Dennis Says: "Dear Church of God Ministry"

Dear Church of God Ministry

This will be very short and to the point.  I would sincerely like to recommend  you read Dr Raymond Brown's classic and very well done volumes on The Death of the Messiah before you give another sermon on just what did or did not happen in the Gospel accounts of Jesus death. 

Having been there, I recall the endless arguments over 13th or 14th Passover and all the associated issues and contradictions that everyone tried so hard to correlate and harmonize.  I realize you have no clue as to how we got the Gospels, who actually wrote them and when, much less why but grow up or at least grow in your knowledge if you can't grow in your grace towards others. 

The Death of the Messiah

Next Christmas, when you get all swoozy over the birth stories of Jesus, you can move on to...

The Birth of the Messiah

Warm regards

Dennis

denniscdiehl@AOL.com  

Ron Weinland: My Church is a Tithe of the Tithe of the Tithe of the One Third of the Two Thirds

These past few weeks the Church of God's most favored felon, Ron Weinland, has been writing missives from his prison cell.  In his delusional mind he compares himself to Paul when he too was imprisoned.  Each rant from the jail cell shows a mind that is deteriorating rather quickly.

Today he has a rather long rant about "deliverance from Egypt" that he has sent to his little flock.  His little flock is so little because it is a tithe of the tithe of the tithe of the one third who have remained in a Church of God after what he calls the apostasy.  While 10% may have went into various of the 600 some Churches of God, only the TRUE remnant, a tithe of the tithe, went into his group.

"After the Abomination of Desolation, approximately one-third of the Church remained in the Worldwide Church of God that had then become completely Biblically corrupt (or they accepted the same kind of beliefs of other false churches in traditional Christianity), one-third gave up completely, and one-third went into the various organizations that formed afterward. That last third was to endure further trials, mirroring what God said about Laodicea. Within all this spiritual destruction, God prophesied that a tithe (ten percent) of a third would survive captivity within this end-time destruction and be offered to become His remnant Church that would continue to the very end."

"Yet in the midst of the destruction from this end-time apostasy, God promised to awaken ten percent of a third as a witness of what God was doing, and as a witness of what the scattered Church would do during Laodicea and the time of His final witness. "

"The final third was scattered and eventually formed into over 600 different groups and organizations. Yet these were not shocked into repentance after the apostasy and the same sword went among them as they drifted spiritually into a deeper unrepentant Laodicea attitude. These too fell into complete spiritual sleep. 

All three groups went back into the spiritual captivity of Egypt and became enslaved in spiritual bondage once again. Yet in the midst of this captivity, God promised a remnant protection from the captivity that had so quickly engulfed the Church. Although this small group was promised protection and that they could survive the captivity of the others, they were to be thrust into trials and tested to see who could remain as part of the remnant to the return of Jesus Christ. “You shall also take a few in number and bind them in you wings” (Ez. 5:3). There was special protection and intervention from God for each person who was offered to become part of this remnant."

"God offered protection and survival from captivity to a tithe (ten percent) of a third of all who went into captivity. Once put to the test, all did not hold fast to what God offered them. Although the Church did not understand it through this period of time, we knew that the Church was holding near a count equal to a tithe of the tithe in number (ten percent of the ten percent of a third)."

"God’s promise to ten percent of a third of the physical nations of Israel is His minimum promise to them. The number can be more and it can be less, and it will still fulfill what God has said. The final numbers will be a result of their own response. In the worst of response, as with the result of the Church, God promised He would grant protection and survival to 10% of a third, but 90% rejected it. The physical nations of Israel will have the same choice before them. However, with these nations, God has specifically been working to bring them to the best possible moment and condition that will lend itself to a positive choice and acceptance of His offer. This final number can also be larger, but under all conditions it is God’s minimum promise to offer deliverance to 10% of a third.

Ever since the apostasy, the Church has been experiencing great tribulation, but it is nearly over and physical tribulation is about to begin in this final Day of the Eternal."

In spite of all the above absurdities there are still many in Armstrongism today who claim that the Church is 100%logical and 100% correct in all things.   As the years go by we see more and more COG leaders go off the deep end into "never-never land."

Thiel: Pesky Demons Continue To Harass Prophet

The non-ordained self-appointed prophet Thiel has a new video up on what it is to be a REAL Christan.  Of course the entire point is there there are no REAL Christians outside his personality cult.  He particularly despises Christians in the world as he mocks then and calls them "fakes."

This video is just another in a pathetic stream of really BAD production quality "sermons.".  You get to hear the demons wheezing, gurgling,  moaning and speaking in tongues throughout the video as the prophet bumbles, mumbles and stumbles trying to get his message across.  If this is what a REAL Christian sounds like, then I am NOT interested!

The more videos he  makes like this the more idiotic he is looking.  Where's the "Ambassador Quality" that the church has always been known for?  He comes across looking like a bigger buffoon than Raymond "Buffy" McNair ever was!

The funnest part is at 3:14-3:20 when the speaking in tongues happens.

Melvin Rhodes Says He Is Nauseated

The disgraced former leader of the United Church of God has started a new blog where he weighs in on almost everything.  I guess once you are a COG leader who was expected to be an authority upon everything it is a hard path to give up.

Melvin is particularly upset with the stories of the new Pope and the press calling him the
"...the personal representative on earth of Jesus Christ."

I’m nauseated by the coverage of the change in the papacy.

It’s not that I have a problem with the new pope, because I don’t.  He seems a very humble man and his focus on the poor is commendable.

What’s wrong is not even his fault.

I’m talking about the constant references to the “fact” that he is the personal representative on earth of Jesus Christ.

It’s also frequently said that he is the 266^th pontiff, a direct successor to St. Peter, who started the Catholic Church.

If that’s true, then Peter has a lot to answer for!

That is pretty rich coming from a Church of God minister and church leader.  The ministry, through the example of Herbert Armstrong, has claimed that they are the voice of the TRUE God on the earth. The members are to obey their words as if God was speaking directly to them.

Melvin is also upset with this:

At great length, he explains that the papacy’s claim to go right back to Jesus Christ is inaccurate and a convenient misreading of scripture.   (I will post something on this on another day.)  The legitimacy of the Church is based on this claim and gives them a big advantage over other churches – but it is totally, biblically and historically without basis!

We hear the exact same hot air form the Churches of God!  That's the claim thrown out  almost daily that the COG goes directly back to Jesus Christ.  The legitimacy of the Church of God lies solely in this claim - but it is totally, biblically and historically without basis!

Will we soon see blog entries on adultery and sexually inappropriate activities of the ministry?

William Koeneke: Church of the Eternal God Minister Convicted of Four Counts Child Molestation

The Eastbourne Herald is reporting about a former deacon in the Worldwide Church of God who was convicted for child molestations. Koeneke is a minister in the Church of the Eternal God, also known as Global Church of God in England and the Church of God, A Christian Fellowship in Canada.  He has ties to Raymond McNair, Wray Zehrung, Rod Meredith,  Norbert Link and Ed Pope.  He has also co-authored booklets promoting the myth of British Israelism and the supposed prophecies in the book of Revelation, among many others.

Former deacon who assaulted boys is jailed

Published on 26/03/2013 12:19
An 86-year-old former church deacon has been jailed for eight years for indecent assault on young boys more than 20 years ago.

William Koeneke (pictured), 86, of Pevensey Road, Eastbourne was convicted at Isleworth Crown Court on March 12 of four counts of indecent assault on boys under the age of 16.

He committed the assaults on the boys when he was working at the Worldwide Church of God (WCG).
He was a deacon at the church and would often deliver sermons.

Koeneke befriended and assaulted the four young victims between 1985 and 1989 at an address in Paddington.

He was jailed for eight years and placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life. A Sexual Offences Prevention Order was also imposed. Koeneke was arrested in December 2011 following allegations made by the four victims, who are now in their 30s.

In 2010 this degenerate wrote an article about suffering.  Did this pervert have an inkling of what was in store for him?  Was he trying to minimize the damage he caused these four men in the Church of God?

Koeneke wrote:

Unfortunately, trials may tend to breed a sense of doubt, bewilderment, depression, and even of anger and frustration. They can lay heavily on our minds, whether they come upon us suddenly as when an accident occurs, or whether they creep up on us gradually, as when a sickness takes hold and lingers, and we may wonder: “Have I sinned? Is that why I’m suffering?” It is always good to ask ourselves this question, but sometimes, individual sin may not be the reason for our trial.  

Was he trying to shame these four men into thinking that they were suffering because of sin in their lives that caused him to molest them?  That is the method of intimidation many molesters use. It was their fault.  They tempted him some how.

For those of us called by God, the hardest trials are those which occur seemingly in spite of our faithfulness to God’s Word. But we should keep in mind, as David tells us: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them ALL” (Psalm 34:19). And Paul tells us: "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).

Was he telling these four young men to use their "trial" as an opportunity for growth instead of becoming bitter over it?

Trials can lead to either spiritual growth or bitterness. The response of those who suffer determines the result. We as Christians are bound to experience trials in order for us to demonstrate our faith in God and His promises. Our faith needs to be tried in order for it to be strengthened. Trials should never be a reason to dispense with faith—faith that comes to us through Jesus Christ. 

The trials we suffer from time to time do tend to try our patience and our faith, and necessarily so. In a familiar verse Peter exhorts us: “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you [in effect] partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy" (1 Peter 4:12-13).

How do we cope in the meantime? We will find encouragement when we accept a three-pronged solution to our trials, i.e. faith in God’s promises (compare Psalm 34); obedience toward His laws; and patience. They all go hand-in-hand.

In another article he wrote on "Sympathy" he says:

I watch a number of newscasts on television and I find myself thinking about the events broadcast, including, for example, updates on the plight of the little Scottish girl Madeleine McCann kidnapped in Portugal over four years ago and yet still not found. One might blame the parents for being remiss in looking after this innocent little girl, now 8 years old, leaving her alone in their holiday apartment while they dined nearby. Yet that does not excuse the kidnapper nor lessen the agony of the parents or the child. I have prayed that God will give the Portuguese and British and other authorities who are looking for her an extra portion of insight and police intelligence in being able to find Madeleine and that she may be brought home to her parents and the kidnapper(s) brought to justice.

As I quite often jest, if there wasn’t so much crime and bad news these days there wouldn’t be any newspapers!... Wars in the Middle East and North Africa, volcanic eruptions here and there, increasing budget and inflationary pressures, earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, droughts and famines etc. all come to mind. It seems we are swamped with all sorts of bad news—and we in the Church know the reasons why—and our prayers should plead for the return and intervention of Jesus Christ to alleviate the suffering and death which continue to strike mankind in all sorts of ways and with greater frequency.

In the light of all these disturbing events, we in the Church need to avoid being insular or oblivious to the problems of those outside the Church.  Here in the UK where I live I quite often come upon old people having to cope with a cane or walking frame or mobility cart or who are deformed in some way, or blind, and I thank God that I am not likewise encumbered while sympathising with such people and praying silently for them as I walk on by.

As we ourselves suffer trials, such trials can help us to become more sympathetic and empathetic with others going through similar difficulties. When was the last time you expressed your thoughts and prayers in sympathy with such people and in absolute faith that God heard your prayer? David tells us: “The LORD is gracious and full of compassion… and great in mercy” (Psalm 145:8; compare Philippians 2:4). Should we not, as God’s called-out ones, likewise be compassionate?  Indeed, for there is, truly, so many for whom we can, and should, offer our prayers in heartfelt sympathy.