Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web of Corrupt Leaders

Saturday, March 2, 2024

Dave Pack: "I've studied the length of Christ's ministry more than anybody else." Therefore, I know he returns "Jerusalem sundown on April 8th"


 

The Greatest Unending Retcon

Pastor General David C. Pack drags the brethren of The Restored Church of God on a meandering journey through prophetic nonsense and biblical misunderstanding. He is a documented false prophet and arrogant liar, proudly knowing nothing. He is ever-learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. That cannot and will not change.

Harboring doctrines of antichrist, the ravening wolf disguised as a lamb speaks words of a dragon cursing death upon the sheep that wandered off. He seeks none. He heals none. He feeds none. Eating the Common flesh of the fat, he makes merchandise of the brethren and wipes his mouth, “I have done no wickedness.”

“The Greatest Story Never Told!” began on November 14, 2015. Nobody could have imagined the blasphemous horror show it would become. The joy-crushing relentlessness of constant revisions, reversals, modifications, clarifications, and contradictions are sustained by gaslighting, shaming, deception, manipulation, and intimidation.

The weak hireling enablers at Headquarters, including Bradford Schleifer, Ryan Denee, Edward Winkfield, Jaco Viljoen, Carl Houk, Salasi Jezhi, Frank Lydick, Andrew Holcombe, James Habboush, and very lastly, Raymond Garb, are culpable in allowing the madness of David C. Pack to continue.

The unpaid field mollusks like Brian Jackson, Larry Cockshutt, and Wulphert de Graaf are complacent puppets supporting RCG’s fraudulent delusions.

A YouTube playlist for historical preservation titled If More Time was created to illustrate a point. Only fools believe the words of David C. Pack. And not even David C. Pack does that.

These two clips are crossing the one-year mark, proving nothing said in them came to pass.




Flashback Part 422 – February 18, 2023
@ 35:33 I’m not a hypocrite. I can’t stand up here and undo what I said in the last message.

By his own mouth, he has said it. That summarizes what he has been doing for the past eight years.

During “The Greatest Unending Story! (Part 494)” on February 24, 2024, David C. Pack sat up there and undid what he said in the last message.

The Kingdom of God structure of 4-100-1000 is now 7-100-1000.

69 Weeks of Daniel’s 70 Weeks Prophecy have already occurred.

The last prophetic 7-Year Week will begin on Abib 1, 2024.

 


Words David C. Pack still has not learned to stop uttering in 3…2…1…

Part 494 – February 24, 2024
@ 33:49 I hope I'm going slow enough, being careful enough that this can’t be misunderstood.

The man who most claims to see reveals himself to be blind.

@ 35:26 The only week left is the Opening Kingdom. That it is the Opening Kingdom that is seven years. But, I’ve gotta show you how we reckon this. So, one week.

I think he meant to say, “I’ve gotta show you how we retcon this.”

According to Merriam-Webster, “Retcon is a shortened form of retroactive continuity, and refers to a literary device in which the form or content of a previously established narrative is changed.”

David C. Pack is a biblical time traveler who insists on rolling back the clock to create a new branch of RCG doctrinal reality that he prays the brethren will not notice.


More than just eating words and eating more words, the perpetual retcons are a cautionary tale describing the majority of “The Greatest Unending Story!”

Part 494 covers Daniel 9’s 70 Weeks Prophecy and how a 7-Year Kingdom starting April 8, 2024, will complete the last whole prophetic week.

So, the “proven” 4-Year Kingdom from Part 493 was just poppycock. While claiming God's authority on His Sabbath, how can David C. Pack so shamelessly retcon all these statements?

Flashback Part 493 – February 17, 2024
@ 00:37 This will be an astounding sermon. Even though we’ll cover just two things that no one ever saw. No one (even through this long Series) ever dreamed that we could come this far…but you really don’t expect either of the two things that I’m gonna tell you now.

An astounding sermon that needed to be 50% retconned the following week. For the sake of new readers, it is often reported on exrcg.org that more than half of the Series is correcting the other half. This has been consistently proven.

@ 29:01 So, the idea that there is a seven-year kingdom is as dead ‘n gone as yesterday. I mean, that’s gone with the wind.

@ 31:19 And many, many, many questions you have are gonna just die.

Like Lazarus, the 7-Year Kingdom and many, many, many questions were resurrected by David C. Pack standing outside the tomb uttering, “Come forth” before the people.

@ 31:03 …in the First Kingdom, which we now know is not one year. It's not one year. I'm gonna tell ya exactly how long it is. And you're gonna be shocked. You're gonna be in awe of what it means to go first. They’re gonna go away. They’ll be gone with the wind when we understand these things.

The shock and awe for the All-Believing Zealots of an exactly 4-Year Kingdom was “returned to sender.”

@ 1:57:02 It’s simple. 4-100-1000. Not 1-7-1000. 4-100-1000…Simple. No Elijahn period other than a man who would be here explaining all of this. There is simplicity in Christ. The picture is easy.

Just not easy enough to get right.

It seems the non-biblical Elijahn period is fulfilled when a man explains all this totally wrong. Okay, not wrong. Just in need of some intense retcon.

 


During Part 494’s introduction, Dave could not stomach revealing he was about to retcon vast swaths of the last message. Instead of being honest, he alluded to more extraordinary things as a form of verbal lubrication to manipulate the path leading to significant corrections.

The words of his mouth are smoother than butter and softer than oil.

Part 494 – February 24, 2024
@ 00:36 Well, WE learned new numbers for the years, iterations before the Millennium. WE saw four years in front of a hundred. Now, a single giant item will be covered today… And I suppose WE’d been allowed to be coming to this place in a sense for a long time.

@ 01:17 Something shockingly simple came to light. And I’ll make it easy. And I mean really easy. I could not have dreamed I would see this so suddenly, and it would be so simple and so easy.

@ 01:44 So, let’s see God’s plan made easier and better.

Instead of Part 493 being a waste of time, it was merely preparation for a better plan.

@ 02:09 I don’t know if I’ve ever been as excited to give a message as I am on this one. This is the game changer. And again, it’s something we’ve been coming to for a long time.

It remains to be seen how much of Dave’s excitement survived when he gives Parts 495 and 496 today.

@ 02:19 So, let’s be sure that we’re thorough and accurate. I’m gonna show you something and then bring one powerful proof after another, and after another, and you will never walk out so inspired but also so deeply sobered as you will at the end of this message…

Dave spoon feeds 100% medical grade malarkey whipped into nutrient-free fluff. He said nothing, and it meant nothing. He preconditioned the brethren to accept whatever vomit he was about to spew.

The retcon of prophetic doctrines has never been so wonderful but required reminders in case some brethren were not swallowing it.

@ 09:52 We're gonna read it, and it’s gonna hit you like an anvil outta the sky.

@ 17:33 But, I promise you. Scholars don’t know.

@ 20:18 Truly, it’s this prophecy that has been sealed to the time of the end. And I’m gonna unseal it in powerful fashion before we leave tonight.

Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

David C. Pack unsealed a prophecy. Not God. Sometimes, he lets his guard down just enough to betray a glimpse of who and what he really is. Ignore that at your own peril.

 


@ 35:58 He'll do it for one week, and none of that week is in the past. I'll tell you in a minute why Worldwide got confused about it.

The Worldwide Church of God, the impersonal disembodied corporate entity, got confused. No, not Dave's beloved "Father in Another Gospel," aka Herbie Got-Nuttin-Right Armstrong. Dave is careful not to upset the fading old timers in case they are sitting on postmortem funds.

Due to his own flawless record, David C. Pack is the most qualified WCG Monday Morning Quarterback on earth today. Grant him all the honor he is due.

This next section is skimming fodder for the bullet points crowd, but it is meat and potatoes for the Daniel 9 “70 Weeks Prophecy” enthusiasts.

 @ 24:43 Well, the confusion ends now.

@ 26:26 Well, if you study the New Testament as I have and my brother has like nobody who’s ever lived (literally), and you cannot find when His ministry began in 27 AD or thereabouts, you’re stymied. You’re stymied.

@ 28:02 I’m gonna hafta show you what the Bible says it means when it says, “unto the Messiah.” I’m gonna show you. I’m gonna show you. And, yes, it does come off 457 [BCE]. And, yes, we are gonna find there are seven years left that have not been carried out.

@ 28:58 And I would think I've studied maybe more than my brother. I've studied the length of Christ's ministry more than anybody else.

@ 37:55 So, 1260 days or 42 months that are all 30-day months after the New Heavens and New Earth under the Eighth Head cannot be cannot be 1290 days before the New Heavens and New Earth. Impossible. I knew, and I’ve known for a long time without ever quite being able to pin it all down, this was eventually all gonna become math. Math.

Oh boy. More math. Dave needs to stay clear of biblical math like Harold Camping eventually learned. He also needs to avoid over-analyzing Hebrew and Greek. Even English is a challenge for him. In fact, it would serve Dave well to set his Bible down and go fishing for a few days to help clear that rotten mush in his head.

@ 38:50 And in the midst of the week at 1290 to go, I’ll explain midst. It doesn’t mean exact. I’ve done more research on the meaning of the word ḥēṣî than probably, you know, the Hebrew scholar who invented the word.

David C. Pack actually believes things like this. And there is nobody around brave enough to challenge him. Saying it makes it true in the candy glass doctrinal menagerie of David C. Pack.

He concluded that "unto Messiah" meant when Jesus Christ was baptized by John the Baptist. That was his super-big, exciting revelation. I apologize for underselling it with minimal verve.

@ 57:40 Now, we must accept 483 years to Christ's becoming the Messiah on faith in God's word, believing one week remains. And, as I said, seven years really is an eon… Making 69 weeks Christ's death, not His arrival, breaks the math and only leaves three years.

Faith in God’s word, not faith in David C. Pack’s fickle interpretation of God’s word. The depth of his convictions rings familiar with his continuous retcon of Daniel’s 1335 last year.


Dave fell down the 1335 rabbit hole for several months and could not climb out of it until he eventually gave up, rolled on his back, and exposed his belly and genitals in defeat.

He had to retcon Daniel’s 1335. How long until he retcons the 70 Weeks Prophecy?




What is the point of bragging you figured out what scholars for centuries did not if you cannot also reinforce a date for Jesus Christ’s return?


@ 1:04:26 We should expect an exact seven years from Jerusalem sundown on Abib 1. The other seven years, 69 times, were exactly seven years…

@ 1:04:46 So, when you get to the last seven years, you should expect an exact moment. And that's why I tell you I think I finally understand why. If the Goodman of the House had known in what hour and what watch the thief would come, he would've watched, and he woulda told his house. So, the only thing I can tell you is exactly seven years, Jerusalem sundown on April 8th is what we’re waiting for. …I'm sorry, it's another, you know, 43 and a half days away.

One fun fact is that as of Part 494, David C. Pack STILL has no idea there will be an eclipse in Ohio on April 8, 2024. Then, I consider poor Mrs. Pack. That will undoubtedly be an epic laundry day in the history of the Pack household.

After Dave finds out there will be 100% totality over the Wadsworth Campus during a new moon while it is Abib 1 in Jerusalem, he will soil his underwear. All three ways.

I giggle thinking of Dave standing with his hands on his hips, looking out the Third Floor Executive Imaginarium window at 2:45 PM on April 8, and only then noticing the daylight is not normal.

“What is going on out there?” “Oh, Mr. Pack, there is a total solar eclipse this afternoon.” “What? Did you know about this?” “Everyone knows, sir.”

How much mental rehearsing has Brad already performed, practicing the spin he plans to use on Dave when he storms into his office and slams the door shut? The ladies at their desks in the hallway will get an earful unless they are already outside with their eclipse glasses on.

 


The Greatest Unending Retcon will continue unabated and unfulfilled because David C. Pack does not hold God's authority and does not reveal divine knowledge. He can string together all the Bible verses he wants and create pointless lists numbered into the hundreds, but none will prove true.

The Spirit of Error celebrates a perpetual Mardi Gras at Headquarters with hysterical laughter as the false apostle winds himself up into a euphoric frenzy only to dismantle his own ideas soon after.

Nobody is more capable of relentlessly retconning the teachings of David C. Pack than David C. Pack. Sitting back and watching him destroy his own doctrines would be amusing if not for all the broken people trapped within the walls of that spiritually bankrupt organization.

There is much tragedy living in The Restored Church of God, and nobody can retcon the pain David C. Pack, and the hireling enablers at Headquarters have caused.

What shall be the end of these things? Nobody knows for sure. But it will not go well for David C. Pack, the adversarial Retcon King of his own follies.


Marc Cebrian



Bible Angels: Not Your Gift Shop Variety

  Ummmm....NO

MORE LIKE IT

 

I have said for years that all Bible Angels are men, while all gift shop Angels are women. This may or may not be universally true. 

Personally, I feel Ezekiel's vision of what he imagines a Cherub to look like is based on the astro-theology of the day when constructing a Cherub based the four seasons of Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall Constellations. 

While we have NETFLIX the ancients and the prophets had NIGHTFLIX. Or it is just a coincidence. 

Some say Ezekiel had good drugs....  :)

Winter: Face of a Man=Aquarius the Waterman

...exactly three months later

Spring: Face of a Bull=Taurus

...exactly three months later

Summer: Leo=Face of a Lion

...exactly three months later

Fall: Aquilla= The Eagle

 

I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was human, but each of them had four faces and four wings. Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. All four of them had faces and wings, and the wings of one touched the wings of another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.

10 Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle. 11 Such were their faces. They each had two wings spreading out upward, each wing touching that of the creature on either side; and each had two other wings covering its body. 12 Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went. 13 The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it. 14 The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.

15 As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. 16 This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like topaz, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. 17 As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not change direction as the creatures went. 18 Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.

 

Accurate Photos Of What Angels Biblically Look Like - Religion - Nigeria

Revelation has a bit of a different take but close to Ezekiel's. But the Order of the 4 Seasons differs presented as Summer/Leo, Spring/Calf, Winter/Man and Fall/Aquilla the Eagle. Each here have six wings expression the 24 hour day.

The Throne is the Circumpolar Constellation, Cassiopeia which in the "sides of the North". The Sea of Glass like crystal is the Milky Way that passes over and before Cassiopeia, "the Throne".

Revelation 4:5

5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits[a] of God.

"In front of the throne"the Seven Spirits of God" which are the Seven stars of the Big Dipper directly opposite Cassiopeia

The wings "full of eyes" are the stars behind what are perceived as the wings. 

It is truly "As above...so below"

Revelation 4:6-9

6 Before the throne there 5was la sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 7 nThe first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:

Holy, 6holy, holy,

Lord God Almighty,

Who was and is and is to come!”



PCG: Did Dennis Leap Actually Say This With A Straight Face?

 


The Church of God's decades-long drought of prophetic accuracy has never stopped its poorly trained theologians from weighing in on other people's predictions.

In the latest issue of PCG's The Trumpet, they have an article up on the craziness of "blood moons" myths occupying the minds of prophecy addicts both in and outside of Armstrongism. It is written by Dennis Leap who is not known for being theologically grounded in his understanding.

In Leap's article, he mocks John Hagee and Marck Blitz on their blood moon obsession. Leap has this to say:

Although the two men leave themselves an out—using the words could and possibly—when reading their books and surfing their websites, it is clear that both are convinced they are on to something big prophetically. 

Well, if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black! Just look at today's crop of lying COG false prophets, particularly the Great Bwana Bob Mzungu Thiel. Those two words and "maybe" are spoken more than the name Jesus ever is. It is almost like all COG false prophets went to the same school to learn how to say, "could be, maybe, and possibly" every time they open their theologically bankrupt mouths.

While one might applaud their interest in Bible prophecy, can you prove the truth about what they are saying and publishing?

When have Gerald Flurry, Bob Thiel, Dave Pack and Ron Weinland EVER spoken the truth in a sermon or published in an article? Don't condemn the world when your own households are pig-slop troughs of misinformation!

History is chock full of people’s prognostications that proved to be profitless.

History has proven Armstrongism to be prophetless and at the same time profitable for raking in the money as they scare people to death. 

Toward the end of his article, he has this:

It is a historical fact that God has always worked through a human being to tell people what He was going to do on Earth. God is faithful to reveal His secrets to those people truly serving Him (Amos 3:7). He then requires those people to share that message with anyone willing to listen (verse 8). 

How can it be Gerald DLurry when we are supposed to believe that the Great Bwana Bob Mzungu Thiel is the chosen one?  

Judging by the Old and New Testaments, it would be strange if God didn’t have someone delivering His prophetic message today (Acts 3:24). It would also be strange not to have multitude of false prophets around. 

The Church of God currently has almost 88 years filled with a multitude of lying false prophets.  

The major sects of organized Christianity cannot help you understand prophecy. Most of today’s so-called Christian leaders reject Bible history and prophecy as an exercise in futility. Few even believe in the return of Jesus Christ and the end of this age. That is the main reason you will not hear sermons on prophecy in the great cathedrals and churches of the Western world.

The major sects of Armstrongism cannot help you understand prophecy. They have lied to us and continue to lie to us with their own futile interpretations. There is not a single sermon preached or an article written in any of the COG's on prophecy that anyone can take with a grain of salt. It is impossible to do so.

Those scattered voices that do focus on prophecy do not agree on what specific prophecies mean. And as we can see, they rely on their own reasoning rather than on Jesus Christ and the Bible to interpret God’s prophecies.

With well over 400 splinter groups of Armstrongism out there you will find over 400 different interpretations of prophecy.

Yet, just as He always has, Christ is delivering God’s prophetic message through His true Church today—the Church He founded and promised would never die (Matthew 16:18). He challenges you to find out whom He is using—who is interpreting the prophecies of the Bible using the Bible.

Truth never died or was lost 1800 years ago and then was suddenly found in an Oregon library. 

“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation,” warned Peter (verse 20). Be careful what you read prophetically. Believe God and His Word, rather than giving heed to some man who thinks he knows. Then you will be able to follow Jesus Christ’s admonition with absolute confidence, “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:28)

Be careful what you read from any Church of God self-appointed false prophet when it comes to so-called prophetic understanding. There is no need for prophets anymore in the church. That era closed down centuries ago on Calvary.

Friday, March 1, 2024

Beware of the False Christ - The Favorite Mantra Of COG False Teachers

 

 

One thing the Church of God has always made a top priority in its so-called mission is to denigrate Christians and their understanding of Jesus, grace, his crucifixion, justification, and sanctification. They love to cast aspersions on the central figure of Christianity that they imagine Christians ultimately believe in. COG leaders and members believe theirs is the only correct understanding of Christ and any belief outside that little circle is to believe in a false Jesus. That's why we have weak little men like Bob Thiel refer to Christians as "so-called". The following scriptures accurately refer to Bwana Bob and most other COG leaders

When Christ said “...many shall come in my name" (verse 5) He was not indicating they would assume His identity, but that they would falsely claim to serve God and speak on His behalf. Not only would they deceive others about the truth of the Bible, but these false teachers would also be deceived. 
 
Jesus gives many strong warnings about false ministers and teachers: “Be on your guard against false religious teachers, who come to you dressed up as sheep but are really greedy wolves” (Matthew 7:15). He also explained how we can identify these imposters: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). 
 
Simply calling Jesus “Lord,” won’t be enough as Matthew 7:22 indicates: “Many people will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not preach in Your Name? Did we not put out demons in Your Name? Did we not do many powerful works in Your Name? And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:22-23). 
 
These individuals thought they had a special relationship with Jesus, but they were gravely mistaken because they don’t honour God by obeying His law: “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:3-4). Christ clearly stated in Matthew 19:17, “...if you want to enter eternal life, keep the commandments.”


Thursday, February 29, 2024

Bully pastors in the Church of God

 


For decades now there have been endless reports of spiritual abuse in the Churches of God. Many diehard believers fluff it off as nothing more than holding members accountable so that they can make it into the kingdom. They much prefer sticking their heads in the sand than taking a stand and holding the leaders accountable.

We have gone from Herbert Armstrong beating the podium and yelling at members that they don't understand to today's men like Gerald Flury and Dave Pack yelling at members and the youth. It is worse for the youth because they have no outlet to process this abuse. Unless they have a wise parent that takes them away from the abuse, they are stuck in an abusive cycle endlessly hearing how bad they are.

For decades church members were told that they were worms in the sight of God and unworthy to be in his presence. That is why Passover is so important to abusive leaders. They could humiliate and abuse members that their actions to this very day crucify Christ and make them unworthy.

Other times church leaders loved to quote the story about the crumbs under the table that were fit for the dogs and praised the woman for claiming that she was worthy to have those crumbs. Instead of telling members that they already have a place AT the table, instead of under it, COG leaders continue to suppress and devalue members.

Spiritual abuse is hard to point out at times, but here are some good descriptions of it:

Spiritual abuse, then, is when a spiritual leader— such as a pastor, elder, or head of a Christian organization — wields his position of spiritual authority in such a way that he manipulates, domineers, bullies, and intimidates those under him, as a means of accomplishing what he takes to be biblical and/or spiritual goals. Michael Kruger 
 
Spiritual abuse might include: manipulation and exploitation, accountability enforced by threats, censorship of decision-making, coercion to conform, and the inability to ask questions or voice disagreement. Beth Ann Baus 
 
Spiritual abuse occurs when an oppressor establishes control and domination by using Scripture, doctrine or his “leadership role” as a weapon. This form of abuse can be subtle, because it can mask itself as religious practice. Darby Strickland 
 
The word spiritual refers to something affecting a human spirit or soul. Abuse means to mistreat another, to deceive or do harm. When we use the word spiritual to describe abuse, we are talking about using that which is sacred—including God’s Word—to control, misuse, deceive, or damage a person created in his image. Diane Langberg 
 
‘Spiritual abuse is coercion and control of one individual by another in a spiritual context. The target experiences spiritual abuse as a deeply emotional personal attack. This abuse may include: manipulation and exploitation, enforced accountability, censorship of decision making, requirements for secrecy and silence, pressure to conform, misuse of scripture or the pulpit to control behaviour, requirement of obedience to the abuser, the suggestion that the abuser has a ‘divine’ position, isolation from others, especially those external to the abusive context.’9. Dr Lisa Oakely

Even the 10 Commandments, which COG leaders claim still is in force, yet never really keep, tells them to not spiritually abuse members.

However, we might also answer the question by turning to instruction from the law of God. In the structure of the Ten Commandments the first explicit duty of loving our neighbor is the fifth: “Honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12). A proper understanding of this commandment includes reciprocal responsibilities. Yes, children are to honor their parents but parents, in the spirit of the law, are to be honorable (see Ephesians 6:4). It’s also a commandment with a broad scope as it extends itself beyond the natural parent and child relationship — it really is a command that regulates many relationships in life. 
 
One of those relationships is that which exists between the spiritual leaders of the church and those to whom they exercise oversight. In the design of Jesus there are to be leaders in the church: “We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 5:12), and “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account” (Hebrews 13:17). These leaders stand in the place of spiritual mothers and fathers (see 1 Thessalonians 2:7-12 and 2 Corinthians 11:2). Spiritual Abuse: Seeing What We Don't Want to See


The word of the LORD came to me: ‘Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the LORD GOD: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. Ezekiel 34:1-4

So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 1 Peter 5:1-4


 

 

 

Deep Theological Question: Which Prophet Is Correct?

 

A reader asks:

Gentlemen --

Today Thiel points out several times when Flurry was wrong in his Trump Predictions.  This presents us with an interesting situation and the question "If one Lying Prophet accuses another Lying Prophet of lying, is the first Lying Prophet telling the truth?"

Best wishes,

J____


 

Philadelphia Church of God Video On New Archeology Exhibit


It is a shame that a splinter group that is considered one of the more dangerous and spiritually damaging Church of God's, ends up producing such slick propaganda works that have the potential to draw in new members. However, the track record shows this does not happen. All of the opening slick dramatization and entertaining music goes out the window once Gerald Flurry opens his mouth. 

James Tabor had this to say on the Ambassador Alumni site:

"This was just released today, the Exhibit opened on Sunday…really impressive. I have to admit, my heart was strangely moved, thinking back to our days of old—1968—Six Day War and the beginnings of the dig. I taught the first group of AC students going over in 1969, a crash course in Modern Hebrew! I hope you will watch it…love to hear if your heart strings were struck…especially by the music.

I hasten to add that the “flurry” of feelings I feel have nothing to do with Gerald Flurry…to use a bad pun…and all his foolish declarations over the years of his own Prophetic role, sitting on David’s throne and all the rest. My sense came rather from thinking back to the days of the DIG…and now things “felt” after the Six Day War in those amazing times...Gerald and I were classmates together, in the same classes, from 1968-1970...though we were not close friends. So the emotions I feel are tainted with a saddness for the ways he has both reflected some of Mr. Armstrong's vision for these efforts in Jerusalem, but also so drastially attached them to his own personal vision of himself--like so many of the self-declared "successors" of the movement..."

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

LCG: Why are its leaders and members so contentious, haughty, connceited, and not of the same mind?

 


Another day in COGland and we find its members once again being told they can't do anything right. All the things Winnail accuses members of are exactly what the leadership did when they rebelled against the Mother church and against the Global Church of God. Haughtiness, ambition, power, and the contentious attitudes of its leadership still prevent the church from being of one mind.


Keys for Working Together: Jesus referred to His disciples as His “friends” and He encouraged them to “love one another” (John 15:12–17). The Apostle Paul referred to those who assisted him in the ministry as “my fellow workers” (Romans 16:3). He also referred to members of God’s Church as “God’s fellow workers” (1 Corinthians 3:9), and “workers together with Him” (2 Corinthians 6:1). These are exciting opportunities that carry an important responsibility. The Scriptures give us guidelines about how to work together. We are urged not to let contentions divide us, but to “be perfectly joined together in the same mind” (1 Corinthians 1:10–13). We are also advised to avoid being haughty and conceited or ambitious for a position, but to be humble and strive to work together peacefully (Romans 12:16–18). James said we can avoid divisions by being gentle, teachable, and easily entreated (James 3:13–18). As we learn to “love one another” and treat each other as “friends” we will be more effective “fellow workers” for the Kingdom of God.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail

Crackpot Prophet Says It Is Not Safe To Reject A True Prophet Of God And Those That Do So Are Lazy

  

The world's GREATEST and most ACCURATE prophet to ever self-appoint himself in the history of humanity had a tizzy fit today over Gerald Flurry's latest crap on Donald Trump. Flurry has for years been making all kinds of predictions about Trump that have never come to pass. In like manner, so as has our most highly favored second son of God, the Great Bwana of Africa and 100 occasional Caucasians, who is destined to reign on the right-hand side of Christ at some future date. Both have ended up being certified liars.

After blabbering for quite some time, the Great Bwana Bob Mzungu Thiel had this to say for all of you pathetic losers who still  REFUSE to acknowledge him as a real true prophet of God. Bad Laodiceans! Bad LAZY Laodiceans! Bad! Bad! Bad!

"Now, most end-time Christians do not believe that they are lazy, but wise."

Sitting in his damp musty office while still playing the suffering martyr for the truth, the Great Bwana Bob shows his anger once again:

While Christians should heed true prophets and not despise prophecies (1 Thessalonians 5:20, PCG’s Gerald Flurry has again been proven to have spoken presumptuously. 
 
He and PCG remain wrong in their view of Amos 7 and many other matters. 
 
Those who have enough of “the love of the truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:10) should clearly be able to see that Gerald Flurry is NOT God’s prophet, but a false one. 
 
People associated with PCG should believe the Bible about false prophets as Gerald Flurry has clearly made false predictions. 
 
And even if Donald Trump becomes USA president again, Gerald Flurry has been proven false about his predictions about Amos 7. 
 
TWO WRONGS DO NOT MAKE A RIGHT! 
 
The existence of false prophets does NOT excuse not supporting a real one. 
 
Consider that the Book of Proverbs warns:

16 The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes Than seven men who can answer sensibly. (Proverbs 26:16) 
 
Now, most end time Christians do not believe that they are lazy, but wise. 
 
Yet, they overlook evidence because they are uncomfortable with the idea that there could now be a prophet that they should heed. 
 
It is NOT safer to reject a true prophet because there are many false ones.

Oh, Great Bwana Bob Mzungu - you are NOT a true prophet of God. You have never been one and never will be one. You are as big of a liar as Gerald Flurry is.


Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Tammy Tkach Interview Not Going Down Well With Ex-Members


Certain ex-WCG Facebook pages have been really down on a video made by The Network of Evangelical Women in Ministry - NEWIM that they posted a year ago on their site where they interviewed TammyTkach.

What really set people off were the comments about church finances and not knowing it was a cult:


Some comments from Facebook:

"I never seen or heard her before but still had to stop it."

"How could you not know it was a cult!"

"she knew. She benefitted."

"Hilarious that she says at the beginning that they were considered a cult......so she KNEW what she was in. 
At 16:01 she said Joe Jr says he doesn't condemn him (HWA) and that he was sincere?!
Yeah, ruining people's lives is sincere 
🙄
.....but what would he know, we know good and well that he and his family didn't live like most of us so it didn't effect him."

In reference that it was a cult:

"I think the bigger reason is that when inside one we rarely see it as is. Brain washing. Dulling down of independent thinking and risk of losing everything (my entire family were members) will keep a person from even looking to see if something is off"

 "i agree... my whole family was also in it and I was also born into it."

Where the situation baffles me is, at what point does an individual :
-First : decide to adhere to such an organization.
-Second : realize the unorthodox, questionable, illogical teachings; 
YET, decides to stay.
-Third : Even after that realization, agrees to give a huge part of their revenue to said organization.
-Fourth: Gives up on all logical reasonable thinking; totally accepting to be subjugated by the cult leader.
And
I would add a last one :
Fifth : Reproduce within the cult and teach the newborn human baby totally incoherent, false and absurd information about life and it's meaning.

""Joe jr says he doesn't condems (HWA) and that he was sincere"??!!
Can you believe that LIE?
What about the myriad of accusations of fraud and sexual misconducts, assaults and exploitation?
Was he sincere about those accusations also?"

What do you think?


Sunday, February 25, 2024

After 29 Years UCG Says: "Now we must get to work."

 


UCG/Rick Shabi sent out its Home Office update on February 22 and it was a sight to behold. For 29 years now they have been wandering around trying to figure out their purpose. They have finally decided what they need to do.

Let me address just a few of those areas as we begin to focus with a greater sense of urgency. Jesus Christ is the head of His Church, and we look to Him to guide and direct what we do. It must be done His way, or it will not bear fruit. God has provided the physical resources—both monetary and human—to do the work. Now we must get to work
 
Christ commissioned His Church to “preach the gospel in all nations, to make disciples, and to teach them to observe all things He commanded” (Matthew 24:14; 28:19-20). This is a key part of the operation plan that we, as Church administration, will be presenting to the Council of Elders at their meetings here at the home office next week. We have begun implementing this through our more extensive use of direct, clear messages to the world available now on YouTube.

Apparently, they never thought to consider their international regions and the potential they had there. 29 years of neglect and now they are waking up. Note, it doesn't mean they will do much but they are "endeavoring" to understand. WTH? They would have had a better return on their money in the Latin American countries and in Africa over how much they have wasted in the United States and Canada with their messages that have had minimal impact.

Following the principle in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, we are endeavoring to learn and understand more about our international regions so the gospel can be preached in them more effectively and in a manner and form that is best suited to be heard and received. You can help us with this, and we can help provide content and materials to assist in the preaching of the gospel in your area.

Now, the plan is to "cry aloud and spare not", though if they are going to accuse those around them of their sins they need to clean their own house first. Plus, it appears that UCG members are getting sick of hearing about all the end-time scenario crap they have been subjected to for decades.

In Isaiah 58:1, God commissioned us to “cry aloud, spare not, and show My people and the house of Jacob their sins.” Even those not a part of the Church are beginning to loudly proclaim their doubts about the future of the world. It is time, and we will “cry aloud” with a bold, clear and direct message to the house of Jacob (and the world) of the sins and heinousness of the actions and direction of this world, reminding them that repentance is necessary for salvation and that Jesus Christ will return to “save” mankind from the utter destruction he would inflict upon himself. We will continue to do this as God leads and provides the direction and message He wants delivered.

Our Great Bwana is going to beg to differ. He and he alone is doing that.  

Not only will they be crying aloud, but they will be unified! Woo Hoo!

One more thing that needs to be mentioned as we remember God’s will and actively begin to practice it in our lives, is this: Jesus Christ, before He was crucified, prayed in John 17 for His people to become “one” with each other and with Him and the Father. In Ephesians 4 we are admonished to “keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”

With their newfound focus on unity, great things are in store. Unity has never really been their focus when they rebelled from the Worldwide Church of God, when David Hulme split off, and when COGWA split off. But, heck! It looks good in print. 

Passover is quickly approaching and their previous sins over the last year will be forgiven and they can start anew.

Indeed, when we take of the bread that symbolizes Christ’s body at Passover, we are reminded that it is the koinonia (fellowship, partnership) of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16). It pictures unity, being at one with each other and learning and practicing that “oneness” that we must have and develop as God’s people. 

Word has been circulating for a while that there is more unrest in the UCG ranks. I guess they are trying to nip it in the bud with this: 

To achieve that, humility is required. We must put aside our thoughts, our pet ideas, learn how to reconcile with each other, and strive to work together as one under Christ, following His lead and supporting the direction of His Church. That includes “speaking the same thing” (1 Corinthians 1:10) as we have been focusing on with the ministry this year and “advancing His mission” as has also been stressed. 
 
It is time for us individually and collectively to focus on what God wants, to yield to Him, and to move forward in becoming the people and Church God would have us be.

Why Is Our Crackpot Prophet Always The Martyr?

 

One of the things they have always trained management with is to start out conversations with positives, then include gold/projects to work on, cover any negatives, and then end on a positive note.

This has never been the way leaders in Armstrongism have worked, particularly in many of the less impactful splinter groups over the decades. Though, Armstrongism has always embellished the negative as a form of control and to play on emotions.

Out Great Bwana to Africa and the occasional 100 Caucasians puts this into practice with almost everything he writes, says, and does. Negativity reigns supreme. Check out his latest member letter to the African leadership (the ordinary members don't see this or care).

He starts out with:

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:

Greetings from Grover Beach, California (where now our ceilings have to be replaced because of water damage related to the tornado that hit earlier this month).

Truly the weirdest and dumbest opening of a member letter, EVER! 

We were disappointed with the proposals we received from Corpus Christi. Therefore, we have contacted to other cities further north in Texas related to the USA site for the Feast of Tabernacles in 2024, who have not yet responded. That said, a representative from Corpus Christi said she was looking into getting other proposals submitted, so we have not yet totally eliminated Corpus Christi. We plan to let you know when a decision has been made.

Satan is stealthy messing with the Great Bwana Bob Mzungu.

He then proceeds to discuss the marriage of one of his sidekicks in New Zealand and some positive things supposedly happening in Africa. Missionary history in Africa has taught that one never knows how far to trust the reports from these so-called leaders as they are well-known throughout Africa for telling their white overlords in America how great things are so that more money can be sent to them.

Then he immediately has to dump on his readers how deceives someone on Facebook masquerading as him. Who dare they! He doesn't support orphanages! How dare they claim such a thing. Take care of others as a real act of charity? Well, I never!!!

Brethren, as reported before, I received several messages from contacts on Facebook who suspected that friend requests that they received which supposedly came from me in December 2023.

While I normally receive Facebook friend requests multiple times per week, I have not sent out any Facebook friend requests myself to anyone for over a decade. Generally speaking, I try to avoid Facebook, and only try to be to it the minimum time possible-which I sometimes need to do for some overseas church matters.

Well, now someone is pretending to be me again on Facebook and is associated with an orphanage ministry in Kenya.

When I learned this connection on Tuesday, I sent the orphanage ministry the following message on its contact form:

Someone is sending out fake Facebook posts supposedly from me, Bob Thiel, with a link to your ministry. If you are doing this, please cease and desist. If it is not you, but you know of someone doing this, please tell them to stop bearing false witness.

The above orphanage ministry has still not responded to my message.

That said, although we in the CCOG do support numerous orphans (consistent with James 1:27), this Facebook push to the one promoted was not from me.

Only those orphans who might be part of his so-called church get his support, if at all. 

Whoever is pretending to be me has the devil as his/her father.

Many use a variety of techniques to try to deceive.

Everyone seems to be out to get the little guy. Stop it al of you big bad meanies out there! Stop it, NOW!

Yes, the emergence of various fakes is a sign of the last days.

Expect deceivers to put out materials pretending that I and/or others in the CCOG leadership have accepted one or more heresies or have engaged in biblically sinful behavior. Remember to be careful NOT to accept accusations against church leadership (cf. 1 Timothy 5:19) without REAL proof (some who have claimed to have “real proof” have not, but instead have twisted matters and believed lies).

It is sad that some wish to try to deceive others through fakes, talebearing, and other ways (cf. Leviticus 19:16).

The Apostle Paul also warned end-time Christians, “not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, … Let no one deceive you by any means” (2 Thessalonians 2:2,3).

That includes trying not to be deceived by “deepfakes and phony computer requests.” 

Yes brethren, I believe that deepfakes will get worse consistent with the prophecies in 2 Timothy 3:13 and 2 Thessalonians 2.

Be on guard. Fakes and liars will get even worse.

Still perturbed and angry, as only a little guy can be, says:

On Tuesday, I denounced a couple of false predictions at the COGwriter.com website. One was from a Messianic Protestant and the other from one who had been a minister in the old Worldwide Church of God. Consistent with what the Apostle Peter wrote, we in the Continuing Church of God “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, KJV). 

You had better HEED US NOW before it is too late! Stop picking on us! 

He does end with this,

Live in peace, and demonstrate the love of God of love.

Probably the only thing worthwhile in this entire weekly update.