LCG: The type of government implemented in this church will soon be worldwide! (Lord have mercy on us all!!!!!!!!!!!)

LCG ministers are trained about government with this: 

God’s form of government is clearly laid out in His inspired word, the Bible. God’s government begins with the father, followed by Christ, then down through the leaders that God puts in place in His Church. These leaders submit to each other, and ultimately to Christ and the Father. Government God’s Church is designed to mirror the Father’s relationship with Jesus Christ, teaching us more about Him. It includes the creation of offices and responsibilities in the church, and was designed to facilitate order, peace, and decency (I Cor 14:33, 40) and to eliminate confusion. 

God wants His people to learn more about Him and His government. He outlined His form of government for the Church and the family, because His government will be implemented globally Tomorrow’s World. God’s form of government teaches us to humble ourselves before Him and to submit to each other—in accordance with the example that Christ left for us. Ultimately, following God’s form of government requires faith in the leadership that God places in His church. Godly leaders must earn and maintain that faith by exemplifying and practicing the fruits of His spirit, including love, patience, and mercy. These Godly characteristics should permeate and exemplify God’s government. Practicing God’s form of government now, not only enables God to work effectively through leaders in His Church to do His work, but it will also enable us to easily transition into His government in His Kingdom! 

Optional Homework for Next Class:

• Review and discuss (with a partner) the qualifications and responsibilities of ministers, deacons and deaconesses outlined in 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1 and elsewhere.

Quotes on the Importance of Government 

The state is a bankrupt institution. The only alternative to this bankrupt ‘humanistic’ system is a God-centered government. —R.J. Rushdoony 

I am really surprised to see LCG use this quote by Rushdoony. He is an extreme far-right "dominionist" that advocates for total church control of society which includes stoning of adulterers, homosexuals, kids that talk back to parents, and much much more.  Though it should not surprise me because one of the big proponents of dominionism is Rushdoony's son-in-law, Gary North from Tyler Texas. North's books were widely circulated on the Pasadena and Big Sandy campuses in the mid-70s - early 80s.

"Dominionism comes in “soft” and “hard” varieties. “Hard” dominionism (sometimes called Christian Reconstructionism), as Clarkson describes it, explicitly seeks to replace secular government, and the U.S. Constitution, with a system based on Old Testament law. 

 

The father of hard dominionism, the late Presbyterian theologian R.J. Rushdoony, called for his followers to “take back government … and put it in the hands of Christians.” 

Rushdoony’s legacy has been carried on by his son-in-law, Tyler-based economist Gary North, an unapologetic theocrat who in 1982 called for Christians to “get busy in constructing a Bible-based social, political, and religious order which finally denies the religious liberty of the enemies of God.” (North, founder of the Institute for Christian Economics, did not respond to my request for comment.)" The Radical Theology That Could Make Religious Freedom a Thing of the Past: Even devout Christians should fear these influential leaders' refusal to separate church and state.

LCG's minister training on government continues by quoting Rod Meredith as an authority on government. Rod Meredith is the last person in the COG movement that needs to be commenting on church government, especially considering how he disobeyed Herbert Armstrong, got himself exiled to Hawaii refusing to admit he had done anything wrong, and then proceeded over the following years to wreck people lives and run off at the mouth till he cost the church millions of dollars after he libeled Lona McNair. She sued him and he lost all because of his rebellious loud mouth.

Lord help us if Rod Meredith is going to sit in some lofty throne and pass judgment upon us all, as he claims below.

“Although democracy may be one of the best humanly devised forms of government, it is not the "wave of the future" by any means. Truly, we all need to learn and understand God’s form of government, for the true saints of God will soon be called on to administer that form of government in Tomorrow’s

World.”  Meredith, R.C. (March-April 2005). The Future of Democracy. Tomorrow’s World (p.27)

“Throughout the entire Bible, it is made very clear that there will be no "democracy" and no "voting" in Christ’s Government. For as we read in Hebrews 13:8: ‘Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.’" (Meredith, R.C. (March-April 2005). The Future of Democracy. Tomorrow’s World(p.8).

Minister training quotes are from an LCG source.

LCG: Can you pass its test for ministers?

These are some of the questions Living Church of God ministers are expected to know in order to be ministers in the church. Note that there is nothing about Christ, except for the city in which he is expected to return to, at some point in LCG's timeline. Also, note a question about a comment Will Durant made. Durant is considered one of America's greatest philosophers. LCG can quote him but then mock great philosophers from Greece and elsewhere as pagans.

If LCG was a Christ-centered church then its entire training process for its ministers would be centered upon that inconvenient dude they don't like to talk about. Instead, it is all about the law, government, and prophecy, while that dude that keeps knocking at their door is left standing outside in the cold.

1. What is referred to by the “deadly wound” of Revelation 13?
2. What does historian Will Durant say is “one of the most brilliant ideas in the history of
    statesmanship”?
3. What do the two legs of Daniel 2 represent?
4. Why does the lamb which speaks like the dragon have two horns? What is their significance?
5. What defines the mark of the Beast in general, and which of the 10 Commandments does it refer to in particular?  

6. What is the significance of the mark of the Beast being taken on the hand and on the forehead?
7. What is the first beast, and what is the second beast, of Revelation 13?
8. What is the connection between the numeral 666 and the coming European empire?
9. What is God’s admonition to His people regarding Babylon the Great (Rv. 18:4)?
10. What city will become the dwelling place of Christ, the Father, and the firstfruits for all eternity
(Revelation 21)? 

 

Advanced Leadership Training Program

LCG: The Hallmark of the church is NOT being a follower of Jesus but is....

One would hope that a church that claims to be Christian would have as its hallmark Jesus Christ and proclaim that unabashedly.

Then there is the Living Church of God. Guess what its hallmark is?

Its hallmark is church government! 

This was sent to be by an LCG contact and is part of the training that ministers go through:

A hallmark of God’s true Church is government conducted with an attitude of servant leadership. From God the Father, to Christ the head of the Church, to human beings positioned by Christ on the earth, this chain of government and, ultimately leadership, is essential to the function of the Church.  

Did you catch the "attitude servant of leadership"? Imagine having "servant leaders" in the LCG! Shocking, I know! 

Question

(Pose to group if you like): What causes a breakdown or malfunction in Church government?

Answer:

When people usurp authority not given to them or when they do things that are someone else’s

responsibility, or when they fail to communicate effectively. 

LCG just cannot stand anyone daring to do anything on their own without getting a minister's permission. 

 

We need to understand how to recognize, follow, and submit to God’s government in faith. This is a subject that has been preached about, talked about, and studied, yet few really understand the importance of this action. If we are to serve in God’s Church, we must understand, respect, and follow God’s government in order to serve God and His people properly and set a right example.

Here we go again. Members are too stupid to follow church government. Its all their fault. Its never the fault of ineffective leaders. 

Most worldly churches, although frequently well meaning, practice an unbiblical form of church government. The Presbyterian or democratic form of government places the “board” or deacons in positions where they direct the minister. The minister is expected to pastor the sheep, but only as far as the deacons or board sees fit. And when there is dissention among the board or deacons, the pastor does not have the ability to make decisions or solve the problems. Additionally, the pastor’s position becomes a political one, as he must avoid teaching forcefully and addressing personal sins, lest he be terminated by board members or deacons who might be offended. Churches that practice a non-biblical, democratic form of government, wind up with the same political issues that face most nations of the world today.

“Because, in our modern "democracies" (whether pure democracies or representative republics), the politicians campaigning for public office must be very selective about which facts to tell the voters. Generally, they must tell the public only what the people want to hear—whether it is true or not. If the politicians confront the public with too much reality, it is equivalent to committing political suicide!”

CLASS OVERVIEW 

 

In this class we will:

•Review God’s form of “top down” but merciful government.

•Highlight the needs for godly Church government.

•Highlight the consequences of ungodly forms of Church government.

•Highlight why we must “look to the pastor” and “look to Headquarters” as the earthly authority in spiritual matters.

“And although it is terribly neglected by most professing ministers of Jesus Christ, one of the primary emphases of Jesus’ message was the coming Government of God.”  Meredith, R.C. (March-April 2005). The Future of Democracy. Tomorrow’s World(p.7).

Although Mr. Meredith’s quote directly described governmental politics, the same can be said about church politics in democratic church governments. Today, in many churches run by boards, a minister can also commit professional suicide if he tells his congregations what they do not want to hear. Can God really use this type of government to inspire and direct His ministry to exhort and correct the brethren when necessary, and to provide “meat in due season?” No – in fact, it inhibits open, honest, God-inspired exhortation and admonition.

When has there ever been open, honest, and God-inspired exhortations and admonitions from LCG leaders????  The better question to ask is when has LCG leadership ever acted in a loving and merciful manner to its members? When, has it ever been grace-filled? When has it ever placed Christ above government and the law?

Is it any wonder why LCG is in such a mess when this is where their admitted hallmark lies?