Exposing the underbelly of Armstrongism in all of its wacky glory! Nothing you read here is made up. What you read here is the up to date face of Herbert W Armstrong's legacy. It's the gritty and dirty behind the scenes look at Armstrongism as you have never seen it before!
With all the new crazy self-appointed Chief Overseers, Apostles, Prophets, Pharisees, legalists, and outright liars leading various Churches of God today, it is important to hold these agents of deception accountable.
Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web of Corrupt Leaders
Medium Magazine has an excellent article up dated March 16, 2018 on what life was like growing up in the Worldwide Church of God.
I grew up in a cult.
And this is what it taught me about real life.
Fleur BrownEntrepreneur, writer, cause marketer. Passionate about the future of #media #entrepreneurship, freedom of identity & the rise of #personalbrand
Mar 16
When my Mum lost her Dad in her early twenties, she was looking for answers and a soft place to land. A confusing time to be human, the 1970s was the era of the Vietnam War, equal rights and the disruption of all kinds of traditional values.
She found sanctuary in the Worldwide Church of God, an American fundamentalist religion that offered concrete answers for seekers; a road-map for the meaning of life, infused with a little self-help theory and some healthy eating tips.
Aside from a conservative dress code and a ban on makeup, the church was full of fairly normal looking people. There were millions of followers at its peak — families big and small, rich and poor joined from almost every country in the world.
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Like most cults, there was a gnostic layer to the sharing of “truth.” Our church masters cautioned us against sharing church secrets with school friends, neighbours or other outsiders — they were priviliged truths to be revealed when they decided someone had been properly ‘converted.’ As a consequence, I kept my mouth closed at school and the church theories were rarely challenged. Later, I was often labelled mysterious and secretive. It took me years to realise this was not an intrinsic part of my nature, but something I had developed in an attempt to not draw attention to myself.
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Niceness is next to godliness
Another characteristic of cult life is the absence of authentic self expression. Cults have a powerful unifying mono ‘cult-ure.’ In ours, everyone was magnetically nice.
“Everyone is so …(can’t quite put my finger on it … ah there it is) … so nice!” was the comment I frequently heard growing up from neighbours, school friends partners — anyone who had a brush with someone from our Church group. It felt like heaven on earth for new recruits; who were often battered and bruised by life’s tribulations.
The indoctrination process was the best part of being in the group. New people were invited to dinner, quizzed intensely about their past, offered home cooked meals and support around the home, had their dance card filled with happy social events. Love bombed.
Niceness let the barriers down. It also stopped the appropriate boundaries from being in place whenever members felt uncomfortabke. But that seemed a small price to pay to fit in. In a dog-eat-dog world, who doesn’t want to be part of an intoxicatingly nice community — even, any community?
That community feeling was the thing I missed acutely when I left … and studies show this is a big reason many people exit one cult to join another. Sometimes the ‘cult’ is a corporation with a similar restrictive culture.
This niceness nirvana cannot be comfortably sustained. There was a ‘Stepford’ feeling to our community — and our emotional kaleidoscope had a limited spectrum. Some feelings were more spiritual than others – self-reflection, sadness and anxiety were encouraged and rewarded with praise – anger, joy and celebration were considered self indulgent, less spiritual, Ungodly. Birthday celebrations were an example – the pinnacle of self focus – and were banned, along with the ‘pagan’ celebrations of Christmas and Easter. That caused me no end of embarrassment at school and kept me away from forging deep connections with my non church peers.
Just what exactly is so safe about The Place of Safety? Of all the motivators to remaining in your seats, The Place of Safety is always the place one will not make it to unless they abide in church, depending on which one of course. Even growing up as Presbyterian we sang "Abide in ME!" meaning Jesus but that theme seems to escape those who foolishly incorporate The Place of Safety mantra and myth into their teachings.
Why on earth anyone would believe that moving to a waste howling wilderness within striking range of...oh everyone in the Middle East, is a safe place to await the Don't Count On It Second Coming of Jesus? Gerald Waterhouse touted the POS as "A Place of Final Training" but that was before distance learning became are safer option. Even as a pastor, and I hated this fairytale that always lurked in the recesses of Churchthink , "oh hid me in the grave until thy wrath is past" always seemed easier to swallow and endure. I liked the "In a moment . In the twinkling of an eye, we shall be changed" far more and as more practical than this POS nightmare. I never had any intention to uttering the words "Herbert Armstrong has announced it is time to flee..." ever. It was always a repulsive and dangerous teaching my mind and thought it would die with HWA.
SIQ and YE SHALL FIND
Taught as the only way in, the Siq gave the perfect impression of how safe it would be.
Still safe....single file please
Well, ok. Maybe it was just an impression .
Once you got in...oh...Hmmm. I thought it had a cover or something over it.
Looks like easy pickings for modern weapons of warfare and I'm not seeing why this place is so safe yet. Can we stay in America and go to Zion National Park or Bryce Canyon?
The moment you "flee" you become what the world knows as refugees and you will live like them...waiting...waiting...waiting....
We know the Exodus stories, and they are just stories but you won't really get water from a rock. You'll wait for it like all refugees do
It may get messy so you'll be hearing much about Captains of 50's and 100's . They'll probably have yellow plastic grocery bag armbands.
Get over your clothes won't need washing or your shoes wear out
If your lucky. "You said you'd bring the tents!"
You'll end up saying "I wish we had died back in North Carolina, Ohio or Oklahoma!
I understand all the apologetics for just how safe and how good Petra will be all taken from the Israelite's sojourn in the Wilderness. Shoes that don't wear out, clothes that last for generations, food from heaven and firewood from...from...somewhere. Be very careful you don't complain about anything . When the Israelites said "we thirst" which seems a natural thing in a waste howling wilderness with no water marching by day to who knows where, Moses had a fit beat a rock and ended up being told he was not going to make it into the Promised Land for his attitude. Now if the leader mucks up and gets barred from the "It was a conditional promise land", what chance do you have? Remember if you take the analogy too far, no one who originally left Egypt made it.
(The Exodus never really happened as reported)
All one picture is worth a thousand words aside, the teaching of The Place of Safety is a dangerous belief that can go very very wrong quickly. Your Apostles and Prophets are making scripture mean what it never meant and certainly never means for YOU TODAY.
If you are bound and determined to find a place of safety and final training waiting out the last three and half years before Jesus comes back for sure because Ron Weinland, Dave Pack, Bob Thiel or Gerald Flurry have it all figured out....
May I suggest:
The Columbia River Gorge between Washington State and Oregon? It is just outside Portland and you can tour all the HWA hotspots of Church history such as The Hinson Baptist Church where HWA was baptized or even go to the Portland Public Library and sit in the very rooms where it all started. At least you'll have something to do.
Did you know that Zephaniah spoke specifically about the need for COG followers today to join up with the improperly named "continuing" Church of God? Unless you heed the call your chances of making it to Petra are slim to none. Your privilege of being able to sit fro 3 1/2 years watching the true prophet wave his hands in the air against the backdrop of a crooked cave will be revoked unless you gather together with the only true Christians on the face of the earth today.
Improperly criticized, almost-arrested but not arrested Elijah, Elisha, Amos Joshua, Ezekiel, Zephaniah Bitter Bwana Bob Thiel says so...so it HAS to be true! COG members are also apparently too stupid to understand prophecy unless it is interpreted by Zephaniah Bob.
The old WCG taught that Zephaniah had to do with being protected, yet few teach that today.
Since no later that 2007 I have written that Zephaniah had to do with Philadelphians being
‘gathered together’ so that they would be protected from the coming
trial that will hit the earth.
We in the Continuing Church of God
“have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye
take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day
dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19, KJV).”
Should we not be “exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25)?
We in the Continuing Church of God
boldly teach the need for Philadelphians to be ‘gathering together’
today. Will you heed God’s instructions as the Prophet Zephaniah was
inspired to write? Would you possibly like to be protected? If so, will
you ‘gather together’?
God loves every human being who has ever lived, or who ever will live. He has demonstrated His unconditional love for His creation and for every human being. We need that love to motivate us in fulfilling our calling in life (Romans 5:5). Recall how Dr. Meredith expressed his love and compassion in one very moving co-worker letter a few years ago: "Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ, Greetings from Charlotte, NC! Talk about natural disasters! Even as I write, radio and television reports tell us that tens of thousands of human beings have perished in the powerful earthquake which just struck Pakistan and parts of India. Perhaps none of these people were truly acquainted with the God of the Bible, but every human being is precious in God’s sight" (October 10, 2005). Yes, every human being is precious in God’s sight. We all need God’s love to fulfill the mission He has given us.
Yes, every human being is precious in God's sight, even the unchurched in India and Pakistan who have never heard of Herbert Armstrong, Rod Meredith, the Sabbath and Holy Days, church eras, unclean meats, proper church government, prophecy or Living Church of God. If God already loves them, as Ames says He does, they God already loves those untouched or reached by the Living Church of God. So essentially there is no need for the church to continue to demand tithe money to fund the elite's lifestyles in Charlottee.
Does the world really need LCG's message? Is it lost without it?
In the Church of God world, Passover has always been a time of inward introspection and self-examination as to why people do the silly signs they do even though they know it is wrong. But lately, the expectation is that COG members examine themselves as to why they don't give more money or tithe more or support the "work" more diligently.
Richard Ames writes to the Living Church of God members:
TITHES AND OFFERINGS: Have you been faithful in paying your tithes to God this past year? Have you been faithful in giving offerings? Be honest with yourself. Stealing from God is a serious matter. "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ’In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation" (Malachi 3:8–9).
God owns the earth, and everyone and everything on it. He promises to provide our every need (Philippians 4:19). God provides for His children, but some have "little faith" and do not trust Him (Matthew 6:30). He gave this admonition: "’Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try 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’" (Malachi 3:10). God is the Giver of every good and perfect gift, and He promises to abundantly bless the tithe payer. Those who have faithfully saved their Festival tithe know firsthand the joy God gives at His annual festivals.
Examine your degree of faithfulness this past year with God’s tithe. Have you stolen from God? Have you saved a full Festival tithe? Ask God for the ability to give. Trust and honor Him in your tithes and offerings. If you have been a thief this past year, ask God’s forgiveness, determine to trust Him this coming year, then take the Passover in faith!
One of the biggest lies used as a weapon to intimidate church members was the accusation that people were "robbing God" when they did not tithe or give lots of offerings. It was a control tactic deliberately spit out to instil fear in church members and make them compliant.
Well, we did it again. We have ticked off God's end most holy and righteous end time leader of the one and only TRUE church incarnation. This time I am not talking about Gerald Weston or Dave Pack who is upset, but another church leader. As one of Banned's most avid readers, this guy gets butthurt very easily and then lashes out.
Almost-arrested, but not-arrested Elijah, Elisha, Joshua, Amos, Bwana Bob Thiel has mentioned us in his latest Letter to the Brethren.
It would be legitimate to be antagonized by us if we were actaully harassing a true church of God and not some man-made organization.
He writes:
Criticism in Advance
As many of you are aware, certain anti-Church of God often bloggers mislead and improperly criticize us.
Last week, I announced that the Continuing Church of God plans to use animation as a means to reach people that we otherwise may not be able to reach (see Letter to the Brethren: March 8, 2018).
Even though we have not yet made any animation publicly available, notice parts of something that was written and posted against that project today:
Last week, the Church of God’s most perfect end-time leader (sorry Dave Pack, it’s not you) announced he is writing a new booklet on dating. Dreamy Bob Thiel is its author. …
Thiel is going to present this new booklet in an awe-inspiring new way on the Internet. He is going to have ANIMATED videos! …
The Internet will have a field day when he starts posting these. then watch, he will start screaming PERSECUTION when they are mocked. …
Apostate Thiel believes that these animated videos have the potential to start the persecution of his improperly named “continuing” Church of God. YouTube may pull them for being too controversial. PERSECUTION I SAY! PERSECUTION!
Satan is the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10), and many unwittingly do his bidding. We tend to be criticized daily, but I rarely report about it in the Letter to the Brethren.
In this case, we are being told our animations will be mocked before we have even finished any (cf. Proverbs 18:13). Expect more negative comments on this and other doors we work to go through to as we strive to fulfill Matthew 24:14 and Matthew 28:19-20.
Apostates are those who turned against the true faith, which is not something I did, but is something that the author of that post has done (he was once part of the old Worldwide Church of God–but now is opposed to practically all COG teachings, and seemingly cannot accept that God answers our prayers).
Jesus said:
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Matthew 5:10-12).
Anyway, expect that we will have to endure more improper and unfair criticism.
The day you self-appointed yourself and started telling huge whoppers about Gaylyn Bonjour, the dreams and other malarkey you use to elevate yourself into a church leadership position, is the day you opened yourself up to criticism. Just because you are a beta-male and can't handle criticism proves you are unfit to lead a COG. If you suffer this much butthurt over blog posts, what will happen when you really are "persecuted" as you dream you will be in the future?
Gerald Weston has written in the latest Living Church of God News about the task ahead for the LCG in drawing in new members. He has a product to "sell" but no one seems to be biting, except for disgrutnled COG members who church jump at regular intervals.
Weston makes a telling comment early in his article:
It is difficult to “sell” to someone who finds your “storefront” distasteful. Different stores and different approaches work for different people. We know we have the right message, but how we present it is important in a world where professing Christianity is an ever-shrinking population.
He is right that so many find the "storefront" of LCG so distasteful. Abusive ministers and policies have kept scores of COG members away from LCG. Rod Meredith's horrendous treatment of members when he was in the Worldwide Church of God led many to not join up with them when he apostatized and started Global Church of God. Members understood that there was no reason to jump ship to where they would still be treated like dirt by Meredith.
Weston continues:
So how do we attract people to walk through the door of our “store”? We must never forget that we have something unique. The real gospel of the Kingdom of God and the true Jesus Christ is radically different from anything found in professing Christianity. It is the only hope for this very troubled world. This is our message, but as with Paul and Stephen, we must capture people’s attention. God told Ezekiel to portray a siege against Jerusalem as a sign to the house of Israel (Ezekiel 4:1–3). Jeremiah wore a yoke of wood around his neck—something that would garner attention and make a point (Jeremiah 28:10–14). Read through the prophets and see the many ways God got the attention of rebellious nations.
Ecclesiastes advises us, “In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; for you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both alike will be good” (Ecclesiastes 11:6).
We must continue to preach to those who are most likely to listen—professing Christians—but we must also gain the attention of a skeptical, secular world. Most will not “buy” God’s truth, but we must get them to look in the storefront window by offering common ground. An example of this is the Canadian-produced Viewpoint video, “Where Do the Celts Come From?” It is not overtly religious, but at the end advertises the booklet The United States and Britain in Prophecy. As of this writing, it has more than 68,000 views, more than 20,000 during a two-and-a-half day stretch, without advertising during that time.
Who would guess that subject would bring people “into the store” to look? Whether they pick up the free literature inside is yet to be seen, but we turned their heads and got their attention for a few minutes, and maybe more!
I think the readers here can add many reasons as to why the Living Church of God will continue to have problems attracting people to their "storefront." So let Weston know the reasons why....
As I mentioned in the dating post below, the Church of God has made a business out of meddling in its member's lives. Sex has been a high priority of church leaders for decades. Who can ever forget the incessant obsession Rod Meredith had with sex! Or Ted Armstrong, who one day would be denouncing premarital sex and the next would be fornicating with unmarried students and the next with ministers wives. And then there was God Speaks Out On The New Morality book by Herbert Armstrong, which was later revised as The Missing Dimension in Sex. Both were filled with provocative illustrations because Church members were too stupid to know how to have "godly" sex and needed to be shown how. Even with both books filled with Victorian ideals that HWA grew up with, never once did they condemn sex on the Sabbath. That doesn't matter to some select few in Armstrongism who have a deep aversion to sex. They feel the need to stick their sweaty palms into the sex lives of members. The Chief Pharisee and bastardizer of the law James Malm has now spoken out about sex on the Sabbath, Passover night and high days. For those of you who like to be frisky on those days, you will need to now strap on the chastity belts and take cold showers.
Sex on Passover, Sabbath and High Days
The man and woman were created without sin and it was only AFTER sin entered, that Sacrifices, a High Priest Intercessor and the Law of Clean and Unclean were instituted.
Even then, there were clean and unclean animals, but the further details only began at Sinai with God’s detailed instructions for Israel and a PHYSICAL priesthood.
If one considers the laws given to Israel one cannot help but come to the conclusion that it is physically impossible to avoid becoming unclean for more than a very short time.
A woman can be absolutely perfect yet she cannot overcome the female nature [natural cycle], a man can be absolutely perfect yet he cannot prevent an emission even if he restrains himself otherwise.
This is meant to teach us that the physical state of man once Adam and Eve had sinned is antithetical to godliness, and only God can make us spiritually clean washing away our sins. Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
In practical terms; yes, let a man and his wife enjoy each other to the full, but refrain from sex on High Days and Sabbaths [and on the Appointed Time of Passover day] so as to be clean on Holy Time. This principle is presented when God commanded Israel to refrain from their wives for three days before Pentecost at Sinai (Ex 19:50).
I have been in error on this point in the past and I now realize that it is proper to rest from sex on the Passover, Sabbaths and High Days. This is not a burden since one can prepare on Friday afternoon and before High Days and wash before the Sabbaths begin.
In other words, have sex all you want Friday afternoon and then wash up before sundown. Seriously? Preparation Day sex, who knew?
It does not take long, thanks to the Internet, to look up as to how the Jews look upon sex on the Sabbath and other holy days. A person will quickly see that no matter how much James Malm bastardizes the law to his own interpretations or how much he pretends to be a "Christianized" Jew, he is neither.
Here is one Jewish interpretation:
The practices of physically indulging by having intercourse on the Sabbath may be traced all the way to the book of Isaiah, which reads,
3 Do not let the foreigner joined to the Lord say, ‘The Lord will surely separate me from his people’; and do not let the eunuch say, ‘I am just a dry tree.’ 4 For thus says the Lord: To the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, 5 I will give, in my house and within my walls, a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.[6]
This passage in Isaiah, which comes from a section of the book that was likely composed sometime during the early Second Temple period, is profoundly significant. Although a eunuch is unable to engage in sexual intercourse, the prophet assures him that his observance of Sabbath is cherished by God. The underlying presumption here, I would argue, is that sexual activity is an integral part of the experiential joy of Shabbat. This explains why the eunuch is cited as complaining that he is a “dry tree.” His complaint is that, as a eunuch, he cannot celebrate the Sabbath to its fullest, most pleasurable extent with a partner.
The eunuch’s complaint is coupled with the concern of the foreigner, who is concerned that he too, cannot fully participate in the covenantal community, because he does not possess Jewish familial roots. To these complaints, which both regard the question of genealogical and physical connection to the covenantal community, the prophet offers this answer: God cares not about the identity of one’s familial connections; God cares only about whether the person in question is devoted to God’s service. Intimacy on Shabbat
Or this one:
Furthermore, intimacy is encouraged on Shabbat not so much as a means to procreate as it is to create a bond between husband and wife. There are two separate mitzvot in the Torah that involve sexual relations. One is to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis1:28.) The lesser-known mitzvah is for the husband to ensure he sexually satisfies his wife (Exodus 21:10). This second mitzvah is totally independent from the first and so the obligation to make love to one’s wife applies to couples regardless as to whether they wish to, or are capable of conceiving.
The very notion that sexual pleasure can itself — provided it is experienced in the right context — be a mitzvah, underscores the unique Jewish attitude to life. Judaism, on the whole, frowns upon asceticism. It sees the material world not in conflict with sanctity but rather as capable of being sanctified. Nowhere is this more evident than on Shabbat where the sacred is celebrated through the physical. This holy day is observed not just through prayer and song but also through eating, socialising, relaxing and — for married couples — sexual intimacy. Shabbat illustrates the harmony that can be achieved between the spiritual and the physical.
Throughout the week we live fragmented lives lurching between high ideals and practical realities; on Shabbat we attain a sense of wholeness, where the disparate and often opposing forces in our lives meld together in celebration of this special day of rest. Why is Sex Allowed on Shabbat
Even the Seventh Day Adventists agree that sex is ok on the Sabbath:
Sabbath is a holy day and Marriage is a holy institution therefore sex can be done on the Sabbath: The supporters of this view contend that both the Sabbath and Marriage were instituted by God and as such sex is definately sacred, especially since God only sanctioned sex in the institution of marriage. They further argue that the Apostle Paul gave strong support for sex on the Sabbath when he said: "Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency" 1 Cor 7:5. The argument is that couples are not required to fast and pray every Sabbath. Some even go as far as to say that since Adam and Eve were married on the sixth day, God would not require them to wait that long before consummating their marriage.
As an order of priority, the activities of the Sabbath should be ones that bring honor to God, ones that promote a spiritual and holy encounter. Since sex is an expression of love, it believe that a spouse may have the need to share his/her love for his wife/husband on the Sabbath. While I would not encourage couples to reserve sex just for the Sabbath, I would also like to encourage those who believe otherwise, to reserve judgment to God. If you feel it is wrong to engaging in sexual activities on the Sabbath, then by all means, avoid doing so, but do not stand in judgment of someone else.
An intimate relationship between a married couple is a spiritual relationship. Marriage is a holy institution; the Sabbath is a holy day. One might ask, if holy people, participate in a holy institution, sanctioned by a Holy God, on a holy day, could that act be Unholy? That's for you to decide!Should married couples have sex on the sabbath?
Why would ANY Church of God member in 2018 ever let some hypocritical, self-appointed and self-serving Church of God leader tell them what to do? Particularly one who bastardizes the law over the opportunity to revel in grace. I am not a fan of 7th Day Adventist's or particularly Ellen G White, but what she had to say about the Sabbath is spot on:
As Ellen White so passionately put it, “The Sabbath–oh!–make it the sweetest, the most blessed day of the whole week.” – White, Ellen G. The faith I Live By. p 36
As has been normal for the Church of God, it has always felt the need to control every aspect of its members lives, from what they eat, what kind of clothes they wear, and what kind of sex they have and how often. From birth to grave the church has made a business of meddling in members lives.
Last week, the Church of God's most perfect end-time leader (sorry Dave Pack, it's not you) announced he is writing a new booklet on dating. Dreamy Bob Thiel is its author. The weird part about this booklet is that with 2,996 of his members living in Africa, WHY would THEY care about American dating habits?
Almost arrested, but not arrested Bob Thiel says this:
Let me start off by explaining about the forthcoming dating booklet.
Originally, we planned to put out a book about the canon of the Bible this year. However, I realized that with my schedule and the research required for this subject (I had started on it last year), this would not happen in 2018. After praying about subjects to cover, I concluded that we could–and should–get out a booklet on dating. And I have been working on that. This is a subject quite different than others that our booklets, sermons, and magazines have covered.
Many aspects of Christian living should be part of what we need to teach (cf. Matthew 28:19-20), and while they have been, many aspects of dating were basically missing.
Furthermore, as we have scattered unmarried people in many places, and I did not want them to feel left out or without additional guidance from us. I have long prayed for our singles, widows, and divorcees (and yes, I pray for married people too). Soon, we expect to have a dating booklet that may help some of them. And hopefully, this will help others not with the Continuing Church of God as well.
So God revealed to him to write a booklet on dating, just like he revealed to Elijah Thiel he needed to start a new church? We all know that one was a lie, so why should we believe God told him to write a booklet on dating? Even worse, you will notice that he is also writing another booklet about the canon of the Bible. Does ANYONE care? Tens of thousands of books have been written on the canon since the Jews started compiling their own books in specific order between 200 BC - 200 AD. The only thing Amos Thiel is attempting to do is rewrite church history to make it more in line with Church of God myths, particularly his myths. But, that is for another story.
The self-appointed prophet Thiel is going to present this new booklet in an awe-inspiring new way on the Internet. He is going to have ANIMATED videos! I can see Dave Pack whimpering behind his security gate right now at this most momentous announcement!
Announcing a New Door: Animations
In order to help get information out to a wider audience, we have decided to produce some short animations that we plan to initially put up on YouTube.
This may be somewhat unique to us as I personally have never been part of a church that used a lot of animations (I only remember a two-minute animation in the 1970s used once as part of a World Tomorrow telecast related to Gehenna fire). The first CCOG animation is intended to be related to dating and our forthcoming booklet on the subject.
Currently, I have written two or three scripts for the animations, and am working on one or two others. Some will mainly promote booklets we already have, but we also will need additional ones.
Now, because of this animation door, this seems to be the time to produce some other booklets on subjects I had in mind to write (God’s existence, Christian living, God’s calling as Ambassadors for Kingdom of God, baptism, prophecy, etc.). So, I plan to work on at least a couple of those before going back to the book about the canon of the Bible.
The Internet will have a field day when he starts posting these. then watch, he will start screaming PERSECUTION when they are mocked.
Apostate Thiel is taking this animation route because Apostle Paul told him to! It's all there in the Bible. Apparently, Apostle Paul was a visionary man who knew the Internet was coming down the pipeline in the future.
We are striving to implement ways to better reach the audience in the 21st century. That is consistent with the following teachings from Jesus and the Apostle Paul:
12Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12, NKJV throughout, unless otherwise noted)
19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. (1 Corinthians 9:19-22)
Apostate Thiel believes that the youth of the world will be highly attracted to his videos:
To try to reach all, we must also consider their demographics. Younger people are looking for more short bursts of information, and people are more used to being entertained.
There is a place for ‘milk’ as well as ‘strong meat’:
12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Hebrews 5:12-14)
Apostate Thiel is aiming these dating videos to the 13-30-year-old crowd. As if some 20-30 year old is going to pay attention to any of his crap! Apparently, this will be a huge witnessing tool in Africa.
So, while we will continue to have sermons, long articles, etc. (stronger meat), we are looking to provide some basic information (milk, starter food) in forms that more would be comfortable to start with. Plus, everyone who has been around for a long times does not always need strong meat. God made a variety of physical foods, and in CCOG we are trying to provide a variety of spiritual foods (magazines, websites, sermonette videos, sermon videos, personal contacts, visits around the world, baptizing trips, youth camps, church and holy day services, radio appearances, and now also videos). Radio appearances, of which I have done over 100 since CCOG formed, should be considered mainly along the “milk of the word” line.
Consistent with biblical admonitions, we need to “Memorize his laws and tell them to your children over and over again” (Deuteronomy 6:6-7, CEV) as well as “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers” (Malachi 4:6).
Since very young children tend to have their hearts turned towards their parents and vice versa, I have long believed we need to, in addition to teaching parents (which is something we have always striven to do), better reach young people in their teens and above. Animations look to be one way to do that (and yes, church youth camps, which we have each year are also another specific step we have taken).
But let it be understood that while the use of animations is mainly focused on people from age 13 to 30, animations should also be effective for people of almost all ages.
Apostate Thiel believes that these animated videos have the potential to start the persecution of his improperly named "continuing" Church of God. YouTube may pull them for being too controversial. PERSECUTION I SAY! PERSECUTION!
The use of animations looks to be a door that we can use to reach others that we may not otherwise reach as well as those not as likely to want to read long articles and/or to watch long sermons. Hopefully, after watching animations, many will want to learn more.
The use of online television services like YouTube, and modern computer software to make animations, is a NEW DOOR IN TELEVISION.
My hope and prayer is that the short animations, combined with relevant free book offers, will help others develop more interest in true Christianity. This is another way to get the witness out to the world.
We plan to announce each of the animations shortly after they come available.
We also are expecting to make some of them available in other languages.
Now, as far as YouTube goes, yes we are aware that they censor and may one day block our content–it suspended a CCOG sermon by Steve Dupuie once and has blocked non-CCOG people (see YouTube censorship of ‘conservative’ content). However, since more and more people can watch YouTube on televisions in their homes, it is still the least expensive way to reach a broad television audience. Unless something better comes along, we plan to utilize the ‘door’ of YouTube until it closes. Which, one day, it will.
Until then, putting animations online, in addition to our sermons and sermonettes, on YouTube is an exciting development that I ask all of you to pray about. We hope to have the first one finished and available within weeks.
There is nothing new under the sun because it has already been done!
Dave does not think too highly of the various larger COG groups out there. They are all filled with errors and false teachings. Only he and his group alone have the truth. Only those who follow Dave will receive salvation because they will have doctrinal purity leading them forward.
The Largest Splinters—and Their “Work”
Only a few organizations are making an attempt at the Work. Yet, none are even close to “holding fast” (Rev. 3:11) all God’s doctrines—including those at the front edge of the Work. However sincere, these are works of men, not led and directed by the living Christ who would only use those who will not compromise restored truth. These would fulfill the Great Commission under GOD’S GOVERNMENT. It will become obvious God could not use those who compromise to perform His Purpose.
Only those who will return to—or who come to believe—all of the truths that God taught His Church are candidates to join His final Work. Those firmly rooted in different ideas should attend one of the organizations that may still want to do some kind of “work,” but not be concerned about doctrinal precision. We bear such people no ill will, but know they will be more “content” elsewhere.
Partly because they do not see the crucial importance of doctrinal purity, all the big splinters also do not grasp the colossal importance of what is at stake in the true Work of God today. Only one or two organizations even begin to remember, let alone comprehend, that a powerful WARNING must reach 600 million Israelites throughout many nations and territories. And, again, no one seems to recognize another related warning must reach over 35,000 in the splinters or holding to some truths at home, with both of these to occur before the Tribulation. For this reason, this book will, at least briefly, reference the roles of “watchman” to Israel and “messenger” to Laodicea.
The destructive “spirit of error” (I John 4:6) that has entered all the groups is why so many now believe contributing to disaster funds and relief efforts is the more “loving,” “compassionate” and “Christ-like” approach to gaining “disciples.” Warnings are “too harsh.”
All COG leaders are now just mere spectators who are too pussy-whipped to do anything powerful. Only Dave is bold enough to say it as it is. Even Bob Thiel cowers in Central California whimpering at the awesomeness of Dave!
The apostle Paul wrote, “For [God] will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a SHORT WORK will the Lord make upon the earth” (Rom. 9:28). Misunderstanding crucial verses like this, many—I repeat—now believe the Work as the Church did it for decades is finished, with all responsibility COMPLETED. These people have usually also come to believe the “famine of the Word” has arrived—and that this at least generally occurred from 1986—thus ending any duty to announce God’s kingdom to all nations or to warn Israelite nations. That two decades have passed and Christ’s Return has not occurred means some think that in the world’s most awful age (now much worse than Mr. Armstrong’s time), when a message of hope with a thunderous warning is more needed than ever, God’s servants are to stand mute, spectating without comment. They are to ignore the most basic common sense, and what Mr. Armstrong taught about preaching the kingdom and warning those headed to tribulation right to the end, and bite their tongue in silence. However sincere, such misguided thinking could not be more wrong!
Medium Magazine has an excellent article up dated March 16, 2018 on what life was like growing up in the Worldwide Church of God.Fleur BrownEntrepreneur, writer, cause marketer. Passionate about the future of #media #entrepreneurship, freedom of identity & the rise of #personalbrand
