Why Is My Tithing Not Working?

ht: SHT

Desperate COG Prophet Still Seeking To Legitimize Himself

Of the many aspects, you read about prophets in the Hebrew Scriptures, no a single one of them spent half of his waking hours each day tryi9ng to prove to others that he was legitimate. Deep down they knew they had a calling and went forth to the world, no holds barred.  Their God spoke directly through them.  Not so much today in 2018 though.

Today the Church of God is filled with a myriad of mentally disturbed men who think they are conduits of God's word.  They have no qualms about lying to church members with one absurd false prophecy after another.  Many of these believe they are God's prophet and don't have a second thought about it. Well, that is except for one.

That leads us to our favorite eternally-bitter, self-appointed prophet, Almost-arrested but not-arrested Bawana Bob Thiel.  Bawana Bob is once again dragging Norm Edwards into this legitimization process.

The Great Bawana to Africa writes:

Norman Edwards, a former board member of the old Global Church of God, wrote an article Need Prophets More than Prophecy. Norman Edwards granted me permission to post the article in its entirety (because of potential copyright issues, I rarely post articles in their entirety unless permission has been given/suggested). The following is from a file Norman Edwards emailed me:

Need Prophets more than Prophecy

by Norman Scott Edwards, Shepherd’s Voice Magazine

This writer can still remember the excitement he felt when he first heard a preacher explain that the Bible was a prophetic book, and we could understand the events of our time in advance by reading it. The preacher explained that the prophecies of the Bible were complicated and often symbolic. He also said a firm grasp of world history was necessary to properly distinguish the fulfilled prophecies from the ones in the future. This task obviously exceeded the capability of fledgling Christians, so I needed to get his booklet on the subject. And so many others have had a similar experience, and were excited to take in the book, video or seminar where the future events of prophecy were all explained for them.

The article is quite long after this.

Bawana Bob, Prophet to Africa then continues:

Norman Edwards runs the Church Bible Teaching Ministry and has been the editor for Shepherd’s Voice magazine. He is not part of the Continuing Church of God, where, I function as its human leader (and am an ordained prophet; the only known such prophet in any legitimate Church of God group).

Seriously?  Yes, you did just read that unadulterated nonsense!

While Norman Edwards and I have long disagreed about aspects of church governance and various matters of doctrine (and I would have suggested a different title, etc. for his article), we both agree that many who are in or claim to be in the Church of God (COG) wrongly do not accept that God has any prophets today. We also agree that most have severe difficulty to identify one who really is a prophet because of various unscriptural biases and improper criteria that they have. 

Because of false prophets in a couple of COG-related groups and a disbelief in prophets by most of the COG groups, the non-Philadelphian COGs have a lot of severe prophetic misunderstandings.

As if Norm Edwards seriously believes that Bawana Bob is a real prophet.  I am certain though that Norm does believe there are false prophets presently leading several COG's.  That is an easy deduction for about 80% of the people in the COG today.

As the people of old ignored John the Baptist, the Church of God today ignores Bawana Bob.

As Norman Edward’s article points out, it is scriptural to now have prophets according to the New Testament. But many who truly believe that they live by the word of God have discounted or overlooked what the Bible actually teaches and/or have been influenced by others who have done the same or worse. The COG has at least one demonstrably true prophet today, yet most in the greater COG world seem to be able to ignore the truth about that, like most ignored John the Baptist and others in their day.

The Church of God today ignores Bawana Bob because everyone knows he is a liar.  When he made such big deal about a false double blessing to legitimize his apostacy from the Living Church of God, the red flags went up for most church members.  Bawana Bob knew he needed to make the first step before Rod Meredith kicked him out. Gaylyn Bonjour's innocent prayer has turned into a doctrine for the 2,900 members he has in Africa.

Has there ever been a prophet in the church that spent 99% of his time talking about himself? Other than Dave Pack, is there any other COG leader who is so self-absorbed?

Discerning false prophets 

We should learn from this and ensure that the prophets among us are authentic. The Bible teaches that we will know the true from the false by their fruit (Matthew 7:15). We are able to test through the discerning of spirits (one of the spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12) and through perceiving their inner motives. We need to be able to recognise those who are false by discerning that they “inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). Let me explain. 

If we look carefully, we will say that their gift is being used to serve their own hunger or need (“ravenous wolves”). Their own need for recognition, honour and praise will be their motivation. They will not come primarily to freely serve, but will want seats of honour and power. They will lord it over people and love the fame that their gift gives, rather than being willing to serve without praise or recognition. They may, like the woman in Acts 16:15, prophecy for money. Instead of prophesying to serve the church freely (as Christ gave freely), they will demand a charge and so ‘serve’ for financial gain. Whether the church decides to bless them financially or not will make no difference to the authentic prophet. It will be their absolute joy to freely serve God’s people with their gift.

Another giveaway that we learn was that this woman was continually “shouting” (Acts 16:16-17 NIV). Shouting itself was not the problem; it was rather the continual drawing attention to herself. False prophets have a root of flesh in which Satan uses for his own purposes to keep the focus on man. When we become solely aware of the person and their gift, then we are watching a prophet drawing attention to themselves rather than pointing in awe and wonder to the Lord. Of course, true prophets can also have areas of immaturity and insecurity, but they will always point people to Christ.

Jesus!  Who the hell is he?  Bawana Bob certainly has no idea because, like false prophet James Malm, prostitutes himself to the law, Catholicism, Mayans, and hundreds and hundreds of irrelevant topics, instead of ever focusing upon what Jesus did and accomplished.

Bob Thiel is not a prophet. Norm Edwards has not certified him as a prophet, and even if he did, Edwards theories on prophets are of little importance to Christians today.

Tomorrows World: What It Means to Be Equal With God

"We will counsel and advise our Creator Father - we will have suggestions and opinions which will actually help God the Father"

Unbelievably, this is what we taught as the truth. That we would be EQUAL with God. And this was our aspiration - to rise to the level of which we had the ability to counsel God. 

Robert Kuhn wrote this article in 1971 in the "Tomorrow's World magazine". In the article Robert argues:

• Human beings would become individual personalities in "the God Family". 
• We were born with the express purpose of becoming equal with the Creator of the Universe
• We will become qualitatively equal with God, not quantitatively equal with God. 
• Being equal has nothing to do with power, intelligence, authority
• We will be changed into new, individual "God-Beings"

Read the entire article here: What It Means To Be Equal With God

Let's discuss this. 

Do you feel this was blasphemous? On track? Was this Satan's sin, or was this some kind of new inspiration? When you see this title, what is the first thing that comes into your mind? 

This doctrine was at the core of Armstrongism and is still taught by some of the Splinter groups today. As such, it's worthy to delve into. 

submitted by SHT

When Unconverted People Drop In, Let's Talk About All The Bad Stuff Going on!

Oh, the pangs of trying to keep the Law exactly. 

Unconverted friends (well, that's the first problem, isn't it) come over on the Sabbath. And the first thought is to dismiss them. But no one wants to do that. So, they do what every good COG person does - writes headquarters. 

The first suggestion? Guide the conversation to be constructive - like talking about World News. 

This had to have gone over well.

"Hi, Marcia! We'd just thought we'd drop over and see how your family is doing!"

"Oh, HI, Karen! We're doing great!"

"Good to hear! Hey, did you watch that episode of ______ Thursday night? What a hoot! When Billy Bob went...."

"Oh, Karen, yes, but let's talk about Beirut. Did you see what happened in Beirut? What an incursion!"

"...why would I want to talk about Beirut? Anyways, Billy Bob was SO funny! he..."

"Sixty five troops stepped over a mine and, oh yes, did you hear about the..."

I guess it'd be fun to see how that one went, wouldn't it? 

"Hey, did you hear about that episode of _____ Thursday night? What a hoot! When Billy Bob went...."

"Oh yes, he did go to the bar, I remember. And in the scriptures, it talks about the appearance of evil. See, it's right here, look here...."

Yes, it's keeping the Sabbath that sets you apart from everybody else, they teach. So no one needs to know this - tell your guests only the minimum about it. Can't have everyone set apart - they won't understand it anyway. But do tell them it's just not the day to socialize. 

"Hey did you hear about that episode of __________ Thutrsday night? What a hoot! When Billy Bob went..."

"Yeah, I heard about it, hey, this really isn't the day to socialize, I'm sorry, why not come back tomorrow..."

"We believe in the Sabbath, so yeah, I don't want to see you today."

This is my command, that you love one another, Jesus says.  

Just not today. 

(Letter Answering Department, 1961)

guest writer: SHT

Duplicity and Double Standards In The Church

article submitted by SHT

The Duplicity and Double Standard of Herbert Armstrong was prevalent in the life of Herbert Armstrong and his subjects in the Church. To illustrate the example of Herbert's "It's OK for me, but not for you" standards, allow me to illustrate two examples.

The first example I wish to bring forth is Herbert's divorce from Ramona back in the early 1980s. Herbert went through quite the ordeal with his short marriage with Ramona. But it was not unlike the many divorces that were not permitted in the church by others who had much of the same common situations as Herbert. 

Let's look at the culmination of the marital struggles with Herbert's acknowledgement of the situation to the brethren from a Co-Worker letter that was sent to the church. 

EXAMPLE 1: Divorce. 

But with deepest regret I have to say to you now, Mrs. Ramona Armstrong has refused to be at my side here in Pasadena headquarters or in further travel, but has insisted on living separately in Tucson. It has been determined by events, facts and fruits that I am not spiritually bound by God and only by man's law of this world.  Circumstances now render it ill-advised that I condone the continuation of the legal marriage, both from the Church point of view and of my own. It was my hope and effort to resolve the matter, and with the least publicity possible, for the benefit of the Church, for her and for myself. All attempts to do so have failed. It has therefore become necessary that I accede to the advice of Church legal counsel and file the necessary legal proceedings. I assure you every effort has been made, at cost of heavy stress on me personally, to avoid this.

   God HATES divorce. So do I. I have gone to every effort to prevent this. It would be inappropriate at this time that I state all the facts, but if necessary and proper later, I will reveal more.

   This matter of marriage and divorce has been of very serious concern to the Church, and to me personally. I had never known of a divorce in my own family as far back as I have record or knowledge. I lived 50 years with the wife of my youth — happily. I have made every effort to avoid this action that I hate. You may be sure, of course, that it is not taken except after every effort, continuous heartrending prayer, and completely in accordance with God's Word and teaching, and the teaching of God's Church, especially I Corinthians 7:12-lS.

   This determination SHOULD NOT BE USED AS A PRECEDENT TO ENCOURAGE OR JUSTIFY OTHER DIVORCES IN THE CHURCH.

With this example, Herbert's marriage to Ramona was deemed as "not spiritually bound by God". However. It is clear that if the exact same situations were to occur in marriages within the Church, then this decision "should not be used as a precedent...to justify other divorces". That's the definition of a double standard right there. It's ok for "me", but if you end up in the same situation, to you, it's sin.

I used the word "sin" because if someone goes against the minister and does it anyway, then it's rebellion against Government, rebellion against Church doctrine, and could get you in "trouble" for divorcing anyway if you were "advised" not to. 

Thirdly, if it is completely in accordance with God's Words and teaching, then why is it not precedent? 

Let's now look at the second example on baptism. 

Herbert Armstrong was baptized in a Baptist Church. Herbert says that through that baptism, he received God's Holy Spirit. 

Let's keep in mind that Herbert Armstrong regarded Baptist Churches as deceived, satanic, and cut-off from God. This, and of course, all other protestant, catholic - even Seventh-Day and Jehovah's Witnesses included in this mass judgement. Yet he, Herbert's baptism was deemed valid. But the official teachings of the Church taught differently:

EXAMPLE 2: Baptism

 However, notice that the one performing the baptism ceremony was a representative (though not necessarily an ordained minister) of the true Church of God in every New Testament case. This was the Church Jesus founded (Matthew 16:18).(All About Water Baptism)

If this was true, then Herbert was the very first exception to the rule, wasn't he? No Baptist minister was a representative of what Herbert considered an ordained minister of the true Church of God. 

   Yes, SATAN HAS SUBSTITUTED A FALSE CHRIST AND DIABOLICAL CUSTOMS. THOSE WHO OBSERVE THESE PAGAN CUSTOMS AND REJECT THE TEACHING OF CHRIST SHOW BY THEIR ACTION THAT THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT SALVATION REALLY IS! Satan has substituted a false baptism — a mechanical act which does not signify the burying of the old self. He has perverted the teaching of God that man must repent. - C Paul Meredith, Counterfeit Baptism Today

Here, the argument is made that Satan has substituted a "false Christ" by those who "Observe these pagan customs". 

There can be no argument made that the Baptist Church is most certainly classified as one of the churches that Herbert would regard himself as a church that "observes pagan customs". Therefore, by the Church's standard, Herbert was baptized in what the church taught, and what he considered a pagan church with a false baptism - especially since the Baptizer was not representative of "the true church of God". 

       After baptism in a worldly church, such people don't immediately begin to study and UNDERSTAND the Bible. They just continue to go along with the customs, the ways and the traditions of their friends and of this world. Their lives are not actually CHANGED. They don't come to personally KNOW GOD! Such people have NOT TRULY REPENTED, and their baptism was probably not valid! Their's was only a ritualistic "dunking" in the water. If you are wondering about your baptism, ask yourself WHY you were baptized in the first place. Were you baptized simply because many of the members of your family were baptized, and you felt looked down upon, or had that "left out" feeling? Did you stand in the water and go through the ordinance of baptism simply to "join" the group with whom you had been fellowshipping? Were you baptized because you temporarily thought it was the "right thing to do?"    If you were baptized for ANY of these reasons — YOUR BAPTISM WAS PROBABLY NOT A VALID BAPTISM,

The only reason in this missive why they had to add the word "probably" was because they were well aware of the fact Herbert was baptized in just such a church. Yet, because the belief was Herbert was the only one who understood, changed, and repented, his was deemed valid. However. I can find no example of any other person who was baptized in a "worldly church" who's baptism was deemed valid - except Herbert Armstrong. 

Yet, what was said to those with questions from the staff of the Plain Truth (ministry) who had been baptized into a worldly church?

You need to really repent and be baptized into Christ by a true servant of God in order to receive the Holy Spirit and be added to the body of Christ — the true Church (I Cor. 12:13).- Plain Truth Staff (The Bible Answers Short Questions From Our Readers)

Which goes back to what was quoted earlier - they according to the Church, there has never been an example where the baptism ceremony was not conducted by a representative of "the true church". 

Except Herbert Armstrong, the first one to do so by being baptized in a Baptist Church by a Baptist Minister. 

By the Church's own doctrine, then, Herbert should have been judged to have been baptized by what he considered and taught as a false, satanic, pagan church, breaking the entire baptismal succession of true ministers in the true church baptism according to the New Testament, and received a "false christ" in a "false baptism". 

Of course, since it's Herbert's Church, he was the exception to the rule, just like with the divorce from Ramona. 

This didn't stop just with these two examples. There have been many documented examples of the same duplicity in many other examples. So what was a person to do if they caught Herbert doing something that he told everyone else not to do? 

Say nothing, turn around, support Herbert Armstrong, and above all - tread carefully. 

Could this be why the current crop of Splinter Leaders think they can get away with so much? Because Herbert did it, and since Herbert did it, it must be okay? Following Herbert Armstrong as an example is a sure way to go down the road of wickedness and corruption. An idolatrous and hellish way to go - a rotten way and an attitude that Jesus himself warned repeatedly against.