Why the church needs your tithe money

 

Steven L Ross - Where is the Place of Safety? Info needed

 

I received a note today asking for information on the following individual and the article he published. Does anyone have the article and /or know where Steven Ross now is?

The reason I am asking is that a reporter from an internationally known magazine is researching a report/book/podcast on Steven L. Ross in relation to the Petra info spoken about below:

I'm trying to learn more, both about Steven and his split from the church, as well as the church itself. Can you help? Any information is welcome. 

And if anyone who knew Steven can talk to me, I'd love to talk to them. 

Those interested in the Petra doctrine or those who may have relatives or friends hooked on the idea will benefit from an article recently published by the Foundation for Biblical Research. It is titled "Where Is Your Place of Safety?" Written by former WCG member Steven L. Ross, the article is one of the best ever done to disprove the WCG's Petra theory. AR32, June 1985

When you are no longer welcome at your parent’s house because you chose to leave 'the church'

 

There has been a lot of discussion on this blog over the years about various Churches of God who actively destroy families due to their arcane and divisive doctrinal/church teachings. From Dave Pack's cult breaking up marriages to Gerald Flurry's cult which prohibits members from speaking to children and/or parents who are no longer church members. The list of abuses has been long and at times shocking in how unchristian they all are.

Here is a letter from a person who has dealt with this in his family's life. 

A post recently appeared here about what it means to be persecuted, and one of the comments that it provoked hit particularly close to home. The commentator wrote: "What does it mean to be persecuted? I will tell you what it means .... It means that you are no longer welcome at your parent’s house because you chose to leave ‘the church’. It means that your children never met their grandparents because you are an outcast (because you left ‘the true faith’). It means that you, your husband and your children are told that you are ‘evil’, ‘satanic’ and ‘lost’." Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon experience among those who have left one of the Armstrong Churches of God.

And, like many others, I have personally experienced some of this rejection and isolation described in this person's comments. After leaving the Worldwide Church of God, all of my former friendships and associations within that organization ended abruptly. Even worse, the only way "back" was to conform to the expectations of the corporation/organization. Without my complete submission, it was made clear to me that reconciliation was impossible. All of those relationships were contingent upon my unqualified acceptance of the party line.

Later, when I left the “fill-in-the-blank” Armstrong Church of God, the same thing happened - only it was even worse this time, because family members were also involved. My dad was a minister in that organization, and he was friends with one of the leaders of the group. Even worse, that leader/friend was a hardliner in the tradition of the old Worldwide Church. Also, my brother (along with one of his children's family) joined the church and adopted and fully endorsed that leader's theology and political views.

However, unlike my earlier experience, this time the death of the relationships wasn't immediate and complete. Instead, the relationships deteriorated over time. Eventually, religious and political topics were declared to be off limits in my interactions with family members - they didn't want to hear anything that contradicted their views. Contact and conversations became less frequent and confined to the weather, home repairs and the health status of family members.

In fairness, I don't want to give the impression that this was an entirely one-sided affair. Over time, I began to resent the restrictions on our relationships. I also began to resent my dad's frequent traveling on behalf of the church, and his unwillingness to visit me. And how does one deal with the sincere desire to "fix" things - to make things better? What do you do when the other side regards you as ignorant, deceived, apostate, wicked or some combination of all of the above? Do you surrender your identity and beliefs to rekindle the closeness and affection that you once shared with them?

In thinking about these things (and I've had many years now to think about them), I'm reminded of the principles behind successfully navigating relationship difficulties (marriage counseling, conflict resolution, etc.). Among many, the foundational principles governing such endeavors are that both sides acknowledge that there is a problem and have the desire to "fix" things. And how does that work when one side believes that compromise or accommodation might endanger their prospects for eternal life in God's Kingdom? How does that work when one side believes that the other is intent on destroying the church or the republic they cherish?

I must admit - at times, the situation seems hopeless and beyond repair. But then I'm reminded of something that alcoholics and addicts have known about for a long time: The Serenity Prayer. You know - the one that goes something like this: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.

Philadelphia Church of God Cult Bans Smartphones As A Tool of Satan

 

So many of the Churches of God are all about control, but none so much as the Restored Church of God and the Philadelphia Church of God. They have to stick their sweaty fingers into every aspect of members' lives.

This time it is the Philadelphia Church of God cult, run by Gerald and Lil'Stevie Flurry. In yet another attempt to still stop members from finding about abuses and doctrinal changes in the cult, they have now banned smartphones. What is so bad about smartphones? They have access to the internet and allow students and members to double-check the lies that PCG puts forth.

Exit and Support Network has this letter up from a young person in the PCG.

PCG Ruling Says No Smartphones Allowed:
November 19, 2020 

 

Hi, I am a young person still currently in the PCG. Some time ago I stopped believing the teachings of this group. Since then I have opened my eyes to the fearmongering and manipulation. Anyway, around early this year, they made the ruling that no one should have smartphones. Instead, we should have alternatives like flip phones or gaff phones. The PCG no longer allows phones on campus from any students or anyone employed by the PCG. In sermons they actively shame parents who allow their kids to have phones. They tell the parents that they’re letting Satan get to their kids if they don’t take away their phones. It’s legitimately scary to see this happening as it’s just another way to control the members and gain more power over them. –[name withheld]

Living Church of God: LCG Members Need Be Like David And Stop Arguing With Scriptures And Repent!

Here we go again. Week after week, one admonition after another about something that LCG members are doing wrong. Can they ever receive an uplifting message from church leadership that compliments them and says they are doing something right? Imagine words of grace for at least one week instead of constant condemnation.

As usual, the emphasis is on the law. apparently, members are "arguing with scriptures" to deliberately not do what God church leadership expects of them. It's always something they need to be doing. They are constantly being tested and examined by an angry god. Imagine just resting and truly having a Sabbath rest. Christ says that is what he brings to the table.

A Matter of Heart: The Bible states that God looks on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7) and that David was chosen to be king because God saw that David was “a man after My own heart” (Acts 13:22). But what exactly did God see in David’s heart? God saw that David was a person “who will do all My will” (Acts 13:22). God saw that David was teachable and that he “loved” God’s law and meditated on it daily so he could learn God’s mind and gain God’s perspective (Psalm 119:97,105). David did not argue with the Scriptures or look for ways to get around instructions that God clearly revealed in His word (Psalm 119:16, 18, 27). David praised God with his whole heart (Psalm 119:1–2) and he repented wholeheartedly when he realized that he was wrong (Psalm 51). This is why David will reign as king over the children of Israel in the Kingdom of God (Ezekiel 34:23). We need to remember that God is examining and testing our hearts (Psalm 7:9). If our thoughts, words, and actions reflect what God is looking for, we will be given the opportunity to reign with Jesus Christ and with David in the coming Kingdom (Matthew 19:28–29; Revelation 5:10). The Bible reveals that our reward will be based on what is in our heart!

Have a profitable Sabbath,

Douglas S. Winnail