What the WMSCOG Requires for Salvation (Preaching is Vital)

If you have a loved one who's a member of the World Mission Society Church of God, you might wonder:
Why do they spend so much time at church?
Why do they do so much preaching?
Why do they try so hard to do the will of God (as the WMSCOG interprets it)?
Why do they give so much money to the church?
Because they are taught that they will only enter heaven if they are obedient.  If they are lacking in perfect obedience, then they believe they are at risk of losing their salvation, and that's a serious fear.

There are numerous verses showing us that our salvation comes only by the grace of God.  It is God's gift to us (grace) and not something we can earn (by our works).
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" -- Eph. 2:8.
"Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness." -- Rom. 4:4-5

Knowing that the World Mission Society Church of God places such a high emphasis on obeying all the commandments of God, I have often wondered what they think of God's amazing grace.

In talking with the WMSCOG, they do acknowledge that salvation is by God's grace.  And occasionally, I can find written statements like this:

As ministers of the new covenant, we are like the baton, and God is the Conductor who holds us and accomplishes everything for our salvation....  Therefore, we should continuously give glory and praise to God for blessing us with salvation. We were sinners who couldn't save ourselves, to say nothing of others....  It is not by our works that we are saved and bear fruit....  And we should praise God the mighty Creator who made the universe and everything in it and saved us by His grace.  (from Sing Praise to God)

However, when I consider the rest of what the WMSCOG teaches, it becomes clear that their idea of grace, and my idea of grace (as a Christian) are vastly different.

When I examine what the Bible teaches about God's grace, I see that I cannot earn my way into heaven.  It's God Himself who has blessed me with salvation by His grace.  I have it already, and nothing I do can add to it or earn it.  Though I should try to live in a way that pleases God, my failure at perfection does not affect my salvation.  Salvation is given first, then good works follow.

I'm reminded of an analogy I once heard about our efforts to "help" God "pay" for our salvation.  It's like being presented with a gift of a luxury automobile worth $1,000,000.  When your benefactor pays for the car, you thank him for the gift, but say, "No, no.  Please let me help you pay for that.  I have a few quarters in my pocket...."  And he says, "No.  I know you could never afford this, that's why it's a special gift.  Don't cheapen it by trying to help pay with your quarters."

On the other hand, when I read and hear what the WMSCOG teaches about God's grace, it's more like this.  God has given you the opportunity to be saved.  God, by His grace, has made salvation available.  As long as you show you are worthy by obeying ALL God's commands (and don't forget about believing in "Heavenly Mother" too), you may receive God's gift of salvation and enter heaven.  Salvation is available, but obedience gets it for you.

Using the same car analogy, we might picture our benefactor purchasing the car for us, but we are not allowed to actually receive the gift until we've shown him that we can save up $1,000,000 in our bank account to prove that we are worthy of it.

If you have a loved one in the WMSCOG, then you've likely already seen their striving to be worthy of that salvation.  But just in case you wonder if that's what they are really being taught, I'll leave you with quotes from the WMSCOG themselves.  There are a great many, so I'll try to control myself and not list them all, but I want you to see just how much they emphasize this.   (And you are free to look up the sources and check the context for yourself.)

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"However, only those who fully obey God's word can be said to truly believe in God....  If one defers doing the will of God, he is detestable and disobedient and unable to escape destruction." (from A Hesitating Faith and an Entrusting Faith)

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"No one can be perfect without obedience....  Salvation is based on obedience....  Salvation is impossible apart from obedience." (from According to Your Word)

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"We must keep in mind that we do not belong to God when we fail to wholeheartedly follow His teachings."  (from Become a Greater Vessel)

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"Washing feet [at Passover] might seem insignificant, but actually it is an important ceremony established by God for our salvation....  Only he who does not slight the least of God's words is worthy of being chosen by God."  (from God's Chosen Ones)

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"If one speaks thankful words, he will be one step closer to heaven; if he utters grumbling words, he will be one step closer to hell."  (from Learn to Be Content)

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"If we obey God's word, we will go to heaven, our eternal home. If we don't, we will be punished in hell."  (from Let Us Know the Love of God)

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"Those who do not keep the Sabbath cannot acquire the citizenship of heaven....  Jesus will turn His face away from them, saying, '...Do you know the reason why I have not granted you heavenly citizenship? Have you ever kept the Sabbath holy?' ... It is a qualification for the citizenship of heaven to celebrate the Passover....  He opened the way to the forgiveness of sins through the Passover of the new covenant....  Here is one more necessary condition for the heavenly citizenship-knowing God's name and celebrating God's feasts such as the Sabbath and the Passover."  (from Let's Acquire the Citizenship of Heaven)

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"When our Master comes back and settles accounts with us, we should all please and satisfy Him as ministers of the new covenant, saying, 'We have gained ten more talents by leading many souls to heaven.' Then He will say, 'Well done! You are worthy of My sacrifice.'"  (from Like Christ)

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"If we do realize that we are grave sinners, we shall serve others through our life. That is the way to expiate [atone for] our sins....  Never give up the opportunity of preaching which is God's sacred command and the way to receive the forgiveness of sins."  (from Lord!  I Am a Sinful Man!)

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"Obedience is a necessary qualification to enter heaven. God, who is righteous and just, is ready to fulfill the gospel work when our obedience is complete....  We must obey everything that God has commanded us, even the least thing.  God told us, "Be joyful always," and "Be united in love for one another." We have to obey these words, too....  When we forsake our own thoughts and submit joyfully to God's will, we can complete our salvation....  The 144,000 are the people who fully obey the word of God with joy and thanksgiving."  (from One Man's Obedience and One Man's Disobedience)

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"I believe that you, all the people of Zion, will have no regrets when you go back to heaven and confidently say that you have made every effort to preach the gospel. I hope all of you will live a life without regret, completely obeying God's will and saving all people around the world, as well as your family, relatives and neighbors. Then we will all be greatly loved and complimented by our Heavenly Father and Mother." (from Regret for Things That We Have Not Done)

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"However, we cannot acquire eternal life without laboring for it; the crown of eternal life cannot be given to us without effort."  (from Remain Faithful to God Until the End)

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"When we remove all the impurities of our soul, we will receive spiritual blessings from heaven and become worthy to return to our heavenly home....  As the children of God, we must not only keep all of God's commandments but also purge away all our dross, in order that we may enter the kingdom of heaven. [dross = 'the evil and impurities of our soul,' 'everything that God does not proclaim as holy'] ... No one can be a spiritual being in the kingdom of God unless he is purified from the impurities of this world."  (from Remove the Dross from the Silver)

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"Now, we need to examine ourselves to see if we have faithfully tried to bear such beautiful fruit of enlightenment every moment since we were called by God....  If we have born no fruit unto God for many years, we are not worthy of His call. [fruit = a new convert] ...  Haven't you awakened enough souls to be worthy of God's call yet? Don't worry. You can start now."  (from Role of one person)

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"In other words, there is no salvation, no eternal life, for those who do not observe the feasts."  (from Salvation is Given to Those Who Celebrate the Feasts)

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"If we disobey even a single command of God, we will end up being like Esau who gave up his birthright."  (from The Firstborn of Heaven)

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"It is the duty of God's people to thank God always. As God gave us the command to 'remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy,' so He also gave us this command: 'Give thanks always.' ... Those who complain can never enter the kingdom of heaven."  (from The Gifts of God)

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"In order to enter the kingdom of God, we should always pay attention to God's word and carry out His will....  There are many wills of God recorded in the Bible. It is God's will that we should keep His commandments, laws and decrees. It is also God's will for us to have a disposition and faith worthy of God's people. Above all, there is an important teaching from God, which we should practice in order to enter the glorious kingdom of God. [1 Thess. 5:15-18]  ... He who is full of complaints and is not joyful or thankful can never enter the kingdom of God. Only the person who is always joyful and thankful in the will of Father and Mother can go to the kingdom of heaven."  (from The Kingdom of Heaven We Are Going to)

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"The Bible teaches us that no matter how eagerly we may believe in God and however passionate our faith may be, if our deeds are not good, we will never be saved....  We must obey everything God has taught us, without neglecting it, no matter how small it is."  (from The Life of a Christian)

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"As the watchmen of the truth, let us follow God's command to save the world by leading all people to Zion where Elohim our Father and Mother dwell, who protect us from disasters through the Passover of the new covenant and give us the blessings of eternal life, so that we can repay Elohim for Their grace."  (from The Mission of Watchmen and Signs of the Present Time)

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"What is most pleasing to God is to lead dying souls to repentance and salvation. So, if this work of salvation is not processed well, how anxious and grieved God must be!  Unless we have such a burning heart, it is proof that the Holy Spirit has left us.  Even until the end of the year, if we bear no fruit or have no will to bear fruit or don't feel anxious, we should reflect on ourselves: ‘What's wrong with me?' ... [Let's] judge if our souls are alive or dead according to whether we have borne fruit or not." [remember, "bearing fruit" = recruiting a new convert]  (from The Work of the Holy Spirit Is Fulfilled through Preaching)

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"Only those who are spotless and blameless after Father and Mother are worthy to enter the holy city....  Unless we fully resemble God, we will be rejected by them and weep bitterly. We are to have the marks of Christ-suffering, loving heart, tireless enthusiasm for preaching the gospel of the new covenant day and night."  (from Those Who Resemble God)

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"Considering the above verse [1 Cor. 9:16], preaching is the whole duty of us all, isn't it? Unless a watchman performs his duty, he will be killed by the enemy or punished by death according to martial law. Likewise, unless we carry out our mission of preaching, we may lose our salvation....  As Christ's workers, let's faithfully fulfill our duty as a watchman and try to save many souls by using the talents God has given us, like the Apostle Paul did, so that we can all bear much beautiful fruit and attain salvation."  (from Time to Preach)

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"Since Jesus says we cannot see the kingdom of God unless we are born again, 'being born again' is the most urgent task for those who hope for heaven. Of course, we must obey every teaching God has given us in order to be born again, but unless we become gracious in our speech, we may fail to enter the kingdom of God....  The kingdom of God is really not a place where we can go just by spending time doing nothing. Since Jesus has clearly said that we cannot see the kingdom of God unless we are born again, we should make continuous efforts to be reborn. If you fail after trying once, please try twice, three times and more, forcefully advancing towards the kingdom of heaven. There is nothing we can't do if we try ten times or more."  (from Unless We Are Born Again)

"Mother's" Sacrifice of Flesh and Blood...and Death?

Despite the Bible's insistence that Jesus was the one and only perfect sacrifice needed to cleanse us from sin (Heb. 10:1-14), The World Mission Society Church of God claims that "Mother Jerusalem" (Zahng Gil-Ja) is continually being sacrificed to provide cleansing from sin.

This means that they believe Jesus' sacrifice wasn't enough to accomplish our forgiveness.  As a Christian, this stuns me--how can God's own sacrifice of Himself, not be enough?!

Not only that, but "Heavenly Mother" can't sacrifice herself just once, but must continually sacrifice herself twice a week.  What does that tell you about the power of the "gods" of the WMSCOG?

But now let's turn our attention to the Passover, the Last Supper.
Mark 14:22-24

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.

Whose body was broken for us?  Whose blood was shed for us?  Whose body and blood do we remember with the bread and cup of the Lord's Supper (Passover)?  Jesus' flesh and blood.

The following quotes show that the WMSCOG claims this sacrifice of flesh and blood was "Mother's" sacrifice as well.

From God Who Has Saved Us:

We should not only rejoice in having received eternal life by eating the Passover bread and drinking the Passover wine, but in them we should find our Father and Mother giving us Their precious flesh and blood and looking upon us continually with eyes full of compassion and pity. God our Father and Mother have been sacrificed for us, like the Passover lamb. They've given us Their flesh to eat and Their blood to drink, and as the result of such a great sacrifice They have saved all of us, Their children.

From The Firstborn of Heaven:

So, in this age, God the Father and God the Mother have come as the Spirit and the Bride and have given us the blood of the covenant—the Passover, the blood of God the Father and God the Mother.

From The Meaning of the Sacrifice of the Passover:

Just as the mother saved her child with the blood flowing from her finger at the critical moment, our Father and Mother gave Their flesh to eat and Their blood to drink in order to save us....  We believe in Mother not just because the Bible testifies about Her, but because She is our heavenly Mother who gave us Her flesh to eat and Her blood to drink to save us from sin.

From The Wages of Sin Is Death:

When we eat the Passover bread, we have to remember that our Parents gave Their precious body and blood for us to eat in order to save us. When we drink the Passover wine, we have to remember that our sin was so great that it couldn't be forgiven without the precious blood of our Parents, and we should give thanks to Them for Their sacrifice.

How did "Mother Jerusalem" give her flesh to eat and her blood to drink?  Has her body been sacrificed and her blood shed as Jesus' was as the Passover Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7)?

Another big problem...
Read this quote from What Kind of God Is Your God?:

In the Bible, we have to find our Father and Mother who have loved us to the point of death; They were rejected by men, took up our infirmities, and bore our iniquities; They were even treated as sinners and died in the place of sinners.

Here we have two contradictions.
1. "Mother" has "loved us to the point of death" and "died in the place of sinners"?  She is still alive in Korea.
2. The WMSCOG teaches that "Mother" will not die at all, but will take her faithful followers directly to heaven alive with her.  Therefore, according to the WMSCOG she will not EVER "die in the place of sinners" or "love us to the point of death."

I am so thankful for the real Jesus was a powerful enough God that it only took Him one sacrifice to accomplish that payment for my sins.  He actually did die for me, and He rose again from the dead!  Ahnsahnghong is still in his grave, and one day Zahng Gil-Ja will be too, as is the destiny of all humans.  (Heb. 9:27)

"Mother's" Sacrifice ... Because One Wasn't Enough?

In Hebrews 10, the Bible tells us that Jesus is the perfect sacrifice for our sins.  His sacrifice was so perfect that it needed to be made only once to cover us all, unlike the sacrifices the priests offered on behalf of the people day after day, year after year.

Heb. 10:10,12-14

"By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all...  But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified."

But what does the World Mission Society Church of God say?  They teach that Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was not enough to keep us clean from sin.

This is evidenced in their sermon, "Mother's Love":

All the sacrifices in the Old Testament represent our Father who was sacrificed as an offering for sin about 2,000 years ago―and also our Mother who is sacrificing Herself to seek and save the children with devotional love for them in this age.
God has given His children the regulations of Third Day worship and the seventh-day Sabbath worship from Old Testament times. Through such regulations, Mother has purified our souls by sacrificing Herself, so that we may not be cut off from the community of God.

Maybe they mean "sacrificing" as in "suffering hardships" but not in the same sense as animal sacrifices and the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross?  And maybe this suffering of hardship is to help and teach her "children"?  No.

They quote Numbers 19:1-21 (in the same sermon) about the sacrifice of the heifer, and they continue on to say:

Every sacrifice in the Old Testament symbolizes God's sacrifice. Then, whom does the heifer represent? By whose and what sacrifice are we now cleansed on the third and seventh days?
The heifer was a sacrifice representing our Mother who's come into this earth as the Bride of the Spirit. The Israelites were cleansed through the sacrifice of a heifer. This shows that God's children are purified through the sacrifice of Mother on the third and seventh days.
Our Mother burns Herself, being sacrificed as a sin offering; through the ashes of Mother, represented as the heifer, we are cleaned from all our impurities, from all our transgressions and sins―on the third day and seventh-day Sabbath. How can we imagine and describe in words our Mother's pain, sacrifice and love?

Keep reading and see that they are clearly talking about "Mother" (Zahng Gil-Ja) being sacrificed for the sins of her "children":

Through the fact that our Mother is continually getting sacrificed on the Third and Sabbath days, we must know how many sins we have committed.
Some may simply think that they are forgiven because they believe God. However, we must know there is God's great sacrifice and love beyond description in the forgiveness of our sins. By God's wounds we are healed; the punishment that has brought us peace is upon God. Through such a sacrifice by God, we are forgiven. We should realize the love of our Father and Mother and give thanks to Them through the Third Day and Sabbath worships.
Without putting on Mother's love, none of us can enter the kingdom of heaven; we are expelled from heaven, and we can never enter by ourselves.
By the sacrifice of Mother, we are purified. Mother is pierced for our transgressions. By Her wounds we are healed and at peace.

This is in direct contradiction to Hebrews 10:14.  Here it is again in the NIV:
"For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy."

Not only that, but if "Mother is continually getting sacrificed on the Third and Sabbath days" for sins to purify her "children," then she is comparable to the repeated sacrifices offered in the Old Testament.  And what does the Bible say about those?

Hebrews 10:1-2

"The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins."

What kind of "God" has to keep sacrificing herself over and over again?  Hebrews 10 says once is enough.

Public Relations Campaign? -- Responding to WMSCOG comments

Here's another comment from a World Mission Society Church of God member.  This one was sharing links to their activities on Christmas Day, 2011.  I have not removed or changed anything in this comment.

January 29, 2012, 4:40 AM, Anonymous said...

I HAVE ALREADY COME! (NEW YORK ZION)

Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nueTjBJ2jnc

Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=PNnREnl8Ee0

Hello, Anonymous, and thanks for sharing the link.  I notice there are lots of videos and articles popping up lately promoting the WMSCOG.

Some are about their acts of community service.  They have begun a nine week community service campaign, so I expect we are going to be seeing a lot more soon.  Is it a good thing to help people?  Of course.  Is it impressive to see such an organized campaign?  Yes.  I don't mean to diminish any of the good work that they are doing, but...

I notice one of the people commenting says, "No other church can do like this in the world!"  Are you not aware of even a little of what other churches and organizations do around the world?  For your benefit, I'll direct you to a few activities: in Tennessee, in Alabama, in North Carolina, in California, in Fiji, and in India.  I know of a great many Christian community service projects that never get reported in the news or filmed for youtube and advertised all over--they are simply done. 

I still wonder if the WMSCOG does community service mainly to help people, or mainly to get publicity and thanks?  I don't mean to sound cynical, because I'm sure many of the individual members do want to help people, but regarding the leadership and organization in general, I think it's a fair question.

I wonder how many of these nice things they do, but do NOT film themselves or call up the news to have it reported about?  Will they report about every one of their activities during this nine week campaign?  What proportion of these activities are done "in secret" (Matt. 6:1-4)?

There are also videos showing their "I Have Already Come" message, such as this one from Atlanta.  (I feel kind of sorry for the people in the parade that look like they are being overshadowed by the WMSCOG group.  I hope they did this in a respectful way.)

Maybe they've reconsidered how public they want that 'new name' known?  But I wonder... will I stop hearing stories of people being baptized before they learn of the name Ahnsahnghong, and of people being given mysterious answers when they ask about the woman in the pictures ("Mother")?  Will they be straight forward now with people they are 'evangelizing' about what organization they are from and what they actually believe?

I HAVE ALREADY COME! I HAVE ALREADY COME! I HAVE ALREADY COME!

WE LOVE AHNSAHNGHONG NIM! WE LOVE AHNSAHNGHONG NIM! WE LOVE AHNSAHNGHONG NIM!

WE LOVE OMONI! WE LOVE OMONI! WE LOVE OMONI!

When you shout this at people, how do you let them know exactly what you are talking about?

Do you tell them what "Ahn Sahng Hong Nim" means?  Do you tell them what "Omoni" means?  Or do they have to wait and study, study, study with you until you tell them?

Why don't you use the actual name of "Mother"?  Is her name less important?

NEW JERUSALEM, NEW JERUSALEM
JERUSALEM, JERUSALEM, NEW JERUSALEM
HER BRIGHTNESS
HER GREAT SALVATION
HAS APPEARED TO US
IN THE EYES OF ALL NATIONS
OUR MOTHER SHINES HER GLORY TO ALL
ALL THE WORLD SEE HER GREAT MIGHTY WORKS
FROM ENDS OF THE EARTH IN THE EAST
THE WAY OF LIFE, HAS BEEN OPENED
FROM ENDS OF THE EARTH IN THE EAST
THE SHOUTING OF ANGELS IS HEARD
GOD ALMIGHTY HEAVEN’S MOTHER REIGNS
IN ZION, IN ZION, WITH AUTHORITY
SHOUT TO THE WORLD! THE WORLD IS FREED
FROM THE CHAIN OF SIN AND DEATH FOREVERMORE
OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS
THEY ARE NOW REDEEMED!
NOW LET’S GO, GO TO THE WORLD!
GO CROSSING OCEANS TO ALL NATIONS
WHERE OUR BROTHERS, SISTERS ARE
TO THE PEOPLES, TO THE NATIONS
LET’S GO TO THE WORLD
NOW LET’S GO, GO TO THE WORLD
GO CROSSING OCEANS TO ALL THE NATIONS
WHERE OUR BROTHERS, SISTERS ARE
TO THE PEOPLES, TO THE NATIONS
LET’S GO TO THE WORLD
TO THE PEOPLES, TO THE NATIONS
LET’S GO TO THE WORLD!!!

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

Thanks for sharing the words, because it was awfully hard for me to catch them all with the background noise.

Just in case you are wondering if other churches have done this to spread their message too--yes, and they are just as impressive.  It does look kind of exciting and makes me want to get involved too.  Check these out:
Second Baptist Church in Houston
The Catholic Church in Paris
A church in Massachusetts
A Lutheran church in Minnesota

I think it's healthy for everyone, no matter your church and faith, to periodically look around and see what's going on in other churches and faiths.  You might be encouraged, or surprised, or inspired, or humbled....

In summary, yes, it's impressive that the WMSCOG organized such a 'flash mob' and that they perform community service.  Are they the only ones who do this?  No.  With the large number of new videos and articles promoting the WMSCOG, it does make me wonder if they are purposely trying to build their image with a public relations campaign.

Just one more thing.  In the videos, the WMSCOG members shout out "We love you!" over and over.  Do you really mean that?  Because from my experience, except for my sister, any kind of love stopped and became animosity when I asked too many difficult questions.

Do you remember to follow Jesus' commands to love even your enemy (Matthew 5:43-46)?
I am praying for you.

Studying, Family, and Lies -- Responding to WMSCOG comments

I'm continuing to answer comments sent in recently from World Mission Society Church of God members.  This one wanted me to study more and to know that they aren't a cult...

(I have only removed the location from this original comment--no other words--but I have fixed any spelling errors to help those needing to use the online translator.)

January 19, 2012, 1:07 AM, Wendi said...

I am a mother in Canada. Nearly all my family attends the Church of God. There are so so many misrepresentations in this blog. I understand that in the freedom to speak freely people can say some very vile and hurtful things. Many evil things have been done in the name of Christianity. History teaches us this.

Hello, Wendi.  I'm glad you wrote.  Yes, freedom of speech does include the freedom to speak harshly.  I've seen rude language come from all sides.  I myself have endured many horrible, insulting comments from WMSCOG members.  That is too bad.  We should all be respectful even if we disagree, and that's what I try to do.

About "misrepresentations"-- if you believe I have misrepresented scientific or historical facts, you should know that I do painstaking research for all my articles and document my sources so you can check these things for yourself.

If you believe I have misrepresented WMSCOG doctrine, you should know that what I write about has been explained to me through personal discussions with members and through official church documents.  If you believe the WMSCOG teaches something different, then I'm left to wonder why they would be so inconsistent in their doctrine.

If you believe I have misrepresented the behavior of the members, you should know that I write about the personal experiences of myself and my friends and family.  Perhaps your experience has been different.  I have noticed that, in general, members are much nicer to people who agree with them than they are with those who disagree or ask serious questions.

It would be more helpful if you would please give specific examples of the misrepresentations you are talking about.  I would be glad to clear them up or make corrections as needed.

This is a good church. But you need to hear more than a couple of lessons to fully make up your mind. Do you go to school and take one or two courses to become a doctor or teacher? No. If you truly want to know the truth, you must seek it - and the Church of God can give you those answers if you have an open heart and mind enough to give them a fair chance to do so. 

How many lessons would make for a "fair chance"?
No matter how much my friends or I have studied, we are continually told that we haven't studied enough, that if we only studied more then we would see.

What would you say to a Scientologist (for example), who kept telling you, "If you would only study more with us, it would make sense and you'd see we are teaching the truth"?

If something is false, no amount of studying can make it true.
My mind is open but not so open that my brains fall out (as the saying goes).

We are not a cult. Cults try to take you away from your family. Our church WANTS you to stay in your family, and love them to show Gods love to them, but people always have their own agendas. 

From the experiences of myself and my friends, the WMSCOG only wants you to stay close with your family if they do not object to their teachings.  We've seen our family members distance themselves, sometimes speaking mean and hateful words to us who are only trying to help, and sometimes to the point of removing themselves from the family.

How are we supposed to believe that the church wants the members to stay in their family when we see our loved ones refuse to join us for even the most important family events of weddings and funerals?  Or when we see a member threaten to divorce a questioning spouse, or a son/daughter stop communicating with their unbelieving parents?

I don't know whose agenda you are talking about, but if you'd really like me to believe that the WMSCOG does not break up families, then I will need to stop seeing and hearing bad examples like those I've mentioned, and start hearing (and seeing) more real life examples that what you say is true.

(Do you hear that, WMSCOG leaders?  Why don't you encourage your members to restore and maintain good relationships with their families, and to thoughtfully answer their concerns instead of avoiding them?)

Don't you know that what is in your heart will eventually come out your mouth (or in this case through your fingers in print)? Pray for truth to God! But then have the grace to hear it without prejudging first. Truth will remain, lies will always come out. Wendi, [location removed]

I hope you also will have the grace to read my articles here without prejudging first.

It's funny you mention "truth will remain, lies will come out." 
The WMSCOG believes lying for a 'good' cause is ok.  They call it a 'righteous lie.'  The thing is, who decides which situations are ok for lies and which are not?  Have you ever found anywhere in the Bible where Jesus said lying was acceptable?

Do you know, the WMSCOG taught that Ahnsahnghong and Zahng Gil-Jah did not have earthly spouses or natural children of their own.  What do they say about that now?

You are correct.  The truth will stand, and lies will eventually come out.

You seem like a sincerely nice person, Wendi.  I pray that you will be able to see the truth and understand that my intentions here are good.

Second Coming Christ and Traditions-- Responding to WMSCOG comments

I'm continuing to answer comments sent in recently from World Mission Society Church of God members.  This one focused on Ahnsahnghong as the second coming Christ and also touched on church traditions.

(I have not removed any words from the original comment, but I have fixed spelling errors to help anyone needing to use the online translator.)

January 17, 2012, 7:07 AM, Anonymous said...

I think that anyone can argue just about anything if they really wanted too. but when you think about all the traditions that most churches keep are never based on the bible. 

Thank you, Anonymous, for taking the time to write.  I appreciate hearing your perspective.

Do you have the tradition of celebrating your birthday with a cake and birthday candles and presents and a party?  What purpose does such a celebration serve?  Does it matter to you where that tradition came from?

Different traditions serve different purposes, of course.  The purpose of the traditions that churches keep is to help people connect with and understand God.

A friend of mine told me about a mission trip she took.  One of the 'traditions' (as you might call it) of the Christians in that area was that the Bible must not touch the ground.  They treated their Bibles such that they considered it disrespectful for it to be laid on the floor.

I can't think of a verse in the Bible that commanded that, can you?  So this tradition is not based on the Bible.  But does the tradition have value?  Yes, of course.

Purim and Hanukkah are celebrations that were not commanded by God.  The people chose to honor God and the memory of something He did by establishing these traditions.  Is that wrong?  No.  Even Jesus kept Hanukkah (John 10:22).

How can these churches keep Christmas and Sunday worship which is a fact in history that it was made to worship the sun God. 

Christmas and Sunday worship were made to honor Jesus, not the sun god.  I'll go into more detail in a future post.

When you read the bible Christ said he would come back a 2nd time and by him the one who restores all the truth we can recognize him as God but people have a fixed idea that God would never come in the flesh. But God is our Father, think about all you would do to save your children if you knew they were heading for danger. 

Where in the Bible does it say that Jesus will need to return to "restore truth"?  The WMSCOG gives the impression that Jesus failed at His first attempt because it didn't last.  Was Jesus a failure?  Of course not.

I know of two verses the WMSCOG uses to try to prove that the truth needs to be "restored."
Luke 18:8 ...when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?
The WMSCOG says this means that there will be no faith on the earth, but that's not what it says.  It says, "Will He find faith?"  They assume the answer to be no, that there will be no faith at all.

This is like the mom who leaves her children for a little while and says, "When I come back will I find you doing your chores?"  She does not expect a 'no' answer.  She expects a 'yes,' even if it's only some of the children.

The other verse is Hebrews 9:28 ...To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
Christ's second coming will not be to "restore truth" by bring salvation from sin again.  The word for "salvation" here has to do with deliverance, survival, and safety.  It is also used in Luke 1:71, Acts 27:34, and Philippians 1:19.  So you see it is a different sense of salvation.

Jesus came 2000 years ago and at that time everybody knew God as Jehovah but the reason he came was to establish the new covenant by keeping Passover with bread and wine instead of lamb sacrifice as in old testament. 

The reason Jesus came was to satisfy our debt for our sin by becoming the perfect sacrifice, the Passover Lamb so that death (eternal, spiritual death) would pass over us.  The Passover and Jesus' fulfillment of it is filled with wonderful symbolism.  This is a good book about it.

Did you know that Jesus didn't keep Passover "with bread and wine instead of lamb."  The Jews had bread and wine with their Passover lamb as part of the Seder meal.  The disciples prepared the Passover (Mark 14:16) and they ate the meal (Luke 22:20, notice "after supper").

God suffered in [un]imaginable pain and promised us life thru the passover. After his death at his first coming this Passover was abolished. Passover is the way to eternal life because we can have God's flesh and blood just as we have our physical parents' DNA proving we a children of God. Then how could we have eternal life if the way was blocked. 

First, there have been people keeping the Passover throughout history.  It never "completely disappeared from the world" as the WMSCOG claims.

Second, if the way to eternal life was truly blocked, then "the gates of Hades" prevailed against the Church, which would deny Jesus' words in Matthew 16:18.

God said he had to come a second time just as in his first coming. Jesus was a very common name and he was persecuted by his people and eventually sacrificed by his people. it is the same now Christ ahn sahng hong came and restored the truth and it's not that people world mission society just follow a random person just because. Just as his first coming the disciples recognized him because he fulfilled prophecy as messiah. it is the same now and sooner or later this truth will come to light. 

Jesus will return in the same manner He left, not in the same way He came (Acts 1:11).

Was Ahnsahnghong "sacrificed by his people"?  I remember being told that he died of a brain aneurysm.

And please don't use the it's-the-same-now-as-2000-years-ago argument.  Anyone can claim to be the second coming of Christ and use that argument saying, "You don't believe me, and you are persecuting me.  It was the same with Jesus."

Maybe David Koresh was the second coming Christ?  (Yes, I'm being sarcastic here.)  After all, he had a common name, was persecuted, and even killed.  And I'm sure he would have told you that he fulfilled prophecy too.

And the reason we are so persistent when we preach is because we want people to be saved and we have an eager mind and heart just as our parents did coming here. 

I understand that persistence.  When you sincerely believe something, it comes out in the way you live.  If you sincerely believe in Ahnsahnghong, then I would expect you to preach about him.  And I do believe that you sincerely want the best for people.

That's why I'm here too.  I sincerely care for you and my sister and all the others in the WMSCOG, and that's why I'm so persistent in trying to show you that "Father Ahnsahnghong" and "Mother Jerusalem" do not deserve your devotion and worship.