Saturday, August 22, 2020

Gerald Weston Intends To Shut Down Live Streaming Of Sermons

 

Church of God News has this little tidbit up:

It used to be possible for anyone to view LCG’s live Sabbath services, but one of Gerald Weston’s first actions on taking control of LCG was to deny access to non-members.

Soon afterwards he took this a stage further: “We ask you, brethren, please do not share passwords outside of your area.”

In his sermon on August 8th he announced his intention to cut off livestream services even to members … “when this whole thing is over.”

“Some who are healthy, some who really could go to the feast just think, well, it’s just an option. Yes it is an option, in the sense of you have to make up your mind what to do. But there’s coming a time, brethren, when we have to come out of our basements, and there’s coming a time, when this whole thing is over, we’re going to have to cut off the livestreams to just anybody.

And I think we’ll have to do that because otherwise people will say, oh, I’m so comfortable here at home. Why do I have to dress up and go all the way over here? I would maintain that, when we assemble together over the internet, because everything is closed down, I’d say that’s still assembling together … but this is not what we want to do forever.”

Why not … if it’s still assembling together? What is he worried that his members might be doing?

Weston has to be one of the pettiest COG leaders out there.  Everything irritates this guy and causes him to lash out in anger. As usual, LCG members are at fault. Can they ever do anything right in this man's eye? 

Ever since Terry Ratzmann murdered seven LCG members during Sabbath services, LCG has sought to close down access to their sermons to the public. One of Meredith's sermons drove Ratzmann over the edge and the media sought to gain access to what was being preached. LCG clamped down tighter than an oyster shell. So much for the Good News that they claim to be proclaiming to the world!  How can anyone ever hear the message if they cant listen to the truth? None of their watered-down crap in their magazines preaches the Good News. I thought LCG was BOLDLY and without fear, preaching the truth? Instead, they cower and whimper in their little office building in Charlotte dreaming about the good old days when people obeyed the ministry regardless of what they said.

Adult Sabbath School: "And women shall rule over them"

Dr. Making It Mean What It Never Meant Bob is once again misunderstanding and misapplying the classic WCG concept of how to study the Bible.  You know,  "Line up line, line upon line, here a little, there a little..."

In his "Kamala Harris selected for VP" comments Thiel says, as we would expect from Old School WCG....

"The 2020 presidential election is featuring people who are against many aspects of biblical morality.

The Bible itself warns that if the children of Israel sinned and did not repent, the following would happen:

"As for My people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them..."  Isaiah 3:12"

Bob goes on, as to be expected, that the Bible warns us the time would come when female rulers as well as those not racially Israelite would come on the scene.  No really. He says this.  "While Barack Obama may have been about 1/2 Israelite descent, Kamala Harris is less so."  No really, he said that.

Bob then goes on to tell us that "since the time of Margaret Thatcher" he has felt likely that the USA would end up with a woman President.  Horrified, he goes on to note that women already rule as Prime Ministers in Australia and New Zealand and UK and Canada have had their Queens. I'll spare us the part about his fears about "Aliens rising up."

The fact that modern female Prime Ministers seem to do a much better job than their male counterparts escapes him. 


You can read his foolish Bronze Age misapplication of Isaiah 3:12 here:

https://www.cogwriter.com/news/prophecy/kamala-harris-selected-for-vp-by-dnc-here-is-more-from-and-about-her/

You can read the actual meaning and context of  "here a little, there a little, line upon line, precept upon precept" here:

https://armstrongismlibrary.blogspot.com/2017/01/dear-bobi-repeat.html

But to the meaning of Isaiah 3:12. 

And while I would not endorse the Israelite Bronze Age view of women as weak and troublesome so as to use their womanhood an analogy about how the men, rulers and priests were acting, it is generally understood that the concept or supposed "prophecy" is of a time to come when just before Jesus returns, women would rise to political positions over the lost, yet found Israelite nations thousands of years into the future.  That is lame and dishonest to the text and intent. 


As for my people, children are their oppressors - This refers, doubtless, to their civil rulers. They who "ought" to have been their "protectors," oppressed them by grievous taxes and burdens. But whether this means that the rulers of the people were "literally" minors, or that they were so in "disposition and character," has been a question. The original word is in the singular number (מעולל me‛ôlēl), and means a "child," or an infant. It may, however, be taken collectively as a noun of multitude, or as denoting more than one. To whom reference is made here cannot easily be determined, but possibly to "Ahaz," who began to reign when he was twenty years old; 2 Kings 16:2. Or it may mean that the "character" of the princes and rulers was that of inexperienced children, unqualified for government.

Are their oppressors - literally, 'are their exactors,' or their "taxers" - the collectors of the revenue.

And women rule over them - This is not to be taken literally, but it means either that the rulers were under the influence of the "harem," or the females of the court; or that they were effeminate and destitute of vigor and manliness in counsel. The Septuagint and the Chaldee render this verse substantially alike: 'Thy exactors strip my people as they who gather the grapes strip the vineyard.'

They which lead thee - Hebrew "They who bless thee, or call thee blessed." (See the margin.) This refers, doubtless, to the public teachers, and the false prophets, who "blessed" or flattered the people, and who promised them safety in their sins.

Cause thee to err - Lead you astray; or lead you into sin and danger."

And destroy - Hebrew "Swallow up."

As for my people, {k} children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they who lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

(k) Because the wicked people were more addicted to their princes than to the commandments of God, he shows that he would give them such princes, by whom they would have no help, but that they would be manifest tokens of his wrath, because they would be fools and effeminate.

Verse 12. - As for my people. Return is now made to the sins of the dwellers in Jerusalem, and the first thing noted is that the people suffer from the childishness and effeminacy of their rulers. The rulers are called "oppressors" by the way here, the sin of oppression being dwelt on later (vers. 14, 15). Here the emphatic words are "children," "women." Children (see ver. 4). The rulers are "children," or rather "babes" - foolish, capricious, cowardly. It is not clear that any prince in particular is meant; rather, by the plural form, the upper class generally seems to be intended, as in Isaiah 1:10, 17, 23, etc. Women; comp. Herod., 8:88, where Xerxes says that "his men have shown themselves women, and his women men;" and see also Virg., 'AEneid '-

"O vere Phrygia, neque enim Phryges." The rulers were womanly, i.e. weak, wavering, timid, impulsive, passionate, and are therefore called actual "women." There is no allusion to female sovereigns. They which lead thee cause thee to err; or, they which direct thee lead thee astray. Professing to point out the right path, they led men away from it. Destroy the way; literally, swallow it up, or obliterate it.

Sorry Bob

Your racist and sexist defects are clearly on display in, yet again, making the Bible mean what it never meant or could. 

Friday, August 21, 2020

Did Sheldon Monson Comply To Weston's Rules And Then Have The Script Turned On Him (Like LCG Is So Good At)?



The more days that pass the worse Gerald Weston and the Living Church of God look in this situation

From a reader:

"He's called us not just for personal salvation but to do a work and if we splinter and we you know separate and every which direction everybody doing his own thing, how are we going to do the work of God?" - Gerald Weston Quote.


We have been in contact with Sheldon Monson, he has no intention to start his own church, at least at this time, as far as I know. We have been told he will pray and fast about the current situation he is in. For now he is holding Sabbath services online which would seem to be appropriate considering the fact he does not know what to do. I believe Sheldon is trying to do the right thing. I trust his word and my hope is he will.

Now regarding LCG actions. I believe it was unnecessary and wrong for LCG to treat Sheldon the way they did. No contact anymore? If true, not a good look. Was he really doing anything wrong though? I think we need to ask that question and take it to a serious level of consideration. Am I right or am I wrong? LCG members: this was not the 1st case of crookedness by the way.. LCG has been caught in lies to name one further example.

Now, here's something you may have not heard: 

Sheldon said he complied to rules from LCG and was able to hold Sabbath Services outside for 5 Months or so within LCG after the pandemic began, that is, COVID-19. But something strange happened from my understanding. LCG flipped the script and decided to change the policy regarding outside service from what I understand. They decided, as in the council of elders I believe, to take away access to outdoor services. For what reason? They never gave a proper explanation as to why. As many of us know, Sheldon, stood up for what he believed was right. By the way, this is not the only reason why LCG fired him and disfellowshipped him. Sheldon personally thinks it was a test of compliance. Odd, I know. Sheldon was an outspoken member during his time in the council of elders. Which made him quite unliked from what I heard. So I'm not really surprised and I don't think Sheldon is either, that they may have done something crooked, mind you, again. I'm not saying they surely did but they certainly could of.. Sheldon is not the only person I suppose you could say was abused, if what I said earlier could be true. My father was. Our close friend was. Dibar Apartian, right before his death from my understanding. The Scarboroughs from what I heard. The list goes on. 

To everyone: LCG needs really needs to take the weightier matters of the law very seriously which they claim to hold to. (Matthew 7:16–20)