You'll have to overlook him...he was never converted and was never a real Christian

You'll have to overlook him! 

One of the most frustrating parts of my experience as a former member/associate/victim of two Armstrong Church of God organizations (Worldwide and CGI) is the condescending attitude of friends and family members who still belong to one of the splinters. "You shouldn't put much stock in anything he has to say - he's been hurt!" 

"Everything he says is based on emotion!" "His experiences have made him bitter and clouded his objectivity!" or (my favorite) "He probably never was a real Christian anyway because he's gay!"

To me, that's like saying you shouldn't listen to what that Jew has to say about the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazis) because he spent some time in a concentration camp. "His views are twisted by the suffering he endured there!" "He can't comment objectively on the party's policies and philosophies because he is bitter over what he experienced at the hands of some overzealous individuals!" "Just because some bad things happened to a few people, you can't condemn the whole organization!" 

I call bullshit! If someone has had a bad experience with some organization, you may want to listen to what they have to say about it. OR Maybe not! Some of us would rather learn the hard way and go merrily on our way - after all, we do all have the right to decide for ourselves! Like I said, I call BULLSHIT! (or is that just more proof that I'm overly emotional about all of this?)

Lonnie Hendrix

Reality Check for the Doubly Blessed

Dr. Robert Thiel is NOT a Biblical Prophet

Dr. Robert Thiel is a Prophecy Buff

Definition: A prophecy buff is a person who enjoys believing the Bible predicts the future and using the Bible and comparing it to local, national and international news, weather and sports, they can too,  a lot.

Send for your free booklet...and remember...

Gerald Flurry Expects All COG Members To Join Up With Him

If you have ever been associated with the Worldwide Church of God or one of its offshoots, I ask you to prayerfully read this letter.

So says Gerald Flurry • Dec. 6, 2019

It's between 25 -30 years now that numerous splinter cults of broke off from the Worldwide Church of God with men who had self-appointed themselves as church leaders and have spent decades lying to followers.  From Rod Meredith to Dave Pack; from Ron Weinland to Bob Thiel, Victor Kubik to Gerald Flurry, the craziness knows no boundaries of rational thought.  All of them imagine something they call god had appointed them as the one true heir to the COG. Every single one of them have been and still are, liars.

All of these lying con-artists believe that their message is important to the church and that as soon as COG members hear their message, they will jump ship and prostitute themselves at the feet of whichever guru you have joined up with.

Gerald Flurry, the goateed false prophet of the Philadelphia Church of God has a warning out to all of you Laodicean COG members. Shame on you for turning your back on God and joining up with Bob Thiel or Dave Pack!  Shame! Shame!

Gerald Flurry writes:

Herbert W. Armstrong was part of something great. That Church was a work of miracles. 

Do you remember that glorious history? Too many of God’s people don’t. God challenges us to always keep the big picture. 

Over Mr. Armstrong’s 55 years in Jesus Christ’s ministry, the work blossomed. It started as nothing and grew into a huge, Spirit-led work that spread God’s beautiful truth throughout the world. 

Mr. Armstrong oversaw a work that was based on the principle of give—which is what God’s love is. By the end of his life, each month the Church was giving 8 million free monthly copies of the Plain Truth newsmagazine (which the Trumpet magazine is patterned after). We gave 6 million copies of The United States and Britain in Prophecy, not to mention countless other magazines, newspapers, books, booklets, tracts and articles—all free. We made the World Tomorrow broadcast freely available on over 400 television stations. 

Do you remember that history? God put our tithes and offerings to magnificent use, and we were happy to be a part of such a noble cause.

Armstrongism has always been about the "numbers" and never about Jesus Christ.   Millions of magazines, booklets, articles, and offering totals, it was all about who was impressed and never anyone learning about grace, justification or mercy. God must have been so pleased.

The Ambassador International Cultural Foundation, which Mr. Armstrong founded in 1975, freely sponsored humanitarian projects including archaeological digs, schools and anthropological excursions. Its activities stretched from Bombay to Brussels; the Philippines to the Netherlands; Tokyo to Cairo. We hosted projects in Jerusalem, Jordan, London, Nepal and Okinawa. Why? Because Mr. Armstrong wanted to preach the gospel “for a witness unto all nations” (Matthew 24:14).

Ambassador Foundation was one of the biggest con jobs the church fostered off on the world and the church, itself.  Tens of millions of dollars of tithe money were funneled into the Foundation in order for Herbert to never have to talk about his god to anyone. The good works of the Foundation trumped God and Jesus at every turn. Using tithe money to restore the Globe theatre in London, the Wanamaker Organ in Philadelphia, helping build the Ronald Reagan Library, operas erecting giant crucifixes in the Auditorium, ballet companies fornicating in the dressings rooms, to talk about a "strong hand from someplace" while witnessing to groups in the Philippines.  Yes, that is some gospel message. Jesus must have really been impressed.

Using the international contacts Mr. Armstrong established through the cultural foundation, God opened doors for him to meet high-ranking officials around the world. Mr. Armstrong was invited to speak publicly on many occasions, and he took those opportunities to preach the gospel—to tell people about God’s master plan and about their incredible human potential. These events opened the way for personal appearance campaigns, where he spoke to hundreds of thousands of leading people in various countries.

Those "doors" God opened were done by greasing the hands of world leaders with money and expensive gifts, all meant to impress. That backfired with Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth, two people Herbert most importantly wanted to impress. Through it all, he did make some important friendships with some world leaders, something that not one single COG leader today has ever done or will do.  Can you imagine Bob Thiel sitting down with the President/Leader of France, Egypt, or Japan?  Lord have mercy upon us all!

There is only one reason how Herbert was able to do this and that was because of government in the church.  Never has there been a COG so obsessed about government than the Flurry cult.

Now, did Mr. Armstrong do all that? Certainly he worked hard to implement God’s law and government and to walk by faith. But was the work so powerful and effective simply because of Mr. Armstrong’s intellect or advertising expertise? Did Mr. Armstrong swing open all those mighty doors?

No—the great God did that!

This is what "god" accomplished through HWA:

Family Education

What truly distinguished Mr. Armstrong’s accomplishments was that they were all built upon the foundation of God’s truth. God flooded Mr. Armstrong with biblical understanding, restoring all foundational true doctrine to His Church through that man. We learned and lived by the wonderful truths of God, and our lives were richer as a result.

Six months parked in a public library is NOT flooding him with the truth.  Plagiarizing other's writings, rebelling in anger with other church leaders, and not working to support his family instead of them living on handouts from others. Yes, that was some "family education".  It eventually led all of his children to turn their backs upon him and he died alone.

Right at the heart of Mr. Armstrong’s teaching was his instruction about the God-plane institution of family (Malachi 4:5-6). He taught us how to build beautiful marriages and to rear happy children. We educated our children with Youth Educational Services lessons; we provided our teens rich experiences through the Youth Opportunities United program—with its sporting events, talent shows and summer camps.

Due to insane divorce rulings, beautiful marriages were ripped apart by men like Rod Meredith and totally endorsed by Herbert Armstrong. Happy children had their lives destroyed by molestation and various forms of child abuse, including perverse child discipline polices. Children were sexually abused and beaten by various Imperial School teachers and administrators over the decades.  It got so bad HWA shut Imperial down and then later, tragically reopened it, where the abuse started all over again.

Do you remember what life was like in the Church under Mr. Armstrong? If you were applying God’s family education, then you have personally experienced the blessings that come as a result! Do you remember that?

All one needs to see is the various horrific stories shared on various Facebook groups of the disgusting behavior that went on in far too many families to know that what Flurry writes above is a bald-faced lie.

Of course, there was only ONE entity to blame:

Naturally, the Church wasn’t perfect; there were problems. Some members and even ministers did not implement God’s loving family government the right way. But the problem went beyond simple neglect. Revelation 3:9 tells us that “the synagogue of Satan” was actually at work within the Church of the Philadelphia era—under Mr. Armstrong!

All of the crap that happened to tens of thousands of members was for one reason only, and that was to test the members and the church.  Instead of following a God that lives in grace and mercy, Armstrongism followed a pissy god that was always mad and willing to push people over the edge just to test them.  How disgusting is that kind of teaching?  Not for the Church of God!

But never fear, there was a higher purpose going on. HWA was the Elisha/Elijah that had come in the flesh, just as Gerald Furry and Bob Thiel have taken on that mantle. Flurry now holds that "father" office and because of that, you too can now be a King.

Some people didn’t see Elijah’s office as one of importance, but Elisha saw that it was the only office that could lead and carry Israel forward! It was Israel’s only hope—then and now! He saw that, ultimately, all Israel would be governed by the teachings of Elijah. His statement, “My father, my father,” revealed a deep understanding and a beautiful attitude. God liked it so much that He used Elisha to succeed Elijah. God loved his attitude. 

Some people today scoff at such an attitude, but it is very biblical. The Apostle Paul told the Church members in Corinth, “I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you” (1 Corinthians 4:14). Paul considered his followers to be his spiritual sons. Why? “For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel” (verse 15). Paul was their spiritual father because they came to God through him. He called himself their spiritual father.

Mr. Armstrong said the same to all of those who came to God, either directly or indirectly, through him. 

The original Elijah and the end-time Elijah held extremely important “father” offices for God. The Philadelphia Church of God, like Elisha, recognizes that fact. This is the foundational issue that sets the pcg apart from any other Church of God group. If you follow the Elisha example in this respect, God will make you a king with a headquarters position forever. Why? Because this foundational truth points us to God the Father.

It will be a cold day in hell for anyone who follows Gerald Flurry or any of the other liars currently leading the major COG's out there.  Not one single group points anyone to God the Father.  Not one. They can all lie, as they do without regret, that they are doing God's work and leading people to him, but they are not.  Self-appointed and self-absorbed men cannot do that.

Do you want to know how to do the work of God today? How to have doors open for you—even rivers, if necessary? Here is the formula. Elisha knew where the God of Elijah was, and he was following his spiritual father. So God opened up the river for him, just as He did for Elijah. 

Where is the God of Elijah today? Where is the great Almighty God who did that powerful work? 

Can you answer that question? Far too many of God’s people aren’t even asking it! 

God did not die with Mr. Armstrong! Yet none of the scattered churches of God have that kind of power. They don’t receive and proclaim God’s revelation. They don’t have the right government. And their works are frankly devoid of the kind of miracles and wonders that were almost routinewhen the work was led by Mr. Armstrong.

What power does Gerald Flurry have?  Or Stephen Flurry?  How many world leaders have they met?  How many "rivers" have opened for the Philadelphia Church of God?  Other than endless swarms of earthquakes, not one single spiritually good thing has ever come out of PCG.

 All baptized members of the Church of God during the Philadelphia era will be held accountable for the fact that they were with that God for so long. The tragic fact is this: Not only have most of God’s people left Him—most of them are not even interested in where He is! If they wanted to know, they would submit to God’s government and end up in God’s true Church.

Utter bullshit! No real Christian would be part of Gerald Flurry's group or any of the other major COG's out there today.  It is an impossibility to be Christian and be part of most of these groups. Submitting to Jesus Christ and resting in that grace will NOT lead anyone into an Armstrongite Church of God.  It just can not happen.

Notice the slick way Flurry deliberately lies to his floundering flock:

The Philadelphia Church of God, which prints the Philadelphia Trumpetnewsmagazine, has far fewer people than the wcg had in its heyday. But I challenge you to examine the miraculous work God is doing with this few! 

The Key of David television program is broadcast to a potential audience of over 400 million worldwide. The Philadelphia Trumpet magazine has a circulation of over 240,000 and its website, theTrumpet.com, receives more than 2.5 million visitors every year. With the Internet, the Trumpet reaches into nearly every nation on Earth.

400 million people have NEVER seen a Flurry program and ever will.   Just because a magazine is mailed to almost every nation or someone has received a letter does NOT mean any gospel message has ever been witnessed. It has never happened. Never!

Flurry continues on with more boasting.  Notice what is missing:

The pcg has revived Personal Appearance Campaigns in the tradition of Herbert W. Armstrong, hosting over 50 campaigns in United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Over half of those campaigns came after we acquired a Gulfstream G450 jet in 2017, demonstrating how the work of the pcg only continues to reach larger numbers with greater impact. 

We have four regional offices around the world located in Canada, the United Kingdom, Philippines and Australia. The headquarters of the Church is situated on a beautifully landscaped 170-acre property which includes a 22,825 square-foot administration building, Herbert W. Armstrong College facilities and the Armstrong Auditorium, the crown jewel of the campus. 

Armstrong Auditorium, with its Swarovski Strass crystal trimmed chandeliers, Baccarat crystal candelabra, Spanish marble, Azerbaijani onyx and world-class acoustics, is one of the finest performing arts venues in the world. 

Through the Armstrong International Cultural Foundation, the pcgsponsors culturally enriching experiences, such as fine art performances and humanitarian projects abroad. The foundation sponsors archaeological excavations in Israel and has exhibited some of the most biblically important artifacts ever found in two exhibits, Seals of Jeremiah’s Captors Discovered and Seals of Isaiah and King Hezekiah Discovered. 

Since 2001, our college, Herbert W. Armstrong College, has graduated over 280 students, of whom over 80 have been employed full-time or part-time in the Work.

What you read above, is the exact same thing Bob Thiel, Dave Pack, Vic Kubik, and others do.  Wild and outlandish boasting over physical works and not one single thing about that most inconvenient dude that embarrasses the hell out of them all.  It is that same guy they leave on a high school gym floor or the local Masonic Lodge until Passover next year. The only time he is ever mentioned is when they seek to kill him, over and over and over, year in and year out, never once recognizing what was actually accomplished and settled once and for all.

And—most importantly—God has continued to bless us, as He did Mr. Armstrong, with new revelation. The living God did not stop speaking to His people when Mr. Armstrong died. He has continued to give us “present truth” (2 Peter 1:12) that builds upon the foundation of the truth He restored through Mr. Armstrong. The pcg produces over 100 books and booklets, the large majority of which contain new biblical understanding from the great God. 

That is the single greatest proof that the God who inspired Mr. Armstrong is behind our work.

God is no more working through Flurry than he is with Bob Thiel. No new knowledge has been revealed, through dreams or visions to either of these self-appointed prophet wannabes.  Not one single thing!

You can read Flurry's heretical crap here:  An Open Letter to the Churches of God

Protesting the False Prophets of Edmond Oklahoma

This weekend the heretical cult based in Oklahoma, led by the self-appointed heretics, Gerald and Stephen Flurry were celebrating the 30th anniversary of their apostasy from the mother church, the Worldwide Church of God.

Things were not all rosy though. A splinter sect of the Philadelphia Church of God, based in the Philippines, has been working overtime the last few years exposing Gerald and Stephen Flurry's lies.

The ARK group was parked across from PCG's main entrance to the cult compound trying to warn PCG members.

See Jacob Israel's Facebook page.

Why the Church? Gerald Weston Says It Is NOT For Your Personal Salvation

Why the Church?

In the latest Living Church News, Gerald Weston asks in his editorial, "Why the Church?" It is a good question and as anyone who has been in the COG's knows, answering "personal salvation" is a selfish, lazy and damnable answer.

"Despite this wonderful news about our future, many are surprised to learn that our personal salvation is not  [emphasis, Gerald's] the main reason why God is calling people in this present age."

"Isn't that [personal salvation] enough?" many will ask? The answer is an emphatic No!"

"Jesus gave His followers a great commission, articulated in Mark 16:15-16 and Matthew 28:18-20. As we have this divine commission as Christ's followers, is it okay to choose not  [again, emphasis, Gerald's]  to take an active part in fulfilling it? Paul tells us that Jesus said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). Our Savior expects us to show outgoing concern for others. We must not sit back and wait for the Kingdom to come, as is the manner of some."

He goes on to equivocate the wise and faithful servant as being the one spreading the gospel of the good news AND  trumpeting the "Ezekiel Warning" to the filthy house of Anglo-American Israel that has never been so wicked in all it's history as it is right now! And, of course, since you know the Living Church of God is the only qualified organization on earth to fulfill this God-given role at this end-time, you would be remiss not to support such a Work and can count on untold suffering and death if you don't.

"Warn and walk away" is not what Jesus instructed...It should be evident that the Church is both to give the good news and to warn, with the hope that some will repent."

Because we all know when we do the work...and someone repents...this is called...personal salvation

"Some who consider themselves part of the Church of God have disputed this point-either actively by misinterpreting the words of Scripture and proclaiming that there is nothing for us to do, or passively through laziness and inaction. So, are we to 'wait it out' until Christ returns, or are we to do a work?" 

Gerald belittles those who may think Herb finished the work and we are simply to prepare the bride by saying these folks use "one-third of one verse" [Rev.19:7] as proof. Then he can't resist invoking the idol in closing:

"Mr. Herbert Armstrong died in January of 1986--about 34 years ago. Most people alive today know nothing of him. Two whole generations have grown up since his death. We are thankful for what he did, but we must follow his example and be found so doing."

COG ministers love to use the either/or fallacy. You either support my organization or you are lazy. You do the work as we define and direct you to support or you are an inactive Christian worthy of the flood Satan will be spewing from his mouth in 3 to 5 years. Seriously, who goes around saying Christians have nothing to do? The truth is you just don't like Christians who go around saying we don't have to do what "you" want us to do.

Herb claimed that he was commissioned by God to fulfill Matthew 24:14 and I find it interesting that Gerald stayed away from that verse and instead referenced Mark 16:15-16 and coupled it with the "Ezekiel Warning."  How do we follow in Herb's footsteps? Should we proclaim Matthew 24:14 which would be going on 100 years now?

You bragged about the churches prowess in prophecy in the "Behind the Work" video at the feast. Are you going to follow Herb's lead and make wild prophetic announcements that backfire in epic proportions? How about sending faithful tithe payers threatening letters to send in special offerings needed for a "final push"? Should you buy a jet and bribe Prince Andrew for a photo-op? We could probably use another Elijah about now to get things going.

What all COG's have always failed to realize is that the purpose of the church and the 'work' is [emphasis mine] personal salvation at its genesis and its core. To rejoice with the angels in Heaven when one sinner repents. Personal salvation is then supposed to inspire personal evangelism, utilizing the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The goal (why the church?) is to fulfill Matthew 25:31-46. What the church should look like is a collection of spirit-filled individuals with out-flowing love and concern for humanity in their own spheres of influence. The church should be a  public pillar in every community instead of a religious roach hiding in rented basements.

If the work you do in "spreading the gospel" does not begin with personal salvation and end in  fruits produced by personal evangelism, then what kind of work is it? 

I believed in the work of the Living Church of God and supported it faithfully with tithes and offerings for over two decades. I believed Dr. Meredith when he said we were the "spear-point" of the work. Dr. Meredith was his own kind of buffoon but he at least put forth pretense to do a work.

In 2009, I bragged about the work LCG was doing compared to UCG. (Thanks for the numbers, Bawana Bob):

• LCG:   Preaching the gospel:  45%     Feeding the flock:   47%
• UCG:   Preaching the gospel   24%     Feeding the flock:   56%

I used this as evidence that all the COG's should be in LCG. A year later when UCG imploded, I screamed, SEE! Surely now, God will bless LCG and show the world who was going to do the 'work!'

Fast forward 10 years to 2019. You have the nerve to publish an editorial shaming people into increasing support in "your" work because you claim it is the ultimate expression in love toward others. Then on p.13 in the very same issue, you produce a pie chart showing where tithe money went in 2018.

• LCG:   Preaching the gospel:   34%     Feeding the flock:   58%

In the January, 1995 edition of our booklet, “When Should You Follow Church Government” RCM states that the church has over 7,000 people hearing sermons every Sabbath with over 60 ministers and elders around the world. He finishes with this on p.41, “We are growing every single month! This is God’s doing! He is blessing us because we are seeking to do His will in a genuine, heartfelt manner.”

25 years is a long time to grow every single month. How have we done? Current estimate is 10,000 in weekly attendance. 3,000 in 25 years. 42.9% increase overall. Factor in birth/death rate and take out those who are playing musical chairs between the COG's and are not "new" converts and you have a growth rate between 0.2-0.8% per annum. To put that into perspective, even the  Catholic church with a billion members, still grows at 1.5% per annum.

Back in 1995, Dr. Meredith said he had 60 ministers and not all of them were on the payroll. Today, we have over 200. That is a 233% increase overall. In 1995, there were 117 members to each minister. In 2019, there are 50 members to each minister.

We all know what "feeding the flock" means. Add in the 7% that goes to Administration and 2/3 of all tithes and offerings go to paying ministerial salaries, mortgages, fleet cars, food, clothing and the Ambassador College retirement fund.

Gerald writes:

"We may think of the Parable of the Minas in terms of developing ourselves personally rather than in terms of multiplying our minas outwardly. And what happens to the man who does nothing with his mina?"

The COG's take minas and consume them upon themselves. And then tell the providers of those minas to bury what they have from Christ because they are not qualified to use them.

"But woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in." --Matthew 23:13

Your message is dead and year after year, you gather in your ministerial conferences, throw your arms in the air and make excuses like, "we can't figure out how to reach millenials" and "people are increasingly evil in this end time" and "we are not in the conversion business" and "real growth will be in the millenium."

You said, "We must not sit back and wait for the Kingdom to come, as is the manner of some." Does the evidence not show this is exactly what LCG is doing?

It is clear what the real work is in these dying COG organizations. I call on all brethren to stop paying unbiblical tithes and demand accountability from men who have proven over time to be unjust stewards. Declare, as the parable says, you can no longer be steward. In fact, any leader in the COG's today that was a minister in the 70's and was not fired for being a "liberal" at that time, should be retired immediately. These old men have proven to be the most unfit and unqualified men to lead according to biblical requirements. Send Ames, Weston and Winnail to Hawaii. A time-table should be established to remove the field ministry from the payroll and be required to seek employment like everyone else in the real world. Those who leave the ministry because it no longer comes with a paycheck will simply prove they were never shepherds. Dismantle the Roman Catholic governing structure and replace it with New Testament Congregationalism. Develop a Christ-centered message rooted in love that inspires growth in the body and inspires blessings to be poured out on all people
.

Good stewards produce a return on investment. In 25 years, you have no fruit to speak of and the organization is clearly trending away from that which you pay lip service to. The real church (Gerald) does not require that I or anyone else support your painfully out-dated 'gospel', your flat, dead presentations, your pompous telecasts, and your inability to communicate with today's humanity. The real church is following in the footsteps of Jesus, not Herb.

Why the Church? I guess it depends who you ask.

by Stoned Stephen Society