Doug Winnail lets the Living Church of God membership know that THEY need to start humbling themselves so they can become teachable - like the ministry already is. Cough, cough.
The Real Keys to Spiritual Success: Many believe the key to success is who you know. Yet, God’s instructions are very different. Jesus stressed the importance of humility and teachability when he said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” and “Blessed are the meek” because they will inherit the Kingdom of God and reign on Earth with Jesus Christ (Mathew 5:3–5). God was able to use Moses because he was humble and teachable (Numbers 12:3). Jesus was exalted by God because He humbled Himself and followed God’s instructions (Philippians 2:8–11). Solomon understood that “before honor is humility (Proverbs 15:33). The Apostle James records, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6–10). Peter writes that God will exalt those who are humble and can submit to one another (1 Peter 5:5–6). Isaiah summarizes what God is looking for in those He will reward; “But on this one will I look: on him who is poor [humble] and of a contrite spirit [willing to change, and who trembles at My word [a person who is teachable by God]” (Isaiah 66:1–2). These scriptures provide us with the real keys to spiritual growth and ultimate success.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
For decades the key to success in the Worldwide Church of God, Global Church of God, and Living Church of God was dependent upon who you knew. It's odd that Winnail completely overlooks that, but then this is a COG, after all.
There is a lot of emphasis upon humility and humbleness made by Winnail above, one thing that has been totally lacking in COG leadership for decades, regardless of which group it is. Rod Meredith was well known for not having a humble bone in his body, so much so that Herbert Armstrong sent him to Hawaii for the year to learn humility. It didn't work.
Also, when has the leadership of ANY Church of God ever submitted to the membership? Do you see Bob Thiel, Dave Pack, or Gerald Flurry doing that? Bob Thiel will not even listen to his elders when they bring instances of corruption to him. Gerald Weston certainly does not!
As for the "willing to change" part, there is no minister leading a church of God today that has ever been able to do that. Look at Bob Thiel, one of the most bullheaded narcissists the church has ever seen. Pack and Flurry certainly were not willing to change resulting in the mess they are in today.
Paying lip services to humility and being humble is something most Church of God leaders/ministers are really good at. It sounds good but to really do it is another thing indeed.
What is the real truth regarding LCG Executive/Ministerial salaries??
ReplyDeleteAs their fierce competitor Dave Pack would say: "What is the 'REAL-TRUTH'??"
That's what we really want to know:
The Real-Truth about Executive-Pay in these Armstrongist'-cults!
LCG ministers, so proud of their humility...
ReplyDeleteHa ha, they can't be serious.
ReplyDeleteI asked once, who was in charge the guy said I am. He did not say GOD!
This notion of "teaching" by inserting some biblical verses (usually taken entirely out of their context) in a boring paragraph or two to encourage or instruct the brethren is the reason why none of them have a correct understanding of Scripture. You cannot properly teach or preach the Word of God by letters or booklets or books. That is no way to build your doctrines. It is virtually pin the tail on the donkey by opening the bible randomly, reading a verse and assuming it's meant for you.
ReplyDeleteHow about teaching the bible, book by book, in context? It is evident the method preferred by HWA has not stood the church in good stead. This has done irreparable damage to the members, done nothing to edify them or teach them how to rightly divide the Word and absolutely nothing to truly glorify the God they claim to serve.
So how about being humble enough to see the error of your ways and be the first cog leader to repent publicly and get your theological ducks in harmony with orthodox Christianity?
Really good common sense comments by this group as usual.
ReplyDeleteMany forget that at one time, DAVE PACK was actually on the board of the Global Church of God under Meredith.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that a guy like Pack , who had a long history of instability, being a tyrant and a freak, going back to the early 1980s, could rise that high up in that group, which later morphed into the Living Church of God.
The ministry of those churches are not teachable. People who take the Bible literally are very opinionated.
ReplyDeleteHow about teaching the bible, book by book, in context?
ReplyDeleteIn context, there are, what, about 15 or 20 or more different gospels? Yet only four appear in the Protestant cannon, the cannon of the apostate daughters of the Great Whore.
And, in context, there are far more epistles than those that appear in Satan's approved cannon.
So, the narrow-minded context of the Protestant cannon needs to be questioned. Herb the advertising blurb just copied that context hook, line, and sinker, with little examination.
Use your God-given brain ... to think!
Tonto wrote:
ReplyDelete"The fact that a guy like Pack , who had a long history of instability, being a tyrant and a freak, going back to the early 1980s, could rise that high up in that group, which later morphed into the Living Church of God."
Meredith and other Global/LCG leaders knew how abusive Pack was and they turned a blind eye. It was more important to have Pack listed as a minister than caring for the flock. They let this train wreck happen by not kicking him out in the first place. But then, if they had, he would have pulled a Bob Thiel and set himself up as a leader and a martyr for the truth.
Worse than that, Workldwide Church of God HQ knew how horrible Pack was and they too did nothing. They started all of this.
It's been my experience that when Armstrongite ministers laud a virtue, they and all the members must learn to fake it. And, faking it is a mistake, because the person's normal personality will then break through the facade when there is a stressor present, or when he or she lets down their guard. On the other hand, if it really were a gift, like the example being discussed, then it would persist and triumph over its opposite regardless of any test or stressor. Imitation only goes just so far. When it fails, people see the bogussness, and become disappointed, hurt, and possibly angry. There are consequences, one of the most obvious of which is a breakdown of unity.
ReplyDeleteThe role of a minister is to sell a product to his listeners called religion.
ReplyDeleteWhich is why excellent speaker Dave rose in COG-land and was tolerated by HQ. I saw this in my congregation where the odd good speaker constantly verbally abused and pecked on members, yet everyone was expected to pretend that nothing was wrong. Management always protects performance power.
Even a true believer/hardcore LCG follower had some choice comments about the “ministry” and their “humility” in Charlotte after they spent a couple years attending that congregation.
ReplyDelete1.35 am. If members do not fake reality at services, they are attacked by the ministers. Defending oneself is not a "mistake." Ministers and their bootlickers hate members faking it since it gets in the way of their power lust and their perk of lording it over members faith.
ReplyDeleteComment was made saying: "...Paying lip services to humility and being humble is something most Church of God leaders/ministers are really good at. It sounds good but to really do it is another thing indeed...."
ReplyDelete******
Doug Winnail, like virtually all of the hirelings who fled the former WCG, leaving their ministerial credentials behind, God no longer needed to feed His scattered flock, especially since they are all babes and haven't grown in hardly any grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ since HWA died and Joe Tkach senior vowed to walk in HWA's footsteps, which only went backwards into the doctrines Satan's world still preaches.
Besides being babes, these hirelings only give out milk and junk food: virtually no strong meat...for decades now!
Why can't any of them, especially Doug, really display humility they preach about? One needs God's Spirit to develop that fruit within them, but what if God has not given any of them "the will" and the "to do" to this day? They stagnate, lukewarm style, and need to be careful they don't spill their milk.
"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure." Phil 2:13
Hence hireling leaders like Doug need to constantly preach their milk-like messages over and over again.
Why? Is it possible that God has not planted any of those Ass(s), Group(s), organization(s)?
"But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up." Matthew 15:13
So, why haven't these hireling leaders and their differing gatherings of people, striving to do better than God ever did under HWA, been rooted up by now?
It must be God's Plan and His timing, so we patiently wait and watch them flounder around until it becomes obvious which if any one of these have been planted by God. In so many ways they all look alike, and yet they differ one from another.
As Doug speaks so eloquently about meek and humble, when he explain how people actually become meek and humble? Yes, Moses was meek, but he had God's Spirit guiding him: hence Moses, and Jesus, both bore such fruit(s)!
So, to be planted by God or rooted up by God? Joe Tkach senior was one of God's servants that God used to take down former WCG and scatter everyone (John 10) for His purpose. What were any of these hirelings of former WCG thinking that they could continue their "gravy train?" And vote one another in and out? And pay lots of lip service? What were they thinking? Yes, you too Doug! The "old $profitable paycheck$" is so good, but it isn't destined forever, but...when will some spiritual strong meat come from any of them?
Time will tell...
John