?

Aliens and UFO's are a fascination with many people. What are they? The truth is that many of the UFO's are top secret government and military operations.

• BUT there are also real aliens and ufo's.
• BUT they are NOT the type of aliens that many people believe in.
• They are actually half human and half demon.
• Some of them are 100% demon.
• They are NOT something to be fascinated with.
• They are real and they are in scripture.
• There is no reason to focus on them.
• You should not focus on them. You should not be giving them attention!
• Don't feed their desire for attention!
• Don't be fascinated with them, we have much more power then they do!

To learn more about these demonic beings, please go to the following websites which explain in great detail what they are and what the Bible says about them!

And this:

Satanic snow globes 

Gazing Ball, Crystal ball, garden gazing ball, glass orb, witches ball, snow globes

Far from harmless, these glass orbs open a direct line to the other world. Used for divination (fortunetelling, scrying, clairvoyance...)when the heavy crystal balls were too expensive, witches often used glass-ball fishing floats, colored glass balls, or magic mirrors. They do not keep evil away. That is a myth. Pagan objects do not keep evil away. Think about it. These garden balls are also related to the UFO sphere orbs. Remove these crystal or glass balls from your property! Would Jesus have a gazing ball in his house? The Almighty has powerfully confirmed to me that the snow globes are also evil. They are the same as the gazing balls & are open doors for evil spirits.  

Paisley (design or pattern)
The Paisley design or pattern is very common on clothing, purses and do-rags (du-rags, bandanas, skull caps). It is of Iranian origin and has connections to the antichrist religion of Zoroastrism. 

Statues, dolls, nik naks, figurines of people, angels, Jesus or animals, including stuffed animals

These are Graven images. The Bible warns us to not make any graven image of anything alive, whether it be on the land or in the air or in water. An graven image is a 3D shape of any thing that if it was alive, it would move. It doesn't matter whether it is made out of plastic, wood, metal, gold, silver, glass, cloth, cotton or whatever. 

 There is much, much more here: Common Household Pagan Symbols / Housecleaning

People like this make some people feel special because they have supposedly received god given information that will set the apart from the deceived people around them. What is really happening is they are following liars and frauds that deliberately keep them away from the one the should be following.

A Seat for Every Butt

Not being Flow Chart Design literate,  may I suggest a similar flow chart to help people negotiate the Splits, Splinters and Slivers?  I would suggest it continue from "You Should Be Jewish" or in the case of leaving the COGs completely and not happy with Grace Community International,  you begin with "You Should Just be a Boring Generic Christian Then" and go on to find a stable Christian denomination that suits fits one's needs.. 

Should one end up "Atheist" perhaps an additional couple of boxes to indicate a preference for  being thrown in the Lake of fire alive or dead or "Eternal Punishment" vs "Eternal Punishing"?

OR...

“And above all, you must be asking which door is the true one; not which pleases you best by its paint and panelling…the question should never be: ‘Do I like that kind of service?’ but ‘Are these doctrines true: Is holiness there? Does my conscience move me towards this? Is my reluctance to move to this door due to my pride, or my mere taste, or my personal dislike for this particular door-keeper?”

― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity 

"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do, because I notice it always coincides with their own desires."   Susan B. Anthony 

          But as best as we can and everyone already believes they do...

“Sit down before fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every preconceived notion, follow humbly wherever and to whatever abysses nature leads, or you shall learn nothing”

Thomas Huxley

This Day In History...The Sit In

This screenshot is from an article in the PostBulletin, Minnesota.

Photos: Today in History: Jan. 24

I spent a couple of days parked in the Hall of Ad with others as "tools" of the administration as it sought to fight the Receiver from entering the building.  Outside where Police and Sheriffs, with even more staged down at the Rose Bowl area in preparation for a massive strike.  Many of the Pasadena Police called in sick that day or refused to have anything to do with what was anticipated to happen.

One would have thought the WCG would have learned a lesson during that time, but no.  The corruption and massive amounts of money being spent on things that had nothing to to with the gospel continued on unabated.  Those same corrupt people ar enow parked in UCG, COGWA, PCG, RCG and elsewhere, still spending money.

Leaving the COG and the Personal Trauma It Can Cause

Leaving the Fold

Religious Trauma Syndrome

by Marlene Winell

Religious Trauma Syndrome is the condition experienced by people who are struggling with leaving an authoritarian, dogmatic religion and coping with the damage of indoctrination. They may be going through the shattering of a personally meaningful faith and/or breaking away from a controlling community and lifestyle. RTS is a function of both the chronic abuses of harmful religion and the impact of severing one’s connection with one’s faith. It can be compared to a combination of PTSD and Complex PTSD (C-PTSD). This is a summary followed by a series of three articles which were published in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Today.

Religious Trauma Syndrome has a very recognizable set of symptoms, a definitive set of causes, and a debilitating cycle of abuse. There are ways to stop the abuse and recover.

Symptoms of Religious Trauma Syndrome:

• Cognitive: Confusion, poor critical thinking ability, negative beliefs about self-ability & self-worth, black & white thinking, perfectionism, difficulty with decision-making

• Emotional: Depression, anxiety, anger, grief, loneliness, difficulty with pleasure, loss of meaning

• Social: Loss of social network, family rupture, social awkwardness, sexual difficulty, behind schedule on developmental tasks

• Cultural: Unfamiliarity with secular world; “fish out of water” feelings, difficulty belonging, information gaps (e.g. evolution, modern art, music)

Causes of Religious Trauma Syndrome:

Authoritarianism coupled with toxic theology which is received and reinforced at church, school, and home results in:

• Suppression of normal child development – cognitive, social, emotional, moral stages are arrested

• Damage to normal thinking and feeling abilities -information is limited and controlled; dysfunctional beliefs taught; independent thinking condemned; feelings condemned

• External locus of control – knowledge is revealed, not discovered; hierarchy of authority enforced; self not a reliable or good source

• Physical and sexual abuse – patriarchal power; unhealthy sexual views; punishment used as for discipline

Cycle of Abuse

The doctrines of original sin and eternal damnation cause the most psychological distress by creating the ultimate double bind. You are guilty and responsible, and face eternal punishment. Yet you have no ability to do anything about it. (These are teachings of fundamentalist Christianity; however other authoritarian religions have equally toxic doctrines.)

You must conform to a mental test of “believing” in an external, unseen source for salvation, and maintain this state of belief until death. You cannot ever stop sinning altogether, so you must continue to confess and be forgiven, hoping that you have met the criteria despite complete lack of feedback about whether you will actually make it to heaven.

Salvation is not a free gift after all.

For the sincere believer, this results in an unending cycle of shame and relief.

Stopping the Cycle

You can stop the cycle of abuse, but leaving the faith is a “mixed blessing.” Letting go of the need to conform is a huge relief. There is a sense of freedom, excitement about information and new experiences, new-found self-respect, integrity, and the sense of an emerging identity.

There are huge challenges as well. The psychological damage does not go away overnight. In fact, because the phobia indoctrination in young childhood is so powerful, the fear of hell can last a lifetime despite rational analysis. Likewise the damage to self-esteem and basic self-trust can be crippling. This is why there are so many thousands of walking wounded – people who have left fundamentalist religion and are living with Religious Trauma Syndrome.

Mistaken Identity

Religious Trauma Syndrome mimics the symptoms of many other disorders –

post-traumatic stress disorder
clinical depression
anxiety disorders
bipolar disorder
obsessive compulsive disorder
borderline personality disorder
eating disorders
social disorders
marital and sexual dysfunctions
suicide
drug and alcohol abuse
extreme antisocial behavior, including homicide

There are many extreme cases, including child abuse of all kinds, suicide, rape, and murder. Not as extreme but also tragic are all the people who are struggling to make sense of life after losing their whole basis of reality. None of the previously named diagnoses quite tells the story, and many who try to get help from the mental health profession cannot find a therapist who understands.

What’s the problem?

We have in our society an assumption that religion is for the most part benign or good for you. Therapists, like others, expect that if you stop believing, you just quit going to church, putting it in the same category as not believing in Santa Claus. Some people also consider religious beliefs childish, so you just grow out of them, simple as that. Therapists often don’t understand fundamentalism, and they even recommend spiritual practices as part of therapy. In general, people who have not survived an authoritarian fundamentalist indoctrination do not realize what a complete mind-rape it really is.

In the United States, we also treasure our bill of rights, our freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and freedom of religion. This makes it extremely difficult to address a debilitating disorder like RTS without threatening the majority of Americans. Raising questions about toxic beliefs and abusive practices in religion seems to be violating a taboo. No one wants to be pointing fingers for fear of tampering with our precious freedoms.

But this is the problem. Sanitizing religion makes it all the more insidious when it is toxic. For example, small children are biologically dependent on their adult caretakers; built into their survival mechanisms is a need to trust authority just to stay alive. Religious teachings take hold easily in their underdeveloped brains while the adults conveniently keep control. This continues generation after generation, as the religious meme complex reproduces itself, and masses of believers learn to value self-loathing and fear apocalypse.

There is hope

Awareness is growing about the dangers of religious indoctrination. There are more and more websites to support the growing number of people leaving harmful religion. Slowly, services are growing to help people with RTS heal and grow, including Journey Free. We are discovering the means by which people can understand what they have been through and take steps to become healthy, happy human beings.

--------

What it means to leave

Breaking out of a restrictive, mind-controlling religion is understandably a liberating experience. People report huge relief and some excitement about their new possibilities. Certain problems are over, such as trying to twist one’s thinking to believe irrational religious doctrines, handling enormous cognitive dissonance in order to get by in the ‘real world’ as well, and conforming to repressive codes of behavior. Finally leaving a restrictive religion can be a major personal accomplishment after trying to make it work and going through many cycles of guilt and confusion. 

However, the challenges of leaving are daunting. For most people, the religious environment was a one-stop-shop for meeting all their major needs – social support, a coherent worldview, meaning and direction in life, structured activities, and emotional/spiritual satisfaction. Leaving the fold means multiple losses, including the loss of friends and family support at a crucial time of personal transition. Consequently, it is a very lonely ‘stressful life event’ – more so than others described on Axis IV in the DSM. For some people, depending on their personality and the details of their religious past, it may be possible to simply stop participating in religious services and activities and move on with life. But for many, leaving their religion means debilitating anxiety, depression, grief, and anger. 

Usually people begin with intellectually letting go of their religious beliefs and then struggle with the emotional aspects. The cognitive part is difficult enough and often requires a period of study and struggle before giving up one’s familiar and perhaps cherished worldview. But the emotional letting go is much more difficult since the beliefs are bound with deep-seated needs and fears, and usually inculcated at a young age. 

Problems with self-worth and fear of terrible punishment continue. Virtually all controlling religions teach fear about the evil in ‘the world’ and the danger of being alone without the group. Ordinary setbacks can cause panic attacks, especially when one feels like a small child in a very foreign world. Coming out of a sheltered, repressed environment can result in a lack of coping skills and personal maturity. The phobia indoctrination makes it difficult to avoid the stabbing thought, even many years after leaving, that one has made a terrible mistake, thinking ‘what if they’re right?’

It is truly amazing the pain I went through due to what was inputted into my mind… All I know is it took such a toll on me that I did not care if I died and went to hell to escape the hell I was in and the immense fear it put into my life.

Depression, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, etc... you name it. It sucks. Probably from years of guilt being a Christian and a sinner, and thinking people I love are in hell.

Making the break is for many the most disruptive, difficult upheaval they have ever gone through in life. To understand this fully, one must appreciate the totality of a religious worldview that defines and controls reality in the way that fundamentalist groups do. Everything about the world - past, present, and future – is explained, the meaning of life is laid out, morality is already decided, and individuals must find their place in the cosmic scheme in order to be worthwhile. The promises for conformity and obedience are great and the threats for disobedience are dire, both for the present life and the hereafter. Controlling religions tend to limit information about the world and alternative views so members easily conclude that their religious worldview is the only one possible. Anything outside of their world is considered dangerous and evil at worst and terribly misguided at best. So leaving this sheltered environment is bursting a bubble. Everything a person has believed to be true is shattered. 

My foundation has truly dropped out from under me. Despite being told I am courageous, tenacious, and this is rugged work, I consistently find wave after wave of grief that overwhelms me. I can hardly believe how upended it has made my life.

My whole sense of purpose, value, and meaning was wrapped tightly around my Christian faith...I kept my doubts buried and crucified, and I tried hard not to think about the troubling things of faith...A year ago, I abandoned evangelicalism...the pain I feel is deep and raw. 

The impact can create problems with day-to-day functioning. 

The amount of inner turmoil during this time was overwhelming. It affected my daily life and many days I didn’t want to get out of bed. I was depressed and anxious at the same time. Being in college was difficult. I could hardly focus on class.

I am utterly confused and at the moment my whole life is ruined as I don't know what to think. I've been off work a month with anxiety. 

I have - for about three years - been dependent on drinking alcohol every night for a very long time.

GCI Institutes New Leadership Model

As Grace Communion International seeks to define itself in being more grace-based, they have come up with a new model of leadership.  Instead of the old pyramid power structure, they are looking at REAL Teams, a model based upon the trinitarian understanding of the Godhead.

New Church Structure

Dear GCI family,

Greg and Susan Williams

Hopefully you have taken the opportunity to see the video series where I spoke about REAL Teams. If not, you can check it out here on our Resources site. It is our goal to be more creative in the ministry tools we are producing, and we are designing these tools for ease of understanding as well as application.

A clear understanding of REAL Teams sets the precedence for what we are hoping to accomplish with the new organizational structure we have in GCI for every circle of leadership.

In short, REAL Teams reflect the perichoretic union of Father, Son, and Spirit; the holy, mutually interdependent, completely harmonious relationship shared by the three members of the Trinity. This same kind of love, intimacy and inclusion was displayed by Jesus in the way he interacted with the original disciples.

In John 15:13-16 Jesus told his disciples that they weren’t mere followers or workers, they were his friends. Friends with whom he shared the insights he received from the Father. Friends with whom he shared life-on-life experiences and in-depth dialogue (Luke 24:13-45). Friends that he shared teachings with, which were not disclosed to others (Matthew 13:36-52). Friends to whom he gave high challenges, always with high support seasoned with grace (John 13:1-17). Friends who received tender acts of love from Jesus (John 13:1-17). Friends who were present to share the deepest and most painful experiences of Jesus (Matthew 26:38). This type of friendship expresses the very nature of the Triune God in which we are privileged to commune.

The following chart is the best way to present the new GCI organizational structure. It is not 100% uniform as each region and country has its own set of nuances, but the alignment is close, and it provides me a meaningful way to communicate and serve our pastors and churches around the globe. The biggest upside for me is when I visit one of the six areas around the world, I will meet with 3-4 leaders at one time and it reduces my travel and hopefully amplifies my effectiveness.

Note: GCI has National Boards in most of the countries included above. These are governing boards that provide oversight for their administrative leaders and body of churches. The appointment of national or regional leaders is done in concert with the GCI President with final approval from the GCI Denominational Board.

It is my desire to develop good chemistry with each of the six teams that we call “Communities of Practice,” and to whole-heartedly support each of the Superintendents. I am dedicated to listening, dialoguing, collaborating and planning with each group and as we bathe our times together in prayer. We expect the Lord of the Harvest to guide and bless.

This is a brave new undertaking and several of the leaders are new to the mix, so please join me in your prayerful support of each name on the chart. Even as I more fully step into the shoes of the GCI presidency, several others are stepping into bigger shoes as well, and I truly believe Jesus has raised up the right leaders for such a time as this.

I will work closely with the media team to keep you abreast of what is happening around the world of GCI. “We are GCI” and we are in this together!

Greg Williams

False Prophet Lectures Us On 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, 6G, 7G, and 10G Cell Phone Technology And How Satan Will Use It To Attack True Christians

The self-appointed Chief Overseer and self-appointed end time prophet is getting all in a lather over the new 5G technology that the cell phone industry is rolling out as if this has to do with the end times.

Doubly blessed, Elijah, Joshua, Amos, Bob Thiel is reacting to the ludicrous story out of Russia from a Russian Orthodox Patriarch who claimed Satan will be using 5G technology. In the equally deluded day-dreaming false prophet's mind, he believes that Satan is currently attacking him and his work on the Internet, Facebook, Youtube and other avenues of persecution.

What is 5G? Does it have prophetic ramifications? What is 1g, 2G,3G, and 4G? What about 6G, 7G, and 10G? Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill tied some of these technologies to the Antichrist–could there be any truth to that? Could some of these new technologies assist in the fulfillment of prophecies related to Revelation 13, buying and selling, and 666? Are there health risks associated with 5G? What have some suggested? Will these technologies only provide benefits or might the Beast and Antichrist use them for harm? 

This deluded liar has no idea what persecution is and has never suffered any.  As he sits in his warm home in Arroyo Grande, living the good life while peddling holistic quackery pills, and travels around the world, he has no concept of what persecution is.  Other than spout traditional Church of God malarkey on perceived persecution or fantastical future predictions, he has no idea what real Christians face on a daily basis.

As Christians are killed in Pakistan, Nigeria, Syria, and Iraq, God's holy-dreamer dreams fantastical tales of doom and gloom while living a life of privilege in California.  As Chinese Christians have their churches torn down, Bibles destroyed, are thrown into prison, with many being forced into communist education camps, the lying false prophet lives a life of unpersecuted privilege.

The government has ordered an independent review into the persecution of Christians across the globe after 250 Christians on average were killed every month because of their faith last year.

Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary, announced the review today, saying it would make recommendations on the practical steps the government can take to better support persecuted Christians.

In what the government described as a dramatic rise in violence, 215 million Christians worldwide faced persecution because of their faith last year. Christianwomen and children are particularly vulnerable to persecution, and are often subjected to sexual violence as a result of their beliefs.

Mr Hunt said he hoped to use the review, which will be led by Philip Mounstephen, the bishop of Truro, to consider some “tough questions” and shape Britain’s foreign policy response to ensure the level of UK support reflects the scale of suffering.  UK government vows to do more to protect Christians from persecution worldwide after 'dramatic rise in violence'

If Bob Thiel really wants to put his shallow faith into action then let us see him start a massive campaign in India, Pakistan, China and Nigeria.  Let him boldly proclaim his god, without consequence.

Don't count on it happening though.  It is much easier to sit in his warm home and say idiotic things as he spreads one false prophecy after another as he claims mounting persecution.