Friday, January 13, 2023

CGI: Adrian Davis Creates A New Gospel As Jesus Continues To Embarrass Them




What is the Gospel? Don't ask Adrian Davis!


If any of you had any doubts about the real dangers that the doctrine of Anglo-Israelism poses to the Gospel message, you should check out CGI's Pastor Adrian Davis's latest offering on the subject! The most recent installment of their Armor of God, What is the Gospel?, suggests that the Gospel is for and about Israel! In the almost half-hour program, Davis asserts that the Gospel (or Good News) is NOT about the teachings of Christ and his apostles! He also states that the Gospel is NOT the STORY of Christ's life and teachings as outlined in the first four books of the New Testament! According to Davis, the message is all about Israel and salvation through them! Does that sound like blasphemy to you? I hope so.

However, for those of you who may see some merit in Pastor Davis's message, buckle your seat belts and put on your big boy pants; because what follows will completely discredit his answer to the question (What is the Gospel?) and prove from the Scriptures that the Good News is ALL about Jesus Christ and salvation through him!

To give the devil his due, I do agree with Pastor Davis that the Greek word "eunangelion" which has traditionally been translated into English as "Gospel" means GOOD NEWS (see Blue Letter Bible's entry for Euangelion). We also agree that this "good news" is focused on the positive outcome of a seminal event in God's plan(s). Unfortunately, that's just about where our agreement ends!

According to Davis, the Gospel MUST: 1) be "this" gospel - the one Christ mentioned in Matthew 24:14 (wait until you hear what he thinks constitutes "this" gospel before you jump on his bandwagon), 2) be the same gospel that the forefathers heard (by this he means the ancient Israelites operating under the terms of the Old Covenant), and 3) be controversial (offensive - not well-received). After listing the elements of the message which he considers to be essential, Davis proceeded to assert that "If you're not keeping the Sabbath, how can you call yourself a Christian?" For Davis, the gospel that Jesus preached is synonymous with the message which Isaiah delivered to ancient Israel. "What's wrong with that?" you may be wondering. The problem is that Pastor Davis believes that this should be understood in the context in which Isaiah delivered it to the Israelites of old, not through the lens/filter of Jesus Christ and his teachings!

He begins with Christ's quotation of a passage from Isaiah during a synagogue service narrated in the fourth chapter of Luke's Gospel. We read there: "When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written: 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.' He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. Then he began to speak to them. 'The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!'" (Verses 16-21, NLT)

The passage, of course, is found in the sixty-first chapter of the book of Isaiah. Unlike Christ, however, Davis didn't stop there, he included the rest of the passage. "Well, wasn't he just providing context?" you may be wondering. Let's look at the text and see how Pastor Davis employed it in his larger argument. We read: "To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory. They will rebuild the ancient ruins, repairing cities destroyed long ago. They will revive them, though they have been deserted for many generations. Foreigners will be your servants. They will feed your flocks and plow your fields and tend your vineyards. You will be called priests of the Lord, ministers of our God. You will feed on the treasures of the nations and boast in their riches. Instead of shame and dishonor, you will enjoy a double share of honor. You will possess a double portion of prosperity in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours. For I, the Lord, love justice. I hate robbery and wrongdoing. I will faithfully reward my people for their suffering and make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants will be recognized and honored among the nations. Everyone will realize that they are a people the Lord has blessed." (Verses 3-9) To be clear, Adrian Davis believes that this passage establishes his contention that the Gospel is all about Israel and the restoration of their fortunes! In other words, Pastor Davis believes the same thing that the ancient Israelites believed about themselves - that their physical descent from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob entitled them to be ABOVE ALL of the other peoples of the earth!

You see, Mr. Davis and his allies in CGI believe that the English-speaking nations of the world are descended from two of the "lost" ten tribes of Israel. And, although he doesn't explicitly outline the doctrine of Anglo-Israelism in his remarks in this particular message, it is implied in everything he says and is strongly suggested in a number of more specific statements. For example, he acknowledges that there is currently a nation called Israel, but he goes on to make clear that God is NOT talking about that nation. Indeed, he specifically points to "wealthy" nations like the United States and Canada as being the modern representatives of the House of Israel. For Davis, Jerusalem will someday be the seat of salvation, and salvation will be open to the world through Israel!

Unfortunately, a number of passages which completely contradict Adrian's assertions about the nature of the Gospel are missing from his narrative/message. A number of these will come immediately to the mind of most of us. Let's look at just a few of them: "Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6, ESV), "For God so loved the world <not just Israel>, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16), "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12), "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16), "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8), "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23), "Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9) <let's not forget too that this epistle (Romans) was written to GENTILE Christians>, "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." (I John 2:1-2), "And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life." (I John 5:11-12), etc., etc. In other words, salvation is through Jesus Christ - PERIOD!

The Apostle Paul wrote to the saints at Corinth that "Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power. The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God...Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So, when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended, and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense. But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength." (I Corinthians 1:17-25, NLT) In other words, Paul's Gospel message was ALL about Jesus Christ and salvation through HIM!

Although we have very different perspectives on the nature of the Gospel message found in the Old Testament, I do agree with Pastor Davis that it can be found there. The oft repeated promise that ALL of the nations of the earth would be blessed through Abraham's offspring (see Genesis 18:18, 22:18, 26:4) referred to Jesus Christ and the salvation that would be made available to EVERYONE through him. It does NOT refer to the tidbits and scraps that wealthy nations like Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States contribute to the other nations of the world through various foreign aid programs! Likewise, when God promised Jacob that he would make of his descendants "a great nation, even many nations" or in the words of the King James Version "a nation and a company of nations" (Genesis 35:11), it is absolutely ABSURD to suggest that he had the United States and Britain in mind! Indeed, if we are thinking in terms of salvation through Jesus Christ, it makes much more sense to believe that he was referring to Israel and all of the other Gentile nations of the world! Once again, it is absolutely ridiculous to suggest that spiritual promises be downgraded to physical ones!

The TRUTH is that Isaiah did preach the same Gospel that Jesus and Paul preached, but Adrian Davis didn't reference that passage in his message! In the fifty-third chapter of that book, we read: "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore, will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." (Verses 1-12, KJV) THAT is the Gospel/Good News that Christ and his apostles brought to the world!

God chose the people of Israel to introduce himself to the rest of humanity - NOT to single them out for special treatment or status, or because they were somehow superior to the peoples of other nations (see Deuteronomy 7:7-9). God used Israel to demonstrate to other peoples the blessings which could result from serving him, and the terrible suffering that could result from his absence or wrath. In this connection, it is interesting to note that the entire Western world now has the Hebrew Bible, and that the WHOLE world has been exposed to it or its principles to one degree or another. Israel was a tool and a means to a much grander end! Moreover, God's Son, Jesus Christ, was born of the lineage of Abraham and David! And THAT is precisely how God fulfilled his promises to BOTH men!

After castigating the saints of Galatia for abandoning the Gospel of Christ (see Galatians 1:1-7), Paul wrote that "Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham." (Galatians 3:6-9) A little later, in the same chapter, he added: "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ." (Verses 13-16) Later still, Paul concluded his thought with this famous statement: "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Verses 26-29)

In his remarks, Pastor Davis quoted from Christ's answer to his disciples' questions about the destruction of the temple, the sign of his return, and the timing of the end of the age. In the fourteenth verse of the twenty-fourth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, we read that Christ told them that "this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." Now, Mr. Davis made much of that English word "witness" (Greek "martyrion") which simply means testimony, and please notice that it would have to "be preached in ALL THE WORLD - UNTO ALL NATIONS! Unfortunately, Pastor Davis left out another important Scripture regarding the preaching of the Gospel. After completing his ministry on this earth, we are informed by the same Gospel (Matthew), which Mr. Davis referenced in his message, that Christ gave these final instructions to his disciples: "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach ALL nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:18-20)

In other words, the Gospel is ALL about Christ and his message (which focused on the salvation available through him)! The Gospel/Good News has NOTHING to do with a warning message to the English-speaking nations of the earth - NOTHING! It's just a suggestion, but may I humbly commend to Pastor Davis's attention Paul's warning to the saints of Galatia: "Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed." (Galatians 1:8-9, NLT) 

Lonnie Hendrix



Wednesday, January 11, 2023

"THIS IS A SICK HERESY"

 


While I am no fan of Vic Kubik considering how I watched his manipulative and underhand actions as he and others plotted to form the United Church of God while still working in the WCG, Kubik's LifeNets has certainly changed the lives of many for the better. To that, I give him kudos.

The above post on Facebook has deeply offended Samuel Kitchen. Check out his deeply rooted misogyny thanks to decades of it being practiced in the church. This has absolutely NOTHING to do with deemphasizing men, as Kitchen claims below.

This is appalling:


 


"Impowering the girl child".

What about the male child? What about the future FATHERS and MEN?
THIS IS A SICK HERESY. To emphasize "empowering women" is something Satan used on mother Eve.
Empower the men! The husband's the fathers! Strengthen them!
Woe unto those who call evil good and good evil. We cannot be teaching the things this world teach. Why must the post be used to empower "the girl child" why not empower "THE CHILDREN"? But the emphasis is to DE-EMPHASIZE THE MAN. That destroys families and is against the God ordained family unit!
That then is a bona-fide definite HERESY! REJECT IT AND THOSE WHO PROMOTE IT!

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

Kitchen Family Suffers Humiliating Setback In Jerusalem

 


Right before the Feast last year the Kitchen brothers headed off to Jerusalem with some other devotees they had gathered over the years. Using the Feast as a gathering point and expecting the imminent return of Christ they assumed they would be ready to present the words of Herbert Armstrong they had so religiously saved on their website. 

THE WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD is now gathering in Jerusalem to keep the FEASTS of God! Come join us. Stand counted with the Church who backed and supported Christ and His apostle, and has endured much persecution for THEIR LOVE OF THE TRUTH. You are not alone.
WELCOME BRETHREN! ASSEMBLE IN JERUSALEM. LET THE WORLD KNOW THAT THERE IS A PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEIR GOD AND HIS TRUTH!
In the service of Jesus Christ,
Samuel W Kitchen

We have requested all people who support Christ's apostle Mr. Herbert W Armstrong, and who are holding fast to that truth which was faithfully taught and handed to the Church through him by Christ, to come to Jerusalem and to keep the Feasts of the Lord. With world events as they are, this might be the only opportunity to come. Come let us serve God together! Come away from different sects and groups and come together as the Worldwide Church of God we all are called into!

Well, as any of us could have told them, that creature they call Christ was not returning. Those they went over with took off on their own to form their own new split. The Kitchens website had huge issues and a lot of HWA's teachings went down the circling drain.

They are now back at home and are trying to recover from their HUGE mistake as they struggle to reestablish themselves.

Here is what Timothy Kitchen Jr wrote:

December 21, 2022 at 7:18 PM 
We have seen it time and again.
One rising to the top and proclaiming himself the leader, proclaiming to do a work, all in the name of "God".
My Father taught my brothers and I, that one does not do that and BE God's chosen instrument in doing HIS, God's, Work.
We examined the various groups that followed the very pattern set by Satan the Devil, in his rebellion against God, and was taught how God operates according to what is written in God's Word, the Bible. This being the only true source of how God works.
The other day I listened to a sermon from the archives that addressed this issue of those leaving the church and starting their own brand with their funny little names etc. And how it mimicked Satan the Devil and His rebellion against God. He used "The Philadelphia Trumpet" as an example along with the many others though the years that rebelled against God and started their own brand name. There are thousands of various different groups each proclaiming to do "God's Work" yet never grasping what God's Work truly is!
We were warned time and again not to follow Satan's way of doing things. But sadly enough, some just don't "get it". Though some of us were taught from childhood in the way we should go, by faithful parents obeying God's commands in raising children.
I admit I, personally, had got off the right track. I prayed that God take me and do what He will after seeing the path I was on. Because I had enough of walking that way.
I made a choice to go overseas with my brother, because I didn't see too much over here. I felt that God moved me to leave, but it was not for the same reasons as some others had.
What happened over there was needed. I needed to see myself and others in how God sees us. Attitudes was made evident. The dross came to the top. Were we Philadelphia in attitude or not. And we as a group were not. It was apparent. It was a wakeup call for me and others.
A sifting was happening. Christ said to Peter that the Devil wanted to sift him like wheat. God's Church is to be sifted. In the book of Job, Job was sifted as well. God allowed it, for a reason. To test what we would choose. God, or our own way of doing things, the latter is exactly what Satan did!
Sadly those close to me chose to branch off and do their own thing. And because I chose to go with them overseas, the website was attacked. The hosting company we were using limited their storage capacity from unlimited to 50GB of storage while we were overseas and the website was deactivated because we exceeded the new limit. Right now I am working on getting it back online, God willing. And have only had doors opened where it was in line with God. God has been spending the last few months getting my life on track, and I have been off track when I put myself under someone else. (This reminds me of the time when Mr. Armstrong unintentionally put his son over the ministry, thus cutting them off from himself.)And when I get back on track with God in my own life, then the website or anything I put my heart to would be in line with God. God had to pull me from the fire so to speak and start over as a master to the steel.
The website is being worked on, and God willing, be back online soon. And this time it will be back in line with God. Satan has attacked God's Work over the years. And by human misguidance has fallen from time to time. I admit where I have stepped off track. And because of my error has opened the website to be shut down for the time being. But with God's help, as the Church in times past has done, get back up and move forward with God's help and power. I pray to do the same here in what time we have left. The time we have left is not for judging others, but to be a family. Yes, to use righteous discrimination concerning doctrine and what is being taught, and what comes into our homes and minds. To Hold fast to what we were given, that which is good in God's sight. To be True Philadelphians. In actions, not just words. To follow God not men.
If we read the words of Jesus Christ in Revelation 3:14 that Jesus Christ is THE AMEN, which means "The Truth"! Not just anyone's truth, GOD'S TRUTH! The Truth of God is what is being addressed here! The very truth revealed in this End Time, the true God, the Way of God, the Government of God, the faithful and true witness since the beginning of creation, which hasn't changed!(Mal 3:6; Heb 7:24, Heb 13:8)
We individually must apply God's law and Truth in our lives. To learn our history and not deny it, admit where we have got off the track, our error and change and move forward in what we have been given. To be living Truth as Jesus Christ is. Which is what will go on forever. Because Truth is the same yesterday, today and forever. Jesus Christ is that Truth, and it is from the Father through the Word of God through His Apostle. We are here to learn God's law and way of living, to develop the righteous character to be able to choose the right way forevermore! It starts at home, and this is where I'm starting. And with God's help move forward more boldly than before.
- Timothy Kitchen Jr