Church of God News

COGwriter  

One of the many problems small groups like those in various Churches of God have is that many “journalists” and other authors jump to false or misleading conclusions, and/or otherwise have problems with the facts.

The following “news” item is another such example:

The Oklahoman – NewsOK – Feb 24, 2008

By Dennie Hall
Books

Writing about churches and answering questions about religion calls for a background in theology, a knowledge of journalistic practices and the patience of Job.

Andrew Tevington of Oklahoma City has been a journalist, holds a law degree and is a Christian minister. As to the patience of Job — readers of his newspaper column soon see he has that quality, too. Tevington has compiled his columns, which run every other Saturday in The Oklahoman, into a helpful and inspiring book, “Our Faiths: A Peace Offering” (Full Circle Press, $24.95). It puts a spotlight on various beliefs — Christian and otherwise — and answers questions about such subjects as baptism, death and funeral practices, the Trinity, Holy Communion, sanctity of animal life, atheism, creation and the Virgin Mary…

A member of the ministerial staff of the Church of the Servant, a United Methodist congregation in Oklahoma City, Tevington writes about other mainline churches as well as Quakerism, Mormonism, Pentecostalism, Hinduism, Buddhism, the Amish, Unitarian Universalism, Baha’i, American Indian religions, Judaism, Islam and many others. Most helpful is a glossary that deals with such subjects as apostasy, atonement, consubstantiation, deism, exaltation, free will, mysticism, nirvana, trinity and Wicca. The author also discusses a church that has its world headquarters in Edmond, the Philadelphia Church of God, which has established the Herbert W. Armstrong College. The denomination is a split from the Worldwide Church of God. He points out that there are many churches of God. They are part of the Pentecostal Movement, which is not limited to churches calling themselves by that name.

He writes, “The movement includes the General Council of the Assemblies of God, Church of God (Cleveland), Church of God (Original), Church of God in Faith, and the Elim Fellowship.”

Tevington’s clear writing perhaps comes from his background in journalism.  http://newsok.com/article/3207309/1203836788

“Tevington’s clear writing” is clearly misleading.

Even though I do not agree with what the Philadelphia Church of God teaches as its unique dogma, the truth is that neither it, nor the old Worldwide Church of God, came out of the Pentecostal movement.

For one example, many Pentecostal historians consider that Montanus of the second century was a faithful and true Christian–neither the Living Church of God, the Philadelphia Church of God, nor any real Church of God considers that Montanus could have been a true Christian. 

While speaking in tongues, for another example, may return in the true Church at some time, it does not happen now.  It does not happen in the Philadelphia Church of God (nor the Living Church of God for that matter).

But that is usually a claim from the Pentecostal churches.

Furthermore, the Pentecostals have a very different view of the Holy Spirit than those in the Living Church of God do.

FWIW, here is some of what I have written on the “Pentecostal” distinction in several articles at the cogwriter.com website:

…the Churches of God (COGs) are defined as groups holding to the basic teachings of the pre-1986 Worldwide Church of God (WCG), and specifically the current Living Church of God (LCG) which is the church that this writer attends. Historical writings from those considered to be true Christians by LCG and Roman Catholic Church, such as Polycarp of Smyrna (d. c. 156), will also be used. The term Church of God is not intended to convey Sunday-observing or “Pentecostal” groups that sometimes have also used that term

Some articles of possibly related interst may include:

The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?
The Churches of Revelation 2 & 3 Do they matter? Most say they must, but act like they do not. This article contains some history about the Church of God (sometimes referred to as the continuation of Primitive Christianity) over the past 2000 years.
Hope of Salvation: How the Living Church of God differ from most Protestants How the Living Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants, is perhaps the question I am asked most by those without a Church of God background.
Did Early Christians Think the Holy Spirit Was A Separate Person in a Trinity? Or did they have a different view?

Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

I noticed that the February 2008 edition of UCG’s World News & Prophecy magazine had the following in a short news article:

The 27 members of the European Union are set to ratify the Lisbon treaty by next year, creating, among other things, the new office of president of the European council…

German magazine Der Spiegel Online reported, “Tony Blair is one prominent name that has been bandied about recently.  The former British Prime Minister is said to have a good shot, and he has powerful friends.  French President Nicolas Sarkozy has thrown his support behind Blair for reasons both of personality and politics”…

But the magazine noted that many others in Europe, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, aren’t as impressed.

One thing is for sure.  Americans will likely miss the behind the scenes and even open jockeying for this powerful new position while caught up in their personal presidential election.

And it is true that most in the USA seem to have no clue what is happening in Europe.  Though readers of the COGwriter page are regularly informed of various news items that the European Union is involved in.

Notice the following related news item:

Sarkozy and Mandelson ‘strike a deal to get top EU job for Blair’

By SIMON WALTERS – … Last updated at 01:03am on 2nd March 2008…

Nicolas Sarkozy is backing Tony Blair’s campaign to become the first President of Europe in return for the way Peter Mandelson secretly helped him win the French Presidency, it was claimed last night.

The suggestion of a secret EU Presidency deal between the three men will enrage Gordon Brown, who has always blamed Mr Mandelson for the way Mr Blair pipped him to the post of Labour leader in 1994.

A senior member of Mr Sarkozy’s inner circle claims the French President regards his support for Mr Blair’s bid to become Europe’s first fully fledged political leader as a “quid pro quo” for EU Commissioner Mr Mandelson’s help in winning last year’s election. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=523787&in_page_id=1811

Tony Blair was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from May 2, 1997 until June 27, 2007.  It was reported last June that he told Pope Benedict XVI that he wanted to become a Catholic (please see article Tony Blair a Catholic EU Leader?).  On December 22, 2007, he formally converted to Catholicism.

We in the Living Church of God believe that the final beast power will be nominally Catholic (see Europa and the Beast of Revelation).  It is interesting that Tony Blair intends to become Catholic, meet the Pope, and has recently been proposed as a potential EU president.  And while this suggests Catholic influence within in the EU, it also seems to suggest that Tony Blair’s actions will cause many within Britain to wonder about Britain’s EU involvement.

We also believe that Britain will ultimately pull out of the EU.  However, there are some biblical passages in Hosea and elsewhere that suggest that some in Britain will try to reconcile with the EU after it attacks it (some of those verses are in the news article Tony Blair a Catholic EU Leader?). 

Three articles of possible interest may include:

Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation?
Modern Nations and God’s Ancient Plan Many peoples are mentioned in the Bible. And other than the fact that the nation of Israel represents the ancient kingdom of Judah, do you know who any of these people are now?
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? This documented article answers those questions.

COGwriter

While it should not come as a surprise, I was disappointed when I went to the website of Christianity Today two days ago and saw it promoting thee non-biblical holidays as if these were desirable for real Christians to observe. 

Here is what its home page stated:

Lent
February 6 – March 22, 2008
Browse our resources to learn about the history of the Lenten season and to find new ways to celebrate Christ’s life, death, and resurrection.

St. Patrick’s Day
March 17
It’s about more than green and shamrocks! Check out our special section on this humble missionary of enormous courage.

Easter
March 23
Celebrate Christianity’s most sacred holiday and find articles and resources on the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Even though “Easter” is the name of a pagan goddess and not a “Christian” holiday, at least they admit that “Lent” is a “new way” to celebrate Christ’s life, etc. as Jesus did not initiate it and it was not observed by early Christians. 

Nor, of course, were St. Patrick’s Day or Easter.  We in the Living Church of God are NOT Protestant and the endorsement of such “holidays” by a leading Protestant publication should be further evidence to any God has given “eyes to see” (Deuteronomy 29:4) that the speakers for the Protestant world are not sticking to the Bible, or sola Scriptura.

Several articles of related interest may include:

Is Lent a Christian Holiday? When did it originate? What about Ash Wednesday? If you observe them, do you know why?
Why The Living Church of God Does Not Wear Green on St. Patrick’s Day Should non-Catholics observe a Catholic holiday. Sola Scriptura or Prima Luther? What Did Martin Luther Really Believe About the Bible? Though he is known for his public sola Scriptura teaching, did Martin Luther’s writings about the Bible suggest he felt that prima Luther was his ultimate authority? Statements from him changing and/or discounting 18 books of the Bible are included. Do you really want to know the truth?
Hope of Salvation: How the Living Church of God differ from most Protestants How the Living Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants, is perhaps the question I am asked most by those without a Church of God background.
What Happened in the Crucifixion Week? How long are three days and three nights? Did Jesus die on “Good Friday”? Was the resurrection on Sunday? Do you really know? Who determined the date of Easter?
Did Early Christians Celebrate Easter? If not, when did this happen? What do scholars and the Bible reveal?

 
Hurricane Gordon Hit the Azores and Western Europe in 2006

COGwriter 

The following news item was both sad and surprising:

EuroNews – March 1, 2008

At least nine people have lost their lives in Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic as Hurricane Emma struck central Europe.One of Germany’s high speed trains was taken out of action and several rail lines were closed as winds reached 190 kilometres an hour. Three people died in Germany.In some areas, heavy rainfall caused flooding as well.In Austria the death toll reached four, including two German tourists, with at least two of the people killed by trees blown down by high winds.

Some 10,000 households in the north of the country have been left without electricity.

Skiers in the Alps were warned to take extra care after a metre of snow fell and a Bundesliga football match was cancelled.

Across the countries hit by Emma, the damage is estimated to be worth tens of millions of euros. Weather experts say winds are likely to pick up again on Sunday morning.

In the Czech Republic, two people died – an 11-year-old girl who was crushed by a falling tree and a man, 80, who was hit by a piece of metal. Around 100,000 people are without electricity and transport has been disrupted throughout the country.

High waves hit the Belgian coast and across the country power cables and roofs were damaged by the storm.                              http://www.euronews.net/index.php?page=info&article=472825&lng=1

While hurricanes are common in coastal regions, it does seem quite unusual when they cause deaths in countries that do not even border the ocean.

As I indicated earlier this morning, these types of things may be parts of what Jesus referred to as “the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8) before the great tribulation (Matthew 24:21).

But the great tribulation itself will not begin until at least 2012 (some details are in the article End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something?). 

COGwriter

For over two years, I have been writing about and warning against the self-appointed prophet and self-proclaimed one of the two witnesses Ronald Weinland (one recent article that generated attention recently on that was Ronald Weinland: Nuclear Attack May be Mid-April 2008).

Ronald Weinland went so far as to proclaim that the 1335 days of Daniel 12 began on February 2, 2008 (please see the news item Ronald Weinland Announced When He Claims Jesus Will Return). Yet, no specific event of that type of prophetic significance occurred then other than his declaration–which is only significant in the sense that I believe it helps prove that he is a false prophet:

20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ 21 “And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?’– 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him (Deuteronomy 18:20-22).

Furthermore, notice what he wrote on November 24, 2007:

Next year will see the Dollar collapse and the Euro become the new strength for the world’s economy. The thunders of Revelation are now going to begin to increase in intensity and frequency. Beginning in February, those thunders will increase dramatically, and by April this world will begin to be shaken to its foundations.

Everything I am doing, and everything the Church of God – PKG is doing is geared towards these realities. There is no wavering and there is no hesitation!…

February will be here soon! Don’t squander the time that is in front of you. Use it wisely!

I tried to use February 2008 “wisely” and without “wavering” or “hesitation” as he advised, and posted several news items warning people not to follow him (the last one was titled Economic Armageddon?).

Interestingly, nearly 6,000 people in February viewed my article Concerns About Ronald Weinland’s Church of God-Preparing for the Kingdom of God–and most of these were not people with a Church of God background, but apparently people who heard enough on his message to decide to look for more information.

February 2008 is past and those “dramatically” increased “thunders” he claimed would happen simply did not occur. This is not to say that the financial markets have not had problems and that the Euro did not do well, but that February was not “dramatically” worse overall than other recent months (and the Euro, for example, is only up a few more cents–and that is simply not “dramatic”). He might come up with some explanation of his own, but the truth is that February 2008 is past and I believe it demonstrates that Ronald Weinland is a false prophet.

The time, according to Ronald Weinland, for the 1290 days to begin is March 18, 2008 (please see the news item Ronald Weinland Announced When He Claims Jesus Will Return). Yet, their is no specific person I have heard him yet identify as the King of the North, and such a person has to have armies prior to March 18, 2008 in order to invade March 18, 2008 for the 1290 days to commence (c.f. Daniel 11:31 and 12:11).

As I have been writing for some time, while the end certainly is near, the great tribulation will not begin in 2008 (please also see the news item At Least Two Wrongly Claim Great Tribulation Will Begin in 2008).

And perhaps I should add, as I have before, that I do not believe that the great tribulation will begin before 2012–and probably one to four years after that.

The seven year agreement with Israel referred to in Daniel 9:27 has not occurred yet–and since the 1290 days of Daniel 12:11 does not begin until the middle of this seven year agreement, it is not possible that the 1335 days could have began on February 2, 2008.

If Jesus is to return in the Fall of some year (which is what Ronald Weinland teaches–and he is probably correct on that point–though he has the year wrong), since the seven year agreement has not yet been made, the great tribulation basically cannot begin before 2012 (more on this is included in the article End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something?).

Also, the events that Herbert W. Armstrong and the Bible show need to happen at the 1335 days and through the days between then and the 1290 days have not happened (for more details please see the article Who is the King of the North?).

Hopefully, those who have felt that the current economic turmoil is proof that Ronald Weinland is right will open their eyes and see that while we may be in the time Jesus referred to as “the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8) before the great tribulation (Matthew 24:21), the the great tribulation will not begin in 2008 and Ronald Weinland is NOT one of the two witnesses

Some articles of related interest may be include:

Concerns About Ronald Weinland’s Church of God-Preparing for the Kingdom of God
Why Be Concerned About False and Heretical Leaders?
Who Are The Two Witnesses?
Who is the King of the North?
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something?

(The last two articles above have more detailed information on events that need to take place before the tribulation will begin.)