Quantcast
Channel: Banned by HWA! News and Observations About Armstrongism and the Church of God Movement

UCG Says When It Comes To Hypocrisy In The Church It Is Best To Put On Blinders And Ignore It

0
0



Those wild and fun boys in Cincinnati have an article up on Hypocrisy in the Church by Len Martin. This is pretty interesting considering the church that published this had some of the biggest hypocrites the church has ever seen when they backstabbed the Mother Church in order to save their incomes.

Martin writes:

I came into the Church as a child, and in my 50-plus years of being in the Church, I have observed many things that made me shake my head and wonder what people were thinking. 
 
I recall a couple of occasions when I was a teenager, when my friends and I would observe people in church doing things they shouldn’t be doing, or behaving in ways we knew were not right. As time went on, several of my friends began commenting about those other people, calling them hypocrites. Eventually, most of my friends left the Church and the reason some of them gave was, “They’re all a bunch of hypocrites!”

He goes on to talk about how the church area he was in brought in unconverted worldly basketball players to play on the church team with the stipulation that they had to attend church services every week. Boys, being boys, did it begrudgingly and then partied hearty on Friday nights and Saturdays after church. Such heathens! 

Martin relates his mother's response when he complained bout the hypocrisy:

I remember talking to my mother about the hypocrisy of it all and what to do about it. My mother’s advice was simply this, “You need to be like a race horse with blinders, so you can keep your focus on eternal life in the Kingdom of God.” Horses wear blinders (also called blinkers) to restrict their field of vision and keep their attention focused straight ahead, blocking out any distractions around them.

He continues:

As it relates to Christians, a hypocrite denotes a person who has the outward show of having virtuous character, being morally pure or exercising religious beliefs or principles, when the person really does not. The Greek word translated “hypocrite” can literally mean, “an actor under an assumed character (stage player)” and occurs 20 times in the New Testament. In 17 of those occurrences the word is used by Jesus Christ to rebuke the scribes and Pharisees. 
 
In Matthew 6, with each instruction Jesus gave regarding charitable giving, prayer and fasting, He instructed us to not be like the hypocrites (Matthew 6:1-2, 5, 16). It’s worth noting that the Greek words translated “they have their reward,” signify a receipt in full. In other words, they have their entire reward and there is no other reward awaiting them. 
 
The greatest number of occurrences of “hypocrite” in a single passage can be found in Matthew 23. In this chapter, Jesus declares woes upon the scribes and Pharisees seven times, calling them hypocrites (Matthew 23:13-29). A woe is a declaration of grief or indignation. 
 
In all 20 instances of the word “hypocrite” or “hypocrites” used in the New Testament to label a person or group, it was always Jesus speaking. Does this tell us anything?

He then warns that sometimes what you think is hypocrisy, is not.

When we see what we believe is hypocrisy, we feel that something is wrong, or not fair. But just because we see what appears to be hypocrisy does not mean it really is because we do not know the heart of the person. The Apostle Paul, in several of his letters to the various churches, asked the brethren to imitate God. “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children” (Ephesians 5:1). “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). 
 
Being in the Church does not make us perfect, so we all struggle in our efforts to be like Christ and we still sin (Romans 3:23). We might observe what we believe to be hypocrisy, but we don’t see that person at home in private, praying to God, repenting of their sins and asking forgiveness. When repentance is genuine, God promises to forgive (1 John 1:9). If we are not careful, we might wrongly label someone a “hypocrite” when they are genuinely striving daily to be like Christ and simply fall short.

So brethren, don't let the hypocrites in the church cause you to leave., after all, your leaders are not perfect so cut them a break.

Being in the Church does not make us perfect, so we all struggle in our efforts to be like Christ and we still sin (Romans 3:23). We might observe what we believe to be hypocrisy, but we don’t see that person at home in private, praying to God, repenting of their sins and asking forgiveness. When repentance is genuine, God promises to forgive (1 John 1:9). If we are not careful, we might wrongly label someone a “hypocrite” when they are genuinely striving daily to be like Christ and simply fall short.

Then, thumping his chest he lets everyone know that he is the only ONE from his entire church basketball team still left in the church. 

From the basketball team I played on as a teen, I am the only one still in the Church today. All the rest are gone, even the coach, eventually quitting the Church “because of hypocrisy.” Unfortunately, they couldn’t get past the hypocrisy they saw, and were not patient enough to wait for others to grow or allow God to work it out. It was not easy because it did not seem fair, and they ultimately gave up on the Church.

Be like Len and put on your blinders and don't look at what other people do. Ignore them and they will just go away or God will spank them later for you. Rest assured.

Like wearing horse blinders, we must keep our eyes focused straight ahead at the goal of eternal life in the Kingdom of God. Do not look at how other people behave, then use it as an excuse to quit running your race! Yes, it is hard at times, but many things in life require us to do hard things.

Earlier in this article, we read Jesus’ instructions regarding charitable giving, prayer and fasting and His statement that the hypocrites “have their reward” (Matthew 7:1-2, 5, 16). There is no other reward that awaits them.

Fight the good fight and remain loyal to the United Church of God, God's one true church. 

 







A reminder for all Church of God self-appointed prophets and church leaders

The Easiest Dating of The Exodus: A National Origins and Founding Myth

0
0




Ten Reasons Why the Bible’s Story of the Exodus is Not True
And why it really matters.

Full article here

Note: Edited for brevity here. The entire article is at the link above.

The story of the Exodus, in conjunction with others in the first five Books of the Old Testament, often referred to as the Books of Moses, the Torah or the Pentateuch, has been the foundation for three major religions and some minor ones.

History has many examples of nations, cities, ethnic groups and even families who proclaim their origin based on a mythological story or a highly exaggerated one. These “founding stories” seek to unify and exalt their group. Such stories in no way make the reality of their existence illegitimate.

Many quotes and links from Jewish Rabbis and Israeli archeologists and historians will be cited throughout this article. There are some Biblical literalists (both Jewish and Christian) who maintain that the Exodus took place exactly as the Bible states. Their main argument is that the lack of archaeological and historical evidence does not rule it out.

However, as we will see, most experts and scholars dismiss the story as mythology. While some of them still maintain a faith in God, they interpret their origin story as a metaphor or presentation, just as many Christians, who acknowledge the fact of evolution and contradictions in the Bible, view them as being far less important than “the greater truth.” They say it is the power of the sweeping epic that lies in its profound and timeless message about freedom and not whether it is based upon literal historical facts.

Rabbi David Wolpe, Sinai Temple’s senior rabbi interviewed By the Los Angeles Times, said: “The truth is that virtually every modern archeologist who has investigated the story of the Exodus, with very few exceptions, agrees that the way the Bible describes the Exodus is not the way it happened, if it happened at all.”

Rabbi Lawrence Hoffman, the distinguished professor of liturgy at Hebrew Union College, in his article titled “The Bible is Fiction,” did not discuss history or archeology, but argued more broadly that the Books of Moses are fiction because their authors meant it not as science or history but as presentation. (National Origins Story)

William Dever, a convert to Judaism, and a professor of Near Eastern archeology and anthropology at the University of Arizona and one of America’s preeminent archeologists argued that “the Exodus story was produced for theological reasons: to give an origin and history to a people and distinguish them from others by claiming a divine destiny.”

Even if we ignore all these scholars and experts, there are many reasons why the very words of the Biblical account itself make the story of the Exodus implausible.

1. No evidence in history or in the ground: 

The story of the Exodus only appears in the Hebrew Bible/the Christian Old Testament and nowhere else. Not in Egyptian history, nor in any other history. Despite decades of extensive archaeological endeavors, not one trace of it has ever been found. This story describes over two million people escaping from Egypt and spending 40 years in the wilderness. That is more than twice the population of Jerusalem today. Almost all archaeologists, including those in Israel, acknowledge that it could not have possibly happened without significant evidence being left behind; yet not a trace has ever been found, even after numerous and extensive attempts to prove the historicity of this event.

 

2. An implausible start: 

The Bible tells us that all two million plus of them were informed that the very next day, they would be escaping from Egypt and had to immediately get prepared. (see Exodus 11:2–4 and Exodus 12:21–24)

In one day, over two million people, in Egypt, a very large county with no telephones or radios, were all contacted and instructed to collect treasure from their masters and then to kill a one-year old male lamb and smear its blood on the door posts of their house that night. Obviously, these slaves were apparently wealthy, as they all had houses with doors and a sizable herd of sheep so that each family was able to pull an unblemished, one-year old male lamb from it. In a normal flock of sheep, about 20% are one year old…half of those would be males.

3. A really long line: 

Two and a half million people would have created a line well over 200 miles long (at eight abreast with only three feet between each row) along with their animals, of which the Bible says they had many. They also took along much treasure. Many would have been with babies, pregnant, crippled, blind, or bedridden, and yet a line of people extending over 200 miles long were able to outrun the Egyptian army who were chasing them with chariots and horses, all in a single day and night.

Orthodox Jewish scholar Lawrence Schiffman, chairman of Hebrew and Judaic studies at New York University, said, “you’d have to be a bit crazy to accept that figure” when asked about the number of escaped slaves recorded in the Torah.

4. A load beyond measure: 

Despite the Bible saying elsewhere that they only took food wrapped in their shoulder sleeves and some treasure they obtained from the Egyptians, we see soon after this one day escape that they all had tents to live in, along with tools and weapons. They also had plenty of wood for the many required daily sacrifices that their God demanded. We see in Exodus 29:25 “You shall take them from their hands, and offer them up in smoke on the altar on the burnt offering for a soothing aroma before the Lord; it is an offering by fire to the Lord.” God loved the sweet soothing aroma of the burning animals after they were just slaughtered as it floated up to His dwelling place; which is described elsewhere as actually being the floor of the sky (firmament) where the rain and snow are stored.

Exodus chapters 35 and 39 describe numerous other items they had to have in order to build the tabernacle which was built in the center of each camp including such things as 48 15-foot solid beams overlaid with gold, and dozens of other items. Where did all of these things come from? Numbers Chapter 7 states they had six carts pulled by oxen that moved those items from camp to camp.

5. Unrealistic hygiene requirements: 

Deuteronomy 23:12–14 says, “You shall also have a place outside the camp and go out there, and you shall have a spade among your tools, and it shall be when you sit down outside, you shall dig with it and shall turn to cover up your excrement. Since the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp to deliver you and to defeat your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy; and He must not see anything indecent among you or He will turn away from you.”

For those living near the center of camp, it would probably require a couple of miles each way, given the estimate of the population, animals and bare-bone infrastructure. 

6. Moses did not write any of the Torah: 

It is very easy to confirm and to understand why the overwhelming majority of Biblical scholars today have determined that the “Books of Moses,” the first five books in the Old Testament, were not written until during or after the post-exilic period (later than 586 B.C.E.) and absolutely not by Moses, who would have died many centuries before… that is, had he been a real person. ...

7. There are many anachronisms: 

Many locations named in this story were not even in existence at that alleged time, clearly proving the story was developed at a much later time than it claims to be. This is called an anachronism, one of several factors that scholars use in dating old manuscripts. An example would be a story claiming to be written at the time of George Washington but referencing a city named Seattle or referring to things such as radios. That would be proof positive that the author was not telling the truth about when it was being composed.

Moreover, specialists in the Hebrew Bible say that the Exodus story is riddled with internal contradictions stemming from the fact that it was spliced together from several texts written at different times. One passage in Exodus, for instance, says that the bodies of the pharaoh’s charioteers were found on the shore, while the next verse says they sank to the bottom of the sea.

Another is that the Edomite kings listed in Genesis 36 did not live until a time well after Moses would have died. For more detail, see Book of Joshua.

8. What would it take infrastructure wise for a community of 2,500,000 to function?

After 40 years in the wilderness, Joshua and Caleb were the only two still alive from the original 2,500,000 who escaped. The Bible indicates that the population after the 40 years was nearly the same. (603,500 before vs 601,730 after the 40 years of men over 20 years old who were able to go to war).

This problem needs little if any comment. Water distribution in the desert would require an amazing network of wells, cisterns, and piping, assuming you can find the water to begin with.Since their food was rained down for them as manna, we can skip that necessity. Sanitation would be huge, manufacturing of clothes for those born in the wilderness, hospitals, first aid stations, schools, day care, where to gather wood for the many daily sacrifices (in the desert), medicines, soap, blankets or sleeping bags for those cold nights, and countless oth er needs that cannot be ignored. Factories and mining facilities were needed as they all had spades, tools, and weapons....

9. Can the earth ever stop spinning? 

As a climax to the Exodus was the alleged conquest of Canaan. The Bible claims that God literally stopped the sun for 24 hours so that Joshua could defeat the enemy while there was still light. Physics is clear; if the earth abruptly stopped spinning for even a second, all people, animals, rocks, topsoil, trees, buildings, and so on, would be swept away into the atmosphere. No where in the world is there any record of this long day.

10. Parallels of earlier known writings: 

Mythological stories are usually built around superheroes. The story of the Exodus was written during the Babylonian captivity where most of the Jewish captives assimilated into its culture. Many did not return when King Cyrus decreed them the right to. The fact is, many liked it there and were well settled and comfortable. What were the priests to do?

One of the most famous kings known to that history was the Akkadian King Sargon. He was called Sargon the Great who conquered among other places, Mesopotamia and the Levant. He established the first real empire. He was well known in Babylonian literature and was a famous legend due to his birth story and great leadership. Note how the writers gave Moses those same attributes. Here is a brief account of his Sargon’s birth and deeds:

The following worn translation of the legend comes from J.B. Pritchard’s The Ancient Near East Volume I, pages 85–86. It reads: (The legend of Sargon)

Sargon, the mighty king, king of Agade, am I.

My mother was a changeling, my father I knew not.

The brother(s) of my father loved the hills.

My city is Azupiranu, which is situated on the banks of the Euphrates.

My changeling mother conceived me, in secret she bore me.

She set me in a basket of rushes, with bitumen she sealed

My lid.

She cast me into the river which rose not (over) me,

The river bore me up and carried me to Akki, the

drawer of water.

Akki, the drawer of water lifted me out as he dipped his

e[w]er.

Akki, the drawer of water, [took me] as his son

(and) reared me.

Akki, the drawer of water, appointed me as his gardener,

While I was a gardener, Ishtar granted me (her) love,

And for four and [ … ] years I exercised kingship,

The black-headed [people] I ruled, I gov[erned];

Mighty [moun]tains with chip-axes of bronze I con-

quered,

The upper ranges I scaled,

The lower ranges I [trav]ersed,

The sea [lan]ds three times I circled.

Dilmun my [hand] cap[tured],

[To] the great Der I [went up], I [. . . ],

[ . . . ] I altered and [. . .].

We now understand why the writers of these five books developed its main character, Moses, into someone the people could identify as being a great superhero. The same birth story as Sargon’s along with many miraculous stories and fearful commandments saying that if they followed this God, all would be wonderful, but if not, there would be nothing but dreadful pain. The writers had an extremely hard task in motivating the people to return and become unified and this story of their alleged origin was key.

The writers knew that if there was going to be a unified people, a people who were enjoying the safety of another culture and other gods; they would have to be separated from “the snares of the world,” so the “carrot and stick” approach was utilized.

This story included many acts of genocide to accomplish two main goals: the obtaining of sacred land areas, and as the Bible says, to free them from being tempted by foreign women and gods.

We conclude with several more quotes from Rabbis and Jewish scholars:

Again, from William Dever, the professor of Near Eastern archeology and anthropology at the University of Arizona said; “The Exodus story was produced for theological reasons: to give an origin and history to a people and distinguish them from others by claiming a divine destiny.”

Ze’ev Herzog continued, “Scholars have known these things for a long time, but we’ve broken the news very gently, the old emphasis on trying to prove the Bible has given way to more objective professionals aiming to piece together the reality of ancient lifestyles.”

“Among Reform, Conservative and Reconstructionist Jews, there is a much greater willingness to see the Torah as an extended metaphor in which truth comes through story and law,” said Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, dean of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles.

The first mention of Israel in recorded history is ironic. It was engraved by the Egyptian Pharaoh on the famous Merneptah Stele dated to 1205 B.C.E., about two centuries after Israel would have been well settled in Canaan.

,,,,

Not one trace of evidence after decades of diligent investigation with the most advanced technological tools.

Not one word in Egypt’s history recording anything connected with the Bible’s account. And not one word from any other surrounding nations or states (or private historian) who would have gladly published the destruction of a mighty army by runaway slaves. That is why few scholars will defend the Bible’s account of it.

======================

Meet the Living Church of God Video by Mario Espinoza

0
0

 


This presentation provides background information on the church organization that calls itself the “Living Church of God”. The presentation has information about its origins and history, their claims and practices, its doctrines, as well as its leadership and organizational characteristics. The purpose of this presentation is to give the viewers the facts and evidence they need, so that they are well informed about this organization and to demonstrate to you the viewer, beyond a reasonable doubt, the truth - that this organization and its leaders do not, in fact, represent the original beliefs, teachings and practices of Jesus Christ, the original apostles and the Church of God in the New Testament.

LCG and Armstrongism are heretical because they are preaching another Jesus, a different spirit, and a different gospel; and they explicitly deny the fundamental and essential doctrines of the Christian faith as evidenced and taught from the Holy Bible (2 Corinthians 11:3-4; Galatians 1:6-9; Romans 16:17-18; 2 Thessalonians 3:13-15).

In hope, love and outgoing concern, I pray to the LORD Father in Heaven that He would grant that a clear testimony will emerge from the information discussed in this presentation to all who are seeking "the Truth", to all who are in the Body of Christ, and that it will be a blessing to all who are in any of the Armstrong splinter groups or anyone who may be contemplating joining any of the Armstrong splinter groups. I also hope and pray that the information provided will be edifying to people everywhere, but especially to those who are members of the Living Church of God (LCG).

Lastly, I love LCG and pray that God will use the information discussed in this presentation to open the eyes, minds, and hearts of the LCG ministry and laity, and cause them to work towards theological reform which would bring their beliefs, teachings and practices into harmony with the Holy Scriptures. If LCG continues refusing the clear testimony of the Holy Bible, then may God draw people out of LCG and the other groups and into a saving relationship and knowledge of Jesus Christ and His true sound doctrine; and I ask this in His Son, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christs' name. Amen. If you would like to engage in Christ-centered dialogue about the content of this video, you may contact me through my Website page. The link can be found on my channel. Take Care and God Bless.


LCG: We are the Watchman...

0
0


 

Why is it that all of the Churches of God have to picture themselves as special and called out from all the rest of the COG's? Each splinter group is better than the other and doing a mightier work.

There is nothing unique about LCG claiming to be The Watchman. Our favorite crackpot prophet, the Great Bwana Bob Mzungu Thiel claims he is. Dave Pack and Gerald Flurry claim they are. Ron Wienland claims he and his dingy wife are. Alton Billingsley imagines himself as the guy. COGWA and UCG think they are. David Hulme is so insignificant now that no one cares what he is anymore... is he dead or still alive? And. then there is the Living Church of God...sigh.

Notice how perturbed Winnail is by the fact that most Christians promote Jesus as coming to save sinners. Ghastly Days! LCG can't have their Jesus doing such an effeminate thing! They expect to judge the world in the millennium when they are gods and goddesses, ruling with rods of iron, with Rod Meredith and Herbert Armstrong sitting at the right-hand side of Jesus Christ.

The Church as a Watchman: Many churches feel their mission is to tell the world that God loves everyone, and that Jesus came to save sinners. However, Jesus told His disciples to be alert and watch for specific events that will mark the approaching end of the age and His imminent return (Matthew 24:42–44). Those events will include religious deception and persecution, spreading violence and war, numerous catastrophes, and selfishness and personal pursuits of pleasure (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21; 2 Timothy 3:1–5). Jesus also said the last days would be like the days of Noah and the time of Sodom and Gomorrah (Matthew 24:37–39; Luke 17:26–30). As the world appears to spin out of control, Jesus said unless He returns, human beings would self-destruct (Matthew 24:21–22). Just as God sent prophets to warn the ancient nations of Israel and Judah, God has commissioned His Church to be a watchman and warn the Israelite nations and the world of the dangers ahead and to preach the good news of the coming Kingdom of God (Ezekiel 3:17–18 and 33:1–6; Mark 16:15). Let’s stay focused on this important mission.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail

How Dare You Ask A Minister A Question!

0
0

 


Why is it that the Church of God ministry and its leaders have always been so afraid of questions? If one dared to ask a question about doctrine, church issues, or the Bible, the spittle would start flying, faces would turn red with veins popping as they angrily shut you down. How DARE YOU question God's anointed! How DARE YOU!

How many times did you witness Herbert pounding his desk as he bellowed at the members? Remember red-faced Rod Meredith with his veins popping in his forehead yelling at members?

One thing I have always done at the church I attend when leading new member classes is to tell people to question. Just because a minister says something, does not mean you have to agree with it. It is not necessary to always have the answer and just when you think you have the answer another question should arise. That's the only way a person grows mentally or spiritually.

Armstrongism has always despised questions. Sure, they would allow questions at Bible Study services, but if a question was too deep or too close to the power structure, it was either mocked or placed in the "we will get to this later" pile. Most of the time mocking and ridiculing was the route to go. Humiliate people in front of others and they will never question again. Lesson learned.

I am an [elderly] man who was disfellowshipped from the Worldwide Church of God in 1974. My problem with the WCG ministry (or their problem with me) was that I refused to simply accept what they taught as if their words came directly from God’s lips. They tired (and were often seriously offended) by my constant questions, to the point where one day they simply asked (forced) me to leave the WCG. 
 
Since then, (except for a hiatus of some twenty years), I have tried to keep abreast of the many changes and upheavals of the WCG and its many offshoots. Although I have had no affiliation with any of these groups, I have over the past fifty years tried to engage several of the ministry (about 12-14) in a discussion of their more egregious teachings. Not one of these men would honestly consider my concerns, let alone discuss them with me. They have collectively, for many years now, simply chosen to ignore my queries so that I no longer even try to reach out to them. 
 
The anger and contempt I once had for the ministry has been replaced by feelings of disappointment and sorrow. And yet, no matter how wrong-headed I consider many of these men to be, I have chosen to believe that somewhere in their hearts and minds, some (perhaps even most) of them truly believe they are doing God and their members a service. Exit and Support Network

Crackpot Prophet Claims He Was "PUSHED OUT" Of His World Headquarters Building! Oh, Noes!!!!!!!!!!!!!

0
0

 



Satan continues his wiley was causing God's most important man to ever exist in human history to move his sacred butt out of his world-class headquarters in Grover Beach to a dingy warehouse. Ho, the humanity!!!!!! The trials and tribulations of a self-appointed Church of God prophet. 

Satan has always been perturbed by the holy one himself, the Great Bwana to Africa, and the occasional 100 Caucasians. Never has Satan had to deal with such an awesome Church of God leader like the Great Bwana. Since everything the Great Bwana does is so extraordinary Satan has to double down with his persecution. Tornadoes, heavy rain, and a flat-roofed office building all created the perfect storm to disrupt the mind-boggling though improperly named "continuing Church of 'god'".

The suffering martyr writes:

We have now been pushed out of our offices and into cramped aisles in the warehouse as our ceilings are in the process of being removed and replaced because of water damage related to the tornado that hit last month. Because of the construction, the church telephone line (which is analog) is not functional and probably may not be for a couple of weeks. However, email still works. Sorry for any difficulties this may cause some of you.

Satan is also continuing to cause problems with setting up a Feast site. The Great Bwana can't do one in Arroyo Grande, CA since Living Church of God will be there. 

Let me add that we contacted another city in Texas where we are considering holding the Feast of Tabernacles for the USA in this year. Although we have gotten several responses from different locations, so far we have received no acceptable quotes (meeting room rates quoted were many times higher than appropriate) from the four cities we contacted in Texas. We continue to work and pray about this.


International Women's Day! Celebrate COG Women

0
0

 


Today is International Women's Day. 
Who was the woman/women in the church that helped your spiritual growth?

The chances are high that if you had a spiritual mentor who was a woman she certainly knew more about the Bible than your minister or church leader ever did.

We can almost be guaranteed that the Great Bwana Bob Mzungu Thiel 
will preach a sermon condemning it.


COGWA: Cost Of New Auditorium Has Increased 50% - Tithe Slaves To The Rescue!

0
0


CGWA is still trying to figure out what they want to do with their proposed multi-use auditorium they want to build on their "campus" as well as a new "education" center. Costs continued to rise after they submitted plans to the city in 2017.

COGWA tithe slaves will soon be expected to fork over more money to fund this new facility.

Before I conclude this letter, I wanted to give you a brief update on where we are with the potential building of an auditorium on our property here in McKinney, Texas. We are currently in the process of negotiating with three contractors (we began with five) to see if this project will be viable. We were surprised that from the time we began our planning for this potential auditorium, building costs have gone up exponentially, by 50 percent according to some. To be perfectly clear, our goal from the beginning was to pay cash for any new building, or possibly pay mostly cash with a small, short-term loan that could be paid off in two or three years. If we can’t arrive at a price that we can afford, then we will put the project on hold until we have the cash to complete what we started. This should be determined in the next few weeks. At that time, I will meet with the Ministerial Board of Directors, and a decision will be made as to whether we: (1) put the project on hold for possibly another year, (2) cancel the project or (3) go forward with building. The determining factor will be the cost. I will keep everyone informed when a decision is made.




 


UCG: We Are The TRUE Patriots Of The Kingdom

0
0

 


In nations around the world many people are crying out because they see the erosion of  
what has been considered sacred freedoms. In western countries where freedom of speech 
was written in constitutions long ago, it is now coming into question. 
The loss of human rights, and even life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness may not be far behind.
Jim Tuck

Always looking to find something wrong in the world around them, COG splinter groups were taught well by the mother church to hone in on negativity. UCG zeroed in on the political situation in the United States. Nowhere in the world is the political situation being exploited more than here in the US, due to the blithering idiots on both sides of the aisle here in the US. They have succeeded in dividing the country. 

Even in Armstrongism where politics run deep through its veins, they imagine themselves as the authority on what is right and wrong. Sure they mouth off the standard warnings and platitudes on how evil the world is, but none of them are concerned enough to make their voices heard by getting out and voting. All they do is just blab and blab as they thrust out their self-righteous chests in mock authority.

I can feel the spittle flying now... 

Herbert Armstrong told us not to vote and to not get involved in world affairs. Besides, what if we voted for the wrong issue or party? That's why we must rely upon God to appoint the leaders we deserve.

Using that logic the non-voters say to their god that they believe it is incapable of inspiring a person to vote for the candidate/party or referendum it chooses. Armstrongism's god is always so weak.

Anyway, back to UCG patriotic stance and where their loyalty lies. As the TRUE patriots of the church and the world, they are ready to endure being hated, scoffed at, harassed, or even put to death by the magistrates of this world. Armstrongism has always been about pretend patriotism that they never lifted a finger to defend but pretend to be martyrs for their so-called truth.

True patriots of the Kingdom 

Hebrew 11 gives a list of the dedicated matriarchs and patriarchs—many of which gave their lives—as true patriots of the Kingdom. It says in Hebrews 11:13-16: 
 
“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”

The apostle Paul wrote further: 
 
“Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us” (Hebrews 11:36-40). 
 
They proved to be loyal ambassadors of a Kingdom not of this world; they envisioned it afar off. These were true patriots of the Kingdom they sought. It is what we seek each day as we prove our loyalty and obedience to God and Jesus Christ. True patriots of that coming Kingdom are willing to endure being hated, scoffed at, harassed or even put to death by the magistrates of this world. We may have opportunity to prove our loyalty to God sooner than we might think! I pray all of us have our eyes so firmly riveted on the goal of the Kingdom we can persevere through whatever hardships come our way.

Pathocracy in the Armstrong Churches of God

0
0


Pathocracy in the Armstrong Churches of God


A 2019 Psychology Today article by Dr. Steve Taylor titled Pathocracy, unfortunately, offers us some insight into what has happened within the Armstrong Churches of God. According to the article, the concept of "pathocracy" was developed by a Polish psychologist to explain why people with personality disorders so often occupy positions of power. Indeed, the phenomenon is observed within human leadership in both the political and religious realm.

Dr. Taylor observed that "pathocracy is arguably one of the biggest problems in the history of the human race. History has been a saga of constant conflict and brutality, with groups of people fighting against one another over territory and power and possessions, and conquering and killing one another." Nevertheless, he went on to note that "there is an argument that this is not because all human beings are inherently brutal and cruel, but because a small number of people—that is, those with personality disorders—are brutal and cruel, intensely self-centered, and lacking in empathy. This small minority has always held power and managed to order or influence the majority to commit atrocities on their behalf."

Dr. Taylor went on to observe that "people with these disorders feel an insatiable lust for power. People with narcissistic personality disorder desire constant attention and affirmation. They feel that they are superior to others and have the right to dominate them. They also lack empathy, which means that they are able to ruthlessly exploit and abuse others in their lust for power." Likewise, according to him, "psychopaths feel a similar sense of superiority and lack of empathy, but the main difference between them and narcissists is that they don't feel the same impulse for attention and adoration. To an extent, the impulse to be adored acts as a check on the behavior of narcissists. They are reluctant to do anything that might make them too unpopular. But psychopaths have no such qualms."

Now, most of us are not doctors or psychologists, but we can all read a list of symptoms and have the ability to make connections. According to the Mayo Clinic, the symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder are: Have an unreasonably high sense of self-importance and require constant, excessive admiration. Feel that they deserve privileges and special treatment. Expect to be recognized as superior even without achievements. Make achievements and talents seem bigger than they are. Be preoccupied with fantasies about success, power, brilliance, beauty or the perfect mate. Believe they are superior to others and can only spend time with or be understood by equally special people. Be critical of and look down on people they feel are not important. Expect special favors and expect other people to do what they want without questioning them. Take advantage of others to get what they want. Have an inability or unwillingness to recognize the needs and feelings of others. Be envious of others and believe others envy them. Behave in an arrogant way, brag a lot and come across as conceited. Insist on having the best of everything — for instance, the best car or office."

Any of that sound familiar? Anyone with an Armstrong Church of God background should recognize at least some of those traits in Herbert Armstrong, the founder of the Radio and Worldwide Church of God. What about some of the folks who have claimed to be his successors in the movement? What about Garner Ted Armstrong, Roderick Meredith, David Pack, Gerald Flurry, Bob Thiel, Ron Weinland, Jon Brisby, Bill Watson, Adrian Davis, etc.? Indeed, this also explains why so many ACOG folks tend to like and support Donald Trump!

Dr. Taylor went on to note that the phenomenon of pathocracy isn't just confined to personality disorders within the leadership of a group. He noted that "a significant part of the problem is the attraction that many people feel to charismatic demagogues. You can see this in the appeal of President Trump, despite the obvious flaws - his extreme narcissism, lack of empathy and his distorted, delusory view of reality - of his personality disorder. Psychologically, this is very similar to the attraction of spiritual gurus, who often attract the blind devotion of disciples, despite unethical and exploitative behavior. The attraction of gurus and demagogues is a deep-rooted impulse to return to the childhood state of worshipping parents who seem omnipotent and infallible and could take complete responsibility for our lives, and magically solve our problems. At the same time, the paranoia of pathological leaders leads them to demonize other groups and creates an intoxicating sense of group identity with a common purpose."

But why don't the good guys ever seem to end up in leadership? Dr. Taylor noted that "people with a high level of empathy and compassion usually aren’t interested in power. They prefer to be 'on the ground,' interacting and connecting with others. They may even refuse the offer of a high-status position because they’re aware that higher status will disconnect them (although for a non-empathic person, that is part of its appeal). So this leaves positions of power open for people with psychological disorders (or at least with a high level of ambition and ruthlessness, even if not a fully fledged psychological disorder)." In brief, the people who should be in leadership positions don't want to be! Ironically, it is the reluctant ones who are best suited to leadership - the ready and willing are often folks with an agenda or something to prove. In other words, they have little or no concern for the needs of the folks they desire to rule over. They are simply a means to an end.

This is the history and legacy of the Armstrong Churches of God. As I have said before, that isn't always cream rising to the top. Sometimes turds float on the surface too! 

Lonnie Hendrix



Crackpot Prophet Offering Tribulation Protection

0
0

 

First we had UCG expecting to be martyrs and now the Great Bwana Bob Mzungu offers true Christians something that only he can grant - tribulation protection. What a great time to be alive in the Church of God!!!!!!!

Remember boys and girls there is NO Church of God out there today that knows WHEN it will be time to flee to Petra or some other hell hole to be trained for 3 1/2 years by the Great Bwana to Africa and the 100 Occasional Caucasians. Unless of course, he is one of the two witless witnesses and will be in Jerusalem witnessing alongside Ronnie Weinerdude Weinland as they give the world its final awning. 

Only the improperly named "'continuing" Church of "god'" knows that date. So if you want to take advantage of tribulation protection under the auspices of the Great Bwana Bob Mzungu, let him know and include a huge check.

Why does any person with a thinking mind believe these fools?

Great Tribulation Protection
Is disaster coming? Do Christians have to have any concerns about what will happen? Does Jesus promise to physically save some or all Christians? If only some, which? As far as a disastrous time coming, did Jesus say it would be the worst time ever? Does the Bible point to something resembling nuclear destruction? What about the opening of the fifth seal of the Apocalypse. Will the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom be subject to the start of the Great Tribulation? Is fleeing to a mountainous part of the USA the answer? Does the Old Testament also warn about that? Does the Bible tell of parents and children eating each other? Why is there no pre-tribulation rapture? Is there any connection between the proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom of God and the end? Why are the Philadelphian Christians promised protection in the Book of Revelation? What about Zephaniah’s prophecies about a decree and gathering together? What about those of Thyatira, Sardis, and Laodicea? Are Christians to pray and watch to be counted worthy to escape? Are Christians going to face deadly persecution? Where could the place in the wilderness to flee be? What about Petra or somewhere else in Jordan? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more.


New Book Series: About three children trapped in and growing up in the Radio Church of God

0
0

Official book site here: The Threefold Chord





Despite an indifferent father and a mother who develops a serious mood disorder, young twins Kevin and Robert, and their younger brother Jonah, experience an idyllic early life in rural Manitoba during the 1950s while in the loving care of their grandparents. However, that life comes to an abrupt end after their father converts to the esoteric beliefs of the Radio Church of God, a radical fundamentalist sect that preaches strict discipline in preparation for an anticipated end time worldwide cataclysm. Forced to move back home to live with their parents, the boys are victimized by their father’s extreme religious fanaticism, which for the twins, includes indoctrination sessions, beatings, and confinement in a basement coal cellar.

​Rather than giving in to their father’s brutality and brainwashing efforts, the twins remain strong and find clever ways to survive their circumstances and even thrive within them. Determined to be their younger brother’s keeper, the twins and Jonah form an unbreakable bond – a proverbial threefold cord. It is a bond of mutual support for one another that enables them to better cope with their father’s abusive and controlling behaviour. 
 
Although fictional, The Threefold Cord explores many of the real-life beliefs and practices of the Radio Church of God and deftly examines the grey area between a cult and a religion, between discipline and abuse, and asks what it takes for a person to decide where those lines should be drawn.

About the Author

 

JAMES ANDERSON is a retired professional engineer, who was involved in tele-communications for over thirty years. He and his wife, Julie, live in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They have three adult children and three grandchildren. An avid amateur radio operator and electronics hobbyist, Anderson turned to writing later in life. He credits this, in part, to his experience as a former member of the Worldwide Church of God (previously known as the Radio Church of God, which is featured in The Threefold Cord).

Anderson says, "I turned to writing to express my frustrations as to how my family and I had been exploited and lied to by that church organization, as well as how the church victimized, abused, and impoverished so many others. Although I am an ardent fan of non-fiction, writing fiction has been where my writing activities have been the most prolific."The Threefold Cord is Anderson's first book and also the first instalment of a story series that explores how children are adversely affected by parents who are willing to follow extreme fundamentalist doctrines.

 


Aleksandar "Sasha" Veljic of the Hope of Israel Worldwide Church of God In A Coma

0
0


 

From several sources today:

Urgent Prayer Request 🙏
Dear friends and community members,
I come to you with a heavy heart to ask for your prayers for Elder Aleksandar "Sasha" Veljic of the Hope of Israel Worldwide Church of God. He recently suffered a stroke while visiting brethren in the Atlanta, Georgia area.
Sasha has been a dedicated servant of God, spreading His message of love and hope far and wide. Now, in this challenging time, he needs our support more than ever. Let us lift him up in prayer, asking for God's healing touch and strength to guide him through this difficult journey.
Please join me in praying for Sasha's swift recovery and for comfort and peace for his family and loved ones during this uncertain time. Together, let's surround them with love, support, and the power of prayer.
Thank you for keeping Sasha and the brethren he serves in your thoughts and prayers.

Apparently, he is now in a coma. 

Sasha, along with Terry Nelson, are the ones who exposed the lies of the Great Bwana Bob Thiel and his so-called ministers/evangelists in Africa. From adultery, thievery, witchcraft, and money mismanagement, the corruption in the improperly named "continuing" Church of God was exposed for all to see.

The Great Bwana to Africa made sure to let everyone know today that he is praying for Sasha.

 

LCG Expects Its Members To Be Peacemakers, But What About The Ministry And Its Leaders?

0
0

 

The Living Church of God is encouraging its members to be peacemakers and to go to their brother or sister to work out any problems.

"Peacemakers go to their brother or sister in a spirit of meekness to resolve issues ..."

Seriously? LCG and Winnail can say that with a straight face? 

Rod Meredith, when he was in the Radio/Worldwide Church of God never went to the brethren as a peacemaker or even talked to people when things arose. Instead, his pen was swift in writing disfellowshipment letters and marking people from the pulpit. That nastiness carried over into the Global Church of God and later into the Living Church of God when he left Global in a fit of rebellion as he smeared and maligned people at every turn.

This is not something Meredith was guilty of but the majority of COG leadership and ministry are also guilty of. Reconciliation has never been a focus of any COG. Rather, it has been busy grinding people up and spitting them out.

Peacemakers also do not post prayer requests on public bulletin boards in the HQ office builing so they can be mocked.


Are You a Peacemaker? We are living in an angry age where hate and violence and the talk of war are everywhere. Yet, we have been called out of this world to reign with Jesus Christ when He returns to bring peace to this planet (Isaiah 9:6–7). As Christians, we must strive to “live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:17–21). We can become peacemakers by not reacting angrily in situations, not seeking to get even, by treating others like we would like to be treated, and by overcoming evil with good. Solomon observed, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1). Solomon also stated, “He who covers [overlooks and forgives] a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats [or keeps talking about or won’t let go of] a matter separates friends” (Proverbs 17:9). Peacemakers go to their brother or sister in a spirit of meekness to resolve issues (Matthew 18:15; James 3:13–18). King David wrote that peace is the result of learning to love and follow the laws of God (Psalm 119:165). Let’s make that our goal.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail

UCG on the weighty responsibility to shepherd, oversee and lead God’s people

0
0


Those busy boys from Cincinnati recently held a Southwest Region Pastoral Conference in Phoenix, AZ where many topics were discussed.

One that may be of particular interest is how United Church of God ministers and elders are held accountable by their members and the church. Though I imagine in their minds they think they are only accountable to God and no one else. We have seen how well that has worked out over the decades.

Emphasizing the instructions found in 1 Peter 5 and the weighty responsibility to shepherd, oversee and lead God’s people by example, Steve Myers presented the topic of “Accountable Elders.” He emphasized a minister’s God-given duties and that ministers are “those who must give account” (Hebrews 13:17).

Many UCG members are asking, "just WHO are these guys giving account to?" 

The other thing they all do is, speak the same thing...seriously?

“Speak the same thing,” taken from 1 Corinthians 1:10, was the overall theme of the conference. The conference began with a presentation from our president, Rick Shabi. He focused on the ministry’s first responsibility to be a disciple of Christ and the importance of speaking, teaching and living by God’s Truth

They are also pastors of vision! Woo Hoo! However, they just admitted last month that after 29 years they "Now we must get to work." Talk about a lack of vision!

In COGspeak, when these topics start coming up there is bound to be a church split somewhere down the line.




Terry Nelson rips Thiel a New One, major Butthurt for the Great Bwana

0
0

 



It's been a while since I commented on here- 

First thing id like to say is Sasha does need our Prayers, as this is one of those moments where God's intervention is necessary. I'm sure the stress of Sasha knowing the truth of the Evil that Bob Thiel is supporting definitely was a contributing factor in his current condition, I know it hasn't been easy for me and my Family either. Some of our former friends in CCOG and the one we thought we could trust did turn against us and have accused of telling lies and trying to destroy the Work; we thought we knew Bob Thiel, but we only know in this last year realize his claims of being a prophet of God are false, especially all the evidence, including pictures, Facebook chats and even official Kenyan Documents and scores of witnesses, show he is only worried about saving his reputation and his obsessed idea of being a prophet of God and his claims of the fastest growing COG in this 21 st century. 

So I'm not surprised that this hasn't caused Sasha to experience a Stroke and other stress related illnesses. Sasha and me also realize the abusive so called Philadelphia loving Government of Bob Thiel and yes even in Worldwide and other Churches of God. His message has always included an Apology for the Abusive treatment that I'm sure thousands endured during the Worldwide days and Current times; that's why Banned exists, if it wasn't for the Abusive treatment and Cultish Control in Current and Past times, most likely Banned wouldn't be. 

Yes, I've been betrayed, Yes Sasha has been betrayed, Betrayed and told to remain silent and turn a blind eye to the Abused innocent by a Man that claims to be a Prophet of God, to put up with in your face Satanists and ungodly Men, to be told to follow his Philadelphia Government or lose our Crown - same old story- Abuse Control - Hope of Israel wont tolerate abuse. 

Yes I was hurt, yes I said things out of Anger and disbelief, because a Man I trusted and Sasha trusted betrayed our trust and expected to remain silent and obedient to his Philadelphia Government. So please pray for Sasha to recover, so he can serve the Brethren in Love and Pray for the abused and innocent in the CCOG and other churches of God- It's really only about Love- you can claim to know all truth and all knowledge and all Prophecy, but if you have not Love- it is nothing.

Cry aloud Spare not- Terry A Nelson

Dawn Blue: The Restored Church of God Failed Prophecies & Death Threats 3/15/24 Part 12

0
0

The Restored Church of God Failed Prophecies & Death Threats 3/15/24 
Part 12

Dawn Blue interviews Marc Cebrian for WCTV How It's Done program



Dawn Blue: The Restored Church of God RCG Financial Difficulties Part 13

0
0



The Restored Church of God
RCG Financial Difficulties
3/15/24

Part 13

Dawn Blue interviews Marc Cebrian for WCTV How It's Done program

Apostle David C Passover: "If I ever....and I hope you'll remember it well enough to quote it right back to me..."

0
0

 



OK...can do. 

Marc Cebrian's remarkable compilation of The Beautiful Mind of David C "Passover" as told by the Beautiful Mind of David C "Passover" itself.

(P262 23:46)

  “This is critical. Don’t just see it as him or or ‘Mr. Pack’s talking about himself.’

Uh, I’m not.” (Psalm 89:22)

Yes you are....


“Nobody else understands any of this...” “You probably never noticed this...” “I broke a code...”

“I’ve lived in Ohio probably more than most off you.” “I taught what I think the Bible says.”

“I’m seeing things in the scripture no one has ever seen, I’m quite certain of that.”

“I discovered some powerful information.” “I can picture it. You can’t.”

“I can now tell you what none else know.” “No one’s ever been able to explain that.”

“Nobody’s ever put these verses together either.”


(P002 81:39) “One called Elijah is also called, by God for reasons I have wrestled with for a long

time, Joshua the High Priest. Wow Father, I guess I’m the High Priest because I’m the leader

of a royal priesthood. I don’t the Jews aren’t gonna accept me as a High Priest. But, if they

understand symbolically that role, they know somebody’s Joshua. They will and if they

believe I’m Elijah and I explain, ‘but I’m also this person,’ try to imagine this temple’s gonna

be built...”


(P003 48:40) “I’ve been studying God’s word for almost 50 years. And I’ve studied prophecy, I know

this, like no man who’s ever lived. And I’m gonna tell you things over the next several weeks

that are so awesome, so mind-bending, even before today.”


(P015 133:16 “I’m telling you, brethren, I understand this. I’m equipped. I am trained to understand.

I know what war is, I’ve studied it all my life.”


(P163 39:50) “I’ve studied prophecy, I am sure, by far, more than anybody who ever lived.”


(P172 82:40) “I’m not the Apostle Paul, but I am one and I understand what he’s thinking. I’m sure

I’ve pastored more people than he did. He probably traveled more in many ways. Maybe

raised up more congregations, although I raised up almost fifty, but I don’t know...”


(P173 48:50) “This is a profound understanding and nobody ever put it together and it was my task

to do that and begin to explain it to the church. I’m going to tell you, I think there probably

are still a few flaws in what I’ve said, but very few.”


(P178 21:37) “What we learned on Thursday night, nobody on earth knows! Nobody knows it. My

whole life I’ve dug into these things. I know prophecy better than any man alive. I’ve said it

before, if you think I’m arrogant saying it, as I like to say, ‘Then, pray for me.’ But I’m gonna

tell you I’ve dug and dug and dug like nobody I ever knew...and now a thousand wise men

could not convince me I’m wrong.”


(P180 77:17) “These are mysteries. Nobody understood any of this. I didn’t and took me a while to

put it together. I mean, I feel like I could write a new King James Bible better, with the Greek

and Hebrew. They were fine, I’m not I’m not trying to brag, but I’ve had to. That’s where I got

up to and I do estimate it’s about 9000 hours of study on this.”


(P193 104:44) “My responsibility before God is to prepare the Church regarding the mysteries of

God for what happens.”


(P194 108:09) “Look, maybe there’re people who know New Testament Church history better than I,

but I but I I’ll bet there aren’t three in the last two thousand years, partly because I live at the

end of it and I’ve studied it and written long books on it and studied it...”


(P195 59:13) “Probably not one of you has ever thought, I hadn’t. I’m not condemning you in any

way. Not one of us has ever thought a single time maybe we have, maybe one person or

three people once have thought about the fact that, ‘I wonder if Trumpets will play a part in

all of this.’”


(P196 76:51) “I pulled out a pencil and I started writing with a yellow pad and I didn’t stop until I had

seventy-five questions and I had zero when I started and never cracked the Bible ‘cause I I

I’ve come to the point where as I’ve explained, I’m encyclopedic on the Bible, I can just study

it in my mind, I can call up these verses and I just then I just said, ‘I’m not gonna stop.’ Then I

took a pause and by nightfall I was over a hundred and eventually over a hundred and ten.”


(P197 11:15) “It just never happened. I’ve studied Church history like no one I’ve ever known,

maybe there’re some who know it better than I do, but I wrote a lot about it, I’ve talked about

it, and I’ve I’ve harkened to this point.”


(P197 128:59) “This is an inquisition. That’s what’s coming. Nobody else will say it. I will ‘cause I

know I’m right.”


(P198 50:19) “These are absolute mysteries of the Kingdom of God, by the way, that nobody ever

knew...”


(P198 120:21) “And you can throw me into Revelation, and I went through this with the ministers,

you can throw me into the book of Revelation, spin me around three times, blindfold me, then

I go to bed, get up, don’t have coffee, and you point at a person place in Revelation, I’ll tell

you what it means.”


(P200 152:59) “But, I’m pretty sure I can walk you through every verse that’s on your mind and

clear them up the way we can clear this one up at the end of the Bible.”


(P202 109:52) “I know literally, literally everything that happens from the time Christ drops outta

that cloud ’til this things rolls into the box. I’ve got the whole picture ’til there’s no more

earth. So, I know what God is gonna do and you know what God’s gonna do.”


(P203 132:09) “Mark 13:34 commands a Watchman to watch. I didn’t hafta hear God’s voice to

know that I am commanded to do that. I know who that guy is.”

(P204 146:06) “So, what I’m teaching you is the doctrine of God from Christ and that’s my my task.”


(P214 08:20) “I broke a code and in breaking this code, I discovered something else that is really

wonderful. And I don’t think anybody knew it and I gonna prove to you even the translators

didn’t know what they were seeing and, therefore, rendered it a a a little different way.”

[John 5:24]


(P219 87:24) “I don't care the prophet you wanna name, brethren, I understand these things and

I didn't for a long time and neither did anybody else because I was shown them. You're

gonna send a messenger, it takes a long time, you know.”


(P219 103:20) “I know more about Christmas than anybody who’s ever lived. Period.”


(P220 54:22) “I I maybe there’s somebody who knows more about [Christmas] than I do,

but I doubt it.”


(P224 137:03) “I’m gonna tell you some fascinating things no one has ever understood

and I am sure of it!”


(P227 138:36) “I’ve seen more people fall away, I’m sure, than any apostle who’s ever lived,

by far the first century couldn’t couldn’t begin to match what I saw.”


(P228 30:25) “Took a long time, but uh but I’m thrilled, honored really to tell the very first people

who have ever lived and it’ll be today, you’ll be the first group since the Garden who have

ever had a full picture all the way through the thousand years of how and the stages of the

arrival of God’s renovation of earth in three phases.”


(P228 64:52) “You know, brethren, it’s a wonderful thing now. God I I’m so familiar with the

scriptures in a way, I I always thought I was. My Bible’s collapsing up here again as I’m as

I’m talking to you, I’ve studied it so much. But now I can do a one-hour study because I’ve

done these or an hour and a half study and and prepare an entire prepare an entire sermon

or two hours and never reach for my Bible. I I just can do it. I’m sure it’s a gift of God, too.

I’m not Mr. Wonderful, but I’ve got a memory and I just know the book and God guides me

and helps me. So, I can now go I can explode through subjects very fast now.”


(P229 95:17) “Boy, I just didn’t understand this. [Luke 14:17] Nobody ever has. You are the first

people, in this room. I’ll say it again, the first people ever to understand all of these events

correctly with Revelation as a backdrop. I think the disciples understood quite a bit of it,

maybe much of it. In some in some areas, all of it. But the things they didn’t put together.”


(P231 60:31) “But again, what I’d give to have a Bible study with Mr. Armstrong or the other

apostles, but I kind of it’s me, myself and I and I talk to certain of our good, really we good

ministers around, but they don’t have that that senior experience. Uh it’s not like talking to

a let’s say, eleven other apostles and so sometimes I’d I I could wish I could bounce

questions off of him. Uh I was spoiled when I got to do it, marveled that others didn’t seem

to be that interested.”


(P231 72:04) “...if we only knew that Christ came on the Sabbath, I can tell you which one it is.”


(P231 83:03) “Nobody ever understood what I just told you.”


(P233 39:21) “I’m gonna to reveal a great prophecy is ending. A great prophecy no one ever saw

in the Bible is ending right now, and you know nothing of it, and the church didn’t, and

every historian and theologian who’s ever lived never knew anything about it.”


(P237 84:24) “This stuff’s called the Mystery of God. Nobody ever put this together.”


(P239 46:22) “It looks like it probably is Elijah, but you know, it doesn’t look like it’s a description of

Christ. I’ve gone back and forth, doesn’t make any difference. But, if it’s the little kingdom,

then it almost has to be Elijah because Christ said, ‘I’m gonna stay in the background. I’m

not gonna sit on the throne of My glory yet. You’re gonna restore all things.’ So, you know

all the verses that say it’s almost certainly Elijah.


(P248 02:14) “I’m I’m, you know, I know the subject of Passover thoroughly. You know, remember,

my name is David Passover, and then so I guess my wife would be her name is Vernia, that

means Spring. Her name is Spring Passover. So, if you got the name Passover, and I learned

that as a freshman in college, then, you know, I I know what Passover means.”


(P253 35:27) “‘One shepherd over them. He shall feed them, even my servant David.’ Now look,

I’m sorry, but I have to read that. If there’s some other David, then then God bless him, you

know, because some David is gonna do this day one.”


(P254 Edited Out 06:26) “Now, I still believe that Christ is returning today. If you think I shouldn’t

know the day, then uh and if I’m wrong, then we’re waiting a year. I know way more than I

have time to talk about. And I know some of you sit out there and you’re smug because you

think I shouldn’t know the day...So I I mean I I understand the Scriptures, but if I suggest

maybe we’d know a little bit in advance, like maybe I am an apostle and maybe God would

reveal the truth through me, ‘Oh no!’ you know, you see these smug faces or sullen faces.

I see them. I’m well-aware. When you’ve talked to as many hundreds of thousands of people

from the pulpit, as I have, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of thousands. If you

pastored 11,000 and gave 10 servants sermons, that’s 110,000. So I‘ve seen lots and lots of

faces in crowds. I know how to read people. People don’t hide their their their views very

very well.”


(P254 28:29) “Now, these things are complicated, but it shows you how they and nobody else ever

even investigated any of this. No one ever talked about the mountain city that would exist in

the Millennium, but when it doesn’t, by the way. No one ever noticed the hill city.”


(P255 21:20) “You hafta get into the Last Days before you’ll be able to see it. But that’s obviously

talking to {me} God’s servant because it’s {my} his job to explain it.”


(P256 04:09) “But I actually think, at this point, I I don’t know if I’m stump-able. In terms of

a [Bible] question.”


(P256 80:35) “Nobody ever put these verses together to my knowledge.”


(P256 87:26) “No one ever understood any of this. And I wouldn’t either. If I wuddn't shown it. But

God says He will not do anything, whatever secret He has, He will not do it until He ‘show it

to His servant, the prophets.’ They see it first.”


(P257 107:34) “And now you understand what no one understands. They just don’t. And that’s why

it dudn’t make any difference how long we wait, brethren. I don’t care. I couldn’t care less.

I mean, of course I care. I want it to be, you know, in the next minute, but I I I I don’t care if

it’s another year. I understand the picture. I won’t have to come and clarify this. And I’m not

gonna say if time went on, I wouldn’t give more sermons, but I wouldn’t uh on prophecy...”


(P258 97:04) “Brethren, you’re in the right Church! I’m just telling you, nobody else knows these

great mysteries.”


(P258 125:19) “Not one person ever a single time that I ever heard even in private conversations

said, ‘you can’t know the day or the hour.’ I’m the one who first taught the Church that...”


(P258 126:56) “I know the hour when Christ comes to Elijah, and if you’ve been paying attention,

you do, too.”


(P258 127:30) “And maybe Elijah would need to know that and maybe, just maybe, Elijah knows

the day. Maybe he doesn’t. If I see him, I’ll ask him.”


(P258 128:01) “And I’m the first servant I’ve ever heard that ever even talked about that, never mind

distinguished there’s one in front of it where you can at least know the hour, maybe not the

day but maybe the day. Maybe the day.” [Mark 13:32


(P259 84:33) “I’m gonna give you a great truth today about the day that Christ arrives.”


(P260 143:54) “Then this knowledge fell on me like an anvil outta the sky.”


(P260 145:44) “Now again, if you wanna set these things aside and say, ‘I just don’t know.’

Well, here’s what I would say to you, here’s what I would say, ‘I I I don’t know Mr. Pack.

If you’re not sure that salvation is eminent,’ my honestly answer to you is, ‘Well, I wouldn’t

worry about it, ‘cause for you it isn’t.’”


(P262 23:46) “This is critical. Don’t just see it as him or or ‘Mr. Pack’s talking about himself.’

Uh, I’m not.” [Psalm 89:22


(P262 41:25) “Nobody ever knew how to apply these things and I didn’t either. Took a long time,

but I’ve got it now.”


(P262 81:09) “They know nothing of what you’ve heard for the last 530, you know, what is it,

532 hours, I think we’re up to. I’ve preached up here in this series for 32,000 minutes. Almost

five years. And each sermon, those two hundred and what, sixty-two parts? It’s two hours

and two minutes, there’s a lot of twos in there. So, the exact, say 532 hours when I end today.

So, uh that’s an astonishing amount of knowledge, but you have to remember, they don’t

know anything.”


(P262 85:08) “Look, if I’m the Messenger to the Seventh Era, unless I’m deceived for the last,

you know, half of my adult life, uh then I know the condition over there. I’ve pastored more

people far far far and away than any man who’s ever lived and I know that, and I haven’t

pastored much in the last 15 years, since the early years of Global. And they’re in a hideous

mess and a lot of and they’re gonna prove it. You won’t have to believe me.”


(P262 118:38) “No other prophet is ever called a messenger in the same way. Elijah is called a

messenger.”


(P263 55:28) “Hopefully I’m a good man. Um, you know, you’re called ‘good and faithful.’ I’m called

‘wise and faithful.’ Hopefully, I’m good and wise and faithful. And hopefully all of you have

some wisdom.”


(P263 56:07) “I’m the leader of the of the of the of the last. Christ is the ‘Master of the house’, I’m

the leader under Him of the last part of that house, the 11th-hour folks. And that’s my job...”


(P264 12:17) “Now, nobody ever thought about these things.”


(P264 26:34) “If I If I haven’t pastored more people than anybody else in New Testament history

and I know I have, then I’ve certainly had the most incredible experience that nobody else

has had...”


(P264 36:21) “If there is some other way to explain it, nobody I ever heard, ever heard in the

Worldwide Church of God, not one of the 2000 nearly ministers that I knew ever addressed

these verses, yet Matthew, Mark, and Luke all talk about them.”


(P264 38:00) “It’s just, I’m telling you nobody ever talked about this, that’s all. That’s all. Not at all.

Nobody ever.”


(P265 105:59) “You can envy me, brethren. I get to tell you these things. I love to I know your joy.

I mean, I I love to see your human joy full coming away ‘cause you can bank on this.”


(P265 127:41) “But that’s been that secret’s been revealed to me, suggesting He’s about to do

something. All right? ‘Cause I know I’ve got this now. Nobody you couldn’t dynamite this

outta me.”


(P265 129:34) “...if we even if we had to wait a year. There’re just problems. We’re hemmed in,

folks. We’re hemmed in. You can’t get out. And a loving God did it and may it ever be so.

Let’s hear it for straitjackets and handcuffs and and manacles and everything else, you see.

I’m glad to be in that position...”


(P266 03:39) “A wise and faithful servant would give the message that I’m giving today. I’m

described that way, and I better be that way. And if the emphasis on faithful, he’s gonna be

faithful, then he would give this message. Uh, he has a charge, not a choice about such

matters.”


(P266 103:05) “I I I could I I put this entire list together I’m reading to ya, I didn’t open the Bible,

I just know it well enough. I literally never opened the Bible to put the list together. Because

I can once I get the thread and that’s just yet you we either believe the Holy Spirit leads us

into all truth or it doesn’t. But ‘member, Christ said that to the apostles. And you can oh yeah

every member everywhere, every part of the body, the Holy Spirit will lead you into your own

independent view of truth because you have veto power. And this is a democracy. No, he

said, ‘The Holy Spirit will lead you,’ he was talking to apostles. And I’m in trouble, you’ve got

only one instead of twelve, you have big trouble if the Holy Spirit doesn’t lead me. Whatever

mistakes I make, which as I said, I I make plenty.”


(P270 98:08) “I’ve worked with more ministers by far, than anybody ever. Just trust me on that. And

like I like to say, if you think I’m bragging, pray for me. God gave me experiences that I that

are just unique. That little the couple of stories I told on the opening day about Gary and

things like that, you press a button, you press me anywhere and I’ll pour out stories that will

go on and on forever and ever. Things that you can’t fathom I would have seen in my years.”

(P272 19:38) “...and I pretty sure I’ve learned some other powerful things here at the last minute.”

(P273 09:05) “I carry the Bible in my head, in many ways that probably the average person who’s

newer in the faith and dudn’t deal with it as much as I do, maybe couldn’t understand.

Uh but I the Bible actually slows me down. I can explode through long strings of scriptures

uh in my mind and put things together without the Bible.”


(P273 108:24) “So now, who and what is this twig [Isaiah 11:1]? Tiny. It’s obviously not not uh

Eli-it’s it’s clearly Elijah, but it’s obviously not Elijah in glory. It’s not Elijah with great power

or maybe much power at all.”


(P273 128:48) “If every sermon I gave in this series where it was a standard 75 minutes, 75 minutes,

alright that’s just like you normally hear and like I used to give, 75 minutes, it would have

taken me nine full years without a Sabbath off to deliver 33,500 minutes. So it’s a long

preparation. 272 or now what? Three or three? I guess this would be 273 or four, however

they count it, parts. Five years and one month.”


(P273 149:02) “You revealed this secret to a prophet, that prophet has to talk about it. If it’s not me,

brethren, then you better go looking for him. It’s somebody or God lied in so many verses.

You understand I’m speaking rhetorically, of course. There’s a twig somewhere else, some

other group and we’re all deceived and yet there’s nobody else who understands any of this,

never mind all of it. There no way out of it.”


(P273 162:52) “So now we know God’s messenger that comes as a prophet is the seventh

messenger.”


(P273 164:35) “I mean, if you were gonna be Elijah, would he know he is? If he’s gonna be the twig,

would he know he is? If he gives a final message, would he know that he does? Would I

know I became Elijah? When John got an utterance from heaven and went in, he knew he

was Elijah. He headed outta the desert.”


(P274 49:27) “My question was, were they a day apart? That’s the only thing I could come up with

after years of study, but nobody else ever got that far, so I kept myself encouraged.”


(P275 18:11) “So, if God has sent me to prophesy, which can also just mean ‘inspired preaching’

frankly, then it would be after He revealed His secret to His servants, the prophets. He would

have me first speak to believers and that’s what I’ve been doing and I’m doing now.”

(P275 84:45) “But my job was to seek out the Book of the Lord to figure these things out.

Somebody had to do it. You got tapped. I got tapped for our different roles.”

(P282 104:19) “...because I can see the day approaching.”


(P283 22:05) “No one could ever make it [1335 days] work. I’m gonna make it work before today is

out. I’m gonna show you perhaps the greatest metric in the entire Bible that will simply and I,

you know, you use words and you at times, you wish you didn’t use them so you could use

them when they’re appropriate. It is truly mind-blowing what I’m gonna tell you. Just mind-

blowing.”


(P283 117:03) “I discovered this Monday night and almost collapsed in front of my wife.”


(P283 118:26) “Now, we’re just we’re we’re we’re dealing with something that is a staggering

coincidence or the greatest mystery that I’ve ever wrestled with in my entire life since most

of you were before most of you were born. That number is what it is [1335]. However, there’s

a few caveats...”


(P283 119:16) “And I was just sitting in the den Monday night talking with her [wife], and I all of a

sudden it struck me, ‘Wait a minute!’ I I I I did some quick calculations, snatched up my

calculator, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, and I got 1335.


(P285 69:09) “Perfect! Fifty-three time cycles. Meaning that the Millennium ends on the Last Day of

Unleavened Bread, it’s impossible to argue with it unless the sun and moon go away. That’s

why I said it’s math and science. You can’t argue with it. If you wanna know the date that the

Millennium ends, I’ll tell you what it is. It’s April 3rd, 3028. Dead on. Dead on.”


(P286 03:20) “I can now tell you what no one else knows. I know the year of creation.”

Dave Pack and His Dismal Swamp

0
0



Dismal Swamp

 

David C. Pack of The Restored Church of God prides himself on creating colorful analogies and “catchy” phrases to “help” the brethren understand his latest prophetic monstrosities. He strains through repetition, hoping his audience will accept and incorporate those ideas into The Restored Church of God's biblical nomenclature.

 

As a disruptor, he pulls prophetic wire from a wall to jolt the brethren with his Golden Document super-metric, which proves the stone-cold math of the Trumpets Solar System as part of the trial and error process for cascade learning that is really just telling, not foretelling about the Mount Everest Firewall which happens to be the hill he will die on. Or you can call Jesus a liar because this is taking too long, and you do not appreciate his rushing to call it out to end the Mystery of God that nobody else ever saw.

 

With the lamest of labels, “a David-Solomon-Jedidiah moment,” “the Tough Kingdom,” and “a Tale of Four Pictures,” I wonder how many of these one-off ideas came from his two ghostwriters bleeding their lives away in the Third Floor Executive Imaginarium. Whether or not Coffee Kid and Pepper Boy came up with the idea, Dave will adopt them as his own.

 

His inner child narcissist longs to imprint the specialness of his teaching skills and dazzle the brethren with his well-thought, creative, and clever metaphors.

 

The problem is David C. Pack is not clever.

 

clever

quick to understand, learn, and devise or apply ideas; intelligent; skilled at doing or achieving something; talented; showing skill; ingenious; sensible; well-advised

 

Putting aside the other problems of being a hypocritical blaspheming liar perpetuating antichrist theology, David C. Pack has the most astonishingly piss-poor reading comprehension skills of anyone I have ever known.

 

The root cause lies in his failure to understand basic English, making him the Vizzini of the Churches of God. That is not so inconceivable.

 

“The Greatest Unending Story! (Part 495 and 496)” on March 2, 2024, and Part 497 on March 9 provided plenty of content for brethren to skip.

 

The Kingdom Plan changed from 7-100-1000 to 7-1000

April 8 at 12:03 PM ET holds

Dave still has no idea there is a total eclipse

 

Be sure to write any notes in pencil. Lightly.

 

 

After convincing the brethren that God's Plan was absolutely 7-100-1000 a week earlier, Dave opened by soft-prepping his worshippers for more exciting, better adjustments.

 

Part 495 – March 2, 2024

@ 00:33 Other huge things have remained hidden. Not just the seven years. Today, sets them up. Again, only one subject which will be cleared up, but it serves also as a set-up for the other one. First, the seven years must start and end on Abib 1 [April 8, 2024]. That goes without saying now. You already know many proofs. We have only about 36-plus days. 

 

There are always huge things that are hidden until AFTER he teaches them. Dave's god has an awful sense of timing when it comes to revealed knowledge. Those two cannot seem to coordinate getting all the information accurate before ruining everyone’s Sabbath.

 

@ 01:23 The dismal swamp is (we'll say) is clearing up. I use that now all the time and everybody just, “Boy, you’re not kidding.” It has been a dismal swamp. It’s something that Mr. Armstrong was never allowed to sort through.

 

Stop.

 

While explaining the complexities of understanding Bible prophecy, David C. Pack refers to the process as “a dismal swamp.” Those who are fluent in Packinese can measure how proud he is of his metaphor by the frequency with which he repeats it. The dismal swamp is mentioned throughout Parts 495, 496, and 497.

 

“I do not think it means what you think it means.”

Inigo Montoya

 

Someone needs to buy David C. Pack a dictionary for Christmas. His parents should have provided him with books to read while he spent all that time sitting in the bathroom, learning to doodie in the toilet and not in his pants.

 

dismal

causing a mood of gloom or depression; depressing; dreary; gloomy; pitifully or disgracefully bad


Dave is never clear on what precisely the dismal swamp is. Is the hidden nature of God’s Word a dismal swamp? Is the process of receiving divine knowledge a dismal swamp? Is understanding Bible prophecy a dismal swamp? Dunno.

 

A self-proclaimed apostle, Elijah the Prophet, who is That Prophet, the Seventh Angel of Revelation, the Righteous from the East, the Branch, and Joshua the High Priest, calls the process of understanding prophecy a dismal swamp. Just as you would want from your end-time “Christian minister.”

 

@ 25:55 Now, tell me how the sheep, who are the nations, did not inherit the kingdom of [chuckles] inherited the Kingdom of God while they remained flesh. That’s a problem. But it’s a problem you never get to if you don’t understand the seven years. God kept that swamp dismal because it was never to be understood until the Mystery of God cleared up and things were made plain. Now, that’s plain.

 

According to David C. Pack, God kept His mystery depressing, gloomy, dreary, pitiful, and disgracefully bad. You must either accept he meant it that way, or he has an embarrassingly inept English vocabulary.

 

@ 33:07 …or nondescript “they” say “Peace and safety.” Then, sudden destruction. They're destroyed. Comes on them as travail on a woman with child, and they shall not escape. But, you can think, “Well, maybe they’re coming back for the next Kingdom” because of things we’ve understood that the dismal swamp clears up. But that’s powerful.

 

His choice of "dismal" was intentional and should concern the brethren of The Restored Church of God.

 

 


After the Sabbath meal, Dave had time to reflect on his word choice and adjust accordingly.

 

Part 496 – March 2, 2024

@ 33:15 The Bible is the story of this giant kingdom followed by an eternal Kingdom of God. Increase of no end. But nobody saw the one that kicks off all the others. And that’s why Christ said, “If you don’t get this kingdom, how are you gonna understand anything?” to the disciples. And we didn’t. It was a dismal swamp. Not anymore. But it was.

 

According to the mouth of David C. Pack, what Jesus Christ said to the disciples about the Kingdom of God was part of the gloomy and depressing quality of God’s understanding.

 

Due to the Campus-sparing budget cuts, none of the weak enablers at Headquarters can afford a thesaurus to leave on Dave’s table at the back of the Main Hall. Strategically placing a Post-it note on the page “dismal” is found would ensure an “unemployed” status before the end of the hour.

 

Shiny Yes-Man Edward Winkfield must keep a strip of thick leather in his briefcase to bite down on whenever Dave uses that word while he pretends it does not stab him in the gut. Even this former critical thinker knows what the word dismal means. But he dares not to utter a peep to Dave.

 

@ 33:46 They never saw the Kingdom to Israel. This because God wasn’t ready to reveal the solution in Mr. Armstrong’s time to the dismal swamp. I love the name.

 

I gladly fill the gap left vacant by the cowardly hirelings at Headquarters by providing alternatives for Dave to continue to love his “dismal swamp” theology.

 

“dismal” synonyms provided by powerthesaurus.org

cheerless, sad, melancholy, dark, miserable, disconsolate, mournful, bleak, doleful, grim, unhappy, lugubrious, sorrowful, desolate, somber, dejected, murky, and dispirited

 

There are dozens more. Does anything still cling to the idea that David C. Pack is clever or even literate?

 

David C. Pack LOVES referring to Bible prophecy, God’s Word, the nature of the truth, the Mystery of God, understanding of the Kingdom of God, and by association, the Gospel as a cheerless, sad, melancholy, dark, miserable, disconsolate, mournful, bleak, doleful, grim, unhappy, lugubrious, sorrowful, desolate, somber, dejected, murky, and dispirited swamp.

 

“I do not think it means what you think it means.”

Inigo Montoya

 

 


One week later, he continued milking the dismal swamp analogy, screaming to all the brethren of The Restored Church of God how ignorant and uninformed he really is. David C. Pack misuses basic English words and is still unaware that there will be a total solar eclipse in Wadsworth on the new moon of April 8, while it is Abib 1 in Jerusalem.

 

Part 497 – March 9, 2024

@ 16:11 And God help all of us to see it, and God help me to teach it to you correctly in a clear and concise way so that all the mystery of Daniel and Revelation, which ties all the theologians and all the prophets and prophecy experts in knots and [chuckles] and they [laughs] it helps them make the dismal swamp a lot more dismal and a lot bigger swamp. So, we’re gonna clear all of it out.

 

David C. Pack’s job is to clear up his god’s miserable, dark, and depressing doctrines. The All-Believing Zealots must be in awe of such revelations.

 

@ 54:00 My job is to make the seven years plain. The Day of the Lord follows it. It was a dismal swamp. But I think we'd all agree it's clearing up. Whether you call it seven years, seven times, 84 months split into 42 and 42, or whether you call it 1,260 days and 1,260 days, or you call it 2,520 days, it’s the same… And it’s impossible to argue with it now. It’s impossible.

 

@ 1:03:09 I’m trying to repeat it as many times. You get this in your head. We’ve got this right. Nobody doubts this [Table Glass 1000]. It’s the dismal swamp that we hafta clear up.

 

“I do not think it means what you think it means.”

Inigo Montoya

 

 

God has a sense of humor and is a fan of irony.

 

David C. Pack preaches dismal swamp doctrines from a whited sepulcher dismal swamp in Wadsworth, Ohio. The Greatest Unending Series is a depressing and futile eight-year exercise of bleak confusion and doleful ideas taught by a dark man surrounded by dejected people.

 

The Pastor General loves the name "dismal swamp," and rightly so. Exposing his mental genitals of ignorance, David C. Pack credits God with keeping the dismal swamp secrets locked away until it was time for him to reveal them for the brethren.

 

Nothing has been unlocked. David C. Pack is a false teacher, false apostle, and false prophet. He cannot and will not ever get prophetic timing correct. If you cannot trust him to understand the definition of a simple English word, how can anyone expect him to be a trusted steward with the truths of God?

 

dismal

causing a mood of gloom or depression; depressing; dreary; gloomy; pitifully or disgracefully bad; cheerless, sad, melancholy, dark, miserable, disconsolate, mournful, bleak, doleful, grim, unhappy, lugubrious, sorrowful, desolate, somber, dejected, murky, and dispirited

 

The mind of David C. Pack is a dismal swamp.

 

The Restored Church of Another god operates in a dismal swamp.

 

The brethren are supporting the dismal swamp.

 

Dismal is a perfect description. But I do not love that.



Marc Cebrian







 

Commercial Break: Atheists Who Love and Enjoy the Old Hymns

0
0

 

Atheists who love hymns

 

 

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In all men that is not so.

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

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

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

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



========================================

Atheists who love hymns

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

...

 


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

0
0




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

Until today. 

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

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

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


March 17, 2024

Dear Mr. David C. Pack,

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

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

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

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

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

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

My Background and RCG Story

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

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

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

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

The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Errors

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Love of the Truth 

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

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

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

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

Preaching the Gospel

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


In Christ’s service,

Christophe Binette
Minister of Jesus Christ

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

Courtesy of Marc Cebrian   

See: 

RCG Ministerial Exit Letter: Christophe Binette

 

 

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

0
0

 


BREAKING: RCG Responds to Christophe Binette’s Resignation

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

Rough morning, Brad?

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

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

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

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

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

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

 


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

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

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

The highlights have been added.

 


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

Dear brethren,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 


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

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

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

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

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

Entangled in what strange ideas? Dunno.

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

Do not buy it.

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

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

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

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

Once again, this is manipulation disguised as discretion.

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

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

This letter is peppered with manipulative backhanded slaps.

“God’s core doctrines”

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

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

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

“preaching the gospel using Public Bible Lectures”

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

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

What took you guys so long?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“under an apostle”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 


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

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

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

Thank Peter Baerg again for that one.

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

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

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

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

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

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


Marc Cebrian

See: RCG Responds to Christophe Binette’s Resignation


PCG: “Christ could have sinned.” and “the Father could have been alone for eternity.”

0
0




The Philadelphia Church of God continues to plumb the depths of doctrinal heresy that forever cements them in Church of God history as a genuine anti-Christian cult. There is nothing godly or Christian about Flurryism. 

Check this story out that was posted on Exit and Support Network:

Mark Hyde Gives Blasphemous Singles Bible Study:
March 17, 2024 
 
PCG (just like WCG did) always gives a sermon about Christ before Passover, but it’s a Christ they really don’t know. 
 
A dragged out and mind numbing 1 hour and 18 minute singles Bible Study was given by Mark Hyde on March 16 about “Evaluating your God Family Focus.” Below are a few notes I took from this blasphemous sermon. 
 
“Herbert Armstrong represented God the Father to us (when he was alive), but now “Gerald Flurry represents God the Father.” 
 
We are here to become God and expand His family.” 
 
Hyde went over much of Isaiah 53 ( a prophecy about Jesus) but ignorantly he claimed that when God saw His Son crucified that “there was great risk in that” because “Christ could have sinned.” and “the Father could have been alone for eternity.” But it was “worth the risk so that we would have a chance at eternal life.” 
 
What absolute blasphemy! Refer to Jesus Two Natures which proves Jesus was fully God and fully man and never could have sinned. He willingly took the sins of the whole world upon Himself and endured the cross for the joy that was set before him. (Hebrews 12:2) 
 
Going on, some of the other things Hyde said: 
 
“How much do you think about building the God family?” 
 
He talked about living a life of sacrifice spiritually and physically, or we “will get our minds on ourselves.” 
 
He emphasized more than once how God gave up everything for us and what a risk it was. 
 
He said those who have their mind on the “God Family Vision” will “fight to avoid sin.” He said Christ sweated blood “to keep from sinning.” And, “Would we we fight like that?” 
 
Quoted from John 1:1. Hyde said, 
 
“They (God and Jesus) were two Beings but it was almost like they were one because they were so focused.” (Refer to: The Two Natures of Jesus which shows Jesus was very God and very man.) 
 
“We need to have that kind of unity.” “That requires prayer and study and fasting.” 
 
He ended by quoting various verses on unity, even quoting HWA. 
  
“We can’t be unified this way on our own, we can’t combat sin on our own.” 
 
He told how on “Feb 4, 1984 HWA gave a sermon on unity” (after he put the church “back on track”). At that time HWA proclaimed, “There is going to be unity in the church!” “We must not let unity be destroyed by another spirit.
 
Hyde tied that in with submitting to “God’s government” which is “the love of God in action.” He said, “God must be really excited when we come together to support the Work.” 
 
He said, 
 
“Do your relationships with one another reflect more of an unconverted high school approach? Or do they reflect the converted approach filled with their Father’s God Family Vision?” 
 
“If we’re all brutally honest, we see where Satan is trying to spin us into the first approach…” 
  
“Gossip and backbiting are things we need to avoid; jealousy and envy.” 
 
“Let’s get our minds on God’s Work and off self.” “Let’s give our lives to the God Family Vision and yearn for a family as God does.” 
 
One who has their focus on the God Family Vision lives a life of sacrifice.” “They will be motivated to fight like Christ to avoid sin. To go to the Father and ask for help.” 
 
One can’t help but become outraged when listening to a sermon like this, seeing how they are rejecting the finished work of Christ on the cross of Calvary. ESN has shown on their site that eternal life is a free gift and all our sins have been forgiven once and for all. The tragedy is that PCG ministers are teaching these lies to their youth. –Critiqued by AJW





Latest Images