Dennis on: "But What If Dave Is Right and Stuff Happens?"

Come on...you've thought it.  "What if Dave IS right and he DOES have an inside track to God?  What then?"   First of all, not to worry, he's not and it won't but that being said, we all remember how the crowds mocked Noah, and for 120 years or so the story goes.  And it worked out just terrible for those folk.  (Don't worry about that story either.  It is a plagiarized version of the Sumerian Tale of Gilgamesh but that's a whole other story).  But we know somewhere, that story is being quoted to make the faithful say, "oh yeah...that's true."

 

The average Church of God member of any splinter has any number of examples burned into their minds of the bad results that can come from the common man speaking up to illogical power.  The entire Exodus is one big "Moses, no one believes you and we are thirsty" story.  Korah and his kin get a bit fed up with Moses, which in my mind would be natural, but that's not how the story goes.  We all know the last thing Korah heard from Moses was, "Well Korah, with ideal like that one, really big things are OPENING UP for you," and the rest is history, sorta but probably not.  Even Miriam and Aaron had to be taught a few lessons on picking on Moses for leading them all out into the waste howling wilderness without a map.  Did you know it only actually takes 9 days to walk from Egypt to Israel.  Men never read maps.

We all know naughty boys made fun of Elisha as they mocked and scoffed at him, as boys are wont to do, with "Go up, go up bald man," as his mentor Elijah did, in the story, probably not.  Those bad boys got eaten by bears.  Some like to sugar coat the story and say the bears just tore 'em up a bit, but knowing YHVH, I'm going to go with eaten alive.  Never scoff at the Man of God.

I'm sure time would fail us and the Bible could not contain all the mockings and scoffings the prophets endured, which actually they well deserved as many of their own imaginings did not come to pass.  Egypt never was vacated for 40 years and the Nile never really dried up and so on.  In the New Testament, you didn't pick on the Apostles but they were less aggressive towards the brethren.  They just called them names and as Paul said, he wished they'd cut off their binkies if they were going to be circumcised.  Paul  said he  blessed when he got cursed, but then in other places he pronounces curses on his critics so with Paul it depends on the day of the week. Pharisees got rather miffed at Jesus but he did not strike them dead or turn them into lepers as far as I can tell.  The gang of 12 wanted fire brought down on the scoffers, but Jesus calmed them down. Jesus was a gentle guy  and not given to revenge .  He did get a bit miffed at being called a bastard in John 8 however and said their father was Satan, so he was not above payback. 

The Apostle Peter is said, by Luke who was Paul's buddy, to have struck down two church members who didn't pony up with the funds promised from the sale of land.  I can see Dave trying this on some who have done the same with their pledges.  But if you know me at all, I think that was a private joke on Peter and a not so subtle bash that the readers of Acts would get and we don't after all this time.  Basically,  Annanias and Sapphira get struck down for saying they would do one thing, give all, and did another, held back.  This by the "Great Apostle Peter" who said he would do one thing, never leave Jesus and did another, denied him.  LOL   Don't follow Peter would be the message for those with ears to hear.  So we can dismiss this threatening case of take that you reprobate.  

At any rate, I know some of you are wondering what would happen if Dave is right?  What if the Field of Dreams fills up for the opening game at the Feast?  What if Three COG ministers literally die on the same day? Oh my oh my, we won't be able to explain that away.  (I suggest no three COG ministers ride together until September maybe?)  To be honest, I have been taking more care of myself this month than most.  Taking vitamins, walking Chewie my Shih Tzu a bit more and being nice to my friends.  I meditate a bit more and am getting my sleep.  But to be honest, when I feel a twitter or tweek in my chest or I cough, I do wonder if I am on the list.  While longevity is a trait in my family, if something happens to me, I didn't like it.  I'm just saying.  I willingly give up any chance I have for the big three to Dr. Bob Thiel who would probably be tickled to be chosen.  

So, off to work and didn't want to not address this topic that I KNOW lurks beneath the surface of the God Haunted.  

So hear we go....Oh Magic 8 Ball....Is Dave really Joshua the High Priest as spoken of by the Prophet Haggai and will this stuff he reports as being from you not him going to happen this month as he says?

 Contact Dennis at DennisCDiehl@aol.com

Philadelphia Church of God: Parents Must Start Reading Leviticus 23 to Children Who Cannot Read Prior to Feast

The spiritual abuse continues to run unabated in the Philadelphia Church of God. Children who cannot read have to be set down and read to from Leviticus 23 prior to going to the Feast this year.

PCG force feeds the law down their children throats but yet never reads to them about Jesus.  Don't expect any sermons at the Feast about Jesus either. I don't recall the name being brought up at most Feast sites I have been to over the decades, so it sure won't be happening at PCG's either.  If Jesus is mentioned it will be in passing and somehow tied to the law, or that he is coming back really, really pissed and is going to kill 2/3's of humanity because his Dad is pissed too.

Are the scriptures about God’s holy days, especially the Feast, deeply etched into your heart? Does knowing God’s masterful holy day plan give you goosebumps? If so, it will not be hard for you to want to pass that same knowledge, emotions and feelings on to your child. Remember, children are great imitators. If you talk about what God has taught you with excitement and joy with your children, they will want to know and talk about it too.

However, you must teach your children what God says about the Feast from His Bible. How deeply you go into the scriptures will depend on the age of your child. Yet, every child should know well Leviticus 23—the premier holy day chapter in the Bible. Older children and teens should have its salient parts memorized. In fact, memorizing the scriptures related to the holy days is great preparation for the Feast.

Don’t skip over your little ones. Take your youngest children, even those who cannot yet read, into your lap and read Leviticus 23 to them. Point to verse 1 to show your child that God personally spoke these words to Moses, the first leader of ancient Israel. Point to verse 2 and show them that God told Moses to teach the children of Israel about the holy days. Then be sure to instruct them about what a privilege it is to know about and be able to keep God’s Feast.

Leap then goes on with this:

Be sure to explain to your children that Jesus Christ is going to return to this Earth and build an entirely new world founded on God’s law of love, the Ten Commandments...

No he's not! The 10 commandments are not part of that new world, not as long as Jesus is around.

Even though the Feast is primarily for spiritual education (Isaiah 11:9), show your children that they can learn best about the millennium and the wonderful World Tomorrow by keeping the Feast. Explain to them that for eight days they will experience what it will be like to live during the millennium.

Yep, for eight days he gets to watch mommy and daddy revel in an alcoholic gluttonous frenzy of excess, particularly if daddy is a minister or elder.  Privilege does have its rewards. COG festival site restaurants and bars are well know in stocking up on their booze prior to the Feasts.


It's all about ingraining the law in your child so that they are to be obedient to the ministry of the PCG.  When they speak it is as if God is doing it.

Obedience will be the order of the day during the millennium. Show them specifically that you and your family attend the Feast in order to obey God (Leviticus 23:2). Discuss that your family is able to attend the Feast because you obey God’s tithing laws (Deuteronomy 14:22). Then explain to them that when your family goes to the Feast you will obey all the instructions and rules made during announcements. Carefully explain that they should strive to be obedient to you always, but especially during the Feast—not only for their safety and well-being but also for the welfare of everyone else attending the Feast.

Is it any wonder the COG's are facing an enormous 20/30 something drain?  Why would any young adult subject themselves to this kind of legalistic bullshit?

The End Is Coming In 2026!!!!!!!!!!

Armstrongism has always loved to set and/or speculate about dates.  You would think by 2013 that they would have sense enough to stop doing it.  Every single one of their predictions have failed.

Now some COGers are looking at 2026 as the big date when it all happens:

Something else to ponder along with this train of thought is that it has been long thought that The End had to come by 1996, this was based on the mindset that it would be 2,000 yrs since Christ's birth. You have 2k yrs from creation to the promise being made to Abraham. Now what was the next important event to unfold? Christ's birth? Personally I would say no. The next event that had to take place was Christ overcoming Satan and qualifying to take over the throne of the Earth. That would have to have happened sometime around 26 A.D. 2,000 yrs in the future will take you to 2026. 40 yrs after Mr Armstrong died will once again take you to 2026.

Ron Weinland: Is Ron Suffering From Mental Health Issues While In Prison?

Ron Weinland, aka Weinerdude (not the New York version), has written another letter from prison as it was dictated to Bubba, Ron's bunk buddy.

Ron has this to say about the sins of the fathers dumped upon the children of the 3 and 4th generation.

Although the experience of physical pain in human life can be very unpleasant, the actual pain from suffering within the human mind can be much greater. Mental and emotional suffering come from a vast array of causes, all of which stem from sin and the curses that mankind has brought upon themselves. Many of these are simply passed down generation to generation or have even come as a result of what has been handed down from degenerating bodies (genes) as a result of curses and sin.

Ron is apparently suffering him self from mental health issues while in prison.  There seems to be a bunch of mean, nasty bloggers out there that are picking on him and making him the laughing stock of hte Church of God.

Ron is also suffering because of the disloyalty of many in his shrinking cult.  They refused to stick by as he sits in jail for 3 1/2 years.

Ron lists a laundry list of things that can cause mental health issues:

Although it is only very partial, the following list shows the kind of depth for causes and effects to human suffering and wrong experiences in life that cause such suffering (mental, emotional, and physical): betrayal, angry encounters, jealousy, envy, loss of the life of loved ones, sexual abuse, verbal abuse, arguments, false accusations, racism, robbery, countless diseases, cheating, adultery, fornication, HIV, rage, cancers, financial loss and struggle, obesity, depleted and contaminated foods, countless additives and chemicals in foods, indebtedness, divorce, unemployment, hostile work environment, oppression, murders, thefts, warfare, gossip, gambling addiction, oppressive government, corruption in government and business, false accusations, being maligned, daily pressures and stress of life, bloggers who lie, disloyalty, bad relationships, drug addiction, alcoholism, road rage, terrorism, pornography, greed, misuse of the Internet, malnutrition, deformities, bullying, controlling, fearfulness, phobias, evil, etc., etc. How many of these have been part or much of your experience in life? There seems to be no end to the means for human suffering that occupies so much of life. The real curses of life are overflowing, especially in this age of technology where sin is so easily multiplied.  

Dennis on: "Diabolical Mimicry"

The father Tertullian  used the diabolical mimicry excuse to explain the close similarity
 between Christianity and the pre-existing cults at the time. 

"The devil, whose business is to pervert the truth mimics the exact circumstances of the Divine Sacraments. He baptises his believers and promises forgiveness of  sins from the Sacred Fount, and thereby initiates them into the religion of Mithras. Thus he celebrates the oblation of bread, and brings in the symbol of resurrection. Let us therefore acknowledge the craftiness of the devil, who copies certain things of those that be Divine".

The similarity between Christianity and the Pagan Mysteries (Osirus-Dionysus, Horus, Mythras, Iris etc) so disturbed some of the early Christian fathers, such as Justin Martyr (100 -165 CE), that some of them have to resort to the most bizarre of reason to explain the similarity to the Pagan cults. This is what Celsus had to say about early Christianity;

"Are these distinctive happenings unique to the Christians - and if so, how are they unique? Or are ours to be accounted myths and theirs believed? What reasons do the Christians give for the distinctiveness of their beliefs? In truth there is nothing at all unusual about what the Christians believes, except that the believe it to the exclusion of more comprehensive truths about God".

 http://www.nairaland.com/113860/origin-christianity-diabolical-mimicry-anticipation

According to the early church apologists, Satan has been copying and anticipating God's every move in history and has the tendency to counterfeit God's moves before He makes them to confuse the faithful when the "Real Truth" comes along.  Thus the term "Diabolical Mimicry."  Diabolical mimicry is found even in science with Satan having buried the bones of "dinosaurs" to fool unbelievers  and giving earth the appearance of age older than the Bible might note to confuse the elect. 

In actual fact, it is just a religious way for those so inclined to deny unpleasant and inconvenient truths about reality that contradict their own perceptions of God, the world and in the case of Dave Pack, Apostle, Not Prophet Just Informer and Joshua the High Priest of the Restored Church of God, his own petty and self centered religious over reaching..

“But those who hand down the myths which the poets have made, adduce no proof to the youths who learn them; and we proceed to demonstrate that they have been uttered by the influence of the wicked demons, to deceive and lead astray the human race. For having heard it proclaimed through the prophets that the Christ was to come, and that the ungodly among men were to be punished by fire, they put forward many to be called sons of Jupiter, under the impression that they would be able to produce in men the idea that the things which were said with regard to Christ were mere marvelous tales, like the things which were said by the poets.” Justin Martyr, First Apology

The Christian Church has had to deal with the many similarities between itself and paganism as it did not take a genius to see that both shared a common story about their god-men.

• First-born Son of God Miracle worker (walked on water, raised the dead)

• Had 12 disciples Born of a virgin, in a manger, on December 25th

• Shepherds and wise men followed a star to worship him

• Taught people to love each other, turn the other cheek

• Offers eternal life to those who believe

• Was crucified for our sins

• Buried for three days, descended to Hell for three days

• Came back to life, ascended into heaven

• Will come again to judge the living and the dead

• Seated at the right hand of the Father

• Followers have a baptism and a ritual meal involving his body and blood.

Regarding the nature of the Eucharist, many critics say that Pagan mystery cults may have had a ritual meal of wine and bread, but there is no proof that they considered them to be the body and blood of their savior. Actually, the specific rituals, sacraments and customs of the early Church were identical to other mystery cults, including the Eucharist.

“Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, said, “This do ye in remembrance of Me, this is My body;” and that, after the same manner, having taken the cup and given thanks, He said, “This is My blood;” and gave it to them alone. Which the wicked devils have imitated in the mysteries of Mithras, commanding the same thing to be done. For, that bread and a cup of water are placed with certain incantations in the mystic rites of one who is being initiated, you either know or can learn.” Justin Martyr, First Apology

“He who will not eat of my body and drink of my blood, so that he will be made one with me and I with him, the same shall not know salvation.” An inscription to Mithras"

http://www.holyblasphemy.net/diabolical-mimicry/

All this to note that now David C Pack of the Restored Church of God is claiming Diabolical Mimicry is at work to deceive the very elect about his awesome and overarching  self in the coming of the new Pope Francis and his Christian antics so called .  Satan has to mimic Dave's girdworlderling self and work somewhere, so it may as well be Rome.  According to Pack in The Final Announcement

"A Powerful Counterfeit

Regarding the “foolish shepherd” of Zechariah 11:15-17, this figure appears to already be on the scene. Remember, the devil counterfeits EVERYTHING of God—every doctrine, every tradition, and every prophecy, as well as of course Christianity itself. Now reflect briefly on the elements of Haggai and Zechariah. Next think of the new man living in Rome. 
As with God’s purpose in this prophecy, this man is also

(1) addressing the rich, (Dave talks to rich people.  He even takes their money)

(2) reaching out to the poor  (No similarity here)

(3) already using miracles, (Ditto...)

(4) “casting out” demons, (Ditto 2...)

(5) seeking to unify his flock, (Weird way to do it Dave...)

(6) overtly seeking to preach his gospel worldwide, (Ok, give you this one.  Dave is overt)

 (7) spreading the “kingdom of God” worldwide (the true Church preaches it worldwide),

(sigh...ok, will give you this one depending what true means..)

(8) teaching that all with the Holy Spirit will come to unity and to the Roman Catholic Church,

(and the Baptists, and the Presbyterians and the Episcopalians and the Pentecostals, and the Adventists and Methodists but not Joe Tkach)

(9) teaching that all must come under one leader,

(Mercy Dave...Hitler taught that as well as Mao, Stalin and Pol Pot)

(10) emphasizing faith and truth working together for Christians to survive the age,

(E-Food Direct does the same along with Alex Jones on Infowars)

 (11) teaching how love and truth must also work together, that neither can stand alone,

(Ummm...Dave,  you said "love"   Bzzzzzzzzzzzzz..thanks for playing)

 (12) suggesting that Millennial peace, abundance and joy lies just ahead for all,

(So do all other religions far as I can tell in one form or another...)

(13) that Michael is the warrior archangel for the Roman Catholic Church,

(Ever ask why all Bible Angels are male but all Gift Shop Angels are Female?  Sorry, off topic)

(14) that he must fight on behalf of Rome because the devil is resisting the Catholic church,

(And you must fight on behalf of Wadsworth why again?)

(15) emphasizing “mercy” on all categories of people, and finally

(Oh Dave...you can't use that word either.  We have never seen you emphasize this word.  Please reread your 35 ways to neuter a COG minister screed)

(16) exhorting all believers starting with priests to more openly practice the spirit of giving and serving.(Um Dave....you called a lot of sincere men a lot of names and imputed a lot of motives to them they simply don't have so you can drop that "giving" and "serving" none sense as your message to them.  You threaten people who compete with you like a Chicago thug.

We would say some or many of these things were good if the context were different—if it were describing GOD’S CHURCH. However, if you are not reading the headlines of today, then the tremendous BLAST of this ongoing and developing PARALLEL now at work across the world (since early March) is being lost to you. If YOU have not known what God is planning, you should ask why it seems the DEVIL does know—and why he is so obviously COUNTERFEITING the Haggai/Zechariah prophecy NOW!

(Dave seems to like the number 16 as that is the number of the Restored Kiss Up Council.  I would have thought 12 or 24 would have been more appropriate)

Sadly and of course, as Dr. Bob might say, Dave is making theological, religious and personal connections between himself and Pope Francis that don't actually exist in time and space.  No Satan has brought Pope Francis "for such a time as this" to deceive the very elect from following David C Pack.  How stupid is that?   That's like Matchbox Toys crying copyright infringement on Lambrogini for introducing their new 2013 model

This.....

Does not equal this.............

And this..........

Is not the false mimicry of this...

If anything, this....

Is the Diabolically Mimicked and not well done copy of...

This.. and this...

and this...and this....

and  much closer to this...

...if this  Joshua the High Priest spoken of by the Prophet Haggai non-sense and ego centric  theology doesn't stop soon.  Oh sorry, I forgot....it will in September.

 Contact Dennis at DennisCDiehl@aol.com