We had a very famous Jewish actor…If I said his name or showed you his picture, you would know immediately who he was. You would all say, “Wow!” He wrote us and wanted to visit. He was thinking, reading; he realized he had been lied to by religion in so many ways. He was serious. He wanted to know where the Church was and…World famous…Believe me, you would all know him, if I showed his picture right up here on the screen…and at the last minute he backed out, because it was too big a step down to come with us. I hope he comes later. God knows how to work with Jews. He will come to them as they are.

So God has chosen a system where, when He wants to send a warning—good news or bad…generally, bad news, but sometimes good…(Zechariah…there was a lot of good in there)—He needs a postman, and that is what He gets—called a prophet. Now the only difference between a prophet and the guys in the white trucks who come here every day and go to your house…they go like this [knocking sound]…they knock on your door, and he reads the letter to you, in effect, closes it up and walks away. Now most people, of course, don’t come to the door with a note pad and write the letter down. They just go to the box later, after the truck is gone, and they read whatever was sent to them.

A prophet is different. He knows the contents of the letter, and that is the difference. It is the words of God…else how would we read the Bible and know that they are the words of God? Now that is an important thing to understand. Elijah’s role will be to do what God tells him to do. It is a lesser office than apostle……

When it comes to specific messages that you have to get to Garcia…you have to “get a message to Garcia”…you all know the story…you use a prophet. That’s why the last servant is a prophet.

……If he is an apostle to the Church—and it will be a growing church of many tens of thousands all over the world—and you are going to understand things you never have before…Well, then he is an apostle. But, when he acts on God’s behalf, he is, in fact, a prophet, who says exactly what he is supposed to say, not some facsimile of it.

Ian Boyne | White  Power  Trumps  Good  Sense

It is not enough to say that Donald Trump's victory is a 'whitelash' against eight years of a black man's being in the White House. It is, indeed, true that Trump's ascendancy as American president-elect is the culmination of the Tea Party insurgency started just one year after Obama's first victory in 2008. White people, particularly marginalised white males, swept away by the tide of globalisation, have risen up to take back their country and to put America first.

No election in American history has left in its wake so much resentment, bitterness, anger, disappointment and fear - not just in America but around the world. Jamaicans at home and in the US are terrified of the consequences of this Trump victory which, they catastrophise, is likely to torpedo their dreams of a better life. Jamaicans, various minorities, and progressive, forward-thinking people are being counselled that "it's not the end of the world," but for many, Trump's victory certainly seems like that.

'Stunning', 'shocking', 'astonishing' are just a few of the adjectives being used to describe the victory that was not seen by pollsters and pundits. Almost everyone had written off Trump. Except the Silent Majority. Yet, hidden in academia were some books that speak plainly about the phenomenon that the media are now widely reporting on after the fact. One book that narrates the crisis of the white working class and its alienation from the elites is Nancy Isenberg's White Trash: The 400-year Untold History of Class in America (2016). Before that, in 2012, the well-known social scientist Charles Murray had published his Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010.

In September, the respected Atlantic magazine did a long piece titled 'The Original Underclass: Poor, White Americans' Current Crisis Shouldn't Have Caught the Rest of the Country as Off Guard as it Has'.

Then there is also Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis (2016) by J.D. Vance, whose views are now being sought belatedly by American journalists to understand what escaped them. But if you want one book that grippingly and comprehensively explains the Trump Phenomenon, you have to get The Populist Explosion: How the Great Recession Transformed American and European Politics. I notice it is now being featured as 'One of the Six Books to Help Understand Trump's Win' and it has been given the thumbs up by the most intellectually astute media host in America, GPS's Fareed Zakaria.

There is a lot of hasty, half-baked commentary being dished out, but this Trumpism deserves a serious and surgical analysis. Yes, white power has been asserted in a most ferocious and aggressive way, and Trump, like all neo-fascists, was able to exploit the fears and anxieties of the majority against "the deplorables". But remember, that's the same country that voted for a black man as president not once, but twice. Barack Obama did better than Trump's opponent among white voters. Did those white people temporarily lose their ingrained racism when they voted Obama? What happened between 2008 and 2016?

In a review essay titled 'The Great White Nope: Poor, Working Class and Left Behind in America', in the November-December issue of Foreign Affairs, which features "The Power of Populism", History Professor Jefferson Cowie says: "Most Americans are optimistic about their futures but poor and working-class whites are not. ... Poor African-Americans who face higher rates of incarceration and unemployment - are nearly three times as optimistic as poor whites". He quotes one economist as saying poor whites suffer from "unhappiness, stress, and a lack of hope" . Says he: "That might explain why the slogan of the Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump Make America Great Again! - sounds so good to so many of them".

 The rest of the article can be read here:  Ian Boyne | White Power Trumps Good Sense

Unless you make a decision to move to the wrong side of the fire, you don’t ever need to worry about safety or health. If you leave God’s Church, you probably shouldn’t worry about much else. If you don’t want to be part of this, you really should leave. I’m not suggesting anybody doesn’t, but we had people leave this week.

Just to show you how crazy the age is…We have people who left this week, because they’re convinced the Earth is flat! They’ve joined the Flat Earth Society. Do you know how we caught them? They were overheard—overheard. Angry that we have a spinning globe on the World to Come…We were telling a lie to the world that the earth is round. Man…when you call the weak and foolish of the world, that’s what you did! And that’s what God did! I didn’t think anybody could believe that. There is a Flat Earth Society. They’re convinced the moon landing…You ought to hear these people that left…They’re convinced the moon landing is a lie. It’s a hoax. There is no round Moon. The Earth is flat! When it says God sits on the circle of the earth in the Bible…I don’t know what they do with that verse.

I don’t care how old you are in the Church and how old you are in this life when trying to understand and come to grips with this, it doesn’t make any difference…Wait until you see what God is going to do to your body so you can do it. Wait to come to understand, even in that one regard, what restoring all things—not just simple healing, but all things—means to you personally. What God would have to do or we could never carry out this world government that is in some ways, initially, with limits. I will show you exactly what those are…to the degree that God lays them out. Now, I wanted to leave you with that.

It is all right, if you just walk around in a state of perpetual awe and astonishment. I do,too—for more reasons. I get to teach this. It is the greatest privilege of my entire life. I could not even imagine…There is not even anything on a list of the greatest things I have ever gotten to do that should be on that list compared to this. It would pale anything else, so it is just awesome!

Of course, I don’t want to handle the Word of God deceitfully. I know what happens to people who do that. I don’t want to add to God’s Word or I will be found a liar. So God knows that He would have to make it clear or His leader…whoever he was, for that matter…in any age, on any doctrine could get it wrong. During this period of our second revolution in understanding, God would have to—because of the sheer size of the ramifications—make it abundantly clear. Then maybe triple that…and that’s what He does, unless it is more than triple.

One of the additional reasons…Now is the time to mention it…Nations live in national boundaries. God always intended that. Judah and the other tribes were no exception. That is part of “all things.” When you restore all things on the earth, one thing you have to do is show the world there are national boundaries…There is commerce and things between the nations, but God did not want His people sharing other religions—“Get the other people out of here! This is My nation. They can stay as long as they follow the exact same way of life.”

Also, therefore, if you are establishing Judah, you would have to, of course, get all the people to their own national boundaries. Read Acts 17:26. God set the bounds of nations’ habitations. We all understand that. God intended that great oceans or seas, or mountain ranges or deserts, separate the peoples of the earth. Traveling to and fro, today, has allowed people to kind of abrogate that. If you are taking charge of a nation, though, you can’t. That is part of restoring things the way they were. Israel always traveled together, but the twelve tribes each had their own area of inheritance.

Right to left, or left to right? 

JEREMY FOX 15 November 2016

From time to time throughout history, prophecies of doom have warned us of the approaching apocalypse. Most religions have an end-of-days component in which the world as we know it will be swept away, either to be reborn with suitable moral improvements or, as in the Theravada branch of Buddhism, to be finally destroyed in a conflagration.  

Some bold prophets have even ventured to predict the date of our extinction. Pope Sylvester II assured the faithful that they and everyone else would expire on 1 January of the year 1000; while one of his successors, the aptly-named Innocent III settled on 1284. Martin Luther, Christopher Columbus, Nostradamus (Michel de Nostredame), and Isaac Newton, are among the better-known apocalyptic sooth-sayers, Jim Jones and Charles Manson among the most sinister, while New England Puritan minister Cotton Mather and Herbert Armstrong (founder of the Worldwide Church of God) figure among the most indefatigable — happy to revise their predictions when their chosen extinction date passes without incident and they find themselves still alive on the following morning. 

Actually Dave, I totally understand what you are saying and just did quote it back to you as instructed.  That time you foresaw has arrived and indeed, you are uttering both strange and weird things about yourself.  If I read all the letters sent to you by former employees and members correctly, you also have tendencies to act in unscriptural ways but I am pretty sure you don't see that side of this coin.  What chance is there you will see the trail of tears you have left for decades when you are struggling to figure out just what "filthy rags" you, as the fulfillment of Haggai's Joshua the High Priest might have to remove.  The idea that all you can come up with is that you sinned not leaving the splinters soon enough or not starting your own church soon enough is...well...a strange and weird idea to say the least

"I wanna talk about me!"

"No other epistle author in the Bible wrote like Paul. This would be true on a number of levels, but one aspect is of particular interest when we are considering how Paul views himself. He had a way of drawing attention to himself with his usage of personal pronouns. When it comes to how often he uses words like, "I", "me", "my", or "mine", the overall rate in his epistles is almost three times that of his next closest rival."

Because of all of our modern distractions, and because of the breakup of our former association, many thousands of brethren around the world have been deeply hurt or confused. Many are also disillusioned—left with the feeling that Christ “deserted” them, and now they do not know where to go.

As I have previously explained, Christ did raise up the Global Church of God in early 1993, through me—just a very few months after the blasphemous, “God Is...” booklet came out, along with other heretical changes in doctrine. But many were not aware of Christ raising up this Church—or had been poisoned against us by vicious rumors and accusations. So, instead of zealously searching out and proving to themselves where Christ was continuing His Work, many just stayed put or even dropped away from the Truth altogether.

But—mark this!—the living Christ did give people in early 1993 a “way out”—He did raise up a Church with a trained, dedicated ministry of long standing who preached the full Truth and who quickly—within weeks—went on the radio, published literature and began to revive the Work. So Jesus Christ did not “desert” you or anyone else. He is still the living Head of the Church. He is alert, active and powerfully in charge of His Church and His Work! And in His great wisdom, He is now “testing” His people to see what is really in their hearts. 

Let this letter be emphasized, today, for our next president: Mr. Donald J. Trump. The following letter was written by Herbert W. Armstrong to Ronald Reagan in 1981. 
May this letter be for encouragement for our next president: Mr.Donald J. Trump, when he is sworn into office this coming January .

MR. PRESIDENT: You've assumed the most important office in the world on a landslide vote - a virtual mandate. 

I know something of the stupendous problems with which you now must grapple. I have discussed world and national difficulties with heads of state on all continents. I know something of how difficult, knotty and often impossible of human solution are the conditions you now face - greater than those confronting any other head of state.

If ever a President needed the help of this great people he leads, it is now. Some are asking, can you turn the United States around? They look to problems of inflation, unemployment, energy, taxes, budget, business, defense. But those are materialistic problems. In the materialistic area we have fared better than we realize.  

This last week a new movie came out named "Hacksaw Ridge". Directed by Mel Gibson, a member of the Jesuit society.  

Some may say it's a film about the valor, and bravery of a Sabbath day keeper, who refused to touch a gun, on the grounds that God's Word says not to kill. And while it is a stirring story of how a young man saved 75 men in World War 2, without firing a bullet, what cannot be overlooked is the audience this movie is targeting.  

Sabbath keepers and conscientious objectors. 

And the message that appears to be behind this movie, is that it is okay to join the military, or other war branches, even if you object for religious reasons, for the purpose that you might be able to save some sad soul, suffering the effects of war out on the battlefield. That even a Sabbath keeper has a place in the army, in war. 

One might realize, that such a message, portrayed by Hacksaw Ridge, is an attack on the wills of the people of the Church of God and every Sabbath day keeper, edging those who are suckered in by its message closer to compromising God's Word.  

All under the cloak of holding true to religious convictions, it teaches compromise, and caving in to human reasoning. 

But what does the Word of God say about Military Service, and war? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote an extensive book on this very subject.  

Refresh yourself on the values and teachings of God's Word, and beware of the temptations of Satan the Devil to compromise those beliefs. Because Satan is targeting true Christians everywhere.

Pasadena’s Gilded Age Merritt mansion lists for $7.9M

After Merritt died in 1956, the estate was purchased by Ambassador College, a school run by the Worldwide Church of God through 1990 that had once had some very cool midcentury buildings on its campus. (They’ve since been demolished.) The mansion is now owned by City Ventures, an Orange County-based developer. 

The Merritt residence measures over 17,000 square feet, and includes seven bedrooms but somehow only three bathrooms. The few interior photos available hint at just how mind numbingly decadent this place must have been back in its heyday. The house has retained its original mahogany wood paneling on the first and second floors and its private sunken garden, says the listing. The house also contains an indoor swimming pool, perfect for your Great Gatsby parties. 

The property’s landscaped was previously reported to have been designed by noted landscape designer Garrett Eckbo, though the current listing makes no mention of Eckbo. 

The Merritt estate listed for $9.95 million last year. Now it’s had a price chop to $7.9 million.  LA Curbed

GCI is also in a unique time of transition. I know that I myself have some important news to share with you all at our 2017 conference, as we look toward the future of this beautiful denomination. It will be a significant and historic moment, a chance to look back in gratitude over where God has brought us, and look forward with hope where he continues to lead. I know you’ll want to attend to hear from Greg Williams, Director of Church Administration and Development, as he begins an on-going conversation about the next chapter of Grace Communion International and its growth.

Here at GCI, we want to move into the future with clear eyes and with sensitive hearts to the guiding of our Triune God. We are in an important season as a denomination, one of transition and of goal-setting, as we continue to celebrate the wonderful things God has continued to do for us. I joyfully invite you to join us at our landmark 2017 Denominational Conference. You can check gci.org/events for updates, and be the first to know when registration opens in December. My heart is full as I look forward to the blessings and the richness of this family gathering. 

What a joy to participate with Jesus and each of you in this life-changing work of sharing the good news about Jesus with others around the world.  Thank you for your support! 

I’ll keep an eye out for you in Orlando!

Joseph Tkach

President – Grace Communion International

Letter from Dr. Joseph Tkach 

I’m involved in…and I hope you would do the same yourself…in the most fascinating pursuit of my life. Again I will add, I hope yours. I am studying probably three to six hours a day, and of course trying to do other things. I’m not called and paid to, basically, just study all day. I’m supposed to probably study more than any of you, because of my role. I understand that…I’m sure you do, too…but there is so much to learn.

The Bible is different, though. You can read something, and the next chapter goes backward in time without telling you it did. You have to know it well enough to know that it did…and sometimes, you have to stop and realize…Wait a minute, now what just happened? Are we still in the same timeline?…because we serve a God who says He wrote His book here a little, there a little, line upon line, precept upon precept, so that people would go forward, fall backward, be broken, taken and snared, because He doesn’t want the world at large to understand His book—and they don’t even understand that. So everybody studies the Bible and thinks they do, and they get taken and snared by it, because it doesn’t read like other books. 

Mr. Armstrong puzzled over things…The Bible can be a book of conundrums, enigmas, mysteries and prophetic Gordian knots—but it is coming amazingly clear……Surely the one who restores all things—Elijah—would restore proper and full understanding of restoring all things. Would he not? If it is not just the Church, then the one who restores all things ought to, at least, tell the Church what doing that means…Right? Particularly, if every one of you is involved in it in ways that are going to blow your mind before you put your head on a pillow tonight…… 

There will be only one organization. The wicked, therefore, because it is the kingdom of God, have to be removed…… because now you have wicked people mingled with others……Christ is not going to protect them. He’s not going to, in any way, exempt them. They’re part of the world. They’re going to be jerked out of the Church……

It appears from a policy perspective in light of the outcome that we may have a few more years of freedom to preach the Gospel. However, unforeseen events can change this picture overnight. It is going to be interesting to watch. 

Facebook used to allow COGwriter Church of God News page items to directly go to my page as part of an RSS feed, but stopped that a few years ago.

Twitter still carries the headlines of the posts from the page, but one day it may declare that this is either “alt-right” or “religious extremism” or whatever else it may chose to use as ‘justification’ to stop it.

This censorship issue on social media is so serious that we in the Continuing Church of God decided, because of an incident with YouTube, to come up with an alternative to YouTube if we were seriously faced with its censorship again (a sermon by Steve Dupuie allegedly violated ‘community standards’ essentially because he said that Christians needed to obey God’s written word–I filed and appeal to YouTube and they decided they should not have censored that sermon).

The time will come when the USA, and likely some private companies, will apparently stop the efforts of websites like this one. As well as our numerous video channels on the internet. 

Notice that the Bible tells of a time that will come when the word of God will not be found. And that would seem to be because truth from it will be taken off the internet. In the 21st century, the internet is accessed by people in every country, and thus some type of internet restriction/suspension/site removal is coming.

We are getting closer to this time. 

Let’s talk about the role of Elijah for a moment and ask some great questions I posed a week or two ago. Elijah is a prophet. The man who holds the role of Elijah, it says at the end of Malachi, is “Elijah the prophet” and there are three things that are important about this man.

Number one: He restores all things.

Number two: He fixes the family unit. Because if you don’t restore the family unit, generations cannot work together…grandfathers, fathers, grandmothers, mothers, and children—and that is not to say there couldn’t be four generations. It doesn’t mean if the great-grandparents are alive, the great-grandchildren are out; or there are four generations and you count the great-grandchildren in, the great-grandparents are out. That is not what it is saying.

It’s saying the whole family unit, which is the way I have explained it. When you look at it, the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to the fathers…in the Church that involves three generations. It would have to, because of the passing of time. So you have to fix the family unit—which is the fundament of every society. Without it—nothing works. I don’t care what the LGBT crowd thinks, or all the people that support them, and so forth. And you know that.

The third thing is, very simply: He does those two things “before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD” and the Old Testament ends on that statement. There’s somebody who is going to restore all things—fix the family unit. Christ added “restore all things” in Matthew, and do it before the great and terrible day of the LORD, and he is a prophet called “Elijah the prophet.”

So when we speak of Elijah the prophet, a very simple way to speak of him, since he is like Elijah, he is “Elijah that prophet.” It is just that simple. Same person, same job description, only now we understand. After you have now proven that they are one and the same, you now understand the “restoring all things” doesn’t stop at the Church, but it certainly would include telling the Church what “restoring all things” truly means in full scope and size. 

They are the same person. It does not mean God has vested some kind of totalitarian authority in a man. It has nothing to do with that. This man speaks to the world with the two men of wonder on either side of him……and he says to the world exactly what Christ wants him to say…it is very simple……So it does not make any difference whether you are Elijah or Isaiah…or any other prophet—Micah, Daniel, Hosea, Joel—any of them. Whether you are going to tell Hezekiah you’re going to die, or you are talking to 7.3 billion people, it is the exact same job. 

Technology and miracles and the power of God and enforcement in a government that executes justice and judgment in the earth, if you don’t do what God says—that comes out of this man’s mouth, in the way that God is going to do it—you die. It is not some kind of totalitarian human leadership. All of us, brethren, who are going to be in the kingdom of God—every one of you—presumably, you don’t think you are going to go out and do your own thing. We are all going to do our own responsibility—not our own thing.