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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
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Monday, October 28, 2019
So... Two Splintered Churches of God Members Walk Into a Service
The number one rule of any denomination is protect the Pharisaic church culture. Thinking, innovation, freedom, rights, truth, are all sacrificed to this false god.
The excuse used for the continued splintering and decreasing numbers of members in the COG's is that, "we are in a famine of the work", or, "Gods work is done, he has reached all with the gospel that he needs to reach at this time", or could it just be that Herbert Armstrong's brand of religion is slowly declining to next to nothing. The "hangers-ons" are getting older and passing-on from this life and there are very few new members to replace them also many young people leave as well when they become adults.
3.18 AM Is the glass half full or half empty? That is, is the membership decreasing because time has run out, so God is not calling more people to be the bride of Christ?
Are two splinters better than one? Do each of the 1001 splinter groups have a unique niche market or just rotate members? Alvin Toffler (Future Shock) did mention "overchoice" - which COG is right for you? Dave Pack apparently had an offer to merge with C21, but that failed over goverance - who will be the boss? Recently Bob Thiel gave a sermon on church unity, but that's not going to happen for Bob because all the other COGs are wrong. And they didn't start with dreams.
Oddly enough, the evangelicals don't believe that the gospel has been preached to all nations. They have identified and targeted the nations where there is no gospel presence, and at great personal peril, have even subversively taken Bibles into countries where that book is banned and illegal, and the penalties for possession of it are worse than for possessing drugs. For them, this is all on-going and current. It isn't based on what someone might have superficially done thirty or forty years ago that is now largely forgotten.
Armstrongism has a huge fantasy element to it. Its true believers somehow never seem to be able to come down to reality, in spite of all that has happened, all that has not happened, and all that will never happen.
Martin Scorsese's movie 'Silence,' about Roman Catholic Jesuit's trying to spread their faith in 17th century Japan, is worth watching. They risked death and torture doing what they believed was right. Can anyone imagine any of today's ACOGs leaders doing something similar?
Speaking of Christianity in Japan, I read in a book that the two atomic bombs were dropped on the only two Christian cities in Japan. There is also a web site which discusses this.
6:07 as interesting as the comment is. Even in combination with the saturation bombings on Germany I cannot get myself to believe ww2 was a protestant war versus catholicism.
Study Japan and its trading history with the outside world a bit more. This study might also explain the Japanese merits heaped on wcg after ww2 although these were a warded for geopolitical events not religious.
nck 9:08 PM WWII might not have been “a protestant war versus catholicism” per se, but Catholicism definitely had a significant influence on it what with the Papacy allying with Mussolini’s Fascism and Hitler’s Nazism against the Protestant West and Communist East.
It is a gross misunderstanding that the Catholic church alligned with Nazi Germany. Although they may have perceived the nazi regime at first as an instrument against the "greater evil" of atheist communism. Just as John Paul II alligned with the CIA and Ronald Reagan in weekly briefings on the impending collapse of Poland and support of Solidarity Movement.
My joke was about the "Catholic" Japanese. Although there seems to have been an investigation between the similarities between Judaism and Japanese Shintoism. This investigation was expanded in ongoing interest between Japan and Israel (both "chosen peoples" by their respective gods)
Shogun. That was a great television series in its time.
The number one rule of any denomination is protect the Pharisaic church culture. Thinking, innovation, freedom, rights, truth, are all sacrificed to this false god.
ReplyDeleteSometimes its "PLAY DEAD"! ;-)
ReplyDeleteJust wondering - does each splinter get their own personal lake of fire to throw sinners into?
ReplyDeleteYou've clearly been gone too long Dennis.
ReplyDeleteWhich reminds me of the business expression eat your own dog food.
ReplyDeleteThe excuse used for the continued splintering and decreasing numbers of members in the COG's is that, "we are in a famine of the work", or, "Gods work is done, he has reached all with the gospel that he needs to reach at this time", or could it just be that Herbert Armstrong's brand of religion is slowly declining to next to nothing. The "hangers-ons" are getting older and passing-on from this life and there are very few new members to replace them also many young people leave as well when they become adults.
ReplyDelete3.18 AM
ReplyDeleteIs the glass half full or half empty? That is, is the membership decreasing because time has run out, so God is not calling more people to be the bride of Christ?
Are two splinters better than one? Do each of the 1001 splinter groups have a unique niche market or just rotate members? Alvin Toffler (Future Shock) did mention "overchoice" - which COG is right for you?
ReplyDeleteDave Pack apparently had an offer to merge with C21, but that failed over goverance - who will be the boss?
Recently Bob Thiel gave a sermon on church unity, but that's not going to happen for Bob because all the other COGs are wrong. And they didn't start with dreams.
Oddly enough, the evangelicals don't believe that the gospel has been preached to all nations. They have identified and targeted the nations where there is no gospel presence, and at great personal peril, have even subversively taken Bibles into countries where that book is banned and illegal, and the penalties for possession of it are worse than for possessing drugs. For them, this is all on-going and current. It isn't based on what someone might have superficially done thirty or forty years ago that is now largely forgotten.
ReplyDeleteArmstrongism has a huge fantasy element to it. Its true believers somehow never seem to be able to come down to reality, in spite of all that has happened, all that has not happened, and all that will never happen.
BB
Martin Scorsese's movie 'Silence,' about Roman Catholic Jesuit's trying to spread their faith in 17th century Japan, is worth watching. They risked death and torture doing what they believed was right.
ReplyDeleteCan anyone imagine any of today's ACOGs leaders doing something similar?
Thank you. I'm recording it and will watch it shortly!
DeleteNck
Speaking of Christianity in Japan, I read in a book that the two atomic bombs were dropped on the only two Christian cities in Japan. There is also a web site which discusses this.
ReplyDelete6:07 as interesting as the comment is. Even in combination with the saturation bombings on Germany I cannot get myself to believe ww2 was a protestant war versus catholicism.
ReplyDeleteStudy Japan and its trading history with the outside world a bit more. This study might also explain the Japanese merits heaped on wcg after ww2 although these were a warded for geopolitical events not religious.
Nck
nck 9:08 PM WWII might not have been “a protestant war versus catholicism” per se, but Catholicism definitely had a significant influence on it what with the Papacy allying with Mussolini’s Fascism and Hitler’s Nazism against the Protestant West and Communist East.
ReplyDelete1:20
ReplyDeleteIt is a gross misunderstanding that the Catholic church alligned with Nazi Germany.
Although they may have perceived the nazi regime at first as an instrument against the "greater evil" of atheist communism. Just as John Paul II alligned with the CIA and Ronald Reagan in weekly briefings on the impending collapse of Poland and support of Solidarity Movement.
My joke was about the "Catholic" Japanese. Although there seems to have been an investigation between the similarities between Judaism and Japanese Shintoism. This investigation was expanded in ongoing interest between Japan and Israel (both "chosen peoples" by their respective gods)
Shogun. That was a great television series in its time.
nck
“A man's fate is a man's fate and life is but an illusion.”
ReplyDeleteBill