Delicate Self-Appointed Prophet Claims We Are "Crowdsourcing" Him With Lies

When you read in the Old Testament about prophets and all of their utterances and activities, never once do you find any of these men and women to be thin-skinned or constantly being butthurt at peoples reactions to them.  They believed in what they prophesied and did not care what people thought.

Not so in the 21st century.  Dave Pack has to constantly circle the wagons and reinterprets his prophecies because they are consistently wrong.  Gerald Flurry does the same at times but seems to stand by his utterances more than Dave does.  And then there is Not-arrested, but almost-arrested Elisha, Elijah, Amos, Habbakuk, Johsua, Butthurt Bob Thiel, the Chief Overseer of the improperly named "continuing" Church of God, based not in Jerusalem but in the middle of California in a little itty-bitty storefront.

The Great Butthurt One is incensed about "crowdsourcing" as a sure sign that it is putting Satan to work in the world in order to persecute the one true church, which just happens to exclusively be Butthurt Bob's.

Thiel has written an article about crowdsourcing and about how crowd's of people are dumbed down when they gather together, kind of like a Church of God, but Thiel never admits that.

He quotes an article from the BBC:

BBC had a headline that got my attention:

Why people get more stupid in a crowd

The “wisdom of crowds” doesn’t always apply – sometimes group-think nudges people to make wrong-headed decisions. 

The downstairs room of a central London pub is not where most psychologists would choose to stage an experiment in decision-making, but for Daniel Richardson it is ideal. A researcher at University College London, he is interested in how people’s thinking is influenced by those around them … 

The decisions people make as a group tend to be more prejudiced and less intelligent than the ones they make individually. “When people interact, they end up agreeing, and they make worse decisions,” he says. “They don’t share information, they share biases. We’re trying to figure out why that is, and how we can make collective decisions better.” … 

Group conformity stands in marked contrast to the “wisdom of crowds” effect, whereby aggregating the opinions of large numbers of people gives answers or predictions more accurate than those of any individual. This happens only when members of a crowd make their judgements independently of each other, and it is most effective when a crowd is diverse. http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160113-are-your-opinions-really-your-own

God's greatest Prophet then for some reason, claims the crowds talked about above are the same as "crowdsourcing" groups.

One of the reasons I decided to post about this was that the journal Science ran an article a while back touting “crowdsourcing” as the way to solve “wicked problems’ facing humanity. So, I made a short video about that which you can watch: Crowdsourcing and Artificial Intelligence to solve “wicked problems”? 

People, sadly, normally have the wrong foundation, hence can be swayed.

A definition of crowdsourcing is:

Crowdsourcing is the process of getting work or funding, usually online, from a crowd of people. The word is a combination of the words 'crowd' and 'outsourcing'. The idea is to take work and outsource it to a crowd of workers.

Famous Example: Wikipedia. Instead of Wikipedia creating an encyclopedia on their own, hiring writers and editors, they gave a crowd the ability to create the information on their own. The result? The most comprehensive encyclopedia this world has ever seen.

Crowdsourcing & Quality: The principle of crowdsourcing is that more heads are better than one. By canvassing a large crowd of people for ideas, skills, or participation, the quality of content and idea generation will be superior.

As you can see from the two examples above, groupthink and crowdsourcing are two different things. Groupthink is what happens in the Church of God while crowdsourcing puts creative minds to work, usually for the betterment of a product that is useful to society. Groupthink in the COG is not for the betterment of society, no matter how much he desires to think it is.

Elijah Bob sees either group of people mentioned above as becoming under the influence of Satan when they gather together as a "crowd."  After all, the favorite COG bogey-man story is that "prince of the power of the air" dude who sends out bad vibes to crowds all the time! In the Church of God, Satan clearly has more power than God could ever imagine.  When a COG minister ever talks about Satan, he is always far more powerful than Jesus, who is far less discussed.

The Bible calls Satan “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2) and his ‘broadcasts’ have impacted the world to walk the wrong way (Ephesians 2:1-3). Satan’s influence in the Garden of Eden affected Eve, who then in turn affected Adam to make the wrong choice (Genesis 3). 

While the Bible teaches “in the multitude of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14), it also teaches “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil” (Exodus 23:2). 

Throughout history, people have followed the crowd to do evil.

Two guesses as to WHO is doing evil against Butthurt Bob?  __________ & ____________.

But what about now? 

Certain anti-COG blogs are filled with people who accept and promote false statements.

Would all of you big bad meanies PLEASE stop picking on God's greatest and most accurate prophet the Church of God has ever seen since Jesus walked the shores of Galilee!  STOP crowdsourcing your persecution of the True One!

PLEASE stop pointing out the lies and foibles of the Great Doubly Blessed One!  PLEASE LEAVE BOB ALONE!

As Opening Arguments Begin In UCG Minister Stephen Allwine's Trial As Some UCG Members Are Claiming This Is Another Attack By Satan

Cottage Grove man indicted in murder for hire case

Opening arguments have begun in the trial of Stephen Allwine, the United Church of God minister accused of poisoning and then shooting his wife.

The River Falls Journal reports:

Washington County Attorney Jamie Krueser described Amy Allwine as a loving mother, dog lover, business owner and a woman of faith — not the type of person who would die by suicide.

"Who would want to do this?" Kreuser said of the woman's alleged murder. "Someone who didn't want to be married to her anymore."

Stephen Allwine wrote sermons and counseled married couples at a Newport Church where he served as a deacon and later a church elder.

Through those capacities, Krueser said, Stephen learned about Ashley Madison, a dating website catering to married people seeking affairs.

Investigators, according to the criminal complaint, identified at least two women Stephen Allwine met through the website.

Devore acknowledged Stephen Allwine's relationships with other women, but said having affairs doesn't mean he killed his wife "or even didn't love his wife."

Krueser said Stephen Allwine's role as an elder and longtime congregant at the church could have kept him from divorcing his wife, despite wishes to end the marriage. Trial begins for Cottage Grove man accused of murdering his wife

The Star Tribune is reporting that the prosecution has started off with this:

Bilked by would-be assassins he tried to hire on the dark web, Stephen Carl Allwine shot and killed his wife in their Cottage Grove house and disguised her murder as a suicide, jurors were told Tuesday as his trial began in Stillwater.

Amy Allwine died in November 2016 because her husband was having extramarital affairs and didn’t want to stay married, Washington County prosecutor Jamie Kreuser said in her opening statement.

“He was seeing other women but he didn’t want to divorce her because of his position in the church,” said Kreuser, referring to the defendant’s role as an elder in the United Church of God.   Cottage Grove man killed wife after failing to hire assassin, prosecutor says

On other Facebook pages, some United Church of God members are claiming this is just an attack from Satan mean to demean the United Church of God and its mission.  As shocking as this may seem to some, this is not a unique belief in the Church of God.  Any time a minister has ever been accused or something, some members start spreading the rumor that it is an attack from Satan.  

Some UCG members are extremely excited to hear Allwine's attorney say the following as validation of their beliefs:

But defense attorney Kevin DeVore refuted those allegations, telling the jury that the case was full of “red herrings and distractions” and the prosecution had no evidence that Stephen Allwine committed a crime.

“Just because he had an affair doesn’t mean he killed his wife,” DeVore said, countering that the death scene was “contaminated” because police officers removed a 9-millimeter handgun to unload it before photographs were taken.

“It sounds like an amazing story, but it’s not a TV show or a movie,” he said.

These same people cheered on Allwine's parents when they bailed him out of jail the first time. 

The Church of God mantra is that one must never forget that we are in the end times Satan is ANGRY at United Church of God for preaching such a forceful message! Satan knows his time is short and will do all he can to discredit the church.  

Yes, brethren, that record is still skipping in the same spot for decades.  The end is nigh and Satan is pissed. Sigh...

See:

Man charged with slaying wife, pretending she killed self

Stephen Allwine cheating husband charged with wife’s murder after staging it as suicide

Minnesota man charged with killing wife, staging suicide 

Grand jury indicts Allwine on first-degree murder

Now life in prison in play for Cottage Grove man charged with staging wife's suicide

Bitcoin Ethical Hacking Leads to Solving FBI Murder Case

Cottage Grove murder-for-hire suspect back in jail after allegedly trying to track son via smartwatch

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COGWA Italian Feast Site Controversy

Cortona

Feast meeting location

COGWA is the latest Church of God in the pre-Feast news.  This time it concerns their Feast site in Cortona, Italy.

COGWA members who were interested in attending the Tuscany site quickly found out that when they went to register that registration was already closed before it even "officially" opened.  European COGWA members were told to attend elsewhere.

Then to add insult to injury, they were told that if they showed up at the Feast site they would be barred from entering and would be turned away at the door!  Yes, you heard that right!  COGWA is putting the love of Jesus into action...a sure sign of the millennium!

The disgust level rose rather rapidly at these unfortunate turn of events and COGWA was forced to lighten its stance somewhat.

Another issue with the site is that nothing about the town or the meeting facility is wheelchair accessible or appropriate for those with walking issues.  Feast attendees must park outside the city walls and walk to their hotels or accommodations. Once again we see millennial concepts put into action!   Perhaps they are preparing for when people show up in Petra and COGWA can deny handicapped people admittance or deny those who did not pre-register in advance, entrance through the narrow gate.

A word of caution: Cortona is a “hill town” in its truest sense. Other than the main flat road that runs through the city, all the streets and alleys are steep ramps or staircases. The roads are pedestrian-only, so you won’t be able to drop anyone off at the theater where services are held. If you would like to attend, please be sure that you are comfortable walking on steep cobblestone streets and stairs.

The source that sent me this information has this to say, and I think it is spot on:

So what it amounts to is the creation of a luxury vacation feast spot for rich and healthy (and well connected) American members."

International Feast sites have always been set up by Americans to cater to American dollars.  Very few have been set up to cater to the needs of lower income members in certain European areas or in South America.

Just take a notice of the side trips they have planned during the Feast:

In addition, we are planning two excursions outside of Cortona. One will be to Florence—a city with wonderful architecture, gardens, museums and artwork. The other will be to Montalcino—a beautiful hill town set in the Orcia Valley, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site made famous by its beauty and its Brunello wine.

Cortona attracts many English-speaking tourists, and many of the merchants speak some English.

Feast site expectations:

• Cortona is built on the side of a large hill, and almost all of its roads and walkways are steep. Please be sure that you are comfortable walking on steep cobblestone streets and stairs. Those needing wheelchairs or those who have severe walking disabilities should be aware of the mobility difficulties they will encounter at this site.
• Cortona is a pedestrian town, so you will not be able to drive a car inside the walls or drop off passengers where services are being held. Free parking is available outside the city walls, approximately a quarter of a mile from services.
• Round-trip tickets to Rome for travel dates around the Feast are currently between $600 and $1,000.
• We have room blocks reserved at several hotels within walking distance of services. Prices range from €80 to €179 per night (around US$97-217 per night) based on double occupancy (breakfast included). In addition, there are many bed-and-breakfasts and affordable apartments and villas available for rent. Attendees are encouraged to choose accommodations within walking distance of the hall.
• At this time, the exchange rate is US$1.21 to €1.
• Please wait until you receive your site acceptance before reserving housing. When you receive your acceptance and housing brochure, we encourage you to reserve housing as soon as possible, as some of the room blocks are only available through the end of February.
• If you are not accepted at first, you will be placed on a waiting list until you are accepted or until the Italy site is officially closed. You will be taken off of the waiting list if you choose to register for another site.

COGWA has always been looked upon by many in the broader church as a group of elitist members who threw a fit when things did not go their way.  COGWA is white and financially well off and they brag about it constantly to justify their break from the heretics at United.

The source that sent me this info ended with this:

This kind of thing is of course not unique to cogwa, but I'm not sure when people will wake up and realize that the cogs just amount to a Ponzi scheme for the benefit of the top of the pyramid.  

...as a side note:

Cortona is known for its Jesuit institutions and churches and for its quantity of "porte del morto's" (the doors of death) that are found next to the entrances of its medieval palaces.

LCG Members Perturbed At Feast Pre-registration Fee For Hawaii

Several Living Church of God members have complained about the latest information from LCG HQ in regards to pre-registering for the Feast in Hawaii.  LCG is charging a $25.00 non-refundable fee for the privilege of pre-registering for the Kaui site.  LCG members are also required to eat at least one catered meal on site.

This will make Lil'Jimmy's feast experience more memorable this year.  Hawaii is his favourite site since he gets to go there expense free and have all of his activities paid for.  Life is tough.

Are Living Church of God Members Already Disgruntled With Gerald Weston's Policies?

We have been hearing from various LCG members who read this blog that things are not as rosy in the Living Church of God as Gerald Weston and LCG HQ wants its members to believe.  Many LCG member post here on how corrupt and unchristian acting HQ is to its own employees and members of the church. Tithes are routinely mismanaged at HQ and the chosen elite of the church benefit mightily from those tithes all the while as they abuse members and place more and more burdensome legalistic rules upon them.

Are LCG members getting ready to start defecting to other COG's?  That process may already be starting!

This past weekend, 30 LCG members visited COGWA in Phoenix, Arizona.  Apparently, they were unhappy with their minister and LCG and are now looking for a new church to call home.  Time will tell as to how James Capo treats the LCG members.

Adam and Eve Were Not Able To See Their Bodies Till Their Lights Went Out

More fun from Robert Petry.  One thing for sure, the Armstrongite mind is a terrible thing to observe!  Here is a Church of God mind interpreting scripture.

As Adam and Eve romped in the Garden of Eden and got a little frisky, they were unable to see each other's bodies and therefore did not know they were naked.  Their bodies were so dazzling bright they could not see each other as they had sex.  Talk about "blinded by the light!"  It wasn't till Eve plucked that voluptuous, firm, ripe, apple, and they both took a bite, letting the sweet juice run down their faces, did they gain the ability to see each other's bodies.  What a shock!  All because of that apple!

SO, HOW DID THEY KNOW THEY WERE NAKED?

This is a simple question also. But, it is the simple that confuses and befuddles the human mind with it’s attitude of “being so superior” and “self-knowing.” Here’s that simple answer, first without explanation.

Before they sinned they could not see their bodies. So, if they could not see their bodies they could not have known they were naked.

How could that be, you ask? Well, they could not see their bodies, that’s why. Why is that so hard to understand? Because you are using a normal, carnal human mind in rebellion to the Creator in order to try and understand the simple teaching of the Bible. Even Paul speaks of the simplicity of the Evangel.

OK, here’s why they couldn’t see their bodies, and what happened so they could see them clearly. At that moment, they knew they were naked.

Let me ask you this question. If you believe what the Bible says, and IF you “know” what it says, can a human being LOOK at the Father in all His power and glory? If you don’t know the answer, then no wonder you don’t know what happened to Adam and Eve. You are truly ignorant of the Scriptures.

Let’s look at the obvious, after understanding. For, before understanding the answer lies hidden right before our eyes. Once you “understand” this, it will jump out of the Scriptures at you clearly. You know, like those moments when we say to ourselves, why of course, I knew that, I just never put it together before.

How then did Adam and Eve realize they were naked?

Adam was formed first.

“YHWH Elohim formed man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”

Later, Eve was taken from the side of Adam. The normal translation says from a “rib” but the implication is more from his side than just a rib. Be that as it may, they were formed as adults, with certain knowledge and ability already built in. Language and basic knowledge so they could communicate. Now, here’s a key part that tells us what happened. That is, IF we use a stable mind and not the double-mind of unconverted mankind. Here’s the statement:

“… Man is the IMAGE of Elohim, and the mirror of His glory.”

Also,

“… let US make man in Our own IMAGE.”

Well, what was that image like? Well, speaking of YHWH, we have a beautiful description.

“Thou art CLOTHED with honor and majesty. Who COVEREST Thyself with LIGHT AS WITH A GARMENT.”

Adam and Ever were also of that image. Although not of the same quality, their original bodies were COVERED with LIGHT, that is, with a GLORY like the glory of the Father!”

So, what happened to make Adam and Eve see their nakedness? Very SIMPLE. The MOMENT they SINNED, they LOST their glory, or LIGHT covering.  i.e. Their “clothing.” They now were fully exposed. No longer did they “glow” as does the Father and His Son in light. That light also kept them warm, but no longer.

The end result was the Father had to make physical clothing for them, to replace their clothing of LIGHT. Now, they saw their shame, for the clothing reminded them they had lost the LIGHT. Now, they would die, fulfilling the punishment spoken over them: The day you eat thereof “dying you will die.”

So, the moment they sinned, they lost their LIGHT and GLORY, and began the dying process till they finally died.

Adam and Eve did not fall. That is a totally pagan doctrine and teaching. No, they SINNED, just as Scripture says. That SIN of rebellion brought on the process of dying, in the same day.

Before they sinned they could not see their nakedness, or understand how it could be misused, for they were “blinded by the light” which covered them. But, partaking of the tree of the “knowledge of good and evil,” they now knew the evil ways things could be used. Before that, they could not understand the evil part. After their sin, they could no longer see their light, only their bodies. And, so it is with all the rest of mankind until this very day.

YHWH’s plan for all of us is this: To help us REGAIN the LIGHT. A method to reverse aging and death, pain and suffering.

So, my friends, LIGHTEN UP!!

Mystery Behind Exodus Has Been Solved By COG Member

It has been a hard issue for historians to deal with the biblical story of the Exodus and the fact that not one single archaeological bit of evidence has ever been found to support it.  A million plus people travelling 40 years in the desert and never discarding a single thing that was broken or worn out, no food byproducts have ever been found, no human latrine fields, no remnant of idols, no ashes from the burning fires in the tabernacle area, nothing.

Fret no longer!  A COG member has solved the riddle!  Sit back and be amazed!

This is from someone we have not heard from in a long time, Robert Petry.

Here is his revelation on the matter:

Because this was a DIVINE migration, it should be no surprise to real scholars, that there would be no artifacts of note, nor a need for them. Just reading the Bible story itself clearly explains these things. But, “scholars” are only physical minded, they cannot conceive that the DIVINE POWER behind the Exodus is real. They just pretend to believe that, if at all. Now, what does the Bible show about this?

Well, it’s very clear…

1. Their clothing, shoes, and trappings never wore out. Ergo, nothing to throw away.
2. Their shelters never wore out. Ergo, nothing to throw away.
3. Utensils and other things never wore out. Ergo, nothing to discard.
4. All food supplies were DIVINELY given. For instance, Manna — here today, gone tomorrow. Quail, masses fly in, and disappear. Ergo, what’s left to find.
5. Certain mass events where one might expect artifacts to remain, left none. Why? The ground opened and swallowed them up. Nothing left behind to find. 

There you have it!
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The Greatest Men and Women I Ever Met in WCG.

Non-compliance to stupid ideas or perspectives that my dad thought might hurt more than help was a family trait of ours even in the Presbyterian Church.  If my dad was not about to do something he felt was stupid or harmful, ill advised or just plain wrong he would say "I'll take that under advisement", which meant "NO".

It was a phrase he used often when the doc would want to put him on some new meds.  "I'll take that under advisement" and his doc of decades knew exactly what that meant.  Dad and mom died at just under 100.

Once he was warned by the Doc he had an extra heartbeat and the doc was concerned.  "At 90 Doc, don't worry about it. You never know when you're going to need and extra one."  "Ok Fred...."

In the 70's I took two Voyager Canoe loads of SEP kids on a long week paddle and camp ordeal.  I was not in charge but we put up on an island for the Sabbath.  It was HOT!!!!  No Swimming on God's Sabbath was the expected behavior.  Did I say it was HOT!!!???   So there we sat, in the woods or on the beach rejoicing in God's Sabbath.  When I had had enough, I said "Let's all take a swim."
We all did.  Even those that felt they could not based on the expectations of others.  We saved the Sabbath with that swim.  Nothing more came of it.   Except no one died of heat stroke miles from help and I was not one to trust in divine healing back then for such things.

Once Dave Pack was chiding the men in Spokesmen's Club for not memorizing their scripture cards.  Dad, who was an Elder in WCG raised his hand and gave Dave a bit of an overview on how much the men worked during the week and perhaps they didn't have the time he did.  "I'll speak to you in the hall Mr. Diehl during the break." said Dave.  "No you won't" said dad.  lol  And it never came up again.

Dave even told my brother in law, who was very good at not being pushed around by anyone, when the new minister ordained him a deacon after Dave left,  "Ron, if I had thought you were Deacon material  (He was common sense Elder material) , I would have ordained you."  To which Ron replied,  "Well Dave...(Ron knew Dave wanted to be called Mr. Pack), if I didn't think you had shit for brains I give a damn what you thought."    Sweet!!!!!

I inherited a good a few good genes from Dad.  I won't belabor the point of my personal choices but simply put, my kids got their immunizations in the 70's and yes, the church and friends knew.  I did not expect them to do what I would not.  I made it clear when they came for excused from immunizations form that this was their choice and did they really believe it as an adult or were they going along to get along?

I took members to professional counseling sessions, to mental health facilities and to the ER and hospital whenever needed.  I tried in vain to do so with some who were suffering needlessly in Jesus name and they ended up resenting me but you can't win in this case of doing what you personally believe as opposed to group think and the decrees of higher ups.

I was told to cancel our very successful Sr Prom in Kentucky where hundreds of really good kids showed up and had a wonderful experience because some kids somewhere fornicated and "we weren't having them anymore."  Really?   Um...sorry.  No. Our prom will go on and it did.  It never came up again.

I recall a fine young guy in Club who, under Gerald Weston, before I showed up, had not spoken up during table topics.  Gerald had him stand up and told him to stand on one leg and sing the National Anthem for the violation.  Tim said "No Sir.  That's disrespectful to the Anthem." and sat down.  Yay Tim!  Nothing more came of that.

The best moment I ever heard of had to be when the rather countrified good ol' boy song leader got up after Joe Tkach Sr's "Screw the Sabbath" sermon in Big Sandy.  It was the tape sent out the next week locally.  He got up to lead the last hymn and said.....and said...."Well now...wasn't that the biggest load of shit you ever heard.  Let's all rise, take our hymn books and sing to the real God!"
That's a classic!

Finally, one woman in Greenville, testing me I suspect after my first sermon there, told me her husband that morning had reminded her that he was the King of the home and she was nothing.  I thought she was kidding but she wasn't.  I asked her what she said.  "I told him then that made him the King of Nothing."    Excellent!!!!  I told her "good job."  

That same day, women must have gotten together to test me replacing GW it seemed and asked me what a woman should do about Biblical questions  they had as they were told they had to be quiet in church and if they had questions to ask their husbands. She continued to ask, "What if my husband is idiot and can't answer questions?"   I said, "then ask me or go find a good book."  She smiled and said "I like you Mr. Diehl."

I'd like to offer up some suggestions that the real men and women Lurkers here on Banned can and should use when confronted by Deacons, Elders, Pastors, Apostles or Zerubbabel's who rule over them.

"Thanks for your concern. NO."

"I'll take that under advisement" 

"That makes me uncomfortable."

"I'm sorry you feel that way. No"

"It's really none of your business what I do or think about that."

"That's the most stupid thing I've heard all week."

"And you really believe that?"

"You're on drugs aren't you?"

"Think what you like and leave me out of it."

"Do what you like and leave me out of it."

"And you think that's talking about you in the Bible?"

"Hell  no..."

"You're kidding right?"

"That's fine for you but not so fine for me"

"Believe what you want. Just don't expect me to ."

"It's none of your business."

"Get the tree out of your own eye before you come to me with that."

"You got to be kiddin'?"

"Where do you come up with this stuff?"

"I'll decide what's best for me and my family, not you."

"I'll give what I choose to give."

"I'm busy that weekend."

"I'm too tired to go to Club"

"I'm too tired to go to Bible Study and besides, they are shallow and boring."

"That was the most stupid sermon you ever gave. You can't prove that!"

"I ain't sayin 'amen' to that!!"

"My children aren't your children to raise."

"I'm sorry you feel that way. How can we make that better."

"Oh we can't unless I comply?  Well if I didn't think you had shit for brains I'd care about that."

"Yes sir...I heard you.  No sir is what I said."

"Sorry, not giving anymore for your airport."

"Sorry, not giving anymore for your buildings, ponds, fish and ducks."

"That's fine.  Then me an my family will find another church."

....and so on.

The greatest WCG members, aside from those as well who actually lived their faith in a balanced and humble way, were those who spoke up.  I would say my best friend, who stuck by me all these years until his untimely death last year , Gary Benjamin of Findlay, Ohio exemplified that quality that taught me how to embrace it even back in the 70's.  Gary was a self made man. The first words out of his mouth , as a deacon who came to help this 23 year old kid minister move into our first house right along the railroad tracks in Findlay were...."So...this is where my tithes are going..."  I glared at him and wondered what the hell that was all about.  But that was Gary.  He never changed nor would I want him to.  He gave me hell at times and was my friend. He helped me find the voice of my father.  He spoke his mind and I didn't mind and grew to admire the gutsy "that's just how it is and just how I think" personality he embraced.

He was a rather hard and cold person at times. It had to do with upbringing and baggage I'm sure.  Finally he got bounced out of the deaconship he had for decades by Ron Weinland, who he thought was a jerk and we know he was right. I came for an anniversary visit where all the deacons were brought up front and honored. But not Gary. He sat quietly musing just in front of me and watched them praised and get their awards blah blah....  I took a piece of notebook paper and made him a Certificate of Appreciation to the best and most honest deacon I knew and passed it to him from behind.  He read the torn piece of paper. Turned around with the only tear I ever saw in his eyes and said..."Thank ya..."   Gary always said "Thank ya...."  He taught me  how to speak up even it makes my lips quiver....

COG Prophet Suffers Horrible 1st World Problem As His Kenyan Members Criticise His HQ Location

Life has been rather difficult for God's most important man in the 21st century.  Not-arrested, but almost arrested Bob Thiel, chief overseer of the improperly named "continuing" Church of God, has been dealing with major life crisis issues, though he is not without food or water, or electricity, or heat, or income, even though this was of BIBLICAL proportions!

So just what major life challenge has Satan thrown in his direction?

Due to the recent fires and the horrendous rain we had a couple weeks ago, there was a major landslide in the Montecito area outside Santa Barbara.  They had to close down parts of the 101 freeway.

Speaking of messages, when I was giving the sermon recommended for the week, I mentioned that there was only one main motorway to where we live. As it turns out, we found out later that when I was saying that, the main road (Highway 101) had been closed then due to flooding. It is still closed and did negatively impact our family (though it did not result in a lack of food or water). People must realize that problems can really happen–and biblically will (cf. Mark 13)–even in the USA!  Letter to the Brethren: January 18, 2018

Oh, the humanity!!!!!!!  The end is near!

Bitter Bob also has had to deal with another issue from his Kenyan followers.  There is a church in Kenyan that claims it is the Jerusalem 7th Day Church of God, the "mother" church of the COG's.  They have questioned Doubly-blessed Thiel for having his "world headquarters" in Grover Beach, CA and not in Jerusalem.  He has a produced a video to give his reasons why.

Would someone please drop Satan a line and tell him to PLEASE stop harassing Elijah Bob!

See how Satan attacked Bitter Bob here:

Cleanup continues in Montecito; Highway 101 closed through Monday, Caltrans says

Sardis COG vs Philadelphia COG. Which Is Doing A Better Work?

It is indeed fascinating that the so called "Sardis Church" aka The Church of God 7th Day, has more than 250k members, who meet in unity, peace and harmony, whereas the Philadelphian era COGs , with supposed "brotherly love" have as a combined total, no more than 25k persons between them all, and who are at each others throats with splits, controversy and chicanery. Hierarchical church government, with centralized control, centralized money gathering, and unelected ministry and leadership is the main reason for the disparity IMHO. ht:Connie

The Church of God has a rich history of maligning other Church of God movements, particularly those that Herbert Armstrong stabbed in the back decades ago.  They were labelled as Sardis churches.  One of the more self-righteous splinter groups has this to say about Sardis:

If we consider only the Church of God, Seventh Day that Herbert Armstrong affiliated with, nothing in its name or reputation indicates life. Herbert Armstrong saw it had most of the basic doctrines correct, but judged the organization as not really doing a work. Hence, he called it dead, not alive. Perhaps it did have a Sardis approach, but since neither its official name nor reputation indicates life, we must look elsewhere for a larger fulfillment of Christ's words.

Somewhere within the church of God are people who—either by name or reputation—appear to be living, yet whom God judges essentially spiritually dead, save a few names. How easy it is to deceive ourselves about our true standing with God!

God first addresses their "works." While they may still have the truth, their dead works indicate a lack of living faith. This indicates a people who perceive themselves to be alive, but who apparently are basically standing still, spiritually catatonic and comatose. They may exist as stones in the Temple, but not as "living stones." Perhaps this is why Christ says "not one stone will be left upon another"! Church of the Great God

Living Church of God has to get in on the act too:

In contrast to the other churches on the mail route, Philadelphia was not a wealthy, sophisticated or influential city. Located on an easily defended hill beside a major highway, it functioned as an outpost for spreading Greek and Roman culture (and later Christianity) to the surrounding region. The city was destroyed several times by earthquakes, but each time was rebuilt. It still exists today. Its name means "brotherly love." The Philadelphia era appears to have begun in the 1930s—about the time radio became popular and just before the age of television. In the last 75 years, the Church of God has used mass media to reach millions of people—proclaiming the Gospel of the coming Kingdom of God, and warning the world to watch for the signs of the end of this age and the return of Jesus Christ. This was the mission Jesus gave to His Church (Matthew 4:23; 10:6–7). This message was to be prominent at the end of the age (Matthew 24:14). Understanding the identity of modern Israelite nations—a key to understanding Bible prophecy—was restored to the Church of God during the modern Philadelphia era.

God promised to provide the Philadelphia era with an open door—a door no man could shut—for preaching the Gospel. God commends this small church for its persistence in fulfilling its mission, and for holding on, without compromise, to His precious Truth (Revelation 3:7–8). For faithfully doing a Work and holding onto the Truth, not just attending a church of their choice, Philadelphian Christians are promised protection from the coming Tribulation (Revelation 3:10). The lesson of Philadelphia is simple: Remain faithful to Truth—do the work of preaching the Gospel, love the brethren and let no one take your crown. We cannot afford to "drop the ball" at this vital moment of history! Our salvation and our reward are at stake if we do! Living Church of God

UCG has this to say, which they surprisingly do not realize is an exact description of their very own church!  COG7 is growing a vibrant and UCG is stagnate and starting to putrefy.

The people in a dying church begin to imitate society around them so much that they look just like them, the society around them. If you were to have gone to Sardis they would not have been worshipping Zeus. I am not saying that. But it wouldn’t have been that much different in terms of personal conduct than some of the pagans around them. I am saying that these people would have promoted adultery but they would have accepted adultery. They would not have promoted idolatry. But they wouldn’t have really been against it, either. They exist and they have a name and they appear to be a live church. But they are really not. And so what happens is that they simply begin to decay. Remember, it is a decaying city, a decaying church. Everything inside is stuck somehow. There is no growth. There is no vibrancy. They get together every Sabbath and they hear the same sermon they have heard for 25years. And they say the same things to each other that they have said for 25 years and they sit down and have the same pot luck that they have had for 25 years and then they say good bye and they all go home and live the same way they have. In this sort of dead emptiness for maybe 15 years. Somewhere along the way, you remember, he says you are ready to die. You are a decaying place. 

You want to know some of the problems that the Roman church had. Well, let’s see. Revelry and drunkenness. Partying spirits. Lewdness and lust. Sexual sins. Strife and Envy. Some of the problem that they had was drunkenness, sexual problems, strife between members, and people being envious. Yeah, sort of like church today. And some of the same problems. “ But put on the Lord and make no provisions for the flesh to fulfill its lust.” You know what he was telling these people? They weren’t dead. The church at Rome had problems but it wasn’t dead. It was a live church. What he tells them to do is strengthen what you have. The problem with looking like the world is that you forget to strengthen what God has given you. When you start looking like the world start doing what God says to do. Strengthen what you have.

So, a dying church is not aware of Christ’s return, they are not preparing for Christ’s return. So, watch. I dying church is sliding into the world. So, what do you do? Well, just what Christ told them to do. You strengthen what you do have. Take what you do have and work off of that. Work off of what you have. 

Decades ago when Herbert Armstrong and others smeared the COG7, it all sounded logical and accurate to us.  Then the one true church imploded and fractured into hundreds and hundreds of irrelevant little groups who are next to dead, while the COG7 grows and is alive and vibrant preaching the gospel.

Why Church Leaders Need Their Own Private Jets

Dave Pack's Christ Creature Is Returning Multiple Times So It Can Walk With The Sprout

After Dave Pack spent the last several years preaching 130+ sermons and posting them he faced a huge dilemma.  A lot of the stuff he posted never came to pass and was blatantly wrong.  Pack quickly started editing those posts until it got so bad that he removed all 130+ of them.  Tens of thousands of COG members never left their churches and flocked in mass to his personality cult with all of their tithe money.

After deleting all of the 130 some sermons from his website, Dave was left with another dilemma, how would all of the lost COG members ever know about his plan for his Christ to return multiple times?  He solved that issue be writing a new booklet about the Kingdom of God and its imminent return.

The booklet is still just as crazy as his 130+ sermons:

Multiple “Comings”

Let’s ask a surprising question, one that no one seems to consider. How many comings of Jesus does the Bible describe? Contrasting verses hold the surprising answer. The prophet Haggai wrote of Jesus’ Return, “Thus says the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the Desire of all nations [long understood to be Jesus Christ] shall come…” (2:6-7). Vast numbers today are looking for and desiring Christ’s coming. While most understand little about His arrival, the Christian masses do desire it, with greater reason every day to hope for it more than the day before because of worldwide character breakdown!

Here’s the problem—and it’s big! The book of Revelation speaks of a very different reaction to Jesus’ appearance: “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our LORD, and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever…the nations were angry, and Your wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged…and [You] should destroy them which destroy the earth” (11:15, 18). A picture of angry nations is incompatible with Haggai.

These passages cannot refer to the same time!

Lacking knowledge of Christ’s multiple comings, many assert He comes and immediately vanquishes all enemies, establishing His Kingdom. Revelation appears to say this, but consider I Corinthians 15:25, which shows something entirely different, saying Christ “must reign, till He has put all enemies under His feet.” Those who would suggest He arrives, reigns for a split second, then annihilates all enemies are simply ignoring this verse, with many others.

When the kingdom comes it will be filled with wicked people who have to be purged.

A fifth parable shows expansion of God’s Kingdom from a small beginning, as well as something else no one seems to notice: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea…” (vs. 47). The net starts out empty. Over time it fills with fish of “every kind”—people from all nations. But not all “fish” belong: “When it was full, they drew to shore, sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world [or age, when Christ moves to Jerusalem]: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just [note this!], and shall cast them into the furnace [or oven] of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (vs. 48-50). (The end of the wicked is incompatible with an ever-burning afterlife. For more on this, the reader will want to read our booklet The Truth About Hell.) 

Abandon any notion that the Kingdom of God begins with only divine spirit beings. This parable dispels that misconception. The wicked can get into the Kingdom and must at a point be removed!

Jesus is going to return and will look exactly like he did in 1st century Palestine.

Jesus Christ, as King of the mustard seed Kingdom, also Himself starts “small” in how He manifests Himself and in the initial scope of His rule. The account of Christ’s ascension to heaven holds an eye-opening clue that no one ever notices. Recall the apostles’ question: “LORD, will You at this time restore again the Kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6). After His answer it adds, “While they beheld, He was taken up; and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel” (vs. 9-10). These two men, actually angels, asked, “…Why stand you gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus [a man, not a Spirit Being in glorified form], which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into heaven” (vs. 11). 

The phrase “this same” in reference to Jesus is an all-important KEY. The angels were emphasizing that Jesus would return in the identical human form He had when He ascended. 

It is not surprising then that Christ is so often called “the Son of Man.” This is because He intends to continue (initially) His first-century form when He returns.

When Jesus returns to see Dave, he will have a new name...The Sprout.

The prophet Jeremiah described Christ in His expanding Kingdom by an unusual name, while also calling Him its King: “Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In His days [at a point, but not right away] Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (23:5-6). The Hebrew for “Branch” is sprout. Like mustard seeds, sprouts are also tiny to begin. This “sprout” depiction is completely incompatible with an all-powerful Jesus Christ returning in glorified form.

Ten chapters later Jeremiah adds more, confirming something crucial about sprouts: “I [will] cause the Branch [sprout] of righteousness to grow up unto David; and He shall execute judgment and righteousness…” (33:15). The Hebrew “grow up” is simply the verb form of sprout. God is saying, literally, He will cause the sprout to sprout. Ponder the enormity of what we are being told. Jesus’ role will grow from small to large. 

The Sprout is never going to accomplish anything.  Dave is just another loud mouth COG leader who is full of hot air and no substance.

SaveSave

PCG Struggling With Finances After Buying 13 Million Dollar Jet

The latest Royal Vision is out and features on its front cover the new play toy that Philadelphia Church of God bought for their taskmaster, Gerald Flurry. PCG has photographed the jet out to be a subliminally seductive in order to bamboozle members at is magnificence and importance.

Things are not as rosy as PCG initially conned the members into believing. This is what they initially heard:

In February 2017, Mr. Flurry wrote a co-worker letter introducing an “aircraft fund” and soliciting pledges from those who were able to contribute to it. 

“We were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the brethren for this fund,” Mr. Locher said. “Not only did the members and even the youth respond, but we had a stron- ger-than-expected level of support from co-workers. To date, actual donations have kept up with the pledged amount, making it easier for us to take on this additional expense.” 

Now move forward to 2018 and it is a different story:

PCG members have not been sending as much money as the initially did and Andrew Lochner wants them to "sacrifice and respond to His direction," after they pray about how they can send in more money. Gerald's play toy is creating a heavy burden for the PCG and thus needs members to step up to the plate and give more money, and for their god to inspire more coworkers to be added to the rolls.

The PCG had to reexamine their finances and their hoped-for new directions for their work.

About midway through 2017, Pastor General Gerald Flurry took a more aggressive approach to God’s finances to make sure we are putting to use the money God has provided to do the Work. That act of faith caused us to more closely monitor expenses, measure our results from various advertising and promotional campaigns, and to really work more efficiently to accomplish more with the money we spend. 

There are plans in the works to expand our efforts to reach the cities of Judah (Isaiah 40). That will require additional resources, but God will provide. His response in 2017 has been very inspiring. God wants us to be active and aggressive. He wants us to continue to sacrifice and respond to His direction as we finish this Work.