One never knows what craziness will come out of the Living Church of God anymore.
Today we have Rod McNair talking to loyal LCG members about supporting "the cause." I guess since they have no active "work" that delivers a real gospel message to the world, they now need to refer to themselves as "the cause." No matter what they call themselves, it all boils down to one thing. LCG members are expected to financially support "the cause."
McNair writes:
Support the Cause Financially
It matters that we support the Work of God with our wallet as well as our words. As Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19–20).
God will provide for the Work—He says that all the gold and all the silver is His. But He provides through people. Our Father is not limited in resources, and it is to our benefit to put our heart into His Work. He could even raise up stones to do that Work (Matthew 3:9; Luke 3:8), but He has chosen to give us the privilege of playing a part. We are blessed for and experience the joy of being part of His Work, and He takes care of us. Putting our hearts in the Work involves faithfully tithing and giving offerings.
Support the Local Chapter of the Cause
All around the world, members of the Living Church of God are united in support of this cause. Members support Headquarters, and they also help in supporting the local ministry. They help support local Sabbath services. They bolster and encourage one another. Some deliver telecast tapes to broadcast stations and help at live Tomorrow’s World Presentation events. Many share YouTube telecasts, Viewpoint videos, whiteboard videos, articles, or sermons on social media. One way or another, they are directly involved in supporting the Work!
We need to think about what we can do on a personal level in our interactions with outsiders, in our neighborhoods, on the job, and in the community. Historically, many of our brethren have been called through personal contacts or family members. We must not be afraid of shining as lights, convicted so others can see who we are and what we stand for.
This does not detract from our support for the weekly Tomorrow’s World telecast, the Tomorrow’s World magazine, the many aspects of our Internet outreach, and other media efforts. In this world, mass media efforts are extremely effective—easily the most effective way to get a message in front of the most people. God is opening new doors for us to do just that.
Yet our individual contribution at the local level is also vital. Just as with any cause in the world, support at the local level—a good “ground game”—is crucial. Notice what Paul wrote about the importance of each member to the function of the body: “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another” (Romans 12:3–5).
A few of the functions of the body are roles of the ministry, but many are not. As needs arise, everyone’s service in the body is vital in a different way for the support of our “chapter” to preach the Gospel locally and around the world. Together, as we serve God and His Church, we are laying down our lives as “a living sacrifice,” as Paul explained in Romans 12:1.
As we would expect from LCG, the banner they wave is the banner of Moses and not Jesus. It's all about lifting up the hands of Moses (Weston) instead of BEING the hands of Jesus in a hurting world today.
Our Cause, Our Banner
Before the Israelites ever reached the foot of Mount Sinai and committed the idolatry we discussed earlier, there was another event worth noting. Angry bands of Amalekites had attacked the congregation of the Israelites, and Moses sent Joshua to fight against them. Scripture tells the inspiring story of how God defended His people when they needed it—and it gives us a clear, concise understanding of where our loyalties should lie.
And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun (Exodus 17:11–12).
God’s servants were holding up Moses’ arms, just as we “hold up the arms” of our leaders today. And then Moses built an altar to honor God’s deliverance. Notice what he called that altar: “Moses built an altar and called its name, ‘The-Lord-Is-My-Banner’” (Exodus 17:15).
There are a lot of slogans people get excited about today. You can find them written on hats and T-shirts, posted on social media, and promoted at sporting events and political rallies. All these slogans are brands for causes of this world. But what is the cause we support? Which “flag” do we wave? And are we on God’s side? Is the Lord our Banner?
Jesus told His disciples, including us, to preach the Gospel to the world as a witness, in preparation for the establishment of the greatest kingdom the world has ever seen. There is no greater cause than that. Who is on the Lord's side?
