Personal Musings: Two Scenes and a Song: When "Yes, that's it" comes into view

 

Originally posted on the Ambassador College Alumni General Message Forum I'm sure we have all experienced those moments quietly when we hear the particular lyrics of a song or watch one in a movie and quietly tell ourselves "Yes,  That explains it." That's exactly how I feel. That's me." Authenticity has always been playing in the background even when I ignored it to my harm.  Even here on the GMF, we all should recognize that we resonate with some more than others.  I resonate with what Stuart Segall, Mike Cooney, Gary Moore (I recognize my Dutch Reformed past in Gary's views) and others of the kinder more gentle and insightful personalities share. With some I resonate somewhat and with a few, not at all or ever would want to. It's like a church congregation. We all can say that of course.  "Too soon old and too late schmart" seems to be path and the way but it is never too late to come up "Schmart". I'm sure we'd all have preferred to have been born "schmart", but that is not the program obviously.  Pastoring in WCG and the "going along to get along" part of me clashed my entire ministry. How often I found myself quietly not about to say or teach what others felt I must or should. (Divorce and Remarriage, Divine healing only, no vaccinations, Place of Safety, British Israelism and just about everything Gerald Waterhouse ever came up with etc...) On these I did not go along. I just dropped them from topics I ever supported and taught. My Dutch Reformed background had, at least, given me a fair share of common sense and foresight into what will happen if one goes down those rabbit holes of teaching and belief.  I can't tell you how many times I have heard, "Well, obviously you were never converted."  Converted to what? Compliance with bad information, emotional reasoning and the consequences of a complete lack of common sense?  Correct, I was never converted.  The last time Gerald Waterhouse showed up to speak in my congregations I told him he causes more problems with his sermons than he solves. He just said, "Is that right..." as my wife kicked me under the table.  These are 3 of my moments in media where the recognition that "Going along to get along" was not really my friend nor my core self. It was, however, what I did  because I thought I should or must. But as I got older I got bolder and all that has gone one before for me personally has brought me to recognize how I believe I always was and repressed for the common "good", which was rarely all that good.  From moving all over creation when told to move and told "to be played in all the Churches" (oh how many I didn't:), I recognize with these two scenes and a song what niggled at me the entire time.  Perhaps others have resonated with you in your life.      "NO..."  "I don't care" and "That's too bad" This one is deeply hilarious :)   The Song When Forrest Gump came out in 1994 it this resonated as too my ministry in WCG where every year, it seemed, was one mess after the next to deal with and get stuck between HQ and the members in the cross fire.  When I heard that Winston Churchill defined history as "One damned thing after the next", I chuckled, and said that defined my unfortunate timing coming into WCG ministry. ============================= Bonus scene from "JFK" Profanity warning Don't watch if everyone has to be "nice" in their recognitions and expression of themselves "I don't know what happened. All I ever wanted in the world was to be was a Catholic Priest, live in a monestary, pray, serve God..." ( For myself, a genuine, educated and enlightened  pastor and helper of our joy in teaching, belief and practice. My other theological and scientific conclusions came together realizing they too also lingered just below the surface from my youth) LIfe is weird The pressure I felt in WCG was overwhelming After each of the 5 last FOT sermons I gave, at least one or two ministers at lunch would say, "You say what I'm thinking!", to which I always said, "Then say it...."

07/16/24 04:45 AM

Ex-Worldwide Church of God - Sheila Hinzman Speaks Out For the First Time - Shares Success Story

 

web site: https://www.youtube.com/@ex-worldwidetruthseekers-w99

Sheila is amazing! She managed to rise above her circumstances and even go to college - graduating with associate's degree in Nursing with high honors! She has been through a lot, but managed to get free! I'm so touched by her strength and character. She a husband and 4 beautiful sons that love and respect her! Great interview!

One of the sick things the church did was tell members that when they left the church their lives would be utter failure. They will lose their homes, families, jobs, etc, because the prissy god of the church was ticked off that they left. these success stories make utter fools out of the ministers who claim this.

Moabite women are out seducing LCG young men

The Living Church of God has to almost annually warn its members, particularly young women and men, on modest clothing and acting modestly. This year is no exception. They have two new articles up for both young women and young men.

Young Women and Modesty
Young Men and Modesty

The young men's article is fascinating.

Teenage boys and young men who work out and take their shirts off are immodest.

First, it is also very possible for men to be immodest. Some men can focus so much on working out that it seems they idolize their bodies. While exercise and activity have great benefits for our physical and mental health, some men clearly work out primarily to look good. This is usually revealed in how they act outside the gym. Have you ever known a guy who seems to be looking for every opportunity to take his shirt off, as if he’s Chris Hemsworth? That guy is clearly not just after health benefits. He wants to display his body—a blatantly immodest act. Working out can certainly help men look better, but that does not give us an excuse to be immodest about it.

Then the article IMMEDIATELY makes an abrupt jump on to loose Moabite women out to seduce LCG's men. Apparently, LCG men CANNOT control themselves.

Do you let a woman’s dress determine your thoughts? Yes, young ladies have specific verses in the Bible to follow, and it goes without saying that women who take the Bible seriously will take those verses seriously. But what about those women who do not? What is the likelihood that you will come across women dressed immodestly at the beach, the gym, or even Walmart? Pretty high. And if they are dressed immodestly, does that excuse your thoughts? 

 

Numbers 25 gives us a strong warning, telling of how the women of Moab seduced Israelite men. Both the worldly women and the Israelite men sinned by committing sexual immorality and idolatry—so, both groups were punished. The Israelite men suffered a devastating plague, while Israel later wiped out their seducers (Numbers 31). The Israelite men were not spared because the Moabite women were immodest—they were expected to know better and avoid sin, regardless of how the world around them acted.

The mere fact that these men look at women apparently sends them into immediate adultery:

Galatians 5:22–23 lists “self-control” as one of the fruits of God’s Spirit. Men must learn to control their thoughts (2 Corinthians 10:5) regardless of their circumstances—and we should not think we can hide our own sins behind someone else’s. When Jesus told His followers to not even look at a woman to lust over her (Matthew 5:28), He did not give any kind of loophole based on how she was dressed. If you lust after a woman, you are committing adultery. Whatever she is wearing does not excuse you.

Quoting these verses sure never seems to stop some in LCG's ministry from committing adultery, but that's another topic for another time. 

LCG men are warned about those crafty seductive Moabite women trolling them:

For young men in God’s Church today, there are “Moabite women” aplenty. And pornography is a horrendous sin that can easily become addictive for those who choose to go after these modern “Moabite women.” Our society encourages young women to sexualize themselves and dress immodestly. Even in God’s Church, we must often revisit the concept of modesty, as society puts so many pressures on young women. But you, young men, are under just as many sinful pressures to think of young women as sexual objects rather than as sisters in Christ. From these pressures, the Bible exhorts you to flee (1 Corinthians 6:18).

LCG men need to stop looking at LCG women as hookers and temptresses. Women in the LCG are there to SERVE them but only if they dress modestly. It is not the men's fault they can't control their animal instincts. LCG  women need to tone it down a lot! After all, it's always the women in the COG that are the cause of men going astray.

Your sisters in Christ can serve you, young men, by dressing modestly—but you can serve them by controlling your thoughts, words, and actions toward them. Do you treat them like sisters in Christ or like Moabite women? Do you dare sin by asking them for sexual pictures? Who would ask their sisters for such things? If you have committed this sin, you need to seek forgiveness from God and from the women you have wronged.

LCG men need to immediately go to the women they objectified and repent of thinking of them as Moabite seductresses. Bad women! I sinned because of YOU!

LCG men need to be constantly on the lookout for loose women so that they do not develop a debased mindset.

So, young men, do not think that modesty is only for the ladies to worry about. You, too, must avoid becoming vain about your appearance. And you must not shrug off your need to grow in self-control by blaming women for your lack of character. Even when a man meets an immodest woman, he has no excuse for developing a debased mindset. Let us look instead to the instructions and examples within Scripture, which allow us to have fulfilling relationships with all women as their brothers in Christ.

Why is it that Church of God leaders and ministers think so little of their members that they need to constantly keep telling them they are debased, seductive, and willing sinners? When will members ever be given credit for doing anything right?