Many Sabbath-keeping members of the Church of God (various groups and organizations associated to one degree or another with Herbert W. Armstrong) sincerely oppose offering for sale any Church of God literature or religious material, since Herbert Armstrong taught us to “buy the truth and don’t sell it”. However, such members of the Church of God must remember that Mr. Armstrong subsequently allowed his books to be made available for sale in bookstores, informing the brothers and associates in a letter dated September 12, 1985:
“There is a very large audience that would never ask for this book [Mystery of the Ages] if it were offered free, that you would never send us your name and address, but that you would gladly buy a copy at the bookstore. By putting it in bookstores we will reach a very large audience that we cannot reach in any other way. We won’t be selling the book ourselves, but it can’t be available to this large audience of book buyers unless bookstores price it.”Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong, Volume 2, page 638).
Some have been angry because Beyond Babylon: The Rise and Fall of Europe It is sold. I remind you of Herbert Armstrong’s words above and Paul’s rhetorical response to some in his day on this principle that we are commanded not to muzzle the ox while threshing and that a laborer is worthy of his wages. Besides, beyond babylon is available for FREE or read online for FREE. God knows I’m certainly not in it for the money, but I gladly share the plain truth of the Bible and history as I can, knowing it’s truly priceless information.
I am also an individual, not a Church organization that receives titles and regular offerings who therefore have no need to sell anything as they are equipped to offer everything, ideally, for free. I do not believe that any Church of God organization should sell Church of God literature. However, those on the field, who are not part of the administration or headquarters, have the God-given right to do whatever is necessary. Yeshua did not condemn the sale of sacrificial animals, but he was rightly outraged that such commercial activities were carried out in the Temple courtyards and at exorbitant prices. Many were making a killing instead of offering a service.
A member of the Philadelphia Church of God recently wrote to me about this and other Church of God issues.
Didn’t he try to force his book on the ministers and the church of God?
You are welcome. Gerald Flurry refused to go through with beyond babylon and he fell backwards, treading on old ground and now he goes in circles, as usual, while Europe rises up and Judah and Israel have not yet been warned.
Maybe you should have waited until the time came.
Don’t you think that God goes first to His Church and then to His Nation? It was time to bring beyond babylon before Flurry, who I consider to be the leader of this Laodicean era of the Church of God.
Do you think you are one of the 2 witnesses?
God knows, but what I do know is that we must at least prepare the way for them with Judah and NONE of the Church of God groups reach the cities of Judah.
It would be an honor to be one. I have often prayed for them and in my stupidity wished that I could be one of them.
It would be an honor and a great responsibility and the most hated job in the world since it would be the rejection of many in the Church, initially, and of almost everyone, with a bloody end until the resurrection to physical life just before the return. of the King, Yeshua the Messiah. There are no fancy dinners or fancy invitations for the Two Witnesses, but plenty of murderous misunderstandings and hateful insults.
But I’m just a lay member…
There is no such thing as “just” a lay member. They all have their God-given place in God’s Church and are equally important to what God has called them to do.
It seems to me that you focus too much on physical Jews.
You are welcome. Herbert Armstrong always told us that “WATCH JERUSALEM!” Who is in Jerusalem? JEWS! The gospel began and will return there. The true church of God is not there now even though “Elijah” went there. This must change.
Mr. Armstrong, near the time of his death, said in one of his sermons or Bible studies that they are not as important as he once thought, since they don’t even believe in Jesus Christ.
I don’t believe it at all and I don’t think he ever said it. I quote what we know for sure that Herbert Armstrong said about the importance of reaching the cities of Judah. It is documented. Shamefully, it is something that has not yet been done but the foundations have been laid, although the Work in Israel is temporarily suspended by government decree as it was in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah.
Mr. Flurry never read your book, has he?
I don’t know. Wayne Turgo [Gerald Flurry’s son-in-law] she gave him a printout years ago and he returned it to her saying, “She’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 pointed out to him (having been injured to live next to both), and my disagreement with him when he said that the Pope was the only religious leader to sit on a throne and I did mention that the Queen of England is also the head of the Anglican Church (although I agree with the point she was making against the Roman Catholic cult).
I would love to find those letters, however, during my many moves to Israel, I thought I had them stored at my sister’s house, but she can’t find them. Such letters also include correspondence from Dr. Herman Hoeh years ago about Jews and their color variations and why. I met Dr. Hoeh at the Toronto Singles Weekend (singles from all parts of the Church of God attended) where he spoke and invited us to write to him, which of course I did.
I subsequently sent an autographed copy of a self-published BED AND BREAKFAST (beyond babylon) to Flurry’s house for him and his wife, who told me (during the Feast of Tabernacles in Louisville) about my name: “What a strong Judah name!”
Dennis Leap said he read parts and it was not necessary for him or Flurry to read it, unlike Mr. Armstrong who wanted Sardis (Church of God, Seventh Day) to read his manuscript: America and Britain in Prophecy. what did you do.
Well, I hear you loud and clear. I don’t agree with some of the headquarters decisions, but they are just as human as we are and can make mistakes, including Mr. Flurry. Sometimes we just have to suffer the bad and move on.
I readily accept and acknowledge that fact, but if it is a mistake or a sin, we learn from it, acknowledge it, and move on with more wisdom. Flurry hasn’t done any of those humble things. Regardless, I keep going without him as he backtracks trying to play HWA and God in the Temple, it pains me to say.
David, I hope and pray for your return to PCG… Mr. Flurry has been involved in personal appearance campaigns and I believe he plans to go to Joseph and Judah next year. david’s key It will no longer air on TV and we are now focusing on personal warnings.
Remember that we are baptized into the Body of Jesus Christ, not into any sect or denomination of men. I remain a member of the spiritual Church of God that is not subject to membership lists at the mercy of men. Do you remember Diotrephes? (3 John verses 9-11).
What do you mean they’ve ruled out TV shows (although I’ve always criticized them constructively, through Wayne Turgeon, who used to write to me very frequently, that no one except a very limited religious audience would watch the shows at the hours they were displayed). As Turgeon can testify, I also said they needed a toll-free number (which years later they got); I said that they needed a website with Church literature (which years later they have); need to post beyond babylon freely (which they still don’t) and take out ads in major newspapers like HWA to reach EVERYONE and get EVERYONE talking about our controversial God-given message.
We really need better advertising.
Yes, because I’ve done my own tests and polls on many internet forums to see that the general public has no idea who Flurry is, has never heard of PCG, and doesn’t know the warning message at all. All that money for what? A private club?
Too bad you only see what you think is bad, but God has to prepare his family first to marry his Son before he can properly deal with the world.
And how does God do that? Have we looked at the navel of our Church – the seat of the Church as the center of our attention? – or by the way of giving, overflowing concern for the good and well-being of OTHERS – like the cities of Judah. Otherwise, people will never feel ready to reach out and will have been shown to be deceived by Satan, who does not want the Work to GO FORWARD. As we get closer, God help us, He will work in us and through us at the same time.
I know all that is good about PCG and continue to direct people to their literature and the philadelphia trumpet magazine despite his refusal to send it to me. They even know that I have given them contacts in the Middle East, in Jerusalem, Jewish leaders, and that it was me that God used to contact the mayor of Jerusalem to repair the HWA monument (in Liberty Bell Park in Jerusalem), and then he I forwarded the information to Flurry (who didn’t even say thank you and wasn’t even aware of her sorry neglect which I knew from having been there so many times). Bet you didn’t know that, did you?
He had written an open letter to the mayor of Jerusalem, Uri Lupolianski, which was published in The Jerusalem Post. His office contacted me to ask what groups or organizations I was referring to that would be interested in taking financial responsibility for the restoration of the monument and the rest is history.
