Love Archives - Examining the World Mission Society Church of God An in depth look at the World Mission Society Church of God Sun, 30 Dec 2012 16:15:07 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.examiningthewmscog.com/ex-content/uploads/2020/03/cropped-Examining-updated-favicon-32x32.png Love Archives - Examining the World Mission Society Church of God 32 32 Supporting those who are coming out. https://www.examiningthewmscog.com/forums/topic/supporting-those-who-are-coming-out/ Sun, 30 Dec 2012 16:15:07 +0000 https://www.examiningthewmscog.com/forums/topic/supporting-those-who-are-coming-out/ I wanted to put something in the forum where former members who have exited could share their experiences with others. I also desire to see folks that contribute to this forum reaching out in love to these people. We spend a lot of time here disproving the teachings and ideas of this cult and in truth that is the way this website is set up. I for one am glad that it is this way and that people can express their thoughts both for and against these things. That being said we really need to be balanced in our own ideals and provide support for those folks who are starting to see the light but are still very confused and hurt because of their experiences in these kinds of groups. If you have a story and are willing to share please post it. There are many people here who want to help and are willing to listen and help bear the burden at least in part. You're not alone in this and there are people who will understand what you're going through or have gone through.

]]> LOVE AND HATE: What did Jesus really mean? https://www.examiningthewmscog.com/forums/topic/love-and-hate-what-did-jesus-really-mean/ Mon, 08 Oct 2012 00:23:02 +0000 https://www.examiningthewmscog.com/forums/topic/love-and-hate-what-did-jesus-really-mean/ When  Jesus told the crowds that were following him, “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:26)

This is a key doctrinal point for the WMSCOG! Leave your family! Come follow us! We will show you true love! Now, if it was put directly like this to a new person very few of them would join up. (Cults for many generations have used division and separation like this.)

Did Jesus literally mean to HATE your family? Let’s dive into this question and seek the truth in the matter and in so doing prove or disprove this key doctrinal point of the WMS.

Here’s one translation of the Ten Commandments for reference:

  1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

  2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

  3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

  4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.

  5. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

  6. Thou shalt not kill.

  7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

  8. Thou shalt not steal.

  9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

  10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

 

Check out commandment number six! Thou shalt not kill. In other translations it reads: Thou shalt not commit murder.

What does this have to do with hate you might be asking? Jesus taught that if you have hate in your heart for someone then in your heart you have committed murder against them. You are a killer at heart!

Let’s go on: Look at commandment number five; Honor thy father and thy mother:  that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God has giveth thee. This certainly doesn’t seem like you should be murdering your parents. In fact this command comes with the promise that your days will be long and that the Lord our God has given us the land.

Why does there seem to be such a contradiction between what the commandments say and what Jesus said? Jesus spoke in metaphors and comparisons. Even the WMS teaches this!

Jesus wants your love for him to be so great that when your love for anything else is compared with it the love for those things will seem like nothing.

Look at the first commandment:  Thou shalt have no other Gods before ME. (I capt, bolded, and underlined ME to show the singularity of the one true God.)

The love we have for our families is a great love. This great love that we have should never be diminished or tossed aside however, the love that you have for God should be so much greater that when anyone tries to compare the two it’s obvious who you love more!

I am going to quote from a book I’m reading. (The Resolution for Men; Pg. 217 last paragraph.) The bottom line is that Jesus must be the Lord over all of your relationships (Luke 14:26), your possessions (Luke 14:33), and yourself (Luke 14:27). OVER EVERYTHING. He must become the One you are most loyal to. Your most intimate Friend. Because when He is, something amazing happens – something only God can do. Your love for your spouse, your children, and others actually increases. He starts loving your family through you, far more completely than you could do on your own.

You want true love then love Jesus more!

What does this mean about the doctrine of the WMSCOG? It means that they have once again twisted something in God’s word to mean something else. Jesus NEVER wanted to kill his family any more than he wants you to kill yours! The truth of the matter is that He wants to put MORE love into your family.  Should you believe in the WMSCOG’s doctrine? Just look at the words in caps above. NEVER MORE! 

]]> Keeping the Cross in Sight https://www.examiningthewmscog.com/forums/topic/keeping-the-cross-in-sight/ Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:08:08 +0000 https://www.examiningthewmscog.com/forums/topic/keeping-the-cross-in-sight/ The WMSCOG accuses other churches of “Idol Worship” in regards to the Cross. They seem to think that even displaying it in church is evil.

Doesn’t the Ten Commandments teach us not to bear false witness?

None of the Christian churches I have been to have ever taught us to worship the Cross. The Cross is used as a symbol to remind us of the great sacrifice that was made for us by Christ Jesus. This is commanded in the Bible.

The Bible says not to make any symbol to a false god and worship it. Make no brazen images. The Cross is a symbol for the REAL GOD and even so we do not worship it.  Now that is not to say that some people don’t cross the line on this. If someone is worshipping the Cross they need to be corrected and if we see this worship happening and we don’t help correct it then I believe we are guilty as well.  Having a Cross around also serves as a reminder that we are to love the one true God. It’s like a husband asking his wife not to love any other man. She carries a picture of her husband around with her as a reminder that he loves her. If she chose not to carry the picture she might be more easily swayed. Worse would be if she carried a picture of another man. (Jesus vs. Ahnsahnghong) This would be absolutely wrong on all counts.

Gods ways are mysterious. He uses things that we would view as vile and/or worthless to reveal his glory. He uses the stone that was disguarded by men as the Chief Corner Stone. He uses something viewed as a detestable instrument of death to reveal his glory.

Lets look at what the Bible really says about the Cross.

1 Corinthians 1:17-18 Paul states that word of the Cross is the Power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:23 describes the Cross as the Wisdom of God.

Colossians 2:15 describes the Cross as the Glory of God.

 

The Cross is described as Gods Wisdom, Power, and Glory. This object is viewed by man as a detestable instrument of death that was used to kill Jesus. Only man would have such a limited view as this. Gods ways are what we are striving for. The Cross was made a symbol of Gods power by God not by man.

Many people will bring up the message of the symbol of the bronze snake. God instructed the creation of the bronze snake as a symbol to lead people to him. Men twisted it around and many started worshipping the snake instead of what it represented. In Christian churches we are taught this lesson to not worship symbols but only worship the one true God. To make the statement that other churches are “Idol worshippers” is a gross defamation of character. You shall not bear false witness.

God ordered the making of many symbols in the Bible but I think that I will save this for another post. What God has sanctified we should NEVER try to remove. His ways are not our ways. Keep the reminder of God well within view at all times. It’s a reminder of the love he has for us and a testament to the fact that we belong to him. By the way, it’s a very real possibility that the seal of God is represented by the cross. The word does reveal this if you are truly seeking.  

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