This is even more pathetic than his sermons!
Doesn't this well-polished video just make you want to call him up and buy it from him?
Quakery at its finest
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.
...it appears that Gerald Flurry has given his privileged and elite grandkids Grant and Paris Turgeon prestigious “Air Steward” jobs paid for with the tithes and offerings of the “sheeple” of the Church. They went on an all-expenses paid trip to Florida to attend an expensive Flight Attendant Training school. Gerald Flurry wants the best for his own family of course. Not only were all of Grant’s and Paris’s expenses paid for (Travel, Food, Lodging) – but they were PAID for their time as well as Church employees. This is in stark contrast to the common lowly non-Edmond/HQ sheep class of the PCG who had to stay in a Motel 6 or Day’s Inn at the 2017 Feast because they could not afford the rooms listed in the Feast Brochure.
All this is in stark contrast of course to the recent letter posted on Exit and Support Network which tells of the common non-Edmond class of PCG member who are stying in "Fleabag" motels and bouncing checks because of their own dire financial problems.This is the letter referenced above:
Flurry Uses Guilt and Threats at Feast Time:
April 8, 2018
Hello to Mike and all of the workers at Exit Network Support™. I have been out of the PCG for 5 years. I came into the PCG in the '90s under Dennis Leap and Wilbur Malone. Things were kind of strict back then but now....boy, it is hard to believe.
I do read your letters section to try and keep up with what has been happening since I have been out. I have been reading your postings from 2018. I was told by someone in the know that Flurry in November of 2017 gave a corrective sermon to the PCG people.
Apparently two things happened connected with the 2017 FOT. (See November 30, 2017 letter: Some Members Not Staying at Designated Hotels at Feast) One was that people are starting to rebel against the strict hotel reservation commands given out from HQ. So many PCG people are finding it hard to pay for the over-inflated prices at these ritzy hotels that people are going to Motel 6 and Day's Inn, Ramada, etc., without telling their local ministers. With prices on the Feast brochures of the cheapest rooms around $80-99 dollars a night (budget rooms) people have disobeyed the orders of Flurry and have booked non PCG approved accommodations.
Well, Flurry said that there were so many rooms not used by the PCG members that HQs had to pay thousands of dollars in fees/fines to all of the hotels per contract. This hit into the PCG budget as it costs even more to fuel up Flurry private jet. He said that from now on people have to counsel with the minister or they will have to be corrected.
Also, Flurry said that after the Feast was over and all of the personal checks from the members were cashed, quite a few checks bounced. Flurry was very upset because the HQs had to pay fees once again--this time to the bank. Apparently, a lot of pressure was put on the membership this Feast to pay up. I suppose the usual guilt and threat of eternal death was dangled in front of their eyes. So a lot of people gave more money (wrote checks) under that influence than they had to give.
I remember in the mid/late '90s that we had some wonderful Feasts. I know it was all a lie but back then we had money to spend. We stayed in some nice hotels and ate steak and drank nice wine. We even bought whole bottles of wine for the table. I never heard back then of checks bouncing like that or rooms not being used. I think things are so hard on my friends still in that they are trying so hard to please God/Flurry that they are doing things that they never had to do before, like staying in nasty flea bag motels. So many are old and retired and on fixed incomes. They are not getting in any new members and the young singles are fleeing once they turn 18--some even before they reach 18. I have quite a few dear ones that have died after I left. I never got to say goodbye.
A member told me that they do not care anymore about "getting a lot of members" anymore. They prefer to be small and stay small. They are "God's Elite" and only a small elite are going to be stationed in the Millennial Temple in Jerusalem. Flurry has told them that God is separating out the chaff from the wheat and only those totally loyal will be allowed to go to the Place of Safety. I know of one old couple in their mid 70s who have cut out eating little luxuries like ice cream and sending the money to Flurry so he can fly to where he wants to go.
I hope the whole PCG collapses and I can see my friends again.
Please, all of you have a good weekend and God bless. --[name withheld]
Given what COGWA wrote above, did you feel that it describes any of the countless prophets that have plagued the COG over the decades?Four tests to prove whether a prophet is true
We need to carefully consider God’s Word—the Bible—in order to discern between false and true prophets. The Bible provides four tests to determine the genuineness of a prophet.1. Does the conduct of the prophet reflect godly character?
Jesus and the apostles warned many times about deceptive prophets. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:15-17).These prophets can be identified by their “fruits”—a term used metaphorically by Jesus to describe one’s actions and character. The law of God is the only standard we have to determine whether someone’s fruits are good or bad. True prophets will live in accordance with God’s law.2. Do the predictions of the prophet come true?
Moses instructed ancient Israel: “When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him” (Deuteronomy 18:22).The Bible gives a few exceptions. It shows that God has the prerogative to change His mind, as was the case with Jonah’s prophecies about Nineveh (Jonah 3:10). Also, this does not mean that God’s true servants couldn’t be wrong about timing, as Paul was in assuming he would be alive at Christ’s return (1 Thessalonians 4:15).Except in circumstances like these, if a prophet’s predictions do not come to pass, then he or she is not a true prophet.3. Are the words of the prophet consistent with Scripture?
God explained to those who foolishly seek knowledge from mediums and wizards, “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:19-20).Peter declared that the apostles could truthfully attest to many fulfilled Bible prophecies concerning the life and deeds of Jesus Christ. “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. ... And we have the prophetic word made more sure” (2 Peter 1:16, 19, Revised Standard Version).Peter also stated that true prophets do not speak their own words. As Peter wrote, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20, emphasis added).4. Do the people benefit spiritually from the prophet’s ministry?
God’s desire was that ancient Israel would serve as a model nation and represent Him to the nations around them. Israel would be blessed as it fulfilled God’s expectation.With this background, God warned His people, “‘Behold, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,’ says the LORD, ‘and tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies and by their recklessness. Yet I did not send them or command them; therefore they shall not profit this people at all,’ says the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:32; also read verses 13-14).The results of a prophet’s ministry can also indicate whether this person is a false or true prophet.
Another reason given in the Bible is that some people speak from their own imagination. God says, “Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!” (Ezekiel 13:3-4). Throughout the centuries, numerous false prophets have arisen because of their own desires and Satan’s influence.Every single prophet we have had over the decades has arisen because of their own desires. Never once was God involved, but their pathetic narcissism was.
Although COGWA left out some criteria, even based upon the above criteria, there is one person in one of the COGs that meets all those criteria, and he is not part of COGWA, but physically heads up the (Improperly named) Continuing Church of God (CCOG). Yet, despite what COGWA is teaching, its members do not take proper action.Bawana Bob continues:
The Bible teaches:
And here we go again with the dreams. Bawana Bob's nightmares do not constitute revelations from God. I know for a fact that God has NOT spoken to Bawana Bob and he is a liar when he says he did.6 “Hear now My words:
If there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision;
I speak to him in a dream. (Numbers 12:6)
I had at least two such dreams, and others had dreams, essentially concerning those about me.Bawana Bob, the false prophet to Africa continues stating that Church of God members need to heed the fact he is a prophet and leave their organizations and join up with him. But alas, the members of the various Churches of God still laugh at him and refuse to join him or send him money.
Consider also that Jesus taught:
41 He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward. (Matthew 10:41)
Jesus is telling His followers that if a true prophet is out there, that they need to follow. Yet, in this Laodicean time (Revelation 3:14-18), most real Christians will not listen to what Jesus said on this and many other matters.No real Christian in the Church of God would EVER follow a narcissistic lying fool like Bawana Bob Thiel! COGWA had no more intention of revealing Bob Thiel as a prophet than Gaylyn Bonjour secretly set aside Bawana Bob as another COG leader.
This is the result of a specific kind of training that happened in Armstrongism. This is the "training" of the following programming methods:
1) You were BORN to be A King!
2) Prepare to RULE!
These principles appealed to the egos of men in Armstrongism for decades. For generations, it was the whole being of soul of a man to be the best ruler of the house, the best "prince" of the Kingdom of God, to do good enough and to "qualify" for the highest "positions" in the Kingdom. You would a city, five cities, ten cities, a country, a planet - MAYBE even a whole galaxy to RULE over. The male egos were salivating thirstily for this ability to control, to dominate, to rule over their dominions and their territories. This was the teaching and the reality. There are many, many articles and teachings that cover this thoroughly.
When the WCG collapsed and shattered into hundreds of pieces, the path to a higher position in the Church (which many believed would lead to a higher position in the Kingdom) literally fell off the table. Many who were on their way to deacons, elders, pastors, or employment in the church or the college found themselves without a path to promotion. But the ingrained philosophies which were so thoroughly applied within their minds - the programming - did not go anywhere. That thirst, that hunger for power built on pride and ego was now starved without a central organization.
When the WCG divided, it fragmented into several core groups. There were those who left to form splinters, those who left religion completely, and those who went into mainstream Christianity. Of those groups were a few who were not going to give up the dream of power and rulership - and thought they could use Armstrong's Formula Of Success to accomplish what Armstrong did. What we are seeing now are the results of the few men who went rogue and are making an attempt to rebuild what was broken. What I am convinced we don't hear about, or know about, are the others who have tried but failed right off the bat, which is why we don't know who they are.
So now, we have the stories of those who have tried. We have the stories of Flurry, Pack, Weinland, Thiel, a few larger splinters trying to hold their own - all holding onto that dream of being a king and ruling a city or a galaxy or whatever territory they'll get (I wouldn't want to see them fighting like cats over borders!!!). What have been the results? Just skim through this blog or the 'net for a day and find out the results. It isn't pretty. The whole meat of the matter is simple: When you focus on authority, ruler-ship, control, power, rank, and dominion, you lose focus on boundaries, what's appropriate, good fruits, loving character, and godly characteristics. What we see here is simply the aggressive cancer of uncontrolled authority spreading like wildfire. The fruit of presumptuous behavior gone wild. And, like it or not - it was all enabled by Armstrongism's core teachings and doctrines - powered by pride and the hope of promotion.
Sex on Passover, Sabbath and High Days
The man and woman were created without sin and it was only AFTER sin entered, that Sacrifices, a High Priest Intercessor and the Law of Clean and Unclean were instituted.
Even then, there were clean and unclean animals, but the further details only began at Sinai with God’s detailed instructions for Israel and a PHYSICAL priesthood.
If one considers the laws given to Israel one cannot help but come to the conclusion that it is physically impossible to avoid becoming unclean for more than a very short time.
A woman can be absolutely perfect yet she cannot overcome the female nature [natural cycle], a man can be absolutely perfect yet he cannot prevent an emission even if he restrains himself otherwise.
This is meant to teach us that the physical state of man once Adam and Eve had sinned is antithetical to godliness, and only God can make us spiritually clean washing away our sins. Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
In practical terms; yes, let a man and his wife enjoy each other to the full, but refrain from sex on High Days and Sabbaths [and on the Appointed Time of Passover day] so as to be clean on Holy Time. This principle is presented when God commanded Israel to refrain from their wives for three days before Pentecost at Sinai (Ex 19:15).
I have been in error on this point in the past and I now realize that it is proper to rest from sex on the Passover, Sabbaths and High Days. This is not a burden since one can prepare on Friday afternoon and before High Days and wash before the Sabbaths begin.
Do you think the USA is the land of the free and home of the brave?
I have contended for years it has become the land of the regulated and home of the politically correct.
The so-called Patriot Act eliminated pretty much all actual privacy rights in the USA.
The USA, which has long prided itself on being the bastion of free speech in the world, is becoming like nations it has criticized related to free speech.While it is a well-known fact that the government has stuck its nose into many things in citizens rights, the idea that the government is monitoring Bitter Bob because he believes in the millennium is beyond silly. According to the Fake News False Prophet, because he uses the Internet the government is actively monitoring his words and teachings. Also, because the improperly named "continuing" Church of God claims to be pacifists he is automatically on a watch list. Never mind the fact that the Quakers, Amish, Mennonite, Jehovah's Witnesses, SDA's and thousands of other groups are pacifists too, only Elijah Bob and his merry band of Africans are the true pacifists. The government is specifically zeroing in on Bitter Bob.
With electronic media, “big brother” (the government) can watch you in ways that were not possible in the past. And, perhaps it should be mentioned that conceivably, everyone who posts on platforms such as Facebook is a blogger.
Please understand that some in the USA believe that ALL who believe in the millennial reign of Jesus are religious extremists and potential terrorists. Also, the message of the good news of the Kingdom of Godis also considered to be religious extremism by many. Freedom of religious speech is threatened on many fronts. And while you might think that if you have done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear from surveillance, consider that many in the government of the USA consider that not supporting homosexual marriages, etc. are extremist. I also saw someone once on a documentary that stated that people who believed in the millennium could not be trusted and should be considered as potential terrorists. The fact that we in the Continuing Church of God would be considered pacifists, does not change the fact that since we hold to millennial and other biblical views that we will not be improperly classified by government employees with various agendas.Jesus foretold in Scriptures that Bitter Bob would eventually be falsely accused of spreading fake news. Those damn atheists are out after him. As if...
While I fully expect technology will result in real and fake statements being attributed to me and others in the Church of God by evil people who hate the Bible.
Something similar, but worse is coming.
Jesus said:
"When no man can work..." When has a Church of God leader ever worked and gotten their hands dirty and covered with callouses? Other than being on the dole, none of them can honestly claim a comparison to the above scriptures4 … the night is coming when no one can work. (John 9:4, NKJV)
4… the night cometh, when no man can work (John 9:4 KJV
So, the Bible tells of a time that will come when the word of God will not be found. And that would seem to be because it will be taken off the internet. In the 21st century, the internet is accessed by people in every country, and thus some type of internet restriction/suspension/site removal is coming–this will one day happen to the Continuing Church of God!When...when, has the word of God ever been found in the improperly named "continuing" Church of God? All we have seen is a fake man who peddles fake homoeopathic "nutritional" supplements and claiming he is God's end-time man with the best interpretation of scriptures yet to be uttered.