tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081631727760066049.post4960547995341751576..comments2023-07-13T00:09:18.439-05:00Comments on Preaching the Gospel: United Church of God Divides the WHOLE Body of Christauthor@ptgbook.orghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13775228362728122027noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081631727760066049.post-35924147046113080122010-11-21T14:24:07.711-06:002010-11-21T14:24:07.711-06:00I find this post to be most interesting and perhap...I find this post to be most interesting and perhaps useful to the thinking person, however, there are those who seem to be on top of current things who still have missed a lot. My audio on "Doctrines of Demons" might be helpful. John said;<br />"No one can seem to reply to the fact that if a top-down government is "God's government", then why do most evil dictators in this world choose that form of governance?" To that I have a very simple reply; Satan the devil is the best counterfietor the world has ever known--of course his government is top down government! anything going contrary to true doctrines are doctrines of the devil or demons. I am very surprised that so many have never realized that the very first change in WCG was Government--from Godly to Satans--both top down-- but one striving (imperfectly, yes, being human driven) to go God's way, and the other turned selfish, then totally away from God.<br />I have downloaded the article from LCG and will read it. I thank the author for this post.<br />The editorMTCOGSMhttp://www.mtcogsm.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081631727760066049.post-53604980635706914802010-11-18T01:49:38.735-06:002010-11-18T01:49:38.735-06:00I am referring to Mr. Armstrong's teaching in ...I am referring to Mr. Armstrong's teaching in the final years of his life, that makeup was banned.author@ptgbook.orghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13775228362728122027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081631727760066049.post-68390162096415180972010-11-17T19:20:18.820-06:002010-11-17T19:20:18.820-06:00Before Mr. Armstrong's teaching on makeup is c...Before Mr. Armstrong's teaching on makeup is changed, you would have to know what his teaching on makeup was! <br /><br />I.e. originally there was no particular policy on makeup, then it was banned, then it was ok, then it was banned again, and then of course under Tkach, it was ok again.<br /><br />Exacly which teaching of HWA would you need to show wrong - no policy, ban or ok?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081631727760066049.post-80210026175848618332010-11-16T16:57:35.829-06:002010-11-16T16:57:35.829-06:00One more thing. You use makeup as an example. Ca...One more thing. You use makeup as an example. Can makeup divide the Church? Yes, to a lesser degree than government, but it can contribute to dividing the Church IF a fellowship overturns Mr. Armstrong's judgment without showing the brethren, from the Bible, that the judgment should be overturned. Before Mr. Armstrong's teaching on makeup is changed, a fellowship should publish a paper or an article thoroughly going through that subject in the Bible and showing that Mr. Armstrong was wrong. If they can't do that, then it shouldn't be changed.author@ptgbook.orghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13775228362728122027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081631727760066049.post-65199083034177572252010-11-16T15:44:33.898-06:002010-11-16T15:44:33.898-06:00Makeup is not as major a doctrine as Church govern...Makeup is not as major a doctrine as Church government. Also, a woman in UCG can quietly avoid using makeup if she doesn't agree with UCG's teaching. But a member of UCG cannot avoid supporting a system of ballot-box governance with tithes and offerings paid to the corporate authority based on voting. There is a vast difference of scale between the makeup issue and government.<br /><br />Now, instead of makeup, try a major doctrine, like which day is the Sabbath, or, is God a trinity, or do we have immortal souls? Would false teaching in those areas divide the Church? It would and it has. Government is as important an issue as any of those.<br /><br />Government is important because the leaders of UCG have rejected the administrative rule of Jesus Christ over the organization and instead have substituted the collective rule of the ministry over themselves. <br /><br />No top-down government is not always God's government. But it is when God is at the top of the hierarchy.<br /><br />When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice. So you want the righteous to be in authority, right? Who do you trust to pick out who the righteous are and put them in authority? 500 ministers? Well, that is what you have in UCG. Are the people rejoicing?author@ptgbook.orghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13775228362728122027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1081631727760066049.post-11837894213038086732010-11-14T09:50:56.277-06:002010-11-14T09:50:56.277-06:00What can I say other than, "Wow!"? You ...What can I say other than, "Wow!"? You definitely need to quit reading Malm's blog, because his methodology of "logic" is rubbing off on you.<br /><br />I'm going to make a point, and I hope don't take this as mocking. However, maybe it will shock you (and some others) back into reality.<br /><br />Try this on for size:<br /><br />"UCG's stance on makeup divides and scatters the whole Church of God because many members respect the judgment of Mr. Armstrong about makeup, which was based on the Bible, and cannot support UCG's makeup doctrine nor be part of that system. Thus that unbiblical teaching EXCLUDES those who choose to live by every word of God in the matter of makeup. It separates members and ministers in UCG from members and ministers outside of UCG who obey the Bible.<br /><br />"Members who respect and agree with Mr. Armstrong's teachings and want to live by every word of God in the Bible are often faced with a choice: violate their conscience in order to fellowship with and support United Church of God and its teaching on makeup, which they believe to be wrong, or remain loyal to God and be separated from members, friends, family members, and ministers in a local UCG congregation. By forcing members to make that choice, the United Church of God ministry may be causing some of them to sin (Romans 14:22-23, Matthew 18:6-7)."<br /><br />Or, take any other subject upon which reasonable people might disagree and run it through the same filter.<br /><br />I think it's time to update my "Words and Phrases Not Found In the Bible" to include:<br /><br />One-man rule<br />Top-down hierarchy<br />Thou shalt not ballot<br />Preeminent apostle<br />Thou shalt have one to lord it over the brethren<br />The Church is God's government<br /><br />In fact, there are only a couple of passages that even mention "preeminence", and one of those is 3Jn 1:9.<br /><br />It is far too easy to misapply events and circumstances and try to stuff them into our vain imaginary boxes of how things are (cf Jer 44:16-18).<br /><br />No one can seem to reply to the fact that if a top-down government is "God's government", then why do most evil dictators in this world choose that form of governance?<br /><br />But, of course, we have COG examples as well. After all, if that really is all that matters, then PCG and COG-PKG must be very happy and blessed organizations. Little do their followers know that their leaders are leading them to despair and ruin.<br /><br />How long will the COGs deceive themselves? When will they stop concentrating on unimportant BS like government and makeup and truly seek out righteousness? When will they stop playing church and actually start practicing the things Jesus taught?<br /><br />"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn."John D Carmackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06784870966782777711noreply@blogger.com