LCG: Do you refuse to listen to correction because of your hardened heart?

Can LCG members EVER do ANYTHING right? 

Good teachers and good preachers never have anything to worry about especially when they are preaching grace, justice, and mercy, and are followers of Jesus.  Instead, we witness daily the men in various COG's who focus upon Moses, rules, and "proper" church government. Jesus could care less about those things and pointedly made it part of his ministry to do the opposite of what all that the vain-glorious leaders said was the law and commands of their god.

Once more Jesus gets short-changed and left out of the picture. He is just an inconvenient guy in the way of the kingdom of God which trumps everything.

Are You Teachable? The Scriptures reveal that one of the most important qualities of character that God is looking for in Christians and future leaders in the Kingdom of God is teachability—the desire and willingness to listen and learn. Abraham was teachable and responsive to God’s instructions (Genesis 12:1–4). Moses was a very capable leader, yet a most humble and teachable individual (Numbers 12:3). David’s attitude comes through in Psalm 119:33, where he writes, “Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes.” Solomon recognized his human inadequacies when he asked God for wisdom and an “understanding heart” so he could learn to rule wisely (1 Kings 3:9). When Jesus said the meek and the poor in spirit will be blessed, He was emphasizing their teachability and their willingness to be corrected and to learn and grow (Matthew 5:3–5). This is in stark contrast to an attitude that refuses to listen to advice or correction and is only focused on one’s own ideas (Proverbs 13:1; 18:1–2). The Scriptures also reveal that when we harden our hearts to God’s instructions, we will reap serious consequences (Proverbs 28:14). We have been called to reign with Jesus Christ in the Kingdom of God, and being teachable is one of the keys to attaining that incredible reward.

Have a profitable Sabbath,

Douglas S. Winnail

LCG Wallace Smith: If Your Husband Tells You to Lie It Is Ok Because You Are Following Government

 

The gist of Smith's argument as I understood it when I listened to it was that Sarah was right to go along with Abram's lie to Pharaoh about their relationship because God's will in the home is for the wife to be submissive to her husband and that if she doesn't support him even if he is wrong, it won't work well because she is not submitting to how God designed His government to work in the home. In The case of Sarah it was argued that God worked it out anyway, and that it is up to God to make the husband realize it if he is wrong. He then launched into the argument for binding and loosing, and equated Weston and the LCG "Council of Elders" with the "Council of Elders" that met in the book of Acts, implying that the LCG council is the one God is working through in the twenty first century.  

I have numerous issues with this approach. First of all Smith is cherry picking examples that he thinks fit his argument and ignoring others. As I mentioned in the other comment I made, Abigail did not go along with Nabal and did exactly what Smith says a wife should not do. In fact she went out without his knowledge and took provisions to David and his men, while Nabal got drunk and partied at home. She didn't inform him of what she had done until the next morning. As a result Abigail and her household were spared from being slaughtered in David's wrath, Nabal fell over dead within ten days, and Abigail then became one of David's wives. So my question is, was Abigail correct in this instance to circumvent her husband's wishes, or should she have just meekly submitted to him even when the servants came and warned her that there was going to be trouble as a result of Nabal's arrogance and foolishness? 

Another issue is the idea that LCG's leadership and council are equivalent to the "council" who met in Acts, and they have a right to bind and loose decisions on how to apply God's law for the rest of the church. If the "church" consists of the entire assembly of believers, and these believers are scattered among numerous groups with different councils and different shepherds, what makes Smith think the decisions of his council carry the same gravity as the group of people who met in Acts? The Apostle Paul didn't even give the meeting in Acts as much weight as Smith gives his council. A reading of Galatians 2:1-10 demonstrates this point. I could also add that reading the rest of the chapter would demonstrate that Paul did not view Cephas or Peter as some pope figure who was above criticism or reproach with the power to bind and loose, even if he was wrong. Galatians 2:11-14 demonstrate this point. 

If we cherry pick scriptures that only fit the scenario we want to promote, this is not gleaning the whole truth of God's word, and can be misleading, because we have left out part of the story. It also isn't honest, which goes to Smith's argument about Sarah. Is it okay to go along with a lie if your husband tells you to, and if so, will God always work things out in your favor, or will you suffer the consequences along with your husband? The story of Ananias and Sapphira might be instructive here. Acts 5:1-11 

Concerned Sister

LCG Member Readership Here Jumps Due To Weston Kicking Monson and Fritts Out Of LCG

 

Every once in awhile a loyal LCG member will pop on here and make the accusation that no one in LCG reads this site. We know that is not true.  

The day Rod Meredith said from the pulpit for members not to read this blog, the viewership shot up.  

Articles on Living Church of God and Restored Church of God draw the most views.  

The recent article about Weston firing and disfellowshipping  Monson and Fritts is now at, 2,590 views. 

LCG members know they never get the full story when news comes out of Charlotte. COG leaders have never been transparent with things that go on in their groups. It is actually pretty pathetic that LCG members have to come here to find things out their own church.

LCG: Trust Us For Wise Council - NEVER Trust Your Own Judgement! It Is A DANGEROUS Human Tendency!

 

The Value of Counsel: One of the common pitfalls in life is trusting in our own judgment when we only see part of the picture. When we make decisions or take actions based on how we see a situation, the results can be costly to ourselves and to others. This is why Solomon wrote in Proverbs 3:5, “lean not on your own understanding,” and in Proverbs 3:7, “Do not be wise in your own eyes,” and again, in Proverbs 28:26, “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool.” Solomon also warned in Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” These multiple warnings in Proverbs were recorded to alert us to a dangerous human tendency. To help us avoid making serious mistakes in life, Solomon advised in Proverbs 11:14, “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety,” and again in Proverbs 15:22, “Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established.” This is one of the reasons we have a Council of Elders in the Church of God. As individuals, we can obtain wise and valuable advice by prayerfully studying the book of Proverbs and by seeking counsel from parents, the ministry, and from more experienced friends and associates who can be objective and help us see a bigger picture that we perceive on our own.     

Have a profitable Sabbath,

Douglas S. Winnail

COG Leaders and Unconditional Loyalty

 

The following post was a comment on the LCG Breaking News: LCG Members Outraged After Weston Fires Sheldon Munson and Jason Fritts Over Masks concerning the power and control COG leaders succumb to when they start a church or take control of one.  Of particular notice is the comment by Weston that those who attend different Feast sites (of other groups than their own church) are sinning.

COG leaders all resent the fact that some of their members visit other COG's and feast sites WITHOUT asking their permission. Most are under the false impression that they "own" the members and expect their loyalty.

The problem is the system. When a human organization is viewed as and labeled the "church" or "true church" and those who call themselves "ministers" come to see themselves as the only legitimate representation of said "church" or arbiters of "truth", it is no longer just a matter of personal conviction or belief in Jesus Christ that makes one a member of the "church". It has more to do with what club you are loyal to, or in some cases, which one signs your paycheck. In the case of LCG Gerald Weston is seen by those loyal to his particular club as a pope figure and his board of elders are his council of bishops. They give themselves different titles, but their perception of their own authority over the brethren is the same. One of the issues Weston addressed in his sermon was the idea of brethren visiting "other groups" for the Feast. This is seen as something sinful. Why? Because they would be making an independent decision acting in defiance of their Pope and his bishops, which of course is equated with "God's government", because he sees himself as the only legitimate representative of that government. 

Once a man, even if he starts out as well meaning, decides to start his own "church" a different mindset begins to take hold of him. He takes possession of the organization he has started and begins to view those who choose to attend that organization as his "members" or "members" of the organization. The problem with this mindset is that it goes well beyond the biblical definition of a "member" because a "member" in the Bible is simply a member of one body, and that is Christ's. Romans 12:5 And Christ's body, assembly, or community is not synonymous with any human organization controlled by men. While members of His body might or might not attend a particular organization or even visit multiple organizations, that organization does not own those members, because those members belong to God, who has one body and places individuals in His body as He sees fit. Peter was told by Jesus to feed HIS sheep. John 21:15-17 That doesn't mean that Peter then became the owner of the sheep. He was simply supposed to be one of their caretakers. And as a fellow sheep, which he was, he was supposed to set an example of godly leadership, to serve among them, not rule over them. He did not become Chief Shepherd, Pastor General, Presiding Evangelist, or whatever other lofty title one might dream up. Those titles are exclusive, and only Jesus Christ can fill those shoes. Those who serve Christ in whatever function He places them in, according to the gifting he gives them are only supposed to be caretakers and servants among God's flock, which again isn't synonymous with any one human organization. 

These gifts, which some view as positions of hierarchy, that we are constantly told give some men the right to elevate themselves over, lord or exercise authority over others are not for that purpose. Matthew 20:25-28 1Peter 5:2-4 They are supposed to be gifts and functions that build the body up and equip everyone to function, work together, and minister to one another, so that the whole body grows up together and becomes unified and cohesive. They are simply supporting ligaments,and other body parts,as we all are. They are not the head,which is Christ. Ephesians 4:11-16

Instead their use has been distorted and perverted to serve those who think they are in power. They have been used to browbeat, scatter, and confuse the sheep. They have been used to promote a club or "church" mentality of one following "Paul" and another waving the flag of "Apollos". 1Corinthians 3:3-11 Because again, the sheep are viewed as possessions of the institution, club, or "church", rather than possessions of God, who these people are supposed to be serving.

Concerned Sister 

Is Attendance at a COG Service Life Threatening?

Check out The Supreme Cult today and it's article about how your life is in danger if you attend a Church of God Sabbath keeping church that has descended from Herbert Armstrong.

If you attend Sabbath Services or Feasts with the Living Church of God cult, you run the risk of being shot to death by another member who finally lost it after years of the craziness in the cult. You don’t really know what is going on in the deluded mind in the person sitting next to you.


If you think this is a single incident, think again. In the Worldwide Church of God, a precursor of sorts to Living, Chuck Harris gunned down Brenda James and several others. He had been showing his gun to other members after church services in the hall they were meeting.

Read the rest of this article here:  Violence In Our Church: It's Killing Us