Feast of Tabernacles Sites: Did God Choose That Site Or Did Men?

 

It is that time of year as COG members are scurrying about preparing to head off to various Feast of Tabernacle sites around the world. Excitement is in the air as foreign destinations promise exciting adventures. Children fret about being pulled from school for 10-12 days, missing loads of lessons and homework. Parents have to take off work, sometimes using vacation pay and other times with no pay at all. Some have built up sizable 2nd tithe funds for grand adventures as others struggle to have enough money for gas and accommodations at some Feast sites. 

Ministers receive their large Feast stipend checks from HQ as they make reservations at resorts that provide them free rooms where they get to pull out old Feast sermons from years before and recycle their message. Seriously ask yourself when have you EVER heard an original sermon at the Feast that was unique and truly memorable? We can all probably write out ahead of time the seven points that will be delivered and check them off one by one as you are bored out of your mind. If you are listening to Bob Thiel you will get to hear his 45+ speaking points during each sermon. Imagine how fun that checklist would be!

Then, add to that the expectation that you will be dumping hundreds of dollars into offering baskets during this time, and suddenly the fun is a little less. But it has been ingrained in all that we must sacrifice and be tested so this is a test, one of an endless stream of tests COG members are subjected to in the church. 

But never mind those trials, God has personally picked out this Feast site for you to attend at. God sent his angels, unbeknownst to the various resort owners, to scout out locations for a celebration focused upon old covenant teachings. The angels scoured the surrounding area for hotels and fun activities for members to engage in, or better yet, skip services and go and really have fun at. Never once should you imagine a team of men sitting around a table discussing Feast site locations and which would offer the most opportunities for members. That NEVER happens! But, if it did, then God personally impregnated their minds with those specific locations where members can have fun.

Every COG makes this claim, so the one below from Rick Schabi represents them all:

We embrace that vision of God’s Kingdom and show Him our desire and faith in Him by leaving our homes to go to the place where He has put His name. We stay there all seven days of the Feast, plus the Eighth Day, living in temporary dwellings. And our focus while there is on that Kingdom and living in the “zone” with each other apart from the world.

Apart from the world? Yeah, right. You picked convention centers or locations in some of the busiest towns and/or some of the best resorts. Members are no more apart from the world than they are at Winter Family Weekends held at resorts decked out to the nines with Christmas decorations.

There will be few sermons at the Feast discussing Jesus, and if he is mentioned it is that he is really ticked off and so angry that he is coming back to punish people, kill a whole bunch and THEN usher in peace and glory of his Dad's kingdom.

Chag Sameach!

An Open Letter to the RCG Ministry

 

An Open Letter to the RCG Ministry

Guest – September 26, 2022

 

The following was written by a Guest in the comments section of the exrcg.org website.

 

 

Dear "Brad, Ed, Jaco, Ryan, Ken, Tim, Carl, Andrew, Jim, Salasi, Frank, Mike, and Raymond,"

I'll address this to the Wadsworth Collective, but it's for the one who grew up in the Philadelphia Church of God.

 

The move from PCG and its sphere of splinters to the Restored Church of God truly was a step forward in your spiritual life. I have no doubt that God guided you in that. But we both know that spiritual growth within RCG has been stagnate these many years. We must endure to the end (which wasn't today apparently), and you know that you can't stay in Restored. So what are you going to do?

 

Reflect upon why you left Fluffy in the first place. Did he take a number of Biblical/historical/divine titles to himself? Did you think that he was effectively teaching the gospel? Was there spiritual growth in your own personal life, and in the lives of those that you were close with? Did his prophetic teachings make sense to you? Could you effectively explain them to others (could you effectively explain Mr. Pack's prophecy doctrines/timeline in your role as a minister?). How did Mr. Pack's book on "That Prophet" help you in coming out of PCG? Well, at least Mr. Pack has never claimed to be That Prophet, I'll give him that......(sarcasm alert)

 

You're about to go and keep the Feast of Tabernacles. I truly hope that you have a special time there. Take the time to go out with a group of people for dinner, and do so several times. I know that you will look out for the widow, orphan, and poor among the brethren because that is the type of person that you are. Realize that most people can be a little awkward and shy around ministers from HQers, but you are a sincere and humble person in my estimate. Softly "push"/guide others to talk about the sermons that they've been hearing during the Feast. No doubt Mr. Pack will continue the prophecy series on a daily basis, rushing to call out the final message several times. Get those people to talk about the prophecy sermon, and analyze what you hear. Listen to them, don't dominate the conversation. Listen to them, listen to what you hear, and what you DO NOT hear. Many will not say a word, or will make comments like "wow," or will do their best to dodge the subject. Those people mostly will jump at the opportunity to change the subject, or the chance to let a "talker" take over. People no longer talk about the Millennium during the lunch hour. It was not so when we were younger and breaking bread at the Feast!

 

Then listen to those who are eager to talk about prophecy. Can they correctly summarize what Mr. Pack is currently teaching (i.e. within the last few hours, not an outdated sermon from yesterday)? Or does it come across as a mangled mess of prophetic teaching, one that painfully demonstrates confusion? As people are talking look into their eyes; also take time to observed the eyes of those who are not talking. Be polite and encouraging the whole time, but notice the eyes of the others. How many are confused, bewildered, zoned out, or sad? And for those who truly are excited by Mr. Pack's latest prophecy, do they strike you as balanced people? I'm not asking you to do this as some kind of judgmental jerk, but as one who truly cares for the people of God. Know the state of your flock. Listen to what is being said, and not said.

 

Other points to analyze while listening to people:

 

-Were they baptized after the prophetic nonsense started? What is their depth of understanding, application of God's way, and spiritual maturity? How confused are they, specifically? Because yes, those are the people who sadly have not been fed the basics.

 

-Are they old WCGers? How comfortable are they with series? And did they strive all these years to stay close to God by constantly trying to find the "correct" splinter group? Or did they just stay home for these past 30 years? I've noticed some interesting trends there.

 

I do not envy you your position. Of all the ministers at HQers, you perhaps have the most to lose by doing the right thing. Are you going to be a shepherd who lays down his life for the flock? Will you stand in the gap in order to defend the truth, not only for your own spiritual state before God, but for the sake of others? Redeem the time, old friend. Are you willing to lose your life in order to gain it? Or in order to help someone else who is spiritually dying?

 

Take the time to analyze yourself. What did you discern in Flurry's voice those many years ago that helped you to see that he was a false prophet? Do you hear the same "voice" from behind the pulpit in Restored? (Or multiple voices? - there's way too many doctrinal storylines going on at the same time in Wadsworth. Good thing Marc has the gift of discerning prophetic gobbledegook). What's disturbing you about being in Restored?

 

You're in my prayers. Seriously.

See: An Open Letter to the RCG Ministry

LCG: Gerald Weston Says Real LCG Members Do Not Slink Back But Put Duty First…Who Knew?

 

Gerald Weston sent out a letter to the faithful on September 15 using Queen Elizabeth's service to her country as a sign for LCG members to serve to their utmost ability so that they too can be crowned Kings and Queens in the kingdom to come.

Weston claims that LCG members never slink back but put duty first. One would never know that considering how every Friday LCG makes a point of letting members know they are screwing things up and constantly falling sort.

And yes, I am confident of good things from you brethren and co-workers as well. We are not of those who slink back, but of those who put duty first. “‘Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.’ But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul” (Hebrews 10:38-39). The fact that you have become members or co-workers indicates you recognize this duty and take it seriously. Thank you, and may God reward you greatly!

You take it so seriously that you will turn over 20-30% of your income to us whenever we ask. Remember brethren, the more you give the richer your blessing will be in the kingdom!

We must not deify Queen Elizabeth—after all, she was human and had personal shortcomings—but we can learn from her example of recognizing and embracing her calling. We do not live so much in the public eye, but we live in the eyes of God, and He is looking to us to fulfill our duty. We must put personal desire second to the will of our Savior (Luke 14:26). 

"We must put personal desire second to the will of our Savior" when pray tell, have many of the ministry in LCG ever done this?  

The duty we have been called to involves a personal relationship with our Creator, and that involves heartfelt prayers for His Work and personal giving according to His will and our ability. Though we are small, we are doing a significant Work. As of this letter, along with sending the hardcopy Tomorrow’s World magazine to approximately 600,000 subscribers ten times a year, entirely free of charge, we are also reaching a significantly different audience of nearly 587,000 French, Spanish, and English YouTube subscribers who say, by subscribing, that they want to see more of what we have to give. 

God needs your money! He cannot do his work without your money!  

We also have more than 825,000 combined followers on Facebook in English, Spanish, and French, and our French version of “Three Things Nailed to the Cross” gained 950,000 social media views in less than two months. We also provide literature and have active websites in Dutch, Afrikaans, German, Hindi, Russian, and Chinese. So far this year we have conducted 176 Tomorrow’s World Presentations in the United States—far surpassing our previous record of 89 in 2018 and 2019. Our recent presentation in Sherbrooke, Quebec was successful enough that we have begun a new congregation there.  

All of these efforts—and so many more—are made possible by those of you who understand your calling and duty. As always, thank you for your dedication and zeal to get out this important message before our world sinks into the unimaginable. And may the God who has called you, and desires to add you to His royal team at Christ’s return, bless you even now for your dutiful service.