Prophet Thiel has a post up tonight from Rod Meredith about soon coming religious persecution of LCG ministers and members. His lead in to his article is about the persecution of Christians around the world. As if Meredithism even compares to what these people are suffering!
According to Meredith:
"...today, we increasingly read and hear about professing Christians being sorely persecuted all over the world. In a news bulletin I heard just this morning on the radio, a famous preacher was describing how ferocious the persecution of professing Christians is becoming in many African and Middle Eastern nations."
I am confused here. Rod Meredith calls them Christians, yet Prophet Thiel calls them fake or "so-called" Christians. Since Prophet Thiel is now an official mouthpiece of the Living Church of God, why is his opinion of "so-called" Christians different than Rod's?
Then Meredith's letter descends into his favorite topic. He cannot carry on any conversation, do a telecast, write an article or booklet without bringing up SEX!
"As we see our beloved nations descending into the cesspool of deeper and deeper immorality—men “marrying” men, literally millions of young people simply “living together” without benefit of marriage or involvement from Almighty God in their lives, increasing vilification of all professing Christians and those who try to stand up for the Truth..."
Then it is quickly off to the Old Testament to find his angry god that is going to come and spank the United States:
"...it should become increasingly evident that the time is near when God will say “enough” and will send Jesus Christ back to this earth as King of kings. For Jesus is the prophesied “Rock” who will, in love and understanding have to crush the rebellious nations of t his earth and all rebellious institutions in order to bring about an entire different way of life based on His spiritual Law (Daniel 2:44-45)…"
Let all of us pray fervently for one another. And may God give all of us the understanding and knowledge that we need to go through these coming years of trial, test, persecution and ultimate joy and exhilaration in His coming Kingdom.
It's pretty sad that LCG won't pray for these people, yet these very same fake Christians offered prayers up, gave flowers and other support to the LCG members families of those killed in the LCG murders a few years ago. But I guess those were fake prayers and fake grief offered up by fake Christians. We won't even get into the appalling comments made by Thiel over the crosses these Christians put up!
Why do the "fake" Christians get it, while the supposed "true" Christians don't? Who are the TRUE martyrs here?
You can read Meredith's entire letter here: Co-worker Letter 3/15/12
18 comments:
The Rod of God said, "it should become increasingly evident that the time is near when God will say “enough” and will send Jesus Christ back to this earth as King of kings. For Jesus is the prophesied “Rock” who will, in love and understanding have to crush the rebellious nations of t his earth and all rebellious institutions in order to bring about an entire different way of life based on His spiritual Law (Daniel 2:44-45)…"
MY COMMENT - Meredith has been saying this 50 years, and HWA before him. Talk is cheap (except in Armstrongism where the dumb sheep become a lifetime source of income stream and financial security for their leaders). Action speaks louder than words!
Richard
NO2HWA said, "Christians are being killed by Muslim fundamentalists around the world. They are dying in Africa and Latin America. Yet, Rod offers no prayers up for the safety of those people. I guess since Prophet Thiel has named them as fake Christians they are unworthy of God's intervention. Instead, he wants prayers for LCG because they are soon to be suffering intense persecution and trials. It's still "us" vs "them."
MY COMMENT - That is because from the Armstrong perspective the nominal "fake Christians" do not have "the key of David". They do not understand the United States and Britain in prophecy, nor do they understand that God is to use the modern day Assyrians (Germany) to punish all of us for being human beings. From the Armstrong perspective, persecution is to come from Germany, and not from the Muslim countries.
It has always been "us vercus them" in the WCG and its many splinters. "Us" is defined as "God's elect called from the world" converted to Armstrongism, and "them" is the entire rest of the world including "fake or counterfeit Christians".
The only time "fake Christians" are used (and, I do mean "used") in Armstrongism is when it is convenient for the Church "Apostles". We saw it in the WCG receivership crisis of the 1970s when other "fake Christian" organizations came to the defense of the WCG. Meredith uses "fake Christians" in his letter to drive home his point about persecution.
There has been and will probably always be an "us versus them" mentality in Armstrongism because it never occurs to them that truth can be found everywhere (even in the local Sunday keeping Baptist church down the street). They feel special as God's called out ones with special knowledge and special relationship with God that no one else can have,
Richard
Oh, one clarification to my last post. The sentence should more accurately read, "From the Armstrong perspective, persecution is to come from Germany united with a modern day Holy Roman Empire (United States of Europe) working in alliance with the Catholic Church, and not from the Muslim countries.
Richard
My daughter attends Catholic school. I had to drop something off there yesterday. Everyone was friendly and talked to me asking how I was and about my back surgery. Then I went food shopping and saw a former associate from LCG. What a difference ! All she did was talk about herself, how she is on disability (which is interesting because she is out food shopping and must have driven herself). Luckily I was with my dad who did most of the talking. I was too busy trying not to puke.
Who is the fake christian? All the eliteists in LCG who think their poop doesn't stink.
If you read the "Church of God News" you may notice that Robert Thiel has taken it upon himself to persecute the Church of God Seventh Day (notably quoting LCG literature to do so). The ACoGs call CoG7D Sardis, but the LCG is the only church of God with the name "Living". I suppose that the LCG would prefer us to call them Laodoceans then, right?
I guess LCG is trying to fulfil their own prophecies because of the failure of the past 50 years to get any prophecy right.
US vs THEM is the destructive force in religion today. Using terms like "Christians, so called," is exactly the smug attitude Dr. Thiel exudes when he gets on his miopic view of LCG being the True Church. It's actually rather sad. And then endeavoring to attach LCG non-persecution with the very real and often fatal persecution others of all faiths experience because they happen to live in areas of intolerance and compliance is truly sad.
(To paraphrase Dr. Thiel) "Sadly and of course..." COG persecution is merely "persecution so called of Christians also so called" at times.
2 Tim. 3:7 -- unbeknownst to them, the COGs needed a mirror when citing this scripture; Theil is the newest, most glaring example. Fat lot of good his degrees do him.
Isn't Thiels theology degree from an online Indian "University?"
It is my perspective that if real persecution hit any of the Armstrongist churches of God, like the threat of being sued, they would fold right up like the cowards they are.
They are showing their lack of faith in God.
Isn't blind arrogance grand?
LOL, that will be the day when Bob T gives a rat's ass about the multitude of Muslims being slaughtered in cold blood by Christians.
Let me see if I've got this right. Jesus tells us in Revelation that he knocks on our doors, and if we answer, He will come in. Other places in the New Testament tell us that if we seek, we will find. The well documented principle is that if people sincerely ask God to come into their lives, He does!
Armstrongism teaches that unless Christians have been called and guided to their beliefs, they have not really been called. That, if they really studied their Bibles, they'd be guided to Armstrongism, thus indicating unity through the Holy Spirit.
Both cannot be true! God does not play tricks, which is what makes Him both faithful and reliable. Why would a loving God route a distraught, tearful, repentent individual to a system of false Christianity, and another such person to Armstrongism? And, when it really gets down to it, what group is actually dying for their beliefs, and what group thinks a couple of eggs or a bad joke by a radio disk jockey constitutes horrid persecution indicative of the end times? Who trys to raise loving families, and who beats the tar out of their kids? Who digs wells for children in Africa in the name of Jesus Christ, and who refuses to help disaster victims?
The proof that Armstrongism is nothing but theological garbage is all around us! All you have to do is let these people speak, and they indict both themselves and their system of worship!
BB
Rod Meredith wrote: "..."...it should become increasingly evident that the time is near when God will say “enough” and will send Jesus Christ back to this earth as King of kings. For Jesus is the prophesied “Rock” who will, in love and understanding have to crush the rebellious nations of this earth and all rebellious institutions in order to bring about an entire different way of life based on His spiritual Law (Daniel 2:44-45)…"
******
I wonder how Rod came to conclude that "...God will say “enough” and will send Jesus Christ back to this earth as King of kings..."
After all, aren't there over a dozen verses in the Bible saying something to the effect that Christ will be at the Father's right hand until all God makes all of Christ's enemies a footstool?
And we know that Satan causes worldwide problems (including messing up Jerusalem as well) after a 1,000 years when it is released from a pit. Satan is no footstool there!
Oh, and that last enemy death? Death also continues on beyond that 1,000 years also.
So, I wonder: how does Rod Meredith come to believe that Christ will soon be ruling on this earth?
It just appears that, similar to Satan, perhaps Rod has "...no legs to stand on..."
John
BB Notes: "in Revelation that he knocks on our doors, and if we answer, He will come in. Other places in the New Testament tell us that if we seek, we will find. The well documented principle is that if people sincerely ask God to come into their lives, He does!"
He does for you. I have not found this to be the case, though i understand the sentiment. I am also not so sure about the "well documented" part.
I believe that whatever "ism" or belief one finds is the one that person says Jesus lead them to. Of course this does not have to be true at all in reality. It is the one they chose and was comfortable for their personality and spiritual needs. It is possible to do this without any Jesus knocking or a person seeking or finding anything that came from a source outside of their own contented choices.
When will God say "ENOUGH" to these false prophets who "prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart...I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied" (Jer 14:14; 23:21)?! Little known among the ACOGs I believe is that in the early days HWA based his predictions on pyramidology, which was related to Anglo-Israelism. It's just too bizarre as you may as well say Stonehenge or the Washington Monument holds the key to understanding Bible prophecies! This obsession with prophetic speculation and that every news item is another fulfillment of Bible prophecy is just unhealthy. And the proof is in the decades of failed prophecies upon failed prophecies that leads to wasted and empty lives, nonexistent careers and bitterness towards those who you feel are to blame for building up your expectations of an event that might not even happen until you're six feet under! And how exactly does all of this hype help the less fortunate among us?! I'm sure that when the smooth-talking Beast and miracle-working False Prophet, along with the ten henchmen and the 666 mark all arrive on the scene the entire Christian world will know that it's finally "the last days." Besides we'll have the true testimony of the Two Witnesses from Jerusalem speaking against them. Until then I think it's wise to follow the same advice God gave to the Judeans when they were in Babylon (Jer 29:5-7). So don't bother with these "prophets" so-called!
John:
I can validate your comment about the pyramidology that HWA was interested in. There was an entire shelf at Ambassador Pasadena devoted to these books. Many were from the 1880's when pyramidiology was at it's heyday. Some of the books were three inches thick with precise details on how prophecy was going to work out. Some even had HWA's hand writing in the margins. This was also close by the numerous British Israel books that the library had.
Most do not realize that this entire church was based upon to false belief system and a nightmare that Loma had that started it all.
NO2HWA said, "Most do not realize that this entire church was based upon to false belief system and a nightmare that Loma had that started it all".
MY COMMENT - With all due respect NO2HWA, this entire church was based on Herbert W. Armstrong's self desire to be a business success and a millionaire. I heard HWA on numerous occaisions at the Feast when he gave his life story and the history of the work that he wanted to be a millionaire, but God brought him down to poverty to humble him so he could be used to raise up the end time Philadelphia era of the Church of God.
When HWA would recount his life story, I believe the part about him wanting to be a millionaire was actually true and gave a glimpse to the motivation for him to piece together his new brand of fear religion - or false belief system as you state. Loma's dream may be co-incidental, or it may have been embellished as HWA was prone to do, or it may have not happenned at all!
What we do know about Loma's dream was that the Armstrongs didn't have time to go to the movies (movie houses were in it's early infancy in the 1920s), that God had important work for them to do preparing the way for the return of Jesus Christ.
Somewhere along the way, HWA figured out a way to make a buck on Loma's dream, and HWA's life long desire to become a millionaire came true - many times over!
"If you want to dine with the classes, you must lie to the masses".
Richard
Anonymous 6:03, one of the stages I went through as I transitioned from non-belief to belief was what I call my "push-pull" stage. St. James describes this as being double minded, and of course it is part of the human condition. I was being drawn to God, but thought and did things to push him away.
After some months, I reached a stage of total capitulation. My fears regarding what this was all going to mean and require in my life went away. It was at that point that I began to noticeably experience a transformation of heart. I'm a different person than the one I was 5 years ago.
God does answer. I don't believe that He intends me to become a member of any specific church. Considering our shared WCG background, perhaps it's better for us to simply enjoy a personal relationship with Him. I do attend a Bible-based church, but don't allow them to become any sort of intermediary. I still do have ups and downs, as well as occasional doubts, but realize that belief must be constantly reinforced. That is the only way in which our faith can grow. It's kind of like spiritual weight training.
BB
" I still do have ups and downs, as well as occasional doubts, but realize that belief must be constantly reinforced."
Why does belief have to be constantly reinforced? What if there is ever so much more to know on that belief true or false? Belief is not truth is it? It is just a belief. Perhaps Churches are bound together not so much by the truth of a matter, I mean the real truth, as they are by their beliefs about the statements
"Sit down before fact like a little child, and be prepared to give up every preconceived notion. Follow humbly wherever and to whatever abyss Nature leads, or you shall learn nothing."
Thomas Huxley
Ups and downs are good as are doubts. They keep us from getting stuck in less than what is so. I totally understand your experience. I do. But it is not beliefs we are going for. They are a dime a dozen, well ok, a dime for three with inflation.
It is the truth that sets free, not beliefs. Beliefs come and go and seem to be the stuff we jump around back and forth to most of our lives thinking we have finally found the truth. Apples and Oranges.
Even Jesus had beliefs and was terribly wrong about them. Perhaps that would make a good article but I don't think most can put the words, "Jesus" and "mistaken" in the same sentence.
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