Bob Thiel's African Debacle: Gold, Political Intrigue, Adultery, Bribes, Witchdoctors, Losing Members To Wade Cox

 

Sadly the CCOG owns nothing in Africa. 

A prime example is Evan Ocheings 2 story Church building he has in his backyard. The Feast complex buildings and auditorium,  Evans has on his Property. Evans owns it all. 

Bob has spent upwards of $500,000 or more on these projects, not to mention all other church buildings and properties in Africa.

Bob financed Evans' son Bradox Ouma Ocheings Political involvement in 2017, and in 2022, via Papa Evans. Bradox boy is now running for a 3rd run in 2027 in that same election where Bob says someone put his name on the ballot.

Also, Evans has a Gold mining operation-Bob's excuse is that it's only a small gold mining operation! What's a COG Evangelist in Africa doing owning a gold mining business????

Bob put out his yarn about how much he helps these poor people. The truth is, most of that money is spent on Evans and Radsons' adulterous escapades, bribing people and local Chiefs and villagers to pose and take pictures to manipulate Pastor Bobby in believing he has all these thousands when he has nothing really to show for except providing Money to the witchdoctors and local prostitutes. 

Bob's own words in previous articles tell the tale of when Church income drops it is because of sins. It sounds like CCOG is getting the curses, according to Bob. 

Bob has nothing in Malawi. 3 or 4 thousand disappeared. Sosten caught Church hopping with Wade Cox. The Continuing Church of God, the incredibly fastest shrinking X-WCG church of God by far. Women, Witchdoctors, Woopie, oh my!!!!

Terry Nelson

The Truth About The Truth?

 

God Does Play a Role in Your Understanding!

Herbert Armstrong taught that God had revealed a number of biblical "truths" to him that had been lost down through the ages since Christ and his apostles walked the earth. He also taught that God wasn't "calling" everyone now, and that only those few whom God had "called" would be able to understand and accept the "truths" that had been revealed to him. Unfortunately, as with many of the other things that Herbert taught, these notions about understanding biblical truth were a perversion of what Scripture actually has to say on the subject.

First, Scripture clearly states that God loves the people of this world and gave his beloved Son so that they could be saved from sin and death. (John 3:16-17) Scripture also reveals that Jesus Christ is the way to God the Father, and that he came to this earth to reveal the Father to us. (Matthew 11:27, Luke 10:22, John 10:25-38 and 14:6-11) Moreover, Scripture reveals that God has spoken to all of us through his Son, and that he has provided the clearest and most perfect revelation of the Father that has ever been shared with humankind. (Hebrews 1:1-3) Now, this is the context for the passage which Armstrong employed to teach that only the few folks whom God had "called" would be able to understand Herbie's "rediscovered truths."

In the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John, we read: "For no man can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up." (John 6:44, NLT) Without the aforementioned context, Herbert claimed that this passage demonstrated that only the folks whom God had specifically called to Christ would understand his little package of "truth." However, even without that wider scriptural context, the very context of this particular passage refutes its usefulness as a prooftext for Herbert's understanding!

Christ had just told his disciples that he was the true "bread of life" - the real manna which came down from heaven. (John 6:22-42) Now, this was NOT well received by many of the folks who heard it, and they did NOT understand how Christ could insist that folks would have to consume him to be saved. Then we read: "But Jesus replied, 'Stop complaining about what I said. For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up. As it is written in the Scriptures, ‘They will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. (Not that anyone has ever seen the Father; only I, who was sent from God, have seen him.) I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. Yes, I am the bread of life! Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.' Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant. 'How can this man give us his flesh to eat?' they asked. So Jesus said again, 'I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever." (John 6:43-58, NLT)

Clearly, God wants EVERYONE to be saved, and he has "called" or invited EVERYONE to come to Christ in order to have access to him! Indeed, most Christians understand that Jesus was explaining to his followers that salvation is found through his broken body and spilled blood, and that he was speaking about the Eucharist which his followers would be required to participate in for the rest of their physical lifetime on this planet. In reality, NOTHING in this passage suggests or supports a claim of exclusivity of understanding!

Moreover, I believe that part of Herbert's blind spot where this teaching is concerned can be attributed to his rejection of the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. "Why do you say that?" Because Scripture reveals that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit ALL have important roles to play in our ability to understand God and his plans for us! We've already seen the role of the Father and the Son. Next, we will look at the role assigned to the Holy Spirit.

Again, in the Gospel of John, we are informed that Judas asked Christ about how he would reveal himself to them, and not to the world as a whole. Christ replied: "All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you." (John 14:23-26, NLT) A little later, in the same account, Jesus went on to say: "But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me. And you must also testify about me because you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry." (John 15:26-27, NLT)

Paul wrote to the saints at Corinth that ordinary humans do not understand what God has in store for them. He continued: "But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us." (I Corinthians 2:10-12, NLT) Thus, according to Scripture, we can see that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit ALL THREE have significant roles to play in the revelation of God's will and plans to our minds!

Moreover, the passages which we have explored together make plain that the goal of the Godhead is spiritual understanding for ALL. However, even for Christians, this is NOT a "one and done" kind of phenomenon! It is NOT accomplished over the course of a few months in a public library or by reading a series of booklets. The PLAIN TRUTH is that even Christians are expected to grow in grace and knowledge. (Ephesians 4:11-13 and II Peter 3:18) Currently, we (Christians) see through a glass darkly. (I Corinthians 13:9-12) In short, we must NOT forget that the earth being filled with the knowledge of the Lord is a PROPHECY about the future (Habakkuk 2:14), it is NOT the present reality for ANYONE (including Christians). THIS is the truth about "the truth."

by Miller Jones/Lonnie C Hendrix

Crackpot Prophet Blows His Cork Over Being Called A False Prophet

 

Oh wow, it took barely any time at all for God's Greatest Gift to the Universe to pop his precious self-righteous cork today. All because of a post calling out all of the lying COG false prophets. Shocking, I know.

Being the ultra-fragile man-child he is (seriously, not even his stint in the military could sand down those razor-sharp edges), he absolutely lost it over a single Grok-generated photo. 

The horror. 

The audacity. 

Someone fetch the fainting couch and a participation trophy—he's clearly been mortally wounded.

It just twists the sacred, silk-lined depths of his prophetic Fruit of the Looms—that the second someone shines even a tiny flashlight on the Armstrongism false-prophet clown car, his fragile house of cards starts trembling.

This self-anointed Oracle of All That Is True is absolutely convinced (with the unshakable certainty usually reserved for flat-earthers and people who still think pineapple belongs on pizza) that HE is the sole surviving vessel of genuine prophecy on planet Earth. Everyone else? Deceived dupes. Satanic plants. Discount-bin Elijah-wannabes selling expired rapture coupons. Meanwhile, the scoreboard of spectacularly failed prophecies looks like a CVS receipt after Black Friday.

False prophets in the Church of God movement? They’re a dime a dozen these days—more like a fire sale on apocalyptic hot air. There have been so many over the decades that even Herbert Armstrong himself must be tossing and turning in his grave, wondering what in the world he unleashed. “Did I really restore all truth… or just open the floodgates for every wannabe Elijah with a typewriter and a self-righteous grudge?”

Poor Herb. He started the fire… and now the whole backyard is ablaze with mini-mes screaming “I’m the real one!” while the rest of us grab popcorn and watch the show.

And what a show it is! 

The world's greatest theologian and Church of God leader to ever walk this earth had this to say about Billingsley, Pack, Flurry, and Weinland:

Now, it is true that Alton Billingsley was wrong about that as well as many other predictions he made. I have long warned against his false predictions...

I have also long denounced false prophets like Ron Weinland, David Pack, and Gerald Flurry...

But when he got to his name being mentioned...Holy Herbal Pills, Batman! Things didn't go so well with the Great Bwana!

That being said, here is what Gary Leonard at Banned put up after quoting Don Billingsley:

In the end, the modern-day Church of God movement has produced an unbroken parade of self-proclaimed prophets whose batting average sits at a pristine .000.

Every. Single. One.

I felt that butt-hurt all the way down here in Pasadena. No amount of butthurt cream will ever restore the Great Bwana to his self-righteous wholeness!

He then goes on to quote two COG men whom many thought were pillars of righteousness and had prophetic insight, when all they were were just news readers that parroted things already well known around the world. No prophecies were involved.

For example, in the old WCG at the Feast of Tabernacles in Tucson, AZ in 1979, I heard the late Dr. Herman Hoeh state that the Eastern Block nations, who were then behind the ‘Iron Curtain’ would end up uniting with Western Europe–that has happened.

In 1971, the late Gene Hogberg wrote that Europe would get its own currency (Hogberg G. EUROPE’S COMMON MARKET RISING WORLD COLOSSUS. Plain Truth, May 1971), and it now does.

He take particular offense at being associated with Flurry, Billingsley, Pack, and Weinland 

Getting back to nonsense from Banned, that site likes to try to connect me to false prophets like David Pack, Gerald Flurry, Don Billingsley, and Ron Weinland. And Gary Leonard referred to me as “that other global heavyweight of almost-truth, Bwana Bob Mzungu Thiel.”

He claims that because I have associated him with the Unholy Tetrad. This besmirches his prophetic status. It is "guilt by association".

Guilt by association has long been a tactic of Satan–he had his minions do that related to Jesus (Matthew 11:19; Mark 2:16; Luke 5:13). Anyway, on September 21, 2025, Gary Leonard posted the following:

No man alive in the Armstrongist churches today has ever authenticated the gospel message through signs, wonders, and miracles. None of them—including Bob Thiel and Ron Weinland— will ever do so in the future. They cannot even get a prophecy right, 

 

Well, that, of course is not true in the case of the (sic) myself in the CCOG.

He continues:

We do have the confirmed miraculous signs of the last days. 

 

Notice something that Herbert Armstrong wrote in 1985:

In these last days, according to biblical prophecy, knowledge, spiritual as well as material, was to be increased. The true Church of God was to be set back on the track, restoring the glorious knowledge of the faith once delivered to the saints in the days of the original apostles. (Armstrong HW. Mystery of the Ages, 1985) 

 

Would not spiritual and prophetic knowledge include making predictions inspired by God and having a better understanding of prophecy than the non-Philadelphian COGs?

If God had actually breathed divine inspiration into those so-called “predictions” and “prophecies,” then sure, we’d all be falling to our knees in reverent awe. But spoiler alert: that is emphatically not the case with Bwana Bob Thiel. God has done precisely zilch of the sort. Not a whisper. Not a nudge. Not even a vague celestial Post-it note. Bwana Bob is a pure, 100% self-manufactured wonder—so far off the prophetic charts that we’re all left breathlessly speculating what fresh, gourmet-grade lunacy he’ll serve up next. Will it be another dream where he’s hand-delivered the keys to the kingdom by an angel wearing a name tag? Or perhaps a brand-new “I told you so” about something everyone else predicted five years earlier? The anticipation is positively thrilling (said no one ever).

Then—because nothing screams “I’m the One True Prophet™” quite like a victory lap—he proceeds to parade a bunch of his supposed “prophecies” for our viewing pleasure. And what do we find? Every single one is just a news story he scraped off the internet, slapped a “Thus saith Bwana” sticker on, and called it revelation. The “end results”? Things that had already been shouted from every other Armstrongist rooftop, Reddit thread, and late-night YouTube rant for years. Real, original, specific, verifiable predictions?

None.

Zero.

Bupkis.

The Great Bwana then goes on to conclude with this:

Jesus said that fruits were the criteria to determine true vs. false prophets (John 7:15-20). The Continuing Church of God has the true fruits.

The Bible teaches:

16 The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes

Than seven men who can answer sensibly. (Proverbs 26:16) 

 

Do not simply accept nonsense and other anti-CCOG statements posted at places online. 

 

The Apostle Paul wrote:

20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21) 

 

The webmaster at the Banned by HWA website refuses to do that. 

 

Oh please, let's wrap this glorious trainwreck of a spectacle with the mic-drop it so richly deserves.

You bet I do! Given the horrendous, laughably abysmal track record of lying false prophets in the Churches of God—failed dates, recycled headlines masquerading as revelation, endless “I’m the real Elijah” meltdowns, and enough splinter groups to fill a convention center—there is absolutely no way any sane person who actually follows Jesus Christ would ever hitch their wagon to these self-appointed upstarts.

Thiel with his dream diary turned prophecy factory, Pack with his never-ending “final dates” that somehow never quite happen, Flurry with his royal throne and dirty rock, Weinland with his revolving-door prison prophecies, and now Billingsley joining the chorus of “trust me, bro, I’m the one”—these clowns aren’t successors to anything except the long, proud tradition of biblical warning labels.

They’re not shepherds.

They’re not watchmen.

They’re carnival barkers in ill-fitting apostolic robes, desperately trying to sell expired tickets to an apocalypse that keeps getting rescheduled.

So to every weary soul still caught in the COG hamster wheel:

Step off.

Breathe.

Open a Bible without the commentary track of ego and delusion.

And maybe—just maybe—realize that the true end-time sign isn’t another vague headline or self-proclaimed prophet. It’s the moment you stop listening to men who keep getting it spectacularly wrong… and start listening to the One who never does.

Until then, the popcorn supply is endless, the show is free, and the next episode is always “just around the corner.” Stay sane out there, friends.

The Largest Mass Conversion in the History of the Churches of God

 

Oh, sweet merciful heavens, let us now bow our heads in reverent awe at the epic biblical saga that has unfolded across the blessed continent of Africa.

For countless glorious, pre-Thielian epochs, our prophet Wade Cox—humble servant of the One True Church—has magnanimously informing anyone who would listen (and most who wouldn’t) that hundreds of thousands—no, scratch that—millions upon MILLIONS of precious African souls were somehow, inexplicably, bowing at the altar of his infinitesimally tiny, ultra-exclusive, last-days-only cult. Entire sovereign nations, we were assured, were on their knees night and day, clutching their well-worn King James Bibles, weeping, and chanting in perfect unison: “Wade! Wade! Please let us in! We promise we’ll keep the new moons better than anyone!”

And then… lightning cracks, heavenly choir hits an off-key high note… His Thielness descended upon the African plain like Moses with better internet and a GoPro. Suddenly—hold onto your prayer shawls—tens of thousands (probably more like 47, but who’s counting when you’re rewriting church history?) are flocking to his banner in what is objectively, indisputably, THE single most earth-shattering, demon-slaying, prophecy-fulfilling, greatest-of-all-time Church of God explosion since… well, since last Tuesday when someone else claimed the same thing.

Truly, we are witnessing the pinnacle of divine numerical creativity. Both of these apostolic accountants have spent literal decades mastering the sacred art of “aggressive rounding upward,” “visionary projection,” and the occasional “oops-that-was-actually-three-people-not-three-thousand-but-God-honors-faith-so-it-counts-double” maneuver. All so their handful of remaining devotees can clutch their monthly letter and whisper through tears, “Yes… yes… we really are the most special, most righteous, most numerically impressive remnant that has ever existed. The other 99.999% of Christianity can only dream.”

And then there are the African Sabbatarian saints themselves—true masters of ecclesiastical speed dating. Loyalty? That quaint little concept died somewhere between the third tithe and the fourth “special love offering.” These spiritual nomads treat church affiliation like a seasonal Netflix subscription: 

Month 1–3: “This group has the best sermons AND they’re sending rice!”

Month 4: Funds mysteriously taper → “The Lord is clearly calling us elsewhere.”

Month 5: New group receives 400 “new converts” overnight → 

“HALLELUJAH! God has poured out a fresh latter-day revival… right on schedule with the new fiscal quarter!” 

Cue wire transfers, joyous testimonies, and commemorative group selfies. 

Month 7: Rice runs low → rinse, repeat, new letterhead, same palms.

It’s a beautiful, never-ending carousel of divine coincidence, where every time the money well starts looking a little dry, God—in His infinite wisdom—immediately sends yet another wave of eager, freshly-minted “converts” to the next group with the fattest wallet and the most gullible checkbook.

Truly, it warms the cockles of one’s cynical little heart to behold such pure, unfiltered, orchestrated gospel theater. 

We are not worthy. 

______________________________

Wade Cox had this  up the other day:

Hi we have received another request for a consortium of 64 churches to join us this week as well as many smaller groups.

This was my general letter to the coords involved.

Dear Kandongo Joseph Ezekiel,

We are very pleased to hear from you and your request for induction to CCG.

Please have everyone study A1 and A2.

I have cced this to all national coordinators in the area. Joash Okiny Hamisi is TZ coordinator and he will arrange for your induction there. Jack Owuor will assist him as is necessary for your induction. We will locate you with local churches there and in other nations. Bizimana Bosco our East and Central African project officer in Uganda will contact you and arrange for inductions also. Habimana Pascal is coordinator for Burundi, Jean Ramazani in Rwanda and Mudimba Muhindo Lene is in the Congo with Jean Paul Nyonzima. George Onyango is Coordinator for Kenya and we are in the process of inducting another large church group in these countries that joined us last month and others.

It seems that we will have well over 40 churches in western TZ and Joash will talk with you about organising the west.

I would like reports from all Coordinators on the churches in their national areas and to arrange for their induction. Send Joseph your contact details also.

Warren and Sosten please arrange for the Zambia inductions with the others and advise me. (Warren is Coordinator for South Africa and Sosten is Coordinator for Malawi. Shungu is Coordinator for Zimbabwe).

Just for information this makes over 110 churches in two months before Passover of the Sabbath Year. Perhaps we have over 10,000 added to us in two months. How many baptisms and ordinations before Passover is anyone’s guess.

Wade

Alton Billingsley: US and Israelite Nations To Be Destroyed In 2026

 

The Church of God is positively bursting at the seams with so many self-appointed, truth-challenged false prophets these days that keeping score is getting downright exhausting.

We’ve got Dave Pack, whose “Christ” is apparently making a special detour to Wadsworth, Ohio, just to squeeze in a quick shopping trip at the Giant Eagle. Then there’s Gerald Flurry, waiting for his version of Christ to show up in Edmond, Oklahoma, ready to be crowned King of Kings on some ridiculous chair with a grimy rock from Oregon shoved under the seat. And let’s not overlook Ron Weinland, the pioneering Church of God prophet who achieved the rare distinction of becoming a convicted felon. All of them are batting a solid, unwavering .000.

Don’t forget Alton Billingsley’s legendary 2021 prophecy masterpiece—truly groundbreaking material… if you happen to enjoy predictions that come with a complimentary industrial-sized salt shaker. (Every other “prophecy” this man has ever made has crashed and burned so spectacularly that failure might actually be his spiritual gift.) And of course, he remains faithfully devoted to his royal collection of qualifiers: “possiblies,” “maybes,” “could-bes,” and the timeless classic, "God delayed this prophecy because the church was not ready".

Truly the same prophetic bloodline of brilliance shared with that other global heavyweight of almost-truth, Bwana Bob Mzungu Thiel—Africa’s leading authority on things that almost, kinda, sorta, maybe could happen… eventually… probably not.

Possibly close to the Passover, April 4, 2023, will begin the famine to last for three and one-half years that God in heaven above is bringing on His people, the House of Joseph, America and Britain, and other tribes of Israel.

Prophecy also makes known the devil will release Assyria-Germany from the bottom- less pit. Therefore, bringing into existence the Holy Roman Empire sometime during the year, 2024.

Then the severity of the famine, with pestilence, Covid 19 mutating into the black plague, will commence destroying America in particular—then the same to come upon the other Israeli nations in 2026! All this is to be followed by nuclear warfare (Ezekiel 5:12)—with the lone exception of Judah. Her fate will come later.

Before all this, there will be a civil war, 2024-2025 (Jeremiah 51:46 "... Violence in the land ruler against ruler....") Could the civil war begin because of the possible assassination of President Trump? Something momentous will have to happen to trigger it! The civil war will start before the finality takes place. Details will follow in other writings.

This year, 2023, will lead into unparalleled and frightening times! This nation and the world are presently asleep to what will soon befall them, similar to the pre-flood world of Noah, and Sodom and Gomorrah (Luke 17:26-30 "... so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed ...").

May God have mercy. The Ezekial Watchman

The cover letter had this: 

This is a cover letter for the Ezekiel Warning Messages to begin appearing monthly on the Church of God Faithful Flock Website-Warnings from God's use of His promised Elijah of the end-time to a people who have rejected and forgotten their God.

In view of Prophetic Biblical teachings, connected with major disastrous events, now occurring, and projected to worsen on a national and international scale over the next few years, strongly implies Jesus Christ will be standing on this earth in the year-2029. This is eight years from now, 2021. How quickly time flies!

They also make known this nation is in mortal danger of being destroyed, as a nation, along with Britain, and other nations of Israel, in the year 2026-no more than five years from now, 2021. Prophesied to be destroyed by a super-power far greater than America.

Though it has not yet appeared, it is prophesied to be fully developed by the year-2024. This is only three years from now, 2021. 

 

In the end, the modern-day Church of God movement has produced an unbroken parade of self-proclaimed prophets whose batting average sits at a pristine .000.

Every. Single. One.

From the granddaddy Armstrong-era offshoots right down to the current crop of internet-enabled dreamers, the track record is depressingly consistent: bold proclamations, confident timelines, dramatic “Thus saith the Lord” declarations… followed by the sound of crickets, goalpost relocation, spiritualized reinterpretations, and—when all else fails—the classic “it was fulfilled spiritually, you just didn’t have eyes to see it.”

Scripture is brutally clear on the matter: one failed prediction and the claim of divine authority collapses like a house of cards in a windstorm (Deuteronomy 18:22). No appeals to “human frailty.” No partial-credit mulligans. No “close enough for prophetic work.” One swing-and-miss = false prophet. Period.

Yet here we are, decades later, still watching the same tragic comedy repeat itself with new characters and slightly updated websites.

The conclusion is painfully obvious:

It is long past time to stop giving these men platforms.

It is long past time to stop treating their fever dreams as divine revelation.

And above all—it is long past time to stop giving them your money.

Because every dollar sent to a proven false prophet isn’t supporting “the Work.”

It’s subsidizing the next round of embarrassing, date-setting, fear-mongering failure.

The true church of God has never needed a parade of prophetic pretenders to survive.

It certainly doesn’t need them now.

Walk away.

Keep your wallet closed.

And let the modern false-prophet industrial complex finally starve for the attention and cash it no longer deserves.

The scoreboard doesn’t lie.

WARNING! The Earth Is Getting Ready To Swallow Up All Of The COG "Korah's, Dathan's and Abiram's"

 

Why do so many Church of God splinter groups appear to be captained by men who clearly lost a very important argument with reality and never recovered? For a self-proclaimed elite remnant—the very crème de la crème of God’s special snowflake squad, personally selected to perform some world-shaking “mighty work”—we sure have a remarkable talent for attracting the absolute cream of the crop when it comes to unhinged, blithering, mouth-breathing leadership material. 

Common sense? Rational thought? Those poor things apparently took one look at these guys, said “hard pass,” and sprinted for the hills years ago, leaving nothing but a cartoonish cloud of dust and a note that read “good luck, you absolute clowns.” Honestly, your average garden gnome—yes, the one with the chipped hat and the thousand-yard stare—would bring more emotional stability, theological coherence, and basic human dignity to the table than 98% of the current COG “leadership” roster. And it wouldn’t even demand a second tithe.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, feast your eyes on the latest masterpiece from our favorite apocalyptic fan-fiction author, Samuel Kitchen. He’s back, baby, spinning yarns so tall they need their own zip code—something about the glorious Church of God gearing up to order the planet itself to open wide and gulp down its enemies like a cosmic Pac-Man. All perfectly timed, of course, to the sacred, mystical, numerologically significant anniversary of Herbert W. Armstrong’s checkout date. 

Remember the good old days when the die-hards used to camp out at Mountain View Cemetery every January 16 like it was the world’s saddest tailgate party, thermos in hand, binoculars ready, just waiting for HWA to burst forth from his grave like a budget-store Lazarus to single-handedly reboot the One True Church? Bless their hearts. Forty years of wilderness wandering later, even the most delusional among them have mostly shuffled off, muttering something about “maybe next decade.”

Anyway… back to Samuel’s latest award-winning entry in the Wishful Thinking Olympics.

1986-2026: FORTY YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS

On January 16, 1986 (6 Shevat) Herbert W Armstrong died in his home located in Pasadena, California.

This year, on January 24, actually marks the 40th year anniversary of his death (being the 6th day of Shevat on the Hebrew Calendar). 

 

For the love of all that’s holy and slightly unhinged—what is this relentless obsession so many COG self-appointed saviors have with slapping Hebrew calendar dates onto everything like it’s some kind of spiritual seasoning? Nobody in the real world thinks like that. Nobody cares. Normal humans say “January 16th,” not “the 6th day of Shevat". But nooo, they’ve got to sprinkle every sentence with “the Hebrew reckoning” to sound extra super-duper Biblical and oh-so-authentic. 

And then there’s our boy Samuel, who apparently spent the equivalent of forty years in the wilderness (fitting, really) digging through the Old Testament until—eureka!—he unearthed the perfect little parable to explain the spectacular dumpster fire that was the implosion of the Worldwide Church of God. Behold: the story of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Yes, those three charming gentlemen were, according to Samuel’s deep prophetic insight, divinely inserted into the Bible thousands of years ago for one sole purpose: to serve as a timeless warning so that today’s COG ministers could finally be held accountable in these perilous, super-duper-extra-special end times. Because obviously, the entire point of the Torah was to provide future ammunition for 21st-century splinter-group drama. How could we have missed it? Truly, the mind boggles at the sheer depth of this revelation.

Events to note that occurred during the 40 years: 

 

1. Korah, Dathan and Abiram, THREE SHEPHERDS(Zechariah 11:8) rose up among the assembly, against the government of God working through Moses. 

 

They were LEADERS among the Assembly! They kept the Sabbath and Holy Days, keeping the FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS. They even were present during the receiving of the Ten Commandments of God! They saw the miracles of God, and the crossing of the Red Sea, and the plagues of God in Egypt! 

 

They didn’t like how God led through His ONE MAN, Moses. They wanted to organize where THEY WERE IN CHARGE. They called “the congregation Holy” and claimed that God ”spoke through them also”. 

 

They said Moses “concentrated too much authority to himself”. 

 

How like those who came after the death of Herbert W Armstrong! 

  

Now Mr. Armstrong, was a type of Moses. God appointed the ministry in this Church through him.

We have seen men rise up and create new church organizations, disagreeing with how God governed through the Worldwide Church of God. Disagreeing with the apostle whom Christ placed over them. 

 

Like Korah, Dathan, Abiram, they reject the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and the government of God.

And because they rejected His Government, their proclamation of His Kingdom being restored to this earth, is distorted and twisted. The event is SURE TO HAPPEN, but because they have rejected how Christ is governing His Church, they are leading people AWAY FROM GOD.(Deut.18;19-20; Deut. 13:1-7) 

 

The god of Armstrongism has got to be the most pathetic, limp-wristed, incompetent deity ever hallucinated into existence by the fevered minds of men. Satan’s got more gold stars on his scorecard than this supposed Almighty has. In fact, the Prince of Darkness is so ridiculously overpowered these days that he’s basically running the entire show—actively worming his way into the minds of every single COG splinter group like some kind of spiritual termite. Every. Single. One.

Except, of course, for the one shining beacon of purity: Samuel Kitchen. (And maybe Aaron Dean… for now. Poor Aaron’s street cred is evaporating faster than a puddle in the desert sun, so don’t get too attached.)

Samuel, in his infinite prophetic wisdom, has issued a solemn, thunderous warning to all the false shepherds infesting the COG splinter scene: [dramatic pause for effect] …and we’re all just dying to hear what fresh apocalyptic word salad he’s about to serve up next. Stay tuned, faithful remnant. The end is nigh… apparently.

Now for the last FORTY YEARS these men have done their deeds! God has sent warning through His servant. As a WITNESS AGAINST THEM. 

 

But when the TWO WITNESSES step into the office of Moses and Aaron, there will be sufficient witnesses to put men to death (2-3 witnesses). That is why you see the THREE SHEPHERDS in the wilderness falling and being swallowed up by the earth.

And it gets worse:

“And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.” 

 

Let’s break down verse 16. 

 

We see Satan “persecuting the woman” in verse 13. 

 

Through that persecution the woman QUALIFIES for the promise mentioned in verse 14.
(see Revelation 3:8-11) 

 

Now verse 16…. 

 

1.”And the Earth helped the woman”. 

 

This is where the events of what happened to Korah, Dathan and Abiram occur. The earth opened up and SWALLOWED the camps and groups OPPOSING the Government of God, which had ROSE UP AMONG THE ASSEMBLY! Which came from the Worldwide Church of God? 

 

2.”and the earth opened up her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth” 

 

When the church goes to Jerusalem, and flees to the mountains, ARMIES (pictured by floods) will pursue the Church and God will cause the earth to open up and SWALLOW THEM. 

 

But what happened to Korah, Dathan and Abiram, came by way of the LEADING MAN of the Two Witnesses. He warned, and therefore when they didn’t listen, consequences came. 

 

At the close of the FORTY YEARS, the TWO WITNESSES remained, while none of the rebels INSIDE THE ASSEMBLY lived. They all were gone by the time THEY ENTERED the promises! That was to send a MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH! 

 

God was putting down a POWERFUL “AMEN”. He meant what He said! 

 

So this year, marks the 40 year anniversary of the death of Herbert W Armstrong, and the Worldwide Church of God has been spiritually fed through obedience to what was given through him. 

 

Those who oppose do not enter the promises but died in the wilderness. 

 

It’s time we listen to God’s Warning! EXIT THESE GROUPS! We are the Worldwide Church of God! REPENT and BELIEVE GOD! 

 

Is it really any wonder the once-mighty COG was permitted to dissolve into a sad little puddle of nothingness? Please. No sane person on God’s green earth is clamoring for the “restoration” of that charming little authoritarian nightmare so many nostalgic holdouts still wet their dreams over. It was vile. It was corrupt. It was abusive to its members in ways that would make a cult expert blush—and surprise, surprise, the same toxic “church government” blueprint is still being flogged like a dead horse in every aberrant splinter group that clings to it today. 

Newsflash: it doesn’t need to be restored. It never did. It never will. The universe has already voted, and the verdict is a resounding “hard pass.”

Samuel’s grand vision of himself single-handedly resurrecting the Worldwide Church of God under his benevolent shepherding? Yeah, that’s never going to happen. Not in this lifetime, not in the next. Aaron Dean will shuffle off this mortal coil still loyally collecting his UCG pension. And Samuel? He’ll spend his golden years in the same tireless, fruitless quest he’s been on for decades—staring at the horizon, waiting for Herbert W. Armstrong to come striding back from the grave to personally anoint him and reboot the glory days.

Spoiler: the grave is staying quiet. The glory days are staying dead. And the rest of us? We’ll just keep living in the real world, where calendars have normal months, and God doesn’t need constant man-made excuses for why everything keeps going spectacularly wrong when it comes to COG prophecies.

UCG Members Asked To Reflect Upon Their Church Name And Its Meaning

 

United Church of God members—brace yourselves for the profound spiritual exercise of the century: deeply reflect on your organization's name. Yes, that's right, folks. Pause your adoration of Jelly for a moment and ponder the cosmic significance of these immortal words: "United Church of God, an International Association." How well do you really understand what it means? How urgently do you need to figure out how to "support" that precious brand? Because clearly, that's the hill to die on.

Who needs soul-searching reflection on Jesus—the guy they supposedly follow—and all those pesky "implications" like love, humility, sacrifice, you know, the boring stuff? Nah. The real priority is navel-gazing over a corporate logo. The COG's ongoing plunge into ever-deeper levels of sheer absurdity is honestly breathtaking. Truly inspiring work.

If someone is actually following Christ (as they loudly claim), the church name should be about as relevant as the color of the carpet in the office building. People would just see living examples of Jesus walking among them. Except... yeah, that has literally never happened. And "united"? Please. They've never managed to stay united longer than it takes for the next power struggle to brew.

But hey, apparently slapping "Church of God" on your splinter group's letterhead instantly makes it the One True Church™. Never mind the hundreds (thousands?) of other splinters who've proudly worn that label over the decades—95% of whom never actually represented Jesus or followed Him in any meaningful way. They all just end up as fertilizer after passing through the Big Sandy "digester." Poof—gone, forgotten, irrelevant. All those tithes? Down the memory hole. What a legacy.

And let's not forget the word "united" in their fancy title. When, pray tell, has the UCG ever been united? Oh right—that massive, glorious split where the church got torn to shreds, a huge chunk of the ministry and members stormed off to form COGWA, and everyone involved practiced peak brotherly love by stabbing each other in the back with gusto. Truly the pinnacle of Christian unity. Bravo. Keep reflecting on that name, though—I'm sure it'll fix everything.

From the President...

What’s in Our Name?

Our organization’s name, United Church of God, an International Association, (UCGIA) was developed by those who assembled at Indianapolis, Indiana in May of 1995. The components of our Church’s name have important aspects.

“Church of God”

This is the core of the name because it is the Bible’s most frequent designation for the New Testament body of believers. An example is an instruction to the elders whom Jesus appointed as shepherds of His sheep: “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). It conveys God’s direction for unity in belief, mission and purpose for which Jesus prayed, “Holy Father, keep through Your namethose whom You have given Me” (John 17:11, emphasis added).

“United”

“That they may be one as We are” (John 17:11). This word signifies that we are striving for oneness with God and each other in our commitment to faithfully follow the way of life established by God and His Son, Jesus Christ, in the Holy Scriptures. Adding “United” to the “Church of God” also helps distinguish our organization’s name from many others and underscores our identity.

“an International Association” 

This was added to appropriately reflect the worldwide scope of the Church and its activities as Jesus instructed: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). The founding elders recognized it as an association of global, national councils working in unity with the Council of Elders with support from the U.S. home office. Paul’s writings reflect the broad work of God’s Church throughout the world: “Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God” (1 Corinthians 10:32).

The full name with “an International Association” italicized also serves the practical purpose of differentiating the U.S.-registered entity from our international entities registered as UGC-Canada, UCG-Australia, UCG-East Africa, etc.

So, the name United Church of God reflects both theological grounding (Church of God from Scripture), practical distinctiveness (United), and an International Association (IA) reflects the collaborative nature of the work around the world.

The recognition of God as supreme Head, His Spirit and Word as our catalysts of unity in doctrine and love, and His calling of saints from every nation, tribe and tongue all combine in our name. These elements He has provided to us at this time.

A good question for each of us is, “How closely am I aligned with the meanings of my church, the United Church of God, an International Association?” Now is a great time to consider how these elements are reflected in our personal lives. Only by truly aligning with what each term represents does the Church’s name genuinly reflect that I am a part of it. One tool I have found helpful is our booklet, “This is the United Church of God.” Let's take time to deeply understand our individual responsibility to live out these terms as true members in Christ’s body.

Jesus never said to reflect upon the name of the church you are in and see how well everyone is aligned with the name of your church. What garbage!

Jesus laid out some very clear (and often challenging) expectations for those who want to truly follow Him as His disciples. These come directly from His teachings in the Gospels, particularly in passages like the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7), the call to discipleship, and the Great Commission.

Here are the core expectations Jesus repeatedly emphasized:

Supremacy of Love for God: Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, prioritizing Him above all earthly relationships, even family and self.

Sacrificial Love for Others: Love your neighbors and enemies, forgive those who wrong you, and serve the poor and downtrodden.

Radical Transformation: Live a life mirroring Christ's example, becoming an agent of change, goodness, and truth in the world, not just a believer.

Follow and Obey: Follow Jesus' commands and teachings, making Him the center of your life and allowing Him to lead.

Bearing the Cross: Be willing to suffer and carry your own cross, embracing sacrifice and self-denial for His sake. 

Practical Implications:

Mission & Witness: Go and make disciples, teaching others to obey Jesus' commands, and be His light in darkness.

Spiritual Discipline: Engage in prayer and fasting, relying on God, not self.

Living Sacrifice: Offer your whole life as a "living sacrifice" to God, demonstrating devotion.

Perseverance: Expect persecution and hardship, but find reward in God's grace and eternal life.

In essence, Jesus asks for a complete reorientation of life around Him, demanding total commitment, transformation, and active love for God and humanity, lived out publicly and privately.

 

2026, The Centennial Year of HWA Finding God's Word That Had Been Lost In Portland Oregon Library

Central Library

One hundred years ago, in 1926, our intrepid hero Herbert Armstrong bravely marched into the
Portland Public Library—yes, that cutting-edge theological powerhouse—to, in the most humble and selfless way possible, prove his wife wrong. What followed was the legendary six-month super-intensive Bible study (now lovingly preserved as one of the foundational myths of the entire movement).

There, in the hallowed, musty corners where old paper, glue, and ink slowly decompose into that unmistakable “vintage library” perfume permanently scorched into your nostrils, Herbert miraculously rediscovered God’s True Message—a message that had somehow been misplaced for a casual 1,900 years.

Apparently, the Almighty managed to smuggle His forgotten truth all the way from the Middle East, through Europe, over to Britain, across the stormy ocean, and then across the wild and treacherous American frontier… only to be carefully shelved in the dim, dusty stacks of a 1926 public library in Portland, Oregon. And then—pure divine serendipity—Herbert, in just six short months of casual browsing, managed to locate every single piece of it. What are the odds?

Mind you, this wasn’t one of those dusty, overfunded historical theological libraries in Europe, where actual scholars had been arguing theology for centuries with thousands of deeply researched volumes. No, no. This was a public library. You know, the place where ordinary people checked out novels, children’s books, and the occasional almanac. But sure, it was obviously brimming with the secret keys to the universe that God Himself had lost track of.

Because clearly, while the Creator was busy daydreaming Bob Thiel into existence, He accidentally misplaced His own Word so thoroughly that even He couldn’t find it for nearly two millennia… until Herbert W. Armstrong, unemployed and heroically ignoring his family from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. every single day (including weekends), finally cracked the code. Is it any surprise the Armstrong family turned out so wonderfully well-adjusted and emotionally healthy?

This is the COG version of the Mormons' "This is the Place" monument, a place that Herbert Armstrong’s six-month library odyssey supposedly unlocked 1,900 years of divine lost mail. The Philadelphia Church of God still leads pilgrimages to that very public library, where the faithful can tread the same carpet and breathe the same musty air, convinced they’re walking on holy ground rather than checking out the self-help cult recovery section. It’s a fitting monument to a movement built on the unshakable belief that God chose a struggling salesman in Portland, Oregon—rather than, say, a seminary or a cathedral—to rediscover His truth. One can’t help but marvel at the sheer audacity of it all: a six-month crash course in a municipal reading room that launched an entire American sect, fractured families, and, a century later, still inspires guided tours. If that isn’t peak religious irony, it’s hard to imagine what is.

A hundred years later, the movement still treats a random public library like it’s the burning bush, the empty tomb, and the Mount of Transfiguration rolled into one slightly dusty building with overdue fines.

If that isn’t the single most gloriously absurd origin story in modern American religion, then frankly, I don’t know what is. Bravo, Herbert. Bravo.

What a legacy. 🙄

Number 40 - The New COG Idolatry

 

It is another sunny day in COGland and the whackiness continues on unabated. Numerology has always been an important part of the church. Numbers matter. No COG is more guilty of this than the Philadelphia Church of God. Every imaginable thing turns into something sacred from the god they claim to follow.

HWA has been dead 40 years.

Gerald Flurry was fired by the Worldwide Church of God 40 years ago.

Jesus fasted for 40 days

40 is emphasized in the lives of Moses, David and the end-time Elijah—Herbert W. Armstrong.

 

It has been 40 years since Herbert W. Armstrong died. Also, there are 40 days between December 7, the date I was fired from the Worldwide Church of God in 1989, and January 16, the date Mr. Armstrong died in 1986. 

 

The number 40 occurs often in the Bible. Have you ever wondered why? It is significant in the lives of the biblical prophets, kings and judges. It occurs repeatedly in the lives of spiritual giants. The significance of this number helps us understand why the Israelites spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness; why Moses, Elijah and even Jesus Christ fasted for 40 days; and why this number is a sign for us today.

Study the number 40 in the Bible and you see that only God could have inspired the use of this number throughout the millenniums. This number is an important sign that brings God into events to show His presence. This should be very encouraging for us—especially when you consider that 40 is emphasized in the lives of Moses, David and the end-time Elijah—Herbert W. Armstrong.

The lunacy keeps on going:

When John Amos and I were fired from the wcg on Dec. 7, 1989, it was just 40 days before the anniversary of Mr. Armstrong’s death on January 16. We found that significant, and I believe it showed God’s presence was with us because we were obeying God when we got fired. In fact, that is why we were fired! The wcg leaders were forsaking God and what Mr. Armstrong taught them. 

 

The number 40 is tied to God. These 40s are not the work of man but of God! It shows that God is involved here. What could be more important than that?

The proofs just keep piling up - or maybe the crap is, it's hard to tell when it involves PCG and Gerald Flurry.

We started our campus in Edmond, Oklahoma, with 40 acres—just like the Pasadena campus under Mr. Armstrong. Both campuses were associated with the number 40.

Then he ends with this heresy:

Just think about all those 40s, and think about God’s presence. He does sometimes curse or correct us if we get away from Him and forsake Him; He must do that! But God is re-creating Himself in man—that is His goal. We are going to be sons of God—not adopted sons but real sons of God! 

 

While the Bible doesn't mention "numerology" by name, it classifies such predictive or occult uses of numbers as a form of divination (fortune-telling or seeking supernatural knowledge through means other than God). The Scriptures repeatedly and severely prohibit divination and related occult practices.The clearest and most frequently cited passage is from the Old Testament law:

Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable (an abomination) to the Lord...This passage lists several forbidden practices, and modern predictive numerology typically falls under "divination," "interpreting omens," or related categories because it seeks to uncover hidden knowledge or future events through numerical patterns. 

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (NIV) 

While PCG and the COG do not use numerology as divination, they have elevated the use of numbers to a sacred status, especially when they can use it to promote their own group as the only true and correct COG. 

 

LCG : In the world, but not of the world...

 

It is hard to believe that here we are in 2026 and COG groups are still having to justify why they use the Roman calendar and other peripheral issues around daily life. They still like to claim that while they are of this world, they are not part of this world. That is one of the biggest cons of the church (besides British Israelism). Some are so quick to point out that they only observe biblical days and seasons, and yet the very days and seasons they celebrate in the church are all days that were patterned after the so-called Canaanite days of the ancient tribes.

A New Year? In Winter? Why do we in the Living Church of God not engage in “New Year’s” parties or festivities—or even the greeting “Happy New Year”? Because the new-year celebrations our world just observed are from pagan sources, which you can read about in the commentary by the late Gary F. Ehman, “The Two Faces of New Year Celebrations,” posted on TomorrowsWorld.org this week. We live in this world, so it’s not wrong to use the Roman calendar as a part of functioning in it—but we are not to be of this world. As Jesus prayed to the Father, “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15). Let’s thank God for the fact that He has called us out of ancient superstitions and customs of this world and called us into His sanctifying truth (John 17:17)!
Have a peaceful Sabbath,
Rod McNair

They love to mock Christians, whom they claim have reinterpreted days associated with pagans, such as Christmas and Easter, and yet keep days appropriated from Canaanite pagans that ancient Israel came out of.

COG groups have no problem keeping the three major biblical pilgrimage festivals (Shalosh Regalim): Passover (Pesach), Shavuot (Weeks/Pentecost), and Sukkot (Booths/Tabernacles). These holidays have deep roots in ancient agricultural harvest cycles that were common across the ancient Near East, including among the Canaanites (the pre-Israelite inhabitants of the land). Over time, the biblical authors reinterpreted and "historicized" these observances, transforming them into uniquely Israelite/Jewish celebrations tied to key events in salvation history (like the Exodus and Sinai).

The Torah itself preserves clear evidence of the festivals' original agricultural character, even as it layers on historical/theological meanings:

• Passover / Feast of Unleavened Bread — Tied to the spring barley harvest (the first grain to ripen). It falls in the month of Abib (spring), when the new planting season begins after winter rains. The emphasis on unleavened bread (matzah) and the offering of the first sheaf (omer) of barley reflects this. Some scholars propose connections to Canaanite spring rituals involving unleavened bread and apotropaic (protective) rites.
• Shavuot — Called the "Feast of Harvest" or "Day of First Fruits" in the Torah. It marks the wheat harvest (about 7 weeks after Passover) and the bringing of first fruits (bikkurim) to the sanctuary. Later rabbinic tradition linked it to the giving of the Torah at Sinai.
• Sukkot — Originally the "Feast of Ingathering" (Hag ha-Asif), the major autumn harvest festival celebrating the gathering of grapes, olives, figs, and other late-summer fruits. It was the most prominent and joyous of the three in biblical times (often just called "the Festival"). The practice of dwelling in temporary booths (sukkot) likely derives from field shelters used by farmers during the final, intensive harvest period before the rains.

These three festivals align precisely with the natural agricultural rhythm of the Land of Israel: spring barley → early summer wheat → late summer/autumn fruits.

Archaeology, Ugaritic texts from ancient Canaan, and comparative studies, hold that the early Israelites — who emerged within Canaanite culture — adapted existing regional harvest festivals rather than inventing them from scratch. This was a common process in the ancient world: new cultural or religious groups often reframed inherited seasonal rites to fit their theology.

• Sukkot shows particularly strong parallels to Canaanite autumn new-year/harvest festivals, including seven-day celebrations, temporary booths/shelters, and rituals linked to rainfall and fertility (e.g., Ugaritic texts describe similar practices for deities like Baal). Some scholars trace the sukkah itself to Canaanite customs of building ritual booths on rooftops or terraces.
• The overall pattern — three major seasonal pilgrimages to a central sanctuary — fits broader Canaanite and Near Eastern patterns of harvest thanksgiving and petitions for fertility/rain.

The biblical texts themselves show this evolution: earlier layers refer to the festivals purely by agricultural names (e.g., "Feast of Ingathering"), while later passages add historical explanations (e.g., Sukkot recalling the desert booths of the Exodus, or Passover recalling liberation from Egypt).

It's more accurate to say the biblical authors took over and transformed pre-existing Canaanite/Levantine harvest festivals than to call them simple "substitutes." The process was one of historicization and monotheization — removing pagan elements (like fertility rites or polytheistic myths) and reorienting the celebrations toward the God of Israel, the Exodus covenant, and ethical/historical memory.

This pattern is typical in the development of Israelite religion: the prophets and Torah writers repeatedly criticize purely agricultural or "Canaanite-style" observances, insisting that festivals must remember God's acts in history, not just thank nature deities for crops.

The core ancient Jewish pilgrimage festivals originated as regional harvest celebrations with likely Canaanite roots, but Judaism intentionally reframed them to emphasize historical redemption, covenant, and dependence on the one God rather than seasonal cycles alone. This creative adaptation is one of the fascinating ways ancient Israelite religion distinguished itself while remaining deeply connected to the land and its rhythms.

Dave Pack Lies That All Is Right On Track For Christ's Return

 

LCG: When Jesus Returns, LCG Members Will Help Spread The Law Around The World

 

Given the horrible track record of how the church used the "law" to make members' lives miserable, isn't it comforting to know that these same people who have suffered at times will be spreading that version of the law around the world, subjugating millions more? Oh, the joy.

The Way to Peace: In our world today, especially at the end of December, we hear a lot about “Peace on earth and goodwill toward men,” yet the news is full of reports of violence and suffering. The desire for peace is universal, but that hope has remained elusive for most human beings. While world leaders talk of peace and religious leaders pray for peace—and the United Nations sends “peacekeepers” to trouble spots around the globe—the world simply does not know the way to peace (Isaiah 59:8). However, God’s word reveals that the way to peace is to learn to love and live by the laws of God (Psalm 119:165; Isaiah 32:17). The world will learn the way to peace when Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, returns to this earth and the laws of God are spread from Jerusalem by teachers who are in training now (Isaiah 9:6–7; 2:2–4; 30:20–21). Let’s prepare for that day!
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail 

 

When Jesus returns, the kingdom will be fully realized under the New Covenant. Promises like universal knowledge of God ("no longer shall each one teach his neighbor... for they shall all know me," Jeremiah 31:34) point to consummation at Christ's return and that the church, believers from all nations, inherits the blessings as the fulfilled people of God (Galatians 3:28–29; Ephesians 2:11–22).

There will be no restoration of the Old Covenant or its sacrificial system, as it was temporary and shadowed Christ's work. The future kingdom is governed by grace, internal transformation, and direct access to God through Christ alone. Jesus' return brings the full realization of the New Covenant, not a return to the Old. The Old Covenant's purpose was fulfilled in Christ and set aside.

No one has ever kept the Old Covenant in its completeness, including every single COG group today, nor has any COG member ever fully kept the Old Covenant. It was deliberately set up to be impossible to keep.

_____________________________

And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Jeremiah 31:34

Under the New Covenant, we no longer need a mediator like a pastor general, chief overseer, apostles or even prophets. We will have direct personal access to God - Joel 2:28-29. There will be total amnesty for sins not just covered (as in our annual Day of Atonement) but forgotten. The slate is wiped clean and no longer remembered. That enables the relationship with God. There will also be absolutely no need for COG leaders, evangelists, super deacons, or great Bwanas. "From the least to the greatest" implies equality, fulfilled in a messianic age where barriers dissolve.

The Old Covenant exposed sin but couldn't empower obedience or provide permanent atonement. The New Covenant provides regeneration (new heart), indwelling Spirit, and total forgiveness—enabling what the Law demanded but couldn't produce (Romans 8:3–4).

There will be no reverting to temple sacrifices, Levitical priesthood, or Mosaic regulations because that would be regression, not progress (see also Hebrews 10:1–18; Galatians 4:9–10). This directly counters any theology that expects a restored Levitical system in the future as some in COGland believe.

Even the Sabbath and holy days (as we claim to know them) will no longer be in effect. People will have their "Sabbath rest" living in the presence of Jesus. The holy days, as we claim all point to Christ, will no longer be necessary since that "point" is dwelling among us, and then would serve no function.

We will have the confidence of access. We will approach God directly through Christ, without human mediators or rituals (Hebrews 4:16; 10:19–22).

We will have the assurance of forgiveness: Sins are not just covered but removed—"remembered no more."

We will have empowered obedience: The Spirit writes God's law on our hearts, producing genuine transformation, not external conformity.

Hebrews 8 warns about returning to legalism or ritualism that denies the sufficiency of Christ's work.

In essence, Christ’s return brings the complete realization of the New Covenant in grace, making any form of Old Covenant legalism, ritualism, or hierarchical church leadership unnecessary and contrary to Scripture, thus will not require any COG-trained member wandering around the world preaching Armstrongism.