Its that time of year ago when Church of God members do their spring cleaning while searching toy boxes, clothes pockets, for cookies in the cracks of the couch, or scrubbing the tile flooring its toothbrushes to get out all that "sin." Women in the church are literally exhausted having to clean the house from top to bottom. It was always great fun for the minister to stick his hand in his suit pocket and find a cookie.
Finding Sin (Dennis Leap)
The most vital spiritual lesson of the Passover and spring holy days is the incredible destructiveness of sin. Human sin brought about the death of Jesus Christ. And human sin will cause our eternal death unless we repent and seek God’s righteousness (Romans 6:23). The great tragedy is that, all too often, serious sin can be hidden from our view.
But there is a positive side to all this knowledge. It is found in the Days of Unleavened Bread. God gave us the spring holy days to teach us that we can find sin, and with His help, put it out of our lives. God uses the physical lesson of leaven to help us adults understand how sin works. We need to show our children how sin works by getting them involved in cleaning for the Days of Unleavened Bread. Finding leaven is a tailor-made activity for our young people. Each child, even toddlers, should have some job or activity related to finding leaven. In our family, we have always tried to assign each child a particular area of the house. When our children were toddlers, we directed them to hunt for leaven in their toy box. Yes, we made them pull each toy out. It was always great fun.
We didn’t always necessarily find leaven. But our toddlers felt part of all the activity.
As you teach your child to look for leaven, look with them. Talk with your child about sin and how it is like crumbs—it is everywhere! Be sure to plan ahead so you can spend time with your children.
All of this effort is put forth for days ahead of Passover. The Church of God version of Passover is about the only time of year that many members ever hear
The Pasadena congregations had a wonderful tradition of making sure when they killed him on the stage that it was amplified through loudspeakers so that every person sitting in the room knew they were guilty of crucify
What the point in deleavening a home, office, toy box or the car when the rest of the year you treat church members like dirt and split up families? Whats the point in crucifying
Whats the point in Dennis Leap writing an article like this when he treats members so horribly?
Jesus isn't impressed.
44 comments:
Wow. I've been away from all of this stuff for so long that I didn't even realize that we're coming up on one of those Old Covenant holy days.
I once knew someone whose son-in-law would literally unbolt the car seats, and remove them to make absolutely certain that no crumbs missed the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner. Just thought I'd mention that for the benefit of any of the Pharisees who might be listening in.
BB
Here in Chicago, there was a story told about some old, veteran church member. He assured people that the TOASTER would be okay -- you wouldn't have to buy a new one -- if you let it dry out LONG ENOUGH after FULLY IMMERSING IT to make sure all the crumbs were washed out.
Just listened to PCG's Brad MacDonald's broadcast of The Trumpet Daily (April 20, 2015). 48 minutes into it near the end he congratulates Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her 90th birthday.
Why is this permissible considering how PCG insists that birthdays are sinful and forbids their members from celebrating birthdays? If birthday are fine for Queen Elizabeth II then why not anyone else?
Shameful.
Of course the pharisees were and are wrong.
Basic True Christianity the way it was supposed to be is light years ahead of physical man made traditions...
Doesn't mean I want the Easter Bunny instead.
Laugh all you want, I'll take Passover and Unleavened Bread.
I attend LCG and admit I used to get obsessed with removing leavening. The last few years though, I've awakened to the fact that it would be better to put that passion into love and mercy, which is terribly lacking in my church. I still deleaven because I believe in the symbolism, bit I realize now that most of my fellow COG brethren place too much emphasis on the symbol as I did for most of my life.
Is Jesus Impressed With Your Deleavning Routines?
"Joh 1:3 All things were made by him (Yeshua); and without him was not any thing made that was made."
"Joh 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments."
Two scriptures not often seen together. Obviously the deleavening command was given by Yeshua and if effort is extended to comply then the answer to the above question would have to be YES.
The extent of that effort being dependent on the participant, I believe.
cheers
raklph.f
"I once knew someone whose son-in-law would literally unbolt the car seats, and remove them to make absolutely certain that no crumbs missed the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner."
He was smart. Very smart. Those car seat crumbs are as ubiquitous as the sin they sinbolize.
I'm also reminded of the man who, obeying God, cast his wife out of their house for the duration of the DOUB because she had a yeast infection. He said she actually had an attitude like unto Jezebel, which must have caused her yeast infection.
Such things make me so glad that in The Kingdom everything will be made right, and those holy actions will cause God to grant those exemplary men positions of power, blessings and favor.
SING ALONG TIME! - For those observing the Days of Unleavened Bread
Sing to the Tune - "All My Loving" by the Beatles
Closed my eyes ,said "KISS OFF" to you...
Tomorrows World won't miss you
Remember I'll always be true
And when I throw bread away
Clean my home every day
I will send all my LEAVEN to you
All my LEAVEN... I will send to you
All my LEAVEN, darling I keep true!!
Yes, Diane, I believe that is a better emphasis for your passion. I wish that I had devoted more time to reality (as opposed to symbolic rituals) back in the day - it's not a problem now!
Heh, I knew some would get defensive about that headline.
Anon @ 3:06 "if you let it dry out LONG ENOUGH after FULLY IMMERSING IT to make sure all the crumbs were washed out."
He's not wrong though. Electronics are perfectly fine to be submerged as long as they are not powered and then allowed to dry out completely afterwards. Gotta give the man credit where credit is due.
To RedFox.
The PCG does not condone the celebrating of birthdays but from my experience plenty of people do it anyway just without the cake and party favors.
I never really understood why they were forbidden in the first place but it seems that people get on with the celebration anyway.
Ironically, the defensive ones missed the entire point of the article.
3.35AM the answer to your question, is that in the church there are the big people and the little people. The big people can celebrate birthdays, but not the little people. The reason birthdays are banned, is that the little people are to have no self esteem and worth. By contrast, the big people have all worth. Only the big people matter.
Dear Ralph.
The deleavening command was given to Israel, not to the Nations.
Deu_29:1 These are the words of the covenant which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb.
This is what the Jews say. Any gentile taking what is given to Israel is a thief.
The Old Covenant is obsolete.
Heb_8:13 By speaking of a new covenant, God has made the first one old; and anything that becomes old and worn out will soon disappear.
Heb_9:15 For this reason Christ is the one who arranges a new covenant, so that those who have been called by God may receive the eternal blessings that God has promised. This can be done because there has been a death which sets people free from the wrongs they did while the first covenant was in force.
The first covenant is taken away to establish the second:-
Heb 10:9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
Here are Jesus' commandments :-
1Jn_3:23 And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he gave us commandment.
1Jn_4:21 And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also.
in the church there are the big people and the little people
This is why Jim Meredith can post a Facebook video of a huge pork barbecue and write about how he would like to enjoy it, and can brag about watching Hawaii Five-0 on the Sabbath, but an ordinary member can be driven out of LCG for posting a photo of a very innocent costume party with nothing but clean food and decent entertainment.
I think Anonymous April 21, 2016 at 11:41 AM missed the mark regarding the Church's position about the celebration of birthdays. As I recall, the Armstrong Church taught that one's death date is more important than one's birthday. At death, assuming the dead tithe slave convert lived faithfully and were counted among the very Elect to partake in the first resurrection (you know, paid triple tithes and offerings; contributed to the all important Building Fund even though time was short; washed the stinky feet of the moron sitting next to you at Passover; fasted while Herbert Armstrong drank coffee on the Day of Atonement; sucked up to the local minister and drove snotty rebellious teenagers to YOU events, etc., etc.), then you would enter The Kingdom of God as a Ruler and King and reign with Christ for 1,000 years in the Millenium right along with the Greats of the Bible. People like King David, Moses, Gerald Waterhouse, etc.
The Church taught your death date and which resurrection you would be Judged to partake was more important than your birthday. A corollary explanation was that Christ's death (Passover) and resurrection was Bible important but Christ's birth was not and that his birth (i.e. Christmas) was never celebrated in the Bible.
Richard
on April 21, 2016 at 1:05 PM
Anonymous wrote:-
"The deleavening command was given to Israel, not to the Nations."
Most certainly. However times and circumstances do change, particularly with the advent of Jesus, the Christ, known to some as Yeshua Ha Mashiac.
I believe one can become an Israelte by adoption, a legitimate action, as shown here:-
"Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
Abraham's seed, a descendant, and thus an Israelite, through Isaac and Jacob.
Also worth contemplating:-
"Isa 56:3 Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.
Isa 56:4 For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant;
Isa 56:5 Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an.everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
Isa 56:6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;
Isa 56:7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people."
(emphasis mine; some things just do not change)
cheers
ralph.f
It's that time of year when COG brethren are implored in well-meant sermons to examine themselves, which, if they do it at all (because let's face it, it's a rather undefined exercise), generally results in the failure to recognize that over the course of the past year (or thirty), they have lifted nary a finger to remove any actual defect of character. Physical leaven comes and goes, but the stuff it is supposed to symbolize never goes anywhere.
What vanity, in every sense of the word, the Armstrongist days of unleavened bread are. It is a useless exercise, the performance of which causes those who do it to get "puffed up" with pride at how special they think they are because of it. Armstrongism is simply a protestant incarnation of pharisaism.
on April 21, 2016 at 1:05 PM
Anonymous also wrote:-
"This is what the Jews say...."
If by 'the Jews' you mean the Rabbis, in view of what Nehemia Gordon writes in his book "The Hebrew Yeshua vs. The Greek Jesus", I would pay little attention to what "the Jews say".
eg. from page 16 of his book:-
"My rabbi's conclusion from all this was that the interpretation of the Rabbis even superseded a direct decree from God Himself"
cheers
ralph.f
ps. Not forgetting this:-
"Mat_19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." (read on)
and
"Rev_14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."
The "faith of Jesus" as He kept His Father's commandments so should we, I believe.
just one more:-
"1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous."
from e-Sword 'WordStudy' module:-
"G2316
Θεός
Theós; gen. Theoú, masc. noun. God. Originally used by the heathen, but in the NT as the name of the true God."
cheers
ralph.f
Richard 4.42PM. The church didn't just teach that ones death date is more IMPORTANT than ones birthday, but that celebrating a birthday is wrong. Which is stupid, since salvation is meaningless unless one is born. The reason criminals commit crimes and the reason they give when caught, are very different. The official reason the church gives, and it's true motivation are likewise not one and the same. Ministers attacking members self esteem, self respect, self confidence, and sense of worth, for the sake of gaining power and superiority, was and is common.
I am scratching the surface, you are not. I have experienced the 'big people/little people' mindset many times in the church. My experience trumps your intellectualising, or is it whitewashing. I hope you are not a Herbie worshiper.
4.42AM I notice that you lumped Gerald Waterhouse with Moses and king David. I remind you that Gerald taught the Tkach apostasy doctrines from the pulpit. His excuse was that peoples faith in government is so important, that lies should be taught if need be, to avoid contention and hence questioning government. So much for obeying God rather than man, or believing that Gods laws are perfect. I notice that he never really magnified Gods laws like many a good self help book. A person giving nice speeches and being converted are not one and the same.
So, Richard, in the ACOGs, it would be perfectly in place to wear a "Death is a Gas!" T-Shirt! I've often wondered why more of the teenagers didn't go Goth. With all of the gloom and doom from the pulpit and magazines, you'd have to know that the basic Goth attitude would already be there. The black clothing, black hair, and eye shadow would simply complete the picture. Problem is, the Nazis (oops, slipped! meant "ministers") would probably kick them out!
BB
Anonymous April 21,2016 7:39 PM said, "I notice that you lumped Gerald Waterhouse with Moses and king David."
MY COMMENT - LOL, I was being facetious (it was meant as a joke). You haven't experienced the Worldwide Church of God if you have never heard a 4 hour Waterhouse sermon. It goes on and on and on and on while sitting on metal chairs.
Richard
Ralph! Stop with the proof texting already! This group knows the Bible very well and giving sermonettes is not going to add much to the discussion. No one is going to think or say, "Oh my gosh! Ralph quoted a scripture I never knew of or heard! God said it, I believe it, that does it for me!"
Cheers
Anonymous April 21, 2016 4:42PM said, "The church didn't just teach that ones death date is more IMPORTANT than ones birthday, but that celebrating a birthday is wrong."
MY COMMENT - With all due respect, that was my first hand experience of the WCG teachings on birthdays and why it was wrong. Your experience may have been different.
I do not believe that HWA and top ministers all got together and said, "Let's ban birthdays and make it more difficult to attract converts so we can attack the self esteem of the members and make them feel worthless". Now, what you said may have been an unintended by product result, but that was not the real reason. I believe the Church was sincere in this regard, but like so many other things, sincerely WRONG!
A Herbie worshiper? That's a good one. Perhaps you are new to the Banned by HWA website.
Richard
IIRC, birthdays were condemned based on Josephus' "nay, the law does not allow us to make celebrations at the birth of our children", a source I don't remember that pointed out the only birthday events noted in the narrative were of and by foreigners (Herod) and well, if you spent money on such things you werent putting it in HWA's purse.
6.13 AM. Are you in denial or something. Or a minister perhaps. HWA and ministers did in fact, and still today 'get together' to form and and reinforce a church culture. What do you think goes on in the minister get togethers? Are you aware that HWA sent out ministerial letters? The uniformity of mistreatment of members, the same complaints over and over proves that there was, and is a destruction dysfunctional leadership culture. I for one, have experienced different ministers using the exact same deceitful wording and ploys against me. But they are sincere as you say. Sincere in the belief that they will get ahead by tearing down church members in order to gain power and superiority over them. Where is the conversion in this 'sincere' belief? David Pack was stupid enough in his original government booklet, to quote WHA in a ministerial letter (I have copy of this on a old hard drive, so I will give the letter date eventually) telling the ministers (from memory) that they can be 'kings on thrones right now rather than in the kingdom.' Do you think HWA didn't know that this meant unleashing brutality against church members.
That evil doesn't exist, and people are only sincerely wrong, is a cop out, a demand for a moral blank check. Did Christ consider the Pharisees only sincerely wrong?
Ask God in prayer "are the ministers trying to get the best positions in the kingdom by crippling the minds of church members." See what answer you get.
on April 22, 2016 at 6:05 AM
Anonymous wrote:-
"Ralph! Stop with the proof texting already! This group knows the Bible very well and giving sermonettes is not going to add much to the discussion."
I like it like that! Practically every comment I post confirms the faith that I have been given.
A simple answer:
Don't like? Don't read!
I believe there are some who do agree with some of the things I write.
cheers
ralph.f
ps. Training, just in case, for "The World Tomorrow". LOLx2
Ralph says that Jesus, the Christ, is now known to some as "Yeshua Ha Mashiac".
Great name, Ralph. Is that to "special" people like you, Ralph?
Anonymous 8:38 AM said to 6:13 AM (me), "Are you in denial or something. Or a minister perhaps. HWA and ministers did in fact, and still today 'get together' to form and and reinforce a church culture".
MY COMMENT - Again, perhaps you are new to the Banned By HWA website. I have been posting on this site and on the former Ambassador Watch website for years under the same name and banner, Richard and "Lake of Fire Church of God". I won't regurgitate all my history with the R/WCG which dates back to the early 1950s with my grandfather to 1976 when I broke ranks with my entire family, left the Church and suffered family estrangement. And you think I might be in denial?
I am not a minister. I could never be a minister even if I wanted to be one because I am an Ambassador College reject - and today I wear it like a badge of honor proudly.
Of course HWA and ministers did, in fact, and still today 'get together' to form and and reinforce a church culture". But I don't believe HWA instituted the non-celebration of birthdays for the reason you stated earlier. What I stated originally about one's death date being more important and that Christ's birthday is not celebrated are the reasons I remember from my years attending the Church. I don't put the sinister motives by the ministry and HWA ON THIS ONE ISSUE as you do. We will have to agree to disagree on this one.
Richard
Well, the "sacred names" people have been around at least since the rise of Gnosticism, certainly.
on April 22, 2016 at 11:06 AM
Anonymous wrote:-
"Great name, Ralph. Is that to "special" people like you, Ralph?"
Sure is a great name, pronounced somewhat differently in the Greek and English.
What do you mean by 'special'? I'm just an ornery octogenarian fellow.
cheers
ralph.f
"Practically every comment I post confirms the faith that I have been given"
Ohhh, so you're talking to "hear" yourself talk, eh?
Richards, If a person is never born, how can that 'person' qualify for eternal life?? So how can that's persons death be more important than their birth. Christ is a unique case. He existed before His human birth. His death enabled salvation to be granted to humanity. So of course His death is more significant than His human birth.
Consider the Mickey Mouse reasoning condeming birthdays. The only reason given is that Herod bumped off John the Baptist on his birthday, Bad things have happened at wedding receptions. Do we ban them as well? Then why not ban school proms, young people partying, skyscraper, bridge, ship completion celebrations etc.
It doesn't make sense. In fact a Ambassador College student told me that HWA did go to restaurants with friends to celebrate his birthday. But this was considered OK since it was 'subdued.' One standard for me, another for thee.
You accuse me of imputing sinister motives. I believe I am going on the body of evidence. Herbies 'government is everything' can only be achieved by beating down and tearing down church members. A person radiating self esteem, self respect or any pro independence virtue, is like putting a red cape in front of a bull. Ministers verbally savage such church members. This is church history. Otherwise sites like this would not exist.
on April 22, 2016 at 6:31 PM
Anonymous wrote:-
"Ohhh, so you're talking to "hear" yourself talk, eh?"
No. I'm talking because someone out there in cyberspace may care to listen. Obviously not you but you can skip any of my posts that are identified by name and photo.
cheers
ralph.f
0n April 22, 2016 at 7:11 PM
Anonymous wrote:-
"So how can that's persons death be more important than their birth."
and much more. I'm not really fussed one way or the other however scripture does say:-
"Psa 116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." and says nothing positive about birthday anniversaries. Sure there is joy and celebration when a child is born but that only happens once.
cheers
ralph.f
Anonymous 7:11 PM, I agree with just about everything you wrote with the exception that I did NOT accuse YOU of sinister motives. Pleased re-read what I wrote and don't put words in my mouth.
I never said I agreed with the Church explanations for not celebrating birthdays. I was merely stating what I remember for the reasons why they were not celebrated in the Church. Again, on this one issue I don't think it was as sinister as you portray. So we disagree.
Was there a double standard Mr. Armstrong applied to himself different than the lay members? Was Mr. Armstrong a hypocrite? Of course, the answer is a loud "Yes" on both. Nothing new on that front. Mr. Armstrong drank coffee on the Day of Atonement while lay members abstained from all food and drink. Church taught against the use of medical profession yet Mr. Armstrong took medications and used doctors in his latter years from what I have read. The list could go on.
I am thankful for the Banned by HWA website that has exposed so much about the Armstrong religious movement - things that I remember from my youth so long ago. Thanks!
Richard
Ralph, since the bible says 'nothing positive about birthday anniversaries,' should we also do away with independence day, veterans day, mothers day, fathers day, thanksgiving day and not forgetting wedding anniversaries. All of America is wrong, and Ralf is right. What a party pooper you are.
on April 23, 2016 at 12:38 PM
Anonymous wrote:-
"....should we also do away with independence day, veterans day, mothers day, fathers day, thanksgiving day and not forgetting wedding anniversaries."
Probably not. Suggest you try a Google on "birthdays and the occult witchcraft" and read through some of the links that come up. Then have another read of Isa.8:19.
cheers
ralph.f
In taking this "birthday ans anniversaries" thread a little further I found this:-
http://illuminatiwatcher.com/occult-illuminati-holiday-traditions/
and this:-
http://witcheslore.com/bookofshadows/witches-workshop/the-witchs-apprentice/3708/
and this:-
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/False%20Religions/Wicca%20&%20Witchcraft/witchcraft_is_satanic.htm
and numerous others. Read at your leisure.
cheers
ralph.f
Ralf, if the occult associates itself with some breakfast cereal or soft drink, am I to shun these? Am I supposed to narrow my choices in life and abstain from many enjoyable pursuits because the occult chooses to involve itself in these activities? Of course not. You remind me of my experiences with the ministers whereby I was supposed to be won over by some Mickey mouse fact and line of 'reasoning.' Their reasoning was so childlike, I almost felt embarrassed for them. Which is what happens when one lives in a ivory tower and is treated like a junior god by those around you.
By the way Ralf, I'm a adaptive rather than a mechanical thinker. Try Googling that.
on April 23, 2016 at 7:57 PM & April 23, 2016 at 8:02 PM
Anonymous wrote:-
"Ralf, if the occult associates itself with some breakfast cereal or soft drink, am I to shun these?"
&
"By the way Ralf, I'm a adaptive rather than a mechanical thinker."
Please believe me, I am not decrying your thoughts and expressions of them. We all have the right to make our own choices, good or bad. Let me paraphrase an old quote that has been attributed to numerous authors, viz.
"I disagree with what you say but defend your right to say it."
cheers
ralph.f
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