Living Church of God: Reeling Over the Sheldon Monson Fiasco and Loosing Members, LCG Creates "Study Topics" On Masks

The boys in Charlotte are scrambling to keep their members in line and that necessary money stream coming in. It seems that the Sheldon Monson fiasco is having a huge impact upon LCG as members flock to Monson and his webcast.   Many in LCG are now switching feast sites in order to attend Monson's site.

The mask fiasco that Weston created has now led LCG to draw up 3 "study guides" for the few remaining faithful to examine as they try to recover from the "present distress" the church is now going through.

We have seen a lot of COG's do a lot of stupid things over the years, but this one makes LCG look absolutely ridiculous.

It's like watching a high school girl get all pissy when her boyfriend dumps her for someone better.

The longer COG's exist the more immature they act.

Church Administration
Online Study Resources for Brethren

During this difficult period of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Church is faced with the challenge of making decisions about services and our weekly and Festival practices. As always, Church leadership looks to the inspiration of Jesus Christ and the laws and statutes of God to guide these decisions, not to mention a “multitude of counsel,” which has included the Council of Elders, Feast of Tabernacles Site Coordinators, and numerous field ministers. And the Church Headquarters leadership frequently revisits these decisions, looking for opportunities to move past this “present distress” and back to the normal services we all love.

As we move through this unprecedented time together, we want to make all brethren aware of study resources that may be helpful in light of the issues the Church is facing today.

The following study guides are available on the lcg.org website, by clicking on the “Bible Study” link:

1. Study Topic: Singing, Masks, Livestreaming, and Faith, by Mr. Wallace Smith:
https://www.lcg.org/bible-studies/study-topic-singing-masks-livestreaming-and-f faith 

2. Study Topic: Does Psalm 81 contain a commandment for singing?, by Mr. Dexter Wakefield:
https://www.lcg.org/bible-studies/study-topic-does-psalm-81-contain-commandment-singing 

3. Study Topic: Masks and Singing—Is one forbidden at Sabbath Services while the other is commanded?, by Mr. Peter Nathan:
https://www.lcg.org/bible-studies/study-topic-masks-and-singing-one-forbidden-sabbath-services-while-other-commanded

Adult Non-Sabbath School: If the Time Comes for YOU to Walk Away from Your Church...For your own sake-Do it.

Actually leaving your Church of Choice Church of God is difficult no matter what you actually feel inside. And, in reality, only you know exactly how you feel though even admitting that to yourself can take a long time.  

When it comes to church and belief, we stay far longer than than when first we suspected or admitted, "This no longer serves me." We are programed to stay put. There are consequences real and imagined to  stepping out on one's own. The Church has scriptural ammunition to shoot at you with.  Leaving the group feels unnatural and in the past, to do so would threaten one's very survival in the real world alone.  To even use the "Me" word, feels awkward, selfish and against all programing of "We" and "Us" the church provided you with over the years. 

It was never "I am not divided. All one person ME".   It is always "WE" and we sing those hymns, in part, to keep the program running and tuned weekly. 

(Note: Church of God hymns weren't exactly designed to make us feel good about ourselves or confident that it was ok to do so.  Even growing up Dutch Reformed were programed to "Trust and Obey. For there's NO OTHER WAY, to be happy in Jesus, but to Trust and Obey"  Disturbing to say the least. )

Church was never designed to accommodate unbelief of its views.  It is not designed to even recognize views of itself that might be less than true.  It's certainly not designed for you to  point them out. It is not designed for you to think about your own authenticity and feelings. It is not designed for the critical thinker nor the one given to introspection as to what seems right and what does not. Your church is designed to make you feel guilty and badly for hearing what you hear, seeing what you see and feeling how you feel about it all. 

We learn to ignore the craziness we might hear from a pastor or the self appointed and remember, Ignore-ance is not just what we don't know, it's what we won't know.  

"If your head tells you one thing and your stomach something else, your head is most likely lying to you."  

The price for recognizing and finally admitting to yourself outwardly what you have known inwardly for a time is very high.  It is not, might be high.  It IS high and  few there be that actually go there. 

To many, if not most, going along to get along is the safer and less costly path. I know of those in the COG's who find this the best they are willing to do. I did it myself for a time. You'd not be alone in that either. 

Going along to get along might have it's short term value as you think through how you REALLY feel about the drama, burden, beliefs and politic of your church and its leadership. But it is only of short term value. If it becomes "just how I am" and be untrue to what you really feel, it will gnaw until you go numb to it all. 

It will feel like your feet are stuck in the mud and you can't really move, but, most of you can, as long as staying put is ok with you. That will feel good enough.  That will be "OK",  and you can hold the fear of change and self awareness at bay, maybe for just a little longer or maybe for the rest of your life.  And if you do decide to actually move and get your feet out of the mud, as you see and feel it, you may have to step out of your expensive shoes and leave them behind in the mud. 

 You have invested so much. To walk away from what no longer inspires or serves you seems the ultimate defeat. We feel dis-illusioned like that's a bad thing. Who wants illusions? Well some do of course because it's easier and safer. But this is about you not them.  What will everyone think of me?  Will I retain my friends?   Can I handle being alone in it all?

That's a decision only those stuck, and they know they are stuck, can make.  Knowing when to hold them and when to fold them becomes the issue and one only the player can make. 

A bit of encouragement here on the process of letting go, the price of doing so and learning not to care,  when struggling with walking away from that which no longer serves you and you finally know it. 

 

LCG Doesn't Appreciate Naughty Members Making Lists Of Problems In The Church

 

Yes, brethren, we know we have problems, but we are better than all the other COG's out there! So PLEASE stop holding us accountable for our sins and transgressions! It's ungodly! After all, David, Peter and Paul had problems, and look at how they turned out! God needs imperfect people to do his work! 

Yes, brethren we know we screwed up with Sheldon Monson, so PLEASE bear with us during this DIFFICULT time. We are so tired of whiney people that go running to blogs and social media and expose our hypocrisy. God is going to hold them and you whiners accountable!  So PLEASE stop looking for loose bricks in our crumbling walls of the church. We know it is in bad shape. 

Loose Bricks or Big Picture? How do you view the Church of God and the Work of God? Many who come into contact with the Living Church of God are excited to learn the Truth of God for the first time. Others are grateful to reconnect with the Truth they once learned from the Scriptures, after a time away. Yet, from time to time, some, who are actually part of the very Church that is doing this Work, begin to look for loose bricks. They begin to compile lists of what they think are problems in the Church—editorial mistakes, misspoken words in a sermon, offenses caused by a minister or a member, doctrinal disagreements, or decisions they disagree with—and they drift off in different directions. However, we need to remember that David, Samuel, Peter, and Paul each had their problems, and they also had their detractors, yet God used these imperfect human beings to carry on His Work. The human leaders of God’s Work today are no different, and detractors have not disappeared. During challenging times, we need to maintain our focus on the God-given mission of His Church: preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom to the world (Mark 16:15), warning the world of end-time events (Matthew 24; Ezekiel 3 and 33), and preparing a people to reign with Jesus Christ in the coming Kingdom of God (Luke 1:17; Revelation 5:10). That message is going forth with increasing power from the Living Church of God publications, television programs, and Internet operations. This is the big picture that we need to keep in mind, instead of getting caught up looking for loose bricks.

Have a profitable Sabbath,

Douglas S. Winnail