For close to eight decades, Armstrongism has been looking backward to the Scriptures where they think they can find scriptures that supposedly fit current world events going on around them. Given that their entire scriptural background is focused on the Old Testament, far too many groups are not comfortable replacing the fear factor they have found in the Old Testament with reliance upon Jesus so that no matter what happens, their confidence in salvation is assured.
Armstrongism has been watching world events for over eight decades now, confident that the world is going to blow up around them. For eight decades they have never gotten anything right. Yet, these same people think so highly of their selves and their messages that they believe they will be whisked off to Petra to be trained for 3 1/2 years in some final training done by whoever their current guru is. Imagine 3 1/2 years listening to Bob Thiel, Dave Pack, or Gerald Flurry imposing their draconian warped values on their followers. What an absolute hell that will be.
Right in the middle of that rat pack are Doug Winnail and Gerald Weston struggling to keep their members whipped into a frenzy of end-time scenarios they see spinning out of control around them.
Each and every one of them claims to have the sure word of prophecy. They love to quote:
“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.” 2 Peter 1:19.
Yet they quickly overlook the following scripture that holds them accountable for the junk they say:
“Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.” Isaiah 41:22, 23.
Matthew 7:15-20 KJV
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Scripture challenges the bloviating fools to prove to us they know what they are talking about. So far the track record of prophets in the Church of God movement is hitting a not so astounding ZERO!
False prophets have littered the ground of the Worldwide Church of God/Armstrongist movement for over eight decades. Every one of them is a proven liar.
Matthew 7:20 says:
“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”
The fruits of Church of God leaders have been found lacking. Their lives bear the fruit of their self-righteousness. Many are filled with lying, prideful, and greedy hearts and minds. They are deceptive in all their actions.
2 Peter 1:20 warns us about these lying men and their outlandish interpretations. None of these guys have any idea of what letting the Holy Spirit guide them would be like.
20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus, the greatest Prophet that ever lived, gave us a solemn warning against false prophets who would appear in these last days:
“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” Matthew 24:24.
Armstrongism is infected with false prophets who lie and deceive the members under their supposed care. The Church of God does not have a single prophet in its midst as we come to the end of 2023. We certainly have a lot of liars and false ones though.
I find it funny how certain COG groups get all huffy and defensive when they get accused of crying wolf. This is the United Church of God...
Anyway, back to Doug Winnail who wants you to believe that those in the leadership of the Living Church of God have the sure word of prophecy.
Watch World Events! Jesus told His disciples to watch for the fulfillment of Bible prophecies that indicate the coming end of the age and His imminent return (Matthew 24:36–44). Yet, these same scriptures indicate many will be shocked and surprised because they have not been told what to watch for! This is why God has given His Church “a more sure word of prophecy” so the Church can function as a watchman to proclaim the real significance of specific world events (2 Peter 1:19–20, KJV; Ezekiel 3:17–20). The moral decay and declining influence of Israelite nations (Leviticus 26:14–17), the resurgence of militant Islam in the Middle East and other parts of the world (Daniel 11:40), the growing focus of the world on violence and turmoil in and around Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:2–3; 14:1–2), and the revival of a European power with links to ancient Rome—all point to end-time events outlined in Bible prophecies. We need to be watching, and we need to be ready so we are not caught by surprise.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
“For eight decades they have never gotten anything right. Yet, these same people think so highly of their selves and their messages that they believe they will be whisked off to Petra to be trained for 3 1/2 years in some final training done by whoever their current guru is. Imagine 3 1/2 years listening to Bob Thiel, Dave Pack, or Gerald Flurry imposing their draconian warped values on their followers. What an absolute hell that will be.”
ReplyDeleteIt would be scary to be in the PCG or the RCG away from the laws of the land in the USA. There would be all the same evils and injustices as in the splinter cults today only with LOTS OF STONINGS of the innocent just for the fun of it.
CNN MSNBC FOX NBS CBS CBC BBC etc etc ….are far more reliable sources of information and news and discernible about events as they occur……..than Armstrongism ever were and will be.
ReplyDeleteWell, let’s take that statement with a cup of cider vinegar lol.
News networks are biased. Very.
But none will ever reach the heady heights of misinformation, misinterpretation and downright irrationality of the Armstrong press.
Built on a foundation of prophetic mumble jumbo that has been proven to be as accurate and as straight as a dogs hind leg.
That they still have an audience is remarkable.
Snake oil still sells evidently.
Negative, negative, negative NO2HWA...all you do and a laughable outdated idea of trying to play with people minds. Many are laughing at you....in real life.
ReplyDeleteThe PCG web site quotes HWA on its TikTok article as writing: "It (communism) is specifically engineered to “weaken us from within, sapping our strength, perverting our morals."
ReplyDeleteSo it's bad if communism weakens the country since it endangers the ACOGs ability to play church. But if the ACOGs do the same in order to tighten their grip on their members, then it's OK. Hence the church culture of narcissistic devaluation by treating members like children, stripping them of their rights, and non-stop code words from the pulpit such as "there's no one that's righteous" (you're dirt and deserve to be treated like dirt) and "we've found the enemy and it's us" (you're dirt and deserve to be treated like dirt). One rule for thee, another for me.
I see the picture gallery includes GTA
ReplyDeleteI heard my first false prophecy from GTA on the radio in the mid sixties he kept restating "Britain will not join the Common Market"
It's a prediction he could make with confidence because "God's end time church" had the "truth" of Anglo-Israelism. But then wasn't France also "Israel"? Then how does that jibe with GTA's prophetic parsing?
That guy is pretty good. I've seen some of his vids in the past. I find it curious that you would post him here though since he pretty much destroys many of the arguments put forth from the anti-cog crowd. Especially the "freedom in Christ" argument I see so often here. That is one of the same heresies taught from the beginning of the Church.
ReplyDeletePetra, Jordan would NOT be a “Place of Safety” if Gerald Flurry were there. It would be the exact diametrical opposite. It would be a “Place of Extreme Danger.”
ReplyDeleteI have hinted at this before but will mention it now without going into a lot of detail. The whole Armstrongist dogma of prophecy does not work. And it starts with their Doctrine of God. Armstrongists do not believe that God knows the future. As one minister stated back when I first started attending the WCG, "God does not know what you are going to do tomorrow".
ReplyDeleteThis statement is underscored and affirmed in HWA's Mystery of the Ages. God did not know that the angels were going to rebel and that he would have to then create man as a fall back. (See Chapters 2 and 3 in the 1985 edition of MOA.) The question then becomes, "How can prophets know the future if God doesn't?"
This view is kind of a dilemma. Not only does it break down logically, it also contradicts Acts 15:18.
Just saying ...
Scout
I have hinted at this before but will mention it now without going into a lot of detail. The whole Armstrongist dogma of prophecy does not work. And it starts with their Doctrine of God. Armstrongists do not believe that God knows the future. As one minister stated back when I first started attending the WCG, "God does not know what you are going to do tomorrow".
ReplyDeleteThis statement is underscored and affirmed in HWA's Mystery of the Ages. God did not know that the angels were going to rebel and that he would have to then create man as a fall back. (See Chapters 2 and 3 in the 1985 edition of MOA.) The question then becomes, "How can prophets know the future if God doesn't?"
This view is kind of a dilemma. Not only does it break down logically, it also contradicts Acts 15:18.
Just saying ...
Scout
A Place of Safety would have to be given in a vision or dream by a minister or leader that is closest to God. It would most likely be given a 3rd heaven correspondence from an angel or the Lord, like how the prophets or the apostles (and even men of God like Moses, Joseph or Noah types) to travel to the "correct place."
ReplyDeleteThe two witnesses at the end would be associated with that vision or dream. It can't come by some private interpretation like just any minister saying, "this is the place." Or here or over there. I wouldn't listen to any of these COG ministers (who have been wrong so many times) about going to a place, unless they had the power of God like the two witnesses beforehand. We've seen how "some" of these ministers treat people and I wouldn't want to be in the same room with them for an hour.
thanks 8:17, even though I personally continue to press myself in trusting COG (& actually a certain particular COG), your note of how hard that trust is due to our experience with historically (& currently!) very crusty, curmudgeonly, ego-puffed-ignorers-of-inner-church-brethren-infractions, obnoxious, brutish ministry personnel shows how well those crummy ministers have done a fine job of pulling the rug right out from under us even while we try to trust them & God actually.
Deletethank you anon 8:17 for addressing how bone-headed many dopey COG ministers conduct theirselves 🐑🐑👺🤢
Isa 46:9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
ReplyDelete10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
4:04
ReplyDeletePerceptive observation. It is also the case that France, the putative Tribe of Reuben, owned the Louisiana Purchase before HWA's Seven Times Punishment on Israel had expired.
Scout
4:33 No problem. I hope they can improve on treating people better and hope your journey is fruitful.
ReplyDeleteAnon, Monday, November 6, 2023 at 6:59:00 AM PST, said:
ReplyDelete"...The whole Armstrongist dogma of prophecy does not work. And it starts with their Doctrine of God. Armstrongists do not believe that God knows the future. As one minister stated back when I first started attending the WCG, "God does not know what you are going to do tomorrow".
This statement is underscored and affirmed in HWA's Mystery of the Ages. God did not know that the angels were going to rebel and that he would have to then create man as a fall back. (See Chapters 2 and 3 in the 1985 edition of MOA.) The question then becomes, "How can prophets know the future if God doesn't?"
This view is kind of a dilemma. Not only does it break down logically, it also contradicts Acts 15:18.
Just saying ...
Scout..."
******
Yes, Scout it may begin with their doctrine of God, especially if they continue to believe and teach that another Jesus: their Jesus is the God of the Old Testament. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Act 3:13) takes a "back seat" to their Jesus. Perhaps a result they are so confused that latched on to a counterfeit plan of salvation, and hence continue to seek out "His imminent return," that return of another Jesus. Well, where is He? This has been an imminent thingy for decades with those hirelings who fled the former WCG. It has just not been very imminent.
But that aside, whether it be identifying The God of the OT, or their Jesus' imminent return, not only do their views contradict Acts 15:18 ("Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world."), but they also contradict the inspiration given to the Apostle Paul in Hebrews 4:3.
"For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world."
God's works are a done deal, and those works do not include Doug Winnail's "imminent return" of his "another Jesus," not the return of his Jesus to very soon reign on earth for 1,000 years.
Do Doug Winnail, and Weston (and other former WCG hirelings (2 Cor 13:13-15)), continue to lead people astray with their false knowledge regarding the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and deceive with their satanic false (Rev 12:9) prophecies of some imminent return of another Jesus (2 Cor 11:4) to reign 1,000 years on earth................? Where is their Jesus? What's the hold-up?
Time will tell...
John
All the leaders of the churches of God in this last era are false teachers who through covetousness with feigned words, make merchandise of God's flock. The two witnesses will lead the last chapter of God's work under the direct leadership of Christ.
ReplyDeleteNothing is going to be revealed through Armstrongism. That brand has been burned, and has no credibility. God would have to use a completely different group.
ReplyDeleteExactly 5:13 & 6:09 God would have to use a completely different group. And those two witnesses would have to have the 3rd heaven correspondence from an angel or the Lord like the prophets and the apostles. correct, under the direct leadership of Jesus Christ.
ReplyDeleteImagine them still talking and boasting about Armstrong to an individual who has the power of God so much that can make it not rain for a period of time by his speech.