Church of God News

“Elijah in the wilderness“

COGwriter

COGwriter

The latest issue (says #175, print date July 31, 2015) of The Journal was sent out electronically and received today.

Items covered included the ‘W’ in the name Herbert W. Armstrong, old WCG buildings, Feast of Tabernacles’ Sites for 2015, and the Pope.

Here is something on the middle initial from The Journal also :

James Phillip Arnold: “Mr. Armstrong, I have read your autobiography in The Plain Truth and do not see what the W in your name stands for. You know, that W between the Herbert and the Armstrong. Just what do you mean by the W in Herbert W. Armstrong? Mr. Armstrong, what does the W in your name stand for?”

Herbert Armstrong: “Nothing. It stands for nothing. I added it years ago.”

This is not particularly news.  I have long had the following in my article 15 Accusations and Truthful Responses About Herbert W. Armstrong, a version of which was published years ago in The Journal:

No middle name

Accusation No. 1: Herbert W. Armstrong was named Herbert Armstrong at birth and did not have W as his given middle initial.

This is true according to Roderick Meredith of Charlotte, North Carolina, and from one of Herbert W. Armstrong’s relatives who lives near Tyler, Texas.

In all U.S. States I am aware of, anybody can take just about any name he wants, including middle initials, as long as he has no intent to defraud anyone.

There were apparently so many Herbert Armstrongs that Herbert W. Armstrong decided the sheer number of them caused confusion. One of them even lived across the street from the Pasadena, Calif., campus of Ambassador College (the school Herbert W. Armstrong founded) in the early days, causing problems with mail deliveries.

Someone else who claimed to ask him about it reported the following:

I let loose the quizment somewhat as follows: “Mr. Armstrong, I have read your autobiography in The Plain Truth and do not see what the Win your name stands for. You know, that W between the Herbert and the Armstrong. Just what do you mean by the W in Herbert W. Armstrong? Mr. Armstrong, what does the W in your name stand for?”

The slight jerk of the head, the eyes now near slits, a metathought could well be arising in his brain that the young man standing before him might be one of those deviant students who came to question, to distort, to wreck.

But then the double take and doubt lifted like a misbegotten mist, and his face softened, like his hand, and he matter-of-factly replied: “Nothing. It stands for nothing.

I added it years ago.” I believe he said something about needing to add an identifying letter for postal purposes and that he wanted a letter that worked well with his name (Arnold JP. What’s the plain truth about the W? The Journal, print date September 29, 2009, p. 3).

Why Herbert W. Armstrong chose W is not clear, but by adding it he made his name more distinctive.

In Herbert W. Armstrong’s early years it was not unusual for people to have middle initials that did not stand for anything. An example is Harry S. Truman. According to the World Book Encyclopedia, President Truman’s initial did not represent a middle name.

Here is the piece on old WCG buildings:

Two relics of the glory days of the Worldwide Church of God are available: one for sale and the other for controlled demolition for a movie scene, One is part of the old Summer Educational Program (SEP) grounds in Minnesota. The other is the former Hall of Administration on the erstwhile Ambassador College campus in Pasadena, Calif. Near Orr, Minn., a gymnasium and office space on seven acres are avail- able that include “nice views of Pelican Lake,” according to a real-estate broker’s brochure. “The building housing the gymnasium is approximately 110 by 130 [feet]. The adjoining office building is ap- proximately 70 by 80. “The property was once part of a youth Bible camp that disbanded in the late 1990s. The mostly level grounds offer panoramic views of Ambassador Point and Pelican Lake.” For more information contact Cold- well Banker Properties North at (218) 749-8222(218) 749-8222. Ask for listing agent Tim Lillquist. Halfway across the continent, as part of a planned redevelopment of the former AC campus in Pasadena, the former Hall of Administration is scheduled for “controlled demolition” between now and September 2015. The offer for the administration hall is not for you to buy it. It’s so you can use it as a “unique SFX [special effects] filming opportunity.” “This is a unique opportunity for production companies to film scenes which might require such scripted elements as explosive pyrotechnics, con- trolled burns, interior simulated gun- fire, vehicle crashes, demolition and/or other types of SFX and stunt sequences.” So if you’re working on a movie and need to blow up a building for an exciting scene or two, maybe the Hall of Ad is just the ticket. For more information contact the City of Pasadena Film Office at (626) 744-3964(626) 744-3964

I reported about the status of the former Hall of Administration earlier (see Ambassador Hall of Administration is to be demolished).

One article in The Journal asked if Pope Francis could be the last pope.  More on that can be found in the video Could Pope Francis be the Last Pope and Antichrist?

I also wrote a book about that (see The Last Pope: Do Biblical and Catholic Prophecies Point to Pope Francis? Amazon Book).

The Journal also had a listing Feast of Tabernacles’ Sites for 2015. Those interested in learning more about the Feast of Tabernacles may wish to study the article The Feast of Tabernacles: A Time for Christians?

The Journal also had the usual letters to the editor and other advertisements, various comments, and opinion articles.

The Journal itself is available by paid subscription (though Dixon Cartwright says some subscriptions are free to those who cannot afford it). It tends to have a non-Philadelphian approach to many matters.

COGwriter

The old Ambassador Hall of Administration of the Pasadena Campus of the old Ambassador College is about to be destroyed:

DATE: July 22, 2015

Unique SFX Filming Opportunity – Ambassador Campus Pasadena, CA (July – September, 2015)

 As part of a planned multi-year redevelopment of the former Ambassador College campus, the Hall of Administration is scheduled for controlled demolition between July and September, 2015.  During preparation and throughout the demolition process, requests to film at this 4-story office building will be entertained on a case-by-case basis.  This is a unique opportunity for production companies to film scenes which might require such scripted elements as: explosive pyrotechnics, controlled burns, interior simulated gunfire, vehicle crashes, demolition and/or other types of sfx and stunt sequences.

Hall of Administration / Ambassador West Campus

300 W. Green St. – Pasadena, CA 91105

• Built in 1967 by Herbert Armstrong.
• Late Modern steel and concrete design with dark glass accents (Peter J. Holdstock, architect).
• 4 stories with an open atrium style lobby.
• Basement loading area with separate driveway access, that may be used as construction mill space for set building.
• Large, flat rooftop with stairwell access.
• 2 elevators + 4 interior stairwells
• The property can equally well play as a municipal government building, foreign embassy, university, or commercial office space.

For more information, please contact: City of Pasadena Film Office  626.744.3964  http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs129/1103829990183/archive/1121719325536.html

I was in the building personally decades ago, a couple of times.

COGwriter

The latest issue (says #174, print date June 30, 2015) of The Journal was sent out electronically and received today.

Items covered included an upcoming 2017 reunion for ex-students of the old Ambassador College from the old Worldwide Church of God (WCG), leadership changes at Church of God International (CGI), women, and Feast of Tabernacles’ Sites for 2015.

The Journal also continued its series related to  the apostasy/falling away in the old WCG and someone called the ‘Bible Answer Man.’ Here is some of the information in the current edition of The Journal:

By Dixon Cartwright

Two leaders of the Worldwide Church of God, including the pastor general, took to the air Feb. 7 and 10, 1997, to answer calls from listeners to an international radio talk show.

Pastor General Joseph Tkach Jr. and Plain Truth magazine editor Greg Albrecht appeared on The Bible Answer Man with the answer man himself, Hank Hanegraaff, who also directs the Christian Research Institute in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. Mr. Tkach, who took over the pastor generalship after his father, Joseph Tkach Sr., died in September 1995, answered questions along with Mr. Albrecht on heaven and hell, church leaders’ sincerity throughout the WCG’s massive doctrinal changes, their view of the WCG’s founder, the late Herbert W. Armstrong, pagan holidays, unclean meats and their “journey through the valley of the shadow of death,” as Mr. Albrecht characterized their coming out of the “cultic” teachings of the old WCG and entering the “pale of orthodoxy.”

They also spoke of British-Israelism, Mr. Armstrong’s track record as a foreteller of the future (if not a prophet), the splinter groups spawned by the Worldwide Church of God and the church’s stand on abortion. The same two leaders appeared on The Bible Answer Man several times…

The Worldwide Church of God, after Mr. Armstrong’s death, in 1986, was led by the senior Mr. Tkach until his death, in 1995.

He, beginning in 1993 and 1994, began going public with sweeping fundamental changes in the official doctrines of the Worldwide Church of God, including basic teachings such as the law of God, the Old and New Covenant and the nature of God, resulting in tens of thousands of WCG members leaving the fellowship to regather with others in several break- away groups—or, in many cases, to quit attending church altogether or join traditional Protestant denominations. At the beginning of the radio pro- gram Joseph Tkach Jr. wondered out loud why God chose him to lead the WCG out of the kingdom of the cults. “I wonder why did He put His finger on me to be the one in this position at this time,” he mused. “But that’s not for me to question.” Concerning the people who have held onto the traditional doctrines of the Worldwide Church of God, Mr. Tkach said their blindness is more than just a veil. “It’s more like a welder’s mask,” he explained to Mr. Hanegraaff. …

Mr. Tkach attributed his methods— which critics characterize as imposing new doctrines on a church body unilaterally and by fiat, rather than involving the general membership and ministry in the process—to Mr. Arm- strong, whom he quoted as saying, “Don’t believe me. Believe the Bible.” “If the Bible teaches something and we need to correct what we’re doing, then that’s what we’re going to do.

Well, if you tell a lie often enough, you often tend to believe it.  The reality is that when the Tkach Administration changed doctrine, it was not because of the Bible, but to fit in with traditional Protestant teachings–teachings that did not come from the Bible nor early Christianity.

Here are links to some documented articles which demonstrate doctrinal truths that the Tkach Administration changed to be like some of the world’s Protestant churches:

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. A related sermon is titled: Christians and the Ten Commandments.

Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity? Most act like this is so, but is it? Here is an old, by somewhat related, article in the Spanish language LA DOCTRINA DE LA TRINIDAD.

Did Early Christians Teach They Were Going to Heaven? What do the Bible and scholars teach? What about ‘near-death experiences’? Here is a link to a related sermon: Heaven and Christianity.

Are The Wicked Tormented Forever or Burned Up? How does one explain Revelation 14:11 in light of Malachi 4:3? What happens to the incorrigibly wicked?

Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by the Tkach 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. (Here is a related link in Spanish/español: Calendario Anual de Adoración –Una crítica basada en la Biblia y en la Historia: ¿Hay un Calendario Anual de Adoración en la Biblia?

What Does the Catholic Church Teach About Christmas and the Holy Days? Do you know what the Catholic Church says were the original Christian holy days? Was Christmas among them? Is December 25th Jesus’ birthday or that of the sun god? Here is a link to a related sermon: What do Catholic and other scholars teach about Christmas?

The New Testament Church, History, and Unclean Meats Are foods considered to have been unclean in the Old Testament considered to be food in the New Testament? This article discusses this from the perspective of the New Testament. It also has a list of clean and unclean animals. It also answers the question, is pork healthy or is pork dangerous? There is also a sermon-length video on this: Christians and Unclean Meats.

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?

Is the Genuine Church of God a Cult? There are misleading statements on the internet that this article tries to address.

I remember some of the false information that WCG leaders were giving at the time and some from the falsely named ‘Bible Answer Man.’ WCG leaders kept telling the membership that the changes were not planned, but more information points to a plot to introduce heretical doctrines–that was a lie at the time (here is a link to a post that has some information on that Cartwright’s Journal Out: ‘Bible Answer Man,’ Walter Martin, & the ‘Council of Venice’). WCG is now named Grace Communion International and is basically just another Protestant sect. Real Church of God groups, like the Continuing Church of God are NOT Protestant, as our histories and doctrines greatly differ (see details, for two examples, in the booklets Where is the True Christian Church Today? and Continuing History of the Church of God).

Here is information on a planned reunion for those who once attended one of the three campuses of the old Ambassador College:

Bob Gerringer and other organizers plan a reunion of former Ambassador College students for 2017 in Las V egas, Nev. Unlike several reunions in recent years, this one will target all three AC campuses, which operated in California, Texas and Britain. …

Students from all three campuses— Pasadena, Bricket Wood and Big Sandy—who attended AC during its first 30 years, 1947 to 1977, are “warmly and enthusiastically invited to attend the 2017 reunion. …

Bricket Wood, England, former students are asked to E-mail Jean Ehlert Updegraff (jean@acpasadenareunion. com) so she can add them as “guests” on the Pasadena website (acpasadena reunion.com). The organizers thought about settling on Pasadena as the 2017 site but chose Las Vegas for several reasons including economic. For example, the hotel rooms in the Nevada city are 60 percent less expensive than the rates at Hilton Pasadena Hotel. The reunion will run from Sunday, March 12, to Thursday, March 16, 2017, at the Orleans Hotel and Casino on Tropicana Boulevard. Sign

Despite false statements from some on the internet, I personally did not attend nor graduate from the old Ambassador Collage.  That being said, my wife and I were married on the Pasadena Campus of Ambassador College and were frequents WATS line volunteers there for the old Worldwide Church of God.

Here is some of what was reported about Church of God International (CGI):

TYLER, Texas–The Church of God International, based in Tyler, announced June 29, 2015, a change in top-level employees prompted by the impending retire- ment of Charles Groce, chief execu- tive officer and chairman of the board. Mr. Groce, 67, who has served as CEO of the church since 1998, plans to retire from his salaried duties Sept. 1. Succeeding him will be two men: Vance Stinson, 63, as CEO and chairman, and Jeff Reed, 45, as pastor of the headquarters congregation. …

CGI history

Four people, including Garner Ted Armstrong, founded the CGI in 1979 after his falling out with his father, Herbert Armstrong, pastor general of the Worldwide Church of God, in 1978. The three other CGI founders were Shirley Armstrong, Guy Carnes and Benny Sharp. All were former WCG members. All founders except Mr. Sharp have died.

Mr. Groce replaced Mr. Armstrong as the chief executive of the CGI on Jan. 9, 1998, when the board asked Mr. Armstrong to accept a paid retirement. He refused, he said, because the retirement provisions would prevent him from preaching or otherwise communicating with CGI members. At the time of Mr. Armstrong’s taking leave of the CGI, a board member, Bronson James, told THE JOURNAL that the board’s request for Mr. Armstrong to retire was based on concerns about his “ministerial qualifications.”

The Church of God International continued with Mr. Groce at the helm. Mr. Armstrong and other Church of God International members who supported Mr. Armstrong founded the Intercontinental Church of God and the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association, currently headed up by Garner Ted Armstrong’s son Mark Armstrong.

Garner Ted Armstrong was asked to retire basically because of sexual impropriety.  He then founded the Intercontinental Church of God and remained there until he died in 2003.

The Journal also had a listing Feast of Tabernacles’ Sites for 2015.  Those interested in learning more about the Feast of Tabernacles may wish to study the article The Feast of Tabernacles: A Time for Christians?

The Journal also had the usual letters to the editor and other advertisements, various comments, and opinion articles.  One of the articles had to do with women, and I would suggest those interested in the subject of women and the New Testament study the article Women and the New Testament Church.

The Journal itself is available by paid subscription (though Dixon Cartwright says some subscriptions are free to those who cannot afford it).  It tends to have a non-Philadelphian approach to many matters.

COGwriter

By Lynn Torrance (from The Good News, August 1961):

Is it wrong to pray for oneself? about how to make “ends meet”? about how to overcome? Just what should one pray about?

MANY do not know what to pray about. We are often asked, “What can I pray about?” Some say, “I ask God to forgive, to guide and direct me. I ask God to bless the work, the ministers, and the Church. What else is there to pray about?”

Acknowledge God

The Bible makes plain that the FIRST STEP in learning what to pray about is to realize WHOM we are praying to.

Did you take time today to get down on your knees and become acquainted, in prayer, with God? Or are you waiting for the right “feeling”? the right mood? Are you, day after day, “putting off” praying until tomorrow because you do not think of anything to pray about? — because you just don’t feel comfortable praying to God?

Notice what Jesus instructed His disciples to pray about when they asked him to teach them to pray. Jesus said — as quoted in archaic English in the King James Version, “When ye pray, say, OUR FATHER which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name” (Luke 11:1-2).

We must first acknowledge the greatness of our HEAVENLY Father. Our faith increases when we realize that what He has promised He can and will perform! He is the God of Heaven — the Ruler of the whole universe.

Abraham strengthened his faith by giving glory to God. “He grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised” (Rom. 4:20-21, R.S.V.).

David was a praying man. David constantly gave glory and praise to God. His last public prayer is given in the Bible and is an excellent example of how to give God Glory and Honor — of what to pray about, “BLESSED are thou, LORD God of Israel our FATHER, for ever and ever. Thine, O LORD is the GREATNESS, and the POWER, and the GLORY, and the VICTORY, and the MAJESTY; for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the KINGDOM, O LORD, and thou art EXALTED as HEAD ABOVE ALL. Both RICHES and HONOR come from thee, and thou RULEST over all … In thy hand it is to make GREAT and to GIVE STRENGTH to all. And now therefore, our God, we THANK THEE, and PRAISE thy glorious name” (I Chron. 29:10-13).

Do you glorify the majesty, the power, and the wisdom of God in prayer?

After you have praised and honored God and hallowed His Holy name then you pray —

“Thy Will Be Done”

Notice carefully that Christ next set us the example to pray: “Thy Kingdom come, THY WILL be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Mat. 6:10).

What IS God’s Will for this earth? We can know! God makes it clear in His Word what His Will is.

In Mat. 24:14 we read: “This gospel of the Kingdom SHALL be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations.” This one verse teaches a great deal about HIS WILL.

HOW is this work of preaching and publishing the Gospel to all the world being done? It is through the “World Tomorrow” broadcast, the PLAIN TRUTH, the GOOD NEWS, the CORRESPONDENCE COURSE, the BOOKLETS, the advertising in READER’S DIGEST, the Letter Answering Department, the evangelistic campaigns, the baptizing tours, the local visiting teams, even through the Ambassador College ENVOY — and especially through EACH and EVERY minister of God.

Are you praying for the success and effectiveness of ALL THESE THINGS? It is GOD’S WILL that you do!

Pray for the “World Tomorrow” broadcast. Pray that each time it goes out over the air new people will be caused to listen to it. Pray that doors to reach each section of the world, not now being reached at this time, will be opened.

Pray that God will train and send out laborers to reap the harvest of interested listeners of the “World Tomorrow” broadcast (Mat. 9:38). Pray that God will send the right students to Ambassador College, men and women who have the ability and talents and the submissiveness that He can use in His Work. Don’t forget to pray that the students who are already in Ambassador College may bear more fruit.

Pray for the co-worker letters, that God will lay it on the hearts of the readers to support this WORK with their prayers, their tithes and their offerings.

And how long do you think it would take you to pray for each and every minister, carefully, diligently? Ask God to give them the power of His Holy Spirit, His knowledge, His wisdom, that He might use them as instruments through whom He nourishes the flock He has chosen. Ask God to use them to preach from the scripture the words that are “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (II Tim. 3:16).

Don’t pray these exact words. Jesus didn’t say: “Pray this.” He said “Pray thus!” Build upon and expand these suggestions. You can think of many other things to pray about when interceding for God’s ministers.

These are but a few examples, a small beginning of things to pray for. You can think of many others.

Praying for each phase of the work is important. In fact, the very existence of the work of God depends upon your prayers.

For example: When we pray that God lay it on the hearts of the people of this country to send tithes and offerings to support the cost of preaching and publishing this Gospel message to the entire world, it is His WILL to honor that prayer. He goes into action. He directly intervenes in the very lives of the people of this country and MAKES them send in more money than they would have otherwise. Thus, through daily prayer you add to the list in heaven of those you are helping to lead down the path that leads to eternal life. Your reward is certain.

PRAYER is YOUR ministry. Lack of prayer will keep you out of the Kingdom of God! God expects you to do your part. That is His will.

“Give Us Our Daily Bread”

Did you know your DAILY BREAD is dual?

Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger” (John 6:35). Come to God through daily prayer and Bible study and He will supply your DAILY spiritual needs. You have more daily need of spiritual food than even of physical food — but God here promises you both, if you will only ask Him.

Why is it that some who know God wants to supply us daily with all our needs immediately begin to ask God for things that satisfy the lust of the flesh. Their prayers are usually very short and filled with I’s, me’s and mine’s. It’s “God give me this” and “God give me that.” “Ye ask,” retorts James, “and receive NOT, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts” (James 4:2).

“Forgive Us”

Jesus also said to ask God to “forgive us our trespasses [or debts], as we forgive our trespassers [or debtors]” (Mat. 6:12).

Have you asked God to forgive your every sin, your every shortcoming, your every weakness, your every stumbling — and those of others? Do we ALSO forgive our debtors — those who offend us?

We MUST forgive everyone who has stepped on our toes, everyone who has offended us, everyone who has wronged us in any way whatsoever. God forgives us only as we forgive others! Remember that forgiving means forgetting. Yet we know that in some local churches there are people who CANNOT BE FORGIVEN by God because they still REFUSE to forgive their brethren. Brethren, this must not continue!

And finally He said, “Lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.”

God tempts no man. “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed” (James 1:13-14). Watch and pray that you be not drawn away by lusts and enter into temptation (Mat. 26:41). Watch, keep awake. When wrong thoughts begin to come into your mind, FLEE QUICKLY to God in prayer. Put your trust in Him. Or else God will allow you to stumble in temptation till you learn to put your whole life in God’s hands.

We are not to pray this sample prayer that Jesus gave — word for word. We are to use it as an outline for our daily prayers. Few realize that Jesus also gave innumerable OTHER DETAILS to pray about in His Word. These all MAGNIFY the main principles mentioned in His outline of prayer. They should all be fitted into the pattern Jesus gave the disciples. We are instructed to pray for those in authority (I Tim. 2:1-3), for our enemies, for those who persecute us (Mat. 5:44); for the brethren (Eph. 6:18); that we may escape the things to come (Luke 21:36); for the sick and afflicted (James 5:14-16); for your own requests (Phil. 4:6); for the ministry (II Thess. 3:1); and for the churches (Eph. 1:16; Col. 1:3; Philemon 4; I Thess. 1:2).

Pray for Ourselves?

Of course! But not for ourselves only. If your prayers include others and theirs include you, think how many prayers are said ON YOUR BEHALF! But if you are selfish and pray only for yourself — and everyone else did the same — then ONLY YOU would be praying for yourself.

A student at Ambassador College discovered quite by accident the amazing principle that the Law of Love is a Living Law. He had tried to overcome a certain weakness but had failed again and again. He felt miserable and dejected.

A friend revealed that he too was having trouble overcoming the very same temptation. This student felt so miserable himself that he hastened to go and pray EARNESTLY for his friend. He said, “Oh, God, don’t let my friend be as weak and rotten as I am. Strengthen him, take this temptation from him.”

This student was amazed to discover that after having prayed for his friend, his own overpowering weakness left him! It was suddenly as if this temptation no longer existed.

This student learned that when one has some sin he is unable to overcome, if he will pray for all others who have, or even might have the same weakness, the God of Love rewards him for praying for His OTHER children.

Try it. Pray for all the men and women in the Church who have, or who even might have — the same overpowering temptation you have and see for yourself that God will reward you for showing Love to His OTHER children by strengthening you. He can and will remove your temptation from you.

Remember, if you pray for others, and all the others pray for you and others, think how much more help you have than if you alone prayed for just your problem.

Therefore pray that God will imbue us all with His Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). Ask God for the gift of repentance so all can overcome sin. Ask God for wisdom (James 1:5), power, understanding, and knowledge.

Pray that God will implant in His people the DESIRE to study and pray until all are filled with the Spirit of God, with understanding and a true sense of values.

When you read the Bible and don’t understand a verse — that is something to pray about. If you are falling short of obeying His instruction — that is something to pray about. For some of you there are almost as many things to pray about as there are verses in the Bible!

Don’t just limit the things you pray about to the points mentioned in this article. Ask God to show you what else HE wants YOU to pray for. HE will show you IN HIS WORD many other things to pray about.

Whatever you do don’t let your prayer become a mere ritual, a vain repetition. Be diligent. Be persistent. Prayer and Bible Study must be first in your life, or you are putting something else before God. We receive what we ask of God “because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (I John 3:22).

Prayer has to become heartfelt — full of thanksgiving, praise and joy. It should be a spontaneous and natural talking to God. The more you pray, the more you will understand how to pray.

God KNOWS that many of you faithful brethren are praying. He also KNOWS that others have not prayed as they should.

God’s ministers have said, “YOU ARE CONVERTED TO THE DEGREE THAT YOU PRAY FOR GOD’S WORK!”

If you have been PUTTING OFF prayer until tomorrow DO something now. Force yourself to begin to study and pray. Don’t put off your own salvation!

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Prayer: What Does the Bible Teach? This free booklet contains 28 biblically-based tips on improving the effectiveness of your prayers. This is a pdf. A related two part sermon is available: What Does the Bible Teach About Prayer? and What does the Bible Teach About Prayer (& Healing)?
Faith for those God has Called and Chosen What is faith? Can faith be increased? Are you saved by faith? What about works? Do Christians need to keep the Ten Commandments? What is the ‘faith chapter’? How do the just live by faith? Is faith one of the weightier matters of the law? How does faith come? Here is a link to a related sermon titled: Faith for the Called and Chosen. Here is a link to shorter version of the written article in Mandarin Chinese 一篇关于信仰的小文章
What Should I Pray About? An old article by Lynn Torrance on prayer.
Importance of Fasting An old article by Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject.
Building Character: Going on to Perfection Once you have accepted Jesus, do you need to strive for perfection and build character? A related video sermon is available: Going on to perfection and building character.
What is the Meaning of Life? Who does God say is happy? What is your ultimate destiny? Do you really know? Does God actually have a plan for YOU personally? There is also a video titled What is the meaning of your life?
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
When You Sin: Do You Really Repent? This is an article by Charles F. Hunting. A related sermon is Confess to God and truly repent.
Just What Do You Mean Conversion? Many think that they are converted Christians. But are they? Would you like to know more about conversion. Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.

COGwriter

The latest issue (says #173, print date May 31, 2015) of The Journal was sent out electronically and received today.

The main item covered included a lot on the apostasy/falling away in the old WCG and someone called the ‘Bible Answer Man.’ Here is some of the information in the main article of the current edition of The Journal:

WCG leaders aired doctrinal views on CRI’s radio program

By Dixon Cartwright

The pastor general of the Worldwide Church of God described to an international radio-talk-show audience Jan. 4, 5 and 12, 1996, the transformation of the WCG from a legalistic sect whose members were plagued by cognitive dissonance into a fledgling Protestant denomination coming out of a cave and seeking acceptance by the world of mainstream churches. Joseph Tkach Jr., WCG pastor general, and Greg Albrecht, editor in chief of the WCG’s Plain Truth magazine, appeared on The Bible Answer Man radio talk show with host Hank Hane- graaff on segments originating in a studio in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. The Bible Answer Man is spon- sored by Mr. Hanegraaff’s Christian Research Institute (CRI), which was founded by the late Walter Martin, who wrote Kingdom of the Cults, a book dedicated to exposing what he termed non-Christian sects, including the Worldwide Church of God. …

Mr. Hanegraaff noted that WCG leaders had contacted him “probably two or three years ago” and “we have spent quite a bit of time together over the last few years.”

On fire to help

Mr. Albrecht commented that he was “a longtime listener of the program, so it’s great to be on the show with you.” Mr. Tkach said he and other WCG leaders—he named specifically Mr. Albrecht, church-administration director Mike Feazell, treasurer Bernie Schnippert (who died in 2014) and computer-information-systems manager David Smith—“all have a fire in our belly to help others realize the pain of legalism and to escape it.”

Mr. Tkach said he hopes the experiences of the Worldwide Church of God will promote a “ripple effect throughout the entire Saturday-Sabbath-keeping community” so Sabbatarians can “realize the Sabbath in its proper perspective.”

Although Mr. Tkach and Mr. Albrecht couched their phrases in diplomatic terms when it came to describing the WCG of old and its founder, Herbert W. Armstrong, Mr. Hanegraaff was more to the point in saying that Mr. Armstrong espoused “false doctrine.”

Mr. Albrecht noted that he could not “stand in judgment” of Mr. Arm- strong “in terms of the basis of his sal- vation,” but Mr. Hanegraaff noted that the WCG has “judged his [Mr. Armstrong’s] writings, and that is why you’ve changed them.”

Mr. Tkach responded, “You said that very well.”

The talk-show host asked Mr. Tkach to confirm that he personally, as well as the Worldwide Church of God, repudiates many of the former WCG teachings espoused by Mr. Armstrong: “You are comfortable in saying that Herbert W. Armstrong did deny essen- tials of the historic Christian faith; the Trinity would be a good example?”

“Absolutely,” replied Mr. Tkach. “I have no reservations in saying that some of the things that Mr. Armstrong taught were in major error.”

Of course, the statement that the WCG has repudiated its own core doctrines— and by extension the doctrines of the other Sabbatarian groups with origins in the Worldwide Church of God—is no surprise to readers of this newspaper. But it is instructive to hear some of the testimonials of their newfound faith from the lips of two of the principal apologists of the new teachings.

I remember some of the false information that WCG leaders were giving at the time and recall a little bit from the falsely named ‘Bible Answer Man.’  WCG leaders kept telling the membership that the changes were not planned, but more information points to a plot to introduce heretical doctrines.  WCG is now named Grace Communion International and is basically just another Protestant sect.  Real Church of God groups, like the Continuing Church of God are NOT Protestant, as our histories and doctrines greatly differ (see details, for two examples, in the booklets  Where is the True Christian Church Today? and Continuing History of the Church of God).

As far as Walter Martin goes, he discredited himself by making several inaccurate claims about the old WCG and its teachings.  Dr. Walter Martin preferred to use negative labels such as “Armstrongism” to refer to the COG.  He preferred that possibly because he knew that the expression Church of God is used extensively throughout the New Testament for the true Church (about 12 times in singular and plural forms). Dr. Martin wrote the following:

The Armstrong cults believe that Armstrong was God’s sole channel of divine truth. (Martin W. The Kingdom of the Cults. Baker Books, 2003, p. 502)

But that is not true.

That was never the position of any truly in the Philadelphia remnant.

Plus, Herbert Armstrong made errors and I and certain other COG leaders have repeatedly acknowledged that he did. Sadly, however, COG critics tend to like to listen to other COG critics and often accept improper assertions about the COG as facts. Notice something else that Herbert Armstrong taught:

“Don’t believe me – BELIEVE YOUR BIBLE – BELIEVE GOD!” (Armstrong HW. Personal. Plain Truth magazine, September 1963, p. 1)

All non-biblical doctrinal literature, including what someone like Herbert Armstrong wrote, should be proven by the Bible to be believed (cf. Acts 17:11). Dr. Walter Martin was basically bearing false witness, but many have relied on him instead of checking for the truth.  As far as cults go, consider reading the article Is The Church of God a Cult?

Walter Martin also falsely claimed that Amos disproved Anglo-Israelism. Notice what he wrote:

The coup de grace to Anglo-Israelism’s fragmented exegesis is given by the prophet Amos of Judah…(Amos, dwelling in Bethel, prophesied against Israel’s restoration as a separate kingdom [Amos 9:8-12]). We learn from this prophecy that as a kingdom, the ten-tribes were to suffer destruction, and their restoration would never be realized. How then is it possible for them to be ‘lost’ and reappear three millenniums later as the British Kingdom when that Kingdom was never to be restored? (Martin W. Martin W. The Kingdom of the Cults.  Baker Books, 2003, p. 518)

Amos 9:8-10 (which was cited earlier) teaches that God would make it so the ancient kingdom of Israel would no longer be able to exist (it still does not), that Jacob though would still remain (his descendants still do), that those people would be sifted through the nations (which they have been), and that the sinners among them will be punished (which will happen)—since those of us in the CCOG believe all that, we would tend to state that Amos 9:8-10 supports, and does not disprove, British-Israelism (I even quoted it in this article before I added Walter Martin’s comment about it).  British-Israelism, as understood in the CCOG, does not mean all ten tribes became the British Empire, but mainly one, along with another that became the USA.

Perhaps it should also be noted that Jeremiah 51:5-6, especially when compared to Revelation 18:2-6 and Ezekiel 37:15-26, clearly shows that into the present century that God still considers that Israel is separate from Judah; thus, despite comments from critics, the Bible does teach many aspects of “British-Israelism” (see also the article Who are the 12 Tribes of Israel?).

As far as the Trinity goes, there is another article in The Journal by Dr. Tom Roberts who mentions a Protestant ‘Council of Venice’ which took an anti-trinitarian perspective in the mid-16th century.  Dr. Roberts indicated that this Council gets little historical reference as most Protestants are trinitarian and do not wish to admit that some people (mainly certain Anabaptists) still had issues with that doctrine that late in history.

The reality, for those that have not properly studied church history, is that the modern Greco-Roman trinity was not finalized until the Council of Constantinople in 381 A.D., three and one-half centuries after Jesus was resurrected.

Information on the Godhead, including the development of the trinity, can be found in some of the following:

Binitarian View: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning Is binitarianism the correct position? What about unitarianism or trinitarianism?
Is The Father God? What is the view of the Bible? What was the view of the early church?
Jesus: The Son of God and Saviour Who was Jesus? Why did He come to earth? What message did He bring? Is there evidence outside the Bible that He existed? Here is a YouTube sermon titled Jesus: Son of God and Saviour.
Did Early Christians Think the Holy Spirit Was A Separate Person in a Trinity? Or did they have a different view?
What is the Holy Spirit? This is an article by Rod Reynolds.
Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity? Most act like this is so, but is it? Here is an old, by somewhat related, article in the Spanish language LA DOCTRINA DE LA TRINIDAD.
Was Unitarianism the Teaching of the Bible or Early Church? Many, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, claim it was, but was it?
Did the Archangel Michael become Jesus? The Jehovah’s Witnesses teach this, but does the Bible allow for this?
Binitarianism: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning This is a longer article than the Binitarian View article, and has a little more information on binitarianism, and less about unitarianism. A related sermon is also available: Binitarian view of the Godhead.

The Journal also had the usual letters to the editor and other advertisements, various comments, and opinion articles.

The Journal itself is available by paid subscription (though Dixon Cartwright says some subscriptions are free to those who cannot afford it).

Joseph W. Tkach, Jr. (JJBowks)

COGwriter

Gerald Flurry of the improperly named Philadelphia Church of God (PCG) has long claimed that Joe Tkach, and then later his son Joe Tkach, Jr. is the ‘man of sin’ of 2 Thessalonians 2.  Here is something he posted about that before:

Revealing Satan

By Gerald Flurry

2 Thessalonians 2 records a spectacular end-time event in God’s Church. There is nothing like it in all the previous history of the Church!

“And now ye know what [restrains] that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now [restrains] will [restrain], until he be taken out of the way” (verses 6-7).

God has given the Philadelphia Church of God amazing understanding about this verse. On Jan. 16, 1986, a man was taken out of the way. From time to time, God reminds us how important the anniversary of that day is. We can read these scriptures and point out the specific individuals they refer to. What other church can do this?

“And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming” (verse 8). Verses 3-4 say the man of sin will be revealed, but verse 8 specifically says this Wicked (Satan) will be revealed as well.

“Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders” (verse 9). There are signs, lying wonders and power coming from the devil…

The court battle we fought against the Worldwide Church of God to gain the copyrights to Herbert Armstrong’s writings has been a gold mine of information about the devil…

In our court proceedings, Joe Tkach Jr. gave two depositions…

Tkach: “When someone tells you that they’re being used by God in a way that no other human being who has ever lived is being used, I would consider that to be a bit on the heresy side, to say that he received a message from God and then won’t share it with you.”

None of this happened. Mr. Tkach Jr. knew he was lying! … He tried to picture me as a weird prophet you see in Hollywood movies…

When I sat listening to those words during the deposition, I didn’t understand what those lies were all about. But God later revealed to me what it all meant. God always has to reveal these truths to us.

2 Thessalonians 2:4 says this man of sin “Opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”…

I don’t think Joe Tkach Jr. really understood what he was saying or from whom he got these lies. It was Satan talking to us…

“For the mystery of [lawlessness] doth already work: only he who now [restrains] will [restrain], until he be taken out of the way” (verse 7). That “mystery of lawlessness” was there before the man of sin came on the scene. Revelation 3:7-9 call it the synagogue of Satan. The devil was plotting and planning even while Mr. Armstrong was alive. He inspired and directed a group of people to get ready to take over the Church of God. And he succeeded!

The icc says, “[A]s the indwelling Christ works in Paul, so Satan operates in the [man of sin] with the result that his advent is attended by all power to work wonders.”

2 Thessalonians 2:8 shows that the work of Satan will be destroyed, but verse 9 reveals that, first, the man of sin will have “all power and signs and lying wonders.” This is what Joe Tkach Jr. said about me! What a lying wonder! It came right out of 2 Thessalonians 2.

Like false prophet Ronald Weinland, Gerald Flurry is much too much into allegory. Whether or not Joe Tkach, Jr. lied, this does not qualify as the “signs and lying wonders” that the Apostle Paul was warning about.

Of course, this is not a new teaching of PCG, just a somewhat changed one as I alluded to at the beginning of this post. In his book, Malachi’s Message (1995 edition), in the chapter titled “Man of Sin,” Gerald Flurry wrote:

God’s Church has applied 2 Thessalonians 2:4 to the world for the most part. But it doesn’t apply to the world…

“Even him [the “son of perdition”], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders” (2 Thessalonians 2:9). The word “signs” is rendered “pretended signs” by the Revised Standard Version. This “son of perdition” is heavily influenced by Satan…In 2 Thessalonians 2, Paul discusses signs and lying wonders of a false leader or lying apostle (Revelation 2:2)…

Mr. Tkach was an innermost disciple—more so than other Church leaders—in those last seven years of Mr. Armstrong’s life. The leadership discussed in 2 Thessalonians 2 must be in Pasadena today. (pp. 79,88,89,99)

The Mr. Tkach mentioned by Gerald Flurry was J. Tkach Sr., not his son that Gerald Flurry originally identified in that book. Gerald Flurry’s ‘inspiration’ for both his conclusions about Sr. and then Jr. being the prophesied ‘man of sin’ are false.

While we may suspect who the ‘man of sin’ is, his identification has not yet been accompanied with signs and lying wonders. Since lying is very common, the Apostle Paul was not simply referring to someone who lied about something–signs and lying wonders are more unique than than.

Sadly, many COGs do not understand who the ‘man of sin’ in 2 Thessalonians 2 is (and because of this they will not understand certain end time prophecies).  However, Gerald Flurry may have the most absurd explanation of his alleged identity.

Those who do not know who the ‘man of sin’ is will not realize that certain end time prophecies are being fulfilled when they are. Because they will not recognize him, they will not be able to properly warn their people nor the world what is happening. Those who do not know the identity of the man of sin are most likely not going to be protected from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world (cf. Revelation 3:10; 12:14-17).

Jesus only promised to protect the true Philadelphian Christians from that (Revelation 3:7-10) and not those who simply call themselves that (cf. Revelation 3:9). Most in the various COG groups do not know the proper identity of the man of sin (for some details, see Who is the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2?). Since most Christians in the end are not truly part of the Philadelphia remnant of the Church of God, they will not be protected–but end up being subject to Satan’s wrath per Revelation 12:17.

Although Gerald Flurry seems to be mainly relying on his own influenced imagination, most others are relying on improper tradition as opposed to what the Bible teaches. Those who wish to understand what the Bible teaches on this, should study the article Who is the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2?

Some items of possibly related interest may include the following:

Teachings Unique to the Philadelphia Church of God Simply calling oneself ‘Philadelphia’ does not make one so (see Revelation 3:7-9), nor does Gerald Flurry calling himself “that prophet” or a variety of other titles make it so. This article provides many quotes from this group which tries to look faithful.
Who is the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2? Is this the King of the North, the ten-horned beast of Revelation 13:1-11, or the two-horned Beast of Revelation 13:12-16? Some rely on traditions, but what does the Bible teach? Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Quién es el Hombre de Pecado de 2 Tesalonicenses 2? Here is a version in Mandarin: 主编： 谁是’大罪人’？Here is a link to a related YouTube video, in English, titled Who is the Man of Sin?
There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory. There is also a video on the subject: Might Petra be the Place of Safety? Here is something related in the Spanish language: Hay un lugar de seguridad para los Filadelfinos. ¿Puede ser Petra?
What is a True Philadelphian? Many claim to be part of the Philadelphia era of the Church, but is claiming enough? This article has biblical and historical evidence about who really are the Philadelphians.
The Philadelphia Church Era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God, now basically the most faithful in the Church of God, like who hold to the beliefs and practices of the Continuing Church of God.
The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. These are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG.
Are the Laodiceans the Modern Sadducees and Pharisees? Discusses similarities of the Sadducees and Pharisees to various COGs in this end-time.
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE?
Why Be Concerned About False and Heretical Leaders? There have been many false leaders–here is some of why you should be concerned about them.
How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God There are many false prophets. How can Christians determine who is a true prophet? There is also a sermon-length video titled How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God. Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Cómo determinar si alguien es un verdadero profeta de Dios?

COGwriter

The latest issue (says #172, print date April 30, 2015) of The Journal was sent out electronically and received today.

The main item covered included a lot on the historical views of the apostasy/falling away in the old WCG and the 18 truths.  The Journal also mentioned the death of Graemme Marshall and had a listing of 2015 Feast of Tabernacles’ sites.

Here is some of the information on the ’18 truths’ in the major article of the current edition of The Journal:

Church history: Did the WCG leaders have doctrine agenda?

By Mac Overton, John Robinson and Linda Moll Smith

In the months immediately following the death of Herbert W. Armstrong, the pastor general of the Worldwide Church of God, in January 1986, his successor, Joseph Tkach, repeatedly vowed to build on the doctrinal foundation of Mr. Armstrong. Over and over Mr. Tkach expressed his commitment to established church doctrine, both orally and in the pages of church publications.

One of the most striking examples of his pledge was an article in the Aug. 25, 1986, issue of The Worldwide News, a WCG member newspaper. In that issue under the headline “God Restored These 18 Truths: How Thankful Are You for Them?” an introduction to the article over Mr. Tkach’s name read: “As you prepare spiritually for the coming Feast of Tabernacles, please spend time with this important article, reviewing each of the 18 truths and thanking God for restoring them to his Church.”

The concluding paragraph of the WN article asked: “Where would we be without these truths? Without them— without Herbert W. Armstrong’s legacy of these 18 restored truths—there isn’t much left.”  …

In spite of Mr. Tkach’s vigorous endorsement of Mr. Armstrong’s “18 re- stored truths,” within a year of his predecessor’s death a handful of then high-ranking WCG ministers and others close to Mr. Tkach and his administrative staff were beginning to voice concerns about the depth of Mr. Tkach’s commitment to the “18 truths.”

Part of the point of the above article was to point out that Joseph Tkach, Sr. later decided to do away with most of those truths and some agenda affected him.

I, however, would take it a step further related to the ’18 truths.’

The article in The Journal listed what I call the Tkach version of the 18 truths.  Many years ago, I discussed this with the late evangelist Dibar Apartian and he told me that what the Tkach Administration published was NOT Herbert W. Armstrong’s list, but one that certain ones decided to put together.  My wife Joyce and I researched this further and concluded that the Tkach’s had changed the 18, even as far back as the 1986 listing.  Our findings were published in The Journal back in 2005.  Those who want to know see the only list of 18 truths that Herbert W. Armstrong’s once publicly gave himself (it was in a sermon I listened to), can check out the article The 18 Restored Truths: Do You Know What the First Changes the Tkach Administration Made?

Here are comments from the article Church history: Did the WCG leaders have doctrine agenda? related to early apostate/change concerns:

Concerned in 1987

Donald Ward, until 1995 president of Ambassador University, said he was first worried about doctrine as early as 1987.

Dr. Ward, who at the time was a member of the WCG’s doctrinal committee, said Mike Feazell, Mr. Tkach’s administrative assistant, would periodically make “enigmatic comments that led you to believe his theological underpinnings dramatically differed from those of Herbert Armstrong.”

Leon Walker, a member of the WCG’s advisory council of elders at the time of Mr. Armstrong’s death, also said he had reservations early on. “I remember one time in the late ’80s—I don’t recall the precise time— Mike [Feazell, Mr. Tkach’s assistant and considered by insiders to be one of the chief architects of the WCG’s doctrinal changes] said, ‘God doesn’t have to have a thumb,’ ” Mr. Walker said. “I was puzzled at the comment, not sure at the time what he was referring to. But, as the nature-of-God discussions unfolded, I realized what he was driving at.”

Both Mr. Walker and Dr. Ward said that at first there were just hints dropped here and there by: Mr. Feazell; Joe Tkach Jr., director of the U.S. ministry and later director of the entire min- istry; and Greg Albrecht, editor of The Plain Truth, the old WCG’s flagship magazine.

In the aftermath of the departure of thousands of members from the WCG in 1995 (the WCG would change its name to Grace Communion International in 2009), more and more former insiders were talking about what appeared to be an agenda for doctrinal change that dated back at least to the time of Mr. Armstrong’s death. …

Clearly an agenda

Although exactly who was involved in orchestrating the mid-1990s massive doctrinal shifts in the WCG remains uncertain, it became clear there was an agenda for change. A Nebraska-based researcher who is a former member of the Worldwide Church of God said he did research into possible WCG doctrinal changes in 1987. …

One of those he revealed the information to was John Merritt, a church member and medical doctor from Southern California and a regent of Ambassador University in Big Sandy in the ’90s. Dr. Walburn and Dr. Merritt first met at the Feast of Tabernacles in 1991. “I first met Dr. Walburn on the Last Great Day of the 1991 Feast of Tabernacles in Norfolk, Va.,” Dr. Merritt told In Transition.  …

The Trinity formula Concerning radical doctrinal changes, Dr. Merritt said Dr. Walburn “first mentioned that there was going to be a change in the born-again doctrine. We’d heard that already, but then he mentioned there would be a change in the nature-of-God understanding.

“He also said that the church would adopt the Trinity formula.

“We laughed at that. My wife asked him who he was, and he said, ‘Just consider me your angel.’

“My wife said, ‘That would not have been my first guess.’

“Then he told about the plans for going to voluntary Sabbath and voluntary holy-day observance and voluntary tithing, and then he mentioned introduction of Christmas and Easter and eventually moving to a Sunday worship.

“Later, when we would see these things about to happen and someone would say, ‘How do you know?’ we would jokingly say our angel had told us. But he literally did outline for us ahead of time what was going to hap- pen, and it was helpful for us because then we weren’t surprised after the first round or two.”

I will add that certain doctrinal changes began earlier than 1987 (see also Do You Know What the First Changes the Tkach Administration Made?).  The old WCG finally dropped the historical and biblical view of the Godhead (see Binitarianism: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning) and adopted the trinity like most of the world’s churches did (see also Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity?).

The Church history: Did the WCG leaders have doctrine agenda? article also had information provided by former WCG minister Steve Sheppard.  He documented that Michael Feazell had gone over an agenda to stop teaching that the Feast of Tabernacles was part of God’s plan of salvation (for a differing view see The Feast of Tabernacles: A Time for Christians?), that Anglo-Israelism would no longer be taught (yet it is true, see Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel), that the Gospel of the Kingdom should not be preached (in violation of Matthew 24:14; see also The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church) and that the COG should not trace itself to the first century (but the CCOG can, see Continuing History of the Church of God).

Furthermore, the Church history: Did the WCG leaders have doctrine agenda? article had this about Michael Feazell:

Mr. Feazell said that in the New Testament all Christians have to do is “just believe.” He said that in the example in the book of Acts there was no mention of law-keeping or Sabbath-keeping when the 3,000 were baptized at one time.

It was because of the above, that I started to write articles and post them online related to the Ten Commandments.  Notice the updated versions below:

Were the Ten Commandments in Effect Before Mount Sinai? Some have said not. This article provides biblical quotes to answer this important question.
Job and the Ten Commandments Was Job written prior to Mount Sinai? Did Job know about the ten commandments? This article provides biblical answers to those questions.
What Did Jesus Teach About the Ten Commandments? This article quotes what Jesus actually said about them (His words are in red).
Were the Ten Commandments Nailed to the Cross? Some have said so. This article provides some biblical quotes to answer this important question.
What Did Paul Actually Teach About the Ten Commandments? Many say Paul taught against the ten commandments. Is this true? This article quotes Paul with his words in green.
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. Here is a version in the Spanish language:.¿Están vigentes todavía los diez mandamientos?
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? For a more detailed discussion of the first four commandments, please see the video The Ten Commandments: Loving God. For a more detailed discussion of the last six commandments, please see: The Ten Commandments: Loving Your Neighbor. Here is a link to a related article in Mandarin Chinese 十条诫命显示爱，违反诫命的就是邪恶的
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. A related sermon is titled: Christians and the Ten Commandments.
The Sabbath in the Early Church and Abroad Was the seventh-day (Saturday) Sabbath observed by the apostolic and post-apostolic Church? Here is a related sermon video The Christian Sabbath and How and Why to Keep It.

I would also add that Peter in Acts 2:39 told people to REPENT and believe, not just believe.  He did not need to mention the Sabbath then as he was speaking to Jews according to the account in Acts 2.

Notice also something else from the article Church history: Did the WCG leaders have doctrine agenda? related to early apostate/change concerns:

Mr. Walker, a 1960 graduate of Ambassador College, has been an elder since 1963 and was ordained a WCG evangelist in 1981. He said that shortly before Mr. Armstrong’s death the WCG pastor general was undecided about who to name as his successor. “One day he’d be leaning toward Mr. [Leroy] Neff [who died in 2014]. Another day he might be leaning toward someone else,” Mr. Walker said.

“Mr. Armstrong later told me that he was choosing Mr. Tkach based on his strength, firmness and dogged determination in the receivership crisis of 1979. He said to me, and this is a direct quote, ‘One thing I know about Mr. Tkach: He will not change doctrine.’ ”

Some today act like the late Herbert W. Armstrong did not sometimes make serious prophetic errors.  Well, it should be clear he did related to Joseph Tkach.  Joseph Tkach did denounce Church of God doctrine and led the WCG to have the type of ‘falling away’ that Herbert W. Armstrong had long been concerned about (see The Falling Away: The Bible and WCG Teachings).  Lest any cast aspersions on Leon Walker’s testimony here, I have encountered other evidence that also 100% agrees with what I quoted from Leon Walker above.

Finally from the Church history: Did the WCG leaders have doctrine agenda? article about Michael Feazell that I want to quote is the following:

Mr. Feazell said “we cannot understand Revelation,” including Revelation 2 and 3.

“It is filled with wild metaphor.”

Mr. Sheppherd then asked what is the purpose of the book of Revelation. Mr. Feazell said it was written to tell all Christianity to hang on, “that it will all work out.”

Concerning the traditional WCG teaching that Jesus will return to earth and establish His government, Mr. Feazell said, “The advent won’t occur like we thought.”

The Protestant Reformer Martin Luther also said he could not understand the Book of Revelation (see Sola Scriptura or Prima Luther? What Did Martin Luther Really Believe About the Bible? ).  But consider that the term ‘revelation’ means revealing–it was intended to be understood.  As far as the Churches of Revelation 2 & 3 go, consider the following articles:

Old Testament Church Eras Are there seven church eras in the Old Testament? Do they parallel those in Revelation 2 &3?
The Churches of Revelation 2 & 3 from 31 A.D. to present: information on all of the seven churches of Revelation 2 & 3. There is also a YouTube video: The Seven Church Eras of Revelation. There is also a version in the Spanish language: Las Siete Iglesias de Apocalipsis 2 & 3.
1. The Ephesus Church Era was predominant from 31 A.D. to circa 135 A.D. The Church of James, Peter, Paul, and John, etc.
2. The Smyrna Church Era was predominant circa 135 A.D. to circa 450 A.D. The Church led by Polycarp, Melito, Polycrates, etc.
3. The Pergamos Church Era was predominant circa 450 A.D. to circa 1050 A.D. An especially persecuted Church.
4. The Thyatira Church Era was predominant circa 1050 A.D. to circa 1600 A.D. The Church during the Inquisition.
5. The Sardis Church Era was predominant circa 1600 A.D. to circa 1933 A.D. Discusses early history of the Seventh Day Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, and COG-7th Day.
6. The Philadelphia Church Era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God, now the remnant of that era is basically the most faithful in the Church of God, like who hold to the beliefs and practices of the Continuing Church of God.
7. The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. The Laodiceans are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG or its offshoots.  They do not properly understand the work or biblical prophecies and will face the Great Tribulation if they do not repent.

As far as the Book of Revelation goes, those who call themselves preterists improperly do not believe the Book is prophetic for our time (see The Dangerous Rise of Preterists).

As far as the return of Jesus (called ‘advent’ by Mike Feazell), the following may be of some assistance:

Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism? Was the millennium (sometimes called chiliasm) taught by early Christians? Who condemned it? Will Jesus literally reign for 1000 years on the earth? Is this time near? A related sermon is titled The Millennium.
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? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2022 or 20xx? There is also a video titled The 6000 Year Plan: Is the end of humanity’s reign almost up? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?

Anyway, there were a lot of apostate changes that the Tkach WCG put in place, yet few today realize that the first was possibly related to downplaying the teaching about ‘church eras’ (see The 18 Restored Truths: Do You Know What the First Changes the Tkach Administration Made?).

The Journal also had the following death announcement:

Graemme Marshall died April 26, 2015 area. ¶ Graemme and Lynn Marshall served in the ministry for almost 50 years. He was one of the pioneers of the work of the Church of God in New Zealand, serving as regional director there for eight years, later serving in Australia and most recently in Toronto. ¶ Graemme suffered from health challenges on and off, and over the past 10 months his condition deteriorated considerably. He also lost a lot of weight during that time. ¶ He loved the church and the work of the ministry and helped his wife in the UCG Canadian office right up to the end of his life. ¶ He leaves his wife, Lynn, and two grown children. ¶ Before his death he requested cremation and asked that there be no funeral or memorial service. Cards may be sent to Lynn Marshall, P.O. Box 33034, Cambridge, ON, Canada N1R 8R0.

Although I have been to both Australia and New Zealand, as well as Canada, I do not recall if I ever met Graemme Marshall.

Anyway, The Journal  had a listing of Feast of Tabernacles’ Sites for 2015.  Here is what I emailed its editor concerning those for the Continuing Church of God:

Denver, Colorado, USA. Continuing Church of God, contact Dr. Bob Thiel, email cogwriter@aol.com

Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. Continuing Church of God, contact Herb Haddon email hwhaddon@gmail.com

Amsterdam/Utrrecht, Netherlands. Continuing Church of God, contact Dr. Bob Thiel, email cogwriter@aol.com

Taupo, New Zealand. Continuing Church of God, contact John Hickey, email john.h@vodafone.net.nz

Silay City, Philippines. Continuing Church of God, contact Oscar Mediavilla, email hansmeidavilla@rocketmail.com

Gambella, Ethiopia contact Koang Deng, email koangdeng5@gmail.com

Ndhiwa, Kenya. Continuing Church of God, contact Evans Ochieng, email evochieng74@gmail.com

Bomet, Kenya. Continuing Church of God, contact Evans Ochieng, email evochieng74@gmail.com

Nairobi, Kenya. Continuing Church of God, contact Evans Ochieng, email evochieng74@gmail.com

Transmara, Kenya. Continuing Church of God, contact Evans Ochieng, email evochieng74@gmail.com

Migori, Kenya. Continuing Church of God, contact Evans Ochieng, email evochieng74@gmail.com

Tanzania. Continuing Church of God, contact Evans Ochieng, email evochieng74@gmail.com

This year Feast of Tabernacles services will begin the evening of September 27th and continue until the Last Great Day which is October 5, 2015. More information for the Continuing Church of God sites is in the article Feast of Tabernacles’ Sites for 2015.  We also may have a site for Nigeria, which is not listed above.

The Journal also had the usual letters to the editor and other advertisements, various comments, and opinion articles.

The Journal itself is available by paid subscription (though Dixon Cartwright says some subscriptions are free to those who cannot afford it).

COGwriter

Gold is so valuable, it is called a ‘precious metal.’ The USA dollar used to be directly convertible to gold. It no longer is.

Going as far back as 1961, the USA was starting to not have enough gold to back its dollar, the Plain Truth reported:

Germany, Japan have the largest surpluses of GOLD and DOLLARS…Rich Uncle {Sam} has the greatest deficit in governmental history and a GREATER DEBT than all the REST OF THE WORLD COMBINED!…

Vast foreign aid programs drain the U.S. Treasury…American spending to supply services and to support our troops in foreign countries and military installations around the world amounts to…dollars flowing out of the frightened U.S. Treasury. All of these factors, combined with heavy taxes, gigantic public and private debt, and no gold backing for our own currency if foreign investors demanded gold for their dollars, adds up to the staggering revelation that the U.S., richest nation in the world, is bordering on bankruptcy! (Hill DJ. What the US Gold Crisis Means to You. Plain Truth. February 1961, p. 9).

France did finally cash in dollars for gold and this caused a crisis in the USA.

The US answer was to go off the gold standard completely in 1971. About the same time it made a deal with Saudi Arabia to price oil in dollars. So, while this prevented “foreigners” from being able to redeem US dollars for something from the USA treasury, instead it meant that dollars could be used to by oil. As other (mostly smaller) oil producers followed Saudi Arabia’s lead, this has served to support the US dollar for several decades.

The USA is now the most indebted nation that the world has ever seen.  Many are concerned.

Those in Russia, China, India, and Europe are looking more towards gold, and less towards the USA dollar to back their economies and their currencies.

Back in 1971, the Plain Truth mentioned gold and that a currency coming out of Europe would replace the USA dollar:

FOR 40 YEARS, (1931 to 1971) the American dollar reigned supreme in world trade and finance. From 1945 to 1958, the dollar was considered better than gold to most developing economies…

On August 15, 1971, President Nixon revealed his new economic plan. One part of the strategy was to cut loose the dollar from gold, in effect letting it “float” in foreign transactions until natural market pressure would decide its best value…

The European Common Currency appears to be the most likely successor to the dollar in this long line of monetary dynasties. Europe is the only continent with sufficient gold backing…

… and What About Gold?

The gold standard is not sacred. It is only about 100 years old in the history of man, a product of evolution as much as any social institution. But in a world of sovereign powers, there must be some standard to finance international trade and domestic currency. Gold has the confidence of more people than any other standard, especially in Europe. (Alexander G. America faces “The Dollar Crisis”. Plain Truth magazine, October 1971, pp. 3-4)

Other articles from the old WCG also predicted that the Europeans would end up with their own European currency and that it would be expected to replace the dollar.

All of this has been happening. As the USA continues to increase its debt, the value of the dollar will ultimately drop even more. The time will come when the USA dollar will be worthless and gold will be even more valuable.

This does not mean that gold will not drop in value (it goes up and down all the time). But unless there is national repentance across the USA, the USA dollar will ultimately be worth less than the cotton it is printed on.

Gold, on the other hand, seems to be prophesied to retain value past that time (cf. Daniel 11:43; Revelation 18)–though it too will end up with issues and one day be worthless (Ezekiel 7: 19).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

The Plain Truth About Gold in Prophecy. How Should a Christian View Gold? What do economists and the Bible teach about gold? Gold and silver may drop in value. Inflation/deflation? What do Christians need to know about gold?
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
When You Sin: Do You Really Repent? This is an article by Charles F. Hunting. A related sermon is Confess to God and truly repent.
Do Christians Sin? This is an article by Herbert W. Armstrong.
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach? Here is a related YouTube video: Military Technology and the Beast of Revelation.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.

Herbert W. Armstrong

COGwriter

A reader tipped me off a few hours ago that the HWA Library website has the following posts:

YouTube Channel has been Deactivated

This afternoon around 2:00 PM on April 15, 2015 we noticed a few videos were missing. After checking, we found that “Grace Communion International” (formally the “Worldwide Church of God”) had filed several copyright notices with YouTube concerning the Telecast section of HWALibrary.com. YouTube stated we were not to upload any more videos which we did not. The notice from YouTube also stated we needed to file a counter notification through a YouTube form they provided. After checking into the matter to make sure we could legally file a counter notification we did so around 5:30 PM just hours after receiving the first notice from YouTube. At around 7:00 PM after we did exactly what YouTube asked us, they (YouTube) deactivated our HWALibrary.com account.

We are not sure why YouTube gave us no time even though the counter notification we filed stated it would take 10 days, but they did and we are checking as to why.

HWALibrary.com spent years building the YouTube channel, we want everyone to know we have all material archived and are looking at all our options of getting all audio/video files back up as soon as possible. …

Update: April 16, 2015
Today we called YouTube and was told we had to send an email to their “Copyright” email address, which we sent.

Also today we uploaded 111 Sermons back to HWALibrary.com (hosted on HWALibrary.com servers)

Copyright issues can be tricky.  The photograph shown at the beginning of this post came from directly here from Wikipedia.  Wikipedia that claims that it is ‘fair use’ to display it.  And one issue that has involved Grace Communion International in the past is ‘fair use’ related to materials associated with the late Herbert W. Armstrong.

While I do not know if HWA Library ever contacted Grace Communion International (the legal owner of the copyrights once owned by the Worldwide Church of God) to ask permission to use or pay to use copyrighted materials, I personally have.

Let me simply state that I believe fair use is broader than some at Grace Communion International tend to think and perhaps less broad than some others tend to think.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

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 was and how he should be viewed today.
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.
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? Some 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 lower level leaders? A related sermon is available titled Priority of the Philadelphia Work.
The Final Phase of the Work What is the final phase of the work? Who will lead it? Do you have the courage to support it? Here is a related YouTube video titled The Final Phase of the Work. The written article has been translated into Spanish La Fase Final de la Obra.
Leading the Final Phase of the Work Matthew 24:14 teaches “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come ” will be fulfilled and RCG is not the group doing this. Who is leading the final phase of the work? What did Herbert Armstrong and the old WCG teach about that and about prophets? Does Bob Thiel meet the criteria that the Bible and the old WCG set? What is the proof? What has the Continuing Church of God been doing? This is a sermonette length video.