UCG: Close to 30 Years On They Are Still Asking: “Where have we been, where can we go, what are we missing”

 

Ever since Vic Kubik was removed from office the United Church of God has been trying to reinvent itself. Strangely, they still cling to the myth and relevance of British Israelism as necessary for their "gospel". They also continue to think it necessary to smear Christians of the world as being deceived by Satan believing that that action shows how much more enlightened they are about the "unknown Jesus" whom they still hardly know. Let them take about the law and they can wax eloquent.

They are going to try and make a concerted effort to target younger adults through social media. They believe they can provide proper direction to those really interested in the Bible.

After receiving blowback from members over their "worldly" Magnified series, UCG admits they need to keep members better informed and how it is necessary to "effectively communicate" with younger people on their level.

One would think that as they inch closer to 30 years of existence they could get their act together and preach a simple message of Jesus, but no, there is too much other crap necessary for them to discuss.

In the latest Council of Elders report they had this:

Peter Eddington continues as Operations Manager of this area of the work. Mr. Shabi commented that he and Mr. Eddington have had many discussions reviewing the methods and means of preaching the gospel, as well as reviewing and developing the metrics that can be used to monitor the effectiveness of what is being done. “Where have we been, where can we go, what are we missing” are questions being asked as it pertains to preaching the gospel and the various means of communication available to us today.

• Social Media and Web Presence – Mr. Shabi mentioned that we have to be relevant in today’s world. We give people hope through the Word of God without compromising, gently leading them to see that the Word of God is as relevant today as it was in Christ’s time.
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• Beyond Today TV – New four and five-program series are being recorded to air back-to-back beginning in Mid-April with the following subjects; Joseph’s birthright, focusing on the crown in England and the identity of modern-day Israel (Darris McNeely), Satan’s deception in the Christian teachings of the world (Steve Myers), and the unknown Jesus (Gary Petty).
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• TV Ads – There are plans to buy TV air time on various networks for 30/60 second ads that will feature key comments from the Beyond Today program designed to draw attention to our teachings. Those ads will direct people to watch Beyond Today at ucg.org, YouTube, and at the Beyond Today channel.
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• Social Media Campaign – Mr. Shabi mentioned that social media (Facebook and Instagram) are key areas to consider when it comes to reaching young adults, both in and outside of the Church. There are many out there who are interested in the Bible, committed to what it teaches, and looking for direction. We must put forth the effort to reach them and give them what they are searching for. There is a force behind why they are responding the way they are – they want to go deeper into the scriptures. They want conversation centered around the Bible and are looking for truth. We must fill that void using the type of communication channels they are engaged in, such as Facebook, Instagram, and podcast formats.
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• “Magnified” – Mr. Shabi noted that this short film series is a first step in the effort to reach young adults outside the Church, which is the target audience of this project. It has been successful so far, but we realize we must effectively communicate to our members what we are doing and who is the target audience when we introduce these new methods of preaching the truth.

PCG On Throne Room Culture

 

Those crafty men at Philadelphia Church of God have some humor after all. They have an article up about "Throne Room Culture". Oh, wait! Not THIS kind of throne room...sigh.

Ryan Malone writes:

Throne-Room Culture

God’s inspiring plan to export a way of thinking 

and living that Satan has suppressed for so long

PCG will do anything it can to justify the millions of dollars they spend a year on entertainment in its mini-me auditorium. Trying to emulate Herbert Armstrong and his love of classical music, Gerald Flurry started his own "foundation and built the mini-me version of Pasadena's Ambassador Auditorium.

After getting flack for the millions spent on Irish dance spectacles and training of the elite in Edmond to dance it, Malone and others are fast to defend the expense, as God ordained quality.

God “endowed man with the power of mind,” Herbert W. Armstrong wrote in The Incredible Human Potential. “It seems obvious that human minds were made to function in the same manner as the Creator’s, although in an inferior way. But how do we humans use our minds? We are endowed with something akin to creative powers.” 

 

This ability makes the human being a unique creation. No animal has this ability. God gave it only to man, because of our unique and special purpose. Part of the unique God-like mind that humans possess is the ability to appreciate creative, artistic endeavors.

The Cultured Mind of God 

 

God—creator and possessor of this mind power—is the most cultured, brilliant and sophisticated Being. He appreciates the finest things. He is a God of quality. 

 

God gave us such mind power so He could create His character in us. And His character is that of a perfectionist, of creating the highest quality, of appreciating the finest things. “[T]he Bible teaching upholds prosperity, culture, education and acquisition of right knowledge, good quality, proper attire in clothes,” Mr. Armstrong wrote in his March 1978 Plain Truth personal, “Is It Wrong to Be a Cultured Individual?” He continued: “The Bible reveals human nature as being lazy, slovenly, yet full of vanity and greed. When people brag about being poor, uneducated and uncultured, that is merely vanity. It is usually self-excusing shiftlessness, neglect, lack of effort.”
God is surrounded by brilliance and sophistication.

And then there is this:

In Revelation 5, we read that these 24 elders sing a new song before the throne (verse 9). 

 

What a visually rich environment: pure gold, precious stones, fiery crystals. And what aurally rich conditions—harps, singing and constant music. Verses 11-13 reference an angelic chorus of 100 million voices! 

 

All this, you could say, is God’s throne-room culture.

Only the elite in Edmond gets to enjoy this amazing culture. Those in the field churches are bled dry of their finances making it virtually impossible for them to attend local symphonies and other cultural events so they can experience the "finer" things in life.

Never one to write an article about anything wihout mentioning Herbert Armstrong, Malone writes:

Students in the colleges were learning how to be ambassadors for God’s way of life in practical ways. Mr. Armstrong established spokesman clubs throughout the Church “to qualify Church members to better represent the Kingdom of the Eternal, living God by training in character development, leadership within God’s Church, effective organization of right thoughts and ability to put them across in plain, understandable speech” (Spokesman Club Manual). He built an auditorium to promote the highest artistic achievements of the human spirit. 

 

Our Work today consists of the same kinds of cultural opportunities, training us how to better represent God’s culture as His ambassadors. God is blessing His people with opportunities to grow in this kind of culture. Even Church members living in far-flung places around the world can live-stream many of the performances from Armstrong Auditorium. Witnessing the gold standard of performance art is a rare experience in human history. Historically, for people to witness such performances, they would had to have been born into a privileged palace—and one that patronized the arts. 

 

Nowadays, it is more common for people to be able to watch great performances in the form of live concerts, particularly with the advent of television and film. Art museums are also affordable and attainable for many. But this still applies mainly to the First World and Israelite-affected nations. The vast majority of humanity today is unable to partake of anything of this sort.

Utter crap! Herbert detested country music because GTA liked it. Does liking country music qualify as the "gold standard"? What about live rock performances? Do they qualify? Not everyone in the world likes classical music, especially the Irish dance crap that PCG is pumping out lately.

Of course, when it comes to Armstrongism, there is a hidden meaning to the "finer things". Enjoying that kind of music, wearing expensive clothes, eating fine food, etc is all meant to inspire people to know what it will be like to be a god or goddess.

A time is coming when all will partake of the finer things! These include fine food and drink, singing and dancing. And this is a lifestyle that, in Satan’s world, was only enjoyed by a privileged few. Verses 12 and 14 show that this all typifies spiritual bounty. These physical things represent God’s goodness. 

 

This lifestyle will be possible partly because the world will be ruled by a spirit family of God beings—a family whose achievement, again, will be far greater than Lucifer’s ever could have been. In John’s vision recorded in the book of Revelation, he saw 144,000 of those Family members singing a new song “before the throne” (Revelation 14:1-5)—contributing to the throne-room culture.

God gives us a foretaste of this kind of world today: every Sabbath, every Feast, in the continual experiences He gives His Church. This is because wewill help bring this throne-room culture to the Earth. 

 

It does not stop on Earth though! Isaiah 51:16 states: “And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.” 

 

The Earth is merely the foundation for planting the heavens! 

 

God wanted Lucifer to fill this universe with godly culture. Instead this is our job. God is ensuring we have the abilities to perform this! For we are about to fill this Earth—and this universe—with God’s throne-room culture!

 

 

COGWA Abominations Surround Us So Be Watchful And Alert

 

COGA continues to carry on the grand tradition of Armstrongism with its doom-and-gloom scenarios. The world around them is corrupt and full of evil, pretty much like their own church organization, but that's another topic. Impending doom and annihilation await the United States, England, Canada, and other so-called Borsitih Israelite nations. Like all the other COG's, they can't look at or embrace peace in Christ, but teach their members to live in a constant state of fear.

The opposite of being complacent is being watchful and alert. 

 

The prophet Ezekiel saw a glimpse of the spirit world just before sudden destruction came upon Jerusalem. As the glory of God was leaving the temple, Ezekiel saw six angelic beings with lethal weapons and one among them with an inkhorn (Ezekiel 9:1-3). 

 

God told the angel with the inkhorn to go and mark those who “sigh and cry over all the abominations” that were being done around them. Then those with the deadly weapons were to slay the rest who didn’t receive this mark, who essentially were complacent about their sins and the sins of the people around them (verses 4-5, 9). 

 

We must go to God in prayer, sighing and crying over all the abominations around us. We are to watch world conditions and our attitudes as we diligently strive to make our spiritual “call and election” sure (2 Peter 1:10). 

 

With these things in mind, we should be praying that we will be “counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36). 

 

God has a wonderful future in store beyond the troubles of this age. Learn more about Jesus Christ’s return and how to prepare for it in our online article “You Need Some Good News.”