It is still amazing to how the church thinks Jesus and what he said and accomplished is a mystery to people. Millions of Christians through the ages have totally gotten it, but Living Church of God still searches for the dude. It is all a mystery to them as they deem the law to be more important and essential that the New Covenant. Even worse is that they know LCG members are bored by the same tired and worn out message that they have been preaching for decades. Is it any wonder why so many take things for granted!
Be Thankful for the Truth: The Sabbath is a good time to reflect on an important question, Are you thankful for the Truth? It is easy to take the Truth for granted if you are a long-time member or if you have grown up in the Church. Yet, Jesus said that no one can come to a real understanding of the Truth unless they are called and their minds have been opened to see the big picture (John 6:44, 65). The capacity to understand the plan of God, the purpose of life, Bible prophecy and the true way of life is a gift that God is making available to only a few people at this time (1 Corinthians 1:26–27). The Scriptures state these precious truths are a mystery to most people in the world (1 Corinthians 2:7–8) because Satan—the god of this age—has blinded their eyes (2 Corinthians 4:3–4). Jesus said it is an incredible privilege to be given an understanding of the Truth (Matthew 13:10–17). Paul said that to be called out of darkness into the light of the Truth is something to be extremely thankfulfor. Before you are tempted to be drawn away by some “new” teaching, take time to reflect on and thank God for the Truth that He has allowed you to understand.Have a profitable Sabbath,Douglas S. Winnail
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While I believe that all of the cogs have some truth there are some areas where they either outright lie or completely hide the truth. One big example of this is in regard to tithing. Any in depth study of tithing both in the OT and NT, plainly shows that there was only one tithe in the OT, though it had three purposes.
In the NT, tithing was replaced with offerings, but the cogs cover this up by pounding into the brains of its members a few scriptures from the book of Malachi, instead of focusing on the entire book which clearly shows that the book is addressed to the priesthood and not the members of the assemblies.
The priesthood was guilty of robbing Yahweh by offering up sacrifices of animals that were deformed. By doing this, they robbed the entire nation of any possible blessings.
Today we can certainly see that the cogs are no longer being blessed either in finances or increased understanding of the scriptures. Members are being spiritually staved by having to listen over and over again to the same old sermons and scriptures that they already understand. To remain a member is a sure certainty of spiritual strangulation. One can grow only if they reject these man made organizations and instead focus on what the Bible actually teaches.
We all have eyes and brains, and thus, there is no excuse to not using them.
I suppose in their own minds, this makes them special. There are many obtuse lines of thought that the broad majority of humanity finds to be mysterious or incomprehensible. The important factor is whether one’s beliefs make an individual a better, more functional person, part of the solutuon rather than part of the problem. ACOGdom has always been a mixture of good and evil. Members are taught to redefine so that they cannot recognize the evils for what they are.
BB
You can't hide a light in a dark room.
One of my recent emails offered the opportunity to join the select members in a financial group for more opportunities and privileges in return for several thousand dollars. For another few thousand dollars I could attend their special annual conference.
I was reminded of SHT's posts about WCG being a marketing scam. In WCG and its successors, the members are specially called and selected, will be future kings. All they need to do now is give their hearts to the Lord and their pocketbooks to the preacher. (Ironically, that is what we accused the other false ministers of doing.) Being middle class, the tithing was not as much of a burden as it was for people making less. I was shocked to read all the tales of hardship suffered by some of the kids growing up where the parents could not afford to feed them properly.
Some of the kids have stayed with the COGs, but most did not, and even worse in my mind, many of the kids abandoned God entirely when they grew up.
The fruits of "the way" were terrible - has any of the COGs seriously examined their fruits?
They believe they are rewarded according to their works - show us their works.
I would first like to point out that Dr. Winnail's commentary is filled with loaded buzzwords and phrases such as: "the Truth", "the plan of God", "the purpose of life", "the Big Picture", and "the true way of life". Secondly, the so-called "mystery" that Dr. Winnail is referring to as "the Truth" to be thankful for, is Herbert W. Armstrong's false "God is a family" concept.
Doug Winnail wrote: "...Yet, Jesus said that no one can come to a real understanding of the Truth unless they are called and their minds have been opened to see the big picture (John 6:44, 65)..."
What does John 6:44, 65 have to do with real understanding of the truth?
Those scriptures basically describe one cannot come to Jesus Christ on his/her own, but must be drawn, or dragged, by God the Father:
e.g. "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw [[Strong,s Concordance No. 1670 says: "to draw, to drag"] him: and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:44
Doug believes the Living group is God's Church, but how does he know that?
What is truth? Is the belief in the third resurrection, believed by Doug and those within his group, truth?
The Living group is looking forward to some second coming, but what does one call it when Jesus Christ after His murder, being dead for 3 days/nights, being resurrected, leaving earth to visit His Father, and return to earth for about 40 days called? Isn't that a coming? A second coming?
So, what truth does Doug have in mind? What is truth?
Doug warns those of his group, who believe in a 3rd resurrection and future "second coming," as follows: "...Before you are tempted to be drawn away by some “new” teaching, take time to reflect on and thank God for the Truth that He has allowed you to understand..."
What "new" teaching? Perhaps Doug et al within his group need to take a look at their "old teachings," b/c they just may not be truth.
Time will tell...
John
John 7:29 PM said: Doug warns those of his group, who believe in a 3rd resurrection and future "second coming," as follows: "...Before you are tempted to be drawn away by some “new” teaching, take time to reflect on and thank God for the Truth that He has allowed you to understand..."
What "new" teaching? Perhaps Doug et al within his group need to take a look at their "old teachings," b/c they just may not be truth.
Time will tell...
My first thought about where and to what they may be drawn to concerning a new teaching would be the new guru extraordinaire of new teachings Mr. David C. Pack of the RCG.
The RCG has always had what Mr. Pack termed a trickle of new members from the splinters. These are people who grab Mr. Pack's books and booklets and become enticed by all the newness wrapped into the WCG's teachings sphere and make the break from the staleness of their existing splinter.
I don't think Mr. Winnail makes that specific warning unless they have heard from a number of people leaving that they are going to XYZ splinter because of their (COG) "new understanding" and teachings.
It is a far reach for Mr. Winnail to tie God's calling and the truth all unto the LCG in this generation of splinter land R US. It reminds me of a story Dave Pack told about his courting of a "high" ordained minister unto his church. Dave Pack said he tried everything he could think of to get this man to see that the RCG was the only true church and come. In the end this "high" minister told Dave "it doesn't matter how much you claim the veracity of your church, in the end, your just another splinter".
Amen brother!
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