Administrative Judgment
During “The Greatest Untold Story! (Part 479),” David C. Pack’s excitement for being able to announce The Restored Church of God would begin to observe new moons was obvious. One of the benefits of dismantling decades-old doctrines of The Worldwide Church of God is being able to be the chief apologist for Herbert W. Armstrong. Dave tears down his doctrines while excusing why.
Part 479 – November 11, 2023
@ 35:56 You come, and you worship God on new moons. Now, I have an advantage over Mr. Armstrong. Mr. Armstrong could never access through electronic tools in a rapid-fire string all the verses that pertained to the subject…
It is a cryin' shame that technological limitations during HWA's lifetime kept him from thoroughly investigating vital Bible truths to properly fulfill his role as an apostle. If only he and his 2000 ministers had access to modern marvels like the Strong’s Concordance, a pencil, and a piece of paper.
Think of all the fantastic things Herbie would have discovered if he could have written down a list of verses to put all the pieces together.
@ 36:12 …or, I’ll bet you, had God wanted him to, he would have seen this, and the church would've been keeping new moons all along.
God did not want his other “apostle” to figure out something now required for salvation. The logic of Dave's god is quite perplexing, and following along hurts your head.
@ 36:21 He [HWA] addressed the question. I looked at some things he said, and he told people, "It's optional. You can do it, but we'll sorta have a Bible study on Friday night ‘cause I’m not sure.” And that became kind of a present truth.
Wow, so Herbert W. Armstrong began Friday night Bible studies to honor the new moons, not the Sabbath? That is news to me. It seems pretty counterintuitive to give a Bible study at the beginning of the Sabbath, which is commanded, in order to honor new moons, which are not. I cannot help but wonder if Gary and Dennis have comments about this alternate version of WCG history.
Dave really knows how to posthumously honor his Father in the Gospel. HWA allegedly invented a Friday night Bible study to honor new moons, but Dave’s kneejerk reaction was to remove the ones RCG already had.
@ 1:45:23 No more Friday night Bible studies. I don’t know. Maybe the teens or something. We’ll. But.
Those two men were cut from a different cloth.
If I were the devil, putting an end to the paltry spiritual food that does not focus on David C. Pack would be delightful. According to Dave, practicing new moons means Christians cannot learn about building holy, righteous character on Friday nights anymore in RCG.
To be fair, the religious corruption inside The Restored Church of God permeates to all the speakers, so how biblically nutritious those messages are is open for debate. But, the concept of a blanket "full stop" seems pointless and without merit. This is but a taste of what new moon observance via Dave’s personal judgments looks like. It does not bode well for the RCG brethren. Since the Bible is silent on what to do exactly on a new moon, this is the kind of spit-balling David C. Pack comes up with.
In true-to-from David C. Pack fashion, he repeated the notion that he would speak again on the new moon the following Tuesday. Being the veteran Packinese interpreter I am, my Davey Senses were tingling that he was going to blow it off.
@ 55:32 But, just relax. Believe me, there’s a rest of the story. In fact, I’ll be back on the new moon which is three days away to tell ya about it.
@ 1:10:33 I truly believe, though, that we're gonna hafta ask a big question on Tuesday because of things we'll learn.
@ 1:44:47 So, some brief instructions will come to you for how to keep (wherever it hits you). I'm gonna give a message at 3 PM on Tuesday. I'm gonna finish this story. You’ve heard half the story. What more could there be? See ya on the first time I’ve ever said this new moon. Couple days of my voice back to back on moeds.Never thought I’d say that. Three days apart. Never thought that could be possible. Who would’ve ever thought it?
As things turned out, it was not possible because Dave blew off the Tuesday message. Instead, Stepford Prime gleefully filled Dave’s shoes. He must have felt great joy knowing his cheeks were resting upon the very spot his human idol’s cheeks warmed the faux leather mere days earlier.
@ 1:45:28 Wait’ll you hear the next message.
But not from Dave. Eager Ed delivered a slobbering Dave Suck-Up Fest, looking like a little boy who got to sit at the adult's table.
Understanding New Moons – Edward L. Winkfield – November 14, 2023
@ 00:14 No, I am not Mr. Pack. [laughs] I’m sure you could tell that. [audience laughs a little too much]
@ 00:36 Mr. Pack will be speaking later in the week, so we can all look forward to that. Because it's me up here and not him, that does not mean you can turn off your computers.
You can turn your computers off now. Trust me, this 55-minute abomination will be covered in detail later.
For those missing the point, Dave kept repeating he would speak on the first new moon and give “the rest of the story.” But instead, he called in, "No, thank you.”
In the same manner that all CCG fanatics cannot get through a single day without blurring out “Hillel” like Tourette’s sufferers, David C. Pack cannot get through a single message without reminding us he is Elijah and how damn important he is.
Part 479 – November 11, 2023
@ 1:25:07 So, no wonder the Jews say they set a place for Elijah at Passover. They do have the Old Testament. They expect to see him at Passover. And I would look, and I would say, “My last name is Passover.” What are we doing in the fall?
@ 1:43:16 So the question, Do I restore the knowledge of these things or the practice of them? Does Elijah just restore knowledge, or there's some practices we have to restore? For instance, new moons. Do I restore the knowledge but not the practice?
Wade Cox must be tickled pink by all of this. How long before a CCG-chartered airplane drops leaflets on the RCG Campus in Wadsworth explaining to members that Wade Cox “restored the knowledge of new moons” thirty years ago?
The reality is that Dave did not restore anything. He does not know how to properly observe new moons but makes it up as he goes along, using the power of presumption and “because I say so” enforcement.
@ 1:43:36 Or Third Tithe. Same with Third Tithe. We understand Third Tithe is now off of Cheshvan 1. I presume the church has faithfully rolled their cycle over. So, I restored the knowledge, and then we're rolling now now, we're now we’re restoring the practice.
Dave did not restore anything about Third Tithe. He found a way to bilk the brethren out of more money that he knows full well does not benefit a single widow or orphan in The Restored Church of God. It is a full-blown biblical scam.
@ 1:45:41 There’s much more to the story of the next 149 days. Let’s enjoy dinner.
The day after Part 479, Doctor Feelbad emailed the RCG members, giving them an essential update on the ever-evolving new moon observation protocols that will be enforced by men and not by God.
Sunday, November 12, 2023
Update: Observing New Moons – November 14
As we heard in the recent message, we are to keep New Moons. How they are kept is an administrative judgment by the Church. To this end, God would expect all things to be done decently and in order (I Cor. 14:40).
As Mr. Pack mentioned New Moons are not holy time however they should still be observed. The first day of Keslev this coming Tuesday, will be a normal workday here at Headquarters with a Bible study at 3 PM our time and likely a meal. This is a good model for those in the field to follow—a Bible study and a meal if possible. For this first observance, you do have some flexibility for when and how this takes place. For the first observance, those in Europe and other countries east, for instance, can listen to the livestream from Headquarters though it will technically be past New Moons for them. In a rare circumstance, a congregation may be able to get together to listen to the message, but if you cannot, you can listen to the Bible Study at home either live or listen to the recorded message as soon as you can. This is all consistent with Mr. Armstrong implementing Friday Bible studies in recognition of New Moons as an administrative judgment. To be clear, there is no requirement at this point to take the day off work or take your children out of school.
More instructions will come as time allows. In the meantime, we can thank God for opening our understanding of this most important observance.
Have a pleasant day!
Warm regards,
F. Jaco Viljoen
Associate Director of Church Administration
I wonder how many hours Jaco took to craft this carefully worded letter.
How they are kept
is an administrative judgment by the Church.
This gives Dave and his enablers carte blanche to make whatever they say enforceable doctrine without worrying about the constraints the Bible might place upon them. You would think more in RCG would be concerned with this kind of blank-check religious practice, but those who are still there will smile, nod, and go along for the ride without resistance. Those with any fight in them have already left.
The days of brethren counting on the Bible to give them clear answers in matters of how they worship God are over.
New Moons are not holy time
however they should still be observed.
This means the new moon observance in RCG is literally unholy and renders whether something is holy or not irrelevant. The Restored Church of God has absolute rulership without accountability, and because the Scriptures are silent on this matter, whatever Dave dreams up will be the law until he changes his mind. It does not matter what the rules are; Ed will just keep smiling.
For this first observance,
you do have some flexibility
for when and how this takes place.
That flexibility was a one-time offer. Do not ever count on flexibility again. If you think that is a joke, wait until you hear what wonderful blessings Edward L. Winkfield III informed the RCG brethren they get the privilege of participating in.
This is all consistent with Mr. Armstrong
implementing Friday Bible studies
in recognition of New Moons
as an administrative judgment.
Both Dave and Ed said this but provided zero evidence to support it. When Dave has some obscure HWA quote from 1953 or a Good News clipping from any random guy who happened to make his point, he pulls it out and reads it. But that did not happen here.
The verbal affirmations of David C. Pack are not reliable sources of fact. If exrcg.org has proven anything, it has proven that. How would a Friday night Bible study on the Sabbath recognize a new moon on a Tuesday? HWA could not make heads nor tails of new moons, so he just let it go. In this, we agree.
To be clear, there is no requirement at this point
to take the day off work or take your children out of school.
Remember the phrase "at this point.” The new moon on December 12 will be a whole new ballgame, and the heavy requirements will surely come. The consensus among ExRCGers is that Dave will implement monetary offerings on new moons. Why else would he create a new form of uncommanded mandatory worship if he cannot make a few bucks on the side?
we can thank God for opening our understanding
The folks at Christian Churches of God have been thanking God for opening their understanding for thirty years, and look at all the good it has done for them. Wade Cox still cannot get recognized when he goes to the grocery store.
I wonder what the hirelings on the third floor think about other churches already teaching this stuff. RCG was inspired by God, but CCG was not? Dave was led by God, but Wade was not? How do they get around that?
It would be funny if the ccg.org website could track IP Addresses. They could monitor the sudden influx of heavy traffic coming from Wadsworth, Ohio, near the Giant Eagle. However, noting that site’s excruciatingly bland cutting-edge 1995 "look and feel," I doubt there is much horsepower under the hood. Seems like Wade and Dr. Floppy Wrists hired the same webmaster thirty years ago and just keep sending him a monthly check to do nothing but keep the lights on.
this most important observance
Um. Excuse me. What about Holy Days? And I thought the Sabbath was the test commandment. If this is the "most important observance," why does the Bible not record it as a commanded assembly or a holy convocation? That omission says that even to God Almighty, it is NOT most important. Unless, somehow, the translators hosed all of us again in the most colossal way.
Come on, guys. One vague reference in the New Testament is all you can find?
Colossians 2:16
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
And you turned a gnat into a camel. It ain’t worth a Hillel beans. Heh heh heh. The reference in Colossians is just that—a reference. It is not instruction. It is not a command. Given David C. Pack’s track record, taking him at his word is fraught with disappointments. Just think of all the folks who looked forward to him speaking last Tuesday. Wow, it is sad to think that anyone is still excited to hear Dave.
When an administrative judgment becomes law based on the assumptions of a blaspheming liar, hypocrite, false prophet, false apostle, and antichrist advocate, you know you have problems. This development does not spell good news for Wade Cox and his crew, either.
Just because someone arrived in Kookyville first does not mean the inspiration was divine. It just means there are now two of you in Kookyville to fight over which one should be mayor. Who the winner should be is an administrative judgment.
Marc Cebrian
See: Administrative Judgment
