Apostate Sisters Interview David About Growing Up As A Child In The Church In The 1960s

 

5 Jun 2024

Welcome to a new episode of the Apostate Sisters Interview Series, where we hold space for the life stories of those who were once entangled in the web of the Worldwide Church of God. Today, we're joined by David, who was introduced to the church in his early childhood in the mid-1960s and left as a teenager in the late 1970s. 

Raised in a family deeply committed to the church after his father discovered "The Plain Truth" magazine, David's upbringing was steeped in the doctrines and practices of the church, from observing the Sabbath to attending the impressive Ambassador Auditorium for holy days. Despite the church's deep influence, David recounts his journey with a reflective and critical eye, especially discussing his transition away from these beliefs during his pursuit of higher education. 

Today, while his mother and some siblings still observe the church's teachings, David identifies as an atheist, maintaining a nuanced view of his time within the church. This episode explores the complex dynamics of growing up in a cult, the allure of questioning, and the path to personal freedom. Join us as 

David shares insights into the everyday life aspects of cult membership, including youth camps, relationships, and the impact of church doctrines on personal decisions like dating and education. David's story is a testament to the power of questioning and the search for personal truth. As we unpack his experiences, we invite our listeners to reflect on their own journeys and the impact of religious teachings on personal growth and freedom.

Crackpot Prophet Now Taking His Heresies To The Muslims

 

The heat is started to bear down on California and it's causing our favorite crackpot prophet to say stupid things.

After being an epic failure in converting Christians to his cause, and even Church of God members, he is turning his attention to trying to convert Muslims so they can jump ship into his superfantabulous church. I have a feeling that will not go down as well as he found it did with a few thousand Africans who were Sabbatarian church hoppers.

Muslims and a Book Not Yet Finished 

There are reportedly over two billion Muslims in the world. 

 

Jesus said:

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20)

14 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 24:14) 

 

Being nearly a quarter of the world, it seemed appropriate to put together materials, other than, for example, mainly just having our The Gospel of the Kingdom of God booklet in multiple languages that Muslims and others can read. This is part of our preparation for the short work mentioned in Romans 9:28. 

 

That is also consistent with something that the Apostle Paul wrote:

19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you. (1 Corinthians 9:19-23) 

 

Yes, for the gospel’s sake, we want materials that are directed to different peoples. 

 

So with that in mind, to the Muslims, we wish to show some connections, as well as important differences. 

The problem is, he does not preach the gospel and is deliberately leading Muslims astray with his heretical crap. 

In the recommended sermon for this week, I showed a new book that we are still working on. Originally, I hoped that this book, which I began working on in the early Fall of 2023, would have been ready this past January, but research on it took longer than than originally anticipated. 

 

That said, I ordered two preliminary draft copies of it which arrived last week. One was to use as a visual prop during sermons, and the other was given to the caretaker at a local mosque for him to see if he or others there will give additional feedback before the book is finalized for printed distribution. 

 

The caretaker and I originally met several weeks back and some items we discussed were added to the book as the result of that meeting. We, along with my wife Joyce, also met late last Thursday, when I gave him a draft copy of the book.

Someone needs to contact that mosque and let them know what a nutjob they are cavorting with. Nothing good is going to come of it!

While the draft of the book is available online, it is not expected to be finalized, printed, and sent to supporters for several months from now.

That said, the recommended sermon for this Sabbath is based on parts of the book as well as with items that are not in the book, but that were published by the old Worldwide Church of God over forty years ago. I expect to do several sermons related to the book, and then plan on it being re-edited before it becomes available from us in print.

Crackpot Prophet Drags Out Dibar Apartian to Point the Finger at Himself

God's most gifted prophet to ever exist in human history continues to have problems in coming up with anything original. Most of the time he has to fall back on dead former ministers and leaders of the Mother Church. Dibar Apartian is one of his favorites. The Great Bwana particularly likes Dibar because he likes to pretend that Dibar approved of his rebellious apostasy and heretical teachings.

This time he trots Dibar's article on how to avoid Satan three major snares that seem to entrap COG leaders the most.

One of those three snares is this:

The snare of pride 

The present-day Holy Trinity of Armstrongism has three of the most prideful men ever pretending to be God's agents on earth: Bob Thiel, Dave Pack, and Gerald Flurry. Pride should be their middle name. 

Another of Satan’s snares, one that affects us all, is pride. Satan will tempt you by working on your pride and vanity. 

Big ol/meanie Satan must be working overtime on our Great Bwana Bob Mzungu. Every article is about himself or his superfantabulous church. No other church on earth is as great as his is.  

You don’t always realize it, but pride is potentially one of your biggest pitfalls. It makes you unable to recognize your faults — unwilling to apologize when you are wrong. You want to maintain your own ways because of pride. And Satan loves that, because he himself maintains his own ways and does not recognize his sins. 

For two decades or more now, various people have pointed out the Great Bwana's foibles. From Church of God ministers and elders to Rod Meredith and most of the LCG ministry who had to deal with him, this blog, and many others. Never once did he listen to people pointing out mistakes to him or correct him, and never has he apologized for being wrong. How can God's greatest COG leader's inhuman history ever be wrong?   

The apostle James, in the course of telling us to get closer to God in order to resist Satan, states that “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (Jas. 4:6). 

Being humble is NOT an attribute of the Great Bwana.  

Do you grasp the meaning of this verse? Pride will befriend you with Satan, but will put a wall of separation between God and you. Is your pride worth that tragic price? Will you turn your back to God because of your own vanity? 

This pretty much is the reason witchcraft, adultery, money laundering, and other issues are happening under his nose in Africa. His vanity does not allow him to admit he has problems there, despite having men he sent there, with their feet on the ground, reporting back to him the issues that were plaguing his so-called church there.  

One of the most important lessons God gave to His people through Moses was to command them to remain humble: “So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. … Beware that you [all of us] do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, lest — when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses… your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage … then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth'” (Deut. 8:3-17). 

 

This warning applies to us today as much as it did to our forefathers. It is only by the grace of God that we have whatever we possess. 

 

Pride will also incite you to judge and criticize; it will make you think you know better and that your opinions are wiser. Christ said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 18:3). 

The Great Bwana spends a huge amount of time deriding other COG groups trying to point out that they believe in wrong doctrines or have wrong teachings on prophecy and other twaddle.  

Think of it — there is no place for the carnally proud in the Kingdom of Heaven! 

However, there sure is in the improperly named "continuing Church of "god"! 

Don’t {wrongly} judge. Don’t {unnecessarily} criticize. “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (Jas. 4:10). 

 

The more you know God and study His Word, the more you will realize just how little you actually are. 

There can be no bigger truth from Dibar lobbed at the Great Bwana than this!  

Always be ready to admit your faults. Correct them and forgive those of your neighbors. When you return good for an evil deed, you will have God for your partner. He will be your friend, and will help you solve your problems the right way. 

The Great Bwana has never admitted fault. refuses to forgive the men he sent to Africa to send him reports. He has publicly shamed and tried to destroy their reputations. God is not the Great Bwana's partner and that is why his group is such a horrific mess, 

Continuing in James: “Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law” (verse 11).

The only Christian thing for the Great Bwana to do is shut down his fraudulent "church", repent of his rebellion, and place his focus on his homeopathic business and care for his family. One less COG group is a step in the right direction.