Gerald Weston was well trained by his mentor (Rod Meredith) in fear mongering his flock. He recently sent out a
member letter on April 19 outraged over Cadbury's "Easter" controversy and how supposedly a couple in the UK had their foster kids taken from them for refusing to say the Easter Bunny was real. Instead of being outraged at the homeless situation in Charlotte, or being outraged that low income families can't feed their kids or provide adequate housing, or that LCG members are struggling to survive financially because of all the money they are expected to send to HQ, or expressing outrage at how families are being ripped apart by LCG's draconian legalistic laws, he is upset over Candygate.
Then after the usual screed about pagan Easter, he dumps on "lukewarm" LCG members. LCG members should face the fact that they will NEVER be able to do anything right in the eyes of the church leadership. They are too dumb, too lukewarm, and too Laodicean, at least in the eyes of the leadership.
Brethren, the world is about to explode! It is a dangerous mess! We are being overwhelmed by the news. No more of those handpicked single "major" news stories of the day; now people can find instantaneous news from thousands of sources. Much like LCG members can find instantaneous news about the corruption of the LCG leadership, of which, Weston is none too happy about.
The time is short. The end is near. We have heard this mantra shouted out by Rod Meredith for 60 some years. Not once in that entire time has he ever been right.
Dear Members and Co-workers, our world is getting crazier with each passing day! We never know what new shock may greet us each morning! Journalists once strove to publish the one major news story for the day. Sometimes they really had to scramble to find one, and we would often comment, “This must be a slow news day.” Not anymore! Today it is a matter of which major story takes precedence over the others. Will there be a war with North Korea? Will the U.S. and Russia have an incident that sparks a major conflict between the two antagonists in Syria? Will war break out between Israel and its neighbors? Then there is the specter of a terrorist attack at any time and nearly anywhere.
Those who study the Bible should understand that we are truly living in the last days. The Apostle Paul warned us, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come” (2 Timothy 3:1). What we see today is only the beginning. It will get much worse. We cannot know every twist and turn world events will take, but the Bible gives us the outline and the outcome. One troubling trend is that the very people of God will be lukewarm, neither hot nor cold at the time of the end (Revelation 3:14-19).
How strange! One would think that it would be just the opposite. People should become more zealous toward God and doing His will as they see end-time events descending upon them. Such is not the case.
What can Weston expect when he, Meredith and the COG as a whole have lied to its membership for decades? People are following God and are still zealous, just not in LCG or a COG. That is a bitter pill for COG leaders to swallow.
Of course, there is the big bad bogeyman Satan who is the cause of all of this.
There is a real spirit being directing the course of this world (Ephesians 2:1-2). He is a master of distraction. He gives us every physical toy we could ever imagine. Television, once considered the greatest time waster, now competes with Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, Instagram and a host of other electronic devices and programs that vie for our attention. No technology is evil in itself, but taken together without exercising character to set proper priorities, people wear out before they get to those things that are important.
LCG members and COG members as a whole are worn out because of the constant abuse levelled at them by the church leadership. Legalism trumps grace every time. The "rules" must be followed over showing love to one another. Love and grace are four letter words that COG leaders despise.
So what is important in your life? What is your passion? What demands the greatest devotion from you? Is it your hobby? Is it your family? Family is certainly important, but is it the most important?
Apparently many in the LCG are placing an emphasis on their families and doing things with them instead of taking that money and sending it in to Weston. How dare they! How can Jimmy Meredith spend thousands of dollars every year skiing, snorkelling, boating, and travelling to exotic locales when that money should go directly to Weston's church fund? He has a message to get out Lil'Jimmy! Get on board!!!
At some point, we all come to the place where one question stands out above all else. Is there life after death? The Bible says there is. Does it not make sense to investigate the possibility? Hobbies, while of temporal value, will not get you there. The trappings of success, such as money and material possessions, cannot get you there, and you cannot take them with you beyond the grave. Even family is of no lasting value if you put family before God. Read Jesus’ own words for yourself: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate [love to a lesser degree by comparison] his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). Is there life after death, and what must I do to find it?
What will it take to stir each of us to take action and go all out to serve the living God? Jesus tells us, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together” (John 4:34-36).
Living Church of God members are asking just how much Gerald Weston, Lil'Jimmy, Rod McNair and others will sacrifice for the work? LCG members have never seen these guys or the leadership as whole set any example. Instead, LCG members and employees have experienced this:
My husband worked there for over 5 years and he never saw a bigger group of backbiters and cut-throats.
Rod Meredith promotes an atmosphere where if you stab your co-worker in the back, but give him your version of the story 1st, they other guy gets pushed down the ladder and the bully gets exalted.
Everyone is so insecure and selfish that they expend huge amounts of energy making sure that no one steals their piece of the pie. Working to make sure you get noticed before someone else takes credit for your work is a constant struggle.
If one were to randomly pick ANY worldly work office it would be more harmonious. Typically the people you work with aren't on the same level of self-righteousness, arrogance or filled with as much selfish ambition as the leading men at LCG headquarters.
It truly is a "brood of vipers".
All the vipers have their little pet projects that feed their egos. It's disgusting.
It was hard being a member in LCG knowing what its headquarters was like. If the average member glimpsed a peek of the lies and other shady behavior that goes on their so frequently that it's become common place, they might think twice about sending in those tithes.
What Gerald Weston and the leadership of the Living Church of God needs to do is to get on their knees this coming sabbath in front of their congregations and ask for forgiveness on how abusive they have been to the members. Then every single minister and church leader should fast to prove to the members just how sick and degenerate they have become spiritually and STOP making the membership fast for you! Sadly, this will never happen. Egotism and narcissism cannot allow these "men" to admit they have a weak side or are wrong. Humility has no room in the ministry of the LCG. If you want proof of that, just go up to your local minister this Sabbath and ask him if he is a humble man. No LCG member should ever again fast for the leadership to get its act in gear. They will always refuse to. All you are doing is making yourself hungry.
