Do Dreamers In Africa Validate Apostate U.S. COG Splinter Group Leader?

In his never ending quest to make himself look legitimate in the eyes of his African followers and a hundred or so U.S members, Almost-arrested and jailed Bob Thiel is trotting out another man in Africa who claims to have dreamed about him as PROOF he is a legitimate prophet of God.  If he really was a true minister of God, a prophet, an apostle, and any of the other names he has taken for himself, he would NOT need some disturbed individuals dreaming dreams about him.  His words would be the lightening rod that stirs people up. People would either be enthralled at his works or be raging against him. But for some reason, all we hear is a little escaping toot from the guy who seems to be attempting to hold his gas in.  No one in the world takes his message seriously.  No prophetic warning has brought people to repentance.  No government is persecuting him.

Amos Thiel knows that people realize he lied about his dreams and that Gaylyn Bonjour had no intention of doubly blessing him as an "ordination" in order to set up a splinter group.  He had to realize things were bad when even Gaylyn Bonjour denied his interpretation of events.  Ever since Rod Meredith crushed Elisha Thiel's dream of being a recognized prophet of the church, Thiel has been scrambling ever since to make a name for himself.

His fellow "brethren" from LCG look at him as a laughing stock and a certified liar.  They know what he was like while part of the church.  Word quickly spread about him through the COG when he apostatized from LCG.   Since 99.99% of the COG turned their backs on him he has had to resort to other tactics in order to gather a following.

Never fear, Africa comes to the rescue.  Never one to let an American church ministry go to waste, the Africans jumped at the chance to join with Thiel, hoping for money, seeds, computers, and more.

Habakkuk Thiel then ordains some of his followers in order to have them ordain him as a prophet of some thing/creature he calls god.

Still being ridiculed, he has to resort to conning his members to dream about him.  After all, dreams are a sign from his god and his idols Herbert and Loma Armstrong had dreams.  What more could a prophet want?

Dream Report

Many of you are aware that a two-part dream preceded the start of the old Radio Church of God and some dreams preceded the start of the Continuing Church of God (details are in the article Dreams, the Bible, the Radio Church of God, and the Continuing Church of God).

A while back, when I was last in Kenya, I was told that Frederick Ochieng had a dream related to the Continuing Church of God. He sent me an email on it that somehow never made to me, so he again sent information about it yesterday:

Dear pastor

Greetings pastor.  I believe you are doing good though you are having great thrust of fulfilling Matthew 28:19 of which we must do before the return of Christ. …

I had two dreams

1. Before our family joined CCOG my father was then working with voice in the Wilderness Church of God. When I was sleeping I had a dream and in my dream I saw a light and the light was not normal, the one who was standing by the was You pastor Bob according to my dream. Then I had voice shouting, “Arise you who are sleeping, for the Lord is near.” I again I heard another voice shouting, “Come up Evans and let us do the work we are called to do.” I then saw a man dressed in white clothes join hands with my father walking together towards a very big lake then I woke up.

2: In my second dream some weeks after my first dream and in my second dream I saw almost the same dream and now this was in New Zealand. I did not know about the CCOG group in New Zealand before I had the dream.

Fred

Related to the first part of the dream, his father, Evans Ochieng came with the Continuing Church of God in March of 2014–with him, etc. we had about 260 people in Africa. His father told me in 2017 that Frederick also said his dream showed that we would have much growth in Africa. As of late 2017, we have around 3000 in Africa. So, that part of the dream was confirmed.

As far as New Zealand goes, the first congregation that came with the CCOG was the group in New Zealand. When I asked Frederick Ochieng about New Zealand he said knew nothing about New Zealand and any connection with the CCOG prior to his dream. While we have not have much membership growth in New Zealand itself, those in New Zealand have been heavily involved in doing the work to reach people around the world. They have been the primary editors of our church publications, have developed a website, put up and managed our Bible News Prophecy Flipboard page, and have produced our Bible News Prophecy online radio. His dream may have been telling him that I (Bob Thiel) was working with those in New Zealand to help fulfill Matthew 24:14 and Matthew 28:19-20 to reach the world.

While few dreams are from God (cf. Ecclesiastes 5:7; Zechariah 10:2), the Bible shows that God has often used dreams (Genesis 20:3-7, 28:10-17, 31:10-13, 31:24, 37:5-10, 40:5-18, 41:1-32; Numbers 12:6; Judges 7:13-15; 1 Kings 3:5-15; Daniel 2:3-45, 4:4-27, 7:1-28; Matthew 1:20-25, 2:12, 2:13, 2:19, 2:22; Acts 16:9).

Do The Various COG's Actually Love Those In Other Groups?

A reader here asked the following question on a previous post.  It is not the first time this question has ever been asked, nor will it be the last.

Hi all. This may be an odd question but do splinters like cogwa, ucg, pcg, lcg, do re me, consider themselves "sister" churches or something like that?? When something happens at a splinter...oh..sorry..sister church, it is refereed to as such. I don't get it. All seem to hold same beliefs(?) as far as Holy Days and even same publication style. I don't get it..I just don't get it. 

Oh..and thank any readers who can shed some light...you know...the one we are not suppose to hide under a bushel like talents that never got developed because what's the use everything is ending..thing. What's the benefit in that folks?

The Wanderer 

Most of the COG's are hypocrites when they say they love their fellow brethren in other splinter groups.  The only time you ever see them shaking hands, hugging, or smiling at each other is at a funeral.  Then everyone sits there saying, "he/she died in the faith" while privately thinking, "his/her salvation may be at stake because they were not members of the true end time work."

Each and every group out there seems to think they and they alone are the rightful heirs to the "truth."  Many of them claim to be practicing "first century Christianity" yet turn their backs on former brethren.

Far too many look back at the glory days of the Worldwide Church of God in the 50's and 60's where "love and community" supposedly reigned supreme.  Never was a word mention in any magazine article, member letter or booklet that things were not the "Ozzie and Harriet" world as it has always been portrayed.  Families were being broken up at that time, marriages ruined and lives lost.

The glaring problems of the church came to the forefront after Armstrong died and the splintering started.  Some of the most vile and hate-filled things were said about church members that never went along with certain groups.  The leaders and fellow ordained men were the instigators of that.  It is the leadership of the hundreds and hundreds of COG's that have separated the brethren.

Just look at UCG and COGWA.  One week they were all slapping each other on the back and the next week thousands left along with 3/4 of the ministry, with each side thinking they and they alone were right in yet another split.

Look at Gerald Flurry and his vile policy requiring PCG members to turned their backs on spouses, siblings, children, and friends who have left the church or had no desire to join up with Flurry and remained in a splinter group.

Dave Pack thinks he is going to unify the church with tens of thousands jumping ship to join his most superfantabulous work ever.

Many of them actually think the Church will soon be unified when everyone flees to Petra.  Can you imagine the hell on earth Petra will be when all of the self-appointed splinter group leaders arrive and start fighting over who is in charge!  If these members who do show up there do the right thing, they would throw every single splinter group leader out of the place!

Since all of these men claim to be Christian, then why do they act so spiteful with each other?

All of them short-shift Jesus to the back burner and place the emphasis on the law and preaching about "God's kingdom" whatever that is since it has hundreds of different meanings according to each of them.  Love, grace, mercy, and justification are not found in the law.  The law leads to death and offers no salvation:

Romans 4:15-16New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

15 For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.

16 For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us,

Or, another take in the vernacular:

Romans 4:15-16The Message (MSG)

13-15 That famous promise God gave Abraham—that he and his children would possess the earth—was not given because of something Abraham did or would do. It was based on God’s decision to put everything together for him, which Abraham then entered when he believed. If those who get what God gives them only get it by doing everything they are told to do and filling out all the right forms properly signed, that eliminates personal trust completely and turns the promise into an ironclad contract! That’s not a holy promise; that’s a business deal. A contract drawn up by a hard-nosed lawyer and with plenty of fine print only makes sure that you will never be able to collect. But if there is no contract in the first place, simply a promise—and God’s promise at that—you can’t break it.

16 This is why the fulfillment of God’s promise depends entirely on trusting God and his way, and then simply embracing him and what he does. God’s promise arrives as pure gift. That’s the only way everyone can be sure to get in on it, those who keep the religious traditions andthose who have never heard of them. For Abraham is father of us all. He is not our racial father—that’s reading the story backward. He is our faith father.

Until the hundreds and hundreds of Churches of God start practicing grace, mercy, and justice, the Church of God will NEVER be unified. It is an impossibility.

Philadelphia Church of God Ministerial Conference Topics: 34 Hours Of Legalistic Hell

Anon 2 3:45 wrote:
"18 Lectures over 34 hours in 5 days of BS is still....well you know."

Can you imagine sitting there for 34 hours listening to these morons speak on the following topics? Never once was Jesus mentioned, the New Covenant, grace, mercy, justice were never part of the conference.  What was promoted were ways for the ministers to keep the members under control and every thing possible directing PCG ministers to the old covenant.

Prophet/Apostle Gerald Flurry...“Micah and the throne of David,” around the scripture that specifically discusses a king inside God’s Church:...Mr. Flurry’s next two messages centered on “Ezra and the  throne of David.” The ruin-raising book of Ezra-Nehemiah is for the pcg today, yet it is missing David’s throne. We are bringing the throne into that picture. He talked about how Ezra established the law and administered God’s government. He also shared new revelation God gave about Jeremiah’s commission, showing how it provides further scriptural proof that a change in the throne was necessary.  The first two of these messages were played in all congregations in late July and early August. 

In his fourth message, Mr. Flurry encouraged the ministers to fall in love with the Bible. He used examples from Ezra, Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Armstrong, and even Dr. Eilat Mazar—both in terms of her using the Bible as a guidebook for her archeology and the need to dig into Bible study. He also gave the ministers practical instruction on pastoral matters such as inviting people to services and helping single Church members.

Evangelist Stephen Flurry...showed video footage of Queen Elizabeth ii’s coronation in 1953, revealing how steeped in the Bible it was. He then detailed the problems plaguing the current royal family, particularly since the throne moved this past January. He then gave seven characteristics we need to develop as God’s king-priests.

Stephen Flurry amplified that theme in his second lecture, “Step Forward and Lead,” giving practical instruction from Paul’s pastoral epistles on how ministers can implement God’s government in our homes and congregations, and help the Church’s families to do the same. He also gave the sermon on the Sabbath on the subject of “ The New Royal Family,” showing how God’s people today have replaced the British royal family and must act accordingly.

Pastor Andrew Locher...compared the current state of the pcg with that of the wcg in 1981 in terms of spiritual organization, corporate structure,  finances, members, ministers, congregations—and showed how God really has raised the ruins of Mr. Armstrong’s work “As in the Days of Old.”

Yeah right.  WCG had 150,000 members, Flurry is lucky to have 3,000-4,000 these days.

Evangelist Wayne Turgeon...built his first lecture around the motto of Ambassador College “Recapture God’s True Values,” detailing several of these values including love, temperance, humility, dependability, initiative, enthusiasm, and repentance.

Wayne Turgeon preaching on love, humility, and repentance is hilarious.  We have all read here over the years how he exemplifies NONE of these characteristics.  He was a pompous jerk when he was here in Pasadena and that has not changed.

Pastor Brian Davis...“Make Full Proof of Your Ministry,” instructing on how to strengthen Church members and help their joy, protect the flock, anticipate problems, develop our minds, and improve our education.

Preaching Elder Brad Macdonald...advocated “Using Bible Prophecy in Our Daily Ministry,”

Elder Ryan Malone...shared practical help on “ the Importance of Using Analogies, Metaphors and Comparisons in Teaching and Speaking” in helping people grasp abstract spiritual truths.  

These are perfect topics for a guy still in the closet.

Another recurring theme was the ministers’ need, both personally and in counseling people, to overcome human nature and purge human reasoning, and to rely on God and His government.

When has any COG minister EVER purged human reasoning?  It is impossible!  Particularly for cult ministers set in their ways and seeking to control members. They certainly are not thinking godly.

Evangelist Alex Harrison’s first lecture, “I Can of Myself Do Nothing,” was built on a 2004 article by Gerald Flurry to the ministry about submitting to God in every detail and allowing Him to supply the wisdom needed to serve God’s people.

Pastor Wik Heerma spoke on how important it is for ministers and members to “Overcome the Works of the Flesh” and walk in the Spirit. 

Pastor Fred Dattolo contrasted “God’s Law vs. Satan’s Law,” exposing ways we can unwittingly obey Satan’s law of vanity, or self-love; then describing how to obey the spirit of each of the Ten Commandments.  

Pastor Joel Hilliker showed how we must live “ the Way of the Servant,” which primarily means listening to and carrying out our Master’s (and our physical boss’s) instructions precisely and cheerfully. 

In other words, being autotrons slobbering at the feet of the Dear Leader and clinging to every word he says as if God himself was speaking it.

Mr. Harrison’s second lecture drew on Mr. Armstrong’s example to prove that “God Doesn’t Play Second Fiddle” and that our hearts must be fully in His Work.

Hearts must be fully engaged in promoting and paying for Gerald's imaginary work, while telling Jesus to screw off.

Pastor Cal Culpepper spoke on the need to “Strengthen the Family of God,” specifically by instructing men to lead their lives and their families with robust male Christian leadership. 

What a hypocritical prick Culpepper is to be preaching about this topic!  He has ripped families apart. Separated children from parents.  He has ordered family members to abandon a child at the mall so the state could take care of it; so the parents could give more money to the church.  The list of abominable atrocities he has committed is long and have been documented here and on other blogs and web sites.

Mr. Turgeon finished the conference with a lecture on how to build “God’s Uncommon Sense,” growing in wisdom and judgment through understanding God’s law and principles of cause and effect.

The law trumps everything.