Primacy of Peter..The Rule of Control in the Churches of God

One of the biggest weapons of control in the Churches of God, ever since Herbert Armstrong, rebelled against the Church of God 7, has been the "doctrine" of the church called "government." Government was used in the Church of  God to control everyone.  Any question, doubt, or difference with a minister was a direct violation of the law and subjected the person to disfellowshipmentt and marking.  When that happened the person was in grave danger of losing one's salvation.

Following government allows men to put forth their delude thinking like we see in Pack, Flurry, Malm, and Thiel.  Their so-called revelations from their god make what they say "divine law" and is never to be questioned.

This is also what allowed the Worldwide Church of God change its doctrines and expel those who disagreed.  That power left those in charge, to remain in charge, and still are to this day.

If you take any book on Catholic theology and COMPARE it with the April 1979 Good News, as well as with Mr. Armstrong's book Mystery of the Ages, you will find the doctrine of the primacy of Peter to be almost IDENTICAL -- even in form and layout! Further, in the November 20, 1978 Good News (article, "How Christ Gave the Church Its Beliefs" -- page 14, column 5) you will find the following statement: "Now notice how Jesus gave Peter PRIMACY over apostles...."

Actually, scores of articles have been published by the Churches of God that lay out, in great detail, the PRINCIPLES of government upon which these churches rest. The bottom line is -- the Worldwide Church of God, and others, DO INDEED believe and teach the doctrine of the primacy of Peter! And when Joseph Tkach took over, then his son, NOTHING CHANGED regarding this doctrine!

Men have always denied that which makes them look bad. The Worldwide Church of God is no exception. But, realize this, once you understand the heart or the CENTRAL CORE of the "Primacy" doctrine -- its motives and its purpose -- it no longer matters what name men attach to it. A ten-year-old child could spot it!

The Worldwide Church of God and the Catholic Church are by no means the only groups practicing this ancient doctrine. It is a prominent part of the so-called Philadelphia Church of God as well as Meredith's Living Church of God and Dankenbring's Triumph Prophetic Ministries. In one form or another, it holds a place of high honor within the doctrinal framework or policies of most of the churches of modern-day "Christianity." And, note well, most -- if not all -- of the great PAGAN RELIGIONS of the world also hold this doctrine close to their hearts.

This ancient doctrine is the SINGLE GREATEST TOOL ever devised by errant church leaders to preserve UNITY. All the great despots of history have used it to preserve unity amongst their peoples. It is, without a doubt, the "perfect" form of government.

No other doctrine of government can boast anything like the success enjoyed by this VILE and PERVERTED teaching.

The awesome power of this doctrine to manipulate and control the minds of men and to strike fear into their hearts, is the result of the belief that Yeshua the Messiah has empowered a man to RULE his Church for him -- IN HIS PLACE -- until he and YEHOVAH God return. 

This doctrine places a MAN in the enviable and POWERFUL position of being the SOLE SPOKESMAN for the Messiah on this earth. 

Now, the doctrine of the "Primacy of Peter," or the "Vicar of Christ," or the "Hierarchy of Order" gives a man (in simple terms) the SOLE AUTHORITY to interpret the Bible, define sin and set doctrine.

Furthermore, it gives him the authority to BIND his interpretations, definitions and doctrines upon the conscience of other men. His decisions, therefore, become binding (according to this doctrine) before Almighty God -- binding upon pain of disfellowshipment, eternal death or even eternal torture in hell-fire!

Men can only work together in peace through the SPIRIT OF YEHOVAH, otherwise they must have a government controlling their actions! When men resist YEHOVAH's spirit it departs from them, to be replaced by their own selfish desires.

To maintain peace, those groups of men (or churches) who are resisting the spirit of YEHOVAH MUST resort to one of the many forms of government patterned after the primacy of Peter. Once a church begins to resist the influence of the holy spirit, only TWO OPTIONS are available: Break up and go their separate ways, or develop government.

A study of history soon reveals that EVERY government of men inevitably becomes dissatisfied with merely directing the actions of men. Eventually they always seek to CONTROL their very consciences.

From: The Primacy of Peter and the Ecclesia of YEHOVAH God! 

While I do not agree with everything on this site, they are right about how the COG uses government to control members, doctrinally, spiritually and physically.

PCG: Unhappy Because You Are Single? It Is Because You Are A Selfish Sinner

One thing the Church of God has been good at is making members feel totally inadequate in everything in regards to their spiritual life.   It is bad enough being a married couple and having to deal with this, but if you are single there are extra burdens placed upon you. As usual, it is your fault. You love yourself more than God...or others. You are a vile sinner.  You are unhappy because you are a sinner, according to the Philadelphia Church of God, and the only way to cure that is to let the holy spirit move in.  Your human nature is a disgusting vile aspect of your life.

What is Satan’s nature? It is vanity—exalting the self. 

God pins Satan to the wall in Ezekiel 28:17: “Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness.” This is actually where sin started (verse 15)—when Lucifer, whom God had created perfect, changed his attitude. He went from loving God to loving the self. He got absorbed in his own brightness, obsessed with his own beauty. He became self-centered. Self-impressed. Vain. 

That is Satan’s nature! 

“Lucifer was like a speck in all of God’s creation, but he selfishly focused on himself,” Gerald Flurry explained about this passage. “In his own eyes, he became more important than God and all His creation. Can we become that vain about beauty? Or about things? Can vanity corrupt our wisdom? Certainly. Oftentimes, human beings become self-absorbed—wrapped up in our own beauty or looks or things” (John’s Gospel: The Love of God). 

That is our human nature! Do you really see how much you love your self? How much self-love you have? 

As Mr. Armstrong said in a sermon in 1982, “Self-love is the very essence of sin.” God’s way of life is always outflowing—it is give. Anything other than that is sin—it is a result of loving our self more than God, or more than the other guy. 

“God’s law is, simply, love!” Mr. Armstrong wrote. “It is the perfect way of life. Every particle of human suffering, unhappiness, misery and death has come solely from its transgression!” (The Plain Truth About Healing). Whenever there is a problem—conflict, discouragement, unhappiness—sin is the cause, which means that self-love is in there somewhere! Every particle of unhappiness is caused by sin, and self-love is the essence of sin. 

Are you unhappy as a single? Then examine yourself for self-love. You are trying to satiate that gnawing inner hunger with something other than God. To some degree, most probably, you are combating your inferiority complex with conceit, self and vanity! 

This Satan-inspired human nature makes us miserable. Sin makes us miserable. Self-love makes us miserable! Yet, so often, in specific situations, we put ourselves first because we think that is going to make us happier. We are certain that putting the other person first is going to make us miserable! We prioritize our own desires. We focus on how we want to be treated. Our service and sacrifice are required somewhere—someone needs us—but we are into what we’re doing, so we insist that we’re too busy, or we pretend like we don’t hear or don’t see the problem.  

We do these things all the time—and we may even feel justified in doing so. But the reality is that self-love is sin! It is not the way God thinks! It is not His nature to do that. It is not His love.

CEM Rehires Larry Watkins After Allie Dart's Death In Spite Of Her Instance They Not Bring Him Back

Just received this information about Christian Educational Ministries.  Allie Dart's fears realized.

16:15 into this church service (at Church of God International Tyler Texas last Saturday) Mr. Larry Watkins announces he is going back to work for Christian Education Ministries!  Allie Dart fired him from CEM shortly after Mr. Dart's accident several years ago.  She claimed he had stabbed Mr. Dart in the back by trying to get himself set up as president of CEM. 

The CEM board of directors has now rehired Mr. Watkins in spite of Mrs. Dart's insistence that Mr. Watkins never be brought back to CEM after her death. 

Mr. Watkins also says in his announcement that he has talked to Charles Groce and Vance Stinson of CGI.  He says that CEM and CGI will now work together more closely.  Will we see some kind of unification of the two groups some time in the future?  With Mrs. Dart gone, there is no one to stop it now.  You can count on it happening.  This has been predicted by insiders for several years now.

View video here:  Webcast Replay

Dave Pack Deletes His Sermons and Prophecy Timeline

A reader here just notified me that Dave Pack has deleted his 82+ sermon series he has been posting over the last few years.  Apparently, no one is able to understand what he kept posting.  It was confusing for his own members to keep up with and certainly was serving no purpose in drawing in wayward COG members who might stumble upon it.  Plus, he had to keep revising those directly inspired sermons, because his god kept changing its mind and kept giving Dave new understanding on previous revelations.

Dave also deleted his prophetic timeline he had previously posted.  Anyone who has ever been part of the Church of God, for even a few months, knew that his timeline was a load of nonsense.  Just like all of the previous timelines uttered by COG false prophets, his was an epic failure from the start.

COG leaders today never have learned from the failure of previous church leaders.  Instead of keeping their mouths shut, they run off and say incredibly stupid things and then have to backtrack within a few months. Almost ordained Bob Thiel and Chief Pharisee James Malm are two other of the fools out there doing this right now. There has to be a special place in Petra for these buffoons to gather together.

Five Million Hits and Counting!

It is hard to believe that 7 years later I would have 5,000,000 hits on this blog.  That number infuriates so many people who believe we are the tool of Satan.

What started out as a place to showcase the many books in my collection written about the church and Armstrongism, it quickly morphed into the news of the Churches of God after Gavin took a break from Ambassador Watch.

The internet has been the biggest thorn in the side of the Church of God in its entire 80 some year lifespan.  Numerous books were written about the church, but church leaders demanded that members not read dissident or critical literature about the church and the members obeyed.  It was easy to control people with the constant fear of disfellowshipment and the threat of the Lake of Fire.  Before the Internet, church members rarely heard about the corruption and abuse that went on in the church.  It would take months for things to make it through the church.  Now it happens in mere seconds and the ENTIRE world has access.  As Gerald Waterhouse would have said, if he were alive, "the Internet was created for this very thing!"  I count it a privilege that Rod Meredith publicly denounced this blog in church, and in doing so, sent hundreds of LCG members to this site.  Charlotte HQ monitors this site constantly.  The second something is posted about LCG, the Charlotte ip-addresses light up.

None of this would be necessary if the church actually was taking care of its self, held itself accountable and actually was the version of "original Christianity"  it claims to be.  It is a fact that the original church NEVER, I repeat NEVER acted like ANY of the COG's do today in 2017. Adultery, wife swapping, pedophiles, money laundering, theft of tithe money, suicides, stalkers, murders, assassins, plagiarists, con-artists, and more, have been the public face of the Church of God.  That list does not even include the self-appointed prophets, apostles, and wannabe martyrs the church has created over the decades.  Nor does it include over 500 DIFFERENT splinter personality cults created by self-appointed lying false teachers who have ripped apart the spiritual well being of their members.

Hardly a day goes by without some idiot in the Church of God running off at the mouth and saying some absurd thing.  They think they can do it without impunity.  Those days are over.  More and more books are written about the abuses people have suffered in the church.  Films have been produced.  Bloggers and Facebook pages expose the utter corruption of the church. People are no longer afraid to speak up and tell how their lives have been permanently scarred by the lies and abuse in the church.

So hats off to all the Thiel's, Malm's, Weston's, Pack's, Flurry's, Kubik's and others that can't keep their mouths shut and who lie daily to their shrinking band of followers.  You keep us busy, entertained, and many times shocked at the utter stupidity coming out of your mouths.  Keep it up boys!  You are destroying the Church of God all by yourselves.

LCG: God Allows Satan To Destroy Homes and Lives on St. Martins

Entire islands were devastated by the hurricane Irma, homes, businesses, and infrastructure were decimated...except for a highly select few that were Living Church of God members/prospective members who were miraculously spared. God only listened to the prayers of the special LCG members and spared them while he let Satan kill people and destroy the island around them.

They are such highly selected people that their most pressing need is getting a generator to work so that they be able to watch a DVD with Feast messages. Never once in the story below does he express any sympathy for those elsewhere on the island or offer any help.  I 'm sure many of them were praying for deliverance too, but God turned a deaf ear because they were not Living Church of God members.

This would be a golden opportunity for the Living Church of God to really do a witness, but they won't.  Their god will fix it all eventually so why waste precious resources needed to redecorate HQ offices or fund luxury vacations for Lil'Jimmy. There are gospel priorities, after all.

Satan kills and destroys while LCG's god fixes generators so DVD's of the Feast can be watched. The magical god of Armstrongism, always at work. There are priorities.

Contact Made with Members and Prospective Members on St. Martin

I was able to go to St. Martin yesterday, Wednesday, September 27, on an early flight which arrived at 9:00 a.m. The trip went very smoothly and I even rented a car at the airport. Because of a lot of garbage (roofs, electric or telephone poles, cables, fences, broken cars, etc.) on the roads, driving was not always easy.

I was pleased to be able to visit our members and prospective members; they have not suffered physical injury and have no specific needs. Given the general state of the country (desolation), it can no doubt be said that God protected them. I was able to visit most people in person and made contact with one by phone. They are doing well, without any major problems but without electricity and telephone. They were repairing their generator and I hope they will then be able to use the DVD of the Feast messages that I carried to them. I also visited a couple of French-speaking prospective members who also are well and have very little damage at home. 

We can thank God for having protected them and we also appreciate having been spared both in Guadeloupe and Martinique, because in my life, despite the many hurricanes that I have known, I have never seen such devastation, such desolation! I returned to Martinique last night. It was a safe trip, many thanks for your prayers and support.—Etienne Duval

The Kitchen Clan Starts On A New Adventure Cleaning Up The World (and the Church)

Another original name!  

Where do they keep coming up with these names??????

Herbert Armstrong's greatest defenders worshippers have been the Kitchen clan who have made a Facebook and Internet presence by defending and republishing everything Herb ever said as they violate every copyright law they can find.

Now the Kitchen clan is setting out a new adventure!  The will travel to your home or work and clean your windows, buildings, motor homes and even your future gravestone, all while they tell you the glories of Armstrong.  What a bargain that will be!  Two for one!

They had better head to Mountain View Cemetery and clean all of the bacon grease off HWA's headstone!  The last time I was there, there was a package of pork hot dogs wrapped in a bow laying in front of the stone and several cigarettes extinguished on top of it.

Visit with them and book a cleaning (which I am sure is very top notch, as it is the "Ambassador way":

Facebook

Ambassador Mobile Cleaning

Ian Boyne: "Stout defense of Armstrongism from Jamaica"

I attach my Last Great Day message delivered in Ocho Rios Jamaica  to approximately 400 brethren gathered at the largest Feast site in the Caribbean and one of the largest in the world. Our Kingston congregation is one of  the  fastest growing of all COG groups in the world and is by far the  largest of all  Armstrongite groups in the  Caribbean, averaging over 200 on any given Sabbath. On Atonement we had  250 in attendance. Among those who heard this Last Great  Day message were American  brethren on a CEM cruise who had traveled over an hour to  join  us  for worship. It was a most delightful experience! The Americans stayed back after services to have a meal with their local brethren. We had a wonderful song by Karen Clarke of Eugene, Oregon, daughter of one of HWA's  earliest ordained ministers, Bryce Clark, a former district superintendent.   

I spoke relevantly to the crisis which faces Armstrongism today: widespread knowledge online about our history of massive corruption, abuse of power, religiosity with little spirituality, atrophied growth, profound disillusionment etc.  

I had been keeping up with my usual daily reading of your site, Gary, and had noted what was said  about the boring, repetitive and lifeless sermons at the Feast.  I myself can, sadly, confirm that, as every day after services I surveyed at least eight different Feast sites, which shall remain nameless. 

I spoke on the nook of Jeremiah and noted that Jeremiah faced our exact crisis, with a leadership that had become corrupt, deeply sinful and arrogant about it. But I said  the answer for Jeremiah was not to reject Torah or the religion of those who had become corrupt.  It was not to then accept the religion of the Assyrians or the Babylonians or the Egyptians.  

It was to be true to the faith.Similarly, I encouraged the brethren that today we should not reject Armstrongism because of the corruption of the Armstrongs (of course I did not use that offensive term. That's only for the "strong meat" people on this site!)  

I even mentioned Byker Bob's comment that after he left in 1975 he went out and partied. I mentioned others who had become atheists.  I spoke about those well-known ministers like Albert Portune, David Jon Hill, Al Carrozzo, Gary Arvidson and Robert Kuhn and Lester Grabbe who had left because of our corruption. The sermon received an amazingly positive reaction from the independent COG members from that CEM cruise. Many of them could relate  to the disillusionment and deep hurt I spoke about. One man said it was the best Last Great  Day sermon he had  heard  (which probably says more about the quality of those sermons rather than mine!)  

Our service ran nearly three hours with much praise and worship music. I had warned the Americans about this before which is probably why not everybody left the cruise to join us, including its only minister. Those who came knew what to expect. I only spoke for about forty five minutes though. I didn't want to push my luck! 

I wanted every American to get the message. Listen to it and tear it apart here. I am eager to hear  the response of my favourite and favoured participant on this blog, Byker Bob who is usually so insightful. 

NOTE:  I will not post racist comments directed towards Ian or those in Jamaica.  I have deleted things like this in the past and will still do so.  Ian invites your criticism, so criticize away, but be civil. 

Church of God Ministers: Modern Day Enoch's Trafficking in Nostalgia

From: Next year In Jerusalem

During the Passover Season, some arbitrary male member would always rise to the occasion and speak the phrase: Next year in Jerusalem! 

It happened every year.

This arbitrary man would stand behind some arbitrary Sabbath lectern set up in an arbitrary over-lit school gymnasium or Jewish Community Center. Or, he’d stand at the head of a candlelit table on The Night To Be Much Observed. He’d stand in someone else’s home or maybe his own. He’d hold a glass of red wine up over his head, over a white tablecloth set with silver and crystal, roasted lamb and unleavened bread, vegetables and bitter herbs. He’d make a toast.

He might be a minister or a deacon or maybe our father or any lay member desperate to be all those things: minister, deacon, or father (authority figure of some kind or other). Most often he’d be that goofy accordion player with the very old, Old Testament name – the one named Enoch or Jedediah or Amos or Obediah who annoys everyone with Fiddler on the Roof songs at Church Socials. Every local congregation had an Enoch or two, but not all could play the accordion. Our Enoch played the accordion.

Whatever the case, this arbitrary Enoch would speak with artificial authority as if his words had power to conjure deep traditions that bound us to something other than a manufactured and imaginary past.

The Enochs, they trafficked in nostalgia.

Fundamentalists traffic in nostalgia.

They trace imaginary lineages to pasts that never were and to places they don’t know. They tout deep roots dug-in to a pure and more perfect historical period that contains All The Truth undefiled by modernity or interlopers or dissent.

They claim tradition where they have none. 

“Next Year in Jerusalem!” meant (in the longer version): Next year, the tribulation! Our enemies will be destroyed! In 3½ years, we will be revealed as God’s Chosen! We will be transformed into God Beings! We will sit on God’s Throne in Jerusalem! We will rule The World with a rod of iron for a thousand years! 

Tip for Turkey Bacon for COG Members

Help! Where in the World is Dave Albert

Dave Albert and myself were good friends at one time in the past and I have lost track of him.  I would like to find him and talk with him.  The last I knew he lived in Albuquerque, NM.  

Any contact information would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

Dennis 

Growing Up As A Young Girl In The Church of God

Image taken from Truth About Makeup written by Herbert W. Armstrong and published by the Worldwide Church of God. Text reads: Is this what YOU want to look like? Notice the make-up – the redrawn eyebrows – the painted lips and fingernails. WHY does this woman wear make-up? You guessed it! – she was taken into custody as a prostitute for breach of the vice laws in California! Is this the kind of woman you want to portray?

From: The Year I Learned to Love Snow: We harlots and temptresses 

My girlhood was filled with sermon upon sermon admonishing women to submit to their husbands in all things. A wife’s sexual submission to her husband was particularly important. There were sermons about how long after giving birth a wife could reasonably deny her husband sexual pleasure. I heard about which sex acts between husbands and wives were allowable and which were immoral. I learned from the pulpit that a wife could save herself from cystitis by wiping front to back.

I heard sermons from ministers angrily admonishing women in the congregation for the length of their skirts and the way they crossed their legs. Even ministers could not control their sexual thoughts with these kinds of distractions. And how dare women behave this way as God’s Ministers were in the act of preaching The Word of God.

The way women and girls dressed, whether they wore make-up or not, was constantly policed. Make-up was forbidden. Then it was allowed. Then it was forbidden again before it was finally allowed. Ministers called women vain; they called them harlots and whores. Pants were forbidden. Then pants were allowed. Skirts were measured. Jewelry was questioned. Hairstyles were critiqued. If women appeared out of line or “had a bad attitude,” ministers would approach their husbands and tell them to “correct their wives.”

The message was that ministers, husbands, and fathers owned rightful claim over my female body and that any deviation from their wishes, any autonomous expression of my gender, any unsanctioned sexual activity would bring punishment.

Satan Attacks New Apostle of the Lord to the COG's

Satan is ticked off again at the Church of God because it will NOT stop playing Herbert Armstrong's old videos.  Satan becomes enraged at the mere sound of HWA's voice and does all he can to stop it.

Once more, an Apostle of the Lord is being attacked by Satan, or shall we say Satan gets blamed for it.  After all, he is the god of the airwaves and the gospel message has to flow through radio signals in the air.  The Church of God has given Satan more power than the Jesus they claim to follow has.  Jesus is almost impotent at the mere presence of Satan.   Satan was even more powerful than God was when he was unable to keep his message alive for 1,900 years after he lost it.  Thanks to HWA coming along and finding it again!

Satan has been busy with the Feast and all, he has sent hurricanes, fires, earthquakes, sickness, boring sermons, you name it and he has been busy making COG members lives miserable this year.  He has also been busy stopping HWA videos from being played by the Messenger/Apostle of the Lord.

Meet Apostle Jeshurum, the only true predecessor of Herbert Armstong who is actually doing a work.  Almost ordained Bob Thiel and Chief Pharisee James Malm are shaking in his boots right now!

I DECIDED TO PLAY FOR YOU ON THIS "LAST GREAT DAY" OF THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES A MESSAGE FROM DR. HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG FROM HIS OWN SHOW: "THE WORLD TOMORROW" WHICH I HAD STARTED TO PLAY THE OTHER DAY BUT DUE TO SATAN INTERRUPTING THIS SHOW WITH TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES LIKE HE HAS TRIED TO DO AND SABOTAGE MY PROGRAM "WHICH HE HATES" MANY TIMES THE AUDIO WAS LOST AND YOU ONLY HEARD THE BEGINNING OF IT BUT MORE THAN HALF OF IT WAS LOST. SO I DECIDED TO DELETE THAT ONE AND PLAY IT AGAIN FOR YOU TODAY HOPEFULLY WITHOUT ANY SATANIC INTERRUPTIONS!

Check out his first few minutes and you will hear another looney-tune set loose in the world.

The Book and the Man That Rescued Me From Bible Literalism

"As far as the evolutionary debate is concerned, it is really over, and if the religious community does not know that Darwin won, they are simply not abreast of the times."

"

"Some people are approached through the mind.  Others are approached through the emotions."

"...I wish you well.  However, survival rate in that context (WCG) please know, is not high."

Did Wade Cox Make Terrorist Threat Against National Park Service?

Cox is such stupid little man.  

Why is it that so many COG splinter cult leaders are such blithering idiots?

Gerald Weston: I don't care what others think, I have proven this is the only church where God is working today

Gerald Weston: "... proved to myself then—and still can today—that God exists. I proved to myself, and still can, that the Bible is His word. And when it comes to the true Church, I know what the Bible says and cannot deny where God is working"  Weston then goes on to use one of the favorite scriptures used to keep the members in line.  Hebrews 11:1

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Church members were to always have faith.  Faith in the leadership, faith in the church, but not much faith in themselves.  Members were constantly being berated that they lacked faith and that God was eternally pissed at them.

Hebrews 11:1 has been turned into a weapon.  Members are in constant fear that they do not have enough faith.  Gerald does though,  he has reached the maximum amount of faith a human can achieve.  Dumb members still struggle to even come close.

So that no one misunderstands, we should not have blind faith, as so many in the world have. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 admonishes us: “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (KJV). Yes, we must prove all things, and that is why we routinely instruct individuals seeking baptism not to believe something because that is what they always believed (or assumed). They need to prove to themselves the existence of God, that the Bible is His instruction book to mankind, and that this is the true Church. These things are provable! It is not good enough to have “always believed in God” or that “I grew up in the Church and know it to be the true Church.” Many atheists sincerely believe there is no God, Muslims sincerely believe truth is found in the Koran, Protestants sincerely believe their form of Protestantism is the religion of the Bible, and Catholics sincerely believe they are the “true Church.” Believing something and proving something are two different concepts.

Many times over the years, when events became difficult or confusing, I personally went back to review these three pillars of faith. I proved to myself then—and still can today—that God exists. I proved to myself, and still can, that the Bible is His word. And when it comes to the true Church, I know what the Bible says and cannot deny where God is working, based on what it says. It does not matter to me what others believe; I KNOW what I believe and why!

So I am not advocating blind faith, but Hebrews 11:1 is not talking about evidence-based faith. Notice again what it says: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Yes, faith is the evidence! It is not based on evidence, but isthe evidence.

Gerald Weston: LCG Members Incapable Of Discerning Proper Television Habits and Other Issues

Are Living Church of God members ever able to do anything right?  Even after baptism they still cannot do what is right in Gerald Weston's sight.  For 80 years now the church has been preaching down to its members. The god of Armstrongism is a hard one to please and because of that member's salvation is always at risk.  That god is just itching to cast them into the lake of fire for every imaginable indiscretion.  This is unless you are children of the Meredith, McNair and other upper echelon families.  They get a free pass on everything. Members, not so much so.

To savor the things of God requires studying God’s word from a humble and deeply respectful heart (Isaiah 66:2). Our nature, even after baptism, must continue to convert to a new way of thinking (1 Corinthians 2:9–11). When the prophet Jeremiah tells us, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” he is speaking to all of us (Jeremiah 17:9). When God tells us, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death,” we need to take notice (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25). As we saw earlier, even though were being directly taught by Jesus Christ for three-and-a-half years, the Apostles could still be deceived. So where does that leave us? We must learn to savor the things of God, not the things of man.

We are confronted every day with an array of decisions. Whether to watch television and if so, what programs to allow into our minds (Psalm 101:3), and also, what is an appropriate amount of entertainment when balanced against Bible Study, prayer, physical exercise, genuine interaction with family, and more. How much time should we spend on social media, and what is appropriate communication and interaction with others? Frankly, some of the things that come to our attention do not reflect the mind of God.

We will not tell you everything you need to do, but you had better do what we tell you to do!

There has always been a desire on the part of members and ministers alike to have every question spelled out as “right” or “wrong,” “okay” or “not okay.” Consider this however: God is not creating robots. He is creating children who think as He thinks. He gives us basic principles. Some are spelled out, as in the Ten Commandments. Statutes and judgments also help us to understand His mind on an array of issues, but He also wants us to learn to think as He thinks in an ever-changing array of circumstances. This requires not a never-ending list, but a mind that discerns—that savors—the way He would choose.

Laodiceans seem to have a problem with compromising. In other words, they are not very discerning when it comes to the nuances requiring righteous judgment. They do not savor the things of God. This is a challenge to all of us. Can we look past a list of do’s and don’ts to discern the mind of God in matters that are not always clear and spelled out? Can we willingly apply His standards, without always having to be told what to do? Our lives may depend on it!

Gerald Weston: Cracks Down on LCG Members Celebrating Birthdays

Gerald Weston cracks down on birthday parties for LCG members.  God forbid if LCG members have a few minutes of joy!

One subject that never seems to go away is that of birthdays. Some in the Church want nothing to do with them, while others engage in festive parties. It is evident from the scriptures that people knew how many years they lived. We know how long Methuselah lived, as well as Abraham, Jacob, and the kings of Israel and Judah. Obviously they were keeping track. However, not once do we read of a birthday party for any of God’s servants. The only places where birthdays appear in the Bible are in relation to heathen rulers. Pharaoh’s birthday celebration resulted in the death of his chief baker (Genesis 40:20–22). Herod’s birthday celebration resulted in the death of John the Baptist (Matthew 14:6–12; Mark 6:21–28). Although birthday parties today seldom end in death or dismemberment (we would hope!), these unflattering examples are the only indisputable birthday celebrations recorded in the Bible.

The Encyclopedia Britannica records the following: “As late as 245 Origen … repudiates as sinful the very idea of keeping the birthday of Christ ‘as if he were a king Pharaoh’” (11th ed., article “Christmas”). While Origen was certainly not a true Christian, his comment reveals the attitude of the early Church toward celebrating Christ’s birthday and gives us a clue as to how original Christianity felt about birthdays in general.

Yet, some members begin celebrating the birthdays of their children from their first year onward. No child at that age has any idea what is going on, but by the time she is 16 she understands that it is “her day” and she expects a party and presents. Is this a lesson we want to teach? Are we able to understand the difference between marking or recognizing the day of one’s birth and celebrating it in a party atmosphere? Are we able to make wise judgments, based on the word of God? Do we follow the customs of this world, as sheep going to the slaughter? Or can we savor the things of God?

Is Weston going to stop Lil'Jimmy and the rest of the Meredith kids from celebrating birthdays?  They've done it for years.  LCG members have been doing birthdays for decades

Gerald Weston: LCG Women Should Wear Pants Suits Like Condoleezza Rice

Proper dress for LCG women

Not ok for LCG women, even if it is a pantsuit!

Oh, the wisdom of Rod Meredith and Gerald Weston!  Where, oh where, would we be without them?  Apparently, women in LCG are too stupid to know what kinds of pantsuits are ok for church, how to dress modestly, and not to wear clothing that emphasizes their cleavage.

Clothes considered stylish by this world are often lacking in modesty. They are often overly revealing of the female body: very short shorts, skirts that are overly tight and short, low-cut dresses that emphasize cleavage, and so on. Double entendre slogans on sweatshirts and T-shirts, also, are suggestive and inappropriate. When a woman is constantly trying to stretch her skirt to cover more of her thighs when sitting down, maybe this should tell her something.

Part of the problem with dress is the ever-changing culture. Some things considered immodest in past generations are considered very old-fashioned today. There is also the issue of occasion. A tennis skirt may be modest on the court, but not for an algebra class. Swimsuits would not be appropriate for Sabbath services.

Then there is the question that comes up from time to time regarding whether women can wear pants for Sabbath services. Dr. Roderick C. Meredith made it clear a number of years ago that a nice pantsuit may be appropriate. This may especially be true for individuals who have leg problems or who live in very cold climates. But, here is the problem: All that some heard when he explained this was that “pants are okay,” but that is not what he said. He spoke of nice pantsuits and gave the example of Condoleezza Rice (former Secretary of State under President George Bush) who often wore pantsuits in the conduct of government business. He was not talking about sweat pants, jeans, or casual pants.

Gerald Weston: Speaks Out on Bell Bottoms, Mens Ear Studs and Modesty

Brethren! Nasty, degenerate bell-bottom slacks for men were wrong!  Earring studs on men?  Ghastly days!  Everything is always evil in the Living Church of God's sight.  Of course, it is all sexually oriented, too.

Clothing and Modesty

Dress styles are a perpetual challenge for the people of God. Scripture instructs women to dress modestly, but what is modesty? The Church of God has historically understood that there are cultural differences when it comes to dress, and that styles are in a state of constant change. Those of us who are older remember bell-bottom slacks for men. Some in the Church of God viewed them negatively, while others could not wait to buy a pair. Sadly, there were much more serious stylistic issues at that time. Thankfully, most 1970’s trends in dress were short-lived—for very good reasons.

But the real issue is not a change in style, but whether that change reflects modesty, and what is being promoted by the style. One might argue that the Bible doesn’t explicitly condemn earrings on men in a direct command, but who was it in modern times that promoted this change in male behavior, and should a Christian want to take part in it? You may want to read David Kupelian’s book on The Marketing of Evil, if you do not know.

The problem is that we all have different ideas about what is modest. Why? Why, if we all have the Spirit of God, are there so many differences? The Apostle Paul gives us a clue: “Of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:11–14). 

As usual, church members are considered too stupid to know who to dress properly.  Are church members ever capable of ever doing anything right?

Gerald Weston Likes Watching Degenerate Sinners With Tattoo's In Airports

In his own words:

Look around you. My wife and I like to watch people in airports. Are you as amazed as we are about how many people sport tattoos today? How far we have degenerated in twenty years! “Body art” or “ink” as they like to call it, was mostly the domain of sailors who had a bit too much to drink while in port, and you would almost never see a woman with a tattoo in our Western world. No longer! Why? Humans have a “sheep” instinct, and not everything about sheep is positive. If someone else does it, so must we. Even among some of God’s people, tattooing, unusual body piercing, and faddish clothing sometimes appears.

Getting a tattoo is not the worst sin one can commit, even though God clearly tells us in His word not to do it (Leviticus 19:28). Few people are aware of this verse. The question is whether those of us who know better will follow the world, or whether we will obey God. However, we see more and more disfigurement of the human body among those more recently called into the Church, and a deeply converted person will not judge or condemn someone for past mistakes for which an individual has repented. Frankly, there are far worse sins than this one that is often committed in ignorance, and some sins are easier to hide than others.

Weston rails on about tattoo's yet does nothing about the abusive ministers and HQ employees that treat people like dirt.  Or, what about enforcing the law while rejecting grace? Which one really repulses God more?

Feast of Tabernacles 2017 Sermons..."Don't these people's brains rot after listening to the very same thing for decades?"

Several people on XCG Facebook pages are telling stories of how they have attended Feast sites this year just to make parents and family members happy, or to meet up with friends for a day of fun after services.  Every single one of them has been saying the same thing.  Their comments also illustrate just how provincial the Church of God still is in 2017.

Everyone is stating that they heard the exact same sermons using the same scriptures that they had heard every single year during their time in the church.  Not one of these speakers had an original theme to their sermons.  It is the exact same thing published over and over in every COG magazine and article.  The ministers preached the same canned sermon that they heard from Herbert Armstrong.

It is the same old mantra, "We are being trained to be kings and priests." "We will head to the place of final training as the chosen of God, highly from the entire population of the world."  "The church will soon face persecution for our beliefs...will you be held worthy of God's protection."

One person mentioned how downtrodden the women at the Feast they visited looked.  None of the sermons were geared towards women, other than being "helpmeet's" for their husbands and that they be submissive, quiet in church and good stewards of their households."

One person had this to say:

"Don't these people's brains rot after listening to the very same thing for decades?"

For centuries Christians have lived their faith in ways that make it relevant to the time they live in.  While they look forward to a kingdom to come, they work to make that kingdom present in the lives of those they touch around them.  What better way to witness to those around you, instead of parked for four hours in some dank hotel ballroom listening to yet another incredibly boring sermon.  The things that Jesus taught and said can never be said to be boring.  Can you say that about the typical COG minister today?

The Stages of Anguish A Survivor Experiences When Leaving The Church

The True Church

Former Church of God Member Claims He Is Zerubbabel

For decades the Church of God has had all kinds of Elisha's, Elijah's, Joshua's, Jeremiah's and any other Old Testament hero that COG members like to latch onto.  They all had a message that they thought was vital to the church and its wayward members.  Almost all of these men are dead just like their OT namesakes.  That still has not stopped modern day fools like Almost-ordained Bob Thiel, James Malm, David Pack, Gerald Flurry and Ron Weinland.  Have you ever noticed that none of these guys ever latch onto Jesus or any new covenant personality?  God forbid if they ever had to act like James, John, Peter or any of the other apostles.  After all, the apostles were vile   Gracites. As all modern-day prophets and apostles are quick to let us know, what the church needs is religious zealots from Hebrew times.

Today, I present Zerubbabel, the latest prophet to the Church of God.  This guy is also a zealot and a Pharisee like James Malm, with the difference being that this zealot actually dresses the part.  He is also like James Malm in another way, he is unemployed and is constantly looking for followers to give him money.  The Church of God has always been good at creating prophets and apostles, but it is exceptionally good at creating professional money moochers who are too lazy to get a real job and get their holy hands dirty.

The person we need to thank for Zerubbabel is Ron Weinland.  This idiot was also a member of Ron Weinland's cult.  Zerubbabel's real name is Michael Noordhoek and now has to live here in the United States in Arizona, after both Greece and Israel kicked him of their countries.  He, his wife and stepdaughter live in a shack in the desert where the kitchen, living room and bedroom are all in one place.

This mentally ill man claims that Jesus is the first of the Two Witnesses, and that he, Zerubbabel, is the Second Witnesses.  Jesus is also the first of three prophecied "man-child's," with Zerubbabel being the second "man-child."  So who is the third "man-child?"

The man is mentally ill, but never so much as to what follows here:

Well, in his latest Youtube diatribe, he has proclaimed himself to be the new King of Israel and his step-daughter a prophetess. He has also professed to seeing "the sign" of the Revelation 12 virgin in the sky which "proves" his step-daughter is this prophetess...and that she is also to bear a son by HIM, the King of Israel. SO HE BELIEVES HE IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A CHILD WITH HIS STEP DAUGHTER...WHO MAY STILL BE A MINOR...she is to have this "prophetic "third man-child".

5:28 he talks about how his daughter is the prophetess and he is the King 

8:20 He talks about being the king that conceives the man child after his daughter finishes having her period.

The anonymous source that sent me this has also contacted the FBI to make sure that Zerubbabel's stepdaughter is not being sexually abused.

Zerubbabel has videos here and a Facebook page here.

Former WCG Member Hosting 10 Part Series On Heaven's Gate Cult

Hollywood Reporter has the following story up:

The 10-episode project, which will explore what led to one of the largest mass suicides in U.S. history, will be hosted by Glynn Washington.

Dan Taberski is reuniting with the team behind Missing Richard Simmons for a new podcast that will explore what happened inside the Heaven's Gate cult. 

The Missing Richard Simmons host is joining Heaven's Gate as a writer. The 10-episode project will be hosted by Glynn Washington of Snap Judgment.

Washington told The Hollywood Reporter that the podcast won't just focus on the mass suicide of Heaven's Gate members; it will also delve into the lives of the people who joined the group and seek to answer questions about how the suicide happened.

Washington spoke to family members, survivors and other people involved with Heaven's Gate for the project. "These people are real people who made real choices for real reasons, and we wanted to explore that," he said. 

Washington explained that his interest in the topic comes from his own background growing up in a cult (his family was a part of a religious organization called the Worldwide Church of God). "The lens through which the project is viewed is my own," he said. "I can't do this without bringing my own background to these questions."

Washington said that Taberski was an important addition to the team. "He's got a great touch as a writer," he added. "Bringing Dan on is a demonstration of how much excitement [there is] about this project and the commitment to making sure that it works." 

Heaven's Gate hails from Stitcher, which is a part of E.W. Scripps' Midroll Media podcasting division, and is being produced in collaboration with Pineapple Street Media. It is set to premiere Oct. 18. The trailer can be listened to here.