How Subtly the MInistry Changed Scripture to Meet Their Own Agenda

This particular quote was found in the Good News Magazine of January - April, 1971. Look carefully at the quote and see exactly where the change came in. 

Did you find where the Ministry subtly changed the entire meaning of the verse to fit their already conceived agenda? Take a look at the parallel Bible to see if the inserted text is anywhere in here: 

https://biblehub.com/parallel/john/3-18.htm

The correct text was "He that believeth on Him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already."

What the author added into the text was "In His purpose". 

"In His Purpose" was not in any text or translation anywhere of John 3:18. It was added to support what they already believed: That the world is not being "called now", only the "elect", being the Worldwide Church of God, and the rest of the world would not be given opportunity until after Christ - in direct opposition from the reality of what the verse actually says. 

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believethin him should not perish, but have everlasting life.For God sent not his Son into the worldto condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.Anyone who believesin Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned,because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God."

Every translation, including the King James translation, agrees that this verse says that God so loved the world that he gave his Son Jesus Christ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life - and that it is believing in HIM that there is no condemnation, but anyone who does not believe IN HIM is already condemned. That's what the translation says. 

This flies directly in contradiction to the Church's belief. And to support their twisting of the Word of God, they added "In His Purpose" to completely change the meaning of scripture, downplaying the role of belief in Christ because they didn't believe the WORLD could know Christ. 

But what exactly did he mean "In His Purpose"? The article states:

"If you truly believe in God's purpose through Jesus Christ and are going ALL OUT for that purpose in your life, then you are properly discerning the Lord's Body and are eating and drinking eternal life unto yourself. But if your life and actions show a half-hearted, lethargic support and dedication to His work, you are eating and drinking damnation to yourself."

The author - Albert J. Portune - took the clear and unmistakable intent and clarity of the Word of God - in every translation - as to what it meant, inserted his own bracket text, changed the entire meaning of the verse to fit their own doctrinal bias, and then claimed that it was not belief in JESUS but in "His Purpose" which mattered - which of course meant supporting the Work and being dedicated to it with your whole heart. In other words - sending in your money. Without inserting in this text John 3:16-18 is completely against the doctrinal position of Armstrongism. This is why Armstrongism was and is ANOTHER GOSPEL.  

This is exactly how the scam worked. This is how the Word of God was twisted and distorted. It's one example of MANY. 

submitted by SHT

COG Chief Pharisee Claims It Is Possible to Be Sinless

Where would the Church of God be without all of the lying false teachers it currently has?  It would be boring indeed!  Crazy prophets have always inhabited the church over the last 8 decades, but over the last few years, the craziness has reached new levels of idiocy.

James Malm, the self-appointed prophet and guru of the Shining Light crapfest of legalistic mumbo-jumbo puts forth loads of nonsense that would send anyone to an early grave if they tried to attain his high level of legalism.

In his ongoing effort to bastardize the law and make it into something it is not, he claims that current members of the church can remain sinless after baptism.

The sacrifice of Christ is only APPLIED to the REPENTANT; to those who STOP sinning! and it is sincere repentance to stop sinning and the application of the atonement of Christ for our PAST sins; which justifies and purifies us.

After that, we are to go forward; avoiding sin and living by every Word of God. But keeping the commandments does not justify anyone from PAST sins. It is sacrifice of Christ which justifies us and makes us right with God and atones for past sins.

But apparently not for future sins.

The Firm Bond: The Book That May Have Triggered George Geis' Termination from the Church

Today, while researching some historical anecdotes on the Church and College, I came across a bit of interesting information from the Los Angeles times, dated January 12, 1985. 

It seems that a book, entitled "The Firm Bond", which was written by Robert Kuhn and Goerge Geis, may have triggered Geis being called into Headquarters and asked for his resignation. Granted, this was an allegation purported by Garner Ted Armstrong: 

Soon after the book, published in October, appeared in Vroman's bookstore in Pasadena--where it is enjoying brisk sales--Geis was called in by Worldwide authorities and asked to submit his resignation. Apparently, according to Ted Armstrong, "people (church leaders) thought they saw themselves in the book." The Worldwide Church of God is not mentioned in the book, nor does it reveal the connection of either Geis or co-author Robert Kuhn, a former top Worldwide official who has also been disfellowshipped, with the church or college.

The book in question was thought by GTA to be a problem with the Church, probably because of it's content:

A section of the book (Praeger, $21.95) deals with personal meaning and entrepreneurial drives within an unaccommodating structure. "How does one deal with such people and pressures?" the authors ask.

“The easy answer--get rid of them!--deprives the company of innovative potential. On the other hand, strategies that allow for the expression of such needs promote mutual benefit for employee and organization.”

"The resignation was his (Geis') choice; the book was something he chose to write," said La Ravia, the Worldwide Church press secretary, who would not explain the reasons for the dismissal.

One of the reviewers of the book was from Harvard Business School - C. Roland Christenson. He writes:

This is a book not simply to be read, but to be savored. It poses for the reflective practioner the question of relationship between religion and economic creativity and productivity. It gives practical suggestions to any leader on the achievement of that critical motivational force--the linkage between personal inner needs and corporate mission.--C. Roland Christensen, Harvard Business School

One of the reasons why a business may possibly terminate an employee is if they, without authorization, released or revealed confidential intellectual property to the public. If this book revealed some of the internal corporate strategies used within the Church - it could well explain a possible reason why Gies was terminated from the Church. In a response to questions by the TImes concerning his termination, Ellis LaRavia said, "He chose to write the book."; seemingly confirming that the book did have something to do with it. 

Or, it could have just been because he was collaborating with a disfellowshipped individual outside of the Church - the co-author, Robert Kuhn, something that he, as a minister of the Church, would have been looked on as an act of rebellion, since disfellowshipped members were to be shunned and avoided.  

This book is available at Amazon for 12.95. As of this writing, 37 New and Used copies are available.

submitted by SHT

Rob Steel: A Story For Young People!

Banned By HWA, in honor of 6,000,000 views, is proud and honored to release, for the first time in it's history, a Story For Young People! Enjoy! It's about a man named Rob Steel. Any semblance to any person, real or fictional, might be entirely coincidental. Or it might not. 

(Read slowly for young people!) 

And now, our story.

- - - 

Once upon a time, there was a man.

His name was Rob Steel.

Rob Steel really wanted to be somebody important.

So Rob hung out with the most important people he could find.

People who wore suits. And talked loud. 

Rob liked to learn a lot. So Rob went and learned.

He really wanted recognition!

So Rob went and got himself.... a Degree.

(Say Degree). Good job! I knew you could.

Well, Rob REALLY admired a man a lot.

His name was Bob Feredith.

Rob gave Bob lots of money. Bob liked that a lot.

(Say money). Good job! I knew you could.

Well, Bob did not want Rob to go anwhere else!

So Bob told Rob he really knew a lot.

And maybe, just maybe, Rob had a very, very special job!

Rob believed him so much! And Rob tried all he could

to get as close to Bob as Rob could.

They would go eat together. They would talk together.

And Bob even asked Rob for advice.

Bob could not afford not to have Rob.

Rob really began to think highly of himself.

He was getting proud. 

But Rob was getting impatient.

Rob wanted to be somebody. But Rob felt ignored.

He never became what he wanted to be.

Rob waited months. And years.

And finally, Rob was tired of waiting.

Bob told Rob he loved Rob.

But Rob was not the right person.

Now Rob got his feelings hurt really bad.

Rob really thought he was going to be somebody.

But now, he knew that was never going to happen.

At least not with Bob.

So Rob decided to be what Bob was.

But Rob really wasn't Bob.

As much as Rob tried to be Bob.

Rob was no Bob.

Rob was good with things that help people.

Rob liked to do things to keep them in health.

It was good what Rob was doing.

But Rob had a lot of pride. And he felt hurt.

So he bit off more than he could chew.

What is the moral of the story?

Be yourself, and do good and help people.

It's ok to try new things. But before you try new things.

Be sure you are doing it for the right reasons.

And be sure you know what you are doing.

Because when you try something and you don't understand it

You could hurt others, and yourself.

And worst of all, 

you could believe in something that just isn't true.

submitted by SHT

PCG: God Inspired Wayne Turgeon Into Forcing PCG Students To Work On Sunday

One thing Herbert Armstrong never took into consideration when he designed his opulent buildings was the upkeep of the facility.  When the Ambassador Auditorium as built, no expense was spared on the materials used inside and outside the facility.  Then, as the advancing opening night approached, corners were cut in the final details.  As a result, the college and church had to spend hundreds and hundreds of man-hours, and millions of dollars in tithe money to maintain the monument to excess self-indulgence.

The same goes on today in Edmond Oklahoma where Gerald Flurry had to build his mini-me Herbert W Armstrong Auditorium.  This opulent monstrosity is filled with the same mistakes Herbert made, though the building itself is on a much smaller scale because Flurry was unable to duplicate the Pasadena monument as excessively.

Flurry's boondoggle has ended up costing the church members millions in tithe money for upkeep just so Flurry's grand kids can have a stage to dance on or sing in a play that is based upon some Old Testament prophet, though NEVER EVER in a story about a New Testament character or even Jesus.

The PCG website has a long story up justifying the expense and the amount of time required to keep the auditorium clean.  The PCG goes above board in trying to impress the non-believing community of Edmond.  That extra work done to impress came about because PCG's god apparently "inspired" Wayne Turgeon to make PCG students work on Sunday.  "Six days shalt though labor..." is the rallying cry of the indulged Flurry family members who get to take off as much time as they want and spend Sundays relaxing and doing family things while the lower caste students have to work.

Concerts

Although they are largely unseen, custodians play a part in Armstrong Auditorium’s Armstrong International Cultural Foundation Performing Arts series. The crew spends an average of eight manhours before a concert freshening the bathrooms, adding crispness to the vacuumed patterns in the royal purple carpet, and dusting the wood paneling so that arriving concertgoers see the auditorium at its best. 

Once the concert has begun and the guests are almost all in the theater, the custodians emerge from the hallway on a mission, pushing their yellow carts laden with the tools of the trade: polishing cloths, paper towel restocks, toilet scrubbers, and other equipment. Four groups rapidly clean the four bathrooms on both levels with the objective of leaving them as pristine in the middle of the concert as they were before the first guest arrived. After the last note has been sung or played and guests have finished conversing with artists, staff members and each other and left for the night, the custodians reemerge to complete their mission with a final clean of vacuuming and mopping the main floor and the crumbs left behind from concessions in the balcony. 

Schedule

Students clean immediately after concerts and other auditorium events, such as the annual seven-day Feast of Tabernacles. Students clean every day immediately after services (waiting until after sunset on high days and Sabbaths). 

During a regular week, Armstrong Auditorium is cleaned every day, with eight auditorium custodial staff spending an average of 34 manhours each week. The amount of time required has doubled with the opening of the Seals of Isaiah and King Hezekiah exhibit, which requires at least three hours to scrub bathrooms, vacuum carpets and dust wood.

During the typical work week, the crew cleans the auditorium every Sunday morning. If they did not, “God’s house will be dirty for a whole day after the Sabbath,” said Lamberth. “I don’t believe He’d like that.” 

Lamberth said that the way the cleaning schedule for the auditorium worked out was miraculous. Initially, custodians cleaned the building on Monday, rather than Sunday, the day after services. Yet working out conflicts in the schedule proved to be a struggle, and it was difficult to complete the work in time and preserve the students’ 20-hour work weeks while college was in session. Lamberth brought the situation to buildings and grounds department head Wayne Turgeon, who reminded him, “six days shall you work.” Lamberth built the suggestion into his new schedule. 

“After that, all the scheduling lined up,” and all of the work was completed within the students’ 20-hour work time frame. Lamberth said in regards to the decision to clean on Sundays, “I believe he was inspired.”

Sadly, this story is written by the child of a family the PCG destroyed in order to get back at the father, a former minister. who tried to expose the spiritual abuse dealt out by Cal Culpepper.

You can read the PCG story here:  Custodial Crew Keeps Armstrong Auditorium Clean 

Also, see:

Gerald Flurry Demands That Aaron Eagle's Wife Divorce Him When He Tried To Expose Cal Culpepper's Abuse

Gerald Flurry Gives Aaron Eagles Wife A Job To Further Drive A Wedge In Their Marriage

Home School Teacher Joins Imperial Academy