What pure, soul-warming comfort it must be to know that out of the billions of Christians who’ve muddled through the last two thousand years, only the supremely enlightened members of the Living Church of God have scored the exclusive gig at Jesus Christ’s right hand when He returns. Yes, they and they alone will be the lucky hall monitors of the Kingdom, enforcing on all of humanity the Old Covenant laws that failed spectacularly at offering salvation the first time.
Who needs that silly New Covenant anyway — the one where God writes His law on actual hearts by the Holy Spirit (Jeremiah 31:31–34; Hebrews 8:8–12), and which is literally dwelling and walking among them? Clearly, just a minor plot twist, these folks have chosen to ignore while cosplaying as modern-day Moses.
Armstrongism has always been hopelessly addicted to rearview-mirror theology, romantically pining for the leeks, garlic, and heavy chains of the old system that kept the plebs in line and fed their delicious sense of specialness. Even now in COGland, hordes of members still get all dewy-eyed, waxing nostalgic about the “glory days” of the Worldwide Church of God, instead of, you know, actually living in the radical grace and freedom purchased by the One who saves them from the very legalistic prison they keep enthusiastically running back into.
And the cherry on top? These folks are being carefully trained to enforce those same old laws in the coming Kingdom. Plenty still drool at the thought of personally wielding “rods of iron” to smack compliance into the masses. Given the sterling track record of how some of their higher-ups have spiritually abused, controlled, shunned, and financially squeezed members for decades, that future “glorious Kingdom” isn’t going to be paradise — it’s going to be a dystopian theocratic hellhole of joyless, fear-driven obedience.
Learn from Today’s Leaders by Doug Winnail drops some heavy biblical warnings about corrupt leaders leading people astray, then applies it to today’s moral mess. Solid observation on the symptoms. The proposed solution, though? “Let’s prepare by doubling down on the exact system the New Testament calls weak, useless, and incapable of producing real righteousness” (Hebrews 7:18–19; Galatians 3:21). Brilliant. Nothing screams “ready for Christ’s return” quite like ignoring the cross so you can play Old Covenant enforcer in the ultimate LARP.
In the end, this mindset reveals the tragic irony at the heart of Armstrongism: a movement that claims to be preparing for the Kingdom of God is actually stuck in spiritual regression, romanticizing the very shadows and external rituals that pointed forward to Christ — yet refusing to embrace the substance once He arrived. Instead of resting in the transforming power of grace, the indwelling Spirit, and a genuine relationship with the Savior, too many remain chained to a system that offers control, superiority, and the illusion of being “special.”
The real tragedy is that while they dream of ruling with rods of iron, they’re missing the far greater invitation: to be ruled by love, led by the Spirit, and freed from the very bondage they’re so eager to impose on others. True preparation for Christ’s return isn’t found in rehearsing Old Covenant checklists or fantasizing about future authoritarian roles — it’s found in living out the New Covenant reality today. Anything less is just spiritual time travel dressed up as prophecy.
The future really is bright… if you’re really, really into living in the past.
Learn from Today’s Leaders: Some of the strongest condemnations in the Bible are directed at the leaders of Israel who “cause My people to err by their lies and by their recklessness” (Jeremiah 23:32; Isaiah 3:12). Few today realize these prophetic warnings are dual and apply to leaders in modern Israelite nations! When teachers, preachers, and politicians in nations that have been given God’s laws so they could be examples to the world turn away from and despise those laws, there are serious consequences. As we witness the results of legalizing drugs, defunding police, rampant fornication and adultery, same-sex “marriages,” etc., we need to connect the dots between cause and effect. When Jesus Christ returns, He is going to need individuals who understand that the real solutions to these problems will involve teaching people how to apply the laws of God (Isaiah 2:2–4; 30:20–21). Are you preparing for that important role?
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
1 comment:
Any new testament scriptures or words of Jesus Christ found in the gospel's you can offer Dougie? Probably not
The only duality that you'll find is how unLiving is just like unWorldwide. Listen, Dougie, the world doesn't have God's spirit, so quit complaining about their behavior. The world (including yourself with your wife/ex), are going to do what you want whenever they can. Start warning your organization.
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