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Idiots in the pulpit: We Need Fancy Jets Because Demons Fly Commercial

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For many decades we heard in the Church of God why Herbert Armstrong needed his fancy jets in order to fly around the world.  Millions of dollars in tithe money were used to buy these jets and fly entourages around the world while staying in first class hotels, all at tithe payers expense, and for what?  Thankfully Joseph Tkach Sr. out a stop to that silliness.

Today, countess other religious hucksters brag about their own jets and tell their followers to send in money to help them finance new jets.  This recently has caused a backlash and criticism that has stung some these hucksters.  They are now on the defensive and you won't beleive their excuses.







Rod Meredith: Personal - Pray for Our Financial Growth!

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(From a reader here on Rod Meredith's latest beg for money.)

It's a beg-for-money-disguised-as-let's-pray-to-God-for-growth article.  Because, you know, when the rubber hits the road it's always about the money and always will be.



While older members/ex-members will recognize it doesn't quite pack the ol' HWA punch that the old co-worker letters did, unfortunately it will still cause some cowering fear to whip out their checkbooks once again, which is quite sad.





The title is:



Personal - Pray for Our Financial Growth!


This old phrase is, of course, the old stand-in for "we need money".  Because it sounds much more pious to ask for prayers than money.  But, amazingly, it seems you simply can't grow an organization just on prayers, so...


First, the usual positive introduction to get you in a giving mood!


Dear Brethren and Friends,I can honestly and sincerely tell you that this recent Feast of Tabernacles celebration was the most unified and inspiring Feast many of us have everexperienced.


For the love of all that's good and sacred give this old canard a rest already!

The MOST unified?  Most inspiring?  everexperienced?  They can't all be the bestest ever.  From high to higher to higher yet, a veritable one-way rocket trip to unimaginable heights of inspiration and unity!  The dude must be on a permanent high from such constant levels of inspiration each of which consistently transcends the last one.


Then, the "God works miracles" part to trigger the awe factor and, well, get you more into a giving mood.


Also, as a number of our “updates” have reported, Almighty God intervened at least several times in acts of divine protection and direct healing that took place at Feast sites all over the world. Thank God!


Never mind the details.  If the past is any guide, these "interventions" are entirely indistinguishable from chance and circumstance.


In spite of bad weather all around the site, our heavenly Father blessed us with much less rain and bad weather than many other areas nearby. So the weather did not stop our meetings


Uh huh, just as suspected.  Indistinguishable from chance and circumstance.  So he blessed you but cursed those poor souls who got the bad weather.  Also, I love the ambiguous phrase "much less rain and bad weather".  Imagine if the Almighty was just a teeny bit more mighty, you could have had "no rain and no bad weather".  Whatever, now let's get to establishing how important this Work is that you must send in money for.


Brethren, as the end of this age approaches, and as the power of our Work increases, there will undoubtedly be great persecutionin the years just ahead. Each of us needs to beseech God to grant us—and allof our brethren—the faith and the courage to keep going and growing!


The above implies that your "Work" is growing, which seems to contradict what you imply below, that it is not growing or at least not anywhere near like it used to.


One special prayer that I would ask all of you to join me in praying is this: let us all together beseech God to grant us in this Work at least half of the financial increase that He gave Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong for about 35 years!


If I were a member, I would think that would be a silly thing to pray.  If the "Work" is of God, which he wants done, and indeed has promised to do, and it is the most important thing going on, even to God himself, then why do you need to beg him to increase it?  Rod talks almost as if it's something HE wants and hopes God will grant him.  Oh, wait, maybe I'm onto something.......


So, let us together beseech God, as this terrible society around us deteriorates more rapidly, as the wars and violence and weather upsets and earthquakes increase, that He would grant us much greater power to do the Work by giving us such a financial increase.


Yes, because before modern times there really weren't all that many societal problems, or wars, or violence, or bad weather or earthquakes.  Society was much better when, for example, criminals were crucified or slavery was common.  But I digress.


Again, if it's so important to God, and part of his Master Plan, why does he need you begging him to give it greater power through increased funds?  The dichotomy of thought is amazing.  On the one hand, this is God's most important Work of all time, the Gospel that has been prophesied to be preached, where events are inexorably taking place all according to God's master plan, the gates of hell shall not prevail against his church, etc. etc.  On the other hand, if we don't pray and "beseech" this God to let it all happen as prophesied, it might not happen!  Cognitive something or other.


By the way, what is it with the word "beseech"?  People who use it don't seem to know that it's a quaint and outdated term that nobody else uses anymore.  Continuing:


Perhaps none of us have the tremendous personalities and magnetism that the Armstrongs had.


I think I would scratch the "perhaps".


He is working through us right now, and—as these terrible end-time events approach—we really need to shake the world with the knowledge of His Kingdom far more than we have ever done.

Remember, brethren, we are only “beginning to fight.” We have not yet finished!


Yes, because unless and until you finish your work, the end cannot come!  Oh how dependent your God is on the whims of human beings.  Will they send in money?  If not, the work will languish and God cannot get on with his business!


So again, since Jesus told us: “ask and you shall receive,” we can with faith ask God to give us at least one-half of the financial increase He gave His Church all those yearswhen Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong were still alive and doing the Work. That would be a 15 percentfinancial increase of this Work year by year.


15% growth?  Not likely.  Not likely at all unless you see a major uptick in membership rolls, which is almost certainly not going to happen in the increasingly non-religious country that is the U.S.


I hope all of you will sincerely and zealously do your part.


Ah, now we're getting down to the brass tacks.  Prayer is all fine and dandy but in the end it boils down to whether or not your money arrives at HQ.


But I am not going to “press you” on that. For that is up toyou and between you and God as you “walk with Him” in the fear of God.


Ha!  I love it.  I'm not going to press you, but it's up to YOU if you want to face the fear and wrath of God if you don't send in more money!


Then, we could go on far more television stations, greatly increase our impact over the Internet—which is certainly the “wave of the future”—


Um, you mean the wave of the present, right?  What is this future "internet" you speak of?  Sounds interesting...


... increase our personal appearance campaigns and “grow” the Work in every possible way.


Uh-oh, does every possible way include a new Big Beak and Young Ambassadors?  God I hope not, but then again I'm not too concerned.


When I first began this present Work back in 1992, I was a little embarrassed to ask for money.


Yeah, rrrright. Too embarrassed to ask, uh-huh. Sure.


If you read some of the old [HWA] co-worker letters today, as many of you brethren have kept some of them, they were almost “hair-raising” in the power they had!


Yeah, come to think of it, they were hair-raising, with their dire predictions of calamity always within 5-10 years, and the need for the "final push", the final lap, impending collapse of society and return of JC always around the corner throughout the 1940s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.  Duh, of course they were hair-raising -- fear is what those co-worker letters were all about.   Fear and guilt, I might add.

And naturally those hair-raising warnings all turned out to be wrong, but hey, who cares, the letters did what they were designed to do, which was increase income.


But because this world so desperately needs what we have to give, I urge you to join me along with our top ministers in beseechingGod to grant us at least 15 percent increase in our financial resources year by year and therefore enable us to really get going far beyondwhat we have yet done so this world will have a powerful “witness” of the Plan of God


I hope you will join us to beseech (almost starting to like that word) God that you will send us more money.  Please beseech God to make you send us more money.


Dear brethren, some of you may wonder why I am coming on so strong at this time.


Uh... desperation, perhaps?


After Mr. Armstrong’s death, God’s Church came apart in many ways. We have been truly scattered into many different groups and denominations. The power and effectiveness of the Work has been shatteredbeyond belief.


Oh, great.  Because you guys didn't have enough faith, and broke up into a hundred splinters, now the world has to wait another who knows, 30 or more years in Satan's clutches.  Damn.  And to think, JC was just about to arrive like HWA was saying.  Damn.


All of the little groups that have clung to at least partof the Truth are literally unknown to 99 percent (or more!) of the world’s population! Most of you realize this. If you go around your neighborhood you find virtually no one who has heard of the Living Church of God or any of the other groups that are trying to do God’s Work today.


No one has heard of LCG?! No kidding?  Shocker!  Why I thought LCG and UCG were household names by now.


So I hope all of us can begin to fast and to pray fervently and ask God to help us stir ourselves to do our part far more zealously and begin to serve our Creator with zeal and to give of our physical substance sacrificially as we are able.


That wonderful phrasing again: Ask God to stir us up to send in more money!

Love that physical substance!  Fasting, praying and zeal are all fine, but give me some physical substance any day.


Some of our brethren are already doing this. But I am fully aware that many of our brethren—often fine brethren who mean well and who are already giving a little bit of their substance—are nevertheless sitting on hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars worth of money, property and other resources they very rarely touch to help do the Work of the living God at the very end of this age.


Oh for the love of rationality, please do not send one dime in to this guy who's telling you to do so or else God can't do His Work that He is supposedly going to do anyway, and besides we might paraphrase Captain Kirk who once asked "What does God need with a starship", as follows: "What does God need with your money, for crying out loud he (supposedly) created the cotton-pickin' universe ex nihilo".

RCM, on the other hand, desperately does need your money as he has no ex nihilo powers and is forced to resort to begging for money in articles like these.


Brethren, as our beloved peoples of America, Canada, Britain and other Israelite-descended nations ....


No, no, no, no, no, the genetic evidence says otherwise.  Don't you guys keep up on these things?


...it is obvious that God will soon shake us beyond what we have ever experienced before. It is obvious that our own standards of living will greatly diminish more than what many of us can perhaps imagine. It is obvious that many millions of people of the descendants of Israel will go into captivity—experiencing anguish and sufferingwhich they have never before experienced.


Now you're getting with it, Rod!  Hair-raising like HWA.  Although I have to admit HWA was better at it.  Nuclear winters, parents forced to eat their children, diseases of rotting flesh, that kind of imagery.  A little more specific and visual imagery would have scaled up the fear and helped bring in more dollars.  But then again, HWA was a pro.


It is in that spirit that I am asking all of you to become more truly zealous and “sacrificial” in the way you give of your resources. We in America, Canada, Britain and Australia often have far beyond what we actually need to lead a comfortable life, and far, far more than we need merely to subsist.


WTF?  You mean you won't be satisfied unless your members sacrifice their money to you so that they are on "subsistence" levels?  Should they be living in the woods off berries and mushrooms?  Certainly no one should own a house, car or have more than one set of clothes (far, far above what's needed to "subsist").

And of course, you're going to set the example first, right Rod?  Right?


So, “God is watching and testing” our attitudes in this regard. I am just asking you to do what some of us are already doing to a degree.


Pure bullcrap.  Oh wait, maybe they've hesitated on getting that second coffee-maker.  Sacrifice, after all.


I hope all of you can see the “signs” of the soon-coming endof this age. We all know what this means.


Lessee, I see wars and rumors of wars (whatever that means), earthquakes, volcanoes, crime, hurricanes, disease, etc. all of which have been going on for all of human history or for millions of years earlier, even before they were prophesied.


We know that it means that we have just so much timeto get out Christ’s message so that people all over the world will know that our God is real, and that He is now beginning to intervene with increasing power to set up His Kingdom on this earth.


And if you don't get that message out, then what....?


Really, what a silly letter.  So sad that there are going to be some people who read this, get all excited and send their hard-earned funds and or liquidated assets to this guy and his minions.


What happens if LCG can't pay for a few TV programs, 2nd coming on hold?


What does God need with a starship.


Or in this case, a dingy boat.







Rod Meredith is not happy that LCG members are "sitting on millions of dollars worth of money and property" instead of giving it to the church.

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Rod Meredith has sent another missive to his flock.  (See: Personal  Pray for our Financial Growth!

It starts out with his usual doom and gloom.  Persecution and suffering are soon to fall upon the Living Church of God because it has such a "forceful" message" to preach...say what?

The problem Dear brethren is that you are not sending in enough money to make us a "forceful" work the preaches truth without any reservations or hindrances.  Silly brethren!  Its all YOUR fault once again.  Its not that the message that Meredith and crew are preaching is not relevant, but its because you are not sending in money!  For shame!

Like any good Church of God splinter group, Meredith cannot write without comparing himself to Herbert Armstrong.  Lets face it Rod, 30 years after HWA's death and you STILL cannot even come close to matching what HWA accomplished.  However, Meredith is delusion if he actually things the church had an income increase of 30% every single year for 35 years.  

Brethren, as the end of this age approaches, and as the power of our Work increases, there will undoubtedly be great persecution in the years just ahead. Each of us needs to beseech God to grant us—and all of our brethren—the faith and the courage to keep going and growing! We need to encourage one another in this and help each one to “buckle up” for the rough ride ahead! Again, as I have reminded you over the years, always keep your mind on the “Big Picture” of God’s great Plan and how He always tries and tests each one of us before we are made full sons in His soon-coming Kingdom. One special prayer that I would ask all of you to join me in praying is this: let us all together beseech God to grant us in this Work at least half of the financial increase that He gave Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong for about 35 years! For, as Mr. Armstrong explained many times, God gave the Work under his direction about 30 percent increase year by year for about 35 years.
Thirty years after HWA's death and Meredith cannot come up with something new.  His message can't be reimagined for the 21st century.  He still looks back with warm fuzzies at days gone by.  The Living Church of God will NEVER accomplish what HWA did or the COG did decades ago. Meredith's message and that of the Living Church of God does NOT shake the world and never will.  Knowing he is impotent in doing such a work, Meredith declares that the LCG needs to settle for half of what HWA accomplished.  In order for that 15% increase to happen the members need to give more money.  However, Meredith says he can't make members give that much money, so he scares them by stating that God is watching them to see what they give.
Perhaps none of us have the tremendous personalities and magnetism that the Armstrongs had. But God Almighty is still alive, He is working through us right now, and—as these terrible end-time events approach—we really need to shake the world with the knowledge of His Kingdom far more than we have ever done. Remember, brethren, we are only “beginning to fight.” We have not yet finished! So again, since Jesus told us: “ask and you shall receive,” we can with faith ask God to give us at least one-half of the financial increase He gave His Church all those years when Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong were still alive and doing the Work. That would be a 15 percent financial increase of this Work year by year. I hope all of you will sincerely and zealously do your part. But I am not going to “press you” on that. For that is up to you and between you and God as you “walk with Him” in the fear of God. But I feel that God would want us to cry out and ask Him for the blessing that I have already indicated. Then, we could go on far more television stations, greatly increase our impact over the Internet—which is certainly the “wave of the future”—increase our personal appearance campaigns and “grow” the Work in every possible way. 

Being the most sinless and ever humble Church of God leader to ever to follow Herbert Armstrong, Meredith claims asking for money has always been hard for him.  Though he glosses over how he freely took money from a few people to help start Global and then Living after he apostatized a second time to start LCG.

When I first began this present Work back in 1992, I was a little embarrassed to ask for money. For all those years I was helping Mr. Armstrong—even as Second Vice President for about twelve years—I did not have the responsibility to directly ask for money. Mr. Armstrong did. So he wrote truly powerful and stirring co-worker letters in those days. If you read some of the old co-worker letters today, as many of you brethren have kept some of them, they were almost “hair-raising” in the power they had! It might be offensive to some of our newer brethren in our more liberal, worldly society today. But because this world so desperately needs what we have to give, I urge you to join me along with our top ministers in beseeching God to grant us at least 15 percent increase in our financial resources year by year and therefore enable us to really get goinfar beyond what we have yet done so this world will have a powerful “witness” of the Plan of God, of the reality of the soon-coming Government of God over this earth, and a genuine understanding of the true Jesus Christ of the Bible. May God inspire all of you to get involved in this way!

Being the most humble Church of God leader ever, I wonder if Meredith will actually put on sack cloth and ashes as he suggests below.  We know this will never happen.  Its too easy to sit in a warm home or a mahogany paneled office and pretend to be humble and beg.

Dear brethren, some of you may wonder why I am coming on so strong at this time. But I hope that many of you—as I did—have taken the sermons and the wonderful experience we had at the Feast home and had the time to think and pray about how close we ought to be to God, about what we really ought to be doing and how this world so desperately needs the full Truth. Down through history, as you know, many of God’s leading servants went through periods when they cried out to God for special help and blessings. Remember the time when Daniel came to realize the tremendous need for God to intervene as he began to fully realize that the 70 years of desolation of Jerusalem were almost over: “Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said, ‘O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments’” (Daniel 9:3–4). He described his concern for “all Israel”—both near and far—who had been driven to countries all over because of their unfaithfulness to God and their spiritual weakness (v. 7). 
Next Meredith gets to the meat of the matter.  He is NOT happy that the LCG membership is SITTING on "hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars worth of money, property and other resources."
Many of you older brethren realize that something similar has happened to the Church of God today! After Mr. Armstrong’s death, God’s Church came apart in many ways. We have been truly scattered into many different groups and denominations. The power and effectiveness of the Work has been shattered beyond belief. All of the little groups that have clung to at least part of the Truth are literally unknown to 99 percent (or more!) of the world’s population! Most of you realize this. If you go around your neighborhood you find virtually no one who has heard of the Living Church of God or any of the other groups that are trying to do God’s Work today. This needs to change! So I hope all of us can begin to fast and to pray fervently and ask God to help us stir ourselves to do our part far more zealously and begin to serve our Creator with zeal and to give of our physical substance sacrificially as we are able. Some of our brethren are already doing this. But I am fully aware that many of our brethren—often fine brethren who mean well and who are already giving a little bit of their substance—are nevertheless sitting on hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars worth of money, property and other resources they very rarely touch to help do the Work of the living God at the very end of this age.
Think of it! 

As usual it is the members fault that the money is not flowing in.  Silly brethren!

Church, brethren were often filled with such zeal and such fervency that they were willing to open their hearts and their wallets to a degree far beyondwhat most of us are willing to do today. God’s Word tells us: “Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need. And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus,having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet” (Acts 4:32–37). God does not ask us to “have all things in common” as did these first-century Christians, but we can still be moved and inspired today by their great zeal. 

Meredith wants his membership to join him in this "crusade." For some reason the god of Armstrongism sure needs the blood of the unbelievers spilled onto ground in order for the faithful to be found righteous.  Onward Christian soldiers marching off to war.  Kill the infidel so God's kingdom be manifest and we can rule worlds.  The problem for LCG is that God's kingdom of brotherly love cannot happen because there is no love in the LCG.  Again, this the members fault.  LCG members just CAN'T get along for some reason. 

Once again, I am asking—as your pastor and friend—that you will “join me” in this crusade to ask God fervently for this financial increase, and that each one of you will try to do your part as best as you are able. I hope all of you can see the “signs” of the soon-coming end of this age. We all know what this means. We know that it means that we have just so much time to get out Christ’s message so that people all over the world will know that our God is real, and that He is now beginning to intervene with increasing power to set up His Kingdom on this earth. So, I pray we will all “get going” as never before. May God guide you, inspire you and bless you as you walk with Him. Let us all pray for one another that we can keep the zest of the Feast of Tabernacles going and growing in our personal lives day by day. I love you. I thank you so much for the love and the joy and the encouragement that you have continued to give, and I hope that you will join me in this crusade to ask God to give us even greater power than ever before—even in the financial part of the Work. Then we will be able, in this commercial society in which we live, to reach out even more powerfully than ever before. May God be with you.

Meredith loves to point out that growing "personal problems and growing sin within the church" led to the Worldwide Church of God's downfall. For some reason he cannot see that the very same thing is happening to his group.  Personal problems and sin in the LCG HQ and ministry is what is hampering his "work." As one reader here wrote to me about this said, "For some reason he cannot connect that same scenario to the reasons his works is suffering financially."

This inside source says, "The truth of this money begging is not to  expand to the Internet and more TV stations, but it is to cover the huge debt they have already accrued."

This source goes on to say, "Word on the street is that they are ultimately phasing out TV all together but they haven't officially made that announcement yet so RCM feels he can still use it in his ridiculous plea for cash.

If God were going to bless LCG, would RCM really have to shamelessly beg, plead and psychologically manipulate members to give more? "


Rod Meredith and entire LCG ministry to sell homes and give the millions in dollars in income they have been sitting on back to the Work.

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Every since Rod Meredith wrote his latest letter to the Living Church of God membership,  complaining about how they are sitting on millions of dollars sin income, he has taken a lot of flack for it.  Always the one to set the right example and do what is right, Rod Meredith has decided to sell his own home and give the money back to the church.  His shining example has so impressed the cold hearted ministry of the LCG that they too have decided to sell their homes and give 100% of the proceeds back to the church.  The gospel message is so important to them that they want to set the right example and put the millions of dollars in income they have been setting on back into the work. Feeding the poor, taking care of the widows, orphans and the disinherited is now the focus of the Living Church of God.  Now we will see it grow as never before! The Kingdom of God will truly break forth in our lifetime!

He knows he has a short time to get the church for the soon coming Kingdom. He sees thousands of dollars sitting idle and he needs that money to get the church ready. So here is his plan. He knows you have to lead by example. He is going to ask all the top ministers to put their homes up for sale he also will put his home on the market Can you imagine the impact this will have on the brethren once the top ministers donate the proceeds from their homes and donate their savings then the brethren will want to follow their example. Now those ministers will rent apartments. With this new money Dr Meredith can begin to follow Jesus's words. Feed the hungry, look after the homeless, and visit the sick. Ministers will roll up their sleeves and work the soup lines at the homeless shelter owned by LCG

In our dreams....

Is God Punishing the LCG Leadership With Strokes?

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Bob Thiel had a comment up today about another leader in the Living Church of God who has had a stroke.  This is apparently the third leader to suffer a stroke.  You can see from Thiel's comment below that he feels his god is punishing the LCG leadership.  Thiel has been bragging over the past few days  that his "work" is the ONLY Church of God group growing and actually preaching the gospel. Theil feels that LCG is rife with sin.

Bruce Tyler is the third high-level LCG leader that comes to mind being hit by a type of stroke. LCG's Presiding Evangelist Roderick C. Meredith and his assistant, his son Jim, are the other two. Bruce Tyler

Rod Meredith Is Tired of Competitive, Bickering, and Accusatory Brethren

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One of the most effective tricks of Armstrognism was to instill fear in its members.  That fear kept the membership obedient and submissive. Fear of losing ones salvation or being persecuted for ones beliefs was the favorite control mechanism of the Church of God.  Rod Meredith's god has always been eternally pissed and angry at everyone.  From regular church members to the pagan heathens in lost corners of the world.  His god has been ready to SPANK everyone into submission.

In his January/February editorial, Rod's god is ready to wreck havoc upon an unsuspecting world, BUT before it does so the Living Church of God will face INTENSE persecution of its FORCEFUL message. 

Brethren, with the entire panorama of prophetic events surging ahead more than ever, I deeply feel that I should once again give you “proper warning” about what to expect in the years ahead. We often emphasize the blessings and the opportunitieswe will surely have in God’s Work—and, later on, in Tomorrow’s World. Our reward will be awesome. However, it is very clear in the New Testament that many true Christians will be persecutedeven before the formal Tribulation begins. So it is imperative that you understand this, pray about this, and are not “shocked” or disillusioned if the world begins to savagely turn on us at some point before the end of our ministry!
While LCG members are not being persecuted for their faith, fake Christians are dying around the world.  Meredith and other COG ministers (Thiel) love to smear Christians as "professed" or "so-called." These people apparently are too stupid to know that they are not real Christians like LCG members are.   Rod somehow thanks that the LCG will soon be restricted and banned around the world for their message.  Its laughable to think that such a thing will happen to them considering the cesspool the LCG leadership is currently swimming in.  They have not set any example to the world other than what NOT to do in a church.  Instead of being persecuted they are being laughed at and set forth as an example as to how not to treat ones members.
Even apart from the true Church, professing Christians around the world are suffering increased persecution. News reports tell us of more and more horrifying instances of their being tortured, killed, raped or even sold into slavery in many non-Christian lands.
And now there is a movement in many European countries to crack down on virtually all religious groups that are not in the “mainstream.” These groups include Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists and others. Clearly, as the Living Church of God gains worldwide recognition and prominence for doing the Work of God, we too will be restricted—maybe banned!—and eventually persecuted in many nations around the world. 

The Living Church of God has been facing lots of criticism over the last few years as abusive ministers are placed in positions of authority where they treat members like dirt, with the full blessing of LCG HQ.  (Just look at Rod McNair's track record and what he has done.) Yet, Meredith places that criticism into the category of "persecution." Members have never had the right in the Church of God to have the ability to ask for justice.  Mistreatment by the minister was always turned around to be a "test" to see if the members were worthy.  That's why the ministry has always gotten away with its grievous abuse of members.  It was Satan the accuser at work, never sick and degenerate men who who should never have been ordained.

Truly, we all will need to “stand tall” against the storms of criticism, hatred and persecution that Satan will hurl at us, both from within and from without. For Satan will attempt to “break” us. He and his untold legions of demon spirits (Ephesians 6:11–12) will try to divide us, pitting brother against brother, even in God’s Church! He will attempt to discourage us profoundly, through repeated attacks, accusations and persecution. Eventually, after his “frontal assault” on God fails, Satan will “come down to you, having great wrathbecause he knows that he has a short time” (Revelation 12:12). 
Will you be ready? The time for us to be bickering, competing and accusing one another must quickly come to a close, brethren! For we have a far greater enemy in the “prince of darkness” than many of us may fully realize. And we will need all the love, encouragement and support of our brethren that we can possibly have during the trials ahead. 

Sadly the persecution of the brethren has come from within, not from Satan or the world who is upset with their message. The persecution is coming from men who do not follow Jesus or even know anything about him.  When ones own leaders cannot talk about Jesus, his message, what he accomplished, grace, justification or any other new covenant teachings, what more can one expect?   When the message is about the law, death and doom, how can grace ever shine forth?  Reading through  any missive by Rod Meredith, particularly his editorial, you can see how graceless the man truly is and what what he preaches.

Living Church of God Members Must Forsake All

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Living Church of God members are being encourage to forsake all, families, friends and money.  Naturally this does not apply to the ministry or LCG HQ folk.  Can you imagine Lil'Jimmy forsaking all? Gerald Weston? Or Rod McNair?

I feel sorry for LCG members, nothing they can do ever seems to please Rod Meredith.


Stop Playing Church!The time for “half-hearted” Christians who “play Church” is over! We must truly seek firstthe Kingdom of God and His righteousness. And we must want to be in God’s Kingdom so much that we can “taste” it. Therefore, we must be willing to totally surrender the self, lose (if need be) part or all of our families, friendships and physical possessions, and literally “forsake all” to gain eternal life in the glorified Family of God. As Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:24–26). 
Let us daily give our lives to God as living sacrifices. And let us so walk with Him and with Christ in living faith that at the end of our physical lives—whenever or however that may be—we may say what the Apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy 4:7–8: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

Bob Thiel Struggles to Prove He Is A Prophet After Doug Winnail Deflates His Bubble Again

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Doug Winnail of the Living Church of God has taken another broad swipe at the outrageous claims of Bob Thiel.  This is just the latest in a series of smackdowns by Rod Meredith and the Living Church off God to discredit Bob Thiel.

As usual, Thiel takes it personally and lets his bitterness shine forth.  It must really be frustrating  for Bob to have imagined himself all these years as Rod Meredith's confident and spiritual advisor and  then to have Meredith turn his back on him and mock him.

Thiel writes:

12/13/15 a.m. LCG had the following announcement read in services yesterday from its Dr. Douglas Winnail:
Some of the strongest condemnations delivered by the Hebrew prophets were against the leaders of Israel who “cause My people to err by their lies and by their recklessness” and “who try to make My people forget My nameby their dreams” (Jeremiah 23:13, 26-27, 32; see also Isaiah 3:129:16).
Normally, I would have not mentioned something like this, but coming relatively close after the recommended CCOG sermon Dreams, COGs, and One Man Rule, perhaps it should be commented upon. 

Thiel is under the impression that his nightmares have spiritual significance.  Following in the footsteps of Herbert Armstrong, who started his version of the Church of God movement based upon the nightmares of Loma, Thiel bases his entire movement upon his own nightmares and the "double blessing" he received.

Thiel tries uses the Bible to back up his claim of being an "old man" who dreams dreams:

The Bible teaches the following: 
17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. (Acts 2:17-18) 
Is the Bible true? 
Of course it is. 
Why ask that? 
Because that verse says that in the latter days, old men would have dreams--this means dreams for God. And that some with God's Spirit would prophesy. 
No leader currently in the Living Church of God has claimed that prophetic dreams happened to them. The same is true for all the leaders in groups once part of the old GCG, except the Continuing Church of God
I had two dreams. I was about 50 at the time of the first one, which essentially makes me an ‘old man’ per Numbers 8:25; cf. John 8:57. And about 52 at the time of the second one.
Having dreams can lead to people mocking you, especially when you make these dreams public claiming that God told you to do something.  Thiel knows he is routinely mocked by LCG members and hierarchy and by others. He has this to say:

Some people want to discount dreams, but notice what God taught:
6 “Hear now My words:
If there is a prophet among you,
I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision;
I speak to him in a dream. (Numbers 12:6)
While it seemed to me that from my dreams God was calling me to be a prophet, I was not sure at first that the message was from God. Lest that seem unusual, Jeremiah the prophet sometimes wondered as well--he, like I, realized the message was from God when the message was confirmed (see Jeremiah 32:6-8). Also the Apostle Peter at least once had a vision that he did not understand (Acts 10:9-17) until later as well (Acts 11:5-17). 

Thiel then claims that all of the upper brass at Living Church of God were beginning to realize that he was prophet as early as 2008.

On October 3, 2008, Dr. Meredith (Presiding Evangelist of the Living Church of God) called me and said to me, “God may consider you to be a prophet.” Notice that this came from a long-time evangelist and did not first come out from me. It was Dr. Meredith who first brought up the topic about Bob Thiel being a prophet. In January 2009, Dr. Meredith told me over the telephone that if he (Dr. Meredith) was raised to the office of apostle, he was considering ordaining me (Bob Thiel) as a prophet. On February 4, 2009, Dr. Meredith told me over the telephone, “You have an in-depth understanding {of prophetic matters}—you could be a prophet.” In the Summer of 2009, Dibar Apartian told me, in quite a positive tone, that Dr. Meredith had been stating in top level meetings that Bob Thiel may be a prophet. Because of Dibar Apartian's statements, later that Summer or perhaps early Fall, I asked Dr. Douglas Winnail, if he was part of top LCG level discussions stating that Bob Thiel may be a prophet. He said yes.

Thiel is doing all he can to make people believe he is a prophet.  Next, he drags Gaylyn Bonjour back into the mix.

I prayed in November/December 2012 that on my next trip to Charlotte, NC, that God would, one way or the other, make the prophet matter clear to me. On the morning of December 15, 2011, upon arriving at the Charlotte HQ of LCG, I asked to meet with Gary Ehman as I wanted to get anointed for some non-debilitating matters as well as to ask him to pray that I be granted wisdom for my meetings with the HQ evangelists. But Gary Ehman was not in.  So instead, I asked to meet with Gaylyn Bonjour (with whom I never had any discussions prior about me possibly being some type of prophet). I asked Gaylyn Bonjour if he would do the anointing and pray that God would grant me wisdom for the meetings. He agreed. But while laying hands upon me, Gaylyn Bonjour also happened (it was not planned nor did I say anything to encourage this) to ask God to grant me a “double-portion” of His Holy Spirit and anointed me with oil. I asked him if he had ever prayed for a a double-portion anointing before, he said he had not, and that the only 'double-portion' he knew of was when Elisha received the double-portion and the mantle in 2 Kings 2. I then attended a meeting with the evangelists and did not then have time to discuss more of what this might mean with Gaylyn Bonjour. On Sunday 12/18/11 night at a family wedding reception, without discussing the matter, I stared at Gaylyn Bonjour for a few moments, without saying anything and then asked, “Do you have any idea of what you may have accidently done?”  Gaylyn Bonjour said, “Yes, I think so.”

Another proof Thiel drags out is the fact he is an old man who dreams.

Within two weeks of my leaving LCG, on January 7, 2013, Dr. Douglas Winnail sent me an email, which included the statement, "we made comments to you  that 'you may be a prophet.'" 
As far as I am aware, I the only COG leader who met the criteria of being an 'old man' who had a dream that was confirmed as well as a prayer answered about being given an anointing reminiscent of being a prophet. 
Thiel claims that ever since he left the Living Church of God it has sunk unto apostasy.

Since the time of my departure from LCG, it has promoted more and more doctrinal and prophetic errors as it refuses to believe the Bible and the power of God  
In spite of Winnail's smack down, Thiel trots out the following as proof he is a prophet.

Few will believe:
  1. Dr, Meredith on more than one occasion stated that God may consider me to be a prophet.
  1. That God speaks to His prophets in dreams (Number 12:6).
  1. I had two dreams that were confirmed by subsequent events, thus confirming they were from God (Jeremiah 32:6-8; Acts 10:9-17, 11:5-17).
  1. Dreams and prophets are required in the last days (Acts 2:17-18).
  1. God answered my prayer (cf. Psalm 65:2)
  1. God does not always get anointings done the way people think they should be (Genesis 27:25-37; 2 Kings 9:1-3).
  1. Therefore my anointing was a real answer to prayer and God's intervention.
Fortunately, Thiel ranks right up there with the other false prophets of Armstrongism. His nonsense is just as appallingly bad as Dave Pack, Gerald Flurry, Gerald Waterhouse, Dean Blackwell, Herbert Armstrong and many others.


COG Prophet and Apostle's Family Is A Foretaste Of The God Family

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Ron Weinland, the recently paroled felon, is declaring to the world the he is the apostle and prophet to the Church of God and the world.  Life caged up with Big Bubba for the last 3 1/2 years has left Weinland with lots of time to write and plan his miraculous ministry once his ankle bracelet is off and he has left the half way house.  During his prison sentence he has begun to write another book.  His previous two were epic failure sin prophecy with absolutely nothing he wrote came to pass.  Weinland is right up there next to Dave Pack in prophetic failures.

It one of his latest entries to his blog, he declares to the world that he is a prophet and an apostle. Apparently we should be paying attention to him and what he is preaching.

He writes:


So yes, I am both an apostle and a prophet of God and of Jesus Christ to the Church of God, and to the world, in this final period of the end-time. I am the last apostle in this age of mankind’s self-rule. 
Yet even more, I am the counterpart of John who wrote the Book of Revelation. He was the only other apostle whom God also made a prophet. John wrote the book, but did not understand the revelation it contained. It was not for his time, but for the end-time that would lead up to the return of Jesus Christ in the Kingdom of God that will reign over all mankind for 1,100 years. Nearly all of the Book of Revelation is about those things that would occur in the end-time which lead to the Kingdom of God being established on earth for 1,100 years. 
Just as John was imprisoned and placed on the Isle of Patmos and then given the contents for the Book of Revelation that he wrote, I too am currently in prison and writing this book. 
The government of the United States has convicted me of willfully and purposefully evading paying taxes. It doesn’t really matter what I say about it, as people believe what they choose. I have stated some about this on the book website. There is no purpose in trying to unravel all that has been twisted and misrepresented concerning what is true. God will do that soon enough.
Why is it that some many of the dingbats of Armstrongism have to declare themselves to be prophets, apostles, Elijah's, John's, and a myriad of other biblical characters?  Every single one of them, from Dave Pack, Gerald Flurry, Bob Thiel, and others have been proven to be liars and false prophets.  Weinland contuse this rather pathetic line of mentally disturbed men who al claim allegiance to the Church of God.

Weiland takes his prophetic nonsense one strep further the other COG apostles an prophets.  He has named his crazy, diamond hoarding wife to be an apostle and one of the two witless witnesses.

Revelation 11 is a prophecy about two prophets of God who will finish His work that leads directly to the coming of Jesus Christ. The primary work of these two people will be conducted within a very specific timeframe. It is the 7th and last period of 1,260 days that are contained in the complete count to Christ’s coming. These two prophets are also given the title of God’s two end-time witnesses. I am one and my wife, Laura, is the other.
Weiland still believes the myth that his god is reproducing himself to make one big happy family.  Ron and his wife are the epitome of what a REAL apostolic family should be like, thus the are the perfect example of what the family of God will be  like.


Family is going to learn to be structured and live 
the way God intended from the beginning. True husband and wife teams are going to become the norm as they learn to work and share life together the way God has always intended. The woman is not servant to the man! That struggle is about to end, and thank God for that! 
My wife and I have been a team in God’s Church for right at 40 years now, and I am thankful to say this is just barely the beginning. We have served in God’s Church together within the ministry for 34 years. We have been exceedingly blessed and now God has given both of us a work to fulfill together as a team. It is our commission and one that God and Christ will fulfill through us that will lead up to Christ’s literal return, and finally, the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth.
I know for a fact that God is not using one of the most corrupt families of Armstreongism to be the example of what the God family will be like.  If this were true then humanity is seriously screwed!  

Ron Weinlands Words Come Back To Bite Him

Satan (YouTube) Attacks Bob Thiel! YouTube Deletes One Of His Heretical Videos

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Satan is on the warpath and he is NOT happy with Bob Thiel.  Satan was sooooooooo incensed by one of his sermons that he influence dYouTube into deleting one of his videos.

Brethren, the FAMINE OF THE WORD is here!  Bob's holy message is being censored!  Oh the tragedy!

Hi ContinuingCoG,
The YouTube community flagged one or more of your videos as inappropriate. After reviewing the content, we’ve determined that the videos violate our Community Guidelines. As a result, we removed the following videos from YouTube:
Are we saved by faith? Or are we saved by works?Please note that this removal has not resulted in a strike.
- The YouTube Team
Thiel then reacts with holy indignation and outrage!  Thiel is blaming those  nasty "so called Christians" for having his video deleted.

This email and the related removal are outrageous.  Because YouTube did not count this censorship as a ‘strike,’ so far, we have not found a way to appeal this. Nor did they tell us what they considered wrong–all we got was the above. 
The sermon that YouTube censored was by Steve Dupuie and was given at the Feast of Tabernacles in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada in in 2015. He sent me his notes before and after the sermon, and I see nothing in it that warranted it being pulled by YouTube. 
It appears to have been pulled because someone (likely from a Protestant faith) claimed that doctrinal differences were offensive.
Prophet/Apostle/Chief Overseer/Thiel then says he has been preaching this would be happening to his message, though he wasn't expecting it this soon.

I have been warning for some time that since the Bible tells of a coming ‘famine of the word’ (Amos 8:11-12), that we should expect YouTube censorship to be part of this.
Anticipating more persecution from YouTube, Thiel is setting about backing up all of his videos and trying to move them to other platforms.

Because of that, before this censorship, I asked Bill Wedekind to back-up every sermon and sermonette we had on YouTube, and last month he did.  So, we have copies of everything, including the video sermon that YouTube censored. 
I have spoken to Bill Wedekind, Steve Dupuie, and two of our sons about how to proceed.  At this moment, because YouTube is free, YouTube is available in multiple formats, and YouTube sometimes helps us get viewers, we plan to remain on YouTube. However, we are continuing to look into alternatives in case YouTube ultimately pulls us completely off. 
YouTube has NOT threatened to remove us. But since we have what they would consider to be more ‘controversial’ videos up than the one that Steve Dupuie was in, it remains a concern that some day we may be forced to abandon YouTube.
Life is so tough in COGland.  No church on earth has ever been more persecuted.

A video was pulled and the world becomes a horrible place.

Christians are being slaughtered in Iraq and Syria and Thiel calls them all frauds and fakes.  Only true Church of God members blood is worthwhile.

The end times is here brethren.  The end times is here.

Herbert W Armstrong: 30 years later and the Church of God is a complete mess

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Thirty years ago Herbert Armstrong died.  Thirty years later the Churches of God are one complete mess with hundreds of different leaders, with hundreds of different opinions and revelations, and countless prophets and apostles, yet none them are doing a "work" that has had any impact whatsoever. This country and the world at large have no idea who or what the Church of God is.

Dave Pack has lied for four years now that three Church of God leaders would be struck dead by his god and tens of thousands of their members would suddenly jump ship to the Restored Church of God with all of their money.

Gerald Flurry has never had an original concept seep through his alcohol drenched brain.  Building a mini-me Ambassador campus has done nothing except drain money from his dwindling coffers.

Rod Meredith's health is rapidly declining as corruption rips his headquarters apart because he refuses to do anything about abusive ministers that are treating members like dirt.

Ron Weinland is resting in a half way house after his 3 year stint in prison for tax fraud. His jailhouse prophecies have been an absolute failure leading hundreds of dissatisfied members to leave his cult as he and his nutty wife claim to the two witnesses.

United Church of God has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in tithe money to fund worthless campaigns that have produced no results.  Thousands of members split off a few years ago to form another splinter group.  The men now in charge in UCG were Tkach yes-men when the changes came down and disfellowshipped hundreds and hundreds of members while they plotted to start a new church to keep their pay checks coming in.

COGWA split off from UCG claiming to carry on the torch of the true faith.  The same abusive ministers in charge at COGWA were the same abusive ministers in United where they were the same abusive ministers who disfellowshipped hundreds of members in the Worldwide Church of God as they pretended to be "new covenant" while still not the payroll.

Thirty years later and the church is one of the most screwed up messes  the world has ever seen. Liars, abusers, false prophets, pedophiles, and rapists have had free reign with almost no accountability.  Tens of thousands of members have left over the last three decades for greener pastures and freedom.

The worship of Herbert Armstrong exceeds anything the Church of God has ever done with Jesus.  Just look at Rod Meredith's latest comment about HWA.  HWA is the source of knowledge while Jesus gets zero credit for anything in his entire article.

So let us all remember the one whom God used to teach all of us about the Sabbath, about the Holy Days—about the entire purpose of human existence—Herbert W. Armstrong. -
With such a misguided focus how can the Church of God last much longer?

LCG FailsTo Be Good Stewards of God's Money

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(From an LCG source)


2015 has come and gone and the pencil pushers in Charlotte are trying to figure out how they can spin their collapsing infrastructure in the impending financial audit which will be revealed to LCG membership several months from now. Each year LCG reminds us that, “it should be noted that, while the law requires us to follow GAAP and GAAS regulations, the law does not require us to submit to an outside independent audit each year. We voluntarily undergo an annual audit as a means to ensure ourselves, and to demonstrate to Church members and potential donors, that we are striving to remain good stewards of our financial information and controls” (source Living Church News). The 2014 audit showed significant losses for LCG and the 2015 audit promises to be just as bloody as this ACOG slowly bleeds to death in its own failures.


LCG insiders have revealed that the church is presently in major financial trouble.  Rod Meredith recently wrote an editorial in which he shamed church members who dare to “sit on hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars worth of money, property and other resources they very rarely touch [that could be used] to help do the Work of the living God at the very end of this age” (See more at: Rod Meredith is not happy LCG members are sitting on money).  


Unfortunately for Rod, his editorial did more to upset than to inspire as many in his church are in disagreement with the fact that Rod Meredith, Richard Ames and the newly anointed Gerald Weston sit on hundreds of thousands of dollars of equity in their own homes and bank accounts while suggesting that the hard working tithe payers GIVE EVEN MORE.


Many members are also disillusioned by the excessive expenditures Lil’ Jimmy indulges himself with at the tithe payers expense; like his 5 week all-expense paid vacation to Hawaii to “set up” the same feast site they have already had for a number of years or his trip to Israel or a dozen other places that the poor church members paid for him to enjoy 5 star hotel rooms and extravagant meals.


Many LCG members are also grumbling about the ridiculous amount of tithe payer money that is being directed to Living University. A majority of LCG brethren feel that their tithes and offerings should be used to “preach the gospel of the soon coming Kingdom of God as a witness”. The accompanying LCG finance chart shows just how much money they put into LU in 2014. The 2015 graph will show an even greater excess as Meredith sanctioned funds toward the purchase of additional LU commercial real estate to house class rooms and townhouses to serve as dormitories for their on-campus students. LCG has also decided to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in 2015 seeking accreditation which members feel is unnecessary and an improper use of tithe money.


In 2014 Wyatt Ceceilka convinced LCG to spend $133,405 for television studio editing upgrades to replace aging AVID editing equipment with updated software and media storage which they required to meet new standards for HD television which he then decided he didn’t like in 2015 as he  petitioned RCM for even more money to change systems once again. Over-spending Wyatt also sanctioned purchases including an upgrade of the Tomorrow’s World Web site for $45,400 (did anyone even notice?).


Lil’ Jimmy is neck and neck with Doug Winnail and his Living University (which is killing the church) in the category of wasted tithe payer money. Jim authorized $51,929 to finish a remodeling project in the Charlotte LCG Headquarters building which was in good shape to begin with.


Add to this the increasing number of people leaving LCG all together and the increasing number of members who have decided to stay in LCG but withhold their tithes after beginning to question if LCG is God’s true church after witnessing the ministerial abuse many of their friends have suffered at the hands of men, like Rod McNair, who truly believe they can act however they like no matter how ungodly their behavior is since they are “servants of Christ” (at least in their own minds). Still others are withholding their tithes while they wait and see what direction the church takes after old Spanky steps down next August and Gerald Weston takes over.



The late Dibar Apartian told many people over the last year or two of his life that LCG was “no longer God’s church”. He was in the nucleus and ahead of the curve in his knowledge of how utterly corrupt and ungodly Meredith and his men were. The knowledge of LCG’s rotten core has slowly begun to spread throughout its membership. Sure some die-hards will go down with the ship in blind obedience but many will get out before it is too late.



It seems inevitable that irresponsible overspending,  ministerial abuse of the brethren and the vanity and pride that it wrapped up in their attempts to make LU like Ambassador College will bring LCG to its knees in the coming year.





Rod Meredith's Legacy Summed Up In One Paragraph

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A comment from LCG Fails to be good stewards of God's money.


The thing to remember about Meredith and Leona McNair is that, although Meredith was a named defendant, WCG paid all of his costs, including the final settlement, which was paid in December of 1992. When did Meredith have his first GCG service? The last Sabbath of December, 1992. Meredith had spent 3 years and 3 months doing nothing while Tkach changed everything. No teaching, no writing, no preaching, no pastoring. Rod just sat there watching the church get destroyed. He had been trained for 40 years just for such a time, and when the people needed him the most, he was nowhere to be found. Just sitting and collecting a big fat paycheck and getting his legal costs covered, watching Tkach consolidate his power and change everything. By December 1992, it was too late to do anything. When it comes to money or faith in God, Meredith made his choice. 

A Case of Mistaken Identity

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A Case of Mistaken Identity


An interesting case of mistaken identity occurred 30 years ago on January 19, 1986 as we stood in Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena, California awaiting the beginning of the funeral service for Mr. Armstrong.  Reuben Cerda, a member of the Long Beach congregation arrived a little late and had the fortune of being good looking, well dressed and driving a Cadillac.  In the last minute rush, he was mistakenly assumed to be a dignitary and was directed to the best parking spaces and escorted to one of the best seat near the casket.


He was not wealthy or an important public figure but a common member like those of us that were standing far from the center of the action.  We found it amusing that others could be fooled so easily.

Now, thirty years later, it is becoming much clearer that the mistaking of Reuben Cerda as being a dignitary was symbolic of a much larger case of mistaken identity that had occurred for most of the 4,700 people attending that service that day (and for the approximately 80,000 other WCG members that were not present that day).  We had mistakenly believed that Mr. Armstrong was what he had claimed for himself - God’s end-time apostle, the leader of the “one-true church”.


Mr. Armstrong claimed


·     He was the first to preach the true Gospel in 1800 years (how would he know?)

·     He learned from no man and he restored 18 truths (but it is clear that he borrowed most of   his teachings from other men’s writings)

·     WCG was the one, true church (but God is not limited to working within any of man’s corporate entities)


·     The church had been more accurate in foretelling prophetic events than all others (yet there are over 200 documented failures that HWA and WCG minister made)


·     WCG could trace its’ “Church of God” roots back through the ages (yet there “proof” was inaccurate)


·     Identity of Israel was the key to prophecy (yet it failed to yield accurate prophecies)


·     Doctors and modern medicine were bad (yet he had a personal doctor)


·     The WCG was God’s government on earth and HWA was God’s sole specially trained end-time Apostle (and yet we are still here 30-years beyond his death)


·     HWA completed his work in 1972;  1975 would be the end (and afterwards when this was clearly wrong he stated his claims were speculative, not definite – when, in fact he had been very specific and had spoken on the “authority of Jesus Christ”)


·     The church would not compromise 1/100% of the Truth (and yet it did repeatedly)


·    The WCG was doing the greatest work on earth (yet it has amounted to almost nothing by this point in time, except for 100’s of splinter groups and 1,000’s of split families).


·                   ·     HWA’s relationship with Ramona was God’s will (and yet he divorced her)

·                   ·     In 1979, the State of California’s investigation into fraud was “the most MONSTROUS 
                  conspiracy and attack Satan ever launched against God's Work!”  
(                 (when of course, it wasn’t)               

                

    In his autobiography, HWA had indicated that he had wanted to be wealthy and important.  Through the RCG and WCG, it appears that he achieved his personal goals but at the expense of others.  And, was he God’s end-time Apostle?  If he had been, then we wouldn’t be here reflecting on his life.



    -Ex WCG member


    Homes of the LCG Elite

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    Rod Meredith


    Several have been asking about the homes of Rod Meredith and others. An LCG member sent these.


    Richard Ames


    Lil'Jimmy's home.  Bigger than daddy's!



    Once Gerald Weston gets settled in we will have more.

    COGWA and LCG in Secret Meetings in Charlotte

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    This just in from Charlotte:


    Rod Meredith has asked the leaders of COGWA to secret meetings here in Charlotte. The COGWA men have been at LCG headquarters in meetings both yesterday and today. As of now I am uncertain how long they will be in Charlotte. 

    My 1st though is that Rod is so desperate to avoid bankruptcy that he might even be considering giving up a little power and control to merge with the financially successful COGWA. Perhaps Rod has calculated that at this time he wouldn't really lose too much since he is about to step down anyway into semi-retirement anyway.  

    It's no secret that Doug Winnail has wanted to unify LCG, UCG and COGWA for years but he stands alone in his desire because none of the other men are willing to make compromises or relinquish even the smallest amount of control. In true ACOG fashion is ultimately boils down to money and power. None are willing to risk the things they worship above all else. 

    If a deal is to be made, it will have to happen before Gerald Weston takes over in August because Mr. Weston has made it very clear to all who ask that he doesn't think UCG and COGWA are even COG's. He firmly believes that LCG is not just the "spear head" but rather the whole kit and caboodle, the ONLY COG on earth. 

    Winnail would be smart to use his skills as a diplomat to secure himself a new job in COGWA while these men are in town. The writing on the wall spells splintering in LCG in the not so distant future. Old Dougie boy would be smart to get out unscathed while he still can.

    Its interesting to read this.  Both LCG and COGWA consider themselves the ONLY true Church of God doing a work on this earth today.  Both imagine themselves to be the tools for God on this earth.  Both groups are totally unknown to the world.  Neither one is making any impact.

    The reality is that both of these groups are filled with men who plotted and schemed while still on Worldwide Church of God payroll to secretly form new groups.  These same men disfellowshipped countless people while still in WCG because of the "new covenant" teachings. While they sat there as tools of the Tkach changes; they all knew that once word leaked that they did not agree with the changes they would be fired. Being the unethical men that so many of them were (and still are) they plotted and schemed on how to start a new group while secretly encouraging WCG members to leave with their tithe money, thus ensuring their comfortable salaries did not end.

    Once the new corporation soles were in place they jumped ship and portrayed themselves as God's most humble servants that were only trying to preserve God's teachings. Yet both groups were filled with deceit and corruption with both ending up splintering off the churches they helped start.  Once they splintered off they set themselves back up once again as God's most important and loyal men to ever walk this earth.

    Now both COGWA and LCG are facing internal conflicts that are ready to erupt. Abusive men have had power too long and people are getting fed up with them. A merger with COGWA and LCG does not bode well for the members of either group. The power structures in place will become more legalistic and abusive. People will splinter off again into another group or leave the COG entirely.  More lives will be ruined just so the bog boys can keep their salaries intact.

    Will We Soon Witness the Closure of Grace Communion International?

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    Several people have contacted us today relaying that they have received a letter from Grace Communion International (WCG) that the employee pension plan will be dissolved as of March 1, 2016.

    We have also been told that the chance of the GCI totally dissolving as church is eminent.  GCI has been hemorrhaging members steadily for many years.  People are also not tithing or giving as the church had once expected.  Because of this there is less of a need for a "corporate" HQ overseeing the remaining churches.

    One of the plans being considered is to let each church operate independently, keeping all the money in their own church area.  They could call themselves what ever they want and not be tied to the GCI denomination.

    The West Valley GCI has always been the conservative church of the GCI, meeting on Saturday, keeping the holy days, and tithing.  Because they keep their money locally, they have $400,000.00 sitting in the bank.  GCI HQ has traditionally expected all church areas to send in 10% of their money, but now are asking West Valley to send in even more.  They are balking at that.  Their previous pastor retired and the churches now pastored by Ron Kelly for at least six more months.

    Apparently Joe Tkach Jr. wants to step down, something he has been saying for the last 10 years.  With no one that can effectively step in and keep things as they are and not revert back to the old teachings, the next best thing is to dissolve the church.

    This seems to be the trend in all the COG's right now.  With the soon coming implosion of LCG, UCG, PCG and COGWA, are we finally witnessing the total collapse of Armstrongism?  Attendance numbers are shrinking. None of the COG's can truly stand the other.  None of them want to give up control or power in order to merge.

    For decades the church pictured itself being persecuted by the world and having restrictions placed upon it resulting in the "famine of the word." Nothing like that has happened.  Instead we are watching them eat themselves alive and dissolve around us.  Hundreds and hundreds of little groups are out there doing nothing.  From whacky people like Stephen Gilbreath to the total nut jobs in charge at RCG and PCG, the Church of God is one complete mess. There is no need for some beast power or the  King of the South or North to rise up and persecute the church.  There is no need for the Pope to do anything.  The Church of God is destroying itself.

    More Books by COG Members (updated)

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    What does a hot young ad agent do when he loses everything in the 1929 Stock Market Crash? He heads for California and starts a money-machine religious cult, leaving a trail of dead bodies and ruined lives in his wake.

    His tragic fall in the late '80s marked the end of a kind of cult experience America rarely sees - or does it? Kids, read and heed before you're tempted to leave home, drink Kool-Aid, die in a hail of bullets, or give up your college money to a conservative, unaccredited institution....

    Jumping Off Bridges by Carole Ritter




    The Firescalds Road to the Sky will take you on a journey with a family. You will live with them on an old farm in the high mountains of the Appalachians. You will relocate with them to the flatlands of the eastern shores. You will see good times and bad revealed through the eyes of a growing youngster. Life experiences steadily send his thinking back to the Firescalds and all he learned there. They are there like a road map, helping him to turn away from the wrong choices, which become available.

    The Firescalds Road to the Sky by Cleveland Jones



    This triune aspect of salvationrescue, roots, and conscious co-creationis foundational to wholeness, building a satisfying life and to feeling like were doing what we were born to do.




    One of the author's greatest revelations of God's grace came from accepting and experiencing God s love and goodwill in a tangible way. This led to her making a decision 25 years ago to practice spiritual love. For those who have despaired and wondered if they would ever see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living as did the Psalmist of the Old Testament, "Taste the Grace" is for them. Those who have been tutored to accept the negative aspects of life, have little faith in goodness and love as it pertains to them, and have been groomed to expect more suffering can resist or sabotage heaven when it shows up for them. This book shows how anyone can taste and see that the Lord is good, as promised in the Scripture, and that the good life is there for the taking and the sharing. It is the understanding of God's grace that empowers us to experience more of the goodness of life that includes love, healing, abundance and fulfillment of purpose while on earth. To "Taste the Grace" is to take it in as nourishment. It feeds us spiritually, increases our faith and helps us rearrange and update our belief systems to make room for the good we seek. It brings heaven to earth, and God s love into our lives. This experience enriches us on every level and gives us the confidence to reach for our dreams. Grounded in this grace, we are sourced by lasting and unconditional love. Living from grace is living in love and this is what empowers us to feel good, do good and make good.

    by Barbara Patton Unger




    In Gems of a Lifetime, Barbara Patton Unger shares 'gems' of light that she has mined in her life. Her metaphor of Gemstones for these illuminations points to a glorious and loving God.She focuses on the precious jewels of light discovered from growing up in her hometown of Joplin, Missouri and gives voice to Oracles of Wisdom gained through, and sometimes in spite of, religious affiliation. She then honors the greatest light of all - the essence of the divine within us. She shows God's goodness IS 'OUR' glory; and these "gemstones" point us to our own days of Heaven on Earth. Awakened to the truth of our "spiritual DNA," she presents her treasures to help others recognize how, even in the midst of sorrows, God can enrich their lives if they look for, value and mine their own sparkling gems.

    Gems of a Lifetime by Barbara Patton Unger



    The 1993 government assault on the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, resulted in the deaths of four federal agents and eighty Branch Davidians, including seventeen children. Whether these tragic deaths could have been avoided is still debatable, but what seems clear is that the events in Texas have broad implications for religious freedom in America.

    James Tabor and Eugene Gallagher's bold examination of the Waco story offers the first balanced account of the siege. They try to understand what really happened in Waco: What brought the Branch Davidians to Mount Carmel? Why did the government attack? How did the media affect events? The authors address the accusations of illegal weapons possession, strange sexual practices, and child abuse that were made against David Koresh and his followers. Without attempting to excuse such actions, they point out that the public has not heard the complete story and that many media reports were distorted.

    The authors have carefully studied the Davidian movement, analyzing the theology and biblical interpretation that were so central to the group's functioning. They also consider how two decades of intense activity against so-called cults have influenced public perceptions of unorthodox religions.

    In exploring our fear of unconventional religious groups and how such fear curtails our ability to tolerate religious differences, Why Waco? is an unsettling wake-up call. Using the events at Mount Carmel as a cautionary tale, the authors challenge all Americans, including government officials and media representatives, to closely examine our national commitment to religious freedom.

    Why Waco? by James Tabor and Eugene Gallagher



    This fascinating examination of the earliest years of Christianity reveals how the man we call St. Paul shaped Christianity as we know it today. 

    Historians know almost nothing about the two decades following the crucifixion of Jesus, when his followers regrouped and began to spread his message. During this time Paul joined the movement and began to preach to the gentiles. Using the oldest Christian documents that we have—the letters of Paul—as well as other early Chris­tian sources, historian and scholar James Tabor reconstructs the origins of Christianity. Tabor shows how Paul separated himself from Peter and James to introduce his own version of Christianity, which would continue to develop independently of the message that Jesus, James, and Peter preached. 

    Paul and Jesus illuminates the fascinating period of history when Christianity was born out of Judaism.

    Paul and Jesus by James Tabor



    iSly is not just a compelling science fiction story; it wrestles with major issues of human survival. A resurgent Joseph Dane is on the case, with Bluegrass, his colorful sidekick, and TatarKhan, Hypernet Master. They must find the obscure origins of an epic, android shift, before disaster ensues. An android demographic has been built into society, giving humanity a desperately needed survival path: eSly androids working to save humans from the gridlock of financial meltdown, and huge enviro-disasters. But now it's all gone wrong—iSly, a superior line of androids, shifts out from eSly, starts to self-replicate, and plies a new, sinister path. The iSly 'droids start taking over. World leaders are horrified.  
    Stanley Gerson is out of the starting blocks with iSly, a story set in the urban, grandeur, risen from a new, techtonic geography in Coos Bay, Oregon. 

    iSly by Stanley Gerson




    A perplexing aspect of early Christianity is the rapid and widespread abandonment of the practice of rest on the seventh day Sabbath, as practiced in the Jewish matrix of the Christian movement, even though the seven-day week was retained for time-keeping purposes. It is beyond dispute that this occurred, but there is no unanimity on the question of how and why. There is no passage in the sources to which we can turn to find an explicit answer to the question. This book proposes to explore the reasons for this radical shift in the worship practice of early Christians.

       The author uses the classic tools of the historical-critical method, supplemented by newer approaches such as narratology, for a thorough exegetical examination of the relevant passages, not only in the New Testament, but also from other Christian writings of the time (Barnabas, Thomas). The investigation demonstrates that previous models to explain the rapid disappearance of the Sabbath as a Christian worship practice have been inadequate. In their place, a more nuanced, polycausal model is proposed. This sheds light on the question of unity and diversity in the early Christian movement as it began its development from a sect within second temple Judaism to a faith community with its own identity.

    Encountering the Rest From God: How Jesus Came to Personify the Sabbath
    by Henry Sturcke



    Designed to provide readers with a framework for exploring financial markets, this book describes the basic rules of the game in three of the major international financial markets - foreign exchange, Eurocurrencies and international bonds - and aims to convey an intuitive feel for market dynamics. The book blends theory and institutional accounts, considers the interbank market in foreign exchange and explains how to hedge with FX forwards, futures, and options. A new chapter explores aspects of the European Monetary System in two separate discussions: historical background and general features; and the technical details of the Exchange Rate Mechanism.




    Songs and Stories Together connects songs to stories and classical music through activities especially crafted for children ages 3--6. This book will delight and charm your students with engaging music and art activities that build skills through singing, moving, listening, and playing classroom instruments. With reproducible pages included, the lessons are designed for all levels of teaching experience. Teachers who have a modest music background can easily teach most of the activities, and each lesson features an ensemble or extended activity meant to be taught by experienced music teachers. Songs and Stories Together is a winning combination!

    Songs and Stories Together by Sally Guerrero



    FOR THE FIRST TIME IN PUBLISHING HISTORY... Reversing 160 years of falsehood - sharing the true spirit of quantum science from Albert Einstein and Max Planck both, this book goes where no one has gone before, - showing not everyone even agreed with Darwin - especially not the most revered and famous science minds of our time... Event Horizon Publishing llc offers you a surprise here in Darwin’s evolutionary theory, that few realize. Did you know there are two sides on Darwin, even in the scientific world? The most famous and admired scientists over a century have criticized the theory in its non-scientific assertions. They share not from emotion or metaphysics but in science as it should be. Darwin’s Natural Selection idea is very poor. It’s factually porous. With the scientific analysis of the 21st century we see it’s based in mere assumptions. Then we realize it was contrived 100 years before DNA was discovered. DNA changed everything. Anymore, it’s not just the differences in atheist or deist views on evolution, it’s the world of science itself. It’s most recent facts take it apart brick by brick. Darwin’s idea has collapsed - not to stand again. It’s now irrefutable from Darwin’s own Fatal Admission, in his own words we will see it. Read now from Event Horizon Publishing what schools do not want you to read. Those professors in evolution class won’t be able to answer the questions and challenges from the students because they’re coming from science-awareness not mere agendas. Many in science gave immense consideration to analyzing Darwin’s ill-fated postulate. Reading this book we now understand not only the true logic of science’s reasoning in dissolving his theory, but we see an underlying agenda that Darwin had in imagining it. Darwin’s atheism is well known prior to his theory’s arrival; so to have a person with atheistic agendas creating a contrived scenario of Something coming from Nothing is not only self-serving of his views, but means he attempted to make science fit his belief-system. The scientific panorama here is eloquently shared in true simplicity. Based in Reason, in meaningful truth-seeking, it uplifts human feelings toward the exquisite. Elevating realities in Einstein’s quantum- world of light reveal our true-ground of being, liberating us from Darwin’s emptiness. Ask your self who would you believe, Darwin or Einstein? The new physics of life in cosmic consciousness herein, even warms our heart in daily living. Absorbing the meta-Physics of true knowing, shining here right now, we Smile in knowing, science and meta-Physics are not mutually exclusive of the other. Now you can enjoy that longed-for completion, in personal spaces of serene esteem... in this wondrous living universe that we all call home - one that truly inspires us into Awe, if we allow it.


    Darwin's Fatal Admission by Lachlen Paul French




    Event Horizon Publishing llc, brings you a discovery that occurred in 1945 at the end of World War II, of which most of us have never heard. Imagine our belief-system being turned upside down. Many believe we’ve been told a true version of history the last 2000 years. Have we really? The Gospel According to Thomas (also known as the Thomas Gospel and the Gospel of Thomas), the first new biblical book in 20 centuries, was found in desert sand, in 1945. It was so shocking and amazing Hollywood made several films based on it. Yet 95% of us still do not know of it. The Gospel According to Thomas, from Christ’s brother, was found in the desert in the proverbial Earthenware Jar - and it revealed 46 Christian scrolls from 2000 years earlier, that the Roman editors left out of their version of the Bible, 400 years later, in 381 AD. This brought up scandalous questions of political intrigue. Aspersions were cast upon this scroll almost instantly by church officials, even before studying it (not very scholarly). When first reading this gospel from Christ’s brother, Thomas (in carbon-dated scrolls like the earliest New Testament), it’s amazing how similar the quotes are to Christ’s quotes in the Bible, in subtle mysterious beautiful ways. Many quotes are essentially identical; and some exquisitely, slightly different, bring new meaning – all are fascinating. They’re so similar to scripture, some experts say Thomas may be the long lost “Q” or the Source document from which Matthew, Mark and Luke arose. It’s believed the scroll was much larger back then. (The Bedouin who found it said several scrolls were burned for kindling.) It is even said Jesus may have helped create it. In reading it, it sounds like what Christ might teach around a campfire. There’s a brevity to its 114 verses. With great care and love, it comes out to you now. Its translation took nine years to complete. It truly engages our modern hearts. This gospel now enjoys current clarity for us, and spiritual continuity for our world. Its message is relevant to people of our day with our frame of reference. Enjoy its present-moment Form, its spiritual Context, along with its beautifully mystical Contents. You can read the original form of Thomas’ Scroll right here as well. Enjoy now Christ’s deepest and his most private teaching to his disciples. Prepare to be astounded.

    The Gospel of Thomas: Christ's Recorded Sayings of Mastery

    UCG: After 20 Some Years We Finally Realize We Should Love And Care For Each Other

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    A UCG member brought this to my attention.  Below has to be one of the most pathetic comments to come out of UCG in a while. There is so much wrong about most everything Vic Kubik said.

    Its obvious their ministry is in sad shape.  Older ministers are dying off or retiring and UCG has finally realized after 20 years that they should have been hiring younger ministers.  Men with fresh ideas that are not stuck in pre-1986 models and who have new outlooks.  The tired and worn out models of the glory days of the Worldwide Church of God are epic failures in the 21st century.

    The same tired and worn out writers from the old WCG have been writing the same worn out nonsense for the last twenty years.  These same worn out old men have produced epic failures in campaigns and other outdated practices from the past that have failed to bring in new members.

    As usual, at the bottom of all COG lists is love and caring.  Its a little too late to decide to love and care for your members when you have already lost over 60% of them to other splinter groups and continued attrition out of the church.  When the law trumps Jesus every time, what more could we expect.

    You will also be heartened to hear about how we are rebuilding our ministry, including the hiring of younger couples who are being trained to become the future pastors for our congregations. We are also actively training new writers for our blogs and publications. And, not the least in importance, will be our focus on loving and caring for one another, as this is the glue the bonds us one to another
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