UCG: Struggling to live in troubling times

 

Rick Shabi has sent out a letter to the faithful about these terribly troubling times and how UCG members should rely upon the certain truth that the UCG has to give them.

For us in the Church, who discern the times and understand the prophetic words of the Bible, these times should catch our attention and wake us up. When Christ was asked by His disciples, “What will be the sign of Your coming and the end of the age?” He clearly showed them what to look for. We see those signs all around us. “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed” (Romans 13:11). 

For almost 8 decades the church has not been able to "discern the times" or even understand the "prophetic words of the Bible". The prophetic failure rate is broad and troublesome. Troublesome in the fact that many lives have been ruined by the outright lies of COG leaders down through the decades. Not once have any of them been right, including today's crop of bellowing jackasses.

I hope we are all wide awake and aware. 

 

As the world finds itself in this time of transition, the Church of God remains steady and focused on the return of Jesus Christ and preaching the gospel of the coming Kingdom of God. The Church of God remains anchored to our Rock and the only source of pure and unblemished truth available in the world today. It is only in Jesus Christ that we have hope. 

Anchored to what rock? While Christians acknowledge it to be true that hope is found in Christ, when has the church ever truly devoted itself to him? They sure love to bow at the altar of the law, but seem to begrudgingly have to acknowledge Jesus in the last couple of paragraphs of an article or a sermon.  

The world and its leaders, relying on their own ideas and resources, cannot bring peace or stability or a resolution to this world’s ills. Instead, they are bringing it to ruin. It is only Jesus Christ who can save the world from destroying itself. 

The COG and its leaders, consistently relying upon their own ideas and resources, have not brought peace and stability to the COG ills. Look at the divisions that UCG has had! 

The world needs to hear the truth of God, and we must preach that truth to a dying world. We, as faithful Christians and disciples of Jesus Christ, must live the truth and be ever more closely learning and striving to live by “every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” and drawing close to one another and to God in this special fellowship of which we are a part. 

 

We are His people—the “called out” ones, the firstfruits. Bearing that name and identity carries with it a huge responsibility, but God has given us His Spirit so that we can succeed in the calling He has given us. Let’s make the best use of the time we each have by individually and collectively building the spiritual temple Christ will return to. Let’s be sure we are being diligent in making our “calling and election sure” (2 Peter 1:10, King James Version).

The fact of the matter is, Church of God members are no more special than any other Christian in the world today. The COG seeks to hoodwink its members into believing that the church holds hidden knowledge that was only revealed to them as truth while the rest of the world is stumbling around in utter darkness. Nothing could be further from the truth!

As for him desiring that UCG members continue to work to make their "calling" secure, any Christian with the slightest bit of understanding of redemption, justification, and sanctification knows that that matter is already secure. COG leaders who constantly whip up members by guilt-tripping them that their salvation is always at stake are the ones who do not seem to understand.

Crackpot Prophet Wants to Know If A Good Tree Can Bear Bad Fruit

 

The most highly favored prophet to ever exist in the history of the Church of God, the first doubly-blessed Germanic/Native American, the end-time Elijah, Johsua, Amos, Habbakuk, and the Great Bwana to Africa, is asking if a good tree can bear bad fruit. Perhaps he needs to rethink that phrase and ask himself like everyone else already has, "can a bad tree bear good fruit"? Thankfully, due to this critical thinking, the overwhelming majority of COG members have determined that there is nothing appealing about the guy.

Can a good tree bear bad fruit? 

The New Testament teaches that the “full number” of the Gentiles are prophesied to come in before Jesus returns and we have seen growth in Gentile congregants in Asia (India and the Philippines), Africa and other places. Furthermore, our upcoming radio broadcast out of Italy should help us reach more European Gentiles (as well as some Israelites) starting next month.

As far as reaching those of Israelitish descended backgrounds, most of our video views come from them. Most of the listeners to the Genesis Network program I frequently am a guest on and most of the multiple millions of computers our online campaigns reach are also those with Israelite heritage–so we are not ignoring Gentiles nor Israelites (cf. Matthew 28:19-20).

Because of obeying Jesus’ commands to go to all nations, along with God’s blessings, the CCOG has been the fastest growing x-WCG COG in the 21st century. We have used tithes and offerings to pay for trips, literature, radio, videos, internet support, online campaigns, visits, building materials, youth camps, festival assistance, equipment, seeds, work projects, and other things to reach people around the world, and including the Gentiles and Israelites.

We have also added more congregants without a prior WCG-related background than any other Church of God who leaders had ties to the old WCG than any we are aware of.

Why mention that?

Because Jesus said:

18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them. (Matthew 7:18-20)

The fruits are there, for those with eyes to see and ears to hear.

Yet, the great Bwana is incapable of attracting the British Israelite followers like he so desperately needs in order to keep his money stream flowing.  Try as he might, he has been an epic failure in the U.S., Canada, England, Europe, Australia, and elsewhere his mythical so-called British Israel potential members are. Never one to accept responsibility for having the most boring COG ministry ever to exist in human history, he places the blame on prejudices against him and his message. The Great Bwana and Chief Overseer believes that his Gentile hoard needs to come from black Africans and other people of color, ignoring the fact that there is no racially pure race on earth today, particularly here in the United States.  Armstrongism has always treated people of color as Gentiles, the unwashed masses.

Yet, sadly, many people are affected by prejudices and other factors which stop them from acting on the truth and more directly supporting the reaching of the Gentiles. The Jews of the Apostle Paul’s day were not particularly impressed with Gentiles becoming Christian, but that was part of God’s plan. Most Laodiceans do not understand how God is working at this time, and they also ignore and/or discount aspects of His word. Jesus taught that the end does NOT come until the ‘Gospel of the Kingdom of God‘ reaches enough nations (Matthew 24:14) and, based on Paul’s writings, we also see that “the full number” (as the NIV, NLT, BSB, CEV, GNT, HCSV, ISV, and NET Bible, put Romans 11:25) of Gentiles is something God wants in this age come in. This is something that must be done and we in the CCOG have a lot of fruits related to that.

Although God is the one who calls (cf. John 6:44), we in the CCOG seem to be having major success in assisting with getting the message out to many that are responding to God’s calling.

Gerald Weston: If we have time for social media and video games, we have time to tune in to where "Christ" is leading His Church

It is constantly a battle for the soul in the Living Church of God. Cannot members ever have a "sabbath rest" from all the nit-picking and guilt shaming that the church so easily dishes out? Satan is constantly on the warpath against the church. And, like clockwork, those gays, are always the cause of LCG's problems.

Greetings from Charlotte,
We had very profitable Council of Elders meetings this week. All except a few men were able to attend in person with the others connected by livestream. A range of topics was covered—some listed in the weekly video update. One item was the lessons we can draw from the last two-plus years of the coronavirus. It is evident our world has changed dramatically, and one change is how we as members of the Body of Christ handle all that has occurred. If we evaluate our thinking, we may very well discover that the world has rubbed off on us to a greater or lesser degree. This calls for us to be discerning of our thoughts, attitudes, and emotions. Satan is stirring up hatred and division. We must recognize his devices, resist, and overcome his broadcasting. The second item is one that most of the Western world is facing— what we refer to as the “woke” agenda—LGBTQA+, cancel culture, the destruction of values regarding what it means to be male or female, the rejection of God-given roles in marriage, critical race theory, and so much more. As God’s people, we must strive to get back to the basics of biblical values. These subjects and more will be addressed in the Living Church News and in sermons. Please make time to read the Bible and our publications as well. If we have time for social media and video games, we have time to tune in to where Christ is leading His Church. Please pray for one another, and thank you for your dedication and love.—Gerald Weston

It is always everyone else's fault except their own. Everyone is out to oppress them.

 

LCG: Misguided Leaders and Satan Easily Deceiving The Brethren

 

It's Friday and time for the weekly Living Church of God Friday Night Smackdown.

Whip out those Bibles, boys and girls, and make sure you have plenty of church-published booklets on hand "help" you understand just how you should understand it. 

For some reason, LCG members are constantly being led astray and are easily being deceived. 

Can they ever get any credit for doing anything right?

Why Study the Word: The prophet Isaiah records that God is looking for individuals who “tremble” at His word (Isaiah 66:2). Jesus taught that we are to live “by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). He also warned that misguided leaders would set aside the commandments of God and teach “as doctrines the commandments [traditions] of men” (Mark 7:5–13). This is why the Apostle Paul stressed that we must diligently study the Scriptures so we can rightly divide (correctly understand) the word of God and avoid being misled and confused by false teachers and misguided ideas (2 Timothy 2:15). In a world filled with conflicting ideas, we need to know and prove what the Bible says so we can avoid being deceived (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Jesus plainly stated “if you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31–32). Let’s make time to study the Word!
Have a profitable Sabbath, 

Douglas S. Winnail

ExRCG Web Site Premiers Friday, June 24, 2022

 

Exciting news from Wadsworth, Ohio as Marc Cebrian has put his excellent production skills to use and has developed a website to keep track of the craziness happening on the Wadsworth campus of the Restored Church of God and to specifically monitor the absolutely insane teachings of David C Pack

ExRCG.org Has Launched! 

 

A website focusing on The Restored Church of God and David C. Pack has been launched to consolidate information for those inside and out.

 

The site will continue to develop as more former (and current) members contribute information and materials.

Some of Marc's comments on starting the website: 

Why this website?

I was baptized in September of 2009 while attending the United Church of God. I left that organization to attend The Restored Church of God in July of 2012.

Due to my extensive video production experience, I was invited to move to the RCG Headquarters in Wadsworth, Ohio to become a member of MPS (Media Production Services). I short-sold my house in Oakland, California and moved to Ohio in November of 2012.

I was an employee of The Restored Church of God until March of 2021.

Being a huge supporter of this organization still headed by Pastor General David C. Pack, I gave “my all” financially, emotionally, and physically. The literature was amazing. The World to Come program on YouTube was interesting and delivered with clarity. The Headquarters Campus was beautiful and expanding. The people were talented, friendly, happy, and striving to live God’s way.

On the Sabbath of January 24, 2015 that all changed.

David C. Pack delivered a 6-hour / 3-part message titled, “First a MOSES, Now ELIJAH—130 Proofs!” In this message, he declared himself to be Elijah the Prophet of Malachi 4:5-6, as well as “That Prophet” from Deuteronomy 18:15-20. By doing so, he removed a title for Jesus Christ but “promoted” Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong to that of a “like Moses” as to not upset all those with a Worldwide Church of God background.

The content of these messages were so disturbing, I lost sleep three nights in a row. This was my first “spiritually traumatizing” experience in RCG. I counseled for over 90 minutes with two ministers regarding my deep concerns. I came with my Bible and David C. Pack’s own literature to press my case. I left that meeting feeling relieved and hugged both men as I walked out the door. They got me to see it their way.

However, before I reached my truck in the parking lot, I was already back to my original position. I spent the next several months studying the matter in my Bible. This was counter to the advice of the Headquarters Pastor who advised me to “let it go” and to “not study” this topic. The more I looked into my Bible and the RCG literature that had been “retired,” but also started paying more careful attention to the message given by DCP, I was convinced this teaching was fraudulent. A grave and serious error for the entire organization.

Flash forward to six years later. RCG has gone off the rails. DCP has a documented history of prophetic failures and back-and-forth teachings. For my own edification, I began to note his wild assertions, odd teachings, and the failed dates of Jesus Christ’s return. As the series grew longer and more incomprehensible, my notes of his quotes grew page after page after page. 

While Armstrongism has long had "dissident sites" that have been chronicling the abuses in the church, i.e., The Painful Truth, Banned by HWA, Exit and Support Network, The PLAIN TRUTH About Malachi’s Message And THAT PROPHET,  Living Armstrongism, and Gavin Rumney's Ambassador Watch & Otagosh sites, we are seeing an even more potentially damaging avenue with TV shows and podcasts that feature the human face of the abuses members have suffered. 

We have been watching over the last few months exposés by WCTV Wadsworth and recently a new podcast Worldwide: The Unchosen Church as the personal faces of ex-members are presented rather than just words on a website or a blog.  More and more people across the Church of God spectrum are stepping forward with tales of abuse and false teachings, and the feet of these deceptive and often abusive leaders are being held to the fire as never before. 

With the continuing exposure of the lies of Bob Thiel, Gerald Flurry, Ron Weinland and David C Pack, we are watching the decline of the corporate church as never seen before. The Internet has destroyed the sacredness that the church held for so long and now we see the filthy undergarments of the current organizations.

Banned by HWA will continue to highlight exposés by Marc as we all seek to free the minds of people trapped in these personality cults of the current Church of God structure. We wish him great success!

 

Worldwide the Unchosen Church: Brief Interview with Dr. J Gordon Melton

In this brief bonus interview, we're joined by American religion scholar Dr. J. Gordon Melton.

How first, second, and third-generation converts of the church have different views on the Church of God.

Two Biblical Cases against British-Israelism

 

Two Biblical Cases against British-Israelism

By Neodromos

 

While there is extensive criticism of British-Israelism (BI) from sources external to the Bible such as archaeology, theology, history, and genetics, there are also arguments against BI that are internal to the scripture. The external arguments based on academic disciplines may be regarded by supporters of BI as humanistic rather than spiritual, scientific rather than theological, imaginative rather than inspired, or natural rather than divine. So there is a need to identify where the Bible speaks on this topic. Two Biblical arguments are sketched out in this essay to augment that large corpus of academic evidence that shows that BI is without a credible foundation.

Paul the Benjamite

In Acts 21:38, a Roman military officer, probably a centurion, mistakes Paul, who is a Benjamite, for an Egyptian. In a conversation with Paul, the centurion makes the following statement and Paul responds:

“Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers? But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia…”

The centurion knows nothing of Paul's background so the misidentification is based on appearance. The picture that accompanies this essay is from the Fayum Mummy Portraits collection. The picture dates from around the time of Paul. It is worthwhile to look at these remarkably realistic portraits on the web. They depict Greeks living in Egypt, Egyptians, and people of mixed Greek and Egyptian ancestry. Consistently, they are darkly pigmented people with curly or very curly hair. The centurion is saying that Paul has the same characteristics as the man portrayed in this Mummy Portrait.   

Yet Armstrongism asserts that the tribe of Benjamin settled in Norway and the modern descendants of the tribe of Benjamin are the Norwegians. Herman Hoeh wrote this in his article titled “Location of the Tribes of Israel” published in 1957:

“Benjamin constitutes Norway and Iceland. The Icelandic people are in reality a colony of Norwegians.”

Actually, thanks to genetics, we now know that the Icelanders are a mix of mostly Norse men and Irish women.  Would that make them Benjamites or Danites, Hoeh might ask. We are all familiar with the fair people of Scandinavia. And there is no way that a centurion, familiar with people of different nations in Europe and the Middle East, is going to address a man who looks like a Northman and ask him if he is an Egyptian. Paul was a Benjamite and was darkly pigmented with curly or very curly hair. He could be mistaken for an Egyptian from North Africa. Paul looked that way because Benjamites looked that way.  Benjamites were Middle Eastern Hebrews. Other people in this class are the Mizrahi Jews or the Bedouins who trace their ancestry to Ishmael and Joktan the son of Eber (progenitor of the Hebrews).   Both Ishmael and Joktan are Hebrews and their descendants predominantly have the same genetic haplogroup. It is instructive to Google up some photos of Mizrahi Jews from Syria or Yemen and also some Bedouin Arabs. Some scholars believe that the Mizrahi Jews of Syria are most like the Jews of Palestine in the time of Jesus.  The fact that you will not find a Scandinavian countenance among these people (unless they are of mixed ancestry), is evidence that BI is not in agreement with this Biblical scenario involving Paul and the centurion. The sample size is small but it is recorded in an important place, and the fact that the BI theory does not explain the empirical data means that the theory is wrong. 

Note:  Genetics would confirm the Biblical account from the point of view of haplogroup. Paul would have been haplogroup J mostly likely – the haplogroup of the Hebrews. The Egyptians would have been haplogroup E. Both peoples are olive-skinned with dark hair (Mediterranean type) and bear resemblance to each other. Paul could easily have been mistaken by the centurion for an Egyptian.  The Scandinavians, on the other hand, would be haplogroup R1b or R1a or I. A person of haplogroup J (a Jew) ancestry and one of haplogroup R or I (a Norse) ancestry, without much admixture in either case, could not be confused. If Paul appeared to be Norse, the centurion would have asked him if he were a Northman.

The Pirating of the Kingly Line and Throne of Israel

Jeremiah purportedly transplanted the Kingly line and throne of Israel to the British Isles. But the Bible has much to say about such an undertaking. The following laws were given in Deuteronomy concerning the role of a King:

“And it shall be, when he (the King) sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them …” (KJV, Deut 17:19)

This statement points to some constraints on Biblical Kingship as to geography, liturgy, and legislation.  We also the following statement from Deuteronomy 28, the cursings chapter:

”The LORD shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone.” (Deut 28)

This was given to the people of Israel as one of the prominent curses that might be visited on them for sin. We may summarize these scriptures as follows:

1) The throne of the King is located in the ancient nation of Israel.  He will govern from this location. He is connected to the land or territory of Israel - the Promised Land – a land important to God. 

 

2) He is to know and do the laws found in the book held by the priests and Levites.  This would be the Torah containing laws, statutes, ceremonies, and sacrifices.   He has a clear connection to the law and its implementation through the priests and Levites.  He is tied to Israel’s liturgical infrastructure. 

 

3) This connection to the law and priestly functions necessarily includes the King’s explicit connection to the Temple where the liturgical laws are to be carried out. 

 

4) If Israel sins, one of the great curses that will befall the nation is the removal of the King and the people from the land to which they are connected.  This necessarily entails the loss of the Temple and its priestly infrastructure. 

Against this Biblical backdrop, we have the odd and disconsonant theory in BI that Jeremiah saved the Kingly line and throne by transplanting both to the British Isles in a rescue operation. These Torahic laws assert that because of sin the Kingly line and throne will be lost not transplanted to flourish elsewhere away from land, law, and Temple. When Christ returns, his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4) in the Biblically recognized land of the throne and Temple. He will not drop into Edinburgh Castle to be seated on the alien Stone of Scone, which was probably quarried around Perthshire, among Gentile foreigners. The BI theory amounts to nothing less than the capture and Gentilization of the Judaic heritage concerning the Kingship and the throne of Israel.

Conclusion

Paul was not a Scandinavian. And the BI theory concerning the transplantation of the Kingly line and throne to the British Isles is a blatant and discordant departure from otherwise harmonious policy statements found in the cited Old Covenant laws and the prophecy in Zechariah 14. There are no doubt other places in the Bible where British-Israelism cannot be rationally accommodated. I have presented only two.  And these two cases internal to the Bible should be added to the conclusive findings from external sources such as archaeology, theology, history, and genetics that BI is a theory in search of credible evidence. 

 

 

Latest Podcast of Worldwide The Unchosen Church : Blessed and happy is the man, but what about the woman?

In this episode, we talk with Heather, Dawn and Lisa about how the expectations set for women by the WCG and its offshoots affected their future careers, marriages, and relationship to sex. An honest and authentic look at how conservative churches often affect women, this show is not to be missed. 

Hosted, written and produced by Dr. Tricia Jenkins.  Sound design and editing by Thirteen Media.

A special thanks to Lisa Metzel Bonnet, Heather and Dawn (who prefer to remain unnamed), for contributing to this episode.

 

ExUCG Member Debunks British Israelism

 

Ken Young, an exUCG member has written a book debunking the British Israelism myth that currently occupies the minds of many Church of God leaders and ministers.

I'm an unofficial bootee from the United Church of God, mainly because of a documentary I made about HWA in 2017. Though I had reservations about COG doctrines before this, the manner in which I was disfellowshipped resolved the matter for me. Since Christ's disciples may recognize each other by their love one for another, my eviction proved to me, once and for all, that I had NOT been attending "God's church". This convinced me I needed to go back and "prove all things".

After several years of intense study, I have gathered enough scriptural evidence to completely debunk British-Israelism, mandatory tithing, and many of the COG's other carnal-minded doctrines. I have put all this evidence in a handful of ebooks which I would like to make freely available to everyone.

Because of the times we live in, and the COG messages I have heard, I believe there is more danger of the churches of God using fearmongering to extort money from sincere but naive Christians now than perhaps ever before. CrossedWord.net

Are the United States and Britain Israel?

A refutation of major arguments which support "Anglo-Israelism", the "identity" movement, racism, and other carnal-mindedness.

This book is written for all those who, like me, were once associated with the Worldwide Church of God, or any of its “splinter groups” (or COG's) who adhere to Herbert W. Armstrong's teachings. For decades, he taught that the US and much of Europe were collectively the lost tribes of Israel. In his book The United States and Britain in Prophecy he called this idea the “master key” to unlock all bible prophecy. And he claimed God revealed this information to him personally, as one of a select number of “restored truths”:

“Another thing restored to us is our own roots, our identity, who we are. We [within the USA] are the tribe of Manasseh of the lost ten tribes of Israel, and no other Church on earth knows it. That knowledge has been restored into this Church, and God restored that to me 53 years ago.” (Armstrong, MOTPCE) 

 

However, “Anglo-Israelism”—or “British-Isralism”—did not originate with Armstrong. His work is clearly influenced by Judah's Scepter and Joseph's Birthright, written in 1902 by J. H. Allen, a preacher in the Church of God (Holiness). In 1874, Edward Hines first published Forty-Seven Identifications of the British Nation With the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel; and still earlier, in 1840, John Wilson published Lectures on our Israelitish Origin. 

 

Though the COG’s seldom admit it, this idea has been floating around protestant circles for centuries. The theory first came into public perception in nineteenth-century England, at a time when the church of England (or Anglican church) was the only game in town. Today, we are accustomed to religious freedom, but back then such freedoms simply did not exist. That was one big reason the pilgrims left England to colonize the Americas. 

 

We may remember King Henry VIII created the church of England because the Pope wouldn't permit him to divorce his wife and marry Ann Bolyn. Since then, every British monarch has held the title 'Supreme Head of the Church of England'. Back then, these monarchs controlled every facet of religion in England. This is why the puritans colonized America, and why Tyndale went to Germany to publish the first mass-produced English-language Bible, as we will see later in this series.

 

Back then, it would have been very difficult, if not impossible, to publish a book whose doctrines the church of England did not already agree with. In simple terms, they must had the crown’s permission to teach this doctrine. Indeed, some of the first published authors espousing this certainly claimed to be clergymen of the church of England. Thus, by definition, British-Israelism served as royalist propaganda. 

 

Most sources trace British-Israelism back to Richard Brothers, who in 1794 published A Revealed Knowledge of the Prophecies and Times. Brothers believed this knowledge made him God’s apostle of a new religion, calling himself “Prince of the Hebrews” and claiming to be a literal descendant of David. Since he believed Israel to be great Britain—and therefore his subjects—this claim led to his arrest for treason; but instead of serving a prison sentence he was ultimately institutionalized (Wikipedia, “Richard Brothers”). Have we heard any other people claiming to be God’s apostle, and the direct descendant of king David? If so, Brothers did it first. 

 

From this point onward, because of my desire for brevity and penchant for alliteration, I will refer to Anglo-Israelism proponents as either “AI-Advocates” because they support AI, or “BI-Bigots” because they are uniquely close-minded and intolerant of every other opinion on the subject. But honest AI-advocates must admit the scriptures don't support AI. There are no scriptures which explicitly state Israel migrated to Europe—so they SPECULATE and reinforce it by cherry-picking from historical accounts.

Then they make it their official doctrine! I hope we see why this is a bad idea. COG booklets on this subject focus upon the promises to Abraham, Isaac's blessing, and Israel's dispersion; but they almost never delve into the new testament. God explains many deep truths through Paul, which such booklets ignore. Instead, they give us lots of history and speculation. Generally speaking, we cannot learn much of God's word without putting many scriptures together —including those of the new testament.

See Are the United States and Britain Israel? for the complete book.

For those interested, Ken has a website up with other topics that will be relatable to Church of God members. CrossedWord.net

LCG: "...do what you know you need to do while you can. This world is going in a very bad direction …"

 

The final words of encouragement from Gerald Weston:

It is human nature to postpone difficult decisions and to think “I can change later.” I well remember growing up and hearing several of my friends say they were going to live for today until they got old and then they would, in effect, come to a deathbed conversion. The problem is that later in life it is not always so easy to make needed changes. How many I have seen over the years who ran out of time while trying to get right with God. Sickness, family entanglements, and other circumstances make it difficult at best, and how does one approach God while knowing he or she was playing games with Him? It is impossible to “fool God” with this kind of plan! 

 

I hope none of you will try to be like my young friends by postponing what you know you should do. All of you have a head start in the right direction. You believe in God. You are striving to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). You chose to be a supporter of this Work in carrying the good news of the Kingdom of God to this world (Matthew 24:14). You are doing your part in helping us “Deliver those who are drawn toward death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter” (Proverbs 24:11). 

 

I urge you dear friends and co-workers, do what you know you need to do while you can. This world is going in a very bad direction and none of us can afford to be caught off guard. Thank you for your prayers and support. God sees your faithfulness. And thank you for the kind letters we receive from you. Your encouragement is noticed and appreciated.
Sincerely, in Christ’s service,
Gerald E. Weston

Imagine what would happen if these guys actually found their "sabbath rest" in that dude they claim to follow? 

PCG: In Order To Progress Spiritually, Even Thought The Spirit Is With You, It is Not Enough

 In Armstrongism it is a never-ending battle to ever please its god. Even when the Holy Spirit is with the person it is not enough. It is an endless list of rules, do this, do that, and maybe, just maybe, that cranky god will bless you. It is no wonder so many in the COG are repressed and lonely. What hope do they have? If they trusted the Spirit to guide them they would soon be free of the shackles of the law and the stupid rules and regulations the COG's enforce on their members. But no, they prefer the safety of the rules, constantly afraid to step out in freedom.

In order to progress spiritually, we must be led by the Holy Spirit of power, and really use that Spirit. The Holy Spirit doesn’t take over—we must use it. And if we let God work in us, real spiritual growth will take place! Daily we have to overcome with God’s Spirit! The inner man is renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16). 

 

You can’t really give your life to God, build the character of God, and do the Work of God until you have the Spirit. Even when it is working with you, that is not enough. It must be in you and empower you, or you don’t get the job done. You don’t will and do. You may will, but you don’t do what God wants you to do or achieve what He wants you to achieve. Gerald Flurry, The War of the Wills

LCG: Civilization Is Unraveling! Only Those Zealously Doing The Work Will Be Protected

 

More from Gerald Weston. 

Let the fear-mongering run amok! 

Where would the COG be today without its fear-mongering? 

Instead of resting in peace with the one they claim to follow, regardless of worldly situations, Weston and other COG leaders live in a constant state of fear and trembling.

Whether the pandemic, war, supply chain issues, or the high cost of filling our tanks, these problems are all self-inflicted, in the context of the world at large, though you personally had little to do with it. Civilization is unraveling, and people see this. It is during times of instability and desperation that leaders come to the fore who can look good at the beginning, but who may take the world down a destructive path. Napoleon, Hitler, and Mussolini came to power as problem solvers, but their leadership did not work out well in the end. 

 

It is comforting to think that mankind will muddle through this time of instability, that we will have a “soft landing” for inflation, or that Russia and Ukraine will cut a deal, and Europe will get back to normal. It is comforting to think that famine will be averted in the Middle East and Africa where Ukraine and Russia supply most grain products. Comforting as such thoughts may be, this is not likely reality. 

 

We do not know every twist and turn along the way to the supreme crisis at the end of the age that will usher in the return of Jesus Christ to save humanity from foolish, sinful ways, but we know that we will see conditions far worse than they are today. The Bible indicates there will be a time of short-term prosperity (Revelation 18), but ultimately, many of us will live to see the greatest time of trouble the world has ever known (Matthew 24:21-22; Jeremiah 30:7; Daniel 12:1).

Yet, there is hope for the people of God. Revelation 12 speaks of a time in the future when God will protect His zealous ones in a wilderness place on earth. After Satan tries one more time to knock God off His throne, he will be cast back down (vv. 7-10). He will immediately go after the true Church of God (vv. 12-13), but God will take His people to a place of safety on earth (v.14). This is not a “rapture,” a doctrine in which many falsely place their hope. Heaven is never spoken of as a “wilderness” in Scripture. This is a place on the earth where a small flock will be saved from Satan’s clutches and will experience a deliverance similar to what the children of Israel saw when they fled from Egypt (vv. 15-16). 

 

The last verse of Revelation 12 confirms that the prophecy is not about physical Israel, but about the Church of God. Not all true Christians (and that is far fewer than most people realize) will be protected during the three-and-a-half years of the Great Tribulation and Day of the Lord. “And the dragon was enraged with the woman [the Church], and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (v. 17). Clearly there are two groups of true Christians spoken of in these verses—those who are zealously doing the Work for which they are called (see Revelation 3:8-10) and those who keep God’s commandments and have the testimony of Jesus Christ, but are self-satisfied and complacent (compare Revelation 3:15-19).

LCG And Its Incredible Impact Around The World!

 

Gerald Weston sent out a letter to the faithful today that told them what an incredible impact the church is having on the world. Bob Thiel was seen whimpering in the corner by the crooked bookcase. It is interesting that whenever LCG comes up with statistics of their amazing work, Bob Thiel has to post his stats and make them better than LCG's.

Dear Brethren and Co-workers with Christ, 

 

Do you realize how much of an impact this Work that you are a part of is having upon our world? We know that we are incredibly small in number, but it might surprise you that about half our membership lives outside North America. In addition to our offices in the U.S. and Canada, we have offices in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, along with smaller in-home offices in other locations. Tomorrow’s World magazines are printed in the United States, Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines, and our Tomorrow’s World telecasts are produced in Canada as well as the United States. 

 

Our Tomorrow’s World subscription list continues to grow toward 600,000, and our combined English, Spanish, and French YouTube subscribers are also closing in on the same figure. This only scratches the surface of all our initiatives. With your help, we are doing a significant Work, but we are still a very little flock (Luke 12:32).

Notice how Gerald Weston skirts the issue of mandatory tithing in the LCG that keeps these things rolling out. He makes it seem like the church is filled with members who "freely give" instead of forced tithing.

We are often asked how we do all this without charging for our resources. As I explained at one of our recent Tomorrow’s World Presentations, we do not build “church” buildings, as that would consume vast sums that can go to preaching the good news of Christ’s coming Kingdom and warning the Israelite nations and the world of the disaster we are bringing upon ourselves. We follow Proverbs 23:23, “Buy the truth, and do not sell it,” and Christ’s instruction, “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8). Therefore, instead of building elaborate facilities, we rent rooms and halls to fit the needs of local congregations. That is why you will generally not see marquees with “Living Church of God” on the streets of your city. But if you are interested in locating a Sabbath-keeping congregation near you, or speaking with a minister in your area, just let us know. You can call or write us or go to lcg.org and click on “Attend With Us” at the bottom of the page.

If the LCG and most any other COG had actual buildings IN communities, they would have a better response. They could show the world and the community that they actually care. Instead, they continue to isolate themselves with exclusivity and look at those daring to walk into a church service as outsiders.