Blessing or Curses?

IT IS my understanding that of all the remnants of the churches of God – the Intercontinental Church of God has had the most confirmed Covid-19 cases and deaths!

A great many people have a very odd way of looking at certain things when it comes to churches. So many feel that by following a MAN or by following a TITLE when it comes to a church, that it is correct in the will of God.

But, if the leaders of the church are NOT praising or glorifying JESUS CHRIST and truly following and living by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God – then the people are going to church in vain.

Also, if church groups with a certain title – e.g. Church of God – are NOT following and living by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God – then the people are going to church in vain.

Throughout some eight decades, there have been a great many people who have come to believe that if they just follow a church of this or of that – perhaps because its leader is the grandson of one of the most successful and influential ministers of the 20th century, then, that is the will of God.

Seriously, if you are going to a church because of a man’s name or title, then you no more have the Holy Spirit in you than a door mouse.

That, my friend, is a really STUPID way of looking at things!

OPEN YOUR HOLY BIBLE yourself!

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean NOT on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, AND HE WILL DIRECT YOUR PATHS” – Proverbs 3:5-6.

Not in just one day finding a Twenty-First Century WATCH magazine and thinking – this is the church for me!

No, FOLLOW GOD – by the living word of the Eternal One!

This present evil age is full of mindless followers! Our Lord Jesus says, “’ Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?’” – Luke 6:39. And the apostle Matthew writes, “’ Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by gold of the temple, he is obligated to perform it.’ 17) FOOLS AND BLIND! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? 18) And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated to perform it.’ 19) FOOLS AND BLIND! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? 20) Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. 20) He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. 22) And he who swears by heaven [the THIRD HEAVEN], swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it’” – Matthew 23:16-22.

Sadly, a great majority of our people are like sheep being led to their slaughter (cf. Isaiah 53:7), they DO NOT allow God to lead them (cf. Jeremiah 29:11)!

When MAN followed their own way (cf. Genesis 3:6), taking of “the tree of the knowledge of [what they thought was good and evil],” then they fell onto the wrong route to LIFE! And, by continuing to allow yourself to follow a TITLE of a church group, or a NAME – with their own ideologies, doctrines, and bylaws – which direct your life, then you are on this wrong route to Life! 

As God’s living word says –

“O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” – Jeremiah 10:23.

When a man or a woman is guided by the Spirit of God, they are the children of God (Romans 8:14). And the apostle Paul writes, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” – Galatians 5:25. We are to be guided by the Holy Spirit, not by some man or title.

Since the dawn of time (cf. Genesis 10:8-12), mankind has allowed themselves to be led by worldly governments instead of the Government of God (see also 1st Samuel 8)!

Now, in this present evil age, it is wise to follow the edicts, rules, and laws of the land – as long as they DO NOT go against the holy and just Law of God!

When a worldly governmental edict, rule, or law separates you from the Law of God – then you are following after Satan the devil!

TODAY – in this 21st century – nearly all governments of the world are preaching a doctrine of FEAR!

As in all things, we must be prudent with this ‘pestilence’ of the COVID-19 and its variants. 

As God’s living word says –

“Every prudent man acts with knowledge, But a fool lays open his folly” – Proverbs 13:16.

“The simple believes every word, But the prudent considers well his steps” – Proverbs 14:15.

“A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself; The simple pass on and are punished” – Proverbs 27:12.

And the apostle Peter writes, “But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers” – 1st Peter 4:7.

Be on ALARM! Be CAUTIOUS! Be ALERT! Do not put yourself in a dangerous place. It’s common sense 101!

When a leader of a church spews HATE and refuses to even use the holy and glorious name of JESUS CHRIST (the only name given among men by which we must be saved – Acts 4:12) proclaiming himself to be a Christian, then he and the people in that church will fall hard!

Also, God has placed within each of us our own native language and way of speaking. There are many church groups that love for you to fall into “sacred names” as the way of your salvation – e.g. Jehovah, YHWH, Hashem, Adonai, or even Gd.

This alone proves that they are unknowledgeable and weak in the living truth of God!

The Holy Spirit is NOT working much in such groups.

Why!?

Because they CAN NOT see the forest for the tree directly in front of them!

Sadly, people that actually believe that speaking some “sacred name” of God, or for that matter, babbling in “tongues” – is only greatly limiting the great and sovereign Eternal God – along with their ability to speak to Him!

They are nothing more than the types of people – like the Pharisees and Sadducees – of Jesus’ day.

These groups – as in Judeo-Christian groups – will continue to take you further away from the real JESUS CHRIST and the Holy Spirit of God!

Truly, by denying your own native language and way of speaking is mocking God! – mocking His very ability to speak to you in your own native language and personal way. After all, He is the very One who allowed all the different languages around the world to come about (cf. Genesis 11:1-7). And God knows all things – cf. 1 John 3:20; Hebrews 4:13. GOD HAS PLACED YOU WHERE YOU ARE!

For ENGLISH speaking people around the world – as I quoted earlier, “the only name given among men by which we must be saved” – Acts 4:12 – is JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH!

If your native language is English and you feel the need to speak God’s name in Hebrew or Greek, then you are mocking Him, and you are – in effect – doing nothing more than “having a form of godliness but denying its power!”

But, I suppose, if that makes you feel better – so be it. If you want to limit God, you will only be limiting your connection to God!

As Elton John sings –

It's sad, so sad (so sad)

It's a sad, sad situation

And it's getting more and more absurd.

Limiting the CREATOR OF ALL THINGS!?

Now, why is the Intercontinental Church of God being cursed with so many confirmed cases of Covid-19 and deaths?

Well, because the PEOPLE have decided to break the SECOND COMMANDMENT OF GOD! Might I remind you –

“’ YOU SHALL NOT make for yourself a carved image – any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5) you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children TO THE THIRD and FOURTH GENERATIONS of those who hate Me, 6) but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me AND KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS’” – Exodus 20:4-6.

Sadly – and we do indeed weep for them and their children – they have decided to follow a leader who denies the very name of JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH!

Be WARNED my friends – DO NOT BE A FOOL – stay away from those who deny the name and power of JESUS CHRIST!

The candlestick of God’s LIGHT is NOT upon this church organization, nor is it upon any group or individual who denies JESUS CHRIST!

JESUS is the name of the LORD God (cf. Matthew 1:21) made flesh for the ENGLISH speaking peoples around the world! A person who is deaf and dumb CAN SPEAK TO GOD! “ … ‘For the LORD does not see as man sees; for a man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart’” – 1st Samuel 16:17.

Friends, following and serving a family name – i.e. the Armstrong family – will DENY you your inheritance into the kingdom of God – your very salvation! FOLLOW GOD – follow no man!

Let no one complicate God’s living truth! Let us always follow the admonition of the apostle Paul -

“But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” – 2 Corinthians 11:3.

SEEK JESUS CHRIST – SEEK HIS KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS – FIRST AND FOREMOST! Consume your life with JESUS CHRIST!

I, like the apostle Paul -

“I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of HIS BODY, which is the Church, 25) of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me FOR YOU, to fulfill the word of God” – Colossians 1:24-25.

For the LORD our God alone makes us dwell in safety – eternally! – cf. Psalm 4:8. □

Other things to think about...

Why FAST on the Day of Atonement? - Why do so many FAST on the Day of Atonement?

A New Sodom and Gomorrah - If the label fits then so be it!

Authoritarianism Can Happen Again! - TODAY we are witnessing, to no small degree, an upsurge in authoritarianism and totalitarianism due to COVID-19 restrictions.