All of the demands and blustering from COG ministers and leaders about the law and proper Sabbath keeping have failed generations of Church of God members about what worshipping God truly is about. It is not sitting in church or a living room listening to tapes of some loudmouth talking about everything except Christ.
To worship the one on High as COG's claim to do means putting that faith into action in the world around them, becoming the hands and feet of Christ bringing a foretaste of that heavenly banquet. It is not up to some pontificating blowhard shouting from the pulpit, at a church presentation, on a telecast, or in some magazine article. These guys are totally bankrupt in what practicing the Christain faith is all about or for that matter, trying to share the "good news". This is why NONE of them are making any impact. Until church members put their faith into action in their communities the church will never amount to anything.
14 comments:
This post is right on! ACOG members should be sobered to realize just how much happier most ex-members become after they leave an ACOG. David Meredith was far from perfect, but his happiest and most sane years came at the end of his life, after he cut ties with LCG and tried to become the person he wanted to be. If ACOG membership helped people become healthier, happier, and more successful, they wouldn't have so much trouble finding new members.
Precisely! Christ said: "This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you." He also told his disciples that "You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." Paul said that "Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law." He also said that Christians should "never stop praying." James wrote that "Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." In other words, what happens within the congregation on the Sabbath/Sunday every week is a very small slice of TRUE worship!
The single greatest event in my life was after decades of WCG/GCG/ICG/TPM cutting the cord and living my own life….and doing my own research and developing my own faith.
Great post.
These guys are totally bankrupt in what practicing the Christain faith is all about or for that matter, trying to share the "good news". This is why NONE of them are making any impact.
None of them are making an impact because everyone knows they are cults (thanks to the Internet) and because very few people in the affluent party-going cancel culture of today want a religion which is radical or difficult.
On point post and comments. jim
Truth
Faith without works is dead. The ACOG's preach the works of the dead law, so their members become walking dead people. These folks nerd to read Matthew 25: 31-46 to discover what the works of a living faith are.
2 AM car rides... odd.
If I am driving a person in my Lift or Uber car at 2:00 am there is nothing odd about it. Like a typical Armstrongite, you can't deal with the truth presented to you so you had to find some fault with it. Silly and petty.
2 AM car rides... odd.
I realize that the ACOGs have normalized drunk driving as part of their alcoholic culture, but many sincere pagans recognize the danger and prefer to get a ride home at the end of a drink-filled evening.
Think about some of the things that could be happening during a 2 AM car ride.
You are out on the open road at a time when most people are not. It's a totally different scene, during which you have an opportunity to get a taste of things which most "normal" people do not. It is also an opportunity to decompress. Perhaps you are on a journey from another state to get back home, You see nocturnal animals as you drive, and out of the corner of your eye you notice a shooting star in the distance. The radio is amazing, because the personalities on the air are not restricted by ratings or formats. Songs are played that you never hear, and stories are told. You may be listening to Coast to Coast with George Noory which is always an adventure. If you are not listening to the radio, there is an opportunity to reflect, to take introspection, to think more deeply as you travel along in your insulated capsule. You may be on a coffee high, speeded up so that you will remain awake, your senses heightened making you hyper-aware. It is a change of pace from your normal routine, one that you will remember for weeks or months as possibly recharging your batteries.
You have received an unsettling phone call from a friend or relative who needs your help. Perhaps their car has broken down, they have been in an accident, or maybe they realize that they are not in any condition to drive. It is a semi-emergency, and because of this, you have a sense or urgency, and are worried. You are hoping for the best, willing to sacrifice sleep in your warm, comfortable bed, but somewhat on edge and looking forward to the satisfactory resolution of whatever has taken place.
You are the designated driver, the voice of reason and common sense. You are driving your friends or family home after an event, a party, or perhaps an evening of enjoying some live music. As might be expected, there are frequent bathroom stops, one of the riders may become ill, and perhaps peace officers will pull you over to make a safety check. You are extra careful, feeling the weight of responsibility on your shoulders to get everyone home safely. If it's couples night, and you are out with someone who loves you, that person may be feeling amorous and could be distracting you. Some of your passengers may have crashed, and are oblivious to all that is going on, while the ones remaining awake are indulging in some really bizarre conversations.
You are a long-distance truck driver, your rig is your place of business, and you have a time schedule to meet getting your load to a warehouse so that your cargo can replenish the goods which customers have purchased from various stores over the long weekend. You realize as you drive that there are people on the road who are in no condition to drive. These people will be taking chances in spite of their slowed reaction times, and impaired judgment. You have learned to expect the unexpected in your many years of experience, and have formed friendships with your fellow night people at your regular stops. You are very conscious of the computerized monitoring system on board in your truck and are very conscientious about your every move. If you commit a violation, or make a mistake, and it leads to an accident the evidence contained in this system could spell the end of your career.
Conclusion: A 2 AM drive may be a departure from many peoples' normal routines, and there may be a whole subset of sensations associated with the heightened sense of awareness one could experience, but there is nothing inherently odd about it. It is not as if you are a terminal weirdo if you happen to be out on the road at this time of the night. I would suggest that the person who smugly called this experience "odd" is very sheltered, and simply needs to get a life.
I feel victorious having avoiding 2 am drives for decades.
As a long-haul trucker, I loved listening to late-night radio programs. Some of the most interesting things were on the radio in those early hours. I would also put on some great choral music or other music and talk to God during these times. This was far better than sitting in church services listening to the same canned sermon out of the ineffective speaking playbook so many ministers seemed to use.
"Anonymous Anonymous said...
2 AM car rides... odd.
Sunday, September 4, 2022 at 10:47:00 PM PDT"
That is a completely weird and out of touch comment.
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