PCG: Going into Kingdom of God is like a dilating cervix contracting...

As King of the Church of God, Gerald Flurry and his little band of minions is the "advance team" preparing the world for the return of the creature he calls "christ."  King Flurry tells his members they are the "transition period" right now. He then goes on to claim that this "transition period" is just like a dilating cervix that has started contracting to prepare for birth.

The prophecy surrounding David’s throne has tremendous depth. It is about our birth into God’s Family. It all begins for us when we are born again into the Kingdom of God, ruling with Jesus Christ forever.

We are part of a transition movement into the very throne of God and Christ ruling the world. This is the first step into Christ’s headquarters’ rule. Having this throne ought to make the rule of Christ on David’s throne far more meaningful and real to us! We will be used to solve this world’s problems. We must think like God’s kings and priests! We have the throne that Christ is going to rule from—and we are in that transition period right now!

Look at the transition period in a physical birth. That process happens in three stages. According to BabyCenter, “The first stage begins when you start having contractions that cause progressive changes in your cervix and ends when your cervix is fully dilated. This stage is divided into two phases: First, early labor: Your cervix gradually effaces (thins out) and dilates (or opens). Active labor: Your cervix begins to dilate more rapidly and contractions are longer, stronger and closer together. People often refer to the last part of active labor as ‘transition.’”

It is called transition because it is right after this that the mother begins pushing, which is the second stage. It is the transition to the actual birth. The third stage, after the baby is born, is the delivery of the placenta.

We should think seriously about this because Mr. Armstrong said that physical birth is a direct type of our birth into the Kingdom of God! It happens the same way, but on a spiritual level (John 3:3-6).

Why is it that when ever a Church of God leader cannot prove one of his "revelations" that he has to refer to it as being on a "spiritual level?"

Did our receiving David’s new throne start our descent into being born again?! Are we now in the pushing stage into our birth in God’s Kingdom?

Surely God would give us a dramatic sign of when this pushing stage begins! Keep this understanding in mind when you look at the terrible evil in this world and the trials coming upon God’s new royal Family.

We must see spiritually and realize we are in a transition stage! This is different from what it has ever been before. We have the very throne that Jesus Christ will sit on and rule this world from forever! We are transitioning right into becoming the Bride of Christ. At that time, we won’t have these physical problems anymore; we will be God beings!

PCG: "We must spiritually nurture [HWA's Prayer Rock] that is in our presence in every way we possibly can!"

If you think the convoluted story about the Stone of Herb cannot get any weirder, read on:

This prophecy is dated: It is specifically about going to the place of safety with the new throne of David. We had to break away from the lukewarm Worldwide Church of God. God is focusing our minds on the place of safety, and also on conducting ourselves like King David did.

This prophecy shows not just a leader going to that place, but all of God’s faithful people going there together. Daniel 12:8-11 paint a similar picture. We are all in this together; we leave together and are taken to a place of safety together. It says, “And from the time that the daily [the Work of God] shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.” Subtracting the 1,260 days we are in the place of safety from this 1,290 days indicates we have 30 days to get to a place of safety, and all of us go together.

"We are all in this together; we leave together..."  Of all of the splinter groups of Armstrongism, the Philadelphia Church of God and the Restored Church of God are the two groups that have the potential to lead their followers into some kind of death scenario. Their members blindly follow ANYTHING their leaders say as god delivered fact. 

And notice verse 10: “Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried.” God wants us to be purified. I think that has a lot to do with us having the new throne of David. God wants a purified throne and a pure people when He arrives! Verses 12-13 talk about the wonderful ending of all this: It is leading right into the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, when He receives the throne of David!

Amos 7 tells us when we go to the place of safety. There you see a priest, Amaziah, telling the king, Jeroboam, about God’s prophet. There is a confrontation, and the priest does the dirty work. He tells God’s prophet, “O thou seer, go, flee thee away into the land of Judah, and there eat bread, and prophesy there” (verse 12). This is spiritual Antiochus—Satan incarnate!

All indications are that this is how the nobility of Israel will go: We will be outcasts, sent to a cave! But we have the very throne of David! We don’t look to things or to people—we look to God! It doesn’t matter where we go as long as God is directing us!

Flurry, admits to his faithful that no where in the Bible is it mentioned that Jeremiah took a stone to Ireland.  Nowhere.  What the Philadelphia Church of God does claim is that Herbert Armstrong PROVED that Jeremiah took the stone to Ireland along with the Ark of the Covenant and David's harp.  Herbert did no such that.

In its account of the history of Jeremiah rescuing Zedekiah’s daughter to transplant the throne, the Bible never mentions him taking a stone. We know he did because it is a symbol of David’s throne. Jeremiah had to have the coronation stone—after all, he was taking the throne of David to Ireland! Mr. Armstrong proved from Irish history that when Jeremiah came to Ireland with Tea-Tephi, he had an ark, David’s harp and a stone called lia-fail.But these last three items were not mentioned in the book of Jeremiah when it discusses the king’s daughters. The same is true in Micah: It mentions a king but doesn’t say anything about the stone. As with Jeremiah, that is covered elsewhere. But we need the symbol of David’s throne, and we need somebody to rule from it!

The PCG idolatry grows more each day.  Just how can a person "spiritually nurture" an inanimate object in "every way possible?" The church has always mocked Catholics for revering statues, and Flurry is doing the exact same thing he mocks.

We must spiritually nurture the throne of God that is in our presence in every way we possibly can! God has given it to us to care for it and to be responsible for it.

GCI: Fully Embracing Revised Common Lectionary For Worship Practices

Grace Communion International has informed its members across the board that it is moving into a liturgical style of worship.  Many congregations have been doing this for some time, others not so much so.  Liturgical worship is geared towards the seasons of the church year and also involves using a standard set of Bible readings for each day of the year.  The GCI is now using the Revised Common Lectionary, which is standard for Catholics, Episcopalians, Lutherans, some Methodists and in recent years, many Evangelical churches. In the course of three years, the entire Bible is read if a person follows it on a daily basis.

Many people find liturgical worship to be richly rewarding, but this is going to be a heavy cross for many GCI congregations to bear, as some are still steeped in the belief that anything connected to the Catholic Church is wholly pagan.  However, many will adjust to this once they realize that it has a purpose.  Fitting in good liturgical worship music will be a challenge for many GCI congregations.

Music to fit the liturgical calendar follows hymns that have been traditional for hundreds of years.  COG members have been ingrained to avoid those hymns as being too Protestant. Thus the assumed need to sing Dwight Armstrong hymnody. For many in the GCI, having to listen to modern day hymnody that borders on songs that sound like someone is making love to Jesus or that he is some long lost boyfriend that someone has been panting for and never quite finds him, is not the best worship mood setter.  There certainly are some great modern worship songs out there, but spending a lifetime trying to sound like Hillsong singers is NOT a good thing!

For those that have a strong avoidance to Easter and Christmas, this new liturgical practice will drive the nail in the coffin even faster for some.  Liturgy is all geared around Christmas and Easter.  Those still uncomfortable with Christmas and Easter will now have full in the face.

The other issue this will present for some is that weekly communion will now be a recommended practice. For those that like to leave Jesus on the High School gym floor after Passover each year and never mention him much after that,  it will be a struggle to have Jesus as a weekly reminder.

Here is the GCI stance on liturgical worship:

The worship of God is central to the church. Through its worship services, GCI seeks to glorify God and edify those who attend by proclaiming the gospel through Scripture reading, preaching and singing; the administration of the sacraments (baptism and the Lord’s Supper); praise and intercession in prayer; and the giving of offerings.

Gospel-focused worship pattern

Along with many others in the body of Christ, worship in GCI follows the Christ-centered and gospel-shaped pattern of the Western Christian calendar as detailed in the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). This pattern of worship is organized around a weekly celebration of the gospel (see the recommended order of services below) that is typically held on Sunday, the day the risen Lord Jesus was first encountered. As shown in the diagram and list below, the worship pattern then includes several annual celebrations that highlight key aspects of our Lord’s life and ministry along with other key aspects of the gospel.

(source)

• Advent (four Sundays preceding Christmas)
• Christmas eve and Christmas day
• The season of Christmas (Christmas through January 5)
• Epiphany Sunday
• Transfiguration Sunday
• Ash Wednesday
• Lent (Ash Wednesday through Palm Sunday)
• Holy Week services:
  • Palm Sunday (celebrated as Passion Sunday when there are no Maundy Thursday and/or Good Friday services)
  • Maundy Thursday
  • Good Friday
  • Holy Saturday (Easter Vigil)
  • Easter Sunday
• Easter season (Easter through Pentecost)
• Ascension Sunday
• Pentecost Sunday
• Trinity Sunday
• All Saints’ Sunday (Sunday after All Saints’ Day)
• Christ the King Sunday

Liturgies for church services & ceremonies

To assist congregations in following its standard worship pattern and content, GCI publishes RCL-synced sermons in GCI Equipper (click here to access) and the liturgies linked below for worship services and church ceremonies.

• Weekly worship service (and see the diagram below)
• Communion (The Lord’s Supper)
• Baptism
• Baptism of an infant
• Blessing of a child
• Confirmation
• Wedding
• Renewal of marriage vows
• Anointing the sick
• Funeral
• Commissioning of a ministry leader
• Ordination of an elder
• Installation of a pastor

Flexibility granted

GCI congregations may adapt the denomination’s standard liturgies to accommodate local customs and needs (though the basic formats and content should be followed). Congregations may also adapt GCI’s standard pattern of worship, though all should provide services that celebrate Jesus’ birth during the Christmas season and his resurrection during the Easter season. It is then recommended that the other key events in Christ’s life (see the list above) be celebrated in a weekly worship service at the designated time of year.

GCI congregations may hold their primary weekly worship service on any day of the week, though Sunday is the norm. Also, congregations may determine how often to offer the Lord’s Supper, though it should be offered no less than quarterly, and at least once during Holy Week. Offering the Lord’s Supper every week is recommended.

In making decisions concerning adaptations to GCI’s standard worship pattern and liturgies, congregational leaders should seek divine guidance, understanding that worship is the divinely created response to the glory of the triune God revealed in Jesus Christ.