Commercial Break: Looking Back...So Much Water Under So Many Bridges

 

10/02/22 01:45 PM #51096     EDIT     DELETE Change Photo   Dennis Diehl (1968) Admittedly, should the last congregational hymn the closing of the Last Great Day of the FOT be this... I could never get through it.... Obviously, I almost still can't...

UCG: Dutch and Canadians Seem To Not Be Very Interested In UCG's Message

 

It seems like all the Churches of God are struggling to make their messages relevant to the people in the world they are trying to impress. While some directly blame this struggle on Satan, the most powerful god of the church, others make hints of persecution from a variety of sources without directly blaming Satan. None of them ever seem to stop and take a look at the message they are attempting to deliver.

Given the state of the world right now with so many conflicts and tragedies unfolding, people are not looking to walk into a lecture or presentation to sit there for an hour listening to doom and gloom scenarios. Instead of talking about the peace and rest found in following Christ, which Christians have understood for 2,000 years, they harp on following the law and preparing for a massive war, destruction, disease, and death. Who wants to hear that crap day in and day out when you are surrounded by it?

People who live in third-world nations, strife-torn areas, and living with REAL religious persecution, find rest in the One they believe in and of which rarely is ever spoken of in UCG publications, or in the broader COG community. Most of what is served up as "truth" is nothing more than crap theology or various topics that have no real interest to people in 2022. Most COG's still are trying to operate on Herbert's advertising strategies pre-1986. And of course, since this is the COG we are discussing with membership small in number, the immediate excuse that is used is, "The harvest is plenty, but the laborers are few".

Perhaps it is time they stop and really looked at their message to see WHY the laborers are few. It can't be blamed upon Satan as the reason. Perhaps they might want to look at that Jesus dude, you know, that guy who is always in the shadows knocking on the door that no one seems to want to open.

Netherlands Update:

“In November last year we asked for prayers for God to bless our new website so that many Dutch-speaking people who are searching for the truth would be able to find it on the Internet. We are still in the process of collecting data in order to determine the results of that effort. Meanwhile, we are exploring ways to attract even more people to our website by posting short teaser texts on our Facebook account—inviting them to visit our website for information on various subjects. 

 

“Although we have many more ideas about reaching people with the gospel message, our team of dedicated volunteers is small. Therefore, we have an additional prayer request for our fellow brethren around the world. Please pray that God would call more laborers for His work in the Netherlands and Flanders.”

Canadian Update 

“Canada has a population of 38.6 million people living in the second largest country in the world with a land mass of nearly 10 million square kilometers (about 3.85 million square miles). The Church has congregations in 9 of the 10 most-populated cities in the country. There are 10 pastors and 16 elders serving 24 congregations in eight provinces. If a person were to drive across Canada to visit all the congregations, he or she would travel about 9,900 kilometers (over 6,100 miles) from coast to coast and would have to make two ferry crossings. An increasing number of pastors use Internet technologies to reach members who are unable to attend Sabbath services in person. 

 

“One of our greatest challenges continues to be manpower—laborers for the harvest. Canada has been impacted recently by the deaths of a pastor and an elder. In addition, there are many policies in place to provide compliance with federal and provincial laws that apply to UCG-Canada as a federally registered charity. UCG-Canada must be especially careful of anything that might be considered ‘hate speech’ against any identifiable group. There are also very strict privacy laws, which limit what personal information we can collect and share. Considering the above-mentioned challenges, your prayers would be very much appreciated that the Word of God may continue effectively reaching the nation. In Part 2 of this report we will cover current media efforts to spread the message of God’s coming Kingdom.”

Canadian Update 2 

“Our media team continues working on ways to optimize our websites in order to promote and enhance visitor experience. The team has been writing introductory articles on topics covered by longer articles in The Good News and Beyond Today magazines. The shorter intros are meant to pique curiosity and then direct interested website visitors to previously posted material. Besides this, Beyond Today television programs air each week on cable television. However, Canada has limited print methods available for economical advertising. Those that are available, that we have been able to try, have not produced cost-effective results. 

 

“Regardless of these limitations and having very strict government restrictions during COVID-19, congregations across the country have had some new people begin attending Sabbath services which has been very encouraging to the members. Once again, we would be grateful for your prayers for your fellow brethren throughout Canada and that the gospel will continue reaching many people across the nation.”

UPDATED: You have been WARNED about this blog!!!!!!

UPDATE AT END...

A love letter from a reader:

WARNING: The continuation of verbal attack and condemnation of the Church of God or any group for that matter, is biblically unsound, sinful and destructive. I advise everyone who reads this site to check up on the information that is provided and research before concluding on any matter presented. The people who run this site are dead set on ruining the image of the Church of God. They are very bitter and hostile. It is very sad and I pray that they will have eyes that see someday. If you believe that God exists and hold to the Bible, if you believe God is a necessity for a meaningful and moral life, please heed me. Do not believe everything you read on this site. Take everything you read with a grain of salt. Their track record is not good. They are biased, very opinionated and not always honest. This site and other bashing sites will long be forgotten in the millennial Kingdom of God. Before then we must endure brethren. Persecution will continue to grow and increase from those outside the church. May Jesus Christ and God the Father be with you and may we love our enemies.

UPDATE:  One of our loyal readers made this comment:

"What a joke to compare Ambassador Report to this fake pretence of a blog. Ambassador Report was put together by students. 

This blog is neither run by church students or church members but by two faced rebels from within the ministry. Who love the benefits of being part of the elite whilst running this blog. 

This blog claims honesty whilst being dishonest."

My response:

"This blog is neither run by church students or church members but by two faced rebels from within the ministry. Who love the benefits of being part of the elite whilst running this blog."

I just have to laugh every time you get your self-righteous pants in a knot claiming this. No ministers started this blog, though both of us were ordained in some capacity within the church. Both left the church over 2 decades or more ago. There have been ordained contributors here from other groups, but they do not maintain this blog. They deserve their anonymity just like you, even more so.

It is typical for people to lash out like this when their cherished traditions are under fire. If we are wrong, then prove us wrong. The problem is you seldom can. 

If you were firmly rooted in your beliefs as the church taught you then you would have nothing to worry about from us. The problem is, you are not grounded and are grappling with endless questions and therefore get easily offended instead of taking stock of those beliefs and making good decisions. It was ingrained in us that our beliefs were God-given, sacrosanct, and immutable. Three decades of endless church splinters and idiot self-appointed prophets have debased the church far more than anything ever written on this blog.

There would be nothing to write about on this blog if COG leaders kept their stupid mouths shut and stopped making outlandish predictions. If they are dumb enough to say it then we are dumb enough to post it. 

People take this blog FAAAAAAAAR to seriously. How can ANYONE be serious about the COG movement when there are such incredibly STUPID things being said and done in 2022?

Who would have ever dreamed we would have people like Bob Thiel, Dave Pack, Gerald Flurry, Ron Weinland, and Gerald Weston leading COG's? No one could have ever imagined this in the years after HWA's death and yet here we are with these guys saying some of the most STUPID things ever imaginable. 

None of them speak for God nor represent him in any way. Absolutely NONE of them are receiving revelations from God. NOT ONE SINGLE ONE OF THEM! 

None of us have anything to fear when we reject their lies and call them out. They are powerless, weak, and impotent leaders at their core. They are theological empty, devoid of God's Spirit working with them

Like I said before, if they would SHUT UP, we would have nothing to do here and you would have nothing to complain about.

 

Be Seen, Not Heard

God's greatest prophet to ever exist in human history posted a 1962 article by Leroy Neff the other day, Do Unconverted People Know That You Are A Christian? It is a pretty bold move for Bwana Beto Bob to post this considering how badly he represents Christianity, especially from what the last few paragraphs have to say:

Be SEEN Not HEARD 

 

If we are the light of the world, the people will see it, even though they may not comprehend it now, or recognize why, now; but later they will remember that we were different, that there were no others like us. They will then remember that in addition to our living example of love, we did obey the living God. They will realize that our “fruits” came from our relationship with God and because we had God’s Holy Spirit. They will then cry out to God in repentance and receive the same Holy Spirit that we have received. 

 

We must let our light shine. Our light is our good works (Matthew 5:16), that light is SEEN of men.
By this way people may know that we are Christ’s disciples and that we are true Christians. There is no other way now for the world and for our unconverted friends and relatives to know. 

 

Don’t falsely assume that Sabbath-keeping, discipline in the home, obedience, or rejection of pagan customs are signs to the unbeliever. Let us have love and kindness that bring forth GOOD WORKS which others can see as Christian attributes in our daily lives. 

 

“Let your light so shine before men. that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). 

 

Editor’s note: While in times of persecution we will need to be more discrete, yes, Christians should be diligent and live differently enough from the world, that we will be a proper example.

Never has the church had a splinter leader that CANNOT shut up about himself than what we have today with Beto Thiel. The endless rushing wind of his self-congratulatory nature keeps blowing out that candle he needs to let others see shining brightly. His vanity and narcissism overshadow any positive thing he has to say, which is not much.

Perpetually Butt-hurt COG Crackpot Prophet Claims Most COG's Are Too Stupid To Understand Prophecy And Signs Of The End Times

Never in the history of Christianity has the church been so blessed to have in its midst the most intelligent man to ever lead a Church of God. No one in the last 2,000 years understands the Bible better than the Almost-arrested, Perpetually-butt-hurt, Beto Bwana Bob Thiel.

Today the Great Bwana lashed out at the other Churches of God by telling them that they were too stupid to understand the Bible like he does. Only the Great Beto has true biblical knowledge.

The Churches of God are wrong on so many things just because Beto Bob says so and is so irritated that he has compiled a list of 50 things COG groups are too stupid to understand. Of course, it all boils down to one big glaring issue, the COG groups REFUSE to support Beto Bob and his sad little ministry.

Beto writes:

"One thing that I have noticed is that the Laodiceans, as well as those of the remnants of the Sardis Church, misunderstand many aspects of end time prophecy. 

 

"Most Laodiceans do not accept that God has been doing that in the 21st century."

Beto claims Herbert Armstrong wrote about  his emergence in the end times 

Those with at least a partial WCG background should consider that the late Pastor General of the old Worldwide Church of God, Herbert W. Armstrong, taught that Acts 2:17-18 had a future application in a 1981 sermon: 

 

Joel 2:28-29 And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: (29) And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. 

 

So there is a time coming when God will start pouring out His spirit on human beings. ... Day of Pentecost, 3000 were baptized. Peter preached a sermon. They were pricked in their hearts.

God began to draw them. God was now ... Remember He said, “I will pour out of my spirit on all flesh.” All right, there’s a duality of that. (Armstrong HW. Building The Temple. Sermon, February 14, 1981) 

 

Herbert W. Armstrong said the time was coming when God would pour out His Spirit. There was a duality to what Peter preached in Acts 2 — and that duality is for the last days — our current time! His old correspondence department also taught that God would again use dreams. 

 

Yet, those of Sardis and Laodicea have discounted how God’s Spirit has been poured out in ways such as dreams as well as through a prophet.

HWA was no more predicting Bwana Bob than he would be in acknowledging Dave Pack as a real servant of God. HWA would have kicked Bob Thiel out so fast he wouldn't even have time to say "Ghastly days!"

Here is an abbreviated version of the 50 things Bwana Bob claims he is 100% accurate on and which the various COG's refuse to follow.

Here is an abbreviated list of misunderstandings in various claimed COG groups that I have personally denounced:

1)    Many COG groups (ICG, CGI, UCG, COGaIC, CG7-D, CGG, CEM, etc.) do not officially teach and/or do not believe in the idea of Church eras. Because of that they do not teach certain prophetic aspects of this, most do not see their own problems and will have to go through the Great Tribulation.

2)    Several COG groups do not believe that the Gospel of the Kingdom of God still needs to be preached to the world...hence do not have the real Philadelphian work.

3)    At least three groups misunderstand the Gospel and COG doctrines so much (PCG, CGPFK, and RCG) that I question if their top leaders are actually converted members of the COG. The leaders of those groups have had major predictions been proven to be false (CGPFK, PCG, and RCG).

4)    Many, if not most, COG groups do not realize that the Great Tribulation begins with the King of the North invading the USA, UK, and/or their Anglo-Saxon descended allies (Daniel 11:39).

5)    Many COG groups misunderstand the identity of the King of the South (Daniel 11:40-43), and some have the wrong prophetic sequence regarding the King of the South...those who hold to a differing view will not know when the Great Tribulation will begin until after it has started.

6)    Some (CEG, GCG-UK) teach that there is no biblically-required King of the South,

7)    Those who insist that the final King of the South must be Ethiopia will not possibly realize that the Great Tribulation will begin until it is too late 

8)    Several COG groups (like CGG, RCG, PCG, COGWA) clearly misunderstand Daniel 9:27...Those who misunderstand it will not have a proper pre- warning of what is happening nor likely know when the Great Tribulation will begin.

9)    Various COG groups (UCG, COGWA, COGaIC, RCG, and CGOM, come to immediate mind, but they are not the only ones) have so many areas of undefined prophecy that they will not know what certain events will mean.

10)    A couple of groups, such as CGPFK and TPM, have been repeatedly proven wrong about their dates for the start of the Great Tribulation and (like RCG) the return of Jesus Christ. Those who rely on teachers of those groups really do not understand biblical prophecy.

12)    Most COG groups fail to understand Habakkuk 2:2-8...Many do not realize that Habakkuk 2:2-8 is related to fleeing and the start of the Great Tribulation,

14)    Many COG groups have various ‘Elijah heresies’ (most CGI-derived groups as well as RCG come to mind). Because of this, they will not be able to recognize the final Elijah.   

24)    At least one COG group (CG7-D) basically teaches that most of the events of Revelation have already taken place and no one needs to be concerned about coming persecution as none supposedly is coming

29)    At least two groups teach that the ‘man of sin’ is (or could be) Joseph Tkach, Jr. (PCG, COG-FF). This absurd position also partially leads to many other misunderstandings.

30)    At least one group (RCG) has improperly declared Satan will enter a COG leader to make him the man of sin. (since this refers to Bob Thiel I can see why this upsets him) 

31)    A few teach that a massive Jewish temple in Jerusalem must be rebuilt before Jesus returns

34)    None of the Laodicean or Sardis COGs seem to teach that the “strongest fortresses” in Daniel 11:39 refers to the USA — but it does.

38)    At least one group has publicly claimed that God has no prophets today and will not have any until the two witnesses are empowered. (in this same point the Great Bwaana makes this idiotic comment: Does anyone think God provided no possible warning related to the coronavirus which impacted the feeling of peace of the world more than almost anything since WWII? Yet, this author did in 2013 and 2014.)

43)    One group erroneously taught (PCG) that half of the Laodiceans would die before April 30, 2021.

47)    Many groups do not teach much about prophecy

48)    Nearly all COG groups and independents do not accept that God has been fulfilling prophecies. (The comple list of 50 can be found here in his online rag: Bible News Propehcy (sic)

The Great Bwana, the most misunderstood prophet in human history makes another asinine observation claiming that a COG minister told him that HWA would have agreed with some of his (Bwana Bob's) teachings. It just frosts Bob's sanctimonious butt that other COG's do not agree with him.

This being said, some will come up with their preferred rational as why not to agree with the position of the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) on these matters. Yet not only are they biblical, on most of those points, the old WCG taught what I believe that the Bible teaches on them (on the few that it did not, one is consistent with a November 1979 HWA writing and on the others, a former adviser to HWA told me that HWA would have agreed with me on those as well, as one HWA had not investigated and some others were not issues when he was alive — and, of course, the Bible, and not HWA’s opinion, is the standard). 

The bald-faced lies just keep getting deeper and deeper as Bwana Bob makes more allegations:

It should be noted that leaders while in the Living Church of God and/or the United Church of God confirmed to me personally that I was biblically correct on pretty much all the above points.

It is an established fact that LCG never said any such things and numerous postings by LCG Ministers over the years prove that. 

All of the Churches of God have placed their lives in peril for failing to acknowledge Bwana Bob as the anointed Elijah to come:

There are also more prophetic differences that other COG groups have from the Bible. The reality is that without the right emphasis on the final phase of the work, holding the Bible in sufficiently high regard, practicing Philadelphian love, and ignoring one anointed like Elisha, the COG groups that ignore prophetic warnings are doing so to their peril.

Unless the Church of God groups repent and turn to the one true COG leader, their salvation is in peril and WILL NOT be protected in the tribulation. What a steaming pile of bullshit!

Without repentance, those who hold to certain of the listed errors will NOT be protected from the coming Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21) as they will not even know when it will begin until it has already started.

The current lies being promulgated by Dave Pack and Gerald Flurry are right on par with Bwana Bob's lies. No Christian needs to be following Beto Bob. Their salvation is not at risk if they refuse to follow and support him. They will have no condemnation for refusing to do so and will not be left out in the cold during some tribulation that is the figment of Bwana Bob's tortured mind.