Is It Passover Tonight, Or.... is It Monday Night, Or...... is It Tuesday Night? Its All So Exhausting!

Its that time of year again.  The Church of God's are eager to be washed clean for the start of another year.  Some are claiming tonight (Sunday) is the REAL Passover night, others are claiming it is Monday night and a few others are claiming the REAL Passover is Tuesday night.  Others have gotten so frustrated by it all that they will join with Messianic groups and do a REAL Passover Seder on Monday night and again on Tuesday.

In Armstrongism the Passover ended up being one of the most stressful times of year for most people.  They never could get their homes or lives deleavened and they cringed at the thought of listing to to
 ministers claim their breaking of the bread (amplified with a microphone) was Jesus' body being broken.

In Pasadena it was an exhausting task for Passover to roll around each year.  Every frigging building had to be deleavened.  Custodial had to deleaven ministers homes because they were to righteous to clean their own damn lives homes.  The Student Center was scrubbed from top to bottom.  Students had to clean the dining room chairs with tooth brushes  as well as the cracks in the teak-wood floors for any of that sinful leaven.  Enormous amounts of good food that could have fed lots of local homeless was thrown in the trash. Dorms, the gym, the handball, locker rooms,  shipping and receiving, transportation, offices, warehouses and storage areas were all examined and cleaned.  It was all so exhausting.

Then the College gym, Imperial gym, Student Center, Hall of Ad, Handball courts and the Auditorium had to be set up for foot washing.  Over 3,000 foot pans had to be set out in front of precisely lined rows of chairs.  Large barrels of warm water with chlorine in them had to be filled and placed next to an empty barrel labeled "dirty water."  Special reserved foot washing areas were set up for the ministers who's feet were too holy to be washed by disgusting, degenerate, uneducated, sinful lay-members. It was all so exhausting.

Hundreds of reserved signs had to be placed on rows of chairs for the ministers and their wives to sit in places of high authority.  Boxes and boxes of matzohs opened and distributed on silver trays to the long tables on the stages covered in crisp starched white linen.  Over 4,000 little plastic cups were hand filled with the driest Cabernet that that could be bought.  Then these trays were stacked in huge stacks on the stage tables to glisten and shimmer in the light.  It was all so exhausting

You had to stand watch at the doors of each building to make sure only the pure and holy COG members were in attendance.  Not unwashed cretin from the world would be allowed.

Then you set there listening to numerous scriptures being read till it was time to wash feet.  Deacons, Preaching and Local Elders were not blessed with special areas to wash feet in so they had to go along with the unwashed masses.  You could see them scheming as they stood in line to see whose persons feet they would have to wash.  Many would rearrange themselves so that they would not have to wash certain peoples feet.

After the foot washing was over you headed back for the breaking of the bread.  This was the pinnacle of the nights service.  Microphones were placed in front of the bread trays, with the sound turned up, as the bread was being broken.  The ministers was sure to point out to you that YOU were responsible for Jesus Christ dying.  YOU, the filthy sinner that was not capable of EVER doing anything right was the reason he had to be killed.  YOU, were the reason Jesus Christ had to be killed over and over each year in the College gym. You were lower than the worms in God's sight.

By the time the service was all over you were exhausted.  What really meaningful thing could ever be taken away from such a BUSY day and night?  Even being exhausted you at least reveled in the idea that we were "clean."  All the crap you had done over the past year that you knew to be wrong was gone forever.  It was a unique feeling and actually quit freeing.....until.....the next day when we found some leavening or you swore at a crazy driver or got angry at your spouse or your kids because they were making you late for Night to Be Much Observed.  Then you were temped by some Easter candy and ate some when you thought no one was looking. Or, you ate that doughnut with out thinking. Damn it! Now you have to live with that SIN for the next year, never to have it forgiven till you came back into the gym to find Jesus Christ was till there from last year and you had to kill him again.  Its all so exhausting.


The problem with "Passover" in Armstrongism is that when you left the College gym you left Jesus Christ there till the following year.  He couldn't be talked about the rest of the year unless it was only about him talking about the Kingdom. 

Now we are 80 some years into Armstrongism and 700 some different splinter groups have emerged.  Everyone of them claiming to be the TRUE and only correct ones.  They will start crucifying their Jesus Christ tonight and over the next couple of days.  Some will find deep meaning and others will be exhausted.  None of them can agree and most assuredly they will NOT be breaking bread together on this night or the next two.  Its all so exhausting.

Then it is time to prepared for the Night To Be Much Observed.  The women will cook and prepare all day for the evening meal with invited friends or a church potluck.  Seeds of bitterness and envy will already be popping into CLEAN minds because they are getting tired and are exhausted.  Then they will get angry when an invited guests shows up without any food or brings some questionable casserole.  Damn it! There goes that clean and refreshed feeling.  They are exhausted and cant wait for the evening to be over.  Then they have to clean up after the ungrateful church members left without helping to wash the dishes.  Anger sets in.  Its midnight and you need to get to bed because you know you need to be in EARLY tomorrow to set up for the first day of Unleavened Bread.  You are exhausted just thinking about it!  Its all so exhausting.

You get up at the break of dawn, get the kids showered and dressed.  You cook a big breakfast because you know the minister is going to preach FOREVER!  Then you pile the kids in the car and drive an hour on a work day with unconverted cretins clogging up the freeway.  You get angry. You arrive late for services and then are told they need you to help set up the next room for the potluck.  You spend the entire service getting the food ready, tasting weird looking food to see if it is safe to put out.  You read all the labels to make sure no leavening  is present.  Scores of tables and chairs need to be set up and table cloths spread.  Even though the sermon is being played over the speakers, you cannot listen, you are too busy and besides, its probably boring as hell because you have heard the same thing for the last 30 years.

Then you hear the closing hymn and think, DAMN IT! all the foods not out!  There is a mad rush of exhausted women scrambling to get everything out.  You do  not have time to really sit down and eat with your friends because you need to keep replenishing the buffet line.  You will get to eat the crumbs and left-overs as you take everything back to wash  before the next service starts in an hour.

Its a mad rush as you head into the meeting room and grab a seat in the back.  Services start and some visiting evangelist starts droning on and on and on and on.  You start nodding off.  Its all so exhausting.  You cant wait to get in the car to head home even though you know it will be well over two hours because of evening rush hour traffic.  Its all so exhausting.

Armstrongism....its all so exhausting.

Help Warn the Lithuanian Ambassador About His Association With the PCG

Living Armstrongism has a request up asking for people to contact the Ambassador to Lithuania and let him know about the Philadelphia Church of God cult that he interviewed with recently.

PCG's TheTrumpet.com has released an article, written by Jeremiah Jacques, which contains comments from an interview with the Lithuanian Ambassador to the US and Mexico, Žygimantas Pavilionis. The interview was conducted by telephone on April 8.

It is very likely that Ambassador Žygimantas Pavilionis has no idea that TheTrumpet.com is run by a remarkably harmful and destructive group that has shown over and over again a horrifying disregard for the well being of its members and has often exploited its members in harmful ways, such as ordering PCG members to three tithes and extra offerings, ordering PCG members not to have contact with "Laodiceans" or ex-members, or discouraging PCG members from going to doctors or taking medicine and other such destructive behavior.

Therefore I encourage everyone who knows the true nature of PCG to respectfully write to the Lithuanian embassy and explain the true nature of PCG and TheTrumpet.com.

Check out the Living Armstrongism site for the email addresses and Lithuanian Embassy page.

As LA says:

PCG's leaders know very few people are aware of what it truly is and they rely on this anonymity to operate without suspicion. Let us reveal the truth about PCG and TheTrumpet.com to the Lithuanian Embassy.

LCG, UCG, VWCG Scrambling To Keep African Members From Joining Bob Thiel's Personality Cult

Bob Thiel has been gloating recently about his recent trip to Africa where he gives the impression that half the African continent is getting ready to join up with him. He has written about it on his blog, in his magazine and as of yesterday, in The Journal.  He is taking great pleasure in  sticking his finger in Meredith and Luker's face mocking their rejection of him. 

Leaders once part of the Global Church of God, Living Church of God, Worldwide Church of God, Church of God an International Community, Church of God in Truth, Church of God 7th Day, the Seventh-day Adventist Church and other  groups but now part of the Continuing Church of God also attended.  

The Continuing Church of God has more than 20 congregations in East Africa 

Africa is functioning as a proving ground to show us that this work is being led in the way that Jesus Christ wants us to go. We in the Continuing Church of God also expect to lead what the Bible refers to as the “short work” in Romans 9:28.

We are always trying to figure out how to best serve the needs of our brethren in Africa. The work of God through the Continuing Church of God is bearing fruit around the world, and Africa is showing that this is so.

 The Journal Issue 160

Thiel writes in his member letter:

As far as leaders new to the CCOG, after the conference, one of the attendees who asked for a meeting with myself and Pastor Ochieng, became one.  This was John Owak.  For the past ten years he had been a minister in the United Church of God.  John Owak explained that he had been studying CCOG literature for some time (he had also contacted me in the past), and the conference convinced him he wanted to be part of CCOG.  He asked if we would accept him as a volunteer (unpaid, and he did not ask for a salary) pastor of the CCOG in his geographic area, working under the direction of our Regional Pastor Evans Ochieng, myself, and ultimately Jesus Christ.  Pastor Ochieng and I agreed and wish to welcome him into the CCOG.

Leaders once part of GCG, LCG, WCG, COGaic, CG7, SDA, and/or VWCG, but now part of CCOG also attended.  This was the first time I had been able to meet any of them in person (some had email contacts with me prior).  CCOG currently has over 20 congregations in East Africa, with more expected soon.

From his News of Those Once Affiliated With The Oval Church of God

As far as leaders new to the CCOG, after the conference, one of the attendees who asked for a meeting with myself and Pastor Ochieng, became one.  This was John Owak.  For the past ten years he had been a minister in the United Church of God (UCG). John Owak explained that he had been studying CCOG literature for some time (he had also contacted me in the past), and the conference convinced him he wanted to be part of CCOG.  We discussed also differences in the governance, prophetic understandings, and the work between CCOG and UCG. He then asked if we would accept him as a volunteer (unpaid, and he did not ask for a salary) pastor of the CCOG in his geographic area, working under the direction of our Regional Pastor Evans Ochieng, myself, and ultimately Jesus Christ.  Pastor Ochieng and I agreed and welcomed him into the CCOG.

Leaders once part of GCG, LCG, WCG, COGaIC, COGIT, COGTE, CG7, SDA, and/or VWCG, but now part of CCOG also attended.  This was the first time I had been able to meet any of them in person (some had email contacts with me prior).  CCOG has over 20 congregations in East Africa.

All of this church poaching apparently has various COG groups quit concerned and are now  scrambling to send ministers to Africa to see if they can keep their members from joining Thiel's little splinter group.

Thiel reports this about the various COG's sending ministers to Africa:

04/11/14 p.m. Although I have not seen anything in writing, I have been directly told that Bill Goff (once of GCG and now heading VWCG) and Peter Nathan (once of COGaIC and now LCG) have gone to Kenya in an effort to see if those that were once associated with them personally will support them at this time. 

In writing, I have seen evidence that John Elliot of UCG is in Kenya, in order to try to prevent some there from leaving UCG over some longstanding concerns.