PCG: Ministers Must Be Ready To HAMMER Home The Basics

God’s ministers must be extremely well organized in order to ensure we get the maximum out of this worship of God and that we are ready to rule church and state when Christ returns! If ministers do not do their jobs, disasters will result! 

This comment was made at the Philadelphia Church of God Ministerial Conference at the end of December  2018.  Of course, this conference, like very single PCG conference, dealt in Old Testament books and personalities.  Jesus was not part of the conference, as usual. The law always trumps Jesus.

This conference centered on the Book of Chronicles, Ezra, and their emphasis on the Levites and the rules and order it lays out for them and the tribes. Governance and order are extremely important to the PCG as it is used as a tool to keep members in line and submissive.

Since Gerald Flurry declared himself the rightful heir and KING of the Church of God last year with the declaration that he is now in possession of the new coronation stone, the PCG has to search for any connection they can make to that kingship.

So Ezra is talking about both kings and priests, which also shows that this message is mainly for us. All the priests and the Levites were organized very carefully. Like David, God’s ministers must be extremely well organized in order to ensure we get the maximum out of this worship of God and that we are ready to rule church and state when Christ returns! If ministers do not do their jobs, disasters will result! Today, 95 percent of God’s people have turned away from Him—probably the greatest disaster ever to strike God’s Church! Satan has taken them captive because they were not able to preserve God’s truth.

Lange’s also notes that “Ezra was showing the magnitude of the festivals.” Why was this important? Because Israel went into captivity for breaking the Sabbath and polluting God’s holy days. 

God’s Church must make sure those holy days are organized. Those festivals picture God’s master plan, and they have so much depth that we will never get to the bottom! We must never allow them to become mere rituals, or a major catastrophe will always strike!

Of course, they can never "get to the bottom" of the holy days as they ignore the very one they supposedly pointed towards.

What causes righteous nations and churches to go astray? The Sabbath and holy days become ritualistic; the ministers’ messages become dull, boring and meaningless. We must never let that happen. Ministers are there to make the holy days deeper and more meaningful every year. 

Ezra was showing the Jews why they went into captivity. It revolved around polluting and profaning the Sabbath and holy days.

Philadelphia Church of God ministers have routinely profaned the Sabbath and interfered in its members' worship of God since its inception. Gerald Flurry's "no contact" policy, the appalling actions of Wayne Turgeon and other leaders has ripped families, marriages and the lives of members apart with legalistic filth that keeps their followers trembling in fear.

Remember though, Flurry got his training in this legalistic crap at the feet of Herbert Armstrong.  While there were few teachings about Jesus there sure was a lot of teaching about the law.

Ezra was pounding home the basics. God’s people have had a terrible, terrible track record in this age. At the end of his life, Mr. Armstrong grew upset with and even pleaded with the ministers, saying, You men need to talk more about the Sabbath! That was stunning—yet look at what happened when they failed to heed that admonition and got away from the basics.

PCG ministers have now headed home to force upon the brethren more laws about the Sabbath and other regulations that Flurry passed on to them at the conference.  They were told by Flurry that whatever they preach that God will back them u, even in the members do not respond.

If a minister sees that such a basic subject is really needed, he should prepare and deliver it and see if God doesn’t give him special help—even if people respond to it negatively. The minister is not up there to impress somebody or make himself look good. He is there to try to give God’s people what He wants them to have. God always backs that, even if it is the most basic subject you have ever heard in your life. If it’s what they need, that is what God’s minister should give!

Those Who Dare To Leave The "c"COG Are Doomed To Destruction

The Great Bawana has already started with the "threats" to his African members. Like most Church of God leaders, threats have to be used to keep members in line and fearful of losing their chance at salvation. They have to be reminded that salvation is only available to them in a COG group and only if they follow the party line of the dear leader.  Bob Thiel has been very adamant that his group and his group alone is the ONLY true Church of God doing any work in the 21st century.

Concluding Comments

The Book of Proverbs teaches:

15 It is a joy for the just to do justice, But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity. 16 A man who wanders from the way of understanding will rest in the assembly of the dead. (Proverbs 21:15-16)  

Brethren, notice that the just should do justice and that destruction comes to the workers of iniquity.

So far, so good.

But notice that wandering away from the way of understanding also results in destruction.

This may be part of the reason that the New Testament states:

10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:10-11)  

Be careful to remain diligent.

Do not neglect what you should be doing and so an entrance to God’s kingdom will be given to you.

Sincerely,

Bob Thiel
Pastor and Overseer

January 3, 2019 Letter to the Brethren 

Ambassador Hall (Hulett C Merritt Home) sells as private residence.

Ambassador Hall has finally sold at a remarkably discounted price over

its orginal listing of $6,800,000.00. 

Part of the issue with this home is that it will have very little privacy due to the gardens and the closeness of the new condo's.  Add to this the association dues and this will never be an inexpensive home to live in.  Upkeep will be significant.

Living Church of God: Encouraged To Be Kinder?

From an LCG source:

Dr Winnail has written a brief piece encouraging us to be gracious and kind to each other. Many are wondering if this is an indirect slap at some of the ungracious things that Weston, McNair, Meredith and others have done to members over the years and still are doing today.

The Importance of Kindness: Jesus told His disciples that we glorify God when we “bear much fruit” (John 15:8). One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit that God is looking for in the lives of Christians is kindness (Galatians 5:22). The Scriptures tell us that Christians are “children of God” who are to grow to become “like Him” (1 John 3:1–3). The Scriptures also tell us that God is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness” (Nehemiah 9:17). David wrote that God “has shown me His marvelous kindness” (Psalm 31:21). Solomon describes the virtuous woman: “on her tongue is the law of kindness” (Proverbs 31:26). Jesus said that God is even “kind to the unthankful” (Luke 6:35). In 1 Corinthians 13:4, we learn that “love suffers long and is kind,” and that anyone who ministers to others should be recognized “by longsuffering, by kindness” (2 Corinthians 6:6). This is why the Apostle Peter urged believers to “add to your faith… brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love” (2 Peter 1:5–7). If we hope to become like God and be in the Kingdom of God, we need to develop and exercise this important quality of kindness.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail

Weekly Update 

PCG: Joe Tkach Jr Will Persuade Catholic Church To Throw The Philadelphia Church of God Out Of The U.S.

Gerald Flurry has said a lot of incredibly stupid things over the years, as have Dave Pack, Bob Thiel, Ron Weinland and Jimmy Malm, but none of their prophecy prediction idiocy can compare to the proposition Gerald Flurry is throwing out into the wind about Joe Tkach Jr. and the Catholic church.

Gerald Flurry Throwing All Caution to the Wind / Date Setting:

December 28, 2018 

Gerald Flurry is nearing the end of his life, and reading his articles in the January 2019 issue of The Philadelphia Trumpet, one would think that he has thrown all caution to the winds. On page 8, he writes, "The Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the greatest event ever, will happen in six to 10 years, as I calculate it. That means the Great Tribulation, the worst suffering this Earth has ever experienced, will start within a few short years."  

Nevertheless, Joel Hilliker on the very next page, warns that, "In recent decades, it seems that every few years someone comes along with a new prediction of the world as we know it. And then those predictions prove false. This problem of failed prophecy has plagued many religions for thousands of years. People predicting Jesus Christ's return have set dates." 

On page 10, Hilliker again: "Be wary when you hear someone predicting a specific date of Christ's return." But what if the "someone" doing the predicting is the leader of your own church? What if Gerald Flurry himself is date-setting, "as he calculates it." 

Flurry has another even more bizarre article in the latest PT, called "Is America's Supreme Court In Bible Prophecy?" To put it briefly, the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh does two things. First, Flurry says, "I believe... [it] indicates God will likely see that President Trump has a second term." Secondly, the end-time Amaziah (= Joe Tkach Jr., who turned WCG around after Herbert Armstrong's death) is going to persuade the Supreme Court (full of Catholics, Flurry says) to throw the PCG out of the United States! But not to worry, Flurry says: 'The Supreme Court's rejection of our message is God's way of getting His people out of this country to a safe place.' Armstrongite-watchers will know that this used to mean Petra! --D. K.

Comment: The following words are taken from the January 24, 2017 PCG letter: 

Gerald Flurry has prophesied that Trump is the "End Time Jeroboam" that will ally with Joe Jr. Tkach and the WCG and finally kick the PCG members out of the USA, exiling them to Jordan/Petra. Flurry has also made a prophesy that Trump will be the last President of the USA because the Tribulation is very, very close and could happen at any time.    Exit and Support