Church of God News

COGwriter

Even though Herbert W. Armstrong over died 23 years ago (see Herbert W. Armstrong Died 23 Years Ago), there are people that seem dedicated to attempting to destroy his legacy by promoting the unproven allegation that he was involved in incest.

The latest promotion of this comes today from the anti-COG Ambassador Watch website that now has a 1984 article by TPM’s William Dankenbring where he gives his opinions as to why he believes the allegations.  AW’s Gavin Rumney, who supports and perpetuates the allegations, actually goes so far as to state:

The weight of evidence however is overwhelming.

What is overwhelming is that there is no proof, yet the accusers, who have no real direct information, continue perpetuating this charade.

Now, no matter what I write here, those who hate Herbert W. Armstrong and/or the true Church of God will not likely be interested in the truth.

But the truth is that in any real court of law, Herbert W. Armstrong would have been found NOT GUILTY of these incest allegations.

Various versions of this accusation are extant, most of which seem to be based on a chapter of David Robinson’s 1980 book Herbert W. Armstrong’s Tangled Web. (A version of the accusations appears in Tuit’s book as well.)

I investigated four allegations related to this specific accusation and concluded that unless certain alleged audiotapes (the “Lochner tapes”, where Herbert W. Armstrong allegedly confesses to this) actually surfaced, the accusations are not provable and aspects of the accusations are indeed disprovable.

Now the so-called Lochner tapes have never been made public, and I repeatedly requested them from sources that supposedly had them.  Furthermore I should add that while investigating this, Norman Edwards told me that Art Mokarow claimed to have heard the tapes, so he advised me to speak with him.  So, I did.  After careful questioning, he admitted that he never actually heard the tapes himself.

Perhaps I should mention that since one aspect of these accusations is commonly attributed to a comment supposedly made by Herbert W. Armstrong’s son Garner Ted Armstrong (GTA) concerning his dad and his sister Dorothy. I personally called Garner Ted Armstrong’s office on Dec. 12, 2002 to inquire about this particular accusation. I was not able to speak with GTA directly, but a key employee of the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association discussed it with him and got back with me. Through his spokesperson, GTA declined to comment except to pass on the message that:

“everything you really need to know about my father is contained within the Autobiography (of Herbert W. Armstrong).”

Thus GTA would not stand by a statement attributed to him on this matter–so how can any believe this?

I also spoke with another Armstrong personally on this and will state that no one  would verify this.  And while all the parties are now dead, GTA, Dorothy, and certain others (like Dr. Lochner) were alive when I tried to verify this from them.  Thus, no one who supposedly was involved or actually heard some admission/confession would stand by that.

In December 2006, I also saw a post at an anti-Church of God website that stated that Dibar Apartian supposedly confirmed that he felt that Herbert W. Armstrong was guilty of incest. On January 3, 2007, I spoke with Dibar Apartian about this. He knew Herbert W. Armstrong for the past 30 plus years of Herbert W. Armstrong’s life. Dibar Apartian clearly and flatly denied the claim someone made that Dibar Apartian said he felt that Herbert W. Armstrong was guilty of incest.

I also personally spoke with others who knew and worked with Herbert W. Armstrong for decades.  None of them ever saw or heard any proof of this charge against him.

Every single time I have gone to the alleged sources of information on this incest matter, none of these “sources” have ever stood by the statements that the anti-Herbert W. Armstrong critics have claimed were made. I would like to add that at that time Dibar Apartian was 88 1/2 years old and he specifically told me that it should be clear to everyone that he has nothing to gain by denying this (he also told me this later, and he is now in his 90s).  Dibar Apartian also told me that he has never once made a statement confirming any of Herbert W. Armstrong’s alleged personal faults, and specifically that he never stated that he thought Herbert W. Armstrong was guilty of incest.

In his Tangled Web book, the late D. Robinson wrote that “like the Wizard of Oz, Herbert Armstrong is operating on image. When his hand is called, there is no substance there. Like the Wizard, he is just a lot of bluster.”

Based on my experience in trying to track down credible sources for this accusation, all I find–including a whole chapter in Robinson’s book–is “just a lot of bluster.” Actually, it appears to me that no one who has made or repeated most of the accusations against Herbert W. Armstrong actually has any real proof for most of them–no one seems to have checked with either the primary (those involved) or secondary sources (those with proof), but instead relied on accusation and rumor–simply stating a false charge does not make it true, no matter how many times it may be repeated.

Sadly, there appear to be a lot of people who have agendas against the true Church that seem to have nothing better to do than spread rumors and unsubstantiated gossip.  Since I personally did diligently attempt to investigate this over several years, I thought that because of the current flurry of allegations resurfacing, that perhaps those interested in the truth instead of gossip, would be interested in learning what I had learned.

That you be not condemned

Those who wish to pass judgment against Herbert W. Armstrong on the aforementioned allegation would do well to mediate on this:

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you” (Matthew 7:1-2).

If something illegal ever happened, the apparently proper biblical course of action (according to an incident involving the Apostle Paul) would have been to press charges, for if any “have a case against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls” (Acts 19:38-39). The courts were open for Herbert W. Armstrong when he was alive, and if any crime occurred the charges should have been brought 23 to 80 years ago.

Actually, when the WCG was charged in court for alleged misuse of public funds (and it is my understanding that John Tuit was one of the parties that filed against Herbert W. Armstrong on this), the State of California eventually dismissed the charges. Though various accusations may have been made in court cases, Herbert W. Armstrong was never convicted of any crime I am aware of, including the accusation listed in this article.

If Herbert W. Armstrong were guilty of any crime, God will have to judge him.

God holds us accountable for what we know. In this article, I did my best to share what I learned about this accusation about Mr. Armstrong. I have little doubt that his critics will try to dismiss most of the truth shown in this article.  But they simply do not have any real proof.

Herbert W. Armstrong has been dead for over 23 years.  And of course, no court ever even attempted to prosecute this allegation while he was alive.

In any real court of law, Herbert W. Armstrong would be found not guilty. People should not be persuaded otherwise by those who have their own agendas against the true Church of God.

Two articles of possibly related interest include:

15 Accusations and Truthful Responses About Herbert W. Armstrong He, even after his death, keeps being improperly maligned–here is the truth on these matters.
Who Was Herbert W. Armstrong? How is He Viewed Today? Includes quotes from the 1973 edition of The Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong and explains who he is and how he should be viewed today.

COGwriter

In his update last night, ICG’s Mark Armstrong stated:

It’s late already, and the update this week has turned into an article dealing with the drastic moves underway in high places that may well change how we look at the future. Yes, there is economic crisis that is largely the fault of government interference in the private sector. Now that crisis is being used as the excuse to appropriate untold sums, and untold powers never envisioned by our founders or authorized by our Constitution.

America is changing, all right. All the focus is on money and political power at a time when our enemies are jockeying into new positions. Venezuela, under Hugo Chavez is providing a base of operations for Middle Eastern terrorist organizations while snuggling up to Iran. Iran is expected to complete a nuclear weapon this year, but that’s not nearly as important to our leaders as the urgency that they be allocated massive sums for social engineering, global warming and a host of pet political priorities.

Man’s government is taking a shot at solving every problem that may or may not exist on such an urgent basis, there’s no time for thought, let alone council. They have to act now, or so they say. The changes coming to America are so profound they may never be reversed.

The reality is that the Bush administration and now the Obama administration in Washington have engaged in policies that greatly increase the debt of the USA.

As mentioned before, Habakkuk was inspired to give a prophecy that will be fulfilled in the end-time that seems to be related to this accumulation of debt:

For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.

Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry (Habakkuk 2:3).

So what did Habakkuk see in this vision? He saw a proud and covetous people:

4 Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith. 5 Indeed, because he transgresses by wine, He is a proud man, And he does not stay at home. Because he enlarges his desire…and cannot be satisfied, He gathers to himself all nations And heaps up for himself all peoples.

6″Will not all these take up a proverb against him, And a taunting riddle against him, and say, ‘Woe to him who increases What is not his–how long? And to him who loads himself with many pledges’? (Habakkuk 2:4-6).

Thus, the Bible reveals that these are people who are greatly in debt as they load themselves up with many pledges (promissory notes to pay). The United States of America is now the greatest debtor nation of all time and hence seems to be the ideal candidate to fulfill the role of the people which “enlarges his desire” in Habakkuk 2.  The modern nation called Israel would not seem to be in any position to fulfill that prophecy alone.

After asking how long this will go on and what will happen, Habakkuk was inspired to write:

7 Will not your creditors rise up suddenly? Will they not awaken who oppress you? And you will become their booty (Habakkuk 2:7).

Notice that the creditors will finally rise up suddenly. They will apparently realize that whoever owes them so much will not be able to pay it back.

Notice that the creditors will the make the debtors their own. Some will apparently become slaves!

This is also consistent with Jeremiah 30:7-9 which warns that there will be a time of “Jacob’s trouble”. Jacob, as Genesis 48:3-16 records, prayed that his name would be on Ephraim and Manasseh and that is why this is Jacob’s trouble. Now after this trouble has ended the Bible shows that their slavery would end and the kingdom of God, (see Jeremiah 33:15-16 & Ezekiel 37:25-28) with David king of Israel,: would begin

7 Alas! For that day is great,

So that none is like it;

And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble,

But he shall be saved out of it.

8 ‘For it shall come to pass in that day,’

Says the LORD of hosts,

‘That I will break his yoke from your neck,

And will burst your bonds;

Foreigners shall no more enslave them.

9 But they shall serve the LORD their God,

And David their king,

Whom I will raise up for them (Jeremiah 30:7-9).

Short of national repentance, debt will increase and the USA will suffer.  Is not the time to heed the warnings in the Bible now?

For articles of additional related prophetic interest see:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about? True religion should be based upon the true gospel.
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?
Prophecies of Barack Obama? Are there biblical and non-biblical prophecies about Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist?  This is my longest article on biblical and non-biblical prophecies that may involve Barack Obama.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? There is a Mayan calendar prediction for change in 2012. 2012 changes were also centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans (the Hindus may have some predictions for the next decade as well). Do these Mayan/Hindu/Hopi prophecies have any value? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood? Can the great tribulation start before 2012?

Fatima is the Probably The Most Famous Marian Apparition

COGWriter

About two weeks ago I reported that the Pope was taking steps to minimize publicity associated with people who claim to see apparitions that are supposed to be Mary, the Mother of Jesus (see The Pope and Marian Apparitions).

Now, both the secular government and a bishop in Burundi (Africa) have taken steps to reduce the popularity of worship associated with a claimed apparition there:

22:49 GMT, Thursday, 29 January 2009

Worship has been banned on a small rural hill in Burundi, where a woman claims to see the Virgin Mary on the same day of every month.

The 23-year-old’s claims of an apparition have become so widely known that thousands of people gather on the hill at the same time to pray.

But the governor of the northern province says the worshippers are troublemakers and they should stop.

The Catholic church in the area is also investigating the claims of a “vision”.

The woman in question is called Euzebie and comes from a rural village known as Masinde, in the province of Kayanza.

Sing and cry

She claims to see the Virgin Mary on the 11th day of each month.

Provincial governor Edouard Nduwimana says people come from all over the country, as well as nearby Rwanda and Uganda, to join Euzebie on the hill.

The archibishop of the northern diocese has formally advised worshippers to stop going to see Euzebie while the church investigates

Edouard Nduwimana
Provincial governor

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7859363.stm

And while I do believe that the Catholic Church is wise to attempt to verify the claims of apparitions (see also The Pope and Marian Apparitions), I also suspect that in the future that there will be widely accepted apparitions.

Yet, the Bible warns of a time when there will be “lying wonders”–and since Mary, the Mother of Jesus is dead awaiting the resurrection (What Did Early Christians Understand About the Resurrection?), there is no way that Mary, the Mother of Jesus is, or will be, actually appearing herself.

Although he did not mention Marian apparitions as his reason, notice what Pope Benedict XVI said:

Could a Marian apparition be the “visible sign” that will cause many groups to unify with Rome?

Because of the widespread acceptance of Mary, not only in Europe, but also in Russia and the Moslem world, it would seem it is possible that widely accepted apparitions will help lead to the acceptance of the religion of the final Beast and false prophet of Revelation 13.

And while restricting access to a hill in Burundi might now be in the Vatican’s interest, ultimately I believe that it will publicly embrace one or more future apparitions claiming to be Mary.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions Do you know much about Mary? Are the apparitions real? What might they mean? Are Protestants moving towards Mary? How might Mary view them?
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living 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? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions.
Africa: Its Biblical Past and Prophesied Future What does the Bible teach about Africa and its future? Did the early Church reach Africa? Will God call all the Africans?
The Arab World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam?

Samuele Bacchiocchi

COGwriter

As reported earlier, famed SDA scholar and historian Samuele Bacchiocchi died last month (see SDA Samuele Bacchiocchi Died).  For many years he maintained a website called Biblical Perspectives.  When people with relatively popular websites die (Richard Nickels of Giving & Sharing comes to mind as do others), typically their websites stay online for quite some time.

However, even though I tried two different browsers this morning, Dr. Bacchiocchi’s site www.biblicalperspectives.com would not load.  And while he and I were not always in agreement (and had major theological differences and perspectives), I also appreciated his reporting of various doctrinal/historical facts about his church (the Seventh-day Adventists).

Anyway, presuming that the Biblical Perspectives website remains gone, a useful online resource has been lost.  And while I do not consider that the SDAs are part of the COGs, this loss will impact those of us in the COGs interested in various details concerning various changes and doctrinal developments.

And speaking of differing theological perspectives, an article of related interest to these matters would include SDA/LCG Differences: Two Horned Beast of Revelation and 666

UPDATE 4:58 PM: Note: The Biblical Perspectives site is back up.  It must simply have been down this morning.

COGwriter

Valentine’s Day approaches next month, so once again, I noticed that the falsely labeled Christianity Today is compromising from biblical principles in order to attempt economic gain as it is promoting some jewelry purchases on its “Valentine’s Day” page.

Actually, compromise with pagan traditions for membership and/or economic factors is essentially one of the major areas that separates those truly in Christ’s Church from those who mainly just use His name.  Furthermore, those in Christ’s Church try to live their lives in accordance with the law of God as Jesus did.  Days that were compromises with paganism were not endorsed by Jesus or His early followers.

And just because people use the name of Christ and call themselves Christian does not mean that they are.

Notice what Jesus taught:

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matthew 7:21-23)

Valentine’s Day is not a biblical holiday.

It is essentially based upon lawlessness and does not edify Christ.

For more information, please consider studying the following articles:

Valentine’s Day: Its Real Origins Christianity Today suggests that Valentine’s Day is good for Christians to observe. Is this true?
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by WCG which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean? Also you can click here for the calendar of Holy Days.
Are the Ten Commandment Still in Effect? This article quotes the ten commandments and combines some of the previous articles into one article about the ten commandments. The commandments are shown at Mount Sinai, before Mount Sinai, in the teachings of Jesus, after the crucifixion, and in the teachings of Paul. It addresses the most common “traditions of men” regarding them as well.
Were the Pharisees Condemned for Keeping the Law or Reasoning Around it? Many believe that the Pharisees were condemned for keeping the law, but what does your Bible say? If they were not condemned for that, what were they condemned for?
The Ten Commandments Reflect Love, Breaking them is Evil Some feel that the ten commandments are a burden. Is that what Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John taught?
Was the Commandment to Love the Only Command? Some have stated that John’s writings teach this, but is that what the Bible really says?
The Ten Commandments and the Early Church Did Jesus and the Early Church keep the ten commandments? What order were they in? Here are quotes from the Bible and early writings.
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?

Wheat: How Long Will There Be Enough of It?

COGwriter

Drought is affecting many parts of the world, including South America:

Argentina declares drought crisis

What many people do not seem to realize is that nations that export food, tend to do less of that when their own people have shortages.  Nations that import food (which increasingly now includes the USA) are vulnerable to crop reductions in other nations.

Eventually, the Bible foretells a time of major famines (Luke 21:11), as well as a time that wheat will become very expensive:

6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.” (Revelation 6:6)

Now how expensive is that?  Notice the following:

Rev 6:1-8
The Roman coin denarius…was the equivalent of a man’s wages for a day of work (from The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1962 by Moody Press).

To put this in perspective, it takes someone earning minimum wage to make enough (in California) working only about 25 minutes to purchase a quart of wheat.  So, wheat would be about 17 times as expensive as it is now.  And of course, working all day just for a quart of wheat leaves no money for anything else!

And while I feel that the medium term economic outlook for Argentina, Brazil, and much of South America is bright, it will not remain that way during the coming Day of the Lord.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Mexico, Central America, South America, and Brazil in Prophecy [Español: México, America Central, Suramérica, y el Brasil en profecíal] [Português: México, América Central, Ámérica do Sul, e Brasil na profecia] What will happen to those of Latin America? Will they have prosperity? Will they cooperate with Europe? Will they suffer in the future? What rule might the various Caribbean nations/territories play?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? There is a Mayan calendar prediction for change in 2012. 2012 changes were also centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans (the Hindus may have some predictions for the next decade as well). Do these Mayan/Hindu/Hopi prophecies have any value? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood? Can the great tribulation start before 2012?

VS.

COGwriter

The 50 Truths of God publication that CGPFK’s Ronald Weinland posted contains the following:

God restored the following 18 truths to His church through Herbert W. Armstrong during the Philadelphia Era. These truths that are foundational to God’s Church also served to reveal that Herbert W. Armstrong was the prophesied end-time Elijah, whom God said He would send before the return of Jesus Christ. God did send Mr. Armstrong to His Church to restore “all things” that the Church had lost by the closing age of Sardis — truths needed for salvation and preparation for the return of Jesus Christ.

Well, there are several problems with that.

And one of them is that instead of doing his own research to determine what those restored truths were, instead (like many others), Ronald Weinland relies on the listing from the Tkach WCG administration for the 18 (see The 18 Restored Truths: Do You Know What the First Changes the Tkach Administration Made?).

Thus, he does not even know what the 18 truths that God used Herbert W. Armstrong to restore to the Church are (for details on what they really were, please see the article The 18 Restored Truths: Do You Know What the First Changes the Tkach Administration Made?).  Why he followed the Tkach WCG list is not clear.

Now another problem (where this time he did not follow the Tkach’s) is that not only does he assert that Herbert W. Armstrong was the Elijah to come (see also The Elijah Heresies), he takes it a step further and claims that Herbert W. Armstrong restored all things.

If that is true, then why would Ronald Weinland feel that it is necessary to add another 29 “truths” to the list?  (The “50” include 3 Ronald Weinland claims the Sardis Church Era had, the 18 from Herbert W. Armstrong and CGPFK’s Ronald Weinland 29 additions.)

The fact is that no matter how much lip service that Ronald Weinland may make about Herbert W. Armstrong, the reality is that Ronald Weinland changed certain beliefs that Herbert W. Armstrong held and holds to many positions that the late Herbert W. Armstrong never would have supported (such as unitarianism, see also Was Unitarianism the Teaching of the Bible or Early Church? ).

Ronald Weinland is not only not one of the two witnesses that he claims that he is, he continues to distort the legacy of Herbert W. Armstrong by his writings and false claims.

Several articles of possibly related interest include:

The 18 Restored Truths: Do You Know What the First Changes the Tkach Administration Made? Some have said healing, others other subjects, but probably the first change had to do with eliminating being part of the Philadelphia era. This article documents what those changes were and compares the Tkach list of restored truths to Herbert W. Armstrong’s list of restored truths. It contains many quotes from Herbert W. Armstrong.
Who Was Herbert W. Armstrong? How is He Viewed Today? Includes quotes from the 1973 edition of The Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong and explains how he is and should be viewed today.
The Elijah Heresies Does the Bible teach that there will be a future Elijah? Must it be Herbert W. Armstrong?
Who Are The Two Witnesses? What is their job? What does the Bible reveal? What has the Church of God taught on this subject? Might even Roman Catholic prophecies give some clues here?
Concerns About Ronald Weinland’s Church of God-Preparing for the Kingdom of God Ronald Weinland falsely claims to be one of the two witnesses God is raising up and that the end will come in 2008. Is he a false prophet? He has at least one other view that suggests that he is not part of the COG.
Should the Church Still Try to Place its Top Priority on Proclaiming the Gospel or Did Herbert W. Armstrong Change that Priority for the Work? So me say the Church should mainly feed the flock now as that is what Herbert W. Armstrong reportedly said. Is that what he said? Is that what the Bible says? What did Paul and Herbert W. Armstrong expect from evangelists?
Here are Some Quotes from Herbert W. Armstrong on Laodicea and Holding to Doctrine.
There are Many COGs: Why Support the Living Church of God? This is an article for those who wish to easily sort out the different COGs. It really should be a MUST READ for current and former WCG members or any interested in supporting the faithful church. It also explains a lot of what the COGs are all about.

Metropolitan Kirill (also spelled Kyrill)

COGwriter

The Russian Orthodox Church has selected Metropolitan Kirill as its new patriarch:

This is probably not what those associated with Rome wanted to see as Metropolitan Kirill has made it clear that he is not into compromise with Rome (see Russian Orthodox Leader Urges No Compromise With Catholics).

On the other hand, some see him as more likely to compromise than other leaders within the Russian Orthodox.  Notice the following from an AP story today:

The son of a priest, Kirill has headed the external relations department of the world’s largest Orthodox Christian church for nearly 20 years, making him point man for ties with the Roman Catholic Church. He met with Pope Benedict XVI in December 2007.

Efforts for a reconciliation nearly a millennium after Christianity’s east-west schism have been stymied amid accusations by the Russian church of Catholic missionary activity on its traditional territory and disputes over church influence and property in Ukraine.

Kirill has echoed Alexy’s often repeated warning that those disagreements remain obstacles to a long-awaited meeting between pope and patriarch. But he has also promoted unity with the Roman Catholic Church against secularism and immorality he says threatens societies across Europe.

Within Russia, Kirill is seen as a politically minded figure who may seek a measure of independence for the church, which has served the state for much of its 1,000-year history. Church and state are officially separate under the post-Soviet constitution, but ties have tightened again since Vladimir Putin came to power in 2000.

Despite the lopsided vote, Kirill will face opposition from a strong conservative movement within the church that sees him as too modern and too eager for a rapprochement with Roman Catholics. He will have to tread carefully or risk serious discord in the church. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/8329716

However, Metropolitan Kirill’s position has always been a bit distant from Rome.  For example, last year he stated:

Less than 20 years after the fall of the Soviet Union, the number of churches has quadrupled, we now have twice as many dioceses, and the number of monasteries has grown by a factor of 32 — to 700 — today. Fifteen thousand young people are studying theology. On the other hand, even though 80 percent of newborns are baptized in Russia, only 60 percent of Russians call themselves Orthodox Christians, and less than 10 percent attend church regularly — even fewer in some provinces…

We, as the Orthodox Church, are opposed to all attempts to establish a unipolar world. It would constitute the introduction of a forced entity that would level the differences among religions, cultures and civilizations (The Bible Calls it a Sin’. Spiegel. Interview was conducted by Martin Doerry, Christian Neef and Matthias Schepp in Moscow. January 10, 2008. http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,527618,00.html).

I hope and pray that the many within the Russian Orthodox will still oppose “a unipolar world” when the European Beast power arises.  Hopefully, the new Patriarch will not be so political that he will compromise with Rome himself.

Since it was only last week that Metropolitan Kirill again distanced himself from Rome (see Russian Orthodox Leader Urges No Compromise With Catholics), currently it appears that the Russian Orthodox will resist the type of unity with Rome that the Vatican seems to want.

However, while Russia may remain distant, Bible prophecy indicates that there will be additional cooperation between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholics–but it may remain somewhat distant as the Russians appear to be prophesied to ultimately help destroy the Vatican.

Some articles of related interest may include:

Russia: Its Origins and Prophesied Future Where do the Russians come from? What is prophesied for Russia? What will it do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end?
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Orthodox Church and the Living Church of God Both groups claim to represent the original Christian faith. Do you know much about them? Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are?
Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics The Bible warns the Orthodox against this unity as do some Catholic prophecies.  The Orthodox need to heed these warnings now.
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living 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? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions. Português: Qual é fiel: A igreja católica romana ou a igreja viva do deus? Tambien Español: Cuál es fiel: ¿La iglesia católica romana o La Iglesia del Dios Viviente? Auch: Deutsch: Welches zuverlässig ist: Die Römisch-katholische Kirche oder die lebende Kirche von Gott?
Apostolic Succession What really happened? Did structure and beliefs change? Are many of the widely-held current understandings of this even possible? Did you know that Catholic scholars really do not believe that several of the claimed “apostolic sees” of the Orthodox have apostolic succession–despite the fact that the current pontiff himself seems to wish to ignore this view?  Is there actually a true church that has ties to any of the apostles that is not part of the Catholic or Orthodox churches?  Read this article if you truly are interested in the truth on this matter!

Official Photograph of Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States

COGwriter

In a bold move, Barack Obama granted his first interview as USA President with an Arab source:

While peace is a desirable objective, because of his timing as president and his own comments, it appears that Barack Obama may help fulfill both biblical and possibly even Islamic prophecy.

Notice some of what Forbes reported earlier related to an Islamic prophecy:

Is Barack Obama the “promised warrior” coming to help the Hidden Imam of Shiite Muslims conquer the world?

The question has made the rounds in Iran since last month, when a pro-government Web site published a Hadith (or tradition) from a Shiite text of the 17th century. The tradition comes from Bahar al-Anvar (meaning Oceans of Light) by Mullah Majlisi, a magnum opus in 132 volumes and the basis of modern Shiite Islam.

According to the tradition, Imam Ali Ibn Abi-Talib (the prophet’s cousin and son-in-law) prophesied that at the End of Times and just before the return of the Mahdi, the Ultimate Saviour, a “tall black man will assume the reins of government in the West.” Commanding “the strongest army on earth,” the new ruler in the West will carry “a clear sign” from the third imam, whose name was Hussein Ibn Ali. The tradition concludes: “Shiites should have no doubt that he is with us.”

In a curious coincidence Obama’s first and second names–Barack Hussein–mean “the blessing of Hussein” in Arabic and Persian. His family name, Obama, written in the Persian alphabet, reads O Ba Ma, which means “he is with us,” the magic formula in Majlisi’s tradition.

More on that is included in the article Barack Obama in Islamic Prophecy?

Notice what the old WCG used to teach (which is essentially the same position as the current Living Church of God):

But who is the “king of the south”?…in verse 40 we skip to “the time of the end”…The verse undoubtedly found partial fulfillment in the offensive of 1896…But Mussolini did not finish the prophecy…Just as there is yet to be a final “king of the north”…there may very well emerge in the same manner a final “king of the south”–an overall leader of an Arab-Moslem confederation, possibly bearing the very title Mahdi……a prophetic psalm (Psalm 83) provides additional insight into the Mideast picture. Germany (Assyria in Bible prophecy) and perhaps the rest of Europe will be in league in the future with a union of Arab nations…But in the end, this European-Arab alliance will prove short-lived…And the king of the north shall come against him [the king of the south]…The Arab-Moslem Confederation will, of course, be thrown into chaotic disarray in the fact of invasion. (Stump K. The Arab World in Prophecy. Plain Truth December 1979).

A future king of the south is prophesied in your Bible (see Is There A Future King of the South?).

President Obama seems motivated to set the stage for the fulfillment of many biblical prophecies.

We live in interesting times.  Times that Jesus told His followers to “watch” (Matthew 24:42; 25:13; Mark 13:33-37; Luke 21:36).

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

The Arab World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam?
Prophecies of Barack Obama? Are there biblical and non-biblical prophecies about Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist?  Might Barack Obama set the stage for the kings of the North and South as his timing and at least one Shiite prophecy suggests?  This is the longest and most detailed of the articles here at COGwriter related to prophecy and Barack Obama.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States Some claim that Barack Obama is the prophesied “son of Kenya”. Might Bible prophecy be fulfilled since he is to be the USA president?
Kenya Rejoices as Obama Wins This is a follow-up to the Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States news item and contains additional information about him, prophecies, and his background.  And when the United States and its Anglo-allies may be destroyed.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Barack Obama Carries Hindu Monkey God Although there are some strange and false stories about Barack Obama, this one seems to be true.
Barack Obama is Not the Antichrist Some have suggested that he may be, but he cannot be.  Find out why.
Two Horned Beast of Revelation and 666 This article explains how the LCG views this, and compares this to Ellen White.  Neither John McCain nor Barack Obama are 666.
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? There is a Mayan calendar prediction for change in 2012. 2012 changes were also centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans (the Hindus may have some predictions for the next decade as well). Do these Mayan/Hindu/Hopi prophecies have any value? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood? Can the great tribulation start before 2012?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
Is There A Future King of the South? Some no longer believe there needs to be. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? What does the Bible say?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?

Bas-relief at Angkor Wat, dated circa 1150, depicting a demon performing an abortion by pounding a mallet into a woman’s belly.

COGwriter

As reported here in November (see Obama May Quickly Encourage Additional Abortions), it appears that encouraging more abortions is a priority for the new president.  Notice the following two stories:

Obama’s First Act: Taxpayer Money To Fund Abortions Of Black Babies

Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet.com
Wednesday, January 21, 2009

The sickest irony amidst the euphoria of the inauguration of America’s first black President is that one of Obama’s very first actions in office will be to ensure that millions more black babies are aborted in third world countries, with American taxpayers picking up the tab.

President Obama’s first act of “change” will be to issue an executive order that will lift a ban on using taxpayer money to fund international “family planning” groups who counsel women and perform abortions around the world, but mainly in Africa.

Fresh from his complete disregard of Israel’s barbarian bombardment of Gaza, an onslaught that has killed around 400 children, Obama will ensure that potentially millions more never even get the chance of life in the first place.

Obama will reverse the so-called Mexico City policy, the federal rule prohibiting aid to family planning groups which was instituted by Ronald Reagan in 1984. The policy does not apply to abortions carried out in cases of rape, incest, or life-threatening conditions. Obama’s executive order will pass almost exactly 36 years to the day since the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision which legalized abortion.

Abortion groups that will enjoy a fresh injection of American taxpayers’ money will include the Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia and the Planned Parenthood Association of Zambia.

The executive order will also precede a likely decison by Obama to once again release funds for the UNFPA, a United Nations organization that supports China’s policy of forced abortion.

“Obama’s repeal of the abortion aid policy is one of several executive actions that he will take soon after his inauguration today, according to several Obama transition aides. He is also considering lifting Bush administration restrictions on federally funded stem cell research,” reports the Hartford Courant.

Stem cell research has attracted vociferous opposition from anti-abortion groups because many of the treatments in the field use cells from aborted babies. The Catholic Church in Scotland this week called the procedure “immoral and unethical,” especially in light of the fact that stem cells from adult donations can be used instead.

Federally funded global abortions as a method of population control has been an obsession of elites and eugenicists throughout history…

A lot has been made of the ideals of Martin Luther King in light of the inauguration of the first black President. What would the legendary civil rights campaigner have thought of Obama’s action to ensure funding for the abortion of black babies? Here’s what his niece, Dr. Alveda King had to say about the matter at a conference last August.

“The great irony,” she said, “is that abortion has done what the Klan only dreamed of.”

King stated that the killing of a quarter of the black population of the US has not been from the lynch mobs of her childhood days, but from abortionists, “who plant their killing centers in minority neighborhoods and prey upon women who think they have no hope.”

Obama’s first action as President will ensure that those “killing centers” across the world will now be empowered with fresh capital to abort more black babies while the new President grandstands as a messiah for the poor and oppressed black race. (http://www.prisonplanet.com/obamas-first-act-taxpayer-money-to-fund-abortions-of-black-babies.html)

Vatican Attacks Obama’s Abortion Funding Plan

Vatican City, Vatican (AHN) – The Vatican on Sunday criticized President Barack Obama’s plan to restore funding for family planning clinics outside of the U.S. that provide advice on or carry out abortions…

Obama on Friday restored Federal funding to international groups that provide abortions or give advise on the issue. The White House defended the move saying this is inline with the U.S. and other nations fight against poverty and the promotion of health care.

But the Vatican sees the move as destroying the legal limits of abortions. http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7013831030.

While some will justify President Obama’s actions (and they were not his actual first acts–just a high priority), these certainly are not changes that a true Christian could believe in.

Abortion is wrong (even though the Roman Bishop Callistus allowed it).  Furthermore, why should the USA spend money that it does not have (and hence increase its debt) to fund it?

Without repentance, these types of actions can only result in the destruction of the United States.  A country that while proclaiming “In God We Trust” on its money, is using that same money to promote abortion.

Four articles of possibly related interest may include:

Abortion, the Bible, and a Woman’s Right to Choose Do you know what the Bible teaches on this?
Prophecies of Barack Obama? Are there biblical and non-biblical prophecies about Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist? This is the longest and most detailed of the articles here related to prophecy and Barack Obama.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States Some claim that Barack Obama is the prophesied “son of Kenya”. Might Bible prophecy be fulfilled since he is to be the USA president?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?