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 A Ministry of Arrogance 

They tend to rise to the top on the backs of  the genuine "Helpers of their Joy"

In 26 years of ministry, I had encountered many personalities in ministry. Most I knew were very sincere in WCG, of no particular reputation in ways that hurt the people who they served. This includes pastors of an number of denominations I befriended along the way as well as in WCG.  The pastors I met outside WCG and became friend with were much more educated in ministry, well loved and appreciated and wouldn't last ten minutes in their congregations if they were otherwise.  Congregants had a say in their future thus putting a check on the crazies, like some we see today in the splinters today who have no such scrutiny. Their members can like it or lump in terms of their options. 

The classic issue of "Church Government" in WCG and now too in most of the splinters of it, is ultimately their undoing. 

Apostle Dave Pack, Gerald Flurry and Ron Weinland being our best examples of this phenomenon. 

However, there were also "the difficult ones"  WCG allowed any number of them flourish where any other company would have sent them packing long ago. The concept of just moving these types around after their antics and arrogance disheartened their current congregation almost beyond repair , to do it all again always puzzled me personally. It was just as difficult for the sincere pastors to be around them as for the congregations they tormented. 

And no, there was never instruction at AC on how to be arrogant, controlling and "in charge". Never. These kids matured into the destructive personalities when they were on their own.  I once suggested to the HQ Administration of the time that all perspective pastors and even current ones be given a genuinely professional personality profile.  The reaction was telling and of course it never happened. 

 This guy reminded me of some of them...

And just for fun...

Best Feast EVER!

COG Groups Love To Dish It Out But Scream Like Hell When The Tables Are Turned

The Pot Calling the Kettle Black

Herbert Armstrong and his successors have decried the "persecution" which they have suffered at the hands of critics. In fact, critics within and without the ACOGs have been characterized as tools of Satan deployed by him to attack/destroy "God's Church." They say that former members have allowed a root of bitterness to well up within them and make them disgruntled and vengeful. Critics outside of the Church have been characterized as deceived and/or wicked proponents of lies and distortions. In short, anyone who makes negative comments relative to the ACOGs or challenges their work, teachings or behavior is said to be attacking and persecuting the Church (and are, consequently, enemies of God).

However, if criticizing the doctrines and teachings of an organization constitutes persecuting God's Church, then Armstrong and his successors were/are master persecutors. They have always been fond of pointing out what they considered to be the erroneous teachings of Mainstream or Traditional Christianity. Armstrong said that the vast majority of Christians worshipped on the wrong day (Sunday), had adopted pagan notions and practices, preached a false gospel and were drunk with the blood of the real saints (the folks who believed as they did). Armstrong and his followers have ridiculed Mainstream/Traditional Christian teachings about the trinity, afterlife, Christmas and Easter observances, grace, religious music, symbols, and prophecy (among other things).

Now, as far as the New Testament is concerned, the modus operandi of Jesus, Peter, Paul, John, and the other saints was to call out false teachings. Indeed, throughout those writings, Christians are constantly encouraged to ignore or dismiss teachings that contradict or twist what the founders of the religion have taught. Christ warned his followers that false messiahs and prophets would arise and attempt to deceive people. Paul warned the saints of Corinth about false apostles and deceitful workmen. He also chided the saints of Galatia for abandoning the Gospel of Christ and embracing a false gospel. John told his followers not to believe everything they heard and warned them that "many false prophets have gone out into the world." Peter warned the saints that there would be false prophets and teachers among them who would introduce "destructive heresies."

Hence, if we are following the example of Scripture, it would be reasonable for us to conclude that calling out false teachers and false teachings is the appropriate way to deal with this problem. Moreover, if it was appropriate for Herbie and his successors to call out the "false" teachings/doctrines of Mainstream/Traditional Christianity, how can they claim that anyone who does the same thing to them is persecuting them? My grandmother used to say, "What's good for the goose is good for the gander!" And, when an ACOG member alleges that my criticisms of their leadership and teachings amounts to persecution, I'm thinking of another grand old axiom: That sounds an awful lot like the pot calling the kettle black!

Miller Jones

Parcast Podcast: The Attleboro Sect...A COG Splinter Group That Proved Deadly

 

Jaques Rubidoux: COG Splinter Group Leader Who Starved His 10 Month Old Son To Death Now Realizes How Wrong He Was

14 Children by Roland and Jacques Robidoux

Parcast: The Millerites

Thanks to William Miller your COG exists today

Another man with no theological training who found hidden messages in the Bible.

William Miller and the Advent of the Second Coming

 

Parcast Podcast On Ron Weinland

 

The Saga of Apostle David C Pack Just Gets Sadder and Sadder

 Here We Go Again!

"Prophecy Update" TODAY

(April 12, 2021)

A brief note is in order: We are all expecting events to unfold by the end of Abib, which is hours away. True to God’s pattern, we have continued to learn through to the end—and at a seemingly ever-faster pace.

Of course, the starting position for every discussion about timing is that we cannot have another year. The news alone screams this remains more true than ever! Every indication (and there is a vast amount of evidence) is that our wait is still almost over. But it will enter the month of Iyar, which begins tonight. While it looked for a long time that Christ would have to come in Abib, eventually it became clear for many reasons that He absolutely could not come in Abib—but in fact would come the next month—in Iyar. This note could take a left turn at this point and add 6-10 pages, but that is what sermons are for. About two more would be needed.

The expectation has been that we would see an antichrist first (and many more with him), with Christ arriving soon after. This is also still true, but in a slightly different way than first believed. In fact, Elijah and the faithful living saints receive absolutely massive power for a brief period, during which all living saints are united. What happens over the next several days (the last days) before Christ returns on “that day” is a story so staggering no email could begin to do it justice. Since our wait appears to be for a very brief additional period, there is not time to inform the Church of even a fraction of the evidence. If this brief period comes and goes, then everything would need to be explained—and the story is truly incredible! Mr. Pack would lay it out in detail if we were to enter a wait for another year. Let’s hope that we soon live the story rather than merely hear it.

This much can be said now. All of what happens appears to require exactly one month after all! First comes the empowering of God’s Church with great gifts and exousia through the antichrist period when Elijah rises and that the living saints must endure. This is followed shortly by Christ’s coming to the Great Supper to build the “Seed” Kingdom of God before the second brief period involving the Man of Sin. Finally, the Father arrives in glory to close the month, brings paradise, the Mountain/City, the Old Testament saints, the resurrection of all Israel, the Wedding Dinner and to expand the Kingdom beyond Israel to the whole world. (Of course God’s Spirit stands here present in a Temple after Christ arrives.)

Let’s leave you with a question to ponder: Might the one month be Iyar itself after having fully observed (guarded/hedged about) Abib? This would mean our wait is essentially over. How wonderful that the Work of God ends simply booming in every regard! Whatever the wait, may it be brief. God speed the time!"

"...these men expose themselves as an emperor with no clothes. They are poor. They are blind. They are miserable. And they are naked. "

It would be refreshing for a change if one of these guys actually pointed to Jesus Christ as our leader, rather than constantly pointing to themselves and pointing fingers at others, within their own movement. Frankly, I am tired as others are of the whole everyone else is Laodicean so therefore you should follow me mantra. It smacks of the very attitude God criticizes in that passage. "I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing."(Revelation 3:17) In other words, "I" alone am righteous." "I" alone have complete understanding, the purest doctrines, the most godly "church government" etc. Fill in the blank. The truth is these men expose themselves as an emperor with no clothes. They are poor. They are blind. They are miserable. And they are naked. 

Their focus is on promoting their own name, their own imagined ecclesiastical authority, their own church, in an effort to attract or control their own "members." There is no love for one another in their writings. There is no humility of spirit. There is no thought process that perhaps they don't know as much as they think they might, and maybe they could learn a thing or two from someone else. There is no effort among any to work to come to any unity of the faith, but instead to cast blame, point fingers, and justify one's own position, or church group. 

 
Even efforts to preach a gospel are done almost solely as a "warning" and with the idea of self-promotion or preservation, rather than compassion or care for those who might be reached with such a message. If the motivation is skewed, the message won't be effective. You can scream all day about how you are the best, greatest, most mistreated, most persecuted, most favored by God, whatever. You might even attract a few people with grandiose statements of righteousness, claimed unique prophetic knowledge, etc. but if you aren't truly motivated by a love for God and a love for your fellow humans, your efforts will ultimately come to nothing, because God won't honor them, and unless God is building the house, your efforts are useless. (Psalm 127:1)

Concerned Sister