Prophet Bob Fudges and Refuses to Bend His Knees to Common Sense and Good Judgment

.....and never mentions

https://www.cogwriter.com/news/cog-news/ccog-services-announcement/

While you should take reasonable precautions, you do not need to fear.

Perhaps I should mention that our elder in Serbia, Aleksandar ‘Sasha’ Veljic told me that a bank basically told him that because of COVID-19 he should use digital forms of payment instead of cash. He related that to the warnings we gave in our video COVID-19 Leading to 666?

As far as physical things associated with COVID-19 go, the following link has information on that as well as other links some may find helpful: CDC: COVID-19 spreading; How to tell if you have the coronavirus, cold, or allergies; Symptoms and preparation recommendations.

Now, with all the quarantines and travel restrictions being imposed, what about attendance at weekly Sabbath services?

Our policy has always been, and still remains, if you have a contagious disease, you should not attend church services.

In this time of COVID-19, if you think you may have a fever, you should not attend services. If you are not feeling well, please stay home.

As far as ‘social distancing’ goes, church leaders in their respective countries and local groups need to decide the relative safety of holding Sabbath services (though in some places landlords and/or government officials may be placing their own limits–the early Christian church met in houses and that is one thing that can be done when meeting halls are not around and/or there are governmental restrictions) as not only are they closer to their situation, they can react to local conditions in a timely way.

(Fudge factor)

If any person is not comfortable being in a group at this time, they may wish to stay home. And, of course, we do have services available online which is what most native English speakers we have are doing already.

(Fudge factor)

Tuesday, the BBC reported that German, “Chancellor Angela Merkel has banned religious services and told people to cancel any domestic or foreign holiday travel” (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51918596 03/17/20).

While we cooperate with government authorities when we can, we do not believe that government authorities should interfere with the ability to hold holy convocations or other biblical observances.

(Wrong-This is for the public good and should not be likened to persecution of beliefs)

As the Apostles said, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).
(Note: The context of this is the Apostle being told not to teach. It is not about public safety and resisting obedience to the powers that be in an emergency situation in the community or in this case, the planet)

Hence, yes, we believe that true Christians should, for example, keep Passover next month. Though in some areas, it may be wise to have only very small groups meeting together."

(At home if necessary and if required by government agents "appointed by God")

Wrong Bob. You are endangering your congregants AND the public with whom they will come in contact with.

Bad Bob...bad

Love your neighbor, not just your groupies, as yourself remember? 

...and too Bob, may as well throw this in...

I Corinthians 13

 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, (Which you don't) but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. (Which you already are)2 If I have the gift of prophecy (Which you don't) and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, (Which you can't) and if I have a faith that can move mountains, (Which you will never do)but do not have love, I am nothing. (Which you are) 3 If I give all I possess to the poor (Which you won't)and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, (Which you would if you could but won't)[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing. 

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.(And you still do) When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (double portions, pork and Sabbaths)

Here's all you had to say

"Greetings Brethren.  Due to the present distress with the spreading Covid-19 virus and as a medical professional and scientist, I am asking that all government directives be followed until further notice. This applies to Bible studies, Sabbath Services and the upcoming Holydays if necessary. While not what we would wish to be, it is the the right thing, out of an abundance of caution, to do at this time."

Commercial Break: A Moment of Encouragement Through Times Such as These

Whatever your circumstances or concerns, needs and even fears,  whatever our differences, affiliations or lack of them, I believe we here on Banned can all take a moment to wish each other kind words of support as events unfold during these difficult times. 

In lieu of simple "thoughts and prayers", an offering of encouragement done well in song.

Celtic Woman

When You Walk Through a Storm

This too shall pass...

A reminder to the Churches
It's better to encourage and love your neighbor than to warn them.
A hug is only 18 inches from a kick in the ass.

And now we return you to your regularly scheduled postings...

Narcissists Ruin Everything: Part 3 Narcissists, Sycophants and Victims: The First Pyramid Scheme

Jesus was well aware of narcissists and psychopaths. He knew there were conniving liars who would play act their ways into positions of power and control over others. He argued with them regularly, calling them vipers and white-washed tombs. A large portion of Paul's warnings have to do with religious leaders whoring for money. The surest way to get into someone's pockets is to first convince them that they are beneath the leader and they need the leader for salvation. The trap is the ancient hierarchy, the first pyramid scheme.

So Jesus actually meant what He said in Matthew 20:20-28. Let's take a closer look.

A few years ago, Rod McNair gave a masterful example of eisegesis in a sermon titled, "Peter and the Key-Man Principle". It was a truly embarrassing attempt to try to prove Peter was the Chief Apostle who had 'final say' in decision-making for the church. I may post my evisceration of the whole sermon at another time. For our purpose here, I will just address what he said concerning Matthew 20:25-27. Here is the exact quote from his sermon:

“This is about attitude, not structure. (pause...confused look...furrowed brow) Actually, it does confirm the fact that there is structure because He is saying that the chief shall act like a servant. Those who are greatest among you shall serve. Sometimes, this is used to negate any structure of top-down and it’s just not there.”

I literally think he tripped himself up as he read it and tried to understand it the way he was trained to but the obvious nature and intent of the scripture dumbfounded him. Rod almost forgot to defend the structure, then he caught himself. So the teaching is that the structure is not in question, only the attitude of those in the structure. The church redefines servitude and slavery to mean the burden of feeding the flock and preaching the gospel as an authoritative duty over the people of God (Glad to articulate your doctrine for you, Rod). He was using the NKJV so I will quote it:

"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them."

I don't see where 'attitude' comes into play. What I do see is Jesus describing a multi-tiered power structure. The "rulers" make up the bureaucrats that administer government policies at the local levels among the citizens. They "lord" their power over the masses. Then you have those who are "great". This must be the senators and the Caesar, himself. These are the lawmakers and they exercise authority over the bureaucrats.

This is exactly how the churches of God function. "You know the pastors of the church oversee the laity and those who are at HQ exercise authority over the pastors."

Here are two more translations we can tease more meaning out of:

"You know that the rulers of the unbelievers lord it over them and their superiors act like tyrants over them." (ISV)

This is interesting when you plug in the church's governments. HQ acts like tyrants over the ministry. I already know from my own research that many minister's lives were ruined by the heavy hand of Pasadena. These were often young kids coming out of AC at the age of 22 and expected to do much of the boots-on-the-ground dirty work of what headquarters wanted. How embarrassing it must have been for a kind-hearted minister to be told to show up at people's homes unannounced and raid their kitchens and medicine cabinets. Examples could get long here and much worse but I digress.

"You know that the rulers of the heathen have power over them and the leaders have complete authority." (GNT)

Again, there's no question the structure is exact. There is power in the ministry over members but "complete authority" resides at headquarters.

This has nothing to do with attitude because that wasn't the original question asked of Jesus. The concern was being 2nd in rank under Christ. They were assuming a hierarchical structure and Jesus responded by admitting that indeed, among the Gentiles, hierarchy is how things are governed but Jesus had a "however".

“Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave.”

Jesus juxtaposes two opposing ideas against one another to make his point very clear and He does so by doing it twice. He compares exercising lordship to being a servant and exercising authority to being a slave. These opposing concepts cannot exist as one in the same. A lord cannot be a servant and an authoritarian cannot be a slave. Servants and slaves take orders, they never give orders. What Jesus is showing is that there is no place to be a lord in the body and there is no position of chief in the body. The only chief or head that exists in the body is Jesus. Hierarchical control over men does not exist in the governance of the church.

Jesus offers Himself as an example in verse 28. He truly did not come to be served. He was not there as King of kings and Lord of lords. That will be at His second coming. He was there among them in the flesh as a teacher. Yes, He chose his students but none of them followed him out of compulsion. Many disciples stopped following after him when he spoke hard sayings that offended them. Anyone that followed Him was free to abandon Him without repercussions. He could have killed Judas but then that wouldn't have been acting as a servant.

So what is Jesus saying? He didn't say there was no way to be great or to be first. He said if you do want to be great or to be first, you must abide by the formula. What is the formula? The answer is timing.

“And whoever exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” -Matt. 23:12

You have to go back to the beginning of the exchange. It all started when two among them were seeking high rank in the Kingdom of God. Jesus answer to them in a nutshell was if you want to rank high in the Kingdom of God (in the future), you must BE servants and slaves in the church body now! The warning above is clear: if you choose to exalt yourself among God's people now, you will be humbled. And how would one exalt himself among God's people now? It's right in the context. Follow the pattern of Rome!

Matthew 23 is a scathing chapter excoriating the existing religious authority among the people. As you read through the behaviors and actions of the religious leaders described by Jesus, it is clear they are a class set above the laity in Jewish society. They have a top-down structure with the high priest. The Sanhedrin was a mutated and illegitimate continuation of their distant past. This chapter is a laundry list of horrible fruits that result from an oppression and compulsory control mechanism—a top-down government reliant on fear to maintain its relevance and existence.

“You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.” -I Corinth. 7:23

Jesus had already told them you are not to expect to be organized and function like the gentile world. He now gives them an ecclesiastical example with the same Roman model that they are not to seek as a template for the church in Matthew 23. It is clear Jesus is specifically dealing with governance because He turns His attention to His disciples in the middle of this attack on Rabbinical Judaism.

Christ tells His disciples that they are not to take on titles of Rabbi, Father and Master because they have One Rabbi, One Father and One Master in heaven.

Clarke’s Commentary says this about being called Father:

“Call no man your Father - Our Lord probably alludes to the Ab, or father of the Sanhedrin, who was the next after the nasi, or president. See on Matthew 20:21 (note). By which he gives his disciples to understand that he would have no Second, after himself, established in his Church, of which he alone was the head; and that perfect equality must subsist among them.”

Notice Clarke directs the reader back to Matthew 20:21 where James and John sought 2nd rank under Christ. Clarke goes on to say that these three titles are likely taken from the Hebrew titles of “Abbi, Rabbi and Mori” meaning “Father, Rabbi, Master.” They may very well have a relation to what we call, “Bachelor, Master and Doctor” in titled degrees or ranks today.

Clarke continues:

"...no man is implicitly to receive the sayings, doctrines, and decisions of any man, or number of men, in the things which concern the interests of his immortal soul. Christ, his Spirit, and his word, are the only infallible teachers. Every man who wishes to save his soul must search the Scriptures, by prayer and faith. Reader, take counsel with the pious; hear the discourses of the wise and holy: but let the book of God ultimately fix thy creed”

Jesus links what He is saying here right back to Matthew 20:20-28 when He concludes His comments directed to His disciples with,

“And whoever exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

The Scriptures below are probably the most powerful witness to the fact that hierarchy and tithing are not any part of the New Testament church.

"For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world right up to this moment.” --I Corinthians 4:9-13

Now I ask you: Would anyone in authority over others with a right to their money say this and not be laughed to scorn? Here is another question: would a narcissist or a psychopath, in a million years, ever be inspired to seek such a lowly state? To be honest, the average Christian would not want Paul's role. That was the point. Congregational government led by the Holy Spirit and not a man or a group of elites is the safest and growth-inspiring environment for brethren. If people truly understood what it meant to serve Christ as a servant and slave to His people, there would be very few indeed. In fact, it makes you wonder if you ever knew one in your life at all.

Stoned Stephen Society