Only The Best For The Leaders

I had to laugh when I read the following news story this morning that someone sent me.  It immediately reminded me of the hypocrisy of Armstrongite church leaders that claim to be "Just stewards" of the tithes of Church members as they live lives of luxury. 

Mr./Evangelist XYZ is God's TRUE Apostle/leader/Pastor General who needs to interact with world leaders at their own level.  Therefore we MUST have the best. Best Westerns and Marriott's are NOT for us!  We must have our luxury suites, drive the best cars, wear the best tailored suits, etc.

While the people suffer, the leaders revel.

As we can see from the following article, hypocrisy knows no boundaries:

Occupy Wall Street Leader Reportedly Pitches Golden Tent at 5-Star Hotel

Hell no, we won’t go — unless we get goose down pillows.

A key Occupy Wall Street leader and another protester who leads a double life as a businessman ditched fetid tents and church basements for rooms at a luxurious hotel that promises guests can “unleash [their] inner Gordon Gekko,” The Post has learned.

The $700-per-night W Hotel Downtown last week hosted both Peter Dutro, one of a select few OWS members on the powerful finance committee, and Brad Spitzer, a California-based analyst who not only secretly took part in protests during a week-long business trip but offered shelter to protesters in his swanky platinum-card room.

“Tents are not for me,” he confessed, when confronted in the sleek black lobby of the Washington Street hotel where sources described him as a “repeat” guest.

Spitzer, 24, an associate at financial-services giant Deloitte, which netted $29 billion in revenue last year, admitted he joined the protest at Zuccotti Park several times.

Read the entire story here:  Occupy Wall Street Leader Reportedly Pitches Golden Tent at 5-Star Hotel

UCG Calls For "God to Lovingly Intervene" in Zambia Cattle Fiasco

With mounting negative publicity shining a bad light on UCG's "christian charity" it has hit back through Kubik with a letter regarding the Zambia Cattle fiasco.

November 18, 2011

In recent weeks, a number of people have weighed in concerning what they claimed happened or is happening regarding members of the United Church of God in Zambia. This includes one person who directly wrote to a family member of a former UCG COE member, copied to leadership of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association (COGWA), asking that an “open letter” be published on anti-United Church of God websites “and anywhere else it can find a home.”  

As is evident by the now-published material, that request has been carried out, apparently with no one who received that request asking that  it  remain private for determination by the appropriate authorities.   This “open letter” includes a distorted  summary of events, as well as what can only be described as a completely fabricated story about an “apology” that simply never took place. 

What is particularly sad and tragic is that, what started out as a legitimate prayer request for God to intervene and straighten matters out regarding the loss of cattle harming the livelihood of some UCG members, has now become a public campaign to bias the facts.  While we were not interested in a war of words, this public misinformation requires a reply, lest silence be taken for agreement of the false information being broadly circulated.

What we would desire, and what we believe is the position of the United Church of God, would be that a spirit of civility be restored among those who were once dear friends working together, that property be restored in a spirit of honesty to whom they were intended and that all of this be done according to the will of God.

With this, we humbly renew the prayer request, asking that God positively and lovingly intervene and set these matters aright. Since this simple prayer request, which did not include any other factors in Zambia, has been inaccurately portrayed and escalated publicly by others, it is necessary that we provide the following summary of events so members can focus their prayers.


In early January 2011, our now former pastor along with some other members of the United Church of God in Zambia announced that they were no longer going to be affiliated with United Church of God, an International Association and, instead, became affiliated with Church of God, a Worldwide Association (COGWA).   However, these people decided to claim a continuing control of the name United Church of God in Zambia (and with that control and ownership of its physical assets).   Members in United Church of God in Zambia who desired to remain affiliated with United Church of God, an International Association also claimed that they have the right to the name and property of United Church of God in Zambia and dispute the right of this now COGWA affiliated group to that name or assets. 

Last February, United’s former pastor in Zambia, who is now a pastor for COGWA in that country, wrote that they would not relinquish control of the UCG-Zambia name or its assets unless “proof” was produced that they were required to do so by simply claiming that they have the legal right to use the registered name of the United Church of God and declaring in writing that they “had never left this church,” they claim ownership.   The fact that most members of United Church of God in Zambia continue to maintain that they remain, as before, affiliated with United Church of God, an International Association and desire continued use of the United name and its property does not matter to them. 

There is no question that the property they are keeping was overwhelmingly the result of gifts of people still affiliated with United Church of God, IA.   Yet they still refuse to walk away and build their own separate COGWA entity in Zambia.  And to add insult to injury, when announcing their break with us last January, they stated that they “sincerely appreciate the financial support that the United Church of God, an International Association has provided in the past years.”

As a consequence, litigation was initiated about last summer by two United Church of God elders in Zambia to seek a ruling on those issues, which case is slowing proceeding in the Zambian courts.  A judge has indicated that the issues involved are questions that appear to require adjudication in a trial to essentially determine which of the two groups is the “true” (from a legal standpoint) “United Church of God” in Zambia entitled to use of that name and ownership of its assets. 

Similarly, at the same time last January, members of the breakaway COGWA group in Zambia who happened to be directors of the LifeNets (International) local Chapter in Zambia also announced the severance of their affiliation with its International sponsor, but retained the local Chapter name and its assets.  They have rejected LifeNets (International) call on them to relinquish that name and assets to those seeking to maintain an affiliation with LifeNets (International).

Of course  these former members are also well aware that Beverly Kubik, wife of Mr. Kubik, personally assisted in raising  much of the funding that made possible the purchase of the property and erection of buildings and their furnishings for United Church of God activities in Zambia as well as projects (such as the Heifer gifting program) and other assets for LifeNets outreach in Zambia. Many photographs of the Kubiks’ trips to Zambia to help brethren have appeared in several publications. They demonstrate the direct engagement of the Kubiks in helping Zambia members.

Attempts were made to peacefully resolve the cattle taking issue privately but to no avail. Members who had their cattle taken were understandably upset and traumatized by these actions. Thus a worldwide prayer request was issued to ask for God’s direct intervention.

We call on COGWA and its affiliate in Zambia to honor its ethical promise of last January that  “We will respect all property of our former affiliation (tangible, intangible and intellectual) and will promptly return all such items to the local congregational leaders of United Church of God (Hebrews 13:5). This can be done by returning:

1)      The United Church of God property donated for  our Zambian UCGIA affiliated members – a Festival site and youth camp, etc. – and LifeNets gifted property are returned to these rightful owners (those who remain affiliated with UCGIA and LifeNets (International), including vehicles and the $42,000 in the Zambian account that was to be used to finish the buildings on the property. This would honor all donors, and particularly the two UCG members who contributed the vast majority of funds (over $100,000) required to purchase the property and build the facility. It would help restore peace, honor God and give use of the facility to the majority of Zambian brethren  who have chosen to remain affiliated with UCGIA and who, this year, were forced to pay for an alternate Feast site and youth camp elsewhere in Zambia.

2)     The remaining cattle gifted to individual members or to UCG Zambia, but not yet returned to those owners must be returned immediately, as planting season has already begun. It should be noted that no efforts by these COGWA affiliated people have been made to take cattle away from cattle owners who benefited from the LifeNets Heifer gifting, but who are affiliated with the COGWA fellowship—they only took cattle away from members retaining their affiliation with UCGIA.

On a visit to Zambia in about mid-January 2011, Victor Kubik tried to have discussions with the former Zambian senior UCG official who had resigned from UCG when these actions first occurred. Contrary to what has been publically posted, this former senior UCG official wrote that he would not talk to or meet with Victor Kubik.   This was prior to any involvement by any attorneys writing to that former UCG minister objecting to their continued use of the UCG-Zambia name and property in late January and February, 2011. 

It was on a later trip to Zambia in April 2011 following another request by Victor Kubik to meet that Mr. Kubik received the e-mail, now publicly posted, listing that former UCG elder’s pre-conditions  for any meeting.  A meeting could have taken place before any legal action was filed (that occurred sometime later)... 

We also reject the proposition that we are “taking a brother to court.”  The recovery of the exclusive use of the name United Church of God and of that Church’s asset is against people who are former members of United.  They are falsely claiming to be members of United Church of God while belonging to (and attending the Feast site of) another church (COGWA) and who refuse to relinquish Church owned property.  They are not “brothers.” They do not recognize any person in our Church as having the authority to act as arbiter in this matter.  
 
We do not appreciate the posting of selective correspondence that leads to false conclusion that we did not try to resolve this matter face to face   before being forced into a different course of action.

LifeNets and UCG have gone to great lengths, with personal visits, phone calls, e-mails and meetings to be circumspect and accurate in what has been written above. This response is in answer to posts, asked to be made public, that paint an inaccurate picture of events.  

We bear no animosity, but we do seek equity and God’s intervention in all the related matters in Zambia. It is the fiduciary duty of the leadership of  UCG in Zambia to  protect the integrity of their projects and the assets given to and for use of Zambian members who did not leave our fellowship.

 

Apostle Is Hard Up For Cash

It looks like Apostle Malm has fallen on hard times and now wants people to help bail him out.

Here's a hint.  Stop your incessant end times malarkey and quit posting on your blog posts that take endless hours of "research".  Go back to your contracting job and work.

You have no message that is of value to COG members or humanity at large.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT AND SUPPORT REQUEST: 

I have been working at this outreach since April 07; spending an average of at least eight hours per day in research, study, writing, answering mail and counseling concerning issues sent in to me.  This is an average, as I would spend much less time on Sabbath and more on other days.

Over these four plus years I have received about [this is a close estimate] $50,000.   My expenses for internet access, the first computer and maintenance, extensive internet advertising for the Main and News sites, as well as for web hosting  etc have been about $28,000.  That leaves about  $22,000 in excess of direct expenses for almost 4 1/2 years of hard work.

During this time my workload and expenses have increased exponentially and have greatly interfered with my ability to work and earn a living at my contracting business.  This has resulted in my falling deeply and inextricable into debt [over $60,000].

This has never been a business for me.  I have never been in this for money.  I am not complaining at all, this is a labour of love.  My concern is to be open about my situation to avoid any hint of impropriety or money grubbing.

My computer is now about five years old and has been under extensive use.  I am now experiencing glitches and problems and in need of an upgrade.   I would like to take advantage of any possible December sales to purchase a good lap top.  This will allow me mobility over my present desk based model and will resolve the escalating issues I am having.

Thousands visit and benefit from these efforts, only a very few actually help out.  I am now asking for a little help; not to build grand buildings, but to provided a needed tool to do this job.

This is NOT the time to construct fine buildings and houses; it is the time to be about our Father’s business.

Before he made this request for money he was ripping Dave Pack a new one for using members money to build a new HQ.  It really irritates the Apostle that Pack his building this monstrosity while he (the Apostle) needs help.

Dave Pack demanded that all of his supporters give everything they had including selling off of Real and personal property to give to him for the furtherance of the Gospel.   He is now wasting God’s money on his personal projects at a phenomenal and unsustainable rate; following the same path to economic ruin that brought the HWA WCG into one financial crisis after another from the 70′s onward. Pack does not have a 130,000 member financial base to even begin to sustain this.

All this; not understanding nor seeing the signs of the times.

This is not the time for building grand buildings; it is the time for delivering a warning to the saints, for making well known the end time signs of the scriptures and for preaching loudly the gospel of repentance and salvation!

How dare you peons give money to Pack when the TRUE Apostle needs it now!  Shame on you!

Armstrongite Confirms: War In Heaven Is Going On NOW!

More mind boggling  TRUTH from John Allen, God's Almighty witness to the world in these dangerous end times.

Did you know that the war in heaven is going on right now????  Are you ready for the alien invasion that will be raping the women of the world in order to breed the human species out of existence?

From information I have just received, it looks like the war in Heaven, foretold in Revelation 12, is now in full swing!

Um....who is talking to you John?  I guess we are hearing voices again!

This information was confirmed by a Project Camelot whistleblower, Aaron McCollum, a third generation super solder and the leader of a black ops group who has had his life threatened for telling his story.

Aaron talked at length about the real reason the war mongers are stirring up war in Yemen, the reason for the so called “piracy” in the area, and the reason why warships from all nations are there. It is because there is an underwater stargate in the Gulf of Aden, just off the coast of Yemen, which became active on January 5^th of this year! 

Me thinks someone was smoking a little too much while watching Stargate

Even the evil minions from Blackwater have a ship there, and there is a ship there for “scientific research” that is doing experiments to unite “alien” and human DNA. Of course, these “experiments” have been going on for thousands of years, ever since a contingent of fallen angels came down and mated with human women.

This tells me that it is Satan’s forces that have activated this stargate, not the forces of Yahweh, as such experiments are forbidden to the Holy Angels.

It should also be remembered that it is mostly the higher levels of Satan’s minions who use the stargates, while the lower level ones use ships to come here in. It is possible to assume, then, that their “place in the heavens” is even now being overrun, and the elite in Satan’s kingdom are preparing to flee to the earth, their last hideout.

This earth is about to be INVADED BY “ALIENS” WHO WILL ENACT A REIGN OF TERROR ON MANKIND SUCH AS HAS NEVER BEFORE BEEN EXPERIENCED.

You need to get off the fence and actively involved in Yahweh’s Work and drink in of His truth and build His character in your life while here is still time. 

And Armstrongites wonder why no one takes their message seriously!

HWA Condemns Today's 700+ COG Splinter Groups

Armstrongites love to say they follow everything that HWA taught yet they ignore so much.  Why do they continue to ignore HWA's only "prophetic" words he ever spoke?

"We ought to be ASHAMED of the pitiful, puny, weak, feeble work that has split up and divided brethren, reached but so very FEW with the message, with almost no real conversions! All this, while leaders desiring power to RULE send out misleading, exaggerated, deceiving statements designed to convince tithe-payers that 'the work is progressing.' What a mockery! What a tragedy! What a pity!

Herbert W. Armstrong, "Did Christ Reorganize the Church?" Good News, April 1939 

Stupid Things Armstrongites Write On Yahoo

The Protestant world "stole" from the WWCG the truth about Daniel and Revelation, especially Mr. Armstrong's knowledge about the EU being the 10 nations mentioned.

Even with this "knowledge" they are not part of Gods true church.

I doubt this website is by anyone who is a member in good standing of the Church of God.

If they are a former member, they are way way off track on some important things.

the questions that are being asked is in regards to the authority of God`s Apostle, Mr. Armstrong in regards to D&R. He was under the inspiration and authority of Jesus Christ  in his decisions and to question those decisions is to question Christ Himself!!  It is apparent that the original teachings regarding D&R as well as the day that was being observed in regard to Pentecost were in error and God caused His Apostle to correct them before Mr. Armstrong`s death. There was no one more knowledgeable about the many scriptures than was Mr. Armstrong, and there should be no doubt that with any important decisions that he made regarding doctrine for the Church was after praying for God`s guidance on the matter, realizing that the entire Church would be involved with those decisions!

I will go one step further to state that anyone who sets themselves up to judge God`s Apostle, Mr. Armstrong, is on very serious ground and must *STOP*!!

why do you beat HWA over the head with 1975 in Prophecy? In the first place, everybody wrote about 1975. There was Famine: 1975. We were all supposed to be flying helicopters, walking on moving sidewalks, etc. etc. etc., according to my schoolteachers. 1975 was adopted by the church as a possible date, to their great regret, because for some reason, it was a marker, just like 2012 now is. Over and over, the ministers would give sermons stating 1975, but then they would say, Don't set your heart on the place of safety, and this is not set in stone... A lot of folks left the church because they were certain 1975 was the time to flee, altho it turned out to be the date for something else. :p  

Mr. Armstrong was the end time Elijah.. BUT he was not INFALLIBLE! We follow GOD not man.. HWA was called to do a marvelous work and he did it well.. He gave us truth and God used him to open our eyes to PROVE all thing..We follow him as he followed Christ and this is the whole point...He wasnt perfect, I am not perfect, none of us are but we are to grow in grace and knowledge..Many I believe actaully worship HWA, and follow him totally and with out question. He said "Dont believe me believe the bible and thank God he did because HWA knew he was only a man and capable of error...I believe he did not totally understand all things but gave us the capability to search and he gave us enough about the sabbath to dig in and prove the scripture..He had alot in his head, given by God and he passed it to us but he sinned. Its not a derogatory remark to him at all to say this..but to do away with scripture as those i posted and say they dont exist is dangerous..The sabbath is the only sign that we are HIS people..I pray to God people dont misunderstand what I am saying because I am not suggesting to question everything he taught us but to prove it and I have proven HWA was sent by God to deliver the message of the kingdom of God and to restore truths lost to the world..I did not say anyone would go into tribulation for sabbath breaking and I am not judging anyone.., this could well be the a test for us all to see who will obey God and who will not..Ask yourself about infallibilty, the pope claims he is and the world follows him blindly believing every word he says but HWA knew he was not..think about it

When Santa comes down the chimney singing "Noel, Noel, beware because his mask might fall off, and underneath, there is a roaring lion, which is also spelled leon, noel spelled backwards, Satan, or Santa comes across as a beautiful angel of light, hence the beauty of the beast.

Every year we read about the drunkeness at the xmas parties, we also read in the
newspapers about the fact that xmas and Newyears originates with the old pagan
Roman-Babylonian Saturnalia festivals, also the Festivals of lights of the Germanic Peoples, where they would build great bonfires and seek for the Sungod to return.

Um....what about the drunken orgies at Feast of Tabernacles sites? Sounds pretty pagan to me!  Plus the Feast is a rip off of a pagan harvest Festival......ya know!

Is it a sin to contribute to serving the "least of these" via the Salvation Army kettles?

Questions That We the 99% Sheep Wish To Have Answered By Dave the 1% Pack

Questions That We the 99% Sheep Wish To Have Answered By Dave the 1% Pack

For decades, COG Sheep sat in service after service hearing announcement after announcement about the great breakthroughs, opportunities and projects that the Armstrongs had in mind without accounting for how they would be paid for and by whom.

Those days are over.  

No longer will we just sit quietly and wonder if this is really such a great idea or plan. 

 No longer will we neither nod yes or no as we sit listening to the grand schemes of one man who simply has to use our contributions to achieve his visions and dreams.  

No longer will we pretend to be inspired by God's amazing decisions when we think they might just be the decisions of those who refuse to ask us what to do with our money.

No longer will we believe that once we give our hard earned monies, it is no longer our business what is done with it for or by  God, Christ, Jesus and our small church.

No longer will we be intimidated by your Biblical quotations about keeping our mouths shut and our bank accounts open.  

No longer will we act inspired when we are really skeptical

No longer will we allow you to speak doublespeak about time is short while watching buildings meant to last forever being built at our expense. 

Pack's New Mini-Me Auditorium

Therefore  Dave...we'll call you Mr. Pack when and if we choose, not you, please give us a reasonable answer to the following... 

1.  Knowing that the local Pasadena Community was never all that impressed by the Church and the Church and "the truth" had little effect on them by listening to concerts, why do you think this doesn't work idea will work for out good now?

2.  Please explain how you can pretend to know time is short and yet spend our monies on permanent buildings and only now just start a college that will take years to mean anything to anyone?

3.  Please explain why Herbert Armstrong did, small college in one room, small college in one building,  two dorms, a place to eat, offices and then an auditorium, while you start with a huge Auditorium (for what..just church?), huge office building for a small staff and yourself,  and then a class room for students.   Why are you doing it backwards to your hero HWA?

4.  EXACTLY how much is this going to cost US and over what period of time?

5.  EXACTLY how many baptized members do we actually have in our amazing Church?  It embarrassing to belong to a small church and not be able to answer the questions as to how many of us there really are.

6. Why are so many family members on the Church payroll.  Is this a family venture as seen in both the Armstrongs and Tkaches?   Do you remember the drama and mistake that all seemed to be?

7.  When you die, do we ministers that are alive and remain, have a retirement?

8.  Are we to assume your seriously under trained and untrained family members will lead us all into the kingdom?  Can we decide we'd rather have someone else?

9.  If we stipulate our tithes and offerings are NOT to be used for Time is Short Construction, can we stay in the church?

10. Why do you always tease us with, "....but I can't tell you that now," when what you are up to might be something we'd prefer not to fund or participate in?   Are you like Paul who told us he went to the The Third Heaven and heard stuff no man, but him of course, could hear or see or tell about, so don't ask?   If we think that is a bit of the lame "I know something you don't know," stuff, will you get mad at us/

11. If we snicker when you sermonize about where we are in prophecy and the time left kinda matches the time you might have left, will we have to be the ones that have to bring a watermelon to the picnic?

12. Can we sit in on the meetings you will be having about how this is all going to be paid for with our money?  While we realize "not many wise men now are called," some are,  and may wish to know exactly what you alone are deciding for us and give some input into the wisdom or lack thereof in these plans?

13. Will you shake your jowls at us like HWA did when he got really angry?  Do you have jowls yet?  Can a COG Apostle even be an Apostle without jowls?

14. In time will we have to refer to you as DCP or Mr. DCP as we did to HWA or Mr. HWA?   You just don't have the same ring to your initials.  Sounds more like an illegal drug than an Apostle.  You know like, "Oh man, I'm flyin' high on DCP."

15. Could you consider noting we have "the largest online copied theological website on the Internet?"

16. Once we become a household word throughout all the world of Christianity and all things Pagan, could you put the name "Jesus" in a sermon once in awhile?

17. Would you consider using the New Testament at times in your sermons, studies and to inform us all as to where we are in Bible History?

18. Could you show us some credentials as to where you learned the background, history, language, culture, politic , and origins of the Bible, besides from you know where?

19. Would you get a chuckle out of it all if once in awhile I came up to you and said, "that was the most dumb ass sermon I have ever heard.  I don't think I have heard a sermon quite like that before, and hope to never hear one again"?  

20. Could you stop saying "it's not about the numbers," when we all know it exactly is all about the numbers?

21. Have you ever had a personality profile done and would you share it with us?  Would you consider some mental health testing so we can relax a bit at times when you say some of the things you say about yourself in sermons and such?  Could you give just one sermon without the pronoun "I"?   Just askin....

Well, that should be enough for now.  We anxiously await your answers.  What?  What do you mean I'm disfellowshipped!!!   Hey, hey...I was just .....doh!   

Dennis C. Diehl
DenniscDiehl@aol.com