As LCG Cuts Its Budget For Spreading Its Gospel, COGWA Makes a Big Jump Forward With Its Message

 

While the Living Church of God has had to publicly admit it had to cut back on its ability to preach its gospel message due to an income drop, Church of God a Worldwide Association has just announced they have had a substantial increase in income over the last three years so-much-so that they can now enlarge their media empire with new hires and gospel outreach.

This has to frost the butts of UCG, Gerald Weston, and Bob Thiel as they all languish trying to find money to do their pet projects and spread their so-called gospel messages. 

From a COGWA source:

April 11, 2022
Dear Brethren,

In my most recent member letter, I wrote that it was my last letter prior to the Passover. But today I have such good news to share that I have chosen to write to you once again! Because of the increase in our annual income for the past two fiscal years and now continuing into the third year, we are ready to make a major investment in preaching the gospel. 

 

Last year our increase in income made it possible for us to pay off two mortgages (one in East Texas and the second here in McKinney), thereby saving the Church approximately $230,000 per year. Our 2022 fiscal budget contained a substantial increase—some 30 percent—for Media to preach the gospel. But we weren’t ready in January to decide where those funds should go. We needed a plan, and after several weeks of meetings and many hours of discussion, Clyde Kilough, operation manager for Media, and the Media department have come forward with a series of proposals for investing these additional funds in our public proclamation efforts, beginning immediately.

My purpose for writing another letter prior to the Passover is to share the details of our updated Media plan with all of you. This plan will require some new hires in Media, and locating the right people will take time. But the other items will begin right away (some have actually already been implemented). Attached to this letter is a report from Mr. Kilough giving an overview of what we have planned. I hope you will be as excited as we are when you read the details. 

 

Matthew 24:14 and 28:19-20 describe our mission to take the gospel message, the good news of the Kingdom of God, to a troubled world. In furthering that mission, the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, has made the commitment to advance the preaching of the gospel this fiscal year (2022) by more than 30 percent when compared to last year!

Please be assured that our focus on Media will not distract us from the second part of our mission— caring for the brethren. We have created a new educational program for pastors, we’re restarting the International Leadership Program in May and through our International Fund we are taking care of the congregational needs of brethren around the world. We are committed to preaching the gospel and caring for the brethren and doing both to the best of our ability with the resources that God has provided. We now have the resources to do more in one year than we have done in a decade.

I believe you will agree with me that it is great to have some good news for a change. Trials, suffering, wars and rumors of wars surround us, but they cannot defeat us. Please have a meaningful and inspiring Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread, focusing, once again, on God’s plan of salvation—the creation of His family.

Sincerely, your brother in Christ,
Jim Franks

 

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Upon learning of the financial boost to our department, a Media team met a number of times to brainstorm the needs and possibilities in three areas: video, editorial and engagement. From an initial list of about 25 projects—far more than what we could possibly do—we narrowed it down to the top 10 priority needs and what is actually manageable with our personnel and budget. 

 

Some of these projects are going to be new, major, highly visible steps for the Church—more on these in a moment. Others are projects unseen by most people, but very important to the work.

1. Engagement. One of our greatest needs is to develop ongoing relationships with our visitors, engaging and encouraging them to use Life, Hope & Truth more thoroughly and frequently. Every month we gain several thousand new leads (those who download materials or subscribe to publications). These leads are very important because they have demonstrated more than casual interest, and they’re likely more interested in receiving other material. We need to reach back to them, which we can do by implementing workflows (a series of automatically triggered emails sent at regular intervals to offer related material) and email campaigns. While cost-effective, it’s labor-intensive and dependent on having personnel dedicated to the tasks. 

 

Another engagement tool we can easily implement is a regular coworker letter from the president, and these will start soon. Our growing number of coworkers are valued members of the Church’s efforts to preach the gospel, and we want them to feel involved and know that their contributions are highly appreciated. 

 

2. Editorial. We’re targeting several major projects in editorial content development. Discern is one of our highest quality products, covering a wide variety of doctrine, prophecy and Christian living subjects. People need Discern, and we want to see greater numbers accessing both the digital and the print versions, so we’re going to increase promotional efforts through investing in advertising and through email and social media campaigns. And, in order to give subscribers more frequent exposure to Discern, we sent out our first online bonus edition in early March. The bonus edition will be sent in the alternating months when we don’t have a print version, so every month subscribers will get either a print or digital Discern. 

 

Life, Hope & Truth currently offers a vast array of content—literally thousands of blogs and articles!—educating people about God’s truth. But many people face a big challenge today in that while they want to follow God, they struggle with serious issues that hold them back. We see a need to help people understand and deal with such issues from a spiritual perspective, so addressing relevant social topics, such as sexuality, addiction and emotional problems, is going to be an area of increased focus. 

 

We are also expanding and developing new blogging strategies to have more consistent writing on topics that are SEO (search engine optimization) driven. This will require a wider pool of skilled writers with different writing styles and expertise, assigning topics for new content rather than relying on volunteer submissions, and also updating and refreshing old content (both blogs and articles) 

 

All of these editorial projects require skilled personnel, and I’m very happy to announce that
we have just hired another full-time writer, which will help us immensely. 

 

Page 3 

 

3. Video. Now—in what will be the biggest steps forward in Media since Life, Hope & Truth was launched—we are going to create a regular LHT program, a regular LHT podcast, and ramp up the assembly of video “shorts.” 

 

As mentioned earlier, LHT is incredibly strong in written content—it provides excellent teaching and witnessing of the gospel through the written word. But we have lacked the same depth of preaching—ministers personally delivering the gospel through strong “evangelizing” on a regular full-length program. We need voices to give the gospel the type of power that can come only through the spoken word. Furthermore, increasing video production will not only bolster LHT’s rankings, but it can be placed on many other video outlets. YouTube, for example, is the second largest search engine in the world, and we need to be available on that— and all other venues possible—in video form. 

 

Podcasts are already extremely popular and are increasingly gathering larger audiences. They reach people on the go, and young people especially really use them. This is another avenue for preaching the gospel through social media outlets, as well as on LHT. 

 

And, while we already have several dozen video “shorts” (3- to 6-minute videos that accompany LHT articles and are posted on the Church’s YouTube channel), we could produce literally hundreds more. These offer quick explanations of various biblical topics—difficult to understand scriptures, biblical terms and definitions, etc.—specific issues people are asking about. 

 

Steadily churning out such new videos will require a lot of planning and hiring several new employees, not only in the areas of technical production but also for presentation. We can only be strong in production if we have more people dedicated to it, both as writers and presenters. Some big decisions lie ahead. How will we determine who, and how many, would be well-suited for presenting the gospel through video? What are the best formats for programs and podcasts? How can we most effectively promote and place these programs? Can the same presenters for video also do the podcasts? What about production for other video formats, such as TikTok? 

 

This is only the briefest overview of the projects at hand. Even with hiring new staff in several positions, these undertakings are ambitious, and they won’t happen overnight. For example, while we have some prospective employees in video, they may not be available immediately. And it will take a while to put the programs together and have the right presenters selected and in place. But it will come! 

 

It is exciting to be laying the groundwork for these major steps forward in preaching the gospel. And we are confident that, just as God has opened the doors financially, He will also provide the personnel and guide our plans. We have a dedicated team here at the office, and we know God’s people will be fully behind our efforts with their prayers and support.

 

LCG Has To Pull Back Some From Spreading Its Gospel As Income Drops

 

There are priorities brethren but the gospel is not one of them. We appreciated that so many of you turned over your stimulus checks to us but now that that well has dried up we have to tighten our belts. Never fear though, God owns EVERYTHING and will provide for our needs! 

Since we are drawing close to Passover please humble yourselves to impress our God so that he grants us all favor.

Infrastructures in many Central and South American countries have deteriorated to the point where we are unable to send magazines and literature to our members and subscribers. To solve the problem, the Spanish Department embarked on a digital alternative, and on Monday, Mr. Cristian Orrego presented to us an update on the project. El Mundo de Mañana magazine, Viewpoints, Whiteboards, and Living Education classes will soon be available in Spanish on a new website and app. Growth in the Work continues strong, with the Tomorrow’s World magazine going to more than 578,000 subscribers. Demand for booklets, Bible Study Courses, and other materials are also remaining strong, but we may need to pull back a bit as income is not keeping pace so far in 2022. We suspect the end of government stimulus checks of the last two years, along with high inflation, is much of the reason. However, as we all know, God owns everything and can provide for our needs, so let us draw close to Him as we approach the Passover and Unleavened Bread, now only a week away.—Gerald Weston

Gerald Weston Tells Ministers To Zip It

 

Is LCG looking to restrict the flow of information? It can't be stopped, not in this digital age. Ministers and members will continue to post things that are wrong in the church.

Greetings from Charlotte,
This past Wednesday we held an online Conference for all ministers around the world. I discussed the need for confidentiality, and caution when putting anything online. Mr. Ames gave an encouraging report on the work of the Television Department as well as plans for new booklets and DVDs that are in the pipeline. Dr. Winnail highlighted the credibility problem regarding vaccines and mandates. Be sure to read Mr. Wallace Smith’s lead article—“The Credibility Crisis”—in the February 2022 Tomorrow’s World magazine. You should be receiving it soon. I finished the conference by mentioning that we are planning in-person Council of Elders meetings, as well as regional in-person ministerial conferences this year. Several follow-up Tomorrow’s World Presentations are scheduled for this Sabbath and Sunday. Please take note of the Canadian truckers’ protest taking place this Saturday in Ottawa, mentioned in my video update for this week.—Gerald Weston

Gerald Weston…Oh, before I forget, let me add this...

Gerald waxes eloquent about the great things the church is doing and then quickly inserts a zinger before going quickly back to his backslapping. 

Greetings from Charlotte,
We had an enjoyable Young Adult Weekend in Delavan, Wisconsin, last week, with 33 in attendance. It was marked by profitable group sessions, warm fellowship, and a bit of recreation. The weekend format was similar to our previous “Living 4 Tomorrow” (L4T) program, and we plan to revive that program once again. We have Tomorrow’s World Presentations scheduled for this weekend in Spokane, Washington; Jacksonville, Florida; Tacoma, Washington; and Ocala, Florida. Follow-up presentations are scheduled for next weekend, as well as a first-time presentation in El Paso, Texas. Brethren, we understand that there is a very contagious COVID variant going around, but we will continue to do the Work while there is time. Last year, we had 523 guests attend TWPs in person with another 199 connecting online, and we have a very aggressive schedule planned for 2022.— Gerald Weston

LCG: Members need to get their focus off themselves and onto the kingdom

 

Are you too busy enjoying life, having fun with your family, traveling, visiting with friends? If you are then you are not 100% focused upon Living Church of God's commission. After all, LCG has been warning the world about their commission for 25 years now, and if you are here in LA, no one even knows what that commission is.

LCG members need to have their focus upon a kingdom to come where they will be kings and priests and rule over the masses with power and glory as they are coequal with Jesus since they will then be gods, just like Jesus.

Redeeming the Time: The Apostle Paul urged brethren in Ephesus to consider God’s will, live with a purpose, and make the most of every opportunity to become more like Jesus Christ—“because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15–16). Ephesus was a bustling port city, home of the great pagan temple of Diana, and filled with temptations for Christians. Jesus also warned believers against being sidetracked from spiritual goals by the “cares of this world”—the pursuit of money, material things, and fame (Matthew 13:22). As Christians living in the latter days, we have a commission to warn the world of a coming judgment, to preach the Gospel of the coming Kingdom of God (Matthew 24), and to prepare for future roles in that Kingdom (Revelation 5:10; Isaiah 30:20–21). Let’s put our hearts into this mission and come out of this world—and take advantage of the opportunity we have been given to grow to become more like Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18).
Have a profitable Sabbath, Douglas S. Winnail

LCG: Are you an effective team player or do you promote yourself while criticizing us?

 

Well, the Friday Night SmackDown is back after a relatively benign few weeks of platitudes after the Feast. Looking at what is posted below sounds perfectly logical on the surface, but when you take into consideration this is a Church of God saying this, and given the track record of the LCG/GCG over the last couple of decades, this is just one more thing that LCG members are doing wrong. They are NOT team players, nor do they respect others and treat them gently. Remember this is a COG saying this which causes one to stop and think about when the church did not criticize members, treated them gently and respectfully, AND was willing to listen to members. Really listen.

Are You a Team Player? Members of successful teams (families, churches, etc.) develop skills to function together to accomplish goals. As Christians, we must develop the same qualities. We need to be focused on the same goal—the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33) and doing the Work of God (Mark 16:15). Effective team players avoid offending others (Matthew 18:7), they forgive and overlook slights and insults (Proverbs 17:9), and do not accuse or criticize other members of the team (Matthew 7:1–5). Effective team players are peacemakers (Matthew 5:9); they treat others gently, respectfully, and patiently; and are willing to listen (James 3:17; 4:11). They do not promote themselves at the expense of others (Matthew 20:20–24), and they appreciate that team members have different talents (1 Corinthians 12:4–12). In short, good team players have learned to love their neighbors. Let’s strive to develop these vital qualities.

Have a profitable Sabbath, Douglas S. Winnail

LCG: The Most Powerful God Of Armstrongism Is Seeking To Divide Members

 

As usual, LCG members can never do anything right. Now they are being tempted by the most powerful god of the COG movement, Satan. This entity gets afar more air time than does that Christ dude and is apparently more powerful.

Are You in Satan’s Sights? The Bible contains numerous warnings about Satan and how he operates to deceive, divide, and destroy people, families, and nations. He moves like a lion stalking vulnerable and unsuspecting prey (1 Peter 5:8). He does not hunt with claws or bullets, but he stirs up strife by spreading gossip, rumors, and lies (Leviticus 19:16–17; Proverbs 17:9; John 8:44). He fosters discord by stirring up fears, jealousy, and selfish ambitions (1 Corinthians 1:10–13). He will use anyone—members and ministers—to do his work (2 Corinthians 11:1–15). Satan zeros in on people who feel wronged or overlooked or whose ideas, opinions, or ambitions are denied. He uses individuals to criticize and undermine others. To avoid becoming unsuspecting victims of Satan’s negative attitudes that he beams at those in his sights (Ephesians 2:2), we need to be alert, humble, and stay close to God (1 Peter 5:6–9) by studying and meditating on His word (Psalm 119:97–98).
Have a profitable Sabbath, 

Douglas S. Winnail

Gerald Weston Letter To LCG Members Causing Division Over Vaccines

FROM THE PRESIDING EVANGELIST

Dear Brethren,

The Bible clearly indicates that there were tensions among members in the first century. Since many converts came from pagan backgrounds, whether or not to eat meats that may have been offered to idols was a complex issue at that time (1 Corinthians 8). Some members abstained from meats or had special fasting days (Romans 14:1–5). Among the Jews, circumcision was a huge controversy. In response, the Apostles, who were the highest-ranking ministers of the Church at that time, came together and decided the issue guided by God’s Spirit (Acts 15).

Compared to these issues, some of the things that have caused division within the Church in more modern times seem rather trivial: white or brown sugar, wheat, or rice. Some modern controversies were not so trivial: how to count Pentecost, and divorce and remarriage. Current issues involve whether to wear masks and whether to be vaccinated. Just as in the past, Church leaders come together to decide how the Church should handle these controversial issues. No matter what we decide, some members will become offended and leave, ignoring God’s plain instructions regarding divisive matters (Deuteronomy 17:8–13). Masks and social distancing are inconvenient and their usefulness is disputed, but Church leaders believe that they are helpful on some occasions and our experience at the Feast would seem to support that, as very few at our 100 (83 international and 17 U.S.) Feast sites worldwide came down with COVID.

Today members have strong feelings on both sides of the vaccine debate and circumstances vary for each individual. The vaccine controversy is more akin to the issue of circumcision, and the Apostles left that decision up to individuals, though explaining that circumcision for Gentiles was unnecessary and could be counterproductive, depending on the attitude and reason (Acts 16:3; Galatians 5:6, 12)

In our Council of Elders meeting this week, we learned about the plight of unvaccinated individuals in some parts of the world: “no jab, no job”; no travel by commercial air, rail, or boat; no travel outside of a very restricted area; and extremely limited shopping options. Some university students are locked out after years of working on technical degrees. Members must wrestle with feeding their families, or visiting a dying relative. We can begin to see how the Mark of the Beast will eventually be enforced, but, brethren, this is not the Mark of the Beast! The Church does not teach that vaccines are sin, but they can be, depending on one’s conscience. Different members will decide differently in all these circumstances. That is why we have left it to the individual to prayerfully make that very personal choice.

Regarding the fact that sacrificing an animal to an idol affects only its ceremonial cleanness and not the nature of the meat itself, Paul gives this warning about how we treat one another, and it applies today: “But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak” (1 Corinthians 8:9).

In similar fashion, Paul warns, “Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.... Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin” (Romans 14:16–19, 22–23). Also, note verse 4: “Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.”

The specific issues are different, but the principles teach us how to deal with controversial situations that will arise in every generation. Brethren, the conditions which many of our brethren around the world face are not easy, and Satan will use them to divide us if we let him. We must avoid the anger being stirred up in this world. We must love one another (John 13:34). We have a Work to do. Let us do all we can to promote peace and be about our Father’s business! 

 

Sincerely, in Christ’s service, Gerald E. Weston

Somebody's Mad!

 

Every once in a while someone's delicate nerves get pinched and we get comments like this.

Koke61 commented on "LCG: The next 1 - 5 years will be traumatic!"

You can mock all you want, but the Church of God from the hand of Mr. Weston will continue forward and the entire ministry from North America to Patagonia and each member around the world will continue as one man united until the end, one day you will give account of this just like the vile soldier who slapped our Lord Jesus Christ.

LCG is anything BUT united, especially after Gerald Weston told LCG members who visited other COG Feast sites that they had done so under the influence of Satan.

LCG: Members need to think more

 

Why is Living Church of God and the broader Church of God movement so attuned to Old Testament stories, characters, and books instead of having their readers study the life of Christ and what he said and did? If one wants to grow as a Christian then one would assume they would want to follow the dude they claim they are following. As most LCG members or most COG members what grace, justification, and sanctification mean and they would be at a loss for words, but have the explain the law and they can wax poetic on how wonderful it is. Jesus, not so much. But why worry about Jesus when your time spent thinking makes your mind more like God's (which you will be one day soon and then you won't have to worry anymore about JC because you will be just like him).

 

Take Time to Think: For many today, the pace of life is frantic and filled with distractions. Yet, Daniel warned that at the end of the age, “many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase” (Daniel 12:4). Jesus also warned, “the cares of this world” can “choke the word” and cause us to miss out on the Kingdom of God (Matthew 13:22). One of the biggest challenges Christians face is the battle that goes on in our minds with thoughts that determine our actions. Solomon wrote, as a person “thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). David observed that a wicked person does not seek God and “God is in none of his thoughts” (Psalm 10:4). Yet, David was a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22) because he meditated on God’s law daily (Psalm 119:97). David wrote that green pastures and still waters were restful and restorative (Psalm 23). Such places are conducive to thinking and reflecting on God’s creation and his Great Plan for human beings. If we want to grow and prepare for the coming Kingdom of God, we need to take time to think and meditate on God’s word. Read a Psalm every morning or evening and meditate on the subjects mentioned in Philippians 4:8. We can develop the mind of God if we think on these things.
Have a profitable Sabbath, 

Douglas S. Winnail

LCG: The next 1 - 5 years will be traumatic!

How many decades did we hear Rod Meredith, while he was in WCG, GCG, and LCG, claim we had less than 5 years till the crap hits the fan? LCG is still on that bandwagon. In a letter to the faithful and co-workers, Gerald Weston stirs up the fear factor once again.

We will all see rough times in life—and so will this Work of God—but God will always bring us through those difficulties if we love Him, as shown by our actions in obeying Him, and put our trust in Him. I urge you, dear brethren and co-workers, to have faith in God. He will see each of us through whatever difficult times there will be, and there will be extremely difficult times going forward. I doubt that any of us can imagine how traumatic the next one to five years will be, but as Jesus encourages us, “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near” (Luke 21:28).

Of course, there is no other Church of God on earth who is as qualified as the Living Church of God is in preparing its people for a soon coming trauma. Remember, the COG needs tragedy and trauma to happen in order to prove they are the possessors of the truth and that salvation is only available through them because they are so enlightened.

One fact is for certain—God is in control. While He is allowing mankind sufficient rope to “hang itself,” He will not forsake His Work here on earth. Nor will He forsake those of you who are His. King Solomon declared, “The Lord will not allow the righteous soul to famish, but He casts away the desire of the wicked” (Proverbs 10:3). David wrote, “I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his descendants begging bread” (Psalm 37:25). 

 

And how can we forget Paul’s reminder: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). The late Dr. Roderick C. Meredith reminded us to read that verse carefully. Too many quote the part that says, “all things work together for good” without noticing the qualifiers—“to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Loving God is more than an emotion. The Apostle John explained: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). And Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).

As usual, time is short and the end is nigh, thus LCG members need to stop their revelry, lust, strife, and drunkenness:

Paul also reminds us of this comforting truth, while giving us vital admonitions to go along with that truth: “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts” (Romans 13:11-14).  Octobr 12, 2021 Coworker/Member letter

Gerald Weston: Making Excuses For The 1975 In Prophecy Booklet Lie

 

From Gerald Weston:

He later wrote a booklet titled 1975 in Prophecy. It was never intended to set that year as the date of Christ’s return, but instead was highlighting a significant milestone in the future as many others have done; for example, George Orwell’s 1984, published in 1949, and William and Paul Paddock’s Famine 1975! America’s Decision: Who Will Survive?, written in 1967. Today we might highlight a future year such as 2050, not intending to imply that 2050 is a specific year during which we expect something earth-shattering to happen. But in the course of time, 1975 in Prophecy took on a life of its own. Some Ambassador College faculty began calculating, using 19-year time cycles, that the work of the Church could end in 1972 with the three-and-a-half-year period mentioned in Revelation taking us to 1975. 

How easily he glosses over the fact that Rod Meredith was the champion of the 1975 lie. 

It was taught to us in the Dayton area as FACT and we even had a sermon once where the minister outlined on a rolling blackboard on the stage and drew a chart right down to the month that we would flee. My mother faithfully copied this crap down and put it inside the kitchen cupboard where she crossed off the days till we were supposed to flee to Petra. This came straight from Pasadena. The fact that Weston denies that anyone thought this was a fact is a blatant falsehood.

I do not know when Mr. Armstrong began to consider that 1975 could be the year, but I do know firsthand that, as late as 1969, on the occasion of one of the Senior Dinners that he hosted in his home, he thought it possible for things to wrap up by then. At the same time, however, he strongly warned the Church not to set dates. And Dr. Meredith was already saying as early as 1968 that “the end of the Work in 1972” and “the return of Christ in 1975” were dates that would come and go without those expected events. 

 

When it was clear that 1972 was not the end of the Work, people looked for other dates and some concluded that the error was in subtracting the seven years of Nebuchadnezzar’s insanity from the 2,520 years from the fall of Babylon in 539 BC. This recalculation brought us to the year 1979 for the end of the Work, with Christ returning in 1982. That was nearly 40 years ago—obviously, speculators were wrong again.

There has never been a Church of God prophet that was part of the Armstrongite dispensation that has ever told the truth. Not one single one and that includes Bob Thiel, Rod Meredith, Ron Weinland, Dave Pack, and Gerald Flurry. 

Liars all.

Perhaps we can be forgiven such errors, as we are in the company of the Apostle Paul, who wrote, “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). This certainly applies to some people, perhaps many of us, but Paul wrote to a contemporary audience, while God inspired it for all times. Paul did not set any specific dates as far as we know, yet it may seem in his epistles that he thought they were living very near to the end of the age—certainly not 2,000 years away from it! 

 

It is natural to want to know how long we have left to wait, and it is natural to hope that Christ’s return will be within our own personal lifetime. This natural tendency to speculate must be tempered by mature thinking whereby we learn from the past. It would seem that, given the history of the last 100 years, we should have learned not to attempt specific predictions. Dr. Meredith realized this, refusing to be specific, but when pressed for some indication he would say that he thought it would be seven to 17 years—and he repeated that for a decade or more, as a moving target. 

 

This is not a criticism of Paul, Mr. Armstrong, or Dr. Meredith, but it should be a lesson for all of us. Sadly, some never learn, and they go beyond simple speculation and count on specific dates. When one date fails to bring Christ’s return, they set another—then another, then another. And sometimes they become discouraged and leave the faith. While it is fun to speculate, the problem is that some people begin making important decisions based on their speculations: not furthering their education, not getting their teeth fixed, rushing into a poorly matched marriage, etc.

Oh, how they want to ignore this Bible quote:

Deuteronomy 18:22

If a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord but the thing does not take place or prove true, it is a word that the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; do not be frightened by it.

Purge them from the church! Kick them to the gutter where they belong.

The False Prophet
13 “If a prophet or someone who has dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, 2 and that sign or wonder he has promised you comes about, but he says, ‘Let us follow other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us worship them,’ 3 do not listen to that prophet’s words or to that dreamer. For the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul. 4 You must follow the Lord your God and fear Him. You must keep His commands and listen to His voice; you must worship Him and remain faithful[a] to Him. 5 That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has urged rebellion against the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the place of slavery, to turn you from the way the Lord your God has commanded you to walk. You must purge the evil from you.

 

 

LCG Members Who Visited Other COG Feast Sites Had Succumbed To A Satanic Trap!

 

As usual in Living Church of Godland, members apparently are incapable of deciding where God has placed his name so that LCG can hold the Feast of Tabernacles. The wonderful and amazing GOVERNMENT of the LCG is the only one who can decide where God has placed his name. Though many times LCG  members have had to wonder what was God drinking that day when he decided on certain Feast sites! 

The fact remains is that humans beings in Charlotte decided where they wanted a Feast site that would have the widest appeal possible for their small group of members. God is not behind that decision-making.

It also seems that with every passing day that LCG members are getting more and more rebellious!  

The year 1961 was the first year the Church opened a Festival site in Squaw Valley, California—the second in North America in addition to the one in Big Sandy, Texas. I was absolutely brand new in God’s Church at the time and it seemed that there had been some controversy over the subject of how God places His name for the Feast, and I remember hearing a full sermon on the subject while on my way to the Feast. God has never left it up to the individual to determine where He “has placed His name.” God works through the government of the Church to make these decisions. 

 

Now this is important, dear brethren: Last year was obviously a difficult and disappointing year when large meetings were not always possible. In Mexico, Mr. Mario Hernandez and Mr. Cristian Orrego arranged 13 small in-home groups and tied them together with services electronically. I had the privilege of giving one of the sermons to all our Spanish-speaking brethren throughout Central and South America, as well as some who were there in person in New Bern, North Carolina. This is how and where God chose to place His name for His Spanish-speaking people last year. This was arranged by the Church under exceptional circumstances, not only to comply with government mandates, but also to guard the health of our members. Sadly, some self-willed individuals may have a problem with this, as they do with other decisions the ministry makes dealing with controversial issues. 

 

We are talking here of obvious exceptions, but we must not make the exception the rule. There does appear to be a trend among a few to think that where they keep the Feast is solely a matter of personal preference. If a Festival site is more than two or three hours away, some may simply think, Let’s keep it at home this year. Every year, we have members of other Church of God groups who want to attend with us because we are closer to where they live, and we know a few of our members think similarly—but is it the mind of God to just do what is convenient? 

 

I’ve talked in this letter about exceptions, but we must not fall into the satanic trap of thinking it is okay to decide on our own where God has placed His name, especially staying at home for mere “convenience” when there is no compelling reason to do so. And the same goes for attending Sabbath services. Let Us Come Together by Gerald Weston

How can anyone blame a COG member for staying home from a Feast site when they have heard the same canned sermon for decades at the Feast. Nothing new is ever spoken about by a truly inspired speaker. Just the same old COG shtick. 

LCG: One of the great blessings of the Holy Days is that they teach us about Christ…Oops! I mean MONEY!

 

Gerald Weston admits what the Holy Days are all about in the LCG:

Greetings from Charlotte,
One great blessing of God’s Festivals is that they teach us lessons in the use of money. We learn budgeting from faithfully saving a second tithe, but there are other lessons. A lesson I learned early on was that it is okay to spend money. My parents came through the Great Depression and taught me to save, but not how to spend on myself—and that was not all bad. But guilt is removed when you save for a specific goal and spend it accordingly: “I know that nothing is better for [men] than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God” (Ecclesiastes 3:12–13). Another lesson is found in Acts 20:35: “I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Enjoy the fruits of this past year’s labors, share with others, and have a profitable and wonderful Feast of Tabernacles!—Gerald Weston

Get behind me, Jesus! 

LCG: With The Field's White For Harvest Its Gospel Message Is Attracting Amazing Numbers Of Potential Tithe Payers

The fields are white for harvest...

 

It is absolutely amazing the number of people that LCG's Tomorrow's World presentation is attracting. There is no other Church of God that is able to attract potential tithe payers like LCG does!

They recently held 5 presentations in the following cities: Ft Lauderdale, Dothan, and La Porte.

With a combined population of 269,912 (2019 census), the amazing presentations garnered 24 guests! 

Absolutely mind-boggling! Angels are shouting with glory in heaven! 

Oh wait, only 6 were new guests that showed up. 

Six....

591 Tomorrow’s World Presentations Guests So Far This Year

While Feast preparation is turning the last lap, we have also been completing some follow-up Tomorrow’s World presentations recently. In the last couple of weeks, five events were held in the cities of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; Dothan, Alabama; and La Porte, Indiana, with a total of 24 guests (18 repeat guests and six new guests). That brings our year-to-date total to 591 guests attending 54 TWPs in 2021. Thank you for your prayers for these exciting events and the guests who are learning about the Truth and coming back for more. Your continued prayers would be much appreciated, so that God would open even more doors for us to reach many more!

LCG: With the Pandemic Causing Issues Around the World, Members Are Encouraged To Pray Like Never Before

Living Church of God Feast of Tabernacles...Nay, a booth in sight.

 

With some Feast sites closed due to covid restrictions, Gerald Weston wants members to pray like they never have before because apparently some of them do not have the sense to stay home if they are sick or feeling bad. After decades of being forced by ministers to come to church no matter what (because God supposedly demands it) members still feel they need to attend services no matter what. But, no matter what, have an inspiring, uplifting, and instructive Feast!

Greetings from Charlotte,

Let all of us be thankful if we are able to attend the Feast in person this year. The United Kingdom, Europe, and Africa are expected to have 24 Festival sites, as members are not able to freely cross some borders due to COVID-19. Vaccine mandates are forcing some members to remain in locations where we do not have a minister. On the positive side, South Africa may be loosening restrictions, which will allow larger gatherings. Mr. Herbert Armstrong used to say, “Pray as though it all depends on God, and do your part as though it all depends on you.” Brethren, during this trying time, we can and we must go to our Creator and faithfully pray for Him to do that which we cannot do for ourselves. We must then do what we can do. Perhaps the most important individual act we can do, besides heartfelt prayer, is to take personal responsibility by not attending services and activities if we have any kind of symptoms of illness. Whether it is a cold, a flu, or COVID—any symptoms that could mean sickness of any contagious kind—the Golden Rule dictates that we ought not expose others to it (Matthew 7:12). Masks and social distancing will not undo a careless lack of concern for others. We hope you had an inspiring Feast of Trumpets, and pray that the remaining Festivals of 2021 are inspiring, uplifting, and instructive.—Gerald Weston

LCG: Still Pretending To Deliver A Powerful Warning Message

COMMENTS 

 

The Role of a Watchman: Many churches today feel their mission is to tell the world that God loves them and that Jesus came to save sinners. Yet, there is much more to the biblical mission of God’s Church. Jesus told His disciples to be alert and watch for events that will mark the approaching end of the age and His return (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21). The events making news today—severe weather; increasing violence and war; the declining influence of Israelite nations and the rise of a European power with links to ancient Rome, promoted by an ecumenical- minded Roman church; and the rise of adversarial powers in Asia and the Arab world—all tie in to end-time prophecies. Just as the prophets were commissioned to warn ancient Israel and Judah, God’s Church has a commission to function as a “watchman” and warn modern Israelite nations of the coming consequences of their sins (Isaiah 58:1; Ezekiel 3 and 33). Delivering this powerful warning message must also accompany the preaching of the Gospel of the coming Kingdom of God (see Matthew 24:14). 

 

Have a profitable Sabbath, 

Douglas S. Winnail

Doug Winnail On Fall Holy Days

 

It's almost Feast of Tabernacles time in COGland and members are eager to head off to numerous superspreader events around the country or world.

What if LCG actually kept the Feast of Booth's as it should be kept, as the Jewish people do. The COG anglicized American version of the Feast no more resembles what should be happening than it does 1st century Christianity practices. 

If you are going to turn it into a Christianized week-long block party then wouldn't it be great if at every single service LCG members got to hear about Jesus? Imagine that! Instead, they will be subjected to one butt-numbing sermon after another on keeping the law or sermons on some Old Testament hero. God forbid of Jesus was mentioned.

Fall Holy Days: In the weeks ahead, we will be reminded of the culminating events in God’s Great Plan of Salvation for all human beings. These Holy Days reveal how God will put an end to deception and suffering by sending Jesus Christ to banish Satan and set up the Kingdom of God on earth, where the saints will reign for one thousand years and eventually all who have ever lived will have a chance to learn the true purpose and way of life (see Revelation 20). Although Satan has blinded the world to the meaning of the Holy Days, we need to remember that Jesus told His disciples, “blessed are your eyes for they see... because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given” (Matthew 13:16, 11). As we observe the coming Holy Days, let’s rejoice and be deeply grateful for the incredible privilege we have been given to understand these “great and precious promises” (2 Peter 1:2-4).
Have a profitable Sabbath and Fall Holy Day season, Douglas S. Winnail

LCG Demands That Parents Keep Their Little Hellions Under Control At The Feast

It is hard to imagine that this is still something that the Charlotte Boys still think they need to control, but apparently, parents are so inept in taking care of their children that the Charlotte Boys still need to lay down the law, just like they do when they tell women how to dress at the Feast. Wouldn't it be great for just one year to not have any mansplaining going on?

 

Children and the Feast

Blessing of the Little Children: It is the practice of the Living Church of God to have the Blessing of the Little Children at the Feast. This practice follows the example of Jesus Christ (Matthew 19:13; Mark 10:13). When parents of small children came to Him and asked Him to bless their children, He did not forbid them. If you have small children (“babes in arms” whom you can pick up for this special blessing), listen for announcements from your Festival Site Coordinator to find out which day the Blessing of the Little Children will take place. If you have any questions, please contact your Festival Coordinator.

Caring For—and Watching—Our Children at the Feast: Parents, please remember that children are not permitted to run or engage in horseplay before, during, or after services at the Feast. Children playing on the stage or near speakers and microphones can damage expensive equipment. Children darting in and out among fellowshipping brethren can be a trip hazard. For the elderly, this can be dangerous, even life-threatening.

Children Must Be Supervised: Parents should always be vigilant when it comes to their children at the Feast. Parents have full responsibility for their children at the Feast of Tabernacles, including at services. Although precautions are taken and there are activities for children, the Church meeting or event is not a childcare facility. The Church does not take responsibility for the care of children at Church meetings or events. Their absolute safety cannot be guaranteed. The ultimate responsibility for the care of children always remains with parents or guardians. Please ensure that the conduct of your children and young people is adequately supervised throughout their attendance, and that your children are fully under your control. Parents should be aware of where their children (including their teens) are, and not allow small children to wander around unsupervised.

 

Children Sitting with Parents: Experience has shown that children and teenagers pay better attention and therefore learn more from the messages when sitting with a parent than when sitting elsewhere with a group of other young people. Therefore, it is the policy of the Church to have children and teens sit with their parents during services. An exception may be where an individual child or teen may sit with a friend’s parents and family. Obviously, a teen attending whose parents are not also in attendance would be exempt.

LCG Preparing For A Feast Like No Other. Will They Take The Interests Of Others To Heart For Once?

Greetings from Charlotte, 

 

Numerous countries around the world are locking down as a result of the rapid spread of the Delta and other COVID variants, making Festival planning very difficult as governments and venues impose restrictions. Mr. Rob Tyler wrote, “Much of the region is now quite affected by lockdowns and restrictions. It’s a real mess in many countries.” Mr. Paul Shumway wrote regarding Trinidad, “We were praying and expecting the government in Trinidad to lift restrictions before the Feast to allow live Church meetings for our 160 members. Unfortunately, this has not happened. Most of the members stayed in ‘temporary’ housing last year and are planning to do the same this year. Surprisingly, I heard more comments from Trinidad last year that it was ‘the best Feast ever’ than I’ve heard in a long while!” He went on to report that in Barbados there is a 25-person limit for churches and a 90-minute limit to services. “One of the biggest challenges is dealing with the uncertainty. The landscape is constantly changing and in a number of cases, it is impossible to make definite plans. This does encourage remaining flexible and looking more to God for His guidance and direction. A real faith builder!” This is once again a very challenging year for our Festival planners, especially those in our international areas. Those of us who are able to attend in person should be thankful when we consider the lockdowns many of our brethren around the world face. As we approach these special days, let us take time to review and meditate on Philippians 2:3–8.—Gerald Weston

Philippians 2:3–8 

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5 Let the same mind be in you that wasa in Christ Jesus,

6 who, though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God

as something to be exploited,

7 but emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave,

being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form,

8 he humbled himself

and became obedient to the point of death—

even death on a cross.

If LCG and other COG's actually took this verse to heart then they would cancel this year's Feast of Tabernacles. God certainly is not going to be upset if they do. Instead of looking after their own interests (huge amounts of offering money rolling in at the Feast), isn't it about time they looked after their members? With LCG's aging membership which is comprised of people highly susceptible to the ravages of the pandemic, wouldn't this year be the ideal time to let go and be merciful to their followers? God isn't going to put a black mark in some mysterious book because they canceled the Feast this year.