Mercy. Why has the Church of God struggled so hard with this? Its track record is one of being merciless to its members. Far too many of its leaders treat their members as second-class citizens and see them only as cash cows to keep their lifestyles enriched.
Sadly, most COGs tend to control their member's lives as much as possible. Look at Dave Pack and Gerald Flurry. Both men extend huge heavy extra-biblical burdens upon their members as they spiritually destroy them with lies and false teachings.
Gersld has restricted church members from associating with non-PCG members within their own families. Mothers and fathers can't see their children and grandchildren. Children have been ignored by their parents. Church members are expected to fund the Irish dance classes and traveling road shows for the elite children of HQ ministers and leaders, while many of those members are living near poverty levels.
Dave expects his followers to give all they have to him so that they can be found worthy to meet Jesus at any moment, though that day keeps getting extended further and further out.
Remember the mercy Cal Culpepper showed for a disabled child in his church? He is the one who told the parents to take it to the mall and abandon it so that the state could take care of it. Without having to spend money on the child they would have more to give to the church.
Others, like Bob Thiel protect his ministers at the expense of the members and allow them to wallow in all kinds of unChristian activities. Where is the mercy extended to the ex-wife and children of one of his top evangelists/ministers when her husband committed adultery with another woman and then cast his wife and kids aside to marry his mistress? Not to mention the witchcraft and other nefarious activities going on in his churches. Numbers are more important than mercy.
Where is the mercy Rod Meredith extended members when he ruled Church Administration with an iron fist? I can remember him coming to our church screaming and pounding the pulpit with his red face with veins popping on his forehead about something the stupid, ignorant, blind sheep were unable to get right.
Very few are shepherds that tend their flock with kindness, mercy, and compassion. There are a few who do that, but they tend to be more independent congregations than the larger larger corporate ones.
Church brethren can only expect mercy in the kingdom to come if they make it. That threat is constantly looming over their heads as they tiptoe around their ministers fearing eternal punishment from on high. Cross your mister and find out what that damnation will be! It sure won't be love and mercy.
"Mercy involves patience, understanding, compassion, and a willingness to forgive."
How has the church ever practiced patience with members? When has it had a compassionate understanding? More importantly, when has the COG leadership ever learned to forgive? Church leaders have always kept track of members' questions, problems, or indiscretions. These are logged and kept in member files. Forgiveness is not something the leadership practices or has traditionally practiced, even under Herbert Armstrong where they all learned to be merciless and graceless.
The Importance of Mercy: One fundamental quality that Christians must develop to become like God and reign with Jesus Christ is mercy. Mercy involves patience, understanding, compassion, and a willingness to forgive. The Scriptures reveal that God is full of mercy and compassion (Exodus 34:6–7) and He requires us to develop these same qualities (Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:8). Solomon states that those who show mercy honor God (Proverbs 14:31). Jesus taught that the merciful will obtain mercy (Matthew 5;7), but those who show no mercy to others will face serious consequences (Matthew 18:21–35). While it is easy to sit in judgment of others, the Bible informs us that for Christians, “mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). As we strive to develop the mind of God, we will come to understand the importance of showing mercy to everyone we meet.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
14 comments:
The grace & forgiveness demonstrated by Christ as seen by his actions with the adultress that was to be stoned or with the thief on the cross are some of the most revealing scripture. Unfortunately too often in the churches off the Worldwide tradition leadership has treated lay membership like a Stalinist dictator would unless the person happened to be politically connected to a minister or the sort. Then often even If they had committed molestation or serious felony type aggressions things tended to be swept under the rug.
I believe this is a multi-dimensional problem but certainly one influential factor is the training given to ministers. Based on my experience, the WCG and its many, many little offshoots do not select men for pastoral qualities nor do they train men to be pastors. I can’t say I have ever spoken with an Armstrongist minister where I felt like I was speaking to a pastor. From day one, I always felt like I was talking to a law enforcement officer. I have met Armstrongist ministers that I think tried to be friendly and empathetic but seemed to be engaged in a palpable and unsuccessful struggle to do so. They just don’t have the chops by personality and training. In a cult, the ministry is indoctrinated as well as the laity.
In my 30 years under Armstrongism, I had many interactions with Armstrongist ministers. I cannot remember ever receiving encouragement from any of them. There is one notable exception. I had a positive conversation with a minister named Phil Rice one time. The others really did not have a pastoral bone in their bodies.
This is something that is rooted in the Ambassador College approach to training ministers. Their principal education was not obtained in the classroom – how far can you take little booklet theology, after all. If you completed the Correspondence Course, you got an AC education in theology. Their principal education was obtained in the crucible of the AC organization itself. They learned by participating in its operations and culture. And that culture was based on Hierarchy and competition for position within that Hierarchy. Within this environment, people related to each other not through love but through the pervasive Hierarchy.
And the founding principal of the Hierarchy is simple: God does not value everyone the same and some people are more important than others. And the resultant praxis is simple also: When you are unimportant (laity) in the organization, never go to someone who is important (ministry) for sympathy because you will not find it.
The puzzling thing is why some few people persist in being a part of this merciless system. Trying to get them to awaken is like flogging a dead horse. But I think I am oversimplifying the issue. Many people have their egos and sense of self-worth tied up in the system to the point that to leave is to collapse. And some people just like being a part of a regimented, judgmental, competitive organization. For them, It’s about hominid tribalism.
Scout
Note: Don Ward had at one time an unusual view of this topic, if I recall it correctly. He used Matthew 23:23 to claim that judgment comes before mercy and faith among the weightier matters. But this overlooks the fact that Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees about their handling of the now superseded Law of Moses (a canonical mistake among Armstrongists). In the New Testament it is grace and faith that operate together at the top (Ephesians 2:8). Judgment has a role but it is subservient to mercy and faith (1 Cor 7:25). Big topic, little time.
Douglas Winnail is such a clown š¤”. They are such Hypocrites in the COG. If you're not popular and rich like them and if you don't live up to THEIR standards which aren't God's by the way then they disfellowship you snobby and/or kick you out of the Church. Their is no love, compassion or mercy in the Church. So glad I finally woke up and left the cult!
Scout said, "Many people have their egos and sense of self-worth tied up in the system to the point that to leave is to collapse."
MY COMMENT: So true particularly with all the evidence of the true history of the Armstrong Church of God and its origins.
Hey, I won't mention any names, but the initials little Bobby Thiel come immediately to mind. We saw what a delusional mental meltdown he has had over the "I'm a prophet, I'm a prophet" temper tantrum thingy. He's so invested in the system that to leave would be a collapse.
Cartoon Bob is his true calling, yet he won't walk in faith through the open door of animation which he claims God gave to his Continuing Nowhere Church of God. What kind of prophet is that?
Richard
"Profitable"~~??~~for HIM!
COG leaders setting themselves BIG SECRET SALARIES!!
..just like Grandpa Plagiarist Fearmonger Herbie..
The only way that mercy will ever be truly important in an ACOG is if the lead minister and his wife name their daughter "Mercy".
11:25 Don't count on that. We had a minister and wife who named their daughter Mercy. She was the nastiest kid I have ever seen. It wouldn't surprise me to find out she is either a drug dealer or in prison. An obnoxious bully.
Well, this website is no better since false accusations and distortions are the norm here.
Oh, look! Another drive-by wham, bam, thank you, mam. What are the false accusations and distortions here? You never say anything of substance but lob grenades thinking you are all smart and knowledgeable. LMAO! What a tool!
A change of heart in Mr. Winnail? When is the last time he spoke about mercy? Nice show but if they don't practice it, it is all for naught. Maybe his message was for his ministry? Or maybe he is learning more about it in his second go-around with his wife? (who someone said is not attending with him again, even though he wed her a second time? Failure after failure.)
Think positively, 2:55. Perhaps his wife's influence will cause him to finally see the error of his ways, and to leave Armstrongism!
Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.
I would say as long as they descend out of the paradigm of Armstrongism, their judgments are without mercy.
James 2:13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
In other words, they lack mercy.
LCG, in the COG-odd manner, has a predilection for authoritarian government.
Therefore, mercy is not handed from the top down but is demanded from the bottom up.
It's a positive step for Winnail to be talking about mercy, but just like LCG's recent, but way too late, recognition of grace, the people should be evaluating why there has been so little mercy and grace in their church.
They should switch to a church in which mercy and grace are concepts discussed in almost every sermon - a church that can expound on these concepts, in greater detail than LCG can - a church that lives mercy and grace.
Doug Winnail wrote: "The Importance of Mercy: One fundamental quality that Christians must develop to become like God and reign with Jesus Christ is mercy...As we strive to develop the mind of God, we will come to understand the importance of showing mercy to everyone we meet."
******
Doug is still striving to do sufficient works to gain the kingdom of God: by developing and striving, but isn't a fundamental quality that Christians must have is God's Spirit?
"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." Romans 8:9
Well, HWA used to quote that verse amongst spiritual milk and junk food prophecies.
And doesn't the fruit of God's Spirit exist in Christians lives because of the work God performs in their lives by that Spirit? The fear of the LORD comes via that Spirit. Wouldn't you think that mercy also comes by that Spirit.
To be merciless appears among other evil fruits/works listed in Romans 1:29-31; similar to these fruits/works Galatians 5:19-21)
When will Doug learn that human beings will either arise in the first or the second resurrection, and it will be according to God's good pleasure and not one's developing and striving?
When will Doug learn and teach that: "...It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." Luke 18:25
When will Doug learn that he and his followers cannot save themselves no matter how much they develop and strive?
Luke 18:26 "And they that heard [it] said, Who then can be saved?
When will Doug stop striving to take glory, honor and praise to self and teach others to give their praise, honor and glory to the One who will work out that salvation (:27 "And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.") for all humanity, and then subsequently destroy Satan and his angels?
Time will tell...
John
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