Guess it is time to go and make a salad:
Bob those bookcases are STILL crooked!
Exposing the underbelly of Armstrongism in all of its wacky glory! Nothing you read here is made up. What you read here is the up to date face of Herbert W Armstrong's legacy. It's the gritty and dirty behind the scenes look at Armstrongism as you have never seen it before! With all the new crazy self-appointed Chief Overseers, Apostles, Prophets, Pharisees, legalists, and outright liars leading various Churches of God today, it is important to hold these agents of deception accountable.
Certain COG groups have misinterpreted part of this dream and believe that the toes in verses 41-43 must refer to ten currently existing 21st century nations. This mistake will mean that when the final beast power forms, if it has more than 10 (PCG) or 11 (in LCG’s case) currently existing nations that those who rely on the misinterpretation will not realize that the Great Tribulation will begin until it is too late.
Most in the USA and the Anglo-Saxon descended nations do not see the ‘handwriting on the wall” for their societies. Yet, although most in the COGs do that, they tend to misunderstand other parts of Daniel and do not see the handwriting on the wall that will affect the.
Persecution is coming and most in the COGs do not realize how the various persecutions will affect them.
Those who do understand this properly will have the opportunity to know prior to the start of the Great Tribulation, approximately when it will begin. Those that claim that the “prince to come” in Daniel 9:26 is Jesus and that He is the one that confirms a covenant with many for one week, etc., will not understand. The “prince to come” is the final European King of the North. He is the one in Daniel 11:31 who fulfills bringing the end of the sacrifice and offering 3 1/2 years (the middle of a seven year prophetic week). Jesus did not destroy the city nor sanctuary, nor is there a biblical record that He confirmed a seven-year covenant.
Those who hold an opposite view are in error.
Nearly all COG groups either do not understand this and/or have significant errors in their understanding of parts of this.
Despite more information being available, many will not understand. But in the end, the spiritually wise, the remnant of the Philadelphians, will understand: (i.e. Me and my followers ONLY)
Yet many, including those in nearly all COGs, will NOT understand key aspects of Daniel 2,7,9,11, & 12. Those who misunderstand the sequence and various particulars of the prophecies in the Book of Daniel will not know when the Great Tribulation will come and hence will likely be killed or otherwise greatly affected by it.
Mr. Orchard said something that surprised me. He said that in the past the Church of God has focused too much on Christ and not enough on the Father, and that COGFC is trying to put the focus on the Father. It surprised me because I do not think that Mr. Armstrong taught the Church too much emphasis on Christ, rather, when he was alive I thought we were properly focused on the Father. Perhaps Mr. Orchard was speaking of only the past 16 or so years since COGaic formed under Mr. David Hulme. I have not attended that organization enough to know if they were negligent in focusing on the Father. But Mr. Armstrong was not negligent. He focused on the Father, and so did the Church of God when he was alive. I think many or most converted members of the Church of God today in various fellowships put primary focus on the Father, addressing our prayers to the Father for example. Avoiding a Spirit of Hostile Competition / Church of God, a Family Community at Six Months
We teach that one must make the conscious decision to join his or her human spirit with God’s true Spirit of pure love and understanding. To become a true Christian one must be birthed through and in the power of Holy Spirit. In this article I would like to incorporate some of the philosophical insights of Buddhism into our understandings as COGSR members.-
Originally Buddhism was never a “religion” but instead it was a world view, more of a philosophy. When we look at what are called “The Four Noble Truths” of Buddhism we can find some correlations with COGSR & SOCT teachings which are beneficial to our spiritual understandings.
The first “Noble Truth” is the fact that all life faces and experiences SUFFERING.The second “Noble Truth” of Buddhism is that CRAVING causes all suffering.The third “Noble Truth” is to find the “cessation of suffering”.Another interesting teaching in Buddhism is the idea that “self” is an illusion.Buddha found out some things that helped him deal with getting over all the suffering. These became codified in what is known as the “eightfold path” of Buddhism. I will here give a basic list of these eight findings:1-Right understanding2-Right thought3-Right speech4-Right action5-Right livelihood6-Right effort7-Rightmindfulness8-Right concentrationSo these are the eight life changes one must develop to experience “enlightenment” according to the Buddhist. These are vague statements without definition. However, if one studies the SOCT teachings along with the COGSR teachings one can discover how the Christian views the definition of this eightfold path. As COGSR students we do not separate the physical from the spiritual. Both the physical practices and the mental practices must be balanced.
Another interesting teaching in Buddhism is the idea that “self” is an illusion. As Christians we would apply this aspect of Buddhism to what we call the “sinful self”, or “fallen self”. The fallen nature is indeed a trap and a “false self”. I hope to do some more articles regarding the teachings of Buddhism and Christianity.
One thing I would like to say here…a most important discovery that has unfolded to me over the past three years in this ministry. I have learned that sometimes we need to cut-ties with certain people in order to continue HEALTHY GROWTH. When I made the decision just about three years ago to be more specific in who I associate with I found that I became more creative in my personal life. I gained much wisdom and understanding. Believe it or not some people hold us back from doing what we really want to do…they may not be conscious of it but somehow we are letting them. To move away from such people can free us up to experience a more joyful life.
I often see the comments about how Mr. Pack is foolish or only in it for the money. But he is not bothered by what you say, he knows that it is Satan working trying to disrupt the work that Mr. Pack does as God's only true end time apostle. Why else would so many enemies attack one person as you do here. It only strengthens our resolve to continue to support the work and Mr. Pack who is more than just some average man, he is obviously given special strength and abilities from God, he is super natural and awesome. You will all see soon that everything he teaches will come true and he will be a ruler in the Kingdom of God, and you will listen then because it will be so obvious. We know that we don't have to give anything that we don't want to, but it is a privilege to give to RCG and the money is used wisely by God's steward. So just keep scoffing and telling your filthy lies, or just get over it and prepare for the punishment that God will soon bring upon you. It gives me peace to know that I am of the elect and will have a special place in the kingdom, I will pray for you, you need that.
Elijah, however, over time seem to have lost the mental/emotional ability to properly lead (cf. 1 Kings 19:13-18). God later took him and replaced him with Elisha as the top ecclesiastical authority. Elisha then received a “double-portion” (two-portion literally) of the gift that God had given Elijah:
9 And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?”The recipient of the double-portion, Elisha, was a type of Elijah. Elisha picked up the mantle of Elijah (2 Kings 2:13) which God wanted him to have (1 Kings 19:16-19), did a similar miraculous dry river crossing (2 Kings 2:13-14), also did other miracles (2 Kings 4:30-35; 2 Kings 10:5-14; 2 Kings 6:16-18), as he replaced Elijah as God’s top ecclesiastical authority on earth (cf. 1 Kings 19:16).
Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”
10 So he said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.” 11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces. 13 He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan. (2 Kings 2:9-13)
A minister of the Living Church of God prayed and anointed Bob Thiel for a ‘double portion’ of God’s Spirit back in late 2011.
The Church of God position has been that someone would come in the spirit and power of Elijah to “restore all things” and possibly be one of the two witnesses. While the late Herbert W. Armstrong (died in January 1986) sometimes indicated that he fulfilled that role, he told people that I have personally spoken with that there could be another other than he. Those with a WCG background might find the following quote from Herbert W. Armstrong of some assistance here as he wrote:
Those called into the Church were called not merely for salvation and eternal life, but to learn the way of God’s government and develop the divine character during this mortal life in the Church age…
Also Malachi 4:5-6 pictures the Elijah to come at the very end of the Church age (Mystery of the Ages. 1985, pp. 201, 349).
It is fascinating watching the mental melt down a wanna-be COG leader in front of our eyes. What makes Thiel more fascinating is how he self created himself into a church leader while never having been a minister. Its easy to see how David C Pack and Gerald Flurry went off the deepened because they were already narcissistic ministers. Thiel however, is a new breed.Now since the Church age has not ended, and the Day of the Lord has not yet come, then it follows that Elijah was to come on the scene publicly after this was written. His restoring of “all things” means that he is to be restoring information that the true Church of God once understood, but later must have lost or misunderstood (see also LCG on Prophets: Rare, But Look for the Fruits and Is there a need for a prophet now?).
Those of the true and genuine Philadelphian remnant will pay much attention to his voice. Those who do not will not fare as well as they could (cf. Revelation 12:14-17).
We in the Continuing Church of God “have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19, KJV).”