CGI Admits There is No Proof That Saturday Is The Sabbath But Keep It Because It Is Tradition Of Men

 

Church of God International has a letter in its latest The International News written in by a person asking about the Sabbath.

Question: Can you prove to me by Scripture alone that our Saturday is the seventh day? I cannot find one verse that proves Saturday is the seventh day, only by other sources from men, like history books, modern rabbis claiming Saturday has never changed or been broken, but by Scripture alone I cannot link Saturday to the seventh day... 

 

ANSWER: The biblical proof you’re asking for doesn’t exist. One cannot determine by the Bible alone that the day we call “Saturday” is the seventh day of the biblical week. But then, the Bible nowhere teaches that the Bible is the sole source of truth—so by what authority do you establish your “Scripture alone” rule? On what biblical grounds do you throw out examination of historical data as a legitimate means of arriving at important truths? The truth is, the extreme form of sola scriptura you have adopted is nowhere taught in the Scriptures. 

 

Make no mistake, the Bible is God’s unique reve- lation to mankind and therefore must be given first place in our quest for truth, but Scripture nowhere teaches that it is the sole source of all true knowledge.

CGI admits it keeps the day because of traditions of men, not from actual scripture.  

The Church of God movement (Armstrongism) has made a big point about now falling for "traditions of men" when it comes to following its god. And yet, for 8 decades it has done just that. Keeping traditions of men, especially Herbert Armstrong's interpretations as "gospel truth".

Because of the witness of the faith traditions of both Jews and Christians, the whole world today knows that the day we call Saturday is the seventh day of the week, and that it’s traceable all the way back to the time of Jesus.

Crackpot Prophet Wants To Educate You About The Upcoming Time Change

 

Like any good COG prophet, our Great Bwana to Africa and 304 Caucasians has to stick his nose into the upcoming time change, because after all, his so-called sabbath will start an hour later this next Friday and if you don't adjust your clocks you will be an hour late in listening to his mind-boggling sermon on 57 different subjects.

Apparently, COG members are too stupid to know this while his African followers don't really care.

At 2 a.m. on the morning of Sunday, March 13, those in the USA and many other nations will need to spring our clocks forward – and losing an hour of the day – for Daylight Saving Time. Sunset will be an hour later. 

 

Because of that, sunset will be over an hour later next Friday. 

 

Those of us who observe the weekly Sabbath from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday may wish to remember that.

Then right on cue, he has to find something wrong with it. He had to go back to a 2016 article on CNN about how people can have issues with losing sleep. I am surprised he did not claim this is a satanic conspiracy tocasue people to miss his sermons.

Irrespective of any possible health risks, the changing of the clocks, etc. can be annoying and affect sleep cycles. Either way, in the USA the clocks change at 2:00 a.m.

 

LCG: Why is its god so severely handicapped by Satan that it cannot do much good during this age?

 

From an LCG source:

God is severely handicapped by Satan and cannot do much good during this age. But once Satan is out of the way then God can get something done.

The Importance of Truth: Jesus said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Yet, today, we face a global plague of misinformation, fake news, and conspiracy theories that generate confusion and mistrust of the media, governments, individuals, and major institutions. The Bible reveals that Satan is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4), that he is a liar (John 8:44), and the real author of the confusion we see around us (1 Corinthians 14:33). The ancient prophets foretold the time would come when truth would perish (Isaiah 59:4, 14–15; Jeremiah 7:28; 9:3–5) and be suppressed (Romans 1:18). However, when Jesus Christ returns, His capital in Jerusalem will be known as “the City of Truth” (Zechariah 8:1–3) and the liberating truth of His law (Psalm 119:142) will be spread around the world (Isaiah 2:2–4; 11:9) by His servants He is calling today (1 John 3:19). This is your exciting future—if you prove and hold fast the Truth (1 Thessalonians 5:21)! 

 

Have a profitable Sabbath, Douglas S. Winnail

Satan has always been the most powerful god of the Church of God. 

LCG Tries To Impress National Christian Broadcasters That It is A Normal Christian Ministry

 

From an LCG source:

Greetings from Charlotte, 

 

Mr. Gerald Weston is in Nashville this week with Mr. Wallace Smith and Mr. Mike DeSimone to attend the annual National Religious Broadcasters Christian Media Convention, which is “the world’s largest gathering of Christian communicators.” Last week, we had 54 guests attend Tomorrow’s World Presentations (19 in Las Vegas, Nevada; 6 in Schenectady, New York; and 29 at eight follow-up presentations). This weekend, in addition to six follow-ups, Mr. Ames will present in Columbia, South Carolina, and Augusta, Georgia, and I will be in Charleston, West Virginia, and Bristol, Virginia. Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread are only five weeks away! As economic woes increase, and death and suffering escalate in Ukraine, many worry about what will happen next. For God’s people, the coming Holy Days are a welcome time to refocus our minds on Christ’s sacrifice for our sins, His willingness to live His righteous life in us, and His plan of salvation for all mankind.—Rod McNair

Banned comments:

Imagine how much Weston, Smith, and DeSimone stood out like sore thumbs at this convention considering the powerhouse Christian ministries that were represented by those who are never afraid of preaching about Jesus. In walks our three guys, proud and arrogant as they walk around the exhibit hall and ridicule the "so-called" Christians as "sincere, but deceived". Who they believe have no idea what the "truth" is. You and I both know that this is exactly what they were thinking. Yet, here are our boys with their rinky-dink Tomorrow's World program, unrecognized by most of the people there, thinking to themselves how superior their program is, yet is so bad that it could only draw 6 people in the town of Schenectady, NY with a population of 65,000 people. That's some witness there boys!

As the world spirals out of control around them, McNair wants LCG members to look forward to Passover to take their minds off the troubles around them. The COG version of "Passover" is that yearly sacrifice of Christ at the local Masonic Lodge or Odd Fellow's Hall where they sacrifice him once again at their yearly ritual, with microphones enhancing the breaking matzo sounds, and then leave him there on the stage or gym floor till next year. The poor guy is just too inconvenient to talk about the rest of the year. Impending war, epidemics, and deaths of millions are far more titillating and important than Jesus, grace, and the peace that comes through him.

Second Witless Witness Ron Weinland Disgusted By Argumentative Spirit Directed Towards Prophets And Ministers Of The Church

Ron Weinland is not happy. There are people in his tiny little cult that have an "argumentative spirit" against him. How dare the dumb sheeple ever question God's chosen one! How dare they! This is the same thing that drives Bob Thiel bonkers as it does Dave Pack. How can anyone ever question these prophets in our midst? We would NEVER do that, would we? Seriously!

So again, this matter of strife and contention, argumentative spirit has no place in God’s Church and not amongst God’s people, against God’s people, and especially not toward God’s ministry. Sometimes it’s hard for people to grasp what we do when we fight that fight, because that is against God very powerfully so. That’s how He takes that. Because that’s what it is, it’s a spiritual thing. 

Maybe if all of these COG blowhards treated members right, stopped spiritually abusing them, stopped stealing their money, and stopped lying, then members would have nothing to complain about. However, once a COG prophet ordains himself to some lofty position they can never shut up.

Anyway, let’s go on over to John 17, because this message of these things should not exist in God’s Church, and especially toward God’s ministry, whether it be the prophets of old or within the New Testament and things that are said there, these are things that make very clear how the Body of Christ is to function, especially within the Church, and it is without contention, it is without divisiveness, it is with the spirit of oneness and unity of mind.

It is the ministry and church leaders who have divided the church. They are the ones causing division. If they weren't then there would be no Thiel's, Packs, Flurry's, and Weinland's flapping their pie-holes continually. 

The Armstrongite version of the Church of God was born out of division and an argumentative spirit and has been rocked by it internally from day one, even in the glory years so many fondly look back at. Unity has never been a teaching of the church. How can they be unified when they never mention the guy that is supposed to unify them in One Spirit?

Church of God International: NO, That’s NOT the Gospel!

NO, That’s NOT the Gospel!

By

Lonnie Hendrix/Miller Jones

The Church of God International recently posted a message for their Armor of God program by Canadian Pastor Adrian Davis titled What is the Gospel? In their advertisement for the program, CGI asks a couple of questions: “What was the Good News that Jesus proclaimed nearly 2,000 years ago?” and “How is it relevant to us today?” Unfortunately, Mr. Davis does not provide scriptural answers to either of those questions.

Unexpectedly, Pastor Davis begins by directing his listeners to turn to the Old Testament for his answers to those questions. More particularly, he begins by focusing on the story of Ahimaaz and Cushi carrying the “good news” of the victory of the king’s forces over the armies of Absalom to King David (II Samuel 18:19-32). Using the Septuagint (a Greek version of the Hebrew Bible), Mr. Davis insists that this passage constitutes the first substantive use of the Greek word translated into English as “gospel.” Hence, for the pastor, this passage of the Hebrew Scriptures translated into the Greek language should inform our understanding of what the English term “gospel” means! And, within the context of this narrative, Mr. Davis informs us that the term indicates: 1) the favorable outcome of an event, and 2) that the message is taken to/delivered to someone.

What about that? Is Mr. Davis’ characterization of the “euangelion” of the Kingdom correct? Is it a message about the favorable outcome of a single event? OR Is it primarily a message about how humanity is to be saved from the penalty which its sins have incurred (death) and finally reconciled to Almighty God?

Pastor Davis invites his listeners to Google the definition of the word “gospel.” And, when we do, the first two definitions presented are as follows: 1) “the teaching or revelation of Christ” and 2) “the record of Jesus' life and teaching in the first four books of the New Testament.” Pastor Davis then informs us that both of these definitions are incorrect! Is he right? Is the gospel message really NOT about Jesus Christ and his teachings? How does Pastor Davis get around Christ’s clear instructions to his disciples to teach the nations about the things that he had presented to them and to baptize them into the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? (See Matthew 28:18-20)

Of course, like most Armstrongites and Jehovah’s Witnesses, Pastor Davis is able and ready to tell everyone that it is called the Gospel of the Kingdom of God in Scripture (Matthew 24:14). Moreover, according to Mr. Davis, that message must exhibit three qualities to be regarded as the genuine article. He insists that it must be: 1) the same gospel Christ preached, 2) consistent with the gospel of our forefathers, and 3) controversial. Of course, for him, the passage which he quoted from Matthew underscores the fact that Christ was preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. But what about points two and three?

For the answer to that question, Pastor Davis directs his listeners to the Gospel of Luke. He begins by noting that Christ observed the Jewish Sabbath (Luke 4:16), and then asks how anyone who is not keeping the Sabbath could call themselves a Christian. Mr. Davis continued reading: “And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” (See Luke 4:17-21) Mr. Davis then proceeds to point out that Christ was reading from the sixty-first chapter of the book of Isaiah, and that this demonstrates that Christ was preaching the same message that had been given to his Israelite forefathers (please take the time to reread that passage and notice the expansive nature of Christ’s work).

From there, he attempts to associate that message with the Armstrongist teaching about Anglo-Israelism (that the English-speaking peoples of the earth are part of the “lost ten tribes” of Israel)! In other words, for Mr. Davis, the “gospel” or “good news” was all about (and for) the people of Israel. After all, didn’t Scripture declare that God was the “Holy One of Israel” (see Isaiah 47:4). Hence, for the pastor, what he sees as the ethnocentric nature of the gospel satisfies the requirements that the message be the same one preached by/to our “forefathers,” and that it be controversial. Of course, absent from this interpretation of the gospel is Paul’s message to the saints of Galatia, where he wrote: “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:26-29)

In fairness to Mr. Davis, he did mention a more extensive treatment of the subject of the gospel message by Pastor Bill Watson. Moreover, seeing how deficient Pastor Davis’ presentation actually turned out to be, I thought it might be worthwhile to check out the recommended literature on the subject by Mr. Watson. In doing so, I was immediately encouraged by the date of publication (2008) listed for Pastor Watson’s What is the Real Gospel Truth? “That was back in the day when Pastor Watson wasn’t consumed with headline theology and right-wing politics,” I thought.

And, sure enough, I actually found there a more accurate reflection of the nature of the gospel message. In fact, some of the statements in that booklet were much better than what Pastor Davis offered! For example, in the section titled “Good News About What?” we read: “The gospel Jesus commissioned His disciples to announce is a large subject. There are many aspects to this announcement of good news, or glad tidings. And furthermore, it contains multiple teachings, analogies, similes, parables, examples, instructions, and commandments for our edification.” Continuing, we read: “This mission, in a very broad sense, was clarified at the conclusion of Christ’s earthly ministry: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:18–20).” Yes, now we’re getting somewhere!

A little further, in the same booklet, we read: “The Person of Christ, how He lived, and what He taught were central to the early New Testament Church. The apostles emphasized Jesus Christ and His example and teachings as the foundation for pleasing God. They taught that He, Jesus Christ, was the door to eternal life (John 10:7–18). Using the Old Testament, Paul publicly taught the Jews that Jesus was, in fact, the Christ (Acts 18:28, 31). This point was central to the gospel message because of what Jesus claimed about Himself and, in the course of His ministry, proved to be true.” Moreover, in the pages that followed, Mr. Watson went on to discourse upon the importance of “Christ crucified” to the forgiveness of our sins and ultimate salvation, and just how focused the early Church was on Christ’s resurrection.

Now that is starting to sound like the REAL GOSPEL! Please don’t misunderstand - I’m NOT endorsing everything in Mr. Watson’s booklet on the subject, but his understanding of the scope and nature of the gospel message is much closer to what is revealed in Scripture than what is outlined in this latest offering from Pastor Davis! To be clear, the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is about Jesus Christ, and the salvation that is available to us through him! In fact, Mr. Davis’ version of the gospel is not even as expansive as Herbert Armstrong’s very limited and narrow understanding allowed! Indeed, the offering by Mr. Davis is so narrow and twisted in nature as to render it a FALSE gospel, and we all know what Paul had to say about anyone who would dare to preach a different gospel (see Galatians 1:6-9)!

I wish that Mr. Davis had focused on the many parables which Christ gave to his disciples on the subject of the Kingdom of God. Take a moment just to consider a few of them: The Sower and the Soils, The Tares Among the Wheat, The Mustard Seed, The Leaven, The Hidden Treasure, The Net, The Unforgiving Servant, The Laborers in the Vineyard, The Marriage Feast, The Ten Virgins, and The Talents. What do these parables of Christ teach us about the nature of the Kingdom of God, and how to be a part of it? They certainly don’t reinforce Pastor Davis’ notion of a physical kingdom of and for the Israelites!

The ”PLAIN TRUTH” about the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is that the king of that kingdom (Jesus Christ) came here to save us from the consequences of our sins. His kingdom is a spiritual entity, and it is all about salvation and reconciliation with God and Christ. To be sure, it does point to the time when all of the systems and governments devised by humans will be replaced by God’s system and government. Likewise, it certainly does point to the time when the earth will be filled with the knowledge of God and his will, and to the time when God will dwell with his saints! Even so, the heart of the gospel message is the narrative about HOW all of that is/will be accomplished! Let’s all hope that Pastor Davis will abandon his false gospel and return to the real message of and about the Messenger/Savior/King, Jesus Christ!

Sideshow Bob Ridicules David Hulme For Starting A Splinter Group While Tripping Over The Same Rake

 

It's another sunny glorious day in California and Sideshow Bob is giving us more slapstick comedy by stepping on his proverbial rake. Who would ever have suspected that the Church of God, in these frightful end times, would have such a slapstick comedian as a prophet! We are truly blessed!!!!!!!!

A reader here sent this:

Bob has an article up on Vic Kubic's not being appointed again as President of UCG.  He goes over a brief history of UCG presidents and has this gem

 

"UCG’s first president, David Hulme, started his own church when he was not reconfirmed in 1998. His church is called:  COGaIC: Church of God, an International Community.' 

United Church of God: Victor Kubik not reconfirmed as president, though he wanted to be

 

Oblivious to the fact he did the same thing when he was not "confirmed" as a prophet.  

Hilarious! After Rod Meredith and the Living Church of God hierarchy turned their backs on his self-appointed prophethood and his wild demands that the church change their doctrines and beliefs to suit his interpretations, Sideshow Bob, in typical COG fashion, threw a self-righteous sanctimonious hissy fit and started his own new and improved Church of God.  

Rod Meredith and crew never confirmed Bob Thiel's legitimacy. That's part of the reason LCG refused to ordain him. They knew trouble was bound to happen if they did. Look at the mess Theil has created today as a non-confirmed church leader and you can see that Meredith was justified in rebuking him.

Rake on dude! Keep us entertained!

PCG: "This whole thing is a crock of nonsense from a power-mad leader and is only to keep the money flowing into their coffers."

 

Exit and Support Network has the following up about a sermon given by one of Gerald Flurry's minions. It is another speech about how to fleece the members of their money. God forbid if they ever talked about Jesus, grace, justification, sanctification, or any other New Covenant teaching. Instead, they bow down at the End Times Altar, the Money Altar, and the Holy Rock. Armstrongism gets crazier by the minute!

Dwight Falk Uses Clever Way to Increase Holy Day Offerings:

March 7, 2022 

 

Dwight Falk, in his authoritarian and non-empathetic voice, gave a Sermonette: “Help Through Offerings” where he used a clever way to manipulate members into giving more money for their holy day offerings. He started off reading an email that he said they received from a lady in Canada who is a subscriber but not a member and read her words which said, “We really need our Prophet to speak on the Russian issue. Help, pastor Flurry!” He based his entire sermonette on this two sentence email and said this is how members’ holy day offerings help people like her (who are” crying out for help”) and that they (PCG) only have a “short time” before there is a famine of the Word. He quoted Jesus’ words in John 9:4 about working “before the night cometh” to insinuate PCG only had a short time left. 

 

He also quoted Ezekiel 33:33: “And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them” to associate the words “prophet” and “among them” with GF. Even though GF takes upon himself the name “Ezekiel” as one of his many titles, Falk conveniently didn’t mention that even though the people in Ezekiel’s day would sit and listen to Ezekiel when he was prophesying about the fall of Jerusalem (which happened), it had no effect whatsoever on the people, as they didn’t heed what he said. 

 

So what is GF going to get out of all this if America is destroyed? Only a smug satisfaction that “he was right”? Hoping people will say, “Oh, GF was a true prophet?” And where will GF be at this time? Hiding in an underground bunker somewhere? Overseas at Edstone? For certain, he won’t be in the place of safety in Adullam. Most will not even remember GF except his followers who would no doubt be in a panic. I think of Psalms 118:8: “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” This whole thing is a crock of nonsense from a power-mad leader and is only to keep the money flowing into their coffers. –Anonymous

Dave Pack: Without Me Preparing The Way, Christ Cannot Return

 

Why is it that all of the crazy self-appointed prophets in the Church of God believe they are soooooooo important that their creature they call "christ" cannot return without them? Dave Pack, Gerald Flurry, Ron Weinland, and Bob Thiel all think this. They have set themselves up as God's own mouthpiece on earth "preparing the way".

Liars! Every single one of them.

"Dear brethren,

Having APPROVED the announcements of the last two days, I am sending one more under MY signature.

The following things SHOULD be included in your thinking. While NECESSARILY brief, they make the picture FULL—and exciting to contemplate:

1. We are waiting for a Kingdom. The little flock gets a Kingdom. There is no period before that! (Acts 1:6, 3:21; Matt. 17:11)

2. For several years, I believed the 70th annualized week in Dan. 9:24-27 was a 7-year Kingdom that followed “the end.” This was true! There is NO 7-day Kingdom. We all know there IS a 7-year Kingdom. Dan. 8, 9:27 and 12:11-12 describe it.

3. Therefore, ALL references to the first Kingdom being either a month or up to a month are BACK IN PLAY.

4. Thus, all Israel rises along with all incomplete saints—and Nebuchadnezzar—to start EVERYTHING!

5. Many things get scripturally BETTER, CLEARER and EASIER to understand. God becomes INFINITELY MORE FAIR and just in this scenario. NO WONDER those who go first get eternal life. The first Kingdom is potentially 15 billion people.

6. Elijah  CAME (first) before Christ arrives with this worldwide Kingdom of God. He (Pack) PREPARED THE WAY for this. Without a people (RCG) prepared to lead such a Kingdom, NOTHING could happen.

Everything in God’s thinking turns on having a little flock of “LASTS” ready. The ONLY “entity” before the 3 Kingdoms was the little flock in PREPARATION to lead the first one.

7. We are now waiting and watching day-by-day! We STILL cannot know the day or hour. PERHAPS it is this FINAL email that “puts us on the clock.” (Relevant scriptures would be Mal. 3:1, Rev. 22:6, Rev. 10:7, Amos 3:7 and Zech. 3:7.)

The Bible’s closing words are now appropriate: “Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus...”

In Christ’s service,

David C. Pack" 

Dave Pack: Gas Prices Rising A Penny An Hour So We Are Now On A Day To Day Watch For Imminent Return Of "christ"

 

More from that other COG crackpot, David C Pack. Are there no men of integrity left in leadership positions that know this is all a lie?

It is tempting to say that the first period is ONLY 3.5 days. But consider: if it is ONLY 84 hours and ends exactly at a Sabbath, then we would know BOTH when it starts and ends—the exact hour! But many verses stress we don’t know the hour—and can’t think it up! 

 

Luke 12:39 says “if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief (Christ) would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.” It FINALY BECAME CLEAR that the goodman does NOT know the hour—meaning we must be in a CONSTANT state of spiritual readiness. This is the only way to ENSURE our individual lives are not “broken through.” (Yes, there is some evidence that Christ arrives at night…) 

 

This period is simply some number of days—they are “the days of the voice of the seventh messenger.” They are certainly evil days, last days and days of the Son of Man. There is no place one can find out how many there are. 

 

We STILL have EVERY reason to believe these start in Adar. And echoing yesterday, continue to watch the “wars, rumors of wars and commotions” that are really worsening in Europe—and spilling over to affect all people on earth. (Gas prices are now rising one penny every two hours in the United States.) These things ALONE suggest our day-to-day watch will NOT be long! Yes, we should watch every day, including the Sabbath, for when this begins. I repeat—we are now DAY-TO-DAY! 

 

P.S. This update supplants ANY need for something more Monday.