Showing posts with label gerald flurry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gerald flurry. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

"What a strong Judah name!" - Barbara Flurry

Wayne Turgeon [Gerald Flurry's son-in-law] handed Flurry a print out of Beyond Babylon years ago and he returned it to him saying, "He's always sending us stuff." Mr. Flurry even responded to me several times on various issues including his confusion of Mount Carmel with Mount Hermon which I brought to his attention (having been blessed to live next to both of them), and my disagreement with him when he said the pope was the only religious leader to sit on a throne and I mentioned the Queen of England is also head of the Anglican Church (although agreeing with the point he was making against the Roman Catholic Cult)... Later I sent an autographed copy of a self-published BB (Beyond Babylon) [before Publish America published it] to Flurry's home for him and his wife who said to me (during the Feast of Tabernacles in Louisville) about my name, "What a strong Judah name!"
- excerpt from Politics in the Church of God Hinders Progress

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Gerald Flurry is an egomaniac?

Gerald Flurry is an egomaniac and false prophet!

Re: Was Peter the Chief Apostle?
Who was the human leader of the early New Testament Church? Was it one man, or a committee? Does the Bible tell us? By Fred Dattolo

************

Yes, Peter was the most outspoken, dominant and chief apostle under the Apostle Christ to Jews (Galatians 2:7-8). However, it's clear God worked through all the apostles doing miracles (not just Peter), and brethren supported the apostles (not just Peter), and it was the apostles' doctrine (not Peter's). Regardless, that was then, this is now.

There is no line of succession from Peter to Gerald. Peter also wasn't an egomaniac and false prophet like Gerald Flurry has revealed himself to be (who basically proclaims himself God in the Temple). Don't be so blind and gullible! We're to take all the scriptures on any given subject and see the Big Picture.

Ideally, the Church of God groups would work together and respect each others' ministry, as Paul and Peter did (and in that holy spirit I've shared articles from the PCG, the LCG and UCG all over the Internet even though shamefully none of them has even so much as given an honorable mention to Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall), and I'm on record for initially supporting Gerald Flurry as the leader in these last days of civilization as we know it:
Whether we like it or not, God, in His infinite wisdom, chose Gerald Flurry to reveal to God's Church what was going on -- and thereby allow us to show our true colors by how we responded to Malachi's Message. (That doesn't mean Mr. Flurry is infallible or that he doesn't need to continually apply the principles of Malachi's Message to himself and organization, as we all do as explained in my article Worldwide All Over Again?). - Philadelphia Church of God Leads the Laodicean Era (Part 1)
I no longer support Gerald Flurry because he has clearly become worse than Diotrephes!
I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say. For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brethren, either, and he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God. (3 John 1:9-11)
It appears Satan was feeding Diotrephes' ego (Diotrephes means "fed by Jupiter"). Diotrephes demanded brethren follow him and him alone. John wrote of Diotrephes' rejection of "we" and "us" - he didn't write about his rejection of Peter. John didn't agree that they should just blindly follow "God's man" or whatever Diotrephes had set himself up as, but to imitate what is good. Diotrephes was clearly evil. Gerald Flurry is evil for magnifying himself (2 Corinthians 4:5).

Today, as prophesied, the brethren are scattered in different groups and organizations. Even as the early Church of God headquarters in Jerusalem was history just before their Great Tribulation, the destruction of the Temple and dispersion of the Jews, the Judean Church of God members fleeing to Pella (while the Church of God congregations continued to function in Asia Minor as the apostles carried on their God-given missions to the scattered tribes of Israel), the organized Work of God under Herbert W. Armstrong (that was centered in Pasadena, California) is history.

Gerald Flurry had a God-given opportunity to serve the brethren and has failed, even though God has given him some victories like he did for Ahab for His Overall Purpose and can work though anybody or anything (Philippians 1:15) - including a pagan Gentile sorcerer and a High Priest and can even raise up rocks to do His Work if He chooses to.

Remember salvation is not a group affair, contrary to those who brainwash some to believe such a doctrine of demons. We're to maintain a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ: work out your own salvation with fearfulness and trembling. We're to obey God rather than men who often set themselves up as God! Yet too many are still looking to men or organizations to save them:

1 Corinthians 1:12-14
12 Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

Even as the apostles informed the Gentiles if they followed certain basic requirements, they did well, so too today, regardless of which group or organization (if any) they're associated with, the brethren do well to remember the Sabbath and holy days, dietary laws, and basic doctrines.

We await the appearance of the Two Witnesses who will restore, by their presence, the Church of God headquarters to Jerusalem.


PCG: Carrying on "Business as Usual"
Philadelphia Church of God Leads Laodicean Era (Conclusion)

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

David Pack and the Restored Church of God


I'm aware of David Pack, Pastor General of the Restored Church of God. I also remember clearly how he didn't even know me when he was with the Global Church of God (that I visited once) but said most people who change their names are off-the-wall (something to that effect) and felt I should take my former name of David Hoover back and should seriously consider it as he contacted his superiors (they must have told him to back off as he never brought it up again).

After I thought and prayed about it - rejecting David Ben-Ariel for David Hoover as David Pack sternly suggested - I rejected the notion and questioned how anybody inspired by the Holy Spirit would make such a demand, as I honestly consider David Ben-Ariel my God-given Name, as I've written.

I also remember clearly how David Pack said to me, when I was being honest about my past, troublesome times when I was backslidden in some areas, that he thought I was never converted! Unlike Jesus who offers constructive criticism, who encourages you with the good and calls upon you to change for the better and overcome the bad, all David Pack did was tear down and seek to destroy! That was not the Holy Spirit of God working through him. The Holy Spirit of God inspires us: Don't give up! and overcome in Christ daily!

Before this experience, David Pack had come at my request and visited with me and several other friends who had gathered to hear what he had to say in Toledo, Ohio. We were invited to the one service of his we attended in Ohio. He brought a box of materials the Worldwide Church of God no longer printed to make a statement. We all felt Gerald Flurry had already made that statement and was the first to do so, even though we hadn't yet attended with the Philadelphia Church of God in Akron, Ohio.

When four of us visited with the Global Church of God, my friend Carl gave him a copy of his booklet against abortion and I gave him one of my booklets (either God and the Gays - the first of its kind in the Church of God, or "Religion in America - the REAL Danger" now incorporated into Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall) he acted very interested, but later told me he never met a more proud person than Carl! Carl didn't appear proud at all and was merely happy to do whatever he could to help expose and end the evil of abortion.

When David Pack said something to the effect that the Global Church of God was not for me, I asked him why he invited me then and he then acknowledged he only invited me along with the others because he felt they were good candidates for membership. In other words, he was being deceitful. Since then I've heard horrible stories about his pack of lies and hope it's not true but suspect that it is, due to my own eye-opening experience with him.

I trust there are true Church of God members among the Restored Church of God flock, as with the other groups of scattered brethren, and I hope God spares them from such wolves and that they maintain, first and foremost, a personal relationship with the Shepherd of our souls, and not trust in any man for salvation.

I've seen some of the attractive literature the Restored Church of God offers, but it's more important how we treat one another than merely offer glossy material. I hope David Pack has repented of his sins that God may restore him and help him heal those whom he's sickened and be reconciled with both God and man.


David Ben-Ariel is a Christian-Zionist writer and author of Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall. With a focus on the Middle East and Jerusalem, his analytical articles help others improve their understanding of that troubled region. Check out the Beyond Babylon blog.

Religious Bluster from Ron Ardis (CGF)

The Day of the Lord Came as the CGF Proclaimed
By Robert Ardis

************

Robert Ardis is dead wrong! Robert Ardis can proclaim whatever he wants but it doesn't make it right or true, does it? Many have proclaimed their foolishness before the world since the Sabbath-keeping Church of God was founded on the holy day of Shavuot/Pentecost, Sivan 6, in Jerusalem. They're simply teaching their own ideas and are warned to cease and desist:

Ezekiel 13
1 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart, ‘Hear the word of the LORD!’”

3 Thus says the Lord GOD: “Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! 4 O Israel, your prophets are like foxes in the deserts. 5 You have not gone up into the gaps to build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the LORD. 6 They have envisioned futility and false divination, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD!’ But the LORD has not sent them; yet they hope that the word may be confirmed. 7 Have you not seen a futile vision, and have you not spoken false divination? You say, ‘The LORD says,’ but I have not spoken.”

8 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you,” says the Lord GOD. 9 “My hand will be against the prophets who envision futility and who divine lies; they shall not be in the assembly of My people, nor be written in the record of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

It's disgusting how so many of the Sabbath-keeping Church of God groups have to try to prove to their sheeple they're the "one true Church of God" and have a flood of "new truth" to sweep them all away. They all abuse the same Scriptures to build themselves up on their wrong foundation and go off on tangents, driven by their vain imaginations (like 2 Peter 3:18), whether it's Ron Ardis' error about the Day of the LORD (YHVH), Flurry's folly, Ron Weinland's stupor, David Pack's blasphemy (he blathers he'll teach the Two Witnesses and the Scripture shows they're in the spirit of Elijah who stands before the LORD (YHVH) of all the Earth and are anointed by Him - not by any man!), ad nauseum.

Philippians 1
15It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.18But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.

At least all of them offer the basics of the gospel of the Kingdom of God, the Sabbath and holy festivals (that portray God's plan of salvation), the dietary laws and biblical doctrines. We should stick to the trunk of the tree rather than go out on the limbs!

After reading The Day of the Lord Came as the CGF Proclaimed, it's like "what's that got to do with the price of eggs in China?" Why all the bluster? A tempest in a teacup! How does it help you work out your own salvation with fearfulness and trembling? What does it add to your daily walk with God?

Here's what Herbert W. Armstrong clearly taught:
The "Day of the Lord"

Monday, November 16, 2009

Gerald Flurry and the Philadelphia Church of God

Philadelphia Church of God Leads the Laodicean Era (Part 1)
When Gerald Flurry wasn't anything in his own sight or mind God used him and now, unfortunately, it appears to have gone to his head, all the new revelation (simply a deeper understanding of some things), and he forgets that all truth is from and belongs to GOD and that God can use a donkey to deliver it (1 Cor. 4:7). Gerald Flurry has become so swollen in his own imagination that he fails to see that he is the leader of LAODICEA! He knows what warning God is giving the Laodiceans, of which he is chief! He had better heed his own words...

Philadelphia Church of God Leads Laodicean Era (Conclusion)
"It's certainly not my place to determine if what you believe God has shown you is true or not, but would you mind presenting Mr. Flurry with an abbreviated version of what you feel is inspired... as I highly doubt that he would have time to read your whole book."

Stephen Flurry and The Philadelphia Church of God
Stephen Flurry, son of Gerald Flurry, pastor general of the Philadelphia Church of God (based in Edmond, Oklahoma), has published a book that Amazon sells, Raising the Ruins: The Fight to Revive the Legacy of Herbert W. Armstrong.

The Work of God Must Go Forward!
The Work of God must go forward. The only work that's left to do now is focus on the NATIONAL LEVEL. We must get out God's ultimatum and fast! Europe is on the rise and Jerusalem is getting international attention (Zech. 14:2). Soon God's two witnesses will rise and shine in a world of darkness (Isa. 60:1-2). God's about to restore His lamp to the Middle East! (Rev. 11:3; 1 Kgs. 11:36; Amos 9:11; Zech. 12:8).

PCG: Carrying on Business as Usual
If you truly saw what is coming on this Earth, and had a vision of tomorrow, you would know that the Gathering Storm darkens as you sip champagne and boast that you're rich and in need of nothing, woefully ignorant that the Two Witnesses will soon be wearing sackcloth and fasting, not wining and dining at black tie dinners!

The Church of God Must Warn the World!
We know that certain prophecies were not to be fulfilled until these "last days." Therefore their sealed messages weren't to break their silence until the appointed time (Dan. 12:9). With the advent of the nuclear age, we've been living, for the first time in history, with the weapons of mass destruction that can erase all life from off planet Earth! (Matt. 24:21-22).

Politics in the Church of God Hinders Progress
Gerald Flurry refused to go forward with Beyond Babylon and fell backwards, treading old ground and is now going in circles, business as usual, as Europe rises and Judah and Israel have yet to be warned.

Worldwide Church Of God All Over Again?
Let’s see to it that Philadelphia Church of God (Judah) doesn’t go the way of the Worldwide Church of God (Israel). These biblical principles still apply: don’t put undue trust in men; work out your own salvation, it’s not a group affair; beware the scholarly approach that demands you rely on men - not God’s Spirit or personal Bible study.

The Watchmen
"I have set Watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem"God has called us to do a Work! Anyone can and should do good works in private, but God has called us collectively to COME OUT OF THE CLOSET and deliver His Message! We're to help save individuals and nations from the coming Holocaust!

Fox 25 Special Report on Philadelphia Church of God

Gerald Flurry

Philadelphia Church of God minister's review of Beyond Babylon

The Philadephia Church of God & David Ben-Ariel

I'm not a terrorist
Is David Ben-Ariel a terrorist? Did he try to blow up the mosques in Israel? Is that why he was deported from Israel? Or is he simply somebody who has been targeted for exposing the German-Vatican plot against Jerusalem and highlighting the Nazi Muslim occupation of the Temple Mount?

God-given love for Jews (mentions my volunteer service on 8 kibbutzim throughout Israel)

Gerald Flurry's Outrageous Attack Against David Ben-Ariel

Is David Ben-Ariel a Terrorist? (Apparently Gerald Flurry and Stephen Flurry would mislead you to believe so!)

The Temple Mount Faithful is not a terrorist organization! (Although Gerald Flurry and Stephen Flurry strongly insinuate it is, to their shame)

A little known blogger

Thursday, October 15, 2009

The Laodicean Era

Philadelphia Church of God Leads the Laodicean Era (Part 1)
When Gerald Flurry wasn't anything in his own sight or mind God used him and now, unfortunately, it appears to have gone to his head, all the new revelation (simply a deeper understanding of some things), and he forgets that all truth is from and belongs to GOD and that God can use a donkey to deliver it (1 Cor. 4:7). Gerald Flurry has become so swollen in his own imagination that he fails to see that he is the leader of LAODICEA! He knows what warning God is giving the Laodiceans, of which he is chief! He had better heed his own words...

Philadelphia Church of God Leads Laodicean Era (Conclusion)
"It's certainly not my place to determine if what you believe God has shown you is true or not, but would you mind presenting Mr. Flurry with an abbreviated version of what you feel is inspired... as I highly doubt that he would have time to read your whole book."

www.davidbenariel.org

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Gerald Flurry

Gerald Flurry has FAILED to repent

That false prophet Gerald Flurry has FAILED to repent of his Nimrodian ego and for his false accusations against me. I'm not surprised but saddened that false prophet Gerald Flurry has hardened his heart and appears bent on self-destruction, taking his blind organization down with him.

The Philadelphia Church of God is so close and so far away from the plain truth, mixing truth with lethal error, misrepresenting what Herbert W. Armstrong stood for and offering an adulterated version of it, polluting the gospel of the Kingdom of God. Thankfully, the Two Witnesses of Revelation 11 will set the record straight and testify from Jerusalem before a worldwide captive audience!

Gerald Flurry's Outrageous Attack Against David Ben-Ariel

Is David Ben-Ariel a Terrorist?
(Apparently Gerald Flurry and Stephen Flurry would mislead you to believe so!)

I'm not a terrorist
Is David Ben-Ariel a terrorist? Did he try to blow up the mosques in Israel? Is that why he was deported from Israel? Or is he simply somebody who has been targeted for exposing the German-Vatican plot against Jerusalem and highlighting the Nazi Muslim occupation of the Temple Mount?

God-given love for Jews
(mentions my volunteer service on 8 kibbutzim throughout Israel)

The Temple Mount Faithful is not a terrorist organization!
(Although Gerald Flurry and Stephen Flurry strongly insinuate it is, to their shame)

Star Witness testifies against Gerald Flurry

A little known blogger

http://www.davidbenariel.org/

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Gerald Flurry & the Philadelphia Church of God

Philadelphia Church of God Leads the Laodicean Era (Part 1)
When Gerald Flurry wasn't anything in his own sight or mind God used him and now, unfortunately, it appears to have gone to his head, all the new revelation (simply a deeper understanding of some things), and he forgets that all truth is from and belongs to GOD and that God can use a donkey to deliver it (1 Cor. 4:7). Gerald Flurry has become so swollen in his own imagination that he fails to see that he is the leader of LAODICEA! He knows what warning God is giving the Laodiceans, of which he is chief! He had better heed his own words...

Philadelphia Church of God Leads Laodicean Era (Conclusion)
"It's certainly not my place to determine if what you believe God has shown you is true or not, but would you mind presenting Mr. Flurry with an abbreviated version of what you feel is inspired... as I highly doubt that he would have time to read your whole book."

Stephen Flurry and The Philadelphia Church of God
Stephen Flurry, son of Gerald Flurry, pastor general of the Philadelphia Church of God (based in Edmond, Oklahoma), has published a book that Amazon sells, Raising the Ruins: The Fight to Revive the Legacy of Herbert W. Armstrong.

The Work of God Must Go Forward!
The Work of God must go forward. The only work that's left to do now is focus on the NATIONAL LEVEL. We must get out God's ultimatum and fast! Europe is on the rise and Jerusalem is getting international attention (Zech. 14:2). Soon God's two witnesses will rise and shine in a world of darkness (Isa. 60:1-2). God's about to restore His lamp to the Middle East! (Rev. 11:3; 1 Kgs. 11:36; Amos 9:11; Zech. 12:8).

PCG: Carrying on Business as Usual
If you truly saw what is coming on this Earth, and had a vision of tomorrow, you would know that the Gathering Storm darkens as you sip champagne and boast that you're rich and in need of nothing, woefully ignorant that the Two Witnesses will soon be wearing sackcloth and fasting, not wining and dining at black tie dinners!

The Church of God Must Warn the World!
We know that certain prophecies were not to be fulfilled until these "last days." Therefore their sealed messages weren't to break their silence until the appointed time (Dan. 12:9). With the advent of the nuclear age, we've been living, for the first time in history, with the weapons of mass destruction that can erase all life from off planet Earth! (Matt. 24:21-22).

Politics in the Church of God Hinders Progress
Gerald Flurry refused to go forward with Beyond Babylon and fell backwards, treading old ground and is now going in circles, business as usual, as Europe rises and Judah and Israel have yet to be warned.

Worldwide Church Of God All Over Again?
Let’s see to it that Philadelphia Church of God (Judah) doesn’t go the way of the Worldwide Church of God (Israel). These biblical principles still apply: don’t put undue trust in men; work out your own salvation, it’s not a group affair; beware the scholarly approach that demands you rely on men - not God’s Spirit or personal Bible study.

The Watchmen
"I have set Watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem"God has called us to do a Work! Anyone can and should do good works in private, but God has called us collectively to COME OUT OF THE CLOSET and deliver His Message! We're to help save individuals and nations from the coming Holocaust!

Fox 25 Special Report on Philadelphia Church of God

Gerald Flurry

Philadelphia Church of God minister's review of Beyond Babylon

The Philadephia Church of God & David Ben-Ariel

I'm not a terrorist
Is David Ben-Ariel a terrorist? Did he try to blow up the mosques in Israel? Is that why he was deported from Israel? Or is he simply somebody who has been targeted for exposing the German-Vatican plot against Jerusalem and highlighting the Nazi Muslim occupation of the Temple Mount?

God-given love for Jews (mentions my volunteer service on 8 kibbutzim throughout Israel)

Gerald Flurry's Outrageous Attack Against David Ben-Ariel

Is David Ben-Ariel a Terrorist? (Apparently Gerald Flurry and Stephen Flurry would mislead you to believe so!)

The Temple Mount Faithful is not a terrorist organization! (Although Gerald Flurry and Stephen Flurry strongly insinuate it is, to their shame)

A little known blogger

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

"A Household Word" (YouTube video by David Ben-Ariel)




A Household Word
The general public doesn't have a clue about the Gospel or the Ezekiel Warning Message! That woeful ignorance indicts the Church of God, since God says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." And that same God warns about our responsibility to sound the alarm so British-Israelites and Jews, and repentant Gentiles, can seek shelter in Him and avert the imminent nuclear Holocaust.

A little known blogger

PCG: Carrying on "Business as Usual"

Beyond Babylon drops the bomb!
A German-led Europe will strike nuclear terror against US! National destruction, defeat and deportation are on the way! The American, British and Jewish peoples are marked for death!

Will Germany Launch a Nuclear Attack on America?

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Gerald Flurry Attacks David Ben-Ariel

Gerald Flurry's Outrageous Attack Against David Ben-Ariel

Gerald Flurry, pastor general of the PCG, is guilty of what he charges others. The disgruntled leader of the Edmond, Oklahoma-based Philadelphia Church of God has launched an outrageous attack against me due to his indignation over FOX 25's Primetime News at Nine special report on the PCG that aired two nights in a row. Flurry's fury was poured out in a full-page ad in The Oklahoman today.

Fox 25 Special Report on Philadelphia Church of God

Gerald Flurry has every right to offer his review of the special report on the PCG (and some of his ire is merited), but one wonders why he refused to be interviewed and set the record straight then, and even tape it himself to avoid being taken out of context?

Gerald Flurry hypocritically rants and raves against yellow journalism, scandalous unsubstantiated allegations, "telling part of the truth can make the truth out to be a lie," and then turns right around and engages in all those "dangerously demented tactics" against the Branch Davidians and against David Ben-Ariel - little ol' me!

Gerald Flurry (and son Stephen Flurry) feigns surprise that I knew about the special report allegedly before they did, but he fails to make honest mention that I sent out that information to both the PCG and many other of the Church of God branches, as many can testify. Considering how his former right-hand man and terrible sycophant (who was a cruel counsellor to many of the battered brethren), Dennis Leap, apparently withheld information from him about my book, Beyond Babylon, I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't know what was going on. I tried.

Gerald Flurry should be ashamed that he would abuse me as his straw man against reporter Nick Winkler and Fox 25, especially when I made it very clear to Mr. Winkler that I did not want to be part of any hit piece after I reviewed some questions he graciously sent me, as these emails prove:

David wrote:
I'm curious if those questions are for everybody you'll talk to or do you plan to talk to present members of the PCG too for balance or not or what? Is it a hit piece or an honest and unbiased report?

Original Message
From: Nick Winkler
Sent: Oct 14, 2008 8:25 PM
To: David
Subject: Re: (no subject)

No. I plan on contacting Flurry and members who live nearby.
I understand they may even be having an open house for the public.
Those questions will be asked of Flurry as well.
Feel free to disagree with the nature of any of the questions.
Correct anything you think is not being asked fairly.
Some of the questions are derived from law enforcement who have
investigated the church in the past.
Feel free to ask me whatever you'd like..or to add to the questions I sent.

Nick

From: "David"
To: "Nick Winkler"
Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2008 8:28 PM
Subject: Constructive criticism
I'm pleasantly surprised by your refreshing reply, Nick. Thank you. The questions simply seemed biased and hateful IF those are the only questions that bitter former members would revel in but someone like me wouldn't want to be party to since we have constructive criticism (even TOUGH LOVE) of the PCG and still maintain the same basic beliefs as they do: Sabbath, holy days, dietary laws, no pagan holidays or traditional heaven and hell BS from Rome.

You might have noted in several articles I took Mr. Flurry to task, saying IF he truly believes we're in the last of the last days, why is he spending a fortune in Edmond (on jewels, buildings, etc.) instead of getting the Word out and becoming a household name? It is inconsistent and a squandering of time and money.

If Mr. Flurry or current Church members speak with you, I'll be surprised, since Mr. Armstrong told us all years ago how he ONCE permitted himself to be interviewed and after they "edited" it and went with it he felt totally betrayed and misrepresented. A great and deserving mistrust exists among the brethren due to such negative experiences. I'm willing to be interviewed, because what have I got to lose? :-)

Cheers,
David

Gerald Flurry, and son Stephen Flurry, wrote in his full page ad:

"Our Church briefly communicated with David Ben-Ariel in the early 1990s.
But we quickly cut off all contact after learning about his bizarre and even radical views." And then he goes on to mention: "Ben-Ariel -- whose name used to be Hoover -- was detained by Israeli police and interrogated for six hours for allegedly plotting to blow up the Al-Aqsa mosque" and was later deported. Flurry failed to report that the Israeli authorities acknowledged to The Jerusalem Post that they "lacked sufficient evidence" to convict me - because there was no plot except the one they conspired against me, due to an article published in The Traveller magazine in Jerusalem, as revealed within: Exposing the German-Vatican Plot to Occupy Jerusalem and Still at Large!

Gerald Flurry and son failed to mention I was an official member of the Philadelphia Church of God in the early 1990s, and that I was put out of the PCG for daring to write a book, Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall, without being an ordained minister. Dennis Leap was infuriated when I told him that by his insistence that I must be a minister to write such a book, he was still looking to "men of stature" (which Flurry's book, Malachi's Message, condemns) and that he was unbiblical and playing politics by his dictates that I must "forget about Beyond Babylon" and act "like a regular lay member." I was disfellowshipped and later "marked" after exposing all this in various *articles (which is what reporter Nick Day found on the Internet and is why he contacted me).

Wayne Turgeon [Gerald Flurry's son-in-law] handed Flurry a print out of Beyond Babylon years ago and he returned it to him saying, "He's always sending us stuff." Mr. Flurry even responded to me several times on various issues including his confusion of Mount Carmel with Mount Hermon which I brought to his attention (having been blessed to live next to both of them), and my disagreement with him when he said the pope was the only religious leader to sit on a throne and I mentioned the Queen of England is also head of the Anglican Church (although agreeing with the point he was making against the Roman Catholic Cult)... Later I sent an autographed copy of a self-published BB (Beyond Babylon) [before Publish America published it] to Flurry's home for him and his wife who said to me (during the Feast of Tabernacles in Louisville) about my name, "What a strong Judah name!"

- excerpt from Politics in the Church of God Hinders Progress

When Caesar Plays God: When the State Oversteps its Bounds

*Philadelphia Church of God Leads the Laodicean Era (Part 1)
Philadelphia Church of God Leads Laodicean Era (Conclusion)

Gerald Flurry and son failed to mention that the PCG believes in the same "bizarre and even radical views" that I do, whether it's about a German-EU, under the heavy influence of the Roman Catholic Church, that will brutally betray the American, British and Jewish peoples, igniting WWIII, and that professing Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter are nothing but baptized paganism, idolatry and immorality, that are fuel on the fires of God's judgment upon our White Israelite nations, leading to destruction, defeat and deportation!

The Intelligence Summit Misses the Mark: the German-Jesuit Threat to World Peace

Gerald Flurry's attack against me failed to address the two issues I raised:
1) How I was put out of the PCG for writing Beyond Babylon, and 2) how he's wasting tithes on a $15 million Art Center on their Edmond, Oklahoma site instead of properly getting out the Word of God, as I decry in PCG: Carrying on "Business as Usual".

Gerald Flurry has been given an opportunity to go public, taking out full page ads that I called upon him to do years ago, to share our beliefs, the plain truth of the Bible, to warn the world, now that FOX 25 has afforded him coverage. May God bless Gerald Flurry to repent and do just that.

David Ben-Ariel
Author, Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall
http://www.davidbenariel.org/

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Church of God

The Watchmen
"I have set Watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem"God has called us to do a Work! Anyone can and should do good works in private, but God has called us collectively to COME OUT OF THE CLOSET and deliver His Message! We're to help save individuals and nations from the coming Holocaust!

Worldwide Church Of God All Over Again?
Let’s see to it that Philadelphia Church of God (Judah) doesn’t go the way of the Worldwide Church of God (Israel). These biblical principles still apply: don’t put undue trust in men; work out your own salvation, it’s not a group affair; beware the scholarly approach that demands you rely on men - not God’s Spirit or personal Bible study.

Jesus GAVE His Life To Give Us LIFE!
The passionate anti-Semites/anti-Zionists would do well to note Jesus' words of life and forgiveness: "FATHER, FORGIVE THEM, for they know not what they do...". Who are puny men to continue a blood libel against every Jew for the actions of a relative few?

Plea to Diehard Catholics & Protestants to Repent
Having clearly seen how the practice of homosexuality is a sin (as I testify in God and the Gays), I can now see clearly how SPIRITUAL HOMOSEXUALS, the bloody Roman Catholic whore and her Protestant prostitute daughters (Rev. 17:5), prefer tradition over truth.

The Plain Truth About Ron Weinland
Ron Weinland is drunk on his delusions... Ron Weinland is a FALSE PROPHET and illegitimately claims to be one of the Two Witnesses.

The Suffering Servant
"For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee (individuals), and people (nations) for thy life" (Isaiah 43:3-4). And, again, "For I am with thee, says the LORD, to save thee: though I will make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee..." (Jeremiah 30:11).

Yeshua is the Suffering Servant
He is despised and rejected by men, A Man (not a nation, a man) of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we (collective Israel, especially Judah) hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He (one man) was despised, and we (Israel/Judah) did not esteem Him.

The Plain Truth About Race And Responsibility
Why leave others with distorted views of what the Bible says? Why not present our God-given understanding of cause and effect for today's increasing racial divides? Precisely because it is a BOMBSHELL to those who have been lulled to sleep, drugged by PC poison and who, once awakened would be enraged and shoot the messenger!

The Passover Memorial
When did God decree that Jesus could declare "it is finished" and die on the stake? Why at the very same time that THE JEWS were sacrificing their Passover lambs at the Temple! The Jews had always killed the Passover lambs during the final hours of the 14th. It was towards the end of the 14th, not at the beginning of the 14th, that the Passover lambs were killed.

Passover and Pentecost Differences Settled!
The correct dates to observe God's holy days should not be a Church of God issue, having been settled by God thousands of years ago and preserved throughout the ages by faithful Jews.

The Oracles of God
God's empowered the Jews - despite themselves - to preserve His Word. They are the only people on Earth that God has blessed and ordained to fulfill such a calling! God will not retract His Word or renege on this gift and responsibility that He's graciously bestowed upon Judah.

Don't Fall for the Rapture!
We meet the returning Christ in the air and RETURN TO EARTH - to the Mount of Olives - and reign with but under Him, composing the Kingdom of God: just like the Bible clearly says once we remove traditional blinders.

Politics in the Church of God Hinders Progress
Gerald Flurry refused to go forward with Beyond Babylon and fell backwards, treading old ground and is now going in circles, business as usual, as Europe rises and Judah and Israel have yet to be warned.

Unclean Christianity vs. Peter's Vision
Unclean traditional Christianity teaches the religious lie that Jesus "did away with" the dietary laws, sinning against both God and man (1 John 2:4; Matt 5:17-20).

Synagogue of Satan?
"And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, but thou art rich and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan." (Rev. 2:8-9)

God Doesn't Ordain Women Preachers!
I just read an abominable article written by a proud and stubborn woman attempting to justify rebellious women doing what only God has ordained men to do: preach from the pulpit as ordained ministers.

Did Jesus Call Jews the Children of the Devil?
Jesus acknowledged that Abraham is the father of the Jews physically, but not always spiritually (John 8:37, 39, 42, 44). The same can be said and is true about all Twelve Tribes of Israel. In fact, the commission of the Two Witnesses - in the spirit of Elijah - is to restore our relationship with our Fathers (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) and thereby through their true religion reconcile us to our Heavenly Father (Malachi 4:6; Isa. 49:5-6).

Brokeback Mountain Blues
I wanted to see it, but I didn't want to see it. I'm talking about the "gay cowboy" movie called Brokeback Mountain (even though I read Jake Gyllenhaal, one of the two major actors - "Jack Twist," wants it to mean much more than that to its audience).

Race Matters
It seems evident that the resurrected Noah will head a vast project of the relocation of the races and nations, within the boundaries God has set, for their own best good, happiness and richest blessings. This will be a tremendous operation. It will require great and vast organization, reinforced with power to move whole nations and races. This time, peoples and nations will move where God has planned for them, and no defiance will be tolerated.

The Pharisees
Who isn't aware of the sins of the Pharisees? Especially the Accuser of the Brethren? But does that mean the truths they teach, even if they don't live them, are no longer true?

Don't Give Up!
If you begin to cry out to God for help, even if it's only a whimper because you're so weak, He'll see and hear and respond. "The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saves such as be of a contrite spirit... none of them that trust in Him shall be desolate" (Ps. 34:18, 22).

The REAL JESUS Can't Return Until...
Prophecy clearly reveals that the REAL JESUS CHRIST will not return to Earth from Heaven (in full view of all mankind -- not from some secret EU or Vatican chamber or desert cave) until after Jerusalem has suffered under a Gentile EU occupation for three and one half years

Scarlet Letter: A Christian With AIDS
The following is a actual letter I sent to a close Christian friend in 1999, immediately after I was diagnosed with HIV. Since then the HIV has progressed on into AIDS.

Does God Heal Today?
When I was first diagnosed with the HIV virus, I read innumerable articles on it and later suffered from an information overload and depressing confusion. One article would speak in favor of taking the highly toxic HIV/AIDS medicines, and then I'd read another one that spoke against it with just as convincing of an argument.

Onward Christian Soldiers!
Why did ancient Israel have an army? Was it because they didn't have faith? Did they believe in themselves instead of trusting God? Did they insist on fighting their own battles, rather than let God wage war for them?

Separation of Church and State? Says Who?
God calls upon our Israelite family of nations to RESTORE HIS LAW AND ORDER, and we'll receive blessing to the degree we love and obey and He will bless our NATIONAL EFFORTS that reflect national repentance, learning to go by God's Word as LAW, trusting in His wisdom, rather than leaning to our own understanding with all our different political parties of men.

God's One Government Has Two Branches!
The Sabbath-keeping Church of God (that remains faithful to the plain truth of the Bible that Herbert W. Armstrong taught) has heard a lot about government, but many seem to have forgotten that God's ONE government has TWO branches: Church (Priest) and State (King).

Should Christians Judge?
All judgment must be tempered with mercy. Jesus clearly taught that we can see others imperfections (the "mote" in their eye) and help to remove it once we have first gotten the "beam" out of our own eye. The purpose is to help and not hurt: constructive criticism, not self-righteousness or sinister motivations.

Christmas is About Giving -- Says Who?
Going into debt certainly isn't biblical, so why not break free from the trance? The "Christmas" rush is a "drug" pushed by commercial pimps prostituting a supposedly Christian holiday for their ungodly profits! They hold hands around the cash register and sing, "What a friend we have in Jesus."

C.H. Spurgeon on Christmas and Roman Catholicism
First, because we do not believe in the mass at all, but abhor it, whether it be sung in Latin or in English. Secondly, because we find no Scriptural warrant whatever for observing any day as the birthday of the Savior; and consequently, its observance is a superstition

Is the Plain Truth Too Strong?
"Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression [the Church and Synagogue], And the house of Jacob [the family of Israelite nations - all Twelve Tribes of Israel] their sins. 2 Yet they seek Me daily, And delight to know My ways, As a nation that did righteousness, And did not forsake the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; They take delight in approaching God" (Isaiah 58).

When Caesar Plays God: When the State Oversteps its Bounds
I read the Book of Acts, making it much more meaningful and relevant, during my detention in Jerusalem's Russian Compound jail. If you examine the evidence surrounding Paul's frequent arrests and imprisonments, you'll see a pattern of trumped up charges, misunderstandings and misguided zeal against him. It's a miracle that Paul didn't say "enough is enough" and quit.

Jesus Upheld the Biblical Dietary Laws
Unclean traditional Christianity has misled many with their lack of understanding of the Bible as a whole. They often take Scriptures out of context and totally twist their meanings, like they do when it comes to abusing Matthew 15 and slaughtering it to teach we can now eat anything.

Do You Prefer TRADITION Over Truth?
If anybody is honestly interested in knowing whether or not this or that doctrine is actually biblical or merely traditional, all they have to do is objectively search the Scriptures like the noble Bereans did in Acts 17:11, after hearing Paul out, to see whether what he taught was true...

Remember the Sabbath
Did you ever stop to think why Christians keep Sunday? Did they get it from the Bible? Is there a clear-cut command that says, "Thou shalt keep Sunday?" Why did Jesus worship on Saturday? Was it only because He was a good Jew? Or does it go beyond that?

The Plain Truth About Easter
Has it ever occurred to those stuffing their faces with Easter ham that Jesus would puke at the thought? Neither Jesus or Peter, James or John ever ate forbidden foods. They wouldn't feel too comfortable at plenty of people's dinner tables.

Yom Kippur at Sdot Yam
Tradition - even empty, hollow, shallow - has assisted Jewry to preserve this Day, however imperfectly; yet I also couldn't help but think of God & Kahane who might dismiss such "worship" as vain and such "devotions" as void. Liberal, Hellenist, humanists who have nothing to do with God and are ignorant of or deny His Word as a general rule, as hypocritical & unacceptable as professing Christianity on the pagan days of Christmas and Easter...

The Rapture or Place of Safety?
We know those who are accounted worthy to escape WWIII, those with a prayerful attitude and watchful spirit, growing and overcoming and sensitive to the lead of the Holy Spirit (Luke 21:34-36), will be more than provided for in "Her Place," as our gracious Lord of Hosts has promised (Revelation 12:14).

Will the Church of God Welcome the Two Witnesses?
Church of God minister Arlen Berkey, in "The Work of God in the Laodicean Era," makes a statement nobody in God's Church would disagree with: "The whole world will soon know about the two witnesses. They will not be welcome by this world."

David Pack & the Restored Church of God
When David Pack said something to the effect that the Global Church of God was not for me, I asked him why he invited me then and he then acknowledged he only invited me along with the others because he felt they were good candidates for membership. In other words, he was being deceitful.

Israel Work History (Worldwide Church of God)
Ilan Itzhayek wrote a full length article that was published in the entire Galilee region. It was about my former drug addiction, wandering in different religions looking for the truth, and how by a series of miracles God brought me into the Worldwide Church of God, mentioning some of our beliefs about Europe, and how we considered Herbert W. Armstrong in the spirit of Elijah.

Princess Diana, a Dream, and King David's Dynasty
"If you send us a copy of the information on King David and his relationship to the English Royal Family, plus a verification that such information has been validated and by whom, we will see to it that it gets to Buckingham Palace and that your name will accompany it." Immediately I wondered what to send to satisfy the newspaper. The chart seemed obvious, but I still sought counsel from my minister. He advised writing a Church official at our Headquarter's in Pasadena, California who is English and involved with our Media Coordinator. The Church official replied: "I believe the most prudent course of action would be to send the chart 'The Heritage of the Anglo-Saxon Race' to the newspaper for their further action."

Mama Evans
Erma Evans, a widow in the Church of God, served as a perfect example of what the apostle Paul called for from our senior women (Titus 2:3). She touched the lives of many and was affectionately called "Mama Evans" by...

The Two Witnesses of Revelation 11
The Two Witnesses of Revelation 11. Who are these two prophets? What do they have to say? Why are they called the two witnesses? How will their message be proclaimed? And is there any special significance to the fact that they're headquartered in Jerusalem?

Why I No Longer Celebrate Christmas
I was blessed to grow up in Risingsun, Ohio next door to my Grandma and Grandpa Hoover on their farm that embraced where we lived, surrounding us with its loving arms on both sides (until the age of 11) and behind, with our woods over yonder a bit, that I loved to walk through as a boy, always looking for my "brother" hawk, circling overhead, to greet me...

The Church of God Must Warn the World!
We know that certain prophecies were not to be fulfilled until these "last days." Therefore their sealed messages weren't to break their silence until the appointed time (Dan. 12:9). With the advent of the nuclear age, we've been living, for the first time in history, with the weapons of mass destruction that can erase all life from off planet Earth! (Matt. 24:21-22).

PCG: Carrying on "Business as Usual"
If you truly saw what is coming on this Earth, and had a vision of tomorrow, you would know that the Gathering Storm darkens as you sip champagne and boast that you're rich and in need of nothing, woefully ignorant that the Two Witnesses will soon be wearing sackcloth and fasting, not wining and dining at black tie dinners!

Will God Curse Our Countries for Christmas?
Abominable Christians, those who have the perverted religious preference of tradition over truth, are just like every other sinner unwilling to confess and forsake their sins and seek to whitewash or justify them. The difference is such professing Christians often pretend to be better or more righteous than those physical idolaters and immoral folks (who also refuse to repent) while they engage in spiritual idolatry (putting tradition over truth) and spiritual immorality (whoring around with other gods and foreign ways) bringing divine judgment upon our nations.

The Work of God Must Go Forward!
The Work of God must go forward. The only work that's left to do now is focus on the NATIONAL LEVEL. We must get out God's ultimatum and fast! Europe is on the rise and Jerusalem is getting international attention (Zech. 14:2). Soon God's two witnesses will rise and shine in a world of darkness (Isa. 60:1-2). God's about to restore His lamp to the Middle East! (Rev. 11:3; 1 Kgs. 11:36; Amos 9:11; Zech. 12:8).

Philadelphia Church of God Leads the Laodicean Era (Part 1)
When Gerald Flurry wasn't anything in his own sight or mind God used him and now, unfortunately, it appears to have gone to his head, all the new revelation (simply a deeper understanding of some things), and he forgets that all truth is from and belongs to GOD and that God can use a donkey to deliver it (1 Cor. 4:7). Gerald Flurry has become so swollen in his own imagination that he fails to see that he is the leader of LAODICEA! He knows what warning God is giving the Laodiceans, of which he is chief! He had better heed his own words...

Philadelphia Church of God Leads Laodicean Era (Conclusion)
"It's certainly not my place to determine if what you believe God has shown you is true or not, but would you mind presenting Mr. Flurry with an abbreviated version of what you feel is inspired... as I highly doubt that he would have time to read your whole book."

Stephen Flurry and The Philadelphia Church of God
Stephen Flurry, son of Gerald Flurry, pastor general of the Philadelphia Church of God (based in Edmond, Oklahoma), has published a book that Amazon sells, Raising the Ruins: The Fight to Revive the Legacy of Herbert W. Armstrong.

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Worldwide Church Of God All Over Again?
By David Ben-Ariel

When Herbert W. Armstrong died, Dr. Herman Hoeh declared that the seventh candlestick had been lit. That means Laodicea officially began immediately.

Nearly four years later, Malachi’s Message to God’s Church Today by Gerald Flurry began to sound the alarm: something wasn’t kosher in the Church of God! It exposed a corrupt ministry intent on destroying the foundational doctrines of the Worldwide Church of God, and urged the brethren to hang on for dear life to what God had given us through His end-time Elijah. We were encouraged to get a grip, while others were losing it (Revelation 3:11).

Those who were of God heard what the Spirit said to the Churches through Malachi’s Message. Those who weren’t of God quickly lost it (God’s truth) and slipped further and further into darkness. That darkness was disguised as a "new light of understanding" (2 Corinthians 11:14). The true members of the Church of God responded to His call and came out of that decadent organization. Those who remained behind became the SYNAGOGUE OF SATAN - just like the original apostate Christianity (Catholics and Protestants) that has deceived the whole world.

They were no longer God’s Church! You can’t reject God’s truth for demonic doctrines without becoming a part of "Mystery Babylon" (1 Corinthians 10:21; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18). All this has been quite revealing (1 Corinthians 11:19).

Knowing the Truth

God knows the end from the beginning (Acts 15:18). He prophesied a great falling away that would leave few standing. The BIG ONE has hit and shaken the Church of God to its core! But isn’t it possible to know the truth without knowing the Truth? (2 Timothy 3:7).

God’s calling us to a deeper love and conversion (1 John 3:18). Isn’t God’s truth a means to an end? Didn’t Herbert W. Armstrong fear some just "DON’T GET IT?” That too many were only converted to our doctrines? The doctrines are meant to help bring us closer to God by having a better understanding of His Will, but only a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will save us! We need Christ’s teachings, but we need God the Father and Jesus Christ even more. Only they can establish us and secure our salvation (2 Thessalonians 2:13-17). You can have all the understanding in the world and still fall short (1 Corinthians 13:2).

Remember Solomon? Just because you know God’s truth, doesn’t mean you know Him (Job 42:5; I John 2:4). You’re not going to be judged by how much you know, but by HOW MUCH YOU GROW! By how much you apply what you know, becoming more Christ-like, more Godly, more representative of the Kingdom of God, here and now (James 1:22; John 13:35). A system can’t save you and ritual is no substitute for a relationship (2 Timothy 3:5).

Malachi’s Message Still Applies!

Whereas the Worldwide Church of God was physically rich, aren’t we in danger of feeling spiritually rich and self-complacent (Amos 6:1)? Ancient Israel had God’s holy days; didn’t eat pork, etc. But it didn’t keep them from going into captivity! (Amos 5:21). It wasn’t enough. Worldwide doesn’t feel sufficient, they feel so impoverished they go to Babylon for help! We’re the ones who feel safe and secure. Who said we can let our guard down? We’re commanded to REMAIN ON HIGH ALERT until Christ comes (Luke 21:34). Yet some are failing to continue to apply Malachi’s Message (Romans 2:17-21). God’s refining process isn’t over (Daniel 12:10; Isaiah 48:10).

Let’s see to it that Philadelphia Church of God (Judah) doesn’t go the way of the Worldwide Church of God (Israel). These biblical principles still apply: don’t put undue trust in men; work out your own salvation, it’s not a group affair; beware the scholarly approach that demands you rely on men - not God’s Spirit or personal Bible study. And God help us to look past Petra (though it’s important), to focus on His Kingdom (Luke 21:36; Isaiah 33:17). To survive the coming Holocaust is one thing, to enter the Kingdom of God is everything (2 Peter 1:10-11).

Beware of Emperor Worship!

What’s the greatest false doctrine to come out of Babylon? The nefarious idea of a DIVINE EMPEROR! Nimrod had put himself in God’s place. He had people depending on him for all their answers and protection. Today, we have such MEN "playing God" in the Church! (Nahum 1:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:3). There’s nothing new under the sun. Unlike Moses, who wished that all God’s people were prophets (Numbers 11:29), Nimrod felt threatened by any "competition." He dealt cruelly, in a jealous rage, with those who opposed his haughty position. God used Shem to put him back in his place! Leaders are ordained of God; they do have a definite place, but it’s NOT in the Holy of Holies (2 Chronicles 26:18). They’re intruding in God’s business, and trespassing on His sacred ground, when they get out of line and overstep their bounds (Zephaniah1:9; Exodus 19:12; Colossians 2:18).

Away with emperor worship! It’s soon to sweep Europe, but we don’t need it in the Church of God. Not if we want to remain the Church of God!

Didn’t Gerald Flurry warn that we were slipping into a Laodicean attitude when he had his unfortunate incident with alcohol? Didn’t he say, after prayerfully wracking his brains to understand why God had allowed that to happen, that we have to be careful not to get proud due to our abundance of revelation (2 Corinthians 12:6-7)? Have we learned that lesson? Has he? With his preoccupation with all his religious titles and self-promotion, we really have to wonder and be most concerned!

Holy, righteous CHARACTER is more important to God than all the revelation in the world! We definitely need the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but God says we should want the FRUITS of his Holy Spirit even more. GET YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT (1 Corinthians 14:1). I’m convinced God’s about to empower His people like never before, but wants us to be spiritually ready (having learned from the Corinthians’ mistakes), and our ministers mature enough not to get in the way (Joel 2:28; 1 Thessalonians 5:19).

As far as revelations go, God can inspire unconverted men like Caiphas and speak through donkeys! All truth is from and belongs to God, so why should some become puffed up with pride that they're something special rather than just an instrument serving God's purpose? And why get bloated with self-importance when God can quickly pop that balloon (1 Corinthians 4:6-7)?

Warnings from History

If what happened in the Church during the 70’s was a warning of what could happen in the 80’s what about now? Having survived our Worldwide Church of God ordeal, are we now home safe (Jude 5)? Let us pray and examine ourselves this new century: Do we love God or fear men (Acts 5:29)?

God has an ordained government for His Church, but it can gradually fall to Satan - made over in some man’s image - if we blindly follow it and forget that it’s also a means to an end, and not and end in itself! Isn’t that how the Church of God got off track? The Mother spoon fed the brain-dead! We need the Father! When Church government stops directing us to God and substitutes doctrines or a personality cult instead (3 John 9), and refuses correction, God’s glory has left such a bankrupt administration! Will God destroy the very government He’s installed because we’ve failed to use it properly? Some are actually worshipping the government rather than the Governor!

Didn’t God level His Temple, stop the sacrifices, and disband the priesthood? Didn’t he empty the House of Israel and scatter Judah? Wasn’t Jerusalem-headquarters forcibly shut down? Even Hezekiah had to destroy the brass serpent God told Moses to make, because they had perverted its purpose (2 Kings 18:4).

Too often, that which God had intended to become a blessing, became a curse! Such historical warnings don’t curry favor with "the top brass, " but it’s evident God would rather work through a very faithful few than let many misrepresent Him (Jeremiah 26:18; Ezekiel 5:3-4).

What have we learned from our WCG experience? Haven’t some since scrambled for positions of power, while others claim we’re all equal? (Numbers 16:3; 1 Timothy 1:7; James 3:1) God isn’t an anarchist, and neither should we be. We mustn’t throw out the baby with the bathwater, just because of abuses of power. Proper leadership encourages us to "be all we can be," within God’s law; it encourages us to think and become like our leaders, and able to teach what we’ve been taught—after all we’re PRIEST-KINGS IN TRAINING (Matthew 10:25; Hebrews 5:12; 2 Timothy 2:2, 15).

The proper use of God’s government never plays politics or acts jealous, but truly has everyones' best interests at heart (1 Cor. 14:26). We’re all members of God’s Royal Family, therefore we ought to respect each others’ part in God’s plan and place in God’s Church (1 Corinthians 12:18).

I truly believe in GOVERNMENT FROM THE TOP DOWN —- and it starts with GOD THE FATHER! That’s why we must always OBEY GOD, even if it means we must disobey men. Wasn’t it ministers who told you to throw Malachi’s Message away? Wasn’t it Church leaders who threw out the faithful? Didn’t we just take their word for it, rather than check out what GOD had to say?

Don’t be fooled again! Do you now CONSULT CHRIST, or are you still playing "follow the leader?" Which is truly learning how to follow God’s government? Have you finally learned this lesson? Or did you ask your minister for permission to read Beyond Babylon? Worldwide all over again? Not if you continue to read and apply Malachi’s Message to yourself. That’s the only way to prevent a "repeat performance." Hopefully, once was enough.

Tuesday, October 23, 2007

David Pack & the Restored Church of God

David Pack & the Restored Church of God


I'm aware of David Pack, Pastor General of the Restored Church of God. I also remember clearly how he didn't even know me when he was with the Global Church of God (that I visited once) but said most people who change their names are off-the-wall (something to that effect) and felt I should take my former name of David Hoover back and should seriously consider it as he contacted his superiors (they must have told him to back off as he never brought it up again).

After I thought and prayed about it - rejecting David Ben-Ariel for David Hoover as David Pack sternly suggested - I rejected the notion and questioned how anybody inspired by the Holy Spirit would make such a demand, as I honestly consider David Ben-Ariel my God-given Name, as I've written.

I also remember clearly how David Pack said to me, when I was being honest about my past, troublesome times when I was backslidden in some areas, that he thought I was never converted! Unlike Jesus who offers constructive criticism, who encourages you with the good and calls upon you to change for the better, all David Pack did was tear down and seek to destroy! That was not the Holy Spirit of God working through him.

Before this experience, David Pack had come at my request and visited with me and several other friends who had gathered to hear what he had to say in Toledo, Ohio. We were invited to the one service of his we attended in Ohio. He brought a box of materials the Worldwide Church of God no longer printed to make a statement. We all felt Gerald Flurry had already made that statement and was the first to do so, even though we hadn't yet attended with the Philadelphia Church of God.

When four of us visited with the Global Church of God, my friend Carl gave him a copy of his booklet against abortion and I gave him one of my booklets (either God and the Gays - the first of its kind in the Church of God, or "Religion in America - the REAL Danger" now incorporated into Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall) he acted very interested, but later told me he never met a more proud person than Carl! Carl didn't appear proud at all and was merely happy to do whatever he could to help expose and end the evil of abortion.

When David Pack said something to the effect that the Global Church of God was not for me, I asked him why he invited me then and he then acknowledged he only invited me along with the others because he felt they were good candidates for membership. In other words, he was being deceitful. Since then I've heard horrible stories about his pack of lies and hope it's not true but suspect that it is, due to my own eye-opening experience with him.

I trust there are true Church of God members among the Restored Church of God flock, as with the other groups of scattered brethren, and I hope God spares them from such wolves and that they maintain, first and foremost, a personal relationship with the Shepherd of our souls, and not trust in any man for salvation.

I've seen some of the attractive literature the Restored Church of God offers, but doubt that I will link to it. I hope David Pack has repented of his sins that God may restore him and help him heal those whom he's sickened and be reconciled with both God and man.

David Ben-Ariel is a Christian-Zionist writer and author of Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall. With a focus on the Middle East and Jerusalem, his analytical articles help others improve their understanding of that troubled region. Check out the Beyond Babylon blog.

Monday, July 9, 2007

My Church of God experiences

The Sabbath-keeping Church of God is to teach the plain truth of the Bible whether folks believe it or not. It is our responsibility to share what we know and what folks do with such precious knowledge is between God and them.

I was a baptized member of the Worldwide Church of God when Herbert W. Armstrong was alive. Since Mr. Armstrong's death, January 16, 1986, there has been a monstrous betrayal of the brethren by Protestant wolves who were among us, resulting in those faithful to the truth of the Bible (over traditional error) fleeing that present corrupt organization of deceived and deceiving men to new congregations and organizations that reflect and teach our biblical views.

There has been, as with every group or organization that undergoes changes, strong disagreements within the Church of God on how best to continue with what we are convicted is the plain truth of the Bible, but we all basically agree on our foundational doctrines.

Here are some articles for those interested in the plain truth about Herbert W. Armstrong and the former Worldwide Church of God - as well as some experiences I've had with various branches of the Sabbath-keeping Church of God:

The Plain Truth about Herbert W. Armstrong & the Worldwide Church of God
Herbert W. Armstrong Was Ahead of His Time!
The Work of God Must Go Forward!
Raymond McNair Rejects God's government
David Pack & the Restored Church of God
Worldwide Church of God All Over Again?
PCG: Carrying on "Business as Usual"
Philadelphia Church of God Leads Laodicean Era (Part 1)
Philadelphia Church of God Leads Laodicean Era (Conclusion)
Israel Work History (Worldwide Church of God)
The Church of God Must Warn the World!
Herbert W Armstrong and Worldwide Church of God Mentioned in Israeli Newspaper
The Great Mideast Commission: Reaching the Cities of Judah
Stephen Flurry and the Philadelphia Church of God

Thursday, July 5, 2007

Worldwide Church of God All Over Again?

Worldwide Church of God All Over Again?
By David Ben-Ariel

When Herbert W. Armstrong died, Dr. Herman Hoeh declared that the seventh candlestick had been lit. That means Laodicea officially began immediately.

Nearly four years later, Malachi’s Message to God’s Church Today began to sound the alarm: something wasn’t kosher in the Church of God! It exposed a corrupt ministry intent on destroying the foundational doctrines of the Worldwide Church of God, and urged the brethren to hang on for dear life to what God had given us through His end-time Elijah. We were encouraged to get a grip, while others were losing it (Revelation 3:11).

Those who were of God heard what the Spirit said to the Churches through Malachi’s Message. Those who weren’t of God quickly lost it (God’s truth) and slipped further and further into darkness. That darkness was disguised as a "new light of understanding" (2 Corinthians 11:14). The true members of the Church of God responded to His call and came out of that decadent organization. Those who remained behind became the SYNAGOGUE OF SATAN.

They were no longer God’s Church! You can’t reject God’s truth for demonic doctrines without becoming a part of "Mystery Babylon" (1 Corinthians 10:21; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18). All this has been quite revealing (I Corinthians 11:19).

Knowing the Truth

God knows the end from the beginning (Acts 15:18). He prophesied a great falling away that would leave few standing. The BIG ONE has hit and shaken the Church of God to its core! But isn’t it possible to know the truth without knowing the Truth (2 Timothy 3:7).

God’s calling us to a deeper love and conversion (I John 3:18). Isn’t God’s truth a means to an end? Didn’t Herbert W. Armstrong fear some just "DON’T GET IT?” That too many were only converted to our doctrines? The doctrines are meant to help bring us closer to God by having a better understanding of His Will, but only a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will save us! We need Christ’s teachings, but we need God the Father and Jesus Christ even more! Only they can establish us and secure our salvation (2 Thessalonians 2:13-17). You can have all the understanding in the world and still fall short (I Corinthians 13:2).

Remember Solomon? Just because you know God’s truth, doesn’t mean you know Him! (Job 42:5; I John 2:4) You’re not going to be judged by how much you know, but by HOW MUCH YOU GROW! By how much you apply what you know, becoming more Christ-like, more Godly, more representative of the Kingdom of God, here and now (James 1:22; John 13:35). A system can’t save you and ritual is no substitute for a relationship! (2 Timothy 3:5).

Malachi’s Message Still Applies!

Whereas the Worldwide Church of God was physically rich, aren’t we in danger of feeling spiritually rich and self-complacent (Amos 6:1)? Ancient Israel had God’s holy days; didn’t eat pork, etc. But it didn’t keep them from going into captivity! (Amos 5:21). It wasn’t enough! Worldwide doesn’t feel sufficient, they feel so impoverished they go to Babylon for help! We’re the ones who feel safe and secure! Who said we can let our guard down? We’re commanded to REMAIN ON HIGH ALERT until Christ comes! (Luke 21:34) Yet some are failing to continue to apply Malachi’s Message (Romans 2:17-21). God’s refining process isn’t over! (Daniel 12:10; Isaiah 48:10).

Let’s see to it that Philadelphia Church of God (Judah) doesn’t go the way of the Worldwide Church of God (Israel)! These biblical principles still apply: don’t put undue trust in men; work out your own salvation, it’s not a group affair; beware the scholarly approach that demands you rely on men - not God’s Spirit or personal Bible study. And God help us to look past Petra (though it’s important), to focus on His Kingdom (Luke 21:36; Isaiah 33:17). To survive the Holocaust is one thing, to enter the Kingdom of God is everything! (2 Peter 1:10-11).

Beware of Emperor Worship!

What’s the greatest false doctrine to come out of Babylon? The nefarious idea of a DIVINE EMPEROR! Nimrod had put himself in God’s place! He had people depending on him for all their answers and protection. Today, we have such MEN "playing God" in the Church! (Nahum 1:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:3). There’s nothing new under the sun. Unlike Moses, who wished that all God’s people were prophets (Numbers 11:29), Nimrod felt threatened by any "competition." He dealt cruelly, in a jealous rage, with those who opposed his haughty position. God used Shem to put him back in his place! Leaders are ordained of God; they do have a definite place, but it’s NOT in the Holy of Holies (II Chronicles 26:18)! They’re intruding in God’s business, and trespassing on His sacred ground, when they get out of line and overstep their bounds (Zephaniah1:9; Exodus 19:12; Colossians 2:18). Away with emperor worship! It’s soon to sweep Europe, but we don’t need it in the Church of God. Not if we want to remain the Church of God!

Didn’t Gerald Flurry warn that we were slipping into a Laodicean attitude when he had his unfortunate incident with alcohol? Didn’t he say, after prayerfully wracking his brains to understand why God had allowed that to happen, that we have to be careful not to get proud due to our abundance of revelation (2 Corinthians 12:6-7)? Have we learned that lesson? Has he? With his preoccupation with all his religious titles and self-promotion, we really have to wonder and be most concerned!

Holy, righteous CHARACTER is more important to God than all the revelation in the world! We definitely need the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but God says we should want the FRUITS of his Holy Spirit even more! GET YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT! (1 Corinthians 14:1) I’m convinced God’s about to empower His people like never before, but wants us to be spiritually ready (having learned from the Corinthians’ mistakes), and our ministers mature enough not to get in the way! (Joel 2:28; 1 Thessalonians 5:19).

As far as revelations go, God can inspire unconverted men like Caiphas and speak through donkeys! All truth is from and belongs to God, so why should some become puffed up with pride that they're something special rather than just an instrument serving God's purpose? And why get bloated with self-importance when God can quickly pop that balloon? (I Corinthians 4:6-7).

Warnings from History

If what happened in the Church during the 70’s was a warning of what could happen in the 80’s what about the 90’s? Having survived our Worldwide ordeal, are we now home safe (Jude 5)? Let us pray and examine ourselves this new century: Do we love God or fear men (Acts 5:29)?

God has an ordained government for His Church, but it can gradually fall to Satan - made over in some man’s image - if we blindly follow it and forget that it’s also a means to an end, and not and end in itself! Isn’t that how the Church of God got off track? The Mother spoon fed the brain-dead! We need the Father!

When Church government stops directing us to God and substitutes doctrines or a personality cult instead (III John 9), and refuses correction, God’s glory has left such a bankrupt administration! Will God destroy the very government He’s installed because we’ve failed to use it properly? Some are actually worshipping the government rather than the Governor!

Didn’t God level His Temple, stop the sacrifices, and disband the priesthood? Didn’t he empty the House of Israel and scatter Judah? Wasn’t Jerusalem-headquarters forcibly shut down? Even Hezekiah had to destroy the brass serpent God told Moses to make, because they had perverted its purpose (2 Kings 18:4).

Too often, that which God had intended to become a blessing, became a curse! Such historical warnings don’t curry favor with "the top brass, " but it’s evident God would rather work through a very faithful few than let many misrepresent Him! (Jeremiah 26:18; Ezekiel 5:3-4).

What have we learned from our WCG experience? Haven’t some since scrambled for positions of power, while others claim we’re all equal? (Numbers 16:3; 1 Timothy 1:7; James 3:1) God isn’t an anarchist, and neither should we be. We mustn’t throw out the baby with the bathwater, just because of abuses of power! Proper leadership encourages us to "be all we can be," within God’s law; it encourages us to think and become like our leaders, and able to teach what we’ve been taught—after all we’re PRIEST-KINGS IN TRAINING. (Matthew 10:25; Hebrews 5:12; 2 Timothy 2:2, 15).

The proper use of God’s government never plays politics or acts jealous, but truly has everyones' best interests at heart. (I Cor. 14:26) We’re all members of God’s Royal Family, therefore we ought to respect each others’ part in God’s plan and place in God’s Church. (I Corinthians 12:18).

I truly believe in GOVERNMENT FROM THE TOP DOWN —- and it starts with GOD THE FATHER! That’s why we must always OBEY GOD, even if it means we must disobey men. Wasn’t it ministers who told you to throw Malachi’s Message away? Wasn’t it Church leaders who threw out the faithful? Didn’t we just take their word for it, rather than check out what GOD had to say? Don’t be fooled again!

Do you now CONSULT CHRIST, or are you still playing "follow the leader"? Which is truly learning how to follow God’s government? Have you finally learned this lesson? Or did you ask your minister for permission to read Beyond Babylon? Worldwide all over again? Not if you continue to read and apply Malachi’s Message to yourself. That’s the only way to prevent a "repeat performance". Hopefully, once was enough.

David Ben-Ariel, a Christian-Zionist writer and author of Beyond Babylon: Europe's Rise and Fall, shares a special focus on the Middle East, reflected in hard-hitting articles that help others improve their understanding of that troubled region. Check out the Beyond Babylon blog.