Imagine Being Such A Pathetic Self-Appointed Prophet That You Need To Trot Out Norm Edwards To Legitimize Yourself

  

It's another sunny day in COG prophetland and our favorite COG prophet is getting so tired of being mocked that he is not a legitimate COG prophet that has to drag out Norm Edwards to bring him some legitimacy. 

You remember Norm Edwards, another self-appointed church leader who thought he was the final authority on all kinds of church matters, so much so that started The Shepherds Voice magazine and bought land in Port Austin, Michigan where he thought COG members would flock to for all kinds of classes. That never materialized, but he did start a recovery program for addicts at the campus which did help a lot of people in recovery and integration back into society. Edwards later sold the campus and moved on to other things.

Our most superfantabulous COG prophet to ever lead a COG in the history of humanity, who in spite of being the Great White Bwana to Africa, is still seeking to find legitimacy in the eyes of COG members who continue to mock and ignore him. Bwana Bob Thiel probably has this emblazoned upon his mirror in  his bathroom so he can see it every day, 

"A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country,
and among his own kin, and in his own house." Mark 6:4)

The Great Bwana has once again posted a long article by Norm Edwards on the "need" for prophets in the church today more than we need their "prophecy". Jesus apparently isn't good enough, so, like all corrupt humans, there needs to be someone physical to look up to. Jesus is not adequate. 

Bwana Bob writes:

Many are fascinated with prophecy and speculative interpretations. 

 

But less interest in any possible genuine prophets at this time. 

 

Norman Edwards, a former board member of the old Global Church of God, wrote an article Need Prophets More than Prophecy.

After a long screed by Norm, Bwana Bob has this to say:

Norman Edwards runs Nashville Christian Media and has been the editor for Shepherd’s Voice magazine. He is not part of the ContinuingChurch of God, where, I function as its human leader (and am an anointed prophet; the only known such prophet in any legitimate Church of God group). 

 

It still fascinates me how Bwana Bob can lie so much about his self-appointment and ordination. God never planned this, was part of it, or sanctified him as a prophet. That is a fact that he can't refute.

But of course, I am an unconverted backsliding Laodicean heathen who refuses to acknowledge Bob's prophethood status. Bwana Bob has some choice words for people like me (and you):

While Norman Edwards and I have long disagreed about aspects of church governance and various matters of doctrine (and I would have suggested a different title, etc. for his article), we both agree that many who are in or claim to be in the Church of God (COG) wrongly do not accept that God has any prophets today. We also agree that most have severe difficulty to identify one who really is a prophet because of various unscriptural biases and improper criteria that they have.

What improper criteria? 

This?

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Matt 7:15

For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Matt 24:24

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 Peter 2:1

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 1 John 4:1-6

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. 2 Cor 11:13-15

But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him. Deut 18:20-22

Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. Jer 23:16

For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. Romans 16:18

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 2Tim 4:3-4

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. 2 Peter 2:1-3

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Matt 7:15-20

The Bwana continues with this: 

Because of false prophets in a couple of COG-related groups and a disbelief in prophets by most of the COG groups, the non-Philadelphian COGs have a lot of severe prophetic misunderstandings. 

The entire COG movement has NEVER had any PROPER prophets in their midst in its modern-day history and this includes Herbert Armstrong, Richard Ritenbaugh, Gerald Waterhouse, Rod Meredith, Gerald Flurry, Dave Pack, Ron Weinland, and the host of other self-appointed know-it-alls over the decades.

 

As Norman Edward’s article points out, it is scriptural to now have prophets according to the New Testament. But many who truly believe that they live by the word of God have discounted or overlooked what the Bible actually teaches and/or have been influenced by others who have done the same or worse. The COG has at least one demonstrably true prophet today, yet most in the greater COG world seem to be able to ignore the truth about that, like most ignored John the Baptist and others in their day.

What utter bullshit! Bob Thiel is NOT a true prophet and that is a fact! 

The Great Bwana also says:

The current problem is that most end time Christians are Laodicean and instead of using God’s criteria, they use their own.

More smelly bullshit! If anything that the COG's do have right. its the fact that most do not see the need for yet another beta-male liar standing up pounding their underdeveloped chest proclaiming, "look at me!"

All any of these fools do is take the focus off of the One they are supposed to be following but refuse to.

Don’t listen to the sermons of the prophets. 

It’s all hot air. Lies, lies, and more lies. 

They make it all up. 

Not a word they speak comes from me.

Jeremiah 23:16 

The Math is Incorrect: Prophet Bobalonia Pronounces Bullshitta on Shemitahs!

 There's been a lot of talk about Shemitahs lately...evidently. 

 

"Modern Jews claim that the period of time from sunset September 6, 2021 through sunset September 25, 2022 is a 'Shemitah year.' Some claim that this and the year that begins when this one ends (the claimed 'jubilee' is being called a 'super shemitah") and runs through 2023 may cause destruction or the Great Reset. Is this possible? Is Messianic Jew, Jonathan Cahn (of the Harbinger fame) a prophet of God as Pat Robertson has said or a false prophet? Was he right about the financial collapse of the USA in 2015? Are the Jews right about their Shemitah year being year 5982, or is 5991 closer? What about the beginning of sorrows? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more."

BibleNewsProphecy: 2022-2023 Shemitahs: Destruction/Reset?

Spoiler Alert

For entertainment purposes only

The Great Prophet "clearly" shows how the Great Shemitahs Destruction Reset is nothing to worry about.  They do not fit his calculations so if you were concerned about them beginning this month on the 6th, you can relax.  

And too...Someone, please send Prophet Bobalonia a New Testament for Christ's sake...and his own!

Bob Thiel Gives "A Few Tips on Ending Your Financial Worries

Well, actually HWA's "Tips" being too lazy, unwilling, or unable to express it himself evidently.  I also don't recall HWA offering to end my financial worries with mere "tips".  

Not taking the "tips" had real consequences as I recall for both member and minister

 

A few tips on ending your financial worries

Ending Your
FINANCIAL WORRIES
by Herbert W. Armstrong
©Copyright 1959 

 

What Most People Don’t Know 

There is something you probably don’t know about your income. If there is anything people are jealous of, it is the money they earn. They usually work hard for it. And they want full freedom in deciding for themselves what they do with it. 

 

People say: “What I earn is MINE — I can do what I please with it!”

But is the money you earn really your own? Don’t be too sure. Notice these FACTS about your income you probably haven’t known!

What you earn is not yours!

The man who says, “What I do with the money I earn with my own labor is nobody’s business — I produced it — it belongs to me,” is mistaken. 

 

What you earn, by work performed or investments made is not yours — not any of it — that is, not UNTIL …! 

 

And here is what most people don’t know about their income! 

 

There are two prior claims on your income. One, of course, is taxes. 

 

Human governments, by virtue of MAN-made laws, are able forcibly to extract from your incomes not one tenth, but an average of over ONE QUARTER, a vast amount of which is mis-spent. Jesus said we are to pay taxes — render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s — be subject to the powers that be. Governments, therefore, have exercised a PRIOR right to one quarter of your income — and in the case of salary or wages, governments take it out BEFORE YOU get your pay. 

 

But the first claim is GOD’S claim. You probably never realized this fact before — but it is a fact. God Almighty the living CREATOR-RULER of the universe claims it all — every dollar — every pound — every franc — every mark. Your Maker who gives you the very air you breathe tells you it all belongs to Him, not to you!  

 

But didn’t you earn it? Didn’t YOU produce it? 

 

Not exactly! Everything produced — money, and all that money can buy — comes out of the earth. You didn’t produce that! God created that. You merely applied certain energy in physical action and in thinking to what God had created and owned. And God created even that energy you expended — He created your thinking processes. He not only created, originally, but He sustains what He created, including all force and energy."...

Therefore GOD HAS A RIGHT to take, or dispose of what you regard as your income AS HE WILLS. He OWNS it. It is not yours, it is HIS!

So God, the rightful OWNER of your income, has MADE A LAW respecting its disposal and its use. By virtue of being Creator and Sustainer of the earth and all in it, God is supreme RULER and LAWGIVER...

God takes only ONE tenth. And after you have been honest in PAYING God’s tenth to God’s chosen representative, then — AND NOT UNTIL THEN — God has decreed that the other NINE tenths becomes legally YOURS!

THAT’S GOD’S LAW!  (Note:  Hey wait!  I thought it was just a "Tip"?) Not a penny of what you earn, or a penny’s worth of the value of what you produce, is YOURS — it ALL belongs to God to do with as HE directs. But God has legally directed that after you have honestly paid Him the one little, small tenth He requires for His use, then the other NINE tenths He gives to YOU. Then, and not until then, you can rightfully claim OWNERSHIP over that nine tenths. Then and thereafter it is YOURS to do with as YOU decide.

When we get our thinking straight — when we get UNDERSTANDING — when we stop to realize HOW MUCH of what we have was provided by GOD — then we realize how LOVING, how GENEROUS, how solicitous for our welfare God is.

Thanks for the tips!

 Any "tips" on upcoming Holyday Offerings?

Crackpot Fake COG Prophet Tells Others To Not Be Deceived By Other Crackpot False COG Prophets In The Church

One thing the perfect restoration of 1st-century Christianity that so many COG's believe they are today is that it has proven to be the most unbelievably screwed up era in the history of the COG movement. Never has the church been filled with so many self-appointed apostles, prophets, visionaries, and channelers of dreams than what we have today. Herbert Armstrong had no idea what his rebellion against the COG7 would accomplish in the long run. That spirit of rebellion entered the church from the onset and has been wreaking havoc ever since. Each and every one of these beta-men claims they are the most incredible prophet the church has ever seen. Each of them has the answer to everything and everyone else is wrong.

This all brings us once more to the world's foremost sought-after historian and theologian. No COG prophet has ever been this intelligent in the history of the church. No COG prophet has ever been more accurate than this man, though being a beta-man, he is too afraid to make a definitive statement on anything but yet still expects us to believe his prophetic mental verbosity. 

Today our great savior of Africa and end time Amos, Elijah, Elisha, Joshua, and the only doubly-blessed prophet of God in human history is back telling us that the end is not here (at least not for 3 or more years) and that Satan is so angry with him that there are malcontents out there that are imitating him and his greatness. So be warned, you could be deceived by other COG false prophets trying to be like him, Bob Thiel, the epitome of prophethood greatness!

The Great Bwana of Africa and 299 Caucasians writes: 

Many have been influenced by political matters to believe that the end (meaning the Great Tribulation) is going to happen within the next 2-3 years. It will not. 

 

Furthermore, consider that Jesus taught:

5 Take heed that no one deceives you. 6 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many. 7 But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. 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 13:5-8) 

 

While many events are aligning with biblical prophecies, the end is not yet. 

It is always fun to watch COG prophets quote Jesus with the above scriptures. This is one of the few times they quote the guy and it is always to warn others about liars and false prophets in the church, NEVER that they themselves are the very people Jesus is speaking out against!

Some are caught up with political and other changes which influence them tell others that the end is sooner than it is or that certain political policies are more important than they are in the overall light of God’s plan. 

Or that weather and natural disasters are God's punishment for sinful humanity. Which is always a sure sign of the end times.

The Bible teaches:

12 Do not say, ‘A conspiracy,’ Concerning all that this people call a conspiracy, Nor be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. (Isaiah 8:12) 

 

It is not that Satan is not conspiring, but understanding certain ‘conspiracies’ is simply not relevant for Christians. 

 

While prophetic events are going on, there is still time before the end, and there still are false prophets.

In the Church of God, everyone is always a false prophet in charge of a competing splinter group, but NEVER, NEVER, is it the person doing the badmouthing.

The Great Bwana then goes on to claim:

We in the Continuing Church of God strive to always rely on the Bible for our prophetic understandings and teachings. Because of that:

19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts. (2 Peter 1:19, KJV) 

 

We have been correct on what we have actually taught on prophetic matters.

What a steaming pile of prophetic bullcrap! The only prophetic understanding the improperly named "continuing" Church of God proclaims is the mental shenanigans of Bob Thiel's delusional mind. God has no more sent dreams to Bob than he has to Dave Pack. No one and I repeat NO ONE should ever believe Bob Thiel's beta-man prophecies.

So what has stirred Bob up this time that he needs to make these statements? Apparently, someone is circulating a video that many think comes from him. Though in Bob's mind "many" is most likely one or two people.

Bwana Bob warns that people should beware of videos not produced by his mindboggling world headquarters located in a dingy storefront in the Five Cities area of central CA.

 

 

Well, yesterday someone not part of CCOG asked me if a video that one or more CCOG members were promoting/circulating was produced by us. I responded that it was not from the CCOG. But this person had thought that it may have.

Please be careful about tying CCOG in with emails and videos that you might send that we have not produced here in the Five Cities Region of California, which is where our world headquarters is located. Also, be careful about speculations–they should be identified as such. 

Bwana Bob is concerned about the speculations of others yet every single thing he says is pure speculation. From prophecy to bible interpretations, nothing he says is backed up by scripture, news stories, or prophetic visions. NOTHING!  

Sadly, in this day and age in the Church of God, we are witnesses to some of the biggest liars the church has ever had in its midst. More false prophets exist in the Church of God today than there has been since HWA started it.

Thoughts and Prayers: Bob Thiel cannot send them for sinner or saint as this is....

...the Bronze Age Weather God "Trying to tell them something"

Must not interfere in the lesson

 

While the effectiveness of "Thoughts and Prayers" during a crisis that is both predictable, well understood as natural and part of living in harm's way is, to me, are of questionable and practical value, I am sure we all hope the Gulf Coast residents stay safe and are able to find shelter in the storm. I suspect few will worry about their personal rights when placed under mandatory evacuation, told which routes to do so on and when to return for the sake of themselves and their families.

In the major COG splits, splinters and slivers it is God who is doing this "trying" to get these especially evil sinners attention, so they can't send thoughts and prayers to the population as this is God's doing and could be seen as disloyal to the plan. Of course, it isn't since we don't actually have to fear the Bronze Age/OT concept of what weather actually is. If they could see it as Satan "trying to disrupt the Feast of Tabernacles along all the popular Gulf locations, then perhaps thoughts and prayers would be appropriate and called for. Otherwise, they just have take it as God canceling their feast plans for a higher cause.

That said, I know we wish all the Gulf Coast residents having to deal with the chaos and damage that Ida is about to inflict our loving hope for their personal safety.

I would hope for the same when the Juan De Fuca plate off the coast of Oregon and Washington slips us a 9 earthquake, which is also expected someday again as it has done with regularity of about every 350years in the past. The last time, however, in 1700 was before Seattle, Tacoma and Portland existed. Goes with the turf.

Depression in the Churches of God due to constant prophecy fatigue

When Herbert Armstrong was rebelling against the COG 7 and dreaming up his splinter group, he was also reading numerous books by the Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventists, and the Mormon Church. In his downstairs basement, in the old walk-in safe, were numerous books from these groups with sections marked up, underlined, and with copious notes in the margins. Of these groups, the Jehovah's Witnesses' literature made up the largest quantity of these books. Of any of the Millerite splinter groups out there, the JW's are the closest to Armstrongism in their beliefs and in the number of failed propechies. Surprisingly these failed prophecies follow almost identical Worldwide Church of God/Armstrongite prophecies. By now we have all seen the 200+ documented failed prophecies of Armstrong and his minions. Armstrong's failure rate in prophecy is identical to the JW's failure rate, particularly when it comes to the 1971 - 1975 prophecies. Both churches failed miserably in their predictions.

Like all churches out there that utter predictions that never come to pass, they fluff it off as a timing mistake or that God was not ready or it happened spiritually. Even today in 2021, the church is filled with many false prophets uttering asinine predictions and outright lies to their members. Just look at Bob Thiel, Dave Pack, Gerald Flurry, and Ron Weinland and you can see this in action today.

None of these buffoons ever take into consideration what happens to members when they are subjected to their prophetic lunacy that fails every single time. Some members become numb to it and just fluff it off as not really important to worry about because even HWA made mistakes and he was still God's apostle. Others sink into depression due to these constant moving of goal posts. Marriages suffer and frustrations are taken out of family members with all kinds of abuse happening. Others, like Terry Ratzmann are so damaged by the words of COG ministers that they lash out in violence and kill members. Sadly, as more and more COG self-appointed prophets make more and more public lies, I am afraid that we may soon see a member in Restored Church of God or Philadelphia Church of God crack under this pressure and resort to some kind of violence. It is only a matter of time. Then, watch as their leaders leap into action to delete sermons, backtrack, and portray the members as the disturbed ones instead of taking any responsibility.

I have to hand it to Jeff Reed of the Church of God international who recently wrote about the current spate of false prophets in the Church of God. In his article, The Dangers of Headline Theology, Reed said,

We in the Church of God International may occasionally look at world events and examine them through the lens of God’s law or prophecy. Still, we carefully avoid making dogmatic statements and identify our observations as speculation. Those who practice “headline theology” go much further. They may predict specific days or years as an absolute fulfillment of prophesied events. Or they may suggest that the end is only a few years away. 

 

One of the dangers of this mindset is paranoia. We are told in Philippians 4:6-7 to “not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Looking at every new war, earthquake, natural disaster, social trend, or political change as a fulfillment of prophecy can cause anxiety.

Armstrongism is filled with prophecy addicts who have a field day by looking at every war, earthquake, natural disaster, social trend, and the political minefield as somehow relating to Bible prophecy. Most of the time, these fools are pulling predictions out of their sanctimonious privileged derrieres which have absolutely nothing to do with end-time events.

Of course, some of them only say they are speculating and if it doesn't happen then they are off the hook. In a comment on The Painful Truth website there is this comment by a woman named Kathy regarding COG prophets and those who make excuses for their lies:

Re: whether or not the Armstrongs claimed to be prophets, It's all semantics, my friend. Catch-phrases, such as "we're now in the gun-lap" "eight or nine short years to go", "in five or six short years from now", "last dying gasp of this wicked society," "God's apostle for the "end-time," etc. etc. ad infinitum, do have a certain prophetic ring to them. Both Garner Ted Armstrong and HWA have been more careful, at least since 1972, when their credibility was slightly damaged by the non-fulfillment of their predictions, to make it abundantly clear that they are not "prophets"-all the while continuing to "watch," or as a cynical person such as myself might put it, to prophesy. 

 

If you are a sincere person, and I have no reason to doubt that you are, I suggest that you go to a university (a "worldly," accredited one, please) and take some basic history courses, beginning with the History of Western Civilization. I especially recommend this if you think you already know this history, based on what the Armstrongs taught you. The reason that "not many wise men now are called" is because educated people, generally, simply know better than to fall for the histrionics of the proclaimers of the end of the world. They've seen this sort of thing through the ages and they understand the motive behind it. (And yes, I do remember what the New Testament says about people who say what I've just said. I don't care, so don't quote it to me.) Garner Ted Armstrong's Myrmidon Replies To Questions

Back to Jeff Reed's observations:

Another danger with “headline theology” is that it may cause some to lose their faith. Many over the years have put their hopes in a prophetic fulfillment that never comes to pass. Church leaders have unwisely predicted specific dates for the return of Christ or have implied that it would occur within a certain number of years. This date-setting has caused disillusionment in many former Christians. Faith in Christ becomes entwined with faith in their leader's predictions. Once these predictions ultimately fail, they can have a devastating effect on those who gullibly believed them.

William Miller predicted that Jesus would return to earth by 1844. He was so wrong in his calculations that the ensuing failure has been labeled the “Great Disappointment.” This failed prediction caused many to abandon their faith entirely and others to refer to this event as a reason to not even consider Christianity. Since then, many others have made similar predictions based on faulty calculations and their perceptions of world wars, disasters, and other dramatic events. They have all been wrong, and some of the fallout has been many people losing faith entirely. This also hurts the credibility of organizations and preachers, making their ensuing evangelistic efforts less effective.

One of the great things about Reed's article is that he used outside sources to support his viewpoints. Most COG members never look outside their insular worlds filled with pastor generals, chief apostles, and overseer's booklets, sermons, and articles as all the proof they will ever need. Besides, those so-called Christians of the world are losers and fake so why care about what they say!

One of the links Reed used was about what failed prophecy does to the mindset of members of these cults and in this case, it was a Jehovah's Witness. They too had the same end of the world scenario that was supposed to happen in 1975 that Armstrongism did. Here is how it affected one of its members:

A DEPRESSED JEHOVAH’S WITNESS 

Since 1975 when the Witnesses predicted the arrival of God‘s kingdom on earth there have been numerous problems in the Watchtower congregation. These problems have included dis-fellowshipping, doctrinal disputes, and the aftermath of recurring prophetic speculation failures (Hickman1992). In 1966 the Watchtower society issued a number of statements predicting the significance of the new date 1975 for the heralding of Christ Millennial Reign and the catastrophic implications for non-believers. The prediction was based upon biblical chronology which predicted that 6,000 years from man‘s creation will end in 1975 and the seventh period of a thousand years of human history will begin in the fall of 1975. This prophecy had a significant effect on the movement which was galvanised and proselytisation increased substantially. However, 1975 passed without incident leaving the Watchtower vulnerable and open to claims of prophetic disconfirmation. The leaders responded through invoking a number of rationalisations, denial and purges and blamed the rank and file membership for misreading the organisation‘s interpretation. The initialrationalisation of the failure of Armageddon to arrive emphasised the time lapses within the creation of Adam and Eve. This had been miscalculated.

In his ethnographic study of Witnesses Sociologist Andrew Holden (1992) presents a number of testimonies of ex Witnesses who believed the world would end in 1975. 

 

"I said it from the platform. We told everyone the end was near. When I became a Witness I gave up my insurance policies, I cancelled my insurance endowments, I never bought a house because I knew I wouldn‘t need one. We didn‘t even want to put the kids‘ names down for school". 

 

Holden notes that the governing body of Watchtower regarded the failures as a test of faith. In agreement with Brian Wilson‘sjudgement many did not abandon faith because of disappointment about a date as this would be too traumatic an experience to contemplate. Like many other prophetic groups disconfirmed prophecy does not necessarily lead to the dissolution of the group (Stone 2013). 

 

In my own work I have treated one man who lived through the anticipated apocalypse in 1975. Martin is a 70 year old man. Martin was born in the north of England. He first encounters Jehovah Witnesses while he was growing up as an adolescent in his home town. He started to attend Kingdom Hall and to read Watchtower. Very quickly he became hooked and begun to believe their prophecies about Armageddon. In 1974 the year before the expected arrival of Armageddon he was very excited. Much of his time was spent in Kingdom Hall and the discussions there centred round the arrival of Jesus‘ reign. He had no doubt in his mind that this would occur. He left his employment as a chef in anticipation of this prospect. He remembers for several days before the expected arrival he could not sleep. Every morning he awoke in eager anticipation of the end.

But the expected date arrived and nothing happened. How did he respond? Like many other Witnesses he knew at the time, he developed a depressive disorder. For several months he was low in mood. He was bewildered and could not understand why things had happened as such. His sleep was poor as was his appetite. He lost a considerable amount of weight. He begun to doubt the views of the Witnesses and debated with them as to why their prediction had failed. He became angry when one Witness explained to him that it was the fault of the believers who had miscalculated the date. He began to feel that life was hopeless and even seriously contemplated suicide. He ended up in psychiatric treatment where he was prescribed antidepressants. Over several months he improved and shortly afterwards left the Jehovah Witnesses movement. Much of the psychotherapeutic work with him focused upon his anger pertaining to this disconfirmed prophecy. In retrospect he felt he was ̳naive‘ to be taken in by this prophecy and cautioned me never to get involved with them. He is no longer religious although he considers that God may exist but for him no one can know when the world will end. Prophecies are Dangerous Things: Mental Health Implications of Prophetic Disconfirmation

Depression in Armstrongism has been rampant but leaders and ministers sweep it undercover as they label such depression either a sign that a person has been sinning or even demon possessed. Never do they consider it is because of their lies. Sadly in the Churches of God today there are few if any, ministers who are trained to deal with depression or are even trained as real counselors. Their only training is from a minister above them or the current church leader and not by real clinical therapists who teach proper counseling techniques.

As more and more Church of God leaders make more and more asinine prophecies or speculations as they call them, more and more COG members will be suffering from deep depression and hopelessness. None of this needs to happen if these ministers and leaders actually followed the Christ they claim to follow. If they did they would stop the prophecy crap and teach their members about the present rest one can have in Christ and a peace that passes all understanding.

Matthew 11:30
The Message

28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

John 14:27
The Message

25-27 “I’m telling you these things while I’m still living with you. The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught.

John 14:27
New Revised Standard Version

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

 

Crackpot COG Prophet Claims He Was RIGHT!

 

Don't you just love COG self-appointed prophets? These are the blustering do-nothing little men that stick their chests out and beat them regularly so that all will listen to them. Not a single one of them was ever appointed by god to deliver any message that has any relevance whatsoever, so all we hear is the mental shenanigans of deluded minds seeking to be relevant. 

Real prophets of God spoke with authority and never pussyfooted around with what they had to say. There was never any "could it be's?", "maybe's?", "most likely's?", "what if's?", "will it's?", and other ways of presenting their "sure facts" as questions. Never has the church had such blustering impotent little man/boy prophets in its midst than what we see today.

This brings us to our most favorite self-appointed prophet to the Church of God in human history, our Great Bwana to Africa and 299 Caucasians, the ONLY double-blessed prophet in the history of Christianity, the latter-day Elisha, Joshua, the Elijah to come, Jeremiah, the end time Amos, the prophet of all prophets, the worlds foremost sought after historian and theologian, and peddler of homeopathic remedies, Dr. Robert Thiel! Knell in amazement and wonder at his very sight! God has been most merciful to us by sending this most amazing prophet into our midst! Dave Pack and Gerald Flurry cower in his presence!

Anyway, it's time to move on before his head swells up any bigger than it already is, to more important topics like the drought in the West and wildfires in California.

With the drought in the west and fires burning California, it is the ultimate wet dream for COG prophets.

The prophesied Elijah to come says that these wildfires are all the result of a bunch of frisky homosexuals and other sinners in California and thus the West is being punished. Our prophet "predicted" these very things in 2012 in the most mind-boggling book of theological fiction ever published!

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

 

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.

The Amos in our midst then says: 

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) 

 

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 exampleto 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.

Like all good so-called Bible scholars in the Church of God today, Amos Elijah Thiel never goes on to tell the rest of the story. About Lot offering his two daughters to be raped by the men of Sodom, or how these horny girls went on to commit incest with Daddy. 

What Amos Elijah Thiel does not mention is what Ezekial said about Sodom which pretty much sums up the state of affairs in the current COG movement today:

Only this was the sin of your sister Sodom: arrogance! She and her daughters had plenty of bread and untroubled tranquility; yet she did not support the poor and the needy. (Ezekiel 16:49)

Never has the church been filled with such arrogant men like what we have currently leading so many COG's. Arrogant, narcissistic, proud, boastful, and blustering men who ignore the poor, the elderly, the homeless, the orphans, the mentally ill, the sick, the needy in their groups and the world that surrounds them today. 

If the so-called doubly-blessed prophet really knew his Bible, which he doesn't,  he would know that many times people suffered because of the religious idiots ruling over them. Jesus clearing warned those false religious morons about what was going to happen to them if they continued to deceive people and yet they never stopped, just like today's crop of COG leaders are doing. 

It is time people stopped listening to these fools currently leading various COG's. Each and every one of them are certified false prophets. They are all liars and hypocrites.

 

Crackpot COG Prophet Admits His Members Not Protected During Haiti Earthquake

 

Nowadays in the COG movement, none of them can claim immunity to world disasters, disease, and other tragedies that befall people in the world, like the church did in the past. These days COG members are right in the mix.

The Great Bwana to Africa and 299 Caucasians said today that some of his people in Haiti have lost homes and some were injured. Of course, as Dennis noted this morning, the Great Bwana blamed this on his creature "jesus" who predicted such things.

Haiti has already had many problems and troubles, and this quake looks to make matters worse.
The quake was centered close to where most of the Continuing Church of God brethren in Haiti live.
I received three reports related to CCOG members there. 5 of the brethren in the area now do not have housing due to the quake and one woman broke her leg. There look to be other issues as well.
Our leader in Haiti is going around his area to visit the brethren. .
Please keep those in Haiti in your prayers.
We are also trying to figure out how to best assist physically as well.
Of course, we all realize that Jesus predicted earthquakes and troubles:

8 … And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be…troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. (Mark 13:8)

33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. 34 It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. 35 Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming — in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning — 36 lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” (Mark 13:33-37)

Notice that Jesus listed earthquakes as one of the signs that precede the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:4-21) and told His followers to watch.
Regular readers of this COGwriter Church of God News page may recall that earthquakes were number 5 of my list of 21 items to prophetically watch in 2021

Imagine that, a COG prophet predicting earthquakes! Amazing! Who knew such things happened? The amazing things the god of Bob reveals are truly mind-shattering! 

Essentially, the Bible shows that there will be the greatest earthquake of all time that will level mountains, and this will be followed by the sea and the waves roaring. And if most of the frozen waters have melted by then, the height of these roaring waves apparently will be enough to destroy most who live on islands. As well as affect those who live in coastal regions and islands.

Get off your Laodicean butts people! Join the one true church and the one true doubly-blessed leader so that you too will know the right time to flee to Petra!  Petra will be the only safe place on earth at that point. Bwana Bob's god will send a cloud to cover Petra so that fighter jets can not bomb the area. Rain will suddenly fill the valleys and food will be abundant to fete the thousands of COG members and co-workers who will all converge there as Pack, Flurry, Weinland, Weston, Kubik, and others lead the faithful to meet Bwana Bob, the King of Petra. At this point in time, Flurry, Pack, Weinland, Weston, Kubik, and all the other COG leaders will turn over their leadership roles to the Great Bwana Bob Thiel. and submit to his awesomeness.

Bob's god is an awesome god! The Place of Final Training will be superfantabulous!

 

Crackpot COG Prophet Says His Followers Should Be Ready To Sacrifice Themselves To Get The Vaccine

 

The Great Bwana to Africa and leader of 299 Caucasians has put his superfantabulous doubly-blessed brain to work and declared that some of his ministers and elders that plan on travelling to Feast sites in other nations will almost certainly need to be vaccinated. If they decide to travel internationally and maybe even nationally then they need to look upon getting the vaccine as a being "living-sacrifices" for the most amazing work the COG has seen in its 2,000-year history. If the vaccine kills you or disables you in some way, that's ok because you are doing the Lord's Bob's work. The convoluted reasoning for this is appalling.

Several in North America and Africa who will be traveling to serve in other nations have had to get a vaccine in order to be let in those countries. Even before COVID, certain counties have always required certain vaccines in order to enter (like the Yellow Fever vaccine for many African nations). Regarding CCOG’s actions on this in 2021, I personally spoke with someone in each of the households who were considering international travel for CCOG and told them 1) the nation(s) they want to visit and assist at the Feast of Tabernacles would not let them in if they did not get one of the vaccines, 2) that they did not have to go if they did not want to, and 3) if they still wanted to go they would need to get the vaccine. All in that category either decided to get a vaccine or otherwise plan to do so shortly. Though I did not mention Romans 12:1 to them, the Apostle Paul said Christians should be willing to be a living sacrifice–and while that does not mean we try to harm ourselves, we should be willing to suffer (Romans 8:17), if need be, for the Kingdom of God. 

 

Personally, I do not care for vaccines, nor believe that government officials have told the full true story about them. Yet, even before COVID have written that if one was necessary to work to fulfill Matthew 24:14 and/or 28:19-20, it would be something I would be willing to do.

Little Big Man Struggles Publicly to Partially Prove He's a Prolific Prophet.

 

Mike Lindell prediction related to Joe Biden and Donald Trump is not happening

Gerald Flurry is NOT God’s prophet.

Nor is Mike Lindell.

As far as predictions about Donald Trump, here is a list that  I posted publicly that were at least partially fulfilled:

WARNING ONE: Donald Trump will offend the Europeans. FULFILLED.

WARNING TWO: Donald Trump’s election will be used to further push European unity. FULFILLED.

WARNING THREE: Increased civil unrest will come to the USA. FULFILLED.

WARNING FOUR: The fourth warning was that Donald Trump’s rise would encourage the Europeans to arm: FULFILLED–THOUGH MORE STEPS WILL TAKE PLACE.

WARNING FIVE: There is a fifth warning related to the fourth: Germany will want a stronger military. FULFILLED. FILLED–THOUGH MORE STEPS WILL TAKE PLACE.

WARNING SIX: Donald Trump’s views on climate change will cause problems with Europe. FULFILLED.

WARNING SEVEN: Donald Trump will be one that is involved in fulfilling 2 Timothy 3:1-5. FULFILLED.

WARNING EIGHT: Debt will increase under Donald Trump. FULFILLED.

WARNING NINE: Donald Trump may propose a peace deal consistent with Daniel 9:27. FULFILLED–THOUGH MORE STEPS WILL TAKE PLACE.

WARNING TEN: Donald Trump would support aspects of ecumenical unity. FULFILLED.

WARNING ELEVEN: People will call for Donald Trump’s impeachment. FULFILLED.

WARNING TWELVE: Donald Trump would encourage the rise of the final King of the South of biblical prophecy–a power involving peoples in the Middle East and North Africa. FULFILLED–THOUGH MORE STEPS WILL TAKE PLACE.

WARNING THIRTEEN: The rise of Donald Trump will confirm to various ones that the USA is in decline. FULFILLED.

WARNING FOURTEEN: Daily sacrifices will one day resume in Jerusalem (cf. Daniel 9:27; 11:31). 

PARTIALLY FULFILLED–STEPS IN PROCESS (Note: I did NOT post that the daily sacrifices would start during a Donald Trump Administration, only that they one day would need to start. The Trump Administration took steps that at least indirectly helped set the stage).

WARNING FIFTEEN: Donald Trump will support increased government surveillance. FULFILLED.

WARNING SIXTEEN: Donald Trump’s Administration would focus too much on China and not consider the military threat that Europe poses. FULFILLED.

WARNING SEVENTEEN: Donald Trump’s position on the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP) will assist China. FULFILLED.

WARNING EIGHTEEN: Mexico will look more towards Europe and less towards the USA on trade matters. AT LEAST PARTIALLY FULFILLED–THOUGH MORE STEPS WILL TAKE PLACE.
WARNING NINETEEN: His attitudes toward GMOs. FULFILLED.

WARNING TWENTY: The price of gold will hit record highs against the USA dollar. FULFILLED in July/August 2020–THOUGH ANOTHER RECORD WILL TAKE PLACE.

Commercial Break: Are The Elijah to Come Dr. Robert Thiel, The Elijah to Come Gerald Flurry, and Elijah to Come Dave Pack Using Their Bibles, Like a Crystal Ball, to Practice Fortune Telling???

"As I see it, YES"

MAGIC 8 BALL

Prophecy 

...or prediction, was one of the functions of the prophet. It has been defined as a "miracle of knowledge, a declaration or description or representation of something future, beyond the power of human sagacity to foresee, discern, or conjecture."

Prediction

A statement about what you think will happen in the future

"Fortune-telling is the practice of predicting information about a person's life.^[1] The scope of fortune-telling is in principle identical with the practice of divination. The difference is that divination is the term used for predictions considered part of a religious ritual, invoking deities or spirits, while the term fortune-telling implies a less serious or formal setting, even one of popular culture, where belief in occult workings behind the prediction is less prominent than the concept of suggestion, spiritual or practical advisory or affirmation.

Historically, Pliny the Elder describes use of the crystal ball in the 1st century CE by soothsayers ("crystallum orbis", later written in Medieval Latin by scribes as orbuculum).^[2]

Contemporary Western images of fortune-telling grow out of folkloristic reception of Renaissance magic, specifically associated with Romani people.^[1] During the 19th and 20th century, methods of divination from non-Western cultures, such as the I Ching, were also adopted as methods of fortune-telling in western popular culture.

An example of divination or fortune-telling as purely an item of pop culture, with little or no vestiges of belief in the occult, would be the Magic 8-Ball sold as a toy by Mattel, or Paul II, an octopus at the Sea Life Aquarium at Oberhausen used to predict the outcome of matches played by the Germany national football team.^[3]

There is opposition to fortune telling in Christianity, Islam, Baháʼísm and Judaism based on scriptural prohibitions against divination.

Terms for one who claims to see into the future include fortune teller, crystal-gazer, spaewife, seer, soothsayer, sibyl, clairvoyant, and prophet; related terms which might include this among other abilities are oracle, augur, and visionary.

Fortune telling is dismissed by the scientific community and scientific skeptics as being based on magical thinking and superstition

Critical analysis

Fortune telling is dismissed by the scientific community and skeptics as being based on magical thinking and superstition.

Skeptic Bergen Evans suggested that fortune telling is the result of a "naïve selection of something that have happened from a mass of things that haven't, the clever interpretation of ambiguities, or a brazen announcement of the inevitable."^[26] Other skeptics claim that fortune telling is nothing more than cold reading.^[27]

A large amount of fraud has occurred in the practice of fortune-telling.^[28]

Fortune telling and how it works raises many critical questions. For example, fortune-telling occurs through various methods such as psychic readings, tarot cards, and more. What is similar about many of these methods is that they are based on random phenomena. For example, astrologers believe that the movement of stars in the sky can have implications on one's life.^[29] In the case of tarot cards, people believe that images displayed on the cards have significant meanings on their lives. The problem is that there is a lack of evidence to support why such things, such as the stars, would have any implications on our lives.

Additionally, fortune-telling readings and predictions made by horoscopes, for example, are often general enough to apply to anyone. In cold reading, for example, readers often begin by stating general descriptions and continuing to make specifics based on the reactions they receive from the person whose life they are predicting.^[30] The tendency for people to deem general descriptions as being representative to themselves has been termed the Barnum effect and has been studied by psychologists for many years.^[31]

Nonetheless, even with a lack of evidence supporting the various methods of fortune-telling and the many frauds that have occurred by psychic readers, for example, fortune-telling continues to become popular around the world. There are many reasons for the appealing nature of fortune-telling such as that people often experience stress when there is uncertainty and thus seek to gain deeper insight into their future. 

It is certain-It is decidedly so-Without a doubt-Yes, definitely-You may rely on it-As I see it, yes-Most Likely-Signs point to yes-Most likely-Outlook Good-Reply hazy, try again -Ask again later-Better not tell you now-Concentrate and ask again-Cannot Predict now-Don't count on it-My reply is No-My sources say NO-Outlook not good-Very doubtful