LCG: Are you thankful for the "precious Truths" we give you?

Once more, its close to the COG version of the Sabbath, and the Living Church of God has sent out its weekly announcements and Sabbath "love bomb" to its members telling them that they are failing once again to remain true to the path and accept everything the leadership says as 100% "precious truth." Apparently, some are falling short and allowing Satan to blind their eyes to the "incredible privilege" they have to be "called out of darkness" and into the glorious light of the Living Church of God. Can LCG members ever be praised and thanked for a job well done, with no "but's or however's" attached? Is this too much to ask? Once a year, at least? That is just one time out of 52 weeks. Just once?

Be Thankful for the Truth: The Sabbath is a good time to reflect on an important question: Are you thankful for the Truth? It is easy to take the Truth of God for granted if you are a longtime member or if you have grown up in the Church. Yet, Jesus emphasized that people cannot come to a real understanding of the Truth unless they are called and their minds have been opened to see the big picture (John 6:44, 65). The capacity to understand the plan of God, the purpose of life, and the true way of life is a gift that God is making available to only a few people at this time (1 Corinthians 1:26–27). These precious Truths are a mystery to most people (1 Corinthians 2:7–8) because Satan—the god of this age—has blinded their eyes (2 Corinthians 4:3–4). Jesus said that it is an incredible privilege to be given an understanding of the Truth (Matthew 13:10–17). The Apostle Paul said that being called out of darkness into the light of the Truth is something to be extremely thankful for. He also said that those who were unthankful and let go of or rejected the Truth of God will reap the penalty of their error which is due (Romans 1:18–32). Let’s never forget to be thankful for the opportunity to understand the Truth of God that “endures to all generations.” 

 

Have a profitable Sabbath, 

 

Douglas S. Winnail

It is always interesting that COG leaders place so much emphasis upon God calling people into the church (a COG, of course) and yet those who feel called into Christianity in other Christian churches have fake calls. God calling people into the COG is always right, God actively calling people to be real Christians who might attend other churches are always fake. The logic doesn't compute.

You never hear COG ministers quote these scriptures much as the focus is just on believing, not following all the commands of COG leaders and the endless stack of laws they dish out. Followers aren't "called to "believe", they are "called to "obey".

Just believe...that can't be right!

When the City of Pasadena Investigated Ambassador College For Its Racism: Was the Church Inherently Racist?

A reader asked for this to be republished:

Various Church of God apologists love to claim that the church was never racist at its core beliefs.  Almost-arrested Elisha, Elijah Habakuk, Amos Bob Thiel makes many such claims.  But all of them fail to take into account that the church and Ambassador College had written into its constitution racist ideas.  That constitution was greatly affected on the church believing in the erroneous myth of British Israelism and superiority of the white nations who were supposedly descendants of the 12 tribes, who as we all know, were pure lily-white.

It was so obvious and bad that the City of Pasadena investigated the church/college in 1963.

"Incidentally, regarding the Anglo-Israel theory, none other than Garner Ted Armstrong, being interviewed by the Rev. Lester Kinsolving, a syndicated religious writer for the public press, when queried about it, smiled and replied: "It's a likelihood (British Israelism), but it can't be proved. It's an interesting aside. We certainly don't regard this as a required belief, if that's what you're getting at." When Kinsolving pointed out that in 1963 during an investigation of Ambassador College by the Pasadena City Attorney, it was learned that the school's constitution and by-laws, adopted in 1951, restricted the student body "to the race of Israel, whom we believe now to be the white, English speaking Anglo-Saxon and Celtic people, and the democratic peoples of Northwestern Europe, in addition to the Jews descended from the Kingdom of Judah", he said Armstrong appeared surprised and hurriedly said: "That must have been while I was in the Navy. It's been altered dramatically. We have no such restrictions." Armstrongism: The "Worldwide Church God" Examined in the Searching Light of Scripture, Sumner, 1974 

 

There is an advantage of having a huge personal collection of books written about the Worldwide Church of God, Herbert Armstrong, and Armstrongism over the last 70 some years.  Embarrassing facts are in print that can never be erased from the world no matter how much the lying false prophets of Armstrongism attempt to.

Gerald Flurry: "...Satan has already been cast down to earth–but members have 'angelic protection.'"

Exit and Support Network had this up about Gerald Flurry's latest sermon.

February 17, 2021 

 

After the new U. S. president was sworn in GF gave another of his sermons with lunatic ideas and erroneous theology. Here are just a few: 

 

He believes Satan has already been cast down to earth–but members have “angelic protection.” However, Laodiceans (since they didn’t go with GF) are not so fortunate and Satan is “stamping all over them.” 

 

Only PCG can see the “vision” and “can prove it” since, as GF says, “We are a special people before God.” The world “has to listen to this one last message” from GF. You hear this in all his sermons. Everything is always one last–“one last chance,” “one last warning,” etc. How many one lasts are there? 

 

I had to shake my head when he said, “If you remain loyal to God, you are never going to be spiritually alone.” He won’t come out and say that what he really means is: “If you remain loyal to PCG government.” But even so, what does that have to do with being “spiritually alone”? Perhaps it means “alone” when you are thrown out of PCG. 

 

The word “loyal” isn’t even in the KJV which is what GF uses (except when he twists words from some other version such as the Moffat). What escapes GF is that loyal is primarily what God is to us. We are told in the Word of God that even if we are faithless, He remains faithful. (See II Timothy 2:13 NKJV:” If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.”) Why is that not understood by those in PCG? 

 

I would say it is because members are not being taught that if they belong to Christ, nothing can take away their salvation. [Note: See Q&A: Can We Ever Lose Our Salvation?] The Word of God continually says God will never leave us or forsake us and that He continues to work in us until the end of our life. (See Philippians 1:26 KJV: “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” and Hebrews 13:5 KJV: “…he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” 

 

GF said to “study the new Trumpet magazine…especially the feature articles as they are truly outstanding.” Folks, how about studying the book of Colossians without PCG literature and find the treasures in Christ? (Colossians 2:3 KJV: “In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”) We have everything we need in Christ. But that isn’t enough for GF.

He quoted from HWA so many times that I lost track of which were HWA’s words and which were GF’s, He said we are “going to rule the Universe” and “restore the Universe” (this doctrine comes from the Mormons) and we need to “get our minds on the New Jerusalem.” How about saying “get our minds on Christ” who is our only hope. (See Colossians 1:27: “Christ in you, the hope of glory:“) 

 

Towards the end of his sermon he said, “This is our future”and talked about the “power” we are going to be given. It’s all about power with GF. –PCG source