LCG has released the May-June 2016 issue of Living Church News. Let's see what LCG's leaders have to say this time. Since Pentecost is on June 12 this year much of this issue discusses or alludes to Pentecost.
The editors are listed as Roderick C. Meredith, Richard Ames, William Bowmer, John Robinson, Bruce Tyler and Gerald Weston.
Roderick C. Meredith has a personal article alluding to Pentecost.
Roderick C. Meredith also has an editorial article. In it he condemns the "Prosperity Gospel" saying that (LCG's) God wants LCG members to endure problems to build up righteous character.
He also boasts of miraculous healings he claims to have seen and observed seemingly heedless of the many problems and even deaths caused by HWA's anti-medicine superstitions.
Yet God’s Word reveals that there are occasional “exceptions”—where “God knows what is best” and decides not to heal in particular situations. ... In my own life, I have found that God in His mercy has allowed sickness, infirmity and trials to test me in order to make me “cry out” to God even more fervently and to be more passionate about serving Him. Yet I have personally seen dozens of people who were supernaturally healed by God Almighty! I am not talking about someone “getting over” a cold or some minor thing. I am talking about supernatural, powerful healings involving cancer, heart disease or being paralyzed. These miracles were not brought about by some shouting, arm-waving preacher in a tent “show” trying to attract attention. Rather, Almighty God heard the fervent prayers of a faithful minister who believed that Almighty God would act according to His inspired Word and heal as He has promised normally to do. (p. 4.)Gary Ehman has an article discussing the Holy Spirit from an Armstrongite perspective. HWA taught that the Holy Spirit was not a person but merely an impersonal force from the Father and the Son.
Dexter Wakefield has an article about renovating one's life after committing to (LCG's) religion.
Gerald Weston has an article about dating within LCG. He mentions that some have called him a matchmaker.
Some people have accused me of being a matchmaker. Well, I don’t know how in the world they could come up with such an idea. Me, a matchmaker? I don’t think so, but I will admit to this: I do love a really good, real-life love story. (p. 11.)He also cites someone in all seriousness that back in the 1950s there were only five sexually transmitted disease.
... a prominent lecturer on the dangers of sex outside of marriage, points out that in the 1950’s there were just five common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Today, there are more than 30, and 30 percent of them are incurable. They will be your companions for the remainder of your life! (p. 13.)Just five STDs in the 1950s? That cannot be true. It is not true. It is astounding (but sadly unsurprising) that something so patently false could be printed in this magazine. Where are the editors? The editors are listed as Roderick C. Meredith, Richard Ames, William Bowmer, John Robinson, Bruce Tyler and Gerald Weston himself. Why didn't any of the others protect Weston from saying something as deficient as that?
He also states the following about how some have misused a word to condemn modern medicine.
However, it is interesting that, when we study the word sorcerer in the above verse, we find that it comes from the original Greek pharmacos, from which we get the word pharmacy, and relates to the distribution of drugs. Why would we find such a word used in this passage? Some people have misapplied this word to modern medicine that is used to treat the sick. They never thought of it in the context that we find it today. (p. 14.)Once again the shadow of HWA's anti-medicine superstitions superstitions appear once again.
Peter Nathan (formerly of David Hulme's COG group) has an article repeating the Armstrongite dogma that the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force used to make LCG members be like God.
He also includes an anecdote condemning Pentecostalism's fixation on speaking in tongues.
Early in my service as a minister, I visited a man who outwardly had every appearance of becoming a solid member of the Church. However, he very quickly let me know that he wanted to be baptized so that he could receive the Holy Spirit and be able to speak in tongues. In counseling with him, I tried to help him understand that the role of the Holy Spirit was so much more than just speaking in tongues. Many mistakenly think of speaking in tongues as the primary or even sole external sign of the Holy Spirit, just as it was displayed on the day of Pentecost in 31AD....Michelle Grovak has an article talking about the blessing of a closed door.
I look forward to that future time when I can sit down again with the man I mentioned at the start of this article and help him understand all the facets of the Holy Spirit and its use in our lives. (pp. 15, 21.)
Although it may not come naturally for us, with God’s help we can cultivate an attitude of seeing the blessing of a closed door. The next time a door slams shut in your face, try to remember God shows His love to us in many different ways. Perhaps something harmful is on the other side of the door. Perhaps we need to stop and examine ourselves. Or perhaps we need to look to another door. Remember Noah and the blessing of the closed door. And thank God for all things, even closed doors! (p. 19.)Announcements regarding LCG members are made. (p. 22.)
John Meakin has a little article discussing the upcoming referendum in Britain regarding membership in the European Union.
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