A former member of LCG and later a member of the improperly named "continuing" Church of God contacted me today about an article on Bwana Bob's blog. The Great Bwana to Africa and 299 Caucasians has a story up about one of his members and presenters from Canada who was apparently cured of ALS, also known as Lou Gerhig's Disease.
I am not here to denigrate Herb Haddon's apparent miracle and the complete disappearance of ALS from his body, rather it is the disgusting actions of Bwana Bob turning the focus away from the miracle in Haddon's life to putting the focus upon himself and his church. This is also what appalled this former CCOG member that contacted me.
Bwana Bob writes:
It should be noted that even though ALS is not supposed to go into remission, the medical doctors still believe that Herb has ALS.
While God has healed people in and out of the COG throughout the church age, this apparent healing may be a sign–particularly if other healings of this magnitude or even greater take place. A few years back, we had a deaf man experience a miracle in that he was able to hear after Pastor Evans Ochieng preached in Migawi, Malawi).
God does heal! Healings can be a sign from God (Mark 16:18c).
Herb Haddon, who was lame, now walks. The deaf man in Malawi was able to hear.
So far, not much wrong with this, but things quickly derail into the chief narcissist making this story about himself, his church, and the ungodly heathens in these supposed end times who will not acknowledge him as a prophet and a true church leader. The depth of his narcissistic depravity knows no boundaries.
Consider those in light of the following related to men John the Baptist sent to check up on Jesus:
4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: 5 The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” (Matthew 11:4-6)
As far as the poor having the gospel preached to then, we have more than 5,000 congregants in poor regions of Africa who are with us and regularly hear the good news of the Kingdom of God.
Yet, many Christian people in these times act like they are ‘above’ accepting that poor Africans are important, despite the prophesied need for the fulness of the Gentiles to come in per Romans 11:25. Most end time Christians feel that they are ‘above’ accepting that God could have a prophet at this time and that God is intervening with dreams in the CCOG and accepting other supernatural signs now, despite that being prophesied for the last days per Acts 2:17-18.
The apostles were confirmed by signs that followed them (Mark 16:20) and there have been signs that have confirmed the Continuing Church of God.
Laodiceans, sadly, seem to be offended by such things–or at least do not take them seriously enough to change.
Perhaps because the bulk of end time Christians were prophesied to be Laodicean (cf. Revelation 3:14-18), Jesus said:
8 … when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:8)
Many in the CCOG had faith, and Herb Haddon’s medical team now says he does not have ALS.
Real Philadelphian Christians have more faith than the bulk of the Laodiceans do.
The New Testament warns:
40 Beware therefore, lest what has been spoken in the prophets come upon you:41 ‘Behold, you despisers,Marvel and perish!For I work a work in your days,A work which you will by no means believe,Though one were to declare it to you.’ (Acts 13:40-41)
The Laodiceans were prophesied to have the wrong work and were condemned for it (Revelation 3:14-22)–while those of Sardis lost doctrines they should have held onto (Revelation 3:1-6). Those Christians are unwilling to accept the correct work in the end time, even when they are told.
The New Testament further warns Christians:
12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, 15 while it is said:“Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”16 For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? 17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. (Hebrews 3:12-19)
Sadly, most Christians are lukewarm (Revelation 3:14-22) and have a heart of unbelief in the signs that God said He would use in these times.
Do you have faith to believe and understand that God has been dramatically intervening in the Continuing Church of God over the years?
Can you accept that the types of signs that have been prophesied are really happening?
If so, do not be lukewarm about it.
What a smarmy little weasel Bwana Bob is. No one in the other COG's is as good as he is and are also not experiencing any healings or miracles on the magnitude that his members are experiencing.
The former CCOG member wrote to me:
As many of us dreaded, Bob Thiel uses the healing from ALS to focus on him and speak up against other church of God groups and lift up himself and his group, rather than just giving God the glory and turning people to God. God can and does heal, but nought but an insecure church politician will try to falsely profit (yes as in "false prophet") from it as though his church position had something to do with it.
This former member wrote much more that could easily identify him, which I will not post there, however, I will post this final comment from him that pretty much sums up the disgust people have for Bob:
I did attend Bob Thiel's ccog for a while, more out of a desire to visit with some church buddies than out of anything for Bob Thiel. Well, it became too much after but a short time. and now this crass, cheap move Bob Thiel does as we dreaded. Disgusting. I would be the first to decry the evils done by these "churches", especially done by LCG, and now the narcissistic constancy from Bob Thiel and ccog. I've experienced the worst of them and their satanic ministers. However, I cannot deny what God has done in Herb Haddon's life. If one is an atheist, then at the very least there is an area of spontaneous healing that is as yet unexplained.
For the record, I still consider myself a Church Of God member and in the general lineage of the 7th day Sabbath teachings -- as in the body of Jesus -- albeit I speak loosely. I was in WCG and then in LCG (Lucifer's Camp of Gehenna).
