At Little Preemptive Prophecy Ahead of Ida to Help Bob Thiel Out: " Wet weather is sometimes used by God for judgment and correction."

Ba'al the Canaanite God of Storms Pre-YHVH

BEAST IDA
'RAPID INTENSIFICATION'

I know that Bob Thiel is probably very busy with Holy Day and FOT prep so with Hurricane Ida approaching  and soon hitting the Gulf Coast tomorrow, thought I'd go ahead and write his post prophetic observations ahead of time. To save time and prophetic peepings and mutterings  I just cut and pasted his past article on the Bronze Age Prophetic Weather God endeavoring to get our attention a few Hurricanes ago. 

Hurricanes Irma, (IDA) Harvey, Jose, and Katia; Massive earthquake in Mexico (Haiti)

https://www.cogwriter.com/news/prophecy/hurricanes-irma-harvey-jose-and-katia-massive-earthquake-in-mexico/

The devastation from Hurricane Irma  (Ida) has been massive and more is expected:

September 8, 2017  (August 28, 2021)


Hurricane Irma (Ida) continued its deadly and destructive path through the Caribbean on Friday morning, and is still on track to slam into Miami this weekend.

The storm, which went from a Category 5 to a 4, remained powerful, with winds of 150 mph, according to an 8 a.m. ET National Hurricane Center bulletin. Irma was about 80 miles northeast of Cabo Lucrecia, Cuba, and 450 miles southeast of Miami.

Irma (Ida) grazed the Turks & Caicos Islands earlier Friday as it swept toward the southeastern Bahamas — promising more devastation after flattening homes and cutting power to a string of Caribbean islands and killing at least 12 people. …

It hit Puerto Rico with a glancing blow late Wednesday, killing at least three people, after battering the islands of Barbuda, St. Bart and St. Martin.

Thousands of people were left homeless in French-controlled St. Martin, where four people were reported dead and thousands more were left homeless after Irma demolished 95 percent of buildings on the island. One death was reported on the Dutch side of the island. Another death was reported on the island of Barbuda.

Video obtained by NASA had the eye of Irma, the most powerful Atlantic hurricane on record, passing just to the north of the Dominican Republic on Thursday (Sunday) morning. https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/hurricane-irma/hurricane-irma-has-miami-its-sights-after-cutting-deadly-swath-n799476

Notice that Irma (Ida) is “the most powerful Atlantic hurricane on record.” Those who do not think things are changing are deluding themselves.

And it is not just Hurricane Irma that is a threat. The following from the US government show Irma, plus two other hurricanes, Jose and Katia, coming:



Plus there still is flooding and other problems associated with Hurricane Harvey.



There are also many affected by typhoons in Asia. Also, Southern China has been seeing more typhoons than usual this year.

Weather changes help show us that the world can quickly and dramatically change.

While many humans often seem to think otherwise, God is in charge and controls the weather:

(Note: There is a modern day reason for that Bob) 


7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
You great sea creatures and all the depths;
8 Fire and hail, snow and clouds;
Stormy wind, fulfilling His word; (Psalms 148:7-8)

26 “Behold, God is great, and we do not know Him; Nor can the number of His years be discovered. 27 For He draws up drops of water, Which distill as rain from the mist, 28 Which the clouds drop down And pour abundantly on man. 29 Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds, The thunder from His canopy? 30 Look, He scatters His light upon it, And covers the depths of the sea. 31 For by these He judges the peoples; He gives food in abundance. 32 He covers His hands with lightning, And commands it to strike. 33 His thunder declares it, The cattle also, concerning the rising storm. (Job 36:26-33)

25 For He commands and raises the stormy wind,Which lifts up the waves of the sea. 26 They mount up to the heavens, They go down again to the depths;Their soul melts because of trouble. 27 They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits’ end. 28 Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. 29 He calms the storm,So that its waves are still. 30 Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven. 31 Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! 32 Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, And praise Him in the company of the elders. 33 He turns rivers into a wilderness, And the watersprings into dry ground; 34 A fruitful land into barrenness, For the wickedness of those who dwell in it. 35 He turns a wilderness into pools of water, And dry land into watersprings. 36 There He makes the hungry dwell, That they may establish a city for a dwelling place, 37 And sow fields and plant vineyards, That they may yield a fruitful harvest. 38 He also blesses them, and they multiply greatly; And He does not let their cattle decrease. (Psalms 107:25-38)

17 He casts out His hail like morsels;
Who can stand before His cold?
18 He sends out His word and melts them;
He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow. (Psalms 147:17-18)

3 He sends it forth under the whole heaven, His lightning to the ends of the earth. 4 After it a voice roars; He thunders with His majestic voice, And He does not restrain them when His voice is heard. 5 God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend. 6 For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’; Likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength. 7 He seals the hand of every man, That all men may know His work. 8 The beasts go into dens, And remain in their lairs. 9 From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind, And cold from the scattering winds of the north. 10 By the breath of God ice is given, And the broad waters are frozen. 11 Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds; He scatters His bright clouds. 12 And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance, That they may do whatever He commands them On the face of the whole earth. 13 He causes it to come, Whether for correction, Or for His land, Or for mercy. (Job 37:3-13)

God controls the weather. Wet weather is sometimes used by God for judgment and correction."

Note:  Not to mention dry, hot, cold, windy, twirly and humid weather.... But only sometimes.  Anything less than a Cat 3 hurricane is just luck of the draw. Cat 3 to 5 is definitely God "trying to tell us something"

Seeking God's Guidance The LCG Way

I wonder if we will ever hear a COG minister ever just quote the teachings of Jesus without having to rely upon Old Covenant "heroes" to scare members into submission?

A question though...Winnail states: "we must seek God’s guidance in the decisions that we make". The problem with this statement, when it comes to LCG, is that "guidance" only comes from the ministry that supposedly can help people make the "right" decisions - (i.e. those decisions that we deem acceptable). We have all seen how well THAT has turned out! COG leaders have been doing their own thing for over 25 years now. There is nothing new under the sun.

Seek God’s Guidance: In the world today, the message is “do your own thing.” However, the Bible records the tragic results of this approach (Judges 21:25; Jeremiah 9:12–16). In the Scriptures, we are admonished, “Seek the LORD while He may be found” (Isaiah 55:6). We are also told that God looks on those who are humble and teachable and “[tremble] at My word” (Isaiah 66:2). King David, a man after God’s own heart, modeled the attitude that God is looking for when he wrote, “Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes.... Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:33, 105). Jesus emphasized the same theme when He told His disciples to “live by... every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Jesus also taught, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). One important lesson in life is that if we desire to succeed in any endeavor, we must seek God’s guidance in the decisions that we make—because that leads to lasting rewards. 

 

Have a profitable Sabbath,

 Douglas S. Winnail

 

Why are COG members still falling for the Tithe of the Tithe "Command"?

 

While the following comment is directed towards LCG members, it is also standard practice in almost all the splinter groups to guilt trip members into sending in this so-called tithe. Besides not being a new covenant command any more than tithing is itself, this con-game is just one more way for the churches to increase their coffers. A lot of this money goes into sending LCG minions and other Feast location scouts in other COG's to search out vacation Feast sites and supposedly paying for convention halls, etc.  Ask Lil'Jimmie Meredith how much fun he had "researching" Feast site locations.

Since the church itself requires that its members attend these "convocations" then the church itself should be paying for all the halls, sound rentals, video hookups, and satellite feeds, NOT the members. Each of these groups hauls in millions of dollars annually and certainly has the means to pay for these sites instead of coning members into double paying for everything they do at the Feast.

Tithe of the Festival Tithe—Repeat Announcement
For many decades, the Church of God has practiced what is called the “tithe of the Festival tithe.” What this means is that brethren who can afford it are asked to send a tenth of their Festival tithe to the Church in advance of the Feast, to help pay for meeting halls and other Feast expenses, as well as to help brethren around the world with limited resources to attend the Feast (Deuteronomy 14:27; 16:14). If you are able and you have not already done so, please send in your tithe of the Festival tithe for this year. This contribution is greatly appreciated.

LCG: Hurtling Toward Oblivion! Ohhhhhhhh Noesssssssssss!

 

Well, crap!  That ruined my day!

On the other hand, Mr. Weston takes a dig at Sheldon Monson by claiming the all-powerful God of LCG has replaced all of the malcontents who left the only true church to go with Monson with new true believers. Isn't God awesome!

Oh, and LCG's Tomorrow's World magazine has finally reached 500,000 subscribers. Its taken them how many years to get to this point?

Despite the rapid spread of the Delta Variant, LCG is planning on its Feast sites. After all, its god will protect everyone, just like it did with Mr. Weston when he caught COVID. In the meantime, they are scrambling to make all kinds of alternative plans. I am just surprised he did not blame this on Satan as a means of stopping members from attending one of LCG's prime money-maker events.

 

Greetings from Charlotte, 

 

We are now less than two weeks away from the Feast of Trumpets, and while the Trumpets are yet to blow, our world is hurtling toward oblivion, as anyone with eyes to see can see. It should be obvious by now that too many people in government, academia, and the media do not love this country—open borders, this Afghanistan disaster, and the push toward immoral behaviors provide more than enough evidence. This goes beyond politics. What God predicted would happen if we forsook Him is now coming to pass. How we long for that seventh Trumpet to be blown to bring mankind’s foolishness to an end. Meanwhile, I noticed an interesting trend the other day. While we regret that some members left us after the 2020 summer camp, in fact the number the number of Member/Co-worker letters sent out here in the U.S. has not only remained steady but has grown, and income has followed the same trend. One would have expected a dip, but God rapidly replaced those who left and the Work continues—adding four issues of the Tomorrow’s World magazine each year (from six to ten), hiring new ministers, sending out all- time high numbers of Bible Study Course lessons, and approaching half a million Tomorrow’s World subscribers. Brethren, as we approach the Feast this year, let us put our hearts into our prayers for God’s guidance and protection as this Delta variant of COVID continues to spread rapidly and, as a result, is affecting some of the requirements our venues are placing on us for our use of their facilities. Many alternate plans are having to be made all around the world.—Gerald Weston

See: 

LCG Takes a Big Hit When Over 500 (?) LCG Members Defect To Sheldon Monson and Church of God Assembly

Did Sheldon Monson Comply To Weston's Rules And Then Have The Script Turned On Him (Like LCG Is So Good At)?

It Is An Ungrateful Job Being A COG Prophet

 

Zerubbabel 11 months ago

It has been a rough road for self-appointed Church of God prophets down through the decades. Widely ignored and mocked, these know-it-alls dispense one idiotic prophecy/predicition after another. Each year that passes the church is filled with more and more of these fools.

Above is Michael Noordhoek, aka Zerbbabel. This walking freak of nature was the same guy who a couple years ago said he was impregnating his daughter with the holy man child to come.

Noordhoek is in the same graduating class as Bob Thiel and this is the future look of Bob Thiel a few more years down the line:

Zerubbabel - August 2021

It looks like Zerub has never washed his outfit in the past year. Imagine how he stinks since he lives in the desert!

Apparently, he never raised the 280 million dollars he was looking for when he set up a Gofundme page and therefore is unable to buy new clothes. Of course, the local Walmart probably does not sell prophets clothing like this anymore, especially since the pandemic has hit and supply chains are disrupted.

COG Zerubbabel Starts 280 Million Dollar Go Fund Me Page

Sadly, Michael Noordhoek is not an anomaly. Why is the Church of God filled with so many idiots like what we have today? Can Bob Thiel answer that question?

For a hilarious bit of fun fast forward to the 2:15 mark and watch his clothing malfunction...

Depression in the Churches of God due to constant prophecy fatigue

When Herbert Armstrong was rebelling against the COG 7 and dreaming up his splinter group, he was also reading numerous books by the Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventists, and the Mormon Church. In his downstairs basement, in the old walk-in safe, were numerous books from these groups with sections marked up, underlined, and with copious notes in the margins. Of these groups, the Jehovah's Witnesses' literature made up the largest quantity of these books. Of any of the Millerite splinter groups out there, the JW's are the closest to Armstrongism in their beliefs and in the number of failed propechies. Surprisingly these failed prophecies follow almost identical Worldwide Church of God/Armstrongite prophecies. By now we have all seen the 200+ documented failed prophecies of Armstrong and his minions. Armstrong's failure rate in prophecy is identical to the JW's failure rate, particularly when it comes to the 1971 - 1975 prophecies. Both churches failed miserably in their predictions.

Like all churches out there that utter predictions that never come to pass, they fluff it off as a timing mistake or that God was not ready or it happened spiritually. Even today in 2021, the church is filled with many false prophets uttering asinine predictions and outright lies to their members. Just look at Bob Thiel, Dave Pack, Gerald Flurry, and Ron Weinland and you can see this in action today.

None of these buffoons ever take into consideration what happens to members when they are subjected to their prophetic lunacy that fails every single time. Some members become numb to it and just fluff it off as not really important to worry about because even HWA made mistakes and he was still God's apostle. Others sink into depression due to these constant moving of goal posts. Marriages suffer and frustrations are taken out of family members with all kinds of abuse happening. Others, like Terry Ratzmann are so damaged by the words of COG ministers that they lash out in violence and kill members. Sadly, as more and more COG self-appointed prophets make more and more public lies, I am afraid that we may soon see a member in Restored Church of God or Philadelphia Church of God crack under this pressure and resort to some kind of violence. It is only a matter of time. Then, watch as their leaders leap into action to delete sermons, backtrack, and portray the members as the disturbed ones instead of taking any responsibility.

I have to hand it to Jeff Reed of the Church of God international who recently wrote about the current spate of false prophets in the Church of God. In his article, The Dangers of Headline Theology, Reed said,

We in the Church of God International may occasionally look at world events and examine them through the lens of God’s law or prophecy. Still, we carefully avoid making dogmatic statements and identify our observations as speculation. Those who practice “headline theology” go much further. They may predict specific days or years as an absolute fulfillment of prophesied events. Or they may suggest that the end is only a few years away. 

 

One of the dangers of this mindset is paranoia. We are told in Philippians 4:6-7 to “not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Looking at every new war, earthquake, natural disaster, social trend, or political change as a fulfillment of prophecy can cause anxiety.

Armstrongism is filled with prophecy addicts who have a field day by looking at every war, earthquake, natural disaster, social trend, and the political minefield as somehow relating to Bible prophecy. Most of the time, these fools are pulling predictions out of their sanctimonious privileged derrieres which have absolutely nothing to do with end-time events.

Of course, some of them only say they are speculating and if it doesn't happen then they are off the hook. In a comment on The Painful Truth website there is this comment by a woman named Kathy regarding COG prophets and those who make excuses for their lies:

Re: whether or not the Armstrongs claimed to be prophets, It's all semantics, my friend. Catch-phrases, such as "we're now in the gun-lap" "eight or nine short years to go", "in five or six short years from now", "last dying gasp of this wicked society," "God's apostle for the "end-time," etc. etc. ad infinitum, do have a certain prophetic ring to them. Both Garner Ted Armstrong and HWA have been more careful, at least since 1972, when their credibility was slightly damaged by the non-fulfillment of their predictions, to make it abundantly clear that they are not "prophets"-all the while continuing to "watch," or as a cynical person such as myself might put it, to prophesy. 

 

If you are a sincere person, and I have no reason to doubt that you are, I suggest that you go to a university (a "worldly," accredited one, please) and take some basic history courses, beginning with the History of Western Civilization. I especially recommend this if you think you already know this history, based on what the Armstrongs taught you. The reason that "not many wise men now are called" is because educated people, generally, simply know better than to fall for the histrionics of the proclaimers of the end of the world. They've seen this sort of thing through the ages and they understand the motive behind it. (And yes, I do remember what the New Testament says about people who say what I've just said. I don't care, so don't quote it to me.) Garner Ted Armstrong's Myrmidon Replies To Questions

Back to Jeff Reed's observations:

Another danger with “headline theology” is that it may cause some to lose their faith. Many over the years have put their hopes in a prophetic fulfillment that never comes to pass. Church leaders have unwisely predicted specific dates for the return of Christ or have implied that it would occur within a certain number of years. This date-setting has caused disillusionment in many former Christians. Faith in Christ becomes entwined with faith in their leader's predictions. Once these predictions ultimately fail, they can have a devastating effect on those who gullibly believed them.

William Miller predicted that Jesus would return to earth by 1844. He was so wrong in his calculations that the ensuing failure has been labeled the “Great Disappointment.” This failed prediction caused many to abandon their faith entirely and others to refer to this event as a reason to not even consider Christianity. Since then, many others have made similar predictions based on faulty calculations and their perceptions of world wars, disasters, and other dramatic events. They have all been wrong, and some of the fallout has been many people losing faith entirely. This also hurts the credibility of organizations and preachers, making their ensuing evangelistic efforts less effective.

One of the great things about Reed's article is that he used outside sources to support his viewpoints. Most COG members never look outside their insular worlds filled with pastor generals, chief apostles, and overseer's booklets, sermons, and articles as all the proof they will ever need. Besides, those so-called Christians of the world are losers and fake so why care about what they say!

One of the links Reed used was about what failed prophecy does to the mindset of members of these cults and in this case, it was a Jehovah's Witness. They too had the same end of the world scenario that was supposed to happen in 1975 that Armstrongism did. Here is how it affected one of its members:

A DEPRESSED JEHOVAH’S WITNESS 

Since 1975 when the Witnesses predicted the arrival of God‘s kingdom on earth there have been numerous problems in the Watchtower congregation. These problems have included dis-fellowshipping, doctrinal disputes, and the aftermath of recurring prophetic speculation failures (Hickman1992). In 1966 the Watchtower society issued a number of statements predicting the significance of the new date 1975 for the heralding of Christ Millennial Reign and the catastrophic implications for non-believers. The prediction was based upon biblical chronology which predicted that 6,000 years from man‘s creation will end in 1975 and the seventh period of a thousand years of human history will begin in the fall of 1975. This prophecy had a significant effect on the movement which was galvanised and proselytisation increased substantially. However, 1975 passed without incident leaving the Watchtower vulnerable and open to claims of prophetic disconfirmation. The leaders responded through invoking a number of rationalisations, denial and purges and blamed the rank and file membership for misreading the organisation‘s interpretation. The initialrationalisation of the failure of Armageddon to arrive emphasised the time lapses within the creation of Adam and Eve. This had been miscalculated.

In his ethnographic study of Witnesses Sociologist Andrew Holden (1992) presents a number of testimonies of ex Witnesses who believed the world would end in 1975. 

 

"I said it from the platform. We told everyone the end was near. When I became a Witness I gave up my insurance policies, I cancelled my insurance endowments, I never bought a house because I knew I wouldn‘t need one. We didn‘t even want to put the kids‘ names down for school". 

 

Holden notes that the governing body of Watchtower regarded the failures as a test of faith. In agreement with Brian Wilson‘sjudgement many did not abandon faith because of disappointment about a date as this would be too traumatic an experience to contemplate. Like many other prophetic groups disconfirmed prophecy does not necessarily lead to the dissolution of the group (Stone 2013). 

 

In my own work I have treated one man who lived through the anticipated apocalypse in 1975. Martin is a 70 year old man. Martin was born in the north of England. He first encounters Jehovah Witnesses while he was growing up as an adolescent in his home town. He started to attend Kingdom Hall and to read Watchtower. Very quickly he became hooked and begun to believe their prophecies about Armageddon. In 1974 the year before the expected arrival of Armageddon he was very excited. Much of his time was spent in Kingdom Hall and the discussions there centred round the arrival of Jesus‘ reign. He had no doubt in his mind that this would occur. He left his employment as a chef in anticipation of this prospect. He remembers for several days before the expected arrival he could not sleep. Every morning he awoke in eager anticipation of the end.

But the expected date arrived and nothing happened. How did he respond? Like many other Witnesses he knew at the time, he developed a depressive disorder. For several months he was low in mood. He was bewildered and could not understand why things had happened as such. His sleep was poor as was his appetite. He lost a considerable amount of weight. He begun to doubt the views of the Witnesses and debated with them as to why their prediction had failed. He became angry when one Witness explained to him that it was the fault of the believers who had miscalculated the date. He began to feel that life was hopeless and even seriously contemplated suicide. He ended up in psychiatric treatment where he was prescribed antidepressants. Over several months he improved and shortly afterwards left the Jehovah Witnesses movement. Much of the psychotherapeutic work with him focused upon his anger pertaining to this disconfirmed prophecy. In retrospect he felt he was ̳naive‘ to be taken in by this prophecy and cautioned me never to get involved with them. He is no longer religious although he considers that God may exist but for him no one can know when the world will end. Prophecies are Dangerous Things: Mental Health Implications of Prophetic Disconfirmation

Depression in Armstrongism has been rampant but leaders and ministers sweep it undercover as they label such depression either a sign that a person has been sinning or even demon possessed. Never do they consider it is because of their lies. Sadly in the Churches of God today there are few if any, ministers who are trained to deal with depression or are even trained as real counselors. Their only training is from a minister above them or the current church leader and not by real clinical therapists who teach proper counseling techniques.

As more and more Church of God leaders make more and more asinine prophecies or speculations as they call them, more and more COG members will be suffering from deep depression and hopelessness. None of this needs to happen if these ministers and leaders actually followed the Christ they claim to follow. If they did they would stop the prophecy crap and teach their members about the present rest one can have in Christ and a peace that passes all understanding.

Matthew 11:30
The Message

28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

John 14:27
The Message

25-27 “I’m telling you these things while I’m still living with you. The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught.

John 14:27
New Revised Standard Version

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

 

LCG Members Are Now Expected To Support "The Cause"

 

One never knows what craziness will come out of the Living Church of God anymore. 

Today we have Rod McNair talking to loyal LCG members about supporting "the cause." I guess since they have no active "work" that delivers a real gospel message to the world, they now need to refer to themselves as "the cause."  No matter what they call themselves, it all boils down to one thing. LCG members are expected to financially support "the cause."

McNair writes:

Support the Cause Financially

It matters that we support the Work of God with our wallet as well as our words. As Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19–20). 

 

God will provide for the Work—He says that all the gold and all the silver is His. But He provides through people. Our Father is not limited in resources, and it is to our benefit to put our heart into His Work. He could even raise up stones to do that Work (Matthew 3:9; Luke 3:8), but He has chosen to give us the privilege of playing a part. We are blessed for and experience the joy of being part of His Work, and He takes care of us. Putting our hearts in the Work involves faithfully tithing and giving offerings. 

 

Support the Local Chapter of the Cause

All around the world, members of the Living Church of God are united in support of this cause. Members support Headquarters, and they also help in supporting the local ministry. They help support local Sabbath services. They bolster and encourage one another. Some deliver telecast tapes to broadcast stations and help at live Tomorrow’s World Presentation events. Many share YouTube telecasts, Viewpoint videos, whiteboard videos, articles, or sermons on social media. One way or another, they are directly involved in supporting the Work! 

 

We need to think about what we can do on a personal level in our interactions with outsiders, in our neighborhoods, on the job, and in the community. Historically, many of our brethren have been called through personal contacts or family members. We must not be afraid of shining as lights, convicted so others can see who we are and what we stand for. 

 

This does not detract from our support for the weekly Tomorrow’s World telecast, the Tomorrow’s World magazine, the many aspects of our Internet outreach, and other media efforts. In this world, mass media efforts are extremely effective—easily the most effective way to get a message in front of the most people. God is opening new doors for us to do just that.

Yet our individual contribution at the local level is also vital. Just as with any cause in the world, support at the local level—a good “ground game”—is crucial. Notice what Paul wrote about the importance of each member to the function of the body: “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another” (Romans 12:3–5).

A few of the functions of the body are roles of the ministry, but many are not. As needs arise, everyone’s service in the body is vital in a different way for the support of our “chapter” to preach the Gospel locally and around the world. Together, as we serve God and His Church, we are laying down our lives as “a living sacrifice,” as Paul explained in Romans 12:1. 

As we would expect from LCG, the banner they wave is the banner of Moses and not Jesus. It's all about lifting up the hands of Moses (Weston) instead of BEING the hands of Jesus in a hurting world today. 

Our Cause, Our Banner

Before the Israelites ever reached the foot of Mount Sinai and committed the idolatry we discussed earlier, there was another event worth noting. Angry bands of Amalekites had attacked the congregation of the Israelites, and Moses sent Joshua to fight against them. Scripture tells the inspiring story of how God defended His people when they needed it—and it gives us a clear, concise understanding of where our loyalties should lie.

And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun (Exodus 17:11–12).

God’s servants were holding up Moses’ arms, just as we “hold up the arms” of our leaders today. And then Moses built an altar to honor God’s deliverance. Notice what he called that altar: “Moses built an altar and called its name, ‘The-Lord-Is-My-Banner’” (Exodus 17:15).

There are a lot of slogans people get excited about today. You can find them written on hats and T-shirts, posted on social media, and promoted at sporting events and political rallies. All these slogans are brands for causes of this world. But what is the cause we support? Which “flag” do we wave? And are we on God’s side? Is the Lord our Banner?

Jesus told His disciples, including us, to preach the Gospel to the world as a witness, in preparation for the establishment of the greatest kingdom the world has ever seen. There is no greater cause than that. Who is on the Lord's side?

Headline Theology: The Modus Operandi of the Church of God Movement

 

A reader here sent me this comment about Jeff Reed's recent article on Church of God International's website, The Dangers of Headline Theology.

Jeff Reed is really asking for it now by debunking headline theology. Not only are the Bill Watson minions within CGI going to be mad. But so are all the other Armstrong COGs who rely on headline theology to scare people into sending money.

Anyone who has spent even a minuscule amount of time in the Armstrong Church of God movement knows by now that headline theology is how the church operates. Headline theology is also the main method that the churches use to scare people into sending in every hard-earned dime they have.

Jeff Reed has become a rare breed in the church, kind of like Ian Boyne was. Here are some of the things he said:

“Headline theology” can be defined as searching out sensational headlines in the news upon which to base one’s biblical theology. Many supposed modern-day prophets find joy in connecting world events to their prophetic scenarios even though they continually are proven wrong and continue to move the goalposts of their predictions. 

The COG over the decades has been filled with these types of ministers and church leaders. Today in the COG the biggest adherents of this theology are Dave Pack, Gerald Flurry, Bob Thiel, Ron Weinland, and Alton Billingsley. These men use headline theology to try and pump up their self-appointed  "prophethood" status. That doesn't mean that lesser men like Gerald Weston, Victor Kubik, Jim Franks, and the leaders of other small COG groups don't do the same thing, it is just that they hide their adherence to this kind of theology undercover.

We in the Church of God International may occasionally look at world events and examine them through the lens of God’s law or prophecy. Still, we carefully avoid making dogmatic statements and identify our observations as speculation. Those who practice “headline theology” go much further. They may predict specific days or years as an absolute fulfillment of prophesied events. Or they may suggest that the end is only a few years away.

While the history of the CGI is also filled with men in the past who practiced headline theology, they currently are not setting dates like today's splinter group leaders are. CGI is not immune to do this and will skirt this issue in the days and years to come by claiming that certain events "seem" to fit certain prophecies.

Reed then goes on to say what happens to church members who are fed this twisted way of thinking on a weekly basis:

One of the dangers of this mindset is paranoia. We are told in Philippians 4:6-7 to “not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Looking at every new war, earthquake, natural disaster, social trend, or political change as a fulfillment of prophecy can cause anxiety.

Not only are the members being whipped into a constant state of frenzy with daily doses of doom and gloom, but the biggest adherents of headline theology are some of the most paranoid and narcissistic men the church has ever seen. Not confident to rest in the assurances of the One they claim to follow, they lash out and condemn anyone who disagrees with them by labeling it persecution. Persecution has rarely if ever, come upon the Armstrongite Churches of God from the outside. Only when some catastrophic event happens are COG groups brought into the limelight and the public hears about them does the world even know who they are. 

If someone were to conduct a survey of how many in the world even know about the COG the chances are billions to 1 that no one has. At least with Herbert Armstrong, he traveled the world and had his face plastered all over the news of those countries, unlike today when COG leaders sit in the "headquarters" or storefronts and bellow, bluster, and babble incoherent nonsense as if God was speaking to them. The same goes for CGI. Ask any person on the street who CGI is and what they preach and no one will have any idea. However, those in Jamaica might, as many of their leaders are active in politics and other public service areas and actively work in their communities for good. Those other COG leaders living lives of luxury in the United States and pampered with every imaginable good fortune at their fingertips do absolutely NOTHING for those in their own communities and the world around them. All any of them do is condemn.

Today's COG leaders think that the constant bombardment of doom and gloom headline theology is essential for their votaries' spiritual understanding. All of them are so arrogant and narcissistic in their views of themselves and what they preach that they can't comprehend why anyone would ignore them or ultimately abandoned their churches. Reed writes:

Another danger with “headline theology” is that it may cause some to lose their faith. Many over the years have put their hopes in a prophetic fulfillment that never comes to pass. Church leaders have unwisely predicted specific dates for the return of Christ or have implied that it would occur within a certain number of years. This date-setting has caused disillusionment in many former Christians. Faith in Christ becomes entwined with faith in their leader's predictions. Once these predictions ultimately fail, they can have a devastating effect on those who gullibly believed them.

Reed goes on to mention the ultimate example of  headline theology by mentioning the great, great, great, grandfather of the COG movement, William Miller:

William Miller predicted that Jesus would return to earth by 1844. He was so wrong in his calculations that the ensuing failure has been labeled the “Great Disappointment.” This failed prediction caused many to abandon their faith entirely and others to refer to this event as a reason to not even consider Christianity. Since then, many others have made similar predictions based on faulty calculations and their perceptions of world wars, disasters, and other dramatic events. They have all been wrong, and some of the fallout has been many people losing faith entirely. This also hurts the credibility of organizations and preachers, making their ensuing evangelistic efforts less effective.

The Church of God movement has been forever damaged by the failed prophecies of Herbert W Armstrong, Garner Ted Armstrong, Herman Hoeh, Gerald Waterhouse, and others, in addition to today's current crop of self-appointed theologically bankrupt church leaders.

In one of Reed's closing paragraphs he states:

The final danger of “headline theology” is that it can shift our focus away from what is fundamental to Christianity. Calculating dates, proof-texting, deciphering prophetic puzzles with world events, and other related activities take away our time from what is important. The Apostle Paul made this clear to the Ephesians. “For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ” (Ephesians 4:12-15).

Headline theology takes away church members' focus upon the One they should be following and places the emphasis on that human leader, without whom no one would have any understanding, or in Bob Thiel's case, know when it was time to flee to Petra. 

Christians down through the centuries who have had a direct relationship with Jesus in their lives did not have any need to worry about the crap that COG leaders pump out on a daily basis. Their confidence and faith were in the One who assures them, is by their side no matter what. This is what those Christians in Iraq and now in Afghanistan understand as they are being hunted down and slaughtered. Christians outside the COG have understood this for millennia. Sadly not so much for COG members.

Ask any COG member about the law, clean and unclean meats, and dress codes and they can rattle it off for you immediately. Ask any of them about Jesus or grace and they are at a loss for words. Ask them about justification and sanctification and they will stare at you blindly or accuse you of being a "graceite", "so-called Christian", or a "Christian in name only". They cannot explain any of these theological concepts because they have never been taught to them in the church by today's COG leaders. These men can not teach it because they themselves do not understand it. 

Thanks to the headline theology prophets in the COG today, today's Church of God movement is an utter disaster that is leading to its rapid decline. Their focus is on ultimately unimportant things instead of on the One who they should be following. Just take a quick cruise through Bob Thiel's websites and you will see this in action. Nothing he says is ultimately important or relevant to any Christian who is standing assured in Christ. Not one thing!  The same goes for Dave Pack and Gerald Flurry as they wait for the imminent return of their creature called "christ" while spending millions in tithe money on infrastructure at their headquarters. 

None of these men care about what Jesus teaches or the rest that comes from him. All they are concerned about is taking tithe money from their followers to build world-class buildings and campuses that immediately erect walls around them to keep the public out. Christ never left anyone outside, not so in the Churches of God.

Today's Church of God member is tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of these men, with all their cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. Not one of these men leading COG today can bring the rest and peace that comes from the assurance of following Christ, a simple understanding Christians outside the COG have understood for centuries.

 

Prophecy Comes Alive!

 

Behold! It is appointed unto all the "we shall not all die" Apostles, Prophets, Pastors and Members to  wonder if they could  not have gotten a refund on time wasted being convinced they wouldn't and then to die...

Recently

Ken Martin

Gary Arvidson

Yet to come

David C Pack

Gerald Flurry

Ron Weinland

Bob Thiel

Me

You

Us

https://www.acpasadenareunion.com/class_inmemory.cfm

https://hwarmstrong.com/worldwide-church-of-god-death-notices.htm

https://www.acpasadenareunion.com/class_custom.cfm?page_id=942850

A Tale of Two Churches - Headline News Preaching

 

A Tale of Two Churches

By

Darrell’s Chickens

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way…” –from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

The current situation within the Church of God International evokes some of the characteristics of the classic novel that inspired the title of this piece. Indeed, two pastors of that church have put forth two very different visions of what their message to the world should look like. Pastor Bill Watson’s latest offering in The International News is a textbook example of “Headline Theology,” and Pastor Jeff Reed’s latest blog post condemns that kind of messaging. And while the irreconcilable gulf between the two views is apparent to almost everyone else, the leadership within that organization seems oblivious to the fact.

In The Dangers of Headline Theology, Pastor Reed observed that Headline Theology “can be defined as searching out sensational headlines in the news upon which to base one’s biblical theology. Many supposed modern-day prophets find joy in connecting world events to their prophetic scenarios even though they continually are proven wrong and continue to move the goalposts of their predictions.” He went on to note that “We in the Church of God International may occasionally look at world events and examine them through the lens of God’s law or prophecy. Still, we carefully avoid making dogmatic statements and identify our observations as speculation.” Pastor Reed also pointed out that setting dates or implying that “the end” is just around the corner can lead to all kinds of problems for any church which engages in such behavior. According to him, Christians can succumb to anxiety and paranoia about the future, “that it may cause some to lose their faith” (because their expectations are never satisfied) and that it can divert a Christian’s attention away from the fundamentals of his or her faith.

Ironically, in the current edition of The International News, Pastor Bill Watson’s China: The Emerging Red Dragon stands in stark contrast to his friend’s blog post. In the piece, he relates how China’s activities mesh with those of the Marxist/Globalist leaders whom he claims are currently running things in the United States. Pastor Watson goes on to suggest that the “mark of the beast” may somehow be related to vaccine mandates. In fact, he makes clear that he sees the pandemic as a tool in the hands of China and these Marxist/Globalist leaders to take down the United States. Pastor Watson underscores China’s current bad behavior in seeking to undermine the U.S. (cyber-attacks, stealing technology, the “Wuhan” virus). He continues: “Further, evidence appears to be growing that seems to indicate China—in combination with hundreds of non-profit Foundations and USA corporations, politicians, and a multitude of government operatives—helped hijack and rig the 2020 USA Presidential election, for their own self-serving gains and additional infiltration and control of the United States government. IF—and I emphasize IF—this is true, we may very well be seeing the beginning of the end of the world’s balance of power and the taking down of the last powerful birthright nation of God’s promise to Abraham! If that happens, the world without the United States will be a very different place!”

After going on to underscore that he believes American freedoms are under assault, Mr. Watson asks “So What Can We Do?” His answer: “The United States is under attack from within and without. There are people, private interest groups, non-profit foundations, politicians, entertainers, and athletes that would like nothing else but to see the United States collapse, or be destroyed. This is a time to make a stand, ‘pick a lane,’ and be brave, courageous, and bold in your faith for our families, our country, and of course, the work of our God!” The pastor continued: “Keep in mind, there is nothing sacrilegious about being patriotic. It is okay, as a Christian, to express your disapproval when it becomes apparent our freedoms are being jeopardized and our families endangered. Remember, it is never too late to appeal in prayer to God for mercy upon our land. Even Abraham attempted to beseech God, hoping to rescue Sodom and Gomorrah, as evil and corrupt as they were.”

For Mr. Watson, these circumstances clearly warrant immediate action on the part of the saints. He concludes: “So brethren, in today’s environment, God’s Church needs to step up and be courageous, brave, and bold—a prayerful and an outspoken people! This is not a time to be fearful, timid, or tacit about the things you know are not in the best interests of you, your family, communities, and religious freedoms.” In other words, CGI needs more of Pastor Watson’s messaging, and God and country needs their help!

Is anyone experiencing a little cognitive dissonance and whiplash at present? Pastor Reed warns of the dangers of “Headline Theology,” and Pastor Watson turns around and offers a full serving of it! Yes, CGI is truly simultaneously experiencing a “spring of hope” and a “winter of despair.” Will they continue to be of two minds? Are they metaphorically headed for heaven or the other place?