LCG's fast is now over. Did anyone in LCG feel the Holy Spirit stirred up? More importantly, did any minister? It's the ministry that should have been on its knees fasting and praying for humility and forgiveness instead of placing the burden on the members.
Was this about members looking inwardly or trying to influence God to do what they demand?
How many doors were opened to spread LCG's gospel as a result of last Saturday?
Has the church reached the world? Bob Thiel claims it hasn't so he had to step in and do their work.
Prepare for the Fast—Part 3: The growth of the early Church was driven, in part, by men filledwith the Holy Spirit, like Peter (Acts 2:1–4), Stephen and Philip (6:3–8; 8:5–8), and Paul (13:1–12; 19:1–6). The Scriptures also reveal that God will pour out His Spirit abundantly in the last days (Joel 2:28–32; Acts 2:17–18). To that end, the Apostle Paul urged Christians to “stir up” the gift of the Holy Spirit, which is a Spirit of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:6–7). We nourish that Spirit through daily prayer, Bible study, fasting, and meditation on God’s word (2 Corinthians 4:16). As we fast, we need to pray for open doors to boldly preach the Gospel (Acts 4:29–33; Revelation 3:8), for courage to “cry aloud” and show God’s people their sins (Isaiah 58:1), for a clearer understanding of prophecy (2 Peter 1:19), and for laborers and resources to finish the Work (Matthew 9:37–38; 2 Corinthians 8–9; John 4:34). Jesus commissioned His Church to reach the world (Mark 16:15), and He promised to be with His Church to the end of the age (Matthew 28:19–20). Let’s do our part as we draw together to pray and worship during the coming Fast.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
19 comments:
Jesus commissioned the 11 apostles, not the LCG.
It’s highly unlikely that the Archbishop of Canterbury would call for a nation wide fast for the CofE. For biblical enlightenment and understanding.
Any ‘enlightenment’ may come as a shock and surely would be rejected if it didn’t fit their ‘narrative’ lol.
Imagine a call to all of the Armstrong churches leadership to gather together to fast and pray for unity. This would surely expose their hypocrisy.
We all know such a gathering won’t happen.
"for a clearer understanding of prophecy." Well, they would need to fast longer than that, because their identity prophecy is off. It's due to not getting off of their own narrative.
Fasting is personal like prayer. I've haven't read in scripture where Peter or Paul said , now we are going to do a church wide fast." Yes, Paul, Peter, John, James and many others were filled with the Holy Spirit, perhaps in the future a group can exemplify their christian traits.
It always seems whenever there is some sort of drama going on in the leadership or similiar type of events, the leadership always reverts back to calling an "emergency fast." How about in stead calling for a "tithe fast" for the leadership with them demonstrating the ability to try to do more with less, something the lay members had to learn really quick after joining the church? Maybe they can sell or rent out their $600K homes or Gerald can sell his jet but i guess I forgot all the foreign leaders & dignitaries that he meets up with & spreads the gospel to or his bullshart Irish dancing.
There has been a slight increase of public awareness of Anglo-Israelism-contra-science detected, being a key plank of the LCG-Gospel,
''We nourish that Spirit through daily prayer, Bible study, fasting, and meditation on God’s word (2 Corinthians 4:16)''
the verse cited reads:
''Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day
a few verses earlier we also read:
''For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness, made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.''
7Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us''
the fasting and the reading of scriptures as they are interpreted and dictated by these worldwide churches Including their gospel I suspect achieves little if anything
He commissioned 12, Judas was a traitor and hung himself. Then God chose Matthias
If it was a COGWA fast, I seriously doubt those hands would be up. :-)
Spot the spelling mistake. You love to be Nazi grammar police on others.
The fasts don't accomplish anything in LCG. Rod had them boldly fasting and praying for the early gifts of the Holy Spirit, that got lost following the deaths of the original Apostles, such as dramatic healings, and the ability to speak in such a manner that all listeners would hear in their own native languages.
That was a worthy ask, and if you really were God's true church, why not? Why not have those gifts. But alas, Armstrongism did as good a job as any ar faking the fruits, but that was as far as it ever went. It's always been all talk, and taking control of members lives, and then policing and enforcing with authoritarianism substituted for the work the Holy Spirit is described as doing. Some really bad juju there!
Unfortunately the leadership live their lives a bit too comfortable to fast. Sounds like they are "playing church." See
If LCG would acknowledge there is no record of a commandment of God to tithe on monetary income, and the 14th of Nisan is the first day of 7 days of unleavened bread,, then the fast would have done wonders.
The more one thinks about the empty words that came from the angry face of Armstrong the more one realizes what an absolute farce he and his system were (and are).
What is the bottom line of having a "group-wide" fast? Doug Winnail wrote: "...As we fast, we need to pray for open doors...for courage to “cry aloud” and show God’s people their sins (Isaiah 58:1), for a clearer understanding of prophecy (2 Peter 1:19), and for laborers and resources..."
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Was it to impose pressure on the followers to pray to God and to beg for something? How many years have these people been doing this via WCG, via "Go Baal", via Living? Could there be a reason as to this fasting/prayer combo really does not work?
Why not just pray? Why throw in that fasting bit? What is the real bottom line? Was God even listening to this "living" group, or that "choose another name" group?
On 5 Sep 1998 a sermon was given titled "How Do I Fast?" Part 1 of 4 and here is a partial transcript citing Isaiah 58:3-4, and a bottom line for fasting.
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[[...So, he keeps on going into verse 3 and he starts to get into this with fasting. He says:
Isaiah 58:3 “Wherefore have we fasted,…”
In other words, they say: “Why have we fasted?” Because when you go back, and we’ll go back into a little history throughout the time of the Bible age here. We’ll see; well, they fasted a lot! They did a lot of fasting, but why and for what reason? But this is the reason all of them were doing this.
It says: wherefore have we fasted,…
“…say they, and thou seest not?…”
In other words: “We fast; we fast; we fast! You still do not answer us! You do not give us our way. You do not give us that direction. How come? Can’t You see us beating ourselves here with chains, and cutting ourselves, and everything else and nothing is going on? It’s like You are not there.” It says:
“…wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge?…”
Isn’t that the way all of us felt at times when we have fasted? “Didn’t You see me fasting, Lord? Lord, I went without eating! I went without food, without water, and I only asked You for a little thing and it seems like You did not hear me. Why did I fast? I’ve been fasting for years. Nothing has ever happened! Should I continue?”
That’s what the majority of people in the Church finally came to as the conclusion, and if you all want to be honest with yourselves; I mean; honest with yourselves: that’s about where it ended up! Not in every case, but in most! It says:
“…Behold, in the day of your fast…”
God is saying: behold, in the day of your fast…
“…ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.”
“You do it. Your fast: the fast that you determined to have in front of Me.”
He is not talking about Atonement. He is talking about your fast: the nation’s fast, the leader’s fast!...”]]
To be continued…
John
Continuing…
[[…Then, he goes on here to verse 4. He starts to get into this. He says:
Isaiah 58:4 “Behold, ye fast for strife and debate,…”
How often in a fast did you get on your knees, because you weren’t eating and you are supposed to spend more time in prayer? Now, you are fasting. How often did you get into a prayer with God, and wasn’t it just a debate?
“How come You’re not giving me this? You know I want this. I need this. I want You to change this in my life. I want You to do this. I want You to do that. You have to help me. It’s like: ‘How come You’re not listening? Don’t You understand? Can’t You see I’m not eating? This is the time You’re supposed to be hearing me!’”
In the first part of the day, everyone always starts off trying to be humble and they’re trying to get themselves into a humble thing: “Oh, God, I’m fasting before You!”
They don’t bring up all of the wish-list right away, right? I mean; isn’t this the way that it is? But, when you are at the end of the day and you are really hungry, then the wish-list starts coming out, because that is why you fasted. You want Him to hear you!
So, he says here. He says: you fast for strife and debate,…
“…and to smite with the fist of wickedness:…”
In our prayers we really did come against God. Or, we were fasting in these ancient times like this when people fast: they fasted so God would go out there and kill all of their enemies: “Kill those suckers! What do we care?”
See, that was the attitude!
God always says: “Hey, I have an idea! I realize that this probably isn’t.” He says, “Why don’t you pray for your enemies? Pray for them instead of against them!”
Whoa! That wouldn’t go over too big when you have a ten thousand-man army out there waiting to kill you, and you are fasting so God will go out there and destroy them!
And this is the key thing right here! He goes on and he says:
“…ye shall not fast as ye do this day,…”
This is God speaking: “You are not going to fast the way that you do today, and the way we used to do it in the past!” He says:
“…to make your voice to be heard on high.”
Do you think you fasted for any other reason than this?
Then, you call God Almighty a liar! Would we like to have hands in the audience? Would anyone like to call God a liar here? Can any one, anyone, and across this country when they hear this? Can anyone stand up and say that this isn’t the bottom line of your fast?
God is saying: to make your voice to be heard on high! That’s why you fasted, and it was all combined with all of this strife and wickedness. That’s why we fasted and that’s the bottom line!...]]
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Might striving to GET God’s attention actually be the real bottom line for Doug’s living group’s fasting?
Time will tell…
John
Prolly just made the members hungry and thirsty. I suspect that this added to their frustration. The old folk are most likely desperate for the fulfillment of the Armstrong prophecy mold and the validation of the misery their religious practices has brought into their lives.
they think the way they vote will also "get" God's attention along with the fast
which has more pull? (or push)
& does Doug tell them to take their B-12 1st before general fast...
You're right they are frustrated. As they frustrate the grace of God (by including all kinds of things that aren't necessary under the NC). It's because they may give lip service to say, "things are on course" towards their suspected fulfillment taught in Armstrongism, but at the same time, they are seeing things in the world that don't make sense. Week after month after year after decade: "time will tell"
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