Exposing the underbelly of Armstrongism in all of its wacky glory! Nothing you read here is made up. What you read here is the up to date face of Herbert W Armstrong's legacy. It's the gritty and dirty behind the scenes look at Armstrongism as you have never seen it before!
With all the new crazy self-appointed Chief Overseers, Apostles, Prophets, Pharisees, legalists, and outright liars leading various Churches of God today, it is important to hold these agents of deception accountable.
Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web of Corrupt Leaders
Celtic Throne Performances One of the Biggest Scams Ever: June 5, 2024 PCG is flying its VIP’s around to their Irish dance performances as they are touring the U.S. this summer. The cost for this is astronomical! I know there are many members who are furious about this, but are afraid to express it. Others are just so brainwashed that they believe everything they are told without question. They are made to believe the Celtic Throne performance is “the Work.” In reality, it is not. It’s Amy Flurry’s dream for Jude [her son]. No concert goer is being converted or “warned” or even enlightened about the PCG cult’s beliefs. Not a single person! No one even knows that it is affiliated with the PCG. Don’t believe me? Just check out the Celtic Throne’s website. This has to be one of the biggest scams Armstrongism has managed to shove down their members throats! –Former PCG member. (highlights, Banned)
For many years now the Philadelphia Church of God has been producing staged productions about various Old Testament characters and heroes of the PCG. They have done David the Endless Throne, The Book of Isaiah Musical, The Morning Star Musical about Peter Waldo, The Book of Ruth, The Widows Mite,Undefeated–The Story of Isaiah and Hezekiah, and its latest touring extravaganza The Celtic Throne. Musicals on all kinds of Old Covenant heroes and none on Jesus.
Celtic Throne is based upon the rock that Gerry Flurry went to Oregon and dug up which is supposedly the every rock Herbert Armstrong knelt at in the wooded glen and prayed. If this sounds suspiciously familiar recall that Joseph Smith also went into the woods to pray and then supposedly received heavenly visitation and revelations from the godhead. Herbert did the same thing praying to his god for revelation.
PCG has placed so much significance on this rock that it is now the most sacred thing the Philadelphia Church of God owns that has reported ties to Herbert Armstrong. It even has its own special display case where it is enthroned on a royal purple dais so the faithful can gaze in wonder.
The idolatry of the PCG with this rock is appalling and even worse, Flurry has convinced his followers that this is now the every stone Jesus will return to when he establishes the Kingdom on earth.
Jesus was supposed to descend and sit on the Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbey until the British returned the stone to Scotland. That was blasphemy to certain Armstrongites. With Herb's prayer rock that terrible tragedy has been averted, Jesus will return to sit on Herb's rock encased in PCG's throne. That is why the PCG uses it in the touring stage show, Celtic Throne.
Celtic Throne is the stage show that tours the midwest and eastern states that showcases Jude Flurry, other Flurry relatives, and children of PCG elite as they sing and dance Irish Dance numbers. Irish Dance is now the official dance of God that Flurry has said that David danced when he was naked dancing in the streets and is the official millennial dance approved by God himself.
Celtic Throne is also a stage production especially commissioned to showcase Jude Flurry and other PCG elite children. Millions of dollars have been put into the production and touring of this show over the past few years. All of this was paid for with tithe money. Every single bit of it. Even worse, the PCG uses its corporate jet to fly Jude and some of the elite children around the country so they can dance in propaganda stage shows presented to the unsuspecting public.
Jude Flurry is admittedly a talented guy and has won several competitions. PCG is trying to promote him as the next Michael Flatly.
PCG, for some strange reason, is also using this stage show to court Republicans, even though the PCG refuses to vote.
Stephen Flurry gloats to the faithful where he had lunch:
Tithe money paid for ALL of the flights of the PCG jet to Florida for Lil'Stevie to hob knob the elite:
Multiple trips to Florida at church members' expense for Stephen Flurry and other PCG elite to hobnob with the Republican elite and for the stage show. This is how you spread the gospel message in Armstrongism today. Poor Bob Thiel was left in the dust once again.
All of this has a strange twist in that Flurry has said that Republicans would be the ones to kick the PCG faithful out of the country when the times of trial hit. It would be them forcing the church to flee to Petra or Pella or whichever idiotic place Flurry has dreamed about.
PCG members cannot understand how this is proclaiming a gospel message and more importantly how does this portray Jesus Christ to the world?
In the PCG Jesus is always left on the back burner when it comes to how great and glorious Old Testament prophets and heroes are.
Imagine one's entire gospel message centered on a dirty old rock and an Irish dance stage show. But what can we expect when we have UCG with its blue puppet and Bob Thiel's animations proclaiming a supposed gospel message. Isn't Armstrongism the grandest thing ever!!!!
One thing is for sure, Armstrongism has no limits to the depth they will descend before they have to acknowledge Jesus Christ.
As the person wrote on Exit and Support:
"No concert goer is being converted or “warned” or even enlightened about the PCG cult’s beliefs. Not a single person!"
This week, David C. Pack endured another biblical failure when Jesus Christ did not return on Sivan 1.
The world continued to turn without divine incident all the way through June 7, 2024, once again proving the scientific fact and law of physics that the Pastor General of The Restored Church of God is a false prophet, false apostle, and false teacher. Nothing he says should be believed or feared. Ever.
Even though he began walking it back shortly after his declaration, the countdown timer on exrcg.org unsurprisingly wound down all the way to zero. Whether his fraudulent timeframe was at sunset the night before, dawn the next day, or the moment before sundown Friday night, David C. Pack’s words have fallen to the ground, returning to him void for the 81st time since March 2022.
The timer will soon be reset for Pentecost on June 16 after the zeros are left to soak in the sink for a bit longer.
During “The Greatest Untold Story! (Part 515)” on June 1, 2024, David C. Pack entered a religious danger zone with a disturbing declaration that he had been cultivating for years.
David C. Pack can receive an utterance from God without hearing an utterance from God.
Throughout the Series, God spoke to him. Or maybe God did not speak to him. He is not quite sure because he did not hear anything, which means God could have spoken to him. God moves holy men by the Spirit which means He can work with His chosen vessel without the man actually hearing a still, small voice.
Just what you would want to hear from a guy who claims to be fulfilling prophecy as an apostle, high priest, and descendant of King David while living on a private compound wielding unchecked religious authority as the only human on earth who understands when Jesus Christ will return and continuously pressures members to remember that their salvation is tied to how much money they give his spiritually bankrupt organization.
What could go wrong?
Part 515 was a list fetishist’s dream filled with major reversals and embellished revelations.
·David C. Pack is NOT the Branch. Jesus Christ is.
·David C. Pack reiterates that he is NOT Elijah while making the case that he is Elijah.
·David C. Pack cannot declare the date for the return of Jesus Christ.
.But it looks like Pentecost.
·The 7-Year Kingdom is back to being the Kingdom of God.
·A still, small voice does not mean hearing an actual voice.
·Many more lists prove whatever.
David C. Pack has a knack for spinning embarrassing reversals as powerful improvements.
Imagine your favorite store informs you how pleased they are to share some exciting improvements coming your way. They are raising their prices. This is excellent news because they can now provide you with the same goods and services you have grown accustomed to.
Skilled businessman Dave embraces this approach.
Part 515 – June 1, 2024 @ 00:38 Now, I want to present a background because we’re gonna discuss some really powerful things. Some life-changing, game-changing things here. And I wanna take you back to where I was three weeks ago, then about ten days ago, and then ‘cause I’ve gone back and forth on some things. But I want you to understand the evolutionary way I’ve come to a certain point.
You can almost smell the greasy, slimy maneuver dipped in desperation coming. He front-loads it with how wonderful it is. He admits to some vacillating but is evolving to his current position.
The longer Dave talks by saying very little, the faster his hamster wheel is spinning.
@ 05:11 Hear me out here. The case for Day One being Pentecost is strong. But, for the last day, it is much stronger. @ 06:26 But, here’s the problem I ran into. And you run into it as a ten-foot-thick reinforced with steel concrete wall. Shifting all months and years for eternity to land on the tenth day of a month is an enormous challenge to work out. I submit, it is not possible.
Dave is not exactly the gold standard authority for determining whether something is possible or not.
@ 13:23 Now, I’ve had a lotta time to think about these things.
Ever-Learning Dave has a lot of time because hardworking people pay him to do nothing but study and think all day long without the pressure of producing anything tangible. He spends 19 minutes just to set up his surrendering punch line.
He sounds like an abused wife recanting her story to the police.
I am no body language expert, but it is fascinating how often Dave presses his fingers over his lips when he makes statements like that. Subconsciously, he knows he should not be saying it, but he does anyway.
Part 515 – June 1, 2024 @ 19:55 YOU maybe want me to declare the day, and I cannot do that. I can’t do that.
Cannot do that? Yeah. Too late on that one, Dave.
Flashback Part 512 – May 11, 2024 @ 07:25 But, I know when the Seven-Year Kingdom begins. The very day. Absolutely. @ 1:40:22 I know the date this comes.It’s impossible that it’s wrong. Impossible.
Flashback Part 513 – May 18, 2024 @ 00:22 I told ya that I know the date, and I’m three times more certain of it…
Flashback Part 514 – May 25, 2024 @ 1:13:42 I told you I knew exactly when this was, and that's true. …I'm dead down the middle 50/50whether we’ve got a 12-day wait or 21 minus some hours. @ 1:31:35 Virtually every point proving Sivan 1 can be tweaked to fit Pentecost equally.
Part 515 – June 1, 2024 @ 19:55 YOU maybe want me to declare the day, and I cannot do that. I can’t do that.
How are the arrogant fallen!
If anyone feels even the slightest empathy for him, revisit his chest-beating on the topic.
David C. Pack – I Know. But I Won't Tell You (Part 1 of 3)
The immediate implication for this change is that Dave does not know his own name.
Only fools believe the words of David C. Pack. He proves nobody can trust what he says. He reveals himself as a liar and a biblical fraud week after week.
@ 20:38 You you just I don’t know the answer and I I don’t want to pretend that I do. I mean, I I can tell you this: these are very tightly listed. The number of things that point to the season of Pentecost are powerful.
Dave has another listgasm in 3…2…1…
@ 20:53 And I said jam ‘em together so I can get ‘em on two pages right to the bottom. And then we deleted some, and I put there's a lot of these points that are side-by-side that would normally make them about two legal length sheets. Pentecost is in the picture, but I cannot exactly tell you how.
@ 1:40:03 And remember that while we must continue waiting, I don’t care if we waited past Pentecost and God cuts more days to test our patience. I don’t see how that could be, but I wouldn’t care.
If Pentecost is a no-show, then it is God’s fault. That is classic Dave. Brethren, God is just testing your patience. It would have nothing to do with your human idol being a lying charlatan who is so painfully transparent you have no excuse for sticking around.
Of course, Dave would not care. The guy who does no real work and has everyone bow before him is always happy to wait a little longer at the top of the food chain. Life is good as it is, so what’s the rush?
The most often repeated excuse RCG members tell their family and friends when confronted with evidence David C. Pack is a false prophet is, “Mr. Pack doesn’t claim to be a prophet. He has repeated he is not Elijah and he is not prophesying.”
Dave may have claimed to be a prophet and Elijah yesterday but denies it today. Thus, that is good enough for them. There is no virtue in recanting a claim after it is proven false. The Bible gives each man one shot at proving God is backing him, and David C. Pack burned that bridge on August 30, 2013.
Current members in The Restored Church of God will not stomach watching Frank Kelley’s compilation video of Dave claiming to be and not to be Elijah the Prophet. Brethren are so mind-controlled and buried in their denial they will dismiss any tangible proof that does not support their desperate beliefs. Facts suit the devil’s purpose and cannot be trusted. Dave is human, after all, so he can make mistakes.
I wonder if the inhabitants of Sodom realized they made a mistake when the fire started raining down.
Dave knows how to capitalize on the power of refutation. He can say something a hundred times, but the single denial is all anyone needs to cling to and keep feeling good about signing their tithe checks.
When Dave boldly asserts he is not Elijah, it gives the Headquarters hirelings plenty of padding to deflect direct confrontations when the unpaid field mollusks are asked hard questions by members.
David C. Pack cannot erase his past, and an unordained non-prophet/non-psychic antichrist serpent more wicked (almost) than the devil will not let him.
Flashback Part 375 – June 12, 2022
@ 14:19 I may’ve been Elijah for a week. I may’ve been Elijah since the Series began… @ 14:50 But, I don’t know when I became a prophet. I don’t know.
Flashback Part 447 – June 6, 2023 @ 2:02:42 Now, the fact that He’s revealing this to me, I have to be a prophet. @ 2:02:57I have to be Elijah now. Elijah comes first. He does not rise first.
When it comes to Bible prophecy and offices in God’s government, legitimacy and authority are not established by conflicting declarations. They are proven by fruits. Dave’s fruits are rotten.
David C. Pack knows he is Elijah despite what his lips confess. During Part 515, he states he is not Elijah while presenting questions that lead to why he is.
Part 515 – June 1, 2024 @ 1:28:26 I’ve said to you, brethren, I am not Elijah. I’ve maintained that.But, I wanna ask a question that I’ve had to come to grips with. If one explains a coming Seven-Year Kingdom that no one knows about it, is he foretelling it? If you learn, for instance, it’s the Kingdom of God, is he foretelling that Kingdom?
A series of targeted questions point to the same answer: David C. Pack is Elijah. Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge.
But this is when David C. Pack’s astonishingly piss-poor reading comprehension skills get dangerous.
@ 1:30:19 But He [God] said I wanchu understand. My Spirit is like a still, small voice, and I can talk to you without you hearing My voice at all. I remember years ago trying to figure out what that was. Well, if there was ONE who would come later and carry that name [Elijah], I wonder if there’s a message in it for THAT MAN. @ 1:31:03 “…but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” God promised He would never lie to me. [chuckle] He never has, but He said that this would be resolved at the end. They’re moved by the Holy Spirit.
Pentecostals believe they are moved by the Holy Spirit when they speak in tongues each Sunday. David C. Pack is similar in that he is incapable of discerning which spirit moves him.
@ 1:33:09 So, I think of Elijah. I think of Peter. I think of Zechariah, and I think of Paul in Ephesians and I didn’t get an utterance. Or I did. I don’t know.
Dave says he is not sure but leans toward believing he has. After all, Herbert W. Armstrong never heard God speak audibly, which somehow proves He is using Dave in the same way.
This leaves a dangerous open door for anything David C. Pack says or does. He can claim he received “an utterance from God” without hearing a voice. He has granted himself the ultimate authority without ever needing confirmation.
From now on, there is nothing too strange or too foolish for him to claim on God’s behalf. He is above accountability, above reproach, above chastisement, and above reproof. This perfects his Get Out of Jail Free Card, which can be used anytime, anywhere, for any reason.
And the hirelings at Headquarters will continue to defend him.
Every idea, theory, whim, speculation, suspicion, machination, assertion, reversal, and blunder can all be willed by God through an unheard utterance directly into David C. Pack’s brain.
Hallelujah! At least David C. Pack will sleep better at night, knowing he no longer has to wonder why he keeps failing miserably. He was instructed to. It is all God’s fault.
Dave has been laying the groundwork for this necessary realization for years.
Flashback Part 375 – June 12, 2022 @ 39:09 So then, I ask the question, “Did I get the last messages from God’s mouth?” I’ve never pretended to get a vision…I didn’t get any visions. I didn’t hear any voices. I didn’t see, you know, Gabriel in my bedroom or anything like that. @ 39:49 I got it from God’s mouth outta the scriptures.
Flashback Part 380 – July 1, 2022 @ 1:26:38 If, for some reason, it's not this picture, I will not bend it, I'll tell ya that now. Have to be an oracle. I’d have to have Gabriel in this ear and Michael in this ear telling me to change it in some way. And maybe Christ Himself for something.
Flashback Part 383 – July 23, 2022 @ 01:15 Now, I said I would not speak again unless I got an utterance or an oracle of God, and there are only two places in the New Testament where it mentions oracle. One simply means in 1 Peter 4:11, an oracle simply means in one of the places, “an utterance” just an utterance “(presumably of God).” So God reveals things through His Spirit, and that’s what He did.
Dave altered the definition of words to avoid appearing foolish. Too late. By the way, he did change his teachings despite Michael and Gabriel standing him up.
Flashback Part 425 – March 4, 2023 @ 02:57 The entire Series did (and we learned) can come from God’s word already recorded "the Scripture of Truth," without an oracle from God or Christ or Gabriel or Michael or anyone else.
Flashback Part 500 – March 23, 2024 @ 19:12 I didn’t get that from Michael or an utterance from God or Christ or Gabriel or anything. I’m teaching you what’s in the Bible. …John said he wasn’t Elijah. Turns out, he was. …will that be the same with me? And I’m gonna tell you, in my case, I believed the answer is No.I think I know who will go on to be Elijah.
David C. Pack does not hint at any other name under the sun other than his own for Elijah's identity. He knows who that man is just as well as he knows his own name. Surely, that is impossible to be wrong.
Flashback Part 501 – March 30, 2024 @ 47:00 I'm gonna come up someday [laughs] be able to go over and talk to the prophets and say, "I know exactly what you went through. Only your situation was worse. I had two verses that said eventually, I'm gonna get this right. It’s foretold. I have to get it right, and I will." But, I’m not gonna hear from Gabriel to help me do it. I’m not gonna hear an utterance of God or Christ in my ear. Nothing.
John the Baptist received an audible utterance from God. David C. Pack has not.
Part 515 – June 1, 2024 @ 1:33:38 So, would would would you say when the Kingdom comes, I’ve already prophesied?That’s a question. And I’m gonna do it again.
The answer would come when the Kingdom appeared. If it came exactly when and how he proclaimed it, that would cement his authenticity. But like the failures of Sivan 1 and Pentecost next week, they cement David C. Pack’s inauthenticity.
Notice he stated the foregone conclusion he will prophesy "again." He denies being Elijah with his lips, but his lips also betray his true beliefs.
@ 1:33:49 We would surely say in all these points, WHOEVER was sitting up here, that they only came to light because God was guiding THIS MAN.
He keeps Elijah's true identity at bay with third-person pronouns. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Did Dave learn this greasy, slimy technique from Brad, or did Brad learn it from him?
@ 1:34:26 Now, I’ve said I’m not Elijah.Remember. This is the only thing I can point to. John the Baptist was asked, “Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not Elijah.” And Christ’s answer was, “Oh, yes, he was.” [laughs] So, he said no. Oh, yes, he was. Maybe I was destined to feel the same.
If David C. Pack was not Elijah and believed it, how would he be destined to feel anything like that?
Commenters on Banned by HWA and YouTube have drawn lines from David C. Pack to Jim Jones, Marshall Applewhite, and David Koresh. I used to shrug off those comparisons as silly. But not anymore. With this new unfettered doctrine, now nothing will be restrained from him.
David C. Pack can say anything and do anything, claiming he received an unheard utterance from God by being moved by His Spirit with “just knowing” as his only proof.
With that frightening concept, David C. Pack has moved into a whole new danger zone.
Reposted from 2022. Two years later the creature Dave calls "jesus" has still failed to appear.
178 years ago one of the forefathers of Armstrongism whipped up a frenzy along with Samuel Snow in upstate New York that Jesus would return sometime between March 21, 1843 - March 21, 1844. William Miller finally set the date of October 22, 1843. Like clockwork, Jesus did not return and his followers were disappointed.
Tens of thousands of devoted followers sold their homes and businesses to await the coming of Christ. Many of them sat on their rooftops and surrounding hillsides trying to catch the first glimpse of Jesus returning. The press made a mockery of them for that:
October 22, 1843, was the date Miller predicted after he carefully dissected prophetic passages in the Holy Bible. In order to be saved from the eventual destruction of Earth, he ordered his followers to find higher ground and wait for a cosmic sign that would signal the coming of the lord and savior.
In the days before the event, the Millerites gave away their material wealth, said their goodbyes to loved ones, and gathered on top of hills, roofs, and other higher grounds to await salvation from a world that was about to end. But, October 22 came and went… without incident. William Miller and the Advent of the Second Coming
Snow later went on to take Miller's calculations to set a precise date of October 22, 1844.
As usual, Christ failed to return then too. Tens of thousands of people were affected by this apocalyptic frenzy. Tens of thousands left his group. Some left the church altogether and some went on to form the Advent, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventists, and other groups that are in the family tree of the Church of God.
Reaction of Millerites to the Great Disappointment[21]
What Happened on October 22, 1844?
Attitude toward Prophecy
Reaction
Numbers of Millerites
Current groups
No Second Advent
1844 date invalid prophecy invalid
Abandoned their beliefs
Tens of thousands
Majority left Christianity Minority rejoined former churches
As easy as it is to mock those deluded followers of Miller in the mid-1800's we are no better off today in 2022. Thanks to the ongoing epic failure rate of Church of God prophets down through the last 8 decades, hundreds of thousands of followers of Armstrongism have passed through the doors with many never setting foot in a church again or went on to form even more appalling splinter groups. (When the Worldwide Church of God was imploding in the late mid to late 1990's the church estimated that throughout its lifespan over 500,000 people had passed through its doors. Many find that amount to be hard to believe, but if you include coworkers and contributors, that would swell the ranks.)
Sadly, COG leaders and many ministers never learned from Miller's mistakes nor from the false prophecies of hundreds of COG leaders down through the decades. This brings us to 2022 where we are witnessing modern-day "William Millers" make absurd prophecies that continue to fail every single day.
In the Church of God movement in 2022 we have some of the most egregious liars ever imaginable: Gerald Flurry, Dave Pack, Bob Thiel, Ron Weinland, John Rittenbaugh, and Alton Billingsley. Each of these men claims God is speaking directly to them revealing in dreams and visions just how things will shortly be. Every single one of these men has been proven to be liars and yet a remnant few remain loyal to them.
Today, in Wadsworth Ohio, the devout are waiting in eager anticipation for Christ to return and usher in a glorious new kingdom where they will be transformed into gods and will be teachers of humanity in the truth of God. Like William Miller's followers, these people have sold their homes, and businesses, cashed in retirements and insurance policies, and have given the money to Dave for some kind of mighty push.
Come Monday morning, June 6, Dave will make a new proclamation and set yet another date. If he keeps to his word, which he never has, he will declare Pentecost 2023 as the next date and remain silent till then, but we all know Dave can't keep his mouth shut and wait that long. More sermons and special announcements will be made.
If these people genuinely followed the Christ they claim to then they would have no need to worry about dates and prophecies that Dave and other COG leaders espouse. Instead of resting securely in faith in Christ as millions of Christians do every single day, these remnant believers live lives of constant dread and fear over present situations. They so desperately need that kingdom to come to be proven right. While Christians also wait for a kingdom to be coming, many work today in the world to help bring it into fruition by doing good works, without expectation of reward, to bring a foretaste of what that heavingly banquet will be like.
The COG movement has isolated itself from those around them, creating an insular movement that looks inwardly at itself where goodness and all truth are perceived to be dwelling while all around them, even in the midst of trouble, goodness and truth preside.
It is my hope that after tonight some will wake up in the Restored Church of God and leave and find true freedom, but sadly we know this will not be the case.
But eventually, it became clear that the ad was not put out by any of the genuine CG7 organizations from Denver or Meridian or Caldwell or Salem.
The ad was put out by that smart-alecky little twerp, Bob Thiel.
Let’s be clear. The name “Church of God Seventh Day” is not owned by anyone. It is used by several different groups. So Bobby-boy can legally use it. But his organization is called the “Continuing Church of God.” The ad initially looks like it is put out by one of the real Church of God Seventh Day groups. It is not.
The ad is totally misleading. Has he no shame?
Now I doubt any of the CG7 people will confront Bobby boy. The real CG7s have no desire to get into wars with Armstrong off-shoots.
In the 90s, I was told by a couple of elderly CG7 ministers that in the 60s the Denver CG7 received a cease and desist letter from WCG. Armstrong’s legal department claimed that the booklet, “Has Time Been Lost” was written by HWA and that the WCG owned the copyright to it. Further, they instructed CG7 to stop printing and distributing it.
CG7 sent Helge et al a copy of an early version of that booklet. CG7 showed they had published it long before HWA was even baptized.
Now, did CG7 respond to WCG in kind and return the cease and desist favor to them? Nope. The matter got dropped. I am not a spokesman for CG7, but I know they have no desire to get involved in legal squabbles or dirty tricksterism. In fact, CG7 leadership may gently chastise me for calling Bobby boy a twerp.
Welcome to a new episode of the Apostate Sisters Interview Series, where we hold space for the life stories of those who were once entangled in the web of the Worldwide Church of God. Today, we're joined by David, who was introduced to the church in his early childhood in the mid-1960s and left as a teenager in the late 1970s.
Raised in a family deeply committed to the church after his father discovered "The Plain Truth" magazine, David's upbringing was steeped in the doctrines and practices of the church, from observing the Sabbath to attending the impressive Ambassador Auditorium for holy days. Despite the church's deep influence, David recounts his journey with a reflective and critical eye, especially discussing his transition away from these beliefs during his pursuit of higher education.
Today, while his mother and some siblings still observe the church's teachings, David identifies as an atheist, maintaining a nuanced view of his time within the church. This episode explores the complex dynamics of growing up in a cult, the allure of questioning, and the path to personal freedom. Join us as
David shares insights into the everyday life aspects of cult membership, including youth camps, relationships, and the impact of church doctrines on personal decisions like dating and education. David's story is a testament to the power of questioning and the search for personal truth. As we unpack his experiences, we invite our listeners to reflect on their own journeys and the impact of religious teachings on personal growth and freedom.
The heat is started to bear down on California and it's causing our favorite crackpot prophet to say stupid things.
After being an epic failure in converting Christians to his cause, and even Church of God members, he is turning his attention to trying to convert Muslims so they can jump ship into his superfantabulous church. I have a feeling that will not go down as well as he found it did with a few thousand Africans who were Sabbatarian church hoppers.
Muslims and a Book Not Yet Finished
There are reportedly over two billion Muslims in the world.
Jesus said:
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20)
14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14)
Being nearly a quarter of the world, it seemed appropriate to put together materials, other than, for example, mainly just having our The Gospel of the Kingdom of God booklet in multiple languages that Muslims and others can read. This is part of our preparation for the short work mentioned in Romans 9:28.
That is also consistent with something that the Apostle Paul wrote:
19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)
Yes, for the gospel’s sake, we want materials that are directed to different peoples.
So with that in mind, to the Muslims, we wish to show some connections, as well as important differences.
The problem is, he does not preach the gospel and is deliberately leading Muslims astray with his heretical crap.
In the recommended sermon for this week, I showed a new book that we are still working on. Originally, I hoped that this book, which I began working on in the early Fall of 2023, would have been ready this past January, but research on it took longer than than originally anticipated.
That said, I ordered two preliminary draft copies of it which arrived last week. One was to use as a visual prop during sermons, and the other was given to the caretaker at a local mosque for him to see if he or others there will give additional feedback before the book is finalized for printed distribution.
The caretaker and I originally met several weeks back and some items we discussed were added to the book as the result of that meeting. We, along with my wife Joyce, also met late last Thursday, when I gave him a draft copy of the book.
Someone needs to contact that mosque and let them know what a nutjob they are cavorting with. Nothing good is going to come of it!
While the draft of the book is available online, it is not expected to be finalized, printed, and sent to supporters for several months from now.
That said, the recommended sermon for this Sabbath is based on parts of the book as well as with items that are not in the book, but that were published by the old Worldwide Church of God over forty years ago. I expect to do several sermons related to the book, and then plan on it being re-edited before it becomes available from us in print.
God's most gifted prophet to ever exist in human history continues to have problems in coming up with anything original. Most of the time he has to fall back on dead former ministers and leaders of the Mother Church. Dibar Apartian is one of his favorites. The Great Bwana particularly likes Dibar because he likes to pretend that Dibar approved of his rebellious apostasy and heretical teachings.
This time he trots Dibar's article on how to avoid Satan three major snares that seem to entrap COG leaders the most.
One of those three snares is this:
The snare of pride
The present-day Holy Trinity of Armstrongism has three of the most prideful men ever pretending to be God's agents on earth: Bob Thiel, Dave Pack, and Gerald Flurry. Pride should be their middle name.
Another of Satan’s snares, one that affects us all, is pride. Satan will tempt you by working on your pride and vanity.
Big ol/meanie Satan must be working overtime on our Great Bwana Bob Mzungu. Every article is about himself or his superfantabulous church. No other church on earth is as great as his is.
You don’t always realize it, but pride is potentially one of your biggest pitfalls. It makes you unable to recognize your faults — unwilling to apologize when you are wrong. You want to maintain your own ways because of pride. And Satan loves that, because he himself maintains his own ways and does not recognize his sins.
For two decades or more now, various people have pointed out the Great Bwana's foibles. From Church of God ministers and elders to Rod Meredith and most of the LCG ministry who had to deal with him, this blog, and many others. Never once did he listen to people pointing out mistakes to him or correct him, and never has he apologized for being wrong. How can God's greatest COG leader's inhuman history ever be wrong?
The apostle James, in the course of telling us to get closer to God in order to resist Satan, states that “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (Jas. 4:6).
Being humble is NOT an attribute of the Great Bwana.
Do you grasp the meaning of this verse? Pride will befriend you with Satan, but will put a wall of separation between God and you. Is your pride worth that tragic price? Will you turn your back to God because of your own vanity?
This pretty much is the reason witchcraft, adultery, money laundering, and other issues are happening under his nose in Africa. His vanity does not allow him to admit he has problems there, despite having men he sent there, with their feet on the ground, reporting back to him the issues that were plaguing his so-called church there.
One of the most important lessons God gave to His people through Moses was to command them to remain humble: “So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. … Beware that you [all of us] do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, lest — when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses… your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage … then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth'” (Deut. 8:3-17).
This warning applies to us today as much as it did to our forefathers. It is only by the grace of God that we have whatever we possess.
Pride will also incite you to judge and criticize; it will make you think you know better and that your opinions are wiser. Christ said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3).
The Great Bwana spends a huge amount of time deriding other COG groups trying to point out that they believe in wrong doctrines or have wrong teachings on prophecy and other twaddle.
Think of it — there is no place for the carnally proud in the Kingdom of Heaven!
However, there sure is in the improperly named "continuing Church of "god"!
Don’t {wrongly} judge. Don’t {unnecessarily} criticize. “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (Jas. 4:10).
The more you know God and study His Word, the more you will realize just how little you actually are.
There can be no bigger truth from Dibar lobbed at the Great Bwana than this!
Always be ready to admit your faults. Correct them and forgive those of your neighbors. When you return good for an evil deed, you will have God for your partner. He will be your friend, and will help you solve your problems the right way.
The Great Bwana has never admitted fault. refuses to forgive the men he sent to Africa to send him reports. He has publicly shamed and tried to destroy their reputations. God is not the Great Bwana's partner and that is why his group is such a horrific mess,
Continuing in James: “Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law” (verse 11).
The only Christian thing for the Great Bwana to do is shut down his fraudulent "church", repent of his rebellion, and place his focus on his homeopathic business and care for his family. One less COG group is a step in the right direction.
