Gerald Weston writes about the most powerful god of the Church of God movement, so powerful that faith in Christ cannot even stem his adversarial actions. He uses bitterness to infect church members' minds so that they no longer care about LCG's "truth". Once LCG members reject LCG teachings they are immediately consumed by hatred! Who knew? That pesky adversary uses rumors about LCG corruption to destroy the minds of members.
That creature is so powerful that he has complete reign to work anywhere he likes in the Church of God. Jesus is apparently powerless in his presence. Forget about the Holy Spirit at work in Christians, since he doesn't exist, Satan can have a field day doing whatever he can to lead LCG members out of the fold!
Greetings from Charlotte,
In these opening comments I want to highlight a fact that even some in the world are coming to recognize.There is an evil spirit at work today dividing people: politically, ethnically, culturally, racially, religiously, and in every other way possible. One part of what has been called “The Lord’s prayer” is “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:13). How often do we pray this? Satan is a far greater adversary than some realize, and he will use any issue he can to divide us, if we allow him to do so. But as Jesus implies in the sample prayer, this is not a fight we can win on our own strength. We need God’s Spirit working in us. Note also that Jesus, on the night in which He was betrayed, instructed His disciples, including Peter, to “Pray that you may not enter into temptation” (Luke 22:40, 46). We know how that turned out, as Peter’s emotions—in this case, fear— got the best of him. As humans, we too often allow our emotions to rule us and lead us to do things that we should not. Scripture warns us not to allow bitterness to take root in us (Hebrews 12:15). Once that happens, a person no longer cares about truth, only hatred and his or her perceived grievance. We know that we ought not act on rumors, but how often do we get caught up in believing things we want to hear but that may be totally untrue, or slightly altered or twisted to present a false reality? Satan is working in this world to destroy mankind, and he is working anywhere in the Church that he can to divide and destroy us. Let us remember to plead with God daily to “deliver us from the evil one,” and let us do our part by humbly drawing close to God so that the devil will flee from us (James 4:1–7).—Gerald Weston
9 comments:
"believing things we want to hear but that may be totally untrue"... such as BI, "government", compulsory tithing etc etc
Weston mentions division in his video update also- it can only mean one thing. Someone isn't towing the line and are having unsanctioned, unapproved thoughts...
We live in times when people wilfully refuse to be exposed to the truth. Traditionally, the way to get rid of bad people in the world, evil people, was to expose them, using truth. But, they erect their barriers and continue to believe lies, conspiracy theories, and the agendas of their gurus or leaders. It's how Armstrongism continues to exist. And (Ahem!) Other isms as well!
I just read that liberal arts college courses were advertised as teaching students how to think. Plagiarist HWA changed this to AC teaches its students how to live.
Btw, both claims proved false.
"..his or her perceived grievance."
This is gas lighting the victims of abuse. One of my ministers favorite expressions was "sins, real and imagined." Gas lighting by definition is an attack in the mind, which is murder. By contrast, ACOG ministers policy is often that an accusation is a sentence. No due process what so ever. So it's one stàndard for thee, and another for me.
See this is why I like sites like this, because other people (members) are listening to whats on this blog and other peoples comments who share their experience. There is no need for surveys or questionnaires. Regular members maybe are speaking up for themselves. They are looking things up on the internet and doing their own research.
You would think some of these older ministers would understand and not do the things that cause their initial breakup. They have that same judgmental spirit.
And that British Israel doctrine is not sound and has nothing to do with love, joy, peace, kindness etc.
"There is an evil spirit at work today dividing people: politically, ethnically, culturally, racially, religiously...".
Weston forgot to add "spiritually", even though he is a minister.
Maybe he thinks everything is well and prospering in his church, since they keep telling us every year about how "successful" their meetings are.
By church he probably refers to the head office, which has risen above Christ in stature among them, confusing Christ with a business office and His work to crunching numbers.
"There is an evil spirit at work today dividing people: politically, ethnically, culturally, racially, religiously, and in every other way possible." Its ironic that he presides over an organisation which actively "discourages" interracial marriages...
Gerald Weston wrote: "...There is an evil spirit at work today dividing people: politically, ethnically, culturally, racially, religiously, and in every other way possible...Satan is a far greater adversary than some realize, and he will use any issue he can to divide us, if we allow him to do so...Scripture warns us not to allow bitterness to take root in us (Hebrews 12:15). Once that happens, a person no longer cares about truth, only hatred and his or her perceived grievance...Satan ...is working anywhere in the Church that he can to divide and destroy us. Let us remember to plead with God daily to “deliver us from the evil one,” and let us do our part by humbly drawing close to God so that the devil will flee from us (James 4:1–7)..."
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Duh!! Gerald, Gerald, Gerald!!! Since 16 Jan 1986, how good has any of your pleading done? How humble have you become? How did you do it? All those years for you, Doug Winnail, and your followers to "do our part?" And you can't tell them how to guarantee the devil will flee from you.
Why did you leave the former WCG Pasadena organization? Did you see the wolf? Did you develop a hatred (Oh, you said not to allow that...) towards Joe Tkach senior? Why did you and Doug flee? What did either of you expect to accomplish after you were scattered? You are part of the scattering, believe it or not? Don't you, one of the many HWA little helpers helping HWA accomplish what God had him do (or, did you do something else while there and not been helping HWA, who you were paid to assist?) believe Jesus?
John 10:10 "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep."
Not only does Satan deceive and destroy, but he is a thief and a robber. Do those verses describe you and your organization (and other xcog hireling-led made-up groups), which have been, already, scattered by Satan? Were y'all snared (2 Tim 2:26)? Are y'all striving to teach your followers that they, like a thief and a robber, can enter into God's Kingdom some other way (e.g. by earning salvation by works of SELF) some other way? Why should anybody follow your advice? Or Doug's smackdown advice? You guys were snagged and scattered, but seemingly unaware, ignorant, if I may use that word. How much do you really care for God's sheep, and how do you know if those sheep are following you, or nowhere near you, but are elsewhere unknown to you? Did God appoint you to be the servant, or might God have continued His work elsewhere with a different servant, and by the way, your works and making of SELF humble won't save you. Why don't y'all believe John 6:44, 65 anymore? You used to profess you believed that, which HWA stressed and taught you (for United: he also taught that Ass.'s hirelings not to vote, especially servants in and out, because it shows lack of faith in God--well, maybe that doesn't matter since they think Jesus is the God of the OT, and they are in err.)
Well, that's a lot of questions, and you are striving to do the best that you can with what you have (You know what you rec'd from HWA, but what growth in knowledge of Jesus Christ and GRACE have you learned since HWA ceased existence?), but...
Time will tell...
John
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