Ah, the Church of God, never one to leave a subject go to waste without interjecting sex into it. Gerald Weston is all bothered by the different variants sweeping the world, rumors of war in Ukraine and elsewhere, and far too many people committing immorality in the world. Leave it to the gays and conspiracy theories to get the COG all riled up, so much so that regular church members are now calling for the LCG to proclaim a fast.
For a New Covenant Christian, fasting is not something mentioned as a requirement or an expectation of members. There is nothing in the epistles at all about fasting and when it is mentioned it is only in passing.
In the NT as a whole there is little explicit instruction on fasting; it is simply mentioned occasionally (and never in the epistles) as something Christians sometimes did. Jesus himself fasted (involuntarily?) in the wilderness (4:2), but there is no other record of his doing so subsequently, and indeed it was the lack of fasting by him and his associates which was commented on in 9:14, though in his reply Jesus does envisage his disciples fasting at a future date (9:15). In Acts we are told of prayer and fasting on two occasions as an accompaniment to important decisions (Acts 13:2–3; 14:23), but not of any regular pattern of fasting. . . . Not until Didache 8.1 (late first century?) that we find instruction on regular fasting for Christians—twice a week, like the Pharisee in Luke 18:12. (The Gospel of Matthew, 254)
Armstrongism has always looked at fasting as a way to influence its god into doing what they expect it needs to be doing to make the world right for COG members. Very seldom is a fast ever called for the introspection of members' own lives and shortcomings without drawing into the fast some church crisis or issues the church is facing. When those kinds of fasts are called it is because COG leadership is blaming the members for church troubles.
Dear Brethren,
The last two years have been inconvenient for many and difficult for others. Some of us have lost family and/or friends due to the coronavirus. As I write this, we are seeing another variant sweeping around the world. If South Africa and elsewhere are examples, while extremely contagious, Omicron may not be nearly as dangerous as the recent Delta variant. Time will tell.
In addition, 2022 holds out the specter of major wars. Rumors and actions indicate the potential for conflicts between the Ukraine and Russia, Taiwan and China, and Iran and Israel. Whether shooting wars erupt in any, or all, of these areas remains to be seen, but any one of these could draw other countries into the fray and things could get very messy.
Immorality is spiraling downward and our Israelite nations, especially, have lost all sense of biblical morality. Our nations are becoming more like Sodom and Gomorrah and the time before the flood with each passing year. In the Church, we must understand that we are not insulated from the course of this world—as guided by the prince of the power of the air—just because we have been baptized (Ephesians 2:1–2). Acceptance of immorality, rising anger levels, divisions, and getting caught up in wild conspiracy theories do affect some of us—perhaps all of us more than we are willing to admit.
Everything, including morality, has become political, and it is difficult to separate the two. Yes, we ought to be against abortion, the LGBTQ movement, and other woke ideologies, but we must stay out of the politics of it all. Members of the Living Church of God must come out of this chaotic world and remain focused on our mission—to preach the good news of Christ’s coming Kingdom and to warn mankind, especially the Israelite nations, of why our world is in so much trouble and how it will only get worse unless we change direction (Matthew 24:14; Ezekiel 33:1–7).
Rand Millich, one of our Council members, passed along the question from a member who asked when the next Church-wide fast might be called. Those of us here in Charlotte agreed that it would be good to call for one, given the turmoil in our world. Therefore, I am calling for a Church-wide fast for the Sabbath of January 22, 2022. If you are new to the Church, calling for a special day of fasting and prayer is supported by biblical precedents (Esther 4:16; Ezra 8:21; Nehemiah 9:1; Acts 14:23).
Members often ask what the purpose is for a fast when the Church calls for one. The purpose of fasting is to draw near to God by humbling ourselves and confessing our sins (Psalm 35:13; Daniel 9:3–5). It will do us well to pray and meditate on what is happening around us and evaluate how much this world of confusion is affecting us personally. It is a time to step back and focus on the purpose of our calling and cast aside the distractions that so easily beset us. Paul admonishes us to be circumspect, to look around and be wise. Please read all of Ephesians 5:1–21 as it certainly applies to us.
Since this fast is not the set-in-stone date of Atonement, a few congregations or individuals may have to choose an alternate day near January 22. We have a few Tomorrow’s World Presentations already scheduled for that day and it would be appropriate for members in those areas to fast on a different day. There may be other extenuating circumstances for a few, but most of us will fast that day and I will plan to give a special livestreamed sermon that Sabbath. In the meantime, let us meditate on who we are and who we should be and pray for one another, as many are going through difficult trials.
Sincerely, in Christ’s service, Gerald E. Weston
