Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web of Corrupt Leaders
LCG: Still Pretending To Deliver A Powerful Warning Message
COMMENTS
The Role of a Watchman: Many churches today feel their mission is to tell the world that God loves them and that Jesus came to save sinners. Yet, there is much more to the biblical mission of God’s Church. Jesus told His disciples to be alert and watch for events that will mark the approaching end of the age and His return (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21). The events making news today—severe weather; increasing violence and war; the declining influence of Israelite nations and the rise of a European power with links to ancient Rome, promoted by an ecumenical- minded Roman church; and the rise of adversarial powers in Asia and the Arab world—all tie in to end-time prophecies. Just as the prophets were commissioned to warn ancient Israel and Judah, God’s Church has a commission to function as a “watchman” and warn modern Israelite nations of the coming consequences of their sins (Isaiah 58:1; Ezekiel 3 and 33). Delivering this powerful warning message must also accompany the preaching of the Gospel of the coming Kingdom of God (see Matthew 24:14).
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
17 comments:
News flash, Doug: It may not be the mission of LCG, PCG, RCG or any of the other Armstrong Churches of God; but it is the mission of God's Church to tell the world that God loves us, and Jesus came here to save sinners and make eternal life with God possible for humanity! Have you actually read the scriptures you referenced in your brief remarks?
That passage from Isaiah is about that prophet's commission from God to deliver a message to ANCIENT Israel - the New Testament Church is NOT mentioned ANYWHERE in this context! Likewise, the passages from Ezekiel are dealing with that prophet's commission from God to do the same thing. Once again, there is NO mention of the Church in either scripture! In Matthew 24:14, we read that the Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached to ALL nations, but there is NOT EVEN A HINT of anything about a warning message to Israel! And, finally, like most of the other leaders of your movement, there is absolutely no mention of Christ's direct commission to his followers. You know - the one found in the 28th chapter of that same gospel: "Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)
I suggest you try an online concordance and type in "gospel" or "good news" (depending on the version of the Bible), and you will find that Christ is ALWAYS an integral part of that message. You will also find that Paul told the saints at Rome that "This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight." (Romans 1:17) However, one thing you will NOT find in ANY of the passages related to that terminology is any mention of a warning message to Israel! So, yes, have a profitable Sabbath, Doug, and spend some time studying the Scriptures you claim to be following.
"Delivering this powerful warning message must also accompany the preaching of the Gospel of the coming Kingdom of God"
Wait, how many people have even heard of the UCG, much less their "message"?
(One can get a general idea just from the average number of their YouTube views, which seems to be around 5000.)
Powerful? Almost as powerful as... well, any common cat video uploaded by a 15-year-old during after-school hours.
If this is God's all-important message for mankind then he's doing a tremendously poor job of getting that message out.
How can anyone preach about the Kingdom of God while ignoring the blatant fact that the Kingdom is God's ultimate expression of love for ALL human beings? How can anyone talk about the King of Kings and not emphasize his love for each one of us? If you're teaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God properly, you're teaching a message of Jesus Christ's love and sacrifice.
Herbert Armstrong taught Doug Winnail to "watch for events" as if that is an equally important message. Unfortunately, Herbert taught about "pyramid inches" as prophetic guides, and Mussolini as the Beast, and in 19 year "time cycles" and in 1972/75 as an important time in prophecy. Most of Herbert's "watching" has turned out to be useless false prophecy, and Doug is following in his mentor's footsteps. What a waste!
I submit that Nations are not the ones to be warned. Nations do not have ears.
Individuals are the ones to be warned.
And the best warning possible is the central message of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
If a person is made aware that he has sinned, cannot himself save himself from his sin by any works -- and then shown that the way of salvation is to repent and receive Jesus as his Savior AND Lord, then he will be forgive, raised to new life as a new creation and live in righteousess, having left all the sin behind. Then the Holy Spirit can guide him in all truth.
So most central and important, greatly out-weighing all the other things, is the basic good news of Jesus as Lord and Savior.
But, no, the splinters have to add all the other burdens to ones life!
Since HWA apparently started a ministry based on prophetic warning -- and in his own words, wasn't expecting to end up with a church (perhaps just co-workers) -- what do you expect? Prophetic scaremongering is the COG movement's mainstay, not preaching the Gospel.
The book of Revelation mentions billions dying. How can a loving God not send out a warning?
All the strong emphasis being put on the description ANCIENT Miller Jones. ANCIENT ANCIENT ANCIENT. Hasn't that word been emphasied before but not in CGI or ICG.
"Jesus came here to save sinners and make eternal life with God possible for humanity!"
There is exactly zero evidence that Jesus existed that would stand up in court. Just wishful thinking.
Their message, if people believed it, would be powerful, but nobody is tuning in to it, so it's pretty useless.
Doug is purposefully being deceptive with this message.
He is deliberately trying to pair their supposed Ezekiel Warning with the words of Jesus - even though Jesus did not do that.
He also wants to make the LCG tithe slaves think their money is accomplishing something powerful, something God-inspired.
It is good that LCG does not have a powerful message and no one new is listening.
However, it is sad that Doug continues the deception of the members in order to keep them as tithe slaves.
Winnail seems to convey that he has some awareness that the mission of Christianity includes telling the world that God loves them and Jesus came to save sinners, by use of the words "Yet there is more" as he wrote:
"Many churches today feel their mission is to tell the world that God loves them and that Jesus came to save sinners. Yet, there is much more to the biblical mission of God’s Church."
However, there is no record of Winnail and the LCG actually preaching that part about God loves them and Jesus came to save sinner.
Winnail claims the LCG is original Christianity.
However, it is easy to prove that Winnail and LCG do not preach about Jesus, justification, redemption, or grace like any of the true Apostles of the New Testament.
Sadly, the New Covenant-ly lawless Winnail's lack of Jesus brings to mind the words of Jesus, spoken In Matthew 7:23 "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!"
Unfortunately, Winnail does reject Jesus first by not preaching about Jesus, his free gift of salvation, and his new commandment of love (John 13:34).
Have a profitable Sabbath by rejecting Winnail and embracing Jesus!
You can do this by doing a bible search for the New Covenant terms mentioned above and contemplate each verse that comes up - you could also ask where the LCG booklet or sermon is on these essential New Covenant topics.
Anonymous said: "There is exactly zero evidence that Jesus existed that would stand up in court. Just wishful thinking." As far as I know, the question isn't currently before any court. At any rate, Bart Ehrman thinks there's fairly compelling evidence that Jesus existed, and that we can be reasonably certain about the rough outlines of his life. I agree:
https://godcannotbecontained.blogspot.com/2021/07/the-real-jesus.html
Much of what Christians believe requires a high degree of faith - this isn't one of them!
I'm wondering if the people involved in Armstrongism really feel something by the seat if their pants, in ways that no other types of Christians do. I don't believe there ever was any true enlightenment available through Armstrongism. Just adherence to legalism by sheer will power.
3.59 PM
Yes, I've done a bible search of the New Covenant, and it also mentions weeping and gnashing of teeth. Did someone tear out these pages from your bible?
Why the ill-will toward your brother, 3:53, if you think you are a NC believer? Weeping and gnashing of teeth is for those who carry such ill-will (Rom 1:29). You be warned.
The fact of the matter is that for too long the church has de-emphasized Christ in its message BECAUSE IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN WARY OF GIVING AN IMAGE OF PROTESTANTISM WITH ITS MAIN FOCUS ON CHRIST'S PERSON, something which the ministers inherited from HWA. The result is that we have overweighted the law against grace, producing ruthless and merciless tyrants for ministers, who strain at gnats (obsess over small issues) and swallow camels (condone heinous sins) (Mt 23:24) in a vain effort to be justified by the law.
The fact remains that you cannot preach a gospel about the kingdom ONLY, because the only way into it is through faith in Christ's atoning sacrifice, which is what RM caught onto in the last few years of his life.
We just passed the Trumpet warning this week. Are you going to make it to Atonement or are you confident that you don't need the blood of the High Priest in Heaven to reconcile you to God?
Without shedding of blood there is no remission (Heb 9:22), either for minister or for lay member.
To the Anonymous COGlodyte of September 11, 2021 at 3:53 AM: Yes, I am familiar with the biblical references to weeping and gnashing of teeth.
I pray for the people of the COGs because they are so lost.
Christians will weep for them, while the COGers are gnashing teeth over lost opportunities to repent.
I notice you have an interest in the terms weeping and gnashing.
However, just like the entire COG ministry, you have not displayed any interest in the biblical terms of grace, justification, or redemption.
It would be nice to see you make a comment, demonstrating some type of appreciation for these New Covenant term.
Embracing these New Covenant terms is likely to reduce weeping and teeth gnashing!
Doug Winnail wrote: "...Many churches today feel their mission is to tell the world that God loves them and that Jesus came to save sinners...Just as the prophets were commissioned to warn ancient Israel and Judah, God’s Church has a commission to function as a “watchman” and warn modern Israelite nations of the coming consequences of their sins (Isaiah 58:1O; Ezekiel 3 and 33). Delivering this powerful warning message must also accompany the preaching of the Gospel of the coming Kingdom of God..."
******
Doug, with his ideas on self, mission, self, prophecy, self, warning etc., is stuck in the pre-16 January 1986 days of HWA.
As a result of that Doug still preaches a 3rd resurrection, another Jesus to very soon return to reign on earth, which means he believes in the Mickey Mouse Millennium.
Doug does not want to talk about God's love? The Apostle John, who outlived all of the other original Apostles, wrote about love over and over again in 1st, 2nd, 3rd John, b/c he, like Doug, expected Jesus Christ to soon return. Of course, God is love, so what's wrong with speaking about love?
Later in life it was revealed to John that God does things over long periods of time. For example, a transcript of The Seven Churches I heard 1998 said this: "...But we always tend to focus right on ourselves, and what’s happening here! We try to take the entire Bible, and all of the things that we may think that are prophecy, and we try to jam them right down into our living time of five or ten-year period, or even one-year period or even this week! We try to jam everything into it, where God is always laying this out as a very long-term situation..."
Doug, where is Jesus? Why isn't He here yet? You don't have the proper understanding of timing, so keep looking, if that really thrills you, but Jesus won't reign on earth until all enemies are put down: and that includes Satan, who exits the pit over a 1,000 years from today.
Why does Doug fall backwards with his thinking? Isaiah, a real prophet, knows that answer:
Isaiah 28:10 For precept [must be] upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little:
:11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
:12 To whom he said, This [is] the rest [wherewith] ye may cause the weary to rest; and this [is] the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
:13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
But, what does Isaiah know? A lot more than Doug, when it comes to scripture, God's Word as given to him.
And Doug, wanting to warn Israel, the world, and all of us about sin: it ain't going away in the way Doug thinks. Proof? Romans 7:17, 20-21; James 4:5; I John 3:8, 2 Tim 2:26; Eph 2:2, etc. Doug take a long, hard, look into your mirror and finally see that you have not done in your life what you are asking the rest of us to do.
When will the modern Israelite nations repent "...of the coming consequences of their sins?"
After Doug and his "living" (dead?) group warns them, or when God finally gives/grants them repentance (Isaiah 63:17; Psalm 22:27-28), as only He can in accordance with His will and His perfect Plan of Salvation to save all people and subsequently destroy Satan and his angels?
Time will tell...
John
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