Dixon Cartwright Shutting Down The Journal: News of the Churches of God

Issue 199, The Journal: News of the Churches of God

Issue 199 of The Journal is out.

Besides the shocking revelation that Dixon Cartwright is shutting down the Journal, it is filled with several interesting articles, both in a good way and a bad way.

One of the lead article sis by UCG's Don Hooser on "Is there ever an appropriate reason to leave the church?"

Hooser claims that for those who fall away and stop attending church fall into darkness and will have a hard time every finding the light again. He also goes on to say that for those that leave the church that the Holy Spirit automatically leaves you.  Utter bullshit!  UCG wonders why people don't want to be baptized, this kind of crap is why!

This straying away from the truth of God’s Word is dangerous, though, because it can eventually lead to a complete falling away from the Church. The farther you stray from the light, the greater the darkness and the difficulty in finding your way back.
To completely fall away means to lose the Holy Spirit: The “light goes out.” For you to leave the Church means the Holy Spirit has left you. 

Hooser's bullshit just keeps getting deeper.  Those who leave the COG immediately become degenerate sinners where they will find it is impossible to come to repentance.  Because of that, they crucify Christ over and over and over and over again.  The poor dude has died so many times on the high school gym or Masonic Lodge stage that it has to be exhausting for the guy to have to keep climbing back up on the cross!

According to Hebrews 6:4-6, to completely fall away means it is “impossible” to come to “repentance,” since the fallen away “crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.”

This happens in conjunction with a complete hardening of the heart to “sin willfully” (Hebrews 10:26-31) 

There is an article about Spokesmen Club.  Men and women in the church either loved it or hated it with a passion.  Some claimed it helped them to overcome speaking fears, others got sick of the horrendous verbal and spiritual abuse dished out by abusive ministers and idiot members. 

There is the continuing series of flashback articles regarding the glory days of the church and the horrible result of the changes in the  mid-1990's.  As usual, they whitewash the story as if all of the people who now led the splinter groups are martyrs for the truth.  Ha Ha.

Alton Billingsley is back with his usual end of the world scenario.  With the horrific damage from hurricane Irma to the wildfires in California, the end is now here. Read it and weep.

Read issue 199 here.

United Church of God Struggles To Understand Why People Who Attend With Them Choose Not To Be Baptized

United Church of God continues to struggle to understand why they cannot seem to connect with their members and potential members.  They have dumped hundreds of thousands of dollars on failed campaigns and personal appearances that generate 0-1 new attendees.  Then, once they start attending, they see no need to get baptized.

A spontaneous discussion ensued about baptism. Why are more people who attend with us not baptized? We have people of all ages sitting in our midst who do not feel the compunction to obey the first command given to the Christian church: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

Why don’t more people take “the plunge?” Do they not understand the importance of this most important decision in life? Do we in the ministry not point out how imperative this step is? Are people not wanting to be “held accountable” by being baptized?

So what is UCG to do?  Force them into Bible Studies?  Ruin a fun Feast by having Bible Studies for the wayward heathens?  Apparently so, as many of the people are filled with misunderstandings that UCG seeks to clear up.

In the discussion, various pastors commented about how to improve this situation without unnaturally forcing one to act before they are prepared. But, what can we do to make them “ready?” Elders gave various suggestions, including focused Bible studies for those not baptized to allow prospective members to think about this critical decision. This type of special Bible study could even be held at the Feast of Tabernacles. For some of those who are not yet baptized, there may be a misunderstanding about what is required to be baptized and a study of the subject could clear this up.

Then UCG  quotes Matthew 11:28-30 as if it is something that they do on a regular basis.  This verse is specifically for those that Christ has seen abused and mistreated by the law keepers and Pharisees. Grace brings that rest that they seek, but yet is always just beyond their reach because they refuse to believe they don't have to constantly be doing something.

Christ told the public: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). While we sacrifice to be a disciple of Christ, it is an easier road to travel than had we not made the decision to become a Christian.

His yoke is easy and the burden is light