I regularly watch Glenn Beck's TV program...some shows are good some aren't. He has a huge audience and his number of paid subscribers to his website is larger than the number of people who watch CNN in primetime. Well my jaw dropped the other night when he did a segment on why the fate of Jerusalem is more important to America than many imagine. He mentioned that Israel was divided into two kingdoms, Israel and Judah. He then went on to explain that the northern kingdom of Israel migrated into Europe and then spent quite some time showing how symbols of Israel are spread all though out our flags and symbols.

Now I'm not sure where he is going to go with this and how far he is going to take it BUT....IF it takes hold in the mind of his viewers and they start to investigate this forgotten fact of history further it could very well start focusing attention on God's Church and It's teachings and doctrines.

Now there is a real possibility that nothing will come of this BUT, since it could impact each and every one of you I felt it was worth mentioning. Be prepared to answer questions. Personally I feel that one of our most serious responsibilities is to be able to properly answer questions correctly and in a way that is easy to understand to the one asking the question.

Context

Sons Through Faith in Christ
…27For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise.

Cross References

Joel 2:29
Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

John 17:11
I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.

Romans 3:22
This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,

Romans 3:29
Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too,

Romans 8:1
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

My son was "accepted" as they call it in PYC, to attend his first camp in 2011 when he was thirteen. It seems a lot of things the PCG does seems good, but the problem is, the ministers don't practice love for their fellow man. They are on too much of an ego trip they can't think straight. Camp was a good learning experience IF some of the psychopath ministers would stay away. For instance, Calvin Culpepper, a minister was playing ball with my son's dorm and one of the balls he hit to my son knocked him in the head. He had big headaches after this and got sick and had to sit out a few days in sick bay. Calvin Culpepper never called me to tell me this nor Wayne Turgeon, camp director, (Gerald Flurry's son-in-law). As a matter a fact, because we were not allowed to get in touch with our kids but at certain times, I didn't get the whole impact of what could have happened to the inside of my son's head until he came home three weeks later. We're out of the PCG now. We survived, thank God!

Philadelphia Freedom - Arbeit Macht Frei?  The PCOG holds youth camps at Armstrong College during the summer trying to create positive public relations buzz in packaged news reports released to local Oklahoma news outlets. However, unfiltered reports from the direct participants of what actually has occurred at the camps have surfaced. Letters about the camps sent to ESN with a reported camp sermon tirade by Flurry may be read by clicking here. Concentration on camp sporting activities combines with mandatory bible studies, harsh discipline, and campers being closely guarded twenty four hours a day. Reports of sleep deprivation; completely exhausted youth; inadequate meals; severe dehydration, heat exhaustion; camp injuries; nonexistent, or negligent medical care; and of military boot camp type techniques used to enforce constant, severe discipline have emerged. The Edmond, OK church college camp is for those who are 13-19, whose parents are baptized members of the PCOG. Acceptance at the PCOG Youth Camp can serve as an indoctrination and recruitment tool for idealistic, religiously inclined church youth to apply to Gerald Flurry's unaccredited Armstrong College.

Other widespread concerns for family members impacted by the PCOG include no further contact orders with family, once family members are disfellowshiped by the ministry. Philadelphia church members are ordered to shun any contact with family members or others who have been excommunicated, or disfellowshiped for any reason, valid or not, by the minister. The slightest criticism or minor doubt expressed about Malachi'sMessage, purportedly written by "That Prophet" Flurry as the "little book" referred to in Rev. 10, is strictly verboten upon pain of disfellowshipment. Philadelphia church members are only allowed PCOG approved reviews of Malach's Message, Raising the Ruins, Mystery of the Ages, and other such church writings at such booksellers as Amazon.com if they wish to remain a member of the church. Nor are PCOG family members who are outsiders allowed to post uncensored reviews of PCOG literature or risk disfellowshipment and permanently losing contact with their own family loyal to Flurry. Personal letters of PCOG family members directly impacted and hurt by PCOG's no family contact policy or otherwise may be found at ESN here.

(From:  MOST COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF TRAITS OF NARCISSISTS (and other unsafe people like them):

✦    A sense of superiority places them above others
✦    Must be the center of attention, constantly seeking approval, acknowledgment, kudos, accolades, praise
✦    Act like they are the lead character in all things in life
✦    Dominate conversations because they believe they have the only worthwhile things to say
✦    Want others to give into their demands, request for favors, and put their needs first
✦    Have inflated egos, inflated sense of entitlement, inflated sense of importance, inflated need to be center stage
✦    Envious of other people’s accomplishments and will steal, lie, or sabotage others to get attention back to them
✦    Envious of other people’s possessions, they will put such ownership down or minimize it to make themselves look more noble
✦    Search for constant approval and praise to reinforce their false grandiose sense of self, they’re “on- stage,” dominating the conversation, often exaggerating their importance
✦    (Since the self is so fragile — an ever crumbling construction of their ego) — use power, money, status, looks, supposed past glories (or supposed future glories) to boost their image
✦    See criticism as baseless attacks or betrayal and countered with cold-shoulder anger or rage or chilly stares or verbal attack.
✦    Can never accept blame. Others are always to blame.
✦    Feel being center of attention is good, right, and proper
✦    Have a grandiose sense of self-importance
✦   Think they are special, God-touched, or privileged
✦    Think they can only be understood by other special or high-status people
✦    Have unreasonable expectation of favorable treatment
✦    Believe they are beyond the rules. Laws do not apply to them and remorse is only felt when someone catches and confronts them.

TYPICAL WAYS OPERATING OR REACTIONS (blaming, drama storms, etc.)

✦    High maintenance because they need your attention, praise, and deference
✦    Fake sweetness, honor, and good intentions, but deprive them of something they want and look out as they reveal their true selves.
✦    Express grand, exciting plans, but rarely can make them happen
✦    Blame others rather than take personal responsibility
✦    Lack of empathy colors everything they do.
✦    May say, “How are you?” when you meet, but they are not interested
✦    Their blame-shifting creates defensiveness. Then they belittle the defensiveness: “Why are you so angry?”
✦    Since they shift blame so well & seamlessly, your guilt/insecurity issues stay raw and over-sensitive.

✦    Lend you a hand up, then subtlety cut off at the knees to keep you indebted & coming back.



✦    If you point out an error they made, they go into defensive mode counter any such notion with anger, venting, rage, cold-shoulder, or withdraw
✦    Give you a metaphorical rug & then keep pulling it out from under you
✦    They are: blowhards, braggarts, blusterers, brow-beaters, bullies, big-headed, and ultimately bogus.
✦    Help you gain certain skills/info/connections, but then forever make you feel beholden to them.
✦    Extremely skilled at making anyone under their influence crave their approval.
✦    Make you feel special & then emotional distance themselves in ways that keep you unsure of yourself.
✦    Use a judgmental “you’re OK”/”you’re not OK” yo-yoing to keep you off-balance & “blameworthy.”
✦    Groom people via manipulation (charm/rage combo) to sell their reality/rationalizations to others.
✦    Virtually all of their ideas or ways of behaving in a given situation are taken from others, people they know and perhaps think of as an authority.
✦    Their sense of self-importance and lack of empathy means that they will often interrupt the conversations of others.
✦    Expect others to do mundane things, since they feel too important to do them
✦    Constantly use of “I”, “me,” and “my” when they talk.
✦    Very rarely talk about their inner life, memories and dreams, for example.
✦    Lie, using subterfuge and deception as tools
✦    Are stuck in one level of maturity where growth is not an option
✦    Only have eyes for “me, myself, and I” instead of “we”
✦    Don’t understand empathy, except to fake it as a tool
✦    Play “Give to get” by being nice or helpful only to expect reciprocation
✦    Put on the air of “having it all together” and will not readily admit failure or weakness
✦    Jump to defensive mode readily and frequently
✦    May apologize, but it doesn’t mean a real change in behavior
✦    Run from their own problems rather than tackling them
✦    Demand your trust rather than being transparent and earning it
✦    See you as extensions of themselves and resist your freedom
✦    Create stories, euphemisms, sayings, definitions, rules they hold up as Truth. Their world is false.
✦    Must talk about themselves & be in control. They want you to just be an ego-stroking entity for them.
✦    Find personality weaknesses & exploit them as easily as you & I ride a bicycle.
✦    Will rarely listen to or respect your “No”
✦    Take advantage of others to reach his or her own goals
✦    Appear tough-minded or unemotional
✦    React to criticism with anger, blame-shifting, shaming or humiliating others
✦    Fail to recognize people’s emotions and feelings
✦    Exaggerate achievements, personal history or talents
✦    Are unpredictable in mood and behavior
✦    Become aggressive, hostile, verbally vicious, or withdraws when threatened
✦    Can vocalize regret for a short time when found out, but soon rationalizes it away
✦    Appearance is important, so primping or fastidiousness is common
✦    Withdraw or a cold shoulder is used as a tool to make you do what they want
✦    Rationalize everything to make sure they always come out on top
✦    Will steal an idea, quote, lesson plan, piece of wisdom — call it their own
✦    Groom underlings and create organizational or business environments to suit their need for ego stroking

“Crazymakers thrive on drama, and melodrama requires a sense of impending doom. Everything is an emergency, a deadline, a matter of life and death, or something they will get to eventually. Read ‘never’ … Nearly any situation can be cast as melodrama to support a crazymaker’s plot lines …

• “A crazymaker is someone who makes you crazy by constantly stirring up storms.
• “‘Normal’ doesn’t serve their need for power.
• “Everything is always their problem, but nothing is their fault.”

•  Assess the relationship

If “the bully” is someone you call a friend, you must reassess the relationship and why you are in it.   If you are being bullied by anyone within your definition of family or friends, seek help to remove yourself from the relationship

• Ignore “the bully”

Remember, you will not change another’s actions, only your reactions to them.  Keep in mind you are able to be empathic.  Understand that “the bully” is acting out of their own insecurities, fear and pain.  It is not about you.  It is about them.

• Do not enable “the bully”

Set those boundaries and limits.  Be clear, calm and firm.  State the behavior you do not like and state what is expected instead.  Remember, “the bully” will typically target people who do not stand up to him/her.

• Be careful

Be sure to monitor “the bully’ once you have defined boundaries.  Often, this setting such limits and stating your disapproval can escalate the bully.  Think about the young child who has a cookie each day after school.  Suddenly you give him a carrot.  What happens?  Tantrums.  Whenever we set boundaries with any dysfunctional relationship in our lives, the person may react badly.  If “the bully” physically threatens you in any manner, seek help and report this to the authorities immediately.  Remember, you are dealing with an emotionally challenged person who lacks social skills and impulse control.

(CNSNews.com) - Speaking to State Department personnel at the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia, Brazil, on Tuesday, Secretary of State John Kerry said that "this little thing called the Internet ... makes it much harder to govern." He also said that "ever since the end of the Cold War, forces have been unleashed that were tamped down for centuries by dictators."

 "Well, folks," he said, "ever since the end of the Cold War, forces have been unleashed that were tamped down for centuries by dictators, and that was complicated further by this little thing called the internet and the ability of people everywhere to communicate instantaneously and to have more information coming at them in one day than most people can process in months or a year." John Kerry: 'This Little Thing Called the Internet ... Makes It Much Harder to Govern'

We are told in the scriptures that those who the Father calls to the Son, may enter a New Covenant through wholehearted repentance form sin [rebelling against the word of God] and a baptismal washing away of past sin and a commitment to sin no more. 

If we have been Called Out by the Father and have responded positively to that call with sincere repentance of breaking the word of God and if we commit to sin no more in baptism; then the Eternal will write his law on our hearts and in our minds.

The Father has indeed been Calling Out many over the past six thousand years, and will yet extend this New Covenant to all Israel and to all flesh by grafting all flesh into a spiritual Israel.

A modern example of a Karaite Tzitzit

God commanded only a ribbon of blue on the corners of the garments; this intricate braid is conceived by men.

Because people in the west no longer wear the same kind of clothes as were worn in the ancient Middle East; this is a kind of belt worn around the trousers instead of a blue ribbon at each of the four corners of a square mantle.

To our great sorrow and the great sorrow of Israel; they still continually turned and rebelled against God and did not look to tis reminder of the law of their God.  All the history of their many rebellions and overspreading if iniquities has been recorded for our instruction, that we might learn from their example to seek out and learn the whole word of God to keep it in enthusiastic zeal.

Yet we, in spite of having this record for our enlightenment and in spite of having the holy spirit of God; have also rebelled and turned away form zeal to learn and keep the commandments of God.  We shall therefore be corrected in bitter tribulation that we might learn to follow the Lamb withersoever he goeth and not to follow our idols of men away from zeal to learn and keep the word of God.

After the man forgot the Sabbath and gathered firewood polluting the Sabbath that he must be killed; God then gave the people a reminder that if they looked upon it they would be reminded of the commandments of God and if they do them they should live in them.

Today the Called Out  have been given a different reminder, which is the holy spirit of Christ; and the completed whole word of God.

This is commanded of all Israel, which includes BOTH men and women.  It is a commandment to be observed throughout their generations [as long as the Mosaic Covenant lasted].  The Mosaic Covenant ended with the death of the Husband of Israel, Jesus Christ.

Yes, Jesus wore the Tzitzit  even though he was filled with the holy spirit, in order to keep the Mosaic Covenant  perfectly; because he had not yet died ending the Mosaic Covenant, and had not yet been resurrected to become the High Priest of a New and better Covenant.

The fringe represents the gift of the holy spirit, and  I would not insist that the blue fringe is essential today, if we are already in the New Covenant and already have God’s spirit. 

However the fringe is certainly lawful and desirable.  It is highly likely that this will be required like circumcision, in the coming Kingdom of God and  I would never object to anyone who choses to wear one.

"...following the Feast God begins his testing period. He digs deeply into our lives to determine how much we have absorbed from the intense teaching and training we have been blessed to receive at His great Feast. So, yes, the trials begin, and before He is done trying us, He and we will know how much progress we have really made in our conversion.

One of the big questions we come home to answer is, do we really BELIEVE what we have been taught? When I capitalize the word believe, I do so to emphasize the idea that many believe what is said in the Bible, but, unfortunately, they do not live it. That is, they say they believe, and they think they do, but when crunch time comes, they find what they were taught is not manifesting itself in their thoughts and actions. Unfortunately, old habits, old thought patterns, and opposing attitudes die hard.

That’s why we need this ensuing time of trial and testing—so that we can be different from that. We need those challenges that make us work hard using God’s Spirit so that we can make God’s way an integral part of our lives. In that way we can arrive at the place where our lives are congruent—that is, we believe, we act in accordance with our beliefs; and we are, in fact, what we believe. If that formula is working in our lives, then we really are becoming like Jesus Christ, and that is our ultimate goal."

Since you mentioned to Alex above “let us all wear skirts as well”, I have to ask you if wearing robes & the wearing of veils in public were customs and not a command from God. As we know God left Adam & Eve naked in the garden until sin…so the wearing of a veil is not a command from creation, for example, like the Sabbath.

We do not know what the custom was before the flood, we do know the custom in Israel after the flood. Further Eve and Adam were spouses and it is entirely lawful to be naked with ones spouse. God did give them clothes when he sent them out of the Garden Gen 3:21, after which they would have begun to reproduce and it was not proper in God’s eyed that any other than spouses see one another naked.

HSBC training site set to be used for 160 new homes AFTER months of fine-tuning, a planning application to build more than 160 homes on the former HSBC training centre site in Bricket Wood has been submitted to St Albans district council. Developers St Congar Land intend to turn the 185-acre site in Smug Oak Lane into 167 new homes and convert the existing New Lodge and Hanstead House into a further eight dwellings. The project, to be named Hanstead Park, would be focused on the areas of land that have already been developed, and much of the existing high quality trees would be retained or supplemented. St Congar Land director Steve Taylor said: “We’re delighted to be submitting this proposed scheme for the much needed redevelopment of the former HSBC site. “Future residents of Hanstead Park will enjoy a range of housing types, surrounded by stunning landscaping that is in keeping with the area.” Mr Taylor added: “St Congar Land would like to thank the local residents for their feedback following the public exhibition in September and subsequent meetings. “We were encouraged by the high turnout and this vital engagement has allowed proposals for the site to be shaped with sensitivity to the surrounding area and the needs of local residents.”  The Hert's Advertiser

At the 2013 Feast I want to study the Ten Commandments and I am thinking that this week’s material, and the covering of the other laws, statutes and judgments in Leviticus and Numbers, completes the whole Commandments and Law study.

After greeting the Council Mr. Kubik commented on the positive bond and lack of tension among the administration and the Council that is such a hallmark of our present circumstance. Such peace and harmony is allowing us much needed time to focus on important items.

He outlined the function of the management team that has worked together for the last three years. The team has a seamless relationship that is so beneficial for rebuilding our processes over the past three years. He mentioned that the role of operations manager of Ministerial and Member Services (MMS) has not and will not be filled in the immediate future. Chris Rowland has been a big help administrating MMS along with Roy Holladay overseeing the manpower in the field ministry. Various ones of the management team oversee projects on behalf of the president from international oversight to leadership training to other functions.

We must have a strong priority to keep the peace within the body. We need to continue to monitor conditions and resolve situations that can cause division, and move forward together. Which is more important, our petty grievances or continuing to do God’s work? An old World War II motto in the U.S. shipyards was, “Loose lips sink ships.” Likewise, loose lips that cause division can terribly damage the Church today. We need to seek peace and pursue it.

We have a tremendous library of literature, but the problem is that we have not grown in membership. We must have a peaceful environment before we can expect growth, but we must also find ways to progressively engage those who learn about God’s truth through our efforts. Our present ladder of involvement from first contact to baptized member has some broken rungs on it. Call it “Operation Broken Rung,” but we must fix that progression of engaging to teaching to converting those new who God is calling.

Since its formation on December 28, 2012, the Continuing Church of God has used the 1974 edition of The Bible Hymnal of the old Worldwide Church of God (WCG) for its song book and made it available online.  But it was always our goal to produce additional song books by the Feast of Tabernacles for 2013.

Several have asked if other hymns, such as those composed by Dr. Ross Jutsum, could go into the new hymnal.  So, after a series of attempted, and finally successful, contacts, an arrangement between the the Continuing Church of God and Nazarene Books with Dr. Jutsum was agreed to and finalized last week.  So certain additional hymns from Dr. Justum were added to the song book.   The late Herbert W. Armstrong had long ago approved the hymns by Dr. Jutsum for use in WCG church services.  Many will recall such titles by Dr. Jutsum as By This Shall All Men Know, How Good and How Pleasant, and It Won’t Be Long Now.

So, the new 2013 hymnal of the Continuing Church of God consists of all the hymns, etc. that were in the 1974 edition of The Bible Hymnal of the old Worldwide Church of God, plus 17 additional pages added after them for the additional ten hymns that were composed by Dr. Jutsum.  The front and back covers were changed (the front cover shows the remains of what could be the oldest Christian worship building; see also Church of God on Jerusalem’s Western Hill).

Now, I, through Nazarene Book, have arranged to make the paperback edition of The Bible Hymnal via Amazon.   The Continuing Church of God is not selling the book, but Nazarene Books via Amazon is.  The list price for The Bible Hymnal is $8.99, but Amazon is temporarily selling it for $8.54.  Since Amazon has recently been selling used 1974 editions of The Bible Hymnal of the old Worldwide Church of God (WCG) for USD$22.73, and since the new version of The Bible Hymnal contains all the same unedited hymns, etc. that the 1974 edition contains (plus more), some looking for a COG hymnal may find it a bargain.

The Church of God in Burma has been devastated by the loss of pastors due to death, sin, and apostasy. More and more are coming to Jesus Christ, but we have no pastors to feed and protect them. Without spiritual food, the newly called wither and die spiritually. There are also the wolves that lurk about, hoping to pounce on unsuspecting new spiritual babes who are not strong in grace and knowledge. These would-be teachers hide in the shadows and periphery of a congregation until some unsuspecting weak new member—or even an old, tired member—comes along; and then they pounce with false accusations of others and/or perversion of doctrine. If a congregation has strong pastoral leadership in place, these false wanna-be ministers will be exposed for what they really are.