UCG: What Were They Thinking?

In the latest issue of Compass Check, a rag dedicated to "helping" the youth of UCG turn their "spiritual compass" towards God, there is an article by Len Martin that was supposed to have been written as words of comfort for those UCG kids being teased at school about their religion.

The question was asked:  What should I do if kids make fun of me because of my religion? 

Martin writes the following:

Any time someone makes fun of our beliefs or of us, we are hurt inside. Romans 13:10 says love does no harm to its neighbor, so those who are striving to live as God asks them need to watch their words carefully so as to not hurt others.  

Martin immediately launch into the old COG standby, it's "the true believers vs the unwashed masses of heathen humanity."  Us vs them.  Good vs evil.  Good only exists in the UCG and evil is everyone outside it.  Its no wonder UCG kids have a hard time making friends in school when this is drilled into their brains.   Those "friends" are really on there to "revile and persecute" them.  So as soon as some one makes a catty remark they are taught to become martyrs for the truth.

However, not everyone lives that way of life. Jesus Christ realized most humans would not follow God’s instruction and would indeed ridicule true followers of God. In fact, in Matthew 5:10-11, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.”  

Later, in Matthew 10:22, Jesus said, “And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.” He told us that since they treated Him badly, they would also treat us, His followers, badly. We also read in 2 Timothy 3:12, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”  

This is one of the hard parts of being a disciple of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. This is where the “rubber meets the road”. Quite honestly, this is where many people give up, throw in the towel, and turn back to their old life! 

UCG youth are not going around every day thinking about being disciples for the deities.  Heck, the leadership of UCG and their parents aren't even doing that so why would they expect their kids to?

The rubber will truly meet the road the day UCG youth make a decision to leave UCG.  That is not the work of Satan or his pesky demons that seem to be haunting so many in the COG's right now.

Never fear though, those that oppressed the UCG member or youth will soon be brought to justice for mistreating them all.  Retribution will be swift!

God promises us that if we’ll remain faithful to Him, He will bless us and eventually make those who mistreat us recognize how wrong they were. Notice Revelation 3:9: “Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.” 

The youth of the UCG are begin tormented because of the beliefs defined by UCG leaders and not by God.   Its not the "synagogue of satan" persecuting them.  They are suffering because of the teachings of the UCG leadership.  A suffering that does not need to happen.

Then to further traumatize the youth, Martin makes it known that those who are not studying to "prove" UCG right are then part of the adulterous and sinful generation.  COG kids have always been damned no matter what they did.

Yes, I realize that to know what will happen in the future does not always comfort us in the present, but in Mark 8:38 Jesus tells us not to be ashamed of what we believe: “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” When we really know what we believe and why we believe it, explaining our beliefs becomes easier. So we then have an incentive to study so we can clearly explain our beliefs. 

Martin closes with this.

There are times when we must also be careful not to promote our beliefs to others who may not desire to hear what we have to say. It really is a delicate balance. If someone doesn’t really want to know what we believe and is only trying to stir up trouble for us, perhaps it would be better to simply avoid that person as much as possible 

Even he knows UCG beliefs bring embarrassment and ridicule.  If they were actually followers of Jesus instead of the law then they would have no need to be ashamed and hide their lights under the nearest booklet byHerbert Armstrong.

Is Living Church of God Having A "Demon" Problem?

Rod Meredith has a Passover message up that makes the following statement:

Many of us ministers have participated in healing the sick and in casting out demons. But these events are not experienced nearly as often as they should be!

Apparently LCG is having a huge demon possession problem, unlike other Church of God's who never make this boast.

Perhaps Rod Meredith and other leaders of the LCG need to start looking inward at their attitudes and beliefs and realize that THEY are the "demons" that are causing problems.  How many more families need to be ripped apart? How many more need to die spiritually because of godless teachings?  that's not the concern of Meredith and the ministry though. As usual its the membership's fault.  Church members over the last 80 some years have never been able to do anything right.

Brethren, many scriptures indicate that God’s people—at the end of this age—will be greatly lacking in faith. We need to realize that this has affected all of us! And God Almighty generally does not heal nearly as often unless there is an “atmosphere of faith”! Please remember that even Jesus Christ Himself—when He came back to His own hometown and relatives, “could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them” (Mark 6:5). It was obviously not because He lacked faith, but “He marveled because of their unbelief” (v. 6)!

Meredith now wants to start a "campaign" to bring supernatural healing and deliverance into the Living Church of God.  It's not going to happen.   That's a fact.

So, we must do everything in our power to restore this aspect of apostolic Christianity. We must begin, collectively, to cry out to God to restore the depth of understanding and the depth  of faith regarding healing and God’s divine intervention in other ways that the original apostles had. We must pray about this. We must fast about this. We must go on a “campaign,” dear brethren, so that God will begin to supernaturally heal more of our friends and loved ones in God’s Church at this time of the end! We know that terrible disease epidemics are coming. Because of this, it is even more imperative than ever that God’s people learn to have genuine faith that God can heal us if we turn to Him with all our hearts!

Then we find out the real purpose for this dramatic focus upon healing.  Meredith expects to be healed and to continue living so that he personally can lead the church to Petra where they will dwell in eternal bliss for 3 1/2 years along side Theil, Pack, Flurry, and Kubik.

As an aside, let me remind you that the Church has always taught that God does not heal people in every case in this life—and that He does allow people to die at some point. God heals in His way and in His time. So, although we were very hurt to experience the deaths of Messrs. Dibar Apartian, David Burson, Glen Gilchrist, Fitzroy Greeman, Randy Gregory, Bob League, Carl McNair, John Ogwyn, Carl Ponder, Lynn Torrance, Keith Walden and others in recent years, we realize that these men had proven themselves as faithful servants of Jesus Christ. Some died well into their 60s or 70s, and several were older than I am today. In my case, brethren, I want all of you to know and understand that God does not “have” to heal me, although I certainly hope that He will. For God has already given me nearly 86 wonderful years of life, with a beautiful first wife and a beautiful second wife, six wonderful children, ten grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, trips around the world and many, many other blessings and opportunities. I have already lived about 15 years longer than King David of Israel did 3,000 years ago when God allowed him to die “old and full of days.” I will certainly deeply appreciate your prayers that God will grant me several more years to help finish the Work! This is my passion and my desire. But you must not be shocked, turned aside or in any way lose heart if God allows an 85-year-old man to die. Your faith must always be in God’s Word, and in what God says He will do. Unless there are special reasons, God does often heal us in this lifetime—and many of us have experienced that over and over again. But we do need to go all out in a genuine crusade—as a Church—to ask God for increased faith and zeal so that our Father in heaven will begin to grant us the gifts of the Holy Spirit and begin to pour out these gifts—including divine healing—much more than ever, as we cooperate with Christ in creating an “atmosphere of faith” within the Church of God.

Like I said above, none of the things he desires will happen because of the simple fact the church has NEVER operated with Jesus Christ with anything.  How can you cooperate when you don't mention the guy?  How can you cooperate when the law is more significant that the giver of grace?

In Jesus’ name, I ask all of you to join me in urgently crying out to our Father in heaven to restore this living faith into His Church! Please ask God to teach us every lesson, show us everything we need to change and move us, collectively, to draw closer to Him so that He will then be able to bless us, empower us and use us to finish the Work of God with the kind of zeal the original apostles had—and also be blessed with the “accompanying” signs!

After 80 some years Meredith still doesn't get it and has never been able to get it across to his followers, if he did he would not make the remarks he did above. True healing of LCG members will begin the moment they walk out the door of the church and learn to fly.

 

Is There Idolatry In The Church of God?

This is going to be a bitter pill for Bob Elijah Elisha Amos Thiel to swallow.  The comes from a Church of God member who freely admits there is idolatry in the Church of God.  Even worse this comes fro the guy who is exposing Bob Elijah Elisha Amos Thiel as a false prophet and accuser of the brethren.

John D, on the Church of God Perspective writes:

Do people in the Church covet? Yes. Do people in the Church shade the truth? Yes. Do people in the Church steal? You know that some do, even if it is only small amounts. Judas, who was in the presence of Jesus Christ, still stole. So, it should not be surprising that people can call themselves Christian and still be involved in idolatry. 

Having said that, obviously the warnings are there and there so often not only because idolatry is possible but probable. Look around, and some blatantly worship a dead man. Some worship their organization or perhaps the man running it (often by introducing the idolatry as a flagrant elevation of the dead man and then shifting to themselves). Some people have fallen in love with their own pet doctrine and left the Church because their pet doctrine was more important than keeping the commandment to assemble together. Some have made an idol out of government. Some border on worshiping the host of heaven with their fanatical and distorted view of the calendar. Idolatry in the Church of God is not only possible, but it is!

How true are his words!  This is been going on for generations. Just look at the various Church of God leaders we have today.  Idolatry regions supreme.  Worship of HWA and of themselves.  Worship of doctrines and law instead of grace and Jesus Christ.  And above all as John mentioned above, in government.

Still think idolatry cannot exist in the Church? Christ Himself said it would be there at various times down through the ages. Remember that He admonishes each and every one of the Seven Churches of Revelation to listen to what He says to the “churches“, plural. The messages were targeted to each and yet meant for all.

Instead, most treat the messages as a way of picking out the one we like the best, applying it to ourselves and then hit everyone else over the head with the others. It is so backwards that it is a doctrine of Satan. Ironically, it in itself is a form of idolatry in the Church of God, taking notions like “us vs them”, “Laodicean vs Philadelphian”, church “eras” and such way out of proportion and making them more important that the actual messages Christ was delivering to all the churches down through all of time up until His return.

What message does Bob Elijah Elisha Amos Thiel preach that emulates Jesus Christ? Thiel, like so many others in leadership positions relegate Jesus Christ to the last couple paragraphs of a sermon or article IF he is even mentioned at all.  Jesus Christ is embarrassing to those that have  made idols of themselves.