Gerald Weston Co-worker Letter

It is co-worker letter time in the various Churches of God. It is usually either an end of the year letter or the start of a new year letter. There is a standard format to all of these letters, regardless of which COG you are in. You first hear about all of the evil things going on in the world around you. Then it is an "I love you brethren" moment as the writer claims to love the brethren in which he then reminds members they will soon be kings and priests or even gods, and then, the pièce de ré·sis·tance, the usual demand for money. The work of God has never been in such dire need as now, so please send it in and show God that you are worthy to be called His.

Gerald Weston did just this in December as he sent the annual Christmas co-worker letter to the faithful.

Weston starts right off the bad mocking his neighbors and into how awful things in the world will soon be:

A neighbor of mine is planning to light up his fire pit and invite the neighbors to come over and burn their 2020 calendars on New Year’s Eve. My wife and I do not celebrate this occasion, as God has a very different calendar with different days of celebration. But, most of you are no doubt happy this Roman calendar year is rapidly coming to an end. The question now is, What are we to expect in the year to come? Will it be a reprieve or another year with similar drama? Bible prophecy indicates that the world will experience a crisis at the end of the age, and there are multiple signs that we are entering just such a time. Going forward we can expect many things will go wrong. There are going to be some major shocks and surprises in our very near future.

Weston skipped the "I love you" moment and went straight for  the jugular when he says the "love of many has waxed cold."  Could it be because so many LCG members are tired of being treated like worthless worms that constantly need to be seeking daddy's approval? 

At the same time, prophecy shows that the Gospel of the Kingdom of God will be preached in all the world, not to convert the world, but as a witness. Notice this passage in what is called the Olivet Prophecy as found in Matthew 24.

Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:11-14).

I always love it when COG leaders talk about "false prophets" rising up in the church and the world. So far in 2021 all of the false prophets in the Church of God have been its own leaders! 

Perilous times are ahead this year for the brethren, keep our eyes open!

Notice too that lawlessness will abound. We see more than enough of that, but dear friends, hold onto your hats as anarchy will no doubt be on our plate for the coming year and a second American civil war is not out of the question. Jesus also shows us in this passage that His servants must endure to the end. The year 2020 required endurance, but we must expect even more difficult times to come. But the focal point of the passage is that “this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (verse 14).

What about lawlessness in the Churches of God? It has been a cesspool of lawlessness for decades. 

Weston then moves into the soon-coming Kingdom of God which always seems to be just beyond his reach. He mocks Christians and flat out lies about what they believe about that kingdom. Christians around the world look to the Kingdom of God with hope and assurance, so much so that they want to share that hope and assurance with those around them instead of just flapping their mouths with the idea that because their words are being heard that is all they need to do. Sadly, putting faith into action in the Church of God is seldom done. Some few do get it though.

Weston then admits, ever so humbly, that he has a negative streak. 

While watching my recent Tomorrow’s World telecast, “Hope in Tough Times,” I realized that I spent a lot of time on that program discussing the bad things and not enough time on the good things found in the Holy Days that Jesus, His apostles, and first-century Christianity kept. More details were needed. The Gospel (good news) of the Kingdom of God means Jesus Christ will come back to rule this troubled planet and He will appoint His servants to be the rulers under Him in His millennial reign (Zechariah 14:9; Ezekiel 37:24-25; Luke 19:16-19; Revelation 20:4). These are those who have shown in this life total loyalty to Him. They are those who have developed His character of genuine care for the well-being of others. It means an end to warfare and to rampant crime where the criminal is let off and the victim suffers. It means the end of rape, murder, and robbery. And, thank God, it means the end of political campaigns filled with lies, hypocrisy, and broken promises.

Why is it that Weston and so many other COG leaders love to talk about members developing "love and genuine care for others" as their lofty goal when in day to day life they treat members and those around them in the world like crap?  When has most of the major COG's ever exhibited genuine care for the well being of others? (Note: I am not talking about LifeNets, of things like what Bill Goff does in Africa) The problem in the COG is the word "other." it never includes those in the world around them, thus they have become insular movements filled with do-nothing ministries and members.

Weston then goes into the real reason for his letter...money. He wants it.

Dear Brethren and Co-workers, these letters are sent to encourage you, to update you on the Work of Tomorrow’s World and the Living Church of God, and to thank you for the support you have given. Your part in this Work of the living Jesus Christ, whether through your prayers or your financial generosity, is immensely appreciated. Most of the financial support we receive might be classified as modest or average, but that is not the whole picture. Jesus gives us an important perspective: 

 

Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood” (Mark 12:41-44). 

 

It is human to thank those who give large gifts, as it takes many small donations to equal a large one. However, we must learn to see as God sees and not overlook the widow’s mites. That is why I do not send a special “thank you” letter to individuals for exceptionally large donations. They are, of course, greatly appreciated, and if this applies to you, thank you! But God, it appears, is equally pleased, if not more, with the widow’s mite. 

Rod Meredith/Global/Living Church of God has ALWAYS placed high importance upon huge money givers.  They got away with things the regular members never could. They were given seats of privileged and access to the inner circles of the church, unlike the lowly members. 

I hope this honesty will not offend anyone, but it is something I feel very deeply. I want to express appreciation to all of you equally and let God evaluate gifts and the hearts that give them. We must not be respecters of persons. So whether you gave a lot this past year, or gave a small amount out of your poverty, thank you, thank you, thank you! May the God of creation who sees all bless each one of you richly!

Weston concludes with this:

Dear Brethren and Co-workers, please be encouraged by reading all of Isaiah 35, which beautifully describes how God will heal the earth and the lives of those suffering physical challenges such as blindness and deafness. 

Yes, brethren. Read Isaiah instead of expecting us to tell you anything about the grace, peace, and rest that come with following Jesus. God forbid if Weston ever talked about that! 

Thank you again for your loyal support with your prayers, tithes, and offerings this past year. There is good news in the future for the people of God. Let us not faint in this day of adversity (Proverbs 24:10) and let us do what we are able while we have time.

The Holy Child Who Resides In The PCG

In the Church of God history, there have been few sons of leaders that ever made their father proud and where they became second in command in their father's work.  Garner Ted did for a while till he couldn't keep his pants zipped and then turned on his father. Rod Meredith's boys (from both marriages) have been absolute failures when it comes to morality and leadership skills and were so bad Meredith had to bring in Gerald Weston. Dave Pack's boys left the church their father started. Joseph Tkach's son went on to lead the Worldwide Church of God into a new version of the church that no one ever imagined.

This brings us to Stephen Flurry, the most holy child of Gerald Flurry. A man/boy so significant that PCG youth are told the amazing story on how Lil Stevie read Malachi's Message and the heavens opened up for him and his mind was opened to the truth. To this day, Herbert W Armstrong College takes its students and church youth to Robbers Cave where they commemorate this historically spiritual event. They even gaze in awe at the cabin Lil'Stevie stayed in during that glorious time when the angels in heaven rejoiced at the lost child returning to the father.

As God was revealing Malachi’s Message, my children were at Ambassador College in Pasadena, California—my daughter, Laura, in her senior year; my son, Stephen, in his freshman year. That was where I felt they could get the best education on this Earth. But I became increasingly uneasy as I detected the wrong direction the leaders were taking God’s Church. Both of them were alerted to problems in the Church. I convinced Stephen to continue his education at the Ambassador campus at Big Sandy, Texas, closer to where I was in Oklahoma. 

 

That summer, on his way to Big Sandy, my son visited us in Oklahoma. I picked him up at the airport and took him immediately to our July 14 weekend church campout at Robber’s Cave, Okla. (My son was keeping a diary at the time, and recorded these events.) It was a tense weekend, because I had a rough draft of Malachi’s Message with me that I had decided to share with my son. When I gave it to him on that Sabbath, he was the first to see it, and I was very concerned about how he would respond. 

 

Some others in the Church were already suspicious about what I was doing. Stephen was also slightly unsure of where I was spiritually and didn’t read my manuscript immediately (on July 15)—he didn’t want to be accused of blindly following his dad. 

 

We need to remember that Mr. Armstrong had provided strong leadership in the Church for 57 years. We were usually suspicious of anybody who spoke against Church headquarters—that includes me! Anybody who left the Church in that period was considered to be rebelling against God. Also, Stephen’s teachers at Ambassador College had been teaching against “heretics.” 

 

So I waited in vain, and rather tensely, on that Sabbath day for my son to read Malachi’s Message.
Finally, my son read the rough draft of Malachi’s Message on Sunday, July 16, 1989—exactly 3½ years after Mr. Armstrong died! My son was positive in what he said, but he didn’t say much. I could tell he had been sobered by what he read. The sanctuary had already been cleansed, but it took a few months before that rain began to reach beyond the altar, or ministry.

For me to give Malachi’s Message to my son placed a heavy responsibility on him. I knew this was going to be a test for my son. When something like that happens, we have to make the right decision! Clearly, the way God viewed it, that was a far more significant moment than it would have appeared. 

 

Young people, realize: My son really wrestled with that choice—as probably any unbaptized person would have. He loved college, yet here was his dad doing something that many members dismissed as rank rebellion! God made him choose—just as He makes each of us choose. It would have been so easy to turn away from God at that point and to miss all the blessings. But if we make the right choice, God can accomplish tremendous things in our lives! We must always strive to get ourselves out of the way and let God lead us.  

In the summer of 1992, three years after my son made that choice, I received the understanding that Malachi’s Message was actually the “little book” spoken of in the 10th chapter of Revelation. (This truth is explained in our free booklet The Little Book.) I first delivered this revelation at our Philadelphia Youth Camp that summer. That is the only time I have given new revelation to a group of unbaptized young people. I didn’t make that choice, God did!  Gerad Flurry: Robbers Cave And New Revelation

As I mentioned above, students go to Robbers Cave every year to commemorate this historical event. 

Robbers Cave in Wilburton, Oklahoma (Grant Turgeon) 

 

Robbers Cave can provide any number of things for Herbert W. Armstrong College students: a much-needed rest from the rigors of college life, a respite from the bustle of our interconnected society, time for reflection on the site’s integral role in the Philadelphia Church of God’s history, appreciation for creation, strong bonds within the college family, an improved relationship with God, or a life-turning point. Never mind the lack of heating, “actual beds,” or pleasant shower conditions, as some might point out. What's it like at 'Robbers Cave'

In England/Scotland they have "Robbers Cave Sunday"

‘Robbers Cave’ in Galloway, Scotland (Paris Turgeon) 

 

We got back from ‘Robbers Cave’ Sunday evening. It’s odd calling it that because comparatively, it was nothing like our usual Oklahoma Robbers Cave experience. I could go into detail about how we had heat and actual beds, and that I didn’t have to wear flip-flops in the shower, etc., but that seems unfair. I will just say that it was a different experience—a wonderful, beautiful, mesmerizing experience.

Idolatry is nothing new in the Philadelphia Church of God, but the absurdity of this is hilarious. It would be like Bob Thiel having a Feast site in Arroyo Grande where everyone comes to his home and stares at the holy place he has his dreams and thumps his big fat bible. The sad thing is that there are enough stupid people in his church that would do that.

EDMOND—“So what do you think?” the minister asked when his son paused while reading the manuscript. “Well, that definitely will get you fired,” his son responded.” It was July 1989, and the young 19-year-old was on a Y.E.S. camping trip with his father at Robbers Cave in southeastern Oklahoma during the summer break. But this turned out to be more than your everyday summer camping excursion. It became a pivotal moment in the history of God’s Church and marked Robbers Cave State Park as an important historical location for the Philadelphia Church of God.

Right there, in that cabin at Robbers Cave Campsite Number One, the revelation in Malachi’s Message was being shared for the first time. After the death of Mr. Armstrong, the Worldwide Church of God was being torn apart; yet off in remote rural Oklahoma, the first person besides Mr. Gerald Flurry was learning God’s revelation about what was really happening.

“I think I still have the first manuscript I received after we printed the first 1,000 [copies of Malachi’s Message ],” Mr. Stephen Flurry said. “But as for that stack of typewritten papers he handed me that weekend at Robbers Cave, I’m not sure where those ended up.”

“Its content certainly rang true,” he wrote in Raising the Ruins, “it was inspiring in fact—but I couldn’t yet commit to accepting the material without first digging into Mr. Armstrong’s foundational teachings. [My dad] agreed the content would undoubtedly get him fired. But believing it was from God, he fully intended to deliver the message to church leaders in Pasadena.”

The manuscript indeed got then-Preaching Elder Gerald Flurry fired on Dec. 7, 1989. The Philadelphia Church of God was raised up less than five months after Malachi’s Message was first delivered to his son at that wooded campsite. Because of this history-shaping event, Robbers Cave has become a significant landmark for the pcg. Herbert W. Armstrong College has retreated to the campsite almost every year since 2002, and Mr. Stephen Flurry has never missed a campout.

Every year, he returns to the campsite with his family and dozens of others whose lives were also changed by that book he was the first to read nearly 25 years ago: Malachi’s Message.
A Significant Hisotoric Landmark

All of this is made even more pathetic considering Gerald Flurry stole the entire book from Jules Dervaes who was widely distributing it in Pasadena in 1986.  See: The Letter to Laodicea

Just like everyone else in Armstrongism, new and upcoming COG leaders do not have an original concept in their heads and have to plagiarize or rewrite other's booklets and articles. Gerald Flurry is particularly crafty in this.

PCG worships a stupid book that they say has a rightful place next to the Bible, alongside Mystery of the ages. PCG, like most other COG's place their emphasis upon the holy words of their prophets and apostles and shove Jesus onto the back burner where he stays until Passover each year when they reluctantly drag him out so they can crucify him over and over year after year. Then, as soon as Passover is over, he goes back into the closet in the local Masonic Lodge or some school gym, where he remains hidden till the following year where he is seldom ever mentioned again. 

Every day we wake up the COG sinks further into madeness.

COG prophet says that a 'voice' confirmed to him that we are in the final phase of the work

With all of the insanity going down in Wadsworth, Ohio with the imminent return of Christ, we can easily forget that out here on the West Coast we have an equally disturbed little man who is preparing for the final phase of the work, just as Dave is. Both men are being consumed by visions dancing in their heads, both of which interpret as coming from their god.

It has been fun watching our favorite self-appointed prophet to the COG, the Great Bwana to Africa, and savior of 99 white Americans talk about all of the dreams he has as if God delivered them to him. His latest is trit and silly yet he thinks it is spiritually significant to write about it and impress  his African members:

As the Bobiniah travels around back from the depths of Africa (at least we assume it was him, if not, he is being sneaky and using someone else's story) his god intervened at the airport. Such a magical god!  

Just like Jeremiah, our Bobiniah says he must ell his dream, just like the prophets of old did. 

The Bible teaches that unlike with Moses, God speaks to His prophets in a dream (Numbers 12:6-8). 

 

I am writing this section from Doha, Qatar on December 28, 2020. 

 

After going to bed on the night of December 26, 2020, I had a dream. 

 

Because of airline connection issues, I was concerned whether or not I would be able to make the flight to Qatar. 

 

In my dream, there were complications that made it look like I might not make the connecting flight. In the dream the complications were stressful, but without details. In the dream I prayed about this. I also prayed that if this trip and other trips I have made related to behind-the-scenes aspects of the final phase of the work was God’s will, that: 1) if there were stressful problems which looked like might cancel the trip 2) that I would make my connection to Qatar, and 3) that I would pass negative for the airport required COVID test. 

 

(I did not want to be quarantined for two weeks in the event of a false positive. Recently, CCOG evangelist Evans Ochieng got a false positive COVID test which delayed his ability to fly back to Kenya from Malawi.) 

 

Fulfillment? 

 

As it turned out, there were two different people with two different, yet seemingly very serious, health issues on that first flight, which delayed it. It looked like one or both of them (they were not related) may need to be taken off the flight or even treated on the ground as some came aboard the flight related to each of them. While their situations appeared treatable, I was concerned that this may cause me to miss the connection to Qatar, so I began to make contingency plans (as one flight I was on years ago was delayed over 10 hours because of a health-concern of one passenger). Anyway, today was the best time to go on this trip as far as a lot of details were concerned. Plus because how short the trip was, I would have had to completely cancel it if I missed the connecting flight to Qatar. Yet, although my first plane left late, I was able to make the connection. 

 

So, since the first two parts of the dream were confirmed, I strongly suspect that the dream was from God.

Jeremiah was inspired to write:

28 The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; (Jeremiah 23:28) 

 

That is why I am doing so. 

 

Slightly before midnight, I got my required COVID test.

The next day the prophet is agonizing over the test results and BAM! he has another dream from his god as he was on the final leg of his trip where he was preparing the groundwork for the final push of his church into getting its message to the world...or more of Africa since no one else cares about him.

December 29, 2020

It is now December 29, 2020. I have been wondering about the results of my COVID test as they were delayed. I had been told that they were supposed to take five or six hours, but instead after thirteen hours they have not arrived. 

 

So, I wondered if perhaps something was wrong and perhaps the results would say I had COVID-19. I was NOT worried about the disease itself (as I have successfully treated several with it), but was concerned about God’s will for something I believed His Spirit, consistent with John 16:11-12, led me to do. I did not want to be working on something of my imagination, but wanted to be sure that the groundwork we were doing was what God wanted us to do. 

 

Anyway finally, after much waiting I got the results of my COVID test. 

 

It was negative. And on this trip I was able to accomplish some things that I believe will have long-term impact on the final phase of the work. 

Yes, brethren, this is how Bobiniah's god operates today as it sends dreams to his chosen one.  With the multitude of problems in this world,  the suffering of real Christian martyrs in Iraq, India, and elsewhere, this god chooses to send dreams like this to Bobiniah. This is truly an awesome god! 

So, yes I believe that the dream did come from God. 

 

Should I have not known before it was fully confirmed? 

 

Not necessarily. The VAST MAJORITY of dreams are not from God, even if they have some accuracy. 

 

Notice also what the prophet Jeremiah wrote:

6 And Jeremiah said, “The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 7 ‘Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you, saying, “Buy my field which is in Anathoth, for the right of redemption is yours to buy it.”‘ 8 Then Hanamel my uncle’s son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the Lord, and said to me, ‘Please buy my field that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin; for the right of inheritance is yours, and the redemption yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord. (Jeremiah 32:6-8) 

 

So, even though Jeremiah wrote that the word of the Lord had come to him, he was not certain until it came to pass. 

 

Now that that all three parts of the dream were confirmed (which reminded me what happened with Gideon for him to do a certain aspect of God’s work involving him and others: Judges 6:36-40), I consider that God has confirmed that the behind-the-scenes aspects of the final phase of the work we have been working on for many years was God’s will and should continue. 

 

Essentially, this has to do with making mainly low-level contacts with leaders and others on most of the continents of the world which I have long believed will assist in future aspects of the final phase of the work that God wanted done. 

 

While the latest overall trip accomplished much of what we felt needed to happen, one thing I can share was a meeting I had hoped to have with CCOG interested parties from Algeria in Qatar did not happen because of COVID and travel issues–but perhaps God will open the door to Algeria in a different way. Jesus often opens doors (cf. Revelation 3:7-13) in ways we do not always expect.
For those wondering about CCOG and Israel, some behind-the-scenes work has included contacts with Jewish leaders in Israel as well. And, it may be one or more in Israel that will become the first of those that will go from ‘behind-the-scenes’ to public in the next few years. 

Anyone who does not believe in Bobiniah's dreams is NOT a Christian.  

While the elements of this dream will not seem dramatic enough for most who call themselves Christian, God sometimes goes with “a still small voice” (1 Kings 19:11-12). And that “voice” (via a confirmed dream) confirmed for me to continue what I have considered to be long-term aspects of the final phase of the work. 

 

Yes, even if not dramatic enough for many, God said He would use dreams in the last days(Acts 2:16-17) and has been doing so within the CCOG.