It's Friday and time for the weekly Living Church of God Friday Night Smackdown.
Whip out those Bibles, boys and girls, and make sure you have plenty of church-published booklets on hand "help" you understand just how you should understand it.
For some reason, LCG members are constantly being led astray and are easily being deceived.
Can they ever get any credit for doing anything right?
Why Study the Word: The prophet Isaiah records that God is looking for individuals who “tremble” at His word (Isaiah 66:2). Jesus taught that we are to live “by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). He also warned that misguided leaders would set aside the commandments of God and teach “as doctrines the commandments [traditions] of men” (Mark 7:5–13). This is why the Apostle Paul stressed that we must diligently study the Scriptures so we can rightly divide (correctly understand) the word of God and avoid being misled and confused by false teachers and misguided ideas (2 Timothy 2:15). In a world filled with conflicting ideas, we need to know and prove what the Bible says so we can avoid being deceived (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Jesus plainly stated “if you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31–32). Let’s make time to study the Word!
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
9 comments:
No smack down here. Just good spiritual advice. Happy sabbath
If we TRULY studied Yahweh's word, we would see how wrong all of the COG'S are with a steady stream of false doctrines that they have taught and have lived by since their inception.
II Cor. 11:13-15
What an idiot. Rightly dividing the Word of God is not about correctly understanding it in and of itself. Obviously that is important, but it means exactly what it says. Paul wanted to emphasize the differences in worshipping and the means by which we are saved while Jesus was here on Earth (as described in the gospels), and the changes that necessitated a new understanding and practice once He had died for our sins. The transition to FAITH from the law for salvation (as described in the Book of Acts) and then the solidifying of those new doctrines and understanding (as described in Romans through Hebrews).
It is plain for all to see that none of these groups have any understanding of law vs. grace since their own dear leaders are clueless as to properly dividing the Word. They cling to the law because they don't see the transition before Christ died (law) to after His death (faith/grace). The Apostle Paul must keep them up at night with bewilderment.
Looks like Gerald handled the smackdown this week, and Doug wrote something new for a change.
But even in this simple new thing, Doug lets old ACOG attitudes slip through. He won't let "Why Study the Word" be a question. He's TELLING us why we should study the Word.
Anon, Saturday, June 25, 2022 at 8:13:00 AM PDT, said:
"...Looks like Gerald handled the smackdown this week, and Doug wrote something new for a change.
But even in this simple new thing, Doug lets old ACOG attitudes slip through. He won't let "Why Study the Word" be a question. He's TELLING us why we should study the Word.
******
Is Doug telling his followers why he, himself, studies the Word? Does Doug think it works for him, and should thus work for them too?
So, we may assume Doug does all of that, yet he cannot, will not, teach Jesus' words of:
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
He will not teach Paul's words of:
"To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." 2 Cor 5:19
God does that for the world, because God did not send His Son to provide people an opportunity to get, earn, qualify for salvation by fulfilling various requirements/prerequisites.
Doug is studying the Word, but he still cannot teach/preach that Jesus Christ is NOT the God of the Old Testament. Doug cannot believe Luke's words:
"The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let [him] go." Acts 3:13
When will Doug The God of the Old Testament, and get into harmony with God's inspired Words, and drop his requirements/prerequisites for salvation off of the backs of his followers, so they may get a taste of some freedom for a change?
Time will tell...
John
Anon @ 9.55:00,
John,
Jesus is the God of the Old Testament.
12 Proofs That Jesus Christ Is God and Eternal
1. Jesus was the Word who existed before the beginning, was with God and was God.
John 1:1-3; Revelation 19:13.
2. Jesus existed before Abraham and called Himself “I AM.”
John 8:57-58; 17:5.
3. Jesus is called both God and Savior.
Titus 2:13.
4. Only God can be called our Savior.
Isaiah 43:11; 45:21; Hosea 13:4; Titus 3:4; 2 Timothy 1:10.
5. Thomas called Jesus “my Lord and my God!”
John 20:28.
6. Isaiah prophesied that one of the Messiah’s titles is “Mighty God.”
Isaiah 9:6-7.
7. Micah prophesied that the Messiah would be “from everlasting”—another way of saying He always existed.
Micah 5:2.
8. No one has seen or heard the Father, yet the God of the Old Testament was seen and heard by some, meaning this being must have been the One who later came as Jesus Christ.
John 1:18; 5:37; 1 John 4:12; Exodus 24:9-11.
9. The Son is directly referred to as God.
Hebrews 1:8; 5; Luke 20:41-44.
10. Jesus is the Lord who would sit at the Father’s right hand.
Psalm 110:1, 5; Luke 20:41-44.
11. Jesus Christ was before all things and responsible for the existence of all things.
Colossians 1:15-17.
12. Jesus was God “manifested in the flesh.”
1 Timothy 3:16.
Quoted from Erik Jones of Life, Hope and Truth
“LCG: Misguided Leaders and Satan Easily Deceiving The Brethren”
Roderick C. Meredith and his doctrinally unstable rebels ended up in competition AGAINST Herbert W. Armstrong. Instead of being solid pillars from the past, they became some of the doctrinal garblers of the present time. They came up with such nonsense as a two-fold, or hybrid, gospel message (taking HWA's gospel OF Jesus and combining it with the Protestant's gospel ABOUT Jesus) and started to say that the falling away will be something that happens out in the world (rather than what already happened in a huge way in the WCG in 1995). These misguided leaders and their competitive spirit in the Dying Church of Rod have easily deceived the followers of this particular personality cult.
Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Jn 20:28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
Jn 20:17b I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
Dt 18:15 The LORD [Yahweh] thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
Jn 6:14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.
"... the most remarkable thing that happened in the faith of the earliest followers of Jesus is that they came to identify him - Jesus - with Yahweh, in calling him Lord, and in many other ways. So, yes it is certainly true, from a whole-Bible perspective, that the God Yahweh of the Old Testament 'embodies' (if that is not too human a word) the Son... But on the whole it is probably more appropriate in most cases that, when we read about Yahweh, we should have God the Father in mind" (Christopher J. H. Wright, Knowing God the Father through the Old Testament, p.17).
The heart of the problem with 9:55 and 12:06, at least as I see it is one of imposing modern Western standards of logic on ancient literature.
Jn 3:34a For he whom God hath sent [apostello] speaketh the words of God:
“At significant length, Jesus is shown to be the Father’s commissioned “agent” one “sent” by him (e.g. Jn 3:17, 34; 5:23-24, 30, 36-38). Scholars often compare the Jewish institution of the saliah (an “agent”); beyond this comparison, the agency principle that the saliah embodies was pervasive in the ancient Mediterranean world...” (C. S. Keener, “The Gospel of John,” Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, p.429).
Jn 12:44 Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.
Jn 12:45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.
Jn 14:9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?
“His reply, “The person who has seen me has seen the Father,” is simply a corollary of the principle of agency that he has already presented, first to the reader (12:44-45) and then to his disciples at the meal (13:20)” (J. Ramsey Michaels, The Gospel of John, NICNT, p.777).
Zec 2:9b and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent [shalach; LXX, eksapostello] me
“Agent (Heb. Shaliah): The main point of the Jewish law of agency is expressed in the dictum, “a person’s agent is regarded as the person himself” (Ned. 72B; Kidd, 41b). Therefore any act committed by a duly appointed agent is regarded as having been committed by the principal, who therefore bears full responsibility for it with consequent complete absence of liability on the part of the agent” (R.J.Z. Werblowsky & G. Wigoder, The Encyclopedia of the Jewish Religion, p.15).
In light of the NT revelation, not necessarily from the OT itself, it can be inferred that preincarnate Jesus Christ was God’s agent/saliah in the OT.
Zec 14:3 Then shall the LORD [Yahweh] go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
Zec 14:4a And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives...
Yahweh, as principal, will fulfill this prophecy through Jesus Christ, as His agent; this is also referred to as “indirect messianic prophecy”:
“Indirect messianic prophecy refers to passage that can be literally and fully realized only through the person and work of the Messiah - e.g., passages that speak of a personal coming of God to his people...” (Kenneth L. Barker, Zechariah, EBC, Vol.7, p.619).
Anon, Sunday, June 26, 2022 at 12:06:00 AM PDT, said:
"...Anon @ 9.55:00,
John,
Jesus is the God of the Old Testament..."
******
Anon,
"The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let [him] go." Acts 3:13
What is there about that verse that you don't believe? The God is contrasted with His Son Jesus! Jesus is not the God of the Old Testament!
Why are you going down some corkscrew, some pig's tail, by avoiding what those words say, and running elsewhere, to some Erik Jones of Life, Hope and Truth for a different understanding to deny God the Father as the God of the Old Testament?
With your reasoning, and that of Erik Jones, you would have Jesus glorifying Himself, or God glorifying Himself. Did your Jesus worship Himself?
Jesus Christ identified the God of the Old Testament as His Father, and not HimSELF! Will you believe Jesus' words?
"Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and [to] my God, and your God." John 20:17
That God, Jesus' Father, was the God of the Old Testament. Are you thinking Jesus lied to Mary, to Himself, and to us?
How about the Apostle Paul with his inspired words here:
"That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:" Ephesians 1:17
Over 2 decades after Jesus Christ's murder, resurrection, and "second coming" to earth lasting for about a 40 day period: Paul showed he agreed that Jesus' God was the Father, and that the God of the Old Testament was that Father and not Jesus Christ.
Did both Jesus and Paul lie to us? Or, is it that you and Erick just don't believe the words of either of them?
Time will tell...
John
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