Rod Meredith has a new coworker letter out. In it he says:
The world around us is rapidly changing. Many millions of
people, right now, are being persecuted or uprooted from their homes,
suffering the loss of their jobs or having families come apart. Millions
are increasingly unsure as to whether there is a “real” God. And so,
most of these untold millions of human beings have no sense of genuine purpose
for their lives. Increasingly, many of them just “give up”—turn
themselves over to alcohol or drugs, or simply decide to “end it all” by
suicide.
So when will the Living Church of God actually do something to help these hurting people? Instead of talking about a "strong hand from someplace" and getting rid of the stupid assumption, that "God will fix things later so we don't need to worry about it right now" perhaps they could start working in homeless shelters, helping abused women and children, serving in food banks. How about donating 10% of your annual church income to help the less fortunate? Since you are rich and increased with goods, would this be the Christian thing to do?
Did it ever occur to these people that maybe God is wanting them to be his hands and feet in this world to take care of the less fortunate in order to give them a foretaste of the kingdom of God? Nope, I don't think so either.
Who is Rod talking about being persecuted? He already claims the LCG is being persecuted for its message. Christians are dying in Muslim nations as martyrs while LCGers whine about being kicked off a TV station or people throwing their magazines in the trash.
He then writes this appalling comment:
My friends, if these men and women had truly understood the supreme purpose which the Eternal God is working out here on this earth, they would not have killed themselves! If you truly set yourself to “seek” the true God of the Bible and fulfill His purpose in your life, then each day, each major world event and even each personal trial can have a sense of meaning. If you genuinely study the whole Bible and ask God for understanding, the major world events will definitely help you “see” God’s purpose as it is being worked out here among men and nations.
What an absolutely callous thing to say! What about the COG members who have heard the so called "truth" over the years and even preached it, and have then committed suicide? What about Terrry Ratzman that murdered LCG members? What about Dibar Apartian's son who blew his brains out because of the way he was treated in the church? He heard that same message that Rod is spouting as most life saving. For Terry, and most others in the COG's there is no hope offered. Only myriads of rules and laws that when broken lead to eternal damnation in the Lake of Fire.
So what is that miraculous message that LCG is preaching to the hurting of the world?
This:
In the pages of our Tomorrow’s World magazine and on the Tomorrow’s World television
program, we have told you repeatedly of the Big Picture events soon to
come: a rising United States of Europe, a revived Roman Catholic church
with increasing influence on religion and world affairs, a coming
federation of Arab states—the prophesied “King of the South” mentioned
in Daniel 11:40—the “grinding down” of the pride and prestige of the
American and British-descended peoples, plus soon-coming major earthquakes even in our
nations, along with increasing storms, disease epidemics, alternating
drought and floods leading finally to hunger and ultimate starvation for millions.
and this:
Also, we have told you repeatedly that the Creator God will use human instruments to powerfully warn our peoples of what lies just ahead and help those who are willing to repent of their sins and seek the genuine protection which our Father in heaven offers to those who are willing to truly surrender themselves
to the “real” God of the Bible. Most of you long-time subscribers and
TV viewers have seen or heard us say these things repeatedly.
Yes sirree Bob! Lots of hope there!
Then he has the gall to ask:
The question is: What are you, personally, doing about it?
