UCG Rick Shabi: He is not happy many UCG members are missing opening night services of the Feast

Beware UCG members, God is watching you!!!!! 

Rick Shabi is not happy that many UCG members are either traveling to the Feast on this night or are too tired from driving to attend the opening night service. Given the track record of these services down through the history of the COG they were not a good use of time and usually were just opportunities for Feast site coordinators to preach canned sermons that we had all heard for decades.

We are all in “preparation mode” for the Feast. We’ve registered, we’ve made housing and transportation arrangements, we’ve saved our second (festival) tithe faithfully throughout the year (a key component of preparing for the Feast) and we are ready to go. 

 

The Feast of Tabernacles is a joyous time. It pictures the time when Christ is King of kings. Satan has been deposed and the whole world will be free to learn and live by the Word of God—the very word and way of life we are striving to learn and apply today so we are ready to be teachers in the “world tomorrow” (Isaiah 30:20-21). 

And then, according to COG mythology, Satan will be released from the pits of hell to come back and destroy people yet once again. What a cruel trick the god of Armstrongism plays upon the world. 

As part of our proper and God-instructed way of observing the Feast, we leave our homes behind for the entire seven days of the Feast and the Eighth Day. That pictures the temporary state of our existence on this earth and our willingness to come out of the world to where God has placed His name. 

These are nothing more than COG instructions laid down by Herbert Armstrong and Rod Meredith when he was over Church Ad through the decades. Just more man-made rules.

He says to be at “that place” by the time the Feast of Tabernacles begins. That’s at sunset that begins the 15th of the seventh month on the sacred calendar. 

 

Would you dare be late to an assembly the Great God of this universe has called—the God who has offered us eternal life if we follow Him and earnestly, diligently and carefully learn and keep all His ways? 

So brethren, if you dare to miss the first evening service just remember this, GOD IS WATCHING YOU!!!!!!!! 

God sees our hearts by how we observe the Feast of Tabernacles.

As we prepare for the Feast, bear in mind that you are also preparing your heart for how you receive God’s Kingdom. Will you be late, asleep or unprepared like the five “foolish virgins” of Matthew 25? 

 

Or will you be ready? Will you be at the Holy convocation of God as the Feast begins in the very first service at the site you will be attending? We know where we should be. Now is the time to be preparing to be there in that Holy convocation as the Feast begins.

There you have it! Get your ass out of work early and have your car packed so you can leave early and be at the first service! Your future salvation may depend upon it! God is not going to be happy when he opens the Book of Life and sees all of the negative check marks against you for missing services at the Feast, especially opening night!

LCG: We know you are struggling financially, but if you can give more than usual we would really expect it.

 

As LCG co-workers and members struggle to survive financially, LCG does not even consider telling them to stop tithing for a while.

We have much more to do, and your support is vital to preaching the Gospel. With high inflation and the threat of a recession, our mail and online income has dropped significantly. Many of our members and co-workers are struggling to survive financially. Be sure to claim God’s promise, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). Brethren and co-workers, if you are able to give more than usual at this time, it would be much appreciated and give a great boost to the Work. May God bless you all as you seek His Kingdom first in your life!

In Christian love,
Richard F. Ames

LCG Love Letter: Get ready for a Euroepan Army to come and take you captive as others die of famine and war…But, don't forget, God Loves You!

 

Living Church of God's Richard Ames has a letter up to the faithful on the official LCG website. In that letter, he spouts the same nonsense that he has done for decades and it is the same thing Rod Meredith kept predicting to happen within 3-5 years for decades.

LCG has such an unhealthy focus on doom and destruction. It's like they want to see people die in order to be justified by their god for preaching such a warning. Rarely, if ever, do you hear Ames, Weston or many of LCG's ministers ever preach an entire sermon about Jesus and the things his death and resurrection accomplished. The focus is always on the law and rarely on the New Covenant, and when it is, it's a mixture of legalism and conditional grace. Unconditional grace irritates the hell out of COG leaders. How dare someone not of the Sabbath-keeping, clean meat eating, holy day keeping mold ever be blessed by God. How dare they! Especially when good COG leaders have made such an effort to keep the law.

Coming: An EU Army: The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has put intense pressure on European nations to build up their military capabilities far more rapidly than previously planned. European military spending has suddenly increased in many nations in just the last couple of months, and it looks as though increases will continue (EU Reporter, May 20, 2022)…. For several decades, Europe has discussed a common defense but has made little progress. However, recent events in Ukraine have pressured EU nations to finally take action—especially Germany, where the coalition government has agreed to “massively increase military spending” (Deutsche Welle, May 29, 2022). End-time prophecy reveals that the coming German-led European “beast power” will wield great military power on the world stage (Revelation 13:1–4). Actions currently underway could bring about the fulfillment of this major prophecy. 

 

Under the auspices of NATO, several member nations—including Germany—have access to nuclear options. For decades, we have been warning Israelite-descended nations that, unless they repent of their immoral and anti-God actions and ways of life, they will be taken captive and their cities destroyed. Ezekiel’s “prophecy of thirds” gives us a sober warning: “One-third of you shall die of the pestilence, and be consumed with famine in your midst; and one-third shall fall by the sword all around you; and I will scatter another third to all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them” (Ezekiel 5:12). 

 

Do not misunderstand! God loves human beings (John 3:16) and the end-time Israelitish nations that are rebelling against Him. After they have gone into captivity and learned their lesson, God will return them to the Promised Land in a great “second Exodus” (Isaiah 11:11-12; Jeremiah 16:14-16; 23:7-8). The King of kings will restore these nations and establish world peace. We pray every day. “Your Kingdom come!” (Matthew 6:10). As Mr. Weston concluded in his June 2022 “Personal” in Tomorrow’s World magazine: “Keep watching—and keep reading Tomorrow’s World magazine!” (“An Existential Threat,” p. 3). The August 2022 edition of Tomorrow’s World magazine will post a circulation of 587,000. That is in spite of a vigorous renewal program that unsubscribes readers who do not contact us or renew their free subscription after about two years of receiving the magazine. Be sure to read both the July and August issues!

LCG Members Encouraged To Seek Guidance…But, From Whom?

 

Whenever you hear a COG minister stand in the pulpit and tell the brethren to seek guidance in their decisions, just who do you think they are referring to as the source of guidance? Sure they say "seek God's guidance" but from where does that come from? The COG has always insisted that proper Godly guidance came only to the brethren through the ministry. Given the track record of the ministry ripping the COG apart in violent acts of rebellion and self-preservation, would you dare go to a COG minister and ask for guidance? Do you actually believe they speak with the authority of God?

Seeing God’s Guidance: Today, everyone wants to “do their own thing.” However, the Bible records the tragic results of this approach (Judges 21:25; Jeremiah 9:12– 16). Instead, we are told to “Seek the LORD while He may be found” (Isaiah 55:6) and that God will look to those who are humble and teachable and “[tremble] at My word” (Isaiah 66:2). King David, a man after God’s own heart, modeled the attitude that God is looking for when he wrote, “Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes... Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:33, 105). Jesus instructed His disciples to “live by... every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Jesus also taught, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). An important lesson of life is that if we desire to succeed in any endeavor—including in God’s Work— we must seek God’s guidance in all the decisions that we make—because that leads to lasting rewards.
Have a profitable Sabbath, Douglas S. Winnail

RCG: Enabler-in-Chief (Part 4) Dr. Viljoen (Doctor Feelbad): Damage Control

 

Enabler-in-Chief (Part 4)

“Doctor Feelbad”

 

While Bradford G. Schleifer remains the Enabler-in-Chief and Edward L. Winkfield secures his slot as Stepford Prime, there are other “ministers” inside the Restored Church of God who give legitimacy to the biblical illusions of David C. Pack.

 

In years past, any mention of Dave from the lectern was edited out before it was released to the church. That was MPS (Media Production Services) policy per Brad. It was the way things were when I joined in December of 2012 up until about 2018-2019. Then, more comments were deemed “fine” to let through. It was a troubling sign of the sea change to occur at Headquarters.

 

Ministers in the early days of RCG were instructed, “Do not mention Mr. Pack. Give your own message.” Unnecessary comments or giving praise were removed so that no one outside Headquarters saw “ministers flattering Mr. Pack.” This was especially true for the field ministers who spoke at the Feast.

 

Dave must have NEEDED the public support because those types of comments were left “as is” increasingly as time went on.

 

Supporting Dave and his prophetic madness now seems to be a badge of honor. A “minister” can seek to ingratiate himself to The Apostle by becoming a human shield for religious fraud and then possibly be “rewarded for loyalty” in some way. (I do not know why a raise in rank or living on the campus comes to mind. Forgive me, as this is probably just the way my tiny serpent brain works.)

 

There are different levels of Damage Control. In Part 2, Brad twisted numbers and misleadingly presented them. In Part 3, Ed went "whole hog" crafting a public relations stunt disguised as a sermon.

 

Dr. Frederik Jaco Viljoen might be in the #5 slot of RCG, but it becomes blurry after #4 since some men share similar rank and “pull” inside the organization. More and more “lesser ministers” seem encouraged to prop up Dave these days.

 

On February 20, 2021, Dr. Viljoen gave his, “Let the Past Go!” sermon at Headquarters. Out of the blue, he wedged in a head-scratcher of a concept that tied into the Prophecy Series.

 

@ 45:40 …even from failures that you and I can learn from. One thing that helps us, brethren, thinking about why should we let go, just think about an example of the Prophecy Series that we’ve been part of…We went through sharp bends as we learned what God has in store for us in the near future. Stay with the Present Truth.Stay with the picture God has given us right now…If we go back too far back in the past with the many questions, the things that we heard in the past, those things can trip us up. It can prevent us from growing…If we dwell too much in the past, even on the past messages that we heard, those things can become difficult for you and me.

  

The two-minute unedited quote is worthwhile:

 

Forget Parts of the Series

 When he said this, I sat straight up in my chair as high as I could without standing and slowly scanned the entire room. Did anyone else catch what I just heard? I wondered if I was going to make eye contact with anyone else in disbelief. Nope. Every single person had their head down, writing notes. It was a Twilight Zone moment I will never forget.

Questions immediately came to mind. I wanted to dart my hand straight up and ask things like:

 

Excuse, Dr. Viljoen, what Parts of the Series should I forget? Are we talking about from six months ago or from last week? What do you know that we don’t know? And what parts of the Parts do you recommend we “let go” because your statement is too broad to follow even if I wanted to? I know the first 30 Parts of the Series were removed from Member Services a long time ago, but what other messages should I also forget ever happened? I thought this Series was a gift from God granting amazing knowledge to His people. If you ask us to forget it, are you not asking us to forget God’s blessed knowledge?

 

I could go on for a full page. The premise was not only illogical and silly, but it begs anyone really listening to START asking questions. And if anyone heard that and did NOT have follow-up questions…well, I fear for such people.

 

If I took a Sharpie to my notebook per these instructions, my Bible notes would look like a Jackson Pollock. This was another message in a short space of time where I felt bad. I felt dirty. I knew my time at RCG was done.

 

What an utter perversion of the concept Paul was preaching about. He was talking about forgetting the sins and failures of the past so we can move on and continue to strive to live God's way. Getting weighed down with the guilt and shame of our sins can discourage us from fighting on toward the Kingdom of God. This "forgetting" is part of the repentance process. You confess your sins to God, who forgives us in the name and to the glory of His Son, Jesus Christ. Our sins are then forgotten by God, who expects us to forget them, too.

 

Forget questions we may have with the Prophecy Series? Forget what Mr. Pack said? Really?

 

Shame on you, Dr. Viljoen. Shame on you.

 

Also, the phrase "present truth" from 2 Peter 1 is another oft-used perversion to excuse Dave's failure. Something has to be true in the first place for it to be present truth. This is another heresy inside The Restored Church of God that deserves an entire article.

 

Dr. Viljoen’s sermon went from being a seemingly helpful Pre-Passover Christian-living message to corrupted propaganda throwing shade on the obvious failures of David C. Pack.

 

Did the Enabler-in-Chief give pointers? Did Stepford Prime have recommendations? I am not sure if pompoms were thrust into Dr. Viljoen’s hands before he was sent onto the field or if he picked them up joyfully of his own accord but nonetheless, the damage was done.

 

Decent man. Sinister comments. This is RCG manipulation. This is enabling fraud. This is one of the many reasons why I left.

 

Surely men like Dr. Viljoen and Ed Winkfield did not want to end up this way. It would be more comforting to me personally if I knew it was just those damn Pod People who got to them and that both of these men went down kicking and screaming. It would be more comforting to know that the men I liked so much were overpowered against their will by forces beyond their capacity to withstand.

 

However, even the Bible says, “There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)

 

When you read what these enablers said to the church, keep in mind that they are not the only ones. I quote from the material I have. I do not have everything from everyone. Before I left, I saw this growing trend and the infection is surely more rampant today.

 

If someone has a sermon they think I need to listen to because it falls in line with what is presented here, please contact me at exrcgwebsite@gmail.com. I am very interested in examining recent messages by other “ministers”, especially by Kenneth M. Orel.

 

When I was in RCG, Ken used to play Switzerland by keeping his head down about the nonsense and rarely mentioned Dave or the Series. However, according to a friend who has since left, that changed over the past year.

 

So, Brad learned at the feet of Dave. And then Ed learned at the feet of Brad. I do not know what the hell Dr. Viljoen was doing getting mixed up in all of that. And yet, he threw his hat into the ring and declared, “I am also a Dave fanatic, brethren.”

 

Dr. Viljoen is a very nice man with a terrific family. It is really quite sad.

Don’t worry, Brad…I have not forgotten about you. ;)

Marc Cebrian

Enabler-in-Chief (Part 4) “Doctor Feelbad”
 

 

United Church of God Looks To The Moon More Than They Do Christ

Church of God News had this up today concerning Rick Shabi's recent comment upon the full moon that is necessary for them to be able to celebrate holy days and the Feast of Tabernacles. Imagine what the United Church of God would be like if they actually focused themselves upon the grace of Christ instead of this useless stuff?

United Church of God and the Hebrew Calendar

In an article, Galaxies, the Moon and the Feast, July 15th, UCG’s new president, Rick Shabi, waxes lyrical about the full moon and its importance to “The Feast.” 

“If you were outside last night you saw another amazing, beautiful and significant work of God – a full moon … Three months from today, when the sun sets, the Feast of Tabernacles begins. On the third full moon from now we will be right where God wants us to be, on the day He proclaimed as an “appointed time” … where God has placed His name. He says to be at “that place” by the time the Feast of Tabernacles begins. That’s at sunset that begins the 15th of the seventh month on the sacred calendar.” 

The UCG teaches that there is always a full moon on the first evening of the Feast of Tabernacles in the Hebrew Calendar. Rick Shabi goes further, castigating those members who would dare to think about starting the Feast of Tabernacles one or two days after the full moon, likening them to the foolish virgins who will be shut out of the marriage feast. 

“Would you dare be late to an assembly the Great God of this universe has called – the God who has offered us eternal life if we follow Him and earnestly, diligently and carefully learn and keep all His ways? God sees our hearts by how we observe the Feast of Tabernacles.  

As we prepare for the Feast, bear in mind that you are also preparing your heart for how you receive God’s Kingdom. Will you be late, asleep or unprepared like the five “foolish virgins” of Matthew 25? 

Or will you be ready? Will you be at the Holy convocation of God as the Feast begins in the very first service at the site you will be attending?“ 

In 2023, according to the Hebrew Calendar, the Feast will start one day later than the full moon. So what will Rick Shabi do next year?

“Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.” (Luke 6:37)

Tony Roach is Back With More Revealed Knowledge! God and Jesus live in the sun!!!!!!! Holey Moely Batman!

 

The home of God and Jesus and the future Kingdom of God...

It has been some time since we have featured one of the "newer" prophets of the Church of God, Tony Roach. Bob Thiel and his mindless utterances are simplistic compared to the wisdom that comes from Tony Roach!

Tony Roach joined the Ambassador College Facebook page today and immediately started spewing his wisdom:

There is a lot that has happened since Armstrong's death... I was able to foretell the day Tkatch would sell the Worldwide Church Of God By counting the days of Daniel mentioned by Daniel and Jesus from When the WWCOG came to Orlando to the NAE and joined excepting the mark of the beast and setting up the abomination that maketh desolate... I won't go into all the detail here but you can read all about it on my page... Most fascinating... Also... The Spring Harvest of Souls has past in 2020 cloaked in a veil of the corona virus.... We now wait on the Fall Harvest of Souls which will be in 7 years.... The tribulations begin Sept 16, 2023... The two witnesses are "The House of Israel? and "The House of Judah"... There is much more you've missed.... With Love Always Tony Roach 

And then there was this about the location of the Kingdom of God and where God's throne is:

I hope you don't mind if I tell you the things you have missed since Armstrong's death... Here is one... The reason Babylon began worshiping the sun and the keeping of Sunday, Xmas, Easter, etc is because Nimrod new the Kingdom of God was on the sun... Here are the scriptures....
Isaiah 33:14 

This by itself is why no one can ever take Armstrongism seriously anymore.  

...Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? (Pagan Churches teaches it is sinners but notice) 

 

15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil 

The stupidity continues...Satan used to dwell on the sun till he rebelled...ho hum. 

Satan was on the sun in the Kingdom of Heaven at one time... 

 

Ezekiel 28:14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; THOU HAST WALKED UP AND DOWN IN THE MIDST OF THE STONES OF FIRE. 

And, God lives on the sun! 

God is on the sun... You are going to think God's ways are strange... It's already been recorded in Hosea 8:12... I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing. 

 

But here are the facts... 

 

The Babylonians back in Nimrod's era and the tower of Babel... Nimrod set himself up as the sun god and his wife/mother as the sun goddess... They new Jesus and the angels and such were on the sun... This is what began paganism and the worship of the sun and the sun goddess... Sunday... Sun god's birthday; Christmas... Sun goddesses birthday Easter all stemmed from these Babylonian Pagan beliefs... 

Armstrongism is filled with so many myths about Nimrod that it is ridiculous and almost all of them are in error, including the ones Bob Thiel throws out.

Yes you may think this to be strange that Jesus and the Kingdom of God is on the sun... But check out the scriptures... 

 

First God appears to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in Exodus 3:2-4...
When Jesus appears to Ezekiel notice the discription in Chapter one... Notice in verse 13, the creatures appeared as burning coals of fire... 

 

And in verses 26-27.. where it descsribes Jesus it is recorded... 

 

Ezekiel 1:26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. 27 And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.
In Revelation 19:11 it describes Jesus' eyes as a flame of fire... 

 

In verse 17 it is recorded... "AND I SAW AN ANGEL STANDING IN THE SUN..." 

 

In Revelation 10:1 it is recorded... 

 

And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: 

 

Think about it.... 

 

As you will see Lucifer was once in heaven in the Kingdom Of God.... in the midst of the stones of fire... Check this out... 

 

Ezekiel 28:14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; THOU HAST WALKED UP AND DOWN IN THE MIDST OF THE STONES OF FIRE. 

 

15 Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.
16 By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: AND I WILL DESTROY THEE, O COVERING CHERUB, FROM THE MIDST OF THE STONES OF FIRE.
Isaiah 24:15 Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea. 

 

Deuteronomy 4:24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
Hebrews 1:7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. 

 

Hebrews 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire. 

 

Psalms 104:4 Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire: 

 

Isaiah 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. 

 

Ezekiel 8:1 And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell there upon me. 2 Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins even downward, fire; and from his loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the colour of amber. 

 

God gives us the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the book of Daniel Chapter 3 when they were thrown in the furnace and survived... 

 

Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: 

 

1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 

 

Psalms 84:11
FOR THE LORD GOD IS A SUN AND SHIELD 

 

That does not mean you worship the sun!!!!

So many in the COG want the church to be taken seriously, but how can it when simpletons like this are running around. Between Roach, Thiel, Weinland, Pack, and Flurry, the COG has zero credibility anymore. It has become a laughing stock, not from the persecution of the world, but inwardly by its own making. 

Worldwide: the Unchosen: Church Candy…An Interview With LaNisa Frederick

worldwidepod Think #cults are just for white folks? Think again. LaNisa Frederick talks with us about her time in Worldwide in the Cincinnati Central congregation. Her dad was an enthusiastic member but her mother did not attend, causing some interesting family dynamics especially at holiday time. This is LaNisa in her church cheerleading outfit 😂😂 and her dad featured with his church baseball team! 

The Fredericks attended the Cincinnati Central church

 

PCG's Lil'Joel Hilliker Reminds Members Bedroom Hair Is Unacceptable In The Morning

 

PCG is rerunning an article by Lil'Joel Hilliker that asks, "Is Your Home Uplifting?" That is a pretty loaded question for someone in the Philadelphia Church of God to be asking considering the horrific treatment of children in the PCG and of their parents. Remember the story about the family that was encouraged to dump their teenage daughter at the mall so the state could take care of her so that the family could devote that money used to care for the daughter to the church? Or, the constant belittling of members that has led to numerous suicides? How quickly they sweep it under the rug.

Never mind that though, this is more important to be able to quote from Herb's book, The Missing Dimension in Sex.

“If you want a happy marriage, be far more particular about all such things after marriage than before. Be careful about your sleeping garments—be sure they are neat, clean, attractive to the other. Be careful about your hair especially on rising in the morning. The very first thing I try to do on rising is to get a comb and brush, before my wife sees tousled and messed-up hair! …

When will the PCG ever leave the 1980's behind, or, in the case of the book, the 1920's when Herbert was having a hard time trying to seduce his frigid wife, Loma? That is the main reason he wrote the sex books in the church. If you did not know better you would think that Herb was still alive and telling them what to believe. There will be people in PCG who will believe what this twit wrote and think they need to do it every single morning now.

He ends with this, which is as far away from a description of the homes of PCG members as possible. 

Everyone needs praise, and needs to feel admired and appreciated. Especially our impressionable children. Sometimes we can get into a bad cycle of correcting them, and always seeing their mistakes. This can be a trap. When you see something praiseworthy, tell them so! You’ll see them blossom like a flower receiving water. 

 

Let’s make our homes training grounds in putting God’s love—the most positive force in the universe—into action, every day.

When has a COG ever praised its members? 

When has a COG, particularly the PCG ever been a training ground for Godly love? 

Steven Hassan on Armstrongism and the issues facing children and second-generation members born into cults.

Steven Hassan discusses Armstrongism as he interviews Tricia Jenkins. He has spent decades helping COG members escape the church.

Tricia Jenkins, Ph.D. is a podcaster and professor of film, TV, and digital media at TCU in Fort Worth, TX. She is the author of three books including The CIA in Hollywood, as well as Superheroes, Movies, and the State. Her new podcast, Worldwide: The Unchosen Church, features stories about growing up in the Worldwide Church of God- a doomsday apocalyptic cult. We talk about issues facing children and second-generation members born into cults. Details about Herbert W. Armstrong’s authoritarian cult group, an influential Christian right group, and its history are fascinating.

RCG: Enabler-in-Chief (Part 3) “Stepford Prime” Edward L. Winkfield

 

Enabler-in-Chief (Part 3)

“Stepford Prime”

 

The Restored Church of God should change its name to The Stepford Church of God to more accurately represent the mentality of the ministry.

 

The original intent of Part 3 was to examine the office of evangelist, which Bradford G. Schleifer currently holds (per Dave). However, while pulling quotes from two other enablers at The Restored Church of God, it became clear that those men deserved more adequate attention than just being a support element for the Brad story.

 

Prepare to enter the Bizarro World of Christian-living sermons inside The Restored Church of God. Messages are presented as “feeding the sheep spiritual food," but in reality are distorted manipulations that pervert the word of God. They act as insulation against concerns about David C. Pack and the continuous prophecy failures.

 

Propaganda disguised as godly teaching. Shackles disguised as biblical tools.

 

A true Christian-living message helps someone to have a greater understanding of the Bible so that they can be better equipped to make the journey to the Kingdom of God. The principles learned can apply to all aspects of their life and help them beyond the intent of the speaker.

 

That is what they used to be inside RCG. Those days are long past.

 

 

Edward L. Winkfield is the Prime Stepford Wife in the RCG ministry. Under Brad, he loves to lead the retch parade of manipulation and Dave-cheerleading.

 

Ed is technically #4 in The Restored Church of God pyramid, but may someday overtake the #3 slot, which is currently held by Ryan P. Denee.

 

For a long time, the Denee name was royalty inside RCG. Considering Ryan is “the last man standing” of that once-glorious dynasty, Dave probably slathers him with just enough butter to keep him around. If the last Denee falls, then Dave would have to wander the halls in search of another family to appropriate for himself.

 

So, if Ryan is higher on the food chain than Ed, why not address him next?

 

He is just not a “damage control” type of guy. In all my time there, I never heard him touch the topic. He lets other men pick up the bullhorns and trumpet for Dave. That is not Ryan’s style.

 

On the other hand, Ed is a pure Dave-enthusiast through and through. He gets the gold medal when it comes to delivering a classic Damage Control Sermon.

 

On March 6, 2021, Edward L. Winkfield delivered a message titled, “Stay Immune to Heresy.”

 

It is one long David C. Pack love-fest wrapped in the package of a Christian-living sermon. For the first half, all the scriptural points seem to be enriching and edifying. Deceptively so, as it was designed to lull you in and catch you off guard.

 

While listening to this as it was delivered at Headquarters, I began to wonder if he was going to weave in a parallel about the Greatest Unending Story series.

Oh boy. I had no idea what we were in for.

 

The true heart of the message was finally revealed at about half way in:

 

@ 43:06 Now let's talk about the prophecy series. Some have left us. Some few, it's not many, but enough to warrant what I wanna say here. Some have left us claiming that the Restored Church of God is off track. My response is: According to who? You? Who died and made you the the determiner of whether God's church is on or off track? What a pompous, arrogant thing to even delve in to. God's church is not off track. Far from it. Far from it.

 

If you witness escalating corruption of biblical knowledge and take issue with it, according to Edward L. Winkfield, you are pompous and arrogant. Not for acting on it, but for even considering it.

 

Your gut may be screaming at you, “What is going on is wrong! We are not the church we used to be!” But that just means you are full of yourself.

 

Paint on a placid face and repeat silently: “The church is on track. The church is on track.”

 

Turn off your brains, folks. You do not want to be pompous and arrogant.

 

***(SPOILER ALERT)***

 

This entire message is an abomination.

 

According to Ed, if you disagree with Dave and the fraudulent prophecy series…

 

You are pompous and arrogant.

You are insulting.

You are the only one who has a problem with it.

You just don’t like the process.

You just don’t like what you are hearing.

You are a heretic.

Your discernment is backwards.

You are unlearned and unstable.

You are twisting the scriptures.

You are going to destroy yourself.

You are rejecting the knowledge of God.

You lack God’s grace.

You are rejecting Dave as a master at prophecy.

You are rejecting Dave as God’s servant.

You think you know more than God’s apostle.

You lack humility.

You are rejecting wisdom.

You don’t know your Bible.

You are a Pharisee.

 

Yes, all of that in one message.

 

@ 44:14 The problem is some few among us choked on prophecy. That's the issue, but it became “the entire church is off track.” That gets my goat when I hear it. First of all, you're insulting me. You're insulting all of my friends. We're hearing the same thing you're hearing. Why don't we have a problem? It's an insult.

 

What members have “choked” on since 2013 has been repetitive nonsense, confusion, and theological trickery.

 

Why don’t YOU have a problem, Ed? I recommend you listen to a great RCG Ambassador Center class called “Critical Thinking.” It would be well worth your time.

 

Turn off your brains, folks. You do not want to insult Ed or his friends.

 

@ 44:47 People choked on prophecy. It's what happened. They either didn't like the process or they didn't like what they were hearing. And they bolted out of the church calling us heretics when they were the heretics. I'm not trying to put anybody down. I’m just not gonna stand here and mince words. They flipped the narrative. We're the heretics. What? No, it's the other way around. It's the other way around.

 

People do not leave RCG just because they “don’t like” the process. Even though the “process,” is a perpetual back-and-forth “it is” “it is not” and “this means X” “no, this means Y” cycle.

 

People do not leave RCG just because they “don’t like” what they are hearing. Even though what they are hearing is falsehood gift-wrapped as God’s will.

 

People do leave RCG because a man who claims to be an apostle and a prophet sets dates for the return of Jesus Christ and fails. Repeatedly. Then enablers like Edward L. Winkfield use Sabbath services as a platform to sell how “on track” RCG is despite all the warning signs.

People leave RCG because the Bible exposes such men to be false. Even David C. Pack in his own “90 Reasons to Follow the Truth” series said to flee a corrupt organization.

 

Turn off your brains, folks. You do not want to be a heretic.

 

@ 46:08 Paul wrote and talked about things that were hard to understand. That's what it [2 Peter 3:16] said. They were difficult to comprehend…But what happened was you had “unlearned and unstable” people who twisted what he [Paul] was saying and what he taught. And not only did they twist what he was saying and taught, they ended up twisting other scriptures and they did it to their own destruction. How familiar does that sound? How familiar does that sound, brethren? And they destroyed themselves. 

 

Another RCG gaslighting moment. This sermon is full of them.

 

Turn off your brains, folks. You do not want to be unlearned or unstable.

 

If anyone doubts that these quotes are real, feel free to listen to a sampling yourself:

(listen to heresy clip 1 at end of the article)

@47:51 We are to grow in grace, it’s saying grace throughout and also the knowledge of God…How do you grow in the knowledge of God? What does it look like? The last five-plus years. It’s exactly what it looks like. Growing in grace, brethren, is required for this series. Bet you never thought of that. Growing in grace is required for this series.

 

If it truly looks like that, then we are all doomed.

 

Growing in gullibility and blindness is what the series requires. Closing your eyes, closing your ears, closing your Bible, closing your brain is what the series really requires, Ed. It looks like you have done that and you love it.

 

@ 51:00 God’s apostle, Mr. Pack, is an elder in the faith. He knows how to handle prophecy. He knows how to do it. He’s been doing it his entire ministry. He knows how to handle prophecy. He’s good at it. He’s a master…that’s a man who knows what he’s talking about…We should be submitting to him as God’s servant. As God’s servant. We recognize where he is in the Government of God. So, we should be submitting to him as God’s servant, not the other way around.

 

Dave is a master at handling the word of God deceitfully, for sure. Here we are sixteen months beyond this message and Dave is still doing it. And Ed is still there.

 

With Tammuz 15 fresh in your mind, do you still think he is a master?

 

If anyone wants to listen to a grown man gush like a high schooler with a crush, click here:

(Listen to heresy clip 2 and end of article)

@ 52:07 We do not know more about prophecy than God’s apostle, than Mr. Pack. And no, I’m not looking for a raise anyone. I’m not, you know, I don’t hafta suck up to the boss. But he knows what he’s talking about. He knows what he’s doing. He knows how to handle the word of God. If we wanna understand what is a difficult series, even difficult for him…ask God for more grace and to understand the things that we’re learning.

 

I understand it pretty well, actually. It was false prophecy nonsense before I left. It is still false prophecy nonsense today. And guess what? It will continue to be false prophecy nonsense until Jesus Christ returns.

 

Critical thinking is shamed. Proving the truth is shamed. Accepting the obvious is shamed.

 

@ 52:46 Be clothed in humility. Humble. We have to be humble ourselves. God gives grace to the humble. If we’re clothed in humility, brethren, we’ll be just fine.

 

If you no longer believe Dave, you are not being humble. Well, I want to be humble, so I better keep quiet. Despite what the Bible says. So, I’ll just continue to sit, turn off my brain, and just be humble all day.

 

@ 56:04 This series is helping us to get to understand God. To grow in the knowledge of God. That’s what it says. You can’t deny it. It says it. That explains it.

 

That is vile. The “god” Dave is presenting to RCG is not the god I want to worship. A cruel trickster dangling the eternal carrot on a stick. The Master who will never really throw the ball. A god that forces his apostle to lie to his people and then threatens them with burning if they do not choose to endure. A god of confusion who never makes good on his promises. A god so inept, he just cannot get his chosen servant to get the math right.

No thank you.

 

@ 1:01:58 Be patient. God will work things out. Wisdom and knowledge is coming through this series. It’s happening. It’s happening. Don’t miss it. Just because what we’re talking about is hard, does not mean the church is off track. Just because you’re confused, “Oh clearly, the church is off track.” No. No.

 

If you no longer believe Dave it is because you are impatient. You are rejecting wisdom. You are rejecting knowledge. Wow. Ed makes this series sound super-duper important. It is a good thing that it has dragged on for so long and fumbled so many touchdowns.

 

I wonder what Ed had in mind when he said, “It’s happening.” You mean “knowledge” like The Night To Be Much Observed turmoil at the time?

 

Dave moved the date of NTBMO that even Herbert W. Armstrong had settled on from the eve of the First Day of Unleavened Bread, all the way to the last. A dumb idea for dumb reasons. For over six months, Dave held on to this. Until it started approaching and then the logistical reality began to settle in.

 

By this point, I had enough of the nonsense and started to more openly joke with people in the office that on the NTBMO 2021, I was going to order a pizza. Because after sunset that night, eating leaven was no longer a sin. I could do an entire article about the absurdity of that premise. But, Dave did another 180 the week before and returned it back to where it always was.

 

Yep, God’s wisdom and knowledge is self-evident in that one.

 

I bring this up because Ed delivered this message during that “doctrinally fluid” space of time. Come to think of it, RCG has been in a continuous doctrinally-fluid state since Elul of 2013.

 

@ 1:09:25 Heretics that have baulked at this series, they don’t know their bibles. They pretend they do. They talk like they do. But if you ask them some specific element or something, they don’t know what they’re talking about….They think they know. They’re like the Pharisees, “Oh, we know.”

 

Once Edward L. Winkfield gave this message, he officially became Stepford Prime. This was the sermon where I personally lost ALL respect for him. Years of admiration and goodwill were erased inside 45 minutes. 

 

He went up to the lectern on that Sabbath to protect the prophecy series and David C. Pack, not to protect God’s people. The whole message is one big psychological beat down.

 

Listening through the rest of the message was painful, even at 2.5x speed. Every verse and every point from here on supports the madness. It is a disgusting use of the Bible.

 

This message was delivered in 2021. We now are living in a post-Tammuz 15 world. I wonder what perverted message Edward L. Winkfield will deliver now. What other godly principle will he pluck from the Bible to warp and throw in the face of God’s people?

 

If I were Stepford Prime, here are things I would present to those in RCG:

 

Pride: “Tammuz 15 was part of God’s process. Those who are upset are just being prideful. ‘It didn’t go the way I wanted!’ The devil was full of pride and see what happened to him.”

 

God’s Will: “We don’t always understand how God is going to work things out. We should seek His will, not fight against it. It was God’s will that His apostle, Mr. Pack, did the math the way he did. If you have an issue with that, take it up with God. It was God’s will to have the church endure this. So, don’t fight against God’s will.”

 

Obedience: “Christ was obedient unto death. He received His stripes without a word. Brethren, having a few days pass on a calendar…is that really a hard stripe? I mean, the weather has been wonderful this year so far. Aren’t you glad the day passed into another beautiful one? Be obedient to the process and to God’s Government the way Christ did. Submit, brethren.”

 

Shall I go on? (Ed, if you use any of these, you will also owe me sixty bucks.)

 

It was painful to watch RCG sink into the mire. It was painful to listen to David C. Pack embarrass himself week after week after week.  It was painful to hear how “on track” we were from the propagandist-enabler, Edward L. Winkfield.

 

The pillow he uses to protect Dave may not be as large as Brad’s, but every pillow helps.

 

I cannot help but wonder: If Ed ever left The Restored Church of God, would this message be a source of his greatest shame?

 

Heresy Clip 1 

Heresy Clip 2

Marc Cebrian

See: Enabler-in-Chief (Part 3) “Stepford Prime”