Exposing the underbelly of Armstrongism in all of its wacky glory! Nothing you read here is made up. What you read here is the up to date face of Herbert W Armstrong's legacy. It's the gritty and dirty behind the scenes look at Armstrongism as you have never seen it before!
With all the new crazy self-appointed Chief Overseers, Apostles, Prophets, Pharisees, legalists, and outright liars leading various Churches of God today, it is important to hold these agents of deception accountable.
Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web of Corrupt Leaders
COVID Guidelines—Singing at Services During his sermon of December 26, Mr. Weston explained the updated policy regarding singing hymns during congregational services. In case some brethren did not hear the sermon, we will briefly summarize his comments in this issue of The World Ahead. He explained that last summer it was decided we would not sing aloud because of reports of how the virus is transmitted. We’ve also been wearing masks and social distancing since that time (in the United States—in some cases outside the United States, the protocols have differed). Thanks to God, we have not had any major outbreaks from Sabbath or Feast services during this time. Therefore, Mr. Weston explained we would like to carefully move forward with singing softly while wearing masks, if local regulations and restrictions allow it. He explained that singing softly is reasonably similar to what we are already doing in fellowship. The overall format of services—two songs at the beginning, and one at the end—will stay the same for now. We can be thankful for this decision and encouraged by the opportunity to sing as we worship God together!
This is some good spin doctoring from Gerald Weston over 2020 income levels.
Remember brethren, our numbers are not always what they appear to be...trust us though, we have always told you the truth and would NEVER be deceptive, even in the slightest measure.
Greetings from Charlotte, Most of us do very simple accounting. We keep records of money deposited in and withdrawn from the bank to find the bottom line of what we have. However, when it comes to business accounting for non-profits like Living Church of God, things are not so straightforward. Those not familiar with GAAP accrual accounting practices may find things a bit confusing. For example, if we were notified of an estate donation in November of 2015, we had to estimate the amount and put it on the books as a receivable asset for 2015, even though we may not have received the money until 2016. Therefore, if we had a large estate “booked” in the income column in 2015 and none in 2016, it makes 2015 look better than it was when it comes to what we had in the bank, and 2016 look worse than it was, when in fact the actual money arrived and was expensed that year. This happens every year to one degree or another, and 2020 was no exception. We booked some onetime extraordinary items last year in 2020, but much of the actual money will not be received until this year. Nevertheless, 2020 was a very good year for the Work. We had an 8.6 percent increase over 2019 in regular tithes and donations (that was money put in the bank), plus we had some estate income arrive during the year that was booked previously in 2019. Additionally, some estates were booked in 2020 and we expect them to actually arrive this year, although the amounts and times of arrival are often difficult to predict. This may seem like a crazy way to do things, but this is standard GAAP accounting practice required by U.S. law and our independent auditors, and I wanted to explain this to help you understand our annual financial reports when they are published. The details of these transactions are published in the “Notes” portion of the audited financial statement, which can be found on the lcg.org website.—Gerald Weston
As the former Worldwide Church of God accounting department supervisor once said, "We can take any set of numbers and make then mean whatever we want." It is no coincidence that this man went with Meredith.
He was only 19 but already a Methodist preacher for two years. He and his mother looked up at the New York night sky and witnessed the great meteor shower of 1833. Moved to prophesy, his mother stated, "Gilbert, the day of judgment is at hand." This was enough to convince him that he had just witnessed the fulfillment of Matthew 24:29 and Jesus was on His way.
"When October 22nd dawned in the Cranmer household, Gilbert was busy preparing to join his Adventist friends at a nearby schoolhouse to await the Advent. His wife, Betsy, had no intention of accompanying her husband. She sympathized with her family, the Heaths, and did not believe Miller's doctrine. When Cranmer was ready to leave the house, he prayed with her. She said, 'Gilbert, you will be back.' He left her with a heavy heart, feeling he probably would not see Betsy and their young daughter, Mary Ann, again.
He and his Adventist friends read Scripture, prayed, and sang hymns while they waited for the great event. Their spirits ran high throughout the afternoon and early evening, as they were sure they were on the verge of seeing the face of their Lord and Savior. But apprehensions grew as midnight approached and no Advent. After midnight, their hearts grew heavy as Jesus' appearance seemed less likely with every passing hour. By sunrise, their expectations turned into bitter disappointment. That is the reason October 22nd, 1844, is called the Great Disappointment.
As the early morning sun began to shine on October 23rd, Cranmer bid his Adventist colleagues farewell and started home with a heavy heart. On his way he was accosted by some non-Adventist neighbors who joked and shouted, 'I thought that you were going up last night.' When Cranmer arrived home, Betsy met him at the door with a smile and reminded him, 'I told you, you would be back.'
After October 22 most Millerite Adventists were harassed in one manner or another but in New England especially some were jailed and others incarcerated in asylums." --The Journey: A History of the Church of God (Seventh Day) by Robert Coulter, pg. 45
Qanon conspiracy theorists and Trump Savior optimists are beside themselves now that their prophecies of a January 20th coup has come and gone. I don't know about you but I got my fair share of links sent to me by folks I know who just a year ago I thought were rational beings. Christians sharing videos from wild-eyed strangers around the country claiming their inside sources are guaranteeing a bloodbath of communists and the jailing of everyone that has been determined to be part of the swamp by Trump, Savior of the free world.
On Inauguration Day, there was supposed to be a blackout. Trump would use the National Guard and the Navy and announce Martial Law through the Emergency Alert System. Make sure you have a CB radio and stock up on toilet paper (here we go again) and food. There would be mass arrests to cleanse our Christian nation of commie scum.
Many across their forums were calling the event "The Great Awakening." Some have resigned quickly to the reality that they have been duped, it was all just a cruel hoax. Still, others are holding on to continued narratives over the following days and weeks.
Intelligence has revealed that since the Capitol riots on January 6th, white supremacists raided Parler and other alternative social media platforms in hopes of recruiting the disenfranchised. One Neo-Nazi recruiter was advising other recruiters to not focus their message on WWII but instead on Democrats and injustice toward white Christians. While many people are angry at Twitter and Facebook for a 'cancel culture', Facebook has pointed out that they removed over 60,000 pages of shit just like this starting in November.
This was such a bizarre year. It makes me wonder if the Churches of God in particular with so many years of pent up yearning and waiting for the end of the age, just finally used Savior Trump as a release. For so many years, duped people have put their whole lives on hold and sent in their hard-earned money to these serpents claiming to be doing God's Work.
It also makes me wonder why it is so much of humanity has sought Saviors down through time. I know there are any number of psychological and sociological explanations. Whatever the reasons, it seems to me that it only harms people and robs them of living a complete and fulfilling life now. And there are no shortage of thieves all too willing to take their money for the assurance that a Savior is surely coming in 'your lifetime.'
I see single people who never marry because they refuse to marry outside their tiny organizations. Smart young people deciding against higher education because they think, what's the use? Struggling families with multiple children who live paycheck to paycheck because after paying three tithes, there just isn't anything left to get their teeth fixed, let alone save or invest for retirement. What will they have to live on in their retirement years when they gave it to a ministry to send their kids to college and retire on?
Ryan Bell is a writer, speaker, and ex-Seventh Day Adventist pastor of 19 years. While I don't necessarily agree with his atheist stance on life now, he does make some poignant observations about Christianity and the need of a Savior:
Popular Christian theology...renders this lifeless meaningful by anchoring all notions of value and purpose to a paradise somewhere in the future, in a place other than where we are right now. Ironically, my Christian upbringing taught me that ultimately this life doesn’t matter, which tends to make believers apathetic about suffering and think that things will only get worse before God suddenly solves everything on the last day.
Without the dependency on a cosmic savior who is coming to rescue us, we are free to recognize that we are the ones we’re waiting for. If we don’t make the world a fair and habitable place, no one else is going to do it for us. Our lives matter because our choices affect others and our children’s future.
I don't think we need to embrace atheism to understand and embrace what it is he is saying. As I pointed out in my last post concerning Wally Smith's response to supporting causes in this world, the Churches of God have a "preach alone" dogma that excuses us from living life in the here and now. It stops us from being neighbors and helping others. That is not what Jesus taught. Matthew 25:31-46 should be the emphasis of any Christian worth his or her salt. The Churches of God are full of priests and Levites, literally stopping brethren from being samaritans. The Armstrong legacy creates an us vs them that dehumanizes humanity from the rest of us. This isn't natural or normal and eventually begins to create individual and group psychosis that pushes us further and further from reality.
As we sit on the sidelines, waiting and waiting and waiting as life passes us by, we get antsy. Something isn't right. We are waiting for a battle that never comes. So now we go looking for it. And maybe some of us find it in politics. And for the first time in a long time, we feel alive. And the next thing you know, you are a Church of God member at the Capitol on January 6th. And like Gilbert, your Great Awakening turns into a Great Disappointment.
I'm not even saying it's wrong to be involved in politics. What I am saying is that Armstrongism and possibly to a lesser degree, American style Christianity, poisons minds in a way that moves people to the unhinged fringe extremes.
This waiting on a Savior and being told that you just have to pay, pray, and stay. This feeds into delusions, distortions of reality. Convincing people to live life on pause seems to me to be one of the cruelest hoaxes in the world. New England arrested and even threw people in the asylums after the Great Disappointment! Maybe it's time we get the authorities attention on these cults so we can get the leaders like Dave Pack, Bob Thiel, Gerald Flurry, and the rest of them thrown in jail and into rubber rooms.
THINK! If Jesus is coming back, it will only be ONCE and probably not in your lifetime. These Adventist peddlers, whoring for money in the name of religion have been doing this for 180 years! Take your life back. Save yourself.
It was back during one of Dave Pack's delusional prophecies, now completely failed and replaced by others of equal or greater failure value, that Dave made up a questionnaire for any splinter ministers, who might be drawn to RCG and regain minister status, to fill out in full Dave's intrusive and self humiliating questionnaire. It can only be assumed that now, all those men under Dave Pack's thumb in ministry have passed with flying colors or they would not be in the position they are in.
Why did you do that? Why are you so unable or unwilling to see the completely failed ministry of David C. Pack by now?
Can you not recognize Dave's narcissistic needs and that he is using you to fulfill them?
Do you know a personality disorder when you see one?
Why can't you recognize delusional thinking and one theologically misguided teaching after another?
How can you really believe Dave Pack is spoken of in scripture?
Why does that not make you uncomfortable that he believes he is?
Is it position you love in an organization that virtually no one on the planet has ever heard of?
Do you enjoy repressing your views and thoughts , which I assume are sincere and hopeful with regards to all things theological, in favor of saying "yes sir" to Dave's thoughts on all things which time and again have proven to be totally false?
What are you afraid of? Loss in income? loss of self esteem (You have already lost it I suspect) ? What others will think of you? Family problems and consequences?
Why do you tolerate one failure after another in Dave's prophetic fantasies?
Did you think last FOT that Dave was really going to walk away and "not return to his home" because Jesus was coming by the end of the Feast?
Just how many times can you endure "We didn't understand but now I do" apologetic repeatedly following each failure in his dangerous theological games?
How much of your authentic one of a kind self have you had to repress to pump up and fuel Dave Pack's ego and ludicrous vision of himself?
Why can't you even see Dave Pack has a ludicrous vision of himself?
Do you ever consider the danger you are putting your family in following Dave and being in RCG?
Ever thought "I hope we don't end up on the front page with all this"?
Are you simply hoping Dave will calm down, settle in, and let you teach I Cor 13 to your members and drop the Old Testament view of God and the Prophets for the New Testament one of Jesus and Paul?
Is it possible you don't understand that all the soon, shortly, quickly and nights being far spent is not for you today and simply the mistaken notion of the people to whom it was written?
Is it possible Dave Pack presenting falsehoods enthusiastically are still falsehoods?
How would that realization change your ministry and your life?
Are you afraid of being disillusioned?
Why would you want to believe illusions?
Why did you agree to taking Dave Pack's "So you want to be in the RCG ministry?" emasculating and intrusive questionnaire?
Are you secretly sorry you had to but at least you got in?
In case you forgot what you agreed to inform, admit and reveal to get back into ministry.
Dave required you to answer...
(3) Established Doctrine and Tradition
In what doctrines or traditions do you believe Mr. Armstrong “got it wrong”? (Include all areas—be specific.)
(4) Did you actively resist false doctrine in your ministry?—or give safe sermons where you disagreed? (Be specific.)
6) Why should you still be considered for the ministry in God’s Church?
Why should God’s flock ever again be entrusted to your care?
Are you prepared to re-win brethren’s trust, including brethren now here whom you will likely also pastor? What about re-winning the trust of Headquarters?
(9) Do you now believe again that Christ works solely through one unified organization?
(10) In light of government(s) you followed, how do you see God’s government today?
(15) Are you willing to temporarily or permanently become an associate pastor?
(16) Are you willing to be excluded from the ministry until you requalify?
(18) If your ordination(s) is(are) invalid, are you interested in being re-trained for Christ’s true ministry?
(19) Do you believe ministers should be able to voice opinions to others about:
Where Headquarters is “wrong”?
What Mr. Armstrong taught/said/did “wrong”?
What Mr. Pack teaches/says/does “wrong”?
Where your boss is “wrong” or harsh, etc.?
Where you disagree doctrinally?
(20) Do you consider yourself as having been (rate yourself from 5 being best to 0 being worst):
Weak
Cowardly
Slothful
Covetous
Confused
Compromising
Foolish
Political (And did you ever “run for office” in a splinter?)
Heretical
Deceitful
Easily deceived
Betrayed your calling
(21) Why did you lose the ability to “discern good from evil” (Heb. 5:13-14)?—and for so long?
(22) What do you consider to be your ministerial rank?
(23) Are you prepared to dedicate the rest of your life to serving God’s flock and fixing completely the horrific mess you helped cause in so many lives?
(24) In light of how you once saw Mr. Armstrong, do you still recognize the fruits of a true apostle when you see one
(25) Describe your spiritual condition today. (Also, rate your temperature from 0-10, with 10 the highest.)
(26) What 5 biggest lessons did you learn from and since the apostasy? (In order of importance.)
(29) Having now long abandoned many doctrines you said you would never leave, how would you convince Headquarters that this time you “mean it” if you intend to now “hold fast” (Rev. 3:11)?
(31) Are you prepared to spend a full year (or more) catching up with all you must unlearn, relearn, and learn new?
(33) How would you prove that you are still Spirit-led?—or were ever Spirit-led?
(35) What did you do after reading the article “God’s People Back Together—SOON!”?
If you need to talk confidentially, please get in touch. If I can't help or my personal dislike of what Dave Pack represents makes you uncomfortable, I will point you towards those that can and who want to help you make the best and well thought out transition possible
The other day we quoted some of the Great Bwana to Africa's attendance figures that he himself posted on his blog. This did not sit too well with Bobiniah Thiel. As the modern-day Elijah, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, Elisha, and future witless witnesses to the Church of God, he could not let the ridicule of his attendance figures go unanswered.
In one of the most pathetic self-justifications we have ever seen him write so far, he went on a rampage with the spittle flying.
Some of Satan’s allies at Banned by HWA website continue to post lies about those of us in Continuing Church of God (CCOG) and other COGs.
Notice the following that was recently posted at Banned by HWA:
Spiritual and physical abuse in the Church of God had/has been going on for decades and people were and still are sick of it. That is why fewer and fewer people stay in the spiritually abusive cults of Dave Pack, Gerald Flurry, Ron Weinland, and other groups. Even the so-called “enlightened” groups led by Weston, Theil, Kilough, Kubik, Thiel, Hulme, and others, who imagine themselves to not be spiritually abusive, have been unable to keep members or draw in new cash cows members. After all, what this really boils down to is money flow. (Leonard, Gary. How A Marked and Disfellowshipped Employee of Living Church of God Is Making A Difference In The World November 30, 2020)
Since my name was mentioned twice (and misspelled once), (Sorry buttercup, but Grammarly does not recognize you as being legitimate ) let me start off by saying that no, we in the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) have not been the source of spiritual or physical abuse. We will deal with the ‘money lie’ from Banned later in this post.
When a self-appointed fake prophet sets himself up as a new splinter personality cult of the COG movement it is spiritual abuse! Bob's personality cult was formed as a direct result of Living Church of God refusing his demands. God was no more behind this apostasy, the improperly called "continuing" Church of God, than he is behind Dave Pack and his cult in Wadsworth Ohio.
Imagine if you will, that you were a little insignificant COG prophet sitting at home and got so butthurt by the stats we posted that he had to reach out to other Church of God groups to get their attendance figures. Bobaniah did just that, even after he claims that other COG leaders are false prophets:
As far as Ron Weinland (CGPKG), Gerald Flurry (PCG), and David Pack (RCG) go, they have all shown themselves to be false prophets–they are false prophets because they have publicly made false predictions that they said God told them that did not come to pass.
As I have stated for years, I do not believe that they are converted Christians and, hence, are NOT truly COG (though some who have been drawn to them, often only for a time, have been). David Pack’s financial greed is also something I have denounced, for over a decade.
Now regarding four of the “enlightened” COG groups (Weston-LCG, Kilough-COGWA, Kubik-UCG, Thiel-CCOG) they have not been unable to keep members as Banned indicated (we do not have specific information on Hulme-COGaIC–as that group split several years ago and seems to be a small fraction of how it started out).
I personally contacted members/leaders in four of the groups who provided me, and/or directed me, to specifics on their size.
After quoting membership statistics of various COG groups, Bobaniah gets back to his little flock of members in Africa and calls them a bunch of Gentiles. So much for the foretaste of the Kingdom of God where there is "neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." The fact that he deliberately calls his black members Gentiles shows the warped mentality that dwells at the back of his mind thanks to Meredith and other COG myth makers promoting the myth of British Israelism.
As it happens to be, throughout the late Fall of 2020, CCOG has been reporting parts of its membership in different nations in some of its Letters to the Brethren.
These reports were all consolidated, with additional information, in its Letter to the Brethren: December 10, 2020. That post shows that CCOG leaders have reported a total of 5,275 (mostly Gentiles) worldwide.
Sadly, many who claim to be Christian seem dismissive of Gentiles in places like Africa. This is despite scriptures like the following:
25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. (Romans 11:25)
27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:27-29)
Yet, many use prejudices and other factors to dismiss the truth that the Gentiles count as much as non-Gentiles and that the New Testament shows that more must be called before Jesus returns (see also What About Romans 11:25 and the Full Number of the Gentiles?).
I do not think anyone here has been dismissive of Christians in Africa. The problem with Bobaniah Thiel's followers is that most of them followed their leaders into Thiel's group. Most church members in Africa look at their church leaders as "chieftains" like they do over leaders of their tribes. They follow their spiritual leader/Chieftans wherever they tell them to go. So they jump from one COG group to the next.
It always seems like it is the "do nothing" little groups in Armstrongism that whine the most.
No one in the COG movement expects anything logical to come out of the top 4-5 COG's anymore. The absolutely insane beliefs, teachings, and words spoken by these buffoonish leaders know no boundaries in reality.
Gerald Flurry and the Philadelphia Church of God have been on a holy terror over the last year insisting that Donald Trump would remain as President and Biden, Hillary, and Obama would be in prison by now. But, low and behold. It is now Wednesday evening on the date of the swearing-in of Joe Biden as the 46 President of the United States. Biden is in Washington, Donald Trump is in Florida, and Gerald Flurry has been proven to be a liar again. No shocker there!
Joel Hilliker said this yesterday in an article on their WatchJerusalem site:
That brings up the second historic thing occurring this week. This has to do with the organization behind Watch Jerusalem. Though small compared to the great machinations inside the halls of power in Washington, we are right in the center of this historic moment. That prophecy from Mr. Flurry is out there. We have advertised his article “Why Donald Trump Will Remain America’s President” on our website, in many online news sources and social media channels, to millions of subscribers of the Epoch Times, Newsmax and RealClearPolitics, plus Arutz Sheva and campaigns in France. The article has attracted a quarter million page views on watchjerusalem.co.il and our sister-site Trumpet.com in English and thousands more in other languages. Mr. Flurry’s prophecy is out there.
And now only God can back him up.
Watching the news, Mr. Flurry’s statement that Donald Trump will remain America’s president seems impossible. Because even if facts emerge showing incontrovertible election fraud, American media are in lockstep with radical Democrats to block the truth from ever reaching the average American.
This is an up-against-the-sea, trapped-by-the-mountains, army-at-our-backs moment. Nobody can change this except God.
Mr. Flurry continues the work of Herbert W. Armstrong, whom God used as an end-time type of Elijah (Malachi 4:5-6). The original Elijah faced a large group of false prophets who held a lot of power and collusion with the political authorities over the nation. He faced off directly against them, building an altar, laying a sacrifice on it, then pouring on it large amounts of water. Then he prayed only a short prayer. Yet he was absolutely confident God would answer!
What happened? Fire from heaven devoured that sacrifice. God backed up His servant. Imagine what it would have looked like if He didn’t. But He did.
We don’t know how God will intervene. Like many of our readers, we have looked at the Constitution and the political situation and the Bible, and we have thought perhaps God would intervene this way, or that way, or maybe this other way. We don’t know how, but we trust that some way God will intervene so His prophecies will be fulfilled. His ways are higher than our ways. We do not know how God’s prophecies will stand, but we know they will stand!
Many people are watching us closely. If God does not intervene, a lot of people would feel justified in accusing Mr. Flurry of being a false prophet. But God says people will know that a prophet has been among them (Ezekiel 2:5; 33:33).
Hilliker ends with this:
God does work in a way we can understand, believe and obey: He works through human government, led by God Himself. And how He respondswhen we believe Him, believe His prophets, and demonstrate our faith.
We deeply believe that, somehow, this world will soon know that a prophet of God was among them. This seems like a spectacular opportunity for God to demonstrate that, and we have been trying to spread the word. Now God has to back up His man! Like those ancient people of Judah, we need to be praying for that. od that Flurry created did not back him up
Oops! Looks like the creature god that Flurry created did not back him up. Another failure!
That is a big part of what you—yes you—can do to seize this historic opportunity. Not many of these come around in one lifetime.
Prove Amos 7. Prove 2 Kings 14. Watch these events closely. This is your moment to live by faith! This is your opportunity, your test, to show God your mind and heart. This is your chance to prove God—and for Him to prove you. Put this squarely in God’s hands. This is your chance to stop ignoring, stop waiting, stop delaying, stop disbelieving. Believe in the Lord your God—so shall you be established. Believe his prophets—so shall youprosper. Why This Inauguration Day Is Especially Historic
It must be the member's fault for not putting their entire faith behind Flurry and this momentous prophecy!
As usual, it will be the member's fault that Flurry told a lie and Trump did not remain as president and that Jesus isn't going to return soon.
The Great Bwana to Africa and 299 Caucasians is gloating today about the supposed fulfillment of 20 of his prophecies about Donald Trump. As usual, it is just another load of bullshit that he is trying to pass off as proof of his prophetic magnificence.
The problem with every single one of the things he listed are items that anyone with half a brain and who kept up with news events would have also come to the same conclusions. None of these predictions are predictions but just confirmation news stories that we were bombarded with for 4 years
Anyway, 20 warnings I wrote related to Donald Trump either came to pass or began to after they were written:
WARNING ONE: Donald Trump will offend the Europeans. FULFILLED.
WARNING TWO: Donald Trump’s election will be used to further push European unity. FULFILLED.
WARNING THREE: Increased civil unrest will come to the USA. FULFILLED.
WARNING FOUR: The fourth warning was that Donald Trump’s rise would encourage the Europeans to arm: FULFILLED–THOUGH MORE STEPS WILL TAKE PLACE.
WARNING FIVE: There is a fifth warning related to the fourth: Germany will want a stronger military. FULFILLED. FILLED–THOUGH MORE STEPS WILL TAKE PLACE.
WARNING SIX: Donald Trump’s views on climate change will cause problems with Europe. FULFILLED.
WARNING SEVEN: Donald Trump will be one that is involved in fulfilling 2 Timothy 3:1-5. FULFILLED.
WARNING EIGHT: Debt will increase under Donald Trump. FULFILLED.
WARNING NINE: Donald Trump may propose a peace deal consistent with Daniel 9:27. FULFILLED–THOUGH MORE STEPS WILL TAKE PLACE.
WARNING TEN: Donald Trump would support aspects of ecumenical unity. FULFILLED.
WARNING ELEVEN: People will call for Donald Trump’s impeachment. FULFILLED.
WARNING TWELVE: Donald Trump would encourage the rise of the final King of the South of biblical prophecy–a power involving peoples in the Middle East and North Africa. FULFILLED–THOUGH MORE STEPS WILL TAKE PLACE.
WARNING THIRTEEN: The rise of Donald Trump will confirm to various ones that the USA is in decline. FULFILLED.
WARNING FOURTEEN: Daily sacrifices will one day resume in Jerusalem (cf. Daniel 9:27; 11:31). PARTIALLY FULFILLED–STEPS IN PROCESS (Note: I did NOT post that the daily sacrifices would start during a Donald Trump Administration, only that they one day would need to start. The Trump Administration took steps that at least indirectly helped set the stage).
WARNING FIFTEEN: Donald Trump will support increased government surveillance. FULFILLED.
WARNING SIXTEEN: Donald Trump’s Administration would focus too much on China and not consider the military threat that Europe poses. FULFILLED.
WARNING SEVENTEEN: Donald Trump’s position on the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP) will assist China. FULFILLED.
WARNING EIGHTEEN: Mexico will look more towards Europe and less towards the USA on trade matters. AT LEAST PARTIALLY FULFILLED–THOUGH MORE STEPS WILL TAKE PLACE.
WARNING NINETEEN: His attitudes toward GMOs. FULFILLED.
WARNING TWENTY: The price of gold will hit record highs against the USA dollar. FULFILLED–THOUGH ANOTHER RECORD WILL TAKE PLACE.
Gerald Flurry has been stating in sermons and in his official church rags that Trump will remain in office and Biden will NOT be sworn into office as President on January 20th. Both he and Lil'Stevie have been making this prediction. They also expect major military disruptions on the 20th, across the country.
The other thing Flurry has his members whipped into a frenzy about is that he claims that when Trump is sworn back in as president, after the military arrests all corrupt Democrats, that he will then banish and exile the PCG from the United States.
The fact that his members sit there and believe these lies is as appalling as those in Dave Pack's cult who believe his "christ" is ready to return any hour now.
Will Flurry apologize for lying on the afternoon of the 20th or on the 21st? We all know he won't. He will say that his creature "christ" delays his coming because the church has a work to complete, or that the members of PCG were spiritually weak and need more time to prove to God they are worthy.
The Church of God is sick and gets sicker by the day.
“However, the end of the 6,000 years God has granted humanity to rule itself will likely be over within the next decade or so....”
I may have missed an earlier example, but today’s “prophecy” is a splendid illustration of Dr. Thiel’s prophetic style. We can imagine Jonah, for instance, roaming thru Nineveh, that great city, shouting, “Yet forty or fifty days, more or less, God’s gonna maybe overthrow you.”
Now of course in that example God did have a change of plan, but that was because the people responded to the Prophet’s message. The message was clear: God will do this. The King said, “who knows, perhaps if we really repent, God will change his mind.” They did, and God did.
That’s quite different from Thiel’s “will likely” and his “or so.” But you didn’t need me to point that out. Have a good day.
If Herbert Armstrong were alive today and could see the abominable mess that the church is devolved into he would be appalled. The absolute batshit crazy men leading Churches of God today are the most disgusting group of men the church has ever seen.
There is Dave Pack in Wadsworth, Ohio who is ready to meet his Jesus any day now.
In Edmond, Oklahoma we have Gerald Flurry who has proclaimed himself King and declared Irish dance as the holy dance of God and now claims to possess the coronation stone that Jesus is supposed to be coming back to sit upon.
In the Five Cities area of California, Bob Thiel, the Great Bwana to Africa and 299 Caucasian members worldwide, has declared himself Elisha due to his double blessing by a heretic pastor of Living Church of God and is desperately trying to con us into believing he is a prophet
Ron Weinland, the first convicted felon to lead a COG claims his "christ" is ready to return at any moment and that he and his dingy wife are the two witless witnesses.
Can Armstrongism get any crazier? These are four of the more vocal loudmouths who have set themselves up as mouthpieces for the creature god they claim to serve, but there are many others out there. It is certainly not that God that most COG members follow. It is for that reason that all four of these cult leaders are either losing members or have failed miserably in gaining any members from the various COG's.
What can we expect from these religious despots in 2021? The year is young!
“Many think they know—but, once again, we must ask: Have they proved it? Most people accept the religious beliefs of parents and peers. While many individuals at least temporarily stray from religion after leaving home, normally Protestants remain Protestant, Catholics remain Catholic, and Muslims remain in the Islamic faith. But are all religions equal? Do “all roads lead to heaven,” as some believe? Try to get to Detroit that way! No, there are contradictory doctrines even within dominant religious categories. Consider how many Protestant denominations there are. Some believe baptism by immersion is necessary, others that you are only saved if you speak in “tongues of angels.” My friends, they cannot all be right!” (my emphasis)
There is no parody like self-parody.
There are over 500 splits of the old WCG. That line may have worked in the 70s, but now the statement should read: Consider how many WCG denominations there are.
Jerry should start living in the 2020s – the 1970s are history.
In the World Ahead (Weekly Update) this week, Gerald Weston concluded that "As our world descends into greater chaos and confusion, let us spend our energies on drawing closer to our Creator, rather than getting caught up in the politics, conspiracies, and squabbles of this world."
Certainly good advice to their own. LCG has no doubt, read the criticisms online concerning their right-leaning political views that often spill out in their sermons and in their writings. This week marks the 35th anniversary of HWA's death but he has definitely left his mark to lesser and greater extents in all of the splinters from his WCG. Most notably has been the enduring blind, unscientific, ahistorical, and white supremacist belief that NW white Europeans are the descendants of the lost tribes of Israel.
The religious right in America right now are beside themselves because for the life of them, they cannot understand why they are being called racists and white supremacists. But when the left, center, and those enlightened on the right explain that they are not individually racists perse but that they are failing to acknowledge the existence of white privilege and systemic racism which are both impersonal and institutional, this only seems to enrage them even more.
A pastor recently wrote an article making its rounds on the internet. The title says it all: "Jesus is Not a Republican and Christianity is Not Nationalism." This is interesting because the Churches of God have traditionally paid lip service to the idea Christians are to be above politics. Not voting has always been their proof. Their kingdom is not of this world and their citizenship is in heaven, therefore, they do not serve in the military or on juries. This stance quite possibly could be considered a noble one if they actually lived up to them. But just like many don't pay full tithes, sneak out on election day to vote and have very strong political stances on many things, the churches of God are no different from the rest of their Christian counterparts in America they so disdain in another never spoken doctrine: whites are superior to blacks.
"White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity" was written by a Southern Baptist professor and founder and CEO of Public Religion Research Institute. Below is the description of the book from Amazon:
"Drawing on history, public opinion surveys, and personal experience, Robert P. Jones delivers a provocative examination of the unholy relationship between American Christianity and white supremacy, and issues an urgent call for white Christians to reckon with this legacy for the sake of themselves and the nation.
As the nation grapples with demographic changes and the legacy of racism in America, Christianity’s role as a cornerstone of white supremacy has been largely overlooked. But white Christians—from evangelicals in the South to mainline Protestants in the Midwest and Catholics in the Northeast—have not just been complacent or complicit; rather, as the dominant cultural power, they have constructed and sustained a project of protecting white supremacy and opposing black equality that has framed the entire American story.
With his family’s 1815 Bible in one hand and contemporary public opinion surveys by Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) in the other, Robert P. Jones delivers a groundbreaking analysis of the repressed history of the symbiotic relationship between Christianity and white supremacy. White Too Long demonstrates how deeply racist attitudes have become embedded in the DNA of white Christian identity over time and calls for an honest reckoning with a complicated, painful, and even shameful past. Jones challenges white Christians to acknowledge that public apologies are not enough—accepting responsibility for the past requires work toward repair in the present.
White Too Long is not an appeal to altruism. Drawing on lessons gleaned from case studies of communities beginning to face these challenges, Jones argues that contemporary white Christians must confront these unsettling truths because this is the only way to salvage the integrity of their faith and their own identities. More broadly, it is no exaggeration to say that not just the future of white Christianity but the outcome of the American experiment is at stake."
You can watch an interview with the author below:
It doesn't take long at all to find material online that verifies a very racist HWA and church culture. The churches of God were no different than the rest of America's Christian churches who conveniently decided to stay on the sidelines as the Civil Rights Movement raged on. Christians are still largely absent in standing up for police reform and an overhaul of the justice system in America. They refuse to look at the historical proof on the racist roots of the war on drugs that began in America in the 1930's. American Christians have been more firmly entrenched than ever before in the Republican party ever since Carl Rove (the architect) solidified the Christian block to the party in the 2000 election.
The elevation of Trump by Christians as a Savior of America has backfired epically and has no doubt damaged the name of Jesus and Christianity for possibly decades to come. All this at a time when Christianity was already trending downward.
All this to say that Weston and the rest of the churches of God are in a unique position to salvage Christianity. They could capitalize on their anti-politics stance and pull the American church out of the Jaws of the Republican Party. They could. But they won't.
In the very same update where Weston says the church needs to stay away from the politics of the day, this anonymous piece on prophecy is at the end:
News and Prophecy—January 14, 2021
Unrest in U.S. Capital: Riots and demonstrations rocked a number of American cities in 2020, but the protest in Washington, DC, on January 6 was something different. On that day, protestors claiming to be supporters of President Donald Trump pushed their way into the U.S. Capitol Building, resulting in widespread damage and five deaths. Protestors apparently felt emboldened by comments made by the president in the weeks leading up to the Electoral College certification and his remarks at a rally immediately preceding the onslaught. Regardless of the president’s level of responsibility, which is the subject of ongoing debate, international opinion has come down hard on America and on Donald Trump. German Chancellor Angela Merkel commented, “A ground rule of democracy is that after elections there are winners and losers. Both have their role to play with decency and responsibility so that democracy itself remains the winner” (Deutsche Welle, January 7, 2021). Even British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, an ally of President Trump, leveled criticism at the president and his supporters (Politico, January 7, 2021). Mr. Johnson lamented, “All my life, America has stood for some very important things, an idea of freedom and an idea of democracy and… in so far as he encouraged people to storm the Capitol, and in so far as the president consistently has cast doubt on the outcome of a free and fair election, I believe that that was completely wrong.”
Although many are lamenting the “assault” on American democracy, the reality is that democracy, like all other forms of man’s government, is a humanly devised system. While many would argue it is the best form of government man has devised, democracies are inherently unstable. Long ago, in his famous work The Republic, the Greek philosopher Plato described a theoretical cycle of human governments, with democracies ending in chaos that invites the emergence of a tyrant who promises to restore order. However, the Bible reveals there is another government coming that will not be created by imperfect human beings. This government will be headed by a perfect ruler with perfect character—Jesus Christ—and will be built on a perfect set of laws (Isaiah 9:6–7; 11:1–10; 32:1). To learn more about the future of democracy, be sure to read our exciting article “Perfect Government Coming Soon!”
The bias is blatant in this "anonymous" update. Riots vs. protests. Claiming to be supporters of Trump leaves for the belief that real Trump supporters would not do such a thing...it must have been antifa in MAGA hats, carrying Christian signs and waving the Confederate flag.. The further comments allow for the reader to dismiss any notion that the President could be at fault for inciting the crowd. And notice that the real problem isn't the President or the rioters, excuse me, protesters, but just humanly devised government. People are just doing what people do in Satan's system. It's the Devil's fault. Am I splitting hairs? Possibly. But let's look at some of the comments from LCG during the summer protests, excuse me, riots:
"The Path to Justice: We are living in an age when lawlessness, rioting, and looting are viewed as legitimate ways to attain social justice for almost any cause (2 Timothy 3:1–5). From a human perspective, it is tempting to want to support a cause that “seems” right in our eyes (Proverbs 14:12) without fully understanding both sides of the issue (Proverbs 18:17). While it is noble to want to alleviate suffering and injustice, we need to remember that this is Satan’s world (2 Corinthians 4:4) that is permeated by his spirit of lies, envy, hatred, and violence (Ephesians 2:2; Galatians 5:19–21). The goal of modern social justice warriors is to improve the world by human efforts without the need for God or a Messiah (Isaiah 59:4–5, 14–15). However, our Creator is a God of truth and justice (Deuteronomy 32:4) who hears the cries of the poor and oppressed who look to Him and wait on Him (Job 5:8–9; Psalm 17:1–2). Christians who live by faith need to remember that Jesus Christ is coming back to establish judgment and justice on this earth (Isaiah 9:6–7), and He will need leaders who can rule with justice and mercy (Psalm 72:1–4) and point people away from the unfruitful ways of this world (Ezekiel 45:9). This is why we need to develop the mind of God (Philippians 2:5) and wait on God to change society. At that point, we will have the opportunity to show the world the true path to justice (Isaiah 26:7–9). Have a profitable Sabbath, Douglas S. Winnail" [June 11th]
See, what happened on January 6th was different. It was legitimate (white) political protest. But what went on over the summer was (black) lawlessness, rioting, and looting seeking the justice they have no right to seek and church members will do well to not get sucked in by emotional pleas for justice. In his June 25th commentary, Winnail said,
"The Path to Peace: Many have been shocked by the recent eruption of riots and violence, anger and hatred all over the world—and many wonder what is happening in a world where many yearn for peace. However, the Apostle Paul warned, “in the last days perilous times will come,” as proud, self-centered people mistreat and attack one another (2 Timothy 3:1–5)."
Blacks erupted in riots fueled by violence, anger, and hatred, This is prophecy of perilous times with proud and self-centered blacks in our streets mistreating and attacking one another. But Jan. 6th was different, brethren. That was law-abiding white protesters airing their grievances lawfully as is provided by our Democracy, albeit a flawed form of governance. The overall message is consistent: don't get involved. But it fails to pass the smell test of objectivity devoid of taking political sides.
American Christianity continues to stay on the sidelines when it comes to social justice and reform. Christians are to wait on God. It will be interesting to see how that perspective holds up as Christians are increasingly the target of injustices. Will they wonder in horror as their neighbors and co-workers stay on the sidelines when they are being treated unfairly or being brutalized? I have a feeling they will have a come to Jesus moment about fighting for one's own rights.
In the July-August 2020 Living Church News, Wally Smith says in his article, "Christians and Causes"
"God's Spirit within us is stirred when we see unborn children exposed to the horrors of abortion, hatred unleashed against individuals due to the color of their skin, and leaders casting aside righteous judgment for naked, carnal politicking. Such causes tempt us to join them in an attempt to make this world at least a little better here and now. Should we? [his answer] ...too many of this world's causes and movements share two important characteristics: They are products of the devil's world, and they generally represent attempts to improve the devil's world using the devil's own tools."
How do you justify such a perverse way of looking at things so contrary to scripture? So the only job of the church is to preach at people but never lift a finger to actually help people. It's that HWA Martin Lutheresque perversion of Matthew 24:14 alone! Wally, how do you explain away Matthew 25:31-46? Tell me Wally, how do you escape being the priest or the Levite in the parable of the good Samaritan? Wally, how do you get around all of the early church examples of easing pain and suffering in Satan's world? Did you know that in Rome, if you wanted to get rid of a child, not only was abortion legal but you could abandon a child up to 2 years of age at the village walls to be eaten by wild dogs? Guess what Wally, it was Christians that began the practice of scouring those walls every night for abandoned children. According to your vile logic, they should have been left to the dogs because there was PREACHING ALONE to be done!
[A little side note. Wally says in the article, "...as movements and organizations grow larger in the world, they often begin to transform into business ventures in ways that should leave us uncomfortable-a fact worth noting. The love of money is, indeed, the root of many evils." You don't say, Wally! You don't say!]
One of the primary problems with HWA gnostic dogma at its core is pacifism. This is not a Biblical concept. The proof is in the simple logic. Both Old Testament Jewish thought and Greek Christian thought support and believe in the "right of exclusivity." For this to be possible and upheld, society must be organized. There must be law and order that upholds contractual agreements. If the Bible (god) gives man the right of exclusivity, then by reason, logic dictates that god must give man the right to defend his exclusivity rights. What good is a marriage contract that declares to society that said woman is my wife if any man can come along and take her to himself and I must stand passively by without a peep? There is no right of exclusivity without the right to fight for it.
So it is ungodly, unbiblical to stand idly by and watch injustice, unfairness, evil treatment of others because by doing so, you are throwing the right of exclusivity out the window and embracing chaos. When God says the poor are to be taken care of, that validates the right of exclusivity. Ownership of lands, goods, animals, crops, goods, and service contracts create wealth imbalances. This is inevitable and natural. When it does, God declares that the poor and the disadvantaged be cared for. How can a Christian partake in the right of exclusivity and enjoy the protections of civil society and turn their backs on those who lose, fail, get cheated, or are outright dehumanized and systematically forced into an inferior position?
I look around at feast sites and I marvel at how many black folks I see. I want to ask each one how or why they would be sitting in a church in America that has never lifted a finger to ease the suffering and debasement and forced inferior status put upon them for hundreds of years? How do you sit in a church whose founder was a blatant racist and hid it behind the mask of British-Israelism? A church that has actually allowed "interracial" marriage of all kinds between whites and Asians and Hispanics and Indians and Native Americans ... as long as it was NEVER a black man marrying a white woman? Of course, the unpardonable sin of black men with white women is not just a church of God doctrine. That is an American doctrine.
Dave Chappelle, a black American comedian, did an interview with Oprah Winfrey about 15 years ago. It was after Dave left his own show on Comedy Central in the middle of the season and retreated to South Africa to do some soul searching. Oprah asked him why he left because the rumors were that he was a drug addict, mentally ill, and various other attacks that were simply not true. Hollywood was mad at Dave and sought to destroy him. The reason is that Dave Chappelle refused to put on a dress.
He was in the process of making a movie and the director had sent one of the writers to Dave's trailer to give him a scene change for the movie. It required Dave to put on a dress and get made up like a woman. He asked why they wanted to do that and they told him because it will be funny. Dave said no, he didn't want to do it. The scene was unnecessary. A few minutes later, the writer comes back and tries to get Dave to go along and Dave told him to tell the Director he won't do it. Dave started thinking about how all black comedians that made it into movies eventually dressed up like a woman. This really bothered Dave. When the Director came to Dave and insisted he do it, Dave refused and walked off the set and did not do the movie.
Hollywood is a weird place with strange rituals and control mechanisms. Not unlike churches, sometimes. I know what I have pointed out in the weekly update is probably too subtle for most white folks to perceive. But I know some black folks see it. And I only did it to highlight the much bigger reality. American Christianity has a lot to unpack. There is a lot to answer to and reform is necessary if Christianity will ever be a growing religion again. As it is now, I see no reason to support it if it continues to turn a blind eye. American Christianity removed Galatians 3:26-28 from their sight a long time ago. The churches of God are just using black folks as cover for their own self-image. Black brethren in the churches of God need to stop putting on the dress. White brethren who realize this need to hold the door and head out together.
