2024 got off to a great start in the United Church of God. It took a typical broad swipe at Christians in Hong Kong and kicked out a pastor in Italy.
Rick Shabi said this about "Christians" in Hong Kong:
Visit to Hong Kong
As Debbie and I left the Philippines, it was just a two-hour flight to Hong Kong. The congregation there is small—there were 12 people in attendance that Sabbath, plus six online. But they are dedicated, warm and friendly. Following Sabbath services, we spent the rest of the day with all the members of the congregation, getting to know each other better and listening to their questions and ideas.
Notice he just has to put Christian in quotes. It's just like our lovable buffoon Bwana Bob Thiel who has to call Christians "so-called". How can we be so silly to forget that there are no REAL Christians outside of Armstrongism?
Hong Kong is a vibrant and modern city, and very much “Christian,” as there are Catholic and Protestant churches everywhere. There are opportunities in this city to spread the gospel. Terry Franke, an elder from Alaska who pastors the Hong Kong congregation, has been working on a new website. We discussed how the gospel could be preached in this area, using ads and short social media posts that would get the public’s attention and strike to the core of their errant beliefs.
7.5 million people dwell in the Hong King territory and there are only around 20 members? How can UCG expect to spread its gospel of the law when its focus is hardly ever on Jesus? They have had 29 years of opportunities to "grow" their church in Hong Kong and it has never chosen to do so.
Shabi then goes on to talk about the recent UCG turmoil in Italy where another rebellious UCG preacher rebelled against proper church government (just like the leaders of UCG did when they apostatized from the Worldwide Church of God in a fit of rebellion).
From Hong Kong we traveled on to Milan, Italy. As you know, the Church in Italy has seen some difficult times in the past month. Based on his behavior, actions and words, the Council of Elders had no choice but to revoke the ministerial credentials of Angelo Di Vita, who was the pastor there. Sadly, he no longer attends with us and has declared himself “independent and autonomous” from UCGIA.
UCG is under the fantasy that they can recruit new members from the Catholic Church, much like our lovable buffoon Bwana Bob thinks he can.
We had the opportunity to spend a considerable amount of time with the brethren, not only at Sabbath services, but also in the days leading up to the Sabbath. What a wonderful, committed group of people! There was joy in the congregation and a sense of looking to the future to what can now be accomplished in Italy, as part of our commission to preach the gospel to all nations. In a country that has long been Catholic and with the Pope’s recent ruling to bless same-sex couples, people may be looking for answers, realizing the Catholic Church has failed them. We believe God will call new people in Italy and the Church there is now ready to welcome them as part of God’s Body.
99.99999% of the people in Italy have no idea who or what the United Church of God is or what its gospel message is.
"....our commission to preach the gospel to all nations."
ReplyDelete**********
Rick Shabi was one of the 11 disciples? - Mat 28:16-20.
So.......for those of us not in the loop, what did Angelo di Vita say or do to get himself kicked out of UCG?
ReplyDeleteRandom scripture:
ReplyDeleteMatt.23:15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You traverse land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
And by random, you mean totally true of all cults.
DeleteIf that's how you feel NO2HWA about Rick Shabi why don't you tell him to his face, when you see him next ?
ReplyDeletePerhaps I missed it, but, could you please cite your references. You're quoting something from Rick Shabi, but what is it? A letter to members, or to UCG ministers, or what?
ReplyDeleteWhat’s with this “tell it to his face” talk? There is nothing NO2HWA said that he should feel averse to saying to shabi’s face. Normally the implication of your “tell it to his face” suggestion is that some physical altercation could occur if done so.
ReplyDeleteAre you suggesting Shabi would get physically triggered from the mild language NO2HWA used?
Strawman argument.
DeleteThats not a very good example of a straw man, try again.
DeleteThinking of it. Before the Bishop op Rome was able to centralize Christianity, the Bishop of Milan was about his equal.....and now his credentials are revoked.......
ReplyDeletenick
Eh, we don't recruit members from anywhere. We simply put the truth out there and those God calls will respond. The rest will have an opportunity later.
ReplyDeleteThe Pope going off the rails won't cause people to join a ACOG church. The problem is that Herbs mother church and its splinters have never fed its members spiritual meat. It's always been spiritual milk. They give a fortune to their church, yet find that they have to read self help books to gain understanding. Christ wasn't just talking to Peter when He said "feed my sheep" three times.
ReplyDeleteI always get a kick out of people who preach the Armstrong half a gospel calling those who preach both halves "Christians falsely so-called", or placing the word Christians in quotation marks. But, these are people who have been convinced that Jesus Christ is going to return in 3-5 years to establish Armstrongism as God's government on earth forever and ever. I guess it would kind of lose the hook and the sense of artificial urgency if they were to drop the 3-5 years, and just say "soon". The time line thingie should have died around 1975. Even a floating 3-5 years has been failing for decades now, and was created as a marketing ploy to differentiate and make the Armstrong Churches of God appear superior to the established, centuries old, Christian churches. But, if it's all you have left because the ship has broken up and you are floating around on one of the bigger pieces of the wreckage, I can see why you'd arrogantly mock a passing luxury liner or Naval Aircraft Carrier.
ReplyDeleteIt's also down right hilarious when they get on their high horses and mock a competing apocalypse, one based on science, one that we could actually do something about by making small, common sense adjustments to our lifestyles. But then, it's human nature not to like apocalypses. Well, make that "resent".
BANNED WROTE: "99.99999% of the people in Italy have no idea who or what the United Church of God is"
ReplyDeleteMY RESPONSE:
For the sake of accuracy, Italy has 59 Million people, and if 99.99999% of people dont know about UCG, that math works out
to just 6 people who DO KNOW about UCG. The UCG Italy is known to have at least ONE DOZEN members, so your stats are off. Perhaps you should just drop one the "9s" off the end for the sake of accurate reporting! :-)
The disUnited Church of Godlessness, an International Abomination has certainly taken advantage of the “opportunities” to split and splinter and decline over the last few decades. If it continues to take advantage of such “opportunities” it could eventually disappear.
ReplyDelete5.28. And how many people has God called, and have responded by joining your church in recent years?
ReplyDeleteDo you think God doesn't consider the moral state of a church when considering calling a person?
God calling a person is absolutely nothing to do with the 'moral state of a human organisation.
DeleteWell, ya gotta admit that at least some ACOG types TRY to follow Jesus. Most "Christians" do not.
ReplyDeleteWhen did Jesus Christ appoint you as the all knowing judge and jury of decreed judgments on others?????
DeleteInquiring minds need to know.
it was when the bible says prove all things, that's when
DeleteProving is not condemning other humans.
DeleteAnyone know why they fired this guy?
ReplyDelete10:39 wrote: "When did Jesus Christ appoint you as the all knowing judge and jury of decreed judgments on others?????"
ReplyDeleteWell, that's rich especially when it comes to Armsterongism which has set itself up as the AUTHORITY and JUDGE of Christians and others. It has cast judgment upon ALL outside of the church.
When they shut their corrupt, legalistic, and judgemental mouths, there would be no use for this blog.
10.41 pm, that's what non-winner churches tell themselves. God isn't going to call people into the Church of Pharisees.
ReplyDeleteYou seem to not be able to separate God himself from human religious organisations. Are you in the ministry?
DeleteYep 7:18. Verse posted applies to all cults.
ReplyDeleteYep 7:18. Verse posted applies to all cults.
ReplyDeleteAnon, Wednesday, January 17, 2024 at 10:59:00 AM PST, said:
ReplyDelete"...The disUnited Church of Godlessness, an International Abomination has certainly taken advantage of the “opportunities” to split and splinter and decline over the last few decades. If it continues to take advantage of such “opportunities” it could eventually disappear..."
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And if the United Ass. did eventually disappear, it could mean that another of Jesus Christ's prophecies became reality, such as follows in Matthew 15:
:13 "But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
:14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."
Could the leaders of the United Ass. become as offended as the Pharisees were offended when Jesus Christ spoke to those religious leaders about the turmoil they caused others?
Will the United Ass. leaders, hirelings of the former WCG, soon disappear from United like they did from the former WCG, proving that God never planted their "united" organization, whose fate was "to factions and factions," and was also headed up by blind leaders of the blind?
Time will tell...
John
A powerful warning is going out to the head of the beast in Rome. All two of the subscribers in Italy live in the Vatican.
ReplyDeleteThe previous minister decided to leave UCG. He made the first move. I'm not sure why exactly. But he's supposedly still holding on to the tithes and offerings of UCG. Hopefully everyone will be adults asks try to settle things maturely.
ReplyDeleteYeah, resources and who deserves them is still a big thing whenever anybody leaves or is thrown out. Remember the COGaWA Cows???
DeleteThe cow issue was so repugnant on both sides, that it is a conversation killer.
ReplyDelete