Bob Thiel has been absolutely devastated to learn that God has chosen and anointed Dave Pack. Now we know that Bob isn't so special after all!
That is the limit of what God has done with Dave. Who knew?
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.
Bob Thiel has been absolutely devastated to learn that God has chosen and anointed Dave Pack. Now we know that Bob isn't so special after all!
That is the limit of what God has done with Dave. Who knew?
While many are aware of some of the pagan origins of Halloween celebrations, many d0 not realize where the practice of birthday celebrations came from or how they are viewed by certain Satanists.
Back in 1969 Anton Lavey wrote The Satanic Bible. On page 96 (in the 1976 version) it mentions birthdays:
THE highest of all holidays in the Satanic religion is the date of one’s own birth. This is in direct contradiction to the holy of holy days of other religions, which deify a particular god who has been created in an anthropomorphic form of their own image, thereby showing that the ego is not really buried.
The Satanist feels: “Why not really be honest and if you are going to create a god in your image, why not create that god as yourself.” Every man is a god if he chooses to recognize himself as one. So, the Satanist celebrates his own birthday as the most important holiday of the year. After all, aren’t you happier about the fact that you were born than you are about the birth of someone you have never even met? Or for that matter, aside from religious holidays, why pay higher tribute to the birthday of a president or to a date in history than we do to the day we were brought into this greatest of all worlds?
After one’s own birthday, the two major Satanic holidays are Walpurgisnacht and Halloween (or All Hallows’ Eve). (Lavey A, Gilmore P. The Satanic Bible. Avon, September 1, 1976, p. 96–note it is on page 53 of an online version I found also).
Hyperventilating in Grover Beach, the Chosen One continues:
It is interesting that birthdays are considered one of the three most important holidays to these Satan worshipers (the two others called Walpurgisnacht and Halloween have pagan ties and are observed by millions who claim to be Christian). While not all Satanists share that view, most celebrate birthdays and those who practice astrology also consider birthdays of vital importance.
The Bible never encourages the celebration of birthdays. Instead, it tends to speak in a negative manner concerning them (cf. Matthew 14:6-11; Jeremiah 20:14-18).
Now although there is no specific command against the celebration of birthdays in the Bible, the Jewish custom in those days was apparently based on the negative occurrences in the Bible surrounding birthdays, as well as the astrological implications of the celebration of birthdays (pagan practices, like astrology, were specifically prohibited in the law).
No early religious/church writing from the second century that I have seen (and I have read most that are available) seems to endorse (or even suggest) the celebration of birthdays by any who professed Christ either.
Note this from the As Bereans Blog:
"I want you to keep in mind another very important point: Birthdays are not religious celebrations. If they are not religious, then they are not pagan. Pagan, by definition, has to do with religious matters. Pagans can celebrate their birthdays, but birthdays are not by nature pagan.
Birthdays are entirely secular. Birthdays are every bit as secular as the Fourth of July ...the birthday of America. Do you know anyone who condemns secular national holidays like Independence Day, Cinco de Mayo, and etc? I don't. (I'm sure someone out there does.) During my time in Armstrongism, I was never taught to avoid those days. What's the difference? There is none.
Birthdays are just anniversaries. Do you celebrate your wedding anniversary? Then don't throw rocks at birthdays.
Some people will not celebrate the birth of their Lord and Savior but they will celebrate the birth of their nation or their marriage. So, they are not against all birthdays, just specific ones.
What's more, there are people who say we should not have any celebration that is not specifically commanded in the Bible. Where did they get that notion? Not from the Bible! (Please read Martha's article "Established and Imposed".)
But let's go with that. The new standard is, we can't do anything the Bible doesn't command us to do. Well, the Bible says nothing for or against birthdays. Condemning birthdays is not something we are commanded to do in the Bible! So, why are people doing it? The Bible is neither here nor there about birthday celebrations. It only mentions them as part of the narrative of events. It never says they are good or bad. It seems to me the weakest of all arguments to say if the Bible is against something, don't do it, but if the Bible is not against something, don't do it." Only Pagans Observe Birthdays?
And this:
Crackpot Bob absolutely needs to master the fine art of keeping his mouth shut about everyday life and stop shoving his nose into everything that doesn't concern him. After all, he's nothing more than a walking encyclopedia of Armstrongite literature, regularly regurgitating it all over everyone just to spread sheer joy—by which I mean, to make people utterly miserable."It is not true that in the Bible only pagans celebrate their birthdays. Job's kids were faithful. Herod Antipas was a Jew.
What is true, however, is that only people who explicitly celebrated their birthdays in the Bible were wealthy. Birthdays were for the upper echelons until quite recently, but not because they were rejected as pagan, rather because of societal norms. It seems reasonable to conclude it was the tearing down of social strata in the 1700s and 1800s that led to common birthdays.
Birthdays were not ignored in the Bible. Other birthdays besides the three explicit references are hinted at. Jews are not necessarily against birthdays.
Birthdays are not religious celebrations, they are secular, therefore they are not able to be "pagan" any more than Independence Day or wedding anniversaries.
Origen tried to apply guilt by association, but he misunderstood who kept a birthday in the Bible as well as what the nature of uncleanness is in Leviticus. We know the accusation that only pagans observed birthdays is false. We don't find it compelling to stop just because someone was killed on the day. We know the uncleanness was ceremonial only, and does not apply in the New Covenant. So, any guilt by association is removed.
What is left? Nothing much at all. I would say birthday celebrations come out rather clean in this investigation. Seems to me that makes the answer 'yes'. Yes, Christians may celebrate birthdays.
Were you accused of being a pagan for celebrating a birthday? You can see it was a baseless accusation, made by someone parroting something they heard but did not genuinely understand. People will accuse you of paganism for many things besides just birthdays. If you are considering giving up birthdays because someone accused you of paganism, don't fool yourself that it will help. You will only find you are accused for something else. It is an endless chase. In the end, will you find grace and peace?" Only Pagans Observe Birthdays?
Craig White sent out an email today addressing the lack of resources for COG members to resolve internal disputes, air grievances, and have their voice heard in certain matters.
He says:
Greetings,
This Bible study explores the authentic interpretation of 1 Corinthians 6:1-11, emphasising Paul's rebuke of Corinthian believers for resolving internal disputes in secular courts. Drawing on historical context, the author argues that early Christian communities, modelled after first century synagogue structure, incorporated impartial judicial systems (bet din) for civil matters which is essential for righteous Biblical governance. The study critiques modern abuses in Churches—such as bias, slander, and perjury—highlighting the absence of neutral panels and courts, which forces members to secular recourse despite Paul's ideal of internal arbitration by "wise" saints destined to judge the world and angels.
Commentaries from scholars are surveyed, affirming the passage's focus on civil (not criminal) disputes. Basic principles advocate Matthew 18 conflict resolution, forgiveness, and Godly mediation, but permit legal action for serious abuses like defamation, victimisation or harassment when church mechanisms fail or are corrupted by bias and slander. A proposed tiered court system—local, regional, and top-level—with neutral, diverse juries, training, appeals, and anti-perjury safeguards is outlined to ensure justice, impartiality, and adherence to Biblical mandates. Ultimately, the study calls for restorative processes to prevent flock scattering, affirming secular courts' legitimacy (per Romans 13).
Nobody wants to go this far, but there are times people being harassed and intimidated have to pursue their God-given rights when the internal system of the group breaks down and there is bias, prejudice and beliefs that ministers have always have to win, no matter the consequences such as the scattering of the flock.
In the Bible study What is Justice? it was demonstrated that impartial courts are found throughout the Bible, but this principle has been sadly lacking in the Churches of God.
In this follow-up Bible study, we explore the necessity of having courts in fulfillment of the Scripture under discussion (I Corinthians 6:1-11).
Feedback direct to me is appreciated.
Regards to all,
Craig
The pdf article is here: The Real Meaning of I Corinthians 6:1-11
What is your opinion on this?
Good afternoon, Pastor Bob. Here’s a report from the Feast of Tabernacles in southern Brazil. There were 47 brothers and sisters gathered. We listened to all the messages you preached. We found a translator here. It was very edifying. We opened three more study groups in three cities. I urgently need a car to assist the new brothers. This week, three more Protestant pastors joined the Continuing Church of God: Jhonatha and his wife, Gustavo, Dvi and his wife and children, Jairo and his family. Pastor Bob: We are amazed by the sermons you preached…
And get this: this guy still gets stuff from the Living Church of God, which apparently he uses, but the moment those hapless pastors caught wind of Bwana Bob's utterly "amazing" voice, they converted on the spot! Because as soon as anyone hears the spellbinding voice of Bwana Bob, IT IS OVER—game, set, match, no questions asked!Pastor Bob: I want to dedicate my life to serving the Continuing Church of God in Brazil…
I am at your disposal. PROPHET BOB: GOD SHOWED ME THAT YOU ARE AN ANOINTED ONE OF THESE LAST DAYS OF THE CHURCH OF GOD ON EARTH. TODAY, TWO MORE PASTORS HAVE ALREADY JOINED THE CONTINUING CHURCH OF GOD WITH 30 PEOPLE EACH. PASTOR DAVI DE JESUS ALTAMIRA PARÁ, PASTOR ANTONIO IN TUCURUÍ The Living Church of God always sends me messages to work with them, but I always talk to Pastor Bob, and it’s over…
Pastor Bob, the prophetic mantle of the last days is upon you. Don’t be discouraged. We here in Brazil are with you… Pastor Bob, one more thing. We filed the application for church registration here in Brazil. It was approved, but with Donald Trump’s high prices, they’re asking for an additional R$4,500 to release the CNPJ (National Registry of Legal Entities) and the Statute of the Continuing Church of God in Brazil. Help us because the Brazilian government won’t allow American churches to operate without registration here. Prophet Bob, today I also started studying English to better serve the Continuing Church of God in Brazil and translate some books into Portuguese. We are also waiting for you HERE IN SOUTHERN PARÁ, BRAZIL.
A Temple Relief Depicting the Egyptians at War with the Sea Peoples under Ramesses III
The Sea Peoples and British-Israelism
The Presence of Europeans in Bronze Age Palestine
By Scout
"At this time the island of Britain was called Albion. It was uninhabited except for a few giants.”
– Geoffrey Monmouth, The History of the Kings of Britain
I saw a giant at the grocery store few weeks ago. He wasn’t just tall and fragile-looking like some giants with endocrine problems. He was tall and also robust. I would say he was about 6’8”. He was broad-shouldered and looked athletic. My guess is that he weighed one hundred pounds more than me. I’m a little over six foot and weigh about 190. But I felt quite small. Seeing someone so large did not disrupt my shopping although his size gave me momentary pause. When I see big people, I just wonder where they get their clothes. I worked with a huge Irish guy one time. He wore a size 17 shoe. Where does one even find something like that? That brings me to Goliath the Philistine.
Archaeogenetics has established that there were people in Palestine during the late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age with the same population genetics as Europeans. But they were not of the tribe of Ephraim. Nor were they of the tribe of Manasseh. They came from a non-Israelite population and their history should be interesting to anyone who is seriously considering the idea of British-Israelism. Goliath is a part of that consideration.
The Sea Peoples and the Philistines
The Sea Peoples were a diverse coalition of people who originated in Southern Europe and West Asia. They fought against and plundered various cities in the eastern Mediterranean. Ramesses III of Egypt repelled a massive invasion of these people during his reign. Ramesses III defeated these seafaring invaders and transplanted some of them to southern Canaan. The Egyptians recorded that among this diverse group of invaders were the Peleset or the Philistines. Other historical evidence indicates that the Philistines came out of the Greek sphere and originated around the Aegean Sea and settled around 1175 BC in Canaan.
The Table of the Clans of Noah in Genesis 10 indicates that the Philistines were Hamitic descendants of Mizraim, another name for the Egyptians. It is entirely plausible that the Sea Peoples, a motley group, could have included these descendants of Adam living in Greece and came to have their name. The precise relationship between the Genesis 10 Philistines, the Sea Peoples and the Europeans is a little vague working from historical references alone. Genetics does much to clarify this.
The Archaeogenetics of the Philistines in Brief
Archaeogeneticist Michal Feldman, in conjunction with the Max Planck Institute, analyzed the genetics of 10 individuals who were excavated in the Philistine city of Ashkelon. The burials date from the Early Iron Age, the 12th Century BCE, a little earlier than the time of David who lived in the 11th Century BCE. She found four infants whose genetics indicated a Southern European ancestry. A Southern European origin for the Philistines is supported by language studies and pottery types. The Philistines are associated with the Aegean and in particular the island of Crete. Crete is thought to be the Caphtor which is mentioned in the tribal name Caphtorim in Genesis 10. Further research indicates that over time these early Europeans were absorbed into the Levantine population.
One of the excavated infants, labelled ASH067, was haplogroup R. This connects these people to the Pontic Steppe Pastoralists who occupied most of Europe. The haplogroup could not be fully sequenced, though markers were identified, so we do not know if it is haplogroup R1b or R1a, respectively corresponding to western Europe and eastern Europe. It is likely that it is R1b because that population existed in the Aegean region. This drives the conclusion, then, that there were Europeans among the mixed population of the Philistines in ancient Palestine. I think that Goliath was one of them.
Goliath the European Giant – Maybe
Goliath was a big guy. But he was not so big that David could not comfortably use his sword (1 Samuel 21:9). My conjecture is that he was a big European – maybe standing at 6’ 8”. The Jews in the time of Christ were on average around 5’ 1” and weighed about 110 pounds. My guess is that the earlier Israelites in the time of David were about that same size. Europeans are a larger people and a big western European would seem like a terrifying giant on the battlefield to the Israelites back then. It’s the case of a guy wearing a size 7 shoe meeting in bellicosity a guy wearing a size 17 shoe in low tech, sword against sword circumstances.
There are, of course, other theories. Malcolm Gladwell made a persuasive argument that Goliath suffered from acromegaly. And there is a possible Biblical connection between Goliath and the sons of Anak who were supposed to be giants. I think the Anakim were big people at one time but I also think that the expression “sons of Anak,” referring to large people, entered the Hebrew language as a figure of speech later. There is also a possibility that he was descended from the Rephaim, another Biblical race of giants. The Talmud asserts that Goliath was descended from a sister of Ruth named Orpah. Further, Ruth and Orpah were both daughters of Moabite King Eglon. And Orpah may have been the mother of other Philistine giants who lived in the city of Gath. The connection between Ruth and Orpah would make David and Goliath distant cousins. Theories abound. One thing that is not theory is the genetic evidence that there were Europeans at one time among the Philistines.
A Challenge to Armstrongists with Money for Archaeology
R1b-M269 is the haplogroup of the British and other Northwest Europeans. This subclade of haplogroup R originated about 13,000 YA in Eastern Europe. If the R1 haplogroup associated with ASH067 in Ashkelon is actually R1b-M269 then it is the earliest occurrence of this haplogroup in ancient Palestine. It places people of European descent in the camp of the enemies of Israel (Might this not have some prophetic significance?). But further, it is a singular occurrence and does not reflect a high-density population in ancient Palestine of R1b-M269. Yet, if G.G. Rupert and HWA are right, British-Israelism would predict that the excavated burials of ancient Palestine should contain R1b-M269 at high density.
Instead of funding the excavation of the City of David or other similar projects, would it not be more valuable to fund excavation that might establish that this high-density population of R1b-M269 at one time existed in ancient Palestine in the area of the thirteen tribes? Imagine the headlines. “Ancient Israel is the Home of the Western European People Based on New DNA Findings.” Think of what a boost that would be to the End-time Work. HWA’s key to prophecy would be underpinned by the best archaeology and technology available to us. If one is confident about British-Israelism, this challenge could be easily and elegantly met and would be well worth the effort.
The Outcome
Up to this point, the presence of Europeans in late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age Palestine as indicated by archaeogenetics is problematical for British-Israelism. The finds at Ashkelon indicate that the early Europeans were not Israelites but were among the Philistine enemies of Israel during the time of the Judges and David. It is true the sample size in small, but I expect more and more data will surface. Perhaps, Goliath himself was a big Western European. That Goliath was related to the British and other western Europeans is a much more plausible hypothesis, based on credible scientific evidence, than the idea that the British are descended from Israel.
Reference
This link contains links to other articles: New DNA Study Suggests Philistines Came from Crete