Permission Granted! Either Way. Whatever!

The advertisement began, "There's been a lot of talk about hot dogs lately" and then went on to promote a particular brand of hot dog.  I recall thinking, that I had not heard one bit of talk about hot dogs almost ever.  "There's been a lot of talk about ______ lately", you fill in the blank, seems to have caught on as a way to introduce one's view about something that probably no one at all is talking about or asking but the advertiser wants to push his product anyhow.

Welcome to the world of Prophet Robert Thiel, who now has given Christians the definitive answer, which is  "Sure fine if you wish" or "Don't worry of it if you don't, about  it being appropriate or not for Christians to observe Thanksgiving and whether it is appropriate for to be thankful. 

 I am surprised the article did not contain the obvious warning found in Galatians 4:10-12.

¹⁰You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! ¹¹I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you. ¹²I plead with you, brothers and sisters, become like me, for I became like you. You did me no wrong.

... but that would be unhelpful and only open the traditional can of worms associated with this scripture and what it might actually mean. The good news is that his scripture can be used effectively by Jewish and Gentile Christians against each other depending on what constitutes days, months, seasons and years observed, but let's spare us.

The only reason I bring this up the day before Thanksgiving is that there has been A LOT  of talk about this whether it is right or wrong for a Christian to give thanks, on Thanksgiving practically everywhere I go this past week.  It dominates the news and that's all I hear in stores and in the workplace.

Last Sunday and certainly Saturday, churches were filled with near riot conditions begging clergy for the answer to this nagging question, that with the actual Thanksgiving holiday looming, simply MUST be answered NOW, lest we fall into depravation and offending The Most High with our mere human reasonings and wisdom, which we all know is  pure foolishness if we are not careful in our discernment to the answers of such deeply troubling questions. Just don't ask about football on Thanksgiving. 

Thanksgiving: Can a Christian give thanks?

https://www.cogwriter.com/news/religious-news/thanksgiving-can-a-christian-give-thanks-2/

"The fourth Thursday in November is the American holiday called Thanksgiving. Unlike most holidays observed in the USA, this one is not of pagan origin. Hence, the vast majority in the Church of God (COG) consider it an “optional” (not biblically-required) holiday."

Comment:  First of all we need to get the actual date set firmly in our minds so we evidently don't confuse it with Christmas which, sadly and of course will be addressed far more seriously soon. 

It is not of pagan origin.  That's a good thing and of ultimate importance to understand before going on to answer this pressing question that so many have been talking about. It also does not rank up there with the Biblically required ones either, so get that straight.

The Prophet Robert goes on: Concerning the persecution of the Pilgrims and their coming to America. 

"The persecutions of the Pilgrims somewhat remind me of the history of the Church of God"

Comment:  Somehow we knew it would

The Prophet Robert goes on then nostalgically reminding the savvy reader of the old WCG hymns speaking of, praise and thanksgiving along with a good round of proof texting with a Topical Bible on words like "give thanks", "thanksgiving" and such.  Without those, we simply can have no clue as to what the answer to the question might be. 

In conclusion Prophet Bob adds another piece to God's Puzzle on the rights and wrongs of living on Earth.  He boldly ventures into a scripture that actually more have talked about the meaning of than even hot dogs. But let's keep use of it to focus in on the pressing question at hand. 

"While Christians can observe national holidays, presuming they can do so without sinning, they do not have to keep holidays like Thanksgiving. While he was mainly referring to fast days, the following from the Apostle Paul seems to be applicable here:"

NOTE: Sinning is a function of national holidays, not God's Holydays. And too, Thanksgiving is not like God's Holydays, which you do have to keep,  so let's get that straight from the start. 

Continuing... and seemingly applicable

"5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. (Romans 14:5-6)

If one has a problem of conscience keeping Thanksgiving, then one should not. But, either way, Christians should thank and praise God.

Give thanks and praise the Eternal!"

So there we go!  It's ok to give thanks as a Christian!  Or not!  It depends on how you feel about it but it's OK!  Or NOT! Go for it!  Or NOT! Also, let's be sure our praise and thankfulness is of and for the Eternal and not the harvest. 

Sadly and of course, being grateful and thankful , as an agnostic, pagan or atheist, is not addressed in this article so I don't know the anwer to that question.

But, and may the gods forgive my human reasoning and wisdom of man, which I know is foolishness to Prophet Robert, I will risk a personal gratitude for the harvest even though I don't have to if I don't wish to, but I will so I do and we all should, unless some feel they shouldn't. Do what you wish, or not.

“When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.” – Tecumseh

So,  Happy Thanksgiving

or not

depending!

Restored Church of God: The Cult of Campus?

Dave Packs: "Bigger than the Bible Fable "

Did you know that Scriptures Predicted Bob Thiel and the Improperly Named "continuing" Church of God?

In his ongoing quest to prove he is legitimate in the eyes of Laodicean church members, the great Bwana Bob Thiel is pulling more rats out of his hat to make us believe he is the one and only TRUE church out there today do a work.  Scriptures point directly to him:

The New Testament does specify some in the last days:

17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. (Acts 2:17-18) 

We in the Continuing Church of God have those biblical signs. Plus unlike the Eastern Orthodox, we teach much more that agrees with the Bible. 

Being faithful to the word of God is more important than signs and wonders. However, for the Philadelphian faithful signs and wonders can help show who the most faithful church is.

Self-appointed Church of God leaders down through the decades have pulled scriptures out of the Bible AFTER they have started their little personality cults, to PROVE they are the chosen ones.  Anyone can go to the Bible and pull out some obtuse scripture to support whatever loony idea they want to hold.  Fake COG leaders are extremely adept at doing this.

Bwana Bob Thiel can spout all he wants that because he dreamed a dream and some crazy person on the other side of the world also had a dream does not prove he had the right to start yet another splinter personality cult of Armstrongism.

Bwana Bob is always looking for scriptures to legitimize himself, but for some reason ignores this one:

Jeremiah 23:1-6 New International Version (NIV)
The Righteous Branch

23 “Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!”declares the Lord. 2 Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,” declares the Lord. 3 “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. 4 I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord.

Or this one:

 Ezekiel 34 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Israel’s False Shepherds

34 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 Mortal, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel: prophesy, and say to them—to the shepherds: Thus says the Lord God: Ah, you shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fatlings; but you do not feed the sheep. 4 You have not strengthened the weak, you have not healed the sick, you have not bound up the injured, you have not brought back the strayed, you have not sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and scattered, they became food for all the wild animals. 6 My sheep were scattered, they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill; my sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with no one to search or seek for them.

7 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 8 As I live, says the Lord God, because my sheep have become a prey, and my sheep have become food for all the wild animals, since there was no shepherd; and because my shepherds have not searched for my sheep, but the shepherds have fed themselves, and have not fed my sheep; 9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 10 Thus says the Lord God, I am against the shepherds; and I will demand my sheep at their hand, and put a stop to their feeding the sheep; no longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, so that they may not be food for them.

Or this:

Matthew 24:24

24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

And this:

2 Timothy 4:3-4
3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

Or this:

Acts 20:28-30
28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.

And this one:

Matthew 7:15-20 New International Version (NIV)
True and False Prophets
15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Or this:

Titus 1:10-16
Rebuking Those Who Fail to Do Good

10 For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception, especially those of the circumcision group. 11 They must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain. 12 One of Crete’s own prophets has said it: “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.”[b] 13 This saying is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith 14 and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth. 15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.