Crackpot Prophet: "Don’t be so stubborn that every day has to be a movie version of Groundhog Day."

Oh, it's that magical time of year again—February 2, when the world's most qualified meteorologist, Punxsutawney Phil, majestically waddles out of his luxury burrow like a furry Nostradamus and delivers his earth-shattering six-week weather prophecy for the Midwest. Groundhog Day: the holiday so scientifically rigorous it makes climate models look like guesswork.

Back in the Midwest of my youth, every sane person treated this as peak Americana folklore—cute, silly, entirely made-up fun. We'd chuckle at the news clip, maybe crack a joke about whether the groundhog had union representation, and then go back to our regularly scheduled winter complaining. Harmless cultural fluff, right? Right.

Enter God's single most exalted prophet to ever tread the sacred green hills of planet Earth: the one, the only, the utterly unimpeachable Dr. Bob Thiel. Our fearless leader has no room in his immaculately pure heart—or his meticulously cataloged soul—for such frivolous myths and traditions that, heaven forbid, form the very cultural DNA of the nation. Johnny Appleseed? Pagan plant-worship propaganda. Pecos Bill? Demonic lasso idolatry. Paul Bunyan and his giant blue ox? Straight-up Babylonian giantism with a side of animism. John Henry? Clearly a veiled tribute to hammer-wielding sun gods. To Crackpot Bob, everything is either Holy Scripture or a satanic sleeper agent waiting to corrupt the faithful.

Because why stop at Christmas trees and Easter bunnies when you can declare the entire American folklore pantheon a pagan fifth column?

His tireless, borderline pathological quest to sniff out pagan DNA in literally every blade of grass, holiday card, and childhood story isn't mere hobby—oh no. It's the sacred mechanism by which he hoists his minuscule, perpetually splintering cultlet high above the filthy masses of both pagans and those tragically deceived “so-called Christians.” 

His group alone is the radiant, untainted True Remnant™, too holy to tolerate even the faintest whiff of myth (conveniently ignoring the occasional African branch-leader who's been known to moonlight with a little juju on the side—details, details).

Since Bob personally owns the copyright on Pure, Primitive, Uncorrupted Christianity™—patent pending—he has no choice but to play spiritual exterminator. Every non-biblical speck must be purged, scrubbed, and cast into the outer darkness so the church can finally be ready for Christ's long-awaited, doubly-booked Second Coming... miraculously scheduled to touchdown at the exact same moment in both Wadsworth, Ohio and Edmond, Oklahoma. Because nothing screams “God's one true end-time headquarters” like dueling prophecy fulfillment zip codes.

Perfect Crackpot Bob, ever-vigilant sentinel against the encroaching darkness of entertainment, is deeply perturbed by none other than Bill Murray's character in Groundhog Day. Yes, that cynical weatherman trapped in an endless February 2nd loop apparently embodies the very perils the Bible "specifically mentions"—because nothing screams "warning from Scripture" quite like a Hollywood time-loop comedy starring the guy from Caddyshack.

Crackpot Bob writes:

There is an odd observance on February 2 each year in North America that is called Groundhog Day: 

 

Groundhog Phil ‘predicts’ six more weeks of winter

2 February 2025 

 

Punxsutawney Phil – a “weather predicting” groundhog – has forecast six more weeks of winter in the US, disappointing the crowds of people gathered in the Pennsylvania town for the annual Groundhog Day celebrations. 

 

To chants of “Phil” the rodent was brought out from a tree stump early on Sunday morning to “give” his yearly forecast. 

 

According to folklore, If Phil looks at his own shadow then there will be another six weeks of the North American winter, and if not, then an early spring is on the horizon

“There’s a shadow up here, get ready for six more weeks of winter this year,” Tom Dunkel, president of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, proclaimed. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg0j8zjlr9o 

Groundhog Day … is a popular American tradition observed in the United States and Canada on February 2nd. It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog emerging from its burrow on this day sees its shadow due to clear weather, it will retreat to its den and winter will persist for six more weeks; but if it does not see its shadow because of cloudiness, spring will arrive early. 

 

While the tradition remains popular in modern times, studies have found no consistent correlation between a groundhog seeing its shadow and the subsequent arrival time of spring-like weather. … The Groundhog Day ceremony held at Punxsutawney in western Pennsylvania, centering around a semi-mythical groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil, has become the most attended. (Groundhog Day, Wikipedia, accessed 04/25/20) 

 

So, no this is not a biblical holiday, so why mention it? 

 

Well, in 1993, there was a movie starring Bill Murray titled Groundhog Day. Since coming out, it has become a cultural icon, in a sense, in the USA and elsewhere.

Perfect Crackpot Bob is pertrubed by Bull Murray's character in Groundhog Day and warns that the Bible specifically mentions the kind of things Murry's character is doing:

Yes, Bill Murray’s character Phil Connors displayed what was warned about in the last days by the Apostle Paul:

1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (2 Timothy 3:1-2, NKJV throughout)

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, (Galatians 5:19)

Phil Connors loved the world and wanted to pursue the works of the flesh. He did not care much about the following that the Apostle John wrote when his time loop began:

16 For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:16-17)

While mere mortals might watch Phil Connors evolve from arrogant jerk to enlightened mensch—learning piano, ice sculpting, empathy, and how not to be a total tool—and see a story with genuine redeeming value for both the character and society as a whole (you know, the kind of moral arc Aesop's fables have been peddling for millennia without anyone batting an eye), Bob cannot abide such frivolity.

Nope. Out comes that big, dog-eared, heavily marked-up Bible of his, wielded like a theological sledgehammer, ready to bludgeon every last drop of fun, fiction, and cultural charm into submission. Because why appreciate a tale of personal growth, redemption, and breaking free from destructive patterns when you can instead declare it another insidious vector for pagan-mythological corruption? Groundhog shadow? Demonic divination. Time loop? Clearly a satanic mockery of God's eternal plan. Bill Murray's sarcastic deadpan? Probably straight out of the Babylonian mystery religions.

He ponitifctes more:

Consider that every day we all have things to learn. While the actual days are not repeated, we are faced with multiple opportunities to build character. And yes, we often face the same problems, illnesses, pains, etc. each day. 

 

When will those trials actually end? 

 

Well for Christians, they will whenever we have learned all that God wants us to learn.
For some of those problems, they will not end until we die. 

 

Jesus taught:

48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:48) 

 

Yes, in a sense, life can be like Groundhog Day in the sense we have to go through a lot of the same or similar tests and trials to learn how to better live and serve. 

 

It takes a while to build godly character, even for Christians:

Crackpot Bob ends with this:

...unlike Phil Connors in Groundhog Day, we are striving for an unperishable crown. 

 

Just because you may have been a Christian for a long time, do not think that if you give up you also cannot become disqualified. 

 

Remember, Jesus said:

12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. (Matthew 24:12-13) 

 

So, if you ever wonder why you keep going through a lot of the same tests and trials, consider that you are to endure and learn lessons. 

 

With those lessons learned, you will be able to enter the Kingdom of God. 

 

Don’t give up. 

 

Take it one day at a time–but don’t waste each day.

David wrote:

2 Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. (Psalm 145:2) 

 

So, there is something to do every day! 

 

Furthermore, as the Apostle Peter wrote, we are to grow in grace and knowledge (2 Peter 3:18). 

 

Yes, make the best of each day. 

 

Don’t be so stubborn that every day has to be a movie version of Groundhog Day. 

 

In Bob's flawless hermeneutic, every movie, fable, legend, or childhood yarn that doesn't quote chapter-and-verse is suspect—better to smash it with the Good Book than risk even a nanosecond of unapproved enjoyment. After all, the True Remnant™ can't risk contamination from anything that might accidentally teach virtue without his explicit stamp of approval.

If Crackpot Bob keeps this up, he'll soon have the entire Western canon blacklisted as pagan propaganda. Shakespeare? Too much pagan mythology. Aesop? Greco-pagan moralism. The very concept of storytelling? A slippery slope to idolatry. Meanwhile, the rest of us will just keep chuckling at the groundhog, quoting Murray ("It's gonna be cold, it's gonna be grey, and it's gonna last you for the rest of your life"), and marveling at how one man's unyielding quest for doctrinal purity manages to make even a feel-good comedy feel like the end-times deception of the century. Truly, the man is out here saving souls—one canceled cultural touchstone at a time.

Brother Against Brother: Why Is The Church of God So Divisive?

Why is it that so many of the people lecturing us today on how great they are at restoring "the truth once delivered" turn out to come from families with damaged relationships? Consider Herbert Armstrong, who alienated all of his children; Bob Thiel, with his damaged relationship with his father and family; Dave Pack, who alienated all of his children and grandchildren; and now the Kitchen family.

Samuel Kitchen has spent years waxing poetic about what an amazing father and mother he had, and how they faithfully stuck to the roots of Herbert's message without ever straying, despite numerous ministers and government officials who tried to silence them.

After Samuel's epic failure with his Petra escapade several years ago, his relationship with his brothers deteriorated. He shared too much information about them online, which caused an estrangement with his brother Tim. 

Now Samuel has written a song about his wayward brother, who is now part of the United Church of God. Tim now runs exclusive control of the Worldwide Church of God archives site, which previously was managed by both him and Samuel.

It is truly sad to watch those who take Armstrongism to the extreme and see how it destroys families and relationships. Instead of turning the hearts of the children to their fathers and the fathers to their children, it has built a huge wall that separates them.

Dear lord I come before you now

On my knees, before you I do bow

I pray for a brother who just does not see

Any worth or value that you see in me

Let my rival learn your love and your way!

Let my rival learn your peace and how to be brave 

Dear lord please bless him I don’t want to see him hurt

Oh show him what you do for me every day

He may be my rival, but not for long, for him I do pray…

Dear lord, I am hurt by his words, 

Oh how I ache to see him return

He is my family and he just doesn’t see

All the worth and value that you see in me

Let my rival learn your love and your way!

Let my rival learn your peace and how to be brave 

Dear lord please bless him I don’t want to see him hurt

Oh show him what you do for me every day

He may be my rival, but not for long, for him I do pray…

What can I do to heal this breach?

What can I change to help my brother see?

I seem to be his enemy, but here I pray 

Humble me and keep me in thy way

Let my rival learn your love and your way!

Let my rival learn your peace and how to be brave 

Dear lord please bless him I don’t want to see him hurt

Oh show him what you do for me every day

He may be my rival, but not for long, for him I do pray…

Let my rival learn your love and your way!

Let my rival learn your peace and how to be brave 

Dear lord please bless him I don’t want to see him hurt

Oh show him what you do for me every day

He may be my rival, but not for long, for him I do pray…

You can listen to his video here: My Rival

I was looking at some online sites about why churches are breeding grounds for unbalanced beliefs and actions, and why they treat each other so badly. This is some of what I found:

Some churches appear unbalanced in their beliefs (e.g., extreme doctrines, black-and-white thinking, or rigid rules) and in how they treat people (e.g., harsh judgment, control, division, or lack of compassion) because certain groups function more like high-control or authoritarian religious environments than healthy, balanced faith communities. This imbalance often stems from structural, psychological, and social dynamics that prioritize power, conformity, and exclusivity over grace, mutual respect, and relational health.

What should we expect from a church that worships at the base of the altar of the law and which flippantly discredits grace? When did the Church of God leaders EVER exhibit mutual respect? I could count those times on one hand, even after having all of my fingers amputated. When has the church, from its leaders down to its members, had relational health?

Armstrongism often results in deep personal, familial, and relational damage precisely because its unbalanced beliefs create a high-control environment that prioritizes doctrinal purity, absolute loyalty to the leader/group, and separation from the "world" over healthy relationships, grace, and emotional well-being.
These unbalanced elements—rooted in absolutism, fear-based obedience, and rigid hierarchies—don't just lead to theological extremes; they actively erode family bonds and human connections in ways that many former members describe as devastating. 

Here are some of the points why this happens so consistently:

"Us vs. Them" and Isolation from Outsiders — Armstrongism teaches that mainstream Christianity is deceived or pagan-influenced, and only the group holds the "true" restored gospel. This fosters extreme separation: members are discouraged or forbidden from close ties with non-believers, including family members who don't join or who leave. Holidays like Christmas, Easter, or birthdays are labeled pagan, so families who celebrate them face pressure to cut contact. The result? Marriages break, children are alienated from parents/siblings, and extended families fracture—often justified as "obeying God" over human ties.

Strict Obedience and Authority Structures — Leadership (especially the founder or current "apostle/prophet/chief overseer/pastor general") is seen as God's direct mouthpiece. Questioning doctrine or leaders is equated with rebellion against God, leading to harsh discipline like disfellowshipping. This creates fear: members may report on each other, avoid associating with "dissidents," or prioritize church loyalty over family. Former members frequently report that family members were pressured to shun relatives who doubted, left, or were deemed "Laodicean" (lukewarm). This directly contradicts biblical ideals like turning "the hearts of the fathers to the children" (Malachi 4:6), instead building walls of division.

Divorce/Remarriage and Family Rules — Historical doctrines (e.g., strict rules on divorce/remarriage, sometimes requiring people to leave second marriages) caused immense pain. Even after some changes, splinter groups often retain rigid views that prioritize doctrinal conformity over reconciliation. Combined with tithing demands that strained finances, this led to poverty, stress, and broken homes for many.

Fear, Guilt, and Cognitive Dissonance — Prophecies of imminent end-times (e.g., failed dates like 1975) created urgency and fear. When prophecies failed or leaders showed hypocrisy, members often doubled down on extremes to resolve inner conflict, becoming more judgmental or isolated. This mindset justifies harsh treatment of "backsliders" or worse, "Laodiceans,"  which may include family, as tough love or necessary separation from sin.

Patterns in Leadership and Splinters — Herbert Armstrong had documented family alienation, including rifts with his son Garner Ted (who was ousted amid scandals). Many offshoots show similar issues: leaders like Dave Pack have faced accusations of alienating children/grandchildren through disfellowshipping or control; others like Bob Thiel or various Kitchen family dynamics reflect strained relationships tied to doctrinal disputes or group loyalty. Ex-members' accounts (from forums, books, and sites like The Painful Truth or ex-WCG communities) repeatedly describe ruined childhoods, lost family ties, emotional abuse, and generational trauma—often because the group demanded total allegiance.

In healthier faith communities, beliefs allow room for grace, forgiveness, doubt, and family priority—even amid strong convictions. Armstrongism's unbalanced emphasis on exclusivity, control, and "restored truth" at any cost turns relationships into battlegrounds: loyalty to the group trumps blood ties, compassion gives way to judgment, and love becomes conditional on doctrinal alignment.
The irony is painful: a theology centered on God as a "family" (the God Family doctrine) often produces the opposite in human families—division, estrangement, and lasting wounds. Many who leave describe it as finally finding freedom to love and heal without the fear-driven walls. If this connects to personal experiences, it's a common story in Armstrongist circles, and recognizing these patterns is often the start of recovery.

Dave Pack's Regret-O-Meter

 

David C. Pack's Part 617 Regret-O-Meter

David C. Pack of The Restored Church of God created a doctrinal minefield when he delivered "The Greatest Untold Story! (Part 617)" on January 17, 2026. Part 618 was given on January 24, and the Pastor General completely decimated the relevance of the entire previous message. The substance of Part 617 was gutted, creating very uncomfortable moments and regrettable statements when watched in the context of what came after. The Regret-O-Meter counts some of those examples, all taken from a single message.

One week after Part 617, David C. Pack reversed or erased his teachings, including which day the Kingdom comes, the arrangement and timing of Daniel's 1335/1290 days, the relevance of the Hebrew month Shevat, crediting God with what he taught, and how the Mystery of God was ending with his "big" revelations. Part 617 became a worthless hole of doctrinal errors, and the Regret-O-Meter tallies them.

Marc Cebrian

Dave Pack Comedy Show: The Kingdom Will NOT Come on February 1 or 2, 2026!

 

RCG/Dave Pack News Flash:
The Kingdom Will NOT Come on February 1 or 2, 2026

Proving how often the prophetic picture changes in The Restored Church of God, even David C. Pack cannot remember what he taught the week before. During “The Greatest Untold Story! (Part 618)” on January 24, 2026, the Pastor General boldly announced that the Kingdom and the 1335 of Daniel would NOT begin on Shevat 16, which is February 2, 2026.

This is theological comedy since he changed the date anticipated for God's plan to kick into motion to Shevat 15 on February 1 during Part 617. This is what happens when you have to keep throwing out your notes. But it looks especially bad when even the guy who teaches this malarkey forgets what he just said. 

Maybe Dave is not getting enough sleep because studying the Bible until 2 AM is so effective.

Either way, Part 618 is loaded with “proofs” why nothing will happen until Abib (March). Even after presenting all the evidence why things will NOT happen in February, he refused to formally announce a new date. He typically does this when he is stalling.

The Kingdom Will NOT Come on February 1 or 2, 2026!

Many do not like watching these videos because they cannot stand Dave. I get it. But it illustrates the worsening theological conditions inside The Restored Church of God and Dave's mental deterioration. The Pastor General cannot keep track of what he teaches, embarrassing himself throughout the message, and renouncing the wrong date.

The fact that he never realized this proves that exrcg.org keeps a better track of Dave than Dave does.

Because of the drastic changes in Part 618, Dave’s apostolic fist pump in Part 617 aged as well as expected and is funnier today than it was then, ready to achieve viral meme status.

Flashback Part 617 – January 17, 2026
@ 01:32:00 We got it. We got it!

Um. Not so much.

Part 618 is chock full of regrettable statements and embarrassing moments when compared what he said the week before. Dave spent the first 30 minutes telling grossly distorted stories about members who just left, and he formally marked former RCG minister Ken Orel and his wife for reasons he refused to make fully clear. Ken's status being upgraded to "evil," and the inaccurate stories of the people who left recently will be covered later.

Part 618 – January 24, 2026
@ 55:37 Watch how simple this is. It's gonna shock you. You're gonna know, you understand. You you're gonna know and know that you know, in about two minutes, when the date we're waiting for.

@ 58:02 Now, if the other two ends are a civil year in the middle and Abib at the end, then the Kingdom has to begin on Abib. If you knew nothing else, it's impossible to read it any other way.

David C. Pack from last week disagreed. The Kingdom table blocks were shuffled and reshuffled for the third week in a row, adding a confusing visual component to a confusing explanation.

@ 59:37 It’s impossible. Oh, and there's so much more to learn. It's impossible that's not the length of the Kingdom [1290/1290].

@ 1:00:10 There are two ways that God can show me whether the 1335 is in the Kingdom. He can prove it's impossible, that it's outside. That would do it. But He could also do it by showing certain new things that proves it's inside. …So I just proved to you, it cannot be in front of the Kingdom. We cannot be waiting for the middle of Shevat. It's impossible.

Multiple Commandments broken in 3…2…1…

@ 1:01:08 But could the 1335 be in the [7-Year] Kingdom? …I've learned, it has to be. It has to be.

Flashback 616 – January 10, 2026
@ 51:53 The 1335, on God's authority, I'm telling you, is not in the in the Seven Years [Kingdom].

Once again, David C. Pack shows no fear of God while he blasphemes, swears falsely, and takes the Lord’s name in vain. This will not be the last time. May God have mercy on him.

Part 618 – January 24, 2026
@ 1:12:45 The Kingdom cannot come ‘til March 18th.

@ 1:20:50 But I been wrong on timing, so it's not Esther's Fast. Seven years ago. I wonder. Wow, seven years ago. We fast in 2019. …A case for Shevat 16. So let me just tell you, nothing is gonna happen on Shevat 16 or Esther's Fast. But there's there was at this enormous and ever-growing, constantly growing case for Abib developing in the background.

@ 1:22:44 And I no longer see any Kingdom case before Abib. So it's over. And you just only know a fraction of what I'm gonna yet go on to tell you.

David C. Pack loves toying with the brethren, leading them on, teasing them, and manipulating them. It is bad enough when some few still earnestly try to understand his malarkey. Even though the All-Believing Zealots are still in his corner, the Pastor General likes to spit in their faces because he can.

@ 1:31:31 But are we also looking for something before Abib that no one anticipates? Before Abib? I'm not saying we are, but I'm way, way, way beyond suspicious about how to reconcile about 35 to 40 verses with the current picture. And as as the picture sits, it won't fit. But Abib 1, March 18th, the fifth day of the week, cannot bend. And if that's what we have to wait to, fine. I'm very suspicious of something else, and we now know it's not a First Kingdom, so.

Part 618 exemplifies the Series's blaring contradictions and why nobody in RCG, except for Dave’s inner circle, has any clue what he is talking about or what is considered the present truth. It is no wonder that field mollusks Ernesto Velarde and Richard Lee cannot explain the Series to concerned brethren. One man who just left RCG told me Ernesto said, "I have the same questions," and he tried to defer him to Jaco Viljoen at Headquarters. The member decided to bail out instead, despite Andrew Holcombe’s best efforts. Wise man.

With three additional Parts given in just the last four days, rest assured, there will be more changes, more bungles, and more confusion. I am curious to see if David C. Pack will remember what he just said.

Marc Cebrain

See: www.exrcg.org/blog/news-flash-no-return-feb-2-2026

Aaron Dean Needs To Turn The Hearts Of The Backsliders To The Flow Of The Golden Oil

 

The River of Golden Oil flowing back to the Apostle

Another day in the delightfully unhinged universe of Armstrongism—because apparently, not a single 24-hour period can pass without some fresh batch of certified nuttiness being uttered or enacted. You'd think these folks, being the One True Church of God and all, faithfully reenacting pristine 1st-century Christianity while serving as the world's last shining beacons in the darkness, might manage to get through a day without descending into pure farce. Yet here we are, once again.

The letter below, from none other than Samuel Kitchen to Aaron Dean, is a masterclass in whack-a-doodle delirium. It's practically overflowing with it.

In Samuel's fevered vision, there's this glorious river of golden oil flowing straight back to the ever-preserved Herbert W. Armstrong (because of course Samuel has him safely on ice, spiritually speaking). Aaron Dean's sacred duty, naturally, is to round up all those wayward, straying Church of God members and gently nudge them back into the divine stream so they can float home to Daddy Herb and help restore the church to its mythical glory days. Ah, yes—the good old days when everything was perfect and the "strong hand from someplace" was just around the corner. Powerful stuff.

Of course, much like his fellow self-appointed prophet Bob Thiel, Herbert is now conveniently the resurrected Zerubbabel, patiently sitting there (wherever that is) waiting for the Worldwide Church of God to rise phoenix-like from the ashes of decades of irrelevance. Any day now, surely.

But for this grand restoration to actually happen, Aaron Dean simply must repent of his tragic errors, kick the United Church of God to the curb like yesterday's bad theology, and return to the one true faith—the version meticulously safeguarded by Samuel himself. The only minor hiccup? Aaron's spiritual garden hose is apparently kinked, blocking the proper flow of that holy golden oil. How inconvenient.

After wading through several paragraphs of gobbledygook, Samuel helpfully tries to wow us with his impeccable credentials: he's related to Herbert Armstrong through some distant family branch. While Herb's famous crest featured a strong arm rising triumphantly out of a cloud (very on-brand), Samuel's own crest ups the ante with a strong arm clutching a sword emerging from the very same cloud—presumably poised to gleefully slaughter any recalcitrant COG stragglers who refuse to hop aboard his particular bandwagon.

Truly inspiring. One can only imagine the family reunions.

"Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. 

I did not come to bring peace but a sword and a mallet."

A letter I wrote today to Aaron Dean

January 28,2026

Hello Mr Dean,

I hope you are doing well and keeping in good health.

I was reading Zechariah 4 again, about the flow of the golden oil.

When you mention Mr Armstrong, and reconnect people back to the apostle, do you realize you are reconnecting the flow of the golden oil?

Ever since 2010, online I have been pointing people back to Herbert W Armstrong.

He is the apostle of Jesus Christ.

He has a function, of “feeding the flock”.

John 17 shows that Jesus Christ is very faithful in His job of giving to the apostle what the Father has given Him!

In John 6:63, we see the Words Christ gives is “Spirit and life”.

We see the candlestick in Zechariah 4, is “the words of the Lord unto Zerubbabel”.

In verse 14, we see two anointed ones of God.

Zerubbabel and Joshua. They are involved with the flow of the golden oil, or Holy Spirit. They “feed” the candlestick.

Now what candlestick? Which Church?

The Worldwide Church of God is “the Word of the Lord unto Herbert W Armstrong”. He is the end time Zerubbabel.

But “the hands”(more than one) of Zerubbabel shall lay the foundation of THIS HOUSE(the Worldwide Church of God), and “the hands” shall finish it.

By connecting people to the apostle, we are like builders connecting them to the foundation.

I continually use “Worldwide Church of God” so there is no question as to WHICH HOUSE. It includes Herbert W Armstrong, but EXCLUDES all other churches. No other church is like it.

Does that make sense?

When a rebellious people want to argue, the Lord God makes it clear, with no wiggle room for doubt. “Church of God” is too ambiguous, and opens the door for much argument and vain babbling.

The Bible tells us to avoid such.

By being a minister of the UCG, you have entered the argument, and now can only direct people to the apostle of Christ, and not to the Church as a group or structure.

I have the benefit of being able to do that. I have not sat at the table in these church groups. And my focus, is to keep the flow of the golden oil, to the candlestick. When there is a departure I point it out, and reconnect the flow of the golden oil by pointing back to what Jesus Christ did through Herbert W Armstrong!

Because “the Word of the Lord unto Herbert W Armstrong” is the Worldwide Church of God.

You Mr Dean are running with a kinked hose, and I’m trying to help where I can, to un-kink it, so your job is secure and edified.

That’s what I feel Jesus Christ wants me to do.

But you cannot run a hose from the House of God, into another house.

If you look at the Tabernacle in the wilderness, and the location of the candlestick, you find there are no pipes piped out into another tent! It goes into one candlestick, not two.

The Two witnesses are two candlesticks, but in reality it is the same Candlestick!

By the testimony and labors of the first witness, the Philadelphia candlestick, which is the Worldwide Church of God, goes into place of safety.

When Joshua is cleaned up(Zech.3) and Michael stands up(Dan.12:1) and says “The Lord rebukes thee Satan”(Jude 1:9), He is restored to THIS HOUSE(The Worldwide Church of God) or the “remnant” in Laodicean era.

Zechariah 3:5-9

“…And the angel(the first witness) of the Lord stood by.

“And the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua, saying,

“Thus saith the Lord of hosts; If thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, then thou shalt ALSO judge my house, and shalt ALSO keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.

“Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the Branch.

“For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone(Isaiah 28:16, Zech.4:6)shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.”

Only one Church, not two.

Just one part in a place of safety, and one part unprotected.

The second witness is unto Laodicea. He is only able to point them to the ONE MAN GOD IS USING. This is what you have been doing in the UCG, is it not?

The first witness is unto Philadelphia! He points out the SPIRITUAL TEMPLE, that was raised up through “the word of the Lord unto Herbert W Armstrong” that goes into a place of safety!

It is through the first witness, or Zerubbabel, the stone is laid before Joshua. Zerubbabel is about the business of laying the foundation. Through the labors of Joshua, the Temple is finished. This brings about the conclusion of the Laodicean era. Jesus Christ returns.

NOW NOTICE!

Zechariah 6:9-15

“And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

“Take of them of the captivity, even of Heldai, of Tobijah, and of Jedaiah, which are come from Babylon, and come thou the same day, and go into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah;

“Then take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them upon the head of Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest;

“And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The Branch; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord:

“Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

“And the crowns shall be to Helem, and to Tobijah, and to Jedaiah, and to Hen the son of Zephaniah, for a memorial in the temple of the Lord.

“And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the Lord, and ye shall know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God.”

The Word of the Lord unto….the first witness!

The house of Josiah-Hen(Kit-Chen), the son of Zephaniah. There the Temple of the Lord shall be built, and you shall know the Lord of Hosts has sent me.

I didn’t write the Bible. It’s not my idea.

But because Christ had given me this job, I am committed to see it through.

Josiah means “supporter of Yah”, the God being(the Word and Logos) who became Jesus Christ.

Hen means “Grace”.

Zerubbabel shouts TWO TIMES “Grace” unto the capstone, and two hands of Zerubbabel lay the foundation. The final one laying Herbert W Armstrong as the apostle as part of the foundation.

Kit means “supporter of Christ” the God being(the Word and Logos) who was the YAH of the Old Testament.

Chen means “Grace”.

Now Herbert W Armstrong came from a family branch of my family. The surname Armstrong was given to him.

His crest is a bare arm of strength coming out of a cloud.

My crest is an armored arm of strength coming out of a cloud holding a sword dipped in blood.

(The Bedford flag is my family crest)

The Word of the Lord can’t be broken. I am not a time traveler. God is the orchestrator of these things. And by the Word of God you now know I am sent by God unto you.

In Christ’s service,

Samuel W Kitchen

Crackpot Prophet Claims Satan And His Minions Are Still Causing Him Issues

 

Oh, how utterly baffling it is, isn't it? Here we have the single greatest Church of God ever to grace the pathetic annals of human history—the one true beacon of divine truth, no less—led by the most exalted figure imaginable: the Great Bwana Bob himself (pardon me while I genuflect in awe). This is the church that has so heroically printed books in more languages than actual humans speak (because apparently God ran out of tongues to confuse at Babel and just kept going). This is the outfit blessed with the "sure word of prophecy," where the leader channels visions through a rotating cast of spirits like some celestial cable package with premium add-ons. This is the man who has draped himself in so many Old Testament prophetic mantles—Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah, perhaps a dash of Habakkuk for flavor—that he probably wakes up in the morning unsure whether to smite a fig tree or just prophesy doom over his breakfast cereal.

And yet... and yet... this unparalleled powerhouse of end-time truth is being persecuted so relentlessly by big bad ol' meanie Satan? How can this be? It's almost as if the Almighty, in His infinite wisdom, decided to bet the farm on the one guy whose divine protection seems to glitch more often than a budget VPN.

Apparently, the god worshiped by Bwana Bob's faithful is either shockingly weak or hilariously incompetent when it comes to safeguarding His supposed most important church during these oh-so-perilous end times. The Holy Family must have been so busy micromanaging the foundations of the world—tossing planets around like cosmic bocce balls—that they completely forgot to budget any guardian angels for the final boss level. Priorities, right? Life is tough when you're a COG prophet. The pay is terrible, the hours are eternal, and the tech support from Heaven is basically nonexistent.

For months now, the most highly esteemed Great Bwana has been treating his loyal (and presumably very patient) followers to epic sagas about how Satan—yes, Satan himself—has unleashed his digital minions to attack the servers hosting the world's most important website. Because nothing screams "end-time urgency" like a DDoS on cogwriter.com or whatever it's called this week. In classic COGland fashion, Satan isn't just the adversary; he's practically the co-star. They talk about him more than God, Jesus, or basic website maintenance combined. The devil gets top billing as the all-powerful IT saboteur, while the Creator of the Universe apparently can't swing a firewall upgrade or inspire a decent sysadmin.

One almost pities the poor deity here. Imagine being omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent... yet still unable to stop a few hackers from inconveniencing your hand-picked final witness. It's like building the Death Star but forgetting to install antivirus. Truly, the mind reels at such cosmic incompetence.

Poor Bwana Bob. Carrying the weight of prophecy on his shoulders while dodging Satan's relentless cyber-bullying must be exhausting. Maybe next time the Almighty could spring for cloud hosting with divine redundancy. Or, you know, just smite the routers. But no—better to let the Greatest Church Ever limp along on glitchy servers, because nothing builds faith like blaming the Prince of Darkness for your uptime issues.

Truly, the end times have never been so... underwhelming.

Greetings from Grover Beach, California. 

 

We have made progress with issues affecting our ccog.org and other sites, as well as cogwriter.com. 

 

But we are not completely finished yet. 

 

As mentioned last week, Satan does not want us to proclaim all the truths that we do and has his minions affect us in many negative ways (Ephesians 6:12). 

 

Another Fraudster 

 

On Tuesday, we received an email from www.Anedot.com asking if we authorized anyone to collect money on behalf of the Continuing Church of God with them.

I said we were unaware of such, and they sent me an email that someone who claimed to be:

Peter Kotschedoff set up the account under the email churchofgodcontinuing@gmail.com.
So, I told Anedot no, we do not have anyone named Peter Kotschedoff, and no, he was not authorized to set up an account at Anedot.com. So they closed that account on Wednesday. 

 

Anedot.com is some type of a donation website, and apparently some thief (we are not sure if the name Peter Kotschedoff is real) felt his/her covetousness was more important than supporting the end time Philadelphian work and assisting the poor, widows, orphans, and hungry. 

 

The Apostle Paul warned:

1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, …

5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. …

13 … evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:1-2,5, 13, KJV) 

 

Satan wants to stop us from leading the final phase of the work as the Philadelphian remnant of the Church of God.

Commercial Break: Pre-Adamic Man: No Such Thing

While having literary, political and theological meaning, the myth of Adam, Eve and the Garden is not any actual account of human origins or "first parents", a mere 6000 years ago.

Theology? Yes.  Human origins? No. 

 

Homo habilis and the Dawn of Human Intelligence (2.4–1.5 Million Years Ago)

^{Around 2.4 million years ago, the first members of the genus Homo appeared. Homo habilis, or “handy man,” was named for the stone tools found near its fossils. These early humans had larger brains than Australopithecus and were likely more dependent on tools for survival.}

^{They lived in complex social groups and may have scavenged or hunted small animals. Their teeth were smaller, suggesting a shift in diet. The use of tools allowed them to crack open bones for marrow—a rich source of calories that may have fueled further brain growth.}

^{Although they still looked primitive by today’s standards, Homo habilis marked a turning point. The cognitive gap between them and earlier hominins was vast. The line between survival and innovation was beginning to blur.}

Homo erectus: The First Global Wanderers (1.9 Million–140,000 Years Ago)

^{Around 1.9 million years ago, Homo erectus emerged in Africa. This species was larger, stronger, and more advanced than its predecessors. Its brain was about two-thirds the size of a modern human’s, and its body proportions were similar to ours. Homo erectus used more sophisticated stone tools, possibly controlled fire, and built shelters.}

^{But perhaps the most remarkable trait of Homo erectus was its wanderlust. It was the first human species to leave Africa. Fossils have been found in Georgia (1.8 million years ago), Indonesia (1.6 million years ago), and China (1.2 million years ago). Homo erectus adapted to many environments, from tropical forests to dry grasslands.}

^{Fire provided warmth and protection, allowing these early humans to settle in colder climates. Cooking may have made food more digestible, improving nutrition and supporting brain growth. Social bonds deepened. Cooperation became essential. The long human journey had gone global.}

Neanderthals, Denisovans, and the Branching Tree of Humanity (800,000–40,000 Years Ago)

^{From Homo erectus came a variety of species adapted to different environments. In Europe and western Asia, Homo neanderthalensis—the Neanderthals—evolved around 400,000 years ago. In eastern Asia, another group emerged: the Denisovans, known primarily through genetic evidence and a few fossil fragments.}

^{Neanderthals were not brutish cavemen, as once believed. They had larger brains than modern humans, buried their dead, cared for the injured, and created art and tools. Their lives were hard, marked by cold climates and dangerous hunts, but they were intelligent survivors.}

^{Meanwhile, early Homo sapiens were evolving in Africa. Fossils from Morocco, dated to around 300,000 years ago, show a mix of modern and archaic features. These early humans had high foreheads, smaller faces, and behavior increasingly shaped by culture.}

Homo sapiens: The Emergence of Modern Humans (300,000 Years Ago–Present)

^{Modern humans, Homo sapiens, emerged in Africa roughly 300,000 years ago. They spread slowly at first moving into the Middle East around 100,000 years ago. and into Europe and Asia by 60,000 years ago..}

^{Along the way , they encountered and interbred with Neanderthals and Denisovians, leaving traces of these ancient relatives in our own DNA.} 

^{What set Homo sapiens apart was not just biology, but behavior. Around 50,000 years ago, a “cognitive revolution” occurred. Humans began to make intricate tools, jewelry, cave paintings, and musical instruments. They developed language, rituals, and myths. Culture became a survival tool as powerful as fire or stone.}

^{As humans spread across the globe, they adapted to new environments, domesticated animals, and transformed landscapes. By 15,000 years ago, they had reached the Americas. By 4,000 years ago, they had colonized remote Pacific islands.}

Agriculture, which began around 10,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent, changed everything. People settled into villages, built cities, and formed civilizations. Writing was invented, and with it, history began.

From a historical perspective, literacy levels for the world population have risen drastically in the last couple of centuries. While only one in ten people in the world could read and write in 1820, today, only 1 in 10 remains illiterate. .

Humans became  personally conscious about 3300 BC to 2100BC, 5,300 to 4,100 years ago when writing was invented with reading came next.  It was at this time the personal "I" came into being .

From Homo Erectus, 2 million years ago, up until the last Neanderthal, the hand axe never changed. This personal Acheulean handaxe is about 800,000 years old

 

 

From 60,000 years ago to today, modern humans went to the moon and invented AI

 

AI beings may prove to be the next new species putting the existence of modern humans at risk if quardrails aren't enforced. 

 

Shaping Humanity: How Science, Art and Imagination Help Us Understand Our Origins