Friday, August 13, 2021

Gerald Weston: "the Church is not going to tell you to be vaccinated, or not to be vaccinated." But May Be A Problem At The Feast If You Don't


 

Greetings from Charlotte, 
 
First of all, I want to thank all of you for your prayers, cards of encouragement, and concern for Carol and me after we contracted COVID-19. Please be assured that we are feeling much better and are getting back to our normal routines. Many others have fully recovered or are on the mend, for which we are ever so grateful to our Creator, who is the only true Healer. Mr. Rob Tyler mentioned in an email I received this morning that Mr. Arius Nusantara, our minister in Indonesia, has come down with COVID-19 and is receiving oxygen. Please remember him in your prayers, along with a family that I mention in the video update for this week. Many prayers have been and continue to be offered up for all who have fallen ill. Thank you, dear brethren, for your love, your faith, and your concern for one another. 
 
Brethren around the world are facing pressures to be vaccinated. The Church does not give medical advice; we do address moral decisions such as abortion or assisted suicide. While some strongly believe that they should not be vaccinated, others have chosen to do so. Whether or not to be vaccinated has implications for attending the Feast (some venues are now requiring it), for one’s job (some companies are requiring it), and potentially whether one can fly. Crossing national and provincial borders may also be a problem. Brethren, the Church is not going to tell you to be vaccinated, or not to be vaccinated. That is a personal decision that must be weighed carefully by each one of us. The Church will continue to serve all members within the constraints placed upon us by the many properties that we rent for services and the Feasts. Please pray and even fast about these matters as the Feast draws near. Paul fasted often, and we too must fast at times other than Atonement. Have a wonderful Sabbath.—Gerald Weston

Living Church of God Still Beating A Dead Horse: 5,000 Man European Army Soon To Arise! GASP!!!!!!!!!!!


The Church of God has always had a love/hate relationship with Europe. They like evangelizing their people with American beliefs and values and then on the other hand see them as future slave owners of Americans and running concentration camps. Nothing pleased Rod Meredith more than to scream and bellow from the pulpit about Laodicean church members being hung on meathooks in concentration camps and as they starved during famines they would turn to eating their own children. Bob Thiel carries on this idiocy today, then he also to bring in the rampaging Chinese 2 million man army and pissed off Muslims.

Even after Rod Meredith's death, these visions of doom and gloom still occupy the minds of Living Church of God leaders. Death and damnation are constantly knocking at the door of COG leaders but all of them are too wimpy to open the door no matter how desperately they need it to happen. They all like their comfortable lives living and acting like Kings too much.

LCG keeps beating the 10 nation drum as they freak out over a presumed 5,000 man army. They envision these 5,000 troops soon converging on Jerusalem and ushering in the end times so that the two witless witnesses (Bob Thiel and Ron Wienland) can preach for 3 1/2 years.

The European Union began discussing an EU army in 1999 and set up combat-ready battle groups in 2007—however, the battle groups have not yet been used (Euractive, May 6, 2021). But these forces have not been forgotten: “Fourteen EU countries, including Germany and France, have proposed a rapid military response force that could intervene early in international crises.” Currently, “the bloc has a joint budget to develop weaponry together, is drawing up a military doctrine for 2022 and detailed its military weakness last year for the first time.” 
 
The latest military proposal calls for “a brigade of 5,000 soldiers, possibly with ships and aircraft, to help democratic foreign governments needing urgent help.” Europe’s foreign policy head, Josep Borrell, has repeatedly stated, “the EU needs to learn the language of power.” The organization now has an official European Defense Fund and has recently launched its European Peace Facility, “a mechanism that will boost the bloc’s ability to provide training and equipment—including, for the first time, weapons—to non-European military forces around the world” (The Guardian, May 19, 2021). 
 
End-time prophecy reveals that the coming "King of the north," a German-led European "beast" power, will have significant military might (Daniel 11:40) and will use this might to surround Jerusalem with armies (Luke 21:20–21). Students of Bible prophecy should watch for a military build-up by Europe and efforts to extend this military power beyond its borders! For more insights into this future European military force, read or listen to Fourteen Signs Announcing Christ’s Return.

Students of Bible propehcy should NEVER take the world of a COG leader or use any other booklets as proof of anything. We have 80 plus years of false prophecies dished out by COG leaders. If they would only put this much energy into following that Jesus dude then they would not need to be living in a state of fear all the time.


Thursday, August 12, 2021

Was Herbert Armstrong The Elijah Of The Endtimes?



 

From an LCG source:

The topic has come up recently about whether HWA viewed himself as Elijah. Below are some excerpts from WCG literature and correspondence, which hopefully will clear it up. Members of the Church seemed to believe he was Elijah, and there is no indication that HWA attempted to correct this. The fact that the Church chose to publish, rather than squash, such comments indicates approval of and agreement with the comments, and the intent to influence the readers to favor that view.

Comments From Monthly Church Reports, PGR May 15, 1981.  

MIAMI, FL--AL KERSHA: Mr. Herbert Armstrong's sermon (delivered via the movie screen) was as strong and motivating as I have ever heard him in the 15 years I have been in the Church. The message was clear, earnest and powerful. Certainly an excellent message in preparation for the Passover and days of Unleavened Bread. In physical appearance Mr. Armstrong looked about 70; in spirit and power he sounded like a 35-40 year old man. The spirit and power that was in Elijah is obviously moving him. 

 

Weekly Letter Comments, PGR June 5, 1981. 

Yesterday we were blessed to hear from Mr. Gerald Waterhouse! I don't believe anyone left not having learned something new, or realizing even more the importance of God's Work and you (Mr. Armstrong) being the Elijah of this end time. He was, as always, very interesting and quite humorous! We are thankful for him and his helping all of us to speak the same thing. T.B. (Fincastle, VA) 

 

H.W.A. Diary by Robert E. Fahey, PGR Aug. 7, 1981. 

When Mr. Armstrong began I was all prepared to hear about the two trees once more. But I was in for a surprise. The beauty and blessings that we had seen seemed to inspire Mr. Armstrong to the sobering awareness that the national sins of the House of Joseph would cause God to remove the peace and prosperity from our peoples. "Britain and the United States are going down! And OUT!!" he thundered. "Like Elijah, I say to you, if God be God, GET OVER ON HIS SIDE! If this is God's Church, GET OVER ON HIS SIDE!" Then he went on to show that as Zerubbabel had prepared a physical temple among physical Israel for the physical Jesus to come to, so he was called to prepare a spiritual temple (the Church) of spiritual Israelites for the resurrected SPIRITUAL CHRIST to come to and make His own. 

 

Comments from Monthly Church reports, PGR Oct. 21, 1983.  

ROANOKE, VA--ROBERT PERSKY: All of the brethren who attended the Feast thought it was the best Feast ever. They all wished Mr. Armstrong had spoken longer on the Last Great Day. They always look forward with great anticipation to hearing him speak. They know he is God's end-time apostle and the "Elijah" of Malachi 4. 

 

Members' Reflections About the Church, PGR Nov 4, 1983.  

What a wonderful privilege it is to help hold up Elijah's hands and to have a small part in preparing the way for Christ to return, which shall end mankind's suffering. A.D. (Somerset, KY) 

 

From Ministerial Services, PGR June 7, 1985.  

Jesus Christ told His disciples, "Elijah truly is coming first and will restore all things" (Matt. 17:ll). The many truths of God's plan and supreme purpose for His Church and eventually all mankind have been restored in God's Church through His end-time Apostle. Yet, as Paul warns, we can, through neglect, let these things slip away from us! Mr. Armstrong has brought into sharp focus these "mysteries," now restored to God's Church, in his book MYSTERY OF THE AGES. As he has mentioned in the Refreshing Program, this is a book that should be reread as soon as we finish it the first time, in order to really soak up what God is teaching us. Learning is indeed a lifelong process. We must continue to study and review God's Word all our lives. 

 

Booklet: Inside Story of The World Tomorrow Broadcast 

But Who Is Behind All This ? 

Just as Noah, a "preacher of righteousness" (II Pet. 2 : 5 ) , stood ALONE in warning the world of his day of its impending destruction ; just as Abraham, with his family, stood ALONE in obeying God in his day; just as Moses, "whom they refused" ( Acts 7 : 35 ) , stood ALONE when God first began dealing with ancient Israel and bringing them out of slavery in Egypt; just as Elijah warned ancient Israel and cried out : "I am left ALONE, and they seek my life" ( Rom. 1 1 : 3 ); just as John the Baptist stood ALONE, not affiliated with the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes or any of the other religious groups of his day warning Israel of his day "like a voice in the wilderness" ; so Mr. Armstrong and this prophetic Work stand ALONE as God's instrument in warning the modern descendants of ancient Israel America and the British Commonwealth of Nations-of their coming national punishment, and heralding the second coming of Jesus Christ JN PERSON as King of kings and Lord of lords !  

 

Just as Elijah trained the "sons of the prophets" to aid him in ancient Israel 

( II Kings 2 : 35); just as John the Baptist had his disciples and assist ants ; just as Jesus Christ Himself trained young men as disciples to assist Him in the ministry as He stood ALONE against religionists of His day; so Mr. Armstrong has founded the Ambassador Colleges to train dedicated servants of God who bring forth the "fruits" showing that Goo has called them to aid in this ministry of preaching the true Message of God's soon coming, world ruling Government, and standing ALONE as God's "watchman" (Ezek. 33:2) to warn modern Israel of exact and SPECIFIC punishments from God! These prophesied punishments on our people are right NOW beginning to have a great effect on the lives of every one of you who is 1'eading this booklet.' As I have already shown you, the men in this Work of God are alert, intelligent, successful and balanced men. But we DARE to preach a Message that is definitely DIFFERENT from the hackneyed, sentimental ideas going about today under the name of "religion." 

 

Mystery of the Ages, pp. 290-291 

This era of the Church was to produce fruit. To this era-or to its human leader-God had set before it an open door. It is recorded in I1 Corinthians 2:12 and also Acts 14:27 how Christ opened the door for Paul to go into other countries to preach the gospel. This Church and/or its leader had but little strength. Neither were of great and powerful stature in Satan’s world but those of this era were faithful to the Word of God. Though much of the original gospel truth, imparted to the original apostles by Jesus in person, had been lost, it was restored through the Bible to this era of God’s Church who were faithful in keeping it. It is revealed in Malachi 3:l-5 and 4:5-6 that God would raise up one in the power and spirit of Elijah, shortly prior to the Second Coming of Christ. In Matthew 17:11 Jesus said, even after John the Baptist had completed his mission, that this prophesied Elijah “truly shall first come, and restore all things.” Although it is plainly revealed that John the Baptist had come in the power and spirit of Elijah, he did not restore anything. The human leader to be raised up somewhat shortly prior to Christ’s Second Coming was to prepare the way-prepare the Church-for Christ’s coming, and restore the truth that had been lost through the preceding eras of the Church. Also a door was to be opened for this leader and/or the Philadelphia era of the Church to fulfill Matthew 24:14: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” It was to be at a time when, for the first time in the history of mankind, the weapons of mass destruction were produced that could erase all humanity from the earth (Matt. 24:21-22). This also was to occur just before the Second Coming of Christ (verses 29-30). These prophecies have now definitely been fulfilled. The true gospel has been restored and has now gone in power into every nation on the face of the earth.