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United 'Church of God' Good News? or Bad News? By Malcolm B Heap, Midnight Ministries Copyright © Midnight Ministries Copyright of Midnight Ministries may be waived and this publication duplicated without asking permission, if full credit is given to the source (with the address) and if the contents are not altered. Likewise, publications of Midnight Ministries may be translated into any other language without asking permission, provided that the translation is as accurate as possible to the meaning of the original text, and full credit is given to the source (with the address). The distribution of God's truth should not be restricted by copyright.. |
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Jesus reproved the religious leaders of His day for hypocrisy (Matt 23). He warned that such falsity would be exposed for the vileness that it is (Luke 12:1,2). God hates hypocrisy! The task of prophets is to reprove, to expose hidden sin, and to sound a call to repentance. And Jesus was God's main Prophet at that time. So, many of the things He said trod on people's toes – especially the self-righteous and proud.
Jesus brought light from God. His prophets bring light. They expose and reprove, too.
Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? For there is nothing hidden which shall not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear. Then He said to them, 'Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him' (Mark 4:21-25, NKJV).
This truism reveals the way God works. He gives people spiritual knowledge, but if they are not careful with what they have 'heard' – if they don't use it properly, by living it with honest and sincere motives of the heart – they will lose what they had.
The principle is expanded in Revelation, where Jesus warns each of the seven churches about the need to be spiritually alert. The church which does not properly use what it is given loses it:
I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place – unless you repent (Rev 2:5, NKJV).
This applies to a church's ability to reach out. God can, and does, take away the platform He gives certain people.
Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you (Rev 3:3, NKJV).
That coming as a thief is to take away from you what you think you have. He is coming in judgement, to condemn, and to exact retribution – a troubling thought! It is a frightening prospect!
The trouble is, those who have fallen through neglect, self-will and pride, don't see Him coming through another. Usually He comes through a prophet. But they arrogantly disdain warnings from prophets. People like that all fall, with no way up!
UCG – A House Of Rebels
Such is the tragic spiritual state of MOST of the men who lead the Churches of God. UCG is among that house of rebels. They rebel against the Holy Spirit.
You won't notice, of course, if you are just a 'regular member' of such an organisation, because you have been conditioned to trust 'your ministry' and not to criticise them. Rebellion against the Spirit of God comes in very subtle guises. It is discreetly covered up, and like hypocrisy, it needs exposing. True prophets will do that. God shows them what is wrong through revelation.
You will notice in the correspondence below, the rank hypocrisy in UCG leaders, and how they are devoid of the Holy Spirit. They operate 'in the flesh', not led by the Spirit of God, but by demon spirits!
In fact, some CoG ministers are so conceited, proud and exclusive that they claim THEY are the sole recipients of the Holy Spirit! It's blasphemy! Jesus categorically said that ANYONE who comes to Him and believes in Him can do what He does (Jn 14:12), because they have His Spirit living in them (Jn 14:16-18). Peter was under no illusions about the widespread availability of the Spirit of God to indwell the humble and obedient (Acts 2:38, 39; 5:32). But these arrogant CoG blunderheads have turned the holy scripture upside down, and are in massive denial of Truth!
They are false ministers!!
Discerning Between False & True
Before you dismiss these words as those of another crank, you should consider what the fruits are of the mentors in whom you place your trust. Jesus said you would know whether a man is a false minister by his spiritual fruits. These are listed in the article Combating The Strongholds of Satan, in the book Testing The Spirits, and the booklet Apostasy In God's Church! All those publications complement one another in the information they contain.
Members usually cannot perceive the tell-tale traits of false ministers. It takes discerning of spirits to see through their pleasant facade to the core of their being. But they can be hypocrites, controllers, manipulators, and without any evidence of the power of God's Spirit in their lives or ministries.
Conversely, we come with evidence of divine approval accompanying our ministry. Besides the extensive Dream Diary – Helena and I receive dreams from God regularly, and we have recorded many of these – others equally sold out to God and who have come into contact with the anointing upon this ministry also receive dreams from God confirming our appointment as prophets.
As evidence that I am a true prophet, I have forwarded the hundreds of pages of our dreams to UCG headquarters and some other UCG outreach addresses. Also a number of confirmations given to independent witnesses about MM's work are written in two leaflets: Revelations From God About MM, and What God Said About MM. I won't repeat those here. If you want that confirmation from other witnesses of what God spoke to them about me and Midnight Ministries, please request the above titles.
UCG – A Church of Satan!
It's not what UCG teaches, but what UCG DOESN'T teach, which tells you all about who they represent. It's not God. It's Satan.
That will shock many. It's intended to. How else can you wake up somnolent, gullible, shallow Christians?! Paul warned of these deceivers:
...having a form of godliness but denying its power... from such people turn away (2 Tim 3:5, NKJV).
The power of God is not evident in UCG, because the Holy Spirit is shut outside. UCG 'ministers' have stolen control and seized for them- selves the prerogatives and functions of the Spirit of God, which include:
You as a member, and they, will not be able to see this transfer. It is discreet, hidden, secret.
But the ugly truth is that men have shoved Jesus outside the church and taken control inside. The only way you can see what has occurred is by looking at what UCG ministers DON'T teach.
Jesus gave these commands, but UCG does not practice what He said, nor does UCG have the evidence that He said you should see:
These truths that are denied by UCG – because they involve the power of God that UCG quenches by its teaching and practice – are fully explained in Midnight Ministries' literature:
These are aspects of biblical teaching and practice that UCG and all other CoGs deny:
(Paul said in 1 Thes 5:19, DON'T put out or quench the Spirit's fire! UCG does just that!)
Besides the eight publications listed above, other MM booklets explain more:
Truths 'lost' or hidden to the Church are being restored! These ARE the days of Elijah! But UCG and all the other CoGs are ignorant of what God is doing in this end-time restoration. Some of them are blindly preaching about it, unaware that it has mostly been done – and it is not they who are doing the restoration. They are too proud, self- elevated and arrogant for God to use them. He won't give His glory to men. He reserves it for Himself.
UCG does not recognise God's Work on earth! God is working outside the institutions of men, just as He did with Elijah.
He is using prophets. But organised churches do not accept His prophets. They want the acclaim that they think prophets have; they want it for them- selves. Because of that sin, they are spiritually blind.
God Speaks Through A Dream
Last night I finished writing the above and then I went to bed. I was really tired. It was after midnight. Just before waking up, God gave me this dream. It portrays the UCG.
People who are ignorant dismiss such things as the result of too much work the day before or eating cheese. You can ridicule dreams and reject them if you want. But the truth is that God speaks to His prophets through dreams (Num 12:6) and He always backs them up. The dream last night confirms the veracity of what I am writing here.
8th August 2005. M. UCG Men in their prison cell. I was looking down upon four men in a small prison cell. They were sitting in a horrible watery mess of urine and faeces. I communicated with two of them. The other two were in the background, silent and completely inactive. I had carefully written out a long page of explanation, exhortation and encouragement. It was all painstakingly handwritten in black ink on the white paper. I dropped the paper down to them. It fluttered down and the guy on the right caught it, but he took the briefest of looks at it and then dropped it into the mire they were sitting in. He didn't care for it at all. The guy on the left was sitting up higher and more upright than the other one, but because the other guy had dumped the sheet, he couldn't have the benefit of it. I was concerned about how we could help these people. There was only one way and that was through intercession. But my part in that intercession was to berate the authorities who had allowed them to be left in such a mess, and to petition them for better conditions.
Meaning: This depicts UCG. The dream was given because yesterday I sent our dream diaries to a minister in UCG in Africa, who dismissed everything as junk and falsity – he dropped the paper into the mire. The dream portrays allegorically the spiritual mess they are in. They have no cleansing from sin, and the people are all imprisoned in a dungeon, unable to get out. Half of them are completely inactive, spiritually dead! The authorities are UCG leaders who are responsible. Next will be an appeal from me to them to do something to release these people from their prison.
That appeal is right in front of your eyes. God spoke to predict what He would do to offer release to UCG folks, and now He is doing so in these words.
For those not familiar with dreams from God and their symbolism, I should explain more. Men depict leaders of churches. Sometimes the symbol portrays those who are authoritarian. Churches are usually portrayed as women. Converted believers are generally depicted as women, because they are called to be part of the Bride.
The man on the right depicts someone who is a ritualist (who relies upon himself and what he does by his own efforts). That shuts the Spirit of God outside the door of His life. He is without the Holy Spirit. It depicts the UCG minister in Africa to whom I sent all our dream diaries. He responded with hostility, calling me "a prophet of doom and an agent of Satan the Arch-deceiver."
Rebels Are Exposed
You assess whether that response was justified and who was being influenced by the devil.
Here is what I wrote to him first:
5th August 2005 Dear A, It has come to my attention that you have claimed that I have misinterpreted dreams which God has given me. Please, therefore, show me where I am wrong. I will include below the current 2005 section of my dream diary, and after this I will send you our 'complete' dream diary which contains dreams from 1997 onwards. I would be grateful if you would point out the inaccuracies and make corrections according to the lead of the Holy Spirit. It is a fearful thing to find fault with input from God, and to wrongly handle the word of God, and I don't want to be found guilty in His sight. Revelations from God have a sanctity that should not be defiled, so I am asking you for your response so that truth can prevail. I would hope that you share my sentiments. [Clearly he didn't.] Since you are such an authority on such things, you must have a pretty extensive dream diary yourself, which I would like to see. [Of course, I was being facetious. His arrogance shuts Jesus firmly outside his door.]
Thank you. Sincerely, Malcolm B Heap
His reply in full:
6th August 2005 You are a prophet of doom and an agent of Satan the Arch deceiver. Do not ever ever ever ever write to me. Whoever gave you my email address without my permission will suffer the consequences, Period.
Friendly, eh? That's a sample of UCG real brotherly kindness! The man rebels against sub- mission to the Spirit. I wrote him a quick reply:
8th August 2005 Dear A, Your response is so silly. All you can do is accuse me of being a prophet of doom. You won't address the issue I have raised, because you can't. You are too fearful to, aren't you? You want to hide from the light. You don't want to be shown up to have been in the wrong. You claimed that I have misinterpreted dreams which God has given me, so I asked you for the substantiation of your claim. And all you can do is chuck another false accusation at me, just like your mentor, satan the adversary and accuser. Either you know you are blatantly in error in your false accusations against me, or you are deeply, deeply deceived. Well, if that's what you want, carry on in your deception and in lying to yourself. You don't fool God, nor me, nor any true believer who is willing to see the light. I'm sorry you choose to be in the devil's camp, but that's your choice and you will have to suffer the consequences of that.
Jesus said you would know false believers by their fruits (Matt 7:15-23). This little exercise is to expose the evil spiritual fruits in those who dress in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ferocious wolves!
Don't Be Fooled By UCG
I wrote to another about the unseen dangers that lurk beneath the surface of UCG:
Are you aware that UCG is a cult? That it denies the power of the Holy Spirit? These are ones you are warned to avoid and have nothing to do with (2 Tim 3:5.). You won't have the spiritual perception to recognise a cult devoid of the Spirit, because their publications are slick and look good; they preach messages that contain truth (even much biblical truth); but when it comes to matters to do with the Spirit, they shut out the Spirit. They claim they have the Spirit, but they don't. They are guided by demons. Beware! They don't accept prophets of God, nor the gifts of the Spirit, nor true baptism in the Spirit with supernatural power from God. They claim they do, but they don't. They are deceived and deceive others. They trap people into their exclusivism, where they end up following men, worshipping men, and persecute those led by the Spirit. They are agents of Satan! I know that sounds hard to believe, but truth is stranger than fiction. [There is] a mixture of truth and error. Its main failing is that it denies the Spirit of God, and also takes no account of the influence and power of demonic spirits upon the human mind, against which you have no power. The only way you can control your thoughts is with the indwelling of God's Spirit in your mind to counter demonic spirits that hover over you and use you as a carrier. You probably don't realise it, but the demons influencing your mind helped you to write that short essay (if you wrote it, or whoever wrote it). It was not inspired by God. Some of the thoughts expressed are demonic in origin, and are subtle counterfeits of the truths of God. It is a humanistic piece of writing, mixing some aspects of truth with some error and falsity, just like the devil's lies in the garden in Eden to the first humans. Just one example of many I could cite: you say "Attaining peace of mind, happiness, satisfaction, inner strength, spiritual enlightenment and realizing the inner self is spiritual success." But how can you achieve any of that without the indwelling of the Spirit of God? IT'S TOTALLY IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT GOD'S HELP!! Do you not know what the inner self is in each person who has not yet realised their need for God inside them? It is vile! (Jer 17:9; Rom 3:10-12; 8:7,8.) God uses the word "worthless" (Rom 3:12) and "unable to please Him" (Rom 8:8). There is simply nothing inside a person of any value without the Spirit of God. You mentioned nothing to do with people's need to submit to God, lay down their self-will and pride, and receive His Spirit. In fact, that piece of writing encourages pride and self-elevation [which is what UCG subtly does] – the precise opposite of what writings inspired by God's Spirit encourage – humility and self- abasement! You would be better advised to fill your mind with the truths of God that are contained in publications that God has approved. Do you know which publications He has commended by revelation? Where's His commendation (2 Cor 10:18) on UCG materials? There isn't any. But Midnight Ministries materials have God's commendation. Many individuals have written to us, telling us of dreams God has given to them about MM publications, that they are inspired, and that they contain God's truths that set people free. Do you want setting free? Do you want to receive the Spirit of God? Or are you just a religious hobbyist?
Many will vehemently disagree with what I wrote there. They will defend UCG on the basis of the fact that it teaches much 'truth'. And I'm sure it does! But that is not the yardstick by which you are to judge whether a church, or minister, or believer is of God. Jesus didn't say you test them by their knowledge of biblical doctrine. He said you must test them (testing is not optional, but required – see 1 Jn 4:1) by their fruits – spiritual fruits, not physical ones, nor even intellectual ones. You know, the devil doesn't mind you having much truth in your intellect, because he can still hook you and make you his lackey.
Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up (1 Cor 8:1, NIV).
One of the best tricks in Satan's book is to let a person have lots of what they think is 'truth' – Bible knowledge – get them puffed up by it, and then that shuts out the Spirit of God, so there is no love there. In that elevated state, proudly lifted up in your delusion, you are far from God and He is far from you, like the person 'A' mentioned earlier.
You need humbling. You need to be broken. You need to start like a little child all over again. Only then will God accept you. And when you have laid down all these subtle idols in which you put your trust, He comes in by His Spirit, washes you clean, and gives you spiritual gifts to confirm His indwelling.
But that evidence of the Spirit is just not to be seen in UCG! UCG members put their organisation in place of Christ, and their ministers in the place which the Holy Spirit should occupy. Worship has been reduced to a human level. The Spirit is absent.
It's tragic. And the biggest tragedy of all is that UCG members and ministers are deceived. They THINK they are pleasing God, doing God's will, and have the Holy Spirit, but they don't. Of course, they don't know that they don't. Try telling them, and their pride shuts you down immediately.
UCG Mortuaries!
Jesus puts it this way in Revelation:
You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realise that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked (Rev 3:17, NIV).
Jesus' admonition is strong:
'I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, so that you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so that you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent! Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will go in and eat with him, and he with Me' (Rev 3:18-20, NIV).
Can you hear His voice? He's speaking to you now!
Many will not open that door, because the price is too high. It will cost them too much – so they think – because they are trying to hold on to things for themselves. Pride is the main thing they try to hold onto. Only those who are willing to give up all their pride, and forfeit their all in complete abandonment to Jesus and His love, only they will be willing to respond and open the door.
It takes humility. And unfortunately, like the WCG and all CoGs, that's not what UCG breeds.
I wrote to one who defected from helping us, and who went back into the prison of UCG:
The CoGs are spiritual mortuaries, where the Spirit of God is shut out, and people are being prepared for slaughter. Of course, most people won't see that. It takes spiritual discernment to see through the slick publications CoGs produce. But they are NOT produced by the inspiration of the Spirit of God (as God has confirmed that MM's are1), but by the power of human intellect alone. Unspiritual people can't tell the difference between the two. They only look at the outside, the appearance, and they are convinced by the factual writing which contains much truth from the Bible, perhaps as much as 90%.. BUT, what CoG publications omit is vital. It's that missing 10% which contains what is of the Spirit, and which brings life. And people who are undiscerning don't see it lacking in the CoGs. So, they are hooked, deceived! It's easy for the devil to deceive people. He claims many victims. Those whom God calls into His service start out on the right road, but they soon get side-tracked as Satan plays on their fleshly affections or desires (see 2 Cor 6:12). They didn't sell out to God (see 2 Cor 8:5). That was what God required you to do – to give yourself completely to the Lord, in service to Him, and secondly to us in the work for which He has called us all. Think about 2 Cor 8:5, and all the things in 2 Cor 6-8. It's not easy to serve Him. We have to deny what we want, and what are often our natural pulls, even denying the demands of unconverted family and friends where their demands upon us conflict with God's demands upon us. You remember that God forewarned you in dreams of two areas of temptation that would threaten your service to Him? That was in 2002. One dream was about UCG. [That dream portrayed UCG ministers comparing the size of their sex organs. The meaning is spiritual. It is an allegory of their carnality, pride and man-domination.] ...We have to face these realities, as sad as they are, and not let them get in the way of God's calling and purpose for us which has to be supreme in our lives. Where you went wrong is that you allowed yourself to serve two masters. You let those false masters take you away from serving the true One who is worthy of your complete devotion. You knew that CoGs are vomit holes – pits of Satan – traps where there is no Spirit of God, only a counterfeit through intellectual appreciation of God's Word and human leadership. You allowed your love of money to take hold and control you, so that you worked for a false god, and that blinded you. You lost your way. I think you see some of your mistake, but perhaps you don't see just how much you were trapped, and still are because the experience has stolen away your faith. You are expressing faith in me, but not faith in God to help you out of your problems. You shouldn't pray to me (ask me for help). You should pray to God (ask Him for His help), and if your heart is truly turned to Him, He will help you. ... [God] continually tests His people, to encourage each of us to put our complete trust in Him. But we are only able to do that as we fully love Him and His truth. Either we trust Him or we love ourselves. Those are the options. If you love Him, and care for the people who have been hooked by the false ministers of the CoGs, you should warn them of what you were warned via the dream. You should tell those whom you know in UCG of that dream and what it means. Those men are carnal. They are proud. They are all in the flesh. There is no Spirit there in their lives. They are not converted. Those ministers are charlatans. The dream indicates all that. And you can quote me for a second witness, for every matter is established in the mouth of two or three witnesses... You need to help ALL the people whom you have been fellowshipping with in the CoGs, or whom you have had contact with in these false churches, because they are deceived. They need the truth to deliver them. If you carefully think about what God has revealed about us and through us, you will know how to approach them and what to pass on to them. CoGs have NO COMMENDATION FROM GOD (2 Cor 10:18), but we do through revelations given to others.[1] (You should know all that.) There is NO HOLY SPIRIT REVELATION TO THE COG MINISTERS. The Spirit is absent, so you need to warn the people that they have been dancing with demons and fellowshipping with felons. False ministers carry demons. They are MOVED BY demons. That's why they are manipulative, controlling, and abusive, as you saw in Osoo. False Christians have those same traits. I hope this helps you to make the break which you need to do, so that you can start again to be used by God. Remember, you didn't work for me. As you worked for God, He took care of you... It's not money you need. It's His guidance and inspiration on your work which you need. And, because you have stepped back and been influenced by demons, you have lost that. Other masters stole away your heart. When you have God's guidance and inspiration -- which comes with a dedicated heart, serving God truly – the money comes too. So, at the moment you are still looking in the wrong direction – to me and money, instead of to God and His provision. It all depends upon you and which direction you determine to go. You would do well to be with the influence of godly people around you... and as you re-commit yourself to God, He will work things out and the anointing can return upon you... OK? Any questions, do write. Wishing you well. You're a dear brother in the Lord, and He doesn't want to lose you. God bless. Malcolm
I didn't hear back from him. But one day I will. His silence is due to the psychological control he has put himself under in the UCG. It's easier, some think, to go back to Egypt, where we had garlic, fish, onions, leeks, melons and cucumbers – even though we were in captivity (Num 11:5).
Isn't humanity fickle!? It sacrifices what's best spiritually for what is more expedient physically.
UCG's Control Is Satanic
Hierarchy in churches is satanic. Amazingly, that was revealed to Herbert Armstrong, the UCG's original mentor, back in the thirties.[2] But, when the church he founded began to steadily grow bigger and bigger, he preferred to deny that truth, forget it, and establish the hierarchy which he previously knew to be against God's will.[3] When men take control of the spiritual direction of people's lives, they play God. They have put themselves in the place of the Holy Spirit. They shut Jesus outside the door. He wants to come in, but He is not allowed, because minds are controlled by men. All this is blasphemy. The greatest blasphemy is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, for which there can be no forgiveness. That is committed when men call the wonderful gifts of the Spirit satanic!
When they label the things of God as evil, like the man 'A' did earlier in rejecting me as a 'prophet of doom and an agent of Satan', they call evil good and good evil. For minds like that there is no way back. There is no repentance when they willingly reject the good things of God's Spirit.
UCG Condemns Spiritual Gifts
The signs that Jesus said WOULD follow His true believers (Mark 16:17-20) include:
Speaking in tongues. Interpreting tongues. And prophesying.
The trouble is, these gifts are decried and denied in UCG, as in most other CoGs from a WCG origin, through ignorance and bigotry. Excessive human control shuts out the Spirit of God in UCG. Their experience does not extend that far. UCG appreciation of the things of God is limited by what the human mind can appreciate naturally. But the gifts of God are supernatural, and such things are folly to the natural mind of man, as Paul wrote:
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Cor 2:14, NIV).
True to Paul's words, if UCG folks were to go into a meeting where everyone is speaking in tongues, they will think it madness (1 Cor 14:23). And so they do! UCG mentors argue ignorantly about tongues, because it is outside their own experience, and they reduce the Word of God to the level of their very limited experience, instead of humbly admitting they still have things to learn.
One man received the Spirit in a Sunday- keeping church and started to speak in tongues when he prayed. (This is a common phenomenon to those who have faith to accept the spiritual gifts). Then God revealed to him the truth of the Sabbath being on the 7th day, and he joined UCG in order to observe that command. But did UCG folks then learn from him about tongues, as he was willing to learn about the Sabbath? No.
So, he came out. I applaud him. That was the right thing to do, to leave behind those who do not move on with the Spirit of God.
UCG 'ministers' were downgrading the gift of tongues, demeaning it, speaking against it, wanting to prevent it occurring, and to limit his spirituality.
Here are some of his remarks followed by my comments on what he said:
<< I've been praying in tongues. >> That's so encouraging to hear, since so many from an intellectual-approach-to-the-Bible-background just don't accept such things. << (UCG). They were teaching that if one is to speak in tongues then there must be an interpreter. >> That's rubbish! Paul's comments were specifically directed to a specific problem of exhibitionism, vanity and performance in Corinth. They are not meant to be a complete statement about all tongues prayer, or for all situations. Three pray in tongues in our meetings, but if there were five of six, I dare say that they would all pray (which some contest is contrary to what Paul 'commanded'). Sometimes we get interpretations, sometimes we don't. It depends what God wants, and how receptive people are. << They also taught that tongues only came on Pentecost as a sign of the coming of the Holy Spirit. >> Yeah, I know the garbage they teach. It's completely ANTI-The Holy Spirit and an affront to God! It is untrue that tongues was only a phenomenon on Pentecost. When Gentile believers received the Spirit, they spoke in tongues, too. See Acts 10:44-48. Moreover, although believers in Samaria had been baptized into the name of Jesus, they were not aware that they could receive the Holy Spirit. They had not been taught to receive the Spirit, so they didn't receive it. Their baptism was one in acknowledgement of an intellectual change – just the same as that which UCG and other CoGs accept. See Acts 8:16. When they were taught that they could and should receive the Holy Spirit, they prayed to that effect, and the Spirit baptised them (Acts 8:15-17). When Simon the sorcerer SAW that they had received this amazing thing, he wanted to buy the ability to impart this power (Acts 8:18,19). This power was clearly demonstrable – because the Spirit's baptism was accompanied by speaking in tongues. Just as Jesus said, it's according to your faith. And faith comes by hearing the truth of the Word of God (Rom 10:17). If your faith is based on wrong teaching, you won't receive. It's as simple as that. In Ephesus, Paul found some followers of John the Baptist. Likewise, they had not been given complete teaching. They had only come to the point of acknowledging their need of repentance, but had not received the Spirit. Once they had been given the fuller truth, "Paul placed his hands on them, [and] the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied" (Acts 19:6, NIV).
UCG Lords It Over Members
Members of UCG in Kenya were looking forward to attending UCG's Feast of Tabernacles. They had been promised a place by John Elliott and other UCG 'ministers'. But when these men found out that some of their members had been reading MM materials and having contact with one of MM's 'reps' in Kenya, they were suddenly struck off the list without an honest explanation and prevented from attending. They were very hurt.
Remember Jesus' words about charlatans: "by their fruits you will recognise them..."
These men don't want a following for Jesus. They want a following for themselves, and use Jesus' name to get it. It's diabolical, but so subtle!
An ex-UCG correspondent wrote to me about this evil control they exert over people:
<< I used to read books by Derek Prince sometimes in the past. I'm blessed by his tape... Now I'm a free person, I was restricted by UCG not even to study other literature not authored by them... >>
Why is UCG so terrified of what other groups produce? Because UCG leaders don't have the Spirit; because they are led by Satan and demons; and Satan and his demons are terrified of the light that exposes them! That's the raw truth!
When our friend asked us whom he could invite to his Sabbath meetings to feed the brethren spiritual food, I had to explain that he doesn't need to rely upon men. The Spirit will guide him, as he learns how to listen more fully to Jesus' voice:
You can handle things and act as the overseer, providing spiritual food through your own messages, or with tapes, videos, and encouraging other spiritually-minded folks to share, and for all who are able, to take part. ...as you probably are becoming aware, we don't operate like the UCG or other churches, where they look up to their mentors and expect them to be leaders. Fellowship is meant to be fellowship, not a lording-it-over-others session, or a time-to-look-up-to-the-preacher and time-for-him-to-elevate- himself session in the guise of preaching.
He described how he left UCG amicably, but how UCG controllers had bad-mouthed me with slanderous accusations. (No UCG 'ministers' have ever approached me to find out the truth of these false accusations. They WANT to throw evil at me! Remember Jesus' words: "You will know them by their evil fruits." Evil trees don't bear good fruits, nor do good trees bear evil fruits. The tree is known by its fruits.)
Here is what he wrote:
I gave a farewell service and detailed biblical reasons for my departure quoting from MM literature and giving scriptural back-up. Xxxxxx our senior overseer of UCG came here on [date]. Seemingly he was informed over the phone by someone about the events which had preceded his coming. He spent the night here and [the next day], we sat to discuss my departure. I explained every bit of Christian doctrine that I disagreed with in the UCG. I gave him biblical references and quoted for him from MM literature and told him how they [UCG] were lording it over us. And the restrictions they gave us not to interact with others. He listened patiently and responded when I was through. He told me he sympathised with me [that's a lie; if it were true, the UCG minister wouldn't tell further lies to try to disaffect him against MM] if I was joining MM... He accused you of pride, misinterpretation of dreams [the critic doesn't get ANY dreams! so he's no judge!], being a lone ranger [the prophets were all 'lone rangers'], using and dumping people, being harsh and brutal, exploiting people and many other things. He discouraged me totally against associating with MM. He asked me to contact people like [mentions some rebels who are not willing to fully obey God's truth revealed in MM publications] who have dealt with you, and I would know what I was going into. He told me that I would regret the step I was taking. He told me that recently they received a letter from an anonymous source showing that all people who have been working with MM here in Kenya are departing [untrue]. Therefore that was a vacated camp. [But even if it were true – and some have departed from the truth we promote – that was true in Jesus' ministry. See Jn 6:66. Even His disciples all forsook Him and fled at one time, so the man's reasoning is bent and loaded in one direction.] ...Given that he understands my present financial position, he capitalised on that to promise me good things ahead. [That's how vile this group is. They use money to 'buy' people!] But then I told him mine was a decided case.
I replied:
You mentioned in a previous e-mail about UCG policy of discouraging people from reading literature from other sources than UCG. That was what the WCG did for most of its history, and is based on exclusivist philosophy – that the WCG is (was) God's one and only true church – that the Holy Spirit is only available to and through them. This false concept was believed in various shades of intensity. The UCG has continued on with that highly prejudiced mindset, which is satanic. I don't know how much you know of this, but I thought I should mention it in case anyone is unaware of how devious these cults are. That's what the UCG is – a cult – as the WCG still is, despite its noises to the contrary. A cult is a group of people who follow their human leaders and ascribe divine qualities to them, or give them unswerving obedience as if they are God's sole representatives. Thus, the human leaders take the place of Jesus in the church, and so the Holy Spirit is not welcome and spiritual gifts are decried and prevented from being harnessed. You probably know some, or much, about this already. If you have the A5 size leaflet Opposition Against The Power of God (blue cover), it explains more. The UCG suggestion (or instruction) that members should only read UCG materials, or those 'passed by' UCG hierarchy, amounts to control. By contrast, you are free to read anything from any source you want. You don't need my permission to do so, because I don't have that right to control you, nor do I want it. God doesn't exercise control over people. He gives them freedom of choice. People have to choose. That's in His plan for each person to decide what they want to do, whether they will obey Him or not. As far as 'our' literature goes, you know that God has given revelation to confirm that He has inspired its compilation, but that doesn't mean that you should read only MM literature, or only listen to MM tapes, etc. No, you are free to read and listen to whatever is spiritually stimulating by other ministers, but of course you have to be like the Bereans and check out what you hear and be discerning... because wherever you look throughout the Church Universal there is a mixture of truth and error. It is wicked for men to want to clone people (make them over into their image, to be just like them in what they believe, think and how they behave, etc.) Such control is caused by the presence of evil spirits. There are three main essences of the working of evil controlling spirits of witchcraft. You may know of this from the teachings of Derek Prince. He was good on some of these things. He mentioned: 1. Manipulation. 2. Intimidation. 3. Domination. All these are exercised with the object of controlling you spiritually. All are evident in UCG ministers, lording it over others, subjugating them under their hierarchic rule and squelching the individuality which God wants each child of His to develop. That was the evil modus operandi behind WCG, UCG, and all CoG leadership behaviour. You have said it well – "lording it over" others. In the slander of Xxxxx against me, that is the motive behind what he said. It was to try to manipulate you back into their fold and under their control. Intimidation is an attempt to make you fear (not that you do). With such fear ruling (fear to disobey church authority, etc.), Satan can then maintain domination over the minds which are subject to him through fear. The 'big brass' UCG leaders exert as much domination, manipulation and intimidation as they think they can get away with, to try and hold people in subjection to their rule. It's all wrong as I'm sure you know. What Xxxxxx said about me is all slanderous (false accusations). He has obviously heard a lot of gossip, some of which will have come from disenchanted people like... and others who were once with us, but who defected after they didn't GET what they wanted out of us. I won't waste the time to try to clear my name of that slander. That's what they want to believe, and Xxxxxx believes it because it suits his pride to do so. It elevates him and 'his church', and puts me down as a prophet of God. But then all the prophets were treated like that, so it's nothing new. We have to get used to it. Anyway, I hope this encourages you not to be intimidated by anything they say, and not to fear them in any way. God is on your side, because you seek to do His will. They are out of His will, and the demons that control their minds can't harm you because He that is in us is greater than he that is in them (1 Jn 4:4). Pass on our best wishes and blessing to all the brethren with you. God bless. Your brother in Christ, Malcolm
Another correspondent told me how she was reaching out to others. I encouraged her because UCG forbids 'ordinary' members to do that. I wrote:
You Should Meet With Jesus
We don't have organised feast sites like UCG arranges (which are according to the traditions of the WCG – they are merely following on in their footsteps without questioning the way to do things). Midnight Ministries encourages believers to come before God in small groups to worship truly as the Spirit leads you (see the booklet Meetings With Jesus.) As you have seen, UCG is a church devoid of the moving of the Spirit. Where individuals respond to the Spirit, like you have been doing, UCG excludes such people, because having those people present in meetings threatens the supreme control that the human leader tries to exert. I explain in God's Church – Whose Authority? why this is so wrong. Perhaps you know already. You have seen some of this evil manipulation in these ministers, which is a denial of the freedoms we all have in Christ. You know now that all believers with the Spirit are called to 'go' with the Gospel, to reach out and to bring this freedom in Christ to others who want to receive it. UCG and most other CoGs do not accept that members have this privilege or right. Thus, they hold members in captivity – a bondage of subservience to them – to church leaders. God adjures His children to come out from under such spiritual oppression (Is 52; Rev 18:4), which is blasphemous. One major problem with the Churches of God is that they can't see the pride they have. It is often a pride in who they think they are. They think they are the only ones whom God is using, or that they are special in some way. Mt Zion CoG had this exclusivist stand when I tried to contact them about 14 or 15 years ago. They didn't reply. They don't want to be told. I don't suppose they have changed, because such things are a part of their ethos and the way they are, the way they want to be. None of us is special, of and by ourselves. We are only special in Christ. And since this brotherhood in Christ is what He has purchased for us all to share in, HE should take the glory, not any man. Yet, subtly, all these CoG 'ministers' (they are mostly false ministers) usurp Jesus' position in the Church for themselves. Jesus said "you will know them by their fruits", and where these evil masters will end up (Matt 7:15-23). You have seen some of their evil fruits, in controlling people, and manipulating the Church (the Church is the people, not them) to their own advantage. They have reduced the teachings of Jesus to petty human politics, which is a stench in God's nostrils! By so doing, they have fulfilled Jesus words in Matthew 24:49. God bless you and your love for Him. Sincerely, Malcolm
A Vision Of UCG
Besides the various dreams which God has given me and my wife, a correspondent in the USA informed me about a vision which also confirms my corrective comments above (but UCG folks will still probably not accept such criticisms, despite the fact that God gave them to more than two witnesses).
His friend has a prophetic gift, so while he was on the phone to him, he asked him for advice about his relationship with UCG. God gave the 'prophet' a vision of UCG.
In this vision, God depicted UCG as a large car from the late 50's or early 60's. This depicts United's old-fashioned spirituality. It was very shiny, which illustrates how they look good on the outside. But that's not what matters, is it? It's what's on the inside that counts with God.
The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (1 Sam 16:7 NIV).
In another vision he was shown UCG in blackness. This depicts the lack of true spirituality in UCG. (The whole vision is recounted in The Bible Speaks, Vol 5, p 44.) They need God's light to dispel the darkness of their delusion. But how gripping and powerful is such deception! Jesus stated:
The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness (Matt 6:22-23, NIV).
Jesus was referring to your outlook, your approach, your motive. When evil motives underlie religious fervour, there is terrible spiritual darkness of deception. It is well nigh impossible to deliver people from such deception!
God Now Fights UCG
The evils of UCG control have the same source as that which motivated Diotrephes – Satan.
Notice that what John mentioned is what UCG is repeating today. It's the same behaviour.
I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the pre-eminence among them, does not receive us (3 Jn 9, NKJV)... prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church (3 Jn 10, NKJV).
The same evil controls are exerted in the cult of UCG and most other CoGs. John reveals the truth about this:
He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God (3 Jn 11, NKJV).
UCG mentors have not perceived God. They don't have His love within them. That fact is borne out by their evil, controlling behaviour.
Amazingly, this was predicted long ago:
I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, according to their own thoughts; a people who provoke Me to anger continually to My face... who say, 'Keep to yourself, do not come near me, for I am holier than you!' These are smoke in My nostrils... (Is 65:2,35, NKJV).
Human nature hasn't changed in the carnal religious! Religion is vile to God. Human religion, I mean. Behind it all is the inspiration of demons!
Is it any wonder that God fights such an abomination?!
For He said, 'Surely they are My people, children who will not lie.' So He became their Saviour. In all their affliction He was afflicted. And the Angel of His presence saved them [people can be called, receive an 'earnest' of His Spirit, but then step back and rebel, and fall away, to be lost in the end]; In His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bore them and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; so He turned Himself against them as an enemy, and He fought against them (Is 63:8-10, NKJV).
Israel of old, to whom the above prophecy first refers, was our example, warning us of the danger. Those called to obey God in this age show the same rebellious tendencies to one degree or another. We all must overcome our inate rebellion.
The road to salvation is littered with many casualties! Apostasy respects no one except the truly humble. Most church leaders are far from God's ideal. (Humility is vital – emphasised in the booklet The Missing Dimension in Christian Living.)
It's why, from time immemorial, when God has warned His people through the prophets He has sent, they are rejected and God's words are ignored. Jesus lamented:
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem [Jerusalem is a figure for 1) Israel, and 2) the Church, hence the dual utterance] the one who kills the proph- ets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! (Matt 23:37, NKJV).
I hope you can understand that there are two aspects to God's character. His love for people and righteousness, but His undiluted hatred of evil and of those who flagrantly continue to do and be evil.
Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord He also has rejected you... (1 Sam 15:23, NKJV).
Therefore, consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off (Rom 11:22, NKJV).
Most Christians just want His goodness, not His severity and chastisement. But you either want all or nothing. You can't hold onto just part of Him.
Either Jesus is Lord of all in your life, or He's not Lord at all. It's that simple.
But the reality of that simplicity is frightening. Many fall away. In their self-righteous pride, they arrogantly think they can enter God's Kingdom how they like. They put themselves first, not God. They are not careful to get dressed properly (Matt 22:11).
For many are called, but few are chosen (Matt 22:14, NKJV).
Jesus will reject all such arrogant rebels:
Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt 22:13).
UCG Ministers Block The Spirit
I mentioned earlier that I had sent by e-mail most of our dreams (from 1997 to 2005) to UCG e-mail addresses. If there is any Spirit of God in recipients they will read those dreams (at least some of them, because there are too many to read all of them; there were many hundreds!) and there will be a witness in the spirit of the reader, that God is speaking to His people through the dreams.
Dreams are allegoric or figurative messages from God. (Explained in An Introduction To The Spiritual Gifts.)
I had one response, which was from John Elliott, UCG minister in charge of East Africa. He wrote: "Please remove me from your e-mail list. Thank you. J.E." That's all he said.
He's nailed his colours to the mast. There's no witness of the Spirit in him. He doesn't have the Holy Spirit within. He shuts God out, and excludes the prophets God sends. That's a fruit of his spirit.
Never forget Jesus' words: "you will know them by their fruits."
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God (Rom 8:14, NKJV).
John Elliott is not led by the Spirit of God. He blocks it. So do many others who have been appointed (by men, not by God) as UCG 'ministers'.
The following correspondence with Peter Hawkins, the UCG UK office manager, illustrates the point again.
I responded to an advert that they placed in a national newspaper, advertising their magazine The Good News. In their introductory letter accompany- ing the magazine, they said "You'll find its themes timeless, full of faith, hope and love."
Well, they're sorely disillusioned. We soon exposed their lack of faith and love.
Here's the correspondence:
UCG Dismisses Raising The Dead
31st January 2005
Dear Sir / Madam, Thank you for the magazines you sent to me recently. I enclose a write-up from the web about a pastor raised from the dead. I have noticed some other similar stories, too. So, it seems that God is doing some remarkable things here and there to draw attention to the fact that this is the end of the age and not much time is left. Do you think this is part of the work that was prophesied in Malachi 4, of the Elijah? Do you have any other similar stories to relate of how people have been raised from the dead in your church? Or of other amazing miracles that have happened, like Paul said, to confirm the Word? (Acts 14:3.) Looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks. Yours faithfully, Malcolm Byrom
The enclosure was the account of Daniel Ekechukwu who was resurrected in Nigeria. It was not my account. I deliberately sent them a miracle that occurred in the Sunday-keeping sector of the Church, because UCG wrongly believes that you have to be a Sabbath observing Christian to have contact with God, and to receive miracles, etc. Their bigotry excludes others of different belief.
The response was typically dismissive:
11th February 2005
Dear Malcolm, The enclosed two publications show how the 'resurrected' pastor's "after-death" experiences do not agree with Biblical doctrine. Peter H.
The note was handwritten on a compliment slip, which was fine. But its tone was not fine.
It smacked of close-mindedness, of prejudice and bigotry.
He rejected the account as bogus, hence the apostrophes before and after 'resurrected', and he doesn't believe that after-death experiences are real. The quotation marks around "after-death" infer that he thinks they are just not true.
The origin of this blindness is Satan. The demonic strongholds are established by church teaching that UCG calls "biblical doctrine". Yet it is not biblical doctrine to believe that the mind ceases consciousness at death, otherwise Jesus was lying in Luke 16:23 where He categorically states that the rich man is in torment in Hades.
The truth on this subject is detailed in a booklet we produced called Life After Death. The reason I wrote that account was because God spoke to me in a dream one night and told me to set the record straight about the state of the dead.
But like Abraham said in Luke 16:31, "If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead."
Here a man has been brought back from the dead, and a prophet has told Peter H at UCG about it, but he is not persuaded.
I wrote again:
Peter H United Church of God PO Box 705 WATFORD WD19 6FZ
13th February 2005
Dear Peter, Thank you for your note, in response to my letter of 31st Jan 2005, together with the two booklets you sent: What Happens After Death? and Heaven and Hell. I am angered by your response, because it is close-minded. It is totally unacceptable to dismiss authentic witness as you did: "the enclosed two publications show how the 'resurrected' pastor's "after-death" experiences do not agree with Biblical doctrine." No, I'm sorry, what you said is entirely wrong. It's not biblical doctrine that Pastor Daniel Ekechukwu's experience disproves, but your appreciation of it. You are responding as if your appraisal of biblical doctrine is infallible. You haven't yet considered that you could have got something wrong in your analysis. So, you work from the presupposition that no way could your understanding be at fault in the discrepancy between what you believe the Bible says and what that pastor experienced. Since the two disagree, you reject the authentic testimony about the pastor's after death experience. The man who investigated what happened was equally sceptical at first, but he didn't dismiss it like you have done, he went to investigate, and he found out that IT WAS INDEED TRUE – that the pastor had died and gone into the spirit realm. He related some of the things he experienced. Do you also dismiss what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12? Where, in couched terminology, he said that he had been taken in the spirit to the third heaven (12:2), into Paradise (12:4) and heard things that he was not allowed to tell? (12:4.) Yes you do, because it doesn't fit your preconceptions. What Paul experienced is not in line with all you say in those booklets. On page 28 of What Happens After Death? you base your thesis shakily on one text, which breaks a cardinal rule of biblical interpretation – Jesus' words that no one has ascended to heaven (more on what He meant there, later). Yet, Paul went to heaven, something which you claim no man has done. I agree with you that you have got much right. These are some of the aspects of biblical truth which you have managed to appreciate:
But none of that disagrees with the fact that the spirit in man, which goes to be with God after death (if it is righteous), is conscious. How can the spirit in us, that Paul revealed gives consciousness to ourselves (1 Cor 2:11) cease to be conscious upon death? In thinking that, you make the physical organ of the brain more important in real terms than the spirit that gives life. No, it is the brain which ceases at death, the spirit carries on (until such time as the Judgement, when the rewards are finalised). Not only do you reject the contemporary pastor's witness, you dismiss:
I have talked to one woman who had a near-death-experience as a girl. She wasn't lying or making things up. She hadn't told it to anyone for over 70 years because she couldn't understand it, until I explained to her about the many NDE or OBE experiences of others who had temporarily died and whose spirit had visited the spirit realm and remembered some of their experience afterwards. To return to what you wrote: "the enclosed two publications show how the 'resurrected' pastor's "after-death" experiences do not agree with Biblical doctrine." You suggest that the pastor was not resurrected. Are you suggesting that it was a hoax? Or are you suggesting – like so many who don't understand, because it doesn't fit with their 'biblical' dogma – that it was something contrived by the devil? Either way, both of those inferences (if that is what you infer) are demonic in origin. Yet, one purpose of the experience was in the words that the angel told Daniel Ekechukwu: "The mansion is ready but the saints of God are not. Jesus is being delayed because Christians in the church are not ready yet." Are you suggesting that this angelic message is a lie? Are you suggesting that it was not an angel, but was a demon giving false information, misleading people? If you do, that doesn't make sense, because the fruits of repentance were the outcome of Daniel Ekechukwu's experience. Those were good fruits that brought harmony to his formerly unharmonious relationship with his wife – something that Malachi promised would be a fruit of the coming of Elijah in the end times. Are you suggesting that this experience was demonic? I hope not, but I await your reply on that. And if so, why was it demonic? What evil fruits did the experience engender? What was the evil that it promoted? The only evil you have presented to me thus far is the 'evil' of it not falling into the parameters of your intellectual appreciation of Scripture. Near the end of the account of Daniel Ekechukwu's resurrection from death are these words: "How important it is that we obey Jesus' commandments regarding forgiveness and walking in love toward each other, as well as all the rest of His commandments." The fruits were good, were they not, or do you maintain that they were evil? This is the acid test of whether something is of God, or whether it is of the enemy. If it was a manifestation of the work of the Spirit of God and you are calling it evil, you are close to blaspheming the Holy Spirit, are you not? And your presumption in this regard is based upon the supposition that your grasp of Scripture is inerrant. How can you be a spiritual instructor with an attitude like that? Is this arrogance and presumption the foundation of United Church of God's spiritual teachings? If so, it is not the foundation that Jesus laid out for us, which makes you a child of the devil, not a begotten son of God, just like Jesus said to the Pharisees and arrogant scribes. It is astonishing that you deny facts for the sake of antiquated dogma! You are like the Pharisees of old who rejected Christ because He didn't fit their arrogant preconceptions. You reject contemporary witnesses of spiritual things likewise. As Jesus said to one of them, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?" (Jn 3:10), I say to you: "Are you a teacher of God's people, and do not know these things?" Your problem seems to be not merely that you don't know these things, but worse – that you don't want to know. That is not only close-minded. It is arrogant and bigoted. It is that arrogant approach which prevents the enlightenment of the Spirit shining upon you, so it's not surprising that you fail to understand. On this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word (Is 66:2). Has 'knowledge' puffed you up? (1 Cor 8:1.) Have you become vain by 'exalting your throne'? (Is 14:13.) Has iniquity been found in you? (Ezek 28:15.) Has your heart been lifted up through this pride in the heritage that you think you have, and corrupted your wisdom? (Ezek 28:17.) The error in your teachings is merely symptomatic of a much deeper spiritual lack – a lack of the power of the Holy Spirit. You talk about it, but words are cheap. Where is the evidence? I asked you for the evidence of what is happening in your church to witness to Jesus Christ as a living Saviour. But you have given me none, so what can I deduce except that you have none, and that your organisation which claims to be a Church of God is a charlatan organisation masquerading as a Church of God. Like Jesus said of Sardis: You have a name that you live, but you are dead (Rev 3:1). The Spirit of God is not in evidence in your church, is it? Otherwise you would have been willing to furnish me with evidences of the supernatural power of God's Spirit at work in your midst. Instead of that, you ignore my question posed in my first letter to you, and think that the account I sent to you was something spurious. You deny the authentic testimony of a man raised from the dead. I have books in my library with hundreds of anecdotes and testimonies of miracles which God has done and people raised from the dead by Jesus' LIVING power, but it would be pointless wanting to share any of that with you since you deny a foundational aspect of the Gospel of Jesus Christ – the POWER that accompanies the truth of God. Jesus promised this supernatural power in Mark 16:17-20, but you have not furnished me with any evidence that it accompanies your work. However, I retain an open mind, so please would you send me the testimonies of people who have been supernaturally healed, or raised from the dead, or received other divine miracles. Thank you. I await your reply.
Sincerely, Malcolm Byrom PO Box 29 Aylesbury HP17 8TL
PS I felt I should enclose some other material with this letter to support what I have presented to you about life not ceasing after death, so that follows in the attachments. God bless your understanding – if you want to learn, that is.
I enclosed the text from Life After Death and The Near Death Experience. He had 31 big pages of truth! But he rejected it all. There was no reply!
UCG Goes Silent
Peter H United Church of God PO Box 705 WATFORD WD19 6FZ
3rd March 2005
Dear Peter, I wrote to you on 31st January 2005, enclosing an account about a man in Nigeria who was raised from the dead. I asked you: "Do you think this is part of the work that was prophesied in Malachi 4, of the Elijah?" In response, you sent a brief note saying that the incident does not square with biblical doctrine (your concept of it). In my subsequent reply of 13th February, I enclosed two lengthy treatises showing you how your concept of life after death is in error and is based on an incomplete appreciation of Scripture, and how your two booklets What Happens After Death? and Heaven and Hell are merely a partial understanding of the subject. I pointed out that your response was close-minded. You dismissed authentic witness about one man raised from the dead. I have other accounts which I could send you. Do you want to see them? As I explained, you work from the presupposition that no way could your understanding be at fault in the discrepancy between what you believe the Bible says and what that pastor experienced. Since the two disagree, you reject the authentic testimony about the pastor's after death experience. I also asked you: 1) "Do you also dismiss what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12? Where, in couched terminology, he said that he had been taken in the spirit to the third heaven (12:2), into Paradise (12:4) and heard things that he was not allowed to tell? (12:4.)" 2) "You suggest that the pastor was not resurrected. Are you suggesting that it was a hoax? Or are you suggesting – like so many who don't understand, because it doesn't fit with their 'biblical' dogma – that it was something contrived by the devil?" 3) "...the angel told Daniel Ekechukwu: 'The mansion is ready but the saints of God are not. Jesus is being delayed because Christians in the church are not ready yet.' Are you suggesting that this angelic message is a lie?" I also pointed out various other facts that have a bearing on this topic, but I have not heard from you and await your considered response. Could you tell me what you propose to do concerning this issue? I also asked: 4) "...please would you send me the testimonies of people who have been supernaturally healed, or raised from the dead, or received other divine miracles. Thank you." I still await a reply from you.
Sincerely, Malcolm Byrom
Still there was no reply!
UCG's False Foundation
Why do UCG people ignore input such as this? There are several reasons.
These unspoken tenets that underlie UCG psychology are fabrications of the devil. They are strongholds he has erected in their minds to trap them and prevent them moving ahead spiritually. This psychology prevents them accepting prophets. It also causes immediate rejection of further truth.
Jesus said:
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (Jn 8:32, NKJV).
Jesus is the Rock on which you can stand secure, and His truth is the foundation that provides the stability you need to weather the storms of life (Matt 7:25).
But Satan has cleverly duped UCG folks (and those in CoGs, and the WCG, the mother church) by filling their minds with the prideful false dogmas I have mentioned above. Believing these lies, he has hooked them and trapped them. It's very sad, but there is little you can do to release a proud person.
God has to allow them to go through the vicissitudes of life to humble them. And in this final hour of this age, the Great Tribulation will net the greatest harvest of all history for this very reason. But it will be traumatic!
Demons Control UCG
Another correspondent requested from UCG their booklet Is There Really A Devil? Of course, the devil's laughing, because he lets UCG write about his existence while he's got them believing in him and fearing him! Demons control UCG!
You think that's over the top?! Wait and see. This correspondence exposes it:
United Church of God PO Box 705 Watford Herts WD19 6FZ
27th February 2005
Dear Sir / Madam, Thank you for sending me the booklet "Is There Really A Devil"? Like you, I believe the Bible is God's Word to humanity, so that we can know about spiritual things that we would otherwise be ignorant of. Would you please send me the booklet "The Church Jesus Built". Thank you. In your publication you reference Matthew 28:20 where Jesus instructs us to teach converts to observe all things just as He commanded those first disciples. Some of the most compelling commands are in Matthew 10, where He said: "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons..." (Matt 10:8). This is part of the divine Great Commission to the Church, is it not? And the evidence in Acts later states that they did those miraculous things. From your writing you give the impression that you sincerely want to promote truth, and not falsity, but I found nothing in your booklet about how to put demons out of people, or how to be delivered from demons that oppress. Perhaps you have another booklet on that. If so, would you please send it to me. Can you tell me how you go about putting demons out of people who come to you for that? There was a programme on Channel 4 TV last Thursday where a Christian had a demon put out of him by a minister, and I have seen other videos of people having demons cast out of them. Some of this does look a bit of a 'performance', but there is no denying that evil spirits were actually present and being cast out. These were Christians who were coming forward for this sort of ministry. Could you tell me if you have this sort of ministry available to those who want such help? One other thing I have noticed is that other believers often utilise the gift of tongues when putting out evil spirits, because when praying in the Spirit the exorcist is often commanding the demons in a way that only the Spirit can fully understand (1 Cor 14:2,14). You alluded to this praying in the Spirit (Eph 6:18) on page 29 (box). I would be grateful if you would enlighten me on what you do as regards demonic oppression, how you help such oppressed people, and what you have to say on Mark 16:17 — "In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues." Thank you.
Sincerely, Jim Smith
Again, there was no reply.
Do you see how deceitful their publications are? They write some of the truth, but they are unable to put the truth into practice. THERE IS NO POWER IN THEIR MINISTRY, because the Holy Spirit has been shut outside. Men in positions of hierarchic authority (which is not what Jesus commanded for His Church, see Matt 20:25-28) have usurped Jesus' place and shut Him outside their church!
Do you want to be part of a dead church? If you are in UCG, you are a member of a dead church, because God's power is OUTSIDE it! Demons are in control inside!
There is no evidence of the moving of the Spirit of God inside UCG!
Where are spiritual gifts, such as tongues, interpretation of tongues, prophesying, casting out demons, revelations by words of knowledge, words of wisdom, and dreams and visions?
They're not inside UCG. UCG doesn't teach about such stuff. And if you press them about it, they'll probably label it all satanic!
A month passed without any response, so Jim Smith wrote to them again:
United Church of God PO Box 705 Watford Herts WD19 6FZ
27th March 2005
Dear Sir / Madam,
Thank you for sending me your magazine The Good News. It's not very spiritual. I wrote to you a month ago, asking you some questions about how you cast out demons and requesting your booklet The Church Jesus Built. I have received the booklet, thank you, but no answers to my questions. I presume you leave demons where they are. In case you have mislaid that letter, I enclose a copy of that overpage. There are some good videos available now on various Christian subjects that some churches don't practice. I enclose a sample of one by Bill Subritzky, a New Zealand evangelist, who has particular spiritual gifts at work in his ministry. You will see some on this video:
I don't agree with all his 'doctrine'. He doesn't keep the Sabbath like we do, because he comes from a Church of England background, and that truth is still alien to him. But that doesn't stop God using him as a vehicle of His power and love, to deliver and help people whom God is calling into His kingdom through his ministry. God looks on the heart, not on the outward appearance or 'doctrine'. Jesus declared that the working of God is according to your faith, not according to your works, and that we would know them "by their [spiritual] fruits", not according to their intellectual doctrine. I notice you say these true things in your booklet The Church Jesus Built on page 68:
So I have enclosed this video which contains part of that example of Jesus and the apostles, who exercised gifts of healing, working miracles, casting out demons, and speaking in tongues, which were all part of the faith once delivered to the saints. I hope you are able to learn from it as much as I have. I welcome your reply. Thank you.
Sincerely, Jim Smith
PS If you want to obtain the 2 videos on Deliverance From Demons, they are available from New Wine, PO Box 17, Chichester, W Sussex, PO20 6YB.
No prizes for guessing that they didn't reply!
Jim Smith had no luck on his 'front', and I didn't expect any better, either. But the point of the exercise was not to elicit a response, rather it was to show them up for the charlatans and deceivers that they are. How dare they claim to be God's Church while they are without God's Spirit!!?
It's Not 'Good News'; It's BAD!
United Church of God PO Box 705 WATFORD WD19 6FZ
27th March 2005
Dear Friend, Thank you for sending me your magazine The Good News. It's good news insofar as it goes, but what it omits amounts to bad news, because you omit the power of God. I have written to you on two previous occasions (13th Feb and 3rd Mar) to ask you to present to me some evidence of the working of the power of God in your 'church', but you have not even replied. That would seem to indicate that you have NO power of God at work with you, and that my question is an embarrassment to you. On the address page with your magazine, you say you welcome questions: — "We welcome your questions about the Bible or the Church", but clearly you don't welcome mine, because they expose your lacks. You're not a true church of God, because you don't fulfil the telling words of Jesus: These signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; ...they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover (Mark 16:17,18, NKJV). The apostles "went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and CONFIRMING THE WORD THROUGH THE ACCOMPANYING SIGNS" (Mark 16:20, NKJV). I have asked you to give me the evidence of true miraculous signs that authenticate the presence of Jesus' Spirit in your ministry, because it is those signs which confirm that you bring the true gospel as you claim. You claim that others don't bring the true gospel but that you do (p 31, box, The Church That Jesus Built). That is an arrogant, presumptuous, exclusive claim, which I expect you to justify. But you haven't done so, which leaves me with no alternative but to draw the conclusion that you are bogus workers of Christ, deceived and deceiving others, without the power of God. Paul said: FROM SUCH TURN AWAY (2 Tim 3:5). You have sent me your magazine, lacking evidence of the power of God through testimonies of those delivered from the devil. In reciprocation, I send you one of mine (Newsletter 30), which contains ample testimonies of the moving of God in dreams, visions, the help of angels, as well as people helped, healed, delivered, and set free by the power of Jesus Christ. Enclosed also is a current Dream Diary. (God gives dreams and visions to those who are attuned to His Spirit, and sold out to Jesus to do all His will – not merely follow human church leaders.) Also included is A Message To Sabbatarians which explains why God has used non-Sabbatarians up to now to preach the gospel with miraculous signs following. There has been too much pride and arrogance in those who keep His Sabbaths, preventing God working through them in demon- strations of supernatural power. But there are some faithful and humble souls who keep His holy days whom God can use, as the enclosed leaflet Raised From The Dead At Midnight demonstrates in two people who have been brought back from death through faith and humble submission to God. I hope you are willing to learn from these enclosures, and I still welcome hearing from you.
Sincerely, Malcolm Byrom
When Silence is Not Golden
Mr Xxxx Xxxxxxxxx United Church of God PO Box 705 WATFORD WD19 6FZ
15th March 2005
Dear John, I have written to Peter H [Peter Hawkins] at your church HQ address in Watford on two occasions, but have had the points I have raised ignored. Both of my letters were not answered. Worldwide was always good at avoiding embarrassing issues, and not owning up to its own duplicity. Am I to assume that UCG, to which you apparently give your loyalties, is equally duplicitous? Having not had an answer from your UCG office, I am writing to you about it, and enclosing the same information for your consideration. I wrote on 31st January 2005, enclosing an account about a man in Nigeria who was raised from the dead (account enclosed). I asked: "Do you think this is part of the work that was prophesied in Malachi 4, of the Elijah?" In response, Peter H sent a brief note saying that the incident does not square with biblical doctrine (his concept of it). In my subsequent reply of 13th February, I enclosed two lengthy treatises showing you how his concept of life after death is in error and is based on an incomplete appreciation of Scripture, and how UCG's two booklets What Happens After Death? and Heaven and Hell are merely a partial understanding of the subject. I pointed out that his response was close-minded. He dismissed authentic witness about one man raised from the dead. I have other accounts which I could send. I asked him "Do you want to see them?" He didn't reply. As I explained, he works from the presupposition that no way could his understanding be at fault in the discrepancy between what he believes the Bible says and what that pastor experienced. Since the two disagree, he rejects the authentic testimony about the pastor's after death experience. I also asked: 1) "Do you also dismiss what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12? Where, in couched terminology, he said that he had been taken in the spirit to the third heaven (12:2), into Paradise (12:4) and heard things that he was not allowed to tell? (12:4.)" 2) "You suggest that the pastor was not resurrected. Are you suggesting that it was a hoax? Or are you suggesting – like so many who don't understand, because it doesn't fit with their 'biblical' dogma – that it was something contrived by the devil?" 3) "...the angel told Daniel Ekechukwu: 'The mansion is ready but the saints of God are not. Jesus is being delayed because Christians in the church are not ready yet.' Are you suggesting that this angelic message is a lie?" I also pointed out various other facts that have a bearing on this topic, but I have not heard from him and await a considered response. I also asked: 4) "...please would you send me the testimonies of people who have been supernaturally healed, or raised from the dead, or received other divine miracles. Thank you." I still await a reply.
Sincerely, Malcolm Byrom
There was no reply to this letter, either.
At the same time, I wrote to another minister in UCG, who knew us very well, and I added:
I have enclosed those letters in full, for your consideration, plus the further information sent to Peter H. I have also enclosed our latest Newsletter and Dream Diary, which contains dreams from God given about the failings of the Churches of God amongst many other things. We have received previous ones about UCG and other CoGs, which are not included in this diary, but I doubt if you want to see those. I still recall the word God spoke to me about you some years ago, which I conveyed to you when I wrote last. The walls have not yet fallen, but they will soon when 'we' raise the dead in this country as God has decreed. Then you will understand. Meanwhile, I hope you will take the time to consider carefully what is enclosed. There is little time left before the Tribulation closes in on the Church. CoGs which play blind man's bluff will not survive what is coming. UCG will be finished as someone in Africa was shown in a dream not long ago. Any church that shuts Jesus outside, and rejects His prophets, will lose all they have gained, as you well know from your knowledge of what Jesus said.
God bless. Sincerely, Malcolm
I didn't expect a reply, because these former friends are so cloned and psychologically trapped that they are not able to give an objective response. (I didn't get any reply.)
To both these individuals I sent:
Life After Death The Near Death Experience Raised From The Dead At Midnight, 1 & 2 What God Said About Midnight Ministries Revelations From God About MM Who Is The End-Time Elijah? Dreams From God About The Judgement On Britain The Deadness Of The Churches of God God's Work CANCELLED For Lack Of Interest! The Last Outpouring Of The Spirit Wielding The Divine Axe Prophets In The Church
A couple of weeks later, I sent some further literature to both these individuals and also to the UCG office manager:
The Timing Of Jesus' Death and Resurrection Miraculous Manifestations 24 Mullahs Have Visions of Jesus The Joel Meeker Correspondence [showing that this UCG minister is devoid of the Holy Spirit] Are You Living In Him? The Bible Speaks, Vol 4 Is MM Literature Inspired By God? How Soon Will Jesus Come? & Time Is Short The Faith Once Delivered To The Saints Are You Moving Ahead? Carried Along By The Spirit Opposition Against The Power of God More About The Gifts Of The Spirit You Should DEFY, Not Deify, Church Authority!
There was no response from any of them.
UCG Is Now Being Judged
Finally, I wrote to UCG's Peter Hawkins:
11th April 2005
Dear Peter, Thank you for your general letter of 6th April offering a copy of UCG's booklet The Church Jesus Built. You ask rhetorically, "Where is the Church Jesus built? How would you recognise it? Is the Church primarily a building, or rather a group of people?..." Reading between the lines, and from The Church Jesus Built, you are still of the persuasion that the true Church is comprised only of those who hold to Sabbatarian Christian tenets. I have to pull you up on that bias; it is incorrect. The definition of a true believer is not according to doctrine alone, but primarily one of acceptance of the Spirit (Rom 8:9), as the enclosed publications explain:
Your blinkered appraisal is based upon your limited knowledge and shallow understanding. Furthermore, you state that "Roman Catholicism and those [Protestant] churches that have sprung from it presents a set of significant anomalies to students of the Bible." And so does your church, for you do not accept these from the faith once delivered to the saints:
I have enclosed publications to help you broaden and correct the above myopic misconceptions you hold, namely:
Last week I sent your office 7 copies of a leaflet. Opposition Against The Gifts Of The Spirit, and asked for those to be shared amongst your staff. The next night God gave Helena a dream that represented your office staff and church members as seedlings in a seed tray (God uses everyday imagery to convey His parallels), smothered, and unable to reach the light. Some in the middle of the tray were in complete darkness, while those on the fringes were leaning towards the little light at the edges. That aptly portrays UCG's smothering or dominating behaviour, which disallows believers under your domination (which is not true ministry; that's false ministry) to have any more of the true light from God. And while the light which is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! I wrote to you on 31st January, 13th February, 3rd March and 27th March, and – true to your cultic policy of ignoring issues you cannot answer, because it would expose the spiritual inadequacies of your church – I have had no adequate reply. I have merely been fobbed off with presumptive dismissiveness. Yet people are being raised from the dead through the power of God, and all you can say is it doesn't fit in with biblical doctrine. Oh yes it does! (Matt 10:8; Acts 9:40-41; 20:9-11; 10:44-46; 11:15; 19:2-6; 21:9-11; 26:8.) It is UCG which does not fit in with biblical doctrine. It is totally behind the times! You need to wake up, and wake up the people trapped within your little house. You talk about the true Church of Jesus as if your organisation fits that bill entirely. What a pathetic weak effort that is, if that's all that Jesus is doing on earth. What about the millions of other believers equally trapped in partial darkness like you? Is Jesus so incapable or inept that He can only use one tiny little fragment of Christendom and bring them into His Kingdom and that He has to let the others be lost? Come on, get real! Read A Message To Sabbatarians and the other booklets in the same series, and learn just how God has been working all along. You have been held in ignorance by your mentors, going all the way back to HWA, who promoted a bigot's viewpoint of the Church of Jesus. I said earlier that you don't accept contemporary prophets. But your dismissal does not alter facts. Last night God gave me a dream about you, before your letter came. I won't tell you the dream, because you don't accept me, or that I speak for Him. In love, and with a desire to see you move on spiritually, I say to you that when a prophet's words are dismissed, they do not fall to the ground. Judgement from God then follows.
Sincerely, Malcolm B Heap
Jim Smith also wrote:
1st May 2005
Dear Mr Hawkins, I wrote to your office on 27th February 2005, about the issue of casting out demons, asking how your church deals with such situations. You didn't reply. By the absence of your response, I presume you don't cast out demons, but welcome them in your midst. Then I wrote again on 27th March 2005, reminding you of your failure to respond, and also giving you a video on which a minister is casting out demons from people, and harnessing the gifts of the Spirit in tongues, intercession, and faith to do so. I said "I welcome your reply", but again you didn't reply. Clearly you have gone into hiding because you fear the demonstration of the power of God. You don't accept or practice spiritual gifts. You deny the power of the Holy Spirit in your teaching and practice. Paul had something drastic to say about that in 2 Timothy 3:5. So, kindly remove me from you mailing list, unless, of course, you accept the points I am raising with you and want to move on in the power of the Spirit, in which case I can put you in touch with people who can teach you about receiving these things so you can have an effective outreach instead of just being a dead Spiritless 'church'. However, if you still worship Herbert W Armstrong in your mind, it's no wonder you are so spiritually dry and dead. You are merely welcoming the same demons he invited in by his arrogant, exclusive approach. Your booklet The Church Jesus Built insinuates that you (UCG) are that one and only true Church. But how can that be when you don't have any of the power evidences of the Spirit which Jesus promised in Mark 16:17-20, and you are really not much different from any of the other WCG offshoots that call themselves Churches of God? While they deny the power of the God, they are not churches of God, but churches of Satan the Adversary!
Sincerely, Jim Smith
Every plant not planted by God will be rooted up (Matt 15:13). UCG is one of them. Church, it's time for you to awake! (Is 52.) & Malcolm B Heap, Aug 2005
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