Living Church of God has been struck with numerous health issues regarding it's leaders and HQ employees.
Therefore, lo and behold, Jesus spoke to Rod Meredith in a private conversation the other day, and told him to declare a church wide fast so that God would intervene in the health situations of Rod and Ames.
I guess Jesus was too weak of a pansy to do anything about it so he told Rod to go above him (Jesus) to get some action on the situation
Meredith writes:
From the Presiding Evangelist(Special letter and announcement to be read in all congregations)Dear brethren and ministers around the world,Greetings to all of you and love from all of us here in Charlotte! We are very grateful for the love and loyalty shown by virtually all of you and for the wonderful blessings showered upon us during the recent festival season. As some of you may have heard, we were blessed to have more than 9,000 people attending the Feast of Tabernacles this autumn! That is a new record—for which we are thankful! Most of all, of course, God is concerned with the spiritual strength of our brethren and we certainly do want to emphasize that which is more important. However, we are grateful that God is adding to our numbers in the Church, and that we are continuing to have wonderful responses to the telecast nearly every week and that the impact of this Work around the world is certainly growing—especially as prophetic events speed up.However, my immediate purpose in writing all of you at this time is to explain the reason for the upcoming Church FAST on the Sabbath of December 17. There were many instances in biblical times when God’s servants called for a fast. Remember how—as the “Day of the Lord approaches”—God’s true ministers were exhorted: “Consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly; gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord. Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as destruction from the Almighty” (Joel 1:14-15).When Daniel sorrowed over the “desolations of Jerusalem,” and the need for God’s intervention, what did he do? “Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said, ‘O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments’” (Daniel 9:3-4). And when the soon-to-be Apostle Paul was struck down and blinded to humble him and to “awaken” him, notice what he did: “Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank” (Acts 9:8-9).Dear brethren, as you know from our previous announcements, we have had an entire series of extremely serious illnesses among God’s people in recent months—including a number of our leading people directly involved in the Work. We all know that the radiant faith of people like Peter and Paul is very seldom found among God’s people today. We remember Jesus’s statement: “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).After meditating and praying about these things and conferring with our leading ministers here in Charlotte, I have been led by Jesus Christ to call for a Church-wide fast on the Sabbath of December 17—beginning, of course, the previous evening at sunset. I urge all of you faithful members, in Jesus’ name, to join with us in this day of fasting and prayer and in earnestly seeking God and asking for His special mercy at this time and for the supernatural healing of His people through the “stripes” of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:24).Dear brethren, as the end of this age approaches, let us all cry out to God for more of His Spirit, more of His power through divine healings and the “gifts of the Spirit.” I will not expound on this more here as a special taped sermon should arrive in time to explain all of this even more thoroughly. But I wanted to get this message to all of our people—ahead of time—so that you may be preparing yourselves—both physically and spiritually—for the upcoming fast. May God continue to guide and bless every one of you as you walk with Him.With Christian love,Roderick C. Meredith** Please Announce: Mr. Meredith has requested that the special Must Play DVD titled, “Faith for Healing,” that he recorded about the Church-wide Fast, which has been called for the Sabbath of December 17, is to be played in services on December 10 (next Sabbath).
Apostle Malm has included the following in his announcement:
After his recent trip to Europe the health of Rod Meredith is in decline, his brother in law and designated successor is also elderly and in poor health. In addition there are other health issues among the LCG leadership including one minister’s wife suffering from a brain tumour; and two workers at HQ and an elder’s wife struggling with cancer.
These issues have prompted instructions to play a message recorded by Rod on ”FAITH FOR HEALING” Dec 10th, and a day of fasting concerning health issues on 17 Dec.
21 comments:
The announcement made in January 2010 for an LCG fast was the most evil action I have ever seen in the church of God. It was ostensibly a pre-Passover fast, yet there is no mention of humbling themselves, reconciliation, repentance or forgiveness, or gratitude. Rather, Rod is telling his followers to go to God with a veiled plea for the destruction of all the other churches of God. "Urge everyone to take part and to wholeheartedly “seek God” and ask the Father and our Head, Jesus Christ, to bring more and more of His faithful people together into one Church so a truly significant Work may be accomplished!" Do you think I'm reading too much into this? Then you don't know Rod, and that his greatest wish is for all of God's faithful to leave their current church to join LCG.
As time unfolds one of the last lessons we learn is that life what we only put off learning and living in denial over, we die.
You only get old if you are lucky.
Our religion/spirituality ultimately serves us comfort over this stark reality. As conscious sentinent beings, we know that we we know and one of the things we know is that we die. Dogs and Cats don't worry about such things and thus they have no religions constructed to comfort themselves for decades until it happens.
When you read the words and attitudes of the "resurrected" Jesus and compare them to the pre resurrection Jesus's words, you see the classical signs and attitudes of a Near Death Experience many claim to have had. Did the Apostle Paul have one during one of his "Three times I was stoned and left for dead..." experiences and thus took the fear away? Who knows.
Anyway, reality is our friend but often not so that of those who spent their entire lives just knowing they would not have to die as ALL before them. It is a time of dis-illusionment and that old fear of death can come knocking.
I can't personally imagine calling a fast worldwide in a church for MY survival. It might make me feel better but what about all the other "common folk" who go through the same thing and don't even get a call or a card? No one is special. We're all just folk.
I'm sure at the end of a life if one has time to think about it, all of life feels like a brief 15 minute experience.
Sometimes it is more difficult for the religious and leader types to accept their humanity.
And what's going to happen when those they are fasting for die one by one?
There was a churchwide fast for HWA in his final days. He still died.
At some point they will have to face the fact that praying and fasting for an organization has zero effect on its longevity. What does ensure an organization's survival is a plan that isn't dependent on the continuance of one person.
All this praying and fasting says is that "the work" is this group of top people. Not something of God.
I don't remember a church wide fast ever working from 1969 until now, nor even before that in WCG or any of it's whore cults. Oh! THAT explains it.
"After meditating and praying about these things and conferring with our leading ministers here in Charlotte, I have been led by Jesus Christ...."
This usually means that "I deceided to call a fast." What does "led by Jesus Christ mean?"
What about "Is any one sick among you...let him call for the Elders of the church and the prayer of faith will save the sick and the sick shall be made well"? Why do leaders get to inflict involuntary fasting on thousands for themselves while the average person simply dies among friends and family?
If the average member were dying, would individual "Leaders" fast for them? Is one life more worthwhile than the other? In the minds of leaders of course, the answer is "of course they are."
Anonymous said that Rod Meredith, in his January 2010 announcement for a fast, did: "..."Urge everyone to take part and to wholeheartedly “seek God” and ask the Father and our Head, Jesus Christ, to bring more and more of His faithful people together into one Church so a truly significant Work may be accomplished!" ..."
Well, the purpose of that fast did not accomplish things such that Rod's will was done for his particular group, which probably doesn't thrill Bob Thiel at all.
If Rod wants people to fast for something, then why doesn't he suggest people focus on the following, which would be an acceptable fast to God?
Isaiah 58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.
9 Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:
And while Rod is at it with bringing a fast for self, why does he apparently turn a blind eye to verse 4 of Isaiah 58? Those earlier verses tell one how NOT to fast. Why does Rod emphasize the opposite of God's Word? What does verse 4 say?
Is says that if one fasts that that fast should NOT be: "... to make your voice to be heard on high..."
Perhaps these verses in Isaiah 58 can help us understand why perhaps God had nothing to do with Rod's urging people to fast for any of the reasons mentioned in that January 2010 announcement.
Besides, who knows? Perhaps God has His scattered sealed Firstfruits elsewhere doing something else...and has no interest or concern with any associated with Rod's group, but time will tell, won't it? Well, time is telling us something...
In fact, if Rod paid more attention to God's will being done, which it is, rather than his own will being done, well, he wouldn't have to write such announcements/letters encouraging others to fast...as if God were asleep, He was unaware of who was sick and who should be healed, He was busy elsewhere in the Universe, He is some sort of a slacker...etc.
Even Elijah would have some words of wisdom for Rod. He might says things like the following: "...Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked...." I Kings 18:27
Huh? Well, there's nothing "new under the sun...", but don't link in a fast with those words!
John
Well said Anonymous (12/6/2011 12:09 AM): Repentance is not mentioned in the letter at all and, according to Scripture, God resists the proud. The Old Testament prophets had a few words about fasting for strife: It doesn't work so very well.
Perhaps this fast will produce some excellent results: With Meredith being on the decline, the fast could finish him off, and that would be an answer to many people's prayers.
Unfortunately, December 17 is inconvenient for some, since that is the regularly scheduled potluck in at least one of the (non Armstrongist) Churches of God. They celebrate the Sabbath to call it a delight, rather than put on sackcloth and ashes to mourn the health of a false prophet and fast to extend the lives of those who oppress and abuse people. If they fast, they will pick another day, thanks.
And even if there is to be a fast on the Sabbath, should it not be for the nation and the people of the United States, that they would repent and heed the message of righteousness? This praying for intervention to save the life of worthless preachers who lie and then take your money seems to be utterly selfish considering the needs of hundreds of millions of people who need intervention much more.
I am lighting voodoo candles and sacrificing a chicken to petition the Lord to have spiders bite Mr Meredith's eyeballs this Sabbath.
He had eye surgery but laughed about his wife Margie's cancer, calling it "only a skin condition"
(She died of that untreated cancer.)
I hope you will all join me in prayer and chicken sacrifices, for what will be the main event this coming Friday night at sundown- "The Sabbath Spider Spanky Smackdown"!
Norm
If Rod and Dick were to kick the bucket in the next few weeks, Ron Weinland would be overjoyed since he prophesied their deaths early-on as part of his "Fifth Thunder", followed by Six-Pack Jerry, Clarion-Call Dave, and John Ritenbaugh.
I find it interesting that LCG's most important mouthpiece has posted nothing about this on his blog. Does Thiel not know about this or does he consider this an internal matter and not one that should be broadcast around the world?
I can just see LCG when Spanky dies. They will have a funeral service at grave side to mimic HWA's. Thousands will show up, honor guards will walk the casket to the grave in a gold embossed funeral cart. All of the splinter cult leader s, including Lil'Joe will show up to pay homage to this beastly man. His casket will be the finest mahogany or rosewood that can be bought.
It will be another sickening display of idol worship for yet another COG "pioneer".
Ex COG members will line up to shower glowing platitudes at the memorial on what a kind and loving man of God he was. They will talk about how "he fought the good fight and won."
Missing will be those people he demeaned and slandered in the Manpower papers, missing will be Leona McNair who he slandered from the stage, missing will be the men and women who's lives he destroyed through his divorce decrees.
I guess it will be up to blogs like this, The Painful Truth, Armstrong Delusion, and others to keep a balance to all the glowing reports. Let the truth be told for all the world to see!
Forgive me for being selfish, but I don't remember hearing about "the rod of God" and the ministry of the LCG calling for a church wide fast for my beloved mother's declining health when she was faced with cancer and the fight for her life a couple years ago.
I'm not saying my mother was any more important than anybody else, but she certainly wasn't any less important than Roderick C. Meredith.
Richard
So when the Godfather Don of this particular Mafia Cartel kicks off, just what will the reaction of the other cartels be? Divide the spoils?
Or will another grandfather / Godfather arise to take his place with new life and energy to revitalize that which has a name that it is Living, but is quite Dead (and death dealing)?
Now I am puzzled. Isn't this the evil man that let church members suffer and die in the past, whilst he was having medical treatment on the sly? (like HWA and others!)If so, why does he need Gd now?
Let him have a taste of his own medicine (sorry for the pun!) and suffer like he made others.
PS. Sorry about the !!!'s - a hangover from my days at AC!
I'm going to be cremated and loaded into a huge firework, have picnic for friends and then go out with a bang...har ha
I feel sorry for people in the LCG who will be missing yet more meals this Saturday in the name of imaginary beings and human ego.
I for one will probably start Saturday off with pork sausage and fried eggs and a cup of black coffee. I'll even take the high moral road and refrain from wishing that Rod would just hurry up and die and instead try my best to be indifferent about it.
It's a shame that Rod, that old skeletal jackal, has outlived GTA.
Paul Ray
One thing we know for sure...all of the con men, Spanky, Ames, Weiner Dude, Flurry, Pack Man, Franks, Kilough,Joey jr.(I already forgot the guy's name in UCG) will all be dead some day, hopefully sooner than later, and will all be worm food like all the rest of us. In a few years time, no one will even remember their names anymore than they remember our names. No, I don't want to pray for them one way or the other. I won't sacrifice a chicken for them. I'll just eat the chicken when I can afford to buy one.
It is at times such as these, (if I was a praying man) I would pray that some other event take place, that the old bastard would die a death not unlike the one Terry Ratzmann dished out to the eight.
Now I am not an avenging man in general but there must be a time in which justice is served. Dieing in bed is not what this sob deserves, for a life lived as poorly as Rod's there must be revenge.
"....but there must be a time in which justice is served."
Unfortunately, if he doesn't transgress any secular laws, he will slide into the Void, escaping forever any punishment. As far as I know, Rod hasn't committed any crimes that have garnered the attention of the police. In America, a Man of the Cloth is afforded an undue measure of protection and respect. Look at how con-men who wrangle money from the elderly through lies are treated by the criminal justice system; yet a con-man who wrangles money from the elderly through lies concerning the desires of imaginary beings is treated as righteous, upright member of society. Venerated, actually. It's insane.
Paul Ray
"Rather, Rod is telling his followers to go to God with a veiled plea for the destruction of all the other churches of God. "Urge everyone to take part and to wholeheartedly “seek God” and ask the Father and our Head, Jesus Christ, to bring more and more of His faithful people together into one Church so a truly significant Work may be accomplished!"
all of the COG'lets think they are the One True Church and all of the others are phonys.......truth be known, it's probable that none of them are the True Church, although I think there are members of Said Church sprinkled amongst them all.
Rod Meredith is the end product of all that is Armstrong. I can tell you from personal experience that he is one of the most truly religiously weird people I have ever met.
Remember, the Two Witnesses will be in sackcloth. They will have repented big time just like Paul did. The two groups that have reached more people and presumed to speak for God are led by RM and GF.
Post a Comment