When people look at fellowship through the following kind of legalistic lens it is no wonder Armstrongism is dying off! What idiots! Fellowship is not exclusionary! It is all encompassing, inclusive, welcoming, expanding, and ever growing. Armstrongism excludes, disfellowships, ignores, mark's, and beats down those inside and outside the circle. These nut jobs conveniently ignore the fact that Jesus sat and ate with tax collectors, sinners, the outcast, and those on the periphery of acceptability. Yet, Armstrongism continues to circle the wagons and make the circle smaller and smaller. Pathetic losers!
Most of us who have been in the COGs for a long period of time know that we are commanded to not forsake fellowship with one another. Fellowship is, first and foremost between an individual and God. Secondly, it is between the called out ones. The later, being time spent (but not limited to) iron sharpening iron. Christ and the apostles fellowshipped (taught and trained) others daily, fellowship is not exclusive to the Sabbath or Holy Days. Nor should our fellowship with Christ and the Father be limited to the Sabbath.
Fellowship is an exchange between God and or individuals that brings about repentance, correction, admonishment, understanding, revelations, and teaching which leads to strengthening the body of Christ. When fellowship is watered down to a ‘feel good’ about one’s self and others (the love doctrine) then the body becomes susceptible to disease (false doctrine) and weakens the members. Making the fellowship of little use. If the members of the body of Christ do not have a foundation built upon Him and God the Father, then church services become nothing more than a social club. Something that fills the void of where a relationship with God should be.When fellowshipping is used by those in the church for an excuse for socializing , it is an attempt to fill the ‘hole in the heart’. Without the proper foundation of a true relationship with God though, filling that hole is like filling a bottomless pit. Void of any true value to the one seeking to fill what God has not imparted to them. Why, because He says, “I know you not.”
The only thing this person got right is the comment: "I know you not."
You use the language of a very sick and bitter person.
ReplyDeleteYahushua will heal you one day with bitter tears....
Then you'll be free of that monkey on your back.
HalleluYAH!
Misprint!:
ReplyDeleteThen you'll be free of that monkey on your back.
Quote should be:
Then you'll be free of that money in your back pocket.
I think what the author is getting at is the concept known in evangelical circles as "accountability partners". But, like most other Biblical concepts, Armstrongism somehow distorted and perverted the original intent, much the same as did the Pharisees of Jesus' day.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the way WCG taught us to conduct interpersonal relationships, exhibit love, and practice ethics caused permanent, lifelong personality disorders in many members, meaning that most never learned to play well with others. All that mattered was the law, and whether everyone around each of us was keeping it obsessively and compulsively. Loyalty was reserved for the church and its authority structure, not to one another, and only towards Jesus Christ as filtered by the church.
BB
the way WCG taught us to conduct interpersonal relationships, exhibit love, and practice ethics caused permanent, lifelong personality disorders
ReplyDeleteAn interesting premise.
Perhaps it is something which should be pursued in more detail.
Please keep posting, Mr. 'Let it go'.
ReplyDeleteIf you post enough like you just did, we could compile a list of Armstrongist cliches(which may be a useful tool in studying "the permanent, lifelong personality disorders" that are caused by Armstrongism.
Or, if you disagree with the blog posting, you could actually write about what and why, your specific disagreements are.
Personally, although my style of criticism is a tad less harsh than NO2HWA's, I thought the post was excellent in pointing out the differences between genuine fellowship and the kind that HWA taught.
Here's something you may want to consider.(I thought of it as the result of a typo I made.) -
HWA took "fellowship", and he "fellowshopped" it.
(Think of the difference between a genuine photo, and a "photoshopped" photo.)
HWA altered genuine fellowship, and subtly manipulated it, into the lie which he wanted us to accept and aspire to.
He "fellowshopped" fellowship!
Norm
Hey everybody, bring your sticks and stones for fellowship so those around you can be beaten into repentance, correction, and obedience. That's what fellowship is for. Pthbbbbt, what garbage!
ReplyDeleteTrue loving fellowship makes the other person the best that they can be. Sharp, effective, a 'useful tool'. It doesn't make them dull and powerless, ineffective butter-knives used only for slathering the butter(-ing) on with.
Just say no to strong-arm-ism.