Thursday, November 22, 2018

Gerald Weston on Living the Way



So what do you have to say about the following from Gerald Weston?  There are things I could be snarky about but will let you decide.

True Christianity is a way of life (Acts 18:25; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). That way encompasses many things. In the context of these references to “the way,” the most obvious application is that those walking in it were followers of Jesus Christ, their Savior. They understood Him as the Messiah who came to die on our behalf, but also understood that He is coming again. Keeping the Sabbath and Holy Days would not have differentiated them from millions of Jews living in the Middle East and Mediterranean countries in the first century. “The way” goes beyond those observances.
That way was and is different in many respects, and one is how we treat our neighbors (John 13:34–35). We are to do what Christ commanded and walk as He walked (Luke 6:46; 1 John 2:6). He expects a higher standard under the New Covenant. We are not only to love our neighbor, but even our enemies, and that love is expressed in what we do. “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you… for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?” (Matthew 5:44–46; see also Luke 6:27–36). Our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:20).
During my first few years in the ministry, we visited many “GOTO’s,” people who had requested a visit or wanted to know about baptism or attending services. Street numbers are not always easy to read, but there was a common denominator when looking for a home: We could look for the most run-down property on the block! Yes, this is an exaggeration, but it was not a rare occurrence. The Apostle Paul would understand this (1 Corinthians 1:26–29). Yes, God calls the weak of the world, but nowhere does it say that we are to remain the weak.
The world often judges by outward appearance, and let us be honest: We often do the same. Is this not what James warned us against in James 2:1–9? Does this mean that our outward appearance is not important? Is it not being a good neighbor to take care of our property and so lift the value of our neighborhood? Did not God command Adam “to tend and keep” the garden (Genesis 2:15)?
Being a good neighbor involves many things, far more than this article can list, but with a little thought, we can all come up with ways to show genuine concern for those around us. Practiced thoughts and actions eventually become part of our character—again, “second nature,” as we often say. Godly character is expressed in the two great commandments. And who knows what long-term good may come from your example (1 Corinthians 7:16; Ecclesiastes 11:5–6)?
Our best friends and greatest service efforts ought to be among the family of God, but there are also plenty of opportunities to serve our closest neighbors: the homes around us, co-workers on the job, classmates, and let us not forget those who share our abode. Let us not forget Jesus’ admonition, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Did Gerald Western really write this ? It is very poor standard.

Anonymous said...

2:02

Well, it could be fake news. What isn't these days?

Anonymous said...

Weston cannot explain why God created psychopaths, i.e. people born with no empathy.

Dennis said...

I drive those streets and country roads for 26 years in 5 states for 14 congregations of hundreds of good average folk with some on either end of the spectrum. I did not know the home I was going to by finding the most run down nor were addresses difficult to read. Gerald's adding a little theater for effect me thinks. "Not many wise men now are called" and all that...

Anonymous said...

In that same article by Weston he brags about all of his accomplishments with the youth of the church, from WCG to Global to LCG. He brags about summer camps and how much the kids loved him. He is delusional if he thinks the youth of the church loved him. He scared them with autocratic nonsense that turned many away from the church. He is a liar.

TLA said...

Let your light shine dimly?

Anonymous said...

@ 9:40 PM, you are correct. Rod Meredith, who ordinarily went out of his way to defend even the worst ministers against complaints from brethren, eventually felt he had to remove Gerald Weston from the Youth Camp program because of so many reports of Weston's dictatorial/a$$hole conduct that turned parents' children away from the church.

Anonymous said...

Dennis,

Rod Meredith made sure that his Tomorrow's World program aired on over-the-air TV stations, not just cable. In Chicago, where Flurry and others paid far less to be on just the WGN America cable feed, Meredith paid to be on WGN over-the-air as well. Even at cable TV's peak a few years ago, about 1/6 of all TV households relied on OTA and didn't pay for TV. The percentage without cable is now even higher as people cut the cord and go back to free digital TV over-the-air.

One consequence of Meredith's choice is that his program reached a much poorer demographic, which meant that LCG ministers did in fact have to visit much poorer prospective members than did Flurry's ministers. I guess Weston didn't like dealing with so many poor people who couldn't tithe big dollars, since he has pulled Tomorrow's World away from OTA and has focused much more on paid cable, just as the rest of the world is abandoning cable.

DPR said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

"Love your enemies" is hijacked to mean letting the church crazies run riot. "Serving" is hijacked to mean playing the game of the unjust steward. Justice is not to be found or mentioned. Scratching the surface of this selective bible quoting, one finds a Pharisaic church. It's bible quoting:
Of the Pharisees
By the Pharisees
For the Pharisees.

TLA said...

Not many wise men are called - and some of these unwise men get ordained.

If you are a Dilbert lover, there is a lot of truth in his jabs at management - which is based on the author - Scott Adams - first years as a wage slave.

The churches are a microcosm of society, so we should expect the same problems in churches as there are in commercial businesses - especially ones started by entrepreneurs who have limited success. (There are no FaceBook types who started any of the COGs. Even HWA was a failure most of the time in his non-church businesses. He even tried returning to business early in his church career (see his autobiography for details), but returned full time to his church business after another business failure.