Philadelphia Church of God Healing Doctrinewww.exitsupportnetwork.com/mike_ep/pcg/healing.htmAs a member of the WCG/PCG for 30+ years, I wanted to share with those just now becoming interested in the Philadelphia Church of God (PCG) what they will be taught to believe about healing.
First, you will be taught that all sickness is the result of sin. You will be taught that sin must be repented of and forgiven in order to be healed. You will be quoted many Scriptures to back this up. You will not be quoted the following verse:
"And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, neither this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him" (John 9:2-3).
You will be quoted the following verse:
"Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him" (James 5:14-15).
You will be taught that it is always God's will to heal; that you must wait in faith no matter what happens to you or your loved one. It all depends on "your faith." If you die, well, you died either in faith, or you died because of lack of faith. You will be told, "If you do not have the faith to be healed, you do not have the faith to be saved." Yet, you are told you are allowed to go to a doctor if you do not have enough faith.1 You should know, however, that if you go to a doctor, the members are instructed not to pray for your healing, because you have committed a sin. On the other hand, you may go to a "natural" healer, as long as you depend on God to heal you. Medical doctors represent idolatry.
The result of this teaching is tragic. Every member knows (or knew) several others who died slow and horrible deaths, often in great agony …
You will be taught that all other churches are false "churches of the world." In fact, once a person becomes a member of PCG, he must stop watching all other church TV programs or reading their material. Perhaps the worst offense against God is the fact that the members are taught that the healings experienced in other churches are false miracles performed by Satan and they are to ignore all other miracles anywhere as works of the devil! There are other churches whose members did not fall over backwards in a wild frenzy, but who were healed by God. They simply believed in the grace of God, and they were healed. Many have gone to doctors and were scheduled for surgery that did not have to be performed. Even the doctors had to admit it was a miracle.
Personal Experience1995, Warsaw Indiana, Kosciusko Community Hospital, I had my hands on a 12 yr old little girl that died in our ER from “Strep Throat.” The story made national headlines for a bit. Faith Assembly – God will heal. But Mom broke down at the last minute and called EMS while dad is at work. The back story that didn’t make the papers was him screaking at her in the waiting room for condemning their daughter’s soul to hell, because of her lack of faith.
Did this little girl die because they belonged to a wacko church? – YES
The state prosecuted the parents for neglect.
South Bend Indiana, I was invited to a Pentecostal Church several times. Come and learn how to speak in lounges. It is a learned thing. – and just as this church in Philadelphia – it was a private club – “if I never spoke in lounges then I would never enter heaven.
I never went – thought about it
Utah, I am alone in the road – skiing trip. Small town Utah. Many cars at this little ‘non-Mormon’ church. Pentecostal call to the alter – I thought the Lord led me there for a reason. I stood in line to go up, but when I got there, I just shook the man’s hand and exited.
Why can’t I buy into it? -=- My God is not a showboat. Tricks and personal selfish ‘me only’ gifts do not help spread the Gospel. The gifts in Acts served a purpose in facilitating God’s will on earth – not for some form of religiosity self-gratification.
The one guy that I knew well in 1992 that spoke in lounges then – has since fallen away from Christendom – he won’t even post here because I am nuts to believe
How real was his experience?
TangibilityPretend – go back in time 100,000 years. Have the people come to your alter and make them stand in ½ of water. As they pray to you, zap them with some low voltage tingling until their hair is all standing on end. THEY WOULD BELIEVE YOU A gOD!
Joseph Smith performed 11 documented miracles – healing 75 people at once with prayer. – That’s tangible! People believed.
ISIS members in a masque - if they are being energized there by something – that is tangible enough to die as a suicide-bomber.
Joan of Arc – had a vision – it changed the history of France
I Kings 18:38 (NIV) Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.
Moses versus Pharaoh – Tangability – you can believe that – 9 plagues – part the Red Sea – Manna – water from a rock – little ole Israel versus the giant rephaim of Jericho and Canaan – deliverance from the furnace and the Lion’s Den.
Christ fulfilling 1.10 x 10128 prophecies – resurrection – THOMAS – tangibility
Tangibility is a seductive validation of as false idol or prophetIn the Great Contest the weapon of the opposition force is DECEPTIONHere is the problem with the
“This way only clubs” – there way might be a very Gospel way indeed, there way may look just like this model or that model. Many will say one is true and the other not – while the reverse is true from the other camp.
I Ponder – are we all called the same? Are we all led the same? Moses and Pharaoh, two sides and the hand of God on each side. CONTEST – Someone had to be Judas – is he truly damned for carrying out God’s plan – for him.
People have different roles to play – one-way-ism negates this
God gave us creation and that should be tangible enough – but people are looking for a tangible “spiritual” (actually emotional) experience -
For those who have experienced it – good for them
It makes me nervous – and causes me to doubt source – or make me worry that I am being duped? Scammed, by a demon in the guise of Christendom?