LCG members now being accused of "walking in darkness" Can LCG members ever do anything right?

Can the leadership of the Living Church of God EVER say anything positive to the membership without denigrating them, week after week?  Once more, LCG members are doing things wrong.  It is never the overlords in Charlotte who seek to make life so difficult, but it is the back-sliding members.

Brethren usually follow by example.  When they see the ministry being truly loving and grace-filled, people respond enthusiastically, when they see ministers acting like stupid jerks, they start ignoring the ministry and criticize it. Truly, when has the ministry every led by the right example?

Do You Love Your Neighbor? Jesus commanded His disciples to love one another, and He stated that the capacity to show love for one another would be a sign that would identify His truedisciples (John 13:34-35). This command from Jesus takes on even more meaning when we realize that this instruction was given at the Passover—the last meal the disciples would have with Jesus until after His crucifixion—and in light of the fact that the disciples had actually been arguing among themselves at that dinner about who would be the greatest in the Kingdom of God (Luke 22:24). Regrettably, these same attitudes of strife and competition are still with us today, even within the Church, the body of Jesus Christ. According to the Scriptures, if we profess to be Christians and followers of Jesus Christ, but continue to hate (offend, despise, argue with, talk against, or be jealous of) our brothers and sisters in the faith, we are deceiving ourselves and actually walking in darkness (1 John 2:9-11). The Spring Holy Days that we have just completed are designed to help us identify and root out these wrong and sinful attitudes so we can more faithfully follow Jesus’ instructions to love our neighbors. Let’s strive to live up to this commandment in the days and months ahead.

Have a profitable Sabbath,

Douglas S. Winnail

Gerald Weston: Satan Attacking Church in UK and Australia

Every time the Living Church of God thinks they are proclaiming a "forceful" message, Satan steps in and makes life difficult.  Gerald is not too happy that the LCG broadcast has been censored in the UK and Australia for subjects and graphics used that might be offensive against Parental Guidance standards.  This is sure to send Malm and Almost-arrested Thiel into yet more meltdowns.  Malm will claim LCG is pussyfooting around by not being bold and forceful and Elijah Thiel will claim it is yet another attack by Satan and those damn Catholics against the true church.  Oh, wait, LCG is NOT the true church, the improperly named "continuing" Church of God is.  It all gets so confusing as to who is right and who Satan is attacking the most.

Life is getting back to a more normal routine now that the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread are over. We have experienced some difficulty with our television stations in Australia and the United Kingdom. Apparently some subjects and/or graphics used on our programs do not meet their Parental Guidance standards. This is rather remarkable when you see what else is allowed under PG standards, but the stations have control of the situation and we have to work within their scruples. I mention this because some members think our programs need to be stronger, not realizing that we try to thread the needle between preaching the Gospel and warning the world, and maintaining our presence on television. Even the Internet is not as free as one might think. Dr. Meredith and Mr. Ames have done a remarkable job over the years in threading that needle. Some of us who are newer at it are having to learn. And at the same time, standards of what is allowed and what is not are becoming more constrictive in our politically correct world. Dr. Meredith continues to keep up with news as best he can from home. Mr. Ames mentioned today at lunch how much the cards and letters he has received mean to him.—GEW

The LCG, like all the other COG's get as close to the world as they can in order to seem legitimate.  They have learned to "thread the needle" well after watching Herbert talk about a "strong hand from someplace."  The phantom in the sky had more credence than that inconvenient dude they claim to follow.

If, and I say IF, Gerald Weston truly believed his message was so vital for the entire world to hear in these, the most disgusting of end times, then he and the LCG would not care if the UK or Australia took offence at the message they supposedly are boldly proclaiming, but he won't.  It is easier to pussy foot around and play the victim and blame Satan rather than admit ineptness.  The Church of God has truly never been proud of its message.  Truth has never been a vital concept.

LCG to start enforcing pre-engagement "counseling"

Several LCG members have commented to me about how appalling they think this invasion into their lives is.  It is all about control.  Members are still too stupid to make good decisions on their own.

Pre-Engagement Counseling—Must Read

The Bible tells us that good counsel is critical for making good decisions (Proverbs 1:5; 11:14; 12:15). Marriage is one of the most important decisions of one’s life (second only to baptism). The ministry must never become a “blessing factory,” just putting the Church’s stamp of approval on a marriage, no matter what. Rather, the ministry is here to help couples seeking marriage discern God’s will as they consider making a covenant with each other, before God. 

While the Church has historically suggested premarital counseling for all couples considering marriage, it makes much more sense to seek pre-engagement counseling. The intended purpose of counseling has always been to help couples themselves better determine if they are “right for each other” in God’s sight and to increase their opportunity for success in a potential marriage.  

Regrettably, in all too many cases, once a couple is engaged, the couple’s focus is no longer on evaluating their relationship and whether or not they are right for each other. When their main concern is planning the wedding, they are far less evaluative of their relationship. Counseling can be simply an afterthought. 

Pre-engagement counseling makes far more sense. The couple may be dating seriously but they have not yet publicly committed to marriage in an engagement and they are much more open to honestly evaluating themselves as potential marriage partners. This, in turn, gives much more opportunity for God to guide their decision-making. To better serve our membership in these critical decisions, the Church requests that all couples considering marriage seek pre-engagement counseling from the ministry before any formal engagement.

God is NOT guiding their decision making, it is the minister, plain and simple.  It is his opinion and has nothing to do with God.  Just look at the horrendous mess Rod Meredith made in the church with his "divorce and remarriage" policies he instituted in the 1960/70's.  Could there have been anything viler?  Given that sickening track record, why would ANYONE even think about using an LCG minister for pre-engagement counselling?