What does the Living Church of God, Donald Trump, Brexit all have in common? Satan is apparently on a rampage against the Living Church of God, dividing the country over Donald Trump and giving England a headache over Brexit. More importantly, He is out to cause division in the only true church on the face of the earth today. No other Church of God is experiencing such attacks as the LCG is. Satan is upset that the LCG is sooooooooooooo unified, that it is the ONLY COG doing a real "work" today and is upset that the LCG is the only COG practicing "true" government. Almost-arrested Elijah Thiel's head was seen exploding when he read that! Thiel claims to be running the only true church. Dave Pack claims to the the only true church. Gerald Flurry claims to be the only true church. How can Rod Meredith be right? What's a poor church leader to do?
Sorry Elisha Habakuk Thiel, but Rod Meredith just Trumped you....Brethren, right now we do have a very dedicated and unified ministry and church—as you all know. But certainly, Satan is “lurking” out there and trying to find an “opening” to cause division in the very Church which is doing God’s Work! So we do need to be “on guard” more than ever in the years to come. All of us realize that Satan is busy dividing even the carnal citizens of our nations right now—in the nations of Israel, as well as the rest of the world. Since Mr. Donald Trump’s selection as the next President, there is more division in the United States than there has been in many, many decades. Satan is causing division in our nation. He is causing division in Britain over the “Brexit” situation. He is causing division in the European Union, with many nations thinking about “opting out,” as Britain has done. All over the world, Satan is causing division. So we must not think that he is going to leave alone the very Church of God. Let us do our best to resist this. Let us be loyal to the leadership that Christ has put in place as long as that leadership continues to teach the basic Truth and do the Work.Remember, brethren, I have always said that there is no “perfect” church. But when you think about what to do—as most of you have—you must always keep in mind the three basics: (1) Which church is preaching more fully the complete Truth of God? (2) Which church is actually doing the Work of God more completely? (3) Which church is teaching and practicing the genuine Government of God in the church more fully than others?
As I have stated, there is no church that is doing all of these things perfectly. However, when you consider those three basics, it should be obvious that there is one Church which is doing them more fully than any other on earth. We in the Living Church of God are that group. This does not make us “better,” but we have had our minds opened to realize that we should follow the basic pattern Christ showed through His servant Herbert W. Armstrong for all those years, by carrying on the Work and seeking to be those instruments that Christ can use to finish the Work and “prepare a people” for God.I guess that "basic pattern" of Christ that Rod followed included bankrupting Global Church of God by taking all of their money, bad mouthing Leona McNair from the pulpit, depressing Terry Ratzman to the point he murders LCG members in church, disfellowshipping thousands without any recourse, preaching hundreds and hundreds of FAILED prophecies, ripping marriages apart, and more. Yes, that is the same path Jesus walked down.
Of course it is vitally important that any true church MUST have proper government. Without government the Churches of God cannot exist. The leaders would be powerless. That is why you see no focus in the New Covenant concerning power from the top down. Abusive tyrants lose all power in the new covenant.
9 comments:
Notice how all the slivers are silent or murky as to why 'the genuine government of God.' The writers of the constitution believed that the role of government was to protect personal rights/protect people from criminals. Herbie by contrast said that the role of government is 'to enforce Gods laws.' 'Enforcing Gods laws' gives the ministers unlimited power to lord and meddle in members lives, since ministers are always right. In effect, members are robbed of their lives, under the guise of government.
(1) Which church is preaching more fully the complete Truth of God? (2) Which church is actually doing the Work of God more completely? (3) Which church is teaching and practicing the genuine Government of God in the church more fully than others?
(1) COGWA teaches almost exactly what HWA taught, without the nonsense "upgrades" that LCG has added. Several other of the smaller splinter groups do so, as well. Perhaps it is also significant, with Rod Meredith as the leader, that LCG members are never taught about the evils of the "spirit of competition" which HWA attributed to Satan's way. Rod loves competition, and loves to pit ministers against each other and against the brethren. If you were listening to HWA carefully, it's not just his 1980 letter (in which he explains that Rod Meredith would not and could not be qualified to lead the Church) in which HWA teaches something that disqualifies Rod Meredith as a legitimate Church leader. If Rod Meredith is disqualified, then so is LCG.
(2) Philadelphia Church of God gets much larger responses to its telecast and Internet efforts. LCG has cut back on its telecast, and has put the money into vanity projects run by some of Meredith's family members and other pets. Because of this, LCG is not reaching the world with anywhere near the effectiveness of PCG. Even lukewarm UCG now surpasses LCG in impact by most measures. Furthermore, the "Work" also involves behaving like Christians, which is one of LCG's biggest weak spots.
(3) The government of God is a loving Family government, in which every member of the Family trusts and loves every other member, and is content to serve in the position where God the Father placed that member. The government of Satan, by contrast, is one-man rule enacted by fear, and consists of members backstabbing and politicking to get the leader's favor and advance over the other members. The "opposite" of God's benevolent Family monarchy is tyrannical one-man rule. It is true that COGWA and UCG, despite their hierarchical organization, don't have the same one-man rule that WCG had (and that LCG and PCG and RCG now have). However, if you want government as practiced in WCG, both PCG and RCG come closer than LCG.
By Meredith's own three criteria, LCG cannot be the "best" Church of God.
"Brethren, right now we do have a very dedicated and unified ministry and church"
More fake news?
There's a lot of that going around.
They really are very dedicated... to making sure they have a salary!
Unified in their deceptions and lies....
I agree with anon 12:50 but I'd add to #3 that having the "right" form of government means zero when the men in those positions are corrupt. If they go along with wrong behaviors (doctrinal upgrades, bullying of brethren, favoritism, etc), the "form" of government is meaningless. LCG's top down government breeds bad behavior and creates bootlickers.
Of course that's why Rod and other power hungry, political ministers like him like it so much.
I agree that by Rod's own definition, he has disqualified LCG for being "God's true church".
But his ego and ignorance blind him so he will never realize that.
Armstrongism is all a mess of hot, steaming crap anyway, so why not have your little social clubs, and then invent the criteria to prove that your club is the only true one? Makes everyone feel good, except for the fact that it points the finger at former brethren who keep virtually the same doctrines, and pretends that (oops, too bad!) they're not going to make it!
Basically, we're talking about comparison shopping for diarrhea! How pathetic is that???
BB
"Without government the Churches of God cannot exist. The leaders would be powerless."
Also, without the members the leaders would be powerless.
They need the members more than the members need them.
The ministry/administration manage to keep up the illusion that *they* are in charge, in control, whereas in reality the members have the power, they just willingly relinquish it because they've been duped into thinking these people are God's reps.
If the members started withholding their tithes until the leadership gets off their high-horses, they would immediately start seeing big changes for the better.
Because god or no god, it's basically about financial support in the end.
well, if they have to keep telling us how unified they are.......they must not be.
who are they trying to convince, us, or themselves?
Rod Meredith (Who? Who really in charge? Rod? Westin? Winnail? Mickey Mouse?) boasted that: "...when you consider those three basics, it should be obvious that there is one Church which is doing them more fully than any other on earth. We in the Living Church of God are that group...."
Yes, Rod, you may be some group, but "that group?" Certainly not God's Church! Your group does not even have that name! You are part of a man-made group, kind of like United, which also is not God's Church, but is an association that votes its leaders in and out like a revolving door, because God never gave that association a real leader. The leaders are fake leaders: counterfeits...as time will tell!
Let's consider your first basic: " (1) Which church is preaching more fully the complete Truth of God?"
You and your group leaders preach that "10 kings" are coming soon. Well, where are they? So much for that preaching more fully the complete Truth!"
You and your group leaders preach Jesus Christ coming soon to begin some reign on planet earth for 1,000 years. Well, where is He? Did He take a side trip to elsewhere?
You and your group leaders preach an "everlasting peace" soon coming, but scriptures tell us Satan exits some pit after that 1,000 years and messes up all Jesus Christ and those of your group and what y'all think you will accomplish. You are familiar with the verses in Revelation 20 and Zechariah 12 and elsewhere, but you only have an understanding of babes still being weaned on the milk of the word. And y'all still want to collect a paycheck? For what? Preaching more fully the complete Truth? Duh, I don't think so. You can't prove that you are worthy of the mammon you currently receive.
Full and fully and more fully? Rod, you like those words; don't you? You used to speak of "full sons!" Remember that? What is a fully son? One is either a son or one is not a son! What's with the "full" bit?
So, in reality, you don't even fulfill your own basic #1. It is obvious by those on this forum and many elsewhere that your group has been found to be "wanting:" lacking something.
And Doug Winnail who likes to control the group's thinking and get into the lives of each member, instead of allowing God to work out His Works within people's lives by the power of His Spirit...but, Doug does not believe in a God with such power, a power that does not need any of the human help the Living group thinks it can provide to "...to finish the Work and “prepare a people” for God." God is not begging for any of your help! He does not need it. God is not some wimp. Satan is the wimp and I suspect already has the Living group in one of his snares (2 Timothy 2:26) and none of you are aware of that and can't even explain it to your own people. Why not? The blind can't lead the blind very well.
to be con't
John
...continued, as promised!
Rod also said: "...we should follow the basic pattern Christ showed through His servant Herbert W. Armstrong for all those years, by carrying on the Work and seeking to be those instruments that Christ can use..."
Give us something HWA showed the ministers, the little helpers to HWA, on what they should do/be relative to the brethren, whom you (and Doug, et al strive to lord over and control)?
Here's one thing HWA showed all of you once upon a time:
Within the 1957 Good News magazine Article titled “Christ Did Put Authority and RULE in His Church!”, Herbert W. Armstrong on page 23 basically told his “little helpers,” hirelings supporting him, to keep their noses out of the private lives of the members of what he considered to be God’s Church.
{{...Does God's RULE in His Church give ministers authority to intervene even in affairs of the personal life of members? The answer is, YES, but of course rarely, and only in extreme cases where this is necessary. Paul said, "this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should they eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies." (II Thes. 3: I0-1 I ). That is a command that the Church is to command such to work, and if they do not, to take from them all aid given by the Church to help feed them.
God's ministers are required to use wisdom and judgment, and they are never going to interfere in private lives unless there is a BIBLE reason...}}
History has shown over and over again that many (most?) of the hirelings did their own things, preached their own thoughts and opinions, and theories and did the opposite of what Mr. Armstrong said. They so often stuck their noses where they didn’t belong and created one stench after another...for decades.
Anything new? That history continues today via the “little helpers” in the xcogs.
So much for all of them basics, Rod, Westin, Winnail and those of your "group," as you referred to the brethren! You, and now your "little helpers", still didn't really follow HWA's advice; did you? Do you?
And time will tell...continues to tell...
John
Post a Comment