Month: October 2012

Armstrongism

I recently had some conversations concerning Armstrongism and the Worldwide Church of God (WCG) and here is some of the background concerning it.
The WCG was basically a cult up until the years following 1986 (after H.W. Armstrong died) when they began changing their doctrines to conform to more biblical doctrines and practices.
The modern WCG (now known as Grace Communion International) can no longer be considered a cult — at least according to their public doctrinal statements.
Things that are critical to Biblical Christianity involve a right understanding of the nature of God, the nature of Jesus, and soteriology (we are sinners, wages of sin is death, Jesus died in our place, we need to repent and receive what Jesus did for us).
A cult is a perversion of any of those critical doctrines and are typically centered around the exclusive teachings of a single man or organization.  Another common trait goes back to Satan’s lie that we can become a god or be like God (Genesis 3:5).
Other issues are good topics for study and discussion, but disagreement on those issues does not make for a cult or a reason to break fellowship.
What made Armstrong’s WCG a cult was their unbiblical understanding of 1) the nature of God, 2) that man can become God, and 3) exalting the authority of a single man above scripture.
They believed that Armstrong was “The Apostle”, the second coming of Elijah and that the Bible and all other churches had been perverted over time and that ONLY Armstrong and ONLY the WCG knew the truth.  Armstrong had the ultimate authority in the same way that the Pope is considered to have the ultimate authority over Catholicism.
They believed that man was completely mortal (do not possess an immortal soul).
They believed in the “Family of God”, that the Godhead started out as God the Father and God the Son and that men can be “born again” into this family after the resurrection and become part of God.

Some family members (including myself) were reading WCG materials back in the 80’s and we recently had some discussions about it.
One of the possible holdovers from the WCG that I did have a conversation about, was annihilation.  
Annihilation is the belief that when unbelievers are thrown in the Lake of Fire (Rev 20:14-15) they cease to exist.  It is something I believed for years, but repented of it when confronted with the truth in the Bible.
Annihilation, while not necessarily what I would call “heresy” or a “salvation issue”, it is not supported by the Bible.  
Folks usually justify the belief by saying “God is so loving, He wouldn’t punish someone forever…”.  There are many answers to this, here are two quickies: 1) God created hell for Satan and his angels (Matt 25:41); 2) Our offense is against and Eternal God
There are also many scriptures (including Jesus’ own words) that talk about an eternal hell (Matt 18:8; 2 Thess. 1:9; Jude 1:7, 12-13; Rev 19:3; Rev 20:10)
And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life (Matt. 25:46)
(More info here: http://carm.org/hell-eternal)
In any case, my intention is to inform and motivate folks to do their own research.  Don’t believe me, read the Bible and trust the Holy Spirit to lead and guide to truth.

All that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution

2 Timothy 3:12
Yea, and all that would live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
John 15:18-21
If the world hateth you, ye know that it hath hated me before it hated you.  If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: but because ye are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Remember the word that I said unto you, A servant is not greater than his lord. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also.  But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.
Matthew 10:14-25 (excerpts)
And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, as ye go forth out of that house or that city, shake off the dust of your feet.  Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.  But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in theirs synagogues they will scourge you; yea and before governors and kings shall ye be brought for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.  
And brother shall deliver up brother to death, and the father his child: and children shall rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death.  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.
A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord.  It is enough for the disciple that he be as his teacher, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of his household!  
Think not that I came to send peace on the earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.  For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law: and a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. 

surveillance society

God’s attributes include omniscience and omnipresence, or that He knows everything, everywhere, all the time.

Satan is not all-knowing and he can’t be everywhere at once.

Since it is part of satan’s plan to “be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14), it makes sense that part of his new world order would be ubiquitous surveillance.

Camera’s everywhere, UAVs/drones, TSA inspection points, all transactions made electronically (and tracked), all news and entertainment delivered electronically (and monitored), neighbors spying on neighbors (see something, say something)…

satan’s five point plan

Isaiah 14:12-14

How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How are you cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations!

For you have said in your heart,

1) “I will ascend into heaven”
2) “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God”
3) “I will sit also on the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north”
4) “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds”
5) “I will be like the most High”

born this way

there’s a popular song out called “Born This Way” that many folks are using as an excuse for their bad behavior.

In a sense, Gaga may be on to something…

It is true, we are all “born this way”…

We are all born with a fallen nature, we are all born into sin and are slaves to self-centered appetites and desires.

The thing is, we don’t have to stay that way…

While we are all born a slave to sin and dead to God, through Jesus that sin nature can be nailed to the cross and then we can be Born Again dead to sin and alive in Christ.

turned away?

I’m told again and again, “You come on too strong, your turning people away from the Gospel”

I have news for them…

The Gospel turns people away from the Gospel!

Matthew 7:13-14

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”