Woe To The Shepherds Destroying My Sheep

I found it very interesting that today's Lectionary reading for the last Sunday before Advent (Feast of Christ the King) was scriptures directed towards deviate ministers, particularly in light of the deviate behavior of the Philadelphia Church of God that has been exposed in the last few days and in the ongoing collapse of United Church of God.

Today reading is from Jeremiah 23:1-6

Jeremiah 23:1-6 (New International Version)

The Righteous Branch

 ¹ “Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” declares the LORD. ²³ “I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their pasture, where they will be fruitful and increase in number. ⁴ I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the LORD.  ⁵ “The days are coming,” declares the LORD,
   “when I will raise up for David^[a] a righteous Branch,
a King who will reign wisely
   and do what is just and right in the land.
⁶ In his days Judah will be saved
   and Israel will live in safety.
This is the name by which he will be called:
   The LORD Our Righteous Savior.

Jeremiah 23:1-6 (The Message)

Jeremiah 23

An Authentic David-Branch

 ^1-4 "Doom to the shepherd-leaders who butcher and scatter my sheep!" God's Decree. "So here is what I, God, Israel's God, say to the shepherd-leaders who misled my people: 'You've scattered my sheep. You've driven them off. You haven't kept your eye on them. Well, let me tell you, I'm keeping my eye on you, keeping track of your criminal behavior. I'll take over and gather what's left of my sheep, gather them in from all the lands where I've driven them. I'll bring them back where they belong, and they'll recover and flourish. I'll set shepherd-leaders over them who will take good care of them. They won't live in fear or panic anymore. All the lost sheep rounded up!' God's Decree."  ^5-6"Time's coming"—God's Decree—
   "when I'll establish a truly righteous David-Branch,
A ruler who knows how to rule justly.
   He'll make sure of justice and keep people united.
In his time Judah will be secure again
   and Israel will live in safety.
This is the name they'll give him:
   'God-Who-Puts-Everything-Right.'

These are pretty damning words directed at

The Message Bible version is rather plain in what God is going to do to these men and all other fools like them:

"Well, let me tell you, I'm keeping my eye on you, keeping track of your criminal behavior. I'll take over and gather what's left of my sheep, gather them in from all the lands where I've driven them. I'll bring them back where they belong, and they'll recover and flourish"

The lost and damaged sheep will be gathered in and made safe.  They will have time to recover, heal and flourish without any ministurd of Armstrongism running their lives any more.

They will be like the frolicking calves in last weeks Lectionary reading. Malachi 3: 19-20.  Anyone who has ever seen calves running out of a barn into a wide open field will see them jumping and kicking in pure bliss.

See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. ²But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.

Great will be the day in the future when no Armstrongite ministurd will be around to influence and destroy peoples lives!

I will be a time like what is described in Adrian Plass's book and CD, "City of Gold".

When I'm in heaven
Tell me there'll be peace at last.
That in some meadow filled with sunshine
Filled with buttercups and filled with friends
You'll chew a straw and fill us in on how things really are...

That is the hope of things to come.  Sitting in conversation with a God who sits down with us and tells us how "things really are",  The pure bliss of frolicking calves and baby sheep.

Another Sad Legacy of Armstrongism: Flurry Cult (Philadelphia Church of God) Members Abandoning Their Children

The Painful Truth has a letter about a young teenager who was kicked out of her home because of Flurry's filthy teachings.  This is not an isolated case in Flurrydumb. This has happened to others.  If the child is older and does not believe in Flurry's filthy message then they are kicked out.  Flurry teaches parents to do this to their kids. He teaches them to cut  off all ties to family members who are not part of PCG.  Families have been destroyed, grandparents have been cut off from grandchildren, young adults from parents, and the list could go on and on.

Satan's Human Face

Philadelphia Church of God Parents

Abandon Minor-Aged Daughter

When my 17 year-old niece told her parents she no longer wanted to participate in the Philadelphia Church of God, her cult-member parents abandoned her to the streets. "God's Will," her mother said. For some time, my niece has been disillusioned by the Philadelphia Church of God. Her first awakening occurred when she asked her parents if she could stay with a non-cult-member relative who lives on the East Coast, (that would be my wife and me), for two weeks, as part of her summer vacation. A boy her age, (a non cult-member), who was enrolled in an accelerated program at school studying to become a doctor, was staying with us. My niece particularly wanted to meet this boy because she is also interested in studying medicine. The relative, that would be me and my wife, planned on taking the boy and my niece to see NYC and the NJ shore. My niece's parents adamantly refused to let her visit with us. My niece's "God ordained head of the household father," who had been barred from practicing nursing in several States for violations (I believe he showed up at the care facility in which he was employed, intoxicated. First, he was suspended for 2 years, then he had his license revoked permanently), especially wouldn't even hear of the idea. My niece became distraught. Instead of letting their daughter enjoy her summer vacation with a like-minded teenager pursuing a career in medicine, her parents forced her to stay at home in the company of another girl from the Philadelphia Church of God. My niece says this cult-member spent most of the time on her cell phone, bragging about having a three-way with two Mexican boys.

When my niece continued to press her parents to be released from the abuse of the Philadelphia Church of God, her mother said she was "dead to her," and turned her photo face down on her bureau top. Her parents told her to leave the house, as they wanted to concentrate their love and affection on their other daughters, who wanted to remain in the cult. My niece said her parents told her she was infecting the household with her "evil." While kicking her out of the house, they refused to drive her anywhere, and threatened anyone who helped her with legal action for harboring a minor. My niece was forced to walk a busy highway for over an hour alone, until a classmate saw her and gave her a ride.

 Read the rest of the story here:  PCG Parents Abandon Minor Daughter

Hat tip to Felix....Why We Don't Get Over It

Jesus Humor

One of my favorite blogs is "Jesus Needs New PR" a site the exposes the silly side of Christians and legalistic thought.  One of his side links is "Jesus Pictures"

"It's so cute that your daddy thinks he has himself a little football player, but sadly, you're going to be a dancer, a really good dancer." -Jesus

"Oh, don't let the sparkles scare you. This is just what happens when I'm around white people." -Jesus

"What did you say? Does your mother know you use the word, 'sucks'? And better yet, would she approve? I don't think so. Maybe we should walk over and ask her. You want us to do that? You realize your brothers are judging you, right? I can read it on their hearts. And I'm gonna let it slide for now." -Jesus

"Sometimes I pretend there's a staircase to earth. And I like sliding down its banister. I'm Jesus, okay? I can do that if I want to. You pretend there's a staircase to Heaven! You're just mad because you can't slide up." -Jesus