Exposing the underbelly of Armstrongism in all of its wacky glory! Nothing you read here is made up. What you read here is the up to date face of Herbert W Armstrong's legacy. It's the gritty and dirty behind the scenes look at Armstrongism as you have never seen it before!
With all the new crazy self-appointed Chief Overseers, Apostles, Prophets, Pharisees, legalists, and outright liars leading various Churches of God today, it is important to hold these agents of deception accountable.
Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web of Corrupt Leaders
Scripture twisting at its finest. But, this is the Philadelphia Church of God, after all.
Scripture indicates that the membership of God’s end-time work, at Christ’s return, will be around 10,000 strong (Deuteronomy 33:2; Jude 14-15; see our booklet No Freedom Without Law for further explanation). That is 10,000 out of a world population of close to 8 billion. This means each member will have been chosen now over 800,000 others. Would God choose someone at such vast odds and not make them a critical part of His work force?
COGNews has a rundown on Bob Thiel's new website that is using deceptive tacts to deceive COG7 folk and other Sabbatarian groups that his site is for all Sabbath-keepers. What he does with every single link on his site is send people directly to his crap. Bob gets really ticked off that no one in the Sabbatarian groups follows or recognizes him as a legitimate leader, this is why:
In July 2020 we reported that Bob Thiel had launched a new website: cg7.org – Church of God 7th Day Sabbath Observing Christians, which is very similar to cog7.org – Church of God 7th Day, based in Denver, which is the largest ‘Church of God 7th Day Sabbath Observing Christian’ group.
The new website stated that it “… is intended to help people who wonder about the seventh-day Sabbath as well as those interested in learning about the different groups that claim Christ, but who also keep the seventh-day Sabbath.”
The Bible Sabbath Association, established 77 years ago, does exactly that, believing in “promoting fellowship and co-operation between Sabbath-keeping people of various groups; on a non-denominational basis; to restore respect and honor for the Ten Commandments as a whole (with emphasis on the Fourth).”
The purpose of the new website, however, appeared to be to draw to it people searching the internet for the words and phrases in its website title, or mistyping cog7.org – then explaining the supposed doctrinal errors of other groups, and promoting the CCOG.
On the 2nd of February 2022 CCOG’s founder, Bob Thiel, wrote that he “had began to embark on a potentially large expansion for the website.” So now that there is much more information on the new website, is it non-denominational, or a CCOG website in disguise?
The home page on the menu bar has the title, Sabbath Keeping, Prophetic, and Church of God Resources, which suggests that the website is non-denominational, but all of the links on this page go to cogwriter.com, which is Bob Thiel’s personal website that he has run since the time he was in the Living Church of God. His beliefs are those of the LCG, plus some additions where he says the LCG is wrong.
Clicking on History on the menu bar takes you to the Continuing Church of God website.
Clicking on Books provides a list of Books all written by Bob Thiel.
Clicking on 7th Day Churches provides a list of various Sabbath groups, but the links all go either to cogwriter.com or his Youtube channel.
Clicking on Sermons provides a list of Sermons all given by Bob Thiel.
Bob has never been able to do anything on his own other than hanging on to the shirttails of others for information and legitimacy. As crazy as they are, both Flurry and Pack have at least come up with original things to entice their followers, Bob has been unable to do so and so he has to find ways to deceive other Sabbath-keepers into believing he is right. Even in this though, he is an abject failure.
Update:
To see first hand how deceptive Bob is in using the CG7 name he has advised a couple of his so-called "evangelists" in Africa that they do not need to stop using the CG7 Day moniker in their church affiliations.
Last week we mentioned some new Youth Bible Lessons and CCOG/CG7 Pastor Samuel Ofosu contacted me from Ghana and we have ordered a couple of sets of each of the six lessons we now have completed (that group is with CCOG, but since they were called CG7 before, when they asked to be part of CCOG, we did not require them to change their name, file legal registrations, etc.).
The last two years have been challenging. Some of you have lost friends and loved ones, and many of us have experienced varying levels of sickness. Our hearts and prayers go out to all who have suffered losses. Thankfully, most of us have survived and stayed out of the hospital.
While the coronavirus is different from a flu virus, many experts draw some parallels to the 1918– 20 flu pandemic, which came in waves and took the lives of 50 to 100 million people worldwide. Major cities experienced a deadly fourth wave, extending the pandemic into the third year. As for coronavirus in 2022, we have seen a sharp spike in cases here in Charlotte from what appears to be the Omicron variant. While it is unpleasant, members are getting through it, many now have some natural immunity, and cases are dropping. This seems to be the situation elsewhere—a sharp spike followed by an equally quick drop. Individuals will no doubt come down with one variant or another this year and in the years to come.
After discussions here in Charlotte, we have made some decisions. We will continue to respect the laws of the land and local venue regulations regarding masking, but where allowed, the pastor, in consultation with his Regional Pastor or Regional Director, may determine what is the best course of action given local circumstances. This means that in many locations around the world, masks will be optional for part, or all, of our services, and snacks and/or congregational meals may be permitted. We still encourage social distancing for the time being, and it is essential for anyone with symptoms of any sort of potentially contagious illness, or recent exposure to COVID, to stay home.
Those with underlying conditions should feel free to continue wearing masks, but we recommend that they be properly fitting masks of the type (such as the N95) that offer real protection. If someone feels he or she needs to continue wearing a mask for any reason, no explanation is needed. We must not judge one another!
Thank you for your cooperation these last two years. Not all decisions were perfect or popular, but you understood God’s instructions about deciding matters of controversy. Some of you subordinated your will to keep peace within the Body of Christ. I especially want to thank those of you in this category.
As a result, we observed the Feast of Tabernacles for two years—most meeting in person—and as far as I know, while we had a few cases of COVID during or after the Feast, we did not have asingle death from anyone attending one of our sites. Our largest outbreak was at our summer camp in Texas where masking and social distancing were not realistic. Despite having to end earlier than planned, the camp was a welcome break for all our young people who attended.
I believe God has blessed us because He saw our willingness to follow His instructions about solving controversial issues (Deuteronomy 17:8–13) and saw us acting prudently—not tempting Him (Proverbs 22:3; Matthew 4:6–7). And His mercy was upon us despite our shortcomings (Psalm 136). Yes, some of our members have died from this virus and some may still succumb to it, but it appears this current variant carries less risk than previous ones. COVID is not over. Please do not throw all caution to the wind, but let us move forward with faith and courage and let us thank God for His protection and great mercy toward us these past two years.
Another feel-good story of an ex-member who overcame the odds of a chaotic life and time in Armstrongism.
“Dancing With the Stars” alum Chrishell Stause has a memoir out now in which she writes candidly about her childhood growing up in Kentucky, including that her family was homeless at several points in her life and also that her parents got them involved for a while in what “felt like a cult.” Andrea Reiher
Strause has written a book on growing up against all kinds of odds:
Amazon says this:
In this engaging, witty, and inspirational memoir, Chrishell Stause shares her story of living an unconventional childhood in small-town Kentucky marked by periods of homelessness, family addiction struggles, and dreams of one day being on a daytime soap, all while managing the local Dairy Queen. Through resilience and grit, she overcame obstacles and pushed past every barrier in her path to become one of the most envied luxury realtors in Los Angeles and buzzworthy cast members in reality TV.
She takes us behind the scenes of Selling Sunset, reveals never-before-told stories from her life in soaps, and even pulls back the curtain on her highly publicized love life, offering insight not before shared. With her signature honesty and charm, Stause also gives tangible advice based on the lessons she’s learned over the years and offers unique insight about how to stay resilient and positive no matter how many times life knocks you down. Under Construction is for anyone who wants to remember that no matter what happens or how, you have to get up, dress up, and show up, and walk back into the room stronger than ever before.
Banned comment: Agree or disagree with the truckers protesting in Canada, Europe and soon to be here in the US, it is every thinking person's right. However, that is not the point of the article below. It is about how the Church of God International has now blatantly entered the political playing field and are endorsing political actions, figureheads, and causes around them, both from the pulpit and in print. Adrian Davis is now taking this message to Rumble where he is seeking to gain a new following of readers to his pseudo-religious/political message. CGI apparently stepped in and told him to stop using CGI's platforms for his political messages and in a spirit of rebellion jumped into Rumble. Politics has already created division in CGI, just as it has in society around us.
How can any COG member ever trust a minister spouting political crap when they can't even be trusted to be grace-filled leaders that treat members with respect and preach about Jesus?
CGI Canada’s Freedom Convoy
Church of God International Pastor Adrian Davis of Burlington, Canada wants the world to know that the folks in Tyler, Texas are not going to silence him! In defiance of that church’s leadership, Davis delivered Part 3 of his now infamous sermon series “Closer Than A Brother” this past Sabbath (5 February 2022). He announced: “We are trying out a new platform – that is the Rumble platform.” He claims that he was instructed to not use the church’s main platform if he intended to talk about something controversial (He was actually instructed to stop talking about Covid vaccinations and mandates). Hence, his decision to “Rumble.”
For those who may be unfamiliar with the site, Rumble is the preferred platform of folks like Devin Nunes, Jim Jordan, Sean Hannity, and Donald Trump. Why would the Pastor decide to use the preferred platform of Trumpists? As his message continued, the answer to that question became clear. Pastor Davis announced that he wanted to speak about the Covid vaccination mandate protest by Canadian truckers known in some circles as “The Freedom Convoy.” Fortunately, as of this writing, Davis’ long-winded sermon (over an hour in length) had only garnered thirteen “rumbles” (an indication of the post’s popularity).
He began his message by referencing the book Live Not By Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents by Ron Dreher. Davis used the book to draw an analogy to the experiences of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn when he was under the thumb of Soviet totalitarianism. According to the pastor, the Christian church should “refuse to live by lies” (meaning we should resist vaccine mandates and attempts to suppress our lies about them). He went on to compare the situation in the U.S. to the former totalitarian regimes of Eastern Europe. “We are clearly headed towards some kind of totalitarianism,” he warned.
Pastor Davis went on to ask: “What does the Freedom Convoy of 2022 mean to Christians?” He said that elders must resist efforts to suppress them speaking out against mandates – that they must “speak the truth from Scripture.” To underscore his point, Davis referenced Daniel’s behavior when a law was promulgated which forbade the worship of anyone but the King. In other words, according to the pastor, Daniel clearly resisted a government mandate in this instance by continuing to do what he’d always done (praying to God). He said that Daniel was willing to face the consequences of his actions, but Davis never really addressed the subject of whether or not he would be willing to accept any sanctions for his own behavior.
Davis then went on to commend his colleague Murray Palmatier’s diatribe against church leadership’s restrictions on Covid misinformation from the pulpit. From there, the pastor proceeded to decry the “mob rule” of the Black Lives Matter movement, but he chose not to mention what happened on Jan 6, 2021 in the same vein. Davis then proceeded to proclaim that mandates were getting more and more restrictive (this despite the fact that many states have eased restrictions as Omicron numbers have declined). He went on to bemoan the fact that America used to be the “beacon of freedom” in the world, but that Canada had now replaced America as the symbol of freedom in the world (the implication being that the Freedom Convoy had earned them that title). Davis gleefully declared that the convoy which began in Ottawa had now spread around the world – pushing back against those horrible mandates!
From there, the pastor proceeded to bemoan the “post Christian world” that currently exists and gave voice to his longing for the good old days when America and Canada were Christian nations. According to Davis, both of those countries are moving toward a Marxist ethic. As I listened to Davis, I couldn’t help but wonder about the rest of the world! Isn’t he supposed to be part of the Church of God International! I am waiting for the pastor to suggest that they change the name of the church to something less globalist in outlook! Continuing in the same vein, the pastor went on to bemoan the current “assault on logic” – that “a man can be a woman” (the pastor appears to be transfixed by this whole question of gender identity). Before finishing his diatribe, the pastor got in one more jab at the very immoral BLM movement.
Nevertheless, not all is hopeless! It is very clear that the pastor finds great joy and solace in “The Freedom Convoy.” He said that we simply cannot ignore all of those trucks disrupting our supply chain. He claimed that this was justified because mandates are evil. He went on to say that the convoy is breaking the spell created by this mass formation mob which supports vaccine mandates. Davis also made clear that he is mad at Prime Minister Trudeau for calling the truckers a fringe minority. He then proceeded to decry the Prime Minister’s Marxist leanings and said that he should respect the truckers and what they are trying to accomplish. According to Davis, these are good people just trying to stand up for their God-given rights.
In a final gasp of madness, Pastor Davis went on to compare “The Freedom Convoy” protest to the Christian Passover! He underscored their courage and commitment as the very values that underpin that Holy day. For the pastor, it is unconscionable for those carnal truckers to have taken this stand against mandates while Christians meekly do what they’re told to do! If Christians could only find their courage, Pastor Davis mused that the coming Passover could be the most meaningful one ever! He went on to decry the “fear of death” which motivates those nasty mandates; but he never mentions his own fear that the vaccine might kill him, or that he is afraid of government totalitarianism. Clearly, for Pastor Davis, Christians should not fear dying from Covid-19. According to him, we have the resurrection to look forward to, and he compared death to falling asleep (there is no mention of the fact that Scripture also refers to death as our enemy). I have to say that this part of his sermon made me the most nauseous. I felt like saying that many of us on the other side of this issue also have hope in the resurrection!
Pastor Davis concluded his message with more praise for the truckers. He claimed that they should not be compared to those evil BLM people who were trying to burn down cities (even though the truckers are literally trying to burn down the supply chain in an attempt to blackmail the Canadian government into eliminating a vaccine mandate). According to Davis, most of the world lives under the “rule of whim” (implying that there is no justification for wanting to vaccinate everyone). He went on to say that “When the government fears the people, you have democracy.” Davis said that he believes that totalitarians derive their power from Satan (even though Scripture states that God places rulers in positions of authority). According to Davis, if the convoy’s blackmail is successful, they will have pushed back against the advance of Marxist totalitarianism. He finished with a shout-out to the personification of that can do American Spirit, Donald Trump (and his chief supporter Bill Watson), and Davis made clear that his hat is off to those glorious Canadian truckers. Me thinks that CGI has a big problem on its hands!
Its been a while since we had the Friday Night Smackdown by Doug Winnail for something else that LCG members are failing at. This time he is questioning whether or not LCG members are "team players".
Apparently, Jesus is not part of the agenda for being a "team player".
Are You a Team Player? God has called us to be part of a team. Effective team players have skills and perspectives that can be identified and learned. Christian team players must be focused on the same goal—the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33) and work together to preach the Gospel to the world (Mark 16:15). They avoid saying or doing things that offend others (1 Corinthians 10:32; Matthew 18:6–7). They are forgiving and able to overlook slights and insults (Proverbs 10:12; 17:9). Team players don’t criticize or sit in judgment of others; instead, they make sure their own lives are in order (Matthew 7:1–5; James 4:11). Effective team players have learned to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9), and they treat others gently, respectfully, and are willing to listen (James 1:19). They appreciate that the team is made up of individuals with different talents, and they let other team members know that they are appreciated. In short, good team players have learned to love their neighbors. Let’s all strive to develop these vital qualities. Have a profitable Sabbath, Douglas S. Winnail
More words of wisdom from the big boss of Living Church of God:
Don’t Let Satan Distract You
Dear brethren, let us never forget whose world this is. The old hymn “This Is My Father’s World” may sound good on the surface, but it is a deception—with a bit of truth to disguise the lie. Yes, God did create our world “of rocks and trees, of skies and seas.” But this hymn also subtly implies that God is the current ruler of this world. We know that God the Father and Jesus the Christ are all-powerful and rule over Satan, but they established Lucifer’s throne on earth in the distant past and will allow him to remain on it until a future time (Isaiah 14:13). On the night when He was betrayed, Jesus reminded His disciples that this evil spirit being is still the ruler of this age (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). Paul also reminds us that this being is the “god” of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2). God even gave us a Holy Day devoted to the fact that the Devil is real and must be removed from power upon Christ’s return (Leviticus 23:26–32; Revelation 20:1–3).
Some Church members are tempted to try to change Satan’s world now. But while we are certainly called to “shine our light” as Christians—being honest, caring, and polite; being good neighbors; setting righteous examples; and doing good works when we have the opportunity—it is notappropriate for God’s people to advocate or vote for a human savior or to march and demonstrate for one worldly cause or another. Our responsibility is to proclaim to this world the better way of life that will come with the Kingdom of God, and to warn mankind of what will surely happen to those who do not turn in a different direction. Only when Christ returns will we have the opportunity and the power to change the world! That must always be our focus.
Satan is a master of distraction. He cares little which distraction you fall for—only that you get your mind off the great commission to which you are called (Matthew 28:18–20; Mark 16:15–16). Remember, when God explained to Ezekiel that He was setting him as a watchman for the house of Israel, He made it abundantly clear that this was a serious matter—he would be held accountable (Ezekiel 3:17–21). As we know, the house of Israel had gone into captivity more than a century earlier. The commission was for a future Work to carry Ezekiel’s message: Repent of your sins or go into captivity!
May we not become distracted by rumors, conspiracies, or divisive worldly issues. We have a great Work to do!
LCG has a long history of focusing on "disaster" in order to prop up its doctrinal stances and to keep its members in a constant state of fear. Nothing makes for a better prophecy cover story than for some natural disaster or a man-made event that shocks the world. This is titillating stuff for the prophecy keepers of the church.
LCG also has a long history of delivering "fake news" when it comes to prophetic predictions, bible interpretations, and absurd proof-texting by the ministry. The end product is always a fake news story. No one needs to worry about fake news in the world when one's own church is filled to the brim with it!
I recently recorded a telecast titled “2022 in Bible Prophecy,” giving Bible-based predictions for the year ahead and elaborating on Ezekiel 7:26. That verse tells us that disaster upon disaster will come on the house of Israel, but there is another prediction in the verse: “and rumor will be upon rumor.”
It is easy to focus on the “disaster” part of the sentence and not consider the part about rumors. Was there ever a time when rumors were more prolific than they are in our day? Rumors thrive in times of instability, and social media is a rumor mill on steroids, spreading false information among countless millions. “Fake news” was a political slogan used against the news media, and not without justification, even though the man who made the mantra famous had his own problems propagating fake news. Conspiracy theories have been exacerbated by the politics of the pandemic. Foreign governments and unprincipled individuals routinely post made-up stories for the gullible on Facebook and Twitter, creating confusion and division. Our angry, divided world has become angrier and more divided as a result of the pandemic—all fueled by worldwide electronic media.
This is a challenge for us. As God’s elect, we must strive not to be taken in by rumors. We must not allow ourselves to become polarized over political issues. We must remain objective, not mind-made-up ideologues who take sides, favoring one worldly evil over another. Being convicted about the truth of Scripture is a good thing, but polarization over worldly issues creates an atmosphere where one rashly judges some individuals as evil and always wrong, and others as good and always right. If we do not remain objective, we may immediately latch onto reports that reflect our worldview and tune out those with which we disagree—one political party becomes good, the other bad.
No matter how sketchy the source, anti-vaxxers are quick to spread dubious reports on the evils of vaccines, while those in favor spread flowery reports promoting the jabs. Conspiracy theories thrive in this atmosphere, and objectivity is a casualty. In fact, every side deals in lies and fabrications. The same is true in discussions regarding gun rights, protests and riots, border policies, the efficacy of masking, and the lives of politicians and celebrities.
Sadly, this worldliness even seeps into the Church. Some members are little different from their neighbors in this regard. We all have our personal opinions, which is not inherently wrong, and I am happy to say that the overwhelming majority among us are fair-minded, accepting that a brother or sister in Christ may have a different opinion and still be our beloved brother or sister. Sadly, though, in our current atmosphere of division, some forget who is behind the anger, lies, and divisiveness (John 8:44). Truth really has fallen in our streets, just as the Bible foretold (Isaiah 59:14).
Some rumors seek to titillate, tempting us with juicy tidbits about people, and we are drawn to tales that bolster our world-view over someone else’s. Other rumors are based on fear or a lack of sound-mindedness. Paul’s statement to Timothy can be instructive: “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). We are to insulate ourselves with God’s Spirit against shadowy and outrageous conspiracy theories, such as those of QAnon. Those of us who have been around for many years have seen such conspiracies come and go—even among members of God’s Church.
God has apparently sent his angels down from heaven to knit together holy garments for Bob Thiel's companion on the journey to lead the Church of God into truth.
Zerubbabel has been so zealous in his witnessing that he never washed his clothing for the last several years until it started falling apart on his body. This displeased God so much that he sent his angels with new garments as the end times rapidly falls down around us. God's prophets have to look their best when they walk the streets of Jerusalem bearing witness for 3 1/2 years. We look forward to seeing Bob Thiel don his filthy rags to preach to the world!
After
Looks like our blue-tasseled buddy Zerubbabel has had a 'change of raiment'.
“And he answered and spoke unto those that stood before him, saying, ‘Take away the filthy garments from him.’ And unto him he said, ’Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.’” (Zechariah 3:4, 21st Century King James Version).
You too can listen to the worlds most amazing prophet preach here:
One of the great theological mistakes and teachings of Christian Fundamentalism and HWA/WCG in our own experience was "reading the Book of Revelation like a newspaper". How often, as students, did we hear Roderick Meredith affirm, "we have 3-5, 10 at the most, 20 tops" years left before Jesus comes. Conveniently, this range of possibilities generally fits the expected lifetime of all concerned. Gerald Waterhouse spent his entire life promoting the Book of Revelation to the churches as occurring within the boundaries of the life of HWA. When I, to his face, asked Gerald what he would think WHEN not IF, HWA would die. He simply replied, "I'll believe it after three days and three nights".
...and too...all these men have since died
A book that begins with...
1The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
And ends with...
20He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Is not talking to us today
"Digging through the pages of history of the early church fathers, citing excellent commentaries from the late 19th and early 20th century, and taking Scripture with the seriousness that any scholar should, Gentry gives overwhelming evidence that Revelation was written prior to A.D. 70 and also gives us answers into some of the mysteries such as Who is the Beast? What is 666? Is the tribulation past or still to come? as well as demonstrating that the majority of Revelation, all of the Olivet Discourse and the 70 weeks passage in Daniel was fulfilled in the destruction of the Temple by the Romans. Dr. Gentry shows that, as should always be the case, that prophecy is easier to understand after it has been fulfilled than before. If you are into any view that calls for a tribulation of any kind, should you decide to read this book, you will definitely be affected and challenge to make a change of such a view."
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In short, The Book of Revelation was written in or around the summer of 69 CE (65 according to this study) and certainly BEFORE not after the Fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE. It was written to encourage the Jewish Christians in harm's way under the siege of Rome on the city. Revelation is a Jewish Christian Book. The 144,000 are Jewish Christians and the "innumerable multitude" are Jewish Christians who were not as righteous as the 144,000 but to be regathered nonetheless, not of the nations as gentiles, but "out of them" as Jewish.
Rome had grown weary of militant Jews and Zealots and militant Jewish Christians and with Judea under Roman control, was not going to put up with it anymore.
(I personally believe the Gospels and Paul's book of Romans reflect the fact that Rome had a great deal of input in the writing of the NT to pacify the militant Jewish Messiah and Jesus resulting in the Orthodox Judaism of today and a "turn the other cheek", "render unto Caesar..." and "Obey those that have rule over you (Rom. 13), pacifistic Jesus of the NT. Vespasian may have been the "Beast" and the Apostle Paul the "False Prophet" to Jewish Christians, but that's another story)
"But back to the original question. To whom was Jesus speaking when he said the words and to whom did he mean for it to apply? The answer is within the context, plain and simple.
"Take heed that no man deceive you." (Matt 24:4) "...ye shall hear of wars, and rumors of wars..." (Matt 24:6) "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted..." (Matt 24:9) "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation..." (Matt 24:15) "But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter..." (Matt 24:20) "Behold, I have told you before." (Matt 24:25)
The context in which Jesus spoke was his own. The "you" that he was addressing was the group he was addressing then and the group to which all these things would happen for, and soon. Jesus was telling those disciples that these things would happen in their time. Jesus made a mistake in his perceptions.
In our time, Christians read the same words and see the "ye" and "you" as "me" and "us" just as the original disciples would have. The only difference is that the disciples actually were disappointed and this generation has yet to realize their own disappointment to come.
The proof that Jesus himself meant the people he was talking to is found in the fact that the "this generation" comment is actually the tail end of a much larger, often overlooked quote taken in its entirety.
"So likewise YE when YE shall SEE ALL these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto YOU, THIS generation shall not pass, till ALL these things be fulfilled." (Matt 24:33-24 emphasis mine)
There is no reason to twist the words of Jesus to mean more than they were ever intended to mean. A scripture can never mean what it never meant. The early disciples and infant Church knew it meant them and we see the gradual deterioration of their personal confidence in the immediacy of the Second Coming promise throughout the NT.
I Thessalonians 4:15-17 "...For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout...Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air..." Meaning...some would die, but not us who tell you this. Jesus still means us.
I Corinthians 15:51,52 "...We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump..." Meaning...you will die, but we won't but it all works out...Jesus still meant us.
Romans 13:11-12 "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand..." Meaning...we had some doubts, but now we know it's almost here. Jesus still meant us.
James 5:8 "Be ye also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." Meaning...impatience was growing, hang in there. Jesus still meant us.
I John 2:18 "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time." Meaning...Jesus still meant us.
I Peter 4:7 "But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer."
Revelation 22:20 "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly...." Meaning...ok, it's been over 30 years, but Jesus still means us.
Obviously, every one of these quoted hopes and statements was wrong. Jesus did not return for them and to date has not returned for anyone. Paul and the early church who wrote in his name was just as wrong as the many COG prophetic types are wrong in this time. And it is based on the fact that Jesus himself was wrong which I know most Christians can never come to admit. For Paul it becomes....
" I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." Meaning...Ok, I give up, Jesus didn't mean us, or at least not me. I was wrong. 2 Timothy 4:8-9
...and at best, this will also become the reality for those alive today seeing the imminent return of Jesus in every newspaper and on every turn of the dial in this dangerous and contentious world of ours."
I'm not scoffing. Being accused of scoffing was a label for those in the early Church who were really beginning to doubt the "soon" and "shortly" of it all. Rather than admit "Yeah, we get it", the powers that were simply blamed the "observer of reality", mocked them and said they didn't understand that "with God, a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day! Duh!" Of course, this little bit of information was not taught back in the day when it was obvious no Jesus was returning soon.
The disciples expected Jesus to return within days of his death and when they met him in Galilee, even doubted that. It's what you say to those that are becoming disillusioned but the others know that the return is still in their lifetime for sure.
Scoffers, i.e. "Noticers", were undermining the confidence of the early followers and disciples of Jesus. An observation is not scoffing. Observations are based on the passage of millennia. It's a 2000-year-old observation. To motivate with fear, false prophetic fulfillment's of non-prophecies and imagined prophetic accuracy on topics anyone could speculate somewhat accurately about, is simply foolishness and makes the Church, in any form, look stupid and ignorant. Jesus said his generation would not pass until the Son of Man be come. He was wrong too.
Revelation is a failed first-century prophecy. The Romans won again.
For an impressive recreation of The Fall of Jerusalem see:
A reader here sent me this link to some of the craziness of the Philadelphia Church of God. Imagine having to find out that your baptism in the COG is not valid because you were baptized prior to Lil'Stevie Flurry's baptismal date!
Lil'Stevie's baptismal date is one of the most significant events in the history of the Philadelphia Church of God. That is the day that Lil'Stevie completed reading Malachi's Message and studying Herbert Armstrong's writings at the now sacred location at Robbers Cave, Oklahoma. HWA College students now take an annual pilgrimage to the Robbers Cave Campground to gaze in wonder at this most sacred site.
Church Administration
International Announcement
VALID BAPTISMAL COUNSELING
Mr. Flurry prepared this announcement and has asked that it be read in all congregations this Sabbath, November 12, PRIOR to playing the sermon from headquarters.
My son, Stephen, was baptized in the Philadelphia Church of God on January 16, 1990. Prior to his baptism, he had studied Mr. Armstrong’s writings and Malachi’s Message. In my sermon at Edmond last week (November 5), I pointed to his baptismal date as a cut-off point, after which baptisms within the Laodiceans churches became invalid.
This, however, is not true in every case. I should have stated that Stephen’s baptismal date should be used only as an overall guideline for our ministers to work with in their counseling with God’s people and with prospective PCG members. In considering this subject further, I am convinced that many, if not most, people baptized outside the PCG after January 16, 1990, and who then came into the PCG in the early 1990’s, were undoubtedly counseled and baptized properly.
Today, however, it would be safe to assume that anyone baptized by a Worldwide Church of God minister would be considered invalidly baptized. In 1990, the Laodicean era was in its beginning stages. Today, the Laodicean ministry has rejected all, or most, of God’s revealed truth.
The significance of my son’s baptism on January 16, 1990—the very first baptism within the fledgling Philadelphia Church of God—is that it gives our ministers an excellent mile marker to work with in evaluating and counseling prospective members. Anyone baptized after that date by a Laodicean minister should, at the very least, be questioned more extensively about their prior baptismal counseling. Who counseled them? What did they study? Have there been fruits of repentance? And so on.
I do believe that God used my son’s baptismal date to indicate the understanding and/or attitude needed to be validly baptized into God’s Church. My son received the “early and latter rain,” as James described it—revelation given to Mr. Armstrong and to me (Malachi’s Message was the first shower to occur during the later rain). And he was submissive to God’s Word.
So anyone baptized outside the PCG, and after January 16, 1990, must have had that same kind of understanding and/or attitude to have been validly baptized. That doesn’t necessarily mean they had to read Malachi’s Message to become converted. Many may not have known Malachi’s Message even existed. But did they deeply dig into the truth revealed during the early rain? If so, and their attitude was right, and assuming they were baptized according to the specific instructions set forth in Scripture, then they were probably baptized validly. On the other hand, if they were baptized in 1991, and they prepared for their baptismal covenant by studying the WCG’s new teachings, then their baptism is not valid.
Ultimately, each case must be examined individually by God’s ministry. If any of our members have a question regarding the validity of their baptism in a Laodicean church, they should contact their local minister.
I do believe that my son’s understanding and attitude was what God wanted the ministry to focus on in the PCG when baptizing new members—the early and latter rains. Prospective members must come to understand and submit to the revelation given to Mr. Armstrong and what is now being given to the PCG through me.
UCG indicated in some articles several years ago that ANY act of love on February 14 = keeping valentine's Day, and thus is wrong.
From Good News Jan-Feb 2014: "What about showing love on Valentine's Day if I'm not doing it for pagan reasons? Isn't that okay? No, because the expression of that kind of 'love' is still rooted in a former pagan holiday."
In other words, don't love God on Feb. 14. Don't love His Law that day.
Loving evil.... well, it appears that's wrong, too. It's still love, right?
An LCG source sent me a link to an article on Frank Viola's Beyond Evangelical blog, The Danger of God's Power.
Where Power Is Safe
God never gives His power to you or me to wield as individuals. He gives His power to the bride of Christ, the ekklesia.
Whenever I see men wielding God’s power as isolated individuals, I immediately see imminent destruction. The power of God on an individual will destroy him. It’s safe only when that person remains properly connected to other members of the body.
In every case I can think of when an individual abused God’s power, that person was disconnected from the body of Christ. Yes, they may have attended church services. In fact, they may have even regularly preached in them.
But that’s not the same as having a living experience of the body of Christ, where close-knit relationships are forged and members temper one another.
I’m also impressed that Jesus didn’t try to gain fame through His signs and wonders. Have you ever noticed that the Lord never made a production out of healing the sick?
When Jesus performed a healing, He virtually always told that person not to tell anyone.[iii] We see a certain modesty in Christ whenever He exercised His power.
God’s power is available to accomplish His will, but it’s so easy to corrupt, pervert, and make cheap and common.
But wait, it gets even worse.
Malignant Narcissism
Spiritual power causes some people, perhaps many, to believe they can handle everything on their own. These befuddled souls are marked by titanic arrogance mixed with paranoia. They are erratic narcissists and serial liars who have an unwarranted confidence in their own sagacity.
They are rude, crude, insensitive, judgmental, and as crooked as a dog’s hind leg.
They are also prone to violate Proverbs 27:2, regularly lathering themselves up with praise. In some twisted way, they believe they have a right to such self-indulgence because they carry God’s anointing.
The same thing happens when individuals acquire political power. Many of them turn into insufferable human beings. Privilege has a toxic influence on most humans.
How ironic that those gifted with God’s power slip into the same temptations. Unfortunately, malignant narcissism abounds in both the political and religious worlds.
But a major fall awaits such people. They will move from a powerful place to a place of deep weakness. This is God’s generous grace, because power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), and only the weak and poor in spirit can heal the broken and needy.
It was said of Jesus that He would not break a bruised reed nor snuff out a smoldering wick (Matthew 12:20). In the ancient world, smoldering wicks signaled that they should be extinguished and replaced with new ones.
Bruised reeds couldn’t measure accurately, so they too had to be discarded and replaced. Strikingly, Jesus didn’t discard or replace the damaged, the weak, and the broken.
He healed them.
As the One gentle and lowly in heart (Matthew 11:29), our Lord consistently helped the least, the lost, and the lowest.
By contrast, those who take God’s power for granted not only discard the broken; they run over them.
With weakness comes the power to heal the weak. Without weakness, God’s power becomes a dangerous thing. So be careful.
Bob seems oblivious to the obnoxious and this absolutely horribly produced and presented screed on the horrors of observing Valentine's Day. Of course, we would expect this just as we would expect "God Hates Football" that will precede the Super Bowl. Would it ever cross his mind to review it and conclude, "No, that sucks. Let me try again"
God forbid, well evidently He does, expressing love, appreciation, and emotions towards those one actually loves. He loves to be worshipped, praised, prayed to, obeyed, and paid, but a day He didn't think up expressing love towards those loved, and not Himself, not so much.
Pagan religion is more real, fondly memorable, and very much more fun
Bob's God needs to lighten up...
And too...someone needs to explain to Bob the Babylonian, Sumerian, Assyrian and Canaanite origins of the Hebrew spun Old Testament practices and beliefs he carries over into his version of Jewish Christianity. Judaism and the God of the Old Testament did not spring from the vacuum of itself no matter how the tales are told.
