Gerald Flurry: Forging an idol in his own brain

 

One thing most of us have leaders about some COG leaders is that when they open their mouths we no longer are shocked at the craziness that comes out of them.

We have Dave Pack's creature he calls "christ" that is coming back for the 3 or 4th time, any day now, like yesterday. There's Ron Weinland who had his creature returning in 2008. Here we are in 2021, nothing has happened. We have Bob Thiel who self-appointed himself after pitching a hissy-fit getting upset with Rod Meredith claiming his creature is coming at some point but not now, but soon, but not this year or next. Bob's creature is far less important than the boastfulness of Bob expecting us to look in awe of his greatness. Then there is Gerald Flurry, the ultimate king of craziness in the COG movement. Gerald's savior is not the creature he expects to come back and sit upon Herbert Armstrong's old dirty rock but in a  man himself, Herbert W Armstrong. According to Flurry, there has never been a greater man to live in human history than Herbert W Armstrong. Poor Bob Thiel left on the back burner again! Always the bridesmaid and never the bride.

Anyway, here is what Flurry says:

How much do you know about Herbert W. Armstrong? The Bible has a lot to say about this man and the work that he did. 

 

“Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap” (Malachi 3:1-2).

God makes a blanket statement here: “[H]e shall prepare the way before me.” Period! No caveats or qualifications. What an endorsement of this man! God made a covenant with Mr. Armstrong, and He knew that Mr. Armstrong would do the job. Did he ever! What a messenger! 

 

Mr. Armstrong’s life is one of the highlights in the history of man. God really was moved by how he delivered His message. Mr. Armstrong prepared the way for Christ’s Second Coming. That means a lot. No matter whom he spoke to, he spoke about God’s law and way of life. He made mistakes as we all do, but he never stopped serving God. 

 

Christ is pleased with His messenger!

If the creature Flurry calls "christ" is pleased about Herbert Armstrong then why did over 500 some splinter groups defect, spitting in HWA's face? They all left in fits of rebellion against the very government that HWA supposedly restored.

“Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this” (Isaiah 9:7). 

 

That is what this is ultimately about. David’s throne will unite the world. God is going to bring all mankind, including those who are so rebellious today, to the point where they will bow down to Him—the Rock—and take a closer look at the love, the way and the life of God! We must humble ourselves before God, and then take on anyone who challenges our Father, the Head of His Family! We have nothing to fear with God on our side.

Gerald's dirty old rock that HWA supposedly prayed it will soon unite the world. Never happening! 

God used him to “restore all things”! (Matthew 17:10-11). What a monumental work! Mr. Armstrong did in God’s true Church what Christ is about to do in this world!

If you are a Christian there is only one person who can restore all things. Herbert Armstrong certainly did not. He is an unknown figure in the world, even in all the nations he visited and supposedly witnessed to about some "strong hand from someplace".  The church is fractured into hundreds and hundreds of splinter sects doing nothing. Families were broken and in many cases destroyed because of his teachings and the further embellishments of his by-products. The ground is filled with bodies of church members who suffered the ultimate fate because of this supposed restoration, not as martyrs but as victims.

Great will be the day when the last splinter group fades from this earth.

 

Gerald Flurry Proven A Liar Again As His "god" Fails To Punish Ex-Members

 

Exit and Support Network  has a letter up from an ex-PCG member who discusses how he and his family survived the horrific turn that hit Kentucky and other states over a 240 mile stretch.

He writes about the long held myths Armstrongism, and particularly with Gerald Flurry that those who leave the true faith are doomed to destruction.

As Gerald Flurry has stated countless times through pulpit, print and video, those ex PCG members “who have once been enlightened” (Hebrews 6:4 1) with the “truths” of Armstrongism and the additional special revelation given through “that Prophet” and then who reject these “revealed truths” are under God’s condign wrath and divine disapprobation. If you have in the past been exposed to HWA’s teachings and now Flurry’s new “truths” and refuse to act on what you have heard (called “dangerous knowledge”) then you are marked out for absolutely certain Eternal Death. GF has stated repeatedly in sermons and specifically in his booklet on Jude that Laodiceans who refuse to repent and support him and God’s Work are “twice dead, plucked up by the roots” (Jude 1:12 2). You would be better off going on a long drive next to a lake with Ted Kennedy. 

 

In GF’s “uplifting” booklet on the prophet Ezekiel he gleefully describes in Ezekiel 9 how we rebellious Laodiceans will be special targets for God’s death angels to mercilessly seek out and destroy. We Laodicean men will be violently cut down in midstride along with our children and wives around us. Piles of the slain bodies of Laodicean men, women and children will fill the streets. Are you ready to send in your check to Edmond now? If you refuse to follow Gerald Flurry as “God’s Man” you will pay the ultimate price. As Mr. T told Rocky before the big fight–you’re Dead Meat.

The Churches of God, thanks to Herbert Armstrong, made a cottage industry out of lying to church members over this topic. Fear is the greatest motivator in keeping members in line. The fear of losing ones salvation for refusing to follow a COG leader has been powerful weapon used by many of these degenerate men. They get on the borderline of orgasmic ecstasy when describing the terrible things they want to see happen to ex-members. Their eyes glaze over at the shore destruction they want to see reign down.

The Flurry cult as well as many of the other splinter group leaders take great joy in the suffering they think Joseph Tkach suffered when he was dying of cancer. In their warped minds, their angry god was dishing out pain and suffering on Tkach Sr for daring to get rid of the abusive lies and other false teachings of the church,  mainly things that are not required of New Covenant followers of Christ. But they don't care, they are so filled with hate in their hearts that they go into great detail describing the pain Tkach supposedly suffered at the hands of their angry god. Suffering in ways that no one from Tkach's family has ever described told to anyone. Instead these guys lie and lie and lie.

Stories were told to us while we were in the PCG how God would strike down and kill individuals in the church [PCG] who acted disobediently. The most famous one was how Joseph Tkach Sr. was “cursed” with a mortal sickness for telling church members during a Pasadena HQ sermon that it was OK to play golf on the Sabbath. People in the PCG had a lurid mathematical calculation about how Tkach Sr. was slated for destruction the moment he gave that message where he vouchsafed WCG members to tee off on a Saturday. I was told, “It was exactly 42 weeks after Joe Sr. gave that sermon when he was stricken with cancer.” What exactly the significance of the 42 week time period meant I never found out. Very graphic details were given of how Tkach Sr. was eaten up with cancerous sores and lesions from head to toe. Earnest descriptions of Tkach’s final hours, languishing in his hospital bed and under the thralls of unparalleled but well deserved suffering were told. Apparently people who went in to see him came out of his room weeping because of his state. The “rottenness of the bones” in Proverbs 14:40 was cited as absolute scriptural validation of Tkach’s just punishment. The lesson was this: if you rebelled against “God’s Truth” you were in the fast lane to destruction.

The writer then goes on to describe the world the Flurry's imagine happening:

According to “That Prophet’s” twisted theology, when God in the End of Days destroys the luckless inhabitants of the Earth (all who are not PCG members) we rebellious Laodiceans will be finally and deservedly destined to be mere ashes under the soles of the feet of GF and his most loyal devotees (Malachi 4:3). Yes, an Eternal death sentence to those who would dare to not contribute to the fund to fuel Flurry’s luxury private jet. Just imagine the world tomorrow. An endless eternal bliss of Riverdancing, Bible Studies, Spokesman’s Club, and everlasting fundraisers to perpetuate the Flurry dynasty throughout the entire Earth and beyond into the universe. The only TV shows allowed in the Millennium will be the Key of David and Ryan Malone’s Operatic masterpieces.

The writer then describes his experience with the tornado weather:

We live in a modest mobile home that in no way could have withstood the types of wind power that destroyed so many other better built structures that tragic night. It was around 3:30 a.m. when the worst of this storm system hit us. As my wife and I lay in our bed, we heard the howling wind buffet and shake our house. The siding on our home started to violently bang and slap back and forth as it was caught in the wind. I had a real mortal dread that the very sides of our home would be sheared away–exposing us to the elements. Then the large hail storm came and it felt as if it would come through the ceiling. We offered up earnest prayers to God in His Son’s name for protection. Here was the moment. Would God protect us through this storm safely or would Flurry’s dark prognostications against us prevail? 

 

According to PCG doctrine, my family that night should have stood out glaringly to both God’s avenging angels and Satan’s destroying demons alike as prime targets for annihilation. There was not another Laodicean family around for 50-70 miles and for all practical purposes we have bull’s-eye targets painted on our backs!! Worse than that we had a Christmas tree in our living room lit up with all the ornaments on it!! HWA is spinning in his grave! We had a small miniature Christmas village set up on our coffee table just begging for us to be hopelessly wiped out! All the righteous indignation and fury in that storm should have been directly sent in our immediate vicinity as just punishment for our rebellion. Now the butcher’s bill is to be paid. Now we will experience the deadly consequences for rejecting Gerald Flurry as God’s man–the very man who will sit triumphantly in the Eschaton on Armstrongs’ prayer rock and be crowned king of Israel. Woe unto US!!!!

He ends his letter with this:

Friends, Flurry’s curses against those of us who have left the PCG are useless because Christ has become a curse for us (Galatians 3:13). The PCG teaches that all of us who do not keep God’s Mosaic Law as a means to salvation are under a curse. However in that same verse of Galatians is it written that Jesus has “redeemed us from the curse of the law”. Please don’t follow a man. Jeremiah 17:5 tells us that the real curse upon an individual is not a refusal to support Gerald Flurry– but in trusting a mere mortal man for spiritual deliverance and making “flesh his arm.”

Amen to that! No one and I repeat NO ONE will ever fear the wrath of the false god of Armstrongism and its degenerate leaders. None of them have the power to call down any curses on us. None of them will ever be the two witless witnesses. None of them will ever have an end time message that is worth listing to. None of them can ever take away any opportunity of salvation open to those who are followers of The Way.

 

Jeremiah 10 and the COG Myth Makers

 

Is Caring For Others A Distinguishing Mark Of Living Church of God?

Real Philadelphia Christians: The Book of Revelation describes Philadelphia Christians as having a strong desire to carry out the mission that Jesus gave to His Church (Revelation 3:7–13). That mission involves preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:14–15), warning the Israelite nations and the world of the consequences of sin (Matthew 10:5–6; 24), and preparing a people to reign with Jesus Christ in the Kingdom (Luke 1:17). The name “Philadelphia” means “brotherly love,” so true Philadelphians will strive to follow Jesus’ admonition to “love one another” (John 15:12–17). Real Philadelphians will show unselfish, outgoing concern for others (versus sitting in judgment of others). Demonstrating concern for others is a distinguishing mark of a real Philadelphia Christian (John 13:34–35). Let’s all look for ways to show genuine “brotherly love” to others.

Have a profitable Sabbath, Douglas S. Winnail

LCG: Is It A Sin To Donate Online To Them After Sundown?

 

Things just get stranger and stranger in COGland as they pull crazy rules out of their a..... hats.

Year-End Donations (U.S. only)—Repeat Announcement
Please be reminded that all U.S. contributions dated in December and postmarked on or before Friday, December 31, will be counted as a donation for 2021 and may be tax deductible in 2021, even if we receive it in January 2022. For those who donate online, the deadline for online contributions is 11:59 p.m. on December 31. Keep in mind that December 31 is a Friday this year, and sundown times will vary depending on your location.

So are we to assume that if a member decides to contribute some money after sundown on December 31st that LCG will refuse it out of Christian obligation to not accept money transactions on the Sabbath?

Well, we all know the answer to that one....

Gerald Weston Is Excited That 1 In 30 Of Recent Tornado Victims Know About LCG Magazines

This isn't something that I think many people would find space to brag about. However, this IS a COG we are speaking of: 

Greetings from Charlotte, 

 

Many of you have wondered how our members fared when a series of tornados cut paths across six states last Sabbath. Two towns hit hardest were Mayfield and Dawson Springs, Kentucky. Mayfield is a town of about 10,000 residents and is not close to any congregation, but we have one recently baptized member there. Mr. Darrell Lovelady wrote this encouraging news: “She is well. No damage to her property. She has water; however, her biggest issue is no power, which impacts heating and freezer. She said she doesn’t have any immediate needs.” In checking further, I found that we have 54 Tomorrow’s World magazine subscribers in Mayfield (population 10,000) and 39 in Dawson Springs (population 2,600). Figuring conservatively with two people per household, that means as many as one in 30 residents in Dawson Springs is acquainted with our magazine. Please keep in your prayers all those in the areas affected by the tornados. On another note, Rodger Bardo, our minister for Southern California, and his lovely wife Betty are celebrating 50 years together in marriage this Sabbath. Congratulations!—Gerald Weston

PCG: "God needs you to be a godly Renaissance man!"

 

When you look at the Philadelphia Church of God and what it teaches you are never surprised to see who their latest idol is that they have. For the last year or so, Winston Churchill has been the right example to follow, after Herbert W Armstrong, of course.

Brad McDonald has a new article up about how the youth of the Philadelphia Church of God need to learn to be Renaissance men.

He writes:

Any high school student has probably heard the word “Renaissance.” The term, which means “rebirth,” is used to describe 15th-century Europe—particularly Italy—at a time when art, literature and science were “reborn.” Most students have probably also heard a common phrase used to describe the men of that era: “Renaissance man.”

During the Renaissance, there was a revival in learning. Individuals were artists, musicians, scientists, inventors, philosophers. Today, the term “Renaissance man” describes the man who is competent is multiple fields—the man who has a rounded personality. A Renaissance man is an athlete and an academic, a warrior and a poet, an officer and a gentleman.

I think this is hilarious, particularly for someone in the PCG to be writing this considering how many of the Renaissance men of history were gay, which is pretty much like PCG today.

The Retrospect Journal had this to say about the Renaissance men in the "realm of carnal debauchery".

Renaissance Italy is popularly portrayed as a realm of carnal debauchery. One only needs to watch Tom Fontana’s Borgia (2011-2014) to understand common conceptions of Renaissance Italy as a realm of brutal acts, orgies, and affairs. Yet, is there any truth to these depictions? On the subject of sexual activity, Michael Rocke has argued that fifteenth century Florence was awash with sodomy. He suggests that two thirds of men were officially implicated by the age of forty. In the final four decades of the fifteenth century, 17,000 Florentine men had been accused of sodomy by the Office of the Night (an institution founded to investigate homosexual relations). These statistics seem to substantiate our popular conception of the Renaissance. However, sheer statistics undermine the complex dynamics of homosexual relations in fifteenth-century Florence.

This was not only a story of licentiousness. Men grappled with their “carnal” desires and scrutinised them through the intellectual tools available to them. One of these tools was Neoplatonism, the revival and re-interpretation of Plato and the Neoplatonic texts, most associated with Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499) and his informal Florentine Academy. Understandings of Ancient Greek thought provided a framework for Florentine men to engage with homosexual relations, creating a discourse that could both justify and condemn their actions. Homosexuality in Renaissance Florence: The Ambiguities of Neoplatonic Thought

McDonald quickly moves on to PCG's masculine hero-worship of Winston Churchill:

Many of the great figures of history could be described as Renaissance men. One example is Winston Churchill. He was an avid reader, an outstanding writer and an influential philosopher. He memorized poetry. He was an artist who loved painting. At the same time, he loved to build, to develop, to get outside and work with his hands. He loved polo and fencing. Even as he got into his forties and fifties, he still loved getting outside and working with his hands. In fact, he was a good brick layer.

Ask yourself: Is a godly leader a Renaissance man?

McDonald wants the men of the PCG to realize their true masculine potential:

The point is, godly leaders are well-rounded. They are balanced. They love reading and studying, art and music; they enjoy museums and the theater. But they are also not afraid to get outside and “get their hands dirty.” They play sports; they landscape; they hunt and fish. They work with their hands. They are intellectuals, but they are also warriors.

Now, does not this describe PCG ministers accurately or COG leaders as a whole?

When have we ever seen real godly leaders who were well-rounded? When. have we ever seen a balanced COG leader? They are usually so wildly crazy that they are off the charts. Balance is not a Church of God cherished word.

What about you, young men? Where do you fall on this spectrum of masculinity? Do you like to read, to think, to engage your mind? Do you like art, poetry, fine music? If so, do you also work hard, pushing yourself to your physical limit?

McDonald then trots out David as a shining example of what a renaissance man is:

To see what a godly Renaissance man is, we can look to the Bible and find one of the greatest examples in King David. 

 

King David, even as a teenager, was a tough, brave warrior. He lived outside; bathed in creeks; slept by the fire and under the stars. He hunted for his own food. He was absolutely deadly with a sling shot and sword. He fought lions, bears and giants. He was the ultimate tough guy.
And yet, at the same time, David was an absolutely brilliant musician. He played the harp, and probably other stringed instruments. He wrote poetry and songs. He loved knowledge and learning. He was a terrific public speaker. David was a Renaissance teenager!

Sadly the COG has had a lot of men like David. Some have spent years banging other men's wives, stalking women, molesting children, and eventually killing members.

After extolling the virtues of David, McDonald says this:

Mr. Gerald Flurry writes about this in his book The Former Prophets: How to Become a King: “Several times throughout his life, David said that God was with him. That was like the motif of his life. That’s the most important statement that you can make about a person: That God is with him.”

The ultimate source of David’s admirable character traits was God’s power working with and in him! 

 

What about you, men? When people look at you, do they see God? Do they say, “Wow, there is something special about that guy”? This is the characteristic that will really set you apart. The first five characteristics of a Renaissance man can be developed by anyone. Plenty of people appreciate culture; there are brave and strong men; there are men of action; there are men who love education; men who take care of themselves physically. You can develop these characteristics separate from God. But with God, and with the power of His Spirit working with you, these characteristics can become a hundred times more effective! In many instances, the power of God will actually empower you as you develop these characteristics! 

 

Young men: God needs you to be a godly Renaissance man!