CGA Message and My Supporting Comments

On Saturday, January 25, 2025, Sheldon Monson gave a message at CGA Sabbath services that contained a number of good points.  Much of that message was in the announcements I think.  I want to review some of it and add a few supporting comments.

First, the sermonette speaker, Gavin Bennett, made the point that we should only criticize when we have ways of lifting up and helping.  I think this is an excellent point.  If we criticize, we should do it in a spirit of love and trying to help the other person improve.

Then, Mr. Monson gave the announcements and the sermon.  He described several aspects of preaching the gospel that CGA is moving forward with.  I am glad CGA is trying to preach the gospel, and I hope and pray they have some effective success.  Even if, because they may have certain problems, their work is small, small is better than nothing.  Every little bit helps get the warning message out.  I hope God judges CGA favorably and gives them an open door, even if that open door is only open a little.  And if CGA grows in knowledge and policy and makes certain changes, I think God will give them a wider door.

I think a wide-open door, which is what is needed, will only be given when a group is raised that has all the important Philadelphia characteristics, including willingness and policy of being willing to change and correct doctrine according to the Bible, from the leadership on down.  Until Christ raises a leader of such a group, or until an existing group leader repents, the work will not get done.

But in the meantime, even a small movement towards preaching the gospel has more value than nothing.

I think there are probably a number of people in CGA who have a Philadelphia attitude, and for their sake God may give that organization a slightly open door for preaching the gospel and the Ezekiel warning to Israel, even if that door is open only a crack at the present time.  I think it can increase later if the group learns to fully follow Mr. Armstrong's way of life.  But any increase in the effort to preach the gospel right now is good news, I think.  

CGA has new billboards now conveying the message.  Work is proceeding on an E magazine to come out in March.  Short videos are being recorded.  All this is in addition to the regular YouTube videos, HWA library, and posters.  A recording studio is being set up for podcasts.

During the announcement period, before the sermon, Mr. Monson addressed a few doctrinal issues some have brought up.  He talked about sacred names, the calendar, and eating in restaurants on the Sabbath.  I can summarize my position by saying that I agree with him and with Mr. Armstrong on all these issues, and I will add a few of my own comments supporting CGA's position and the position of most of the whole Church of God on these things.

On the issue of sacred names, my understanding is that there are some that think we should try to pronounce God's name as it was originally given.  But that is impossible.  Pronunciation is not recorded, and we have Bible evidence that pronunciation changes over time (Judges 12:5-6).  Also, the writers of the New Testament, who wrote under inspiration of God, translated Hebrew scriptures into Greek when quoting the Old Testament, and when they translated God's name, they translated it into the Greek word that most matches the Hebrew word in meaning, not pronunciation.  So this cannot be wrong.

On the matter of the calendar, as Mr. Monson pointed out, Christ observed the calendar of the Jews and we observe the same calendar.

I have heard that some think we should observe a calendar based only on observation, not on calculation, basing their argument on the scripture that says that the heavenly bodies are in place for the purpose of marking time and months (Genesis 1:14).  But this misses the point that even a calculated calendar is based on observation, because observations must be first made to establish a pattern for future calculations.  So even a calculated calendar is based on heavenly bodies as the scripture says.

Some object to eating in restaurants on the Sabbath.  But the workers at restaurants are not our servants.  Try giving a waitress the day off.  And keeping the Sabbath is not just avoiding work at our regular job.  Even if that waitress did not work at the restaurant on Saturday, she would not be keeping the Sabbath.  She would be doing housework, shopping, watching TV or movies, etc.  She would not be attending services, praying, and studying the Bible in observance of God's Sabbath.

And remember, the Sabbath is a special sign between the Creator and His people.  It is a sign, by a special Sabbath covenant, that points us to God as the creator of the earth and mankind and shows God that we are His people because we are willing to believe and obey him (Exodus 31:12-17).  This was Mr. Armstrong's teaching and has long been the teaching of the Church, and it is correct.  That sign does not belong to the restaurant employees who work on the Sabbath.  It is strictly between us and God, and it does not apply to outsiders.  It represents something between us and God that the restaurant employees do not have, and frankly, are not even entitled to without full repentance.

Mr. Monson also talked about various things we do on the Sabbath that require outsiders in the world to work, such as use water and electricity and heating gas, fill up our cars with gas, pay tolls on the highway to get to services, etc.  I can also add, as someone who has lived in a large metropolitan area, the need for some members to pay bus drivers, buy a train ticket and take a train, or pay a cab driver to get them to services.  Sometimes other members can provide rides, but this is not always possible.

He also gave an excellent explanation of how someone should handle the situation if they have a conscience problem with eating at a restaurant on the Sabbath.  He said such a person should refrain from doing so but not try to force his or her beliefs on others, and I think that is exactly right.

Mr. Monson said that when the Church kept Pentecost on a Monday, some brethren knew it should be Sunday, so what did they do?  They kept both.  That also kept peace in the Church, and I think it was the correct way to handle it.

He said that while he was working for LCG, LCG taught positions on the falling away and the location of the marriage supper that he disagreed with.  So what did he do?  He did not teach LCG's position, but he didn't teach against it either.  If people had questions, he simply told them what LCG taught without stating if he agreed with it or not.  I think that is exactly the right way to handle it.


On a separate note, I would also like to add that this past Friday LCG published a sermon on their website by Mr. Wallace Smith on giving thanks to God, and I found it to be excellent.  I learned things about thanksgiving I had not considered before.  I highly recommend it, as I recommend CGA's message this past Sabbath if you can hear the announcement portion.


I would like to say something about setting the goal of making it into God's kingdom and making that our number one goal.  I agree that it should be an important goal, and I think Paul made it his goal also (Philippians 3:13-14).  But we should also make it a priority goal, maybe our number one goal, to help millions of others make it into God's kingdom by giving a warning message and the true gospel.  And, interestingly, making the gospel and the warning our number one goal, to help others and love our neighbors, no doubt indirectly helps us reach the goal of making it into the kingdom.

It is like making happiness a goal.  If we focus on trying to make ourselves happy, we will not find happiness, but if we focus on serving God and helping others more than seeking our own happiness, we will eventually find true happiness.

"For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it" (Mark 8:35).

Paul made it his goal to make it into the kingdom of God.  But at one point he expressed his concern for his fellow Jews, saying, in effect, that he could be willing to give up his salvation if it could help the Jews be saved.  Here is a quote.  "I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh..." (Romans 9:1-3).

Consider that example, and let's make it a priority goal to get the gospel and the Ezekiel warning message out to the masses that need it.  If we make that our number one goal, to practice the give way of life, to save others and glorify God's name and reputation for fairness, I think we can trust God to help us with our own salvation.

The Bible seems to indicate that the two witnesses receive power xat the start of the great tribulation, not before.  So if they are only given power at that time, how can they use that power to get a warning message out to our nations before the tribulation begins so people who hear our warning have time to repent and escape the punishment?  

What a cruel joke to play on the people to only warn them of a punishment when they are already in the punishment and it is too late for them to heed the warning.

The Church needs to get the warning message out before the two witnesses.

Then the people will know that God was fair and will remember His fairness and love.  That is how we glorify God and hallow His name.

Let all who are Philadelphians in spirit pray that God will raise up a Philadelphia leader to fully follow the way of life of Mr. Armstrong and finish the work in the time remaining.