LCG: Be humble like we the ministry are...

 

Doug Winnail lets the Living Church of God membership know that THEY need to start humbling themselves so they can become teachable - like the ministry already is. Cough, cough.

The Real Keys to Spiritual Success: Many believe the key to success is who you know. Yet, God’s instructions are very different. Jesus stressed the importance of humility and teachability when he said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” and “Blessed are the meek” because they will inherit the Kingdom of God and reign on Earth with Jesus Christ (Mathew 5:3–5). God was able to use Moses because he was humble and teachable (Numbers 12:3). Jesus was exalted by God because He humbled Himself and followed God’s instructions (Philippians 2:8–11). Solomon understood that “before honor is humility (Proverbs 15:33). The Apostle James records, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6–10). Peter writes that God will exalt those who are humble and can submit to one another (1 Peter 5:5–6). Isaiah summarizes what God is looking for in those He will reward; “But on this one will I look: on him who is poor [humble] and of a contrite spirit [willing to change, and who trembles at My word [a person who is teachable by God]” (Isaiah 66:1–2). These scriptures provide us with the real keys to spiritual growth and ultimate success.

Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail

For decades the key to success in the Worldwide Church of God, Global Church of God, and Living Church of God was dependent upon who you knew. It's odd that Winnail completely overlooks that, but then this is a COG, after all.

There is a lot of emphasis upon humility and humbleness made by Winnail above, one thing that has been totally lacking in COG leadership for decades, regardless of which group it is.  Rod Meredith was well known for not having a humble bone in his body, so much so that Herbert Armstrong sent him to Hawaii for the year to learn humility. It didn't work.

Also, when has the leadership of ANY Church of God ever submitted to the membership? Do you see Bob Thiel, Dave Pack, or Gerald Flurry doing that? Bob Thiel will not even listen to his elders when they bring instances of corruption to him. Gerald Weston certainly does not!

As for the "willing to change" part, there is no minister leading a church of God today that has ever been able to do that. Look at Bob Thiel, one of the most bullheaded narcissists the church has ever seen. Pack and Flurry certainly were not willing to change resulting in the mess they are in today.

Paying lip services to humility and being humble is something most Church of God leaders/ministers are really good at. It sounds good but to really do it is another thing indeed.

 

Why Do They Stay?: -- The Bamboozle

 

“One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.”

Carl Sagan

UCG: Join Us As We Leave The World Behind…WAIT!!! Oh Wow! Life in the West is much different than life in other parts of the world

As the United Church of God steps away from the world and leaves it behind, Rick Shabi is learning that people in third-world impoverished countries exist and life is pretty tough for most of them. Who knew?

There are experiences in life that cause us to look at the world in a different way and to understand our absolute need for Christ and God’s Spirit. In 2 Corinthians 4:4, Paul tells us that Satan is the “god of this age.” The world is quickly becoming more and more like him. As God’s people, we are called to become more and more like God. We must make choices to leave the world and its ways and attitudes behind and choose to follow God, and to live the way of life to which He has called us. 

 

We see the evidence of a quickly changing system and set of values in Western culture that is headed in the direction of totalitarianism—attempting to dominate our lives in every aspect. God has graciously and kindly given us time now to be turning ever more closely to Him and away from the world, and to wake up to what is going on around us so that we are not caught “sleeping” when the “time” comes. 

 

Life in the West is much different than life in other parts of the world, I continue to learn. The pressures we feel in the United States are literally “nothing” compared to what our brethren around the world face every day.

Well, no shit Sherlock! The Church of God has always paid lip service to those in other nations, particularly third-world countries. 

Never forget how the pressure was so great upon the top leadership of the United Church of God when they chose to apostatize from the Worldwide Church of God and start a new church. They spent an entire year ensuring the money flow was intact before they all jumped off the fence they had been sitting upon for the previous year, never once concerned about those living a "different life" in other parts of the world. The church leadership has always had priorities and it was always the top down. Third-world countries and members were at the bottom of the pyramid.