A Sabbath for All Christians

We find the first mention of the Sabbath in the second chapter of Genesis, the book of beginnings. After recounting how God created everything in six days in the first chapter, we read: "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." -Genesis 2:1-3, KJV, emphasis mine

In reading these verses, we immediately notice that the Sabbath is inextricably linked to the cessation of God's work and the act of resting. Likewise, we find that this notion is further reinforced when God introduces the Sabbath to the Israelites in the sixteenth chapter of Exodus. After giving them manna to eat, we read there: "And he [Moses] said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the Lord: to day ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? See, for that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh day." -Exodus 16:23-30, KJV, emphasis mine

Then, when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, we find again that element of ending work and resting. We read there: "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." - Exodus 20:8-11, KJV, emphasis mine

Indeed, this notion of resting from one's work on the Sabbath is apparent throughout the writings of the Old Testament. But did this notion carry over to the New Testament? Is there any application of this principle for Christians?

We know that the earliest Christian churches were entirely Jewish, and that they continued to observe the Jewish Sabbath. However, as Christianity began to spread to Gentile populations who didn't have any personal knowledge of the Sabbath or any tradition of observing it, the relevance of the Sabbath declined rapidly as Jewish Christians became a minority within the church. And this is the situation that was taken up by the anonymous author of the epistle to the Hebrews.

After admonishing his audience to "consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus" (Hebrews 3:1, KJV), the author instructs them to take a look at the experience of the Hebrews as they approached the Promised land (same chapter). He admonishes them not to follow their example of disbelief and stubbornness and reminds them that God did not permit that generation to enter into his rest (same chapter). In other words, the author is invoking the old notion of resting from work.

In the following chapter, the author summarizes the concept for his Christian audience and hearkens back to something that Jesus Christ had said during his earthly ministry. We read there: "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." - Hebrews 4:1-11, KJV, emphasis mine

In the gospel according to Matthew, we read that Christ issued an invitation to the weary sea of humanity that stood before him. He said: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." -Matthew 11:28-30, KJV, emphasis mine

This then is the notion of the Sabbath that is still relevant to all Christians: We must stop doing our own works and rest in Christ - We must lay down our own burdens and replace them with his featherlight mantle - We must cease to rely on our own understanding and learn of him!

Miller Jones

God cannot be contained

Idiots in the Pulpit: Ken Copeland and Gerald Flurry...How They Share A Phobia About Public Jets

Gerald Flurry's private jet 

One of America's craziest televangelists is Kenneth Copeland, who has bilked followers out of hundreds of millions of dollars over the decades.  He is also just like Gerald Flurry when it comes to personal jets for his disposal, thousgh Flurry only has one jet, while Copland has three.

Flurry justified buying his own jet, so he did not have to breathe the polluted air nor have to sit beside the unwashed public who fly on commercial aircraft, that might have a cold or some communicable disease.

Now check out how Ken Copland defends his three jets because of the demonic atmosphere in jets:

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Wild eyed televangelist Kenneth Copeland appears unhinged in interview where he defends his $760million fortune and says he needs to use THREE private jets because 'demonic environment on commercial flights are not good for a preacher'

Radio Church of God and NXVIM - One Woman's Journey Through Them Both

There is a fascinating article out today about the personality cult NXVIM and how it lured so many women into it.  Even more fascinating is to read that a former radio Church of God member jumped from one cult into another.  The article details how easy it is and how frequent people who leave high controlling groups will easily be attracted to another group.  You can easily see why when people left Herbert Armstrong, they were easily duped by the Flurry, Meredith, Pack, Weinland, Thiel, Malm and others.
                 
                    

Teah Banks was born into an evangelical Christian sect called the Radio Church of God. Founded in the 1930s by an advertising sales representative turned minister, the insular group promoted an ultra-fundamentalist reading of the Old Testament, eschewing divorce, premarital sex and even wearing makeup. “It was a super closed religion,” Banks, now 42, remembers. “We had pictures of the leader in our home. We worshipped him like he was a god.”

Although Banks started having questions about the group, she attended services until her 20s, when she was expelled from the organization. In 2004, she and her then-boyfriend, a filmmaker named Mark Vicente (best known for the documentary What the Bleep Do We Know?), were approached by two women who wanted Vicente to make films for their organization, NXIVM, which taught a curriculum called the Executive Success Program, or ESP. The two women (one of whom was NXIVM co-founder Nancy Salzman) raved about their leader, a mathematician, scientist, judo champion and concert-level pianist who had patented a unique method of hacking the human brain. The man’s name, the women said, was Keith Raniere.

Banks and Vicente’s interest was piqued, and they agreed to join the women for lunch; when Salzman successfully used ESP methods to “cure” Banks of her lifelong lactose intolerance, she was even more intrigued. “I’m just like, wow, this is amazing. This woman is amazing,” she says. “And I said, ‘Nancy, I want to be one of your people.'” Blown away by the women and by ESP in general, Banks encouraged Vicente to take a NXIVM intensive; eventually, he bought an apartment in New York to be closer to group headquarters in Albany. She was involved with the group until 2005, when the two broke up, though she continued taking courses remotely for years afterward. Vicente, who eventually became a member of the NXIVM executive board, was involved with the group until 2017.

At the time she joined NXIVM, Banks had just left one large organization with an enigmatic leader at the helm. Vicente, too, had also just extricated himself from a similarly insular fringe spiritual organization: the Ramtha School of Enlightenment, a group led by a New Age figure named JZ Knight, who claimed to be channeling a 35,000-year-old warrior deity named Ramtha. But even though they were both disillusioned with spiritual organizations, NXIVM struck them as different. “The first day you’re there, they’re like, ‘We’re not a cult. Cult is a bad word. It is used loosely,'” Banks said. “‘[We’re] a success school. We’re helping you raise your ethics.'” 

At this point, everyone knows the rest of the story: in March 2018, Raniere and five of his NXIVM cohorts, including Salzman, were arrested on such charges as sex trafficking, racketeering and conspiracy to commit forced labor. Raniere is currently standing trial in Brooklyn, where his former supporters (including Vicente) have testified that he, among other things, imprisoned a woman for nearly two years, convinced his followers that he controlled technology and the weather, and ran DOS, a secret all-female organization of “slaves” who were branded with his initials and told to have sex with him. 

Later in the article, there is this: 

Because cultic studies is a relatively under-researched field (unsurprisingly, cults themselves are resistant to outsiders conducting research on their practices), there isn’t much data attesting to exactly how prevalent “cult-hopping” is. But anecdotally, Eichel says, the practice is common, in part because those who are kicked out of a cult or excommunicated are looking for another organization to fill the void. Most cults, including NXIVM, teach adherents that they are wholly responsible for their own actions, which creates feelings of extreme self-doubt and anguish when they’e cut off from their support system. “That leaves [them] vulnerable to another group to say, ‘Well no, you’re in the wrong group, this is the right group,'” Eichel says.

Those who leave cults on their own – which Eichel says constitutes the “vast majority” of cult members — most often do so because they’ve had a bad experience with the group, perhaps observing something that violates their own ethics, or inconsistencies between the leader’s behavior and his teachings. But contrary to what you might expect, from the perspective of a former cult member, having one bad experience with a cult does not necessarily reflect on cult-like organizations as a whole. Eichel compares it to how most people would feel after they visit a bad dentist: sure, the experience of being poked and prodded by a poorly trained practitioner might make us slightly more wary of dentistry in general, but it certainly won’t stop anyone from hopping on Yelp and trying to find another, better dentist.

Read the rest of this fascinating story here:   Rolling Stone Magazine: How People Leave One Cult — and End Up in Another

Did you know there is only ONE Church of God that Jesus is going to return to?

A few years ago, the god that inspires nightmares in certain COG men, decided he needed a new spokesman here on the earth, in this day and age.  Ever since he had appointed Gerald Flurry, Dave Pack, and Rod Meredith to be the one true COG leaders, his plan has been thwarted by one idiotic prediction or event after another.  

Jesus has been getting so antsy to return that he has given up on strolling around the Wadsworth campus of Dave Pack. In a deep conversation with God, the two of them determined to raise up a new man.   A man totally unqualified and rejected by his peers.  They devised a plan to inculcate a few nightmares in the mind of this man and a couple other disturbed individuals around the world.  Pretty soon, after a couple restless nights of wild and delusional dreams, the future ONE TRUE COG leader woke up from his dream and proclaimed to his wife, "I AM THE CHOSEN ONE!"  

Ever since that moment, more and more crazy things flow forth from his mouth as he makes proclamation after proclamation.  Now, the Chosen One, the REAL Elijah, the REAL Amos, the REAL Habakkuk, the REAL Second Witness, and the only one who has EVER been doubly blessed by and equally deceived man, has declared that when his created creature he calls "jesus" returns, it will come FIRST to the only church that keeps these specific points:

Baptism of Christians was by immersion and did not include infants.

The complete Bible with the proper Old Testament and New Testament was relied on by the true Church in Asia Minor.

A Binitarian or Semi-Arian view, that acknowledged the Holy Spirit, was held by the apostolic and post-apostolic true Christian leaders.

Birthdays were not celebrated by early Christians.

Born-Again meant being born at the resurrection, not at the time of conversion, which is when a spiritual begettal occurs.

Celibacy for Bishops/Presbyters/Elders was not a requirement. 

Church Governance was properly hierarchical.

Christmas was not observed by any professing Christ prior to the third century, or ever by those holding to early teachings; December 25th did not come from the Bible.

Circumcision, though not required, was long practiced by original Nazarene Christians.

Confession of sins were not made to priests and did not require penance.

Deification of Christians (which begins after the first resurrection) was taught by the early leaders of the Church.

Duties of Elders/Pastors were pastoral and theological, not predominantly sacramental–nor did they dress as many now do. Easterper se was not observed by the apostolic church.

The Fall (and Spring) Holy Days were observed by true early Christians.

The Father was considered to be God by all early professing Christians.

The True Gospel included the kingdom of God and obedience to the law of God and was so understood by the faithful.

Heaven was not taught to be the reward of Christians.

Holy Spirit was not referred to as God or as a person by any early true Christians.

Hymns were mainly psalms, not praises to Christ.

Idols were taught against, including adoration of the cross.

Immortality of the soul or humans was not taught. Jesus was considered to be God by the true Christians.

The Kingdom of God was preached.

Leavened Bread was removed from the homes of early Christians when the Jews did the same.

Lent was not observed by the primitive church.

Limbo was not taught by the original church.

Mary was the mother of Jesus, was blessed (Luke 1:28) and called blessed (Luke 1:48), but was not prayed to, etc. by true early Christians.

Military Service was not allowed for true early Christians.

Millenarianism (a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth, often called the millennium) was taught by the early Christians.

Monasticism was unheard of in the early Christian church.

Passover was kept annually on the 14th of Nisan by apostolic and second century Christians in Asia Minor.

Pentecost was kept on Sunday by certain Jews and was observed then by professing Christians.

Purgatory was not taught by the original apostolic church.

The Resurrection of the dead was taught by all early Christians

The Sabbath was observed on Saturday by the apostolic and post-apostolic Church.

Salvation was believed to be offered to the chosen now by the early Church, with others being called later, though not all that taught that (or other doctrines) practiced “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). God’s

Six Thousand Year Plan for humankind to rule itself was believed by early professors of Christ.

Sunday was not observed by the apostolic and original post-apostolic Christians.

The Ten Commandments were observed by the apostolic and true post-apostolic Christians–and in the order that the Church of God claims they are in.

Tithes and Offerings were given to support the ministry, the churches, the needy, and evangelical travels and proclamation.

Tradition had some impact on the second century Christians, but was never supposed to supercede the Bible.

The Trinity was not a word used to describe the Godhead by the apostolic or second century Christians, though a certain threeness was acknowledged.

Unclean Meats were eaten by the early allegorists, but not by true Christians.

The Virgin Birth was acknowledged by all true ante-Nicene Christians.

I am exhausted reading it!  One law after another, more things to weigh people down. More things to keep people imprisoned in another vile splinter cult of the harlot mother, the Worldwide Church of God.

There were only two demands made upon the Christians of the first century: Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor.  Two small little steps that the Chosen One fails to do.

So join us in another mind-boggling video experience as The Chosen One, the Great Bwana, himself, Bob Thiel tells you which church his creature "jesus" will be returning to.  And no, it is NOT coming back to Wadsworth first!

Living Church of God: Sex! Gay Sex! Pride! High Living! Unconcern for the Poor! Just another day in LCG...

Dang, it!  Don't you just love it when Living Church of God talks about itself in such a way as it is below!  It sounds like a perfect description of the Headquarters staff in Charlotte.  According to LCG members, Charlotte is a cesspool of prideful and arrogant men lording themselves over the members.  How can we forget the "high living" stories that have appeared here about Lil'Jimmy and others spending hundreds of thousands of dollars remodeling their offices and living the high life, at church expense, at Feast sites?  When has LCG every had concern for the poor?  With Rod McNair claiming the elderly are demon possessed and telling church members not to work in jobs that care for the elderly, just where do we see concern for the poor? The COG has an abysmal track record of helping the poor in their communities, let alone their won church members!

Come out of her perverted ways LCG members!  Come out and be free!

Sobering Signs of the Times: Jesus said we are to watch world events as we get closer to the end of the age (Matthew 24:42–44). It is sobering to see the parallels between significant events mentioned in the Scriptures and the times in which we are living. In Genesis 6 we see that God sent a flood to end a civilization that was permeated with violence and wickedness. In Genesis 18 and 19, God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah for their sinful depravity—pride, arrogance, open homosexuality, high living, and unconcern for the poor (Genesis 19:1–11; Ezekiel 16:49–50). The citizens of these cities, including Lot and his family, had forgotten why God had destroyed almost the entire human race only 400 years before. Yet, in spite of being surrounded by moral depravity, Lot and his family were reluctant to leave their city. As we see the same moral depravity and horrendous violence spreading throughout the world, we need to remember these Old Testament examples were recorded for our admonition as we approach the end of the age (1 Corinthians 10:1–13). We also need to remember the Apostle Paul’s admonition to “come out” of this world and its perverted ways (2 Corinthians 6:17–18), because God’s judgment on our modern Satan-influenced world is coming—just as it did on the ancient world. We all need to wake up and recognize the real significance of what is happening around us and earnestly pray, “Thy Kingdom come.”

Have a profitable Sabbath,

Douglas S. Winnail

14 people describe what it is like to grow up in cults..including WCG

They put me in a room for three days without food. They wanted me to confess my sins. I didn't know what to say, so I just came out with every doubt about the group I’d ever had. I made strange noises because I thought that’s what they wanted, but I was worrying, "What happens if they’re the wrong noises?"

People Who Grew Up In Cults Describe What Their Childhoods Were Like  

The media covers and occasionally sensationalizes cults, but few news outlets know much about the children who grow up in cults. Not every cult member experiences the horror and raids depicted on TV. Of course, there are challenges, and each day can bring a multitude of concerns that other children don't typically face. And people who were once in cults share their experiences more often than one might imagine.

Many of their stories refer to the disorientating nature of their childhood - many survivors reportedly had to deal with violence, nonsensical teachings, and debilitating rules. Each cult seems to have had their own ways of destroying a young person's spirit, but each group also appears to have wanted the same result: a brainwashed follower without autonomy. 

Click the above link and you will see a Worldwide Church of God story in the article.

Third Tithe: The Church of God Con Game

The demand in the Churches of God over tithing has created huge nightmares for members and a steady stream of income for the leaders in charge.  Most of these men have never worked an honest day of sweat-producing,  callous forming work in their lives, so having someone else support them is always the best choice.  Can you imagine Gerald Flurry, Gerald Weston, Bob Thiel, James Malm and others ever seen sweating?  Apostles NEVER sweat!

The church has always hit back at those that claim it demands three tithes from its members and is always quick to point out that a second tithe is for the members themselves to travel to various sites for annual fall celebrations.  But this quick to remind members that the church demands that members tithe upon that money and then expects them to give any remaining money leftover to the church.

And then there is the most misused and fraudulent tithe the church demanded, third tithe, money that was supposed to go to the fatherless, widows and needy. If you combined all 400 some of the COG's still in existence, you would be hard pressed to count on two hands how many orphans the church has ever helped in 80 some years!  It is only slightly better for the widows.  The church was very reluctant to help widows in the church and when they did the women had to go through lots of hoops and major ass-kissing in order to get a mere pittance.  Stories of how widows in the church were never helped by the church have been circulating on Facebook and elsewhere over the past few months.  The cold-hearted callousness of ministers and church leaders in making up excuses as to why they would not help are appalling to read.

When I say 3rd tithe was misused, it is not an accident.  Ambassador Reports and others have long reported stories about how ministers and church leaders dipped into 3rd tithe to remodel their homes and for other expenses.  When I came to Pasadena it was widely known that Rod Meredith had dipped into the 3rd tithe fund when he wanted his home on Waverly Drive remodeled.

In “Twisted Teachings on Tithing” AR wrote:  “The purpose of the third tithe fund is to help the fatherless, the widows, and the needy—at least that's what members have been told.  It's sad to say, but the third tithe fund [in 1976] would be many millions of dollars larger than it presently is if the Armstrongs hadn't secretly authorized using its funds to buy jet fuel, to furnish and redecorate high-ranking ministers' homes, and to pay ministers' salaries.  Somehow using this third tithe ‘poor fund’ for these things—when there's not enough money to help the needy church widows—seems like a ‘Robin Hood in reverse’—robbing the poor to give to the rich (AR #2, p. 17).  

Holly Ruiz, who was married for 18 years to Enrique Ruiz, director of the Mexico City office of the Worldwide Church of God, told Mary Jones the following about third tithe in “Southern Exposure”: “RUIZ:  I remember one time when Enrique wanted to buy $1,000 worth of dining room furniture, he asked Garner Ted for the money.  Well, Ted told him to simply take it out of Third Tithe funds. [Editor: WCG members were led to believe that the Third Tithe Fund was used solely to help widows, orphans, & the poor.]“JONES:  Was the whole house furnished with Third Tithe funds?“RUIZ:  I believe so.”  (AR #2, p. 32)

In “Fleecing the Flock” John Trechak wrote that he had a large stack of approved and signed Ambassador College purchase orders (PO’s) from one of AR’s sources showing money spent totally from third tithe (AR #2, p. 61).  Here are a few samples:

Date	P. O. #	Recipient	Description	Amount
1969	20904	D. Apartian	Furniture, carpets	$22,000
1/29/69	18634	Ron Dart	Appliances, drapery	$5,000
1/29/69	20123	Ron Dart	All furnishings	$40,000

The article further reported that on two occasions in 1974 a tape recorder caught Garner Ted Armstrong actually admitting to fellow ministers that third tithe funds were being used for purposes other than the sustenance of the widows and orphans of the church.  Notice his words:  "...it is true that massive segments of third tithe as it built up in the balances of this work were used both for ministerial homes and for ministerial salaries."  (Garner Ted Armstrong, ministerial conference, Jan. 3, 1974.)  "But you know it [third tithe] is still being used for your salaries.  It's still being used for church homes." (Garner Ted Armstrong, ministerial conference, May 7, 1974.)  (See AR #2, p. 61.)

Third tithe funds were used for the jets, but who authorized it?  According to one Ted Armstrong statement, it was Albert J. Portune.  According to Albert J. Portune, it was Herbert W. Armstrong.  In February 1974 evangelist David Antion commented on this at a meeting in Richmond, Virginia:  “About that time Al [Portune] had a conscience problem and he just went to Mr. [Herbert] Armstrong and said, ‘Do we have to use third tithe?  That doesn't look good.  It's bad.  It's not right to use the third tithe fund to fly jets and pay for all that fuel.'" (See “Fleecing the Flock,” AR #2, p. 61.)  

Yet when reading this, certain church members still claim the church is the most ethical church ever to exist on earth since the original 1st century Christians came into existence.  They stumble all over themselves trying to claim the actions of the  men in charge were not that bad and that they were practicing "1st century Christianity." 

There were lots of members who caught on to the abuse of 3rd tithe and started giving it directly to widows and needy they knew that were in need.

The Church of God has always revolved around money and devised countless ways to bilk members out of hard-earned money:

1st tithe
2nd tithe
3rd tithe
Tithe of the tithe
Excess 2nd tithe
Holy day offerings
Special offerings from member letters
Special offerings from co-worker letters
Building fund

First fruit offerings
(I am sure there are others I have forgotten)

It is no wonder modern-day crooks in the COG, like Thiel, Malm, Pack, Flurry, Weinland, Weston, Kubik, Franks and others, still, demand of their followers that they tithe. Their little man-made organizations would dissolve. Plus, they fail to let their followers that tithing is NOT a new covenant demand. But since when has ever following the new covenant ever been a high priority!

As the bigger Churches of God continue to be bloated by more and more people on payroll, less and less money is going into proclaiming their "gospel witness" to the world.  There is, after all, one priority on the mind of all of the top COG leaders, and it is this:

The true god of the Churches of God

The Kitchen clan has the above video on their web site.  It sounds like Herman Hoeh, running off at the mouth, as usual.  He makes the statement, which was said way before the current explosion of splinter groups, that the reason groups imitated the Worldwide Church of God and what it taught was because it "sells".  It brings in money.  Notice the focus is entirely on money.
 Not Jesus, but money.

Every single one of the 400+ splinter groups would not be in existence today unless they were still trying to sell Herbert Armstrong's teachings.  Even the apostates like Weinland, Pack and Thiel cannot stop talking about Herbert Armstrong.  From the larger personality cults to the insignificant little groups ensconced in Utah and Arizona, they all still trying to sell HWA in 2019.  Their business model is failing because they are still living in the 1960-1980s.

It is still about the money even in 2019.  It is about ensuring a steady income for the ministers and for retirement programs for the upper elite. That is why every one of the larger splinter groups started, to ensure they still got paid.  It was never about any gospel message, the Kingdom of God or even Jesus.

It was about money.

The true god of the Churches of God.

The winds of change demolish former WCG Feast Site

The winds of change just demolished a former Worldwide Church of God Feast Site... Literally.

Many Church of God Members who used to attend the Dayton Ohio Festival Site will remember the Hara Arena, recently closed due to economic hardship. The Hara Arena took a direct hit by an EF-3+ Tornado. The roof was shorn off, and entire conference centers adjacent to the main Arena were completely torn apart. 

The EF-3 tornado blasted a damage path across Trotwood towards Wagner Ford and Siebenthaler Avenue, continuing southeastwards towards the Wright Patterson Air Force Base Museum, a popular tourism location for Worldwide Church of God members. No word as of yet on damages at the Air Force Base. 

Several other buildings familiar to Church of God Dayton Feastgoers were also demolished. The Rite-Aid Pharmacy adjacent to the former Best Western has been demolished, being exposed to looters in the economically deprived city of Dayton. 

Since the Worldwide Church of God left Dayton Ohio as a convention site, Dayton has suffered extreme economic downfall and blight. As one of the most impoverished Ohio cities, recently suffering from an extensive opioid crisis, the last thing Dayton needed was a major tornado to rip through the city. Dayton residents vowed, however, to recover, stating that they "would come back".

For Worldwide Church of God members familiar with the Hara Arena, for good and for bad, the only thing likely to remain at the corner of Shiloh Springs and Basore Road are memories.

Submitted by SHT

Living Church of God: Men are smart and follow the shepherd. Women not so much, because they still are easily deceived

A reader here sent in a comment about a Living Church of God deacon and elder meeting in Lake Geneva, WI during the Feast of Tabernacles in 2018.  After being treated to a "delicious dinner" the men and women present were presented with a book to further their walk with God.

 Anonymous said...

"Mr. Hall talked about the importance of widows and women’s roles in the congregations...." ???

Quote from LCN (Feast of Tabernacles 2018 round-up):

Lake Geneva, Wisconsin:

"...Deacons, elders and their wives were treated to a delicious dinner and were presented with books; men received "A Shepherd looks at Psalm 23", and women received "Lies Women Believe".

(Translation-
Men, you have a fantastic role to play, shepherding a flock, improving and growing into such an important position!
Women, you're all idiots that would believe anything - sort yourselves out!)

The men received this book:

This book was popular in the church during the 1970s when it was first published.  The pastor in Dayton, OH preached from it a lot.  With lots of farmers as members, the book resonated well in our area.  Jump to 2019 and LCG has found it to be profitable to use again.  It is kind of ironic that they use this book considering that they fail to acknowledge "the shepherd" throughout much of the year.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Travel the shepherd’s path to the green pastures and cool, refreshing waters of Psalm 23. As a shepherd, Phillip Keller shares his insights into the life and character of sheep―and of the Good Shepherd who loves and cares for them. This beloved classic will give new meaning to the ageless Shepherd Psalm, enriching your trust in and love for the Lord who watches closely over you.

Apparently, LCG assumes that the ministry of LCG are shepherds, who watch over their flocks, loving and caring for them and guiding them on the right path.  These same ministers constantly go after the lost sheep, rescue them and bring them back to the flock...just like Rod McNair constantly does.  Many LCG members beg to differ on that point. 

Women, apparently, don't need to worry too much about the Good Shepherd guiding them along, they have other issues they need to worry about.  Just like mythical Eve of old, women today in the church are still gullible and swallow lies rather easily.  The men are incapable of that.  That is why the women were given this book:

Satan is the master deceiver; his lies are endless. And the lies Christian women believe are at the root of most of their struggles.  

"Many women live under a cloud of personal guilt and condemnation," says Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth. "Many are in bondage to their past. Others are gripped by fear of rejection and a longing for approval. Still others are emotional prisoners." 

In this bestseller, Lies Women Believe, Nancy exposes those areas of deception most commonly believed by Christian women—lies about God, sin, priorities, marriage and family, emotions, and more. She then sheds light on how we can be delivered from bondage and set free to walk in God's grace, forgiveness, and abundant life. Nancy offers the most effective weapon to counter and overcome Satan's deceptions: God's truth!

LCG women apparently easily swallow lies about the God they hear about in LCG.  Their version of God is different than their True Shepherd husbands.  Their priorities are out of whack with the godly men of the church.  It is time for the women of LCG to be set free from bondage...by worldly "so-called" and "fake" Christians, no less

Living Church of God, Gerald Weston, and their apostate step-child Bob Thiel love to mock Christians and denigrate their beliefs and understanding. Yet, LCG and others love to use books by these "so-called " Christians to educate their followers in topics that the church is sorely lacking in. The sad fact is, these "so-called" and "fake" Christians know more about the Jesus of scripture than the Living Church of God leadership does.

Greetings From Charlotte! The world is full of ROT!

From a reader here:

May 23rd, 2019 

Greetings from Charlotte,

Last Sabbath I spoke to and fellowshipped with an enthusiastic and friendly Dallas, Texas congregation. Violent storms passed through the area that day, with lots of lightning, flooding downpours, high winds, and tornado watches and warnings, and the pattern of violent and wet weather that has marked much of the last few months continued into this week. Mr. Millich reports that the brethren in Missouri are safe and sustained no damage to property from the tornadoes and severe weather in that state yesterday. [We are all right - that is all that matters.]] Dozens of tornados and torrential downpours have soaked the South and Midwestern United States, and corn crops nationwide will be down significantly, with farmers unable to plant due to exceptionally wet conditions. The effect will no doubt be seen in grocery stores later this year. It is a total loss for many farmers. 

Regional Director Dan Hall and I held a conference in Big Sandy on Sunday. (See report below.) Mr. Mark Sandor and his family are being transferred to the Minneapolis area and plan to move there this summer to pastor congregations in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Mr. Lenny Bower is finishing his training here in Charlotte and will be relocating in West Virginia. 

Brethren, we are living in sobering times, as seen from the moral decay in our Western world. The speed with which the rot is spreading is truly mind-bending. Now is not the time to spiritually fall asleep or get caught up in silly disputes or personal doctrinal “idea-babies.” [you dumb sheep] —Gerald Weston

"Mr. Hall talked about the importance of widows and women’s roles in the congregations, and stressed the importance of developing meaningful relationships and encouraging the brethren. It was a very profitable weekend" [You forgot the part where Mister Hall left his elderly widowed mother to rot in a special care facility while Mister Hall went off to do more important things like managing a region.] 

When the Churches of God want to know why no one cares to join their little insignificant groups it is because of reading stuff like this from Gerald Weston and the rest of the sick minds running various COG's.  Everything in the world is evil and full of rot.  They ignore the beauty in the world, the amazing people that surround them and the good they do.  They despise them as much as they do the cross and Jesus.

The apostate self-appointed false teacher Bob Thiel is all in snit this weekend over the cross.  You remember it, it's that thing that inconvenient dude died upon.  He is getting his BVD's all in a Pharisaical twist today that the cross is the sign of the beast power and will be used to kill true Christians...i.e. Thielites.  Remember, there are no real Christians outside the vile little world of Thielism.  He spends countless hours a month writing and preaching on every esoteric topic imaginable, except on Jesus and what was accomplished on that cross that he so despises.

Weston's world is filled with sex just like Rod Meredith's. He places his focus upon every bad thing happening in the world as a sure sign that his god is pissed at humanity. His mind and the mind of so many COG leaders are so blinded by the desire to see humanity wiped out that they can not see any good around them.  They have whored themselves out to the law, of which they do not actually keep, because it is an impossibility. Jesus, the cross, the works done there are anathema to these false leaders.  So I say let them live in the world filled with ROT.  They deserve it.

The Winds of Change

Gray Pinstripe suits. Tie clasps. Badges.  Long dresses, and musky cologne. Of course, briefcases. These are the crisp and clear memories of what I call “The Worldwide Church Culture”. It's been a long time, but it could be just yesterday. The memories of a distant life remain not-so-distant, a world long gone yet still so close. 

A Hymnal on every other seat. “Reserved” signs on certain end-chairs. Speaking of chairs, who can forget those gray metal folding chairs – some with the local Church area stenciled on the back? And those Bulletins – filled with Telecast information, prayer requests, local church activities, and of course, the agenda of the service – pianist, song leader, sermonette, announcements, special music, and the sermon (or split sermon). 

The Church experience was a vinyl record with its needle stuck on a groove. It was rinse and repeat, do and do over, week after week, festival after festival, occasion after occasion. Everything became so predictable – right down to the tone and pitch variances of the speaker, the special (or not so special) music, the fellowship hours, potlucks, Bible studies – always the same. 

During the song service, you'd know the voices that carried over the most, for the good, or for the bad. You wouldn't even need the Hymnal – you knew every word be heart. You'd even look around slyly to see who else was cool enough to not need the Hymnal. The prayers were always close to the same – opening, and closing. You could almost say them with the speaker giving them. You'd know what pianist was the best and which one you dreaded the most. And you knew where to sit, and where not to sit – everyone had their spot – and don't sit in someone else's spot. 

Cliques of four or five of the same people every week, in the same place, in the same hall, talking about the same things. The same handshakes. Some strong and hearty, some weak and flimsy. The same greetings. The same smells – of people and the building alike. 

Life in the Church was a constant not subject to change in a world where everything always changes. Cities change year after year. The school you grew up in, the hangout you bought Bazooka gum at, the neighborhood constantly changing. In fact, the only constant thing about life is change. Most neighborhoods now are completely different than they were in 1980. Yet we were trained to live in an environment that never changed. No matter what happened, no matter how the world shifted, moved, we were the one rock that we knew would never, ever, ever change. Until that day when the rug was pulled out from everyone's feet, and we were forced to accept the winds of change in one form or another. 

In many ways, it was like pulling off the helmet of your spacesuit whilst being pushed off the space station. Everything was moving so fast, you felt breathless, and you had no idea what was going to happen next. The unchangeable changed, The unmovable moved – and every person and family scattered to the four corners of the Earth as if a large water balloon had suddenly popped. 

Many “held fast”, as the saying goes. Many others “ran fast”, others DID fast, and others had pork sausage for Break-fast. But whatever people did, the income fell faster. We all were confronted with a hard fact – we had to make a choice. We had to think, choose, and act. Our culture was about to change. Could we? Would we? 

It has been 25 years, just about, since that fateful day in 1994. In December, it will be exactly 25 years since our culture has changed. It's been 33 years since the Armstrong era ended. And if there's one thing we have learned to do as a people – no matter which way we ended up going – is adapt to change. We all have had to evaluate our priorities, our lives, and our choices. And we all have had to adjust to a completely different world where the phone we hold in our hand is more powerful than the largest computer in a large room in the 1980s. It's a different world, and we are different people. Yet 25 years later, if you close your eyes, and you remember – you could be right back there. In an old, musty, smelly, bingo hall, wearing a pinstripe suit and wingtip shoes holding a large King James Bible, talking about what's about to go down in just 2 or 3 years, afraid to make a long distance call because it was 35 cents a minute state to state, 10 cents local toll, with Climbing through the Windows Leap running through our heads driving home from the 4 hours at Church that Sabbath day – completely unaware and completely sure what was about to happen was never going to happen until it DID happen, and we all would look back in 2019 to 1980 in utter disbelief – many thankful, many grateful, many sad, many wistful – all of us having learnt a lesson or two, all of us victims to the winds of change.

submitted by SHT