WCG Africa Endorsing New Kenya President

Here is a first for an Armsrrongite related group to be publicly endorsing a political leader.  Though don not forget that many of them do it stealthily as they blackball any Democrat/liberal leader while supporting conservative leadership.  The Philadelphia Church of God is the biggest offender in this, with LCG closely following.

Others, like the false prophets of doom and gloom in the church, will use any political leader they can find to prop up their delusional rants.

Actually, it is probably a good thing that these people do not vote.  They cannot make educated and well thought out predictions or preach a well thought out sermon, so how can we expect them to think through things before they vote?



Leaders root for Nyaga to succeed Uhuru as Mt Kenya region’s kingpin

The race to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta as the Mt Kenya region kingpin is gaining momentum as the clock ticks towards the 2022 General Election.

With slightly less than three years left to the poll, there have been heightened political activities in the region, with several leaders criss-crossing the area with their eyes trained on taking up the region’s mantle once Mr Kenyatta retires.

The move by some Mt Kenya religious and business leaders to endorse former presidential candidate Joseph Nyaga as the region’s next kingpin is the latest development in the succession battle.

The leaders said Mr Nyaga is best suited to take the region’s leadership owing to his immense experience in politics and government.

Led by Bishop Johana Ndirangu of Akorino Faithful Church, the group said Mr Nyaga has all the necessary qualifications to be the region’s kingpin.

“As a church, we feel that Mr Nyaga is the voice of reason that the region needs. He has had an illustrious political career and, therefore, has the requisite experience,” said Bishop Ndirangu in Nakuru.

VAST EXPERIENCE

Rev Patrick Kinuthia of Worldwide Church of God in Murang’a said that due to Mr Nyaga’s vast experience in politics, spanning more than two decades, he is best suited to unite the region’s divided leaders.

“It is paramount that the region goes to the 2022 General Election speaking with one voice. Currently, leaders in the region are sharply divided, which is not a good thing,” he said.

Leaders in the region are divided into two groups: Tangatanga, which supports Deputy President William Ruto’s 2022 presidential ambitions, and Kieleweke, which supports the President.

The two camps do not see eye to eye, with leaders in both factions going for each other’s jugular at public functions.

“With his immense experience in politics and being an elder in the game, it is our belief that he can unite these leaders,” he added.

Saying Amen is Wrong? Missing the point all together.

The Egyptian Roots Of Why We Say Amen After Prayer

There was a post on Facebook the other day on one of the xCOG pages about the word "amen" and its supposed origins.  Several Armstromgites are taking this so seriously that they have split off from the group they are in and even from a group they founded in order to never have to say the word again...

Thought this was funny. What if we said Amen all those times heartening back to the “pagan” god of Amun in a church SO careful not to do anything even remotely of such origins??! I grew up in South Texas and we took a church youth field trip to a museum where we learned that tortillas were originally round in worship of the Sun god in Aztec culture. No ministers stopped chowing down on tacos. 🌮 Tacos continued to show up at every potluck and church picnic where I was from!! My point I guess is that the true roots of a lot of things are convoluted. Many hands have touched, for instance, what a cross means. It’s a very common symbol I’ve see engraved and sculpted by many cultures as I’ve had the opportunity to travel the world. Mrs. Armstrong saw what she thought were Easter eggs engraved in the walls in Egypt and HWA declared them pagan because something that looked like them decorated Ancient Egyptian ruins - I’ve seen those same engravings when I travelled there. Tour guides of multiple cultures have given me so many explanations for the meaning of the exact same symbol. The WCG/COGs not only are hypocritical in this, but they miss the point all together. I think things, symbols, and words hold the meaning we give them. Facebook

Yet, in COGland, some are taking so much offense at the word "amen" that they have resigned from their own church.  Ron Harmon, of The House of God, wrote this recently:

I don’t believe for one second amen is one of Jesus names, nor is God or any other name we use and amen won’t be used in His kingdom.

It is not credible that God would invoke the name of an Egyptian god when he regarded himself as the only true God and his own name as above all names. “I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other…” (Isaiah 42:8).

Even the name Lord here is improper, should actually say Yahweh.

But I don’t make folks adhere to the true translations either, I even try and not say the word lord, instead I use Eternal if I remember.

In John chapter one He is called the logo’s (word) and that is a correct interpretation as well.

But scriptures have been manipulated in so many areas of the bible, its really a matter of where one draws the line.

The word wasn’t used before Israel went into captivity, while in captivity there is no evidence they kept their complete language pure or unbroken, it wouldn’t even be practical to believe so.

It also isn’t practical to assume they worshiped only the God of Israel, they didn’t.

It is the reason why the true God did what He did when He brought Israel out of Egypt.

I don’t want to go word for word on this with you, all I need to know is what is your solution?

I’m fine with leaving the issue as it is and not bringing it up, but if you want it expunged from Austin’s lexicon and Franks archives, you’ll have to address the whole Austin congregation about it.

One last thing, I don’t in any way consider it blasphemous to our true Father or Christ to limit ones words he uses, especially when affirming another’s prayers or statements.

Mathew 5:33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

Mike if you feel so strongly about my stance on this, then I gladly step down and you can chart the way of the church for the future. I’m not so wrapped up in this position it would bother me to step aside at this time.

Until then, I’m glad to let those that want to use amen use it, and those that don’t, not do so.

This has been my stance on the use of sacred names, and any other thing someone wants to believe.

It’s my desire we can get this issue behind us and we can stay friends and fellow workers for Christ but I won’t be forced to do something I don’t believe in, and I wouldn’t expect you or any other person to do so either.

And then this was sent out in December:

This is pastor Ron Harmon’s letter of resignation from the House of God in Texas:“To The Wonderful People of the House of God:

Unknown to most of you there has been a spiritual struggle occurring within our congregations. It was a battle not of my choosing, but it caused much tension in our home. This last Sunday at our annual meeting of the consul and ministers of the House of God, it all came to a conclusion.

This spiritual battle has been raging behind the scenes for many years bringing me to a final conclusion. I can’t work effectively when others I work with are so consumed by my different beliefs on ending prayers, not allowing camaraderie to exist.

As of Sunday (12th December 2017), Virginia and I are no longer members of the House of God. I won’t get into the specifics for the sake of the church, only to say the following. I cannot go against my convictions and how I see the scriptures. There are some in the leadership of the church who seem to believe my salvation is lost because of what I believe on one issue. I can only say this, you might be careful how you judge others and their salvation.

I will be continuing the work in the ways I can from my home. I’m not sure at this time how that will manifest itself, but the fact is, I can’t stop serving God.

I wish everyone well and God’s blessings. I’ve always tried to help make everyone’s lives a little better at the House of God and we hope you remember us fondly. Virginia and I are deeply saddened by what has transpired over the last few months. We are saddened to not be a part of your lives any longer, but we no longer feel welcomed, and we don’t go where we’re not welcomed.

God Bless you all: Ron Harmon.”  Church of God News

Typical of the Church of God.  Always majoring in minors instead of what is of real value.

By Luke Miller Truth Theory Christianity is currently the largest religion on the planet, with an estimated 2.2 billion followers worldwide, making up a staggering 31% …

Lift Every Voice and Sing

Lift Every Voice and Sing

James Weldon Johnson, J. Rosamond Johnson







Lift every voice and sing 

Till earth and heaven ring 

Ring with the harmonies of Liberty 

Let our rejoicing rise 

High as the list'ning skies, let it resound loud as the
rolling sea 

Sing a song full of faith that the dark past has tought us

Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought
us 

Facing the rising sun of our new day begun 

Let us march on till victory is won 




Stony
the road we trod

Bitter the chast'ning rod

Felt in the day that hope unborn had died

Yet with a steady beat

Have not our weary feet

Come to the place on which our fathers sighed

We have come over a way that with tears has been watered 

We have come, treading our path through the blood of the
slaughtered 

Out from the gloomy past, till now we stand at last  

Where the white gleam of our star is cast




God of our weary years

God of our silent tears 

Thou who has brought us thus
far on the way

Thou who has by thy might

Led us into the light 

Keep us forever in the path,
we pray 

Lest our feet stray from the
places, our God, where we met thee

Lest our hearts, drunk with
the wine of the world, we forget thee 

Shadowed beneath the hand

May we forever stand 

True to our God

True to our native land

































As part of a celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on
February 12, 1900, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” was first publicly performed by
500 school children at the Stanton School in Jacksonville, Florida. The
school principal, James Weldon Johnson, wrote the words and
Johnson’s broth3r Rosamond set them to music. The children continued to sing
the song, popularizing it for generations to come. 



Later, the National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People 

(NAACP) adopted the song as the Black National Anthem.



In calling for earth and heaven to “ring with the
harmonies of Liberty,” the 

lyrics spoke out subtly against racism and Jim Crow
laws—and especially the huge number of lynching’s accompanying the rise of the
Klan at the turn of the century.



By the 1920s, copies of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” could
be found in Black churches across the country, often pasted into the hymnals.
The  

words to the poem/song and another poem by
Johnson can be read on the  

Civil Rights Movement Veterans website.



Learn about the history of “Lift Every Voice and Sing”
in  

May We Forever Stand: A History of the Black National Anthem  

(UNC Press, 2018) by Imani Perry.






 

Paper Tiger: How The Church Wasted Your Tithe Money As It Was Begging For More

Why does god find an old briefcase more important than people being killed?

In the magical world of Armstrongism, its god is more concerned about the little things in life than it is about Christians being slaughtered in Muslim lands, entire families being wiped out by drunk drivers, families shot in their beds by despondent fathers/siblings or finding out the cancer you have is incurable.  However, the god of Armstrongism just looooooooooves doing little miracles for church members, particularly for Philadelphia Church of God members.




PCG's Rufard Manyepa writes in  The Brief Case of the Briefcase

My two friends and I had been playing tag inside the house. The game had become more and more adventurous until I hid in my parents’ bedroom, knowing that nobody could get me there. After a few minutes though, I was bored. As I exited, I spotted my father’s briefcase and decided to show it off to my friends.

They were as enamored by it as I would have hoped, their eyes widening with astonishment as it came into view. Soft-sided and old as it was, it still looked good. Its brown leather had developed an attractive patina over the years, and its passcode dials were still shiny. I carefully set it down on the ground and opened it. My friends wordlessly entreated me to examine it. After a second’s pause, I gave them the thumbs up. In that moment, I felt like a Roman Emperor. 

Thirsty from the game of tag, I went to fetch us some water. When I returned, just three minutes later, my friends had apologetic expressions on their faces as they held up the briefcase to me like an offering. In the short time I had been in the kitchen, they unlocked the case, set a new code and shut the case with no idea what the new one was. We were now locked out with no clue how to get in. 

My entire world came crashing down on me: What would I say to my dad? How would he gain access to his briefcase? His Bible and years of notes were in there. I had been in trouble many times before, but this was something entirely different altogether. This was one of the most personal, important things he owned. Aside from its contents, the briefcase itself was of immense sentimental value. We tried to get it open for the rest of the afternoon. By nightfall, my friends had gone home and we still hadn’t figured out the code. 

I had no option but to tell my father what happened. When he arrived, I told him the entire story of what had happened. He listened quietly and attentively as I soberly related him with the day’s events. When I was done, I expected him to ask why I had gone into their bedroom, or why I was playing with his briefcase. I expected him to be furious. Instead, he calmly asked, “Before trying to open the briefcase, did you pray?” 

I was rocked. I hadn’t even thought of praying! As I stuttered, trying to come up with an excuse, my father told me to bring the briefcase. “We are going to pray about it,” he said. “God will open it up if He wants to, but you must remember that He won’t do so unless we ask Him to. Always remember to go to God first before you do anything.”

I brought the briefcase to my dad, and he placed it on his lap. I sat by him and he began to pray. He thanked God for this faith-building opportunity asking for His intervention in the matter. He asked God to show His involvement in our lives. As he prayed, his hands fiddled with the briefcase dials. He ended the prayer thanking God for His miracles, asking that He perform one for us now. When he said the word “Amen,” it was accompanied by a loud clack! The briefcase was unlocked!

What a miracle! This wasn’t chance. God miraculously intervened!

LCG: Are you letting Satan use your perceived "hurts" to criticize the ministry?

Living Church of God would be unable to exist if it was not instilling fear into its members. Doug Winnail writes below about how persons with doubt, hurts and resentments feel they have the right to criticize the ministry.  How dare you hold them accountable for their abuse!  How dare you!

Words of an abusive institution? Maybe Doug believes Satan used Jesus since he criticized those in leadership positions.

Are You in Satan’s Crosshairs? Satan never rests, and he is certainly active in our modern world. This is why the Bible contains numerous warnings about how Satan operates to deceive, divide, and destroy God’s people. Satan is described as a hunting lion who stalks his unsuspecting prey (1 Peter 5:8). He is a dangerous adversary searching for vulnerable individuals (1 Timothy 5:14–15). Satan does not hunt with claws or bullets, but instead spreads gossip, rumors, lies, and negative comments about others (1 Timothy 5:13; Leviticus 19:16; John 8:44). He fosters dissention and divisions by stirring up fears, jealousy, and wrong ambitions (1 Corinthians 1:10–13). He will use anyone—members and ministers—to sow discord and do his work (2 Corinthians 11:1–15). Satan zeros in on people who have doubts, hurts, and resentments; who feel wronged; or who feel their ideas, opinions, or ambitions have been overlooked or denied. He uses such individuals to criticize, lash out at, or undermine others—especially those in leadership positions. We are advised not be ignorant of Satan’s devices (2 Corinthians 2:11). As we get closer to the end of the age, we need to be able to recognize and resist Satan’s attempts to deceive and divide. Let’s not become unsuspecting victims of negative attitudes that Satan beams at those in his crosshairs (Ephesians 2:2).
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail   

from an LCG source

Living Church of God Is Still Making Sure Its Members Know That They Can Be Disfellowshipped And Marked

One of the favorite weapons the Church has used over the decades to keep members in line is the threat of disfellowshipment and even worse, being marked from the pulpit.  That fear of being kicked out and ultimately losing one's chance in going to Petra and ultimately salvation was a serious mind tool of the church.  How can any of us forget the numerous disfellowshipments announced from the pulpits by ministers during church services?  You could hear a pin drop in the room as fear quickly spread.

The new and improved Living Church of God, who at one time actually had a chance of being a real Christian organization by doing what was right, quickly resorted back to kicking people out and publicly humiliating them. In fact, every single splinter group that apostatized in the 1990s had a chance to do what was right and actually be real Christians and yet, 25 some years later they are more abusive and filled with more liars and false prophets than we could have ever imagined. And, almost every single one of them still uses disfellowshipment as a weapon to keep their fledgling flocks in line.

Today, many of these splinter personality cults take it a step further and claim to have the ability to "mark" individuals that are NOT part of their groups. Talk about control!

Dexter Wakefield writes:

In the Church, we may occasionally hear that someone has been “disfellowshipped” or “marked,” as the King James Version (KJV) puts it. Thankfully, these are rare events. But, perhaps because of this rarity, these practices are not always well understood. Can a person who is not a member, attendee, or adherent of the Living Church of God be disfellowshipped? No. Can a person who is not affiliated with the Living Church of God be “marked”? Yes. 

The good thing about all of this is that God does not honor their disfellowshipment and markings.  S ultimately, it is not an issue and most certainly NOT a salvation issue.  Many now take it as a badge of honor to have one of the splinter cult leaders publicly rebuke them. They know first hand how puny and insignificant these men are and their public proclamations are useless.

Wakefield then uses a mean neighborhood dog as an example of "marking".  Since it is a public menace, it can be marked in order to warn loyal devotees to steer clear.

We might describe it this way: Let’s say that in my neighborhood there lived a big dog that would walk up to people on the street, looking at them expectantly. When someone put out a hand to pet the dog, it would suddenly snap at them savagely. Ever know a dog like that? Imagine you and I were walking down the sidewalk and this dog approached us expectantly. When you reached out to pet it, the dog gave you a vicious bite. Then, as you tried to stop the bleeding, I remarked, “Actually, I knew that dog would bite you. It does that to everyone who tries to pet it.” You would probably be very upset with me, and you might say, “You should have warned me to mark, to note, to keep my eye on, to watch out for that dog, and avoid it!” And you would be right.

Paul was saying that the Church has a similar responsibility. This is why the ministry, after careful consideration, will sometimes announce to a congregation or to the Church as a whole that someone may potentially do harm and needs to be “noted” or “marked.” It’s rare, but it happens, and the individual may or may not be a member. This is done when you need to be warned, and the person taken note of can be anyone who poses a threat of some kind, spiritual or otherwise.

Wakefield then explains that church members can be disfellowshipped and that devotees should steer clear of them for extended periods of time.  

Sadly, it is sometimes necessary for someone to be suspended or even dismissed from the fellowship of the Church—that is, to be disfellowshipped. Disfellowshipping is quite different from the marking or noting described above, in that it always involves someone who is a part of our fellowship, and the local members may or may not be told about the action. Also, a person may be temporarily suspended for some problem without their congregation being told (often called a “suspension”), and then return weeks or months later. Or members may be asked, depending on the circumstances, to avoid social contact with the person for a period, pending repentance. Usually, this restriction does not include business contact. Determining how to handle business contact is the responsibility of the individual member, but seeking counsel from the ministry can help you decide what is most helpful in each individual case.

The sad part in all of this is that some church members believe that the minister has the capability to discern if a member has repented or not and is worthy to be let back in the fold.  None of them have that ability and actually end up abusing members.  None of them have adequate training in counseling or therapy work.  None of them should ever be expected to make the right decision.  Tragically, the trail of dead bodies littering the ground down the rough the decades in the church proves that.

Wakefield then goes on with this:

How, then, should we feel toward those who have been marked or disfellowshipped? It is very important to remember that the membership should not bear any ill will against the person. These practices have a constructive and protective purpose, and should never be construed to encourage feelings of animosity.

If people could read the horror stories posted on closed Facebook groups by people who have been disfellowshipped and how the church and members treated them is appaling.  Church members believing they are doing what is right many times ended up be disgustingly abusive towards friends and family members. Some of the stories are sickening to read.

Wakefield then summarizes his article with the following:

Disfellowshipping

• involves only someone in our fellowship.

• may involve a temporary suspension, or it may be permanent.

• generally involves cases of promoting doctrinal error, causing division, personal sin, or some other issue—pending repentance. Its purpose is to help the person spiritually and to protect the Church spiritually from sin or division.

The congregation may not be informed of a disfellowshipping, particularly in the case of a suspension. This is a judgment call made by the minister, who carefully considers what is in the best interests of the individual and of the Church.

Marking

• means “taking note of” or “watching out for.”

• can involve someone who is in our fellowship or not in our fellowship.

This practice may be used to protect the Church congregation when people make adversaries of themselves. The “marked” or “noted” people may cause harm, and the brethren are being told: Beware.

Disfellowshipping and marking are two different practices, but both are used for the health and protection of the Church. Neither practice should ever result in animosity against the individual involved.