Trickster god
The magical trickster god of Armstrongism is a petty god that continually gets pissed at some of his followers and potential followers. It is always hit and miss though as to who it will be punished. Top church leaders, ministers, children of evangelists and self-appointed lying prophets all go unpunished while lowly members are always treated like degenerate worms worthy of punishment.
Almost arrested but not arrested
Elijah Elisha Habbkuk doubly blessed Bob Thiel has a truly absurd post up about how his magical god deliberately destroys the crop of a potential member of the improperly named "continuing" Church of "god."
Elisha Thiel writes:
Should a farmer plant crops on the Sabbath?
The commandment states:
8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. (Exodus 20:8-11)
4 For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: “And on the seventh day God rested from all his work.” 5 And again in the passage above he says, “They shall never enter my rest.” 6 It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience…9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10 for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. 11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience (Hebrews 4:4-6,9-11, NIV).
The New Testament confirms that Christians should not be disobedient, but should rest on the Sabbath.
No, it doesn't, but lets go on to see what Elisha Thiel has to say:
Several months ago, a woman sent me the following in an email:
I have spent considerable time, energy and effort in looking for God’s true church (comparing statements of belief/doctrine and “teachings” to scripture) and have settled on CCOG although I have no congregation anywhere near where I am …
Anyway, the above person is new to the Church of God and had not yet been baptized.
As it turns out she is engaged. Her fiancé, shares some of her views on the Sabbath and the true church, but has been unsure.
So unsure, that he felt it was appropriate for him to plant crops on the Sabbath.
Things are already starting to look bad for this poor chap, you can just see what is coming next. Magical god is about to pull some naughty tricks on this poor guy.
Today, I received the following in an email with the subject line “Blessings and Cursings?” from the woman (names edited out, with bolding below added) by me:
We met in Almont, Michigan in July and I had my fiancé, Mxxxx, with me. You may or may not remember, but he is a farmer. I just wanted to share something with you regarding God’s promises of blessings and cursings. Whether anyone wants to believe that this is proof of such promises and of God’s existence is up to them, but Mxxxx wanted me to share this with you because his experience has brought him closer to God and strengthened his belief and resolve.
Mxxxx is going through some trying times with many demands on his time and while he knows about the sabbath requirement, he often finds ways to justify to himself for working on it. This past Saturday was no exception. Early in the morning, I received a call from him to come out and look at one of his fields. I objected as I know, and hold fast, to keep the sabbath but he insisted that it would be God’s work and not my agricultural work. Attached are photos from that field. Normally, a field planted a day before will come up sooner, be ahead of and look better than one planted later. This is not the case here. In fact the difference is remarkable. Note that both pictures are from the same field, same soil type, same seed and variety, same equipment used, same (natural) fertilizer package. The poor stand (looking to the left) was planted on the sabbath. The healthy stand (looking to the right) was planted (the field was finished) the following day, on Sunday. Mxxxx did not move to take the pictures, other than to turn to the left and right. He asked me: “Why don’t anybody else’s fields do this if they work in them on the sabbath? Why me?” I answered with another question: “When you planted this field on the sabbath, did you merely think that it was maybe wrong to do so or did you know in your heart that it was wrong?” His reply: “I knew it was wrong but I thought it would be ok. I think God is telling me otherwise.” I cited James 4:17 and after some thought he left the field and joined me for Bible study. But that did not last. He soon “had so many things to do” and returned to the field. After his combine broke down and his tractor stopped in the middle of the field (to perform an automatic maintenance procedure he had been putting off), he called me up and returned to Bible study. Frustrated at the seeming prosperity of commandment breakers, I went over Psalms 37 and 73 with him for a better understanding of what is expected of us and the timing of our reward as well as who it comes from (James 1:17). He has been somewhat “stiff-necked” regarding obedience to this specific commandment but I think he is starting to understand although I think he may need another correction or two before he truly submits in this regard. I continue to pray for him, knowing that God’s chastisements are both merciful and just.
Feel free to use and share this story and pray for us as we pray for you, that we all may grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and do those things that are pleasing to God. May God keep you safe and inspire you according to his will.
Here is a screenshot of the pictures Elisha Thiel posted to go along with is the story:
Trickster god seems to be having some fun with the farmer, as Elisha Thiel wants you to believe.
The doubly blessed/cursed false prophet ends with this:
Many people do not believe that God cares enough to intervene or that God does not perform miracles in the 21st century. While God does not always perform massive physical miracles when He is calling someone, sometimes He does (cf. Acts 9).
God is still on His throne, and yes, God does do miracles according to His will.
God holds people to a higher standard that know the truth:
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”
16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. (James 4:13-17)
While some wonder about working to handle a seasonal surge or other such need, here is what the Bible says about planting and harvesting:
21 “Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest. (Exodus 34:21)
So, no, the ‘busy season’ at work does not negate the Sabbath.
Christian farmers should not plant on the Sabbath.
God does exist. His ways are best.
