Harry Potter: Christian Values or Satanic?

 

Leave it to the Church of God to get angry over something AFTER the fact, many years in fact. The Kitchens have now placed their focus on Harry Potter. This gives them the excuse to drag out Herbert to rant and rage over "Spiritism Fraud... or Fact?" By Herbert W Armstrong, Good News Magazine, August 1984.

There a literature being read by many, are we one of them? Do we have these books of Magic, dragons, and occult flavor in it? Are we interested in such things? Beware, It's a door The Devil has a key to. What did the first century Christian do concerning the books of Magic and sorcery and such?

He then goes on to say this about frivolous literature:

Acts 19:18-20

18 And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.

19 Many of them also which used curious arts(strongs G4020) brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.

20 So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.

Strong's Dictionary

G4021

Original: περίεργος

Transliteration: periergos

Phonetic: per-ee'-er-gos

Thayer Definition:

busy about trifles and neglectful of important matters

especially busy about other folks' affairs, a busybody

of things: impertinent and superfluous

of magic arts

(Interestingly, this includes frivolous literature that does not build up Right Character, nor educates you. But most importantly, it includes literature of magic, dragons, and witches, wizards, sorcery etc etc. are we indulging in witchcraft? If we are letting that in our minds and homes, Satan has a key to your home! A key inside to your family. And once we give it to Satan the Devil, is it God's? Repent, and turn from your ways. )

Seriously dude! Do you really want to talk about frivolous literature? Look at a lot of the stuff Armstrong and the church promoted. Endless articles and books on prophecy when ended up being fantastical lies. Even our church history is a myth based upon proof-texting by so-called church historians to fit the model they were looking for.

How do Armstrongites deal with Lord of the Rings and the Narnia stories, the ultimate stories of good and evil with wizards and demonic forces? Those must fry their delicate minds! The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe? Heresy!

What does Rowling, a Christian have to say?

J.K. Rowling responded to religious criticism of her Harry Potter books this way in a 1999 interview with Book Links: 

 

"If this subject offends people, that isn't what I want to do, but I don't believe in censorship for any age group, and this is what I wanted to write about. The book is really about the power of the imagination. What Harry is learning to do is to develop his full potential. Wizardry is just the analogy I use. If anyone expects it to be a book that seriously advocates learning magic, they will be disappointed. Not least because the author does not believe in magic in that way."

 

Fantasy stories, whether from the bible or modern literature are meant to stir the imaginations of the reader and make them think and ponder.

Kitchen continues with these final words from Herbert:

"Above all, taking the shield of FAITH with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one" — absolute trust in God for deliverance despite all obstacles–"and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the WORD of God"–use the Bible to know what to do and what to resist. The Word of God is the only sword that can vanquish evil spirits, and that can help you overcome sin and produce self-mastery!

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints"–don't slack off in praying, don't become negligent.

PRAY with perseverance, not only for yourself, but for all those whom God has called (Ephesians 6:15-18).

We are all in this battle together! It is a titanic struggle.

Our eternal life depends upon whether we overcome the temptations of the devil and submit to the rule, the AUTHORITY, of God over our lives. It is high time we recognized the evil powers that manifest themselves through spiritism!

That last paragraph shows how little Armstrong understood Christology. Christ's salvational work that was accomplished and the battle that was finished was never understood by Armstrong. That is why he and the church lived/live in a constant state of fear. Evil is lurking around every corner ready to devour them. Yet there is a rest that far exceeds the fear of Armstrong and his minions.

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As a side note, here is a great video about "supposal" vs allegory in storytelling. 

The Church is Being Persecuted, So We Are Heading Over To Jerusalem!

 

Why is it that so many in the church of God desire persecution and martyrdom? Millions of Christians have died in the faith through the centuries who were never part of the so-called Church of God movement. Armstrongists make a point of devaluing their faith as illegitimate or deceived. The only true faith is an Armstrongist church which will soon be persecuted for holding on to the truth. Never has as a church been picked on as much as those with Armstrongist ties. In their eyes, it will only get worse.

Samuel Kitchen has taken this belief to the extreme. He has no followers, other than a 3 or 4 who pay some lip service now and again. Yet, he and his Worldwide Church of God will soon be persecuted so much that he will need to head off to Jerusalem where he will back up the two witless witnesses, Bob Thiel and Ron Weinland. If Bob misses the plane because he had interpreted scripture wrong then it will be Ron and his looney wife Laura. 

Satan is going to be ANGRY!

Those of us who have been called and are part of the body of Christ, must obey God, and suffer wrong, suffer persecution and even martyrdom for Christ’s namesake.

Satan will use any of us, if we are OFF THE TRACK and in some other condition.

By looking back at what was taught and remembering, and relearning, we can work together to become Philadelphian in condition, and qualify. By setting this example we are giving a witness. The Worldwide Church of God and our work, is under attack. Our work may end by the beast power ordering us to shut down, but we will immediately move to Jerusalem and the two witnesses will have our support.

People are too busy looking at these groups, when we are to be coming out of them and setting the right example. That is our work in support of the gospel being preached through the archived works of Herbert W Armstrong and the ministry that was there with him.

If you are off track… REPENT and let’s refocusing our energies and direction to become more like Jesus Christ, more Philadelphian, and more like the Worldwide Church of God.

In Christ’s name,

Samuel W Kitchen

Will Jesus Join The Improperly Named Continuing Church of God When He Returns?

 

One thing that has always fascinated me is why COG members have to ask other members and other splinter group leaders on which church they should belong to. I guess part of that illogical thinking is that the church never empowered members to think, either theologically or personally. The minister had the answer to everything.

In the Dayton area Bible Study night people could send up questions for the minister to answer. I remember my mother asking the question if it was ok for us as kids to drink water after recess on Atonement eve. His answer was, no. In our church area, no one was to eat after 12:00 noon on the eve of Atonement so that your stomach would already be empty and you would already be hungry by the time the fast started. This was to make you more humble.  Even elementary and high school kids were to do this. Others asked about proper car colors or the proper color a man's tie should be with his suit. One man asked what kind of vegetables were ok to paint in his garden. Seriously dude, grow a pair and plant what you want and enjoy!

As a result of the ministers making every decision for them, this led to a lot of members during the great upheaval of 1996 and later being unable to think for themselves as to which COG splinter they should join. People lived in fear of joining the wrong group endangering their chance of salvation. Such utter stupidity!

This brings us to today when our most highly favored crackpot prophet has another repeat of a letter he "claims" was sent to him by a COG member asking about which COG he should join. You can tell it was a man writing it because it is in all caps and asserts the authority this man believes he has.

The Great Bwana writes:

A while back, I received an email from a former Worldwide Church of God member that included the following:

I AM CONCERNED ABOUT SOME ISSUES OF MR. …. BELIEF AND APPARENTLY YOU DON’T AGREE WITH. I DON’T THINK THAT ANY OF THESE CHURCHES AGREE WITH OTHER SO WHO DO YOU GO WITH? …

The Crackpot then said this:

Anyway, here is what I responded to the former WCG member with:

Dear …:
As I have repeatedly written at COGwriter, I doubt that David Pack or Gerald Flurry are converted.
I consider that the only COG that is Philadelphian is the CCOG–though not all in CCOG are Philadelphian and there are Philadelphians not in CCOG–but no other COG represents the continuation of Philadelphia. 

 

You should use God’s criteria, and none other to decide. 

 

Here are two links you should read and pray about if you are truly serious: 

 

How does the Continuing Church of God differ from other Sabbatarian COG groups?

Does the CCOG have the confirmed signs of Acts 2:17-18? 

 

But most refuse to believe and use their own standards.
Best regards,
Bob Thiel

Our Crackpot prophet bases his entire hermeneutic on prophecy. Jesus be damned, it's prophecy or nothing! 

My response to the above was to tell him that the COG he attends as well as a group that came out of it do not teach much about prophecy. They also have a lot of prophetic errors.

Given the unadulterated FACT that not one single Church of God leader, wanna-be leader, church scholar, evangelist, pastor, elder, deacon, or self-appointed prophet has EVER been right about any prophecy proves them all to be wrong and NO ONE should join up with these agents of darkensss and give them their hard-earned money.

The answer that Jesus would give is, "DO NOT join any of them, but follow me and stop worrying about the silliness your minister has been telling you. Rest in me and enjoy your life!"