On Exit and Support Network yesterday there was s letter from a person detailing a sermon Gerald Flurry of the Philadelphia Church of God gave recently about how awesome his "college" is. After detailing many points of Flurry's sermon, the author has this:
If the WCG was “the Work of the Living Creator, God” as HWA so often said and God was “opening new doors in television and in the PLAIN TRUTH distribution,” why was Satan seemingly more powerful than God? Why was Satan able to overthrow everything after HWA died? If we’re honest, we have to admit that GF is not doing a work like HWA did.
I have been saying the same thing here for quite some time now that the most powerful entity in the Church of God movement is Satan himself. Not God the Father as so many claim to follow, but Satan, Lucifer, the devil, or whatever else you want to call it. At every instance and chapter in the so-called work, the devil is wreaking havoc and thwarting God's plan. The God of Armstrongism is unable or totally incompetent to stop the great adversary.
How could the “lamp start to go out” if God was behind His “Work”? Wasn’t God powerful enough to stop it? Isn’t God more powerful than Satan?
The excuse is that the god of Armstrognism gave the devil free reign to "test" the true believers. Our entire earthly life is a test by God to see if we are worthy of just the slightest bit of mercy. Apparently, the church has been inept of ever winning that test and is in a constant state of disarray because of that ineptness. In Armstrongism, God the Father is constantly being one-upped by Satan.
We can see how decades after HWA first started writing these co-worker letters that GF’s words attempt to pattern HWA’s words in many places. Every co-worker letter of HWA’s was a begging for money and for readers to “send the largest offering possible” because “time was short” or “time was running out.”
Never in the modern-day history of the Church of God have the members ever been able to do anything right. Every single issue in the church stemmed from problems with the membership. Even when Loma Armstrong had an obstructed colon it was the fault of the church members. Members so sinful that they had to kneel in church services that week and BEG God to heal her. When she died it was the member's fault.
When income dropped it was the member's fault that their support of the church was lacking in faith and thus the church has to suffer and be persecuted.
The only thing GF can’t do is copy HWA’s charisma and style of writing. GF will never measure up to HWA. He will never be a second Herbert Armstrong, no matter how much he yearns to be. This does not mean that HWA was not a con artist, or was not a compulsive, psychological liar. He was, and a very good one at that. But GF is no more carrying on “God’s work” than other splinters who came along and say they are doing the same thing.
There is not one single COG leader today that will ever capture HWA's charisma or writing style. Not one single one of them, including Bob Thiel, will EVER be able to do mighty work. It will never happen, no matter how much they currently lie to their followers that they are doing that now.
Let’s face it. GF is an abysmal failure. He is carrying on a con, but not quite as effective of a con as HWA had going. He is losing members more as time goes on and he is not able to draw in the numbers HWA did due no doubt to the extensive exposure on the Internet today. All he can do is limp along, holding the few deceived members he has under his spell by claiming to be a Prophet, and appropriating many other titles, plus throwing out new revelations every so often like a carrot on a stick. That and his “important” work in Jerusalem.
Every COG leader today is leading a con job on their members. Jesus is dismissed and shoved to the background, except when it is convenient to drag him out as a pissed-off god who is just waiting to come down and fry the sorry asses of ex-members and the world, or who has to begrudgingly forgive sins on Passover night.
It’s time to realize how we have been taken for a long bumpy ride and it’s time to get off this gravy train and see things for what they truly are. GF’s downfall may be delayed but it is certain to come. –S. O.
In Armstrongism, Satan is always angry, God the Father is always angry, Jesus is always angry, and the spirit is always vexed. All seemingly impotent in the presence of Satan.
Instead of following a Christ who sits on the bank by the side of the river with people restoring their souls, where they never have to be fearful again, where justice, mercy, and grace flow like sacred anointing oil over their forehead, instead COG members are instead subjected to the darkness of the souls of the present leaders.
16 comments:
Great post! You eloquently articulated the very negative essence of Armstrongism. Although the current crop of ACOG leaders have ALL failed in their attempts to replicate the "work" of Herbert Armstrong, we must never forget that he is their model - this is exactly what they are trying to do (imitate him). For those of us who have left, of course, we realize the futility of trying to perpetuate what was already fatally flawed.
Herbie repeatedly focused on the fact that Satan was the "prince of the power of the air," and the Old Serpent who had "deceived the whole world." He was portrayed as the great and powerful Adversary of God and humankind - eternally bent on thwarting God's plans and replacing him on the throne of the universe! Of course, this is the exact antithesis of the already defeated and frustrated entity pictured in Scripture - the one who knows that his time is short!
We can debate whether or not these errors were sincere or intentional all day long, but the important take away is that: whatever the motivation of Herbie and company, the effect was to make Satan equal to or superior to God. Nevertheless, to reiterate NO2HWA's thesis, we follow "a Christ who sits on the bank on the side of the river with people restoring their souls, where they never have to be fearful again; where justice, mercy, and grace flow like sacred anointing oil over their forehead." For us, Christ has already triumphed over Satan, sin, and death. In the meantime, we can only hope and pray that these poor, misguided wretches will one day find the light and escape the darkness which has enveloped them!
Something else that occurred to me while reading this post was the memory of a very important observation made by NCK once upon a time about Herbert Armstrong - that he was in the right place at the right time. As is often the case with successful people, Herbie's prosperity was largely attributable to him taking advantage of the spirit of the times in which he lived. Hence, much more than any inherent talent which he possessed, we must remember that the United States (and world) of the 50's, 60's, and 70's was more susceptible/receptive to the kind of wares that Herbie was peddling! As I've said before, it isn't always necessarily the cream that's rising to the top (turds float too)!
I never got the idea God was angry all the time. I guess if you have a guilty conscience or resent living the way, you might get that idea.
Self writing to self is never a good idea.
Back in the early 70s , the BIG 3 AMERICAN car makers were in decline , producing gas guzzling , crappy made cars, that were overpriced.
People started switching to Toyotas, Datsuns, and Volkswagens. Who did Detroit blame? No not themselves for producing crud, but the CUSTOMERS!
In sales divisions of almost any type company, lousy salesmen do the same thing... blame the customer, instead of looking at themselves. This has gone on in the COGs of any type for a long time.
......the hour of trial....... Rev 3:10
HWA made no secret of his own opinion of this. He always stated that this is Satan's world. The upshot was that God was allowing Satan to be more powerful and would continue to do so right up until the return of Jesus Christ. It's why so many of his member letters begging for money (presumably the antidote to Satan) chronicled Satan's latest attack on God's Work (HWA's euphemism for the Armstrong-created scam variously known as the Radio and then Worldwide Church of God.
Evil must be fought against; fought with great fervency and power!
My advice to the people of the COGs is that every time your COG leader or local minister uses Satan to smack you down, or threatens you with the loss of salvation, fight that Evil with the power of God’s Holy Word.
Below, I’ve provided a few short scriptures that are very easy to memorize and recite each time a COG minister attempts to trample your standing in Jesus by glorifying Satan.
1 Corinthians 15:57
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Psalm 91:10
There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
Romans 8:34
Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
Romans 8:1
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus
Romans 5:18
Just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.
James 2:13
Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Romans 8:37
In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Colossians 2:10
In Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.
Revelation 12:11
They triumphed over him (Evil) by the blood of the Lamb.
Pick one or a few scriptures to commit to memory – call those scriptures to triumphant action every time someone from a COG tries to threaten you with Evil’s power.
If your COG minister or associates are particularly verbose with their use of Evil in their attacks, you could overcome them by reciting longer passages such as Colossians 2:13-15 or Romans 8:31-39.
If you find yourself in constant need to use Holy Scriptures to battle against the satanic attacks of the COGs, perhaps you could consider looking for a church that offers encouragement more than condemnation.
Just in case you are not sure what encouragement feels like, I offer this benediction:
Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Dangerous Doug Winnail makes it clear that he believes and LCG teaches that Satan’s power to destroy is greater than Jesus’ power to save!
In the last sentence of Doug’s most recent Friday night smackdown, Doug wrote: "We must all strive to avoid being instruments in Satan’s hands if we want to be in the coming Kingdom of God."
Thereby, Doug glorifies Satan by teaching:
1. Satan can prevent the salvation of one whom Jesus gave his life for.
2. Satan can steel back to condemnation one who had been redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb.
3. Satan’s power can reverse the justification (the righteousness of Jesus) bestowed on the believer.
4. Satan triumphs over Grace.
Doug glorifies Evil by trying to scare his flock with the power of Evil to destroy them, rather than leading them to the embrace of the Good Shepherd who loves, protects, and saves them.
Resist Evil, and Doug, and they shall flee from you.
My prayer for the people of the COGs is Ephesians 2:4-6
But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.
There are 4 different Greek words that are translated "world". No distinction was ever made by hwa. The god of this world meant the carnal ways, not the planet.
There were many things said about the fall of man, the ensuing curse, and Satan in old classic WCG. There was also speculation about the dinosaurs and lizards and other creepy creatures being Satan's creation prior to Lucifer's fall and his descent into the character we now know as Satan, and his war with God. It wasn't until I began to study mainstream Christianity that I learned of the partial healing of many of the aspects of the curse through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, with the balance of the healing to occur upon the return of Jesus.
The old hymn, "This is My Father's World" was often mocked by top ministers in the WCG during the classic "pre-disappointment" era of the '50s and '60s, who commented, "Yes, it certainly is their father's world! Satan the Devil is their father!" God's favor was even said to have been removed from the USA leading up to the eventual punishment at the hands of the Germans. and the events of Revelation.
This comes from one who grew up and lived in that era, and saw and heard what was taught, clinging to every word. Supposedly, the only entity which enjoyed God's blessing was HWA's church, and it was pointed out that in many cases, God allowed us to suffer along with the rest of the world so that we would hunger and thirst for the Kingdom. Since that time, with years of observation, I have come to realize that many mainstream Christians enjoy protection and blessings in ways that we of the old WCG could only imagine. I believe that that is because mainstream Christians emphasize and dwell on Jesus Christ, and concentrate on His grace and the Father's grace, as opposed to fearing Satan as Peter feared the wind as was and is done in Armstrongism.
8.27 AM
A mainstream church goer recently claimed on his blog that about half of church goers are wheat and the other half weeds. So it's no picnic in any church.
Has anyone read the book, "The Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus", by B Easton, 1934, who translated Hippolytus' writings into English, and who studied early church history?
This is for some of your readers who think that the tithing law has been done away.
He wrote on page 4:
The duty of Christian liberality was defined more closely by the adoption of the Jewish law of tithing, and this law was even extended to include not only agricultural produce but income of any kind.[8] Or, even when the literal force of an Old Testament precept was recognized as superseded, a transferred sense might be discovered that revived the rule for Christianity. So the command that tithes should be paid to the priests was construed to give the church’s ministers a right to the Christian payments.
The greatest gift to the world in this day and age would be the silencing of these spiritually bankrupt men! Every Christian should be doing so!
8:31: Very well, if the authorities did not teach that God commanded the "construing" or "transferring" or "adopting". But....
Hebrews 12:27-KJV from the context shows there is no doubt the word “removing” mean removing, translated from the Greek metathesis (Strong’s 3331), which word is translated “change” in Heb 7:12b, which change therefore is the law was removed, not transferred, as in Heb 7:12a in which “changed” is translated from another Greek word metatithemi (Strong’s 3346), which does mean “to transfer”.
Laws to be observed and taught are written as several scriptures indicate but there is no record of a written tithing law(s) before Moses to which tithing laws supporting Levites and the now non-existing Levitical Priesthood could revert to, or, that “the [tithing] law is merely restored as it was from the beginning. How plain!" (Herbert Armstrong, PT, April 1981). What tithing law from the beginning?
There is no biblical evidence Abraham and Jacob tithed by law but rather from worship and respect to Melchizedek, who was like the Son of God without descent (KJV-v3) who later did become the Son of God with descent (v6, Mat 1) when He was born of Mary.
Not good enough, 12:46, as you create more problems for yourself. What do you want to do? If you don't like the word "transfer" and "removal" is a better word, what are you removing from the law? There's a lot to remove that can incriminate you with the Lord. And who is the tribe that officiates at the altar in Levi's place if you want to remove Levi? (Heb 7:13) They teach tithing too.
No record of a tithing law, you say? Didn't you just quote from Heb 7 where proof is given that Abraham tithed to Melchizedek, the PRIEST? And haven't you read that Jacob tithed as well? (Gen 28:22) Foolish man, tithing laws don't spring out of the blue but are taught by priests as laws.
They tithed by worship and not be law?? What? So you give to the government by law but to God and charities you give out of worship (as if you're doing them a favour), as if you have no obligation to the One who created the authorities to tax you in the first place? So your money is yours to use as you see fit and nothing you produce was originally created by God to give Him first claim? Have you read the book of Revelation to see what God will do about that?
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