When Disaster Strikes Is The Church of God Ready To Respond And Lend A Hand?

 

With the immense tragedies here in Southern CA with the fires, it has been amazing to watch as people immediately banded together within hours to start providing clothing, essentials, and housing for those displaced. Churches and Jewish centers were some of the first to start relief efforts. Local charities and companies started efforts down at the Rose Bowl and later moved to the Santa Anita Race track when the Bowl needed to be used for stationing firemen and electric company line repairmen.

Numerous churches and a large Jewish center burned here in Altadena and locals banded together to help them. It did not matter what group the church was, people jumped to help.

Then, there is the Armstrongist Church of God movement. The crickets can be heard chirping a mile away in the deafening silence from any leader who asked members to lend a hand or help with money. All we have heard is the usual bullshit - from the slim-ball leaders who immediately started the blame game and said how pissed their god was at the sins of California. (Yes, I am talking about YOU, Bob Thiel!)

Yet, in spite of their rhetoric, if one of their churches had burned, the community would have been swift to help them, much like the public did after the Living Church of God shooting by Terry Ratzmann. The public support was amazing to see, even though Bob Thiel dirted his underwear at how offensive it was that Christians had placed crosses in the snow in memory of each of the murder victims. 

The excuse that Armstrongism has always used is that God will fix it all later in the millennium, so why waste efforts and especially money on the unconverted, unclean masses. Of course, this proves just how easily the church twisted scripture to fit their desired result.

Concretized Christianity had this up about how easily the church twists scriptures:

“But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” (II Corinthians 9:6-7) is often read before taking up an offering, as if it applies to giving money to a corporate organization. But, when you read the context in II Corinthians 8, it is really about collecting an offering for another congregation (in Jerusalem) in need.

So beyond the misuse of the scriptures for something it’s not talking about, let’s stop and consider whether we have ever had a request to help another congregation in need. Have you seen a collective effort for food, water, money, supplies, etc., for example, for a congregation in an area that has been devastated by a tornado, a wildfire, or a hurricane? Have volunteers from the COG congregations poured into those communities to help out? 

 

The short answer is “No.” The corporate COG groups diss “so-call Christians” for many things, and yet these are the very people who respond in a tangible way after a disaster. Want to make disciples and preach the gospel? Live it by helping and serving others, especially when their worlds have been turned upside down. 

 

In fact, is this any different than what we will be doing when Jesus establishes God’s kingdom on the earth? Humans who are still alive are going to be shell-shocked and they will need the most basic of their needs met. Food, water, shelter, clothing. 

 

Someone thumping on a Bible and “preaching” at them won’t help them a bit. Someone helping provide those basic necessities will. In the process, they will see the fruit of God’s spirit on display: agape, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. That will make an impact, considering what they have just experienced, and that’s the first step. 

 

One of the things that the COG groups imply is that we’ll have offices and ranks and we will sit on thrones and direct little underlings, but you and I won’t actually get in there and get our hands dirty laboring to help people. For me, that’s no better than the idea of going to heaven and playing a harp for eternity. Lifting Scriptures Out of Context

What we have witnessed here in Southern CA is the beauty of the people in the area and the kindness and goodness in their hearts. Their immediate thought was about "the other" and not themselves. In Armstrongism it was always about us first because we were special and set apart and never on "the other".

Can you imagine a Church of God doing what this church is doing this coming Sunday?

I will take that any day over the belching toads like Bob Thiel or Gerald Flurry and the adulterated filth they preach.

Los Angeles fires are the result of an angry "god" is still upset over CA placing the WCG in receivership in 1979

 

Lil/Stevie Flurry popped his self-righteous cork the other day about the tragic fires in CA. Lil'Stevie is still upset that the State of CA went after the Worldwide Church of God for misuse of money back in 1979.

He starts off with the perpetually angry god of the PCG who revels in killing people and destroying property through earthquakes, floods, and fire. The Flurry's have created a pissy little god that is mad about everything they tell it to be mad about. Those rebellious, filthy people in California need to be punished, so do as we say and burn them up! We are not like them lord! Make them pay for their sins, unlike we, who are perfect in your sight.

But even worse, the impotent little god of the PCG is still pissed off in 2025 with the California government for daring to sue the WCG. How dare they!

Hollywood liberals and establishment politicians may consider themselves too sophisticated to believe it, but the Bible says God punishes us with “natural” disasters. Isaiah 29:6 says, “Thou shalt be visited of the Lord of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.” California certainly is being “visited” with “the flame of devouring fire” this week. And as far back as 2003, my father, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry, has pointed out that California’s mega-drought is a result of this state’s rebellion against God and His law. Specifically, my father has pointed out that God is punishing California for the vicious legal attack it launched against the late Herbert W. Armstrong in 1979.

“In an overt attack against Mr. Armstrong, the state of California, through the attorney general’s office, launched a massive lawsuit against the [Worldwide Church of God] in 1979,” he wrote in his December 2003 article “Is California Under a Curse?” He continued:

On January 3, that office initiated a sudden, armed assault on the Pasadena headquarters, in an attempt to claim ownership of the Church’s property and assets as well as its continuing income—in violation of the U.S. Constitution. A receiver, secretly appointed by the court, tried to take over and operate God’s Church. Completely false, outrageous and baseless allegations of financial mismanagement were made—despite financial and all other required records having been regularly and voluntarily filed. No evidence of wrongdoing was ever found, and on Oct. 14, 1980, the attorney general dropped all charges and dismissed the case. Later, the higher appellate court ruled that the lawsuit was without foundation. California is the only state that ever attacked Mr. Armstrong and his work. Actually, it attacked a lot more than that. California really attacked the living God!

California has been saturated with God’s warning message probably more than any other state. Yet rather than turn to God in repentance, the people of this state attacked Mr. Armstrong and the Church of God before going on to promote “gay pride,” the “lgbtq+ agenda” and “San Francisco values.” Even in the midst of the wildfires, the California media is praising the efforts of lesbian firefighters rather than repenting.

California has not been saturated with warnings from Armstrong or Flurry. How can a "thing" from "someplace" be a warning to anyone? Who even knows what that thing is? How can a man who was embarrassed to talk about Jesus issue any warning to anyone, and why would ANYONE ever listen?

You've never heard the Flurry clan talk about the crime or GLBT issues in Edmond or the state of Oklahoma. Nope, because they know they will get their asses creamed in the press, and right now, they are courting Edmond officials and the public by wooing them into concerts in their mini-me auditorium. You also never see them mention the gay people from their own Celtic Dance teams dancing across the stage and who represent them in public shows. Useful gays are always good gays. No one gives a flying rat's ass if the firefighter coming to your rescue when your house is on fire is a lesbian. It irritates many of these COG leaders that so many gay and lesbian firefighters are more butch than they are.

Armstrongism has always been filled with hypocritical leaders who run off at the mouth with stupid accusations, believing they are right in the eyes of their little angry gods. Some things never change.

January 16, the most important day in the history of the world!

It is hard to believe that Herbert Armstrong died 39 years ago on January 16, 1986. From that very moment on, the church has been rocked with untold idiotic rumors and scandals. Hundreds of splinter groups have formed, all claiming they are the best COG to ever exist in human history, so this is not unique to the wonder boy, The Great Bwana Bob, who regularly spouts the claim.

The rumors started the day HWA died. Tkach Sr. supposedly smothered him to death on Loma's favorite chair or in the bed, depending on which fool was telling the story so that he could claim the leadership of the church. Rod Meredith and Ellis LaRavia wet their pants because they thought they should have been made the new COG pope.

For several years, we were assured doctrines would not change, and then they did. Then, there was the infamous Christmas 1994 sermon that pushed many over the edge to start forming their own groups. 

The boys that went on to start the United Church of God gathered for over a year plotting and scheming how they could separate from the mother church, retaining their salaries, drawing as many people as they could with them, along with their tithe money.

Global church of God started in 1992 after the Worldwide Church of God spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in defending loudmouth Rod Meredith from a slander suit by Leona McNair (the first wife of Raymond (Buffy) McNair). Never having to spend a dime defending himself nor having to foot the large court judgment against him and the WCG, Rod quickly jumped ship into Global, where a group of sycophants had plotted and schemed to draw WCG members and their tithe money to support them, Rod and Raymond in their new splinter group.

All of these guys were late to the scene, though, as Gerald Flurry had left in a self-righteous fit in 1989 to start the Philadelphia Church of God. The PCG ended up being the most legalistic and abusive of the splinter groups. Gerald Flurry ended up getting arrested in 1993 for being drunk behind the wheel and trying to bribe a police officer and was quickly sent to jail. Flurry also got in trouble for plagiarizing Malachi's Message from a paper Jules Dervaes had written to the Worldwide Church of God as a warning.

Flurry, who has always operated out of sheer idolatry of HWA, soon started placing religious significance on the January 16 date. He started searching world events that fell on the 16th and decided that God had set this day apart from all others.

PCGNews on X (formerly Twitter) has this to say about the date:

“Single handedly the most ridiculous booklet I have ever read & this was even when I was deeply brainwashed & unable to think critically! This book actually contributed to my leaving the cult” Absolute insanity!

How can the Church of God sink so low? When we think it cannot, it does.

January 16 is supposedly God's miracle day! Who knew?

Flurry writes:

God’s Miracle Day!

Again and again, God is calling our attention back to the pivotal date of January 16. He has performed so many miracles on this date! And so many of the most tragic curses on Israel have happened on this date! Those curses are only a type of what is coming on the nations of Israel if they don’t take heed and look to the great God who is sending them. Everyone on Earth needs to pay attention to this and understand this important truth!

Study this date, and watch for it! It points you to a man around whom so much revolves in this end time! A man who built God’s spiritual temple. A man who restored all things. A man who preached the true gospel of the Kingdom of God to all nations as a witness. A man who warned Israel for decades of the curses and calamities they are about to experience. A man who prepared the way as a messenger before the Second Coming—and whose very work was a sign of the imminence of that earthshaking event!

But far more important than pointing you to a man who died on this date, studying January 16 points you to the great, living, Almighty God of Elijah!

God’s miracle day leads you to the omnipotent God, who rules in the kingdom of men and shapes world events to fulfill His prophecies. It directs you to the Father who is correcting the nations out of His love for them, to turn them from their sins and lead them back to Himself. It draws you to the God who is actively involved in His Church, speaking through revelation and opening mighty doors of opportunity.

And it helps you come to know the great God of miracles—who is about to send His Son to put down the rule of Satan, to take His place on the throne of David, and to establish His perfect Kingdom, administering the government of God and the royal law of God in perfect combination, forever!

Why is it in the Church of God, its god is always calling people to Herbert or some esoteric doctrine instead of calling people to the One they are supposed to be following, as they claim are? 

Notice the things they claim are significant that happend on Janaury 16. (of course, you could pick any date on the calendar and fins something intersitng to claim for that day)

Notable Events in the Church

• Jan. 16, 1990: Malachi’s Message arrives in mailboxes
  Stephen Flurry is first member baptized in the pcg
• Jan. 17, 1993: Key of David television program airs for the first time, on seven television stations
• Jan. 16, 1996: New revelation on the book of Micah
• Jan. 16, 1997: First pcg printing of Mystery of the Ages reaches subscribers
• Jan. 16, 2001: John Amos Field House construction is dedicated
• Jan. 16, 2002: Former wcg minister Ernest Martin dies
• Jan. 16, 2003: Initial terms are reached with the wcg for the purchase of copyrights to 19 of Mr. Armstrong’s works
• Jan. 16, 2006: Headquarters staff moves into the new Hall of Administration
• Jan. 16, 2016: Concrete foundation poured for performing arts building
• Jan. 16, 2017: God plants the new throne of David in His Church

Notable Events in the World

• Jan. 16, 1991: U.S. launches Operation Desert Storm against Iraq, starting the Persian Gulf War
• Jan. 17, 1994: 6.7-magnitude earthquake in Northridge, California, one of the costliest disasters in American history
• Jan. 16, 1995: 6.9-magnitude earthquake in Kobe, Japan, kills 6,434 people
• Jan. 16, 1998: German parliament repeals the constitutional right to privacy
• Jan. 16, 1999: Prosecution for the impeachment of President Bill Clinton ends
  Edmund Stoiber becomes chairman of Germany’s Christian Social Union
• Jan. 16, 2003: Space Shuttle Columbia is fatally damaged upon launch; 16 days later it disintegrates upon reentry, killing the crew of six Americans and one Israeli
• Jan. 16, 2004: Exposures end for Hubble Deep Field View, which shows 10,000 galaxies in one photo
• Jan. 16, 2008: Germany announces deployment of combat troops to Afghanistan
• Jan. 16, 2009: Israel agrees to unilaterally withdraw from the Gaza Strip
  Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Germany’s Angela Merkel meet to discuss Ukraine and gas supplies
• Jan. 16, 2010: President Barack Obama announces one of America’s largest-ever rebuilding projects after Haiti earthquake, one year into the Great Recession
• Jan. 16, 2013: After the Sandy Hook massacre, President Obama issues a series of executive orders on gun control
  Germany begins withdrawing its gold holdings from Paris and New York
• Jan. 16, 2015: U.S. Supreme Court announces it will hear arguments on same-sex “marriage”
• Jan. 16, 2016: Implementation of Iran nuclear deal begins; sanctions on Iran lifted
  China inaugurates Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
• Jan. 17, 2016: President Obama initiates a scandalous hostage deal with Iran
• Jan. 16, 2017: Obama administration conspires against President-elect Donald Trump days before leaving office
• Jan. 16, 2018: The fbi provides congressional committees with 384 pages of text messages between fbi lawyer Lisa Page and agent Peter Strzok
  House of Representatives Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes puts finishing touches on a memo exposing the RussiaGate hoax.  January 16: God’s Miracle Day

Perhaps the most absurd belief that the PCG holds regarding January 16 is that it is the date that God supposedly moved the throne of David from England to Edmond, Oklahoma, where Jesus is soon to return to (after stopping off in Wadsworth first). That stone was the rock that Flurry went to Oregon and dug up, claiming it was the very rock Herbert Armstrong knelt at as he was planning his apostasy from the Church of God 7. 

It just continues to get dumber by the minute...

Flurry hauled the rock back to Edmond and installed it outside in a meditation garden for the faithful to come to admire and sit and stare at in contemplation. Then, in one of the biggest brain farts the church has ever seen, Flurry decided that this rock was going to be the very rock Jesus was to return and be crowned King of Kings. 

The rock quickly made its way inside and was installed in a covered cabinet on a bed of royal purple velvet so that the faithful could once again gaze at it in ecstasy. Pretty soon, that case was not sufficient, and a chair was built to hold the stone, much like the coronation chair in Westminster Abbey, England. 

Dumb and Dumber kept on dreaming up things, so the chair soon was featured in numerous Celtic Dance productions that Flurry's grandkids and Herbert Armstrong College Students traveled the country dancing in front of. After all, Flurry had declared Celtic Dance, the very sacred dance of David, though the Flurry dancers have not started dancing naked, at least not yet. This is the Church of God, after all, and ANYTHING is possible.

New Throne of David

The final January 16 miracle I want to discuss in this booklet happened in God’s Church on that date in 2017.

I have written a book titled The New Throne of David explaining this momentous event. This was the day that God blessed His Church with possession of the very throne that Jesus Christ is about to assume when He returns to Earth!

“He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end” (Luke 1:32-33).

Christ is going to rule from “the throne of his father David.” God has preserved the rulership on that throne by a descendant of David—from the time of David up to the present day! This is an inspiring truth that you can prove from your Bible and from history. You can trace that line down to the present-day ruling family in Britain.

Throughout the generations, a “stone of destiny” has always been associated with that throne. Queen Elizabeth ii was the latest of many monarchs who were crowned beside it—a tradition that goes back to the time of kings in the Bible! (e.g. 2 Chronicles 23:11-13).

However, on January 16, 2017, God replaced that “stone of destiny” with a new stone—and moved the throne of David from Britain into His own Church!

Now God’s own people will have the honor of personally presenting Christ with that throne when He returns. It shows how close we are to that epochal event!

I realize this is a bold claim to make. I urge you to request a copy of The New Throne of David and prove this truth for yourself. There I explain it straight from many passages in the Bible.

One of these is the prophecy of Genesis 49, which is for “the last days” (verse 1). Verse 10 reads, “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor [should read, or] a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh [Jesus Christ] come ….” This prophecy is directly in the context of Christ’s Second Coming. The “scepter” is the symbol of kingly rule—the line of monarchs that will culminate in the reign of Christ as King of kings. And this verse speaks of that rule combining with the role of “a lawgiver”—someone who administers the royal law of God, a priestly function.

If you know the history of the throne of David, you know this has not been a function of the physical line of kings. In fact, especially in recent times, they have often fought against the law of God rather than living and ruling by it!

This prophecy specifically refers to a time when the throne and the royal law would be combined. This happened on January 16, 2017. The scepter must be ruled by the royal law now, and the royal law must be applied to the scepter promise—“until Shiloh come.”

When God gave the revelation about the new stone on January 16, 2017, the royal family of Britain was displaced as the royal family of David’s throne. That was a signal of terrible events to come upon Britain, as well as a sharp decline of America and Judah, the Jewish nation in the Middle East.

One astounding aspect of this truth regards the new “stone of destiny.” I will let Mr. Armstrong explain, from his autobiography, regarding the first public Bible lectures he conducted in his ministry back in 1933:

“Mr. Oberg was starting his new meetings in Harrisburg on Sunday night, July 9. The Fishers and I decided to start the meetings at the Firbutte school the same night. I arrived at the Fisher farm, leaving my wife and children at our home in Salem, about July 5 or 6.

“This was the small—actually infinitesimal—start of what was destined to grow to a major worldwide gospel Work reaching multiple millions of people every week.

“But if small, it started with a burst of energy and inspiration. First, it started with intensive and earnest private prayer. To the rear of the Fisher farm home was a fair-sized hill. Running over this hilltop for exercise I discovered a rock about 14 inches high. It was in a secluded spot. It came to mind how Jesus had dismissed the multitudes, and gone up into a mountain ‘apart’ to pray—alone with God. I dropped to my knees before this rock, which seemed just the right height to kneel before, and began praying earnestly for the success of the meetings. It became sort of a daily pilgrimage, during my stay at the Fishers’, to this, which became my ‘prayer rock.’ I’m sure that I drank in much energy, spiritual strength and inspiration at that prayer rock.”

In 2002, I took a tour of some of the sites of Mr. Armstrong’s early days in the Work, and I saw that “prayer rock.” We asked the owners of the property if we could have it, and that summer we transported it to our headquarters facility in Edmond, Oklahoma.

It wasn’t until over 14 years later that God revealed to me that Mr. Armstrong’s prayer rock had replaced the “stone of destiny.” Once again God is putting a dramatic spotlight on the man who prepared the way for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ!

And it happened right around January 16, the anniversary of his death.

God is continually reminding us that we are continuing the work of Elijah. We must follow Mr. Armstrong’s example. The understanding that God has given me about this stone underlines this point emphatically!

God caused all these things to happen miraculously. It was all prophesied, and God brought it about in a way that is truly mind-staggering!

So there you have it, the most sacred day of the year for Church of God members. Screw Passover, January 16 is it, man! Woo hoo! 

Now admit it, aren't you proud of the rich history of Armstrongism and its ever-so-godly trajectory?

 

GCI: Is It Continuing To Lose Members?

A highly appointed reader from NASA sent me the following information, which is from Craig White's Friends of the Sabbath Substack page.

The letter below makes it look like Grace Communion International (the new and improved Worldwide Church of God) is continuing to decline in membership. I don't know how accurate this is, considering they draw lots of ministers, elders, and members to their Regional Gatherings at various locations around the country.

Shocking Decline of Grace Communion International (GCI)

An eagle-eyed member who is rather excellent at analysis, sent me the following concerning GCI:

Hi Craig,

Your recent announcement on the passing of Stavernides prompted me to go and look on the GCI website, which led me to look at their congregational list. I was stunned to discover the following:

1. They list only 9 congregations in California, 4 of which are now just fellowship groups with less than 25 meeting.

2. The old HQ congregation no longer meets. The only Pasadena congregation they list is a relatively small group that apparently conducts services in a Philippine language. Long time congregations of the old WCG like San Francisco, Bakersfield, Modesto, Garden Grove, Redding - which were all listed still before COVID, are now gone.

Note: Glendora has a large group of members from the San Gabriel Valley. Hawthorne, Sun Valley, Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Santa Ana all have congregations. Sacramento, San Jose, and Santa Maria are listed CA congregations (the 9 mentioned above and size of these groups are unknown).

3. They no longer list congregations in Colorado, Arizona, Idaho or New Mexico, which used to host multiple, huge (400+ a piece)congregations.

4. Texas has only five congregations, the majority of which are just remnant small groups of less than 25. No full time congregation in Houston any longer.

5.  I’ve heard that Carn Catherwood is now a Catholic (not confirmed). Joe Jr isn’t on their board.

A few years ago someone posted statistics suggesting that less than 5000 still attended WCG/GCI services in the US. It would look like less than half of that now. It seems at this rate they will disappear as a viable organization within the next 5- 7 years. Pretty amazing to consider their demise in the light of once was.

The Kingdom of God: Already here at work or yet to come?

The Reign of God

As part of the commentary thread in response to my post "A Warning of Impending Punishment OR An Announcement of Salvation Through Jesus Christ?" an anonymous commentator shared the following quotations:

Matt 3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (AV).
Matt 3:2 'Reform, for come nigh hath the reign of the heavens,' (YLT, 1st publ. 1862).
Matt 3:2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has arrived.” (R. T. France).

“While no statement would command universal assent, there is general agreement that, rather than denoting a specific time, place, or situation called “the kingdom” — a misleading abbreviation which is conspicuously absent from the Synoptic tradition as it is dominant in modern discussion — the phrase “the kingdom of God” in both Hebrew and Greek forms denotes the dynamic concept of “God ruling.” It represents, in other words, a sentence of which the subject is not “kingdom” but “God.” This dynamic sense is now better conveyed by an abstract noun such as “kingship” or “sovereignty rather than by “kingdom,” which has become in general usage a concrete noun” (R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, NICNT, p.102).

“Our traditional English phrase derives from the KJV (following William Tyndale), which was translated at a time when “kingdom” in English still carried this dynamic sense of “kingship,” a sense now rightly described by the OED as “obsolete.” The concrete sense of “kingdom” in current English (as a place or group of people under a common rule) now inevitably distorts the more dynamic connotations of he basileia ton ouranon [transliteration supplied instead of the Greek] when “the kingdom of God” continues to be used in Bible versions despite the changed meaning of the word. Translators have still to catch up with the scholarly preference for such phrases as “the rule of God”...” (R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, NICNT, p.102).

“Matthew’s summary of John’s (and Jesus’) declaration, “The kingdom of heaven has arrived,” might thus be paraphrased as “God’s promised reign is beginning” or “God is now taking control” (R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, NICNT, p.102). 

 

“The kingdom of heaven is the rule of God and is both a present reality and a future hope” (NIVSB on Matt 3:2Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)). 

 

“... the Kingdom of God is the redemptive reign of God dynamically active to establish his rule among men, and that this Kingdom, which will appear as an apocalyptic act at the end of the age, has already come into human history in the person and mission of Jesus to overcome evil, to deliver men from its power, and to bring them into the blessings of God's reign. The Kingdom of God involves two great moments: fulfilment within history, and consummation at the end of history” (George Eldon Ladd, The Presence of the Future, Rev. ed., p.218).

Now, while I believe that the above referenced statements by Bible scholars are consistent with the Christian canon, this concept of "kingdom" was NOT understood by Herbert Armstrong or most of those who follow his teachings! As I have noted in numerous posts here, both the Old and New Testaments draw a sharp distinction between God's notions about authority and rulership and those of humankind. In short, God's ways are NOT our ways. Indeed, Christ told his disciples that he didn't want them to imitate the way that humans had traditionally ruled over and dominated each other. Instead, he introduced the concept of "servant leadership" (the leader as the servant of all).

Moreover, as it turns out, this is consistent with the Greek word that was translated into English as "kingdom" (and the way that it would have been understood by English-speaking peoples in the time of Wycliffe's translation and the King James Version of the Bible. In the Blue Letter Bible entry for "basileia" we find the following outline of the word's usage in the New Testament: royal power, kingship, dominion, rule - not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom - of the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah - of the royal power and dignity conferred on Christians in the Messiah's kingdom - a kingdom, the territory subject to the rule of a king - used in the N.T. to refer to the reign of the Messiah. In other words, the modern concept of a "kingdom" does NOT mesh with the concept suggested by the Greek of the New Testament!

In his The Kingdom of God in Eight Words, The Gospel Coalition's Jeremy Treat defined the concept in these terms: "The kingdom is God’s reign through God’s people over God’s place." He went on to note that: "The kingdom is first and foremost a statement about God. God is king, and he is coming as king to set right what our sin made wrong. The phrase 'kingdom of God' could just as easily be translated 'reign of God' or 'kingship of God.' The message of the kingdom is about God’s royal power directed by his self-giving love." Now that gives new meaning to that famous phrase from the Lord's Prayer: "May thy reign commence, May thy will be done here as it currently is in heaven." Kinda makes you want to take another look at some of Christ's Kingdom parables doesn't it?

Treat continued: "God is king, and he reigns over his creation. But in a world marred by sin, God’s kingship is resisted, and the peace of his kingdom has been shattered. After Adam and Eve’s rebellion, God’s reign is revealed as redemptive. He’s the king who is reclaiming his creation. His kingdom is not the culmination of human potential and effort, but the intervention of his royal grace into a sinful and broken world." This encompasses a much broader and more comprehensive notion than anything that Armstrong ever imagined!

Treat described it in these terms: "God’s reign is a saving reign. The kingdom of God provides a holistic understanding of salvation, including not only what we are saved from, but also what we are saved for: We are saved from death and for life. We are saved from shame and for glory. We are saved from slavery and for freedom. We are saved from sin and for following our Savior. We are saved from the kingdom of darkness and for the kingdom of light. To be saved into God’s kingdom is to embrace God’s comprehensive rule over every aspect of life. This is a far cry from merely 'asking Jesus into my heart.' It means a new life, a new identity, and a new kingdom." I would caution, however, that Scripture makes clear that God's reign begins in the hearts of Christ's disciples, and it involves embracing the Two Great Commandments (Wholehearted devotion to God, and love for each other).

Once again, when we allow a search engine and Artificial Intelligence to define the "Kingdom of God," we find: "The Kingdom of God is a spiritual realm over which God reigns as king, or the fulfillment on Earth of God’s will. The phrase occurs frequently in the New Testament, primarily used by Jesus Christ in the first three Gospels1. In this kingdom, God’s authority is recognized, and his will is obeyed. The concept of a Kingdom of God is not primarily one of space, territory, or politics, as in a national kingdom, but rather one of kingly rule, reign, and sovereign control." Gives new meaning to Christ's assertion before Pilate that his kingdom was NOT of this world - doesn't it?

The Kingdom of God has already begun for those who have accepted Christ and received the gift of the Holy Spirit. God and "his" love living and reigning within us! Sure, someday God's reign will extend over all peoples everywhere, but let us all rejoice in what has been made available to us in the here and now. Our citizenship truly resides in heaven and is NOT defined in human terms! Amen!

Miller Jones/Lonnie C Hendrix

When your identity solely rests in the world ending...

 

This is why Armstrongism has been such an epic failure for the last 30 years. 

Their identity is in the wrong place.

Trickster Devil Still Causing God's Favorite Church Issues

That big old meanie trickster, the Devil, is STILL causing serious issues for God's most important church leader to ever walk this green earth. All of the dreams in the world never forecast that the Great Bwana Bob Mzungu would be facing an endless attack from Legion, particularly since we are not anywhere near the end times.

God's most important man writes:

On other matters, we continue to deal with malware issues impacting our numerous church websites. Our man in Portugal is now involved in assisting on this, which should help us immensely. And although we believe we are making more progress (several issues were resolved), preventing recurrences is still not fully resolved. This is impacting our making our The Gospel of the Kingdom of God booklet available in as many languages/dialects that we have received. Please continue to pray about this.

Our hope is to upload and/or reconnect additional languages for the The Gospel of the Kingdom of God booklet. 

 

Matthew 24:14 will be fulfilled and despite setbacks, we are preparing for the short work of Romans 9:28. 

 

Another hope we have is that after we hit close to the available languages we can receive translations into, we will then start a similar process with another one of our booklets. Remember we are to reach “all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues” (Revelation 7:9) and we continue to work in preparation of that goal (see also Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word).

The Feeling Of Frisson Some Have When Reading This Blog

 

A Warning of Impending Punishment OR....

A Warning of Impending Punishment OR An Announcement of Salvation Through Jesus Christ?

As longtime readers of this blog know, I have devoted a great many posts over the years to attacking the messaging of the Armstrong Churches of God. Why this focus? Because they are preaching a FALSE Gospel! Instead of the good news which the New Testament is all about, they insist on preaching a warning message to the English-speaking nations of the world. Indeed, the contrast is stark. It is the difference between hope and doom! In other words, the messaging of the ACOGs is the antithesis of the real message which God intended for his people to deliver to the world!

In the January-February edition of their Beyond Today magazine, the United Church of God has published an article by John LaBissoniere titled God's Urgent Warning Message to You. The Armstrongian hook for the article reads: "God sent an urgent warning message through Ezekiel to the nations of present-day Israel. Discover what this prophetic message includes and why it has vital significance for you." Hence, we see that the article is based on the completely discredited (and wholly fanciful) teaching that the English-speaking nations of the world are the descendants and heirs of the Israelite tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.

LaBissoniere opens the article by pointing out that God made the prophet Ezekiel a "watchman" to the House of Israel. He contends that Ezekiel's message wasn't simply for the Jewish captives in Babylon, but that his message was also for the Israelites. John went on to state that: "As his prophetic warning message applies to the last days, we should recognize that it’s destined to reach the nations of present-day Israel and not just the Jewish people of today’s state of Israel. It will surprise many to learn that the modern Israelites are primarily the people of the major English-speaking countries, including the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand (see the study guide offered at the end of this article for the biblical and historical evidence)."

LaBissoniere continued: "Looking ahead, God foresaw a society that turned away from Him and His righteous biblical values and corrupted itself by ungodly, fleshly, materialistic behavior. As Ezekiel wrote, 'The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of bloodshed, and the city full of perversity' (Ezekiel 9:9). This passage pertains to contempt for law and order and the fostering of moral depravity. Again, the conditions Ezekiel decries are evident in today’s nations—not just the original audience of his day. His message is for now." In other words, this warning message for the ancient Israelites has been transformed by Armstrong and his agents into a warning message for the U.S., Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Moreover, the message incorporates yet another feature of the Armstrong heresy: that God expects Christians, Jews, and English-speaking folks to continue to obey the commandments of Torah - the tenets of the Old Covenant with Israel. What about the New Testament? you ask. The author of the article drags the Apostle to the Gentiles into his argument: "Instead of a righteous, commandment-keeping society, in our age we see an expansion of what the apostle Paul wrote about the debased culture of his day: 'Being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful' (Romans 1:29-31).

La Bissoniere went on to say: "In abandoning godly values, many people in America and the other formerly blessed nations of modern-day Israel surrendered themselves to moral decadence, selfishness, greed, dishonesty, bribery, injustice, thievery, drug and alcohol abuse, sexual deviance, and violence. Of course, these iniquities are not exclusive to the contemporary nations of Israel, since the entire world is awash in sinful conduct (Romans 3:23). For this man and his Armstrong Church of God brethren, God's message for these folks is a warning of impending wrath and punishment for sins. It is decidedly NOT about how God decided to redeem mankind from his sins and cure us of their effects and consequences! In other words, the United Church of God's message is that God is pissed, and he's about to kick our asses up around our shoulders!

Of course, the real Gospel message was summarized by Christ in his meeting with Nicodemus. He said: "For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him." (John 3:16-17, NLT)

Paul described the message to the Christians at Rome by saying: "The Good News is about his Son. In his earthly life he was born into King David’s family line, and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is Jesus Christ our Lord. Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name...For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, 'It is through faith that a righteous person has life.'" (Romans 1:3-5 and 16-17, NLT)

Likewise, Paul wrote to the saints of Galatia: "Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen. I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ." (Galatians 1:4-7, NLT) This passage, of course, is followed by Paul's double curse on anyone who would dare to bring a different message (Galatians 1:8-9)!

What about you? Are you going to heed United's warning message? OR Are you going to accept the Good News about Jesus Christ, and what he has done for you? Which one sounds like good news to you?

Miller Jones/Lonnie C Hendrix 

An Example of Blindly Following A COG Cult Leader

The Great Bwana posted this on his blog from a member of his African church. While I am sure the gentleman is sincerely seeking to follow God, he has been blinded by the deception and false teachings of the Great Bwana. 

He goes on to ridicule other COG's in the area as being beneath him. He says he will "die" being loyal to Bob's cult.

Dear Evans,Bob 

 

Church greetings, a video clip for the baptism in Malawi, this is conducted at Mpasa church yesterday on 5 January 2025, they were 45 candidates some was from nearest churches, this is the first baptism in Malawi in 2025, there is no dream in my life to join other fake group of churches,those are not churches but groups of games where boys are going for physical and belting,all my power,my strength and my dream I will die as ccog member,I have nothing to do with them ,I have done with them,what this people do is to buy people with money,I can’t do this,don’t think that I can do this, Sosten

Did God Send Fires To Los Angeles Because Of Sins Of Continuing Church of God Leaders?

 

It took a while, but God's greatest gift to humanity finally opened his self-appointed prophetic mouth and weighed in on the devastating CA fires. Never has the Church of God in its entire history ever had a more perfect prophet in its midst than it does with Great Bwana Bob. Even Herbert Armstrong trembles at his feet, knowing that The Great Bwana Bob is more intelligent and accurate than he ever was. The Great Bwana writes:

Wildfires happen every year. But what has been happening in the Los Angeles basin has been worse than most thought could happen there. 

 

As regular readers of this page are aware, I have repeatedly warned of weather problems coming.

As has every news station and knowledgable leaders in the state. 

Back in 2009, in my book, 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect, I wrote that the following was about to happen: 

 

Odd weather patterns result in food shortages and natural disasters. Matthew 24:7

The world is actually in a berserk transition, as the real age of peace is not yet here. It may be a period of chaos. It is the beginning of sorrows. Matthew 24:8

Since that was published, we have had record smashing heat, unprecedented fires, and odd weather problems. While the Apocalypse is NOT yet here, these issues should serve as a wake-up call. 

 

The above was “predicted” if you will, because of what Jesus taught:

7 … And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Matthew 24:7-8).

8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. (Mark 13:8)

Jesus has absolutely no connection to anything Bob is claiming, and those Bible verses in no way refer to Bob or anything he predicted.

What we have here in the Los Angeles basin is a mixture of inept governance by a corrupt Governor and an idiot Los Angeles mayor and a once-in-a-lifetime weather pattern that all converged at once. This is no more a sure sign of the end times than Dave Pack and Bob speak for God.

Anyway, we get to the real cause for the fires, according to the Great One, the gays.

The all-knowing one writes:

The Bible shows that God uses weather to get people’s attention. Sometimes to punish, sometimes to lead to repentance, and other times to consider that God, not humankind, is in control. 

 

Notice the following:

8:1 When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. 3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake. (Revelation 8:1-5)

20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. (Revelation 9:20-21) 

 

While the above is for a future time, in a sense, it parallels what we are seeing today. Lack of repentance from sexual immorality and other sins is a factor in what the secularists tend to call climate change–but they do not see the connection. Any who claim to believe the Bible should. 

 

The Bible shows that weather problems can be a warning to people that society is going in the wrong direction (Amos 4:7-12). Notice also God’s use of fire between three thousand and four thousand years ago:

24 Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens. 25 So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. (Genesis 19:24-25) 

 

And why did it happen?

7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. (Jude 7) 

Could the fires in CA be happening because it allows a false prophet to reside here and allow the adultery and other sexual shenanigans in the improperly named "continuing" Church of God to continue? After all, sexual immortality has had a long reign in the leadership of the church down through the decades. Maybe instead of the usual scapegoats the false prophet uses perhaps it is time the false prophet starts to look inwardly at the degenerate mess his own church is in. Is he the cause of California's suffering?

Why mention this in the 21st century? Because God turned:

6…the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly (2 Peter 2:6) 

 

Notice also the following:

11 “I overthrew some of you,

As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,

And you were like a firebrand plucked from the burning;

Yet you have not returned to Me,”

Says the Lord.

12 “Therefore thus will I do to you, O Israel;

Because I will do this to you, 

Prepare to meet your God, O Israel!” (Amos 4:11-12) 

 

Fires should get people to consider. But will people in the USA or the other Anglo-descended areas heed? 

 

The sorrows and troubles are just beginning and will get much worse.

Perhaps it is time the Churches of God clean up their messes and actually follow the One they claim to follow, yet never do.