The Debbie Downer Of COG Leaders Has Another Depressing Sermon

 

Traditional speechwriting typically starts with something positive, elaborates on that, moves to the message, and then ends with something positive again. Oh, but not with God's greatest gift to the human race and the Churches of God—how utterly depressing! Everything he writes and speaks kicks off with one bombastic evil or negative thing after another, and then, right in the midst of it all, he humbly brags about how perfect he and his little church are, having restored all things to their glorious pinnacle. And then to top it off, he wraps up with even more delightful negativity. What a brilliant formula for inspiration!

Can you imagine the sheer bliss of spending 3½ years cooped up in Petra with this Queen of Negativity? If he's not graciously bitching about something wrong, he'll be modestly extolling how wonderful he is, only to lovingly berate those present for continually failing to meet his impeccable standards. Ah, what a heavenly paradise that would be—pure utopia!

Armstrongism has always tended to be grace-deficient in its message, hasn't it? Doom and destruction were the name of the game, with just a few tantalizing glimpses of the lion dwelling with the lamb thrown in for good measure. Have you ever heard a COG minister preach an entire sermon on grace and how deeply loved the people of God sitting before him are, and how precious they are in God's sight? Of course not—it would ruin the fun! 

This is the Great Bwana's latest sermon (always in multiple parts since he can't edit his words). Oh, and there will be consequences for resisting Bob's messages because they are directly from his god, which apparently dislikes paragraph breaks.

2 Timothy 3-4: Scripture and Truth Restored
This is the second part of a 2-part sermon series covering each and every verse of the Apostle Paul’s second epistle to Timothy. In this sermon, Dr. Thiel covers the last two chapters of Paul’s letter. Paul tells Timothy how terrible people will be in the last days, and that many are always learning but not coming to the knowledge of the truth. Dr. Thiel quotes passages in scripture showing that God’s word is truth, yet that many suppress the truth in unrighteousness and promote sexual immortality and other evils. He also quotes information about the possible identity of Jannes and Jambres, and warns that there are consequences in resisting God and His messages. He also cites Jesus who essentially warned that the Sardis and Laodicean Christians also resist the truth and need to repent. Dr. Thiel also covers the fact that Paul was persecuted, that Philadelphian Christians will be persecuted, but that later they will be protected per Revelation 12:13-16, but that the non-Philadelphian Christians will then be subject to persecution during the Great Tribulation. Prophetic errors that certain Laodiceans hold are also pointed out. He also explains why Richard Dawkins’ book, The God Delusion, is not scientific. He warns that Greco-Roman Catholic and Protestant teachers have accepted traditions over the word of God, when instead they should be faithful. Dr. Thiel quotes various passages of scripture from the Apostle Paul showing that Christians are to continue in the original faith and doctrine, as well as grow in spiritual knowledge. He also goes over many truths that have been restored in the Continuing Church of God and gives biblical reasons why the most faithful in the 21st century should support the CCOG. He quotes the Apostle Paul who says ministers are to preach the word of God and mentions some of how the CCOG does that. He warns that throughout church history, people have rebelled against church government as well those who loved the world more than the truth of God. Some information related to the canonization of scripture is touched upon. The faithful couple, Priscilla and Aquila, are mentioned, including places they had lived for a time. Dr. Thiel concludes by saying that all need the Lord Jesus Christ to be with us, we all need God’s grace, God will strengthen us, His word is more of a guide than a GPS, and we simply need to do things His way which includes obeying Him, resisting Satan, not following the ways of the world in these last days, growing in knowledge, and supporting the most faithful Church in these end times.

Where is Bob Thiel's Love If He Has Restored All True Spiritual Knowledge?

 

I couldn't help but comment again on Pastor Dr Bob's latest rant in Cogwriter, 

Bob states everyone must look to the CCOG as he/it has restored so much knowledge and is the only COG holding the Philadelphia Mantel. The problem with this is even if this were true, it doesn't mean jacksquat as the Bible states if you have not Love, all knowledge, all prophecy, all signs, all anything else doesn't matter at all without Love. 

Is Bob showing Love when he betrayed Priscilla and her children? 

Is Bob showing Love, covering Radsons' lies and sins, so he can maintain his Delusions of Grandeur? 

Is Bob showing Love, allowing his leading ministers to practice witchcraft and desecrating babies' bodies to get demonic favors? 

Is Bob showing Love, covering up Evans' sex scandals? 

Is Bob showing Love, covering up a Former CCOG leader's sin, lying to a member of Hope of Israel, saying it was a rumor, but admittedly saying publicly that it was in fact true? 

Is Bob showing Love covering up Evans Ocheing and his son Bradox Ouma Ocheing's political scandal of 2017 and 2022? 

Is Bob showing Love when Ministers and Deacons under Radson and Evans come forth telling him the truth, only to be dismissed and handed over to Evans and Radson's cruel punishment and death threats? 

All these things Bob talks about don't mean a thing to God, as God is concerned about Love first and what is true. Dr Pastor Bob Thiel is without excuse. Many have tried to help him, but being he only loves himself above all else, he fails BIG TIME. 

Dr Pastor Bob Thiel, show some LOVE won't ya!!!!

Terry Nelson

Apostle Paul Foretold The Current Vicious Satanic Attack Against Bob Thiel

That crafty, fork-tongued abomination of a serpent is throwing yet another epic tantrum, zeroing in on the unparalleled, godlike genius that is the Supreme Overseer, the Great Bwana Bob Mzungu Thiel. Can you even fathom the depths of Satan's soul-crushing jealousy over Bwana Bob's utterly revolutionary drivel—er, I mean, literature—spewed forth in literally hundreds of tongues, complemented by the most hyper-mega-ultra-superfantabulous websites ever half-baked by any ragtag Church of God splinter group? Satan's pathetic posse of shadowy Google gremlins sicced a swarm of digital demons to wreak absolute, laughably amateur havoc on the Great Bwana's oh-so-impregnable online fortress. Heaven forbid the masses miss out on the Great Bwana's brain-melting masterpieces—scribbles so staggeringly, coma-inducingly brilliant that Old Satan himself had to drop everything and DDoS the servers in a fit of infernal rage.

As us puny humans have oh-so-heroically evolved our pitiful computer smarts, poor Satan—bless his blackened heart—has been dragged kicking and screaming into inventing brand-new, convoluted plots to pester the church. No doubt he's got this gargantuan, brimstone-belching server farm humming away, cackling maniacally as it torpedoes COG tech and churns out AI hallucinations of perpetual doom. Personally, I'd peg him as a die-hard "pen and parchment" purist, but hey, if he's gone digital, it's surely just to snoop through your browser history for some premium blackmail fodder.

But wait, there's more infernal innovation! Satan's got bio-engineered nano-devils swimming through fiber-optic cables, sabotaging COG servers with precision strikes that make the CIA look like toddlers with crayons. He's even time-traveled (because why not?) to retroactively invent the blue screen of death just to foreshadow his assaults on Thiel's throne of theological triumph.

Satan Servants Again Strike! 

In the past week we have had to endure physical as well as software hacks. 

 

These hacks cost time and money, as well as discourage people from viewing our materials. 

 

A ‘google bot’ hack on Tuesday greatly slowed down viewers’ abilities to access information on our websites. People were often delayed, sometimes so much as to get timed out and not able to view information. 

 

We asked our man in Portugal to assist on Tuesday related to the bot slow down, as well as had a hardware/software man help recover from a series of costly hacks this week. 

 

So, we have been working on these matters, as well as taking steps to try to further protect our websites from being hacked.

The Apostle Paul was inspired to write:

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12) 

 

Satan does not want Matthew 24:14 to be fulfilled as that is an important sign of the end, which will lead to the countdown of his end. 

 

Remember:

We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:22-23) 

 

Since Satan is the “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2), he has directly or indirectly, various of the disobedient in his service to attack our websites.

A Creation Without Grace: The Brutal Armstrongist Concept of Pre-adamic Man

 

Homo Naledi 

A Creation Without Grace

The Brutal Armstrongist Concept of Pre-adamic Man

By Scout

"A person's a person, no matter how small" – Dr. Seuss

 

Decades ago, Herman Hoeh mounted the stage in the Field House in Big Sandy and delivered a startling message.  I sat in the middle of a large audience and listened spellbound.  He explained that ancient man was not only pre-Flood but pre-adamic.  Up to that point, Armstrongist history maintained that ancient humans, such as Neanderthal, were descended from Adam but lived before the Noachian Flood and within the boundaries of the 6,000-year period.  Hoeh further stated that the pyramids of Egypt were not built by our “Israelite” ancestors in Egyptian slavery but were built by pre-Flood peoples.  Later on, I don’t know when or where I first heard it, this understanding included the idea that pre-adamic man was not really a true human and that salvation was not applicable to him.  God, then, was a great being who created sentient or near-sentient beings throughout hundreds of thousands of years and discarded them.  It was unsettling. It was not a picture of grace. 

(Note: Oddly, while there was a published Armstrongist article based on the Young Earth Creationist idea that all ancient men were descended from Adam, there was never an official publication asserting Hoeh’s profound revision of Armstrongist history presented that day in the Field House.  I searched an archive of WCG literature and could not find the term “pre-adamic man” or its variant spellings. Any downstream theological implications of Hoeh’s idea were halted by neglect.  I have no explanation for this.) 

Hoeh’s presentation was unsettling because it was a view of God that one would need to process. If there is anything that we can learn from the anthropomorphic portrayal of God in the Bible, it is that the creation reflects the creator.  The corollary proposition is that your understanding of the creation informs your view of God.  I paint using watercolor or acrylic and sometimes mixed media.  What I create in a work of art reflects my aesthetics, interests and viewpoints.  My work is unsurprisingly not perfect because I am not perfect.  I would like my art to be perfect but it never will be.  God works in the medium of reality.  He is perfect and, when he is finished with it, so will be his creation.  The question is how does pre-adamic man fit into this picture. 

Redemption of the Cosmos by Renewal

God created the Cosmos and the Cosmos reflects who he is.  That is why he is going to fix it, restore it and in its final perfect disposition it will be beautiful, shining, new, at peace and redeemed.   There is the creation, then the Cross and finally the renewal of all things or the Apokatastasis.  Joh 3:16 reads in Greek, “For God so loved the Cosmos that he gave his only begotten son…”.  We find in Romans 8, “that the creation itself will be set free from its enslavement to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”  

Jesus spoke of the Apokatastasis when he stated, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal (Greek, palingenesia from the words for “again” and “generation”) of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory …”.    In Acts 3:21, Peter refers to it as the “restitution of all things (Greek, apokatastasis).” Paul sees in this restitution later that all Israel will be saved, not just those who become Christians during the present era but all Israel for all time. Restitution is a time-spanning principle. It covers not only the living but also the dead.   God created all things from the beginning and what he created he will restore in the Eschaton.  If this line or reasoning yet seems tenuous, consider the explicit statement in Revelation 21:5, “"He who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new’”.   Nowhere does scripture suggest that God created things blithely.  Nowhere does it suggest that he regards any of what he created to be discardable.  This would include ancient man such as, say, Homo Naledi.

Homo Naledi

They were a different species of hominid genus.  They lived 300,000 years ago and they were small. They stood at about 4’9” and weighed around 100 pounds.  Their brain volume was about a third of ours.  Their brain size was only slightly larger than that of a chimpanzee.   The archaeology indicates that they were around about 100,000 years and then went extinct about 236,000 YA.  They co-existed with early modern humans who appeared on earth around 300,000 YA.  In fact, God made all kinds of hominids.  The more scientists sift through the strata the more types they find. 

The Homo Naledi were not just animals that God created nonchalantly.  They had human characteristics.  At the Rising Star Cave in South Africa there is a rich deposit of Homo Naledi fossils and artifacts.  It has been startling to paleo-archaeologists that these ancients were in some ways so human-like.  They had reverence for the treatment of their dead.  They were driven by emotion to sequester away their loved ones so their dead bodies would not undergo visible decay or destruction by animals. They went way out of their way, over difficult descents, to bury their dead in a deep chamber of the cave.  This has a ceremonial quality to it. They illuminated the way with fires.  At one point in the descent, they had to engage in teamwork to get the body of the deceased across a deep chasm.  Someone had to jump to the other side of the chasm so the body could be passed over.  In the cemetery chamber, there were markings on the wall.  The conjecture is that it identified who was buried there.  Finally, in one of the excavated graves, the interred person seems to have a tool in his hand.  The tool might have been a graver for making marks on the cave walls.  

So, we have a group of human-like beings who were to some degree sentient.  The complexity of their burial ritual indicates they must have had some form of communication, probably speech, to coordinate team efforts.  They revered the dead in a way that is ceremonial: considerate burial in a cave requiring difficult passages to accomplish.  The tool in the hand of one of the deceased may indicate a belief in the continuation of life beyond death.   Animals don’t do any of this.  And the profound conclusion that we must acknowledge is that they were created by God.  Does God create anything as a lark?

The Armstrongist Version of Evolution

I believe that evolution happened.  It was a tool that God used to order the biological creation on earth.  I do not, however, believe that evolution was wholly random.  I believe it was directed by God.  Evolution is theistic. Yet, some literalist interpreters reject evolution as omitting God from the creation picture.  I believe Armstrongists fall into this category. 

In considering the case of Homo Naledi as an archetypical pre-adamic human, it is important to recognize that evolution asserts a continuity between us and ancient humans.  We are not descended from Homo Naledi but we are descended from similar hominids and probably had an ancient common ancestor with the Naledi.  Armstrongism rejects biological evolution and also, along with this, rejects any continuity between humans and what Armstrongism considers to be pre-adamic humans.  But it is ironic that Armstrongists believe in another form of evolution – one that diminishes God. They believe in the progressive development of God.  They believe that God undergoes development and that we may become God-as-God-is-God by also following a line of progressive development.  Progressive development, aka evolution, is the pathway to Godhood. 

So, Armstrongists believe in an unusual form of evolution. I cannot furnish documentary evidence of this. Like the topic of pre-adamic man, there is nothing officially published on this that I know of.  What I found to support this were notes from in a file in the Ambassador College Big Sandy library.  The unpublished notes were from a WCG Ministerial Conference held in Pasadena where Herman Hoeh was one of the speakers.  I have since misplaced these notes.  They are probably somewhere in a box in the garage.  I’ll probably die without ever seeing them again. 

Hoeh explained at the Conference that God functions just like a human engineer.  He must make models and then test the models to see if they will work. He would then evaluate the results of testing and make improvements.  And this experimentation by God is what generated the fossil humanoids (I believe Hoeh used that word) we find preserved in the geologic strata.  (After all, someone has to explain why there is the progressive development of hominids in the fossil record without recourse to evolution.)  So, there is no continuity between modern humans and, say, Neanderthals.  Neanderthal apparently was a failed experiment and is now extinct. The complication in this case is that almost all non-Africans (There were no Neanderthals in Africa but there was some later back-migration.) are part Neanderthal.  Get yourself a genetic test.  So, there is some biological continuity between modern humans and some ancient humans.  Other ancient hominids may be reflected in our genome.  The jury still out.  

What the Armstrongist view means is that evolution did not take place at the biological level but took place in the mind of God.  God had to learn to make man.  He had to start with a simple understanding and through experimentation progressively develop a more sophisticated understanding.  So, Armstrongists see God as evolving.  As you might guess, I think this is malarkey.  God is absolute.  He creates reality.  He makes things exist.  He does not evolve. He is not a Gnostic demiurge. He is not like us and we will never, ever rise to his level as created beings.  And in this view of God evolving there is a brutalness and gracelessness that becomes an inherent part of the creation.

The Brutality of the Armstrongist Pre-adamic Man Belief

In the view of God as engineer, making and discarding progressively more sophisticated hominid models, there is a hierarchy of the results of experimentation.  The failed and unacceptable occupy the lower tiers and at the pinnacle is modern man. The hominids in the lower tiers can then be discarded. There is no grace for them. They are not salvable or redeemable.  They were just experimental biobots or “crash dummies”, a means to an end, that we need not be concerned about no matter how close they might have been to us.  In the case of Homo Naledi, God let them live and propagate for 100,000 years and then cavalierly discarded them, supposedly.  They had emotion, families, care for one another, reverence for a lived life, marked the loss of life, used symbols and tools and all this was simply trash-canned.  Some local sage may kick-back in his armchair and wax philosophical and say “That’s the way life is.  Its harsh.”  Yet, a major theme of both the OT and NT is that “life in the fallen world is not the way it’s supposed to be.”  So, how Homo Naledi, et al, is viewed makes a difference. 

What Difference Does It Make?

The way we think that God treats his creation forms our view of the nature of God. It tells us who God is. It forms our view as to what is acceptable for us to do with the creation.  If influences how we treat other people. The God who is a God of grace and cares for his creation is a different God from the God who values hominids according to a hierarchy and discards the ones that don’t meet expectations.  A church that follows the latter God just might value people in its congregations according to some hierarchy with some people being more important that others and maybe with some people being just a nameless resource.   The topic of ancient man may seem like just another subject for nerds but it is profound spiritually and shapes one’s view of God and denominational social practice.

C.S. Lewis said that nobody would deduce that there is a benevolent God based on observing Nature.  Nature is brutal and competitive.  Lewis instead deduced that the understanding of a God of grace must then be revealed knowledge.  And, as most Christians see it, the present state of Nature is a cross-sectional – just for the present.  It is the final disposition, wrought by God in grace, that is telling. And it is my view, that in the last analysis, Homo Naledi will be restored and will have a role.  When Jesus said “all things” I believe he meant “all things."

Summation

God has no reason to experiment.  He transcends us.  Hoeh conjectured that God learns and makes like humans.  That is not so.. The Cosmos is not a sandbox where God builds sandcastles and destroys them as he tries to figure out what to do next.  I do not know the destiny of Homo Naledi.  But I do know that the God of grace certainly does not discard beings who are at some stage of sentience.  He may not discard anything – including even your pet cat.   Theories that posit such a God are in error and besmirch God’s character of grace.  Extinction is counteracted by restoration.  In the short term it may seem that all is in disarray but in the long term all is ordered.  God created Homo Naledi and I look forward to seeing what God will do for them.  One day we will arrive at the New Earth and New Heavens and all will be restored and beautiful and right.  All things shining. 

Reference

A good summary of the research on Homo Naledi is the Netflix documentary titled “Cave of Bones,” part of the Unknown series. 

 

 

Armstrong International Cultural Foundation: Is It Really A "Humanitarian" Organization?

When Gerald Flurry decided to split off and start his own splinter group, reportedly to "preserve" the perfect words of Herbert Armstrong, little did we know just how hilariously he'd imitate HWA. Oh, his preaching style evolved into a spot-on mimicry, complete with yelling and bombastic threats from the pulpit—because nothing says "divine inspiration" like a good old-fashioned rant. Then he went all out building a college campus with its own "House of God," in a desperate bid to cosplay the Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena. How original!

Lawsuits started flying faster than you can say "copyright infringement" after Flurry began publishing HWA's books, booklets, and articles without so much as asking permission from the Worldwide Church of God. Found guilty—shocker—he ended up shelling out over $3,000,000 for the rights to a myriad of those sacred tomes. Not long after, the PCG "discovered" some major issues between HWA's interpretations and the oh-so-revelatory messages Flurry was getting from his god. Flurry's blatant disregard for his followers, coupled with his stunning lack of transparency and accountability, led him and the Philadelphia Church of God to edit the "divinely inspired" words of Armstrong whenever they clashed with Flurry's divine ego trips.

Armstrong's writings were the icing on the cake for them—until they decided to erect their mini-me Ambassador Auditorium as a gleaming monument to Herbert Armstrong himself. Then, when the WCG decided to sell off items from the real Ambassador Auditorium, Flurry pounced like a kid in a candy store, snagging one of the Steinway pianos and those two Baccarat crystal candelabras from the lobby. He then proceeded to imitate every little thing the WCG had connected to the Auditorium. He started a concert series (because who doesn't love recycled culture?), launched the Armstrong International Cultural Foundation (AICF—how utterly original), and claimed to spearhead humanitarian projects around the world. And that's about as "humanitarian" as they got: some buildings, concerts, and a few thousand dollars tossed overseas into a couple of projects that no one's ever heard of or even pretends to care about.

Exit and Support Network has an excellent article about how "humanitarian" Flurry and the Philadelphia Church of God really are, and it's exactly what you'd expect—pure gold for anyone who enjoys a good laugh at hypocrisy.

Does the Philadelphia Church of God have a humanitarian work?

First, let’s define our terms. Merriam-Webster defines humanitarian as “a person promoting human welfare and social reform.”

Visit the PCG website, and at the bottom you’ll see an image with the word “Humanitarianism” superimposed over it. Click on that and you’re introduced to the wonderful world of PCG humanitarianism, all of which is framed under their “Armstrong International Cultural Foundation” and Armstrong Auditorium.

The PCG gives the following context to their lofty humanitarian activities under the foundation:

The two-pronged concept behind all of the foundation’s goals and activities is: 1) that man is a unique being, possessing vast mental, physical and spiritual potentials—the development of which should be aided and encouraged, and 2) that it is the responsibility of all men to attend to and care for the needs of their fellow men, a precept professed by the vast majority of religions of the world—appropriately summed up in three biblical words: ‘Love thy neighbor.’

Oh, "Love thy neighbor"—what a bizarre, utterly alien concept for any COG group to actually grapple with, right? The tired, worn-out mantra they trotted out as their go-to excuse for ignoring their neighbors was, "Why waste money now when God will fix everything in the Kingdom?" Because, you know, divine procrastination is totally a thing.

Garner Ted tried this noble little outreach in the Pasadena area, using the Student Center as a kitchen to feed the homeless and destitute. Oh boy, did the crap hit the fan on that one—big time! Another minister even teamed up with other Pasadena churches to start a program for people battling addictions. But Herbert slammed the brakes on that real fast. After all, never forget that alcohol was basically the church's second god—priorities, people!

The ESN post continues:

One wonders about all spiritual AND physical aid and help they’ve provided to the impoverished, needy, homeless, widows and orphans! Let’s dig in to see how they are serving their community. 

 

Quick refresher: the PCG headquarters is in Edmond, Oklahoma, in the United States.

Surprisingly, a quick review of the page is startlingly bereft of humanitarian efforts for actual neighbors. Here’s some highlights: 

• they did some archeological excavations in… Jerusalem 
• they refurbished a Liberty Bell in… Jerusalem 
• ah yes, back in 1996 they helped some handicapped children in… Jordan 
• they “lent support” to the Petra National Trust (whatever that means) also in… Jordan 

You have to keep reading for the real juicy humanitarian efforts, though:

• in 1998, (wait for it) they sponsored a small concert series that attracted tens of thousands of guests
• in 2004 they “obtained some of the treasures” from an old auditorium (you read that correctly) 
• in 2010 they completed construction of a new auditorium to house these treasures!

It should be mentioned that they participate in an archaeological dig in Jerusalem at this time, but not as a humanitarian project. 

ESN continues:

They incompletely quote this passage: “ ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” 

 

Absent in this “humanitarian” endeavor is mention of a single dollar, outreach program, or volunteer effort that serves the physically needy who comprise the actual Edmond-based neighbors of the PCG. That’s because they don’t actually do any of that. They don’t donate to food pantries, visit the elderly or sick, provide for those impacted by floods or storms, etc. They don’t help the homeless, victims of domestic violence, or the widows and children of dead soldiers. They give away a LOT of printed propaganda, but they don’t even give away FREE Bibles. I know, because I used to be a member. 

 

One thing that Joe Tkach Sr. had going for him was that he actually donated to various organizations and helped those in need locally in Pasadena and elsewhere, much to the chagrin of some pearl-clutching church members. 

The United Church of God does some good works through Vic Kubik's organization, which surprisingly helps non-church members, too. So, hey, there are a few COG groups that do love their neighbors—unlike the four oh-so-elitist COG groups that couldn't care less: the Philadelphia Church of God, Continuing Church of God, Church of God Preaching the Kingdom, and Restored Church of God.

Perhaps they didn’t read James 2:16:

And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 

 

The entire PCG humanitarian “work” is a facade for building their own fame and reputation. Sure, they host a lot of high-class, quality musical performances, but not for free. You have to buy a ticket. And those performances don’t fill hungry bellies, provide shelter from cold and rain, or pay the rent of recently widowed mothers. 

 

Even based on their own standard, the PCG is failing to live up to the biblical principle of “love thy neighbor.” 

 

They are the same as every other grifting church, transferring wealth from the rank and file members to the elites of their gated Edmond compound under the guise of ‘good works’, and even invoking the Bible to do so. 

 

I can only imagine what Christ actually thinks about the PCG. 

 

By Ivan (former PCG member)
July 17, 2025 The Humanitarian Side of the Philadelphia Church of God 

 

LCG Members Accused Of Not Being "Team Players"...Again...

 

What an absolute thrill it must be to slog through life as an LCG member, getting your nose rubbed in the fact that you're the church's crowning achievement in epic failures—like, congratulations, you've out-screwed-up everyone who's ever darkened their doorstep! Those hapless LCG folk can't catch a break, perpetually hauled over the scorching coals for daring to breathe wrong, all while their oh-so-merciful God simmers in eternal rage mode, because nothing says "divine love" like non-stop fury.

And let's not forget, true-blue team players would never stoop to criticizing the sacred church or its infallible ministry—oh no, perish the thought!—or that brain-meltingly tedious sermon from last week that could cure insomnia worldwide!

But gosh, imagine the sheer genius of actually shifting their gaze to Jesus Christ, you know, like they're supposedly meant to? Poof! No more drowning in that glorious swamp of rebellion, petty bickering, and seething envy. Revolutionary stuff, folks—who could've thunk it?

Are You a Team Player? God has called us to be part of a team—with a mission. Effective team players have skills and perspectives that can be identified and learned. Christian team players must be focused on the same goal—the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33)—and work together to preach the Gospel to the world (Mark 16:15). They strive to avoid saying or doing things that offend others (1 Corinthians 10:32; Matthew 18:6–7). They are forgiving and able to overlook slights and insults (Proverbs 10:12; 17:9). Team players don’t criticize or sit in judgment of others on the team; instead, they make sure their own lives are in order (Matthew 7:1–5; James 4:11). Effective team players have learned to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9), and they treat others gently and respectfully, willing to listen (James 1:19). They appreciate that the team is made up of individuals with different talents, and they let other team members know that they are appreciated. In short, good team members have learned to love their neighbors. Let’s strive to develop these vital qualities.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail

COGWA Says That The American Flag Is NOT Evil! Whew! Glad THAT is Settled!

 

Words of astute wisdom from those fun boys in McKinney, Texas.

COGWA: Prophecy Comes Alive! There Are Lots Of Cars On The Roads Running To And Fro!

Those rapidly aging fun boys down in McKinney, Texas, are absolutely killing it right now, aren't they? They're churning out a list of oh-so-prophetic signs that we're definitely, positively in the end times—like, for real this time. It's as if COGWA and Bob Thiel all dipped into the same dusty old playbook of exhausted Armstrongist nonsense. But oh boy, the absolute gem is their very first one: the top indicator of impending doom is... wait for it... all those cars zipping around, making people "run to and fro." Seriously? That's their blockbuster revelation? Armstrongism just keeps plumbing new depths of desperation every single day!

Of course, they merrily prattle on with the same worn-out Church of God claptrap, stuff they happily milk for all it's worth when it suits them. Computers and AI? Total boogeymen, until these geniuses need them to power their "awesome" work. And thanks to those evil machines and the internet, news flashes around the globe in an instant, so folks hear about every famine, earthquake, and disaster the second it hits—instead of waiting weeks or months like in the good old days. But hey, facts keep screaming that these things aren't actually ramping up; nope, it's just the news traveling faster. Shocking, right?

The rest of their brilliant collaboration with Bob Thiel is here:

Specifically, the time of the end is when all of the following prophesied circumstances will be in place. Looking at the list below, consider that these dynamics were not present throughout most of human history—or even the first half of the 20th century. But together, they give the picture of a world on the brink of the Great Tribulation. Reading through these identifiers, there now seem to be only a few details yet to materialize before the final 3½ years of this age commence.

• “Many shall run to and fro” (Daniel 12:4): This prophetic trend comes to mind whenever we’re on a crowded road or in a busy airport. There are now over a billion cars around the world, and millions of passengers fly rapidly through the skies every day.
• “Knowledge shall increase” (Daniel 12:4): The last few years have witnessed an explosion of knowledge, manifested in technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), self-driving vehicles, wearable technology, cloud computing, 3D printing, quantum computing, instantaneous language translation, advanced robotics and many other jaw-dropping developments.
• The capability for humanity to destroy all life: “And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved” (Matthew 24:22). The capacity for humans to destroy all life on the planet did not exist until after 1945, with the advent of the atomic era. Since then, the proliferation of nuclear weapons has made human annihilation possible—multiple times over.
• Increase in famines, disease epidemics and earthquakes: “And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places” (Matthew 24:7). Luke 21:11 calls them “great” earthquakes. There have been food shortages, pandemics and earthquakes many times throughout human history. But Christ’s specific mention of them in the context of end-time events shows that they will become a much more notable, frequent phenomenon.
• Ability to view an event around the world: Revelation 11:3-11 reveals that shortly before Christ returns, His “two witnesses”—who will testify to the world from Jerusalem for 42 months (3½ years)—will be killed. “Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues and nations will see their dead bodiesthree-and-a-half days” (verse 9). For people all around the world to view this, the technology will need to already exist. Not only is this now possible, most of us now see images from other nations daily via satellites and Internet networks.
• An army of 200 million can be fielded: Revelation 9:13-19 describes another event near the end of the 3½ years, during the sixth trumpet. Verse 16 shows that an enormous army will be fielded at that time: “The number of cavalry troops was 200,000,000. I heard how many there were” (International Standard Version). Furthermore, this comes after staggering numbers of humans have already died, as revealed in Revelation 6 through 9. The ability to field such an exceptionally large army was not possible until recent times, when the populations of some nations (such as China and India, for example) or groups of nations grew so dramatically.
• Sacrifices at Jerusalem begin: Daniel 12 points specifically to events at the end of this age (verses 4, 9). Verse 1 calls it the worst time of trouble in human history, which coincides with Christ’s words in Matthew 24:21. How long until all these things are finished? Daniel 12:7 answers that it will be “for a time, times and half a time.” This expression, also mentioned in other prophecies, equates with the final 3½ years (or 1,260 days) before Christ returns.

Verse 11 gives even more details: “And from the time that the daily sacrifice is taken away, and the abomination of desolation is set up, there shall be one thousand two hundred and ninety [1,290] days.”

In order for sacrifices to be taken away just before the final 3½ years, they will first need to be started again. At this time, a number of Jews are advocating and preparing for a restoration of the sacrificial system in Jerusalem. Thus far, those efforts have been stymied by both political and civil opposition. However, Bible prophecy makes it clear the day is coming when animal sacrifices will be instituted and then taken away. Read more in our blog post “Does Bible Prophecy Require a Third Temple to Be Built?”

• Jerusalem surrounded by armies: “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near” (Luke 21:20). Verse 24 adds that Jerusalem will then come under gentile (non-Israelite) control. Matthew’s account adds the detail that the “abomination of desolation” (connected with the ending of sacrifices) will be part of this takeover of Jerusalem (Matthew 24:15).

In Zechariah 12:3, which also refers to Jerusalem in the end times, God says, “And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.”

If there’s any city on earth that’s in the news almost daily—as a focus of conflict, division, bloodshed and controversy—it’s Jerusalem. It is easy to see how military activity could quickly begin and escalate there at any time. For more about what the Bible reveals regarding Jerusalem, see our article “Jerusalem in Prophecy.”

• Final revival of the Roman Empire: Students of Bible prophecy know that God foretold the rise and fall of four great empires. The fourth was the Roman Empire, and the Bible shows that it would be revived again at the time of the end (Daniel 2:42-44).

The end-time revival of the Roman Empire (which has always been centered in Europe) will be a union of 10 “kings” (or kingdoms or states) who agree to come under the authority of the “beast” spoken of in Revelation 17. “And the ten horns which you saw [in verse 3] are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast” (verses 12-13).

These 10 “kings” will not be perfectly unified, but will cooperate to accomplish their mutual goals. This reality is pictured by the 10 toes of the image shown in Daniel 2:42-44. The 10 toes are referred to as “kings” that are together at the end of this age, shortly before God sets up His Kingdom on earth.

Today, multiple voices are encouraging Europe to stand on its own two feet and greatly increase its own military might. And eyes are now turning to Germany, expecting it to take on a greater leadership role. History and prophecy indicate Germany will have a leading role in this future European power.

Schism: The Human Failure to Remain United

The Human Failure to Remain United

Jesus said that he and the Father are one (John 10:30). Later, he said: "My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are." (John 17:9-11, NLT) He continued: “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!" (John 17:22-24, NLT) Hence, we can see that Christ clearly intended for his disciples to remain united.

Moreover, Scripture makes very clear that this is exactly where the Church began. Indeed, when the disciples came together after Christ's resurrection, we read: "When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place." (Acts 2:1, ESV) And, after Peter delivered his sermon, we read: "And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved." (Acts 2:42-47, ESV)

Unfortunately, people being people, things fell apart rather quickly. In the fifteenth chapter of Acts, we are informed that a dispute arose among the believers about whether or not Gentile Christians were obligated to observe the commandments of Torah. Moreover, although all of the apostles came to an agreement that Gentiles were NOT going to be required to observe the tenets of the Old Covenant, the other writings of the New Testament make clear that the issue continued to be a source of contention and division among the saints (see Romans and Galatians).

In Paul's first epistle to the saints of Corinth, we also see that cults of personality began to develop within that congregation. In other words, the saints began to identify more with a particular leader in the early Church and began to form groups within the congregation based on their allegiance to a particular leader. Paul wrote: "I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment. For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers. What I mean is that each one of you says, 'I follow Paul,' or 'I follow Apollos,' or 'I follow Cephas,' or 'I follow Christ.' Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?" (I Corinthians 1:10-13, ESV) For Paul, this divisiveness at Corinth was plainly NOT a positive development. On the contrary, he implored them to eradicate this behavior from their midst!

Paul went on to compare the ekklesia to a human body. He wrote: "The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, 'I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,' that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, 'I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,' would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, 'I don’t need you.' The head can’t say to the feet, 'I don’t need you.' In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it." (I Corinthians 12:12-27, NLT) Clearly, for Paul, the body needed ALL of its parts working together for the common good!

Indeed, this was a common theme throughout the writings we have from the Apostle Paul. He wrote to the Christians at Ephesus to "“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3) Does that mean that unity requires effort? Paul went on to tell them that perfect unity was a goal that everyone should strive to achieve (Ephesians 4:13). Likewise, he wrote to the saints at Rome to "Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.” (Romans 12:16) He also wrote to the Christians at Philippi that they should "make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.” (Philippians 2:2) Paul told the Jewish and Gentile saints of Galatia that they had been made into one people in Christ (Galatians 3:28). Finally, in his second epistle to the Christians of Corinth, the apostle urged them to "Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace.” (II Corinthians 13:11)

We should also note that this notion of unity is completely consistent with Christ's expectations of his disciples. In the Gospel of John, we read that Jesus told his disciples: “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other." (John 15:9-17, NLT) In fact, just prior to this discourse, Jesus had told his disciples that their love for each other would identify them to the world as his disciples! (John 13:35)

This is the sentiment that ALL of Christ's apostles echoed in their teachings. Peter wrote: "Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.” (I Peter 3:8) John wrote: "If we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” (I John 4:12) The anonymous author of the epistle to the Hebrews wrote: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together.” (Hebrews 10:24-25) Likewise, James wrote to his readers that pure religion was to be found in taking care of those among them who were in need (James 1:27). He continued: “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing right.” (James 2:8) He also went on to say: “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16) In other words, God expected his saints to love each other and to live in unity and peace with each other.

Nevertheless, as we have already seen, the saints didn't waste any time in turning their backs on the unity and love which Christ and his apostles had demanded of them. Differences of opinion became grounds to exclude and shun each other. Once again, James laid his finger on the problem. He wrote: "What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world." (James 4:1-8, NLT) Clearly, for James, the source of the division was human nature, NOT God!

This history of bickering and division has continued up to the present day - encompassing the entire two-thousand-year existence of the Christian Church. Over those centuries, there have been a number of heresies, opposing centers of power, church councils, and wars fought in the name of Christ and his Church. Like the Roman Empire itself, the Christian Church developed into a Western and Eastern tradition. The Western tradition centered on Rome, its bishop, and Latin. Likewise, the Eastern tradition centered on Constantinople, its patriarch, and Greek. (Now, while these designations are useful to us, it should be noted that they constitute an oversimplification of a more complex picture of East and West.) At any rate, these two halves of the Church coexisted for many centuries, and both regarded each other as constituting part of the Body of Christ. In 1054, however, theological and political differences resulted in both sides excommunicating each other, and the "Universal" was engulfed in the Great Schism - a division which has never been healed.

Later, in 1517, Martin Luther nailed his famous/infamous Ninety-five Theses to a church door in Germany, and the Protestant Reformation began. Then, over the next five hundred years, the Protestant Church divided into hundreds of different churches/sects/denominations. Among them, a group of Sabbath-keeping Christians emerged and were eventually known as Seventh-Day Baptists. A little later, one of the Millerite groups adopted sabbath-keeping and promptly divided into Seventh-Day Adventists, and the Church of God Seventh Day (which itself divided into two groups). Then, in the Twentieth-Century, a man named Herbert Armstrong broke away from one of the Church of God Seventh Day organizations and founded his own "Radio Church of God." Later, he changed the name to the "Worldwide Church of God" and ruled that organization until his death in 1986. After his death, the Worldwide Church disintegrated into a number of splinter groups, which have continued to splinter into smaller and smaller grouping ever since. One of these groups, the "Church of God International" has itself divided a number of times over the years. The most recent schism being Pastor Bill Watson of Medina, Ohio's declaration of independence from that group's Tyler, Texas headquarters.

What is the point of all of these Scriptural passages and history? That division is NOT of God! It is born of humans who have refused to follow Christ's commandments and teachings! In other words, division is ALWAYS born of SIN! Division is NOT consistent with Love. It is born of impatience, jealousy, anger, ego/pride, rudeness, unkindness, irritability, giving up, faithlessness, hopelessness, and a distinct lack of forgiveness (see I Corinthians 13:4-7). Schism within the body of Christ is also indicative of individuals who are NOT living according to the beatitudes outlined in Christ's Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 5:3-10). In schism, we don't usually find much evidence of humility, hungering for righteousness, mercy, pure hearts, or workers for peace! Hence, we are forced to conclude that ALL schism is born of sin and is INCONSISTENT with Christ's commandment to love each other, and to help each other survive the pitfalls and suffering of this present world! In short, schism CANNOT be justified. None of the excuses offered by those who engage in the practice are ever sufficient to justify it! What do you think?

Miller Jones/Lonnie C Hendrix 

Crackpot Bob, Aliens and Demons

 

Behold! God's gift to the universe is also apparently an authority on aliens and demons. Demons? Sure, we're practically guaranteed those little darlings work intimately with the Great Bwana. Aliens? Eh, not so much—because who needs evidence when you've got divine vibes?

Never has the church been blessed with such an astonishing prophet, one who simply must shove his nose into every single trivial matter of daily life, the latest headlines, or the delirious ramblings of people's addled brains. Not once bothering to emulate a genuine prophet of God—y'know, by following those quaint biblical examples from prophets of yore—our omniscient overlord instead graces us with deep dives into topics nobody asked for or gives a flying saucer about, especially not actual Christians. Why bother teaching his flock how to follow The Way when you can dazzle them with pointless scraps of speculative drivel? Clearly, this genius-level idiocy always outshines the Gospel message when it comes to Bwana Bob.

Is it an Alien or is it a Demon?

In late October 2025, 3I/ATLAS came near the sun! Is it an Alien? Is it a Demon? A Harvard astronomer suggested that it was “an ‘Alien Mothership.’ Many people are convinced Earth has been visited by aliens from outer space. More Americans believe in aliens than in Jesus. Several people even claimed to be abducted by aliens. Other people say that, despite looking, scientists have not ever been able to locate space aliens and that every claimed alien sighting can be explained by a physical phenomenon. Tucker Carlson believes so-called alien spaceships are piloted by demons. Are there really demons? Well, God warns us about them in the Bible. Is it possible that all the accurate claims of an alien sighting are really manifestations of demons? What about poltergeists and apparitions? Did a demon visit Fatima, Portugal numerous times in 1917? Should we believe something that appears to be an angel if it supports a false gospel? According to the Book of Revelation, will demon sightings become more frequent? Is deception the purpose of these manifestations? Are verifiable signs and lying wonders prophesied to deceive? The answers to the questions of demonic deception are found in the pages of your Bible. Dr. Thiel uses the Bible to address the subject of demonic deception. He shines the light of Bible prophecy on the purpose of these deceptions and provides a way for you and me to avoid the deception of Satan and his lying spirits.