The Philadelphia Church of God cult put out a repeat article today on how to get your finances in order. As with any good Armstrongite Church of God, it goes just how you think it is going to go. If you give money to the church, you will be blessed and prosper.
Armstrongist churches depend upon promulgating the tithing lie. Without it, they could not exist. The problem with the statement below is that they make it appear that "giving generously" is a personal decision instead of a commanded corporate decision. A command that places your salvation in jeopardy if you do not send them your money. It's a quick road to disfellowshipment, which means your chance at salvation in this age is over.
Perhaps the most heavily stressed biblical principle regarding healthy finances is to give generously. While giving may seem illogical as a step toward financial stability, God promises that when you sacrifice and serve others’ needs in whatever way you can, you will be rewarded (Luke 6:38). Therefore, give generously to others as your means allow. As your hard work and financial planning provides increase, share that with the less prosperous (Acts 20:35; Psalm 41:1).
Most importantly, give generously back to God. He created all things, and He claims the earth and its fullness as His, including all silver and gold (1 Corinthians 10:26; Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 10:14; Haggai 2:8). God can make us poor or rich (1 Samuel 2:7). By giving mankind dominion over and allowing us to use His creation, God has essentially made every man and woman His business partner (Psalm 8:6; Matthew 25:14-30). Keep God as your partner by tithing on your increase (Leviticus 27:30).
Of course, in their sly methodology, they never mention in public articles how they suck another 30%+ out of followers:
When you give God His portion, one tenth of your income, He shares in your profits and then reinvests even more in you and your ventures. God loves, blesses and promises to supply the needs of a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7-9). As tithe payers and the wealthiest men of their ages, Abraham, Job, King David and Solomon all found out that you cannot outgive God (Job 1:1-3; Hebrews 7:1-2).
No Christian needs to support a blood-sucking, spiritually bankrupt Armstrongite cult leader in order to keep him in his fancy home, build useless concert halls, peddle homeopathic muju, buy jet planes for the personal use of family, put on traveling stage shows with Celtic dancers, and worst of all, preach heresy.
9 comments:
Fully agree with your assessment of blood sucking cults . They falsely use scriptures to extract money, stating with audacity that it is demanded by God.
There is ample evidence in this site and others how tithing laws have no relevance to a new covenant church.
This comment brings to mind when I was a young man in WCG years ago now and members received letters from the apostle saying it was more important than ever to give generously because the 'work' had to get finished, as the end was near.
This demand of course being over and above the tithes demanded. The cheques I wrote would have been sizeable amounts in todays equivalent.
All of these Armstrong cults are despicable entities and their abuse and misuse of little people will rebound on them severely at the time of judgement. And even in this life too.
When I was a WWCG member, I discovered that my non-member work boss knew what was said in "counselling sessions" that my last minister insisted on. And I certainly never passed on anything said in a supposedly confidential situation. And he was a 1970s AC graduate.
build useless concert halls
Useless? Armstrong Auditorium gets used quite a bit - from Sabbath services and Feast of Tabernacles events to classes and commencements.
Not to mention the concert series - even though one big orchestra has canceled an upcoming performance for some reason.
Let’s do a reality show: let’s take all the full-time ministry in every offshoot and splinter, and take away their salary, their rental rental car and their rental home and make them get a real job. Support your own family, pay your own bills, and you must tithe, first second, and occasionally third depending on your splinter. Hire public accountant, collect the tithes and just pay for a rental hall and a small stipend for whoever preaches that weekend. Every single religion is a pyramid scheme and I am 100% sure they won’t be up there begging for money every week when it’s coming out of their pocket as well. Never happen, but that’s how I feel. Be a servant as the Bible says not an overlord.
Be sure to package 10% of your persimmons and mail to PCG.
My poop has value as fertilizer that can be used by gardeners to help plants grow. Should I package 10% of my fecal matter and mail it to PCG?
Maybe Gerald can approve a report of expenditures and salaries of himself and the PCOG big shots to demonstrate to tithe donors where their $$$ are going. Maybe he can buy another jet.
The news about the fires in California has been very bad. I hope everyone here is safe and no damage to homes. Eaton Canyon was always one of my favorite hiking places dating back to the old Ambassador College days when a bunch of us hiked up to one of the plateaus overlooking the city and camped out overnight. Our Zoology class also went on a field trip out to the tide pools in the Pacific Palisades area. Zoology? At AC? Kind of a natural. Had to know about unclean meats, we certainly touched on evolution, gained an appreciation for biological diversity, and how so many things in the creation are interrelated. It was very simplistic, and I didn't realize back then that God used evolution as one of His tools, just like the other laws and axioms of the universe.
It is always a very sad occasion when churches burn, and I hated to hear that the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center were lost to the fire. Knowing how important the Torah scrolls are to a Jewish community, I was relieved to learn that those were rescued and are safely in the home of one of the members. As a young WCG teenager, I cherished my Jewish friends, because when amongst them I was not dismissed as being just some kind of weird religious pariah. You don't forget kindnesses like that!
Be safe, everybody!
BB
Thinking of all you LA folks at this moment. Keep safe everyone. And thanks for the kind words about the Jewish community in Pasadena BB. Sad times indeed. Praying for everyone there. Take care.
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