If you have even the slightest connection with most of the hundreds of splinter groups of the Church of God you will see that they all share one predominate theme. Government. Government from the top down, not from ANYPLACE that comes through the membership. No regular church member has the understanding, the training or the blessing from God on high as do the ministry of the church. This does not even include the fools that have self-appointed themselves. This is still coming from ministers that have been part of the "good old boys club" for the last 50-60 some years.
The Eternal Church of God is reinforcing the understanding that all spiritual knowledge comes from and through their ministers.
The task of feeding Christ’s lambs and feeding and tending His sheep, is primarily accomplished through the ministers’ inspired speaking and teaching of God’s Word, and through ministerial counseling. In this regard, the ministry is to look after and protect Christ’s disciples by “feeding” and “tending” the flock”—which includes, standing up to savage wolves which might come in with the attempt to spiritually destroy and devour the sheep (Acts 20:29; compare also John 10:11-13).There are several problems within this paragraph. For the vast majority of the ministry "inspired" speaking is NOT a quality that most COG ministers possess. Most of them do not have an original thought in their heads. They parrot and plagiarize messages from predecessors over the last 80 some years. There is no deviation from the rote understandings. Note the definition for rote:
- ROTE
Almost all COG ministers ignore the teachings of Christ and the New Covenant. They've protected themselves to the law and the law only. And as for counseling...we all know that NONE of them have ever had adequate training in psychology, therapy or counseling. None have taken classes or obtained licenses in counseling. Church member literally have died from these morally and spiritually bankrupt counselings.
- A memorizing process using routine or repetition, often without full attention or comprehension: learn by rote.
- n. Mechanical routine.
Norbert Link believes Church of God members cannot understand scripture or spiritual things WITHOUT a Church of God minister telling you what to believe.
Brethren need Christ’s ministers to be fed. Romans 10:14-16 tells us that we cannot hear “without a preacher.” We are also told, however, that God must send the “preacher.” We are encouraged to “test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets [or preachers] have gone into the world” (1 John 4:1).The Church of God is filled with lying false prophets. From Bob Thiel to James Malm, Norbert Link, Dave Pack, Gerald Flurry, Rod Meredith...the list is endless. Theses people have thrown sincere members searching for God to the wolves as they've ripped member lives apart. they've spiritually destroyed their flocks.
In the first part of this series, we warned against deception which is prophesied to occur—including in the Church of God. Feeding the flock includes a warning against deception, lying spirits and the falling away from the Truth. In part 2, we continued to address the importance of not deviating from the Truth. To ensure that this doesn’t happen, the ministry of God’s Church has the duty to feed the flock by preaching the Truth in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:1-2).Sadly the Church of God has been filed with lying spirits. Just took at the recent liars who have set themselves up as God's chosen. Dave Pack, Bob Thiel, James Malm, Gerald Flurry, just to name a few of the more egregious offenders.
One of the ways that Norbert Link's group brings the light to the world is dealing with teaching prophecy.
We also stated in part 4 that a warning message must go out to members and prospective members of the Church of God, including a message about prophecy which should help us to see more clearly how close we are to Christ’s return.Not once in the entire history of this dispensation of the church has any COG leader EVER said anything accurate about Christ's return or about any other aspect of prophecy. Every single one of them have uttered one false prophecy after another. Lies upon lies. According to scripture all it takes is one lie for a minister to never be believed again.
Link and his buddies lay down further laws for their small flock:
only ordained ministers of God should perform baptisms.
only God’s ministers were given special authority from God to lay their hands upon the sick, when praying for them (while anointing them with oil).
only ECG ministers can perform legitimate marriagesAll of these ordinances require the laying on of hands that Link believes is required. In his eyes this is "feeding" the flock. Link believes that the true ministry can trace there linage back through the ordination of Herbert Armstrong. Any ministers ordained by anyone outside of that lineage is a fraud.
The doctrine of laying on of hands requires and demands a functioning godly ministry, who are God’s representatives (Malachi 2:7), if they are truly chosen and ordained by God (Hebrews 5:4). God has decreed that an ordained minister of God is necessary for proper baptism (leading to the receipt of the Holy Spirit); healing; Church weddings; the blessing of little children; and ordinations as deacons and elders. All of this serves the purpose of feeding the flock.As usual in the Church of God, fear and threats need to be dumped upon the brethren. If any member dares to question or reject ministers advice then their lives are in spiritual danger. If you do not submit you re guilty of rebellion! Rebellious CO Members could go and start practicing witchcraft or Wicca.
Someone who rejects God’s ministers, thinking that he has no need of them, is in mortal spiritual danger. Someone who is unwilling to submit to the ministry of God is guilty of rebellion, which is as bad as sorcery and witchcraft (1 Samuel 15:23)....As it is the duty and responsibility of God’s ministers to feed the flock and protect it from harm, the “sheep” and the “lambs” are told by God to accept and obey the guidance and protection from God’s true ministers (Hebrews 13:17; 2 Thessalonians 3:13-15).OBEY! OBEY! OBEY! Only COG ministers can give you really guidance and protection.
From:
How Does the Church of the Eternal God and its International Affiliates Differ From Other Christian Churches? (Part 5)