Church of God News

COGwriter

The website of Grace Communion International (the group that temporarily ran the new WCG) had the following:

Have you ever wondered how Christmas came to be part of the annual Christian calendar? Here’s the fascinating story, which we begin with a surprising observation. Neither Jesus nor the apostles commanded or even suggested that the church should have a Christmas festival — and no evidence of such a celebration is in the New Testament…

Why Dec. 25?

One theory for the origin of Christmas is that it was intended to compete with or supplant the pagan celebration of the sun-god on that date. According to this hypothesis, accepted by most scholars today, the birth of Jesus was given near the date of the winter solstice. On this day, as the sun began its return to the northern skies, the pagan devotees of Mithra celebrated the birthday of the invincible sun. The cult was particularly strong at Rome when Christmas celebration arose.

The idea is that the church tried to counteract this pagan worship with its own celebration of Jesus’ birth. That makes good sense…

Birthday of Jesus?

Why wasn’t Jesus’ birthday celebrated earlier than the fourth century? One reason might be that neither the day nor month of Jesus’ birth is given in the Gospels or any other early Christian writings—and cannot be determined with any certainty…

The yearly Christian festivals remind us of the leading events of the gospel history, and beckon us to participate in worship of Christ.

So, let’s look at those points.

GCI is correct that:

1. The date of Jesus’ birth is not mentioned in the Bible.
2. No early Christian celebrated Christmas.
3. Scholars recognize that December 25th was chosen to compromise with pagan sun god worshippers.

The original “yearly Christian festivals” included Passover, the Days of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles, and the Last Great Day (see Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible?).  Most of which most who profess Christianity today either have never heard or know little about.

Historically of course, the true Church of God did not accept the adoption of pagan worship practices,  Whatever group that GCI is referring to as “the church” that adopted December 25th was not one that was faithful to the Bible or the practices of the original faithful Christians.

Furthermore, not only did Christians not celebrate Christmas, they also did not celebrate birthdays.  This, too, was a compromise with a pagan emperor who was a worshipper of the sun god Mithras–the one whose birthday was December 25th.

The Church of Rome also basically admits that date of December 25th was chosen as it was the pagan sun god Mithras’ birthday:

Mithraism A pagan religion consisting mainly of the cult of the ancient Indo-Iranian Sun-god Mithra. It entered Europe from Asia Minor after Alexander’s conquest, spread rapidly over the whole Roman Empire at the beginning of our era, reached its zenith during the third century, and vanished under the repressive regulations of Theodosius at the end of the fourth century…Helios Mithras is one god…Sunday was kept holy in honour of Mithra, and the sixteenth of each month was sacred to him as mediator. The 25 December was observed as his birthday, the natalis invicti, the rebirth of the winter-sun, unconquered by the rigours of the season (Arendzen. J.P. Transcribed by John Looby. Mithraism. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume X. Published 1911. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Nihil Obstat, October 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York).

Natalis Invicti. The well-known solar feast, however, of Natalis Invicti, celebrated on 25 December, has a strong claim on the responsibility for our December date. For the history of the solar cult, its position in the Roman Empire, and syncretism with Mithraism, see Cumont’s epoch-making “Textes et Monuments” etc., I, ii, 4, 6, p. 355…The earliest rapprochement of the births of Christ and the sun is in Cypr., “De pasch. Comp.”, xix, “O quam præclare providentia ut illo die quo natus est Sol . . . nasceretur Christus.” – “O, how wonderfully acted Providence that on that day on which that Sun was born . . . Christ should be born.”…(Martindale C. Christmas. The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1908).

Notice that The Catholic Encyclopedia admits that December 25 was Mithras’ birthday and that pagan sun worship practices are tied into a reason for the December 25th date.

The old Worldwide Church of God used to realize the truth about Christmas, and not observe it.  Even though it knows some of the truth still about its origins, it has decided to compromise and accept a date that does not come from the Bible.

The closet legitimate date that the Bible seems to support for Christ’s birth would have been in September or October.  Because of the shepherds being out all night with their flocks according to Luke 2:7-17, this pretty much rules out the possibility of a late December date for the time of Jesus’ birth.

WCG/GCI’s fall on Christmas is simply one more proof that it has abandoned the Bible for non-biblical traditions.

Some articles of related interest may include:

What Does the Catholic Church Teach About Christmas and the Holy Days? Do you know what the Catholic Church says were the original Christian holy days? Was Christmas among them? Is December 25th Jesus’ birthday or that of the sun god?
Did Early Christians Celebrate Birthdays? Did biblical era Jews celebrate birthdays? Who originally celebrated birthdays? When did many that profess Christ begin birthday celebrations?
Do You Practice Mithraism? Many practices and doctrines that mainstream so-called Christian groups have are the same or similar to those of the sun-god Mithras. December 25th was celebrated as his birthday. Do you follow Mithraism combined with the Bible or original Christianity?
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by the Tkach WCG which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean? Also you can click here for the calendar of Holy Days.
Tradition and Scripture: From the Bible and Church Writings Are traditions on equal par with scripture? Many believe that is what Peter, John, and Paul taught. But did they?
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions. Português: Qual é fiel: A igreja católica romana ou a igreja viva do deus? Tambien Español: Cuál es fiel: ¿La iglesia católica romana o La Iglesia del Dios Viviente? Auch: Deutsch: Welches zuverlässig ist: Die Römisch-katholische Kirche oder die lebende Kirche von Gott?
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?

COGwriter

Halloween is often considered as a Catholic holiday, but within Catholicism there are different views of it, and there are differing views in other groups.

Here is the view of one Catholic writer endorsing Halloween:

It should be noted that Halloween is a Catholic holiday. Pope Gregory IV in 835 made it the universal practice in the Roman Catholic Church to celebrate All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1. All Souls’ Day follows the next day as the commemoration of all of the faithful who have departed.

“All Hallows’ Even” as the evening before All Hallows’ Day — All Saints’ Day – eventually became shortened to Halloween. Hallow, as in “hallowed be thy name” in the Lord’s Prayer, is an older form of the word “holy.”

It was the Protestant Reformation that rejected the universal practice of devotion to the dead (Martin Luther dropped any references to praying for the dead from his Bible). This Catholic holiday was attacked, much like the church as a whole, for being pagan and evil. Hence I wouldn’t be surprised if this cloud of suspicion hovering over Halloween originated from the spirit of anti-Catholicism.

But Nov. 1st was the day of the Celtic Summer’s End feast of Samhain, the day when the dead returned to the earth. We have retained some of these pagan elements to Halloween, as is true of Christmas and Easter.

Why would a pope put the Catholic celebration of the dead on top of the pagans’ celebrations of the dead? Because the Catholic feasts are in continuity and fulfill the meaning of the pagan ones…

So what about the indulgence in the spooky and scary? Skeletons are spooky, but they are also very Catholic. In fact, one couldn’t find a better haunted house for a Halloween pilgrimage than the various “chapel of bones” that can be found across Europe (Killian Brian. Halloween, as autumn celebration, reminder God’s name is hallowed. Catholic Online International News. 10/31/06. http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=21818).

While the above author claims that anti-Catholic sentiments are perhaps the reason for objections to Halloween, it should be noted that more recently other Catholic leaders have condemned it, while Protestant supporters, like some of those at Christianity Today endorse its observance and attempt to profit commercially from it (for specific see the recent article American’s Expected to Spend Nearly $7 Billion on Halloween, CT Wants its Share).

Interestingly, the powerful Roman Catholic archdiocese in Mexico City publicly condemned Halloween observance as pagan in 2007, though it is still being observed by many practicing Catholics there:

Mexico’s Roman Catholic church slammed Halloween as “damaging and against the faith” on Monday, as conservatives sought to stem celebration of the ghouls-and-goblins holiday and return to the country’s traditional Day of the Dead.

The U.S.-style holiday has made broad inroads in Mexico, with monster costumes almost as widely sold as the marigold flowers traditionally used to decorate relatives’ graves during Nov. 1-2 Day of the Dead ceremonies, when families build altars and leave food, drink and flowers for the dearly departed.

“Those who celebrate Halloween are worshipping a culture of death that is the product of a mix of pagan customs,” the Archdiocese of Mexico published in an article on its Web site Monday. “The worst thing is that this celebration has been identified with neo-pagans, Satanism and occult worship.”

The archdiocese urged parents not to let their children wear Halloween costumes or go trick-or-treating — instead suggesting Sunday school classes to “teach them the negative things about Halloween,” costume parties where children can dress up as Biblical characters, and candy bags complete with instructions to give friends a piece while telling them “God loves you.”…

Pre-Hispanic cultures celebrated a similar holiday in August, but after the Spanish conquest, historians say the date was changed to Nov. 1 to coincide with the Catholic holiday…

In another article, Onesimo Herrera-Flores complained that “Halloween, for a variety of reasons, has imposed itself on other nations, displacing native customs.”

Celebrating Halloween, he said, citing a church authority, is “like inviting Satan into your home.” (Mexico’s Catholic church slams Halloween; conservatives call for return to Day of Dead. Associated Press – Oct 29, 2007 http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/29/america/LA-GEN-Mexico-Church-Halloween.php

In 2009, the Vatican itself took steps to condemn Halloween:

Vatican condemns Hallowe’en as anti-Christian

The Vatican has condemned Hallowe’en as anti-Christian, saying it is based on a sinister and dangerous “undercurrent of occultism”.

Telegraph – Oct 30, 2009

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/6467253/Vatican-condemns-Halloween-as-anti-Christian.html

It is good when religious leaders discourage those who profess Christ from observing pagan holidays with pagan practices. Yet, most Catholics I have spoken with in Southern California seem not to be aware of Vatican condemnations of it.

While I do not believe those in the following report have gone far enough to remove all vestiges of paganism, some in Italy are attempting to have less of the Celtic pagan elements in their observance this year:

Catholic group shuns Halloween for ‘Holyween’

– Wed Oct 27, 10:29 am ET

ROME (AFP) – As trick-or-treaters dig out their witch costumes, cut scowling faces into pumpkins and hone their apple-bobbing skills, young Catholic parishioners throughout Italy are preparing for “Holyween”.

Instead of dressing up as black cats or zombies, young faithful from some 30 Italian cities will spend October 31 hanging pictures of saints from their windows and balconies to celebrate the eve of All Saint’s Day…

From Turin to Palermo, residents and mayors are also preparing feast days with local cakes and biscuits like Ossa dei Morti (Bones of the Dead), with regional variations made with almonds, pine nuts, vanilla or chocolate.

“Halloween isn’t part of our identity,” the mayor of Calalzo di Cadore, near Venice, told ANSA news agency. Instead, the town will be hosting a ‘food marathon’ of local delicacies until late into the night. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101027/od_afp/italyholidayhalloweenreligionoffbeat

Halloween is pagan and leaders in many professing Christian churches know this. And some people are questioning some of it pagan practices.

From the Worldwide Church of God

The old Worldwide Church of God clearly taught against the observation of Halloween as can be shown below:

What about you and your children? What comes to your mind when thinking about Hallowe’en? The truth of the Bible? Not at all! Instead, weird and FRIGHTENING MASKS — persons PORTRAYED AS WITCHES AND DEMONS. Pumpkins and turnips hollowed out in the shape of EERIE-LOOKING faces! Lighted candles are placed inside to help bring out the more frightful side of these carvings. Dough is baked into small figurines RESEMBLING WITCHES AND SPIDER’S WEB CAKES are baked by the dozen for this occasion. Children, dressed up in the most revolting garments, are let loose on the neighbors, trying to scare the daylights out of them. Let’s be honest. I have before me the Good Housekeeping’s Book of Entertainment, which my wife picked up from the local library. On page 168 of this much-read book, there is a section on what to do on Hallowe’en. Notice the astonishing advice given! “Halloween decorations are quite as important as the food. When planning them, remember that if the room is to be dimly lit (preferably by candle and FIRELIGHT) the decorations must be bold to be effective. Orange, black and red, THE DEVIL’S COLOURS, are the colours associated with Halloween and THIS SCHEME SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT as far as possible . . . . Have paper streamers and lanterns hanging from the ceiling, or, if you would like to have something less usual, you could make a giant SPIDER’S web with black and orange strings, or in narrow strips of crepe paper coming from the four corners of the room, complete with a LARGE SPIDER — one of the DEVIL’S FAVOURITE FOLLOWERS.” Notice where the stress lies! Read further of the black magic associated with this festival. “To decorate the walls, make large silhouettes of CATS, BATS, OWLS AND WITCHES ON BROOMSTICKS . . . . For the supper table small WITCHES WITH BROOMSTICKS can be made by using lollipops on 4-inch sticks.” Weird lanterns, witch-balls, and witches’ cauldrons are some other objects, the book suggests, which must fit into the evening somehow. How pagan can you get?

NOWHERE does the Bible command us to observe Hallowe’en. Hallowe’en and other common festivals which people observe in the Christian-professing world have NO BIBLICAL BASIS. They originated in paganism. The testimony of history stamps Hallowe’en as a HEATHEN festival. It’s built on a PAGAN FOUNDATION. Your Bible warns: “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (I Cor. 3:11). Which is the BASIS of YOUR practice and belief? Turn to Deuteronomy 12:29-31 and read God’s condemnation of Hallowe’en! (Marx, Gerhard O. The Origin of Halloween. Plain Truth Magazine, October 1967).

The above condemnation of such pagan practices are consistent with the teachings in the Bible irrespective of the opinions of men. The Bible teaches:

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines (Hebrews 13:8-9).

Certainly Halloween contains many pagan practices that Christians should realize are “strange doctrines” and it was not observed by the original Christians. Therefore, irrespective of the opinions and later traditions of men, true Christians still do not celebrate pagan holidays like Halloween. The Bible itself teaches that we should listen to the Bible above added traditions and opinions of men.

Yet, GCI, the group that took over the old WCG takes a different approach:

The day does have religious significance for some people, particularly wiccans and druids. For some people and in some regions, Halloween or some of its elements may have a non-Christian religious meaning. Some Halloween activities could be considered anti-Christian, and would, therefore, be avoided. Christians would want to avoid demonic associations, for example. With these things in mind, it would be appropriate for Christians to consider carefully their activities on this holiday.

For most children, however, there is no religious significance involved in either the day itself or in such elements as pumpkins or costumes. It’s true that such things as jack-o’-lanterns, bonfires and black cats, which are part of the Halloween tradition, may have roots in pre-Christian activities…

Most Christians believe they can celebrate Halloween (in some respects) as a purely secular day of fun…

Should Christians and their children participate in Halloween activities if they are unsure whether it is the right thing to do or are convinced it is wrong? The Bible teaches us that we should be fully persuaded in our own minds about these things—either pro or con. But we should not judge or condemn others who are of a different persuasion. The apostle Paul’s advice in Romans 14 can be applied to the question of Halloween activities…

It is the responsibility of each Christian to decide, based on biblical and Christian principles, whether to participate in Halloween activities, and to avoid judging other Christians who have different circumstances and make different decisions.

So, GCI is ambiguous.  And it needn’t be.

For example, when it stated “that such things as jack-o’-lanterns, bonfires and black cats, which are part of the Halloween tradition, may have roots in pre-Christian activities,” it could have stated that they they DO (not may) have pre-Christian, pagan roots, as none have a biblical origin (though jack-o’-lanterns may have began after Christ came, jack-o’-lanterns are not a Christian symbol).

Furthermore, most real Christians do not believe that they can celebrate pagan holidays.

Origins from the Living Church of God and the Church of Rome

In a commentary the Living Church of God had the following:

Commentary: Halloween – a treat or a trick?

By Roger Meyer (guest columnist) | Thursday, October 28, 2010

Tens of millions of children the world over are getting ready to dress up in strange costumes and scary-faced masks to go door to door and beg for candy treats by saying, “Trick or treat!” At the same time, teens and adults are also getting ready to attend parties and gatherings to celebrate this strange holiday by donning costumes that are ghoulish, bizarre or risqué…

From Egypt to Central and South America, this night was celebrated as the festival of the dead. In Ireland, this pagan Celtic festival celebrated on October 31st at sundown was known as Samhain. It was believed that the border between this world and the world of the dead became so thin at this time that the spirits of the dead, as well as other supernatural entities, could pass to this world, making communication with departed loved ones easy at this time. It was a night of superstitions, divinations, incantations and odd traditions.

Divination was practiced as a means to determine such things as the identity of one’s future spouse and how many children they might have. Apples were often used in these rituals, owing to the ancient sagas telling of the Celtic Otherworld wherein was located the apple tree whose fruit had magical properties.

Samhain continues to be celebrated today by neo-pagan Wiccans who consider it one of the principal religious days to honor the dead. But it is also celebrated by millions of ordinary people as a holiday named Halloween or All Saints’ Day.

Christianity attempted to convert the pagans to Christianity by attaching new meanings to the old pagan festivals. So this night of the dead was to be changed to honor the departed saints and renamed All Saints’ Day. But the pagan traditions continued unabated, as people to this day still wear costumes and masks, still carve pumpkins with scary faces, still place fake gravestones in their yard, still play games of divination, and still decorate with witches, ghosts, fake gravestones and various representations of the dead and the macabre.

Perhaps those celebrating the day have been treated to a trick by being seduced into observing a day which is thoroughly pagan in origin and practice. Read more

Speaking of “donning costumes that are ghoulish, bizarre or risqué,” notice the following related to risqué ones:

A new nationwide Clarus Poll finds that more Americans would rather dress up for Halloween as Lady Gaga and the Geico Caveman than as well-known political figures. The Clarus Poll found that, among women voters across the nation, 36% would rather go costumed as Lady Gaga, 24% picked Sarah Palin and 20% selected Michelle Obama.http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-clarus-poll-lady-gaga-and-the-politics-of-halloween-132745478.html

As everyone knows, the perennial favorite among Halloween costumes for women is “ho,” followed by “sexy witch,” “sexy nurse” and “Lady Gaga.”  http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-allen-halloween-sluts-20111030,0,6455906.story

No one can consider how “Lady Gaga” provocatively dresses to be Christian, and no true believer would ever try to follow her risqué example, or to try to directly resemble some type of harlot as many women apparently like to do now.  For those who claim that modern Halloween has nothing to do with pagan Druid practices, the reality is that intentionally immodest costumes, which are apparently very popular among American women, certainly should indicate that this is not an event for real Christians to celebrate.

All theological scholars realize that the apostolic church did not observe Halloween or anything resembling it.

Notice also the following scripture:

Thus says the LORD: “Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven,
For the Gentiles are dismayed at them. For the customs of the peoples are futile (Jeremiah 10:2-3).

At their absolute best, Halloween customs are futile, came from the way of the Gentiles, and detract from the emphasis to worship the true God. Those in the Church of God have always realized this. And many in the Church of Rome are getting some understanding of that.

Halloween is not a holiday that the earliest Christians observed. It should not be observed by modern Christians either.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Is Halloween Holy Time for Christians? This article provides some historical and biblical insight on this question.
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions. Português: Qual é fiel: A igreja católica romana ou a igreja viva do deus? Tambien Español: Cuál es fiel: ¿La iglesia católica romana o La Iglesia del Dios Viviente? Auch: Deutsch: Welches zuverlässig ist: Die Römisch-katholische Kirche oder die lebende Kirche von Gott?
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?

Gerald Flurry

COGwriter

Finally got some more recent information on the size of Gerald Flurry’s improperly named Philadelphia Church of God (cf. Revelation 3:9).  This came from a pre-FOT news item :

Shane Granger, marketing director for the Philadelphia Church of God…said Edmond is one of 18 sites around the world that will be attended by 4,700 members of the Philadelphia Church of God, which has 200 congregations spread over 65 countries.

Last January, Stephen Flurry stated that PCG had a worldwide attendance of “about 5500.”  So either some have been lost or about 15%  of its membership was not expected to attend the Feast of Tabernacles.

Whether 4700 or 5500, this shows that PCG is apparently 4th in size amongst groups with origins in the old WCG (excluding GCI, which no longer claims to be a COG).  Because of its extra-biblical requirements for membership, etc., I am hesitant to conclude that PCG is actually a COG.

I expect to report more statistics on various COGs later as I run into more information.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include the following:

Teachings Unique to the Philadelphia Church of God Simply calling oneself ‘Philadelphia’ does not make one so (see Revelation 3:7-9), nor does Gerald Flurry calling himself “that prophet” or a variety of other titles make it so. This article provides many quotes from this group which tries to look faithful.
What is a True Philadelphian? Many claim to be part of the Philadelphia era of the Church, but is claiming enough? This article has biblical and historical evidence about who really are the Philadelphians.
Are the Laodiceans the Modern Sadducees and Pharisees? Discusses similarities of the Sadducees and Pharisees to various COGs in this end-time.
Samaritans: Old and New Who were the Samaritans? Do the represent true Christianity or something else?
The Philadelphia Church Era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God, now best essentially represented by the Living Church of God.
Why Be Concerned About False and Heretical Leaders? There have been many false leaders–here is some of why you should be concerned about them.

COGwriter

The grounds at Big Sandy, Texas made the news today:

5 October 2011

ALERT Academy Family Camp Slated Next Week

By REBECCA HOEFFNER

Families will gather at the International ALERT Academy in Big Sandy next week for its 11th annual family camp…

Three guests also will speak at the event.

Dr. Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary…Mark Cahill is author of “One Thing You Can’t Do in Heaven.”…Internationally known speak-er and horse trainer, Lew Sterrett…http://www.tylerpaper.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011310059982

The biblical Feast of Tabernacles begins next week (sunset Wednesday) and that is what used to be observed on the grounds of Big Sandy.  Big Sandy once was a campus of Ambassador College when it was part of the old Worldwide Church of God (the campus was sold several years ago).

In 1980, I attended the Feast of Tabernacles in Big Sandy.  I was one of very few who actually simply brought a very small tent and lived in it during the Feast.  In addition to dealing with mosquitoes, I recall that it rained so much that if I were to have turned to one side or the other in my tent while sleeping, I would have gotten soaked as rain water came into my supposedly water resistant tent.

Near the end of the Feast, a family with a large camper felt pity on me.  If I recall correctly, they let me spend one or two nights in their large modern camper (or travel trailer).

But getting back to the main point of what this post is supposed to be about, God’s Holy Days used to be kept at the Big Sandy campus, but are no longer.  We in the Living Church of God believe that God’s Holy Days help better reveal God’s plan of salvation.  A message that tends to not be understood by the Protestant groups.  Simply utilizing the grounds of the Big Sandy campus for a family camp will not restore the truth about salvation to them.

But studying the Bible, observing the Holy Days, prayer, and careful consideration of these matters might.

Some articles of related interest may include:

Hope of Salvation: How the Living Church of God differ from most Protestants How the Living Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants, is perhaps the question I am asked most by those without a Church of God background.
The Similarities and Dissimilarities between Martin Luther and Herbert W. Armstrong This article clearly shows some of the doctrinal differences between in the two. At this time of doctrinal variety and a tendency by many to accept certain aspects of Protestantism, the article should help clarify why the Living Church of God is NOT Protestant. Do you really know what the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther taught and should you follow his doctrinal example?
The Feast of Tabernacles: A Time for Christians? Is this pilgrimage holy day still valid? Does it teach anything relevant for today’s Christians? What is the Last Great Day? What do these days teach?
LCG 2011 Feast of Tabernacles’ Information Here is information on many Feast of Tabernacles locations for this October feast.
Holy Day Calendar This is a listing of the biblical holy days through 2017, with their Roman calendar dates. They are really hard to observe if you do not know when they occur 🙂What Does the Catholic Church Teach About Christmas and the Holy Days? Do you know what the Catholic Church says were the original Christian holy days? Was Christmas among them?
Do You Practice Mithraism? Many practices and doctrines that mainstream so-called Christian groups have are the same or similar to those of the sun-god Mithras. Do you follow Mithraism combined with the Bible or original Christianity?
Was Jesus Born in the Grotto of the Nativity? Was Jesus born in a below ground cave? Was Jesus born below the “Church of the Nativity”? Were the wise men there?
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by the Tkach WCG/GCI which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean? Also you can click here for the calendar of Holy Days.
Tradition and Scripture: From the Bible and Church Writings Are traditions on equal par with scripture? Many believe that is what Peter, John, and Paul taught. But did they?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about? True religion should be based upon the true gospel.
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?

COGwriter

A reader forwarded me an article that included the following:

WHEN Benjamin Grant Mitchell decided to write a novel based on his life, he had plenty of material to work with. The former Neighbours actor, singer-songwriter and new father was born into an American doomsday cult. To top it off, his father was one of the ministers. Mitchell, who now lives in Warrandyte, started penning his story three years ago and next week will unveil the debut novel, The Last Great Day, at the Melbourne Writers Festival.

The 42-year-old, who played Neighbours character Cameron Hudson in the 1990s, spent his early childhood moving around Australia, then settled at the Worldwide Church of God headquarters in Los Angeles. http://www.melbourneweeklyeastern.com.au/news/local/news/general/benjamin-mitchell-life-in-a-sect-provides-novel-inspiration/2266324.aspx?storypage=0

There are a lot of misunderstandings about the old Worldwide Church of God (WCG).

But it was not a “doomsday cult.”

Those of us who were part of the old WCG and in the current Living Church of God (LCG) are not like the Jim Jones’ followers–we do not plan on drinking poisoned flavor-aid to end our lives.  Although some are expected to die in persecutions, LCG church members mainly hope to live until the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His kingdom, and hope to proclaim the truths of the Bible to the world as a witness until the end (Matthew 24:14).

Regarding what we call The Last Great Day, the old WCG taught (and the LCG still teaches) that it pictures a time where God will offer salvation to all that never really had an opportunity for it (it is one of the biblical Holy Days that we in LCG observe–see also The Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day).  That is GOOD NEWS.  Notice what the New Testament and the Old Testament plainly teach:

6 And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. (Luke 3:6)

10 And all the ends of the earth shall see The salvation of our God. (Isaiah 52:10)

37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”  (John 7:37-38)

As far as preaching prophecies in the Bible that show that the Anglo-descended nations will be chastised if they do not repent, yes the old WCG and current LCG taught that (see Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel and Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves?).  But urging repentance is not a sign of being a doomsday cult.  It is a sign of trying to follow what Jesus said to do.  Notice, the following, that Jesus taught:

3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.  4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?  5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.  (Luke 13:3-5)

And if Jesus did not want the prophetic warnings to be taught, would He have taught the following?

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20)

Remember, between 1/4-1/3 of the Bible is prophetic.  It is included in the ALL THINGS that Jesus wanted taught.

Sadly, many simply do not understand the message that He came to bring.

People should read and study the Bible.  Promoting misunderstandings about the Church of God is not good.

Some biblically-referenced articles of possibly related interest may include:

The Bible: Fact or Fiction? This is a booklet written by Douglas Winnail that answers if the Bible is just a collection of myths and legends or the inspired word of God.
Read the Bible Christians should read and study the Bible. This article gives some rationale for regular bible reading.
The Feast of Tabernacles: A Time for Christians? Is this pilgrimage holy day still valid? Does it teach anything relevant for today’s Christians? What is the Last Great Day? What do these days teach?
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?
Persecutions by Church and State This article documents some that have occurred against those associated with the COGs and some prophesied to occur. Will those with the cross be the persecutors or the persecuted–this article has the shocking answer.
What is the Meaning of Life? Who does God say is happy? What is your ultimate destiny? Do you really know? Does God actually have a plan for YOU personally?
What Did Jesus Teach About the Ten Commandments? This article quotes what Jesus actually said about them (His words are in red).
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about? True religion should be based upon the true gospel.
Universal Offer of Salvation: There Are Hundreds of Verses in the Bible Supporting the Doctrine of True Apocatastasis Do you believe what the Bible actually teaches on this? Will all good things be restored? Will God call everyone? Will everyone have an opportunity for salvation? Does God’s plan of salvation take rebellion and spiritual blindness into account?
Hope of Salvation: How the Living Church of God differ from most Protestants How the Living Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants, is perhaps the question I am asked most by those without a Church of God background.
Are You Saved? Do You Love Jesus? What is a True Christian? What is the Gospel? Evangelist Richard Ames answers those important questions.

COGwriter

The online version of The Journal just reported the following:

Former Worldwide Church of God
now baptizing infants

GLENDORA, Calif.–Grace Communion International, formerly the Worldwide Church of God, now practices infant baptism, according to a posting on the church’s The Surprising God blog.

Information posted by blogmaster Ted Johnston explains that the GCI “finds support” for baptizing babies in a “Trinitarian, incarnational understanding of Holy Scripture.”

The only way to come to that conclusion is to ignore scriptures about repentance–and infants are not capable of repentance.  But, of course, since GCI (which had been WCG before it started to change, then changed its name) often seems to be relying on human reason/worldly traditions and not the Bible, they frequently come to odd doctrinal conclusions.

Of the 100 or so times the terms Baptist, baptize, baptized, etc. are used of those in the New Testament, there is never one time that infants or young children are specifically mentioned as being baptized.

The Catholic Encyclopedia clearly admits that infant baptism was a practice that eventually became customary–in other words it was not part of the original faith. Notice:

Further, when infant baptism became customary, confirmation was not administered until the child had attained the use of reason. This is the present practice, though there is considerable latitude as to the precise age (Scannell T.B. Transcribed by Charles Sweeney. Confirmation. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IV. Published 1908. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Nihil Obstat. Remy Lafort, Censor. Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York).

Perhaps it should be mentioned here that “confirmation” did not become an issue until after infant baptism was accepted. Notice this admission:

Before the time of Tertullian the Fathers do not make any explicit mention of confirmation as distinct from baptism. The fact that the two sacraments were conferred together may account for this silence (Scannell T.B. Transcribed by Charles Sweeney. Confirmation. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IV. Published 1908. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Nihil Obstat. Remy Lafort, Censor. Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York).

Actually, since baptism was not done for infants, there was no need to have a separate confirmation. Nor does the Bible anywhere explicitly teach about the need for properly baptized individuals to be later confirmed. The idea of a separate confirmation is clearly another tradition of men–and is not even truly claimed to be a “tradition for the apostles” by any early writer.

The Eastern Orthodox admit that infant baptism is not based upon scripture:

I myself must admit that I did not always feel comfortable about the Orthodox Church baptizing infants. I asked myself several other questions as well: “How can an infant ‘believe and be baptized’?” “Where in Scripture does it show an infant being baptized?” (Bajis J. Infant Baptism. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. http://www.goarch.org/en/our faith/articles/article7067.asp 8/21/05).

The Catholic Encyclopedia admits that infant baptism and other practices are simply based upon tradition:

The designation of unwritten Divine traditions was not always given all the clearness desirable especially in early times; however Catholic controversialists soon proved to the Protestants that to be logical and consistent they must admit unwritten traditions as revealed. Otherwise by what right did they rest on Sunday and not on Saturday? How could they regard infant baptism as valid, or baptism by infusion? How could they permit the taking of an oath, since Christ had commanded that we swear not at all? The Quakers were more logical in refusing all oaths, the Anabaptists in re-baptizing adults, the Sabbatarians in resting on Saturday. (Bainvel J. Transcribed by Tomas Hancil. Tradition and Living Magisterium. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XV. Published 1912. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Nihil Obstat, October 1, 1912. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York).

It is true that most of the traditions mentioned above are practices that most in the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant churches accept. Since those traditions do contradict the biblical accounts (and even The Catholic Encyclopedia admitted that on most of them), those practices should be rejected and should not be part of the traditions of either of those groups (as well as GCI which is Protestant and not COG).

In the Bible it is clear that the Apostle Peter taught,

38 Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38)

And the Bible shows:

42 Then those that gladly received his word were baptized (Acts 2:42).

Christian baptism cannot include those who cannot repent or truly receive the word, like infants.

In the 20th century, Herbert Armstrong (a COG leader of the old WCG) wrote:

Should Children Be Baptized? One cannot be baptized until after he has fully REPENTED. Only those who BELIEVE, both the true GOSPEL (the Message Jesus preached, which is the Kingdom, or Government of God) and on JESUS CHRIST as personal Saviour, can be baptized (see Acts 2:38; 8:37; 16:31). Children have not reached that maturity where they have the self-discipline to truly repent, and believe (Armstrong H. All About Water Baptism. 1948, 1954, 1972 edition).

Notice that the Roman Church admits that immersion was the original practice, without the use of baptismal fonts (like it now uses):

In the Apostolic Age, as in Jewish times (John 3:23), baptism was administered without special fonts, at the seaside or in streams or pools of water (Acts 8:38); Tertullian refers to St. Peter’s baptizing in the Tiber (De bapt., iv); similarly; in later periods of evangelization, missionaries baptized in rivers as is narrated of St. Paulinus in England by Bede (Hist. Eccl., II, xiv-xvi). (Peterson JB. Transcribed by the Cloistered Dominican Nuns. Baptismal Font. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume II. Copyright © 1907 by Robert Appleton Company. Online Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. Knight. Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York).

The word Baptism is derived from the Greek word, bapto, or baptizo, to wash or to immerse. It signifies, therefore, that washing is of the essential idea of the sacrament…The most ancient form usually employed was unquestionably immersion. This is not only evident from the writings of the Fathers and the early rituals of both the Latin and Oriental Churches, but it can also be gathered from the Epistles of St. Paul, who speaks of baptism as a bath (Ephesians 5:26; Romans 6:4; Titus 3:5). In the Latin Church, immersion seems to have prevailed until the twelfth century. After that time it is found in some places even as late as the sixteenth century. Infusion and aspersion, however, were growing common in the thirteenth century and gradually prevailed in the Western Church. The Oriental Churches have retained immersion (Fanning, William H.W. Transcribed by Charles Sweeney, S.J. Baptism. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume II. Published 1907. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Nihil Obstat, 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York).

1214 This sacrament is called Baptism, after the central rite by which it is carried out (Greek baptizein) means to “plunge” or “immerse”; the “plunge” into water symbolizes the catechumen’s burial into Christ’s death, from which he rises up by resurrection with him, as “a new creature” (Catechism of the Catholic Church. Imprimatur Potest +Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. Doubleday, NY 1995, p. 342).

Notice that The Catholic Encyclopedia admits that immersion was the biblical practice, the practice of the early Church, and was slowly dropped in the Latin/Western Church. Hence it admits that it is not faithful to the original practice of baptism. Also notice that the Catechism of the Catholic Church admits that baptism is a plunging/immersion that shows a burial and resurrection, but this certainly is not the ceremony that they use of infants (which most likely are the majority of those baptized by Roman Catholics).

In the 21st Century, the Living Church of God, which does not baptize infants, teaches:

Baptism by immersion
After God calls us and brings us to repentance, and we accept Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, the next vital step to salvation is water baptism. One should be baptized (Acts 2:38; 8:35-39; 9:1-18) as a sign of total surrender to God and of a willingness to bury the old self (Romans 6:3-6). (Official Statement of Fundamental Beliefs. Living Church of God, 2002).

I was baptized as a helpless little infant — unable even to discern my left hand from my right hand, let alone able to grasp the enormity of sin and deeply REPENT of my sins and accept Jesus Christ as my Savior. Was I, then, a true Christian?Of course not! (Meredith RC. Christian Baptism. LCG Booklet, 2005).

On the other hand, the Bible does enjoin the fact that infants/toddlers can be prayed for and blest. Notice what Jesus said and did:

15 Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  17 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”  (Luke 18:15-17)

And that is the practice of the Living Church of God. We ask for God’s protection and blessing of our children. The ceremony is typically referred to as “the blessing of the little children” and the minister(s) lays hands upon the child and prays.  It is likely that the worldly churches, who had read the account in Luke 18 and perhaps heard of it performed in the early COG, may have used that as part of their justification.

In fact, when I researched this further today, I found that the Catholic Church does refer to this passage in Luke 18 as part of its justification for infant baptism (see article Baptism in The Catholic Encyclopedia).  But sadly, they are confusing a blessing ceremony with baptism.  None of the children that Jesus laid hands on are recorded to have been immersed into water or sprinkled with water prior to Jesus blessing them–hence what Jesus did WAS NOT a form of infant baptism, but instead a ceremony that is retained by relatively few today, like those of us in the Living Church of God.

The old Worldwide Church of God used to realize the truth about the blessing of children and not baptizing infants, but sadly, apparently in their efforts to conform to doctrines of men, has changed on this point as well.  WCG/GCI’s fall on infant baptism is simply one more proof that it has abandoned the Bible for non-biblical traditions.

Some articles of related interest may include:

Baptism and the Early Church Was it by immersion? Did it include infants?
Did Real Christians Practice Nude Baptism? This is not a joke. Find out what was taught in the second and later centuries.
Tradition and Scripture: From the Bible and Church Writings Are traditions on equal par with scripture? Many believe that is what Peter, John, and Paul taught. But did they?
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions. Português: Qual é fiel: A igreja católica romana ou a igreja viva do deus? Tambien Español: Cuál es fiel: ¿La iglesia católica romana o La Iglesia del Dios Viviente? Auch: Deutsch: Welches zuverlässig ist: Die Römisch-katholische Kirche oder die lebende Kirche von Gott?
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?

Crown of the “Holy Roman Empire”

COGwriter

Otto von Habsburg died today:

BERLIN (AP) — Otto von Habsburg, the oldest son of Austria-Hungary’s last emperor and the longtime head of one of Europe’s most influential families, died Monday, his spokeswoman said. He was 98…

He settled in Poecking in the 1950s and went on to become a member of the European Parliament for Bavaria’s conservative Bavarian Christian Social Union.  He also served as president of the Pan-European League from 1979 to 1999.  http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/jcfloridan/obituary.aspx?n=otto-von-habsburg&pid=152380187

The late Herbert W. Armstrong used to believe that Otto von Habsburg was one to watch as a leader in Europe.  Otto von Habsburg was quite influential in helping put together what is now the 500,000,000 person empire called the European Union.

Here is something reportedly from the Plain Truth magazine in September 1979:

“On the United Nations, he [Otto] has declared that the organization is dominated by ‘anti-European illiterates, despots and cannibals.’… “Possibly von Habsburg’s most controversial suggestion has been his recipe for dealing with national emergencies. In the April 1978 issue of his conservative publication Zeitbühne, he suggested that in certain emergency situations (such as nuclear blackmail or other major acts of terrorism) governments should let a strongman take over for a period of nine months, allowing him to suspend laws and ‘take all measure necessary for the maintenance of the life of the population.’… Interestingly, von Habsburg counts Bavarian leader Franz Josef Strauss among ‘the few full-blooded politicians’ who ‘in the case of serious national crises are able to accept responsibility because of their clear-sightedness and indomitableness.’ Von Habsburg says he is ‘personally pretty close to his [Strauss’s] ideas in many ways on the European unity subject”… The zenith of Habsburg power came in the 16th century under Emperor Charles v. Chosen by electors in 1519 at the age of 20, Charles was crowned Holy Roman emperor by Pope Leo x in October 1520. He ruled until 1556 and is considered to have been the greatest monarch to bear the imperial crown since Charlemagne. He was the last emperor to vigorously attempt to realize the medieval idea of a unified empire embracing the entire Christian world… Christopher Hollis, in the foreword to von Habsburg’s book The Social Order of Tomorrow, points out that Otto ‘would like to see Europe resume her essential unity, and in the symbolism of that unity he thinks that the imperial crown of Charlemagne and of the Holy Roman Empire might well have its part to play.’ “Inter-European unity has long been a quest of the Habsburg dynasty. Otto himself often speaks of the similarities between the Holy Roman Empire of the Middle Ages and his view of a coming United States of Europe. In this regard, Otto has stressed the importance of religion in the formation of a united Europe. He regards Christianity as Europe’s bulwark: ‘The cross doesn’t need Europe, but Europe needs the cross.’

In the 21st century there are Habsburg’s with political influence in at least Austria, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Sweden, Ukraine, and the European Parliament. Perhaps I should mention that many of the queens of France and Portugal were daughters of Habsburgs (as well as some in other lands as well) (see also Habsburg Family Still Influential in and Near Europe for more details).

All the emperors of the old “Holy Roman Empire” were part of what has been known as the Habsburg line. Charlemagne was crowned the first Holy Roman Emperor, reputedly with the crown shown above, by Pope Leo III in Rome on Christmas Night, 800 AD. And now, over 1200 years later, the descendants of that family are still influential in and near Europe.

Although he does not have the word “Habsburg” in his incredibly long name, Baron Karl Theodor Maria Nikolaus Johann Jacob Philipp Franz Joseph Sylvester Freiherr von und zu Guttenberg’s mother was a Habsburg which means that the Baron is a descendant of that line too. He is one to watch in European politics as I have often written. He, for example, may just become the final one that the Bible refers to as the King of the North (Daniel 11:21-45) and Beast (Revelation 13). If the Baron is the one, Having influential distant relatives may assist his attainment to power.

The legacy of Otto von Habsburg is likely to be favorable towards Karlzu Guttenberg.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe?
Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North? Is the German Defense Minister one to watch? What do Catholic, Byzantine, and biblical prophecies suggest?

COGwriter

In his booklet, The Seven Laws of Success, the late Herbert W. Armstrong wrote the following related to the first law of success:

The FIRST Law

Certainly NOTHING in life is more important than to know: what is real success—and how to achieve it.

What, then, is the first law of success?

Before stating even the first law, let it be said that I am not considering here such general principles of character as honesty, patience, loyalty, courtesy, dependability, punctuality, etc., etc., etc., except as these are automatically included in the seven rules. We may assume that one cannot become a real success without these principles of right character.

But on the other hand, many are honest who have never practiced a single one of the seven laws, specifically. Many may be loyal, have patience, extend courtesy, be punctual, who are unsuccessful because they have not applied a single one of these seven definite, specific rules. Even so, each of these laws covers a vast territory.

Here, then, is the first law of success:

FIX THE RIGHT GOAL!

Not just any goal. Most of the “successful “men I have mentioned had goals. They drove themselves relentlessly to accomplishment. But making money, gaining STATUS in the eyes of people, enjoying the passing pleasures of the five senses, has literally strewn the pathway of history with fears, worries, heartaches, troubled consciences, sorrows, frustrations, empty lives and death.

These things may be had and enjoyed along with true success. But they alone do not bring success. The right goal includes something more.

In other words, the very first law of success is to be able to define success! Once you have learned what success is make that your goal in life.

Do you know that most people go through life without any GOAL at all? In fact, most people, as I’ve said before, do not know, and do not apply a SINGLE ONE of the seven laws of success!

Most people never think of having any PURPOSE in life. They are not going anywhere, in particular.

If you have saved up money for a trip to Paris, or Rome, or London for your vacation or holiday, you spend a lot of time in excited anticipation PLANNING your trip—but you DO have a definite DESTINATION—and all plans are laid to take you to that particular destination—that GOAL. You know where you are planning to go. Otherwise, how would you ever expect to arrive there?

As I said once before, most people have no aim—they are merely the victims of CIRCUMSTANCE. They never planned, purposefully, to be in the fob or occupation in which they find themselves today. They do not live where they do by CHOICE that is, because they PLANNED it that way. They have merely been buffeted around by CIRCUMSTANCE! They have allowed themselves to drift. They have made no effort to master and control circumstances.

The first law of success, I repeat, is to fix the RIGHT goal. Not any goal. One could set a goal in which he had little or no interest, and drift into inaction. The right goal will arouse ambition. Ambition is more than mere desire. It is desire plus incentive—determination—will to achieve the desire. The right goal will be so intensely desired it will excite vigorous and determined effort. It will fire one with incentive.

There should be an overpowering PURPOSE to life. Few have ever known such purpose. Down through centuries and millenniums thinkers and philosophers have pondered, and sought in vain to learn whether life has a real purpose. Socrates, Plato, Augustine among others speculated and reasoned, yet the true meaning of life eluded them. This deepest and most important question in life remained to them a mystery—an unsolvable enigma!

IF one could discover such an overall PURPOSE—a definite purpose for which humans were put on earth—IF one could discover a human potential greater than mere temporary existence, one would think that PURPOSE would be the goal that should excite dynamic ambition!

But—alas! Who has ever discovered such an objective as life’s aim?

Was there nothing greater to look forward to, for my two prominent banker friends? Nothing greater than to enjoy fleeting status, only to be forgotten by those who succeeded them?

What is there, after all, to live for?

I repeat! The first law of real success is to have the right goal! The men I have described, rated eminently successful in the world, all had goals. They applied diligently all of the first six of the Success Laws. But failing the seventh, they misapplied the first. Their success was fleeting.

Setting the right goal (or goals) is important.  Otherwise one spends all their time and efforts on things that are not important.  Or vanity as the book of Ecclesiastes puts it.

With so many world events happening that are aligning with end time prophecy, isn’t this the time to be sure that you have the right goal and understand the meaning of life?

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

What is the Meaning of Life? Who does God say is happy? What is your ultimate destiny? Do you really know? Does God actually have a plan for YOU personally?
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.
The Seven Laws of Success Booklet by Herbert W. Armstrong that can help people become successful.

“I will break the pride of your power” (Leviticus 26:19)

COGwriter

Notice the following news item from a writer in the UK, named Larry Elliot, today:

America in 2011 is Rome in 200AD or Britain on the eve of the first world war: an empire at the zenith of its power but with cracks beginning to show.

The experience of both Rome and Britain suggests that it is hard to stop the rot once it has set in, so here are the a few of the warning signs of trouble ahead: military overstretch, a widening gulf between rich and poor, a hollowed-out economy, citizens using debt to live beyond their means, and once-effective policies no longer working. The high levels of violent crime, epidemic of obesity, addiction to pornography and excessive use of energy may be telling us something: the US is in an advanced state of cultural decadence.  http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/jun/06/us-economy-decline-recovery-challenges

I was pleased that he mentioned cultural decadence as one of the causes for the decline. Interestingly, the old Worldwide Church of God had a booklet titled Modern Romans that it produced in the 1970s that began with:

Massive public works … striking architecture … cosmopolitan cities … masters of advanced
warfare … bureaucratic institutions … a melting pot … and more!
These descriptions are as valid of Rome’s past achievements as they are of ours in our
dizzyingly sophisticated modern Western world.
In its time in history, the Roman Empire occupied a position of power and influence very
similar to that held by the United States or Western civilization in our time. We know more
about the Romans than any other great civilization of antiquity. And, interestingly enough, the
Roman Empire covered an area approximately the size of the United States.
The United States and the Rome of past glory both started out as struggling, insignificant
colonies of people ruled over by a monarchy. Injustices led to revolution and establishment of
a republic. Still later, after extensive expansions, they both were torn apart by civil war. But
then each settled down and rose to heights of undisputed world power and leadership.
The Roman superpower could boast, just like American or Western counterparts, of their
possession of a highly developed system of law and justice, government and order, and,
without doubt, production of goods and services. Western civilization, in fact, prides itself on
its Roman legacy.
But Rome crumbled!

The USA seems to be following ancient Rome.

For the USA and UK significant personal repentance is probably the only way out. National repentance for the USA seems highly unlikely as does seriously reversing its current decline.

To learn more, please check out the following articles:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people?
Prophecies of Barack Obama? Are there biblical and non-biblical prophecies about Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist? This is a lengthy article with many prophecies that Barack Obama may end up fulfilling.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States Some claim that Barack Obama is the prophesied “son of Kenya”. Might Bible prophecy be fulfilled by him?
The Plain Truth About Gold in Prophecy. How Should a Christian View Gold? What do economists and the Bible teach about gold? Gold and silver may drop in value. Inflation/deflation? What do Christians need to know about gold?
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? Are there Mayan calendar predictions for change in 2012? Changes were centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans. Do Mayan/Hindu/Hopi/Buddhist/New Age/Nostradamus prophecies have any value here? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood? Can the great tribulation start before 2012? How might Barack Obama be involved in 2012?
2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect This is a link related to a book by Bob Thiel (COGwriter). This link also has YouTube videos. This book documents and explains hundreds of prophecies. And since it was published, world events have aligned with at least 14-15 predictions in the book and many more will to come to pass.
2012 y el surgimiento de la secta secreta 2012 libro del Dr. Thiel en Español.
2012 und das Auftreten der geheimen Sekte (German Edition) 2012 Buch von Dr. Thiel in deutscher Sprache.
2012 e o Surgimento da Seita Secreta (Portuguese Edition) 2012 livro do Dr. Thiel em Português. Este livro documenta e explica centenas de profecias. E desde que foi publicado pela primeira vez, pelo menos 14 já começaram a acontecer.

COGwriter

The latest issue (print date May 31, 2011) of The Journal just came out.

The biggest items related to UCG crisis matters (some of which have been covered here), CGI governance,  that GCI (formerly WCG) now will baptize infants (Baptism and the Early Church), and a unitarian conference.  I have always felt that The Journal gives much too much coverage to the unitarians (Was Unitarianism the Teaching of the Bible or Early Church?) who once were part of the old WCG.

It also mentions a reunion in Big Sandy, as well as the usual letters to the editor and other opinions.

While The Journal is available only by paid subscription (though some subscriptions are free to those who cannot afford it), you can view the PDF version of the first and last page of The Journal at: www.thejournal.org/issues/issue144/jf053111.pdf

This will give some of the flavor and details of The Journal’s coverage of the current UCG crisis and other matters.

Here are some articles on the Godhead and one on baptism:
Binitarian View: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning Is binitarianism the correct position? What about unitarianism or trinitarianism?
Is The Father God? What is the view of the Bible? What was the view of the early church?
Jesus is God, But Was Made Man Was Jesus fully human and fully God or what?
Virgin Birth: Does the Bible Teach It? What does the Bible teach? What is claimed in The Da Vinci Code?
Did Early Christians Think the Holy Spirit Was A Separate Person in a Trinity? Or did they have a different view?
What is the Holy Spirit? An article by Rod Reynolds that was published in the Living Church News.
Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity? Most act like this is so, but is it?
Was Unitarianism the Teaching of the Bible or Early Church? Many, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, claim it was, but was it?
Binitarianism: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning This is a shorter article than the Binitarian View article, but has a little more information on binitarianism.
Baptism and the Early Church Was it by immersion? Did it include infants?