This shows it can happen.
Posted on 01/04/2014 2:34:24 PM PST by Colofornian
...Never before...have so many people become so deceived in such a comparatively short time of less than a decade. How could this unprecedented end-time deception have happened with such lightning rapidity? The success of this...apostasy was due, at least in part, to mass defections in the ministry, but...also partly due to the power of modern means of communicating and disseminating information.
At the time of Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong’s death in January 1986, about 130,000 members of the Worldwide Church of God regularly observed God’s weekly and annual Sabbaths, as well as other important laws and commandments of God. During the next few years after Mr. Armstrong’s demise—while the Church stayed on track—the number of commandment keepers increased to about 150,000, as faithful members continued to observe God’s weekly and annual Sabbaths, along with other laws and statutes of God.
SNIP
Today, it is doubtful if as many as 30,000 true, commandment-keeping brethren exist in the 300+ newly incorporated “Churches of God”—churches which sprang from the Worldwide Church of God. How could such an apostasy have swept away scores of thousands of brethren, turning them back to old pagan doctrines and practices which they once believed?
...we should never put our trust in any man or in any church or human organization...
But we must also remember Christ’s words: “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing [but are in fact] ravening wolves” (Matt. 7:15)!...
But someone will yet ask, “Can’t we trust God’s true ministers?” No, not in the strict sense of the word! For, as we have seen, the Bible gives numerous examples of “men of God” turning from the Truth—apostatizing and leading others astray; and in recent years many top-rank ministers apostatized, and led others astray!...
(Excerpt) Read more at friendsofsabbath.org ...
Unk. is only about 7 years older than me and during that period of his life he was just plain nuts about the subject. He's bearable now, just barely.
He delivered his own two daughters, I don't know if that had to do with some nutty religious principle, he didn't trust doctors, he maybe couldn't afford a doctor because he was sending boat loads of money to support "the ministry" or maybe he was just a whack job. Anyway like I said, he's better now.
Mark of a cult #1
First of all beware, when someone portends that the VERY PEAK of Jesus’ disciples maxed out — worldwide — at 150,000! (Mark of a cult #1)
Mark of a cult #2
Agreed.
Mark of a cult #3
Agreed, but he does realize that God rested on the seventh day and not the first day.
Mark of a cult #4
Agreed.
(Yet to the Worldwide Church of God [capital W.C.o.G. acronym], the worldwide church of God [lower-case w.c.o.G.] consisted of only the Worldwide Church of God [capital W.C.o.G.]
Yeah, this is from the "testimony" of the ex-HWA cult member posted yesterday:
"While growing up, my father worked hard to support my brothers, sister and I with very little left over after paying income taxes and MULTIPLE TITHES to the CULT. For years, my mother would cook simple meals and shop at thrift stores, grow gardens and sew clothes for us to make it - and my father made good money - but gave much of it to support the cult’s “iron-fisted” control to OBEY and PAY!"
Source: Escape From The Iron-Fisted Worldwide Church of God Cult into The Power and Freedom of Jesus Christ!
I can’t remember exactly where my uncle and family had to go every year, either California or Texas. They lived in Missouri, They saved enough money every year to go to some kind of convention. I couldn’t say if it was a church requirement or not but they went every year.
It looks similar to Chic tract illustrations.
(Yet to the Worldwide Church of God [capital W.C.o.G. acronym], the worldwide church of God [lower-case w.c.o.G.] consisted of only the Worldwide Church of God [capital W.C.o.G.]
(I'll see if I can borrow Joseph Smith's "urim & thummim"...buried DEEP within the Mormon Church archives...and for some reason, not used by ensuing Mormon "prophets")
'Twas Pasadena, CA.
And you might be thinking either CA or TX because both states have a city called Pasadena.
The WCoG was h'q'd in Pasadena, CA
And, in the old days...
Zechariah 11:17 ASV
Woe to the worthless shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and upon his right eye: his arm shall be clean dried up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened.
Nah; what is WORSE are MORMONs failing to ACKNOWLEDGE that only about 15% of them (the 'worthy' ones) will be in the HIGHEST level of their 3 'heavens'!
Yep - it seems that some of those weighing in actually believe that they and others can actually observe the commandments. I heard that there are so many man-made laws that the average citizen commits a couple felonies a day without being aware of it. It's just as impossible to obey the commandments as it is to obey the man-made laws. Else, He would not have had to make the trip and suffer the consequences for us. In my book, that makes them almost as "cultish" as those they rail against. Might be ironic - false prophets warning about false prophets.
Revelation 14:12
Here is the patience of The Holy Ones, those who keep the commands of God and the faith of Yeshua.”
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