A Brief Meditation on the Transcendence of God

 A Brief Meditation on the Transcendence of God

In the early Nineties, a fellow member of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG) told me that there were people he encountered at the recent Feast of Tabernacles who were alarmed at a new booklet titled “God is …” They felt the booklet foreshadowed disaster.  I had read the booklet and felt like the controversy was a tempest in a teapot.  But maybe this was a small sign of the times.  A year or so later, I checked out some tapes from the little library maintained by the local WCG congregation about the Doctrine of God.  The tapes were of a series of WCG Bible Studies given in Pasadena by Kyriacos Stavrinides.   I heard the tapes in early 1994 and they were revolutionary.  Stavrinides described the God as understood in the Christian movement, to my great wonderment, and that God was much different from the God of the WCG.  It seemed it was not a tempest in a teapot.  I thought it was going to be a watershed.  But that issue was eclipsed by many other issues and I do not know of any discussion of the Doctrine of God happening thereafter among the followers of Herbert W. Armstrong. Recalling this led me to this brief meditation.

It is natural for man to seek to understand God by use of analogies.   We compare God to a created being because we are created beings and that is what we understand.  This works well, within limits, because we are in the image of God to some degree.  But it is an error to believe that God is just like us only more powerful.  Here is a vignette of issues.  God is not alive.  Nor is he dead.  Humans can be alive or dead. God cannot be either.  He is existence itself.  He transcends the categories of life and death.  God is not limited by neurology.  He does not hear or see or smell or taste or feel.  Those are properties of the created human body.  He experiences things at a level that transcends our senses.  God does not have a body or internal parts.  If he had a beating heart that sustained his life, who would have made it for him – some superior God?  God is not dependent on anything – including internal parts. Even in the Christian movement, God is spoken of as omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient as if these words described transcendence.  Yet these are just human characteristics with Omni- added as a prefix to expand the scope of these words.  God is not just omnipresent – which means present everywhere.  God is not a “where” being.  He is not restricted by the concept of location.  God is also not restricted by time.  He is not a “when” being as we are.   God is not just omnipotent.  The human idea of being powerful involves something being stronger than something else.  The word contains an implicit idea of comparison.  God owns everything absolutely and does not need power to stake his claim.  God is not just omniscient.  He does not just know everything about every field of study.  He creates knowledge.  He transcends knowing.   God is timeless, location-less, limit-less.  This must be stated apophatically because we do not have the words.  All our words are rooted in humanness with its limitations.  It is a grave error to believe that the anthropomorphisms of an ancient Semitic tribal people, their particular analogies, tell us what God is in his essence.  They also thought that the sky was like a blue ceiling.  God gave us the ability not to understand his transcendence fully but to acknowledge it. 

So if you do not acknowledge God’s transcendence where does it take you?  Popular atheists like Dennett, Dawkins, and Hitchens argue from the perspective that God is like a demiurge from Gnosticism.  Non-transcendent but immanent demiurges do not create but fabricate using already existing materials and forces.  They do not create Ex Nihilo.  You never hear atheists arguing about how “being” originates.  They always start their debate with being, dimensions, stable forces, and objects presumed.  Atheists ignore the highway and just futz around in the weeds on the shoulder because that is all the farther science will take them. 

Or you end up making the mistake that Herman Hoeh and Rod Meredith made.  They believed that the Ten Commandments were God’s eternal spiritual law.  And so these Commandments and the statutes, laws, and judgments in the Mosaic legislation that expanded and refined the Ten Commandments just had to be in the New Covenant.  But why would the law of God from eternity, that reflected the nature of God himself, speak of adultery?  (God is sibi ipse ex, a law unto himself.)  What would that mean back before there were human beings and sex?   Humans and sex are not eternal – they were both created.  When this issue is raised you often get the answer that the law concerning adultery is really about loyalty or integrity or some other fundamental ethic.  This just proves that the law concerning adultery is really based on something more fundamental.   It is painfully obvious that The Ten Commandments are an instantiation of God’s eternal spiritual law specifically tailored for humanity.  They are not that law itself.  And God can put into effect or turn off instantiations as he sees fit.   God may have put into effect a collection of laws that govern the angelic realm that we cannot imagine.   All instantiations (Abrahamic, Mosaic, New Covenant, Angelic) are derived from his eternal spiritual law that pre-existed the Cosmos. 

Considering what is at stake, God’s transcendence is well worth thinking about. 

Submitted by Neo

Dave Pack's Timeline Torn Asunder….By Himself

 Dave's Timeline Torn Asunder by Dave

Last week Dave had an elaborate timeline that includes 2.5 days, then 1 day, then 22.5 days, then 3.5 days.

This week, he literally tore it up in front of the brethren, as the audience uncomfortably laughs. 

This weeks timeline

How much longer, RCG brethren, will you endure utter FALSENESS being slapped in your face? 

From an RCG source

LCG: The Most Powerful God Of Armstrongism Is Seeking To Divide Members

 

As usual, LCG members can never do anything right. Now they are being tempted by the most powerful god of the COG movement, Satan. This entity gets afar more air time than does that Christ dude and is apparently more powerful.

Are You in Satan’s Sights? The Bible contains numerous warnings about Satan and how he operates to deceive, divide, and destroy people, families, and nations. He moves like a lion stalking vulnerable and unsuspecting prey (1 Peter 5:8). He does not hunt with claws or bullets, but he stirs up strife by spreading gossip, rumors, and lies (Leviticus 19:16–17; Proverbs 17:9; John 8:44). He fosters discord by stirring up fears, jealousy, and selfish ambitions (1 Corinthians 1:10–13). He will use anyone—members and ministers—to do his work (2 Corinthians 11:1–15). Satan zeros in on people who feel wronged or overlooked or whose ideas, opinions, or ambitions are denied. He uses individuals to criticize and undermine others. To avoid becoming unsuspecting victims of Satan’s negative attitudes that he beams at those in his sights (Ephesians 2:2), we need to be alert, humble, and stay close to God (1 Peter 5:6–9) by studying and meditating on His word (Psalm 119:97–98).
Have a profitable Sabbath, 

Douglas S. Winnail

COG Prophet Claims Catholic "Prophecies" Are About Him And His Books

It is another sunny day in Grover Beach California and the heat is getting to the brain of our glorious Bwana Bob Theil, the savior of Africa and 299 Caucasians, the end-time Elijah, the modern-day Johsua, the prophet to end all prophets, one of the two witless witnesses, world-renown historian and theologian and bitter neglected rejected "stepson" of Rod Meredith.

Today, the closet Catholic is all atwitter over how supposedly certain Catholic "prophecies" describe him and his end-time "work".

While I do not believe that the sex scandals facing the Church of Rome are the ‘final trial’ before Jesus returns (e.g. since the Great Tribulation has not yet began), these scandals, which have been in the news for the past several years, may be consistent with certain Roman Catholic predictions. 

 

The Roman Catholics have a couple of prophecies about their church facing scandals:

Ven. Holzhauser (17th century): The Great Monarch will come when the Latin Church is desolated, humiliated, and afflicted with many heresies (Dupont Y. Catholic Prophecy: The Coming Chastisement. TAN Books, Rockford (IL), 1973, p. 114). 

 

Nicholas of Fluh (15th century): The Church will be punished because the majority of her members, high and low, will become so perverted. (Dupont, p. 30) 

 

We have seen that many perverted have been associated with the Church of Rome–one cleric has claimed that 2/3 of priests have broken their celibacy vows–see ‘Pope adviser urges rethink on Catholic celibacy’ Two-thirds of Catholic priests reportedly are NOT celibate(see also AP: More than 220 people sue on Guam alleging clergy sex abuse and NCR: In new letter, Benedict blames clergy abuse on sexual revolution, Vatican II theology; RN: Is Benedict XVI the REAL pope? and Pope reportedly considering allowing priests to marry at Amazon Synod; AP reports 1700 Catholic priests suspected of sex abuse are still out there). Here is one from this Summer: Another scandal: Roman Catholic priests outed for using homosexual app. These pedophile and other sex scandals have humiliated the Church of Rome (“the Latin Church”). 

 

So, if the first prediction above is correct, then we are very near the time that the “Great Monarch” will rise up. I believe he will do so this century, and likely within a decade or so.

To Bwana Bob, this Monarch is the end-time Beast who will persecute the one true small flock (the improperly named "continuing" Church of God). 

How will this Monarch know who to persecute in the COG movement above all others? It will be the COG that is publishing small books! Who woulda thunk it! Amazing! 

One guess as to WHO that small book publishing church is...

Notice also the following Roman Catholic warnings:

Nursing Nun of Bellay (died 1820): “All these things shall come to pass once the wicked have succeeded in circulating large numbers of bad books.” (Dupont, p.51) 

 

Trappistine Nun of Notre Dame des Gardes. “Chastisement will come when a very large number of bad books have been spread” (Dupont, p 114). 

 

Abbe Voclin. “People will speak only of money. Horrible books will be freely available. Intellectuals will argue fiercely among themselves. Then war will break out that will see the rise of the Great Monarch” (Dupont, p. 114). 

 

We in the CCOG will likely make more books/booklets that will be perceived to fulfill the above. Furthermore, several of our existing materials may be considered to be in that category. Here are links to some books, articles, and videos that document the truth about various aspects of Christianity and church history:

Bwana Bob has become quite adept at pulling things out of his ass and making them "sure words of truth".

Why would the Catholic church or some European Monarch care what some idiotic mentally disturbed little man in crazy California thinks? 

PCG Excited Over Ancient Judean Toilet Seat!

 

Watch Jerusalem · An Ancient Judean Toilet Seat—and Proof of Nehemiah’s Wall?

When you live a sheltered life on a cult compound, all kinds of things will surprise you and shock you. The Flurry cult is all excited right now over a newly discovered throne toilet seat and sewer outside of Jerusalem. Will they soon acquire this artifact to place next to their other throne, Herb's Prayer Rock? This is the PCG after all, and NOTHING is impossible in these desperate end times!

They see this find as more proof that evil atheists are seeking to destroy the credibility of the Bible. That record has been skipping in this same place for decades in the PCG.

Gerald Weston Letter To LCG Members Causing Division Over Vaccines

FROM THE PRESIDING EVANGELIST

Dear Brethren,

The Bible clearly indicates that there were tensions among members in the first century. Since many converts came from pagan backgrounds, whether or not to eat meats that may have been offered to idols was a complex issue at that time (1 Corinthians 8). Some members abstained from meats or had special fasting days (Romans 14:1–5). Among the Jews, circumcision was a huge controversy. In response, the Apostles, who were the highest-ranking ministers of the Church at that time, came together and decided the issue guided by God’s Spirit (Acts 15).

Compared to these issues, some of the things that have caused division within the Church in more modern times seem rather trivial: white or brown sugar, wheat, or rice. Some modern controversies were not so trivial: how to count Pentecost, and divorce and remarriage. Current issues involve whether to wear masks and whether to be vaccinated. Just as in the past, Church leaders come together to decide how the Church should handle these controversial issues. No matter what we decide, some members will become offended and leave, ignoring God’s plain instructions regarding divisive matters (Deuteronomy 17:8–13). Masks and social distancing are inconvenient and their usefulness is disputed, but Church leaders believe that they are helpful on some occasions and our experience at the Feast would seem to support that, as very few at our 100 (83 international and 17 U.S.) Feast sites worldwide came down with COVID.

Today members have strong feelings on both sides of the vaccine debate and circumstances vary for each individual. The vaccine controversy is more akin to the issue of circumcision, and the Apostles left that decision up to individuals, though explaining that circumcision for Gentiles was unnecessary and could be counterproductive, depending on the attitude and reason (Acts 16:3; Galatians 5:6, 12)

In our Council of Elders meeting this week, we learned about the plight of unvaccinated individuals in some parts of the world: “no jab, no job”; no travel by commercial air, rail, or boat; no travel outside of a very restricted area; and extremely limited shopping options. Some university students are locked out after years of working on technical degrees. Members must wrestle with feeding their families, or visiting a dying relative. We can begin to see how the Mark of the Beast will eventually be enforced, but, brethren, this is not the Mark of the Beast! The Church does not teach that vaccines are sin, but they can be, depending on one’s conscience. Different members will decide differently in all these circumstances. That is why we have left it to the individual to prayerfully make that very personal choice.

Regarding the fact that sacrificing an animal to an idol affects only its ceremonial cleanness and not the nature of the meat itself, Paul gives this warning about how we treat one another, and it applies today: “But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak” (1 Corinthians 8:9).

In similar fashion, Paul warns, “Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.... Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin” (Romans 14:16–19, 22–23). Also, note verse 4: “Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.”

The specific issues are different, but the principles teach us how to deal with controversial situations that will arise in every generation. Brethren, the conditions which many of our brethren around the world face are not easy, and Satan will use them to divide us if we let him. We must avoid the anger being stirred up in this world. We must love one another (John 13:34). We have a Work to do. Let us do all we can to promote peace and be about our Father’s business! 

 

Sincerely, in Christ’s service, Gerald E. Weston

Bob Thiel Makes Time Magazine! Woo Hoo!

 

PCG Gloats About New $170,000 Steinway Piano

 

Steinway Model D piano

Everything we hear out of the Philadelphia Church of God is about the imminent return of their creature called "christ" and the end of this age. Yet, PCG spends money like they have a bottomless wallet...well, they actually do...gullible church members who will send in money for this kind of extravagance.

They are gloating about how much prestige that being an "all Steinway school" brings them, supposedly so impressive that the State Department will look at them differently now.

PCG went on a piano quest when the Worldwide Church of God was dissolving and the Ambassador Auditorium was shut down. Flurry then bought one of the Auditorium's Steinway grand pianos. They bought the piano around the same time they bought the two Baccarat Crystal candelabras that used to be in the Auditorium lobby. This was a significant coup for the PCG as anything thing could collect that Herbert Armstrong had touched added to the collection of idolatrous artifacts.

Since that time the PCG has been on a quest to replace all of its campus pianos with Steinway's.

OKLAHOMA—Piano manufacturer Steinway & Sons has recognized Herbert W. Armstrong College as one of its 221 “All-Steinway Schools.” The certification, which Armstrong received news of in May and official notification of on July 20, is given to schools whose pianos are made or designed exclusively by the German-American piano company. The college qualified earlier in May after purchasing a Steinway Model B for the Armstrong Auditorium rehearsal room. 

 

With only 72 students, the college is one of the smallest schools to “demonstrate a full commitment to excellence by providing their students with the best instruments possible for the study of music,” as the All-Steinway program is described on Steinway.com.

The college began the process by purchasing a Steinway Model D from the company’s factory in Hamburg, Germany, in 2009. The sponsor of the college, the Philadelphia Church of God, had previously purchased a 1983 Steinway Model D from Ambassador College in 2004. Since then, the campus’s dozen or so practice or performance areas have transitioned from lower-quality instruments to Steinway-designed pianos, typically an upright from its Boston brand. 

 

When the college finished constructing the Dwight Armstrong Performing Arts Conservatory in 2016 and purchased two grand pianos and an upright for its classrooms, the school’s quantity of Steinway-designed pianos rose high enough to qualify it for the recognition. Armstrong Recognized as ‘All-Steinway’ Institution

Here is the current cost range for Steinway pianos, including the Model D which PCG purchased.

Cost Of A Steinway Piano (Price Chart and Buyers Guide)

In PCG's continuing quest to gain legitimacy and pander to the U.S. Government, even though they claim it will soon deport them all to Jordan, they look at this piano as their ticket with the U.S. Immigration Service as a means to get in foreign students to their cult collge.

“Having toured the Steinway facility in Hamburg, we understand what it means to have this peerless name associated with our institution,” music director Ryan Malone said. “We feel honored to receive such a distinction. Though we’re not a large school, or even a music school, this recognition highlights how we are committed to the highest quality education when it comes to the performing arts.”

The Church’s chief financial officer, Andrew Locher, gave an example of other effects of the recognition: “Being an all-Steinway School adds a respectable credential to Armstrong College in the eyes of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. While we meet the necessary standards to have international students granted a visa for study, each recognition like this helps the reputation of our college.”

The college plans to host a presentation ceremony with Steinway representatives in the months ahead.

While everyday members of the PCG struggle to survive, the elite at the cult compound spend lasciviously and cavort around the country for Irish Dance competitions and to England in their own private jet. 

It pays to be a cult leader of Armstrongism! 

 

Grover Beach Crackpot Prophet Wants To Educate Vatican On Proper Church History

 

Things were already weird in Grover Beach California where the world's foremost historian, the most widely respected scientist, and the world-renowned authority on the Catholic Church lives. The Great Bwana to Africa and 299 Caucasians has dreamed up so many titles and accolades about himself that it is hard to keep track of them anymore. Being that he is self-ordained and not part of any apostolic succession, many consider him a fool beyond measure.

That self-appointed awareness has reached a new height today as the Great Bwana has decided he needs to educate officials at the Vatican about TRUE Church history (the Armstrongite version). This all comes about because the Vatican announced the other day that they were forming a commission to research into the early days of the church and the amazing history of that time.

This is the complete article that Bwana Bob quoted and edited out things he did not want you to read.

Vatican conference convenes experts to study early Christian history 

VATICAN CITY — A Vatican conference will gather both Christian and non-Christian historians and experts to delve deep into the history of the church in the first centuries of Christianity. 

 

Speaking to journalists at the Vatican press office Oct. 26, Norbertine Father Bernard Ardura, president of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, said the conference program was inspired by Pope Francis, who urged him "to work with scholars from all scientific backgrounds, from the most varied cultural sensibilities and from the most diverse historiographical methods." 

 

"Pope Francis insisted on the need for the committee to promote a fruitful collaboration in the scientific field, not only with Catholic academic institutions, but as well as with all historians and specialists in auxiliary sciences of history who are ready to work together in the search for the truth, taking into account only their scientific expertise," Father Ardura said. 

 

At the Oct. 27-29 conference, titled "Inquiry into the history of the first centuries of the church," will bring scholars from across Europe as well as India, Iraq, China and the United States to focus particularly on the first two centuries of Christianity. 

 

The two main historical accounts of the early church have several points of conflict, Father Ardura said. The first account is that of Eusebius of Caesarea, the fourth-century bishop who chronicled the church's development from the first century to the fourth century.

The Norbertine priest noted, however, that Eusebius' account of the first-century church was so similar to the Christian church that existed in the fourth century "as if it had always been as he knew it." 

 

"It is as if we were to say today that the early church was like that of the 21st century. It is obvious, instead, that there has been a development," Father Ardura said. 

 

The second historical account, he continued, was more in line with Martin Luther's perspective, which chronicles the "progressive degradation" of the church over the centuries until the Protestant Reformation. 

 

Father Ardura emphasized the importance of the conference in studying the church's history and searching for truth no matter where it may lead. However, he also noted that the conference is only the beginning. 

 

"We will not arrive at certain conclusions," Father Ardura said. "We want to give space to researchers who in various disciplines have acquired knowledge" of early Christian history.

The most amazing prophet to ever exist in Church of God history has this to say:

It would be fantastic if Bernard Ardura, president of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, really will pursue and accept the truth wherever it leads. Hopefully, his is not an ecumenical agenda, but real quest for truth–we shall see. I am considering contacting him and perhaps may try to meet with him someday.

Someone needs to give Bernard Ardura a heads up before he speaks to the greatest prophet the world has ever seen!

This is one more issue that is the cause of Rod Meredith and certain fools at LCG headquarters who stroked Bwana Bob's fragile ego by claiming he would be a thorn in the side of the Catholic Church. As if the Catholic Church would care what some whackjob cultist from California had to say!

 

UCG Struggling To Retain 18-age Group To Remain In The Church

 

Truly, what does UCG have to offer its young adults?

Youth in the Church—Len Martin
One question that came in last week with the Council workshop was how can we help the youth, especially the 18-age group from leaving the Church. What can we do as a Church? The Council discussed and brainstormed ideas for over an hour. The Chairman remanded to the SPFC to have further study and develop policies on this important subject and emphasized the importance of moving this forward and reporting in December.

UCG having problems with employee retention?

 

Sadly, the Church of God movement has never really valued its employees as it should. The mother church (Worldwide Church of God) treated its lower echelon employees like chattel. Many were the times when employees went in and asked for raises and were told, "We don't owe you anything." These very same men who said this are now sitting in UCG and elsewhere. Employees who had to retire due to age or illness were left high and dry, even after church leaders stood in front of hundreds of employees and said they (the church) would take care of them.

The second area was to look at employee retention. The Council recognizes that although we have limited resources to accomplish all that we want to accomplish, the cost to the organization when we lose valued employees and the subsequent costs to hire and re-train, hinders our ability to “do the work.” The Council would like to explore additional benefit opportunities that could be made available to our employees. Some may not have a cost impact to the organization, unless utilized (such as continuing education or other forms of tuition reimbursement). This point of interest was to see what areas of employee compensation can be used to help benefit the employees and to evaluate salary ranges and other areas to explore to help retain employees. This was remanded to the Strategic Planning and Finance Committee (SPFC).

UCG Unable To Understand its "Essence" And Thus Members Do Not Share The Vision

 

The only "essence" UCG has is that it was formed to keep the elite ministers with a steady paycheck when they jumped ship from the Mother Church, WCG, after they had spent several years publicly supporting the changes.

UCG claims to preach "depth of truth". A truth that is so precious that they present it in "love". Cough, cough.

UCG blames its problems on the "clutter" in their competing market. The truth of the matter is that other churches preach a better truthful and loving message than UCG does. 

The third was in the area of our vision statement. Whereas most members can recite from memory our slogan, “Preach the Gospel, Prepare a People,” which is a shortened version of our mission statement, the Council began discussion on how we can get everyone to similarly focus on our vision. Brian Shaw presented this to the Council during the COE workshop the previous week, so he presented it again for the administration and elders. This process was begun eleven years ago when a project team worked with an outside firm to help us understand UCG’s critical essence. Their work was supposed to be reworked and made our own, but due to other pressing matters it was never completed. The COE now strongly agrees that the essence of what UCG offers is “truth” and especially depth of truth. There was also agreement in how UCG presents the truth, “in love.” He said that Ephesians:4:15 is one of the core verses of our vision statement and sums up where we are all to be and how we conduct ourselves. He then drew a competitive map so all could see that our competing clutter in the market does not speak to those who are seeking “truth in love.” This isn’t just a slogan, a theme or a tagline but a cultural change that will unify us and lead us all to developing the nature of Christ, as Ephesians tells us. The COE wants UCG administration to lead our ministry and membership in “truth in love,” and believes strongly that as this is reflected in our sermons, publications and video services, all those seeking to do the same will want to engage with us. All of the Council was excited to continue to move this forward with more emphasis on this condensed version of our vision statement and each member expressed this to the administration. The Council remanded this to the SPFC for policies that can be given to the administration for implementation.

UCG Ministers Critiquing Each Others Sermons

 

Imagine that, UCG ministers critiquing each other. All of that back-slapping must have been painful.

The Word Fitly Spoken Clubs: From all accounts received, the first round of The Word Fitly Spoken Clubs for all pastors was a great success. For eight weeks, eight ministers met online to critique one another’s sermons. There has been much camaraderie and good will in all groups and many have expressed how helpful it was in becoming more focused in their speaking.

Is "God's Church" Really Training Leaders?

 

Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” Acts 6:2-4

The Philadelphia Church of God has an article up about how they and they alone are training their followers to be leaders in some magical kingdom they claim is coming where they will be of the same substance and equal with Jesus as gods.

Dwight Falk writes:

There is a massive leadership crisis in this world! Daily headlines show the terrible and harmful decisions being made by political and religious leaders—decisions that harm the very people they are supposed to be helping! 

 

What is wrong with the leadership in this world? The answer comes by going back to who actually rules this world today. Satan the devil is the god of this world! (2 Corinthians 4:4). Shocking, but true! 

 

Ephesians 2:2 reveals how Satan rules this world today: “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.”

I don't think anyone here would have any doubt that most of today's world leaders are abject failures in what they do. Of course in Armstrongite speak, this is all attributed to Satan, the most powerful god in the Church of God movement. If one wants to believe in a literal devil then one has to also notice that the leadership crisis described above is also present in the Church of God movement today. Never has the church been filled with so many corrupt, lying, self-appointed prophets, and apostles as we have today in the church. Considering ALL of the splinter groups are children of rebellion this also makes all their leaders children of disobedience and followers of that Satan described above.

Satan broadcasts his evil moods and impulses. He is a very negative and selfish being. Galatians 5:19-21 list the works of the flesh that are a result of yielding to Satan’s broadcast. These wicked fruits include adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings. 

 

This is a horribly wicked and depressing list of what we see on Earth today. Verse 21 further tells us that “they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

All of the things assigned above to Satan's "broadcast" are every single thing that is wrong in the Church of God today. With its history of adulterous leaders and lascivious behaviors to the idolatry of money, position, and power. To the hatred, some in leadership positions have against members and lower subordinates, to its rich heritage of appalling heresies. Add to that the incredible epidemic of alcoholism in the ministry and the membership. And last, but not least, is the appalling history of stalkings, rapes, sexual assaults, child molestations, and murders in the Church of God movement, It is no wonder God says they will not inhereit the kingdom to come.

But, this is the Church of God we are talking about here and specifically the Philadelphia Church of God and there is a special place for them above all others!

But the great news is that there is a Kingdom of God coming! This Kingdom will last forever and the leadership positions will be filled with righteous leaders (Daniel 2:44). 

 

Where will these leaders come from? 

 

God is using His Church today to prepare people to rule in the Kingdom of God. Incredible? Absolutely! But it is the very truth of your Bible.

Would anyone here want to live in a kingdom ruled by Church of God leaders and members, considering what we know about so many of them today?

God’s Church started small but it was beginning to grow. Christ shows in Luke 12:32 that God’s Church would always be a little flock in this world when compared to the numerous false churches.

Today's Church of God movement is just as fractured and broken as the world's churches they self-righteously condemn, so they have no right in casting stones of self-righteousness.

But through His Church, God is training elite leaders for His Kingdom. Once members are baptized and receive a portion of God’s Spirit, they must use that Spirit to take on the very character of God. God’s people grow as they put their heart into God’s Work.

Um, people grow as they place their faith in Christ, that inconvenient dude that is constantly in the way of the "Work" of the Churches of God.  It's always about the physical things members must constantly be doing to impress and please the condemning god of the church. Faith is not a fruit of the spirit that is really emphasized in the church. Faith doesn't require submission to corrupt lying COG leaders but in the One, they are supposed to be following.

In spite of all of this, PCG leaders and COG leaders as a whole believe they are able to deliver the following to their followers, though 99% of them never do:

What type of growth does God’s Spirit produce? Simply, the fruits of God’s Spirit. 

 

These fruits are listed in Galatians 5:22-23. These righteous rulers are using God’s Spirit today to develop love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. 

When have any of us ever seen a COG leader bring joy and peace to the church? How many of them have ever been long-suffering? Have they ever been gentle to their followers?  Is there any COG leader who has ever been a meek person?

Christianity.com describes meekness as the following, something we have NEVER seen in any COG leader. Out-of-control emotions are how COG leaders operate.

Meekness is not weakness; it is power under control. As the writer of Proverbs says, "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city" (Proverbs 16:32). In contrast, the individual who is not gentle is likened to "a city that is broken into and without walls" (Proverbs 25:28). Gentleness always uses its resources appropriately, unlike the out-of-control emotions that so often are destructive and have no place in your life as a believer. Who are the Meek? Why did Jesus say "Blessed are the Meek"?

Falk continues: 

These fruits are about to fill this Earth as they increasingly fill God’s Church today. God’s leaders will help bring the abundance and joy of God’s way of life to the whole Earth and, ultimately, the universe (Isaiah 9:7).

God help us all of we have to rely upon PCG ministers and members to bring abundance and joy to the earth! Not only can we not count on them to do this, but it will also not happen with LCG, UCG, RCG, and those in the improperly named "continuing" Church of God. None of them have the capacity to do this. 

“In my Father’s house are many mansions [offices]: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you,” Christ said in John 14:2. 

 

Christ Himself is preparing eternal offices and positions of authority for God’s people. New leadership is coming to this Earth, and it will be righteous leadership! 

If COG leaders and members cannot act with righteous leadership today, in the flesh, how can we expect them to do so in the "god spirit" they claim they will be? If we believe this then we are all f*@#ed big time!

Today, God is training His people in the skill of following the government of God. Jesus Christ said, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). Jesus came to build only ONE Church! (Ephesians 4:4). 

 

And through His Church and Work, God is preparing the rulers who will assist Christ in the Kingdom of God. This world needs new leaders who obey God’s government and implement His law. This righteous leadership will help solve the problems brought on by sin.

This "government" crap and the emphasis on the law is necessary to the COG because these necessitate the vengeful wrathful god they need to justify their rotten behavior in today's life. Punishment is needed for a rebellious world that doesn't live up to the standards that they have been preaching. They need blood, guts, and death to justify their existence over the Jesus that came and broke all the rules and implemented righteousness through grace and mercy to those he came in contact with. 

When have you ever seen a Church of God implement and practice grace and mercy?

Is there any COG group or leader that you would want to live under in their magical kingdom to come?

5 Kingdoms and Ministerial Chess Moves - Dave Pack's Madness Intensifies

5 Kingdoms and Ministerial Chess Moves - Dave's Madness Intensifies

He can't stop. He's not able to stop. Almost weekly now he claims all this will end and his Jesus and the Father will usher in 5 Kingdoms. Dave Pack himself (the Elijah don't you know), will have great power.

5 Kingdoms. You read that right. We're talking Game of Thrones level drama. Hell, Nebuchadenezer is going to be resurrected as the golden head folks! 

Pictured we have him illustrating a 2.5 day period, then a 1 day, then 22.5 days, then 3.5 days, then 75 days, then 7 years, then a millennium. Simplicity in Christ, you see.

Just a week ago, he gave three parts to his un-ending sermon series. It culminated in part 321 where he claimed he was done and everything was about to come to pass.
 

Not even a week passed, and he had many more hours of nonsense to preach. Wednesday, part 322. Then, according to RCG, "a powerful element modifying timing came clear immediately after today's message was delivered." Translation, Dave was immediately wrong and had to correct himself. This lead to part 323 being delivered on Thursday, where he again claims the series is over. In fact, his very message is an oracle from a prophet who has been raised.

All the while, he must believe none of this is true because he is moving his ministers around like a frantic timed chess game. James and Sandra Rodrequiez have been moved from HQ to Colorado. (They are likely on their way to leaving RCG altogether if they have been sent out of headquarters.) Vidal and Christina Wachuku have been moved from Florida to Texas. The Jacksons have been moved from California to Florida. And the Rouzans (whose wife and son have already left RCG) have been moved from Chicago to California. Palmer has been moved to Atlanta and Garb has been moved to HQ from New Zealand. 

The madness continues. And people stay...tithing, giving their life savings.

From an RCG source

England Ignoring UCG Literature

 

It looks like the folks in England don't care too much about UGG's Beyond Today, a bad imitation of the old Plain Truth.

Prayers for Subscriber Renewal in the British Isles
October 7, 2021
David Fenney, chief executive officer of UCG-British Isles and pastor of the Preston, Sheffield, Ballymena and Stirling congregations, mentions an ongoing challenge with a very low renewal rate for Beyond Today magazine. He wrote: “Recently our subscription level grew to nearly 10,000 copies per issue, but now it is dropping back as subscribers do not renew as the end of their 6-issue subscription approaches. Prayers would be much appreciated that subscribers will be increasingly motivated to renew and that our office personnel can be inspired to enhance our renewal process if and where necessary.”
Thank you in advance for your prayers!
—Peter Eddington, Media and Communications Services