It Hurts

From 1997 WCGnet:  This is just as applicable today to those leaving the Living Church of God, United Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God, Restored Church of God and other splinter groups.

"IT HURTS"

IT HURTS to discover you were deceived - that what you thought was the "one true religion," the "path to total freedom," or "truth" was in reality a cult.

IT HURTS when you learn that people you trusted implicitly - whom you were taught not to question - were "pulling the wool over your eyes" albeit unwittingly.

IT HURTS when you learn that those you were taught were your "enemies" were telling the truth after all -- but you had been told they were liars, deceivers, repressive, satanic etc  and not to listen to them.

IT HURTS when you know your faith in  God  hasn't changed - only your trust in an organization - yet you are accused of apostasy, being a trouble maker, a "Judas".

It hurts even more when it is your family and friends making these accusations.

IT HURTS to realize their love and acceptance was conditional on you remaining a member of good standing. This cuts so deeply you try and suppress it. All you want to do is forget - but how can you forget your family and friends?

IT HURTS to see the looks of hatred coming from the faces of those you love - to hear the deafening silence when you try and talk to them.  It cuts deeply when you try and give your child a hug and they stand like a statue, pretending you aren't there. It stabs like a knife when you know your spouse looks upon you as demonized and teaches your children to hate you.

IT HURTS to know you must start all over again.  You feel you have wasted so much time. You feel betrayed, disillusioned, suspicious of everyone including family, friends and other former members.

IT HURTS when you find yourself feeling guilty or ashamed of what you were - even about leaving them.  You feel depressed, confused, lonely.  You find it difficult to make decisions. You don't know what to do with yourself because you have so much time on your hands  now - yet you still feel guilty for spending time on recreation.

IT HURTS when you feel as though you have lost touch with reality. You feel as though you are "floating" and wonder if you really are better off and long for the security you had in the organization and yet you know you cannot go back.

IT HURTS when you feel you are all alone - that no one seems to understand what you are feeling. It hurts when you realize your self-confidence and self-worth are almost non-existent.

IT HURTS when you have to front up to friends and family to hear their "I told you so" whether that statement is verbal or not.  It makes you feel even more stupid than you already do - your confidence and self-worth plummet even further.

IT HURTS when you realize you gave up everything for the cult - your education, career, finances, time and energy - and now have to seek employment or restart your education.  How do you explain all those missing years?

IT HURTS because you know that even though you were deceived, you are responsible for being taken in.  All that wasted time........ at least that is what it seems to you - wasted time.

THE PAIN OF GRIEF

Leaving a cult is like experiencing the death of a close relative or a broken relationship.  The feeling is often described as like having been betrayed by someone with whom you were in love.  You feel you were simply used.

There is a grieving process to pass through.  Whereas most people understand that a person must grieve after a death etc, they  find it difficult to understand the same applies in this situation. There is no instant cure for the grief, confusion and pain.  Like all grieving periods, time is the healer. Some feel guilty, or wrong about this grief. They shouldn't -- It IS normal. It is NOT wrong to feel confused, uncertain, disillusioned, guilty, angry, untrusting - these are all part of the process.  In time the negative feelings will be replaced with clear thinking, joy, peace, and trust.

YES - IT HURTS BUT THE HURTS WILL HEAL WITH TIME,  PATIENCE & UNDERSTANDING

There is life after the cult.

Copyright (c) Jan Groenveld

Dave Pack and 50,000 Restored Church of God Members To Soon Be Riding Around Jerusalem On Backs Of Angels

Just when you think the silliness of Dave Pack and Armstrongism can't get any sillier, Dave goes and opens his mouth.

Apparently after 49,300 Church of God members leave the three largest Church of Gods when their leaders die, they will be heading over to the Restored Church of God where they will  help Elijah Pack rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.  Before his bastardized creature he calls "jesus" returns, his First Dominion will be in place where he and his 50,000 church members will be riding around on the backs of angels in Jerusalem as they judge everyone.    While all of this has been going on in Dave's First Dominion, Satan and his demons are in heaven with Dave's god.  Then after this god gets really, really pissed at Satan,  he will be cast out of heaven back to earth where he will make war with Dave's 50,000 members and many will be deceived.

He is teaching that Matthew 24:15 proves there will be a third physical temple before the tribulation, Romans 2:9 shows the Jews are saved first and uses prophetic scriptures that mention Judah to conclude that God will give control of the temple mount to the Church and the Jews.   Elijah who is also that Prophet will restore all things and rebuild the temple and Church members will be judges who rule Judah and eventually the world, with healings and animal natures changed BEFORE the tribulation and the return of Christ at the 7th Trump but in the "presence" of Christ.  This will be preceded by the short work of Revelation 10:11, (the greatest Work ever!) which he claims is referred to as the times of refreshing of Acts 3:19.  This rule by perhaps 50,000 human judges residing in Jerusalem and riding on angels he calls the first dominion based on Micah 4:8.  After this millennial bliss (and he applies most of the millennial scriptures to this time) there will be the falling away of 2 Th 2 when many will be deluded because they liked the benefits but not the law of God.  Satan and the demons have been held captive in heaven during this "first dominion" and when they come back to earth the deception and tribulation begin.

Crackpot Church of God False Prophet Promoting Book About Hillary Clinton

Is Hillary Clinton the antichrist? Does Bible prophecy foretell of a woman ruling over this nation? Is she about to bring down the United States so that the rampaging Germans, Muslims and Chinese can come over and put us all in concentration camps or ship us off to be slaves in Europe?

Chief Overseer, Doubly Blessed Prophet, God's Most Highly Favored Son, Bob Elijah Elisha Amos Joshua Thiel has all the answers.  But first he has to consult his pagan, Buddhist, Muslim and Catholic sources to find the truth he needs to deliver.   Bob Amos Thiel's sources are sooooooooo reliable that he has the "where," "why," "when" and how this woman is supposed to bring death and destruction to the country...all from pagan sources.

The review (which he wrote) of his book selling on Amazon says this:

"Hillary Clinton, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States" explains about how, by virtue of her background and policies, Hillary Clinton is fulfilling, and will continue to help fulfill, various prophecies that will lead to the destruction of the United States. Not intended as an anti-Democratic nor pro-Republican book, "Hillary Clinton, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States" also tells the truth about Republican leaders and why their practices would also lead to destruction. It answers questions many question. Is Hillary Clinton apocalyptic? Does Bible prophecy warn about a woman leading the USA? Could Hillary Clinton be the Antichrist? Citing Islamic, Buddhist, Catholic, Byzantine, Native American, and Bible prophecy, as well as the writings of Nostradamus and others, "Hillary Clinton, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States" explains from many sources where, why, when, and even some of how, the various aspects of destruction will come. Since Dr. Thiel first wrote about the Obama Administration in his 2009 book, it has taken steps to fulfill, at least partially, at least a dozen predictions that Dr. Thiel recorded. More will be fulfilled as well. Would you like to learn more about what Hillary Clinton has done and the real direction that the United States and its British-descended allies such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are really going? This highly referenced book documents the truth about this.

With Hillary in the news a lot lately, the False Prophet of Pagan Mysteries,  has started promoting his book again.  Today he writes:

Hillary Clinton was born of parents who were basically of English, Welsh, Scottish, and French descent. Her heritage is of interest biblically. A reading of the Book of Genesis shows that Israel specifically placed his name on the two sons of Joseph named Ephraim and Manasseh (Genesis 48:14-16), neither of which were Jewish. 

What does any of this have to do with Hillary Clinton?

Well as it turns out, since everyone had to descend from someone, ultimately their progenitors are somewhere listed in the Bible. Hence, biblical writings and prophecies can often be tied to descendants of those progenitors the Bible discusses.

Why is it  that Church of God false prophets and liars have to drag British Israelism into every one of their propehcies?  Hillary Clinton is so far removed from Biblical  progenitors that it is an impossibility to make such a claim.  Myths in Armstrongism are hard to shatter.

Then he says this:

Now, because the U.S. has already had women rule in high positions such as U.S. Supreme Court justices, senators, Chair of the Federal Reserve, and U.S. Secretary of State, it may not be prophetically required that a woman be its president to fulfill part of the prophecy in Isaiah 3:12. But since the Anglo-Saxon nations have all had females as their top executive, it would follow that the U.S.A. likely could as well. Could that be Hillary Rodham Clinton?

then he makes this claim when Americna chose to rebuild building sin New York after 9/11.  That pr0ehcy is also in the Bible...well, may the WorldNetDaily bible, but not in any one else, even though he tries to claim so:

How could this be related to Hillary Clinton?

Notice some of what Mrs. Clinton stated in 2007:

More than five years after 9/11, we still have not secured our borders, our railways, our mass transit systems, our ports, our chemical plants, our nuclear facilities and more…You know, one of the most discouraging aspects of the Bush-Cheney Administration is the way they have talked down America. They have been fatalistic. I reject that out of hand. We can do whatever we set our minds to. We can roll up our sleeves. We can be problem solvers again. And I have faith that we will answer that call. With your help we will rebuild America. (Clinton, Hillary: “Remarks on Infrastructure,” August 8, 2007. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project.) 

At least one prophecy-watcher has believed that American politicians making statements like “we will rebuild” are taking defiance types of positions that Isaiah warned against (‘The Isaiah 9:10 Judgment’: U.S. in crosshairs. WND, February 2012). Like ancient Ephraim and Manasseh, God was left out of the equation. 

Since certain prophecies about Samaria appear to be directed towards the U.S.A. of the 21st century (e.g. Isaiah 10:4-11; Hosea 7:1-3), and this makes those ties to Isaiah 9 potentially stronger. 

Hillary Clinton has been one of several leaders to at least partially fulfill this because of how she has called for rebuilding. And she may do more along this line.

 Talk about taking something out of context!

You can read his latest illogical tirade here for other fun things, nothing biblical, but fun.

"We Rejoice When Persecuted By Others. Take Care..."

From a loyal reader here:

I don't know why you do this blog, you obviously believe in God. Don't you fear that you may well be fighting against Him. The Devil believe in God, and tremble. I don't mean to be rude, but are you too simple minded to tremble? Have they deceived you to believe that you are going to be ok. I do hope you are deceived,for your sake because God is very forgiving and merciful. He forgave Ahab and what he did eclipses this blog. If you once knew God and have turned away, then you may feel comfortable with no concern about how God views this. (Even in that He is merciful}. Still I feel sad for you, and I hope that repentance is still available to you. I won't defend anyone you have disrespected here, God takes care of His own, but also we rejoice when persecuted by others. It strengthens us. We will be ok. I will mention you in my prayers though and pray that you have not sinned a sin that leads to death. Take care.