Let the dead bury the dead...

Let The Dead Bury The Dead:

I will call the young boy Billy. I was about 8 years old and Billy was about my age. We were friends at church. Billy was diagnosed with leukemia, prayer requests were made for him at church and a few months later he no longer came to church.

At the FOT Billy and his parents showed up. They placed him on a pallet during the double services held each day. Sometimes he stayed in the First Aid tent. He couldn't walk, very pale in color and laid lifeless on his pallet. He had been anointed and prayer requests had been made. So, he was going to be okay.

Sometime during the feast, Billy died. His parents had great faith and had totally trusted in God for healing. The minister said during the announcements, he would be healed in the 2nd Rez. He went on to say, Billy's parents decided to stay for the rest of the feast. Billy's father is allowing his unconverted parents to bury him. Citing the verse, "let the dead bury the dead."

4 or 5 months later Billy's mother was disfellowshipped from the church. She had become bitter over her son's death and was now in the 'bonds of Satan." Billy's dad was still attending when we moved out of the area.

As an adult, I often wondered what the unconverted grandparent's reaction was. Getting a phone call that your grandson had died. BTW, please bury him for us. We're not coming to the funeral. We're staying for the rest of the feast.

From Facebook, used with permission

De-Con-Structing the Con

Here's a quick method of deconstructing the Con. To do this: 

You have to look past the religious facade (i.e. brainwashing) to see inside the looking glass:

1. Read the Co-worker letters without bias. Recognize the trends. Blank out the "double talk". Juxtapose these letters with the actual timeline of the Church. You will find that prophecies and fear mongering rise and fall with physical projects and finances. There was NEVER any truth to the prophecies. Notice the psychological manipulation and repetition throughout. Notice how there was ALWAYS a crisis or emergency all the way up to completion of his "master plan". (Also, count on two hands how many times Jesus was mentioned - or even thankfulness to God - in each of these letters.) 

2. Read HWA's Autobiography. Again. If you can bear it. Notice what is the focus of the Autobiography. You will find it is power, success, and how Herb got rich and successful. Notice how thoroughly he brags about secrets of money-making. Hobnobbing with millionaires. Desire of success, etc. etc... AGAIN, remove the religious facade and just read it for what it says. 

3. Notice that the peak of the College Building project and it's financial needs co-exist perfectly with the fear-mongering of the 1960s. Also notice that as soon as the Auditorium was completed, and the building project was over, the "Lake of Fire" threats suddenly took a large decline. Pay close attention to exactly how much planning went into the construction of the Master Plan of the college and exactly what was being told to the financial arm (YOU) to keep the money flowing. Consider how much of this were lies to you and gain to him. 

4. Learn what Herb actually did on his overseas trips. They were pleasure trips (around the world, etc.) masked in religiosity. Even his "World Leader Tours" were hobnobbing trips with important people with a touch of religious behavior to make it legitimate. Herb's trick was to make his funders believe what he was doing was divinely ordained.

5. The proof of all of this is in the Ambassador College Auditorium, it's story, the timeline, it's funding, and everything that led up to it. The truth is, the Auditorium was a gigantic idol - in the same idolatrous manner as the other shrines of Armstrongism. Some time ago I published a whole story about this, it might be a good time to re-run it.

6. Examine the current fruits. Look at exactly what the legacy of the entire movement has been. They are preaching from the same handbook, and sticking to the same formula. They are not successful because of a failure to adapt, selfish motives and instant internet accountability. 

7. Read the accounts - all of them - that you were not allowed to read in the past. Read the Ambassador Reports. 

8. Examine Herbert Armstrong. Truthfully, and honestly. Ask hard questions. Examine for yourself if he passes the "speaking presumptuously" religious test of Deuteronomy. Remember what he said WOULD happen compared to what DID happen. 

9. Examine the fruits of his son, Garner Ted, and the fruits of the entire "Ministry". 

10. And finally, examine and notice the strong materialistic pursuit of frivolous wealth and the treasures accumulated. If you are not sure, the link is on the banner above. You will find exactly where your hard-earned "tithe" money went.

Submitted by SHT

A Sabbath for All Christians

We find the first mention of the Sabbath in the second chapter of Genesis, the book of beginnings. After recounting how God created everything in six days in the first chapter, we read: "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." -Genesis 2:1-3, KJV, emphasis mine

In reading these verses, we immediately notice that the Sabbath is inextricably linked to the cessation of God's work and the act of resting. Likewise, we find that this notion is further reinforced when God introduces the Sabbath to the Israelites in the sixteenth chapter of Exodus. After giving them manna to eat, we read there: "And he [Moses] said unto them, This is that which the Lord hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein. And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the Lord: to day ye shall not find it in the field. Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none. And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. And the Lord said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? See, for that the Lord hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh day." -Exodus 16:23-30, KJV, emphasis mine

Then, when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, we find again that element of ending work and resting. We read there: "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." - Exodus 20:8-11, KJV, emphasis mine

Indeed, this notion of resting from one's work on the Sabbath is apparent throughout the writings of the Old Testament. But did this notion carry over to the New Testament? Is there any application of this principle for Christians?

We know that the earliest Christian churches were entirely Jewish, and that they continued to observe the Jewish Sabbath. However, as Christianity began to spread to Gentile populations who didn't have any personal knowledge of the Sabbath or any tradition of observing it, the relevance of the Sabbath declined rapidly as Jewish Christians became a minority within the church. And this is the situation that was taken up by the anonymous author of the epistle to the Hebrews.

After admonishing his audience to "consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus" (Hebrews 3:1, KJV), the author instructs them to take a look at the experience of the Hebrews as they approached the Promised land (same chapter). He admonishes them not to follow their example of disbelief and stubbornness and reminds them that God did not permit that generation to enter into his rest (same chapter). In other words, the author is invoking the old notion of resting from work.

In the following chapter, the author summarizes the concept for his Christian audience and hearkens back to something that Jesus Christ had said during his earthly ministry. We read there: "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." - Hebrews 4:1-11, KJV, emphasis mine

In the gospel according to Matthew, we read that Christ issued an invitation to the weary sea of humanity that stood before him. He said: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." -Matthew 11:28-30, KJV, emphasis mine

This then is the notion of the Sabbath that is still relevant to all Christians: We must stop doing our own works and rest in Christ - We must lay down our own burdens and replace them with his featherlight mantle - We must cease to rely on our own understanding and learn of him!

Miller Jones

God cannot be contained

Idiots in the Pulpit: Ken Copeland and Gerald Flurry...How They Share A Phobia About Public Jets

Gerald Flurry's private jet 

One of America's craziest televangelists is Kenneth Copeland, who has bilked followers out of hundreds of millions of dollars over the decades.  He is also just like Gerald Flurry when it comes to personal jets for his disposal, thousgh Flurry only has one jet, while Copland has three.

Flurry justified buying his own jet, so he did not have to breathe the polluted air nor have to sit beside the unwashed public who fly on commercial aircraft, that might have a cold or some communicable disease.

Now check out how Ken Copland defends his three jets because of the demonic atmosphere in jets:

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Wild eyed televangelist Kenneth Copeland appears unhinged in interview where he defends his $760million fortune and says he needs to use THREE private jets because 'demonic environment on commercial flights are not good for a preacher'

Radio Church of God and NXVIM - One Woman's Journey Through Them Both

There is a fascinating article out today about the personality cult NXVIM and how it lured so many women into it.  Even more fascinating is to read that a former radio Church of God member jumped from one cult into another.  The article details how easy it is and how frequent people who leave high controlling groups will easily be attracted to another group.  You can easily see why when people left Herbert Armstrong, they were easily duped by the Flurry, Meredith, Pack, Weinland, Thiel, Malm and others.
                 
                    

Teah Banks was born into an evangelical Christian sect called the Radio Church of God. Founded in the 1930s by an advertising sales representative turned minister, the insular group promoted an ultra-fundamentalist reading of the Old Testament, eschewing divorce, premarital sex and even wearing makeup. “It was a super closed religion,” Banks, now 42, remembers. “We had pictures of the leader in our home. We worshipped him like he was a god.”

Although Banks started having questions about the group, she attended services until her 20s, when she was expelled from the organization. In 2004, she and her then-boyfriend, a filmmaker named Mark Vicente (best known for the documentary What the Bleep Do We Know?), were approached by two women who wanted Vicente to make films for their organization, NXIVM, which taught a curriculum called the Executive Success Program, or ESP. The two women (one of whom was NXIVM co-founder Nancy Salzman) raved about their leader, a mathematician, scientist, judo champion and concert-level pianist who had patented a unique method of hacking the human brain. The man’s name, the women said, was Keith Raniere.

Banks and Vicente’s interest was piqued, and they agreed to join the women for lunch; when Salzman successfully used ESP methods to “cure” Banks of her lifelong lactose intolerance, she was even more intrigued. “I’m just like, wow, this is amazing. This woman is amazing,” she says. “And I said, ‘Nancy, I want to be one of your people.'” Blown away by the women and by ESP in general, Banks encouraged Vicente to take a NXIVM intensive; eventually, he bought an apartment in New York to be closer to group headquarters in Albany. She was involved with the group until 2005, when the two broke up, though she continued taking courses remotely for years afterward. Vicente, who eventually became a member of the NXIVM executive board, was involved with the group until 2017.

At the time she joined NXIVM, Banks had just left one large organization with an enigmatic leader at the helm. Vicente, too, had also just extricated himself from a similarly insular fringe spiritual organization: the Ramtha School of Enlightenment, a group led by a New Age figure named JZ Knight, who claimed to be channeling a 35,000-year-old warrior deity named Ramtha. But even though they were both disillusioned with spiritual organizations, NXIVM struck them as different. “The first day you’re there, they’re like, ‘We’re not a cult. Cult is a bad word. It is used loosely,'” Banks said. “‘[We’re] a success school. We’re helping you raise your ethics.'” 

At this point, everyone knows the rest of the story: in March 2018, Raniere and five of his NXIVM cohorts, including Salzman, were arrested on such charges as sex trafficking, racketeering and conspiracy to commit forced labor. Raniere is currently standing trial in Brooklyn, where his former supporters (including Vicente) have testified that he, among other things, imprisoned a woman for nearly two years, convinced his followers that he controlled technology and the weather, and ran DOS, a secret all-female organization of “slaves” who were branded with his initials and told to have sex with him. 

Later in the article, there is this: 

Because cultic studies is a relatively under-researched field (unsurprisingly, cults themselves are resistant to outsiders conducting research on their practices), there isn’t much data attesting to exactly how prevalent “cult-hopping” is. But anecdotally, Eichel says, the practice is common, in part because those who are kicked out of a cult or excommunicated are looking for another organization to fill the void. Most cults, including NXIVM, teach adherents that they are wholly responsible for their own actions, which creates feelings of extreme self-doubt and anguish when they’e cut off from their support system. “That leaves [them] vulnerable to another group to say, ‘Well no, you’re in the wrong group, this is the right group,'” Eichel says.

Those who leave cults on their own – which Eichel says constitutes the “vast majority” of cult members — most often do so because they’ve had a bad experience with the group, perhaps observing something that violates their own ethics, or inconsistencies between the leader’s behavior and his teachings. But contrary to what you might expect, from the perspective of a former cult member, having one bad experience with a cult does not necessarily reflect on cult-like organizations as a whole. Eichel compares it to how most people would feel after they visit a bad dentist: sure, the experience of being poked and prodded by a poorly trained practitioner might make us slightly more wary of dentistry in general, but it certainly won’t stop anyone from hopping on Yelp and trying to find another, better dentist.

Read the rest of this fascinating story here:   Rolling Stone Magazine: How People Leave One Cult — and End Up in Another