Rex Sexton began the session (3mins.) by reading from a “public form letter that is sent out when people write to UCG here and ask about women writing.” He read from the form letter, quoting v.34: “Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law of God says.” 

The Freudian slip of adding the phrase “of God” to this verse reveals the subconscious mind set of church leaders - who know that this statement of the role of women in church (or rather lack of it) cannot be found in the law of God. 

In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul begins to address “the things of which you wrote to me.” The first of these is (v.1-2): “It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.” 

Paul expresses his ideal view in v.7-8: “I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that. But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am.” 

How can it be good for them, if a “law of God” hampers their learning, as they do not have husbands to teach them at home? (14:35) 

The ISV also adds to the literal text of 14:34: “The women must keep silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak out, but must place themselves in submission, as the oral law also says.” 

The translators of the ISV realized that the law referred to here is an oral law of Judaism, which the Orthodox Jews continue to observe today. Only men may speak in the churches (synagogues), only men may sing. Women were segregated and must remain silent. Women were expected to marry when young, and their husbands (who had received religious instruction as boys - which girls did not) were expected to teach their wives at home - “if they want to learn something”. 

1 Corinthians 14:34-35 is another of “the things of which you wrote to me.”

In v.36 he gives a disdainful response to their “law” with this rhetorical question:

“Did God's word originate with you? Are you the only people it has reached?”

Sooner or later, all such sites will be shut down. I would strongly suggest downloading every bit of old material you can WHILE you can. Even if you own paper copies of the booklets and magazines you need to have digital copies as well. If you have a safe deposit box at your local bank, you should, I would suggest backing up all your Church material on a thumb drive and putting it in there. Don't rely on a cloud service....to put it bluntly, if you can't stand in front of it and guard it with your rifle...you don''t really own it. 

Yet, this year, God is “testing” our Church in an unusual way. We have been blessed and the Work is going forward. But we have had three or four terrible tragedies all take place in the last week or two. These events should drive us to our knees even more powerfully and cause us to “cry out” for God’s Spirit as never before! First, one of our fine local members in Paris, France, Mrs. Monique Dalle, was one of those who perished in the well-publicized “mysterious” downing of the EgyptAir airplane in the eastern Mediterranean a couple of weeks ago. She had a family and many brethren who miss her terribly. God allowed this, as He does not protect us from every tragedy—as we all know—yet He does protect most of us most of the time which we have also experienced. We are very sorry for her death and the sorrow that her family must feel. Then, we have recently heard about the deaths of three of our fine ministers—Mr. Bruce Tyler in Australia, Mr. Gideon Benitez in the Philippines and Mr. Karl Beyersdorfer here in the USA. All of these men were very dedicated men who gave of themselves to serve God’s people in many places around the world. Mr. Tyler was an outstanding servant of God who served—often in dangerous situations—in many parts of Australasia. He ably built and held together and helped “grow” the churches all over the Australasian region. Mr. Gideon Benitez was a fine and dedicated minister serving many brethren in the Philippines. And Mr. Karl Beyersdorfer—for many years living in my own hometown, Joplin, MO—was noted as “Mr. B” around the whole region and made himself beloved by constantly serving and giving of himself to the people in that area as Christ’s minister.

However, in Mr. Beyersdorfer’s case, it was a double tragedy in the sense that he took his own life. Hundreds of brethren in that area know that Mr. Beyersdorfer had had quite a number of serious physical ailments—leading to deep depression at times—and finally, about two years ago, completely of his own volition, asked to be removed as the Pastor. He asked that Mr. Gene Hilgenberg carry on and he would just “assist” him as best he could. He was under a great deal of stress and was sometimes not “himself” according to his wife and many others. He was under medical treatment and at the time he took his life was undoubtedly in one of the “spells” under deep depression.

Brethren, Almighty God our Father understands all this. He is called:  “The Father of mercies” (2 Corinthians 1:3). Our Father in heaven knows that all of us have moments of great weakness. We who really understand the Bible are fully aware that God does not judge just according to what we do in some moment of weakness. Although we want all our young people to be fully aware of the awful consequences of suicide, we feel that Mr. Beyersdorfer will eventually be resurrected and be honored for what he did do in the decades of faithful service to God’s people when his physical and mental condition were normal. But we certainly need to pray for Mrs. Beyersdorfer and her whole family in this situation. And she has let me know that she has no problem with me telling you about the nature of his death. It is better that it gets “all out there” now rather than having it come up and be asked of her and others over the months and years to come.

For this is a time when the attacks of Satan the Devil—the “murderer” and the “liar” (John 8:44)—are going to intensify as never before. So we all need to be ready! The next few years will be the prophesied time when Satan comes down to this earth “having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time. Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child” (Revelation 12:12-13). 

I urge all of you at this Pentecost time to truly “cry out,” as I have said, and beseech God to pour out His Holy Spirit upon the Church as never before, to inspire us, to empower us with the gifts of His Spirit. May God grant that these events—in the right way—“shake us” and bring us closer to God than we have ever been before. For we cannot and must not take all these terrible events coming on the world for granted. We must use them as events to drive us to our knees and draw us closer to our Creator and to His Son Jesus Christ. 

If you don’t already have one, buy a cooler into which you can pack enough food to feed your family and to share if the opportunity arises.
Get acquainted with your local supermarket.
The deli section has cheese, meats, and such things as potato or pasta salad, coleslaw, iced tea, lemonade, and other food that is already prepared and easily consumed.
The produce section has lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes for those who like to decorate their sandwiches or salads with such.
Fresh bread or other baked goods from the bakery and what more do you need for a delicious and nourishing meal? [All of which you can buy BEFORE Sabbath or prepare your own BEFORE Sabbath]

Of course remember to pack a bag to stow your trash before putting it in an appropriate receptacle for that purpose.

One more thing to remember, next weekend will be a double Sabbath, so plan accordingly.

Expect some stares and quizzical looks from other brethren as you set up your very own Sabbath meal (once a deacon offered to treat me to lunch and when I told him, “no, this is a Sabbath you know?”, the clueless look on his face made the entire encounter worthwhile). 

There may be many who reason, “I have been buying meals on annual holy days for (fill in the blank) years now and nothing serious ever occurred because of it that I can tell). 

God’s mercy is vast but it does have its limits.

It has been suggested that the physical ark of the covenant that the children of Israel had was patterned on one in heaven, thus it could still be on earth.  If it will be found, there is a small chance that the Continuing Church of God may have some involvement with it as we are considering involvement in an archeological project in Jerusalem in the area known as Mt. Zion. On October 24, 2013, while attempting to take some photos and to video some of the remains of the Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill, I was approached by a Jewish rabbi named Avraham Goldstein of the Diaspora Yeshiva who claims that the Ark of the Covenant is below that building on Mt. Zion of the Western Hill.

“What man knows the things of a man, except the spirit of man which is in him? Even so no one understands the things of God, but by the Spirit of God.” (1Corinthians 2:11)


“He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5)


“Well done thou good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21, 23)


FYI: Yesterday in a play-all-areas sermon entitled “Abraham’s Vision”, Gerald Flurry mentioned that he is now considering buying a private jet!  The rationale behind this unbelievable decision stems from experiences Flurry had last year on his flight to and from a US feast site.  Apparently his trip left him feeling so unwell that it took several weeks to fully recover his energy levels.  During the message he commented that modern air travel is now very unpleasant and that breathing in recycled air was unhealthy for him.  He also complained how in the US passengers needed to get to the airport in sufficient time to allow for security screening, sometimes requiring that they arrive up to 3 hours before an international flight.   He concluded by saying that owning a private jet meant he would be able to travel and do more for the work, especially being able to travel quickly between the two campuses in Edmond, OK and Edstone, UK. 
 What that all translates into is this:  After buying a multi-million dollar stately home in the UK, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars refurbishing it, literally pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into a fruitless UK TV campaign for his son, after building a multi-million dollar music and Irish dance facility for the Edmond compound brats, all of which is financed by an ageing and declining membership, the PCG is now going to buy a private jet so Gerald Flurry's children Stephen and Laura and their children and friends can travel the world like rock stars and not have to rub shoulders with the unwashed masses. This unbelievable decision has been made during a time when PCG is experiencing a current 25% drop in income!

You seriously have to wonder about the long-term stability of the PCG and who is really running the church behind the scenes.   Repeatedly throughout his message, Flurry referenced Josephus and how this ancient historian taught that Abraham was an educated and cultured man who introduced fine arts and music everywhere he went.  Each time Flurry made that statement, after the expression, “fine arts and music” he would quickly add “and dancing”.  I know for a fact that “Wittle Laura” and “Wittle Stevie” are both obsessed with Irish dancing, perhaps this is where the pressure is really coming from to buy that oh so needed Lear jet!

June 6, 2016
Thank you for alerting me to the Living Church of God, and their ad on Salem Christian radio in KY. 

I called WFIA and talked to individual who said that the ad was for the "The Living Church." Interesting. Many of these offshoots of Herbert W. Armstrong will not not be upfront and give their complete name. 

I informed this individual that their real name is "The Living Church of God." 

He informed me that Salem Media in Irving, TX was responsible for airing advertisements. I called and was informed that they are pulling the add, and rightfully so. --[name withheld]

Lying has become a big problem in the LCG ministry. Meredith is a big liar, and it looks like he favors other big liars. The fruits of the Spirit are almost nonexistent the closer you get to the top in LCG.

I don't know how many people I am speaking for when I write this, but I know I am not alone. Earlier this year I started banking my tithe, because it is obvious that LCG is no longer doing the work it used to do. LCG used to have the best Church of God TV program, but the program has gotten ugly and tacky. Maybe that's why Meredith has taken it off so many TV stations and now spends money on stupid videos like that Man-Pig thing. Jim Meredith loves those short videos, it was obvious when he visited my congregation, even though they are stupid little things and don't even preach the gospel. They're just vanity. Why should I give my tithes to vanity and lying? When the split comes, I'll have a nice bankroll set aside to help the preaching get going again.

Chapter XI

HWA's EMBARRASSMENT WITH CHRIST 

Writing in The Bulletin, June 3, 1975, pp. 293-294, Herbert
Armstrong explained a perplexing dilemma he had been facing:
“One thing has been a serious handicap, and caused me
and my touring team no little embarrassment. We have had
to say that we represent either Ambassador College, or
Worldwide Church of God. 

“I am regarded as an Ambassador for WORLD PEACE.
But if I represent a CHURCH, immediately that shouts to
them ‘RELIGION!’ and that sparks prejudice and
competitive religious prejudice. If I try to get away from
appearing to be a religious crusader by representing
Ambassador College, they ask, ‘Where is this college? How
many students do you have?’ A college even with two
campuses, having enrollments of only some 500 to 700
sounds pretty small, compared to the universities all over the
world each with from 5,000 to 68,000 students.
“Christ has said we must be ‘wise as serpents, and
harmless as doves.’ Some weeks ago I authorized the
forming and incorporating of a new FOUNDATION,
named ‘The Ambassador International Cultural
Foundation. ‘ It is non-profit, dedicated to serving humanity
worldwide. 

“Foundations, such as the Ford Foundation, the
Rockefeller Foundation, etc. are regarded with great
respect. I still mention Ambassador College, but also
explain that we have now formed this new Foundation to
sponsor our worldwide educational program for all peoples
at all levels. In time, we may, in this worldwide new
dimension of the Work, drop all mention of Ambassador
College, except as one of the associated institutions. 

Furthermore, for accreditation purposes, it is necessary that
this phase of the Word be removed from Ambassador
College, as it now will be legally. 

“Already, we are finding that this new Foundation is
giving great added prestige, credibility and favor. It is
something NOBODY CAN CRITICIZE! It carries no
RELIGIOUS connotation!” 

Three years later, HWA was screaming about those who had
deceived him into going secular and intellectual! What could be
more secular and intellectual than founding another foundation
similar to the Ford Foundation? Interestingly, that organization’s
founder, Henry Ford II, separated himself from it a few years
ago, claiming it had entirely lost its direction, and he wanted
nothing more to do with it. And, I think, the Rockefeller
Foundation is well known to Americans for its humanistic
liberalism. But Herbert Armstrong craves association with those
types of institutions while he abhors having any connection with
his church and college! No wonder he refers to church members as
“dumb sheep.” What could be more revealing? 

Also, while he himself was going international, seeking the
support of “all peoples of all levels, everywhere,” and while he
was actively seeking association with the “great and near-great of
this world,” he had the brass to write to the “dumb sheep:”
“SHOULD GOD’S PEOPLE TAKE ACTIVE PART IN
LOCAL COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES?” In his Pastor’s Report
of August 28, 1978, his answer is “No.” While he cavorts with the
“name people” as much as he possibly can, he wants the “dumb
sheep” to “sacrifice until it hurts” to further his work and his
work alone. It has never been HWA’s policy to give aid to local
communities via the local church there. 

While Jimmy Carter discussed Christianity with the Chinese
leaders (Carter is not even a minister), Herbert Armstrong, who
professes to be a Christian minister, did not so much as mention
the name of Christ on his trip to China for fear of offending his
hosts. Herbert Armstrong seems to have no fear of offending
Christ. But remember, he is ashamed of religion. He would prefer
not to mention the “only name given under heaven whereby a
man might be saved!” Jesus said, “Whosoever therefore shall
confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father
which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him
will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven” (Matt.
10:32-33). 

Herbert Armstrong has an unusually strong desire to walk
among the great of this world. In May of 1978 he wrote to his coworkers
that he and Queen Elizabeth of Britain were going to cohost
an important premier of a charity motion picture in London.
The Queen’s staff at Buckingham Palace replied they had never
heard of Herbert Armstrong. There was embarrassment all
around. HWA’s boast just was not so. But that is the way he
thinks. He so desperately wants to mix in important circles of
“this world.” One would be hard-pressed to explain what a
religious leader who has taught the things Herbert Armstrong has
taught would be doing sponsoring such a motion picture in the
first place. 

Herbert Armstrong was not ashamed to be photographed
with his friend, President Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya, who was
involved in the massacre of British people and cannibalism during
the uprising there some years ago. He liked the picture and had it
put on the cover of some of his publications. He probably would
be photographed with the devil himself, if that would advance his
social position. But he must keep his sheep in line back home,
because they are his power base until he can do better. They pour
the money in. 

Church members who worked in the expensive new auditorium
in Pasadena began to speak out when concerts of all kinds began
to bring in entertainers and support crews right out of
Hollywood. These crews were not “born-again Christians” by
any means. They run the cross section of the entertainment
industry. In the eyes of religious people, that is not good. Here,
right in what Herbert Armstrong had called “The House for
God” when he was soliciting funds from the membership, were
technicians and others who took God’s name in vain as a matter
of course and others who talked “homosexual talk” while among
our people. On at least one occasion, members were rushed out of
the auditorium after Sabbath services while it was still the
Sabbath in order to get it ready for a performance that evening.
Why? Well, HWA was busily removing the stigma of representing
a church and a college in order that he might be well spoken of
among the New York and Beverly Hills set.

Hillary Clinton, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Hillary Clinton Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Catholic, Hopi, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Donald Trump?  2nd edition

The subtitle has been changed to include information about Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump. Donald Trump was not mentioned in the first edition of the book as he did not announce his candidacy until about two months after that book came out. 

But Donald Trump was not the only reason to come out with a second edition. Hillary Clinton has made more statements that prove that my original contention that she is ‘apocalyptic’ is correct.

...lists 20 reasons why she is apocalyptic and also points out she, and even Donald Trump, are fulfilling certain end time prophecies.  This edition is also a dozen pages longer than the first edition.

 Let's open our Bibles to see why Petra has puzzled scholars and Bible students for centuries. 
   The true Church of God is pictured in Revelation 12. It is symbolized by a woman — the bride of Christ. But it is a persecuted woman — a Church hated by the world. According to verse 6 the Church fled the first time from her persecutors for 1260 years — during the Middle Ages. But verse 14 unveils another flight of the Church — in the very last days. This time the duration is only 3 1/2 years! "And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle"— supernatural deliverance — "that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time"— 3 1/2 years. 
   This prophecy has never been understood by the world because the world cannot understand to whom this prophecy refers. It does not recognize who are the true Church. It sees only the false churches, described in Revelation 17. 
   But consider now the special time of this prophecy about protection in a mysterious wilderness. Notice exactly which period in the history of God's Church the escape shall occur. Turn to Revelation 3:7-13. This is addressed to the Philadelphia Era of God's Church — the Church before whom Christ opens the door to preach His gospel around the world (verse 8). Because this Church has kept Gods word, Jesus promises: "I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation"— the time of trial — "which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth' (verse 10). Here is a world-wide terror to come upon all nations. This is not for the slow-moving past. It is a prophecy for the pulsating present the last days of human history — just before God intervenes to set up His Kingdom to bring peace at last. 
   Here is a prophecy for this generation — at the very time God's Church is preaching and publishing the Gospel of the Kingdom of God world-wide. This prophecy is about us! 
   But how will Jesus keep us from the coming trial and persecution? We just read the answer from Revelation 12! There is a place of safety, in a wilderness, for the people of God. 
   But where is that wilderness? 
   That is the mystery that has puzzled so many for so long! God has kept it a mystery so the world would not know. He has even kept it hidden from God's Church in the past so His people would have their minds on their work! It is only those who are having a part in the work of God — who have their minds on the Kingdom of God, not some physical place of protection — who will escape. That escape cannot be planned for in advance. It is a supernatural escape! 
   Remember, if the Christians in Jerusalem in apostolic days had quit their work and prematurely escaped to Pella before A.D. 69, they would have been destroyed by the Roman armies who devastated the city. It was only those who completed the work of God who reached safety in A.D. 69 after the Romans destroyed Pella! 
   That is why God has veiled the exact place of escape from human eyes all these years. But as the days draw closer to the time of the end, the light of prophecy shines ever more clearly! When the moment comes that we need to know where that place of safety is, Christ will make it known. Meanwhile we need to keep our eyes open and our minds yielded — drinking in the implications of prophecy for this Church today! But where does Petra fit in all this? 

An Old Testament Prophecy

   Turn to Isaiah 42:l0-13. Here is a prophecy for today — a time of divine intervention, verse 14. Now read verse 11 from the Jewish Publication Society translation according to the original inspired Hebrew: 
   "Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit"— the descendants of Kedar are the Bedouin Arabs who dwell throughout the Middle East in black tents. Here we have a wilderness located in the Arab world! But continue reading: "Let the inhabitants of Sela exult. Let them shout from the top of the mountains." The inhabitants of Sela? Who are they? And where is Sela? (In the King James Version the word for Sela is translated "rock.") 
   Any Bible student knows that Sela is the Hebrew name of Petra! Sela means Rock — in Hebrew; Petra means Rock in Greek! But Sela or Petra is fundamentally uninhabited today, save for a few dozen wandering Bedouin. These are not the inhabitants in this verse, for notice verse 12: "Let them"— the inhabitants of Petra or Sela — "give glory unto the Lord"— the Bedouin do not know God, they are Mohammedan — "and declare His praise in the islands." 
   Which islands? The islands which Israel inhabits — Isaiah 41:1 and 8. God is certainly not going to use a few uneducated, ignorant Mohammedan Bedouin to declare His glory in the islands and coastlands of Northwestern Europe — where Israel is today! This prophecy resurrection and the return of Christ in power and glory. Christ is going to use His servants — now immortal in the Kingdom of God — to proclaim His intervention and the establishment of His Kingdom over all the earth. He is going to use the very ones whom He is now using to proclaim His message. Then they will finally heed! 
   Isn't this prophecy a clear indication that the place of safety for the people of God who are now doing the work of God — and broadcasting to the islands and coastlands of Northwestern Europe — is in an Arabian wilderness, where the Bedouin dwell and is probably at Sela, or Petra?

"Petra has long held prophetic interest for Christians. 

The Bible tells of a place in the wilderness where some Christians are subject to protection (Revelation 12:14-16). Many have wondered if  this could be Petra in Jordan.

Carnally speaking, Petra is not a place many would pick (cf. 10 safest nations to be in during World War III? Has WWIII begun?). But God may have chosen it or at least somewhere relatively near or like it.

One of many sermons by the Continuing Church of God at the ContinuingCOG YouTube channel and is titled Might Petra be the Place of Safety? 

It covers information such as:

The Bible teaches that a portion of the Christians will be protected in a wilderness area during the Great Tribulation. Might this place be Petra in Jordan? Which places do the Bible show can and cannot be the place of safety? Is the idea of Christians fleeing to an area with caves during the reign of the Beast and Antichrist an old one or a modern invention? Which Christians get this protection and which do not? Will those who do not go be subject to persecution? Do Catholic prophecies warn against this biblical place of protection?

As far as Petra goes there are several clues in the Bible that suggests Petra or a place similar to it. But part of this is based upon where the place of protection is not."

"In terms of its location from Jerusalem, Petra (Sela on some Bible maps) is mainly south and slightly east of Jerusalem. 

Now it is also possible that the actual place could simply be just be near Petra or perhaps the location will be far from it. 

Philadelphians and the Wilderness 

In the New Testament, while not all Christians are promised physical protection, the Philadelphians are promised to be protected from the Great Tribulation and this place is in the wilderness according the the Book of Revelation:"

"Places, such as Petra, are in the wilderness and in a biblically possible location.
Now, because of the fact that Petra is such an important tourist site for Jordan, and because of archaeological considerations, it may not be the place. But it could be or even near the place.

While Petra may not be the place, it is a place to be considered."