Stupid Things Stephen Flurry Says

We are heading into the most important and sacred time of the year in the Church of God as it celebrates its version of the Passover. It is a time of would searching and even fasting to makes sure one is prepared to partake of the bread and wine. It is the one night of the year when COG members feel washed free of their sins. Sadly, it is only that one night, and for some, the sin starts as soon as they get angry at someone in the parking lot who won't let them out of a parking space or cuts them not the freeway. Damn ti! Now they have to wait till next year to be cleansed of their sins.

That's the merry-go-round that COG members are condemned to by lackluster ministers who refuse to follow Christ and preach about grace, justification, and spiritual rest, but instead spend their every breathing moment finding something wrong that members are doing or wrong in society. It is the eternal condemnation that no Passover service will ever cleanse away.

From Exit and Support Network (links in the letter lead to articles on the E&S site and not the Flurry cult):

March 6, 2021 

 

[The following were notes were sent to us by a PCG source and L. S. has added comments.]
SF in a recent sermon “Focus on the Lamb of God” (which did not focus on the Lamb of God but on sin and the Law), was filled with what I call lies. He also quoted from HWA many times. 

 

SF says, “Jesus had to be crucified because God won’t compromise with his Law.” Lie. Christ willingly shed his blood on Calvary and rose again in order to pay for the sins of the entire world. He was foreordained (chosen) to be the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. I Peter 1:20; Revelation 13:8. 

 

SF says, “The view [in the world] is that He [Jesus] did it all for us and that is a cop-out.” Lie. The truth is that He did do it all for us. Ephesians 1:7; II Corinthians 5:21, and many more Scriptures. This is the gospel of grace. 

Any Christian who understands grace understands this concept. It is finished. All of it!  

SF says, “What Christ went through is proof that God’s Law is active and valid and in force.” He added that Luke 24 says it. Lie. The Bible says no such thing. Jesus is telling His disciples in Luke 24 that Moses and all the prophets spoke of the things concerning Him—not the law. (See Luke 24:25-27) Read our articles: The Law of Moses and the Grace of God and Must We Keep the Law for Salvation? (many Q&A). 

 

SF says, “Jesus had to die because God won’t compromise with His Law.” Lie. Quoted HWA as saying it is false what “people in the world are saying that Jesus did these things for us because we can’t keep the law perfectly.” Quoted HWA as saying, “We have to keep the Law in order to be saved” and “God won’t receive you just as you are.” Lie. The Scriptures say “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (II Corinthians 5:21) There are no works of the Law involved in salvation. It is a free gift. John 3:16. Read some of our articles in our section Law & Grace and especially many of Bob George‘s “A Closer Look” booklets. 

 

SF continually quoted words by HWA from his sermons and articles, which will always sound good and right until you exam them in the light of God’s Word. Read our article: Why Herbert Armstrong Could Not Have Been God’s True Apostle. 

 

SF says, “Young people have left PCG recently; they weren’t making the necessary changes they should have. In the end Satan overcame them.” Lie. Maybe these young people wanted out from under the burdens in PCG and to be able to make their own decisions. 

 

SF says, “If you don’t commit to a life of overcoming you will become calloused and drift away from God.” Lie. Victory comes by resting in Christ, not struggling. Go to our article: Must We Keep the Law for Salvation? and search for the word “overcome.” 

 

SF’s voice, the same as all top level PCG ministers I’ve heard gets very loud in the middle of this sermon. 

 

SF says,”We are living it first now and then will teach the whole world how to do it.” Lie. Members are not able to keep the Law perfectly so how can they teach the “whole world” in the future how to do it? 

 

When we focus on the Law it arouses sin, and causes sin to have more power. See Must We Keep the Law for Salvation? and click on the question “Can you explain more about the works of the Law and salvation?” 

 

This sermon will keep members in bondage to the Law not cause them to focus on “The Lamb of God” who took away the sin of the world. (John 1:29) –PCG source (additional comments by L. S.)

The law has become the god of the Church of God. The law trumps everything, even Jesus Christ. Nothing is more important or more necessary than keeping the law and following proper church government. Jesus be damned! Obey your pastor general or chief overseer, bow at the feet of Moses and keep all 613 laws, follow church government, and read Mystery of the Ages, and you too can be saved.

Oh Noes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! United Church of God Is Facing Persecution! What has this world come to?????????

 

The boys in Cincinnati are tearing a page out of professional martyr, Bwana Bob Thiel's strategy book. The big bad meanies out there are persecuting them because they dare to say stupid things at the wrong times. They believe that their incessant flapping of the arms, thrusting their big thick bibles in the air and screaming condemnation is preaching the gospel. It's not.

Here’s what we need to understand. A most disturbing trend has arisen: indiscriminate censorship of online information is underway, including censorship both by national governments and by the Internet companies themselves! 

 

While we in the Church of God fellowship still print and distribute thousands of physical Bible study guides, magazines, booklets and letters, we today conduct much of the Work in this online environment that is now being subjected to capricious censorship. 

 

One of these alarming acts of digital censorship is called “de-platforming.” U.S. and European governments have severely criticized and investigated the tech giants of the Internet, including Amazon, Google, Apple, Facebook and others for both allowing false, misleading, even harmful information to spread like wildfire and to indiscriminately collect and use data. 

 

These companies responded by independently censoring online information. Major figures have since been “de-platformed,” drawing criticism from world leaders in Europe and elsewhere. All companies, to one degree or another—and including the United Church of God—conduct major parts of their work online. 

 

Further, as has been established, these companies have also unilaterally censored or removed information that does not square with their political and social thought. 

 

This censorship has spread to disabling entire websites and social media platforms like Parler and individuals and organizations on Facebook and Twitter. Now, more and more people and organizations are silenced without warning. This includes churches who openly preach what the Bible says about certain sins. 

 

We have seen other evangelical organizations recently have messages “shadow-banned,” particularly on YouTube. The URL of the message remains online, but it is delisted so it cannot be found on search engines. Both being “de-platformed” and “shadow-banned” could happen to us. There are many who would want to silence our voice of “showing my people their sins” (Isaiah 58:1). 

 

Here in America, we have been blessed with the highest degree of protection for religious freedom in history, but it appears to be eroding rapidly. When I looked up a certain biblical phrase online in preparation for this column, I was advised by my browser that this was "content not suited for everyone”! 

 

In addition to Internet censorship, we are seeing new laws being considered in the United States and abroad that could have dramatic and far-reaching negative impacts on the Church of God fellowship.

And what is Kubik all in a twist over? He believes the state is going to turn UCG kids into transexuals.

Current federal legislation called the Equality Act is anything but that. If passed by the Senate and signed into law, it could deliver a stunning blow to religious freedom. 

 

Among other things, the Equality Act offers federal protection to those who would discard the biblical standards of man and woman, male and female. Under this potential law, so-called “gender identity” would be arbitrarily determined by individuals, not by physical genetics. It could throw all current standards into calumnious disarray. For example, boys who “identify” as girls could compete in women’s sports, despite physical differences. More ominously, men who “identify” as women would be legally free to use women's restrooms and other protected areas. This has already resulted in grievous harm. 

 

Further, some legislatures in Australia, Canada and elsewhere have adopted or are considering laws that legally prohibit any attempt to “deprogram” those who have artificially identified as a member of the opposite sex. Incredibly, in some instances, that ostensibly includes even praying for those individuals to recover! 

 

When people—even major figures—object, they are instantly subjected to vile derision and ad hominem attacks, which often follow a destructive pattern of “name, shame, cancel, repeat.”
I ask for your prayers that we as a spiritual fellowship be protected from this kind of legislation and societal trend that we may continue to do the work of the living God, and especially that our children be protected. Personal from the President

Not a single Church of God out there that is preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ is suffering any real persecution. Those that claim they are being persecuted, like Bob Thiel, LCG, and UCG, are preaching messages of condemnation. 

Woe is me, everything is wrong in the world and we have to be just as nasty as people in the world we delight in condemning. 

Those who are followers of Christ understand his message differently and don't spend every telecast, sermon, or copious amounts of time writing articles in vitriolic fits of condemnation. But since Thiel and the others are Christ deniers and instead Moses followers, they know nothing other than condemnation and damnation.

 

Big Sandy Texas...COG myths from the farm

 

From Wonders of the A.C. Ranch a publication from Imperial Schools in educating the youth about the AC farm and the Bible.

I certainly hope those children did not heed the Bible to end strife as taught by the Church of God and Ambassador faculty. The use of the Bible by these "leaders" has created more strife in the Church of God than the persecuting Germans or the Beast power. We created our own strife that has totally decimated the COG to the pathetic state it is in today. None of those guys have made any effort to end all the silly strife in the COG!

Did you also know that when God supposedly created Texas that he specifically knew hundreds of thousands of years ago that Herbert Armstrong would come to Big Sandy and build a campus there? Even more amazing that same God knew that they would build a dam on the property to make a lake and buried in that exact spot clay and silt so they could make the dam? Forget about the glaciers and flooding that happened over hundreds of thousands of years in the region, that's geology and we can't have any of that. It's a miracle, I tell you! A miracle!

We loved to mock the Catholic church for its many myths when we have created our own multivolume collection of COG myths.

With God's laws, we always comply???????? 

LMAO! This is the Church of God we are speaking of. It has always been a pick and choose church that kept the things it wanted and forget about the rest.

Restored Church of God: Dr. James F. Pastor, Chief RCG Legal Counsel, and Rose Ann Pastor, Leaves David C. Pack’s Group

 

From an RCG source:

Dr. James F. Pastor, Chief RCG Legal Counsel, and Rose Ann Pastor, Leaves David C. Pack’s Group

As RCG passes part 290 in Dave Pack’s prophetic sermon series, reports are coming out almost weekly that increasingly more are abandoning ship. Several key people have left in recent weeks.

One notable recent departure is Dr. James F. Pastor, and his wife Rose Ann. Most recently, James served as the General Counsel & Director of Risk Management. Rose Ann filled the role of Campus Administrator at the nearly-defunct Ambassador Center. Prior to James having a fallout with Dave, Jim was also the Business Office manager, among other key roles. He also taught at “AC” (see inset photo).

Sadly, James and Rose Ann are perhaps some of the more professionally accomplished people to have been duped by Dave Pack. Jim is an author and an expert in his field (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_F._Pastor) and Rose Ann has two Master's degrees. Thankfully, they finally saw the deception of the man.

Other recent notable departures include Wayne and Dale Caudill of HQ, as well as Brent and Elizabeth Garrison, pastors of the Kentucky area.

All of these (and others) add to the mounting list of 140+ staff members (The 140 Ex-Employees of David C. Pack and the Restored Church of God) and scores of ministers who all stand as a testimony and witness...they have all had their scales fall off and now see the falsehood of David C. Pack.

The ship is sinking. It's not a matter of if, but when. 

Sad News: Missing COG Member Found Deceased

 

The top notice was on various COG Facebook pages and the Ambassador Alumni site when they were looking for her after she did not arrive for church on Saturday.

Investigators find body of missing woman in car submerged in Clinch River

From a reader:

So sad that this sweet woman had to die driving to Sabbath services in another state during inclement winter weather.

 

Brenda was the widow of Jim Ross in Tyler, TX.

Are PCG Members Too Dumb To Know Who To Invite To The NIght To Be Much Observed? The ministry thinks so!

Hiding from the death angel

 

The spiritual Gestapo agents in Edmond Oklahoma, at Gerald Flurry's command, have laid down the law on who is invited to The Night To Be Much Observed, a night of food and drink that was manufactured by Herbert Armstrong and not found in the Bible. (cue Bob Thiel meltdown right now...)

From Exit and Support Network:

For the days of Unleavened Bread, John Krueger, in a recent sermonette, decided to quote from an article by laughing Brian Davis in the Philadelphia News Nov/Dec 2010, “Who should Attend the Night To Be Much Observed?” Krueger quotes Davis [emp mine] as saying: “If individuals attend who would hinder this fellowship, or lackthis understanding, or in some cases could even be hostile to this type of fellowship, our observance would not be up to the standard that is pleasing to God. That is why it is imperative that we not only know how to observe this night, but also who should keep it with us.” 

 

In addition to wearing their very best clothing that night, paying careful attention to detail, and being “moderate in food and drink” (Note: We all remember far too many members getting high on alcohol this night and eating too much roasted lamb and rich desserts) here are the rules: 

 

Who should we invite to observe the night with us? 

1. Those in God’s inner circle

2. Members’ children who are sanctified

3. Those who attend church on a regular basis but have not yet been baptized but desire to be 

 

Who should not be attending?

1. Non-converted mates who do not attend services on a regular basis

2. Those in the outer court –the Laodiceans

3. Teens who have decided not to attend services

Herbert Armstrong never ever made such a command. If so-called unconverted spouses and non-attending children felt compelled to attend the meal they were invited.  And, what's with this Laodicean crap? This night meal is not a New Covenant command and is beyond the boundary of a minister telling people who can and cannot attend. Besides, nowhere in the entire Bible are Christians told to keep this night.

EXODUS 12:41-42, the scripture the COGs use to establish this fabricated celebration, tells us the observance in question is to be solemn. The Passover is unarguably solemn, because of what occurred that night - the slaughter of a lamb, and thousands of firstborns, and even moreso because of what it foreshadowed - the death of the Savior. This tone of the COG Passover service seems much more in line with what verse 42 describes than the alleged Night to Be Much Observed. It doesn't appear that the Israelites celebrated their deliverance until Exodus 15, after Pharaoh's army was drowned in the sea. Humanly speaking, this makes sense to me. Would I have been pleased the morning after the Passover, to learn we were leaving? Absolutely. But I can see myself a little shell shocked. Grieved at the deaths of so many Egyptians. A little post traumatic stress disorder from the plagues. And then there was the matter of the Egyptian army pursuing them. All in all, I suspect the day after the Passover was not a big party for the children of Israel. 

 

And really, it's not exactly a reason to party for Christians today, either. The COGs tell us that this supposed Night to Be pictures Israel's deliverance from Egypt and our deliverance from sin through Christ's death. It is a night to prepare an elaborate meal, gather with brethren and rejoice. The tone of this tradition is tragically incongruent with what the evening allegedly marks. 

 

What do the COGs tell us we are celebrating? Christ's victory over sin, achieved by His death. Is the end result of the story something to celebrate? Absolutely. But is His actual death something to celebrate? I think not. Do you start planning an elaborate party when a close relative passes? "Hey guys, Aunt Edna is dead, would you please pass the prime rib? And did you SEE the dessert table?"

Should Christians Celebrate the "Night to Be Much Observed"?

 

.

LCG Prepares To Sacrifice Jesus Again At The Local Masonic Lodge and/or School Gym

It is that time of year when the Churches of God focuses upon Passover. It is the one time of year that the focus is supposed to be entirely on the guy they call Christ or Jesus if they want to look cool to their members. The rest of the year, not so much.  

They look forward to the ritual symbolic killing of Jesus once again. Microphones will be brought forward so that when the matzo wafers are broken the sound of the breaking of the bread is amplified so that members sitting in the congregation are filled with guilt and remorse for their inability to remain sinless since the previous Passover.

Due to the previous sins in their lives since the last Passover, they have to kill Jesus all over again on the night of the COG version of the Passover. The problem is, as soon as they leave that gym or Masonic Lodge, Jesus seems to remain there for the rest of the year. 

The meaning of his life, the significance of the resurrection, which is way more mysterious and meaningful than the crucifixion, barely gets a peep the rest of the year. COG leaders shy away from resurrection stories because they don't want to seem too Protestant and Easterish. Justification is rarely discussed as it is more important to focus on following rules than being justified. Grace and unmerited pardon are not looked upon too freely either. In fact, as the year progresses, the church will, as usual, be more graceless than ever. The rules and new rules will be enforced as Jesus Christ gets shoved in the corner again where he will have to wait till Passover next year.

Prepare for the Spring Holy Days: In just a few weeks, we will be observing the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread. These annual Festivals are a memorial of the great sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for our sins and the sins of the world. They are also a reminder that we need to recognize and eliminate sin and inappropriate thoughts and actions from our lives so we can become more like our Father and elder brother Jesus Christ. For the Passover to be meaningful and profitable—and not just routine—we need to do our part to prepare for this important step in God’s Plan of Salvation. To put the Passover in proper perspective, it will be helpful to review the gospel accounts of the events that led up to the Passover, the crucifixion, and the resurrection. Placing our own period of self-examination within this biblical context can help us appreciate the tremendous significance of Jesus’ sacrifice. The Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread provide us with an annual opportunity to examine every aspect of our lives in the light of God’s instructions found in the Scriptures. Spending time every day in prayerful study and reflection, as we go through this Holy Day period, will help us grow to be more like our Savior Jesus Christ.
Have a profitable Sabbath, Douglas S. Winnail