Dave Pack ...we ran through a lotta drills which prepared me to see all kinds of things very quickly because I’m so familiar with the Scriptures.

Drill Them With Blindness

 

David C. Pack is willing to exploit the war in Israel for his own gain. He is willing to take to himself the titles belonging to Jesus Christ. He is willing to threaten brethren in The Restored Church of God with an eternal death penalty for doing what he makes a habit of.

 

He is increased with the Campus goods of horses and ceiled houses, so he has need of nothing. He bleeds the brethren with Common, making merchandise of them. He is unteachable, uncorrectable, ever-learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

 

David C. Pack surrounds himself with hirelings who care not for the sheep. Headquarters is a nest of vipers and a den of spiritual thieves. The entire organization is a corrupt tree, bringing forth corrupt fruit by corrupting the word of God.

 

David C. Pack’s vain mouth multiplies words without knowledge. He is proud, knowing nothing. Speaking presumptuously, he walks after the imagination of his own foolish heart about visions that are not from the Lord.

 

There is no fear of God before his eyes.

 

This is not a drill.

 

 

During “The Greatest Unending Story! (Part 476)” on October 21, 2023, David C. Pack warmed up the audience with promises of a wild ride.

 

Part 476 – October 21, 2023

@ 00:08 This may be (I don’t think I’ve used this word before) kind of a momentous sermon.

 

Momentous. Kind of.

 

Dave is always excited to present new angles for excusing biblical miscarriages and recycled concepts. 

 

@ 05:22 Now, for eight years, we’ve been doing various drills.

 

@ 05:36 It's been helpful to me, and I've used it in private conversations. But, there are drills we have gone through.

 

Dave is not a proven false prophet. The past ten years have been intentional practice for the big game.

 

@ 06:09 We would come back and look it again. I once called it “trial and error,” but it would it’s almost more of a natural product of doing drills.

 

This must have brought a sigh of relief to field hirelings like Brian Jackson and Larry Cockshutt since they have already long burned through their best buzz phrases to blow off tough questions from concerned members.

 

@ 07:39 So, brethren, in many regards, we ran through a lotta drills. Some of them the same but they would vary slightly. And I can look back now and realize it prepared me to see all kinds of things very quickly because I’m so familiar with the Scriptures.

 

It is too bad he cannot see all kinds of things very accurately. Come on, Dave. Your entire career rests on you accomplishing a singular task, and you cannot get that one tiny little thing right. Have ANYTHING you have said come to pass.

 

But, if David C. Pack were right even once, the entire world would shift on its axis.

 

@ 08:26 So, we're going to look at certain things that we’ve drilled on but never quite seen the way they would apply.

 

This is a fancy way of saying, “This will sound painfully familiar, but don’t worry because I have a slightly different take on old ideas that will pointlessly absorb the sum of your Sabbath and will be irrelevant within seven days.”

 

David soiled himself when a bald eagle circled the Campus for a few minutes. I was disappointed he did not remind brethren that the Giant Eagle supermarket is next door to Headquarters. That was a real point a few years ago.

 

@ 17:42 I should just plant that account in your mind before I tell you why I think that bird came and what I learned in the Scriptures two days before I saw it. And it’s been ten years since I’ve, you know, seen an eagle on Campus.

 

Dave sees his own shadow and knows there will be six more weeks of winter.

 

 

Pastor General David Crowl Pack is not a man of his word. Is that an accusation or observation? Lonnie Hendrix wrote an interesting article for Banned by HWA on that topic.

 

Part 459 – July 15, 2023

@ 1:25:33 And it has struck me from time to time when the Bible seems to pull you toward a particular time (and it does), if you nail that day down, it strikes me as particularly arrogant.

 

Part 474 – October 7, 2023 [The Last Great Day]

@ 1:24:02 So, I don’t know how long we’re gonna go. It’s not my job. I’ve often wondered, Is it my job to explain what the Mystery of God is? There’s nothing that says I foretell a date. I’ve wondered if I should for all the reasons I’ve explained. So, every evidence is Elijah’s about to sound…

 

If his words were true, why are brethren in The Restored Church of God anticipating tomorrow morning?

 

The Kingdom of God Arrives on October 29, 2023

at Sunset in Jerusalem – 9:52 AM ET

 

Part 476 – October 21, 2023

@ 1:09:10 It’s interesting. Before the year begins, before Elijah appears as the Messenger of the Covenant, it says he’s like a refiner’s fire and fullers’ soap before the year began. Have we understood that correctly?

 

You should know the drill by now. When he poses a question that way, the apparent answer is implied.

 

@ 1:13:43 Let’s imagine the Kingdom of God and the Day of the Lord come next Cheshvan 1. That would be November 1 next year [2024]. Let’s just imagine that.

 

Dave transitions from imagining to teaching within twenty minutes. Who could have guessed that a wooden ruler art project would hold the key to determining what “the midst of the years” finally means?

 

@ 1:34:39 Last Cheshvan 1, 2022 (of the first two years) was October 25^th. Right here [on ruler]. 2022. Next Cheshvan 1, two years later, is November 1^st, 2024.

 

@ 1:36:23 God is saying dead middle right down the center of those two years because now we know it’s after the Feast. So, you gotta go 369 days forward from last October 25^th. Or 369 days backward from next November 1^st…

 

When Dave stood up, the camera was forced to either stare at his crotch or show a sparsely-populated Main Hall on the Sabbath. You can have fun counting the empty chairs.

The only bright side to this picture is that Dr. Ranney is still in town. Maybe he got a reprieve from being cast out of the state alongside Ken Orel. With Ken out of the picture (literally), Jaco Viljoen still gets to be the Headquarters Pastor, which is good news for the local congregation.

 

@ 1:36:45 And you’ll get when it’s game on. Can’t go to another year. Impossible.

 

@ 1:37:06 So, when is the midst of the year? When is it? It’s October 29^th. One week from tomorrow morning at sundown in Jerusalem. One week from tomorrow morning. But it's Cheshvan 15. The start of Cheshvan 15.

 

So much for making a declarative statement and holding himself accountable.

 

Part 471 – September 30, 2023

@ 1:43:41 I just don’t know. And I’m not here to tell you the day. I’ll never do it again. I’ll never do it again.

 

Nobody in The Restored Church of God holds David C. Pack accountable. Not for the words he says. Not for the actions he takes.

 

Part 476 – October 21, 2023

@ 1:41:17 So, you can decide if the Goodman eventually came to understand when Christ would come.

 

Considering Dave pushed off and then canceled Part 477 during the week, you can rest assured the brethren of The Restored Church of God have more time. Today, even Dave will have to admit, in some fashion, that he did NOT eventually come to understand when Christ would come. But NOW he does.

 

Despite the RCG philosophy of "It's not a failure, it's a drill, " the countdown timer on exrcg.org will continue even when the winds of doctrine change direction this afternoon.

 

This may be the last time you ever see this visual aid at the table. So, soak it in.

 

 

Dave was still aflutter about the war in Israel being a metric when he let something fall from his lips.

 

@ 10:01 Now, I wanna give you a little bit a news because, obviously, that [Hamas attacking Israel] was almost exactly fifteen days ago. That dawn is gonna turn out to be very important. But some things just developed upstairs right before dinner, and I wanted to talk to you about them.

 

*****

Question: What event occurred at the Headquarters of The Restored Church of God on October 21, 2023, right before dinner?

 

Answer: Sabbath Services.

*****

 

Sabbath Services were in progress right before dinner. Upstairs in the Third Floor Executive Imaginarium is where Dave and his broken lackeys hang out to escape holy convocations because those are not meant for them. Watching the news on the projector screen is more important than obeying God.

 

This is the pattern I witnessed for eight years in the Headquarter's Main Hall. Dave cannot be found so doing during Sabbath Services, but all eyes shall see him at the dining table feeding his face. He skips the Service but not the meal. That is his pattern.

 

Call me a liar, Brad. Oh…sorry. I keep forgetting that Brad no longer reads these ineffective articles.

 

Everyone else, you have two options to consider:

 

1) You can choose to believe that Dave requested Coffee Kid and/or Pepper Boy to go upstairs during Sabbath Services to monitor the news so only they would defy the command of God to assemble on the Sabbath that is even more crucial because they “see the day approaching” while Dave chose to sit at the back of the room, fully aware and present, taking diligent notes from the sermonette and sermon delivered by lesser men so that he could soon review those same notes allowing the spiritual food he desperately needed to be ingrained in his mind.

 

OR

 

2) Dave again blew off the commanded assembly, thumbed his nose at God, saying, "You better give me salvation as I rebel against your Feast" [Part 472 @ 1:02:15], and willfully withdrew himself from a holy convocation that he just threatened brethren with eternal death for doing themselves so he could watch TV and prepare news articles for his kind of momentous message.

 

If you believe the first option, you have not spent any significant time at Headquarters. 

 

 

David C. Pack has wasted the last ten years drilling false ideas into the heads of the brethren. Members of The Restored Church of God are conditioned to believe the road to salvation is paved with false starts, vain repetition, and countless disappointments.

 

They are not practicing drills that will prepare them for the coming of Jesus Christ. They are letting a false prophet presumptuously preach while unimpeded by accountability and enabled by cowardly hirelings.

 

The Bible explains who and what David C. Pack is. The warnings before their eyes are not a drill.

Marc Cebrian

See: Drill Them With Blindness

Dave Pack: The Devil Isn't Smart Enough To Slaughter And Behead Babies, But God Is!

Get Dead!

 

Pastor General David C. Pack of The Restored Church of God let his authentic light shine during "The Greatest Untold Story! (Part 475)" on October 12, 2023.

 

The mood in RCG gets very bleak at times.

 

Multiple people who worked closely with Dave commented that he was just an angry man. But the reality is worse than that.

This clip should tell you everything you need to know about David C. Pack and the state of The Restored Church of God to discern whether or not God is behind all of this.

 

After giving updates about the war in Israel, he offered a glimpse behind the veil.

 

Part 475 – October 12, 2023

@ 1:24:55 If you want to know my feelings about what’s happening to the Jews? Since I’m descended from David, I guess I am allowed to have a feeling. I’m enraged. I want some people to get dead.

 

Does that sound like a man inspired by the Holy Spirit? Is that of the same mind also in Christ Jesus? Is that an attitude of loving your enemies? Is that being as harmless as a dove?

Is that the image of a man of God? A loving shepherd? A goodman? A wise and faithful servant? Is that the face of a man you want to trust your eternal life with? Are the fruits of David C. Pack good or evil? Is he bitter or sweet?

 

Galatians 5:19-21

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

 

Galatians 5:22

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

 

Which spirit does David C. Pack continually expose himself as being espoused to? Do not listen to me. Listen to him.

 

 

No amount of framing the setup can excuse the following statement. After listening to the entire message, you will not find a reason or a point to what David C. Pack says about God.

 

He taught that the devil and his demons would be burned up forever in the Lake of Fire. Whether you agree with that theologically is not the point. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

 

Let David C. Pack’s mouth speak.

Part 475 – October 12, 2023

@ 1:24:39 But would God do this? He would. He would slaughter babies and behead them, do things so horrific, I would almost think the devil couldn’t think of them.

 

That is the god he preaches. That is the god he worships. This is the spirit of The Restored Church of Another god. If I were a demon, I would leap into the mouth of David C. Pack and have him say something like this to his entire church. 

 

That statement came out of nowhere and went nowhere. It was an island of darkness that came and went. After mentally toiling over it for days, I still cannot understand his purpose in uttering it.

 

A page of context or a chalkboard of misspeak possibilities cannot excuse those words. He said what he meant to say the way he meant to say it. That spiritual poison came from his lips and edified no one.

 

The brethren must be questioning what drives their Pastor General. And yet, they stay.

 

The actions of David C. Pack declare God is not using him to end the Mystery of God. The Holy Spirit is not inspiring his words. To dismiss his attitude as bravado, narcissism, or mental illness undercuts the seriousness of the RCG situation.

 

Now that he has become what Jesus Christ once was, this path can only lead to greater wickedness.

 

Some have wondered if we should even pray for David C. Pack anymore. That is a tough call.

 

He may wish his enemies to get dead but do not desire that of him. Do not be like him.

 

Proverbs 24:17-18 

Rejoice not when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles: Lest the LORD see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him.

 

I do not want David C. Pack to get dead. I want him to repent. Which one of us do you think is harboring an evil spirit?

Marc Cebrian

See: Get Dead!

Crackpot Tiny COG Prophet Says Anglos Soon To Be Made Slaves

 

One thing you can never fault the Church of God ministers and self-appointed church leaders about is their ability to find the worst in every situation. But what else should we expect when their god is always pissed off about something and is just itching to destroy the lot of humanity (except for those superfantabulous COG members ensconce in Petra and living the high life as humanity dies around them). Such a lovely scenario.

The greatest self-appointed prophet in the history of Christianity, the Great Bwana Bob Mzungu Thiel is back regaling us with his mental brainfarts about how pissed off his god is and what delicious things it has in store for the world.

Enjoy!

First, painful sores will appear on those still subservient to the beast (Revelation 16:2). The second and third plagues turn the seas, rivers and springs of water into blood (verses 3-7). 

 

The fourth plague turns the normally, life-giving sun into a life-destroying power as the sun heats the earth to incredible temperatures. This fourth plague will still not bring mankind to repentance (verses 8-9). The fifth plague causes massive pain and plunges the beast’s realm into darkness (verses 10-11.) 

 

But many, instead of putting their confidence in God, are hoping shelters and stored food will work. 

 

While many doomsday preppers and most Christians seem to think that they will survive well during the 3 1/2 years that starts with the Great Tribulation, there are factors that they have not considered–or at least not well enough. 

 

Those without food or shelters will seek out those with both–hence theft and worse will happen–Additionally, it needs to be emphasized, is that God does not promise to physically protect all Christians in the end times. 

 

That said, Bible shows that some few will escape the captivity that will impact the Anglo-American peoples and will go to the mountains:

16 ‘Those who survive will escape and be on the mountains

Like doves of the valleys,

All of them mourning,

Each for his iniquity.

17 Every hand will be feeble,

And every knee will be as weak as water. (Ezekiel 7:16-17)

Yet, notice also something from the prophets Amos and Jeremiah:

9 ‘Assemble on the mountains of Samaria; See great tumults in her midst, And the oppressed within her. 10 For they do not know to do right, ‘Says the Lord, ‘Who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.’” 11 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “An adversary shall be all around the land; He shall sap your strength from you, And your palaces shall be plundered.” 12 Thus says the Lord: “As a shepherd takes from the mouth of a lion Two legs or a piece of an ear, So shall the children of Israel be taken out Who dwell in Samaria — In the corner of a bed and on the edge of a couch! 13 Hear and testify against the house of Jacob,”Says the Lord God, the God of hosts, 14 ‘That in the day I punish Israel for their transgressions, I will also visit destruction on the altars of Bethel; And the horns of the altar shall be cut off And fall to the ground. (Amos 3:9-14)

19 They pursued us on the mountains And lay in wait for us in the wilderness (Lamentations 4:19).

The above indicates that some will be hiding in the mountains, and other places in the USA, while others are will be taken out of the USA. Most of the Anglos that are not killed will be made slaves. Hiding in the mountains may protect a few for a time, but it will be relatively few that survive that way for long. 

 

They will be pursued. 

 

All of you grievous sinful Laodiceans will not have to go through this if you would return to the one true church that the greatest prophet in the entire history of the world now runs out of a cheap storefront in Grover Beach, CA. 

If you are alive during this time and you do not want to be overcome by the coming Beast, YOU MUST live as a Philadelphian Christian–do not deceive yourself otherwise. 

Jesus gave the following warning to most end time Christians: 

15 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’ — and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked — 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. (Revelation 3:14-19) 

 

While there is value in doing some physical prepping, proper spiritual prepping–which MOST END TIME CHRISTIANS WILL NOT DO–is so much more important.

LCG Whining Yet Again About Those Pesky Germans! When Will They Ever Stop??????

 

It's another day in another year and in another decade and STILL, the Living Church of God is freaking out over Germany, all thanks to the absurdities that Herbert Armstrong, Gerald Waterhouse, and Rod Meredith hyperventilated over back in the 1950s to mid-1980s. 

Who can ever forget Rod Meredith's sermons with his red face and veins popping as he pounded the podium screaming about parents eating their children, teenagers sent to Europe to be slaves to the Europeans, concentration camps, crematories, and people being hung up on meathooks. Oh, and don't forget, Hitler was still alive in Argentina gathering his new army of expat Germans together so they could invade the United States and spank our asses. Isn't the Church of God grand?

Never fear though, write in for LCG's Middle East in Prophecy booklet and you too can save your sorry sad Laodicean ass.

The Bible reveals that a future German-led European beast power will occupy the Holy Land and control Jerusalem. The Apostle John wrote that non-Jewish Gentiles “will tread the holy city underfoot” for 42 months prior to Christ’s return (Revelation 11:2). How might these Gentiles come to control the Holy Land? Analysts warn that if the current escalation in Israel and Gaza does not soon cease, it could plunge the entire region into war, drawing in many nations, including the United States and other Western countries. Germany could offer to move into Israel politically and even militarily for a time, in order to protect Israel and prevent further war. Time will tell, and the details remain to be seen. However, God’s prophecies will come to pass. To learn more about events prophesied to engulf the Middle East, read or listen to our insightful booklet The Middle East in Prophecy.

More Money Troubles In Africa: Great Prophet Continues To Be Played The Fool

 

The Great Bwana Bob Mzungu Thiel said today that his so-called leader in the Congo did not do his job right in planning the Feast there this year.  Looks like another of his LOYAL CONVERTED leaders took the money and ran. Bob continues to be played the fool.  Never one to take accountability for any of his church failures he instead claims this is another sign of tribulations the one true flock must endure before they are made into gods and goddesses.   

Change in the Congo

As mentioned a few weeks ago, there were issues involving the Feast of Tabernacles’ site in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The man who was to handle certain festival and other matters did not handle them properly, so he has been replaced. Our leader for now in the Congo is CCOG member Rwanika Sebulikoko Martin. So, despite another trial, we are rebuilding in the Congo.

As the Apostle Paul said, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).

We have had several trials over the past year, but as the Apostle Paul also wrote, we continue to “press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

UCG Says God's Grace and Keeping The Law Will Save You

 

The appalling actions of Hamas in Israel last week have sent the prophecy addicts in the Church of God into a frenzy. Doom, death, and damnation are virtually at our doorsteps ready to devour us. Some look with caution on events and others get down and wallow in it like pigs at a slop trough, particularly Bob Thiel and Gerald Flurry. The more awful they can make things sound the more important they think their prophetic knowledge is and how we should all be impressed.

United Church of God had a blurb up the other day about the current situation and prophecy. After the usual falderal, they end with this:

When you see armies surrounding Jerusalem moving in to conquer Israel then you will know—this is it, and the end of this age is very near. 

 

All we can do is watch as Jesus said to do and keep spiritually alert to our own condition (Luke 21:26). We should be patiently watching and waiting. Jesus said by your patience you possess your souls, or as the Greek word hupomonēmeans, by your endurance and constancy. Our salvation rests upon God’s grace and our endurance in obeying God’s laws and commandments just as the patriarch Abraham (Genesis 26:5). Jesus also said, “But he who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13).

Such bunk! God's grace and keeping the old covenant law are incompatible. But, this is the COG and the law reigns supreme over Jesus, grace, justification, and sanctification.

Are LCG Members Being Transformed?

Does law keeping, Sabbath keeping, Holy Day keeping, eating kosher, reading only COG related material, tithing 30-40% of your income to the church, giving all things common to your Dear Leader, believing the false prophecies/false dreams/lies of your church leader, and many more things, actually transform you as person? Do these things make you a follower of Christ?

Christian have long understood that our old selves have already been "crucified" with Christ's sacrifice. Its not something that anyone needs to be continually doing. Being transformed by Christ is letting the fruits of the spirit shine forth. Stop looking to Herbert Armstrong, Gerald Weston, and especially Bob Thiel as sources for your transformation. It isn't going happen through them.

Real Transforming Faith: Has your faith influenced and changed your life? The Apostle Paul urged Christians, “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:1–2). The English word “transformed” comes from the Greek word metamorphoo, which means a complete and total change—as when a caterpillar turns into a butterfly! Jesus told potential Christians they must repent (metanoeo) which involves learning to think differently and turn with worry from a past course of action. As we study and meditate on the word of God and ask God to help us change, we will develop the mind of Jesus Christ (Philippians 2:5). As we make conscious decisions to think, talk, and act as Jesus would—as we crucify our old self—Jesus Christ will be able to live His life in us (Galatians 2:20). This is the transformation that God is looking for in those He calls to become members of His family (Ephesians 5:8–10).
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail 

 

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Corinthians 3:17). “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).

When LCG stops being the taskmaster and sets their captives free by focusing on the one they claim to follow, then peoples lives will be transformed.

"Genuine transformation is God-achieved and God-sustained, requiring no effort on our part to attain it or live it out. When we know the truth in our hearts, we will be renewed and live differently from that point forward—without effort. Transformation is not trying to be like Jesus, but rather Jesus living His life in and through us resulting in us experiencing the fruit of the Spirit."

"According to the Scriptures, a Christian is a person who possesses the Spirit of Christ. This is the only real test of authentic Christianity. Paul said it this way, “… if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ” (Rom. 8:9). If we possess Christ His Spirit will be evident in our lives. Genuine transformation will be the verification of His indwelling presence, and the fruit of His Spirit will be evident in our lives. If we are lacking genuine transformation (change that only He has wrought in us) and the absence of His fruit, then something is amiss. If our “transformation” is that which we are doing through controlling our behavior and trying to act like Jesus, then something is wrong. Spiritual performance and acting like Jesus is what any lost person could do if they set their mind to it, but transformation is a work of God and not of man." Transformation: Solely a Work of God

Living Church of God: Hey, Look At Us! Who would have thought?

 

Now we know where the Great Bwana Mzungu Bob gets his braggadocio from, the Living Church of God.

Both of these groups can take a minuscule number of people and turn it into the most amazing thing the church ever seen. 

Here is LCG bragging about how in two recent Tomorrows World Presentations in a Canadian and a UK city brought in a combined total of 33 people. Subtract from that the 15-20 LCG members at each location that are used a seat fillers and you get an idea of the amazing work LCG is doing. 

Tomorrow’s World Presentations in Canada and the United Kingdom
The Work of God is not limited to just the United States—not by a long shot! Last weekend, two TWPs in Canada and the United Kingdom drew a combined total of 33 guests. This weekend we will host a follow-up presentation in Manchester, England, and four initial presentations in Canada—Lethbridge and Medicine Hat, Alberta; and St. Catharines and Guelph, Ontario. Your prayers are appreciated!

"I'm Enraged!!!"

The Wolfery of The Messenger of the Covenant, The Branch and The Elijah to Come, David C Pack. 

(And both of the yet to arrive, Two Witnesses no doubt )

“I am often thought of as being remarkably bright, and yet my brains, more often than not, are busily devising new and interesting ways of bringing my enemies to sudden, gagging, writhing, agonizing death.”
― Alan Bradley, The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag

===============================

 

"Would God do this? He would. He would slaughter babies and behead them and do things so horrific I would almost think the Devil couldn't think of it."

"Do you want to know my feelings about what's happening to the Jews, since I'm descended from David,  I guess I"m allowed to have a feeling..."

"I'm enraged!!!

I want some people to get dead..."

Don't let this mind be in you that is in David C Pack

UPDATED: Monte Wolverton: Newspaper apologizes for publishing his "highly insensitive" drawing

 

UPDATE at end. Monte apologizes

Unlike his father Basil Wolverton, Monte has jumped with both feet into the political quagmire of American politics over the last several years.  While his father had his own unique version of subversiveness, Wolverton wears his on his sleeve. 

Wolverton is also an associate editor of The Plain Truth, Greg Albrecht's version of the old Worldwide Church of God publication.

The article says:

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: The Philadelphia Inquirer has issued a public apology after publishing cartoonist Monte Wolverton's "highly insensitive" illustration that pushed "antisemitic tropes" and criticized Israel's response to the Hamas' deadly attack.

The editorial board for the big city paper put out a piece on October 18, 2023, admitting that Wolveton's cartoon "should never have been published".

Wolverton has been producing drawings syndicated by Caglecartoons for the last 25 years. He is best known for his satiric pages in Mad, his Weekly Wolvertoon website, and his contributions as an associate editor of The Plain Truth.

Later in the article, it says:

Following the outcry, the Philadelphia Inquirer released a groveling apology, stating, "In hindsight, the cartoon depicting an oversized Israeli military boot stepping on Hamas terrorists hiding among civilians in response to the Oct. 7 attack should not have been published."

"Regardless of the interpretation, the illustration reinforces pernicious anti-Semitic tropes about Israeli aggression," the apology continued.

It further added that the board had voiced an "unequivocal belief" that Israel should be allowed to defend itself and had denounced the terrorist assaults days after they had taken place.

"It is clear this cartoon was highly insensitive, particularly at the current moment when antisemitism is on the rise. We hear the outcry and apologize for the pain it caused," the statement added.

The board also pledged to review its processes for illustration selection "to prevent failures like this one from occurring again." 

Twitter also erupted in fury:

 

The American version of The Daily Mail from the UK also ran a story:

Philadelphia newspaper apologizes for 'highly insensitive' cartoon criticizing Israel's response to Hamas' terrorist attack that killed 1,400 people

It never seems to fail that when there is some disaster there is a Church of God connection somewhere down the line.

UPDATE

Monte issued an apology on X/Twitter

I deeply apologize for my recent cartoon depicting an Israeli combat boot poised to crush Hamas. I had intended to show Israel was soon to stomp out Hamas terrorists, but my insensitive choice of imagery effectively cast Israel as a villain. I now realize this caused pain for…

— Monte Wolverton (@montewolverton) October 22, 2023

Picking and Choosing The "Correct" Biblical Hero

Rembrandt, The Baptism of the Eunuch, 1626

 

A comment was made on here today that mentioned the Ethiopian eunuch mentioned in Acts 8 and how we see no one in Armstrongism ever emulated this guy. COG leaders tend to look with giggily adoration on those they see as hyper-masculine men of the old covenant stories. This was when men were men. Manly men of God. 

"The Ethiopian Eunuch was an exemplary character, but who would pick a eunuch as their super hero?"

For those who forgot, the Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch story:

Here we have a man so dedicated to his job of faithfully serving that queen that he is castrated so that no "improprieties" could happen between him and Queen Candice. While he might have been castrated after being taken prisoner at a young age to serve the royal court or willingly did so later on is not mentioned. What is mentioned is how dedicated he is to all that he does.

That dedication is what led him to travel over 1,600 miles to Jerusalem, in a chariot no less, to worship at the temple, knowing full well that as eunuch he would be rejected from entering the temple grounds. Yet, he still went. 

He was not some poor Ethiopian out for a weekend jaunt to Jerusalem but was in a position of power and privilege that gave him access to the Queen and other influential people associated with the Queen/government. Being trusted with the Queen's money means he was not some poor little bookkeeper in the back room somewhere. It took money and dedication to travel that long of a distance through some of the most dangerous places.

He was also a person of such influence and education that he had access to a scroll or papyrus of the Book of Isaiah that he was traveling with and reading. Both scrolls and papyrus were painstakingly detailed books written and painted, not something the regular public had access to.

Here is a man so dedicated that he traveled over 1,600 miles to Jerusalem, knowing he would be rejected, yet went anyway. This is the kind of dedicated man that COG leaders should be emulating, but you never hear them doing such a thing.

Anyway, back to the story. Philip sees him reading the scroll and asks him if he understands what he is reading. He says no he doesn't and asks for Philip to explain it to him. Here is a man of such lofty status yet humble enough to admit he did not understand and asked for help. Imagine a COG leader asking for help understanding the scriptures they claim to know all about. What a sight that would be!

Philip took the Old Covenant scriptures he was reading and applied them to Jesus, so effectively that the eunuch desired to be baptized.

Much like the thief on the cross story at Jesus' crucifixion, nowhere is there any mention of the eunuch repenting of any sins he had committed. He understood the story that Philip told him about Jesus so well that he desired to be part of the "Jesus movement" that was sweeping the land at that time. He had faith and believed.

One would think that COG leaders like Gerald Flurry who has dumped millions of dollars into stage plays emulating Old Covenant prophets would see this as an amazing story about the salvational work of Jesus and the faithfulness of a "less than" man. But, that would involve Jesus, and that dude is not exactly welcome in most COGs today because beating people over their heads with the law or dancing some jig is more important.

Besides, the COG today is led by such mighty masculine men who supposedly still possess their testicles that to emulate a eunuch opens the door to women having a position of say in things. Since women also do not possess testicles and have menstrual periods that make them "supposedly" unclean, this is used against them. I remember one minister from Pasadena (now in UCG) making the statement that because women had menstrual periods and that scripture considered them unclean when that was happening, that was the reason they were unfit to preach or teach. Could you trust their words being spoken if they were having their unclean period?"

There are many men and women of faith in the Scriptures that the "men" leading COG's today could set up on pedestals as examples of faithfulness, but you never see these "men" do so. It is always more about them than anything else.

To be like the eunuch is to have humility and be teachable. This is what has led men and women of faith for centuries. People who are filled with wonder and desire for something bigger and greater than what they see around them instead of the crap spoonfed to them each week in canned sermons. 

The Church of God needs more faithful Ethiopian eunuchs in its midst than the current crop of emasculated leaders we currently have in too many of the more vocal COG's today. Today church leaders are faith killers. They have stripped wonder and inquisitiveness from people's lives by force-feeding them their answers to everything. Good people of faith need to leave these emasculated impotent men behind and step out in freedom. It's pretty cool out here!