Brother Vidal is back from Dave Packs reeducation camp with more tales of woe and persecution. The persecution of the Restored Church of God seems to be particularly horrendous at this point in time. Even though they live in nice homes, have plenty of food on their tables, travel freely around the country in the latest model of car, have tens of thousands of dollars in the bank, they are being persecuted for their beliefs. Really! I have not read about their Masonic Lodges getting blown up for having church there, or the Elks Lodges, or the high school gyms. I haven't read about any car bombs going off in front of RCG's church services or gunmen storming their meeting halls and killing their members.
I've got news for Vidal and Davey; THIS is what religious persecution looks like for REAL Christians:
So what kind of terrible persecution is Vidal and his cronies going through at the Restored Church of God at this time?
This is the big bad meanie persecution they are suffering from:
It is not surprising that after this website was launched, haters of God
started attacking every minister posting here. The spate of attacks
vividly brought to my remembrance a foundational scripture: “That I may
know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His
sufferings, being made conformable to His death” (Phil. 4:10). This
verse has truly come alive!
This is particularly galling to hear coming from Vidal when he comes from Africa where Christians are being killed at a horrendous rates in some nations. But then COG logic dictates that these "so-called Christans" are not real Christians because they are not sabbath keepers, followers of Dave Pack or Herbert Armstrong. It is disgusting for this moron to even assume he is being persecuted!
He continues:
But contrary to what these enemies of God may be thinking, we are
utterly grateful to God for giving us the wonderful and exceptional
opportunity to share in a tiny fraction of Jesus’ sufferings. For us, it
is a great pleasure to gladly submit ourselves to this situation rather
than receive the vain attention and praises or commendations of men.
I can guarantee that if real persecution came to the Restored Church of God, Dave Pack would be the first one high-tailing it down the freeway as he leaves his staff to bear the brunt of the persecution. HWA did it when he fled to Tuscon and Dave will do it too.
These are what Vidal and Davey see as great persecutors of the Restored Church of God:
If Vidal and Davey think that this blog and others are agents of
persecution then they certainly follow a weak, impotent little god.
Blogs and web sites filled with snarky little comments is persecution! Who knew!
By all of us being snarky and making fun of their stupid assumptions; they see this as PROOF they are God's greatest gift to the universe.
...the evil reports that have been circulated about us since we started
this site validate us. If haters had commended or agreed with us, then
something would have been wrong. Christ has made it clear that any such
commendation would be to our shame. But the fact that they do not speak
well of us is as it should be. Again, it is such evil reports that
validate true ministers! “Blessed are you, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake” (Luke 6:22).
That we are detested gives us comfort that we are doing the right thing and are in the right place. In reality, we are better off when they defame, rail at, chide, taunt and try to represent us as evil.
Then Vidal take a giant leap into absurdness. He equates their persecution with Jesus being tortured an killed:
Being offered the opportunity to taste a tiny sliver of what Christ went
through, what His apostles and true servants have gone through over the
millennia, what Mr. Armstrong went through in His 52-year ministry,
what His 21st century apostle has been going through, and
what other faithful ministers of His are currently passing through is a
unique privilege, and we are thankful to the Father for having us go
through this process, and making it possible for us to truly count it
all joy (I Pet. 4:13).
Their own words damn them. Stupid little people.
You can read Vidal's silliness here:
Evil Reports Validate True Ministers