Thursday, October 2, 2025

Bob Thiel: Failing to Fast on the DOA Means You Have NO Atonement!



Bob Thiel: Failing to Fast on the DOA Means You Have NO Atonement!

In his Fasting Tips for the Day of Atonement, CCG Pastor Bob Thiel referenced several prooftexts (Leviticus 23:32, Isaiah 58:5 and quoted Isaiah 22:12-14) and then observed: "Notice that not avoiding food when told to is equated to having no atonement." For Bob, the Day of Atonement is a day for FASTING - a day to refrain from eating and drinking. Bob then proceeded to devote several paragraphs to some old instructions about the observance of THE FAST from donut and coffee DOA, Herbert W Armstrong. Now, to be fair, Bob does talk about Jesus Christ being our Atonement in the very last paragraph of his article!

In other words, typical DOA Armstrong Church of God dribble! Unfortunately, these folks are all about scrupulous observance of physical acts/rituals. For the most part, the actual meaning of what they are doing is completely lost on them. Sure, there will be the usual sermons about Satan getting his due, but there won't be much discussion about Jesus Christ atoning for our sins - the very things that have separated all of us from our God. Unfortunately, the reality is that there won't be much discussion about Jesus Christ carrying the burden of our sins and reconciling us to our Father in Heaven! Likewise, the focus in most congregations will be on their own suffering, and NOT on the suffering of Jesus of Nazareth. Ever heard of straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel? That whooshing sound that your hearing is what the DOA represents sailing right over the heads of most of the folks occupying seats in ACOG congregations around the world!

Miller Jones/Lonnie C Hendrix

Wednesday, October 1, 2025

Insensitive Things People Say to Both Non-Believers and to Those of Faith


SelwynDuke.com: “Lemon” Called a Lemon: Will Religion Fully Return to the Public Square — Where ...

 

When one, after years of experience, study, skepticism and critical thinking comes to conclusions about all things religion and whether or not gods, angels and demons exist, they get bombed with nonsensical and emotional challenges and accusations by those who still believe. 

On the other hand, those who have come to not believe or were never a believer need be careful of their own judgements on the beliefs of others. 

There are apologetics, rebuttals, whatabouteries and accusations aplenty, one both sides of emotional issues. 

The trick is to navigate them with understanding and acceptance of the experiences of others and mostly just leave them be. 

This life lesson is often learned after all other avenues of expression have been explored and found wanting. 

Note: All of the following, ON BOTH SIDEs are typical of comebacks when one finds themselves pushed into defense and survival mode with regards to one's beliefs or non-beliefs.

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Some are the following charges against non-believers are: 

You just hate God

Someone must have hurt you

It takes more faith to not believe than to believe

You just want to sin

You will have no reason to be moral

Who are you to question God?

Why do you have to tell everyone. Why not just keep it to yourself

You are just bashing believers

How dare you mock my faith

You have no hope

You can't see the wind can you?

I used to be an unbeliever like you but...

You just want to be your authority and God

What would it take to make you believe?

Atheism is just another Religion

So, we're just a clump of pond scum?

There are no atheists in foxholes

You'll find out when you are being cast into hell/Lake of Fire

I really fear for you

and so on...

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Bonus and Personal From BannedHWA

"Dennis hates those who are Christian and does all he can to mock those who believe."

"I have to wonder if Dennis used to mock the members in his congregations and their beliefs when he was a pastor."

"He dwells amongst believers. You should turn back to God Dennis before it is too late. The LORD sees what you do.
He still does 4:49!! He never left."

"Fool. (shouldn’t call a brother ‘fool’ so I am safe!"

"Another article by Dennis discrediting the bible as God's inspired word. And as usual, just before a holy day, in this case the Day of Atonement.
The holy days must secretly arouse anxiety in fallen Christians since it reminds them of their eternal end."

"Satan's greatest achievement is to make billions of humans believe he doesn't exist."

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On the other hand...

There are Insensitive Things Non-Believers Sometimes Say To Believers:

You believe in fairy tales

Science disproves God

Religious people are just brainwashed

You only believe because you were raised that way

Religious people are less intelligent

How can you believe without proof?

Religion is responsible for most of the world's problems

You're only religious because you afraid of death

You'd come to not believe if you only thought about it critically

Religion is a crutch for weak people

Prayer is pointless

Religious people are all hypocrites

You'll grow out of it someday

You only believe because of the need to hold on to something

How can you follow something that causes so much harm?

Religion is for the uncurious and non-questioning

and so on...

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There can be truth and error in these kinds of views of others on both sides of such issues. Religion and Politics have always been THE hot topics people can lose their minds over blaming and shaming others as if that produces any positive change, acceptance or at least tolerance of one towards another. 

I do it. You do it.  Going from believer to non-believer, as with anything else, is done in just about the same stages as one goes through the stages of death. In this case, the death of an idea, a hope or a faith in that for which, more and more, there is little reason to cling to. 

The Day The Philadelphia Church of God Was Publicly Humiliated

Remember this news story below? 

This was even more humiliating than the day Gerald Flurry got nabbed for public intoxication, 
when a cop stumbled upon him roadside, surrounded by a glittering carpet of beer cans—like he'd thrown a solo kegger and lost to the pavement.

Tuesday, September 30, 2025

As Above, So Below: Speaking of Angels. I Saw Lucifer Just Before Sunrise This Morning

 


Let's Put This Story to Rest Once and For All

The Planet Venus is the Light Bringer and the Story Behind the Fall of "Satan" in Isaiah 14


If I ever heard an Old Testament story once, I have heard this one told ten thousand times. It comes from Isaiah 14.

12 "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! (Son of the Morning Star. i.e. the Sun) how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

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(Note: The 'sides of the North" is where Cassiopia, "the Throne" is in the night sky and considered "God's Throne".

 Through it runs "the sea of glass", the Milky Way, of Revelation.

 Opposite it are "the Seven Spirits of God", i.e. the seven stars of the Big Dipper, all in the Circumpolar Constellations. The ancients invented "Nightflixs"

Revelation 4 reflects this image

Revelation 4:

.  5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal.

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Back to Ezekiel

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

Note: The "Most High" position is Noon

15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;"

This story was THE proof that Satan used to be one of God's good guys and then all of a sudden, one day decided to be take over everything and knock God off His throne. Local boy goes bad I guess. Well Satan, which term is never mentioned here, former Light Bringer, which is what Lucifer means, is now the Prince of Darkness and the rest is history.

What's really going on with this story. Did you know that you see this drama literally take place multiple mornings and evenings of the year. Did you know that even to this day, this Lucifer is mistaken for UFOs or landing lights! Jesus said he saw Satan fall as lightening from heaven as did millions then and billions today if you know where to look. It's a very old story based on a very real observation by humans who made up a story about what they did not understand at the time.

First of all, let's understand that Isaiah 14 is really not about a Satan the Devil as he has evolved into over the history of the Church. A scripture can never mean what it never meant, and this principle applies to Isaiah 14 for sure. 

In the original Hebrew text, the 14th chapter of Isaiah is not about a fallen angel, but about a fallen Babylonian king, who had persecuted the children of Israel. Later in the context we see he was a man, who died. Now we often hear that this was a "type" but that's slippery ground mostly. Metaphor maybe, but not a type, where we can change a man into a Lucifer and then Lucifer into Satan, never mentioned, and then the whole thing into how Satan came to be the God of this world so send in your tithes and be safe with us. "In the Hebrew text the expression used to describe the Babylonian king before his death is "Helal, son of Shahar", which can best be translated as "Day star, son of the Dawn." The name evokes the golden glitter of a proud king's dress and court (much as his personal splendor earned for King Louis XIV of France the appellation, "The Sun King").

The King here was a man, plain and simple, and for his cocky attitude, he got to die like everyone else.

Lucifer means "Light Bringer" and is a term used by Roman astronomers to describe the planet Venus. Venus has always been the light bringer as it always precedes the early morning sun. 

It is very bright and very noticeable, such that it has been confused, as noted, for the landing lights of non-existent airplanes. It is bright, but not as bright as the sun of course. In mythology, humans noted this 'god" that preceded the sun and seemed to be racing to the zenith, which in Astro theology is called the place of the "Most High" or plainly put for us today, NOON! Noon is God's throne in Astro theological terms.

 In Isaiah, this "Lightbringer" went before God, the Most High-The SUN. The highest point in the sky where the sun or anything that shines outside the planet can rise, from our perspective. When mythology and even the Bible speaks of God as "the most High", one can see the deeper meaning that hints at sun worship. The Bible promotes a similar yet different form of Sun/Son worship but that has been lost on most Christians today.

The planet Venus proved to be an enigma for mankind. Its job seemed to be to go before the morning sun and announce, if you would, it's coming forth. But then, bright as it was and still is, it falls from the sky and descends into the ground, or in mythology, seems to be thrown down. Strange! Not knowing that Venus was an inner planet and all inner planets that rotate with the earth around the sun can never pass over us, east to west as do the outer planets and stars, they had to explain it.

 Thus we have the "fact" that this Lightbringer, this Lucifer soon be called Satan, MUST have become discontent with just announcing the Sun God, so MUST have said in his heart, "I will become the MOST HIGH." Well that was it for him! The Most High, not willing to give up his throne to this usurper, simply threw him back down to the earth, or apparently so at least as we look on the horizon. After that rather unsuccessful endeavor the dethrone God Most High, we get stuck with him as Satan compliments of the Church, who embellished the story and ta ta!...The mess the world in is explained and it isn't the fault of mankind for the most part. Forever more, we can say, "Satan made me do it." You know, the bright and morning star that tried to become God but lost.

It was mostly the Catholic St. Jerome in the fourth century who mistranslated the Hebraic metaphor, "Day star, son of the Dawn," as "Lucifer," and over the centuries an evolution of ideas took place. Lucifer the morning star became a disobedient angel, cast out of heaven to rule eternally in hell mostly waiting for all Non-Catholics, but later all Non-Protestants too. Now the Church had it's Prince of the Power of the Air, the Prince of Darkness, the God of this world, The Roaring Lion, the Fallen Angel, the former Day star (because if you know where to look, Venus can even be seen in the daytime)...gone bad.

Interesting enough, even Jesus, well the Jesus of Revelation who bears no likeness to the Jesus of the Gospels, identifies himself as the morning star, a term used as a central theme in many Christian sermons. Jesus refers to himself as the morning star in Revelation 22:16: "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star."

So here we have it. Humans could never quite explain why this bright "star" we know as the planet Venus, preceded the morning Sun as if to announce it's arrival, but then crashed back to earth. Very strange! Let's make up a story! 

This bright light, an Angel, the Lightbringer and minor deity compared to the SUN, really went bad and decided to knock the SUN GOD, and later the SON of GOD, off the throne, which is where the SUN rises to when it becomes the MOST HIGH at NOON. God, not putting up with that, simply threw Lucifer, now Satan or the Destroyer, back down to earth where he belongs and humans can get stuck with him until the SON of the SUN God comes back to destroy the works of the Light Bringer now gone dark. Great story! In Isaiah 14, this haughty king was acting just like that in thinking he could knock Israel out of the picture, he lost, was thrown down and died, just like that planet Venus every morning.

19 But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcass trodden under feet.

In the real story of the real human king of Isaiah 14, we see he dies like all mortal men and is not well thought of for thinking he could challenge Israel. In verse 19 we read, "But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcass trodden under feet. 20 Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned." Graves, carcasses, pits, burials and oblivion are all features of what happens to humans, not Angels or mini-gods.

So when you see Venus early in the morning when you drive to work and think either a train if low enough or a plane looking for place to land is coming right at YOU, know that's only the Light Bringer, Lucifer, later your arch nemesis Satan, announcing "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall" 

 Notice it doesn't say "Son". Think of wings more like rays and you'll get the picture. That planet Vensus, so beautiful is explaining a phenomenon that we take for granted to human beings long ago who feared such things and simply had to come up with a theology to explain it. Now you can say you saw Satan fall as lightening from heaven too.

It also cast doubt on Lucifer actually being any literal being in the pantheon of the gods and demons. 

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Bonus Astro-Theology of the Scriptures.


Ezekiel 10

11...The cherubim went in whatever direction the head faced, without turning as they went. 

14 Each of the cherubim had four faces: One face was that of a cherub, (Revelation defines this as "an ox", the second the face of a human being, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.



6: In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. (Stars in the surrounding night sky)

7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. 

8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. (Stars in the night sky around the constellation)

Clearly, Ezekiel had no idea what a Cherubim looked like, so he took his Ques from the four equidistant constellations of the FOUR SEASONS.  Ezekiel did know his Constellations.

Winter is Aquarius-The Water Man. ie. "Face of a man".  Three months later, Spring is Taurus the Bull. i.e. "an ox". Three months later is Summer-Leo. i.e. "like a lion". Three months later is Fall-Aquila the Eagle. i.e. "Like an Eagle". 

Ezekiel puts his seasonal order as Spring, Winter, Summer, Fall

Revelation puts the seasonal order as Summer, Spring, Winter, Fall

But clearly, the Cherubim were drawn from the seasonal constellations in the night sky familiar to the author of Ezekiel and Revelation. 
It is no coincidence 

"As Above, So Below"