Thursday, December 3, 2020

Living Church of God Cancels Annual Christmas Weekends in Charlotte and Kansas City

 


Well, the boys in Charlotte actually made a good decision in canceling their upcoming annual Christmas celebrations. Though I doubt it was as much their decision as being forced to by the current COVID State closures sweeping the country the past couple of days. Either that or they had a lapse in faith that God would take care of them during this fun time of the year. After all, hasn't the COG always claimed God protects the church and its activities?

Anyway, good move on their part.

Charlotte and Kansas City Family Weekends Both to Be Rescheduled

We’ve been in regular contact this week with our Charlotte and Kansas City pastors, Messrs. John Strain and Rand Millich, about the planned family weekends scheduled to take place at the end of December. As we have been watching the trend of growing government restrictions on nonworship meetings, some difficult decisions have had to be made.

According to Mr. Strain, “We regret to announce that it is now necessary to cancel the family weekend planned for Charlotte that was scheduled for December 24–26. Current North Carolina statewide government regulations are too restrictive to allow for our planned activities and will affect access to area restaurants. This, as well as the current rate of COVID-19 infections, which is expected to increase in the weeks ahead, make this the prudent decision for the present time. We hope to reschedule this activity in the not-too-distant future.”

Kansas City is in a similar situation, according to Mr. Millich: “As local Health Department guidelines have gotten tighter and more complicated, the reality is that we will simply not be able to conduct the family weekend as planned. A different hall is currently being sought for regular Sabbath services, and it should be large enough to accommodate a few extra visitors. For those
near the Kansas City area, the snow activity should be able to go on as planned. We plan to reschedule the Kansas City family weekend for a later date.”

Thank you to everyone who showed interest in the family weekends. We are certainly disappointed that we are unable to have them at this time, as initially planned, but we hope to reschedule for a future time.

"Would you possibly like to be protected? If so, will you ‘gather together’?"

 

And here we go again. Church of God members are too stupid to understand just WHO is the modern-day Zephaniah and heed his call. With so many prophets now running around the church these days how do we know who is the real one? Well, you are about to be set straight on just who the modern-day Zephaniah is and whom the ancient Zeph was speaking about.

The ancient Zeph spoke about a nation that is supposed to gather together when times get rough. In Armstrongite mythology it has been deemed to be about the church gathering together in the end times:

Gather together, gather,
    O shameless nation,
before you are driven away
    like the drifting chaff,[a]
before there comes upon you
    the fierce anger of the Lord,
before there comes upon you
    the day of the Lord’s wrath.

When you read the entire chapter of Zephaniah 2 you can quickly surmise that it is talking about a nation and not a church. It is a nation gathering together in repentance over their national sins.

Yet, in the land of make-believe that occupies the minds of some COG leaders these days, it is all about them and their own specific church.

He who is called Bobus is about to set us all straight.

You will notice as the rest of this blog entry goes along that this is all about himself and his little personality cult, i.e, the chosen ones.

This is a command for end of the age Christians!Although it has certain misunderstandings, the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary realized that the gathering together was intended for a religious group or assembly:

Zephaniah 2:1

Gather yourselves together – to a religious assembly, to avert the judgment by prayers, (Joel 2:16, “Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders,” etc.) (from Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.) 
 
When are they to gather together? 
 
2 Before the decree is issued, Or the day passes like chaff, Before the Lord’s fierce anger comes upon you, Before the day of the Lord’s anger comes upon you! (Zephaniah 2:2)

If He who is called Bobus actually understood church history he would know that all of these things predicted to happen already have. But no, church mythmakers have to rewrite scripture to fit the deluded thinking of their tunnel vision minds.

Then, He who is called Bobus takes a huge leap and jumps to I Peter 2:9-10 and claims it is about the end times.

Who does God want to gather together?As stated before, the end of the age Christians. Notice what Jesus stated and something the Apostle Peter wrote:

19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. (John 15:19, NKJV)

9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10, KJV)

Of course, these verses ALWAYS have to talk about the COG because, after all, it is peculiar! 

He who is called Bobus then gets to the meat of the matter. He reveals just WHO in modern times are these peculiar people. It will not be a stretch of the imagination by anyone here as to just who he is talking about.

He who is called Bobus continues with his justification:

This is a peculiar people. These are people who the world does not desire. These are Philadelphian Christians. 
 
How do we know that Zephaniah 2:1-3 is related to Christians? Because the decree is for the end time and because of what else God inspired Zephaniah to write: 
 
3 Seek the Lord, all you meek of the earth, Who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. (Zephaniah 2:3a)

I will give you one guess as to WHO these Philadlphian Christians are..... ____________________.

The above is a reference to Christians as they are to be the “meek of the earth” (Matthew 5:5) and to Philadelphians who “have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility.” These are Philadelphian Christians who understand that church leaders need to have integrity and be willing to be humble enough to accept the authority of a church led by a low-level prophet in the absence of a clear apostle (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11-15). They are humble enough to not think that they should remain ‘independent,’ as many who once were part of the old Worldwide Church of God, during this Laodicean time, have done.

Since when has there been a COG led by a meek leader who has walked in justice, was righteous, and was filled with humility? Has there ever been a COG leader who has done this? Has there ever been a COG organization that has done this? All we have seen over the last 80 years is a trail littered with broken lives. There is no justice in any of that!

Has there ever been a COG leader with integrity? 

He who is called Bobus, expects us to believe that he is that person. The problem is that church members must be humble enough to allow him as a low-level prophet to be in charge. Sure thing, buckwheat! No way, Jose!  

He who is called Bobus then goes on to diminish and ridicule those COG members who remain "independent" from any of the  COG hierarchies at work today.  Most of them are gun-shy about joining up with these buffoons due to the damage they have caused and continue to cause. For some strange reason, He who is called Bobus believes that he is about to have a sudden influx of "independent" members who will suddenly wake up and see that he is The Chosen One.

Why does God tell them they may wish to be gathered together? So:
3…It may be that you will be hidden In the day of the Lord’s anger. (Zephaniah 2:3b)

Interestingly, the Hebrew words translated as Zephaniah means “Yahweh Hides” or “Yahweh Has Hidden” (Holy Bible: Vine’s Expository Reference Edition, p. 826). 

Do not allow yourself to accept the deception that you should be an independent Christian or one not truly truly part of the Philadelphian remnant.

If one remains 'independent" or is not part of the one true church, the improperly named "continuing Church of "god" then they are not part of God's chosen people.

He who is called Bobus is placing great emphasis upon the word "gathering" which he believes to be his peculiar people and his so-called end-time "work."

Why have I written that Zephaniah 2:1-3 has to do with Philadelphian Christians?

Because they are the only ones who will actually ‘gather together’ as they should. 
 
Why? 
 
Because it is they who will lead the final phase of the work and it is only to the Philadelphians that Jesus promises to protect from the coming hour of trial, also referred to as the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord

He who is called Bobus has been railing a lot lately about how stupid current COG leaders are (he at least has that right) and how they will be unable to know when it is time to flee to Petra for final training under his leadership. Most of us know this to be total bunk.

Notice that the Philadelphians are doing the work of God, have kept God’s word, have not denied Christ’s name/authority, and are persevering in the truth.Yet, other churches around at the end, such as the remnants of Thyatira (Revelation 2:18-29) and Sardis (Revelation 3:1-6) are not promised that protection. Nor are the many Laodiceans (Revelation 3:14-22)–even if they are somehow gathered together–as they have gathered together in places that Jesus did not wish them to. 
 
Are not all real Christians going to be protected? 
 
No. The Book of Revelation is clear that after the Philadelphians are persecuted (cf. Daniel 7:25a; 11:29-36), they will flee to a place of protection, while the rest of the true Christians will not flee and then be subject to severe persecution...

These "true Christians" are supposedly all COG members currently in the 400 some splinter groups and those who are independent. They are all going to be suffering horrendously in the tribulation while He who is called Bobus is teaching his little peculiar flock in the hell hole of Petra. Can anything be more depressing? It would be better to die standing up for truth than sitting in the hot desert of Petra while He who is named Bobsu flails his arms and hands preaching on 30 different subjects in one of his training sessions.

What kind of decree will be issued? 
 
A decree that may allow those who are gathered together and who listen to it an opportunity to be protected (Zephaniah 2:1-3). A decree that the Philadelphians will listen to and flee. 
 
When is a decree to be issued? After an event that Jesus told of that He tied to the writings of the Prophet Daniel:

15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), (Matthew 24:15)

14 “So when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not” (let the reader understand), (Mark 13:14a) 
 
What did Jesus say happens next? 
 
16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. (Matthew 24:16-21) 
 
Notice also:
5 Declare in Judah and proclaim in Jerusalem, and say: 
“Blow the trumpet in the land;
Cry, ‘Gather together,’
And say, ‘Assemble yourselves,
And let us go into the fortified cities.’
6 Set up the standard toward Zion.
Take refuge! Do not delay!
For I will bring disaster from the north,
And great destruction.” (Jeremiah 4:5-6)

He who is called Bobus continues with the following:

By whom will the decree be made? 
 
The Bible says: 
 
7 Surely the Lord God does nothing,
Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.
8 A lion has roared!
Who will not fear?
The Lord God has spoken!
Who can but prophesy? (Amos 3:7-8) 
 
The prophet may make the decree personally and/or pass it on to another authority in the church to make. 
 
Which is the only Church of God in the 21st century to teach all of this? 
 
The Continuing Church of God. 
 
If you are not with the group that is leading the final phase of the workwill you really be able to flee if you wait until the last moment? While that may be remotely possible for some, remember that God inspired Zephaniah to admonish God’s people to ‘gather together…before the decree is issued.’

Nothing seems to irritate the current batch of COG leaders more than not having everyone in their boat with them. It just galls them that people refuse to listen to them and to heed their call. How dare people ignore them! How dare they!

How many "end-time works" do COG members need. Is it any wonder why people remain independently comfortable as to where they are with God and see no need to join up with these guys?

Most will discount this and many will scoff. Most COGs do not have any they consider to be a prophet, and those other than the CCOG who claim to, have prophets that have been proven to be false.

There you have it! All COG's who do not recognize He who is called Bobus as your prophet are following false leaders. For shame!

Since no later than 2007 I have written that Zephaniah had to do with Philadelphians being ‘gathered together’ so that they would be protected from the coming trial that will hit the earth. 

In a direct slam at Doug Winnail and the Living Church of God, He who is called Bobus claims that HE and HE ALONE has the  "more sure word of prophecy." No Buckshwet, you do not!  

We in the Continuing Church of God “have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19, KJV).” 
 
Should we not be “exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25)? 
 
We in the Continuing Church of God boldly teach the need for Philadelphians to be ‘gathering together’ today. Will you heed God’s instructions as the Prophet Zephaniah was inspired to write? Would you possibly like to be protected? If so, will you ‘gather together’?

Would you gather with He who is named Bobus and his group? Can you imagine 3 1/2 years listening to him drone on and on about subjects that will at that time be irrelevant and useless? He has no other resources in his repertoire than the junk he now preaches. It will be a looooooooooooooooong 3 1/2 years!

I would rather spend 3 1/2 years with Gerald Flurry watching Irish Dance all those years than one day with He who is called Bobus!