Overview of the March 2017 Issue of PCG's Philadelphia Trumpet

PCG has released another issue of their recruitment magazine (March 2017) to attempt to gain more triple tithes paying converts. Back in 2012 one of PCG's booklets boasted that PCG had an income of about $19.5 million. Even as early as 1996 PCG boasted of enjoying more than $5 million in annual income.

Let's take a look.

The circulation for this issue is 271,949. February's circulation was 273,591. January's circulation was 267,992. November-December was 277,131. October was 280,116. September was 282,121. August was 278,357. July was 281,190.

The editors are listed as Gerald Flurry, Stephen Flurry, Joel Hilliker, Brad MacDonald, Richard Palmer, Robert Morley, Jeremiah Jacques, Dennis Leap and Phillip Nice.

Gerald Flurry has an article condemning President Trump's desire for positive relations with President Putin as "dangerous."

Andrew Müller has an article scare mongering that Eastern Europe is unable to defend itself from a potential Russian invasion.

Anthony Chibarirwe has a side article condemning Russia's interventions in Syria and its influence in Libya.

Richard Palmer has an article scare mongering that President Trump has told Germany to build up its military forces. Armstrongites have long scare mongered that Germany will soon build up its own military force and will eventually turn against the United States and conquer it and take Americans as slaves just before Christ's return.

Richard Palmer also has a side article stating that Germany could find many opportunities in building up its military forces.

Brent Nagtegaal has an article bemoaning a recent United Nations Security Council resolution complaining on page 10 that the "UN has unilaterally divided Jerusalem" even though the international community had never recognized the State of Israel as having the right to rule over East Jerusalem. The international community decided to chose East Jerusalem as occupied territory because the State of Israel acquired it by military force during the Six Day War of 1967. The Israeli annexation of East Jerusalem in 1967 was not recognized by any other nation state. This is why the embassies to the State of Israel are located in Tel Aviv, not Jerusalem.

The article is accompanied with a timeline of President Obama's alleged hostile acts towards the Israeli government. It is left unmentioned that in 2016 President Obama made a memorandum of understanding with the Israeli government for the United States to supply $38 billion of military aid over ten years supplying about 25% of the State of Israel's military expenditure.

Brent Nagtegaal also has an article ridiculously comparing President Obama to Antiochus Epiphanes, the Hellenistic emperor who tried to viciously suppress Judaism and even placed an idol in the Temple in Jerusalem. This alludes to Gerald Flurry's ridiculous and venomous proclamation in 2013 that President Obama is "another Antiochus," an Antichrist like figure of Gerald Flurry's devising.

Gerald Flurry has an article insisting that events in Jerusalem will indicate when Christ is to return if properly interpreted by PCG's leaders.

The Infographic contains a map of Jerusalem and puts a sectarian twist to the issue of Jerusalem status by presenting it as being divided into Jewish and Muslim areas. This ignores the fact that many Palestinians are Christians or irreligious.

Jeremiah Jacques has an article scare mongering about Nippon Kagi (Japan Conference), which is presented as a menacing, hard line nationalist organization influencing Japanese governmental policies. PCG has a long history of demonizing Japan.

Jorg Mardian has an article about allergies.

 There is a lesson about managing money. In the article (PCG's) God is referred to as a "multitrillionaire." The article also alludes to tithing which is how PCG acquires its multi-million dollar income.

Will generously sharing your wealth—with God and others—actually increase your wealth? ... Selfishly hoarding each dollar may seem to make you richer, but in fact God’s way of give leads to greater blessings. (p. 24.)

Joel Hilliker has a little article encouraging people to stand for what they really believe in.

Brad MacDonald has a little article bemoaning that President Obama had still had the influence he had even though the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, replaced him. It sounds similar to a January 3, 2017 radio broadcast which was discussed in a previous post.

WorldWatch mentions the following: the European navigation system, Galileo, getting started up; Franch president candidate Fillon calling for Germany to increase spending on defense; the Archbishop of Vienna, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn stating that Germany is unable to accept all the refugees; President Obama ending the automatic acceptance of Cuban refugees who enter the United States by land; says that the Chinese government is becoming more centralized; scare mongers that Japan has increased military spending; and mentions North Korea's dictator boasting that the nation would build missiles capable of sending a nuclear weapon to American territory.

SocietyWatch mentions the following: controversy about police violence which is presented as a sinister plot to expand federal power over police forces; Facebook's announcement on December 15, 2016 to fact check potential fake news; and that about one in six Americans are taking psychiatric drugs. Armstrongism has a long history of promoting anti-medicine superstitions.

There are letters. Here is one letter from PCG headquarters' home state, Oklahoma, which discusses the terrorist attack in Berlin on December 19, 2016 in which twelve innocent people were murdered by an ISIL sympathizer.

This made me think about the climate in America post 9/11.... I was only in the 7th grade when the terrorist attack occurred, but I remember feeling a surge of patriotism as I saw the American flags go up on people’s houses or appear on their cars. I can still remember the emotion from listening to President Bush address the nation and announce that we were going to battle against the enemy. People wanted blood for the lives that were lost. Given Germany’s nationalistic past it doesn’t take much to imagine what sort of horror they will rain down on Islam once they have finally been jolted out of complacency

Instead of simply sympathizing with those who suffer this person is fearful that it will prompt Germany to go to war because of what PCG taught to this person through the recruitment magazine.

Here's one letter which alludes to PCG's teaching that Iran is the "King of the South" indicating that the author is likely a PCG member. The other COGs do not tend to teach that the "King of the South" is Iran the way PCG has since 1994.

Vladimir Putin helping Iran make atomic weapons could possibly be why the king of the south can push at the king of the north. When Mr. Putin tries to stop the U.S.A. from putting a missile defense system in Central Europe, claiming it will cause “a global crisis,” we should know he is not to be trusted. Let us pray that the new president soon grasps what the real Putin is like.

Here's one letter which bemoans that the Trump Administration will lead to the United States losing "influence and respect" which aligns with PCG's insistence that the United States is doomed. The letter even states that President Trump wants to believe the KGB even though the KGB was dissolved in 1991 as part of the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

I tend to think that America under Mr. Trump will lose its influence and respect, becoming an undependable nation that will give rise to a European power.... Mr. Trump is showing himself to be very ignorant in failing to embrace America’s own intelligence agencies. Perhaps he would rather believe the KGB. Since Mr. Trump’s victory, many countries are questioning America’s place in the world. Without its greatness, America is just like Russia or China, just another military power with nuclear weapons.

And so it is clearly seen that PCG has made yet another issue of their recruitment magazine in an attempt to get more people to join PCG and start paying their three tithes and also to keep those who believe that God is with PCG bedazzled at the PCG leadership's supposed ability to forecast the future.

However since its founding in 1989 PCG has made at least 52 failed predictions. Clearly PCG's leaders are but false prophets. There is no need to fear their dire proclamations about the future. They cannot see the future.