Doug Winnail says that LCG members need to grow in more wisdom. LCG faces a problem if this happens because once LCG members grow in that wisdom they will realize they no longer need to tithe to the organization. After all, wisdom is more precious than rubies or gold. If you grow in wisdom and finally realize that tithing is not a New Covenant command, imagine how freeing that would be. Even better, growing in wisdom will lead many, if not most, out of the church.
The Need for Wisdom: Solomon wrote that one of the most important goals in life is to gain wisdom (Proverbs 4:7), and that wisdom is more precious than rubies or gold (Proverbs 8:11; 16:16). The book was written to help others gain wisdom (Proverbs 1:1–6), and the key to gaining wisdom is developing the proper fear of God—having a sincere desire to follow His instructions (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10). Wisdom helps us discern between right and wrong and leads to happiness and a longer life (Proverbs 2:10–11; 3:13–16). As Jesus grew up, He “increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52) and He obviously followed advice in Proverbs (2:1–5). We are instructed to ask God for wisdom (James 1:5) and to study the Scriptures “which are able to make you wise” (2 Timothy 3:14–17). Do a word study of “wise” and “wisdom” to gain a better understanding of this vital subject. As you grow in wisdom, you will develop one of the very attributes of God and Jesus Christ (Job 9:4; Romans 16:27).
Have a profitable Sabbath, Douglas S. Winnail
When my wife & I left GCI we had debated on LCG, but through much prayer and deliberation we opted for COG7. We have never been happier in the choice we made with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
ReplyDeleteGood for you! My wife and I have attended with COG7 on occasion also- we have found them to be very welcoming, zealous, and spirit led Christians. A definite far cry from someone who labelled them as a "dead" sardis church. In fact, they now have more members then WCG ever had, so they are definitely 'doing a work'.
DeleteLCG doesn't seem to have any new wisdom over the past couple decades since their old "wisdom" is recycled into new sermons
ReplyDeleteTricky conundrum for a HWA-centered COG sequel. In the Armstrongite understanding, "Hold fast to what you have" can mean just what you described. And in the post-Tkach era, even the tiniest of "Brethren, we seem to have been interpreting this just a little wrong" is met with a lot of detractors, I imagine.
DeleteAll of the ACOGs are personality cults, either based on the personality of HWA (with no moderation or controls from a serious board of elders or directors), or the individual(s) who started or assumed control of the particular Armstrongist franchise. It would be great if more people realized the level to which HWA or the contemporary leaders of the splinters have completely whored up the basic Jewish doctrines, weaponizing them as instruments of oppression and enslavement with a totarian managerial style and the scariest of conspiracy theories to boot. So much for the freedom in Christ and perfect love casts out fear!
ReplyDelete7:03 speaks of the Holy Spirit. Because he had zero understanding of the interactive nature of the Holy Spirit, Herbert Arnstrong had to institute a severe substitute for the guidance the HS provides. He made himself and his team of ministers into obsessive-compulsive law enforcement officers. Thus, his blatant attempt to fake the Holy Spirit through control has destroyed any possibility of the movement he started actually being Spirit-led. I hope it is different for you in COG-7. Perhaps excising the evil we experienced under HWA will provide a genuine spiritual experience for you and your wife, Please keep us informed of your journey!
"...tithing is not a New Covenant command..."
ReplyDeleteYour use of that phrase shows a profound lack of understanding of the scriptures, not just on the tithing issue, but of the scriptures in general.
Members "growing in wisdom" in the ACOGs means growing only along narrow corridors that doesn't hamper the ministers ability to lord it over members. God help you if you read up on assertiveness and rights.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad dangerous Doug Winnail encouraged his followers to do a word search of the words wise and wisdom.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I think Doug is counting on the thoroughness of their indoctrination to inoculate them against noticing or caring that they will encounter scriptures and concepts that the LCG will not preach.
One such passage is 1 Corinthians 1:18-19:
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
Doug's dangerous doctrines portray messages about the power of the cross as pagan foolishness - this is part of his theology that seeks to diminish the supremacy of Jesus.
Doug counts on the people's training that inexorably links the word cross with paganism so that his people will seek power and wisdom within the law, instead of the looking for the salvation and wisdom within the work of Jesus.
If Doug's people truly seek wisdom, the will be so enamored with Jesus that they will leave LCG for a church that is focused on Jesus.
As stated above, LCG does not preach New Covenant scriptures about wisdom, such as 1 Corinthians 1:30:
ReplyDeleteIt is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
LCG teaches Old Covenant principals of looking to the low for righteousness/holiness, while LCG demonstrates no detectable interest in the concept of redemption.
However, the Old Covenant is forever gone - therefore, those who care to acquire wisdom will focus on the New Covenant.
The law was a shadow of the reality that is Jesus (Colossians 2:17).
A companion study for those looking to gain wisdom is also searching for New Covenant terms such as justify, justified, and justification.
COG members who truly desire wisdom must look beyond the limited teachings of your COG leaders and consider all verses on the subject, without the filter of your COG indoctrination.
I am really surprised no one has jumped on him saying “whether the attack on Ukraine was justified or not.” Why would he say that?????
ReplyDelete5.40 AM
ReplyDeleteThere was talk of Ukraine joining the EU and NATO. Russia could not economically and militarily survive if that happened.
I prayed for wisdom and figured out that the LCG is a sham because there is NO love there and my Bible says that “BY THIS shall everyone know that you are my disciples ——- IF YOU LOVE ONE ANOTHER”!!! (John 13:35) If you want to prove this, try telling a member of the hierarchy that THEY ARE WRONG!! They skipped the part that says that “ALL of you are BRETHREN “!! (Matthew 23:8) “ And they love the salutations in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’. MR. this and MR. that!! Sickening to anyone with two eyeballs and a half a grain of sense!!
ReplyDeleteAnon 3:54 PM is half correct. But a half-truth isn't a proper truth. When he writes about LCG:
ReplyDeletethere is NO love there
he is exposing himself as one of the loveless. If there was no love in LCG, then he is admitting that he was not loving when he was in LCG.
The other half of the half-truth is that many of the people who make Anon 3:54's complaint are the ones who are concerned about GETTING love rather than giving it (and probably desiring to get it in the form of flattery, position, maybe cash assistance).
LCG has all kinds of problems. But it also has salt-of-the-earth members who devote themselves to serving one another. Anon 3:54's post isn't entirely wrong, but it is the complaint most commonly made by those who didn't GET from the church whatever it is they wanted.
He is correct there is no love there.
ReplyDeleteEvery COG has salt of the earth members who do care for each other, but the organization as a whole and the leadership do not. LOve never proceeds from the top-down government but is always present at the bottom.