For some reason, COG groups are really adept at finding any reason they can as to not talk much about Jesus. When they do, like Weston below, it is to point out all the thing they think is work with people who are Christ-followers in Christianity. Instead of talking about Jesus in they spend their energy talking about characters from Hebrew Scriptures. Jesus is too much trouble to discuss.
Mr. Christo Botha sent an encouraging report from South Africa, where President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the country will move to Adjusted Alert Level 1, which permits all gatherings and no limits on the number of attendees meeting indoors. Mr. Stuart Wachowicz recorded a four-part series of telecasts examining the historical impact of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph on modern society. This series was recorded in our new Canadian studio and is set to begin airing February 10 in Canada. Mr. Richard Ames gave a Tomorrow’s World presentation in Mebane, North Carolina, last weekend to 12 guests and 19 members who braved freezing temperatures and bad weather. Follow-up studies in several other locations reached an additional 25 guests. Presentations are scheduled this weekend for Jackson and Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento, California, and follow-up presentations are scheduled for Big Sandy and Tyler, Texas. I recorded a new telecast titled “Exposing Five Myths About Jesus.”— Gerald Weston
Gerald Weston is just doing his job as a man of God! So cut him some slack!
ReplyDeleteThere is seemingly an Arian slant to Armstrongism. I have not explored this much. Armstrongists of course are not full-fledged Arians. They believe that Jesus is eternal, for instance. But the statement below is from a description of Arianism. See if it rings a bell:
ReplyDelete"Arianism holds that the Son is distinct from the Father and therefore subordinate to him."
This is different from Homoousianism which is held by the Christian movement. Christians believe that Jesus is co-eternal and co-equal with God the Father. Arians believe that Jesus is neither co-eternal nor co-equal. Armstrongism is either semi-Arian or semi-Christian, however you might term it, because they believe Jesus is co-eternal but not co-equal. Unless things have changed in Splinterdom.
Dugger and Dodd spoke highly of "Dr. Arius" (from whom the Arian belief came) in chapter 7 of their history of the true church. The authors stated the following:
"Dr. Arius sponsored the truth of the sonship of Jesus, claiming that he was truly the son of God, begotten by the Holy Spirit, and was not God Himself, in the sense as taught by the western bishops."
This is a little obscure. Compare it to what Arians actually believed:
"Arian theology holds that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who was begotten by God the Father with the difference that the Son of God did not always exist but was begotten within time by God the Father, therefore Jesus was not co-eternal with God the Father. (Wikipedia)"
This means that Christ's existence was initiated when he was begotten. I know the Armstrongists or the Church of God, Seventh Day would not agree with this Arian statement. But there still may be a soft connection. I am not sure why Dugger and Dodd were so enamored of Dr. Arius.
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They definitely teach that Jesus (even in His gloried state) is subordinate to the Father. Perhaps you can have a listen of this,
Deletemembers.lcg.org/sermons/2020-11-07/god-trinity
Numbers are not impressive Gerald.
ReplyDeleteYa gotta convert those guests into tithe givers.
That’s gonna be a big ask aren’t it.
There’s competition and there’s the INTERNET.
If these folk are smart they gonna do their homework.
Anon 7:09 why should people cut con artists like Gerald Weston some slack? Whether or not they teach much about Jesus people like him are just out for the money.
ReplyDeleteWhen I attended services in the 1980s, I heard HWAs name mentioned from the pulpit many more times than Christ's name.
ReplyDeleteSteven Flurry has recently challenged this in his online TV programs. He claims that the Christian focus on Christ is unjustified since Christ frequently pointed people to the Father. True, but Christ also said "follow me" over 20 times in the four gospels. The exact number varies depending on translation differences.
At the end of the day, it's just a little cult that's preoccupied with itself. They actually think they get to define Jesus, as if mere mortals could even begin to understand. Gerald Weston is simply placing human limitations on Jesus, most likely unintentionally because he believes in Armstrongism. It is weird for a religion claiming to be Christian to diminish Jesus, but that's what they do. We're all probably in for some big surprises. Some more than others.
ReplyDeleteAnon 11:37 PM
ReplyDeleteJesus wanted people to follow his example and live the way he did not for us to worship him.
Our worship is to go to God.However, we show the proper regard for God's only-begotten Son by rendering our worship to God through and in the name of Jesus Christ. Even now when we kneel in prayer, as Paul did according to Ephesians 3:14-19, we offer prayer in the name of Jesus Christ in obedience to his own directions (John 15:16; 16:23-26), but the prayer itself is addressed, not to Jesus, but to God his Father. In this way, we keep things in their relative positions.
It's all about government right?!... just ignore that bit about every one shall bow before the name of Jesus. Here are some other reasons to worship Jesus:
Delete- He and the Father are one (John 17:21)
-Stephen prayed to and called jesus "Lord"("Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" Acts 7:59). Lord is from the Greek kurios, meaning "owner or master". He bought us with a price and therefore owns us (1 Cor 6:20).
-the entire host of heaven worships the lamb, Jesus (see Rev 5).
There are more that could be said, but these are sufficient.
My issue with Armstrongism is that it constantly minimises Jesus through its Theology. It makes Him more of a messenger rather than our God and Lord. In response Armstrongism exalts "the church" (aka the organisation), the ministry,and HWA to a level that was never intended.
Interesting choice of statue picturing Jesus.
ReplyDeleteSo the Catholic vesion of Jesus (as depicted in your choice of photograph) is very disappointed in the whole Sabbatarian group.
Keep going Sabbath keepers. Keep going. Plenty of closet Jesuit Catholics around who want to close you down.
Ah ha ha ha ha ha! Puke, giggle, spit. The Jesuit thing! That's been an occasional accusation on the blogs and forums for years now. Accusing someone of leaning towards or being Catholic is supposed to be the ultimate chop in Armstrongite circles. The supreme invalidator. It's their equivalent of calling you the N word
ReplyDeleteGerald Weston talks more about “leftists” “wokeism” “radicals” and all the other bogeymen of the right wing media he follows more than he ever mentions Jesus.
ReplyDeleteMost of the early Seventh Day Adventists and COG 7 Day folk back in the mid 1800s were Arian believers.
ReplyDeleteWow, 9:22! Did not know this about Gerald Weston because I don't attend an ACOG, much less the LCG. The MAGA and militia types who have come out of the woodwork blast the same things, now claiming that their country has been stolen as a result of the last election. What they mean by "their country" is the subverted anti-democracy that Donald Trump put into play, the one that considers patriotism to be allegiance to Donald Trump. They mock those who understand that nonwhites have been treated horribly unequally under our system by calling them "woke" as if that were somehow a bad thing. I knew that some powerful oversimplification would be concocted as a battle cry against this when highly influential major corporations refused to abandon their diversity programs and ecology programs to accommodate Trumpism.
ReplyDeleteThat ACOGs would react in the way that you characterized Weston shows their true colors, as if we actually needed any further evidence of what rotten, totalitarian organizations they really are and always have been.
THROUGHOUT the centuries, many in Christendom have worshiped Jesus Christ as if he were Almighty God. Jesus himself, however, directed attention and worship only to God. For example, when prodded to do an act of worship to the Devil, Jesus said: “It is your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service.” (Matthew 4:10) Later Jesus instructed his disciples: “Do not call anyone your father on earth, for one is your Father, the heavenly One.”—Matthew 23:9.
ReplyDeleteJesus Christ is God! "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God." John 1:1 "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
ReplyDeleteTo deny the worship of Jesus Christ is the same as denying His deity. We are told to honor the Son, just as we honor the Father, and failing to do so, dishonors the Father. John 5:23 The Greek word translated "just as" in this verse is kathos. The word helps section of Strong's has this to say, "kathṓs (an adverb derived from 2596 /katá, "according to" and 5613 /hōs, "as compared to, to the extent of") – properly, "in proportion, to the degree that" (J. Thayer); just as (in direct proportion), corresponding to fully (exactly)." In other words, we honor the Son to the same degree, or exactly, as we honor the Father.
There are multiple examples of the disciples and others worshiping Jesus, and affirming His deity in scripture. Matthew 2:1-2; Matthew 14:33; John 9:38; Matthew 28:9,17; John 20:28 give us examples of this.
We also have these words from Jesus Himself, "And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world existed." John 17:5 This confirms that Jesus shared the same glory as the Father and asked for that glory to be restored. Philippians 2:9-11 confirms the Father honored this request. "Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name above all names,that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,in heaven and on earth and under the earth,and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,to the glory of God the Father."
Worshiping Jesus glorifies and honors the Father. In denying that worship, we dishonor and fail to glorify the Father. Part of that worship and honor is to follow His example. "If you love me, keep my commandments." John 14:15,21 Following His example doesn't mean we don't worship Him, but is part of our worship.
Concerned Sister