Living Church of God On Attending Church As Country Reopens

As the country reopens and restrictions start dropping on groups gathering togehther, LCG has released some well thought out guidlines for church services, masks, and vaccinations.

 

Dear Brethren, 

 

While COVID-19 rages in parts of the world such as India, it seems to be abating in other nations. New Zealand reports very few cases and here in the United States, Texas reported zero deaths from COVID yesterday for the first time. Nevertheless, one of our members in Texas succumbed to the virus a few days ago and she was in her mid-thirties. We know of others who contracted the disease recently and have had a difficult time with it. 

 

It might be easy to let up entirely if we were only a localized church, but we are an international Church, serving people in many different countries, provinces, territories, and states. (Please read the message from Mr. Paul Shumway below, regarding a visit from the COVID Police in Barbados on Pentecost.) One size does not fit all, and we should not stay locked down where it does not make sense. Sadly, everything about this pandemic has become political in the United States and some other countries, making it nearly impossible to trust any one source. So, what is God’s Church to do? 

 

Attending services in a crowded room with poor ventilation for two or more hours is a high-risk situation for spreading any kind of airborne virus. We also know that we have many members who are vulnerable due to age and underlying conditions. We want them to be safe and feel safe, but we cannot hide out in caves and wear masks until Christ returns. We must get back to some kind of normalcy as there are also risks to isolating ourselves and continually wearing masks for too long. 

 

After consulting with others this past week about the evolving situation, we want to loosen up where we can. For right now, we will continue to require masks while singing, and in fellowship before and after services while inside, but we will not require masks during the speaking portions of services where this is reasonableand allowed by law and the facilities we are using—keeping in mind that the priority is to do what we can to protect the vulnerable among us, particularly in areas where transmission is not low. We were looking forward to this in Charlotte last weekend as the result of a regulation change, but our meeting facility changed our meeting room and some 200 of us were crammed into a smaller room in which social distancing was not possible. It made sense to continue another week with masks for the whole service until this Sabbath, when we will be in our regular, larger room. Many areas are already doing this. We will continue to use social distancing in seating, where possible. 

 

In addition, in areas where there is low to no transmission, where mask mandates are totally lifted, and where we are not putting vulnerable people at risk, we want to go back to our normal practice. This does not mean that one cannot wear a mask or that people should be pressured or shamed to take off their mask. Those who choose to wear a mask are free to do so. Any decision to make a congregation mask-optional for the whole service will be made by the pastor after consulting with his Regional Director or Regional Pastor. Regional Pastors should consult with Church Administration when in doubt. 

 

And please, brethren, let us not judge one another regarding vaccination or non- vaccination, on masking or not masking, or what one congregation does based on its unique circumstances versus another congregation. Whatever we do, let’s show love and outgoing concern for one another. 

 

Sincerely, in Christ’s service, 

Gerald E. Weston

Stephen Flurry: You have the right to choose (unless you choose to go against anything we say)

 

One thing the Church of God has always preached, though never truly believed, was that we are all free moral agents who have the ability to choose right from wrong. That sounds logical to anyone outside of Armstrongism, but not to members. To choose to reject utterances from a leader, or understand that certain teachings are piles of crap, or even discern when church leaders are liars, carries a weaponized reaction. To choose differently than the established order was a direct pipeline to the lake of fire and being screamed at by a minister or some ordained flunky, or worse, being tortured by the Germans and placed into concentration camps. No one wanted to see their children hung up on meathooks because of disregarding the words of a minister or church leader.

It also always seems that the most abusive and aberrant COG's out there are the ones who claim members have the right to choose, and that is what Stephen Flurry is doing in the Philadelphia Church of God. PCG is considered by most in the COG movement to be a disgusting legalistic church that is damaging its member's lives (and wallets). 

Lil'Stevie writes:

When you hear the word power in the context of the Bible or God, you probably think of seas parting, dark clouds rolling, lightning striking, the universe—God’s power. But there is another power talked about in the Bible—that God gives to each of us. In fact, it’s a power we’ve had since birth. Though it is not God’s spiritual power, it is a tool that God uses to help us grow, overcome and build righteous character.

This gift is the power to choose. Not even God controls this power (except in Himself, of course). Wow! Could there even be such a thing as that? 

 

This power of choice is so significant that it determines whether you are blessed or cursed. We can choose the way that will result in much happiness, joy and abundance. Or we can choose the way that inevitably leads to heartache, struggle and frustration. 

Right off the bat, Stevie has to subtly threaten PCG members. If they choose differently than him or his daddy, then they are cursed. If they are cursed and leave the church then they will live miserable lives filled with frustration and struggle. Anyone who has left PCG or any other COG group and is totally free from Armstrongism knows that this is a lie.  

There is cause for every effect. That is a law! God says that whatever we sow, we will eventually reap. Whatever the effect, there was an original cause. We must truly realize the power we have in choosing! 

To choose to go against the PCG and its leaders is to go against God himself. Members need to be constantly told that their lives will be miserable and worthless because God has totally abandoned them. God is just waiting for people to choose wrongly so he can make them all miserable.

What are you doing with this power? Is the way you use it setting you up for a productive and fruitful career in God’s Family? 

Here is the just of the matter. To be loyal to the PCG is guaranteeing you a place in the godhead as a future god or goddess where you will be able to pass out judgment and rule over people and possibly even be given a world where you will be its god. 

The Bible shows clearly that without God’s Holy Spirit working in and leading our lives, we will never attain true happiness and success. We need God’s power—no doubt about it! But this article is not about God’s power. It’s about your power—and what you are doing with it!

Stevie then goes on to quote from two books, one from 1930 and the other from 1906. God forbid if anyone in the PCG  ever quoted from a book that was published within the last 5 years or so. But, because Herbert quoted it, it just to be considered scripture, worthy to be added to the continuing book of Acts. These books are about right "thinking" and setting goals.

Lil'Stevie then adds:

Herbert W. Armstrong said in his autobiography that he “often wondered if it is not really better for a young upstart to be conceited, self-confident, cocky—and with it, ambitious, energetic in trying to accomplish something—than to be an ambitionless, spineless, lazy, shiftless fellow utterly lacking in spark, drive, and the zeal to try to accomplish something worthwhile.

Now we know why PCG and so many of the other COG's are filled with such bombastic self-righteous cocky leaders. Herbert said it was ok! And, when you are in the PCG and read something that Herbert said then it is as if God himself put it into his mouth.

Stephen Flurry Is Just As Crazy As His Dad

We have reported here in the past about Gerald Flurry's weird obsession with his idea that Donald Trump will soon be brought back in as President and Joe Biden removed from office. Flurry claims this is a prophecy he got straight out of his big fat bible. Flurry needs this to happen soon because he also is calming that Trump will then turn around and expel all PCG members from the United States where supposedly Jordan will open their borders to these crazy Americans. It does not take much brainpower to realize that Furry is off his rocker, big time.

So where does that leave Lil'Stevie, the heir apparent? Well, he has an entire article up explaining his viewpoint and it is just as crazy as his dad. 

He has a long essay about the supposed corruption, voter fraud, evil democrats, and more that I am not going to post here.

Lil'Stevie ends with this: 

“It is practically an open secret that radical Democrats stole the 2020 United States presidential election,” my father wrote in his article “What Will Happen After Trump Regains Power.” “Polls show that over 70 percent of Republicans believe the election was stolen. A lot of Democrats also believe the election was stolen; I think many of them know it was. Even official totals show a record 74.2 million people voted for President Donald Trump—nearly 5 million more than anyone in American history! … To understand the election fraud in America, you must understand a passage in 2 Kings 14. The book of Kings is part of the Bible called the former prophets. The former prophets are prophets: The men who wrote them were prophets, and prophets are used by God to prophesy. These books contain history, but they are highly prophetic.” 

 

“For the Lord saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel. And the Lord said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash” (2 Kings 14:26-27). This passage is not only history but also prophecy for the descendants of Israel. Those descendants are mainly the United States, Britain and the Middle East Jewish nation named Israel. “Jeroboam the son of Joash” refers prophetically to an end-time president who saves Israel from destruction.

There are people working to blot out the name of Israel—and many of them work for the Democratic Party and scandal-plagued voting technology companies owned by shadowy private equity firms pursuing the same agenda as the Democratic Party. For President Trump to defeat these people and regain power, he is going to have to fight like no president has ever fought before. This prophecy in 2 Kings 14 is why the Trumpet continues to assert that President Trump will return to power. We do not know exactly how this will unfold, but look for nation-shaking election fraud to be exposed this summer!

If you are inclined, you can read this shitfest here:  The Real Insurrection