Thursday, January 28, 2016

Why God Does Not Answer Prayers?




Why God Does Not Answer Prayers?

Many pastors and preachers will try to tell you that the reason God does not answer prayer is because of your sins, or because you are asking for the wrong things, or you ask something that is not the will of God, or perhaps you ask in lust or you ask amiss or your prayer is not according to scripture.

Are those valid reasons why God does not answer prayer?  What if you pray to God, but you are not a Christian? Perhaps you pray, but your beliefs differ from those who read the King James Bible.

What if your country or nation is being bombed and attacked, as happened to Iraq and you prayed to God or Allah, but the death and destruction happened anyway?  What if members of your family perished in war and you prayed your heart out?

What if you were a church going Christian and a tornado ripped through your neighborhood and destroyed many homes and even the lives of other church goers?  What then?   What if a horrendous earthquake happened when you were living in California and freeways collapsed upon cars and crushed church going Christians to death?

What if your child developed leukemia and you as parents and your church going friends, prayed with all your might for healing and the child died anyway?  What then?

Does God really answer prayer?  Why would God selectively answer the prayers of some, but neglect the prayers of millions of other human beings?

I once read that a man was driving his vehicle and suddenly the thought came to him, that he should not go around a curve ahead and sure enough a truck came around in a manner that would have resulted in a head-on collision.  Was that God?  The man thought so.  Why would God put that thought in his mind, while allowing 50,000 other people to die in auto accidents that same year?

Many people attribute "healing" recovery to God, but at the same time there are thousands of others who are not healed.  Why would God heal some people and not others?  Makes no sense whatsoever.

Even in sports, many sports players thank God for their victory, as if God micro-managed their winning game? Is that really just a false belief?

Why on earth would God place a priority over a football or basketball game, while allowing thousands of people to die in wars, tornadoes, hurricanes, cancer, auto accidents or whatever???

Christians and church goers seem to live in a fantasy world about answered prayer.  Some Christians think God directed them to get a job flipping hamburgers, and then when they want to go elsewhere, suddenly God directed them to go to work for another business.  Is that God?

Does God really micromanage the lives of human beings?  If he did, then do humans have freewill?  Would God really cause you to buy a lottery ticket, in which you won $200-million dollars?

After 73 years of living on planet earth, I would have to come to the conclusion that church going Christians are very gullible and naive human beings, with almost zero discernment about God or reality.  And the belief that INK on PAPER is "inspired" by God, is a fatal false belief.


Van Robison

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

It's OK to salt unleavened bread but not wear alligator cowboy boots, especially if you are a woman who has just given birth to a daughter



The Church of God has always had Pharisees in its midst that took things to the extreme when it came to law keeping. The law was always the god that demanded total obedience. Every unreasonable rule and regulation was expounded upon and taken to the extreme. Every booklet, article, coworker letter, sermon and telecast talked about the law while Jesus was relegated to a few days around Passover.

With the demise of the Worldwide Church of God various groups broke off trying to preserve  the law with even more extreme measures.  Everyone of these groups claim that only they are right and the others are apostate heretics. Everyone tries to out do the other group when it comes to all keeping.

That Judaizing continues on today with the Chief Pharisee of the Churches of God who claims only he has the really understanding of the law.  For several years now James Malm has been rewriting the bible to fit his own twisted interpretations.

One of his acolytes recently asked about salting unleavened bread.  We are getting up to that season, remember....  The fact that someone had to even ask for permission shows how brainwashed his followers are.

A question has come about salting the unleavened bread for Passover and the sacrifices and I have added the following explanation to the  Leviticus 2:13 post. 
All Unleavened Bread for Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the sacrifices  is to be seasoned with salt as commanded in Lev 2:13. 
Salt is a preservative which is added to indicate the eternal everlasting nature of our Covenant with God and our faithful everlasting abiding in that Covenant (Numbers 18:19). 

Then the Chief Pharisee moves on to what is supposedly "clean" and "unclean."  As usual in the mind of an Armstrongite, that is open to interpretation, and interpret his own views is what he does.

Here are his convoluted ideas he passes off as "truth."

While we are commanded to not even touch a dead unclean animal, many sects claim that the commandment is only concerned with eating the flesh. Using that false premise they say that any other products from dead unclean creatures may be used at will. 
Living “unclean” animals are not unclean to touch and neither is the hair or wool sheared from living animals; it is the DEAD animals that are unclean and not to by eaten or even touched. That means that the skin and furs of dead unclean animals are not to be touched.  
We may not eat, use or touch the dead body of any creature that does not BOTH chew the cud and split the hoof among animals, or any under water creature that does not have BOTH fins and scales at the time we take it. We may not eat, use or touch the dead body of any bird that does not have a crop and is not able to fly, nor can we eat any insect that does not have both legs for leaping and wings for flying.
To even touch the carcass [dead body] of an unclean creature; becomes unclean and must bathe and be unclean until the sun is set. 
To touch the dead body makes one unclean and if we wear skins and furs from unclean creatures it is as if we have eaten them; for both acts make us unclean. 
Dang it!  Now that I have my alligator boots broken in I have to throw them out!

The next time you pick up the dead bird carcass your cat brings in or that lizard, you are unclean the second you touch it.  Slide on those comfy Hush Puppies made with pig skin and your are unclean!  Wear those alligator cowboy boots and you are unclean.  Carry that camel purse and you are unclean!

Next he tries to make his acolytes do the impossible.  Any follower of the new covenant knows that what he writes is a lot of useless hooey.

We should be zealous to be physically clean, in our overwhelmingly unclean world; and we should go forward from the physical; to be zealous to become spiritually clean, without any spot, blemish or wrinkle of spiritual uncleanness or sin. 
We should be as shocked, disgusted and appalled at the very idea of eating some scripturally unclean thing, or for some spiritual uncleanness and sin like calling the Sabbath holy and then paying others to serve us; as we would be if we were served a bowl of sewage.

This is the kind off crap that is fostered off as truth when you leave Jesus out of the picture.



Then the Chief Pharisee has this to say about women who have children.  If you have a daughter it is even worse!

If the child is female the mother’s separation shall be double that of a male child 
12:5 But if she bear a maid child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation: and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying threescore and six [66] days.  
66 days plus two weeks is 80 days. My wife and I practiced this by mutual consent for our three sons and one daughter. 
We make these specified sacrificial offerings to day, by going to God the Father in prayer and asking that the sacrifice of Christ be applied to us and to the child, setting apart the child through our faithfulness, and asking for an understanding of these things.
A sin offering for the shed blood; which goes back to Eden where sin and bloodshed entered the world and a burden was placed on women for that sin, as a perpetual reminder of sin (Gen 3:16); the sin offering for the mother, being the application of Christ’s sacrifice for the repentant obedient woman. And a burnt offering to demonstrate the wholehearted faithful service to God the Father and Jesus Christ and those of like-mind.
What a relief to be free from this tyranny!





Tuesday, January 26, 2016

COG Prophet Declares New Zealand is NOT the Place of Safety!



God's most highly favored prophet and leader of the ONLY true church active in 2016, Bob Thiel, has declared that New Zealand is NOT the place of safety!  Who knew!


Super rich hedge fund managers are buying ‘secret boltholes’ where they can hideout in the event of civil uprising against growing inequality, it has been claimed.  

Nervous financiers from across the globe have begun purchasing landing strips, homes and land in areas such as New Zealand so they can flee should people rise up.  

With growing inequality and riots such as those in London in 2011 and in Ferguson and other parts of the USA last year, many financial leaders fear they could become targets for public fury.
Thiel then adds:


Jesus taught that a very rough time was going to come: 


21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. (Matthew 24:21-22) Is the solution to attempt to hide in a country such as New Zealand?  
No. 


The prophet continues:
While there is a certain escape involved in this, the protected Christians are not going to their personal ‘bolthouses,’ but are going to a place that God has prepared in the wilderness. And this is NOT a wilderness in New Zealand. 

While Thiel does not mention Petra is this tirade, he has in the past publicly preached that it is the place of safety.  The place where only his chosen will be able to gather at his feet to be taught words of wisdom.

Then in one finally jab at New Zealand, he writes:


As far as New Zealand goes, many do not realize that the British-peoples in New Zealand are actually descendants of the biblical Joseph’s son Ephraim, the grandson of Jacob. Because of that, New Zealand will be affected by “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7). 

Since those in New Zealand will be greatly affected by the Great Tribulation, any wealthy who attempt to escape there will find that they trusted too much in their wealth (cf. Matthew 10:24), instead of trusting the Bible. A place of safety will be prepared for the true Philadelphians, but one cannot simply buy admission to it (Revelation 3:7-13; Luke 21:36).

God Punishes Kentucky and California Because of Joe Biden



According to Prophet Bob Thiel, the East coast was punished by snow this past weekend because Vice President Joe Biden made some remarks that were gay friendly while in Europe.  As a result Kentucky was severely punished with beauty and charm.

Meanwhile in California, all those gays caused record amounts of snow to fall in the Sierra's that will greatly benefit the state later this spring and summer.




Monday, January 25, 2016

I too am a child survivor of Herbert W. Armstrong's church from 1960 on...




A reader here shares his/her story:

I believe my mother was drawn to the Radio Church of God broadcast because she was so emotionally unstable and unhappy. I think like all cults, it drew folk with deep emotional/spiritual voids. And folk with mental health issues. I remember being abused physically by my mother in the guise of "discipline" as taught by the church when it actually became a physical church that she could attend - the World Wide Church of God. The "discipline" progressed to a 2 by 4 board. I can't blame the church on all the abuse suffered at the hands of my mother, given she had begun the abuse years prior to her discovering the Radio Church of God. Both my parents came to the marriage with lots of unresolved baggage. Within three years, my mother had three children and a husband who worked late most nights. And she was Jewish, he Methodist. She raised in a pampered creative, city family life. He from a sheltered, poor farm upbringing.

I know I was damaged even before my mother started going to Armstrong's church. But her becoming part of it all, was devastating to us kids and my father. Before she joined the church, we had Chanukah and Christmas and of course all the other holidays and festivities that are considered traditional. I remember the day the men in dark suits came to our house. My Dad was at work. From that day forward, she stopped smoking, never wore makeup again and life was never the same in our house. No more birthdays, nothing. I was about 9, my younger brother 7 and my older brother 10. No explanation, nothing, Just all of a sudden everything changed. It further put a wedge between my parents and he recognized quickly that her church was "nuts". His response was to delve deeper into his job. To be abused at home and have such a volatile mother and then have to attend long church services with her and sermons about 'the Lake of Fire" and kids are sinful and need to receive the rod and the never ending sermons on the Book of Revelation and the tribulation and the end of the world - it was frightening to me. I had nightmares throughout my childhood. Even after her church became more mainstream and "normalized", she still hung on to some of the old teachings esp. regarding the world coming to an end. The last words I ever heard from her, at my last visit a few months before her death she said" It's only going to get worse". and I knew she was referencing the end times. For supposedly loving the Lord and being born again, she was miserable. And her minister never wanted to address the issues in our house and help with it. 

Anyway, I joined the army just to get out of the house, after I graduated high school. It took me years to be comfortable celebrating birthdays and holidays. Now, I love to celebrate those. I do believe her religion greatly affected my spiritual path which has led me to atheism. It has been an agonizing path. Living a human life without religion and all the camaraderie a church can provide, has been lonely indeed. My trust in people has been damaged. I do feel I am the victim of religious abuse. even hearing the word God triggers my PTSD. I have had to pay quite a bit of money over the years for psychotherapy. I'd have loved to have sent that bill to H. Armstrong.

You have my permission to print this 

COG Members Sick of the divisive church divisions

double click to enlarge


These are photographs are of an ICOG Feast of Tabernacles sign from this past year.  This same location also had UCG, COGWA and LCG groups meeting in the same building and close by in the same city. 

 COG members are getting sick of the divisions that abusive leaders continue to use as control measures.  There were at least three groups meeting in the same town and none of them officially acknowledged the other, with some even discouraging members to stay away from the other groups.


Sunday, January 24, 2016

COG False Prophet Says: Snowmageddon Was Punishment From God For Joe Biden's Comments



Only in Armstrongism (and World Net Daily) can such stupidity abound:

Bob Thiel writes;

I would suggest that if this particular storm “Jonas” was a punishment for a recent action, it was more likely a punishment for US Vice President Biden’s promotion of the LGBT agenda at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday ss opposed to the lifting of sanctions related to the Iranian deal. 
Why? 
Because the Bible does ties aspects of the LGBT agenda in with weather punishments (cf. Amos 4:7-12).  Plus the Bible teaches that God will remove “the protection from Judah” (the nation currently called Israel) and perhaps allow the Iranians to damage it (cf. Isaiah 22:6-8).

Bitter Bob's bumbling proof?

Scripture is clear that God controls the weather and sometimes provides extreme weather for correction. And that includes snowy weather. Notice the following: 
5 God thunders marvelously with His voice; He does great things which we cannot comprehend. 6 For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’;… 9 From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind, And cold from the scattering winds of the north. 10 By the breath of God ice is given, And the broad waters are frozen. 11 Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds; He scatters His bright clouds. 12 And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance, That they may do whatever He commands them On the face of the whole earth. 13 He causes it to come, Whether for correction, Or for His land, Or for mercy. (Job 37:5-6, 9-13)
22 “Have you entered the treasury of snow, Or have you seen the treasury of hail, 23 Which I have reserved for the time of trouble, For the day of battle and war? (Job 38:22-23)

COGWA Members Say If A Merger Happens With LCG They Will Return To United



If Rod Meredith is truly considering merging with the Church of God a Worldwide Association  (COGWA) he is going to be in for a big shock.  While some in the leadership may want to do this, the members do NOT!  Many are saying they will return to United Church of God before their feet ever grace the door of an LCG church. What a stinging indictment that is!

Also  it is interesting to note is that COGWA ministers are preaching about Rod Meredith's "issues" (his preoccupation with homosexuality) and that he has become "unhinged." Its a sad indicator to LCG members if COGWA ministers are publicly bad mouthing Rod Meredith. This is starting to look like the epic failure of Dave Pack where he thinks tens of thousands of COG members will soon be joining his church.

Really AWKWARD!! How do we in COGWA, who have listened for a while now to insinuations about Rod Meredith’s “issues” given his pre-occupation with rants against homosexuals, and suggestions that he has “come unhinged” with his new teachings of a rapture (something to do with the timeline of the wedding supper) all coming from our own ministers (and I hear also from friends in the UK that these thoughts are also disseminated by the COGWA leadership there)—- how are we expected to happily ‘merge’ with a group that we are told is so way off-base?! In our immediate circles at services today we all pretty much agreed that if this merger happened, most of COGWA would flee back to UCG — a windfall for them. LCG would inherit a hefty payroll with insufficient tithe-payers to support it. For my husband and I it would confirm our worst fears since the beginning that Franks & Co. were perhaps just financial opportunists in the first split, and are doing the same again with no principles — and we would certainly be back in UCG. Certainly we never understood making merchandise of the brethren as well as we do now.  Shining Light comments

Also to note, is the distaste that COGWA members seem to have for Jim Franks and crew.  They are referred to as "financial opportunists."

LCG COGWA can not join because it is unequally yoked, Jim Franks represents a corrupt leader, full of ambition, Walker, Langarica sacked the United Church of God in South America and Franks knows, out corrupt leaders, hopefully this is just rumor, LCG should not thieves at his side. Ali Franks and the 40 Thieves.


It should be quite obvious that not only is Living Church of God having member issues, but COGWA, UCG, PCG and RCG are too.   Members are starting to rebel again at the appalling things they are being going on in their churches.  Yet, the ministers and hierarchy continue to turn a blind eye and pretend that things have never been better in the church. As I have said before, the church is eating itself alive.  Persecution is not coming from the outside, but from within.

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Why Are LCG Ministers STILL Sitting On Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars Worth of Donations?




Ever since Rod Meredith lambasted his membership recently on why they had not sold their homes, businesses, cashed in retirement funds and investments, LCG members have been asking why the LEADERSHIP of the church have not stepped up to the plate first.

The latest picture sent is is of Dexter Wakefield's  close to 3,800 square foot home that he shares with his wife in a gated community.

The question that was asked is:

Why is Wakefield's 3800 square foot home with an estimated worth of $712,000 (with only Wakefield and his wife living in it) acceptable but the brethren are chastised for sitting on hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars and property?
While the lowly members are expected to sacrifice and disinherit children, the ministry still sit by their cozy fires night after night.  Sacrifice is not a quality any of them have.

See:

Rod Meredith: Personal - Pray for Our Financial Growth! 

Rod Meredith is not happy that LCG members are "sitting on millions of dollars worth of money and property" instead of giving it to the church

 LCG Fails to be good stewards of God's money.



Ron Dart Has Died (updated)


I believe in the resurrection from the dead, by which man's mortal and decayed body will be changed in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet into a new body that can never die.
I believe that the Greater Church of God is composed of all the saints, those in whom the Holy Spirit dwells, who are called according to God's purpose.   

Of the many evangilists to pass through the doors of the Worldwide Church of God, Dart was one of the more friendly ones. While others in Pasadena would walk right by you, Dart would stop and say hello.


From his Facebook page:



From Allie Dart:

Ronald L. Dart died peacefully in his sleep early this Sabbath morning, January 23rd, from a prolonged battle with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. His remarkable gift of clarity and love and understanding of the Bible were devoted to teaching others.

Christian Educational Ministries, founded by Ron Dart in 1995, will continue to promote his timeless insights into God’s Word through the Born to Win program, his books, essays and audio messages. He was a gifted speaker and teacher who leaves a legacy of knowledge and understanding of the precious Word of God.





Friday, January 22, 2016

UCG: After 20 Some Years We Finally Realize We Should Love And Care For Each Other



A UCG member brought this to my attention.  Below has to be one of the most pathetic comments to come out of UCG in a while. There is so much wrong about most everything Vic Kubik said.

Its obvious their ministry is in sad shape.  Older ministers are dying off or retiring and UCG has finally realized after 20 years that they should have been hiring younger ministers.  Men with fresh ideas that are not stuck in pre-1986 models and who have new outlooks.  The tired and worn out models of the glory days of the Worldwide Church of God are epic failures in the 21st century.

The same tired and worn out writers from the old WCG have been writing the same worn out nonsense for the last twenty years.  These same worn out old men have produced epic failures in campaigns and other outdated practices from the past that have failed to bring in new members.

As usual, at the bottom of all COG lists is love and caring.  Its a little too late to decide to love and care for your members when you have already lost over 60% of them to other splinter groups and continued attrition out of the church.  When the law trumps Jesus every time, what more could we expect.

You will also be heartened to hear about how we are rebuilding our ministry, including the hiring of younger couples who are being trained to become the future pastors for our congregations. We are also actively training new writers for our blogs and publications. And, not the least in importance, will be our focus on loving and caring for one another, as this is the glue the bonds us one to another

Thursday, January 21, 2016

More Books by COG Members (updated)



What does a hot young ad agent do when he loses everything in the 1929 Stock Market Crash? He heads for California and starts a money-machine religious cult, leaving a trail of dead bodies and ruined lives in his wake.

His tragic fall in the late '80s marked the end of a kind of cult experience America rarely sees - or does it? Kids, read and heed before you're tempted to leave home, drink Kool-Aid, die in a hail of bullets, or give up your college money to a conservative, unaccredited institution....

Jumping Off Bridges by Carole Ritter




The Firescalds Road to the Sky will take you on a journey with a family. You will live with them on an old farm in the high mountains of the Appalachians. You will relocate with them to the flatlands of the eastern shores. You will see good times and bad revealed through the eyes of a growing youngster. Life experiences steadily send his thinking back to the Firescalds and all he learned there. They are there like a road map, helping him to turn away from the wrong choices, which become available.

The Firescalds Road to the Sky by Cleveland Jones



This triune aspect of salvationrescue, roots, and conscious co-creationis foundational to wholeness, building a satisfying life and to feeling like were doing what we were born to do.




One of the author's greatest revelations of God's grace came from accepting and experiencing God s love and goodwill in a tangible way. This led to her making a decision 25 years ago to practice spiritual love. For those who have despaired and wondered if they would ever see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living as did the Psalmist of the Old Testament, "Taste the Grace" is for them. Those who have been tutored to accept the negative aspects of life, have little faith in goodness and love as it pertains to them, and have been groomed to expect more suffering can resist or sabotage heaven when it shows up for them. This book shows how anyone can taste and see that the Lord is good, as promised in the Scripture, and that the good life is there for the taking and the sharing. It is the understanding of God's grace that empowers us to experience more of the goodness of life that includes love, healing, abundance and fulfillment of purpose while on earth. To "Taste the Grace" is to take it in as nourishment. It feeds us spiritually, increases our faith and helps us rearrange and update our belief systems to make room for the good we seek. It brings heaven to earth, and God s love into our lives. This experience enriches us on every level and gives us the confidence to reach for our dreams. Grounded in this grace, we are sourced by lasting and unconditional love. Living from grace is living in love and this is what empowers us to feel good, do good and make good.

by Barbara Patton Unger




In Gems of a Lifetime, Barbara Patton Unger shares 'gems' of light that she has mined in her life. Her metaphor of Gemstones for these illuminations points to a glorious and loving God.She focuses on the precious jewels of light discovered from growing up in her hometown of Joplin, Missouri and gives voice to Oracles of Wisdom gained through, and sometimes in spite of, religious affiliation. She then honors the greatest light of all - the essence of the divine within us. She shows God's goodness IS 'OUR' glory; and these "gemstones" point us to our own days of Heaven on Earth. Awakened to the truth of our "spiritual DNA," she presents her treasures to help others recognize how, even in the midst of sorrows, God can enrich their lives if they look for, value and mine their own sparkling gems.

Gems of a Lifetime by Barbara Patton Unger



The 1993 government assault on the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, resulted in the deaths of four federal agents and eighty Branch Davidians, including seventeen children. Whether these tragic deaths could have been avoided is still debatable, but what seems clear is that the events in Texas have broad implications for religious freedom in America.

James Tabor and Eugene Gallagher's bold examination of the Waco story offers the first balanced account of the siege. They try to understand what really happened in Waco: What brought the Branch Davidians to Mount Carmel? Why did the government attack? How did the media affect events? The authors address the accusations of illegal weapons possession, strange sexual practices, and child abuse that were made against David Koresh and his followers. Without attempting to excuse such actions, they point out that the public has not heard the complete story and that many media reports were distorted.

The authors have carefully studied the Davidian movement, analyzing the theology and biblical interpretation that were so central to the group's functioning. They also consider how two decades of intense activity against so-called cults have influenced public perceptions of unorthodox religions.

In exploring our fear of unconventional religious groups and how such fear curtails our ability to tolerate religious differences, Why Waco? is an unsettling wake-up call. Using the events at Mount Carmel as a cautionary tale, the authors challenge all Americans, including government officials and media representatives, to closely examine our national commitment to religious freedom.

Why Waco? by James Tabor and Eugene Gallagher



This fascinating examination of the earliest years of Christianity reveals how the man we call St. Paul shaped Christianity as we know it today. 

Historians know almost nothing about the two decades following the crucifixion of Jesus, when his followers regrouped and began to spread his message. During this time Paul joined the movement and began to preach to the gentiles. Using the oldest Christian documents that we have—the letters of Paul—as well as other early Chris­tian sources, historian and scholar James Tabor reconstructs the origins of Christianity. Tabor shows how Paul separated himself from Peter and James to introduce his own version of Christianity, which would continue to develop independently of the message that Jesus, James, and Peter preached. 

Paul and Jesus illuminates the fascinating period of history when Christianity was born out of Judaism.

Paul and Jesus by James Tabor



iSly is not just a compelling science fiction story; it wrestles with major issues of human survival. A resurgent Joseph Dane is on the case, with Bluegrass, his colorful sidekick, and TatarKhan, Hypernet Master. They must find the obscure origins of an epic, android shift, before disaster ensues. An android demographic has been built into society, giving humanity a desperately needed survival path: eSly androids working to save humans from the gridlock of financial meltdown, and huge enviro-disasters. But now it's all gone wrong—iSly, a superior line of androids, shifts out from eSly, starts to self-replicate, and plies a new, sinister path. The iSly 'droids start taking over. World leaders are horrified.  
Stanley Gerson is out of the starting blocks with iSly, a story set in the urban, grandeur, risen from a new, techtonic geography in Coos Bay, Oregon. 

iSly by Stanley Gerson




A perplexing aspect of early Christianity is the rapid and widespread abandonment of the practice of rest on the seventh day Sabbath, as practiced in the Jewish matrix of the Christian movement, even though the seven-day week was retained for time-keeping purposes. It is beyond dispute that this occurred, but there is no unanimity on the question of how and why. There is no passage in the sources to which we can turn to find an explicit answer to the question. This book proposes to explore the reasons for this radical shift in the worship practice of early Christians.

   The author uses the classic tools of the historical-critical method, supplemented by newer approaches such as narratology, for a thorough exegetical examination of the relevant passages, not only in the New Testament, but also from other Christian writings of the time (Barnabas, Thomas). The investigation demonstrates that previous models to explain the rapid disappearance of the Sabbath as a Christian worship practice have been inadequate. In their place, a more nuanced, polycausal model is proposed. This sheds light on the question of unity and diversity in the early Christian movement as it began its development from a sect within second temple Judaism to a faith community with its own identity.

Encountering the Rest From God: How Jesus Came to Personify the Sabbath
by Henry Sturcke



Designed to provide readers with a framework for exploring financial markets, this book describes the basic rules of the game in three of the major international financial markets - foreign exchange, Eurocurrencies and international bonds - and aims to convey an intuitive feel for market dynamics. The book blends theory and institutional accounts, considers the interbank market in foreign exchange and explains how to hedge with FX forwards, futures, and options. A new chapter explores aspects of the European Monetary System in two separate discussions: historical background and general features; and the technical details of the Exchange Rate Mechanism.




Songs and Stories Together connects songs to stories and classical music through activities especially crafted for children ages 3--6. This book will delight and charm your students with engaging music and art activities that build skills through singing, moving, listening, and playing classroom instruments. With reproducible pages included, the lessons are designed for all levels of teaching experience. Teachers who have a modest music background can easily teach most of the activities, and each lesson features an ensemble or extended activity meant to be taught by experienced music teachers. Songs and Stories Together is a winning combination!

Songs and Stories Together by Sally Guerrero



FOR THE FIRST TIME IN PUBLISHING HISTORY... Reversing 160 years of falsehood - sharing the true spirit of quantum science from Albert Einstein and Max Planck both, this book goes where no one has gone before, - showing not everyone even agreed with Darwin - especially not the most revered and famous science minds of our time... Event Horizon Publishing llc offers you a surprise here in Darwin’s evolutionary theory, that few realize. Did you know there are two sides on Darwin, even in the scientific world? The most famous and admired scientists over a century have criticized the theory in its non-scientific assertions. They share not from emotion or metaphysics but in science as it should be. Darwin’s Natural Selection idea is very poor. It’s factually porous. With the scientific analysis of the 21st century we see it’s based in mere assumptions. Then we realize it was contrived 100 years before DNA was discovered. DNA changed everything. Anymore, it’s not just the differences in atheist or deist views on evolution, it’s the world of science itself. It’s most recent facts take it apart brick by brick. Darwin’s idea has collapsed - not to stand again. It’s now irrefutable from Darwin’s own Fatal Admission, in his own words we will see it. Read now from Event Horizon Publishing what schools do not want you to read. Those professors in evolution class won’t be able to answer the questions and challenges from the students because they’re coming from science-awareness not mere agendas. Many in science gave immense consideration to analyzing Darwin’s ill-fated postulate. Reading this book we now understand not only the true logic of science’s reasoning in dissolving his theory, but we see an underlying agenda that Darwin had in imagining it. Darwin’s atheism is well known prior to his theory’s arrival; so to have a person with atheistic agendas creating a contrived scenario of Something coming from Nothing is not only self-serving of his views, but means he attempted to make science fit his belief-system. The scientific panorama here is eloquently shared in true simplicity. Based in Reason, in meaningful truth-seeking, it uplifts human feelings toward the exquisite. Elevating realities in Einstein’s quantum- world of light reveal our true-ground of being, liberating us from Darwin’s emptiness. Ask your self who would you believe, Darwin or Einstein? The new physics of life in cosmic consciousness herein, even warms our heart in daily living. Absorbing the meta-Physics of true knowing, shining here right now, we Smile in knowing, science and meta-Physics are not mutually exclusive of the other. Now you can enjoy that longed-for completion, in personal spaces of serene esteem... in this wondrous living universe that we all call home - one that truly inspires us into Awe, if we allow it.


Darwin's Fatal Admission by Lachlen Paul French




Event Horizon Publishing llc, brings you a discovery that occurred in 1945 at the end of World War II, of which most of us have never heard. Imagine our belief-system being turned upside down. Many believe we’ve been told a true version of history the last 2000 years. Have we really? The Gospel According to Thomas (also known as the Thomas Gospel and the Gospel of Thomas), the first new biblical book in 20 centuries, was found in desert sand, in 1945. It was so shocking and amazing Hollywood made several films based on it. Yet 95% of us still do not know of it. The Gospel According to Thomas, from Christ’s brother, was found in the desert in the proverbial Earthenware Jar - and it revealed 46 Christian scrolls from 2000 years earlier, that the Roman editors left out of their version of the Bible, 400 years later, in 381 AD. This brought up scandalous questions of political intrigue. Aspersions were cast upon this scroll almost instantly by church officials, even before studying it (not very scholarly). When first reading this gospel from Christ’s brother, Thomas (in carbon-dated scrolls like the earliest New Testament), it’s amazing how similar the quotes are to Christ’s quotes in the Bible, in subtle mysterious beautiful ways. Many quotes are essentially identical; and some exquisitely, slightly different, bring new meaning – all are fascinating. They’re so similar to scripture, some experts say Thomas may be the long lost “Q” or the Source document from which Matthew, Mark and Luke arose. It’s believed the scroll was much larger back then. (The Bedouin who found it said several scrolls were burned for kindling.) It is even said Jesus may have helped create it. In reading it, it sounds like what Christ might teach around a campfire. There’s a brevity to its 114 verses. With great care and love, it comes out to you now. Its translation took nine years to complete. It truly engages our modern hearts. This gospel now enjoys current clarity for us, and spiritual continuity for our world. Its message is relevant to people of our day with our frame of reference. Enjoy its present-moment Form, its spiritual Context, along with its beautifully mystical Contents. You can read the original form of Thomas’ Scroll right here as well. Enjoy now Christ’s deepest and his most private teaching to his disciples. Prepare to be astounded.

The Gospel of Thomas: Christ's Recorded Sayings of Mastery

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Will We Soon Witness the Closure of Grace Communion International?



Several people have contacted us today relaying that they have received a letter from Grace Communion International (WCG) that the employee pension plan will be dissolved as of March 1, 2016.

We have also been told that the chance of the GCI totally dissolving as church is eminent.  GCI has been hemorrhaging members steadily for many years.  People are also not tithing or giving as the church had once expected.  Because of this there is less of a need for a "corporate" HQ overseeing the remaining churches.

One of the plans being considered is to let each church operate independently, keeping all the money in their own church area.  They could call themselves what ever they want and not be tied to the GCI denomination.

The West Valley GCI has always been the conservative church of the GCI, meeting on Saturday, keeping the holy days, and tithing.  Because they keep their money locally, they have $400,000.00 sitting in the bank.  GCI HQ has traditionally expected all church areas to send in 10% of their money, but now are asking West Valley to send in even more.  They are balking at that.  Their previous pastor retired and the churches now pastored by Ron Kelly for at least six more months.

Apparently Joe Tkach Jr. wants to step down, something he has been saying for the last 10 years.  With no one that can effectively step in and keep things as they are and not revert back to the old teachings, the next best thing is to dissolve the church.

This seems to be the trend in all the COG's right now.  With the soon coming implosion of LCG, UCG, PCG and COGWA, are we finally witnessing the total collapse of Armstrongism?  Attendance numbers are shrinking. None of the COG's can truly stand the other.  None of them want to give up control or power in order to merge.

For decades the church pictured itself being persecuted by the world and having restrictions placed upon it resulting in the "famine of the word."  Nothing like that has happened.  Instead we are watching them eat themselves alive and dissolve around us.  Hundreds and hundreds of little groups are out there doing nothing.  From whacky people like Stephen Gilbreath to the total nut jobs in charge at RCG and PCG, the Church of God is one complete mess. There is no need for some beast power or the  King of the South or North to rise up and persecute the church.  There is no need for the Pope to do anything.  The Church of God is destroying itself.