Saturday, March 17, 2018

Did Richard Ames Admit The World Does Not Need LCG's Message?



Richard Ames writes:

God loves every human being who has ever lived, or who ever will live. He has demonstrated His unconditional love for His creation and for every human being. We need that love to motivate us in fulfilling our calling in life (Romans 5:5). Recall how Dr. Meredith expressed his love and compassion in one very moving co-worker letter a few years ago: "Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ, Greetings from Charlotte, NC! Talk about natural disasters! Even as I write, radio and television reports tell us that tens of thousands of human beings have perished in the powerful earthquake which just struck Pakistan and parts of India. Perhaps none of these people were truly acquainted with the God of the Bible, but every human being is precious in God’s sight" (October 10, 2005). Yes, every human being is precious in God’s sight. We all need God’s love to fulfill the mission He has given us.
Yes, every human being is precious in God's sight, even the unchurched in India and Pakistan who have never heard of Herbert Armstrong, Rod Meredith, the Sabbath and Holy Days, church eras, unclean meats, proper church government, prophecy or Living Church of God.  If God already loves them, as Ames says He does, they God already loves those untouched or reached by the Living Church of God. So essentially there is no need for the church to continue to demand tithe money to fund the elite's lifestyles in Charlottee.

Does the world really need LCG's message?  Is it lost without it?

It's All About The Money Even At Passover Time



In the Church of God world, Passover has always been a time of inward introspection and self-examination as to why people do the silly signs they do even though they know it is wrong. But lately, the expectation is that COG members examine themselves as to why they don't give more money or tithe more or support the "work" more diligently.

Richard Ames writes to the Living Church of God members:

TITHES AND OFFERINGS: Have you been faithful in paying your tithes to God this past year? Have you been faithful in giving offerings? Be honest with yourself. Stealing from God is a serious matter. "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ’In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation" (Malachi 3:8–9).
God owns the earth, and everyone and everything on it. He promises to provide our every need (Philippians 4:19). God provides for His children, but some have "little faith" and do not trust Him (Matthew 6:30). He gave this admonition: "’Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,’ Says the Lord of hosts, ’If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it’" (Malachi 3:10). God is the Giver of every good and perfect gift, and He promises to abundantly bless the tithe payer. Those who have faithfully saved their Festival tithe know firsthand the joy God gives at His annual festivals.
Examine your degree of faithfulness this past year with God’s tithe. Have you stolen from God? Have you saved a full Festival tithe? Ask God for the ability to give. Trust and honor Him in your tithes and offerings. If you have been a thief this past year, ask God’s forgiveness, determine to trust Him this coming year, then take the Passover in faith!
One of the biggest lies used as a weapon to intimidate church members was the accusation that people were "robbing God" when they did not tithe or give lots of offerings. It was a control tactic deliberately spit out to instil fear in church members and make them compliant.