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Jesus taught:

43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. 46 Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God. (John 8:43-47)

Well, some of Satan’s allies at Banned by HWA and the Painful Truth continue to post lies about me and others in the Continuing Church of God (CCOG). Here is some of what was posted yesterday by Gary Leonard at Banned:

Bob Thiel Getting Played By His African Leaders

This just in from Africa…

What we all have known for several years now is that Bob Thiel, the Great Bwana to Africa, has been a useful tool for some of his African leaders who have been using him along with other COG groups. They have a long history of doing this in addition to getting what they can from the Seventh Day Adventists.

Ochieng is supposedly Thiel’s top “evangelist”. If he is Thiel’s official evangelist, does that make him an evangelist for the other COG groups too? But, since Thiel claims his group is the ONLY true church doing a work today, how does he justify Ochieng spending his valuable evangelistic time with the other groups?

Thought you would find this of interest. Bob Thiel’s man in Africa, Evans Ochieng, works for any church he can. Currently, he works for these:

1. Midnight Ministries- Malcolm B Heap

2. Church of God In Truth and Peace- James Russel

3. A Voice In The Wilderness Church of God- Bill Goff

4. Continuing Church of God- Bob Thiel

First, before going further, let it be pointed out that I have NEVER said, written, nor posted that CCOG is the only church doing a work. I have written that we of the CCOG are the only Philadelphian organization, other COGs do various types of works, there are Philadelphians in other COGs, and just being in CCOG does not, of itself, make one a Philadelphian. Yet, Banned cannot seem to even get that right.

Second, back in 2013/2014 I communicated with the leaders of the first three listed groups that Banned posted and know the insinuation that Evans Ochieng is part of the other groups is false.

Evans Ochieng

Third, while it is true that he once was part of Church of God in Truth than A Voice In The Wilderness Church of God (and part of the Living and Global Church of God before that), in November 2013, Evans Ochieng contacted me. The day that happened I called Bill Goff and discussed the situation. So, there was no duplicity as Bill Goff knew from November 2013 that Evans Ochieng was coming with CCOG–and I told Evans Ochieng the same day that I told Bill Goff all of this. Evans  Ochieng was with CCOG longer than any of the groups listed here.

Fourth, Banned posted something immediately after the above list that contradicted its item 3. as it showed that Bill Goff has known for over 6 years that Evans Ochieng came with CCOG and was not with his A Voice In The Wilderness Church of God.

Fifth, I forwarded these two Banned posts to Evangelist Evans Ochieng last night and told him:

You do not need to respond, but I thought I would let you know. They lie all the time there.

Sixth, he did respond to me with the following today

Pastor Dr Bob,

Greetings from Kenya.

Thank you very much for forwarding to me all this lies. Those are dying horses. They do all these because they fear the speed with which the continuing church of God is growing in Africa. And the speed of the continuing church of God is doing the work worldwide. And how God is using you in the end time move of preaching the gospel. The doors are open for CONTINUING CHURCH OF GOD to preach and reach many nations and to open the eyes of blinded nations so that they can be called in the truth and to be in the first resurrection. PRAISE THE ALMIGHTY FOR A WONDERFUL WORK. be a blessed pastor and continue to do good work. Those people fear me  because they know that I’m a true evangelist. and they know the kind of work God has done through my hands. I do pray for such people to repent and be humble to God so that we all meet our saviour and king Jesus Christ.

Evans.

Seventh, Banned also posted the following in its latest post:

A source in Kenya confirms that the attendees don’t consider Bob to be a prophet, but only attend for the money.

That is another lie–it is not that no one may have told Banned that lie, but the statement just is not true. Consider that groups such as LCG spend more money in Kenya than CCOG does. Yet, we have probably over 10 x the number of congregants in Africa Kenya than they do. If people wanted money there are other groups who spend more money in Africa than CCOG does. One thing that CCOG does that most other COG groups have not done is produce literature in local languages, such as Luo, Kiswahili, and Ekegusii. People in places like Kenya appreciate having the truth available in languages other than English–yes it is helpful for the the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to be preached throughout the world (Matthew 24:14) in numerous languages (we have done so in over 100 languages which are listed at the www.ccog.org page). But the idea that people in Kenya could have interest in the truths that the CCOG teaches is something that then anti-COG types do not wish to accept–instead they prefer to promote lies.

Jesus prophesied:

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Matthew 5:10-12)

Those at Banned, the Painful Truth, and various other places have regularly been fulfilling that prophecy and saying all kinds of things falsely against me and CCOG.

What people at Banned and the other anti-COG sites cannot stand is the idea that the true ministry is having success and is not in it for the money. The fact that my wife and I do not take a salary from CCOG grates on them as it is opposed to the lying narrative they wish to believe. While commandment keepers are to be rewarded, scripture warns about those who believe and love lies:

14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. (Revelation 22:14-15)

Similar to how the Jews downplayed the significance of Gentile converts, people who do not truly have love for others downplay the significance of Africans responding to the truth.

Furthermore, for the end time, the fullness of the Gentiles must come in per Romans 11:25 (see also What About Romans 11:25 and the Full Number of the Gentiles?). This is happening and CCOG is a major factor in this happening now.

As far as growth in Kenya itself goes, consider that when Evans Ochieng was with A Voice In The Wilderness Church of God, there were about 300 with him. After coming in contact with CCOG, about 40 remained with A Voice In The Wilderness Church of God, and 260 came with CCOG.

In CCOG, we now have over 10x the number in Kenya than when Evans Ochieng came with us. He was ordained as an evangelist in 2017 because he clearly had the fruits of an evangelist. Here is what the old Worldwide Church of God taught about evangelists:

Evangelists were leading ministers, proclaiming the gospel to the public, even raising up local churches and having supervision over some churches … (Armstrong HW. Mystery of the Ages. Dodd, Mead, and Co, 1985, p. 245)

Evans Ochieng has been fulfilling that. He has traveled all over Kenya, plus has made evangelistic trips to Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Yet, people want to promote lies about him.

As far as lies go, consider the following:

A big lie (German: große Lüge) is a propaganda technique and logical trick (fallacy). The expression was coined by Adolf Hitler, when he dictated his 1925 book Mein Kampf, about the use of a lie so “colossal” that no one would believe that someone “could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously”. …

Various sources, both popular and scholarly, attribute the following passage to Goebbels. However, it is not currently known which piece of writing this is attributed to and when it was written, or if it even was Goebbels who authored it:

If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.

(Big Lie. Wikipedia, accessed 12/06/19)

Sadly, many have accepted lies promoted by people on the anti-COG websites.

While I have not responded to most of the falsehoods and accusations they continue to post about CCOG and me, sometimes I do.

Gary Leonard, the webmaster of the anti-COG Banned by HWA site has a history of libeling me and make false assertions about me.

For example, in June 2020 he posted:

Meredith publicly rebuked Thiel from the pulpit and kicked him out of the church (Leonard G. Why do COG members still feel the need that they still have to go to the ministers for answers? June 19, 2020)

That was about the third time in so many weeks he had some version of that lie at his website–and his site has had versions of it since.

Of course, all the top leadership of the Living Church of God knows full well I was not kicked out. I left because the leadership had serious integrity problems and refused to keep promises that they repeatedly made to me.

Gary Leonard cannot get over the fact that it was I who “kicked out” LCG, not the other way around. If he and others at his libelous site would stop repeating the lie I was kicked out of LCG, I would not feel the desire to some time comment about it.

Perhaps it should be mentioned that right after I left, even Jim Meredith (son of Dr. Meredith) emailed me and asked me to reconsider and come back. I declined.

Furthermore, some may be interested to know that on February 20, 2013, less then two months after CCOG was declared, Dr. Meredith sent me an email asking if I would come back. My response, which I sent on 2/21/13, included the following:

Dear Dr. Meredith:

Good morning. …

On 12/28/12, after receiving your email to me, I telephoned Dr. Fall, discussed your email with him, and then told him that morally I could no longer have affiliation with the Living Church of God. I then sent you an email where I clearly stated to you that I was no longer with LCG. …

As far as me and the Living Church of God, there would have to be major specific changes for me to be able to come back. At this stage, without changes, I do not believe that LCG can possibly be the group that God will use to complete the final phase of the work. I have totally committed myself to support the Philadelphian end time work of God, which is why, to a great degree because of steps you did and did not take, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) had to be formed.

You may be interested to know that I did not want to be in the position that I am now in. …

My attempts in 2012 to prevent the current situation were not properly reciprocated by you. Anyway, I continue to pray for you, your wife, and others in LCG pretty much daily.

Sincerely,

Bob Thiel

He did not respond to my response to him. The changes needed were not made, so there was no point in going back. (Because of promises I made to two LCG leaders, I have not posted Dr. Meredith’s 2/20/13 email.)

Anyway, no, LCG is not leading the final phase of the work. I do not consider that it is Philadelphian (though LCG, like some other COGs, likely has some Philadelphians in its midst) nor could it hold the Philadelphia mantle (see Herbert W. Armstrong, the Philadelphia Church, & the Mantle).

I WAS NEVER KICKED OUT OF LCG. Nor did LCG ever mark or disfellowship me.

Gary Leonard also has posted nonsense from a deceased anti-COG writer casting aspersions on my education. For those interested in the truth, see my response: Banned, Ambassador Watch, Living University, and my Ph.D. and Th.D.

Notice another lie Gary Leonard posted about me in June 2017:

Thiel deliberately conned Gaylyn Bonjour into giving him a blessing.

That is in another lie.

I never “conned” Gaylyn Bonjour. Nor did I ask for anything like being anointed for a double-portion of God’s spirit.

Here is a short version for what happened: In November 2011, both LCG minister Dr. Jeff Fall and LCG minister Gary Ehman told me that I did NOT need to have hands laid upon me in order to be a true prophet of God. Yet, I told them that something like that needed to happen for me to accept it. And in November/December 2011, I prayed that if I truly had a prophetic role from God that He would have something happen during a planned mid-December 2011 trip to Charlotte, North Carolina to confirm it or deny it if that were His will. As it turned out, on 12/15/2011 hands were laid upon me in Charlotte by LCG minister Gaylyn Bonjour, who I had not even intended to see then (I had asked to see Gary Ehman, but as it turned out, he was not in the Charlotte office due to an unexpected illness). After seeing Gaylyn Bonjour mentioning some health issues and wisdom, he laid hands on me, and specifically prayed that I would be granted a “double-portion” of God’s Holy Spirit, and he anointed me with oil. Afterwards, Gaylyn told me that he had not ever requested a “double portion’ of God’s Spirit before on anyone, but he felt that it was reminiscent of the time that the prophetic and ecclesiastical leadership mantle passed from the Prophet Elijah to Elisha (2 Kings 2:9-13). Gaylyn Bonjour had been unaware that I had prayed that God would have me anointed or somehow identified for a prophetic role on that mid-December 2011 trip if that were His plan for me and I had never discussed my possible prophetic role with him prior to this anointing. On 12/18/12, I asked Gaylyn Bonjour if he knew what he may have unintentionally done and he said yes. This 12/15/11 anointing appears to be the first biblically-appropriate prophetic anointing in the Church of God in many decades, if not many, many multiple centuries. And the legitimacy of this anointing has been proven by subsequent events–though many do not seem to understand how God works at times (see also Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18?).

As it also turned out, I tried to meet with Dr. Meredith on December 19, 2011 to tell him that it seemed God was telling me that his wife was about to be struck with something serious. A few weeks later (per Dr. Meredith’s letter dated 1/12/12), Dr. Meredith reported that his wife (who was much younger than he) was stricken with stage four cancer (she later died on November 29, 2013). That prediction was not the result of analytical skills on my behalf, but I believe were insights from God’s Spirit.

In my view, the unexpected ‘double-portion anointing, Gaylyn Bonjour’s comments about the mantle passing, and my feeling led to tell of something about to hit Sheryl Meredith, were the result of God answering my prayers in November/December 2011 that the prophet matter would be confirmed or denied in Charlotte with my December 2011 trip. Essentially, this was THREE confirmations.

Let this be clear, I was absolutely anointed, had hands laid over me, and the LCG minister who did so prayed that I would receive a ‘double-portion’ of God’s Holy Spirit, and afterwards that same minister (Gaylyn Bonjour) stated that this was reminiscent of the mantle passing from Elijah to Elisha (Gaylyn Bonjour also brought up the passing of the mantle related to this when we spoke on March 23, 2012). The fact that he did not originally intend to pray that I receive a ‘double-portion’ of God’s Holy Spirit is of no consequence, as the Bible shows that although Isaac had not intended to provide certain blessings to Jacob, once Isaac laid hands upon Jacob and gave the prayer, the anointed blessing would remain according to the Bible (Genesis 27)–and Gaylyn Bonjour concurs with this. Let it be noted that unlike Jacob, I did not employ any deceit in the anointing.

Furthermore, understand that I believe that I do have the appropriate prophetic fruits that Jesus discussed (Matthew 7:15-20) and that those truly interested in the truth can see this if they truly wish to prayfully look into this. Perhaps it should be mentioned that while some question my ordination, others have also had concerns about God’s anointing and ordinations (2 Kings 9:1-11; Jeremiah 43:2; Genesis 27:26-37). God does not always do things the way humans think He does (cf. Isaiah 55:8-9).

Gary Leonard does not want to accept that I have the fruits of a prophet and meet the biblical (see How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God) and COG criteria for that (Church of God Leaders on Prophets; see also Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18?).

As far as Gaylyn Bojour goes, I spent several hours with him last November.

Gaylyn said on November 28, 2019 that he tells those who ask that he says:

I have known Bob Thiel since 1986. He has always been honest, dedicated, and sincere.

And that includes what I have written about him and the prophet matter.

No, Gaylyn Bonjour does NOT believe he was conned by me. He believes that he prayed and laid hands on me, and anointed me with oil, and, as he told me on November 28, 2019, he believes God answered his anointing prayer for me.

Sadly, Gary Leonard and many other opponents do not care about the truth and think that they are getting away with their lies and falsehoods.

Yet scripture says, “be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).

The Book of Proverbs teaches:

4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
Lest you also be like him.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly,
Lest he be wise in his own eyes. (Proverbs 26:4-5)

16 The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason. (Proverbs 26:16, KJV)

Because of Proverbs 26:4, I do not respond to most of the lies and false accusations at the Banned By HWA site, but because of Proverbs 26:5, I sometimes will.

Now, notice something else that Gary Leonard posted back on December 1, 2019:

I can again state for a FACT that God did NOT send dreams to Bwana Bob Thiel or anyone else associated with his personality cult. … there is absolutely NO REASON anyone ever gave them credibility.

Of course, there is no FACT or proof Gary Leonard provided for his opinionated and wrong rant.

The Book of Proverbs warns about such people:

16 The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes Than seven men who can answer sensibly. (Proverbs 26:16)

The biblical fact, the Apostle Peter was inspired to speak in Acts 2:17-18, is that dreams and prophets were prophesied in the New Testament for the last days!

Of course, many simply do not believe that God’s Holy Spirit works as prophesied–but they should (watch also 7 Last Days’ Signs of the Holy Spirit).

As Gary Leonard should be aware, there were at least seven associated with the Continuing Church of God that have had confirmed dreams.

Which is more sensible? The truth from 7 COG members or rants attempting to deny that God would fulfill His word as given in places such as Acts 2:17-18?

The seven dreams and their fulfillments are real facts. Here is a chart related to them:

                                        Chart of Some CCOG-Related Dreams

The above list has dreams that were given to different ones of different ages in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and the South Pacific. For more details on the dreams, confirmations, and dreamers, see the article Dreams, the Bible, the Radio Church of God, and the Continuing Church of God).

The fact is that Continuing Church of God has the most confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18 of any claimed COG. For details, check out the article: Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18?

The fact is the the Continuing Church of God has been the fastest growing xWCG-derived group is something they want to discount.

Can you accept the truth or do you prefer the “big lie” from sites like Banned By HWA?

Gary Leonard is an accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10), and often a bearer of false witness (Exodus 20:16).

He and various others at the Banned By HWA and other anti-COG sites remain in my prayers.

UPDATE October 18, 2020: Related to the falsehoods about Evans Ochieng, we just uploaded the following video:

16:17 

Dispelling Lies About Evangelist Evans Ochieng

Continuing Church of God (CCOG) evangelist Evans Ochieng was originally a Seventh-day Adventist before becoming part of the old Worldwide Church of God. After the apostasy hit the old WCG, he became a host in the old Global then Living Church of God, before going elsewhere. In November 2013, after reviewing CCOG websites and literature, he asked to be part of CCOG. He came in with 260 people and now oversees 4,000 in Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, South Sudan, Zambia, Tanzania, and Uganda. Yet, various ones, such as some connected to the anti-COG Banned by HWA website have promoted lies about him. What do scriptures say about addressing claims of fools? In this sermonette video, Dr. Thiel dispels some of the lies that have been falsely stated about Evans Ochieng and provides truth for those interested in it.

Here is a link to the sermonette: Dispelling Lies About Evangelist Evans Ochieng.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, October 17th, 2020 at 7:45 am and is filed under COG News.

• Banned disses UCG and lies about Bob Thiel
• Sermonette: Dispelling Lies About Evangelist Evans Ochieng
• Banned’s Gary Leonard makes more false accusations and then asserts he in not an accuser of the brethren
• Let’s Deal with Some Lies from ‘Banned by HWA’
• What Satan hopes you will believe now
• What does Satan hope you will believe now?
• What doesn’t Satan want you to believe now?
• ‘Banned’ continues to post lies. Are you interested in the truth?
• Evangelist Evans Ochieng report and ‘the full number of Gentiles’
• Cartwright’s Journal out: AC reunion, women’s conference, and the Feast of Tabernacles