Sunday, March 17, 2024

BREAKING: Restored Church of God Lashes Out At Christophe Binette's Resignation With A Shamefully Hypocritical Letter

 


BREAKING: RCG Responds to Christophe Binette’s Resignation

The response to European field minister Christophe Binette’s departure from The Restored Church of God this morning was swift. His RCG access was cut off in about an hour, which means that Bradford Schleifer received the same pre-5 AM phone blow-ups I did.

Rough morning, Brad?

I imagined Brad in his boxer shorts, still rubbing the crust from his eyes while quickly navigating their internal systems to shut off Christophe's access. Emails resting on the RCG servers were recalled, and others were intercepted to avoid exposing the innocent sheep to the logical mind poison of David C. Pack.

Yes, the most embarrassing words in that letter were not from Christophe Binette but those of David C. Pack. The Pastor General is quite effective at dissolving his own credibility. No blade cuts David C. Pack and the members of The Restored Church of God deeper than the words of David C. Pack. The exrcg.org website was built upon that fact.

God has a sense of humor and is a fan of irony. The ministerial exit letter contained approximately 1,574 words of “disagreement” from Christophe Binette and 1,478 words of “disagreement” from David C. Pack. So, Dave authored about half of the letter. Ponder the concept of a man having his own words used against him to discredit his own declining organization. It takes an exceptional human being to be able to pull that off.

When current RCG members reach out, I suggest they re-listen to "90 Reasons to Follow the Truth" and read, Is “That Prophet” Alive Today? The Rise of False Prophets. The decisions are usually open and shut after doing that.

Boy, the poor guys at Headquarters thought they would have at least ONE restful Sunday with their families while Dave was out of town. So much for that.

I wonder if their human idol is going to add one more name to his death-threat list when he comes back from his trip today. 

 


Bradford Schleifer was not the only enabler to lose sleep on Eagle Point before sunrise this morning. Jaco Viljoen had better not have left his phone on vibrate charging in the kitchen, or a frantic knock on the front door would have been in order. It would not have come with fresh Starbucks coffee and a muffin.

Kevin Denee and I mused about how long it would take for RCG to respond to Christophe’s departure. It is reasonable that conducting a thorough character assassination like they did in December takes a bit longer to craft. Fully anticipate a sharper follow-up this week with a high likelihood of David C. Pack going on another thief-and-liar rant during his next message.

The ways of Dave's god's government are a mystery. After four years, Jaco is still not experienced enough to be considered the Director of Church Administration. However, they still allowed him to put his name on an email addressing all remaining 1,248 members.

The highlights have been added.

 


From: The Restored Church of God
Sent: March 17, 2024
Subject: Update: Christophe Binette – Paris, France Pastorate

Dear brethren,

We recently learned that Christophe Binette removed himself from the Body of Christ due to doctrinal disagreement. His wife, who was recently in contact with my wife and showed no concerns, has also decided to leave.

Sadly, instead of voicing his concerns to Headquarters first and through the established channels of God’s government, Christophe reached out directly and covertly to Church members to express his disagreement. Christophe was far more expressive in his “open letter,” which obviously took a lot of time to put together than at any time over the last nearly decade and a half he was with us. This approach, disguised as sincerity, took away our opportunity to help him and properly address his concerns.

Christophe should know that Headquarters would have been happy to help him. He knows it is false to suggest that Headquarters wouldn’t answer questions or help him if he had chosen to contact us. We have worked with him in multiple instances over the years, showing mercy and patience when often finding himself entangled in strange ideas due to his proclivity toward conspiracy theories and fringe medical ideas. Christophe would always seem settled after receiving counsel from the ministry, which is why he was able to remain in his leadership position. We do not share this information to bash him but to tell the whole story to members who would otherwise not know the man reaching out to them and claiming to be standing for the truth. For his own reasons, Christophe decided to forego counsel on the most important matter—his membership in God’s Church.

A tree is known by its fruits (Matt. 13:33). These are the fruits of a man who has decided his path instead of humbly yielding to authority and a Church that has not left any of God’s core doctrines and is simply doing all we can to “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (I Thess. 5:21). God’s leaders have the responsibility to learn what God has in store for the world and His people. If His Church is not taking the lead in this vital pursuit, who on Earth would be?

To lay out just one example of his lack of experience and tenure in the Church, he took issue in his letter with us preaching the gospel using Public Bible Lectures. He clearly does not understand that this was a major way the Worldwide Church of God under Mr. Armstrong did the Work.

It seems that Christophe has decided not to join any other group. As a result, he won’t be able to participate in preaching the gospel (which he accuses us of not doing), tithing, or fellowshipping with God’s people. He must believe he is exempt from these expectations and requirements from God. However, he still considers himself a minister of Jesus Christ, which is impossible if he is not a member of God’s Church and under an apostle.

Please pray for the French work and any brethren Christophe may be trying to influence. We here in Church Administration are putting contingencies in place to support the members, and we remain confident that God will see us through this time. Members are holding strong from all that we can tell so far.

If you receive any communications from Mr. Binette, you should ignore them. We are letting the ministry know about this and will share any other relevant information we learn with everyone as needed.

God continues revealing vital truths to His Church, and the “god of this world” (II Cor. 4:4) is not pleased. Remember that the next few weeks are a time of self-examination and assessing your spiritual progress as we near the Passover. Remain sober and vigilant (I Pet. 5:8) and focused on the coming Kingdom we have recently learned even more about.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your minister, who will be happy to assist. You may also want to review the article “When Ministers Disappear...” (https://rcg.org/members/articles/when-ministers-disappear).

F. Jaco Viljoen
Associate Director of Church Administration
The Restored Church of God
(330) 334 2266 [Ext. 4067] 
jviljoen@rcg.org

 


The Associate Director crafted subtle jabs to undermine Christophe’s concerns without addressing them. The "accusers are not to be answers” excuse is a versatile Uno Wild Card.

“disguised as sincerity,
took away our opportunity to help him
and properly address his concerns."

In other words, you cannot trust a disguised man, folks. Christophe’s sincerity was not genuine but a ruse.

Nobody at Headquarters can adequately address his concerns because all the hirelings are trained to continue defending a hypocritical, blaspheming liar, false prophet perpetuating antichrist doctrines. By all accounts, the staff in the Hall of Administration receive plenty of opportunities to help with that.

“often finding himself entangled in strange ideas
due to his proclivity toward conspiracy theories
and fringe medical ideas."

Entangled in what strange ideas? Dunno.

That is Headquarters manipulation disguised as discretion. By providing just the right colorful words, they can steer a reader's thoughts down the desired path. "I don't know what it is, but it is strange, and he is entangled in it." Everything else written beyond that point is framed that way. None of his concerns matter anymore because he is already entangled in strange ideas.

Do not buy it.

The fringe medical idea is that the COVID vaccination is potentially lethal, and some brethren feel uncomfortable receiving it. It is still a hot-button topic for brethren in Europe and Canada. Internet search results now provide well-covered information and news reports supporting that those concerns are justified. Calling it fringe is disingenuous.

Conspiracy theories are an effective, non-specific way to suggest mental instability.

Well, at least Christophe does not see himself in the Bible and preaches he is receiving special knowledge from God as Elijah the Prophet. That could appear mentally unstable, but I digress.

Jaco is throwing chum in the water. It does not matter what kind of blood or fish guts it contains. It still attracts the desired target: creative doubt. One person may read this thinking Christophe might be a Flat Earther while another could wonder how many UFO sightings he documented on his living room wall.

Once again, this is manipulation disguised as discretion.

“members who would otherwise not know the man”
"instead of humbly yielding to authority”
"his lack of experience"

Jaco is saying that brethren need to disregard this prideful, self-willed man along with all of his concerns. He is inexperienced and you do not know the real him like they do. We cannot give you all the information, because we love him, but be warned anyhow.

This letter is peppered with manipulative backhanded slaps.

“God’s core doctrines”

That is the flag hoisted when you stand upon the hill of prophetic doctrinal confusion.

The amorphous Kingdom of God changes weekly, but at least RCG still knows about the Sabbath. Dave may preach he is the Branch instead of Jesus Christ and, as Elijah, will judge people alongside the Father, but Pentecost is still a thing. The Restored Church of God may now observe new moons despite being unable to prove why, but—oh, never mind that one.

RCG used to criticize the Splinters for only adhering to "core doctrines," but not ALL God's doctrines restored by Herbert W. Armstrong, like make-up, skirt length, and frowning on loud paisley ties. So, it is interesting how Jaco is cornered into using a phrase once reserved for Satan-led organizations pretending to be part of the Body of Christ.

“preaching the gospel using Public Bible Lectures”

In Jaco’s rush to call this out, he failed to consider the implications of his writing: “He clearly does not understand that this was a major way the Worldwide Church of God under Mr. Armstrong did the Work.”

According to this CAD rebuttal, it only took The Restored Church of God twenty-five years to finally figure out that maybe they should start to some day implement a major way to do the Work like WCG did under Mr. Armstrong.

What took you guys so long?

This also means that the RCG ministerial policy that “only an evangelist can preach publicly” got tossed into the compost heap alongside what defines a false prophet.

Jaco, thank Peter Baerg in Canada for making that point. Thanks, Pete.

Surely, having financial issues and declining attendance has nothing to do with the sudden desire to preach to the unwashed masses for the first time after twenty-five years of corporate procrastination. A major Work RCG has not even started to do yet.

“not to join any other group. As a result,
he won't be able to participate in preaching the gospel”

I suppose nobody at Headquarters was awake enough this morning to think through the points of this letter because they contradict decades of RCG doctrines.

You delegitimize Christophe for not deciding to join a Splinter because he will neglect “preaching the gospel, …tithing or fellowshipping with God’s people.”

1) RCG teaches that the Splinters do not have the "true gospel."
2) RCG teaches the Splinters are stealing God's tithes.
3) RCG teaches brethren not to associate with former members at all, even if they attend a Splinter, and to have fellowship with them is a sin.

That is called speaking out of both sides of your mouth, Jaco. Google it if the point escapes you.

By accusing Christophe, RCG exposes ignorance about their own doctrines and the hypocrisy of their defense. By their fruits, indeed.

“under an apostle”

David C. Pack is a false apostle, a false prophet, and a false teacher by every biblical definition. Yet, you and the hirelings at Headquarters ignore it. You serve a human idol who blasphemes and lies to the brethren on the Sabbath, taking the Lord’s name in vain.

The signs of an apostle do not follow David C. Pack, and he admitted he has zero dunamis. But, because Christophe does not want to follow such a man, he is the bad guy in this scenario.

Jaco, I suppose you did not carefully read the quotes from your boss that Christophe noted. Maybe doing so rather than just reacting would have been the wiser choice.

“Members are holding strong from all that we can tell so far.”

This comment is premature, and the hole in it is so hilariously large that you can ride a Campus horse through it.

Jaco knows there is no way they can possibly gauge the actual impact of Christophe’s departure among the European, African, and French Polynesian brethren within a few hours. Hence, the linguistic wiggle room of “all that we can tell so far.”

“the ‘god of this world’ (II Cor. 4:4) is not pleased.”

By implication, Christophe’s efforts are motivated by the devil. Classy.

When a man quotes the Pastor General for almost half of his exit letter, that is clearly an indication of an evil spirit driving him. When you use David C. Pack’s words to support your concerns, Satan must be behind it. Jaco, did anyone proofread your letter before you hit Send?

“focused on the coming Kingdom we have recently learned even more about.”

This must be referring to the Kingdom NOT coming on April 8, 2024 at 12:03 PM ET during the new moon on the day of a total solar eclipse while it is already Abib 1 in Jerusalem.

I am only an unordained non-prophet/non-psychic, but I would postulate that even David C. Pack will eventually deny “the coming Kingdom we have recently learned even more about” before April 8 comes.

When that happens, David C. Pack will legitimize Christophe Binette’s points just as he has legitimized the observations posted on exrcg.org. Dave helps the website so much, perhaps HE is the leaker(s).

 


With Christophe Binette’s departure, Headquarters may have to reverse Wulphert de Graaf’s demotion despite his fumbling in the U.K. Pray for the brethren in that region if they are forced to conduct a battlefield promotion of Andre Lloyd. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Jaco, if Headquarters was fully aware Christophe Binette lacked experience and was entangled in strange ideas with a proclivity for conspiracy theories, and you knew him unlike the brethren did because he would not humbly yield to your god’s government, then why was he allowed to remain in the ministry?

This sounds like a lack of proper leadership at Headquarters. Since you and Ryan Denee were responsible for him, does that not signal a profound failure of judgment on both of your parts?

Thank Peter Baerg again for that one.

Maybe it is the time of year for careful self-examination.

If Ryan Denee departed RCG, it would be no significant loss for anyone except the lawn.

But Jaco, maybe it is time for you to re-listen to "90 Reasons to Follow the Truth" and re-read Is “That Prophet” Alive Today? The Rise of False Prophets. Consider your ways. You are supporting a blaspheming false prophet who is destined for perpetual failure because God is not guiding him to teach any of his presumptuous malarkey.

Brad already knows this. Have you not yet figured it out?

Christophe Binette left The Restored Church of God like no other minister had before. The motto of exrcg.org is “The more people who come forward, the louder all the voices will be.”

A voice from France was heard all over the world today and reached the mighty halls of Wadsworth, Ohio. Now…who’s voice will be next?


Marc Cebrian

See: RCG Responds to Christophe Binette’s Resignation


Christophe Binette: An Open Letter to Mr. David C. Pack and All Members of The Restored Church of God




Christophe Binette is a field minister serving The Restored Church of God from France. 

Until today. 

His Exit Letter directly addresses David C. Pack asking fair, 
pointed questions and quotes the Pastor General to himself. 

Christophe makes his case, proving David C. Pack is a false prophet, false apostle, and false teacher.

An Open Letter to Mr. David C. Pack and
All Members of The Restored Church of God


March 17, 2024

Dear Mr. David C. Pack,

The purpose of this letter is to tell you and all my brethren around the world that I love you. 

Mr. Pack, you were my “father in the Gospel” for many years. Above all is my love for the truth. My responsibility as a minister of Jesus Christ and a shepherd is to protect the sheep of my pastorate. When I joined The Restored Church of God, I was asked to prove all things. That is all our personal responsibility. We cannot accept any compromises when it comes to the truth.

After reading your biography, I realized I had a responsibility to “guard the spiritual well-being of the brethren” in my pastorate.

The Authorized Biography of David C. Pack, Volume One, p625
“Through the early part of 1992, Mr. Pack developed a deeper crisis of conscience. Beyond personal anger, he knew his greater responsibility was to guard the spiritual well-being of the brethren in his congregation.”

Since becoming a minister in RCG, I have also developed a “deeper crisis of conscience.”

This letter will remind you of your words, including excerpts from the three-part sermon series, "90 Reasons to Follow the Truth," given in 1993. That was over thirty years ago.

My Background and RCG Story

I was invited to join The Restored Church of God in March 2010

In 2017, I was ordained as a minister, and I took care of the French speaking Brethren in Europe and in Africa, gladly sacrificing my time for 7 years. This included evenings and weekends without compensation. I volunteered my time and efforts for the socials, Feast of Tabernacles, Ambassador Youth Camp (AYC), and worked as a translation coordinator for many years.

Beginning in 2010, I gave large sums of money as tithes, offerings, and Common to God (through the RCG organization.) I intentionally chose to refrain from accepting a salary or stipend for the work I did in The Restored Church of God. I sacrificed joyfully.

In March 2024, exactly 14 years after joining RCG, I now must write this letter to hold fast that which I have after proving all things and determined to keep the truth with no compromises.

The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Errors

After I gave a sermon about the spirit of errors that can be in the Church of God to the French brethren in May 2023, Headquarters ministers Dr. Jaco Viljoen and Mr. Ryan Denee corrected me because “the Church cannot make mistakes.” I was shocked and confused. They agreed that I should send a letter to apologize to the congregation, and I did.

They told me that “God was guiding the Church through His apostle (Mr. Pack)” and “the spirit of Truth is in the Church, and the spirit of errors is in the world.” I was completely devastated emotionally and spiritually for a few weeks. 

Later, I realized that it was your 3 sermons, “90 Reasons to Follow the Truth,” that inspired me to give the sermon to the whole congregation about the spirit of errors in the Church. 

Mr. Pack, you gave these three sermons when you left the Global Church of God, explaining precisely what is going on today. The Restored Church of God is now led by the spirit of error, chaos, and confusion that are destroying the brethren's love, care, and hope.

In 1993, you warned of a potential attack upon the Church and explained the behavior of false leaders/apostles.

Another 30 Reasons to Follow the Truth - Point 16 
“Sometimes throughout church history, the spirit of error that John referred to in the first epistle of John is leading the Church. No question who that spirit is. At other times, the spirit of truth is leading. When the spirit of truth is leading, truth after truth will come. When the spirit of error is leading, error after error will come… When that spirit of error does enter the Church, sometimes one of the sad spinoff byproducts is that ruined brethren will begin to emerge. By that term I mean people who start dabbling all over reading this, reading that, they know the spirit of error is present.

30 Reasons to Follow the Truth – Point 12 
John 14:16. Christ, on the last day of his life, says, if you love me, keep my commandments, and I will pray to the Father, and he shall give you another comforter that it may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth. Now, the comforter is called the Spirit of Truth. What exactly does that mean? Chapter 16 and verse 13. How be it when it, the spirit of truth, is come, it will guide you into all truth, for it shall not speak of itself, but whatsoever it shall hear, that shall it speak, and it will show you things to come. The comforter leads toward truth always. It is the spirit of truth. When there is massive wholesale error coming in, then it is no longer the spirit of truth, the comforter that's leading it. As I mentioned in that handout I gave you, if people were being killed instead of truth, surely, we would call this a holocaust that is taking place. The spirit of truth leads to truth. Now, let's examine for a moment. The comforter will always lead people to truth. It will never take them anywhere else, period.Wherever the truth is being taught, doesn't worry about corporate boundaries or what is quote-unquote God's government. It will simply lead to truth, period. It will go where it can be comfortable. The comforter cannot comfort people when it's being bathed in heresy. It becomes uncomfortable. It will always direct people back to truth. It always will.

The Love of the Truth 

Most of the brethren and some ministers clearly see that brotherly love waxed cold long ago in The Restored Church of God.

Ministers who contact Headquarters to share their concerns are regularly corrected or disregarded. Now, it has become perfectly acceptable for men at Headquarters to expose a minister's "sins" without hesitation before the entire congregation. Or, in some cases, the Church as a whole. For example, if someone was unable to pay their tithes or dared to question decisions coming from Headquarters.

As a minister, I’ve been taught we should not judge people but judge what they are doing because people can change. We should also love our enemies. How much more so our brothers and sisters in Christ? Public shaming does not invite repentance and only chases away the sheep that wandered off.

30 Reasons to Follow the Truth – Point 2 
Let's understand what the falling away is all about here in 2 Thessalonians 2:3. Let no man deceive you by any means. The context is right before the return of Christ. That's the context, and that's important. For that day shall not come except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed the son of perdition. Now, very simply, this has been explained before, but I'll say it again. The Greek word is apostasia, and it means a defection from truth, not people leaving a corporate church. As a matter of fact, when you really understand it, it's the ones who don't leave who defect from truth, and the context shows us that. Verse 10. Now, it talks about certain things this man of sin will do for a number of verses, working with all deceivableness of unrighteousness and them that perish, and perhaps this will be a man in the Church, we don't know, but he will be revealed… There are people who will say truth is important, but they don't love it above all else, and we have to receive a love of the truth in order to be saved. Loving the truth and being saved are connected, and for this cause because some don't,God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie, and that's the danger of staying and not withdrawing. People say, well, I can see the truth's being played with and tampered with, but I'll stay, I'll wait, I'll be patient, and the infection spreads to that person that they all might be damned who believed not the truth.

Preaching the Gospel

A few years ago, you ceased preaching the Gospel, which is your duty and responsibility as an “apostle.” The Church's primary commission is to preach the Gospel first. However, you proclaimed that the Campus takes precedence over preaching the Gospel or tending to the flock. 

Through your eight-plus year prophecy series, you're teaching about multiple "Kingdoms of God" (three, four, five, and back to two) rather than focusing on THE Kingdom (singular) of God. 

Mr. Pack, are you preaching another gospel?
In one of the latest emails sent to the field ministry, Headquarters asked us to “fill the empty seats.”

Pastoral Points – February 23, 2024
As one of three new initiatives, we plan to take a fresh approach to processing and engaging our CIs (Church Inquires). The new regional plan is a key component of our ongoing efforts to increase the number of people entering the “front door” and filling the empty seats in congregations in God’s Church.”

Headquarters also stated that field ministers will start “to preach the Gospel to locals” in their area with “public bible lectures.”

30 Final Reasons to Follow the Truth – Point 10
We are commanded to come out of Babylon to avoid receiving her plagues. Certain sins in the Bible bring special curses. Galatians 1, 6, and 9, by preaching the false Gospel of this world's churches, Paul writes, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you, let him be accursed.

30 Final Reasons to Follow the Truth – Point 29
We must come to the light. We must speak the truth in love. Don't wallow in the mire or return to the vomit. Get out of it. We must be preaching the true Gospel when the end comes. We must endure by God's definition of endurance—many more. Brethren, clearly, to stay is to plainly rebel against many of God's most basic commands and God's most basic instruction for the circumstances of apostasy in our time.

False Leader, False Teacher, False Prophet, and False Apostle
Mr. Pack, are you a prophet or not?
In February 2024, Headquarters explained that you are not Elijah anymore.

Part 493, “…There wasn't going to be a specific Elijah period other than someone teaching these truths to the Church.”

Mr. Pack, you proclaimed yourself to be Elijah the Prophet for over eight years. If you are not a prophet “anymore,” then why did you give 100+ dates for the return of Jesus Christ? Why do you still preach about dates? No one can know the day or the hour. You have gone back and forth on that so many times.

Mr. Pack, if you are not a prophet anymore, how can you prophesy and “unseal” a prophecy? And by what authority?  

Part 494, “Truly, it’s this prophecy that has been sealed to the time of the end. And I’m gonna unseal it in powerful fashion before we leave tonight.”

Mr. Pack, by often repeating, “Nobody has never seen it or understood it,” if you are not a prophet, doesn’t that mean it is only your interpretation?

2 Peter 1:20
"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.”

Mr. Pack, if you proclaim yourself “That Prophet” while giving dates that fail, how are you not a false prophet?

Deuteronomy 18:20
"But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.”

30 Reasons to Follow the Truth – Point 19 
2 Peter 2 and verse 1. Two thousand years of church history shows that invariably, it is the leadership which leads the Church astray. Invariably it is the leadership that leads the Church astray. 2 Peter 2 and verse 1 says, but there were false prophets also among the people even as there shall be false teachers among you. Now, the overall context here is the end time. You'll see that if you go read to the end of the book. Who privately, craftily, secretly, in the Greek, shall bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lord that bought them, which is what the Christ couldn't sin heresy teaches. That denies Christ in a whole variety of ways we don't have time to go into now. Bring upon themselves swift destruction. Here's what's so tragic. Verse 2. Many shall follow their pernicious ways. Not few, many. By reason of whom because these leaders are among the people apparently in charge by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. That's exactly what has happened to us. The way of truth is being evil spoken of. Because many have followed that wrong way.

The Government of God—Understanding Offices and Duties, pp. 241-244
Chapter 13 – False Apostles
      False leaders are always known by the FALSE TEACHINGS they bring, which they invariably seem to bring “privately,” until their victims have been conditioned to believe something they had not recognized as new. By then it is often too late to recover. The key for the brethren is to stay alert and to act before it is too late. 
     But the warning applies to the ministry as well. In Acts 20, Paul was speaking to the assembled Ephesian elders for the final time before his life was to end in Rome. He told them to “Take heed…unto yourselves, and to all the flock…For I know this, that after my departing [his death] shall grievous wolves enter in among you[there it is, again], not sparing the flock” (vs. 28-29). Many believe this only occurred in the first century, or in the WCG. They could not be more wrong. In fact, the widespread blindness of the Laodicean age ensures the problem will be more subtle, with more kinds of less obvious heresies brought in “privately,” and probably more than at any other time in Church history.
    Paul’s warning continued to the elders: “Also of your own selves shall men arise…” (vs. 30). The ministry is warned here—and this must have been a very sobering statement when heard! —that some right there in the group would turn doctrinally corrupt. Therefore, the danger for the ministers was the same as the brethren. It would be their associates within the ministry standing up “speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them” (same verse). 
    Of course, it would generally be the TOP LEADERS who were in a position to “draw away after them(selves)” more than could any pastor or elder within a larger organization. The ministry is to be watching among themselves for such “top” wolves.     
    Paul warned the Corinthians: “For such are FALSE APOSTLES, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ…”
    Let me repeat: False apostles—deceitful workers—in the world are no threat to God’s people. It is in the Church where these men present danger to the flock. Therefore, Paul’s reference to Satan and “his ministers” means ministers he controls “among” God’s flock.

New Moons 
In January 2024, I asked a question about the meaning of the new moon. Dr. Jaco Viljoen admitted Headquarters does not yet know and that “Mr. Pack will discover it soon and let us know.”   

Mr. Pack, why must we observe something you do not understand nor is commanded by God? We will observe new moons in God’s Kingdom, but there is no biblical evidence the New Testament church kept them. Any perceived “proofs” are your speculations.

New Truths 
Mr. Pack, you come with so many new truths without proving them. Hours of talking do not equate to evidence. Shall we just accept them without “proving all things?” New moons, the third tithe year of release being dissolved, two groups of 144,000, Jesus Christ taking the Passover on Abib 15, and Vladimir Putin being the Sixth King.

Mr. Pack, are you really the Branch, the Stone of Israel, the Star of Jacob, one “last” Lawgiver, Joshua the High Priest, the righteous from the east, the Messenger of the Covenant, and at least another thirty more titles found in the Bible including some belonging to Jesus Christ?

All Things Proven
Mr. Pack, have you noticed that most of this letter consists of your own words?

If you proclaim yourself to be a prophet, you become a false prophet by all the false “signs and wonders” you failed to manifest.

If you are not a prophet, you have taken the Lord’s name in vain by claiming God’s authority. All the date-setting does is breed chaos and confusion in The Restored Church of God. It is the spirit of error manifested.

The Bible says a top leader from inside the Church of God will rise as a spiritual thief pretending to be a guardian of truth. Prophecy needs to be fulfilled.

You said RCG used to grow an average of 18% per year from 1999 until 2015. Since the Prophecy Series started in 2015, RCG has been decreasing by an average of 7% annually until March 2024. In less than 10 years, RCG lost more than 1,500 members (and children)

In a 1980 Brethren and Co-Worker Letter, Mr. Armstrong said that the lack of growth was a sign that God was not pleased with the Church and God would remove His blessing as a result. How is that not an ample description of The Restored Church of God?

In the last part of “90 Reasons to Follow the Truth,” you explained that your departure from Global was due to the truth being compromised. 

Due to the numerous doctrinal changes, confusing interpretations of the scriptures, failed prophecies, empty predictions, blasphemies, false teachings, and false preaching since 2015 that hardly anyone can follow or understand, I can no longer abide. I will no longer be compliant in allowing heresy to continue.

Please accept my resignation as a member of The Restored Church of God.

I will continue to observe the laws of God and the weekly and annual Sabbaths with my family and brethren who don’t want to compromise the truth.

I’m very thankful for everything I received from the Church and God for so many years, specially for the truth and for teaching us for so many years to hold fast and prove all things.  

Mr. Pack, you left Global to flee from compromised truth. I am leaving RCG for the same reasons.

I love you all. You are all in my prayers, and I hope to see you again soon.


In Christ’s service,

Christophe Binette
Minister of Jesus Christ

P.S. You can contact me on my email address: chr.binette@gmail.com

Courtesy of Marc Cebrian   See: RCG Ministerial Exit Letter: Christophe Binette

 

 

Commercial Break: Atheists Who Love and Enjoy the Old Hymns

 

Atheists who love hymns

 

 

 

I have said in the past, "The program runs deep"...and it do. 

Growing up Dutch Reformed, the old church hymns were an ever present part of life. We sang them at church every week, twice. We attended both morning and evening services every Sunday. Hymn sings were a standard part of our youth group and I was always there. Just about every hymn of my youth is firmly set in my memory and those memories a source of the best and most stable part of my life personally. 

Mom was an awful alto and dad, well, he tried.  I can hear their attempts to this day in my mind as I stood next to them in the pews growing up. 

I also have said that I never really liked the vast majority of the "Hymns" in the purple hymnal of WCG.  I always missed the deeply comforting hymns of youth. Alas, they were the product of "Churchianity" or "Christianity, falsely so called," and to be rejected. 

It drove me somewhat to distraction when "This is my Father's world" was redefined at times as a hymn of Satan who was "the god of this world."  Stupid and ignorant beyond measure.  Go read the lyrics. 

I had heard that Dwight Armstrong, who I only believe I had ever seen one time in my life at church in WCG, rewrote all the hymns for the "True Church". Evidently getting as far away from out false Church past was imperative.

Herberts family strangly hung around the periphery of the Church like phantoms. Dwight based his hymns on the Psalms for the most part and I found them too aggressive, militaristic and without the emotion and secure feeling of the hymns of my youth provided. They were hymns of conquest and law. The kinder gentler side of the Christian faith was eradicated. Actually, the themes of the New Testament were ignored for the most part.

I never liked climbing through the windows me leaping or "Death shall them seize and to the tomb, ALIVE! they shall go down."  Creepy.  In either church experience, "Onward Christian Soldiers march as to war.." never really did much for me either. Too pushy.

I hated the occasional flip to "Oh Israel, Oh Israel " in place of "America, America, God shed his grace on thee." For one, I always wondered what the Canadians or other non-God's true nations in the audience felt about that.

Also, it seemed some kind of  religious paranoia to sing, "In the beauty of the lillies, Christ was born across the sea..."  "Autumn" had to be substituted. I think lillies, someone thought,were sex symbols and, of course, we could not have a Jesus born in the Winter."

With the emphasis on British Israelism, as I see it, the church was indeed racist and Dwight Armstrong's hymns and toying with the old standard ones leaned towards that feeling for me. WCG was forced to outgrow the racism of it's first years but the sense of being special and why European lingers even here on the GMF in some. Usually the most literal and prejudiced in their views and still connected with the old WCG paradigms. That program also runs deep. I my own case, the program of my youth is stronger, evidently, and over writes my later WCG one. 

In all men that is not so.

That said, I fairly often have the old church hymns of my youth playing in the background, both at home and in the car. For many reasons, any number I have explained here on the GMF, after years of ministry and study, I have arrived at atheist/agnostic when it comes to the message being true or not.

I had hoped it was true for decades but "not literally true" seems so to me. 

But the program runs deep and I will always find some solice in life from it and the hymns embedded deeply in my psyche from my youth, especially as we age and live, yet again, and ever,in the "End Times", which we actually are not save for ourselves of course. 

What currently plays in the background as I write with observations to why unbelievers still enjoy the old hymns. 



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Atheists who love hymns

https://www.christiantoday.com.au/news/atheists-who-love-hymns.html

 

A friend emailed about an atheist she knew who came to church. He came with his wife in order to listen to the hymns. Although he wasn’t a believer, there was something about the hymns that drew him.

I also discovered that Richard Dawkins, probably the Western world’s most well-known atheist, still likes to listen to hymns.

It’s probably only the older generations who were brought up on hymns who are drawn to them. I think it was during the 1970s that hymns were phased out of state secondary schools in New Zealand. Previously, it was standard fare to have a hymn and a Bible reading during a state school assembly.

Nowadays the TV programme ‘Praise Be’ still has a steady following in New Zealand, but those watch it are far more likely to be either believers or have a musical heritage that included hymns. (Friends of ours, who are believers, record the programme and often finish off their Sunday evening by watching it. On the occasions when we have joined them, I have found it is a lovely way to complete a Sunday.)

But is it just a cultural nostalgia that draws non-believers to listen to hymns? Their appeal doesn’t appear to register with younger generations – ‘What’s a hymn?’ asked a young guy when he lined up as a groomsman during a wedding rehearsal.

And even if younger people recognise and know what a hymn is, there are scarcely any hymns known by the general populace now – the notable exception is probably Amazing Grace because of the number of times it is sung at funerals.

When you are older you do like to dwell on some of the things that fashioned or influenced your youth, and particularly music. The popularity of concerts when aging rock or music stars visit illustrates that – the Boss (Bruce Springsteen) has just been to New Zealand with sell-out crowds and a big media focus.

It may just be that hymns are in a similar category for older people, but without the fuss and fanfare stirred up by the visit of a rock icon.

I am wondering though if the appeal is more than nostalgia. Is it more than the poetic memorability and quality of the language used, more than the deep resonance of a well-played organ? After all, a hymn tune is very basic and usually easily sing-able (unless it is set too high for a choir).

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