New King of the Church of God Travels To England

God was busy working many miracles in October for the new King of the Church of God.  Now that Gerald Flurry has declared Herbert's prayer rock to be the new coronation stone and that he himself is the modern day King of the church, till Jesus returns to take possession of it, his God has been clearing the way with miraculous events.

King Gerry was ready to fly to England to visit his English campus at Edstone, when lo and behold, Satan attacked him and caused passport issues.  While all of this as being worked out, his god started telling the high altitude winds, that King Gerry's jet would be flying in, to increase their speed in order to let King Gerry's private plane be able to fly directly from Oklahoma to England without refueling!

Below is an excerpt from Grant Turgeon's slobberfest about the trip.  The most disturbing part is the last paragraph.  Visions of adoring crowds clamoring to get close to Jim Jones, Herbert Armstrong, and leaders of other cults come to mind.  The PCG faithful have totally swallowed Gerald Flurry's lie about HWA's prayer rock, its new significance and the fact that he is now the King that God is supposedly working through.

The sheer depths of spiritual depravity that Armstrongite leaders sink to is mind-boggling.

EDMOND—Philadelphia Church of God Pastor General Gerald Flurry made his first international trip on the Church’s corporate jet from October 10–19. He spent the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day in Warwickshire, England. Three days later, he flew to Tel Aviv, Israel, and met with Dr. Eilat Mazar in Jerusalem before returning home via England. 

On October 10, the sixth day of the Feast, Mr. Flurry left his home at 6 a.m. to drive to the private hangar in OKC. Due to a passport mix-up, he and his personal assistant, Grant Turgeon, had to return to the headquarters campus. During the 90-minute delay, Capt. James Gay adjusted the flight plan to make up the difference. Strong eastward winds allowed for a rare direct flight from Oklahoma City to Birmingham, England, and enabled Gay to eliminate a refueling stop in South Bend, Indiana. 

After an eight-hour flight, the Gulfstream G450 touched down in Birmingham around 11 p.m. local time. Mr. Flurry said that he felt energized following the trip, the result of near-zero turbulence at 43,000 feet and a cabin pressurization of just 6,000 feet (half that of a commercial flight). A cheerful group of about a dozen pcg members stayed up late to greet him at the private terminal. 

United Kingdom-Europe Regional Director Brad Macdonald and Edstone Foreign Language Translations staff member Emmanuel Michels drove Mr. Flurry and Turgeon to the pcg regional office at Edstone Hall in Warwickshire, arriving just before midnight, where they stayed at the apartment of the Stephen Flurry family. 

The next day, Mr. Flurry gave the sermon and then spent a couple hours speaking with most of the 300-plus members at the Feast site. 

“The brethren are always excited when Mr. Flurry visits, but I thought they were extra excited by this visit,” Mr. Macdonald said. “This was Mr. Flurry’s first visit to the region since the new revelation about his office. That understanding makes a conversation with Mr. Flurry extra special. Since the Feast, I’ve spoken with a few people who relayed how special it was for them to have a few minutes with Mr. Flurry, and how connected they felt to him. More than a few remarked on how warm and open and friendly Mr. Flurry was, and how in their conversations with him it felt as if they’d known one another for years and years.” Pastor General Visits England Feast Site, Meets With Dr. Eilat Mazar on First International Trip Aboard PCG Jet

United Church of God Brazilian Witchcraft Problems

United Church of God has always had problems with its South American churches. Now it seems witchcraft is now infecting their Brazilian churches. Vik Kubik and Jorge de Campos went to Brazil recently to see what was going on.

At a church service this past week in Oklahoma, de Campos spilled the beans about those ornery Brazilians and the witchcraft issue.

Brazil has been dealing with Candomblé, a religion that developed from the animist beliefs of African slaves that were traded in Brazil. Candomblé gatherings usually last four hours, with singing, drumming and dancing. Its followers scream and freeze in place as they become possessed by their deities called Orixás. Many of these deities are associated with forces of nature and they are also combined with Catholic saints, tieing them into Christianity. The slaves deceived their Portuguese masters by claiming to believe in the saints but were actually worshipping their Candomblé deities.

With the widespread influence of evangelicalism in Brazil, there have been major confrontations between Christians and the Candomblé followers. Now even fringe American cults groups are having to deal with it.

COG Prophet Speaks Out On Football, Thanksgiving, Breast Enhancements, David Cassidy, and Bikini Coffee Bars

Why is it that all of the Church of God prophets and apostles get upset over the silliest things and yet could care less about deeper issues?

Almost ordained and arrested Elijah, Elijah, Amos, Joshua, Moses, and bitter rejected "son" of Rod Meredith spends his days waxing ineloquently on hundreds of silly topics while ignoring bigger and more important things.

Today, November 23, 2017, it includes his usual attack on football and Thanksgiving:
Today is the national holiday in the USA called Thanksgiving. And despite certain claims, its specific origins are not pagan. But, of course, no Christian needs to celebrate national holidays like it is they do not wish to (cf. Romans 14). And the Bible does condemn gluttony.

One thing that I have noticed on the day called Thanksgiving by those in the USA, is when I have been at many other places than the home I lived in, American football has been playing on television.

For many, other than food and family, football is a major focus of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Should Christians support violent sports like American football?

Then, the Bitter One has to pop off of the death of David Cassidy:

I do remember David Cassidy when he was in the Partridge Family on television. I saw him in a couple of plays decades later. My wife, Joyce, even met him several times. 

David Cassidy did not seem to be particularly religious. Perhaps he had some type of Christian faith, perhaps not (he had been Episcopalian). 

If he was not a true Christian, is he and the others like him doomed?

No. 

It is reasonable to conclude that David Cassidy (and most others who have already died) did not commit true blasphemy against the Spirit, so can be forgiven. 

But the most offensives thing of all to the one and only PURE virginal true prophet of God is Bikini coffee shops in Everett, Washington! Oh, the horrors! It is leading men to LUST! LUST I SAY! How dare the women cause men to be held accountable for their inability to control their actions!

Under-dressed women are becoming controversial in the city of Everett, Washington:

November 23, 2017
The city of Everett, about 30 miles north of Seattle, is home to numerous bikini barista espresso stands, where servers dressed in everything from tasteful two-piece swimsuits to pasties and G-strings serve up lattes and Americanos at a drive-thru window.

Everett lawmakers have been steamed about the coffee stands for years – arguing everything from obscenity to mob ties – officials are taking a page out of the headlines and citing a new argument: The skin-flaunting coffee servers could turn men into the next Harvey Weinstein.

He also expresses disgust that Europe over the rising tide of Muslim women at the beach in burqinis.

Over in Europe, we have seen this pushed in another odd direction. Earlier this year, a Muslim woman was barred from using a swimming pool, because she wore a swimsuit known as a burqini. Women should be able to wear full body bathing suits when swimming, etc.

He does not like that France is seeking to prohibit the outfit, and of course, ties this into the right for women to wear what they want for modesty.

Next, his ties into the First Amendment of the United States Constitution:

Now, getting back to the First Amendment of the Constitution of the USA, it states:

First amendment — Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

But is it always wise to say anything anywhere?

Is it wise to go before as many people as possible and speak insults to them?

While it may be “legal,” some may get so upset as to take violent action against the insulter. While that action by the insulted would be illegal, it certainly was not wise to go around intentionally trying to insult people.

Furthermore, it is not wise or proper to attempt to incite male lust as many businesses (especially those involved in entertainment) try to do.

Just like Muslim men who cannot control their lusts, Bob Thiel cannot control his.  He hates being incited to lust!

He says:

Adultery is prohibited by the seventh commandment and lust by the tenth commandment.

Jesus and the Apostle Paul warned against attempting to provoke, stir up, or mentally succumb to sexual lust. Thus, they are also condemning pornography, including dressing inappropriately.

What was considered immoral dress in the mid-20th century is now more modest dress than what many young females now wear. Another trend, which is appearing in the USA, as well as Europe, is for women’s clothing to become more and more sheer. So sheer, that one can often look through the clothing to the skin (slips and other covering items are often missing). This is not a positive trend but is another that I wanted to mention and it is a type of pornography.

Many of the underclothed do not blush. They think they are clever, and like adulteresses, act like they did nothing wrong.

          20 This is the way of an adulterous woman:

She eats and wipes her mouth,

And says, “I have done no wickedness. (Proverbs 30:20)

But inciting lust is wicked!

What is considered to be acceptable dress for public display (mainly for females) continues to the trend to show more skin, more cleavage (and more and more women have decided to have “breast enhancement” apparently for display), and more of their figures. This is not good. And this is not just limited to television or the movies.

The idea that women need to be almost totally naked to work in restaurants, swim, etc. is wrong.

Promoting lust is wrong, promoting modesty is not.
Promoting lust is bad for humanity.

Life is so hard for the prophets of God. Satan is constantly attacking them with lustful and impure thoughts as they incessantly beg for more and more money.

Gerald Weston Not Happy That LCG Members Are Not Taking Time Off Work For Holy Days And Are Not Giving As Much Money As They Should

Living Church of God members got a dressing down again by God's only end-time prophet and apostle to be. Why is it that LCG leaders never have any confidence in their members?  As you can see below, there is a reason for this constant dressing down.  Money!  When LCG members slack off and work on holidays or don't save enough 2 tithe for the feast or have extra money for offerings the income of the only true church suffers.

Then, the reality pictured by the Feast of Tabernacles will be here. At that time, all nations will be commanded to come up (i.e., send representatives) to Jerusalem to learn of God’s master plan. It is evident from Zechariah 14:16–19 that Jesus Christ will accept no excuses for failing to do so. This should be a lesson for all of us that we must take these holy convocations seriously and prepare each year to observe them. I hope all of you will be doing so. We have the better part of six months from the Feast of Tabernacles until Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread to ensure time off from work.

The First Day of Unleavened Bread 2018 falls on a weekly Sabbath, so most who work daylight hours have to take off only the last Day of Unleavened Bread, which falls on a Friday. You should have plenty of time to work out arrangements to have that day off. The Festivals that fall later in the year will require more time off, but most members have little trouble arranging that, if they plan early and work with their employers. It should go without saying that the better employee you are year round, the more inclined your employer will be to meet your needs. And the same may be said for students who must miss classes. We know that there are exceptions, but most employees and students will do just fine with a bit of hard work and planning.

Another way to prepare for the Festivals and Holy Days is by preparing according to God’s financial instructions. Deuteronomy 14:22–26 explains how each of us are to set aside a tithe for these special days. (See Mr. Dexter Wakefield’s article in this issue for more on this topic.) This is a well-ingrained habit for most members, but there are those who think they have a better way. Some wait until the Feast and use their last paycheck. Others go to the Feast on credit cards that they know will take months to pay off. Others try to save a Festival tithe, but end up “borrowing” from it for various emergencies. This should not be the case.

Apparently, Weston believes that those who struggle financially are under a curse because they do not tithe properly or give offerings.

Brethren, we understand that many struggle financially, but as one minister put it, “How can you be blessed if you are under a curse?” For the scripture asks and explains: “Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’” And God’s answer? “In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation” (Malachi 3:8–9).

Remember Living Church of God members, the more you give the more you will be blessed!  This is the same as the prosperity gospel crap fostered off on individuals in other money grubbing churches.

When God tells us to do something and we don’t do it, how can He then bless us? We have all learned from experience that it works out better when we obey God! Please examine yourself in this regard. Obey His commands and then claim His promises: “‘And try [KJV: prove] Me now in this,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it’” (v. 10).

One has to wonder: How many more Feasts will there be before the seventh trumpet sounds and Christ returns? May we all prepare to rehearse God’s great plan of salvation for mankind next year and for as many years as need be until we are changed into spirit-born sons and daughters of God! May we all be busy, diligently fulfilling our calling! Personal-After the Feast, The Work Continues!

Remember, Weston needs your money, as that is the reason for your calling.  If you do not give more money your chances of being changed into spirit-born sons and daughters of God is rather slim.

Gerald Weston: Its Still All About Sex, End Time Is Closing In And Persecution Is Around The Corner

A person might have expected that at the death of Rod Meredith, the focus of the Living Church of God would not be so consumed by sex, but no, Gerald Weston carries on the tradition.

According to Weston, Living Church of God members are being intimidated in Australia over its gay marriage referendum.  Weston is even distressed that the national football team stood up for the referendum.  Bob Thiel will NOT be pleased!

Add to that California's recent decision to allow transgender individuals to have a classification on their driver's license so that they might live lives a little bit more stress-free. Because of that CA might be being punished by Weston's god with fires that burned 6,000 homes and killed 50 people.  Weston even admits he may be jumping to conclusions about that extreme stretch of his imagination, but he does it anyway in order to denigrate the citizens of California. He even jumps to the conclusion that Australia is suffering from drought as a punishment from his god.

Living Church of God members are encouraged to believe that these are all sure signs that the end times are swiftly crashing down around us.  Weston also believes that their right to freedom of speech is in jeopardy which will inhibit them from preaching what they think is the gospel.

Never fear though, the collapse of society, while maybe 50 years away, is still swiftly crashing down around them...as it has for the last 80 some years.

Psalm 133:1 tells us, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” This is a fitting description of what we encountered in our travels among God’s people, and I trust you found the same to be true wherever you traveled over the Festival period. But this is not the world to which we’ve returned. At the time of this writing, Australia is spending more than $95 million (in U.S. dollars) on a non-binding referendum in an attempt to trivialize and pervert the marriage relationship between a man and a woman. We heard numerous reports from our members of intimidation to cast a “yes” opinion for same-sex marriage. Some businesses display “yes” posters and make it clear that they expect their employees to fall in line. Government buildings, which one would expect to be neutral, display the rainbow flag, making it obvious which side they support. To be sure, there are vocal critics on the “no” side, but “yes” has the support of the media, academia, many businesses, most celebrities, and even the national football team.

Truly, this generation has no respect for God or His instructions found in the Bible. “There is no fear of God before his eyes” (Psalm 36:1); and “The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts” (Psalm 10:4). Even in the unlikely event that these misbegotten efforts fail, same-sex marriage will eventually prevail in Australia, just as it has in the other Israelite nations. It is only a matter of time. The god of this world and his invisible spirit influence will make sure of that! Is it any wonder that parts of Australia are in severe drought, and some farmers, seeing no hope for the future, have committed suicide?

And in California, Governor Jerry Brown recently signed into law a bill allowing people who consider themselves as transgender to identify as having a “non-binary” gender on state identification documents such as driver licenses. It might be a stretch to blame the fires that have destroyed 6,000 homes and killed nearly 50 people on a single piece of legislation, but it is evident God is withdrawing His blessings from the “Golden State” and from the Israelite nations as a whole for disregarding His ways.

Many members of the Church sense that time is closing in on us and that real persecution is just around the corner. We are losing our freedom of speech, which is so essential to the preaching of the true Gospel and proclaiming the Ezekiel warning. A cadre of people—small, percentage-wise, but very vocal—have taken over our governments, educational institutions and the media as a whole, and people who lack a godly moral foundation are going right along with it. So, while the Feast of Tabernacles was an oasis of peace, love and harmony, we must not be lulled into a lukewarm Laodicean attitude. We may be surprised. It may take longer than we expect before man’s Babylonish system comes crashing down, but collapse is on the way.

PCG Member Claims PCG is NOT A Cult and that PCG Families Are Made Happier By The Church

I received the following comment on a previous thread.  It is supposedly from Philadelphia Church of God member.  I  could say something catty right now but will refrain.  However, most here will see what is VERY wrong below.

I am a member of the pcg, and I just want to say... GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT! Half of what you accusse us of is false. For your info we are not a cult. Gerald Flurry admits he has a small following, but you lie and say he claims to have a large one. PCG And Worldwide church of god are the same, we are just the next generation after hwa died. And that stupid article about Gerald Flurry telling us that we will be deported was false. We do not intend to become a large religion, we want to remain small.

You said in an older article of yours  

"Gerald Flurry has now decided that he can no longer breathe the same air on planes that the commoners breath. He also cannot stand being int the same security lines with the unwashed heathen masses. Its important now for God's only chosen apostle to travel the earth in style and comfort." 

We purchased the plane simply to save money and make our travels quicker, the plane is small, I have been in it, its not meant for luxury and comfort.

You also said Gerald Flurry Prefers To See PCG Members "ROT" From Sickness Than See A Doctor. This is also false, we are allowed to see doctors, but he prefers us not to put all of our faith in them. Its god who heals.

Once again you said this "It has been well documented over the years on how abusive the Philadelphia Church of God has become under the leadership of Gerald Flurry. Families have been ripped apart, marriages destroyed and countless suicides have occurred because of the vile polices that Gerald Flurry has forced upon the membership of the Philadelphia Church of God" 

Just to start off, these policies are NOT forced upon us, we are not a cult. There has only been one suicide to take place by a pcg member. For each individual who takes his/her own life, at least 20 attempt to do so. Suicide has a global mortality rate of 16 per 100,000 people. And we have only had 1. 

Famillies are not torn apart but made happier in our church.

Gerald Weston Locks Down LCG Sermons From Public Access

Living Church of God members knew that once Gerald Weston had full power, his legalistic rules would start to reign supreme.  He has had a track record of being abusive by controlling as many aspects of members lives as he could.

Besides shutting down Living University's accreditation process and effectively cutting down all of its course work at the end of this semester, Weston has pulled a Herbert Armstrong and is trying to put the wayward Living Church of God back on track.

Weston has also shut down public access to Living Church of God sermons, which previously had been available for the public to listen to.  So much for that "witnessing!"  Now you have to have he password that is specially set for your congregation in order to listen to LCG sermons.

Perhaps he is attempting to control what "pop star" LCG ministers disseminate to the broader church rather than keeping inter own church area.  LCG's mother church had a huge underground network who shared tapes of popular ministers that garnered v                                                                                                                                huge followings.  Usually this revealed around prophecy and other end time malarky.  The same is happening today with certain men who are more popular than Weston or most of the traveling minister/evangelists  from Charlotte.  Plus, it allows Weston and Charlotte to monitor all sermons and delete them before they are spread throughout the church.  Several men have been preaching some rather crazy things and Charlotte is trying to squelch that as fast as possible

Terms of Use: These audio or video broadcasts are made available for the private viewing of Living Church of God* congregants as a service for those who are “shut-ins” or otherwise unable to attend personally.  The links or passwords that enable viewing of these broadcasts are not be shared with others, via any media including, without limitation, public media such as Facebook, Yahoo, or Twitter, etc.  By using these links, you agree not to share them or the audio or video broadcasts they connect to.

Reproduction, Edited Reproduction, and Rebroadcast is strictly prohibited. 
These broadcast audio and video messages are the property of the Living Church of God, which has not reviewed them. They are made available here as a service to those who are “shut-ins” or are otherwise unable to attend personally.  Downloading, copying, reproduction and/or rebroadcast—in whole or in part, in audio, video,  in print, or in any other media—is strictly prohibited without the express written permission of the Living Church of God via its Legal Affairs department (legaladmin@lcg.org).  Congregants of the Living Church of God may download one copy to their own device for their own personal, educational use.   TOS

and asenst so much to o dog

Turkey God Day in the Church of God

Armstrongism has produced its share of lunatics and this guy demonstrates just how much Armstrongism perverted the minds of some.  Here you will hear about "evil sinisters" in the Church of God (5:54) as he talks about Turkey god day.

Somewhere a lunatic asylum is missing a patient....

UCG on how to stop worrying about the end of the world.

United Church of God has an article in their Compass Check, geared towards youth and UCG members, telling people to not worry about the end of the world.  That is pretty ironic coming from a church that has made its financial living off of endtime malarky.

UCG writes:

Literature throughout the ages explores what the end of the world might be like. Blockbuster movies paint pictures of destruction from earthquakes, alien invasions, nuclear warfare and asteroid collisions. While there might be much to say about it, the end of the world is an unknown quantity to many people.  

In God’s Church, we are blessed with significant and uncommon understanding of what “the end of the world” will actually be like. The Bible even comments on the end of the age within its opening pages, a passage we will turn to shortly.  

Biblical prophecies about the end times do speak of dire and horrifying events in the future. In Leviticus 26:16, God vows He will bring “sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever” to the nation which does not obey Him (New International Version). As another example, God discusses a soon-coming beast power in Revelation 13. It will have vast control over the world’s economies and brutally murder those who oppose or refuse to worship it, especially the Church of God (verses 15-18).  

These and other end-time events are disturbing and troubling to many. What can you do to grow in courage and not be so afraid? How can you stop worrying about the end of the world? 

So what is the first things UCG members need to do?

Perhaps the most important thing to remember regarding the end times and prophecy in general is that God is sovereign and in control of all things. God inspired the words of the Bible, and prophecies are only going to be fulfilled as part of His schedule and His plan. 

If UCG and other COG's actually believed that, then why do the warble on incessantly about prophecy?  Let God take care of it when he is good and ready.  There is no need for endless theories and speculations about what "might" happen.  Not one single UCG minister or any other COG member actually knows what might or will happen.  Not a single one.

On the Bible’s opening pages, God says this about Satan and foretells an end to his worldwide deception: “I will put enmity between you [speaking to Satan] and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel” (Genesis 3:15).  

That “Seed” is Jesus Christ. He is returning to stamp out Satan’s evil from the earth and establish truth and justice. The Messiah will put an end to the violence, destruction and suffering of the end times and usher in an age of joy and peace. “Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory’” (1 Corinthians 15:54). This present, evil age will be replaced by the glorious Kingdom of God (Galatians 1:3-5). We can be absolutely sure that this will happen because this is God’s plan, and He is in control.

Do they even believe this?  They cant discuss too much about the guy during the week, but they believe he is coming to kick some ass and bring in world peace.   This is the same guy the crucify every year in some high school gym or Masonic Lodge, but don't discuss much of the rest of the time.

You and I also have a role to play in this. God expects us to persevere in His truth to the end, no matter what. Note what God says about those who do so in Revelation 3:10: “I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world.” God, who is in control of everything, is certainly able to protect His Church in a time of crisis. He extends an offer of end-time protection to those who faithfully and wholeheartedly follow Him (Zephaniah 2:3). 

UCG expects it  youth and members to do two things:

Pray to develop a trusting relationship with God (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Prayer is one way that you can get to know God and more deeply understand His Will for your life. Navigating life’s ups and downs can be difficult. Turn to Him on both the good days and the bad, talking to Him both when it’s easy and when it’s hard. 

As much as UCG claims to not want its members to worry too much, they turn right around and tell them to always be aware of prophecies and to look to them in comfort.

“Do not despise prophecies” (1 Thessalonians 5:20). Another important action we can take is to not neglect but instead become familiar with the prophetic insight God provides. Prophecies of historical events demonstrate God’s control and influence over human affairs, which can really help build our faith. Likewise, we can look to the Bible’s end-time prophecies with comfort and confidence that they will proceed just as God has planned because He is in control. Furnishing a good understanding of prophecies about “the end of the world” can help stop you from worrying or being afraid of it. If you aren’t sure where to begin or what to look for, the United Church of God has many different resources to help guide your studies. God wants us to live by His every word, and prophecy is no exception (Matthew 4:4).  

UCG members, as well as COG members, are sick of the endless speculating and moronic utterances by various self-appointed Church of God false prophets.  How many lies do these men need to speak before everyone abandons them?  Is it really about prophecy or a means to manipulate member to keep them under control?

The end of this age is coming; the Bible leaves no doubt about that. But God does not want us to worry about this treacherous time. He wants us to remember that in the good times and the bad, He is still in control. God is willing to protect and comfort His people, even in the despair of the end times. We must draw near to Him in spite of these trying circumstances, with prayer and with confidence in His Word, looking forward to the time when God will establish a new age of goodness, peace and joy on earth. In that day, the entire world will recognize God’s sovereignty and take comfort in the fact that He is in control. 

For some reason all of the self-appointed prophecy gurus in the Church of God conveniently ignore this verse:

2 Peter 2:1-3The Message (MSG)Lying Religious Leaders2 1-2 But there were also lying prophets among the people then, just as there will be lying religious teachers among you. They’ll smuggle in destructive divisions, pitting you against each other—biting the hand of the One who gave them a chance to have their lives back! They’ve put themselves on a fast downhill slide to destruction, but not before they recruit a crowd of mixed-up followers who can’t tell right from wrong. 

2-3 They give the way of truth a bad name. They’re only out for themselves. They’ll say anything, anything, that sounds good to exploit you. They won’t, of course, get by with it. They’ll come to a bad end, for God has never just stood by and let that kind of thing go on.

The COG Path To Indoctrination

From Beware of Armstrongism

I was a member of Worldwide Church of God for about 10 years under these false teachings. I want to describe the process of accepting these "truths" so you are aware of the danger.   

First, you become indoctrinated into the idea that the Seventh Day Sabbath, annual festivals, and clean/unclean meat laws apply to you as a seeker or believer. Unfortunately, due to the ambiguity of traditional Christianity on this subject, younger or less experienced Christians fall for this idea easily. Many within traditional Christianity itself teaches that the Ten Commandments as a whole apply to everyone. They think the day switched from Saturday to Sunday, but they still think that the Sabbath still applies to everyone due to their assertion that it is a moral absolute, rather than a sign of the Old Covenant. They also fail to teach that the Old Covenant applied to ancient Israel and not New Covenant Christians. There is much ambiguity on this topic, and this ambiguity has created an opportunity for Armstrongism to develop. 

Second, you become indoctrinated into the idea that the whole world, including Orthodox Christianity, is deceived by Satan, including orthodox Christianity. Because of your new-found knowledge, you and your group alone possess 'the truth'. Orthodox Christianity is viewed as a bunch of unconverted, bumbling idiots who know nothing. They are non-Sabbathkeepers who are still in their sins, and have nothing to teach you. Therefore, you reject any source that could correct your errant belief system. The fact that you know 'the truth' appeals to your sinful nature, as the essence of sin is pride. Most Armstrongites are totally absorbed into intellectual pride and superiority. This increases your enslavery to this false belief system.   

Third, you accept doctrines that are even more aberrant because you give great credibility to the source who convinced you of Sabbathkeeping. You are totally ensnared into many false beliefs that you would not have accepted if you had seen the whole picture at the beginning.

Other elements of Herbert Armstrong's teachings include the following: 

• British - American Israelitism - the claim that Western Europeans and Americans are physical descendants of the "lost ten tribes of Israel". This doctrine was used to strengthen the argument requiring Sabbathkeeping for most individuals who were a part of the church, since they were largely white people of Western European descent. It also created a situation where most of the prophecies in the Bible applied to white people of European descent. Prophecy was a big part of Worldwide Church of God theology.

• God Family Doctrine - the claim that God is a "family" into which converted human beings would be born into, with the full nature and powers of God. Christians were considered to be literal sons of God in this sense, to be born into the Kingdom at the resurrection as a full-fledged God being. Speculation was that they would have their own planet and be worshipped like a God by other human beings at some point. This doctrine denied the fact that Christians have eternal life now. The focus tended to be on the 'not yet' Scriptures of the 'already but not yet' status of believers.

• Apostolic Authority - Herbert Armstrong claimed to be God's apostle or sole authority on Earth. He restored true Christianity to mankind after a 1900 year void in spiritual knowledge, much like Joseph Smith claimed as the founder of the Mormon church. He also claimed to be a prophet by calling himself the Elijah to Come. He prophecied the return of Jesus Christ in 1975, which obviously failed to come true, clearly identifying himself as a false prophet. Unfortunately I did not know the details of this until I was already indoctrinated, and his prophecy was misrepresented to me as a speculation rather than a prophecy.

• View of the Bible - The Bible was written in a coded manner that required putting verses together from different places in the Bible to arrive at sound doctrine. The hermeneutic used to justify this was Isaiah 28:10. If he simply read down to verse 13, he would see that the result of this verse wasn't a good one. The classical error that Herbert Armstrong was engaging in was "collapsing the context"....connecting two unrelated verses in different contexts to create a doctrine.

• Rejection of Orthodox Christianity - Cults must create suspicion about traditional Christianity and Church History in order to make their erroneous assertions by nature. Herbert Armstrong was no different. Besides portraying other Christians as antinomians which are unconcerned with obedience, he characterized them as blind leaders of the blind.

• Trinity Doctrine - He rejected well-founded Christian doctrines such as the Trinity as being of pagan origin. The biblical basis for the Trinity doctrine is solid, and I would encourage anyone who doubts this to read Forgotten Trinity by James White.

• Conspiracy Theories involving Church History - In addition, in order to assert the Sabbathkeeping doctrine, suspicion was created by a distortion of the history of the migration from Saturday observance to Sunday observance. The Emperor Constantine is often blamed for this switch, along with the Roman Catholic church. The reality is that the switch occurred long before that, around 90 AD or earlier, when Christians were no longer welcome in the synagogue due to anti-Christian resistance from the Jews. Christians would often go to the synagogue to hear the Scriptures read on Saturday, and meet by themselves on Sunday to discuss these Scriptures from a Christian standpoint. It was a natural thing for them to begin meeting themselves on Sunday, as they were not parties to the Old Covenant anyways.

• Legalism - Besides adherence to the Saturday Sabbath, Armstrong taught that Christians needed to observe the festivals of Leviticus 23, clean and unclean meat laws, and a system of tithing which allocated about 23% of one's gross income to devotional purposes. This created a serious bind financially amongst the membership. The funny thing is that the pastors did not tithe, so they subjected others to burdens that they themselves did not bear. This reminds me of the Pharisees and Christ's statement in Matthew 23:4. In addition, the Church was inconsistent in its assertions. For example, they claimed that Colossians 2:16-7 was teaching Sabbathkeeping rather than refuting it, but there are problems with that view. One problem is that it's ignoring the context of the rest of the verses around it and the context of the book itself. The other problem is that they did not observe New Moons which were commanded by the same verse.

• Rejection of holidays with pagan origin - Christmas and Easter were rejected as pagan. I know this is an issue with many different Christians outside of Armstrongism, so I have some level of sympathy for anyone who holds this position. However, for me, Christmas simply means getting together with family for fellowship and there is nothing pagan about it. In addition, Easter simply means going to church, and inviting an unsaved friend to attend, as the message is about salvation generally on Easter. If God is going to throw me in hell for that, so be it. I don't hunt easter eggs or do anything with bunnies anyways. This reminds me of another thing about Armstrongism...when the Church had Pentecost calculated wrongly, and were observing it on the wrong day, the Church strongly insisted that God was merciful and would overlook such mistakes, but somehow their doctrinal intolerance did not extend to others outside of their circle..hmmmmm. Sounds like a double standard. Legalists want God to be merciful to them, but not to others.

• Virtual Universalism - Armstrongism teaches that not all are called now, but only a select few individuals, church members, who will be priests and kings in the Millenial reign of Jesus Christ. This is a very dangerous doctrinal position. It implies that today is not the day of salvation, and is a disincentive for evangelizing. In their view, these chosen individuals (again, appealing to human vanity of Armstrongites) are going to guide others into following God in a subsequent resurrection that occurs after the Millennium. A few will reject salvation and be destroyed in the lake of fire, but the majority of mankind will accept salvation during this 100-year period following the Millennium. They call this period of time 'the judgment'. The Bible refutes this idea by stating that the vast majority are on the path of destruction.

• Annihilationism Annihilationism is the doctrinal position that denies eternal torment for those who are lost, but specifies that punishment will be temporary. I am not going to get into this point too much. Suffice it to say that I think both positions, eternal torment and annihilationism, have some reasonable basis in the Scripture and I neither deny or affirm either one of them. Some Christians consider annihilationism to be a damnable heresy but I do not put it on this level. John Stott, a famous theologian who is well respected in evangelical circles, was an annihilationist.

• Soul Sleep - This is the position that the dead are not conscious until the resurrection, either to eternal life or eternal death. This is another doctrinal position that I hold no position on. Scriptures seem to indicate either position, and Martin Luther held the position of soul sleep from my understanding.

• Spirit Resurrection Herbert Armstrong held the position that Christ did not have a resurrection body but that he manifested a physical body at the resurrection. The bodily resurrection is a fundamental doctrine of Christianity. Scripture uses the phrase 'spiritual body' to describe the resurrection body..the Greek word is pneumatikos. Spiritual does not mean composed of spirit, though. It is a glorified physical body which has been changed to be incorruptible and to have different characteristics than the body we currently have. Armstrong denied the bodily resurrection of Christ. If his view was correct, the physical corpse of Christ should have been in the tomb, and we all know that's a primary evidence that he was resurrected. In fact, there is no need for a resurrection unless it involves the physical body. This is a position that he seems to have obtained from Jehovah's Witnesses theology.

 

UCG: Unclean Youth

When children go to summer camp it is traditionally several weeks of fun, educational experiences and lasting friendships develop.  United Church of God has several summer camps around the US and elsewhere.  Like most of the COG camps, they tend to be indoctrination camps where church law is taught and reigns supreme.

Imagine you are sitting there and one of the ministers is speaking and he says this to you:

I literally saw the future of the United Church of God at camp—you campers and young adult staff. As a camper now (from ages 12 to 19) you already are a very important part of God’s plan, since He calls youth as 1 Corinthians 7:14 describes: “For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy” (New International Version).  Compass Check

What if you are a child sitting there with one parent or no father.  Imagine sitting there feeling you are unclean, just because some idiot minister used a quote from the bible to try and make you feel special.

Self Appointed COG False Prophet Claims American Express May Be Working For Beast Power As It/He Prepares To Destroy The United States

Armstrongism has always created crazy men and women who claim they have some kind of an inside track to end time events.  Hundreds and hundreds of them have worked their way through the church for close to 9 decades. So far every single one of them has been proven to be liars, including the present day fools masquerading as prophets and apostles.

Those failures never seem to stop them though as more and more absurd things continue to spew from their narcissistic and deluded mouths.

Today was no different when Almost-ordained, Elisha, Elijah, Joshua, Amos/Andy, and bitterly rejected stepchild to Rod Meredith made more absurd statements about his bromance partner Baron Karl Theodore-Zu Guttenberg and American Express.

Bitter Bob starts off with this about American Express:

Amex launches blockchain-based business payments using Ripple

16 November 2017

LONDON (Reuters) – American Express (AXP.N) has introduced instant blockchain-based payments using Ripple, a fintech start-up, for U.S. corporate customers sending funds to UK-based businesses that bank with Santander UK STN.SN, the companies said on Thursday. …

This marks one of the first major uses of blockchain, a shared database of transactions maintained by a network of computers on the internet that is best known as the system underpinning bitcoin.  http://www.reuters.com/article/us-blockchain-amex-ripple/amex-launches-blockchain-based-business-payments-using-ripple-idUSKBN1DG1SX

Then the craziness starts:

Blockchain technology is something that I have warned may be used by the Beast power. American Express’ interest in this technology shows that blockchain is getting more acceptance.

Three years ago, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg was appointed to the advisory board of Ripple. He also made comments this past Spring about blockchain technology:

The former head of Germany’s armed forces is now helping to bring blockchain tech to some of the world’s largest financial institutions.

An early advisor to distributed financial technology firm Ripple, not to mention a bonafide German baron, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg today plays a key role in enabling the heavily funded startup to make inroads in the banking sector. But as co-founder of consultancy Spitzberg Partners, he is setting his sights beyond finance.  

Over the course of his time at both the Ministry of Defense and Minister of Economics & Technology, zu Guttenberg built up an extensive network of global politicians, technologists and bankers. 

Bitter Bwanna Bob continues:

“Big Brother” will work for more and more financial controls. Interestingly, Herr Guttenberg has been on the forefront of this. If  American Express, the USA, or State of Delaware do something later against his preferences related to digital currencies, this could turn him further against the USA.

Whether or not the USA lasts long enough to do this, the Europeans will one day control nearly all buying and selling under their control.

The Bible is clear that the time is coming when the Beast power will have implemented some type of strong financial control–blockchain technology may very well be part of it. (Watch also Sweden going to ‘666’ cashlessness?) 

Elijah Thiel continues with this claim that he has already made some partially true prophecies concerning his Bro Baron Guttenberg.

This may very well be someone like Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg.

Here are 10 speculative predictions I have posted over the years related to Herr Guttenberg that have been at least partially fulfilled:

1. He has advocated more European military cooperation.

1. He became unpopular for a time (and still is among many).

1. He ended up, for a time, outside of political office.

1. He went out of the limelight for a while.

1. He went into exile (self-imposed).

1. His exile was to a humid location.

1. People laughed at him.

1. He has partially re-emerged in European politics.

1. He has called for Germany to consider being a leader in data protection.

1. He now has a beard.

1. His early involvement with Ripple and blockchain could be setting him up to help fulfill Revelation 13:15-18.

Several of those predictions were based upon my understanding of prophecies in the books of Daniel and Revelation, plus outside sources (see also Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North?). 

While these 10 speculative predictions do NOT prove that he is going to be the final King of the North European Beast power, he still bears watching.

UCG: If you leave the church, you do so because of demons, and to fix yourself, you need the law

United Church of God has an article in their latest United News on Fixing Moral Injury.  After relating several stories of persons suffering from moral injury, UCG gets to the reason behind it and the only source for fixing it.

As usual, UCG resorts to the tired and worn out "fear factor" that has been vomited out for 8 decades by various church leaders, and that is that anyone who leaves the COG does so because they have heeded the doctrine of demons when they departed from the faith.  Immediately, every UCG member stops to think that if they ever dare leave the church they will quite possibly be taken over by demons.  When will COG members ever wake up to the fact that if they do decide to leave the church they are NOT doing so because of demon influence and that their minds are NOT defiled!

A Seared Conscience

The Bible talks about a seared conscience. Paul wrote, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron” (1 Timothy 4:1-2, emphasis added throughout). He also wrote, “To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled” (Titus 1:15).

So what is a poor church member to do if they leave and have some regrets?  They need Jesus MORE LAW!  Forget weak effeminate Jesus and his wussy forgiveness, grace, peace, and reconciliation.  Who needs that pansy-ass Jew dude when all you need is MORE LAW! Hail Moses!

The Ultimate Solution
So what is the ultimate solution to the pain, suffering and injury humankind has inflicted upon one another for a millennia? 

How will the healing of the mind and seared consciences begin? 

The only true way to eradicate moral injury is through the restoration of all things, the restoration of the law of God!  

It’s the removal of sin and the installation of a new way of doing things. It’s a spiritual solution. It’s a return to holiness. 

In the Church of God, the Law trumps everything, including Jesus.  Surprisingly though, Jesus dude does get a couple of paragraphs at the end of the article, where he always seems to be relegated.  It ends with the claim that UCG FULLY understands the plan of God for the world.  The fact remains, after 25 years, they do NOT!

We Must Be Cleansed Now
The blood of Jesus Christ our Savior is what cleanses our conscience, is what cleanses our sins, is what cleanses us from immorality and moral injury. It’s a spiritual solution. 

As people who fully understand the plan God has for the world, we must take our calling seriously and act upon it. We must have a clean conscience and remove sin and all types of moral impurity that can injure our minds.

Living Church of God and Mercy

Mercy and Living Church of God together in one sentence...um, no!

Given the horrific track record of LCG ministers in how they treat LCG members, it is disconcerting reading that LCG imagines itself as an agent of mercy.  Still pretending that they will be gods ruling over kingdoms in the millennium, they exhort members to learn mercy here in 2017. Reading about the abusive antics of Rod McNair and others over the years does not give one a sense that LCG is a merciful church.  Just ask the Scarborough family about how mercy was extended to them.  We have all witnessed how THAT turned out!

Is the Living Church of God a church of mercy and compassion?

Does Living Church of God let mercy triumph over judgment?

Will Living Church of God be ruling with Jesus in the kingdom?

Importance of Mercy: 

One of the fundamental qualities that Christians need to develop to become like God and reign with Jesus Christ is mercy. Showing mercy involves exercising patience, understanding, compassion, and forgiveness—even when we don’t feel like doing these things. The Scriptures reveal that God is full of mercy and compassion (Exodus 34:6-7), and He wants us to develop these same qualities (Micah 6:8; Hosea 6:6). Solomon states that showing mercy honors God (Proverbs 14:31). Jesus taught that the merciful will receive mercy (Matthew 5:7) and that God values mercy over sacrifice (Hosea 6:6; Matthew 9:13). Jesus also taught that mercy is a vital key to good human relationships and those who receive mercy but do not show mercy to others will face serious consequences (Matthew 18:21-35). In human relations we may judge others guilty before the law, yet, the Apostle James states that “Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). As we develop the mind of God, we will come to understand the importance of showing mercy to everyone we deal with—and we will be preparing to rule with Jesus Christ in His kingdom. 

Have a profitable Sabbath,

Douglas S, Winnail

Gerald West Squelches Living University Accreditation Process

There is one thing you can say about the Church of God with confidence, everything they do seems to be an imitation of their harlot mother, the Worldwide Church of God.

Decades ago Ambassador College entered into the accreditation process in order to grant degrees that had validity and worth.  Herbert Armstrong claimed to never have been part of the discussion and threw a royal hissy-fit and stopped the accreditation process of Ambassador College in order to preserve what he perceived was its theological integrity.  At that time, Michael Germano was apart of the process and later in the Big Sandy process. In one swift sweep of his strong arm, Herb invalidated the process and threw the college and student body into turmoil once they found out their degrees were essentially worthless again.

Today in 2017, that same scenario has played out once again in the Living Church of God with their "university." Once again Germano was part of the process and once again the accreditation process has been squelched.

The Church of God has always believed that their educational institutions were the best in the world and gave their students a well-rounded education that made them highly desirable to the world and to fellow church brethren.

Living Church of God still carries the same belief that WCG had with Ambassador College:

“Should I take a Living University course even though I am enrolled in another university?” 

Answer: Yes! This is a great idea! You will learn a great deal through your coursework from other universities. However, what is one area that you will be missing? Biblical understanding or theology. Consider taking a Living University course, even just once a year, to balance out your other university coursework. Living University can provide you with the important “missing dimension in knowledge” that is lacking in a typical education. It will also help you build a more solid foundation and grounding in God’s truth.

“What if I plan to go to college elsewhere? Wouldn’t Living University be a waste of my time?”

Answer: Great question! The short answer is that building your spiritual foundation and decreasing your likelihood of being deceived can never be a waste of your time. In addition, in this age of high unemployment, where many college graduates and other young people are competing against those with real-life experience, taking a year or two to attend LU will help you develop that much more emotional and spiritual maturity. It will also help you develop more confidence, and even enrich your public speaking and interpersonal skills—which all employers desire, but that most are seeing less and less of. By adding a year or two of Living University maturity and skills to your resume, you will make yourself that much more marketable to future employers. 

That "missing dimension" was a big crock of theological crap.  Its theological education was based upon the 6-month study of a man in a public library and endless hours spent kneeling at a dirty rock in the Oregon woods, all while never providing for his family because he could not hold a steady job due to his flippant arrogance.  Just like Joseph Smith of Mormondom, Herb's god revealed exclusive knowledge that was supposed to be earth-shattering, even though the theological stances of both men are easily discredited as pure hokum.

Living University thought so highly of its self that they thought they needed to be accredited.  Once again they found out that if they went that route they would have to deeply examine their teachings and research practices on everything they taught.  Having to deeply examine, with integrity, their beliefs and to teach real biblical hermeneutics, exegesis, and biblical criticism was too much for the organization to do.  After all, it is much easier to imitate and use everything from Herbert than it is moving forward into the 21st century.

Therefore, Gerald Weston has made a decree to stop the accreditation process in order to preserve LCG's theological integrity.

Dear Brethren, 

We concluded a very encouraging series of Council of Elders meetings this past week in which we affirmed the need to hold onto the biblically based traditions of the Church. However, regarding Living University, we recognize that we are at a crossroads. The current situation is that individuals in at least 20 states are not able to take online courses in Living University due to changing state laws. It is apparent that its existing structure is not able to meet the educational needs of the youth and members of the Living Church of God. 

The Council of Elders has reviewed the situation, and in keeping with the clearly stated wishes of Dr. Meredith, the Council has advised that accreditation efforts be dropped, in favor of developing a more flexible, less restrictive, and more effective program to support the development of future ministers, to serve our youth, and to serve our general membership. 

This has not been an easy decision as much effort has been put into Living University. Many of you have supported these efforts through your prayers and financial donations. For this we are ever grateful. However, as evidenced by the recent limitations placed on licensed universities, restrictions on conducting online classes in an increasing number of states limit our ability to serve our ministers and members. 

I believe there are exciting opportunities before us regarding a variety of educational programs and I will be forming a committee next week to begin restructuring our Living Church of God educational programs to serve our ministry, our youth, and our general membership. In the meantime, classes as currently configured will continue to operate for the time being. The decision as to how we restructure will be announced in the near future. I am looking forward to explaining more about this in the weeks ahead. 

Sincerely, 

In Christ’s service,

Gerald E. Weston

Living University has been a boondoggle since its inception, draining off money in order to stroke the egos of a few men who should have retired years ago or at least gotten real jobs.

200 Million Horseman And Lying COG False Prophets

When various COG ministers run off at the mouth about their take on prophecy they never seem to engage their brains with reality.  Check out Ron Weinland's take on the army of 200 million horsemen.

Conald Weinfraud has NO idea what he is saying.. and has to completely avoid the Bible to say anything at all. There is NO way Europe produces the army he says it will, what an total moron! 

Revelation 9 states that an army of 200 MILLION horsemen riding fire breathing horses will be running around right before Christ returns. So that means there HAS to be 200 MILLION horses being gathered and prepped for this event. And this is supposed to happen before June 9, 2019? LMAO! 

1. A single horse drink about 7 gallons a day on average. 

2. That is 1.4 BILLION gallons of water a DAY these horses will have to consume to stay alive. 

3. If we just measure the number of days between now and June 9, 2018… that’s over 302 point 4 BILLION gallons of water necessary to keep them alive!!

4. Where is this water coming from Ron? 1.4 BILLION gallons of water will be around on that SINGLE day you stupid false prophecy will occur?ronweinland.info