COGWA Unintentionally Reveals Who The True End Time COG Prophet Is

COGWA (Church of God a Worldwide Association) recently published an article to instruct their members on how to distinguish real prophets from false prophets - False Prophets by Chris Moen.  If there has been anything that the Church of God has been good at it, it is pumping out false prophets over the last 8 decades.

The article lists the following things that distinguish true prophets apart from all of the liars:

Four tests to prove whether a prophet is true

We need to carefully consider God’s Word—the Bible—in order to discern between false and true prophets. The Bible provides four tests to determine the genuineness of a prophet.

1. Does the conduct of the prophet reflect godly character?

Jesus and the apostles warned many times about deceptive prophets. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:15-17).

These prophets can be identified by their “fruits”—a term used metaphorically by Jesus to describe one’s actions and character. The law of God is the only standard we have to determine whether someone’s fruits are good or bad. True prophets will live in accordance with God’s law.

2. Do the predictions of the prophet come true?

Moses instructed ancient Israel: “When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him” (Deuteronomy 18:22).

The Bible gives a few exceptions. It shows that God has the prerogative to change His mind, as was the case with Jonah’s prophecies about Nineveh (Jonah 3:10). Also, this does not mean that God’s true servants couldn’t be wrong about timing, as Paul was in assuming he would be alive at Christ’s return (1 Thessalonians 4:15).

Except in circumstances like these, if a prophet’s predictions do not come to pass, then he or she is not a true prophet.

3. Are the words of the prophet consistent with Scripture?

God explained to those who foolishly seek knowledge from mediums and wizards, “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:19-20).

Peter declared that the apostles could truthfully attest to many fulfilled Bible prophecies concerning the life and deeds of Jesus Christ. “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. ... And we have the prophetic word made more sure” (2 Peter 1:16, 19, Revised Standard Version).

Peter also stated that true prophets do not speak their own words. As Peter wrote, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20, emphasis added).

4. Do the people benefit spiritually from the prophet’s ministry?

God’s desire was that ancient Israel would serve as a model nation and represent Him to the nations around them. Israel would be blessed as it fulfilled God’s expectation.

With this background, God warned His people, “‘Behold, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,’ says the LORD, ‘and tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies and by their recklessness. Yet I did not send them or command them; therefore they shall not profit this people at all,’ says the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:32; also read verses 13-14).

The results of a prophet’s ministry can also indicate whether this person is a false or true prophet.

Given what COGWA wrote above, did you feel that it describes any of the countless prophets that have plagued the COG over the decades?

Most of those false prophets fall under the conditions listed below:

Another reason given in the Bible is that some people speak from their own imagination. God says, “Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!” (Ezekiel 13:3-4). Throughout the centuries, numerous false prophets have arisen because of their own desires and Satan’s influence.

Every single prophet we have had over the decades has arisen because of their own desires.  Never once was God involved, but their pathetic narcissism was.

Well, that is until now!

There is one Church of God splinter cult leader who actually claims to fit every single description listed in the four categories above.

I will give you four guesses as to who it is but will give you two hints first.

It is NOT Gerald Flurry, Ron Weinland or Dave Pack!

So WHO could that possibly leave?????

Yes, Ethel, it is our very own Almost-arrested but not-arrested, Elijah, Amos, Joshua, Habakkuk, Bitter Bawana Bob Thiel!  Who knew??????

Bawana Bob writes:

Although COGWA left out some criteria, even based upon the above criteria, there is one person in one of the COGs that meets all those criteria, and he is not part of COGWA, but physically heads up the (Improperly named) Continuing Church of God (CCOG). Yet, despite what COGWA is teaching, its members do not take proper action.

 Bawana Bob continues:

The Bible teaches:

6 “Hear now My words:
If there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision;
I speak to him in a dream. (Numbers 12:6)

And here we go again with the dreams.  Bawana Bob's nightmares do not constitute revelations from God.  I know for a fact that God has NOT spoken to Bawana Bob and he is a liar when he says he did.

I had at least two such dreams, and others had dreams, essentially concerning those about me.

Bawana Bob, the false prophet to Africa continues stating that Church of God members need to heed the fact he is a prophet and leave their organizations and join up with him.  But alas, the members of the various Churches of God still laugh at him and refuse to join him or send him money.

Consider also that Jesus taught:

41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. (Matthew 10:41)

Jesus is telling His followers that if a true prophet is out there, that they need to follow. Yet, in this Laodicean time (Revelation 3:14-18), most real Christians will not listen to what Jesus said on this and many other matters.

No real Christian in the Church of God would EVER follow a narcissistic lying fool like Bawana Bob Thiel!  COGWA had no more intention of revealing Bob Thiel as a prophet than Gaylyn Bonjour secretly set aside Bawana Bob as another COG leader.

There is NOTHING that Bawana Bob claims as truth to support his office that is truthful.  God did not appoint him as a new COG leader. Bad dreams do not validate him starting a new group.  He is just as big a liar as Dave Pack, Ron Weinland and Gerald Flurry.

Anyone that joins forces with Bawana Bob is seriously putting their salvation at risk!  Run as fast as you can away!

You were BORN to be A King! Prepare to RULE!

When a reader here asked why Church of God ministers/leaders constantly stick noses into church members bedrooms and lives the following response was given. It all boils down to the belief that we would become God as God is God and sit at the right hand of the Father ruling in splendor and glory.

Anon replied:

This is the result of a specific kind of training that happened in Armstrongism. This is the "training" of the following programming methods:

1) You were BORN to be A King!

2) Prepare to RULE!

These principles appealed to the egos of men in Armstrongism for decades. For generations, it was the whole being of soul of a man to be the best ruler of the house, the best "prince" of the Kingdom of God, to do good enough and to "qualify" for the highest "positions" in the Kingdom. You would a city, five cities, ten cities, a country, a planet - MAYBE even a whole galaxy to RULE over. The male egos were salivating thirstily for this ability to control, to dominate, to rule over their dominions and their territories. This was the teaching and the reality. There are many, many articles and teachings that cover this thoroughly.

When the WCG collapsed and shattered into hundreds of pieces, the path to a higher position in the Church (which many believed would lead to a higher position in the Kingdom) literally fell off the table. Many who were on their way to deacons, elders, pastors, or employment in the church or the college found themselves without a path to promotion. But the ingrained philosophies which were so thoroughly applied within their minds - the programming - did not go anywhere. That thirst, that hunger for power built on pride and ego was now starved without a central organization. 

When the WCG divided, it fragmented into several core groups. There were those who left to form splinters, those who left religion completely, and those who went into mainstream Christianity. Of those groups were a few who were not going to give up the dream of power and rulership - and thought they could use Armstrong's Formula Of Success to accomplish what Armstrong did. What we are seeing now are the results of the few men who went rogue and are making an attempt to rebuild what was broken. What I am convinced we don't hear about, or know about, are the others who have tried but failed right off the bat, which is why we don't know who they are. 

So now, we have the stories of those who have tried. We have the stories of Flurry, Pack, Weinland, Thiel, a few larger splinters trying to hold their own - all holding onto that dream of being a king and ruling a city or a galaxy or whatever territory they'll get (I wouldn't want to see them fighting like cats over borders!!!). What have been the results? Just skim through this blog or the 'net for a day and find out the results. It isn't pretty. The whole meat of the matter is simple: When you focus on authority, ruler-ship, control, power, rank, and dominion, you lose focus on boundaries, what's appropriate, good fruits, loving character, and godly characteristics. What we see here is simply the aggressive cancer of uncontrolled authority spreading like wildfire. The fruit of presumptuous behavior gone wild. And, like it or not - it was all enabled by Armstrongism's core teachings and doctrines - powered by pride and the hope of promotion.