LCG: Real Men Don't Have Crippling Emotions

From an LCG source:

Did you know it's a virtue to be a cold hearted, aggressive ass? 

This TW cover article by Wally Smith should clarify it for you...

..."At the same time, the ability to emotionally detach oneself from the circumstance at hand in order to “get the job done” is a praiseworthy trait, allowing for clarity and achievement at times when emotions would be crippling." Is Masculinity Really Toxic?

"Sadly, society seems to be attempting to define men out of existence at the very moment in history when we may need them most. The God of the Bible speaks of terrible times ahead—an overdue rendezvous with the consequences of our rejection of Him, His laws, His design, and His guidance. The period to come in human history will be like no other has ever been, and no period afterward will ever match its ferocity and horrors (Matthew 24:21; Jeremiah 30:7).

Yet the Eternal reveals plainly what He is looking for to forestall such days—and what He fails to find: “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one” (Ezekiel 22:30).

Assertively—even aggressively—fighting against the crowd to do what is right, standing up on one’s own two feet when the rest of the world is crawling on its knees, and being strong enough to bear the intense weight of society’s pressure to conform to corrupt standards without deviating from what is true… All of those sound like the sorts of tasks for which men are made. Let us hope there are some left. 

Are there real men left in LCG? Is anyone really left in LCG to stand in the gap?

What do You Mean, NO MAN? (Answer to WAT)

"My first big question for you is, do you really know what you are fighting against? The next big question would be how are you going to get around "NO MAN". The John 6:44 no man can come to me unless the Father which has sent me draws (drags) him."

First, let me tackle John 6:44 so you can understand the viewpoint that I understand here. John 6:44 states:

"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day."

The proper perspective, I believe, to look at this scripture has to do with the reconciliation of man to the Father through Jesus Christ. I don't want to turn this post into a preach fest, but you asked me questions, and I have to respond by scripture: 

"For if, while we were God's enemies, (speaking of the Father)  we were reconciled to himthrough the death of his Son, (Jesus) how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved." 

Now let's look at John 6 in context: 

43 “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. 44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me. 46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly I tell you,the one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” 52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them.57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. 60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” 61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.” (NIV)

My understanding is as such: The Father God has been reconciled to man through Jesus Christ, who died for us and lives in us. The Spirit is what gives life (The Holy Spirit whom lives in us), and the flesh counts "for nothing". The focus that Jesus said was this: That it is a matter of who believes and who does not believe - those that believe that Jesus is the Son of God and those that would betray him. Jesus said that this is the reason He said no one can come to himself unless "the Father has enabled them" to believe. 

The question is on belief. Jesus has made clear that any and all who believe in Him have life. This was proven as evidentiary by the acceptance of the Gentiles by the Holy Spirit who gave the Gentiles the same gift as the Jews - an event that absolutely rocked the hearts and minds and the worldviews of the Jewish Church. Those who did not believe were not drawn by the Father (God is never about forcing people to believe something or not, He gives choice), those who did believe did so because the Father accepted their belief even before Jesus actually died on the Cross. 

Every man who believes is accepted by God. It doesn't make them perfect, it doesn't make them immune to sin - but it allows the ability of repentance through acceptance of reconciliation to the Father only provided by Jesus Christ. It is this message that Armstrongism is against - stating that reconciliation to the Father has not happened yet, is STILL A FUTURE EVENT EVEN NOW,  that the world is still ruled by Satan except those few who believe in Armstrongism, and that those in the world are deceived and cut off from God, thereby not receiving or taking part in any reconciliation to the Father, whether Jew or Gentile, unless accepting of the doctrines of Armstrongism and the keeping of and bonding to the entirety of Law. This is contrary to the teachings of the New Testament, of Paul, of the Acts 15 Council decisions, and of the entirety of the reconciliation proof of God to man through the acceptance of the Gentiles without the necessity of the keeping of the Law as was mandated to the Jews in the Old Testament. This is where the "No man" difference is put to a test. So the question I have for you, then, is simply this: Did the Father reconcile man to himself - and who does that apply to? Armstrongism, or all who believe? 

The other question that you pose is "do I know who I am fighting against"? Scripture answers that question in Ephesians 6:12: 

¹² For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.(NIV)

The bottom line to your question is this: The Father has been reconciled to man through Jesus Christ. Mankind has a choice: To believe, or not to believe. This is a personal choice, not done by force or coercion. No man can come to the Father unless drawn by the Father, to make the choice of belief. The issue is if one believes, or does not believe - in their heart, mind and soul - of who Jesus says that He is. The Father knows who does and who does not in their heart, and by their heart shall they believe. This is not a question of who is or is not accepted into Armstrongism or Armstrong's doctrines. It's a matter of belief in the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

submitted by SHT

UCG Lectures Elders on British Israelism

These were two of the topics that UCG discussed with their Elders on the Sabbath; something Herbert would NEVER have done!  Also, a large percentage of UCG ministers and members no longer believe the mess that British Israelism is and know it has no relevance to anything in the kingdom to come.  While the tales may make fascinating ready, it has no real impact on a Christians walk with God

Instead of discussing this malarkey as "truth", perhaps at the next conference they might discuss something really radical...Jesus.

Galatians 3:28-29 

In Christ’s Family

28-29 In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, since you are Christ’s family, then you are Abraham’s famous “descendant,” heirs according to the covenant promises.

UCG Elder's Conference Discussed "The Great Compact"

Why is it that the amazing leaders of the Churches of God have to create new phrases in order to discuss subjects that Christians have understood for centuries?  The plan of salvation has always been known, except in the Church of God which has had to attach all kinds of rules and regulations in order for any ACOG member to qualify for it.

UCG held its Elder's Conference this past weekend in the spectacularly beautiful City of Cincinnati, Ohio.  This one topic stood out from the others as one of the more bizarre topics that they were lectured upon.

I assume this will be a discussion on salvation, but this, after all, is a Church of God where nothing is as it should be.

UCG, like the other ACOG's can't understand the plan of salvation because it still ignores Jesus in order to prostrate themselves at the altar of the law they have set up as their true idol.

Sunday, May 5 

The Compact 

The greatest agreement ever made is still honoured and always will be. This great compact is forever, and the outcome is certain. It was made for our sake. We must know what it is, and how it impacts our lives individually and the church today. Understanding the mystery of this eternal compact allows us to assess where we are on the spiritual spectrum of God’s plan. 

Are we on it? Is the path ahead clear to us upon whom the ends of the earth have come? When we properly understand the mystery of this great compact, it gives us the capacity to know where we are and who we are in the great plan of God. It is the heart of everything that is. (Bill Bradford)  Conference Brochure

If you want proof that this is a wierd topic just try Googling it.  It is a completely COG made up phrase.

Gerald Weston: LCG is the Church of Love

Did you know that the Living Church of God is the most loving COG because they keep correct doctrine? Because of that love, we also know that LCG has true disciples!  Amazing!

Every few years the leadership of the Living Church of God has to remind its members that they are to be loving towards one another and be reminded that the top leadership truly loves them. Never has there been a Church of God that loves its members more!

Remember that love?  That love that was shown the Scarborough's when  LCG maligned them and publicly sought to humiliate them?  What about the love that just oozes from Rod McNair's fingertips?  We have seen LCG members share stories of that love on this blog over the last 8 years and it has not been very loving!

Gerald Weston has this to say about love, correct doctrine, and the LCG.

Jesus said, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). This is a powerful statement and should not be minimized. However, contrary to what many profess, love is more than a warm feeling in one’s heart. It involves sacrifice and caring actions toward God and toward our fellow man.

The Church of God has always sought to demonize Christians outside the small circle of the Armstrong Churches of God.  They never measure up to the glorious standards that LCG or the COG sets.  All others are "fake" or so-called" Christians who "claim to profess" Christian ideals.  Only real love and real truth are to be found within the ACOG movement.

Correct doctrine is vital to the Church of God and love is at the heart of correct doctrine. After all, the Bible is an expression of the mind of God and God is love (1 John 4:8, 16). The Apostle known for his love tells us, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). So why is this subject so important that I take time to address it in this monthly letter with you dear members and co-workers?

When has "correct doctrine" ever been a benchmark of the ACOG?  It always claims that it is, but with 400 some different active splinter groups there are 400 different ideas on what doctrine should and should not be.

Doctrine, we might say, is simply teachings or instructions, and in this case, the teachings of the Bible. The Apostle Paul confirms that doctrine is important. He warned the Church of God at Ephesus that they “should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. . .” (Ephesians 4:14). And he urged the members in Rome to “note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them” (Romans 16:17).

Doctrine is simply the teaching of Jesus.  That inconvenient dude that most ACOG's have built pillars of stone upon where they have engraved the law. Jesus has never been able to crawl out from under the weight of that monument to the law, which is probably the reason most of them cannot find him.

Right doctrine is what allows us to have unity. Paul told the Corinthians that they should all speak the same thing, meaning they should be unified in the basic doctrines they were taught by Paul and other ministers of the truth (1 Corinthians 1:10). And he pointed out that we must strive to keep the unity of the faith: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).

When has the Armstrong Church of God ever been unified?  Rebellion and schism created it and continues to form it to this day.  Unity is NOT part of the ACOG way.

As for the Living Church of God following Paul...truly laughable!

A servant of God must teach sound doctrine as found in the Bible, not ideas with roots in pagan philosophy and heathen practices. He must also be bold in proclaiming the truth and in fulfilling God’s command, “Cry aloud, spare not; lift up your voice like a trumpet; tell My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1). We live in an age where God is despised, because this generation, especially, hates His laws. Biblical values are rejected at every turn and a totalitarian-minded elite is convincing a whole generation to do everything it can to wipe out any remembrance of God and His Word. The “culture war” is, more precisely, an assault against God.

When has the Living Church of God ever "cried aloud and spared not?"  They deceptively spread their version of the truth on cable and Internet stations in mediums that they whitewash their story to in order to be put online. LCG presents themselves as visions of light and glory to the stations and channels while secretly looking at them as deceived heretical fools.

Sure there are a lot of LCG members who truly do exhibit love towards others, and some even towards those outside the LCG circle, but not so much so with the leadership.

Perhaps on Pentecost, the next high day in COGland the Living Church of God leaders could instruct members to give their offerings to the local food bank or homeless shelter and go there and serve that day.  That would truly be the Holy Spirit in action!