Mr. Armstrong and Prophecy

With the collapse of the global economic system, plunging many countries into economic recession, the prophecies of the bible as outlined by Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong are beginning to be fulfilled. The economic crisis has forced Germany to assert its authority over the European Union, as poorer countries seek its help with their respective burden of debt. Greece has had to be bailed out by the IMF and Germany, and it is possible, if not probable, that the Germans will have to bail out Spain and Portugal, not to mention the other poor eastern European countries, that are struggling to repay their burden of debt.

Britain and America are also in financial trouble. Depending on who you believe, Britain’s debt is some where between £160 to £250b, when interest is included. And America’s debt is reported to be around $13 trillion dollars. These debts are a clear indication that God is gradually withdrawing the birthright blessings he conferred upon Ephraim and Manasseh, because of disobedience to the laws of God.

America and Britain are also the leaders of the military coalition currently fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to prophecy they are destined to lose both of these wars, as the “pride of their power” has been broken by God. Eventually, they will be forced to withdraw out of sheer exhaustion. And the billions of dollars and pounds that could have been used to improve the lives of their respective people, would have been wasted. But what is even sadder, are the wasted lives of the young men who have been sacrificed and maimed in pursuit of a lost cause.

Against this background, Germany is calling for greater integration in Europe. The proposed plan is to centralise economic, military and foreign policy in Brussels. The commission is to set budgets and spending plans for all member states; respond to conflicts around the world by sending its own military forces, by passing the UN; appoint a foreign minister who will speak on behalf of all states. If this political configuration is not the prophetic Union recorded in the bible and explained by Mr. Armstrong, then I don’t know what is.

The formation of the European Union will have severe consequences for Britain and America, but that story has been told in Mr. Armstrong’s seminal book, America and Britain in Prophecy.

Sadly, many of the former ministers of WCG have rejected the prophecies of the bible, to embraced satanic Protestantism. And those who still pay lip service to Mr. Armstrong's teachings, have started their own churches to fleece deluded people of their tithes and offerings.

Ezekiel 34 Applies to you

In the Worldwide Church of God when ministers referred to Ezekiel chapter 34, they always applied it the Catholics, Protestants, Pentecostals and any other so-called Christian, religious denomination. Amazingly, they never applied it to themselves! I supposed it was much easier to point their fingers at other people, than to be introspective.

Yet, Ezekiel 34 is written to and about the ministers of God’s true church. Note the warning from God thus: “Prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus says the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?”(Ezekiel 34:2). Jesus also enjoined Peter to feed his sheep, as proof of his love for him(John 21:15-18). And when Paul was about to leave Asia for good, “from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elder of the church.” And when they were come, among other things, he told them: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he has purchased with his own blood”(Acts 20:28).

There is so much I could say on this topic, that it would require the writing of a book to do it justice. Suffice to say, the ministers of WCG, who actually turned out to be hirelings, feed themselves, instead of the sheep. Full time ministers had access to a house, a car, travel expenses, the best caravans or hotels at the feast of tabernacles and a exorbitant salary for preaching a meaningless sermon on the Sabbath, or writing articles for the Plain Truth or The Good News. Articles that did not contained the plain truth nor the good news!

While these evil men wallowed in the lap luxury, many of the poor sheep and their children were experiencing grinding poverty. I knew families who couldn’t pay utilities bills or buy a new pair of shoes for their children!

When the flock was sick, they were often sent a meaningless anointed cloth, as they were not judged to be important enough to warrant a visit from a hireling. In retrospect, they were probably better off not having a hireling in their homes.

But what does God have to say about the behaviour of these evil hirelings, who are operating in UCG, LCG, RCG, PCG, COG/Hulme, and all the other splinter groups? Anyone who is interested may read the rest of Ezekiel 34:4-10, but I shudder to think of the severity of the judgment of God, when it is visited upon these evil men, who place their welfare before the welfare of God people, for whom Christ died!

The truth is their tormentor

Yesterday, out of mere curiosity, I looked in on Otagosh, the so-called intellectual blog of Gavin Rumney. Otagosh is aspiring to discuss the authority of the bible, drawing on the writings of a cabal of disunited scholars. In addition, Gavin likes to think that he has sufficient précis skills and intellectual knowledge to undertake competent book reviews. Nothing is more laughable.

But what was even more risible, was the following: “ You're currently logged in as Tom Mahon. You may not comment with this account.” It would be a waste of my precious time to comment on any of the drivel posted on Otagosh, even if I was not banned from doing so.

However, I note that Gavin’s fan club, who is only interested in the sordid actualities of the lives of former WCG ministers, have deserted him. For example, Dennis The Depressed, Douglas The Deranged and Corky The Irrational, three former prolific contributors to AW blog are not posting at Otagosh. Perhaps even these mad men find the content of the blog over pretentious.

I also note that Gavin, who is as unstable as water, have resurrected AW blog, yet again: albeit, he says, “for a week or two." The leopard cannot change its spots, and the dog always returns to its own vomit.

Finally, I consider it an honour to be banned from posting at Otagosh, Phenyngula and being shunned by those who peddled the theory of evolution.

Having loved this Present world…

The final words of most great men are often worth remembering. So it is worth examining a passage in the final words of the Chosen Vessel. In the Chosen Vessel’s second epistle to Timothy, we read: “For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world…”(2 Tim. 4:10). What does it mean to love this present world, and who or what would have caused Demas to forsake Paul?

To answer these questions we have to examine some very pertinant, biblical texts. The Apostle John was inspired to write: "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the father in not in him(1 John 2:15). Now, it should be evident that God is not saying, people should not love the beauty of nature, For the text goes on to say: "For all that are in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world"(1 John 2:16). The phrase, "is of the world," means is of Satan, who is the god of this world.

So when Demas forsake Paul he was leaving God to follow the devil. Of course, Demas in not alone, for many former members of The Worldwide Church of God, who love this present world, have forsaken the wholesome teachings of the bible to embraced the doctrines of Satan. For example, the leaders and ministers/hirelings of UCG, LCG, PCG, RCG and COG/Hulme have also forsaken Paul, because they love this present world.

How to Identify a Hireling

A quick survey of the hundreds of churches of God that were formed since the break up of The Worldwide Church of God in 1995, will show that Jesus’ teaching on the nature and character of hirelings has been ignored: or what is more likely, not understood by the laity or the so-called ministers peddling their brand of Christianity in cog-land.

I take no credit for this, but I am the only former member of WCG, who have spent the last 15 years pointing out that the vast majority of WCG’s former ministers were actually hirelings. You see, the hireling can remain hidden among the flock for years! The hireling conceals his duplicity, treachery and ultimate betrayal of God’s elect under “good words and fair speeches”(Romans. 16:18). But when the wolf pack comes over the hill to attack the flock, the hireling’s pretense of love and concern for the flock are then exposed. Note what Jesus taught, “But he that is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees: and the wolf catches them, and scatters the sheep”(John 10:12). And then he added with emphasis, “The hireling flees, because he is hireling, and cares not for the sheep”(John 10:13).

The behaviour of the vast majority of the former WCG ministers fit into the description Christ gave on how a hireling behaves. When the wolf pack led by Mr.Tkach attacked the flock, the vast majority of WCG ministers fled, leaving the flock to fend for themselves. Not one single UK minister spoke out against the doctrinal changes, or warned the brethren that they were being fed spiritual poison. Yet, they now want sensible people to believe that they are faithful ministers of Christ, and that God is using them to preach the gospel. Nothing could be more blasphemous!

However, in contrast to the duplicity of the hireling, note how the good shepherd behaves thus, “The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep”(John 10:11). The good shepherd possesses the the nature and character of Christ, and as Christ was willing to lay down his life for the brethren, the love of God constrains his faithful ministers to do the same on behalf of his flock.

So none of God’s people have been deceived into following those who started UCG, LCG, PCG, RCG, COG/Hulme or any of other hundreds of COGs, masquerading as churches of God. For Jesus was very emphatic when said: “A stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers”(John10:5). Have you fled from the voice of the hireling? If you haven’t it is because you are not one of Christ’s sheep!

The Mind of Christ

Some anonymous person wrote to me stating that I do not have the mind of Christ. The person did not say what led them to this conclusion, nor did he or she presented any evidence or advanced any argument in support of his or her assertion. Of course, these are often the type of unsupported assertions hurled at God’s people because their detractors don’t understand the values that true Christians are required to uphold as a way of life. In addition, the assertion that I don’t have the mind of Christ, presupposes that the person stating it understands what is the mind of Christ, and is able recognise it in those in whom it dwells.

However, instead of wasting time exposing the folly of my detractors, it might be helpful to genuine Christian to post something on the mind of Christ. In Paul’s inspired epistle to the Philippians, we read: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus”(Phil.2:5). If we put to ourselves the question, what was in Christ’s mind that made him beloved of the father? To answer this question we need to ponder the question posed by Micah thus: “Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God?”(Micah 6:6). Now many people who attend church on Sundays and on the Sabbaths think that they are appearing before the Lord, and that their presence is welcome by him. Nothing could be further from the truth!

Notice Micah’s inspired answer thus, “He has shown you, Oh man, what the Lord require of you,

1.to do justly

2.to love mercy

3.to walk humbly with your God

These virtue permeated the mind of Christ, and was manifested in the way he treated the people with whom he came into contact. Jesus treated all men justly, and taught his disciples that they should not respect persons judgment. He also extended mercy to many, by feeding thousands, healing the sick and casting out demons. And we are told, “He made himself of no reputation.”(Phil.2:7). the same could never be said of the hirelings leading UCG, LCG, PCG, RCG, COG/Hulme or any of the other divided COGs. Most of these men are arrogant, pompous and above all vain. So when these men and their gullible followers go to church, they certainly don’t appear before the Lord. For unless people have the mind of Christ developing in them, God will not invite them to appear before him.

Moreover notice what being humble did for Jesus, “Wherefore God has highly exalted him, and has given him a name that is above every name”(Phil. 2:9). And the apostle Peter was inspired to Write: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble”(1 Peter 5:5). So if we want to appear before the Lord, we need the mind of Christ. And if we want to reign with him, we need to be clothed with humility, and not with the garments of pride, which are so proudly worn by the hirelings in cog-land.

You Will Be Next

The 7.0 Haitian quake has provided an opportunity for mindless journalists to ask absurd questions, and make predictable, derogatory comments about the poverty and corruption in the country. It has also provided an opportunity for camera crews from around the world to photograph the dead and injured, and send the pictures back to gloating editors, whose motto is; “If it bleeds, it leads.” Of course, editors of the various media outlets are just happy to make money at anyone’s expense, even if it means degrading the subjects to do so.

But if a 7.0 quake should hit any major city in the world, it is bound to kill and injure thousands of people, whether the people are rich and there is no corruption in the city, which is highly unlikely. The dead and suffering of the injured are bound to leave survivors in a state of shock and disorientation, and their first priority would be to try and find the dead or surviving members of their own family. So I can’t see the relationship between poverty and a people’s ability to respond to the suffering of their neighbours.

However, in spite of the nonsensical, tectonic theories trotted out by seismologists, who, by the way, are unable to predict where and when a quake will occur: quakes can and will occur in places that are not located on the so-called “Ring of Fire.” Jesus prophesied that earthquakes will occur in “diverse places,” as a sign that we are approaching end of the world(Matt.24:7). So today it is Haiti, but tomorrow it could be any where.

But more importantly, when Jesus was told about the Galileans, whose blood Pilate mingled with his sacrifices, and of the 18 people on whom the temple of Siloam fell, he replied, “think you that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but except you repent, you shall all likewise perish”(Luke 13:1-5).

Now it is pretty clear that the former members of The Worldwide Church of God and the current members of all of the divided splinter groups, that came out of WCG, are beyond repentance. So when the overflowing scourge passes through, they will be swept away, especially the ministers who have spent a generation lying to the flock, and fleecing them to feed themselves(Isaiah 28:14-18).