LCG Fast Comments and Complaints

Roderick C. Meredith (Photo by Joyce Thiel)

On November 13, 2011 I reported at my News of the Living Church of God page that LCG called for “a church-wide fast.” Here is what Dr. Meredith later wrote about it:

Dear brethren and ministers around the world…my immediate purpose in writing all of you at this time is to explain the reason for the upcoming Church FAST on the Sabbath of December 17. There were many instances in biblical times when God’s servants called for a fast. Remember how—as the “Day of the Lord approaches”—God’s true ministers were exhorted: “Consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly; gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord. Alas for the day! For the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as destruction from the Almighty” (Joel 1:14-15).

When Daniel sorrowed over the “desolations of Jerusalem,” and the need for God’s intervention, what did he do? “Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said, ‘O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments’” (Daniel 9:3-4). And when the soon-to-be Apostle Paul was struck down and blinded to humble him and to “awaken” him, notice what he did: “Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank” (Acts 9:8-9).

Dear brethren, as you know from our previous announcements, we have had an entire series of extremely serious illnesses among God’s people in recent months—including a number of our leading people directly involved in the Work. We all know that the radiant faith of people like Peter and Paul is very seldom found among God’s people today. We remember Jesus’s statement: “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).

After meditating and praying about these things and conferring with our leading ministers here in Charlotte, I have been led by Jesus Christ to call for a Church-wide fast on the Sabbath of December 17—beginning, of course, the previous evening at sunset. I urge all of you faithful members, in Jesus’ name, to join with us in this day of fasting and prayer and in earnestly seeking God and asking for His special mercy at this time and for the supernatural healing of His people through the “stripes” of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:24).

Dear brethren, as the end of this age approaches, let us all cry out to God for more of His Spirit, more of His power through divine healings and the “gifts of the Spirit.”

Apparently, various COG critics do not go to my News of the Living Church of God page nor care for the idea of a “church-wide fast.”

Here are some criticisms this month from the so-called “Banned By HWA!” website, including some related to previous LCG fasts which I have bolded for clarity (with my short comments following in italics):

“I don’t remember a church wide fast ever working from 1969 until now, nor even before that in WCG…”

The above writer may not remember “a church wide fast ever working ,” but my recollections are different about that. I believe that the healing of a close family member was led to be brought about by an LCG fast in the summer of 2001; that I personally received certain spiritual insights/gifts as the result of LCG fasts in 2009, 2010, and 2011; plus there have been certain other reported healings and other positive developments occurred as the result of other church-wide fasts.

“The announcement made in January 2010 for an LCG fast was the most evil action I have ever seen in the church of God.”

“Anonymous said that Rod Meredith, in his January 2010 announcement for a fast, did: “…”Urge everyone to take part and to wholeheartedly “seek God” and ask the Father and our Head, Jesus Christ, to bring more and more of His faithful people together into one Church so a truly significant Work may be accomplished!” …” Well, the purpose of that fast did not accomplish things such that Rod’s will was done for his particular group, which probably doesn’t thrill Bob Thiel at all.”

Dr. Meredith in that January 2010 announcement had written, “So please announce to all the brethren that we as a unified body will be conducting a Church-wide fast on the Sabbath of March 6! Urge everyone to take part and to wholeheartedly “seek God” and ask the Father and our Head, Jesus Christ, to bring more and more of His faithful people together into one Church so a truly significant Work may be accomplished! Even now, many of us are putting our very beings into the Work—as many of you know. But we need help, we need more laborers and we need the “gifts” of the Holy Spirit in order to reach and to convict this very confused world.” This is not evil.

Also, LCG ended up having record attendance at its Feast of Tabernacles’ sites later that year (2010), hence apparently God decided to supply more laborers.

“What about “Is any one sick among you…let him call for the Elders of the church and the prayer of faith will save the sick and the sick shall be made well”?”

We in LCG do practice calling on the Elders and the prayer of faith, along with anointing. But Jesus also taught, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29). Hence, for certain issues, Jesus advocating prayer AND fasting, and that is what LCG is also doing.

“I feel sorry for people in the LCG who will be missing yet more meals this Saturday in the name of imaginary beings and human ego.”

I feel sorry for those who do not believe in God, but instead blaspheme Him by suggesting that God is an imaginary being. The Bible tells people to fast, and Jesus also said His followers would fast (Matthew 6:16-17; Luke 5:33-35).

“I find it interesting that LCG’s most important mouthpiece has posted nothing about this on his blog. Does Thiel not know about this or does he consider this an internal matter and not one that should be broadcast around the world?”

While I did post about this on November 13, 2011 at my News of the Living Church of God page, I tend to consider many fasts more of an internal matter as this was a “church-wide fast” and LCG did not mention other COGs, unlike last January’s fast. However, since at least two-anti-COG sites have complained about this upcoming fast, I felt that perhaps others would like to learn more about it and our past church-wide fasts.

Regarding the 1/29/11 fast, here is some of Dr. D. Winnail and Dr. Meredith wrote,

Currently, the United Church of God is experiencing a traumatic split that will impact thousands of brethren. Please pray that God will guide His people at this critical time to see the importance of working together to fulfill the commission to preach the Gospel, warn the world and prepare a people to serve with Jesus Christ in the soon-coming Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:10-13 & Ephesians 4:1-6).(Winnail D. LCG Weekly Update, 1/09/11)

“So let us really devote ourselves to this FAST and to show our love and concern for thousands who may be adversely affected by the continuing upheaval among God’s people. Ask God earnestly to protect them, to guide them and to keep them from being bitter or completely falling away from the true way of life revealed in the Bible.” (Meredith RC. LCG Weekly Update, 1/20/11)

In addition to spiritual growth, etc. I do believe what Dr. Meredith called for above occurred. While some people associated with the United Church of God (UCG) split did become part of LCG, most either stayed with UCG or went with COGWA–thus most did not become so bitter that they fell completely away from the true biblical teachings of the Church of God.

Yet, at least one critic called that fast “evil.”

Additionally, notice what Dr. Roderick C. Meredith of the Living Church of God recently wrote:

As some of you may have heard, we were blessed to have more than 9,000 people attending the Feast of Tabernacles this autumn! That is a new record—for which we are thankful! Most of all, of course, God is concerned with the spiritual strength of our brethren and we certainly do want to emphasize that which is more important. However, we are grateful that God is adding to our numbers in the Church, and that we are continuing to have wonderful responses to the telecast nearly every week and that the impact of this Work around the world is certainly growing—especially as prophetic events speed up. (Meredith RC. LCG Weekly Update, 12/01/11)

So, while critics complain that God apparently ignores the fasts in the Church of God, I would suggest that the fruits indicate otherwise.

Those who wish can join those of us in LCG who will be fasting from sunset December 16th to sunset December 17th, 2011.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Spiritual Benefits of Fasting Jesus said, “But by Prayer and Fasting” and this article by Dr. Meredith focuses on fasting and provides his physical and spiritual fasting tips. Does fasting help prevent heart disease?
Is God’s Existence Logical? Some say it is not logical to believe in God. Is that true?
Is Evolution Probable or Impossible or Is God’s Existence Logical? Part II This short article clearly answers what ‘pseudo-scientists’ refuse to acknowledge.
There are Many COGs: Why Support the Living Church of God? This is an article for those who wish to more easily sort out the different COGs. It really should be a MUST READ for current and former WCG/GCI members or any interested in supporting the faithful church. It also explains a lot of what the COGs are all about.