Exposing the underbelly of Armstrongism in all of its wacky glory! Nothing you read here is made up. What you read here is the up to date face of Herbert W Armstrong's legacy. It's the gritty and dirty behind the scenes look at Armstrongism as you have never seen it before!
With all the new crazy self-appointed Chief Overseers, Apostles, Prophets, Pharisees, legalists, and outright liars leading various Churches of God today, it is important to hold these agents of deception accountable.
Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web of Corrupt Leaders
Does God listen to the prayers of a person like this, raw and unfiltered, or does he desire 1 hour
knee-numbing, "I am an unworthy worm in your sight" and help me to keep the law better prayers?
11 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Jesus died for you - gave up his life to form a Relationship with his children - children who want to know who He is, to get to know who He is, and who want Him to know the person for who he is. It's a personal, real, loving relationship. In the Church, the emphasis was on Jesus as the authority, the power figure, the always-ready-to-strike super being, instead of on a close, personal relationship.
This is why I think that the best prayer to God is an honest prayer. Being real. Literally just talking, asking, wondering, seeking. No pretenses. No walls. No blinders. Which is why I think it is better to just lay out to God what you really FEEL, then try to feed him worn and tired cliches, pleasantries, and lines that are designed in liturgy.
In the Church I always tired of all the cliches I would hear time and time and time again. You know what I'm talking about.
"Our Eternal, most Gracious Father In Heaven, We come to you today on this Beautiful Sabbath Day, and We Thank you for all the........"
Or the prayers we'd say at our bedside.
"Father In Heaven, We Just...We Just...We Just...Bless.....Bless....Mr. Armstrong...The Work....The Pastor.....Protect....Amen"
It can become so cold and calculating that you could end up leaving a voicemail and actually end it with the ending of a prayer. In case you think that hasn't happened, I know of someone who did just that once.
Prayer is personal. I think God would honor a real "What in the world's going on, God, Why? This is how I feel - I feel like...and I feel you..." then the old tired "Almighty God, Yea though I walk in the valley of the....We know not your thoughts...I place these burdens unto...and I just.. I just... I just....Father..Father...and Father..Father.... Amen."
Bottom line. It's not the words. It's the heart, it's the honesty, it's the feeling and the emotion that comes out that matters, not your words. Those who understand God's love understand God and are not afraid to come to Him as they are.
"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." John 15:16
if our prayers go unanswered it is cuz we dont bear the fruits of the Spirit as much as we should...
You said it anon. 7:04 PM. As a parent, I don't want my kid being all sickly sweet, or beating around the bush, or saying things he doesn't really feel when he talks with me. I want my kid to tell it like it is. The good and bad. Sincerity and truth are the goal. Canned prayers don't cut it. God knows us. He knows full well if we're feeling beat up, or thankful... or not. Parents can tell when their kids are handing them a load of bull.
If it doesn't come from the heart it's best just to skip it altogether.
"if our prayers go unanswered it is cuz we dont bear the fruits of the Spirit as much as we should..."
...If your prayers aren't answered, it's because you're not superhuman...if only you would just be superhuman like you should be...
...God always answers your prayers, sometimes he says "no," sometimes he says "wait"...
...If your prayers aren't answered, it's because you ask amiss. Didn't ask amiss? Then why weren't your prayers answered?
I tried everything. For a long time I wondered why god wouldn't help me with the things the bible said were god's goals for christian lives? Then it dawned on me. Either it's because there's a god, but not the christian one, or there aren't any.
You know, we always made fun of the "Worldly Churches" for their "repetition" prayers. But we had our own. How many times have you heard these exact phrases over and over?
OPENINGS: Father In Heaven, Eternal Heavenly Father, Gracious God Almighty, Eternal God, Eternal God Almighty, Great God in Heaven, Our Great and Loving Father, Eternal, Most Righteous God, Our Heavenly Father, Heavenly Father
1. We commit this service into your hands.... 2. We ask your blessing on the food we're about to partake... 3. Please protect those going to the Feast... 4. Please bless the Speaker and the words he is going to speak... 5. Thank you for the inspiring message... 6. Thank you for the wonderful weather... 7. Please bless the Telecast... 8. Be with us through the coming week... 9. Be with those traveling home.... 10. Please remove any leaven that may be in the.... 11. Please help us to understand the message that... 12. We come to you on this Sabbath Day, thankful that... 13. And now as this Feast draws to a close, we... 14. Remove any impurities.... 15. Be here with us today.... 16. As we, Just, Father, And we, Almighty, Eternal Heavenly Father, Gracious God, Behoove, Great God, Grateful, That We May, Thank You, We Ask, We Pray 17. CLOSINGS: In His Holy and Righteous Name, We Ask All these Things, In The Name of Jesus Our Lord, We Pray in Jesus' Name, In Your Name, In the Name of our Soon and Coming King, All these things We Pray in Your name, We ask for your dismissal in your name.
Prayers are often unanswered because: 1. You must have 'money in the bank.' Without money in the account, there can be no withdraw. Money is placed in the account by praying for the well being of humanity.
2. Contrary to what popular culture and todays Christian churches teach, God is a God of self responsibility. It's there in the parable of the talents. This is in contrast to power hungry politicians and ministers who want people to behave, think of themselves as, and be treated like naughty boys and girls. Ministers constantly cherry pick scriptures to this effect. Which is why Herb said over and over and over that 'government is everything.'
So 'be a man, and be strong, brave and courageous' and don't throw back at God the very responsibilities that he gives to every person.
During the 90's as my prayer life was coming to end having 25 years of "No" and "Not now" or "Not ever", I asked God if He or Jesus had gone nuts being alone or had too much time on their hands? As I look around at the splits, splinters and slivers, that one He answered! :)
This is what I never understood, if sickness and disease was a result of breaking physical and sometimes spiritual law, what was the point for praying for the sick? Wasn't it better to pray for them to be forgiven? But oh no, can you imagine the uproar you'd create as the closing prayer person when you ask for sick pastor so and so or that frail old Mrs. Smith who was mentioned in the announcements to be forgiven of their sins and healed?
"The sin" does not need to have been perpetrated by the victim. Some diseases and afflictions are the result of the "sin" of generations before. Both mental or other sickness. Like alcoholism reverbarates many generations.
So its not necessarily old auntie minnies sin, but the result of "sin" nevertheless.
11 comments:
Jesus died for you - gave up his life to form a Relationship with his children - children who want to know who He is, to get to know who He is, and who want Him to know the person for who he is. It's a personal, real, loving relationship. In the Church, the emphasis was on Jesus as the authority, the power figure, the always-ready-to-strike super being, instead of on a close, personal relationship.
This is why I think that the best prayer to God is an honest prayer. Being real. Literally just talking, asking, wondering, seeking. No pretenses. No walls. No blinders. Which is why I think it is better to just lay out to God what you really FEEL, then try to feed him worn and tired cliches, pleasantries, and lines that are designed in liturgy.
In the Church I always tired of all the cliches I would hear time and time and time again. You know what I'm talking about.
"Our Eternal, most Gracious Father In Heaven, We come to you today on this Beautiful Sabbath Day, and We Thank you for all the........"
Or the prayers we'd say at our bedside.
"Father In Heaven, We Just...We Just...We Just...Bless.....Bless....Mr. Armstrong...The Work....The Pastor.....Protect....Amen"
It can become so cold and calculating that you could end up leaving a voicemail and actually end it with the ending of a prayer. In case you think that hasn't happened, I know of someone who did just that once.
Prayer is personal. I think God would honor a real "What in the world's going on, God, Why? This is how I feel - I feel like...and I feel you..." then the old tired "Almighty God, Yea though I walk in the valley of the....We know not your thoughts...I place these burdens unto...and I just.. I just... I just....Father..Father...and Father..Father.... Amen."
Bottom line. It's not the words. It's the heart, it's the honesty, it's the feeling and the emotion that comes out that matters, not your words. Those who understand God's love understand God and are not afraid to come to Him as they are.
Well said, 7/8/18 @7:04
"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." John 15:16
if our prayers go unanswered it is cuz we dont bear the fruits of the Spirit as much as we should...
c f ben yochanan
You said it anon. 7:04 PM. As a parent, I don't want my kid being all sickly sweet, or beating around the bush, or saying things he doesn't really feel when he talks with me. I want my kid to tell it like it is. The good and bad. Sincerity and truth are the goal. Canned prayers don't cut it. God knows us. He knows full well if we're feeling beat up, or thankful... or not. Parents can tell when their kids are handing them a load of bull.
If it doesn't come from the heart it's best just to skip it altogether.
c f ben yochanan said:
"if our prayers go unanswered it is cuz we dont bear the fruits of the Spirit as much as we should..."
...If your prayers aren't answered, it's because you're not superhuman...if only you would just be superhuman like you should be...
...God always answers your prayers, sometimes he says "no," sometimes he says "wait"...
...If your prayers aren't answered, it's because you ask amiss. Didn't ask amiss? Then why weren't your prayers answered?
I tried everything. For a long time I wondered why god wouldn't help me with the things the bible said were god's goals for christian lives? Then it dawned on me. Either it's because there's a god, but not the christian one, or there aren't any.
You know, we always made fun of the "Worldly Churches" for their "repetition" prayers. But we had our own. How many times have you heard these exact phrases over and over?
OPENINGS: Father In Heaven, Eternal Heavenly Father, Gracious God Almighty, Eternal God, Eternal God Almighty, Great God in Heaven, Our Great and Loving Father, Eternal, Most Righteous God, Our Heavenly Father, Heavenly Father
1. We commit this service into your hands....
2. We ask your blessing on the food we're about to partake...
3. Please protect those going to the Feast...
4. Please bless the Speaker and the words he is going to speak...
5. Thank you for the inspiring message...
6. Thank you for the wonderful weather...
7. Please bless the Telecast...
8. Be with us through the coming week...
9. Be with those traveling home....
10. Please remove any leaven that may be in the....
11. Please help us to understand the message that...
12. We come to you on this Sabbath Day, thankful that...
13. And now as this Feast draws to a close, we...
14. Remove any impurities....
15. Be here with us today....
16. As we, Just, Father, And we, Almighty, Eternal Heavenly Father, Gracious God, Behoove, Great God, Grateful, That We May, Thank You, We Ask, We Pray
17. CLOSINGS: In His Holy and Righteous Name, We Ask All these Things, In The Name of Jesus Our Lord, We Pray in Jesus' Name, In Your Name, In the Name of our Soon and Coming King, All these things We Pray in Your name, We ask for your dismissal in your name.
Prayers are often unanswered because:
1. You must have 'money in the bank.' Without money in the account, there can be no withdraw. Money is placed in the account by praying for the well being of humanity.
2. Contrary to what popular culture and todays Christian churches teach, God is a God of self responsibility. It's there in the parable of the talents. This is in contrast to power hungry politicians and ministers who want people to behave, think of themselves as, and be treated like naughty boys and girls. Ministers constantly cherry pick scriptures to this effect. Which is why Herb said over and over and over that 'government is everything.'
So 'be a man, and be strong, brave and courageous' and don't throw back at God the very responsibilities that he gives to every person.
During the 90's as my prayer life was coming to end having 25 years of "No" and "Not now" or "Not ever", I asked God if He or Jesus had gone nuts being alone or had too much time on their hands? As I look around at the splits, splinters and slivers, that one He answered! :)
in John 15:16 Christ Says we must bear fruit that our prayers be answered...
one of the fruits of the Spirit is longsuffering (Galatians 5:22)...
one of the works of the flesh is heresy...
c f ben yochanan
This is what I never understood, if sickness and disease was a result of breaking physical and sometimes spiritual law, what was the point for praying for the sick? Wasn't it better to pray for them to be forgiven? But oh no, can you imagine the uproar you'd create as the closing prayer person when you ask for sick pastor so and so or that frail old Mrs. Smith who was mentioned in the announcements to be forgiven of their sins and healed?
5:48
That would be hilarous.
"The sin" does not need to have been perpetrated by the victim. Some diseases and afflictions are the result of the "sin" of generations before. Both mental or other sickness. Like alcoholism reverbarates many generations.
So its not necessarily old auntie minnies sin, but the result of "sin" nevertheless.
Nck
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