"What Herbert Armstrong Did Not Know" by Homer Kizer

I received the following from Carolyn Smith-Kizer regarding an article her husband wrote about his observations on Herbert Armstrong's understanding of prophecy.

I am posting it for those interested in his premise.  I have had previous contact with Homer Kizer in 2012 which was not presented in a favorable light.  Homer responded to my first article with his own comments which I posted unedited.

Unrepentant Firstborn Will Firstborn Will Be Slaughtered On Passover (Again)
Homer Kizer Responds

I don't agree with a lot most of what Homer has to say - BUT - he does offer tidbits and observations into the thinking of Herbert Armstrong that some may never thought of.

What Herbert Armstrong Didn’t Know

Argument: As a self-educated theologian, Herbert W. Armstrong as the Pastor-General of the former Radio Church of God and Worldwide Church of God, never understood the basic construction of Hebraic poetics, that the visible, physical things of this world reveal and precede the invisible spiritual things of God, with outwardly circumcised Israel forming the chiral (or left hand) image of circumcised of heart Israel, the assembly of inner selves born of spirit through the indwelling of Christ Jesus. Because Armstrong never understood theological chirality, Armstrong placed importance on the surfaces of things and people; importance on appearances, gender, skin color, and genealogy. He therefore prevented himself from understanding the mysteries of God, and was and remained a spiritual novice throughout his ministry that extended from 1934 to 1986

Some of his comments are:

Twenty-nine years have passed since members of the former Worldwide Church of God (WCG) learned their Pastor General died shortly before 6:00 a.m. PST, January 16, 1986 … in the summer of 1985, I was visited by a long time WCG member, Jack Etsel, who, during dinner conversation, said, Mr. Armstrong preaches that time is short because time is short for him. I was mildly shocked by what I heard; by what Jack said. I believed that the end of the age was or nearly was upon humanity. And without then responding to what Jack said, I nevertheless remembered his words—

 When Jack Etsel said what he did about the senior Armstrong, I didn’t know Jack all that well. I had, the previous fall, killed a moose on a hunt with Jack. Otherwise, I knew Jack as a two year Washington (Seattle area) transplant to Alaska. Of course, I was an Oregon transplant from eleven years earlier. I knew other members of the Anchorage and Kenai WCG congregations better than I knew Jack.

        I, too, was a WCG member, attending services since 1972, baptized prior to Passover 1973, journeying north to Alaska spring 1974, opening a chainsaw-outboard dealership on Poppy Lane just off K-Beach Road in late 1976. So what I will write about Herbert Armstrong doesn’t come from the perspective of an outsider, but from having heard what was preached from pulpits and having read what was written in Co-Worker letters during the 1970s and 1980s. However, I was then busy making a living, trying to get a woefully under-capitalized business operational; so though I heard what was preached and what wasn’t, I didn’t spend time worrying about whether chicanery was occurring in Pasadena. Armstrong’s racism troubled me less than it should have. And how tithe moneys were spent was between the administration and Christ Jesus (my responsibility for my tithe ended when I put the check in the mail).

 -------

The senior Armstrong during the initial Advanced Prophecy Seminar session told his evangelists that all wasn’t known, that the Church had prophecy wrong, 

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So before proceeding, let it be understood that Herbert W. Armstrong knew he had prophecy wrong four years after the Treaty of Rome was signed March 1957: the European Union wasn’t coming together as Armstrong had prophesied. Events were happening much more slowly than he expected, and were going in a direction he hadn’t anticipated. He realized what he had said throughout the 1950s, and as far back as 1934, was wrong.

Why, then, did he continue to proclaim the same prophetic message throughout the 1960s and to his death in January 1986? And could a multi-million dollar a year ministry based on a particular understanding of biblical prophecy really admit it had prophecy wrong all along and still economically survive? No, it could not.

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The entirety of Armstrong’s ministry was built not on Sabbath observance or believing the writings of Moses, but on Armstrong’s understanding of biblical prophecy that caused him to write in a 1948 Co-Worker letter the following:

December 8, 1947

Dear Family of Co-Workers' in God's Service:

GREETINGS! in Jesus' name: TIME is running out! This world is moving swiftly to its destruction! Yet there is still time---and just barely enough time---to finish the work of God for this present age. THERE IS NO TIME TO LOSE. But the work of God is progressing on schedule---amid handicaps, thru obstacles and trials that try our souls, our patience, and our faith to the limit---under the divine direction of God, and as a result of MIRACLES performed by him in our behalf.

The "Big Four" diplomats are locked in an uncompromisable duel between East and West---between Russia and the United States---between Communism and Democracy---between Atheism and professed Christianity. At the London conference, the nations merely lock horns and fight, and quarrel, and deadlock, in their efforts to restore the peace of Europe and the world.

The United States announces the invention and production of horrible, terrifying new atomic weapons---without giving the public any hint as to the nature of those weapons. The Russians give out hints that they, too, either HAVE the atomic bomb, or have its secret and are now preparing to actually produce it.

The United Nations recommend the partitioning of Palestine, and actual setting up, at last, of a new Jewish NATION in the holy land. This sets off the Palestine powder-keg. The Moslem nations, 300 million strong and solidly ORGANIZED these past three years, have announced they will never permit it---they spring to action---fighting and violence is intensified in the holy land, and terror reigns.

Europe faces its hardest winter, and the United States, with diminishing food supplies, sets out to try to feed the world to save it from chaos and communism and starvation.

Yes, this world is being hurled rapidly TOWARD UTTER DESTRUCTION---we approach the END OF THE WORLD!---which means the end of this AGE!

The WORLD TOMORROW will soon dawn, bringing peace, prosperity, happiness and joy at last;---and in the short time that remains our calling and sole important mission in life is to SHOUT THIS GOOD NEWS (the true Gospel of Jesus Christ) TO THE WORLD! It must go, not only to America and Canada, as it is now going, it must go to ALL NATIONS, in ALL LANGUAGES! To this end, AMBASSADOR COLLEGE is now operating in sober earnest---instructing consecrated, eager young men and women in the true Message, training them in speaking foreign languages.

THE OUTLOOK, at the moment, is for six or seven more years of PROSPERITY here in America---(even tho it is an artificial, unsound and inflated "prosperity")---while meantime the world moves relentlessly toward WORLD WAR III and final DESTRUCTION!

YOU, dear Co-Worker, are not going to be permitted to enjoy your home, your freedom, your present privileges and pursuits, many more years. Just a few more years---perhaps six or seven---perhaps twelve or fifteen---and a re-united Fascist-Nazi Europe will STRIKE---America's great cities will be blown out of existence in one night without warning---we shall see such tremendous atomic destruction as the world has never even dreamed ---more than 40 MILLION Americans will perish in the horrifying blasts! At the same time drought and famine will strike dead another THIRD of our entire population---men, women, and children ---thru starvation and disease! And our second great commission ---our divine calling from Almighty God---is to WARN our beloved nation, and other Israelitish nations, before it is too late! Every individual who HEEDS this warning, turns to God, is WATCHING and PRAYING ALWAYS, being filled with God's Spirit, living by every Word of God, with a life consecrated to Him, will be given special divine protection---taken beforehand to a place of SAFETY--- preserved thru the final horrifying tribulation, time of plagues and human anguish soon to visit this earth!

But if we to whom God has revealed this terrible future thru His divine prophecies fail to heed it---if we fail to each play his or her full part in WARNING this nation and the world, now, while we may---then God says we shall not escape, but He will require the blood of this entire people at our hands!

All emphasis is that of Armstrong … the letter goes on, but enough is here presented for the tone and tenor of the message Armstrong proclaimed to be grasped—

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An issue that cannot be avoided is the racism, sexism of Herbert Armstrong, who was a product of his age, not a new creature in Christ Jesus … in ancient Israel (and in modern fundamentalist Islam), women were chattel, property analogous to a circumcised man’s house: “‘You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's’” (Ex 20:17). 

United Church of God In All Its Awesome Glory....

The Church of God splinter group based in Cincinnati Ohio loves to present itself as a dynamic growing church that is bringing in untold masses of new members who have never heard of Herbert Armstrong.  Expensive advertising campaigns are promoted as "spreading the gospel message" to the world that is an outstanding success.

The picture below is of one of those enormous congregations.  The person who posted this says: 

 "This is a real photo of a UCG meeting place. A UCG member says "Such an inspirational meeting hall, from the carpet upward."

Double click to enlarge to all of its awesome glory!

Um....since when did carpets become inspirational? Somehow I do not see anything about this picture as "inspirational."  Am I missing something????  Depressing and sad is more like it!

Stephen Gilbreath Reanimates Herbert Armstrong

Just when you think the idolatry of Herbert Armstrong cannot get any sicker, along comes Stephen Gilbreath who has reanimated HWA so that he can "preach" on Stephen's web site.  You may need a barf bag as you listen to Herb speak his silliness again.

LCG Bob League Dies

The man that Rod Meredith appointed to start looking into dissidents within the ranks of the Living Church of God has died.  Will Rod now appoint Lil'Jimmy to be the new enforcer in order to preparee him for the roll of LCG leader?

January 8, 2015

Living Church of God Ministry

Hello everyone,

I wanted to let you know that Mr. Bob League died this morning at 8:30 am. His heart was unable to function and multiple organs were failing. Bob was 82 years old and served in the ministry for decades in a number of areas. Please keep Mrs. League and their family in your prayers. Mr. League’s funeral is being planned for this coming Sunday afternoon, January 11, here in Charlotte, North Carolina. More details will follow.

Warm Regards,
Douglas Winnail

LCG's James Wells Wonders Why So Many Are Leaving LCG

LCG preacher James Wells is irritated that someone posted excerpts from one of his sermons on Facebook.  Then later on in his sermon he laments on how the Israelites were whining and gripping and forgetting the things God did for them in the wilderness.  Its just like LCG members who forget the "truth" they have leaned and leave the LCG.

We are beginning to see the same things happening to the new testament church.  Members are hardening their hearts.  They are not "enduring to the end."   Members are weak and weakening as they lack in faith.

Some are not with us today here. They've shut their ears to the truth.  People are leaving the church because they believe we are turning away from the truth. They have the facade of faith.

People are leaving the Living Church of God because of the ABUSE, the heretical doctrines and asinine leadership/preachers! Plus, the day Jimmy Meredith is made the new pope of LCG the church will fracture in a huge split.

If you want to listen to this incredibly BAD preacher then have at it.  It just reminds me of the boring garbage that talentless men blabbered on and on saying nothing worthwhile.

James Wells

Ghastly Days! Jelly Is Back Learning the "Holy" Days....Barf Bags Required

Vomit inducing..........

Living Church of God Asks: Are You Driving Like Jesus Would?

In its ongoing quest to control every aspect of its members lives, the Living Church of God now is telling members how to drive their vehicles.  How Would Jesus Drive?

Yes I know there are lots of idiots on the road, particularly here in Los Angeles where half the population cant read English, but still I wonder why LCG has to invade members lives so much?

Did you know that driving 70 on the freeway is a BIG RESPONSIBILITY?  Its not to be taken lightly!  Just like your salvation, it is NOT to be taken lightly.  How many times have we heard this attached to a myriad of reasons used by ministers to control us?

Being behind the wheel of a hundred or more steel horses that can travel at speeds above 70 miles per hour is a big responsibility. If taken lightly, one mistake at the wheel could cost you your life!

Dylan King asks:

If Jesus Christ walked the earth today and found Himself behind the wheel of a car, truck or SUV; what kind of driver would He be? How should today’s Christians conduct themselves on the road?

According to King, since Jesus suffered for us we should not commit any sin while driving.

God inspired the Apostle Peter to encourage us to follow Christ’s example of perfect character. “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth” (1 Peter 2:21).

Because Jesus was a Jew and kept the Jewish law we too should keep the law of the land because we are required to submit to government authorities.

Jesus Christ never broke God’s law. In fact, He even made it a point to obey the legitimate laws of the secular government that ruled over the places where He lived and taught. And He taught us to do the same. The Bible makes it clear that Christians should submit to the governing authorities who reign over us, and warns that if we do not we will bring judgment on ourselves (Romans 13:1-3).

Because King and other COG members fail to practice the fruits of the spirit - accidents WILL happen!

I have felt that judgment personally, when a careless moment behind the wheel led to the destruction of my vehicle (but, thankfully only minor injuries). If I had been more careful to utilize fruits of the spirit such as longsuffering (patience), kindness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22) while driving, I may have avoided that particular wreck. 

Real Christians (only those in LCG or Thiels's group) must constantly "drive" with God because you must FEAR God.

Christians should strive to walk with God daily—and, if we are behind the wheel of a vehicle, we should strive to drive with God, having the fear of God. We can make a huge difference on the road by obeying traffic laws that were created for our own safety, and by being courteous to other drivers. As we start our engines, let us remember the eternal words of Jesus Christ, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31).

Of course this all leads to having people request a booklet on keeping the 10 Commandments because Big Daddy Spanky needs to tell you everything you need to do.

Request a free copy of our booklet, The Ten Commandments.  In it, Dr. Roderick C. Meredith explains plainly from the Bible how God’s laws living in us through the Holy Spirit can give us the spiritual guidance to truly love our neighbors as ourselves.

I do have to hand it to LCG though, this is the first time they have talked about Jesus in a while.

A Sickening Letter From A Philadelphia Church of God Mother To Her Son

The sickness that is the Philadelphia Church of God has no limit to the depravity it teaches its members to practice.  If there ever was a "man of sin" in the Church of God it is Gerald Flurry!  This evil, despotic, spiritual pervert will eventually be struck down.  Great will be that day!


From a Facebook group:

To xxxxx , my brother in Christ who also happens to be my son,

There is no easy way for me to say this to you. But it is necessary that I say it to you.

We once attended services together and believed the same thing. We kept God's Word, His Ten Commandments, His Sabbaths and His Holy days together. You were baptized and became a begotten son of the living God our Father, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. That made you my brother in Christ. I was so pleased and happy when you told me. I was also happy when you chose xxxx to be your wonderful bride and who became your soulmate for life. She also was begotten of our Father and walked in His Ways. Both of you have been a loving son and daughter-in-law to Dad and I.

When I found out Mr. Tkach was teaching that it is okay to sin and break God's law, I could no longer follow him in that Church organization. I left. You both stayed, at least for a while.

We decided to agree to disagree in order to maintain a family relationship.

But now I can no longer accept the idea that everything is okay between us while I know that you are headed into the tribulation and a great amount of suffering if you don't turn it around quickly. How can I live with myself should God protect me as promised to the Philadelphia Era spoken of in Rev. 3 to those who keep his word and do not deny his name during these last days, if I don't warn you?

Our nation is going to receive punishment for it's lawlessness and sins. You and your little family have only a short space of time to turn back to trusting God our Father and Jesus Christ our savior (our only real help in this last hour).

I love you and want what is best for you and your beautiful family (including my grandchildren). I know you know that. But I also know that deep down you know the difference between right and wrong. May our loving Father who chastises every son he loves help you to wake up before it is too late to escape the tribulation that is coming.

There is a very real warning going out for God's Church of which you became a part upon baptism and the applying of Christ's blood as a sacrifice for your sins. You are impregnated with God's Holy Spirit that you received with the laying on of hands. You can't keep taking that lightly and go on in your own human reasonings. Nor can I. My prayer is for you both to wake up. And now you have been warned.

I cannot make the choice for you as when you were a child. I love you so much. The fact that you live so far away doesn't make it much easier to do this:

I must now obey the command to withdraw my foot from every brother in God's Church who walks disorderly. II Thess. 3: 6, 14, 15. "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us...and if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed, Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother."

I love you both so very much, but in obedience to Christ, I must withdraw my own personal fellowship from you. I will miss you. But I already miss the person you were when you were walking with God. You will be in my prayers.

Love,
MOM

Is Norm Edwards Now A Willing Dupe In Legitimizing Bob Theil's Prophet Status?

Bob Thiel is now using Norm Edwards to legitimize his prophet status in the Churches of God.  Thiel is constantly looking for any "proof" he can find so that he can legitimize his illegitimate minuscule ministry.

Thiel first conned Rod Meredith into believing he had insight into prophecy and biblical understanding.  Meredith, Richard Ames and others fell for it and bought into it hook, line and sinker.  Then he used Gaylyn Bonjour as a willing dupe into laying hands on his rapidly swelling head and head giving him a double does of the "holy" spirit.  Thiel then used some nightmares a women in his group had as further legitimizing his prophet-hood.

Now enter Norm Edwards.  Sometime back Norm wrote an article about why the Church of God needs more "prophets" than they do prophecy.  Need Prophets More Than Prophecy

Norm writes:

Many have said, “If God is still providing prophets to the church, where are they?” My church—even my whole denomination—does not recognize any.” Our national leaders do not recognize any either. That is “business as usual” when it comes to prophets. We must remember that God sends prophets to speak His messages and do His work, which often conflicts with the purposes of political and religious leaders. Political and religious groups tend to only allow teachers and preachers who are educated in their schools or approved by their management. Yes, God might choose to give one of them the gift of prophecy, but since most such groups and their schools do not seek out prophetic gifts, they rarely receive them. 

Further down he writes:

This writer has met people whom he believes have the gift of prophecy, but they are often in small congregations or keep a “low profile” in larger ones. In most cases, they have said or done things in conflict with popular or leader’s opinions, so are not held in high esteem by the brethren. 

Norm just had to go and open the door for Bob Thiel at this point.  Did Norm know that God was using him to proclaim Thiel as the new prophet of the Church of God?

Norm then encourages COG members to pray that they be given the gift of prophecy.  Thiel took this to heart and discovered he was a true prophet.

While the Bible teaches us to listen to prophets in meetings of brethren (1 Corinthians 14:29), the overwhelming teaching is not to seek out prophets to hear, but to “desire to prophecy” (see above references). While there is no guarantee that anyone will receive any particular spiritual gifts, desiring them certainly means they are worth praying for. We can pray to receive the gift of prophecy. We should be willing to pray for it over a long period of time—just as we might pray for family members, a better job, a new home, etc. We should pray about using it for good, not for selfish reasons. We do not want people to say, “Look at him, he’s spiritual” or “Look at her, she’s a prophetess.” We should pray for strength to withstand the persecution the gift of prophecy usually brings on.

Sometimes, we may not feel that we are righteous enough to receive the gift of prophecy. Do not worry. Nobody is “righteous enough” to receive it. It is an undeserved gift from God!

Norm ends his article with this:

Whether it is a dream, a vision, a voice or an overwhelming feeling, most people know when God has clearly spoken to them. The prophets of the Bible were completely honest about what they saw or heard, and were very careful not to add to it, take away from it, or confuse their own interpretation and feelings with what God gave them. Sometimes, they had to be content not to understand it (Daniel 12:8-9). One can always judge by making accurate records of revelations and then seeing if they come to pass as understood.

As the time of the end approaches, we need more prophets, not less. Local prophets can help each person and each group survive and be a powerful witness in the tribulations to come. The gift of prophecy is not vulnerable to electronic surveillance, network failures, police action, restrictive laws or religious censorship. It works in any language, custom or culture. It works no matter what other nations and churches do.

And there ya go!  The sure and prophetic sign that Bob Thiel is the true prophet of God!  Norm foretold it so it has to be true.

Thiel writes:

Norman Edwards runs the Port Austin Bible Campus and is editor for Shepherd’s Voice magazine. He is not part of the Continuing Church of God, where, I function its human leader (and am an ordained prophet; the only known such prophet in any legitimate Church of God group).

While Norman Edwards and I have long disagreed about aspects of church governance and various matters of doctrine (and I would have suggested a different title, etc. for his article), we both agree that many who are in or claim to be in the Church of God (COG) wrongly do not accept that God has any prophets today. We also agree that most have severe difficulty to identify one who really is a prophet because of various unscriptural biases and improper criteria that they have.

As Norman Edward’s article points out, it is scriptural to now have prophets according to the New Testament. But many who truly believe that they live by the word of God have discounted or overlooked what the Bible actually teaches and/or have been influenced by others who have done the same or worse. The COG has at least one demonstrably true prophet today, yet most in the greater COG world seem to be able to ignore the truth about that, like most ignored John the Baptist and others in their day.

Norm should feel proud to now be part of the chain of command legitimizing Bob Thiel as the Church of God's ONLY legitimate prophet.  Thanks Norm! No, not really.

Thiel conveniently ignores this comment by Edwards:

God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds (Hebrews 1:12).

But these verses simply accurately state the greatness of Christ’s teaching compared to those of the prophets. Christ’s righteous teaching and words of eternal life are so much more important than knowing what kingdom will arise or be defeated. Christ is “heir to all things” and we indeed can be “joint heirs” with Him (Romans 8:17).

Almost every COG leader out here, shoves Jesus to the back burner.  Hebrew scriptures and the law are their savior.  With out the law they cannot be saved. When they do speak about the guy it is of a pissed off dude coming back to wreck havoc on the world and elevate them to "godhood" status where they too can beat the unwashed masses into submission.  Hell hath no fury like a future COG god.

Thiel has set himself up as the only legitimate prophet to the Church of God and the world.  Everything he says should be taken to heart and recorded as scripture.  As we all know from Armstrongism, the book of Acts was never completed so it will end up being the final depository for Thiel's magical words of wisdom.

So thanks Norm, Gaylyn, Rod, Richard and Doug!  The world eagerly awaits the wondrous mutterings of the prophet you set up for us all. All hail Thiel!

Rod Meredith: We Are Trying To Keep God's Church Clean

Poor Rod Meredith.  Try as he might he just CANNOT keep his shrinking personalty cult under control.  The Living Church of God tries to present itself as the most unified and loving COG to exist in this dispensation, yet it is constantly rocked with strife and upheavals.  LCG members love to get on here and call us liars every time we point this out.

This is from a COG news site:

In November all congregations were commanded to play a sermonette by Rod McNair on Ministerial Authority and a sermon by Rod Meredith on God’s Government.
(These two audios have been removed from this independent website. In each case: “The item is not available due to issues with the item's content.”)

The audios explain that LCG’s doctrine on church government gives the ministry rulership over its church members, some of whom have been expressing disagreement with various doctrines and distrust of even the leading ministers. 

Notice how Meredith has to always blame everyone else but himself.  Sine he proclaimed years ago that he has never committed a major sin since baptism it is apparently hard to find fault with himself.

Roderick Meredith says, “We found that some of these people we’ve had to put out (of the church) ... they often lie and lie, and they’ll twist and turn, and turn things around ...”

“I’ve asked Mr McNair and Mr (Bob) League - they’ve been working as a team to get all the information on many of these things - and I’m working with them and other leaders ... We’re trying to keep God’s church clean.”

A Childhood of Abuse In Armstrongism

Here is another story from a person who grew up in Armstrongism and the abuse she received and witnessed. Scores of rabid Armstrong worshipers deny anything like this ever happened.  Everything is always rainbows, lollipops and unicorns in their eyes.

Here is another sad story of a childhood robbed by Armstrongism.

From Exit and Support:

I just read the story about the boy who ran away from home at an early age to escape abusive parents. His dad quit his government job as did my dad in 1972. I never knew this was a command of HWA until I read it here. I have called my mom as my dad died, and she refuses to discuss anything. Typical mind controlled member in a remnant group.

I was not allowed to attend SEP because of what happened to my elder sister there. Her things were stolen and she learned to smoke there--imagine that. Now I realize why I was never encouraged to go to college, which I did on my own in 1986. Again, HWA didn't believe in any college other than his own.

Luckily I had a very good imagination and sat through all those long sermons on Saturdays pretending I was traveling in space and never understood what WWCG was about. However, I knew enough to know I was going to escape as soon as possible.

My mom would beat the hell out of me at times and then make me thank her for the correction and smile to show her my attitude. Another revelation I had this week is that HWA taught her to do that. Finding this site has been good for me.

My parents never kept us from our school friends or "unbelieving" family, thank God. I think my dad definitely used his own thinking power on that one. I think feeling weird and ostracized and missing so much school hurt me the worst. Also, now realizing how deceived my mom and sister still are makes me sick. The language they use is the epitome of a cult but they are sheep nonetheless.

I saw many of my age mates in the WWCG get severely abused--starved, burned, beat, just to name a few. I also remember the year that the state department of children showed up in St. Petersburg at the feast and the paddles were removed from the walls of the Mother's Room (i. e., the "beating chamber"). The members were told not to spank at services.

My sisters and I knew how to obey like good little girls. I was a smart child and refused to go spend the night with any WWCG members that I knew were cruel to their children. My sister was not as smart and I will never forget a few times my parents had to go in the middle of the night to pick her up because she was sick. When we would go back to bed, she would relay terrible stories of things she witnessed, one of which a child being burned terribly bad for playing with matches. My parents tried to talk to the minister, but were politely told to mind their own business.

LCG Releases Mind-Boggling Church Attendance Numbers of God's Most Highly Favored Church EVER!

Its always fun to watch those  wild and crazy guys in Charlotte at Living Church of God's HQ react to postings on this blog.

Stung by repeated postings and comments about the shrinking size of LCG congregations Bob League reported the other day the mind-boggling size of several LCG congregations.  The size of these congregations are unprecedented in COG history!  Be impressed brethren!  God's greatest restored church is the biggest and bestest ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LCG publishes list of ten largest congregations.  

1. Charlotte North Carolina 258  
2. Kansas City Missouri 195  
3. Chaguanas Trinidad 128  
4. Ft. Lauderdale Florida 116
5. Houston Texas 115
6. Dallas Texas 113  
7. Phoenix Arizona 107  
8. Quezon City Metro Manila, Philippines 99
9. Kingston Jamaica 96 
10. Christ Church Barbados 94

Years ago a Worldwide Church of God accounting executive said that they could make statistics mean any thing they wanted and the brethren would never know fact from fiction.  This was during the time they claimed to have 8,000,000 PT subscribers and 144,000 members.  That very same person went on to stab WCG in the back and followed Meredith into the epic failure of Global Church of God and then on into Living Church of God.

From congregations in the mother church of 400-800 members in various parts of the country to 195 as the max for a field church in LCG....there is NOTHING impressive about that!  The LCG Charlotte congregation doesn't count because the majority of these are paid staff and family of HQ and they are REQUIRED to attend services.

The glory days of Armstrongism are over and not one single apostate COG will EVER accomplish the things that Herbert Armstrong did. EVER!

Rod Meredith and Bob League Continue Gestapo Tactics In Living Church of God

Some things never change with Rod Meredith and his henchmen.

From a reader here:

I just happened upon this post and I'm freaking out! It is ALL TRUE. RCM has re-instated the old WCG visiting ministers program so he can "check in" with members who may be less than fully supportive of him as the Supreme Ruler. League and McNair, his henchmen, have been instructed to "weed out" dissenters. There method is typically to isolate the woman because they know they are more likely to get them to crack/dish info on their husbands or other members. They ask for lists of the names of friends that might need "to be counselled" aka possible trouble makers that also need to be interrogated. If they can't find a legitimate issue with someone they want out of LCG they will just make something up. Meredith has NO PROBLEM lying about members if it serves his purpose. Anyone who questions him knows they will be next on the chopping block so people just remain silent to stay out of RCM's crosshairs. In the last year, 24 people that I know of have left the Charlotte congregation alone largely in part to these Gestapo tactics and absolute tyranny against anyone who dares question or have a critical/independent thought. Absolutely nothing has changed since Leona McNair. RCM uses his position and his microphone to destroy those who don't bow down to him. 

The more RCM feels he is losing control, the tighter he clamps down. Practically every sermon is about obeying and submitting. Not to God, but to church authority. They demand blind obedience. Mr. League even went so far as to say that if he were to call a member in the middle of the night and ask them to drive circles around the block for 4 hours, they should obey without asking questions.

The League/ McNair team also monitors members private Facebook pages and ask members to remove posts or pictures that they don't like for whatever reason. They are so blinded by their power and agenda that they can't see all the members taking note of the false allegations they make about long-time members, the late night interrogations and the exodus of LCG members. It is widely talked about in whispers after services and at Friday night get-togethers. There is a storm brewing and they are completely oblivious!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from Pasadena!

Our New Year's wish for you is that even more of you leave 

the legalistic and abusive Churches of God.  

That Dave Pack opens his mouth again and makes a bigger idiot of himself than he already is.

That the Living Church of God and Philadelphia Church of God 

continue their downward spiral and implosion.

That Armstrongism truly DIE!

That peace and grace truly free you!

COG Heads Explode Over New Book Out Claiming Jesus' Birth Actually Being On December 25th.

There is a new book out debunking many of the pet theories of the various Armstrongite splinter groups that they use to defend their stance on not keeping Christmas. 

The book is entitled:  The Eternal City: Rome & and Origins of Catholic Christianity. by Taylor Marshall

Sadly, because this book is written from a Catholic point of view those steeped in the cult of Armstrongism will NEVER entertain a divergent view than what they were brought up with.  Never mind the fact that Marshall has more theological training than ANY of the COG leaders do.

Some of the points he discusses on his blog are:

Objection 1: December 25 was chosen in order to replace the pagan Roman festival of Saturnalia. Saturnalia was a popular winter festival and so the Catholic Church prudently substituted Christmas in its place.

Objection 2: December 25 was chosen to replace the pagan Roman holiday Natalis Solis Invicti which means “Birthday of the Unconquered Sun.” 

Objection 3: Christ could not have been born in December since Saint Luke describes shepherds herding in the neighboring fields of Bethlehem. Shepherds do not herd during the winter. Thus, Christ was not born in winter. 

UCG's Scott Ashley's War On Christmas

Here is an excerpt of a post from an exCOG member and her take on Christmas.  This is from her blog:  It's a Mis-fit.  Her post is in response to UCG's Scott Ashley and his  asinine 10 points on why he doesn't keep Christmas.

Which brings me to the opposite end of the war on Christmas spectrum. As I mentioned in my last entry, I didn’t grow up keeping Christmas, so seeing the following article this afternoon brought up the memories of hearing these reasons to avoid the season at all cost. I get point #1 on that list. The commercialism of Christmas is ridiculous, but there are billions of Christmas celebrants who don’t go batshit insane over commercialism. Its mostly a USA phenomenon. So that point really doesn’t fly.

The second point tries to hammer home the fact that Christmas wasn’t mentioned in the Bible. Well neither was Thanksgiving, Mother’s day, or Memorial day, all three US holidays. Then they try to make the date of Jesus’ birth an issue. It’s common knowledge that no one knows the date, that’s not the point of honoring the event of his birth. One of their proofs, as if we can call the absolute ridiculousness of it proof, was that shepherds would not have had flocks in the field in December. 
There’s this assumption that Judean winters are hellish and too cold for any livestock with heavy wool coats to survive. I just looked up the weather for Tel Aviv. As I am typing this, its 3am there. The temperature is a frigid 54 degrees. Its actually colder in SC.

For those of you who are quite certain that Christmas is the epitome of evil, that those who celebrate the holiday with all its pagan debauchery and frivolous frolicing, and that God is going to make sure that we are punished for our wicked ways,  I wish you a happy and joyous Thursday. Let me also assure you that you have nothing to fear from a celebration season, nor are your neighbors, your family members doing so a danger from God whatsoever.

For all of us, whichever you fit on the Christmas spectrum, as well as those of you celebrating the Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, Eid, Kwanzaa, and any celebration I missed, I wish you Happy Holidays and/or a restful rest of the week