OUTREACH SITE:   New Unmanned Stealth Electronic Warfare System Being Tested at Sea

LCG NEWS:   Last Sunday evening [A WEEK AGO] , the meeting hall that the Long Island congregation has used for more than 20 years was completely destroyed by fire, apparently by arson.  Thankfully, no one was hurt but we may have lost a good bit of equipment that was stored there, either to the fire or because of water damage.  We’ll know when we can get into the building again.  Right now, no one is being allowed access to the building for safety reasons, as well as due to the ongoing arson investigation.  In recent months, there have been two break-ins to the building and items have been stolen. We have a temporary hall arranged for the next three weeks, but will continue looking for a new home for our congregation.—Jonathan McNair

 

And The People Rose Up to Play

The scriptures command that BOTH the Feast of Tabernacles and the Feast of Unleavened Bread be observed for a full seven days.

The Radio Church of God kept both Feasts for the full seven days, until Herbert decided not to keep the spring Feast as God had commanded, about the time of the death of his first wife Loma.

The Good News, reported high attendances and extra venues year by year. The June 67 Good News (pp.5-6) last reported on this annual festival in 1967, the year of the death of Loma Armstrong, wife of the church’s founder, Herbert Armstrong. After her death, he was influenced by Stanley Rader and others to water down Sabbath, Festival observance and much more. Within a few years, only the two annual holy days and the weekly Sabbath during the Festival were being observed.

The real apostasy began with the death of Loma.  Les McCullough knows it, Rod Meredith knows it, and many other older folks know it.  Yet they choose to remain standing on the erroneous traditions, instead of returning to the Word of God.

Why?  fear of losing brethren, because the apostate way is the easy way, because they are exalting a man above God, because they are in a rut?  There are many reasons and excuses for not obeying God!  But NO good ones!

Why mention this now?  Because most of  the WCG daughters still do not obey God and keep the Festival of ULB for the full seven days like Tabernacles, yet they can hold several days of partying around Christmas time.

Whether it is called a “Winter Festival”  or a “Winter family Weekend”  is only semantics.  If it is observed between the winter solstice and the end of December it is a Christmas celebration in the eyes of every onlooker and it is a terrible example for society.

To teach that it is wrong to observe and then to be out partying as others hold their office and pre Christmas party’s makes us all appear hypocrites and is most confusing to people.  This is most definitely NOT letting our light of example shine before the world.  Quite the opposite it is an appearance of evil and an attempt to get as close to what we claim to abhor as we can without using the actual word Christmas.

1 Thess 5:22   Abstain from all appearance of evil.

Now we do not obey God and keep his Festival with daily convocations for the seven commanded, and yet we have the money and time to participate in the appearance of evil.

This ought not to be so.  Rather if we must have a Winter Weekend; schedule it in late Jan or Feb to avoid any possible connection or misunderstanding or appearance of evil.

The Church of God, Cincinnati & Lexington, which started this tradition, will be holding its 17th annual Winter Family Weekend in Lexington, Kentucky, Friday, Dec.21 to Monday, Dec.24.

This annual event is now being copied by several other churches, including the Church of God a Worldwide Association, which is linking attendance at its Family Weekend in Louisville, Kentucky (Dec 21-25), to pursuing righteousness (Matt.6:33), [while they reject God's commandment to keep the festival of ULB for its full seven days], declaring that, “Throughout the years the Winter Family Weekend has served the church as a wonderful escape from what the world offers during December.” But is it practising what it is preaching?

Elevating this Christmas season to the level of one of God’s Righteous Festivals is shocking and disgusting; even if it is hidden behind a facade of Winter Fun as opposed to actually observing Christmas.  And what has Winter Fun to do with seeking the righteousness of God?

I heard all the self justifying arguments last year, and I know all the justifications and excuses, so please do not send me any more.  I think that this is shocking and is in fact observing Christmas, while trying to deny it; it is a classic case of double think.

This is clearly an attempt to get as close to observing Christmas as possible, without actually employing the word Christmas.

COGWA denounces the pagan symbols and rituals of the Christmas festival, but how will its choice of venue, the Galt House Hotel, help its “spiritual family members … to escape from what the world offers”?

Whereas at least the Lexington  COG  has services and Bible seminars on all 4 days [how is that different from the heathen going to church on Christmas?];  at COGWA Louisville, after the Sabbath … “Come sundown, the next four nights and three days will be jam-packed with activities for everyone!”

Isn’t this “what the world offers” at Christmas time?

Jim Franks, COGWA President, states that the attendance at the Galt House Hotel will exceed that of many of their Festival of Tabernacles sites.

In Portland, Dave Register is asking everyone to bring wrapped presents for a White Elephant Bingo. This is a party game with one gift being given to each person, and then when unwrapped they are traded around.

How like a traditional pre-Christmas party game.  But the name is different so it isn’t really observing Christmas?  Right?  What pathetic and childish  self deception!  Remember that Christmas was originally a celebration of the winter solstice and  the rebirth of the sun, and was only relabeled Christ-Mass by the Roman Catholics.

 

David Register:    Pastors Update and Announcements – Dec 13 2012

White Elephant Bingo!

We will be playing Bingo on Saturday night, December 22nd. As a participant, please bring a wrapped, inexpensive (under $10) prize/gift that has no markings on the wrapping. No one should know who it is from or what it is. Adult tables will be able to trade in their prize for a better option. The children tables will not be trading gifts. More details to follow. Please bring both adult and children gifts that are individually wrapped. Please see the White Elephant Rules on the announcement table for more details.

These groups run about doing thngs that seem good in their own eyes; without considering what GOD thinks, or considering the example they are setting.

Really, Super Dave, who drives out the zealous for God’s commandments:   what do you expect people think when they see you partying, and / or,  exchanging gifts on the winter solstice?

Many elders in the major COG Groups are very lax on their brethren attending family reunions [Christmas parties] at this time, and their Winter Family Weekends are getting Christmasier and Christmasier.

The Winter Weekend celebrations are absolutely spiritually wrong, even if they seem good to the physical mind. The situation reflects a zeal for our own ways, and a complete lack of zeal for God’s commandments.

The winter weekend started in the early sixties, but was usually held as a sports day on Jan first, or late in Jan.  It has now gotten very far out of hand and is being regarded as a second Feast by COGWA and many folks in all the major groups.  At the same time they ignore God’s commandments regarding the ULB Festival.

I realize that many may regard this as a minor issue, but it is symptomatic of a very serious problem.  What they are doing is WRONG; not that sports or a good time are wrong, but neglecting God’s commandments while seeking our own thing, is a basic, fundamental and serious attitude problem, and we know what Christ said about the spirit of the law and attitude.

UCG  Winter Family Weekend.
LCG Winter Weekend in Kansas City:   We will have a Friday night Bible Study beginning at 7:00. Services on Saturday will begin at 1:00 p.m. We will be serving taco salad with all the fixings for dinner after services. Or if you’d prefer, there are plenty of options for restaurants in the area. After the meal, we’ll be having a fun show and dance.

The theme for this year’s fun show and dance is “Through the Ages.” Dress up in your favorite fashions of any decade in the 20th century. Remember, you don’t have to dress in “church clothes,” but the tasteful styles that might have been worn by Church brethren during a specific decade in the 1900s. Of course, casual wear, including jeans, is acceptable. For entertainment before the dance, the “Through the Ages” Radio Show will “broadcast” timeless songs, skits and fun for all ages. We would love to add YOUR talents to the show! If you care to share, please visit the Web site and click “Fun Show” to sign up. If you can perform or put a spin on a song, comedy routine, famous radio broadcast or even a commercial of the 1900s, please sign up.
On Sunday, all activities will be held at the Okun Fieldhouse in Shawnee, Kansas, where we’ve held them in the past: 20200 Johnson Drive. There will be basketball, volleyball and a fitness class as well as children’s games and plenty of time and space for fellowshipping and other activities. Team sign-up is available on the Web site. You must be registered for the weekend to sign up for the Sunday activities. Every team is guaranteed to play a minimum of three games. Again, the deadline to sign up is December 17. The tournaments will follow similar formats as in the past. However, volleyball will be separated into two distinct tournaments:  one will be for recreational teams—or casual play—and the other for those who play regularly—or competitive teams. The format of the basketball tournament will be determined by how many teams sign up. As we did last year, we are hiring referees, so we’ll be charging a set fee to each basketball team to offset that cost.
For more up-to-the-minute updates, you can “Like” us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/lcgkcweekend* or request to follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/lcgkcweekend*. If you do not have Internet access and would like more information about the weekend, please call Michael Keesee at 816-847-5635. We look forward to seeing you soon!—Michael Keesee
With no respect for the Sabbath or High Days; the rejection of any kind of zeal or advance in understanding; the exalting of men, traditions and organizations above the scriptures,  and these  obvious attempts to get as close to worldliness as possible, it is no wonder that Christ is about to spew these organizations OUT into great tribulation.
Do not misunderstand.  I am not against dances, basketball or volleyball.  The issue here is the EXAMPLE we are setting; and the slow drift into an apathetic and lukewarm attitude about Christmas.
It would be wiser to simply choose another month; or far far better to hold the Feast of Unleavened Bread for the full seven days like the Feast of Tabernacles as God has commanded his people,  and have these activities on the middle days and evenings.

 

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