No one could have imagined that in 1996 we would have witnessed the Worldwide Church of God implode in a most destructive manner.
Neither could we have ever imagined so many self-appointed men would raise up with so many splinter groups, each one trying to out lie the other. Of course, the church had many men and women who tried to do the same thing previously by claiming they had special blessings from god. The difference between then and now is that Herbert Armstrong was alive and kicked them out of the church so fast they never knew what hit them. Plus, the membership remained loyal to Armstrong's edicts. If he said to not go with those people and to avoid them, the overwhelming majority of the membership did.
Not so in the 2000's. The internet came into its own and the insanity of the splinter group leaders spread like wildfire. Church members no longer had a base to be loyal to and latched on to whichever group made their itching ears feel all warm and fuzzy. Church hopping quickly became the routine in the church as loyalty was no longer a controlling factor.
Almost every year that went by saw a new self-appointed church leader arise and declare himself as the chosen one with all revealed truth. The craziness has multiplied exponentially and here we are today with some of the biggest liars and frauds the church has ever seen.
The Bible verse that self-appointed apostles, prophets, and an endless supply of wannabes NEVER want to talk about is found in Deuteronomy.
Deuteronomy 18:22 --- "If the prophet speaks in the Lord’s name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the Lord did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared."
There is not one single man leading a Church of God today that has the authority to be doing so. Nothing any of them have to say has any direct impact upon your salvation or standing with God. Not one single thing!