Which Way?

The Way of Life when it comes to Christianity is about a Person. Jesus said "I am THE WAY, the Truth, and the Life." As Armstrongism was concerned about "God's Way", Christianity is Concerned about God's WAY. As In, The WAY, As in Jesus Christ, The WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. 

Armstrongism is concerned about the way - not as in the Way, Jesus - but in a pathway towards what they believe is the ultimate goal - the Kingdom. Nearly Every Life Goal in Armstrongism is future, always on the horizon but never within reach. The Measuring stick when it comes to how well you are doing is not based on a relationship with Jesus Christ, but is based on your adherence to the Path that the Church dictates for your life. In short, the "way" of Armstrongism is obedience to their control. 

This explains a lot when it comes to exactly what one of Armstrongism's Most Vehement Pharisee , James Malm, is trying to do. When he says:

What James is actually, I believe, stating, is that he is calling on ALL Churches of God to follow him. Not HIM, no. But him - James Malm - who, in his mind, seems to believe he has the correct "way" in which all peoples are to go - which is, of course, observances of festivals. 

James seems to have a real problem with "associating with the unclean", when Jesus constantly associated "with the unclean", also angering the pharisees of his day, just as James appears to be angered by COG members associating with other COG members who are "unclean apostates who refuse to return to God", who are subject to, of course, condemnation, and cast into "great correction" should they not heed James'"way". 

James, of course, puts down a time-frame, the exact same thing many other COG "leaders" have done, and have failed at, miserably, pathetically, and spectacularly. A certain Dave did the same thing, with a vision of everyone flocking to him. A Certain Ron also imagined everyone flocking to his group. Other COG leaders constantly envision growth to their groups, all of them believing they have the "way" and eventually filling up big sports arenas, controlling the entirety of the Church of God in a Gigantic Worldwide Church of God Revival. Each of them have the same vision but only applicable to their own self-centered visions. 

Armstrongism is about a "way", but not THE Way. Armstrongism is about the proliferation of one man's vision - whether it's Herbert's, or Ron's, or Dave's, or Gerald's - each of these men has a vision of growth centered around themselves and their way and yes, their control. 

This is what has been behind every split, every faction, every splinter, every disagreement, every doctrinal dispute, every faction, and every quarrel about the Law, doctrine, and interpretation of policy. The "way" of control as envisioned by whatever leader is heading up their movement is the power of the movement in every case, but also, in every case, has turned out to be only a form of power without fruit, substance, and most importantly, without truth. Because embedded within these selfishly motivated power plays based on a sole vision, is a three letter word that seems to come out every time. That word? LIE.

The Armstrong "way" has been a LIE. It has been a lie when it comes to prophecies. It has been a lie when it comes to speculations. And many, many splinter leaders while trying to grow their particular self-motivated and self-seeking faction have embedded within their pitch of truth a total and complete LIE. The lie that this or that could, should, or will happen within just two to three years and will grow their faction to overwhelm and take over all the others. 

This is not a spirit of cooperation. This is not a spirit of love. This is not a spirit of teamwork. This is a spirit of selfish desire, zealous control, false speaking, discord, untruth, and the spirit of lies from the pit of darkness that is exposed every time one of these people opens their mouths and focuses on THEIR "way", not THE WAY. The WAY of course, being Jesus Christ, who alone is the author and the finisher of our faith. 

Each one of these men has been, is, and will be continually and categorically embarrassed and proven wrong when lies are exposed in their blabbing, because their foundation is based on the wrong way, not the WAY. Their foundation is embedded with lies they refuse to stop telling because of their very apparent lust for power and control. 

It's not as if it's not seen. This is why people aren't running to them. This is why people are ignoring them. This is why people - COG's and non COG's - shake their heads in disbelief every time one of their mouths open up with another self-centered hope that turns out to be nothing but deception and lies. 

Here is the message that should be coming out of these "leaders". It's the proclaiming of THE WAY - Christ, and Him Crucified, and what He accomplished. How he lives in us and through us in the power and fullness of the Kingdom of God. And everything that means in daily life for those who believe and follow Him. So long as they resist The WAY and hang on to their way, an obsolete way, a lying way, a way that has long ago been replaced with the true way, they shall continually be shown for exactly what they are. Lying cons who do not have any truth in them, proclaiming a form of godliness and denying the Power thereof. 

Jesus said HE is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Any OTHER way in any other form is a counterfeit way, embedded with all the lies and deceptions and old signs of an abandoned highway left desolate long ago that certain deceivers continually try to repave and restore but to no avail. They don't learn their lessons. They refuse to learn their lessons, and they are adamant that THEY are right. Each of them. Each fighting, warring, self-centered one of them. Which tells the story clearer than any "gospel" they're trying to get out and failing at - spectacularly.