Saturday, March 27, 2021
Its the day after the COG Passover and everyone is sinless and pure...so we need to be focused upon Jezebel
Only in the Church of God can you go from celebrating the most sacred day of the Church of God calendar, one in which the entire focus is supposedly upon Jesus, and immediately go into talking about Jezebels.
It really should be no surprise though since the Church of God places so little emphasis upon Jesus as the spiritual center of their lives. Throughout the entire year, there is little focus upon the significance of the crucifixion, the resurrection, and the teachings about grace, justification, and mercy. These are things that are anathema to the COG while they place so much emphasis upon the law, proper government, and blind obedience to the words of self-appointed church leaders.
But, NO!!!!!!!!!!!
Today it is all about Jezebel, Thyatira, Waldenses, Apostle Thomas in India, Peter Waldo, Greco-Romans, Roman Catholics, Anglicans, the British parliament, tithing, crosses, Bozodujfalu, Transylvania, WCG changes, and much more asinine useless claptrap that has ZERO relevance to ANY Christian and their relationship with Jesus.
Friday, March 26, 2021
Hey Dave Pack and His Ministerial Enablers in Wadsworth....Where's Christ?
Hey Dave! Where's Jesus? We are waiting!
Now that Passover and the Night to be Much Observed are over in Wadsworth,
where is that Christ Dave predicted?
Why have you ministers in Wadsworth continued to enable Dave in his failed prophecies?
When will you ever wake up? Dave is lying to you. Not one single thing he has predicted has come true and yet there you are, scratching his back and standing in awe as he walks by
gracing you with his presence.
Dave Pack Latest Prophetic Update: The Countdown is On! Christ is waiting for ALL COG brethren to take Passover before he returns!
How many more times will Dave cry "wolf"?
Get ready COG members! Dave's creature he calls "christ" is waiting for all true believers around the world to take the Passover before he returns!
Is Dave finally going to get this wish that COG members in other COG groups would flock to his feet as they see his awesomeness and ditch their worthless Pastor Generals and Chief Overseers for the One True Awesome Dude?
One problem JC is going to have is that there are at least 3 different days that COG groups gather for Passover. They can't even agree on this day let alone anything else. How will he know when all COG members have taken the Passover?
Can you imagine what a shitfest Petra will be when everyone arrives and finds out Dave is in charge! Oy vey!!!!!!! Bob Thiel, Vic Kubik, Gerald Flurry, and Gerald Weston will all need a 3 1/2 year's worth of Depends. Can you imagine Bob Thiel humbling himself to kneel at Dave's glorious feet? This is going to be fantastic!
Dave writes:
Prophetic UpdateYESTERDAY (Mar 25)
Passover is less than a day away for us at Headquarters, and only hours away for some of you in the Far East. This day is crucial in God’s soon-to-unfold Plan, but for different reasons than we understood yesterday.
The New Testament Passover is in some regards the most important night of the year for Christians. God takes careful note of how His people prepare (or do not prepare) to take the symbols. There is no greater time of self-examination and preparation. It has become clear that God may want ALL brethren worldwide (seventh era included) to take the Passover prior to Christ’s arrival. What could be more crucial in determining the spiritual condition of each of His children?
Notice I Corinthians 11:26: “For as often as you eat this bread, and drink this cup, you do shew the Lord's death till He come.” This could easily be read to mean we take the Passover before Christ comes!
Now think! The actual feast picturing Israel leaving Egypt begins Saturday night—the First Day of Unleavened Bread. This is the Night To Be Much Observed. This is when the physical Passover lamb was eaten anciently. Would this not picture the GREAT Supper? Related, we have studied the Scriptures enough to know the importance of the weekly Sabbath in God’s mind. This scenario also further elevates the seventh day.
In practical terms, if God wants everyone everywhere to take the symbols, the earliest possibility for Christ’s Return would appear to be deep into tomorrow night. Think of yesterday’s announcement. This would mean He arrives to set up the Kingdom with the Old Testament Passover/Night To Be Much Observed still “in” the Kingdom.
All this said, continue to stay alert now—and all the way into the start of the Holy Day season!
Thursday, March 25, 2021
LCG's Regular Friday Member Beat-down: You need to adjust your focus onto the work instead of social media, the internet, and Banned! Bad LCG brethren!!!!!!
It's that time of the week for the weekly Profitable Sabbath beat-down message. As LCG gears down for Passover, Winnail is asking the faithful to "focus on the big picture." What exactly is the "big picture"?
Is it Jesus? Nothing was mentioned about the dude below.
Considering the fact LCG's version of Passover is 2 nights away, there is no focus upon Jesus. It's more important to condemn LCG members from spending time on the internet reading Banned, watching TV, or doing things that are actually fun with one's own family.
Followers of Jesus don't let the cares of the world "choke the truth", they never have. They can enjoy life and be totally at peace with their standing with God instead of fretting about it day in and day out, especially at this time of year, nor do Christians walking with Jesus need to fret over “because the days are evil” or whether or not one is "qualifying " to become a god in the kingdom to come.
Adjusting Your Focus: Prior to the Passover and during the Days of Unleavened Bread is a good time to evaluate how we spend our time and where we focus our energies and concerns. Jesus admonished us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). Are your thoughts focused on this big picture—of doing the Work and building the character necessary to function in the Family of God? The Apostle Paul advised Christians to “walk circumspectly” (live purposely) and to make the most of our time and opportunities “because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15–16). Paul also instructed Christians to treat each other with respect and to avoid interpersonal bickering and arguments over doctrinal issues that shift our focus away from the big picture (Romans 12:9–12; 14:20; 1 Corinthians 1:10). Jesus warned that “the cares of this world” can choke the Truth and cause us to be unfruitful (Matthew 13:22). In light of these Scriptures, we need to periodically evaluate how we use our time, what we watch on TV, what we read, how much time we spend on the Internet, and what we post on social media. If we really want to focus our minds on what is true, noble, just, and pure (Philippians 4:8), let’s use the Holy Days to focus on the big picture.
Have a profitable Sabbath and Holy Day season,
Douglas S. Winnail
Rabbi Tovia Singer Would Have a Lamb Bone to Pick With Bob Thiel
Nothing has plagued the Churches of God more than the Chronology of the Passover and harmonizing the Gospel accounts.
The Seder of the Jews is NOT the biblical Passoer (Sic)
"You would think that the Jews need to learn to read their own Scriptures, for they seem to be illiterate in regard to the Passover. God tells us, in the clearest of language, that the Passover is to be held on the evening of Nisan 14. Nowhere in the Bible does it state otherwise. But they keep Nisan 15. Where did such a practice come from?"
Let Rabbi Singer explain to Bob how they don't need to learn how to read their own scriptures but that he might try reading his confused New Testament tales properly.
Dave Pack's Latest Prophetic Greeting To His Dwindling Faithful
JC prepares for deep conversations with the Holy One of Wadsworth
Dave's Latest Prophetic Update Greetings from Headquarters!
Though our watch continues, it does not appear we have long to wait! Incredible twists and turns related to timing have come clear and make plain why. Everything you believe is right, with one exception: Passover opens the 84 hours—almost! Rather than closing the 3½ days of Daniel 12:7, it actually falls closer to the start. Many scriptures prove this, but here are two to connect and meditate on. First, recall how the snare arrives. Christ warned, “Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so THAT DAY come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth” (Luke 21:34-35). Think. “That day” must start everything. How else could it come as a “snare”? Now read Matthew 26:29: “But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until THAT DAY when I drink it new with you IN my Father's kingdom.” “That day”—the start!—encompasses Passover, meaning it is early in the 84-hour period. Further proving this, note it is “IN” —inside!—the Kingdom. Put plainly, the Kingdom must begin ahead of Passover. In Luke 22:16, Christ said He would no longer keep the Passover “until it be fulfilled IN the kingdom of God.” Again, the Kingdom must be set up before Passover. This is where Elijah and the Church “going first” fits. Do not stop watching—but realize the window is most likely the 24 hours immediately preceding the New Testament Passover. May your self-examination continue to be profitable as we approach this most special of all Passovers.
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
PCG Wayne Turgeon: Christ died only for PCG Members Though Only After They Have Read As Much PCG Literature As Possible Which Replaces Their Sin
A Philadelphia Church of God insider sent Exit and Support Network comments from Wayne Turgeon's lastest sermon leading up to the COG version of Passover.
Turgeon exemplifies all that is wrong theologically with the PCG and demonstrates how poorly educated he is in theology. He is an AC graduate from Pasadena, a school not know for sound theological education, who is now fully embedded in the Philadelphia Church of God cult and married into the hierarchy of the leadership. It is no shock that Turgeon utters his blasphemies due to his bad theological training.
Items in blue are links to excellent articles on the ESN site.
He discounted Christ’s sinless life when he said Christ could die because His Father was God and Mary was his human mother and that he was “part God.” This was an heretical statement as Jesus was fully God and fully man. (Read: The Two Natures of Jesus) He said Christ came to earth with the “risk that He might fail.” HWA was known to say that Jesus “could have sinned.”
This has been standard COG fare from the begging when HWA determined that his Christ was too weak and that with enough coaxing that he could have been tempted to sin. This is not unique to PCG, but Bob Thiel, UCG, RCG, LCG all think this same thing.
He said Christ died only the members (in PCG) in spite of the Scripture that says Christ “died for all“; in spite of Jesus being the “Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world;” in spite of Jesus dying for sins “once for all“; in spite of how Jesus “put away sin.” (Read: The Sin Question)
Referring to the Passover he made the bold claim that (members in PCG) could be keeping the Passover “for all eternity” and he would be fine with that. This was another Turgeon myth since to observe the Passover is to say Jesus never came. (See our Q&A “How can I observe Passover if I’ve left the group?”
This too has been the standard teaching of the church that everyone would be keeping all the Jewish holy days in the Kingdom of God. If, as various COG leaders claim that the holy day's all point to the return of Christ and the kingdom, then why would people be still keeping that stuff with Jesus dwelling among them? There is no point in that happening. There is no point at all in keeping Passover for eternity. Just more bad theology.
He let them know they were “guilty for Christ’s death” and when they sin they “put Christ to death.” In spite of Christ saying it is finished. (Refer again to The Sin Question)
This too has been a regular church teaching through the last 8 decades. As COG members we were essentially told we were guilty of killing Chris over and over every year on the gym or masonic lodge stage. People would weep sitting there believing that they had killed him once again. The trouble was as soon as they left the gym or lodge, Jesus was left there too for another year, hardly ever spoken of again for another year. Ministers would take great glee in putting a microphone in front of the matzos as they broke them so that members could sit there in anguish and feel guilty.
More idiocy was telling the members that reading as much of PCG literature as they can (which he referred to as “righteousness”) will “replace sin.”
PCG believes that Mystery of the Ages is on par with the Bible and essential for salvation. <ost PCG members d not realize that Gerald FLurry thought Herbert made mistakes in the book and has rewritten those comments to fit the current understanding of the PCG. After all, God has revealed more stuff to Gerald than HWA ever received from God
He warned them that if Satan could fall like he did, then they have to be “on guard” because “no one is indispensable and can be removed at any time”–if they don’t remain faithful.
More scare tactics to keep the gullible compliant and submissive. Because they refuse to follow Jesu or acknowledge any of the things he did, this is their end result.
He showed his lack of wisdom when he said that after Adam and Eve sinned God the Father decided to send Jesus to earth to straighten the mess out. This is an absolute lie because it was God’s plan from the very beginning to die for our sins, not just at the time Adam and Eve sinned. Before He laid the foundation of the world Jesus knew man would sin and perish without his help. See: “Was it God’s plan from the beginning for Jesus to die for the sins of mankind?” [offsite article]
He revealed his true arrogance and hardness of heart when he admitted that he has a “knee jerk reaction when he is corrected” and that he will “never admit that he has done something inappropriately” and that praying for correction is “difficult for him.”
This is the same heretical crap that Rod Meredith said when he claimed he had never committed a major sin since he was baptized.
This holier-than-thou attitude has been Turgeon's problem since he was in Pasadena. His arrogance and narcissism made it impossible for anyone to correct or even teach him. He knew it all and acted like it. That's part of the reason he was never ordained till he left WCG and joined the Flurry cult. Now he is in England where his abusive tactics and heretical teachings will have new ground to take root in. More young people led down the path to hopelessness and mental anguish.
Dave Pack Tells Another Lie: "The Work is Booming Right Now. And I mean, BOOMING! You just can't fathom it."
The plan of salvation using kitchen utensils and a soccer ball.
His faithful sat there for close to 2 hours watching him move kitchen utensils from
vase to vase, ending up with a soccer ball as the new heavens and new earth.
This is prophetic buffoonery at its finest!
It is now Wednesday, March 24th, the day AFTER Dave Pack's creature he calls "christ" was to return.
Once more Dave has lied to his followers.
We are getting close to sermon 300 as Dave keeps piling on the lies and his dwindling faithful sit there each week lapping it all up.
With one false prophecy after another and lie after lie, Dave feels no remorse or the need for accountability. Sadly his gullible followers feel no need to hold him accountable either, particularly the ministry and elders in Wadsworth. They will lap up his next excuse with orgasmic expectation, marveling at the wisdom coming from his mouth.
Nothing illustrates the mind-boggling stupidity of Dave Pack more than the above picture of Dave explaining the plan of salvation, the return of his creature "christ" to Wadsworth, and the new earth by using a soccer ball and kitchen utensils.
From an RCG source:
From an RCG source:
Part 298
On Thursday March 18th, another one of Dave’s prophecies failed without most even realizing it. Christ was supposed to return on Friday night, but I guess He tricked Dave again and forced him to have yet another revelation. On top of this, Christ also revealed to Dave that maybe rewriting all his literature isn’t so hard after all! Maybe this Gospel is supposed to get out after all!
“As I've explained the Work is booming right now. And I mean, booming! You just can't fathom it. Might God want us to do a "great work "this side of the kingdom? I'm just raising it. Please don't make it more or less than that. Well make it more than that, but don't make it less than that. If so, we are perfectly primed with the best staff and the strongest reserves we've ever had. The conference would come back, the camps would come back. The college would be strong. Campus would expand. If we must wait longer, we could do a powerful work for a year, with an open door we know nobody can close, regardless of who might try.
We can carefully, I've had a lot of time since I brought this up recently, I just found it, I found I've got to do this, or I'm not a wise and faithful servant. We can carefully and relatively easily rewrite the literature without emphasizing the way God will come. It can be done. I've been looking through booklets and how did I say it? We could surge forward with the "complete Gospel" to the world for whatever time remains. I'll keep sprinkling in, "I don't believe it." And I know things that you don't even know that makes me absolutely not believe it. All of this said, let me just put it this way, every metric points to this Passover, may God's kingdom come on his timetable. And if I'm right with what we've learned, we've got about 28 hours, and I end now so that they can get this posted for the rest of God's people. I think I know what happens tomorrow night [Friday March 19th]. Have a good afternoon.”
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Dave Pack: "Because at this point in time, a Bible slows me down! I can study without a Bible much faster than with one!"
If you want to know why Dave Pack is getting so weird, this is why. He is so intelligent that he no longer needs the Bible in front of him and just pulls it out of his ass.
Sermon 299
Earlier in the message however, Dave clarifies how he studies the Bible and comes up with his prophetic ideas, it is actually quite simple. When you leave the Bible out entirely, it is much easier to make up new prophetic stories. He states: "Because at this point in time, a Bible slows me down! I can study without a Bible much faster than with one! And so that's what I do. I will scroll 20 verses [in his mind] and I will filter ideas through those 20 verses. There are a whole bunch of verses, about a dozen verses, that seem to talk about Christ's coming in a way that does not look like when he comes "in power," for instance, he comes out of a cloud versus he comes in vengeance and flaming fire there about 20 like that. So when I think of Christ, I think of about 32 verses."
The RCG source writes:
RCG has departed from even claiming to follow the Bible. Simply believe the scrolling passages in Dave's mind and everything will be revealed!
Dave Pack: Jesus Was Supposed To Have Returned March 23, 2021
Part 299
Dave delivered Part 299, a 30-minute message this past Saturday night. After another failed predicted date for Christ’s return the day prior, he has a new revelation that points undoubtedly to Christ’s return on March 23rd or the faithful will need to wait another year.
Dave states: "Now, everything you know, is summarized in three facts. Everything! The first half of the year is 1,290 days, and it ends at Trumpets in 2024. Meaning Abib 10 (When Christ returns), sometime on March 23rd! Number two. We eat the Passover with Christ on Abib 14. This is when God and Christ appear together in glory with all saints. Three, the "gap" between the 1290 and Passover is 84 hours. Those are your "pole stars." Those are your touchstones. Those are Jachin and Boaz. They're the two pillars. Abib 10, "the coming," and Passover and a half a week in between. Now, if Tuesday comes and goes, then it would appear we wait another year."
Monday, March 22, 2021
Why Is Satan the Supreme All Powerful "god" of the Church of God?
Members Told Not to Take Satan’s Bait:
March 19, 2021
Roger Brandon recently gave a sermonette where he told members not to take Satan’s Bait. (Comments by L. S.)
He threw out the question, “Have you ever wondered what Satan is doing during the days leading into Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread?”(Comment: This causes the members to concentrate right away on Satan.)
It has always amazed me at how much more powerful Satan is to Church of God leaders and members than the God they supposedly are following. This is just one more legacy of the church shoving Jesus to the back burner and ignoring all that he accomplished. When the emphasis in the church is placed upon gaining favor from God by keeping the law, the COG ignores or deliberately lies about Jesus. This, in turn, lets Satan become all-powerful and always out to destroy gullible or backsliding church members.
Then he told them Satan is getting them to “leave the church” and “bait them into sinning” and if they do those things, he can “slowly erode their faith.” He quoted from HWA more than once. (Comment: Brandon doesn’t mention that even though Satan tempts Christians in many ways, “we are not unaware of his schemes” [II Corinthians 2:11] and we can take up “the shield of faith” to “quench all the fiery darts” thrown at us [Ephesians 6:16].
It is always Satan's fault that members leave the church. It never seems to be the abusive and vile leaders and the garbage they preach. People will only take being treated like dirt for so long and then they will leave. After decades of lies about prophecy, some are deciding to leave PCG now. Others leave because they are sick of the "no contact" perversion that the Flurry's and their jack-booted ministry teach.
He talked about Satan “broadcasting in attitudes and moods” and “sometimes we can’t resist that bait.” (Comment: This is referring to how HWA always said Satan had some sort of “wavelength” that he sends out through the air broadcasting bad attitudes. This is the opposite of Ephesians 6:10-18, a passage which talks about more than “Satan” having some sort of “bait.”)
We have discussed before on here the epitaph that COG leaders regularly throw out at members who they deem to be in "bad attitudes." This epitaph is a direct way of silencing critics. Members who have been accused of this are then deemed to be in direct rebellion against God, which is a lie.
He quoted I Peter 5:8 and said, “Satan is “always on the job” and” Satan is out to destroy us.” (Comment: These words do nothing but concentrate on fear.)
Fear is the best message COG cult leaders use to keep members under control. Fear of Satan taking over their minds. Fear of not going to the place of safety. Fear of the great tribulation. Fear of disfellowshipment. On and on the list goes. The church has made Satan more powerful than anything Jesus ever did. They never mention when Jesus says to "rest" in him and not worry. Let him carry your burdens and worries.
Then he laid guilt on the members, by saying, “When we fall it’s because we’re not close enough to God.” (Comment: It’s because we are not depending wholly on Christ and standing fast in His grace [I Peter 5:12 and Colossians 2:5, steadfastness in Christ, which Brandon didn’t quote because he left outgrace and Christ as our Helper.)
If you are a Christian and have been taught to understand the things Jesus accomplished it is just as L.S said above. Being steadfast in the comforter makes it a lot harder to fall, and even when one does, there is no need to worry about ultimate damnation, the fake damnation that the COG loves to scare COG members with.
Matthew 11:28-3028 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
He told them there is “grave danger” in getting their minds on themselves. Because then they “can’t really comprehend Passover or conquer the Devil.” (Comment: It is Jesus, not us, who is the one that goes forth to “conquer” [Revelation 6:2]. Also read: How can I observe Passover if I’ve left the group? from our Q&A which also talks about Passover).
The COG has made a business out of training members to focus upon themselves and not on Jesus. Keeping the law correctly as interpreted by COG leaders forces the members to constantly look at themselves to see how they are doing. That is the emphasis that the COG places upon members at the COG version of Passover. They are to spend weeks beating themselves up over all their indiscretions over the last year. Are they worthy? Are they in the right attitude? Have they deleavend their home, car, and office properly? Have they deleavend their mind so they don't sin anymore? Blah, blah, blah. When they do this they have let sin trump redemption letting Satan once again become more powerful than that wimpy Jesus COG leaders love to mock.
He said Satan has the “right bait” for each of us and it might be to: not pay our tithes, control our temper, lack of patience, lust of the flesh, or words we hear from others and how we react. (Comment: Tithing and offerings have always been a major doctrine in PCG, especially during the holy days. Read: “Tithing and Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing.”)
Fear, fear, fear. Satan's bait is always more powerful than Jesus. Not tithing is never going to cause anyone to be taken over by Satan, especially since it is not a new covenant command. Losing one's temper, have a lack of patience are not salvation issues.
One of the worst things he said was that God won’t even hear our prayers (he quoted Isaiah 59:2) and added that “Our sins separate us from God.” (Comment: This is seriously in error since God has forgiven all our sins through Christ Jesus. Read: “The Sin Question.” PCG ministers are known to constantly quote from the O. T. which was the old covenant and Christians are not under the old covenant.)
This has to be one of the stupidest comments I have heard a minister make, well, at least in the last 30 minutes or so. The fact that Satan is so powerful that he can put up a force field between COG members and their God when it comes to prayer is idiocy. This also says that the prayer of Christians and others around the world are going unheard while the prayers of COG members are the only ones getting through. Apparently, Satan is too weak to stop those prayers from ascending on high.
There was so much emphasis on striving with a focus on Satan in this sermonette. (Comment: Brandon does not want to emphasize that we who have trusted Christ and his free gift of eternal life are overcomers because “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). He does not focus on Christ and what He has already done for us. –PCG source (additional comments by L. S.)
LCG: Do your leaders, ministers and elders meet these qualifications to serve you?
Sadly, this is the face of so many of the "elders" leading churches today
These are the qualifications for elders in the LCG:
Qualifications of Elders
1 Tim 3:1-7; 2 Tim 2:24-25, 4:1-2; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-4• Must be blameless (above reproach, no grounds for accusations) Right out the gate many elders fail the qualifications. Sadly, the number of elders who are above reproach and suffer no grounds for accusations are few and far between.• Willing to serve - The track record for far too many elder's in the church has never been one of service. They expected to be served, waited on hand and foot. Clean their houses, mow their lawns, take care of the dry cleaning, paint their homes, etc.• Husband of one wife For some, at least.• Temperate (marked by moderation, not extreme) Far too many elders and ministers are volatile and overreact to members questions and life circumstances• Sober-minded (serious) This one does describe many elders in the church. Some of them seem to have never cracked a smile since they were ordained! Far too many take themselves far too seriously. God forbid if you ever laughed at one of them to their face!• Of good behavior Child molesters, serial stalkers, adulterers...you name it and the elders have done it or are doing it. Not all of them, mind you, but far too many have!• Hospitable For some elders and ministers, if they deem you worthy to be in their presence then they are hospitable to you, otherwise don't disturb their bubble with your presence.• Humble LOL! Let's start with Rod Meredith and Gerald Weston. Humility just reeks from these guys, right?• Able to teach (explain, exhort, convince, inspire, correct) Just how many times does an elder/minister need to repeat the same sermon? Enough with the sermons with 7,14, or 21 points over a 1 1/2 hour time period. Enough! An effective speaker can get across the main point in 15 minutes or less. No one needs to stand up there for hours on end lecturing. That is the problem right there. They lecture. They don't inspire, they don't convince, they lecture.• Not given to wine Oh Lordy This is COG ministers and elders we are talking about. The sad fact about far too many in the COG ministry is that too many of them are raging alcoholics.• Not violent How about the elders that strike their wives or are emotionally abusive? Or the ones that are child molesters? Or the stalkers and rapists? Fortunately, there are not that many in the church, but they are there and the church does its best to cover up their bad deeds.• Not greedy for money What about the ministers and elders who get peeved that lay members make more money than they do and have better things and then proceed to make the lives of those people miserable if they don't regularly cough up their money. COG ministers are well known to court and pamper well-off members. They get invited to the minister's home and are able to slide by when they do things not kosher in the church's eye. Don't forget around holy day offering times as their eyes glaze over as they demand members put more and more money in the offering plate. It is important to them that they look good in HQ's eyes.• Gentle Some of the most abusive and heavy-handed men in the church have been ministers and elders wreaking havoc in their congregations. Do you remember Rod Meredith as a gentle soul?• Self-controlled See not given to wine, above• Not quarrelsome or quick tempered Most church members have never seem a group of men who can get pissed off and angry so fast than they do with the ministry. They are quick to jump the gun and make snap judgments without getting all the facts.• Not self-willed• Not covetous How dare a lay member have better things than a minister Or, better yet, the freedom to do what they want so let's make them come over and paint my house on their time, mow my yard, and deleaven my home for me.• Ruling well their own children and households (demonstrating Godly leadership in their family) From Rod Meredith's children to the children of far too many COG ministers and elders, this has NEVER been the case. Drug abuse, arrests, sexual assaults premarital sex, you name it and COG ministers children have done it and are still doing it. For far too many of their children are not even members of the church anymore. Some example that is!• Having children who are good examples see above• Not new to the truth, but having a track record Sadly that "track record" is nothing to be proud of in the church considering the decades of theological and spiritual abuse the church has dished out. Just because someone has read all of HWA's books and articles doe snot make them a theologian or ministry material. Reciting church doctrine by rote is not a good track record either.
• Having a good reputation among those outside the church If church members are told continually to not be a part of the world, why would an LCG elder be well thought of in their community? They self isolate in order to not be tainted by the unclean and god forbid if they associate with those "so-called" Christians, Buddhists, or Muslims who might be their neighbor.• A lover of what is good• Just and holy Justice in the Church of God. What a novel concept!• Holding fast the faithful word as taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.A lot of good this has done over the decades. If the ministry in the LCG really believed this they would have never allowed the heretic Bob Thiel to pull the crap he has done nor would they have massaged his delicate ego by telling him that he was a prophet. Because Jesus is not part of the picture, sound doctrine is not part of the bigger picture in the church. Because of that they cannot effectively exhort and convict people to be lovers of The Way. They know enough to force the law and government down the throats of people, but not Jesus.
From the LCG's Advanced Leadership Training Program, Class 24
Sunday, March 21, 2021
LCG: The type of government implemented in this church will soon be worldwide! (Lord have mercy on us all!!!!!!!!!!!)
LCG ministers are trained about government with this:
God’s form of government is clearly laid out in His inspired word, the Bible. God’s government begins with the father, followed by Christ, then down through the leaders that God puts in place in His Church. These leaders submit to each other, and ultimately to Christ and the Father. Government God’s Church is designed to mirror the Father’s relationship with Jesus Christ, teaching us more about Him. It includes the creation of offices and responsibilities in the church, and was designed to facilitate order, peace, and decency (I Cor 14:33, 40) and to eliminate confusion.
God wants His people to learn more about Him and His government. He outlined His form of government for the Church and the family, because His government will be implemented globally Tomorrow’s World. God’s form of government teaches us to humble ourselves before Him and to submit to each other—in accordance with the example that Christ left for us. Ultimately, following God’s form of government requires faith in the leadership that God places in His church. Godly leaders must earn and maintain that faith by exemplifying and practicing the fruits of His spirit, including love, patience, and mercy. These Godly characteristics should permeate and exemplify God’s government. Practicing God’s form of government now, not only enables God to work effectively through leaders in His Church to do His work, but it will also enable us to easily transition into His government in His Kingdom!
Optional Homework for Next Class:• Review and discuss (with a partner) the qualifications and responsibilities of ministers, deacons and deaconesses outlined in 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1 and elsewhere.
Quotes on the Importance of GovernmentThe state is a bankrupt institution. The only alternative to this bankrupt ‘humanistic’ system is a God-centered government. —R.J. Rushdoony
I am really surprised to see LCG use this quote by Rushdoony. He is an extreme far-right "dominionist" that advocates for total church control of society which includes stoning of adulterers, homosexuals, kids that talk back to parents, and much much more. Though it should not surprise me because one of the big proponents of dominionism is Rushdoony's son-in-law, Gary North from Tyler Texas. North's books were widely circulated on the Pasadena and Big Sandy campuses in the mid-70s - early 80s.
"Dominionism comes in “soft” and “hard” varieties. “Hard” dominionism (sometimes called Christian Reconstructionism), as Clarkson describes it, explicitly seeks to replace secular government, and the U.S. Constitution, with a system based on Old Testament law.
The father of hard dominionism, the late Presbyterian theologian R.J. Rushdoony, called for his followers to “take back government … and put it in the hands of Christians.”
Rushdoony’s legacy has been carried on by his son-in-law, Tyler-based economist Gary North, an unapologetic theocrat who in 1982 called for Christians to “get busy in constructing a Bible-based social, political, and religious order which finally denies the religious liberty of the enemies of God.” (North, founder of the Institute for Christian Economics, did not respond to my request for comment.)" The Radical Theology That Could Make Religious Freedom a Thing of the Past: Even devout Christians should fear these influential leaders' refusal to separate church and state.
LCG's minister training on government continues by quoting Rod Meredith as an authority on government. Rod Meredith is the last person in the COG movement that needs to be commenting on church government, especially considering how he disobeyed Herbert Armstrong, got himself exiled to Hawaii refusing to admit he had done anything wrong, and then proceeded over the following years to wreck people lives and run off at the mouth till he cost the church millions of dollars after he libeled Lona McNair. She sued him and he lost all because of his rebellious loud mouth.
Lord help us if Rod Meredith is going to sit in some lofty throne and pass judgment upon us all, as he claims below.
“Although democracy may be one of the best humanly devised forms of government, it is not the "wave of the future" by any means. Truly, we all need to learn and understand God’s form of government, for the true saints of God will soon be called on to administer that form of government in Tomorrow’sWorld.” Meredith, R.C. (March-April 2005). The Future of Democracy. Tomorrow’s World (p.27)“Throughout the entire Bible, it is made very clear that there will be no "democracy" and no "voting" in Christ’s Government. For as we read in Hebrews 13:8: ‘Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.’" (Meredith, R.C. (March-April 2005). The Future of Democracy. Tomorrow’s World(p.8).
Minister training quotes are from an LCG source.
LCG: Can you pass its test for ministers?
These are some of the questions Living Church of God ministers are expected to know in order to be ministers in the church. Note that there is nothing about Christ, except for the city in which he is expected to return to, at some point in LCG's timeline. Also, note a question about a comment Will Durant made. Durant is considered one of America's greatest philosophers. LCG can quote him but then mock great philosophers from Greece and elsewhere as pagans.
If LCG was a Christ-centered church then its entire training process for its ministers would be centered upon that inconvenient dude they don't like to talk about. Instead, it is all about the law, government, and prophecy, while that dude that keeps knocking at their door is left standing outside in the cold.
1. What is referred to by the “deadly wound” of Revelation 13?
2. What does historian Will Durant say is “one of the most brilliant ideas in the history of
statesmanship”?
3. What do the two legs of Daniel 2 represent?
4. Why does the lamb which speaks like the dragon have two horns? What is their significance?
5. What defines the mark of the Beast in general, and which of the 10 Commandments does it refer to in particular?
6. What is the significance of the mark of the Beast being taken on the hand and on the forehead?
7. What is the first beast, and what is the second beast, of Revelation 13?
8. What is the connection between the numeral 666 and the coming European empire?
9. What is God’s admonition to His people regarding Babylon the Great (Rv. 18:4)?
10. What city will become the dwelling place of Christ, the Father, and the firstfruits for all eternity
(Revelation 21)?
Advanced Leadership Training Program