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[Editorial comment: Much of this material is dated, and I will not qualify every statement. The reader will have to use common sense and God's Spirit, as to what should be applied to our day, in principle. We can also discuss some of these statements at the Feast of Tabernacles this year, 2009– J. Graham Davies, Bold mine throughout the text – Editor]
We seem to have lost our way. Many are confused as to what exactly is the PURPOSE and MISSION of the Church. Here are some quotations taken from the writings and the messages of God's apostle, Herbert W. Armstrong, that may help us get back a clear focus of what the Church should be doing right now.
"The only PURPOSE of the Church is to CARRY ON THE WORK WHICH CHRIST STARTED! It is now the BODY in which the Holy Spirit is working. And God set in the Church, to ORGANIZE it, apostles, prophets, pastors and teachers. (From "Is God's Church Composed of Many Separate 'Groups' " The Good News tabloid, December 18, 1978.)"
THE CHURCH CHRIST BUILT IS FOR THE PURPOSE OF DOING THE WORK
"This is most URGENT and IMPORTANT."
"I have said before that Satan was attacking the Work of the living GOD, and that he would attack again. Now suddenly he is pulling out ALL STOPS in an effort to DESTROY God's Work."
"Satan HATES God's Church. He hates and seeks every way to DESTROY God's great WORK – proclaiming the GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD in all the world as a witness to all nations."
"Brethren, GOD'S WORK is the REASON for the very GROWTH OF, and EXISTENCE of God's Church!"
"It seems incredible – unbelievable!! – but some of these ministers have allowed themselves to be blinded to the ONE BIG MISSION of God's Church – to the TRUTH – to the FACTS, and to start denouncing in scathing and bitter tones, the very WORK, and chosen Ministers, of God."
"They began by 'questioning' this, that, and the other doctrine, finally exposing their REAL intent and purpose, questioning the doctrine of TITHING, and saying the tithes ought not to go for the GOSPEL WORK from Headquarters, but the tithes should stay in the local churches where, of course, it could go into their own pockets."
[Editorial update: Naturally, questions arise as we review these old quotations. Questions like: Where is Headquarters of the Church today? Is it at the Headquarters of some split-off group, or ... spare us (!) ... the Headquarters of the Bible Fund? These questions need to be answered as we come to them (like in an Interactive Bible Study), so that people will not forget what the question was.]
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Question: Where is the Headquarters of the Work today, if the Church is divided into many groups?
Answer: The Headquarters of the Work today is where it always was – in Heaven, from where Jesus Christ the Head of the Work manages His Work. At times, God also uses a physical headquarters.
With the "Church in the Wilderness," Christ ruled from heaven through a physical leader who set up a tabernacle – Acts 7:38. God's presence was there, as evidenced by the "shekinah" cloud – the cloud that symbolized God's glory – Exodus 24:15-17.
Later, in David and Solomon's time, God manifested His glory in the temple.
In the our day,God has chosen to work through some leaders who built buildings where worship services could be held, yet the grounds were considered all part of the Headquarters of God's Work in that day.
Currently, the physical buildings have been taken away from us. Perhaps we were not as aware as we should have been of the meaning of the following passage of Scripture: Acts 7:44-50:
7:44: Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen.
7:45: Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David;
7:46: Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
7:47: But Solomon built him an house.
7:48: Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,
7:49: Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?
7:50: Hath not my hand made all these things?
Christ is yet to set up a Headquarters on Earth, and that is surely when He comes again.
The Church is not supposed to be divided into many groups. Mr. Armstrong goes into that in some of the quotes below.
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"It is of VITAL importance that you read my letter on WHY God put you in His Church NOW, instead of later when He will offer salvation to the whole world."
"The REAL ISSUE is whether the COMMISSION the living Christ has been carrying out through me and HIS CHURCH, of which HE is the living Head, should be carried on – or whether it should be abandoned, and your local churches become autonomous – self governed by the local ministers, independent of any Headquarters where GOD'S WORK is directed and carried on. This means the local churches would be precisely like the Baptist churches in organizational structure and government. That concept is TOTALLY UNSCRIPTURAL. God's Church is now established GOD'S WAY – the BIBLE WAY, under the biblical pattern, with Jesus Christ the living Head, under God the Father, and next under Christ those on earth He Himself has called and chosen, and through whom He has raised up this Church, and USED IT TO CARRY ON HIS WORK FOR THIS END-TIME as covered in the prophecy for OUR TIME in Matthew 24:14. GOD'S Church is organized the BIBLE WAY as directed in the Bible – through those HE has chosen and set in the various offices to get HIS WORK done."
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Question: Is God's Church still organized through one corporate organization?
Answer: As soon as the corporate organization known as the Worldwide Church of God turned away from God's Law, it was no longer God's organization. The spiritual organism was still alive and continuing, but the physical organization had become corrupted. You can read more about that in a the paragraph titled "No Longer God's Church."
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"Those now advocating this Scriptural HERESY want to abolish all authority which Christ as our Head SET in His Church. Their contentions would lead to VOTING – the 'democratic way' – the very OPPOSITE of God's Way. They want to be 'LIBERAL,' and soon this liberality would lead into general and widespread SIN. They would become just a few more churches OF THIS WORLD – Satan's world."
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Question: Does this mean that Mr. Armstrong would be against those who have introduced voting in their churches?
Answer: He would be against that if the churches claim to be God's Church.
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"Yes, SATAN is the real author of this rebellion against God's WORK."
"Some ministers [are] getting confused between this world's politics in the American 'democratic' system, and THE WAYS OF GOD ..."
"These dissenting ministers want to desert God's authority and ASSUME IT THEMSELVES. In other words they want 'DEMOCRACY,' VOTING which is TOTALLY un-scriptural. They want to be part of THIS world – Satan's world. They want to be autonomous in government – INDEPENDENT of God's HEADQUARTERS."
"This would DESTROY THE GREAT WORK OF GOD! This would put an END to the GREAT COMMISSION for our time – PREACH THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM IN ALL THE WORLD FOR A WITNESS UNTO ALL NATIONS, as we are now doing."
"Why, dear Brethren, THAT is the VERY REASON for the GROWTH God has given His Church these forty years. That would destroy the very REASON for the Church."
"Suppose we have local churches, all INDEPENDENT. We just ABOLISH THE WORK! … Each local church, in time, could build its own local church building – BUT THE GOSPEL WOULD STOP GOING TO THE WORLD!"
"The TITHES, of course, would not come to Headquarters to be used in the WORK! Where would they GO? To each local minister? What will the minister do with the money?"
"What they REALLY advocate and will try to draw some of YOU into, is simply THIS: DESTROY THE WORK OF GOD! Let the local flock spend ALL its tithes on themselves, or, let the local minister spend it all on HIMSELF, any way HE wishes to allocate it!"
"SURELY, dear Brethren, God's dear sheep are not stupid enough to be 'taken in' by disloyal, greedy, SELF serving, rebellious local ministers who are rebelling against GOD ..."
"Brethren, I ask you to FOLLOW THE LORD JESUS CHRIST – follow HIS CHURCH, not some split off by rebellious, bitter, greedy MEN!"
"This thing is of SATAN, and that's where I really place the guilt, rather than on these deceived men now allowing Satan to turn them the wrong way. Let's PRAY for them, that their eyes may be opened."
—Herbert W. Armstrong, letter to brethren,
25 February 1974.
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QUESTIONS AND DOUBTS
"Too many of us have been getting our eyes OFF the main GOAL – OF God's PURPOSE for us in our time, NOW. In order to DESTROY GOD'S WORK – to get our eyes off it – false 'ISSUES' have been raised – QUESTIONS designed to cause DOUBTS in your minds, to destroy FAITH – have been raised. Subtle, clever, deceptive methods have been used to detract us from and cause us to neglect God's REAL PURPOSE for us today! We must immediately get back to THAT PURPOSE!"
"Jesus came as a Messenger bringing from God the most important Message ever announced to mankind. This Message was NEWS – the GOOD NEWS that the KINGDOM OF GOD would be restored to the Earth, and already, even then, was AT HAND for those who would accept it and its KING, Jesus."
"And since the CHURCH OF GOD is to BECOME the KINGDOM OF GOD, it is now, 1) a spiritual Organism, in which each begotten child of God has a personal contact, through Christ, in prayer and in fellowship, with the Father of the Family of which each of us is a begotten child. And in order to carry out the Divine Great Commission, 2) an ORGANIZATION, organized with the GOVERNMENT OF GOD, to carry on what we customarily refer to as the WORK OF GOD."
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Question: Is there more to this matter of a personal contact that each member needs with God?
Answer: Yes, there is much more that should be explained on that, and the Bible Fund will be expanding on that subject this Feast and thereafter. Notice that Mr. Armstrong worded this as "a personal contact." He did not use the term "a personal relationship" since this term has been contaminated by wrong Protestant usage.
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"The Commission is: 'Go ye INTO ALL THE WORLD' – 'Go ye, and teach ALL NATIONS'; – 'for a witness unto ALL NATIONS.' ... "
"As to whether you can RUN AWAY from your part in that Commission, having been a part of it, and still hear Christ say to you, when He comes: 'Well done, good and faithful servant,' YOU answer. I shall not be your judge – you shall answer to the living CHRIST. I do know that I would be AFRAID to run from what God has called me to do, and then expect Him to bless me for it! And I will say, that the living Christ DOES NOT set up additional churches, on disloyalty, rebellion, false accusation, and character assassination."
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Question: What is your part in the Commission? Is it just "pray and pay" and support the work of an apostle? This WAS the main focus during Mr. Armstrong's ministry, and God backed up this "spearhead" approach. Now things have changed. God's apostle is deceased, and Christ is showing that He has trained some lay members to "step up to the plate." God has also trained some faithful ministers in a marvelous way. We will be talking about this during this Feast.
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"WHY has God called you and me NOW, while we still have to fight and resist the cunning of Satan, AHEAD OF TIME – instead of WHEN CHRIST SHALL HAVE COME, AND PUT SATAN AWAY, AND SET HIS HAND TO CALL EVERY LIVING PERSON? The answer is, TO GET THIS JOB DONE!"
"So I ask you, dear Brethren – and my children in the Lord – to REMAIN LOYAL TO CHRIST IN HIS WORK ..."
—Herbert W. Armstrong, letter
to brethren, 2 May 1974.
"Ambassador College is not 'the WORK.' It is an instrumentality USED in 'the Work' to train personnel for positions in 'the WORK.' "
"And God has given us 'the WORK' to do as the VERY MEANS BY WHICH we may grow spiritually, so we may enter His Kingdom at Christ's coming. In 47 years I have observed that ONLY those whose hearts are fully IN THE WORK continue to overcome and grow SPIRITUALLY, and ENDURE."
—Herbert W. Armstrong, letter to brethren,
18 November 1974.
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Comment: Similarly, the Bible Fund is NOT the Work. We are NOT spearheading "a new Work." This is merely the continuation of a few faithful ministers and brethren continuing what was begun in us through the action of the Holy Spirit.
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"The purpose when founding Ambassador College was not to be in the 'college business' but to help me fulfill the GREAT COMMISSION.
"Always the work of the GREAT COMMISSION must remain foremost!"
"I repeat, 'WE ARE NOT IN THE COLLEGE BUSINESS!' The only reason for the continued existence of Ambassador College is to support and contribute to the work of THE GREAT COMMISSION. If it ever loses sight of this fact God will let it fail."
—Herbert W. Armstrong, letter to brethren,
17 April 1978.
"It's hard to realize how this Work – in which you and I are privileged to be Co Workers – has grown to such worldwide POWER and SCOPE! It is exerting tremendous IMPACT on more than 150 MILLION PEOPLE around the world."
"... and I want you to REALIZE THIS SOBERLY – once that unseen Hand from Someplace ... had miraculously OPENED THESE DOORS, if I had not walked on through them in faith, ANOTHER WOULD HAVE BEEN RAISED UP WHO WOULD WALK THROUGH THEM. – and we – this ENTIRE CHURCH, including YOU and ME – would have been REJECTED BY THE LIVING CHRIST WHO IS THE HEAD OF THIS CHURCH!"
"... if I don't walk through these doors, God will reject me and send someone who is willing to go! We can't fail to see THE HAND OF THE LIVING GOD IN THESE THINGS. But, are WE doing OUR PART? Are YOU?"
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Comment: Let's get that and "get it good" as we say. Mr. Armstrong could have been rejected. Then he says the entire Church could have been rejected – unless we who had the training and the calling had stepped up to the plate to do the job!
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"Brethren, read this carefully: The 'WORK' is NOT the fellowship of your own local church – it is NOT a local SOCIAL CLUB – it is GETTING GOD'S MESSAGE TO THE WORLD – to those in India, the Philippines, in Africa, in South America! The PURPOSE of your local church is ITS PART in the WORK – WORLDWIDE. That's the only reason YOU have been called now, instead of later. If The PLAIN TRUTH has to die, the WORK will die – and IF it does, it will be only because you members have already died SPIRITUALLY! You ALL – you in the Church as a whole – NEED A SPIRITUAL AWAKENING! Some of you have been criticizing instead of helping and PRAYING."
"I know there is too much tendency to get your whole interest in your local church. But your local church IS NOT THE WORK!"
"God's CHURCH for this age is called Christ's 'BODY.' Why? As Jesus said He, Himself, divine though He was as well as human, could do NOTHING of Himself. It was the dynamic POWER of God's HOLY SPIRIT in Him. He came, among other things, to START the Work of God – the WORK FOR THIS AGE. [The Work had gone on in the Old Testament days, but the Work that Jesus Christ started in a vital and spiritual sense was the Work of the New Testament age, when the Holy Spirit was poured out on His New Testament Church.] When He went to heaven, the SAME HOLY SPIRIT entered into the COLLECTIVE BODY of His disciples. That begat them as God's children. Now, with the SAME POWER working in them THEY – THE CHURCH – BECAME THE COLLECTIVE BODY TO CARRY ON THAT WORK, directed by the living CHRIST from Heaven!"
"THAT is the real PURPOSE of the CHURCH, NOW! We are commissioned to get God's Message to the world. THAT is WHY God called YOU, now, instead of later ..."
—Herbert W. Armstrong, letter to
brethren, 12 April 1971
PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF THE COMING KINGDOM OF GOD
IS THE "WORK" OF THE CHURCH
"Jesus went everywhere preaching the GOOD NEWS of the KINGDOM OF GOD. He taught in parables about the KINGDOM OF GOD. He sent out seventy men preaching, and commanded them to preach THE KINGDOM OF GOD (Luke 10:9). He sent the apostles, on whom the Church of God was founded, to preach only THE KINGDOM OF GOD (Luke 9:1 2)."
"The Apostle Paul preached THE KINGDOM OF GOD (Acts 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 31). And God Almighty, through Paul, pronounced a double curse on man or angel that would DARE preach any other Gospel! (Gal. 1:8 9)."
"Why, then, do so many DARE to preach so many other gospels?"
—Herbert W. Armstrong
Just What Do You Mean ... Kingdom of God?
(Worldwide Church of God, 1972), p. 8.
"I came to know of the true Church of God, fall of 1926 ... . They were so impotent spiritually (Rev. 3:1), and even in biblical knowledge, yet what they did have was more biblical TRUTH than any other church my researches revealed. They had 'the commandments of God, and the testimony of Jesus,' and the right name. … But they were so small – so pitifully weak. They were not proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, but 'the third angel's message.' "
"But of what did their 'Work' consist, and how organized? They were organized on congregational (democratic) government as a 'biannual general conference.' "
"[The true Gospel] was not proclaimed by Seventh Day Adventists, one of whose cardinal doctrines was the 'investigative judgment,' which had the resurrected saints a thousand years with Christ in HEAVEN."
—Herbert W. Armstrong, "Just What Is 'The Work'?"
Good News, April 1981
"Does it make any difference which Gospel we believe? Listen to the answer of the Eternal God as inspired in Paul's letter to the Galatians, the first chapter, the 8th and 9th verses:"
"'But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.' And it is made a double curse! For the next verse says: '... So say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed'!"
"And, WHAT GOSPEL did Jesus say should be preached TODAY?"
"Matthew 24:14, speaking of the PRESENT: 'And this GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM shall be preached in ALL THE WORLD for a witness' – for a WITNESS – 'unto ALL NATIONS; and then shall the END come'! – the end of this AGE."
"Jesus Christ's message – His Gospel – was the Kingdom of God – the GOVERNMENT of the living God!"
"Jesus Christ was BORN to be a KING (Luke 1:31 33). When Jesus was on trial for His life, Pilate said to Him: 'Art thou a king then?' Jesus answered, 'Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end I was born, and for this cause came I into the world ...' (John 18:37)."
"Jesus is coming in supreme POWER and GLORY ... "
"He is coming to set up the GOVERNMENT OF GOD and to rule all nations with the help of those who have qualified in this life ... Revelation 3:21 ... and ... Revelation 2:26 27."
—Herbert W. Armstrong, What Is the True Gospel?
(Worldwide Church of God, 1972) pp. 3, 11 12.
"Wherever God's true Church is – the ONE Church that is CHRIST'S – it will be preaching that [true] GOSPEL to the whole world – over all continents – today. For we are near the END! That is the Gospel of the living Christ! It is the GOOD NEWS of the coming KINGDOM OF GOD to RULE THE WORLD!"
"Many have appropriated God's name, but are not proclaiming the KINGDOM OF GOD ..."
"[The] true Church is preaching the imminency of the coming of CHRIST as King of kings and LORD of lords, to RULE all nations for a thousand years on Earth."
—Herbert W. Armstrong, "Personal,"
Good News, August 1983.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT GOD'S PEOPLE HAVE
THEIR WHOLE HEARTS IN DOING THE "WORK"
"This is my first letter to you in 1986, and could very well be my last."
"It may be that the Work God has given me to do is complete, but not the Work of God's Church, which will be faithfully doing God's Work till Christ, the True Head of this Church, returns."
"Remember, brethren, this is not the work of Herbert W. Armstrong ... or any man. It is the Work of the Living Creator, God."
"The greatest work lies yet ahead."
—H. W. Armstrong's last co worker letter,
10 January 1986. (Letter can be found in
Volume 2 of Mr. Armstrong's Autobiography
on pp 643 645.)
"Brethren, if we are to continue to grow – and to grow SPIRITUALLY as well as in numbers – we must remember that the PURPOSE of the Church is, first, to GO INTO ALL THE WORLD and preach Christ's GOSPEL. The FIRST commission to the Church is just that. Anyone who looks on the Great Commission of Christ as 'Armstrong's private work' is just not a member of GOD'S Church. Anyone who does not have his whole heart in that work IS NOT A MEMBER OF GOD'S TRUE CHURCH, and has no right whatsoever to attend or fellowship in any of its local congregations."
—Herbert W. Armstrong, "Why Local Assemblies?"
Good News, March 1954.
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Comment: This is PRECISELY what many sleeping brethren have concluded today! As far as being asleep, I include myself, we were all asleep! They consider Mr. Armstrong's 60-year ministry to be solely his ministry, and that when he died the Commission was done, since "Mr. Armstrong completed the Work." The only thing Mr. Armstrong completed was the Work God gave TO HIM – but the Commission would have to continue UNTO THE END OF THE AGE! Who is going to do that Work? The Two Witnesses? They will have a part in it, it is true. But could it be that you and I have been asked to continue that Work, as the remnant of that initial Work? At first that may seem presumptuous. Perhaps that is how Philip felt at first, but when the apostles were hindered from going forth, being forced to stay in Jerusalem, we see that he and a few scattered brethren "went everywhere preaching the word" (Acts 8:4). Was this just a "word of example"? Or did it include preaching/teaching? See verses 12 and 14 in the same chapter. "But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. This word was clearly "the Gospel of the Kingdom" – the True Gospel. Look at verse 14: "Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God" – see verse 12 – clearly the Gospel, not just example, "they sent Peter and John to them." To definitely prove this "word" was the Gospel, go to Acts 10:37: "… that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee …". Mark 1:14: "Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God." Yes, that was the "word" that Philip and the scattered brethren preached!
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"We CANNOT AFFORD TO BECOME LUKEWARM! We cannot afford to let our minds drift from the intense NEED for this very special mission of this particular time in world history, so shortly before Christ's coming and HIS KINGDOM!"
"Now about the Work itself."
"Few understand just what IS the Church. There are so many churches in the world. People just take churches for granted. But more than 1,953 years ago, Jesus Christ said, 'I will build my Church.' Few know WHY He built it – for what PURPOSE. The purpose, primarily, was dual:"
"1) to proclaim to the world the Gospel Message God sent to mankind by Jesus as God's Messenger (Mal 3:1) of the coming Kingdom of God,"
"2) to call and prepare a chosen people ..."
—Herbert W. Armstrong, Co worker letter,
19 March 1981.
"God started His Gospel WORK – proclaiming the Gospel (good news) of HIS KINGDOM – through the individual human BODY of Jesus. But after His resurrection, Jesus sent the same HOLY SPIRIT on the day of Pentecost, A.D. 31, and thereafter, to enter into the COLLECTIVE BODY of those constituting GOD'S CHURCH."
"The CHURCH, then, is the COLLECTIVE BODY Christ uses as HIS INSTRUMENT, empowered by God's Spirit, to carry on GOD'S WORK. Jesus Christ heads and directs it from heaven!"
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COMMENT: Notice, Christ heads and directs His Work from heaven. That is where the MAIN Headquarters is!
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"But WHAT is the divine MISSION of that Church? What is its PURPOSE? The answer is to do the WORK OF GOD, which Jesus started and now continues through His Church."
"Wherever God's true Church is – the ONE Church that is CHRIST'S – it will be preaching THAT GOSPEL to the whole world – over all continents – today. For we are near the END! That is the Gospel of the living Christ! It is the GOOD NEWS of the coming KINGDOM OF GOD to RULE THE WORLD!"
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Comment: The preaching of the True Gospel was effectively SQUELCHED at the beginning of the Second Century, then again from about 1993, when the wrong god was introduced by the apostate administration known as part of the Synagogue of Satan. This same entity convinced some faithful brethren to join them in SHUTTING DOWN THE PROMULGATION OF THE TRUE GOSPEL! These "brethren" now oppose the Bible Fund as we once again seek to obey God's command!
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"But wherever that ONE true Church is, it will be named the Church of God.
"But that is not all. Many have appropriated God's name, but are not proclaiming the KINGDOM OF GOD ..."
"That true Church is preaching the imminency of the coming of CHRIST as King of kings and LORD of lords, to RULE all nations for a thousand years on Earth."
"There is only ONE such Church!
"It is doing THE WORK OF GOD. It is, as Jesus said it would be, a 'little flock,' persecuted, despised by the world."
—"Personal from Herbert W. Armstrong,"
Good News, August 1983.
"Brethren, this world is being destroyed for lack of knowledge of and from GOD, as we read in Hosea 4:6. Through my personal visits, and the PLAIN TRUTH magazine, on TV and radio and through other literature, we are proclaiming that knowledge in POWER and AUTHORITY. Some listen. It is God's last witness against those who do not. BUT WE MUST DRIVE RIGHT ON UNTIL CHRIST COMES!"
—Herbert W. Armstrong, Co worker letter,
18 November 1984.
"I ask you, brethren, in Jesus' name, to put whatever you are able into God's Work in this crisis hour before the Great Tribulation that will cut off our work just prior to the soon coming of Christ and the World Tomorrow."
—Herbert W. Armstrong, Co worker letter,
25 November 1985.
"Our labors in GOD'S WORK will be ended soon after the resurrection of the impending United States of Europe!"
—Herbert W. Armstrong, Co worker letter,
14 August 1978.
"Brethren, time is running out on us. When this great European power emerges, our great Work will be just about over. The day shall have arrived when 'no man can work,' as Jesus said (John 9:4)."
"NOTHING ELSE MATTERS NOW. We must sacrifice and devote our all that is reasonably possible to GOD'S WORK in these closing days."
—Herbert W. Armstrong, Co worker letter,
16 July 1982.
"We draw daily nearer to the end of this age. Time is growing shorter daily. The Bible warns us the time is just ahead when NO MAN CAN WORK – in the Lord's Work. We must sacrifice now as never before for this Work that we may FINISH the Work that Christ has called us to do."
—Herbert W. Armstrong, Co worker letter,
23 October 1980.
"... brethren and co workers, the prophesied Great Tribulation (nuclear World War III) will start soon after the European unification. That means OUR WORK OF SPREADING THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD WILL BE FINISHED! We have not now much more time. Soon shall come a FAMINE of hearing the Word of the Lord (Amos 8:11).
"God says, work while it is day, for the night is coming when no man can work – in the Work of God!
"Nothing else is important in our lives, now, but this all important Work of God."
—Herbert W. Armstrong, Co worker letter,
22 November 1982.
"What is the PURPOSE of the Church – its divine Commission? To proclaim this Gospel as a witness to the world. In other words, to carry on the WORK OF GOD, which Jesus, in person, started.
"After His resurrection, He gave His disciples this Commission: 'Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature' (Mark 16:15)."
"First of all, the true Church of God is a spiritual organism. It is NOT a human organization. This spiritual organism is the 'Body of Christ' existing for the PURPOSE of carrying on THE WORK OF GOD."
—Herbert W. Armstrong,
"Just What Is the Church?"
Worldwide Church of God article reprint, 1970.
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[Comment: THERE IT IS – THE SPIRITUAL ORGANISM ... exists for THE PURPOSE of carrying on THE WORK OF GOD. This, of course, is in the first part of this booklet, but repeated here for emphasis. It does not necessarily have to be an incorporated organization, because the Early Church was an organized organism, yet not incorporated! It is vital that we understand this!]
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"Unless we fulfill God's SPECIAL PURPOSE for our calling now, we might never go into His Kingdom. This fact must not be taken carelessly!
"How many of us become unmindful of God's purpose and assume we were called and put into God's Church only to GET our personal salvation – and to ENJOY the fellowship and social life of our local church?" [Comment: or to "duck under the radar and avoid persecution."]
"When [Christ] returns [Luke 19:11 24], He will demand of each of us to show how we have used the GIFT of His Holy Spirit – how much we have CONTRIBUTED to His Work – the PURPOSE for which He put us in His Church NOW! ... Those who prove disloyal or drop out of the Work – the only purpose for which you were called now – will find themselves in the position of the one described in verses 20 and 24. They will lose the very salvation they were trying to GET!"
"You are each admonished to 'make your calling and election SURE'!"
"MUCH of the New Testament is WARNING God's people of these snares of Satan to hinder – to attempt to DESTROY the very Work of GOD – the very Work which is THE REASON God has called you NOW – …"
"Remember, Jesus taught us to LOOK TO THE FRUITS BORNE!
"Are they who falsely accuse – who seek to draw a following away from God's Church for selfish purpose – proclaiming the Kingdom of God to the nations of the world? Are they fulfilling the PURPOSE for which God has called us NOW? NONE but THIS VERY WORK of the LIVING GOD is fulfilling that PURPOSE – bearing the FRUITS."
—Herbert W. Armstrong,
"Why Did God Put You In His Church?"
Good News, May 1974.
"What about the 'loner' Christian who says, 'I will serve Christ in my own way'? What about the one who leaves God's Church to have his own private relation with Christ – to get his own salvation – without giving his part of the Church's effort to send the true gospel into ALL THE WORLD?
"Or, what about the one who follows a MAN because of that man's personality, charisma or attractiveness, or some other group?
"Stop and THINK!"
"Is Christ going to marry a number of differing groups, not in complete harmony with each other – yet all 'professing CHRIST'?"
"Jesus said, 'He that is not with me [and since He is the Head of God's one and only Church, He plainly meant with Him where HE is working – in God's one Church] is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad' (Matthew 12:30).
Jesus Christ is going to marry THE ONE AND ONLY TRUE CHURCH – not a number of scattered groups or scattered individuals.
"The one who tries to GET his salvation apart from the one Church Christ is going to marry is on the 'GET' way. Those loyally in the Church are GIVING of their prayers, loyalty, encouragement and support to Christ's chosen apostle in GIVING the GOOD NEWS to the world – its ONLY HOPE!"
—H. W. Armstrong,
"Seven Proofs of God's True Church,"
Plain Truth, Sept. 1979.
"This Work of God was originally started by ONE man – Jesus Christ. But on the day of Pentecost, A.D. 31, the same Holy Spirit that had carried on God's Work through his individual body entered into and empowered his apostles, and the entire COLLECTIVE BODY, which on and from that day constituted God's Church."
THE CHURCH WENT TO SLEEP
"But, after proclaiming that gospel MESSAGE to the world of that day – after the Church had grown and multiplied in number and power, the headquarters Church at Jerusalem fled in the face of advancing Roman armies shortly before A.D. 70, became scattered, and under persecution – and because of discouragement because Christ had not yet returned in power and glory – the Church WENT TO SLEEP ON THE JOB of proclaiming Christ's true gospel message!"
"We are in a spiritual WAR – on the firing line with CHRIST as our general – firing spiritual bombs of GOD'S TRUTH – the message of Christ's own GOSPEL – to make this whole world CONSCIOUS of the GOOD NEWS of Christ's soon coming and his KINGDOM, to rule the happy, peaceful WORLD TOMORROW! There can be no letting down – no slacking – no quitting in this war!
"What would happen in a war if an army, by a sudden burst of effort, surged forward to win a single battle, then laid down their arms and decided to take it easy or go on furlough? They would then LOSE THE WAR! Christ said it is only he who endures to the end who shall be saved! LET US CARRY ON, more determined than ever – more dedicated and devoted to Christ's great mission than ever! We must not win a partial battle, and then lose our war. LET US NOW PLUNGE ON HARDER THAN EVER TO FINAL VICTORY!"
—Herbert W. Armstrong, Co worker letter,
25 October 1985.
[Comment: Sometimes the Church follows the world. The United States opted to fight wars half-heartedly, beginning with the Korean War. Then beginning with post January 1986, the Church of God began to be half-hearted in fulfilling the Commission Christ had given the Church.]
"I want to hear the living and soon coming Jesus Christ say: 'WELL DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT!' Don't YOU? ... "
"What I DO KNOW is that Jesus said, in regard to knowing or NOT knowing the time of His coming: 'Who, then, is that faithful and wise steward, whom his Lord shall make ruler over His household ...? Blessed is that servant, whom His Lord when He cometh shall find SO DOING.'
"If Christ should yet cut our work short one year from now, I want Him to find me SO DOING carrying on His Work right up to the last minute!"
—Herbert W. Armstrong, letter to brethren,
21 January 1971.
"The FRUITS of this work are these: For the first time in more than 1850 years the same Gospel Jesus preached, THE KINGDOM OF GOD, is being preached and published into all the world as a witness. It is offending many in this world. The religious leaders of today – the modern Pharisees – attack it as the work of the Devil – they call us false prophets, as they did Jesus. We are persecuted by the world. The world hates us. But many precious lives are being changed, converted, begotten of God! God is producing a precious harvest for His Kingdom. New churches are being raised up around the world. New offices are being established. The flock is being fed. Evangelists, pastors, elders, are being trained as God calls them. The sick are being healed, the demons cast out."
"The FRUITS of this tree are not corrupt – they are the SAME FRUITS that the SAME HOLY SPIRIT produced in the human body of Jesus – in the collective Body of Christ in apostolic days! THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES THE WORK, and the work is exactly the same – the fruits the same – as the days of Christ and the apostles!"
"This work has grown too great and powerful to be the work of a human man, apart from either God or the devil. If this is not the very WORK OF GOD, then it must be that of SATAN. And to accuse it – to condemn it – I ask you, brethren, IS IT NOT MORE THAN POSSIBLE THAT THIS IS SPEAKING AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT, and therefore is the UNPARDONABLE SIN?"
—Herbert W. Armstrong,
"How You Could Commit the Unpardonable Sin!"
Good News, March 1960.
"I have always noticed that those whose hearts – and their pocketbooks as well – are really in the work of God are the ones who remain spiritual, close to God, and who are growing spiritually. And, without exception, every single member of God's Church who has ever lost interest in this WORK OF GOD – this work of carrying the Gospel to the world ... begins to fall backward spiritually. Soon such people go off into false doctrines. Their understanding is closed. They begin to believe errors and lies. They become more and more bitter, unhappy, and they either go back into the world or they go into some false offshoot movement which bears no fruit, and fails totally to carry out the Commission of Christ – THE WORK OF GOD!"
—Herbert W. Armstrong,
"More Growth in the Church of God,"
Good News, March 1960.
"In my over forty six years' intensive, rich, active experience, since God changed MY direction into HIS WAY, I have observed that the very first need of every Christian, who is to GROW and develop this spiritual character, is to have his heart completely in THE WORK OF GOD, which the living Christ has called His servants to do, as His instruments! Our 'WORKS' are our part in GOD'S WORK – getting His true Gospel to the whole world as a witness – preparing the way for Christ's coming. We are merely His INSTRUMENTS. It is GOD'S WORK! Those who condemn 'WORKS' are condemning the Great God who is the actual DOER through us as His instruments and Co Workers! It is not, after all, our works!"
"Those who are self centered, caring nothing for the WORK OF GOD, having not enough outgoing concern to want to help GET CHRIST'S MESSAGE out to this blinded, deceived, dying world, fall away. Those who center their whole 'Christian' life and activity on developing their own selves spiritually, whose hearts are not in or concerned about this great OUTGOING worldwide WORK OF GOD, actually directed by the living CHRIST, develop only INWARDLY, until they shrivel up spiritually and fall by the wayside!"
—Herbert W. Armstrong,
"What Will You Be Doing in the Next Life?"
(Worldwide Church of God, 1969), pp. 26 27.
"Jesus Christ highly commended the first (or Ephesian) era of the Church for its labor and patience and goodness (Rev. 2:2 3). The Ephesian era had early to face false apostles – men seeking to build up a following for themselves."
"But Christ also had something against this church era. They had left their first spiritual love (verse 4). Christ threatened to remove the church out of its place!"
"The Ephesus church had let down. It had not continued its work to all nations after A.D. 69 (Matt. 28:19)."
"Later we hear of Peter Valdez or Peter Waldo ... As he preached, others added their efforts to him. They became, as it is said, 'as many co workers for him.' They dedicated their lives and their property to spreading Christ's Gospel."
"Philadelphia means 'brotherly love' or 'those who love their fellowmen as brothers.' It expresses the characteristic that is the motivating zeal of the Philadelphian era of God's Church."
"The [Church] shows love to mankind by carrying out God's commission –that of warning the world of impending destruction. It is revealing how Jesus Christ will soon rescue humanity from cosmocide and teach man the way of peace, happiness and prosperity."
"The goal of the Philadelphian church is the ultimate salvation of all mankind!"
"The Church They Couldn't Destroy,"
Good News, December 1981.
================================
Comment: Let's read that again! Even though this was not a quote by Mr. Armstrong, it expresses his thinking on this subject. "The Church shows love to mankind by carrying out God's commission." One does not show love to the brethren by holding together in a false unity and yet DENYING Christ by ignoring His Commission given to the Church and holdng together in some hiding posture while the churches of the world go forth proclaiming a false gospel and a false Jesus!
================================
"Of the 'Philadelphia' Church, Christ says, 'I know that you have but little power.' It is probably the WEAKEST in numerical and physical strength and power – the smallest in membership, of any of the Churches from the time of the Apostles until the Second Coming. It has but few ministers."
"And THIS is the Church Christ uses as HIS INSTRUMENT in proclaiming His GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM – the GOVERNMENT of God – to the world. He sets before this Church an 'OPEN DOOR,' for the proclaiming of this Gospel to ALL THE WORLD. The meaning of this 'DOOR' is explained in 2 Cor. 2:12 13. Paul said: 'I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a DOOR was opened to me of the Lord.'"
"But SOME of those in the Church today will grow weary with well doing. They will brag about being the true Church – thinking they are spiritually rich, when they are, in fact, almost spiritually destitute. Because they are indifferent to the real WORK OF GOD, lukewarm, lacking in zeal, Christ will spew them out of His mouth. THEY cannot be used in His work. THEY shall lose the very salvation they boast of having unless they repent! God help you never drift into the LAODICEAN church!"
—Herbert W. Armstrong,
"Must God's Ministers Be Ordained by the Hand of Man?"
Good News, October 1962.
"Now notice Jesus' LAST WARNING to His Church. At the very close of this age, when the work of spreading the gospel is almost finished, Jesus addressed yet another Church work – the 'Church at Laodicea': 'I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: ... I WILL SPUE THEE OUT OF MY MOUTH' (Rev. 3:15, 16).
THE TRUE WORK OF GOD IS HATED AND HINDERED BY SATAN
"Today, as in the time of the first apostles, MANY DECEIVERS are gone out into the world. They will ACCUSE God's Church and His Work. It is Satan the devil who is the accuser of the true brethren (Rev. 12:10)."
"MUCH of the New Testament is WARNING God's people of these snares of Satan to hinder – to attempt to DESTROY the very Work of GOD – the very Work which is THE REASON God has called you NOW – before He undertakes to SAVE THE WHOLE WORLD!"
—Herbert W. Armstrong,
"Why Did God Put You in His Church?
Good News, May 1974.
"It seems very likely that we may have now come to the time prophesied in Revelation 12:9 13: 'And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels (demons) were cast out with him.... Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman ...' "(God's Church).
"How did HE come to KNOW he had but a short time? Because he knows that when 'this Gospel of the Kingdom of God is being preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, THEN SHALL THE END COME' – yes, the END of Satan's world – the END of Satan's posing as GOD –the god of this world."
"The NEW COVENANT will restore the KINGDOM OF GOD, which is the GOVERNMENT, under CHRIST, with SATAN REMOVED! Then we shall have WORLD PEACE. Proclaiming that GOOD NEWS IS OUR GREAT AND PRIMARY COMMISSION AND PURPOSE IN BEING, TODAY."
"Jesus did not raise up His Church merely to form various local social clubs with NO PURPOSE other than to enjoy each others' fellowship. He raised up the Church for a PURPOSE – to proclaim His GOSPEL – not merely in their own community, but AROUND THE WORLD – ALL NATIONS."
"But SATAN now influenced a great PERSECUTION against the Church to STOP the proclaiming of the KINGDOM OF GOD. [Acts 8:1] He knows that Kingdom will remove him from the Earth and from deceiving the world into accepting him as the god of this world."
Comment: Those "faithful" "ducking/hiding the radar" under the umbrella of the apostate administration should ask themselves if they are part and parcel of the movement of the lady that sits astride the kingdoms of this world (Revelation 17) bent on destroying the True Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
"God MULTIPLIED, once again, the growth of His Church [in our time] that HIS Great Commission might go to the world PREPARING THE WAY for Christ's return to establish the KINGDOM OF GOD to rule ALL NATIONS."
"Satan saw this. He knew he had but a SHORT TIME, because this very Gospel of the Kingdom now beginning to go effectively to the leaders and RESPONSIBLE citizenry of the GREAT NATIONS, heretofore unreachable, was the sign Jesus gave of the rapidly nearing END of Satan's world."
"And THAT'S the ONE MAIN THING Satan wants to STOP! The HEAD of this Church, the living Jesus CHRIST, wants us always to keep the Great Commission FIRST in our minds – and NEVER to let other things crowd it out! For THAT'S what this is ALL ABOUT!"
"Repeatedly, all through the Bible – especially in the New Testament, we are warned that our REAL ENEMY is Satan! He tries to get our minds OFF of our B I G Commission, by getting them on physical and material things that loom up as MUCH more important ... until we CAN'T SEE THE REAL ISSUE."
"That which we have been called to PREPARE THE WAY FOR – the coming of CHRIST with all the SUPREME POWER AND GLORY of the CREATOR GOD, as the KING of kings and LORD or lords, will soon come. Satan's time will be up."
"Then we shall, if loyal NOW to God's Government, rule ALL NATIONS under, and with Christ, each having our part in that GOVERNMENT, and working with and under Christ as our HIGH PRIEST in then SAVING THE WHOLE WORLD, with no Satan around to attack us!"
—Herbert W. Armstrong, letter to brethren,
18 March 1974.
"Satan will never let up trying to DESTROY the Work of the living God. It's all recorded in the Bible – in prophecy. I have looked into God's Book to see how it all comes out at the end – and I find that WE (in God) WIN!"
—Herbert W. Armstrong, letter to brethren,
April 18, 1984
WHEN THE LEADING ADMINISTRATOR DISOBEYS, SATAN CAN
OVERTHROW THE GOVERNMENT OF GOD ON EARTH
"… I have frequently been pressured to compromise – 'just a little' – with God's TRUTH."
"Nevertheless, if we begin to compromise with God's TRUTH, even in the smallest, slightest manner, we have allowed Satan to get a foot into the door of the Church, and soon he will push open the door (he is stronger than we) and take over the whole Church."
—"Personal from Herbert W. Armstrong,"
Good News, December 1976
"I want you, brethren, to think about and understand what happened to God's Church in the 1970s lest history repeat itself!"
"Most of the dissension of the past in the Church has been over the matter of government. The dissenters believe in a very liberal government – the way of Satan and his world. The whole purpose of the Gospel is to call those chosen by God out of this world and its ways into the ways of God. God's government is based on God's law. All government, even in the world's nations, is based on a foundation of law."
NO LONGER GOD'S CHURCH OR GOD'S COLLEGE
"And Jesus Christ will never receive any of those who have gone out to draw a following after themselves to come back and lead God's Church into Satan's liberalism. It would be no longer God's Church, even as Ambassador College was no longer God's college ..."
—Herbert W. Armstrong,
"Recent History of the Philadelphia Era
of the Worldwide Church of God,"
Worldwide News, 24 June 1985.
"There is only one place on Earth where the government of God is administered – and even that has been sidetracked."
"AS RULER over the UNIVERSE, God set a throne on the Earth and placed the super archangel Lucifer on that throne to administer GOD'S government over the earth."
"But Lucifer rebelled."
"God gave Adam the opportunity to SIT ON Lucifer's throne – IF Adam ... would reject the ways of Satan and accept GOD'S WAY – that of GOD'S LAW! But Adam rebelled against God and chose to go HIS OWN WAY ..."
"Some 4,000 years later, the SECOND Adam, Jesus Christ, came to Earth ... overcame Satan, chose the GOVERNMENT OF GOD, based on the LAW OF GOD. But He was not to take over the throne of the Earth until the end of 6,000 years. He raised up His Church, with the GOVERNMENT OF GOD ruling IN THE CHURCH."
[Comment: We will expand on this during the Feast. Notice the wording: "the GOVERNMENT OF GOD ruling IN THE CHURCH." This may be a better wording than saying "Church Government." If you come to the Feast, you will hear an explanation on this.]
"My son ... began his own conspiracy to TAKE OVER the Church – and if his father did not oblige him by dying, to put Herbert W. Armstrong into retirement."
"God Almighty and Jesus Christ were virtually thrown out of the college – and were rapidly being thrown out of the Church!"
—Herbert W. Armstrong,
"Christ Now Moves to Put God's Government
Back on the Track,"
Good News, September 1979.
"… God placed on Earth's THRONE the archangel, the cherub Lucifer, to administer the GOVERNMENT OF GOD over the angels."
"I repeat: That GOVERNMENT is based on God's spiritual laws – as all governments are based on a constitution of foundational law."
"The super archangel Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12 14) had been perfect in all his ways from the day of his initial creation, till iniquity – lawlessness – was found in him."
"The GOVERNMENT OF GOD no longer was operative on Earth!"
—Herbert W. Armstrong,
"Seven Proofs of God's True Church,"
Plain Truth, March 1979.
"... Satan's kingdom of angels – now turned to demons – rejected the GOVERNMENT OF GOD, and it was thus removed from Earth."
"That GOVERNMENT OF GOD exists at this time on Earth only through those that are doing God's Work."
"Few, even among professing converted Christians, realize the vital and SUPREME NEED to be conscious and constantly aware of Satan's efforts to get to US, who already have turned from Satan's way and to the WAY of the GOVERNMENT OF GOD."
—H. W. Armstrong,
"Human Nature – Did God Create It?"
WCG article reprint, 1976. (Also Incredible
Human Potential, pp. 167 168.)
THE TEACHING OF THE TRINITY DESTROYS THE GOSPEL
"The false Trinity teaching does limit God to three Persons. But God is not limited. As God repeatedly reveals, his purpose is to reproduce himself into what well may become billions of God persons. It is the false Trinity teaching that limits God, denies God's purpose and has palpably deceived the whole Christian world."
"The Trinity doctrine limits God to a supposed three Persons. It DESTROYS the very gospel of Jesus Christ! His gospel is the good news of the now soon coming KINGDOM OF GOD ..."
"The Trinity doctrine ... is the doctrine of the great false religion called in Revelation 17:5: 'Mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth.' "
"By that doctrine, along with others, Satan has DECEIVED all traditional Christianity."
"Satan has deceived the entire world in regard to the very nature of WHO and WHAT God is..."
"The very first idea or teaching about God being a Trinity began in the latter half of the second century – a hundred years after most of the New Testament had been written. The counterfeit Christianity spawned by Simon the Sorcerer was promoting it vigorously ... But the true Church of God vigorously resisted it."
"In Ephesians 2:2, humans have been walking 'according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air [Satan], the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.'"
"The Bible explains: 'If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world [Satan] hath blinded the minds of them which believe not' (2 Cor. 4:3 4). Satan is the god of this world."
"When God 'drove out the man' from the Garden of Eden ... God said, in effect: '... Go, therefore, Adam ... Produce your own educational systems and means of disseminating knowledge, as your god Satan shall mislead you. Form your own concepts of what is god, your own religions ... In all this Satan will deceive your world ...' "
"In Satan's deceived world many have come to a counterfeit Christ ..."
"They have been deceived into worshiping 'another Jesus.'"
"It has become Satan's WORLD though millions have been deceived into believing it is God's world. To this day Satan is still on that throne"
"Meanwhile Satan has worked IN all humans."
"People have no realization of the tremendous power of Satan."
"Those called out of the world and into the Church at this time are called for a specific purpose and a specific work."
"Satan has blinded the minds of the unbelieving world and the professing traditional 'Christianity' to this fact (2 Cor. 4:4). Satan has deceived the entire world, including a professing traditional 'Christianity' (Rev. 12:9)."
"The churches of this world of Satan are organized according to humanly devised patterns. But the Bible gives explicit directions in regard to Church government."
"The CHURCH is organized under theocratic government, hierarchical in form. The members do not set officials in the Church ... Members do not elect them. Yet in the churches of this world some believe in government by the entire congregation – 'democracy' ..."
"But what about all the many organized churches labeled under the category 'Christianity'...?"
"Satan is a great COUNTERFEITER! He appears as 'an angel of light' (2 Cor. 11:13 15). And he has his counterfeit CHURCHES! His ministers are deceived by him into believing they are 'ministers of righteousness' and of Christ (2 Cor. 11:15; Matt. 24:5)."
"'But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which we have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.... For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works' " (2 Cor. 11:3 4, 13 15)."
"Notice these deceived but false churches believe they are the true church... Yet they have...not preached Jesus' true Gospel of THE KINGDOM OF GOD (Matt. 24:14)."
"The CHURCH, as initially called in this life, is NOT YET capable of RULING the Earth... And THAT IS WHY God has placed HIS GOVERNMENT in his Church. That is WHY God's Church government is theocratic instead of democratic... That is WHY it is hierarchical in form – government from GOD at the top down, not from the bottom up... It is the SAME government by which Christ shall rule all nations beginning with the millennium!"
"And that is WHY Satan has subtly influenced dissidents in God's Church to become resentful and bitter over God's government ..."
"The churches of this world ... DO NOT speak of the government of GOD ... They do not preach Jesus as coming KING but only as Savior ... And that is to say, they deliberately REJECT and OMIT the gospel MESSAGE of Christ in their teaching and preaching!"
—Herbert W. Armstrong, Mystery of the Ages
(Pasadena: Worldwide Church of God, 1985),
pp. 45, 51, 54, 59, 120, 134, 142-144,
215 216, 242, 246, 249, 250, 279.
IDOLATROUS VIEWS OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT
WERE NEVER TAUGHT BY MR. ARMSTRONG
"The thing is, whoever is the Apostle, whoever is guiding and putting the truth into the Church must be honest with the Word of God! Now, if you ever find me dishonest with the Word of God you reject me as God's Apostle."
—Herbert W. Armstrong, taped Bible study on
2 Corinthians 2, Tucson, Arizona, 6 December 1980.
"... what we have called 'human nature' is also suffering from a sense of inferiority, and it desires desperately to be relieved of this painful feeling. This basic inferiority manifests itself in a desire to belong to a group, club, society, church, faction, or a nation. In order to avoid feeling inferior, the self instinctively desires to be accepted by other people. This leads to a spirit of rivalry, party spirit, and consequently loyalty to that the particular party … to which one belongs. One would fear to be disloyal, lest the others in this factional group consider him a traitor ..."
"Yes, it is human to fear the society to which we have become attached in the way that we should fear the Creator God!"
—Herbert W. Armstrong,
"Why God Is Not Real to Most People,"
Worldwide Church of God article reprint.
UNITY, DIVISION AND GOVERNMENT
"The Word of God clearly teaches us that there is but the ONE Spirit, and the ONE Body. (1 Cor. 12:12 13, 20)."
"That ONE BODY of Christ, carrying on HIS WORK, must function as a UNIT. It must work in harmony and unity, with teamwork, for God is not the author of confusion. There must be no pulling off in different directions by different men in that one Body. There must be no competition, or division. And anyone who knowingly promotes, or encourages anyone in promoting, such disharmony, competition, and division, becomes the enemy of God, and serving the devil and not God!
"In order that this ONENESS – this UNITY of purpose and action – this HARMONY and cooperative teamwork, be maintained and preserved in GOD'S WORK, God has ordained GOVERNMENT IN HIS CHURCH. And He has empowered His Church with DIVINE AUTHORITY.
"That government in God's Church is government from God, thru Christ, thru apostles, thru evangelists, thru pastors, thru other elders, in that order!"
—Herbert W. Armstrong,
"Must God's Ministers Be Ordained
by the Hand of Man?"
Good News, October 1962.
"... the one and only true CHURCH is NOT an ORGANIZATION OF MEN, but a SPIRITUAL ORGANISM. Yet that fact does not preclude organization."
"This spiritual organism is the 'Body of Christ' existing for the PURPOSE of carrying on THE WORK OF GOD."
"If every individual in it goes out alone, independently, trying to carry out the entire divine Commission in whatever way he sees fit, we shall have confusion, a house divided against itself …"
"Christ has, indeed, ORGANIZED HIS CHURCH, SO FITLY joined together as a physical building put together with the precision of every part of the most expert craftsmen."
—Herbert W. Armstrong,
"Just What Is the Church." (See Part One of this booklet,
this passage entered here for emphasis)
COMPROMISING DOCTRINE
"Why are the different branches of 'Christianity' talking about UNION? WHY is it possible for them to make overtures toward compromise?"
"And anyway, is it not right that they should all GET TOGETHER? WHY should Christianity be divided?"
"The Vatican Second Ecumenical Council is making many overtures toward both Protestants and the Eastern Orthodox church. They are even taking a conciliatory attitude toward Jews. Recently Pope Paul VI assured the non Catholic Christian world of his purpose to clear away every obstacle blocking 'Christian unity’."
"The BIG question is WHY is such compromise possible?"
"Can you imagine Jesus Christ beginning to compromise and get together with the Pharisees?"
"Did all the hundreds of differing and disagreeing sects and denominations calling themselves 'Christian' receive their varying faiths from the SAME SOURCE? Quite obviously not!"
"Now we ought to begin to see the answer to the question, HOW can these differing religious groups compromise and get together? Their beliefs, their customs, are the inventions of HUMANS. In actual fact, they did not receive their beliefs from the true and living GOD – or from His Word, the Bible. Their religions are of HUMAN ORIGIN. Therefore humans feel at liberty to alter or change their own beliefs and ways."
"We ought to understand, therefore, how those who, like the Roman Catholic Church, reject the Bible as the supreme AUTHORITY – setting themselves, as a CHURCH, ahead of it as supreme authority … we ought now to understand how they can compromise and GET TOGETHER."
"Since [the one and only true Church] is ruled and guided by the living God, whose written Word means what it says, it cannot and will not compromise or unite with the churches of this world."
—Herbert W. Armstrong,
"Personal from the Editor,"
Plain Truth, December 1964.
DO NOT UNWISELY UNDERESTIMATE SATAN!
"… do you think YOU are immune from the wiles and subtle deceptions of Satan? DON'T SO UNWISELY UNDERESTIMATE SATAN! Satan is the strongest being or personage God ever created, except the other two archangels Michael and Gabriel."
"God's Word warns us to be constantly ON GUARD against Satan's wiles."
"Let me illustrate. One is walking along in a thickly wooded forest on a moonless pitch dark night. But just ahead of him is an experienced guide with a lighted lantern. If he follows that lighted lantern he will be led safely out of the woods. But if he turns aside just a step or two and hesitates, the light continues on out of his sight. Then he is really lost. If one turns aside from God's truth on just one point, or one doctrine, and does not quickly repent, the light of God's truth moves on. In his self centered effort to find the light of truth, he now walks blindly in wrong directions. He takes more and more steps in the wrong direction. That is, he proceeds on into more and more error, all the while losing more and more of what truth he had."
"So comprehend the illustration. We all were lost in the dark woods of sin. On first realization of it, with repentance and belief, we received a first portion of God's Holy Spirit.... The Spirit of God, by lighting up the Bible, leads us a step at a time, into more and more truth, and a step at a time out of error and sin. But if and when you reject one point of truth, it is like stepping aside in the dark woods. You are no longer being led by the Spirit of God opening the Bible to right understanding. The light – the Spirit of God – leaves you. God's TRUTH marches on! It leaves you behind. You are in darkness again. Lost again in the darkness of sin! You stumble around in the thick dark woods trying to find the lighted lantern. But every step you now take is taking you farther away from the lighted lantern, proceeding on the SURE path out of the woods.
"Take the example of some ministers who left God's Church. Some tried to incorporate new 'churches' of their own. But they were not GOD'S churches. These men had all rejected one or more points of truth, or Church doctrine. They almost immediately began to add new points of false doctrine of their own – not of God. Soon they began rejecting points of TRUTH. Perhaps it was tithing. Perhaps healing. Perhaps voting in this world's governments. Perhaps it was God's Government in the Church. Soon they were rejecting God's annual Holy Days and feasts. Soon they were rejecting more and more of GOD'S TRUTH and turning to more and more FALSE doctrines and errors. THEY, PROFESSING TO FOLLOW CHRIST in their new way, WERE GOING FARTHER AND FARTHER AWAY FROM HIM. They were going closer and closer to Satan and Satan's WAY."
"It started, in every case, by taking one first step in Satan's direction – compromising – becoming 'liberal' – or resenting and rebelling against GOD'S GOVERNMENT in His Church – or letting a spirit of SELF enter in – it could be self righteousness, or self centeredness in COVETING POWER. More than one has been led into spiritual darkness by coveting POWER in God's Church."
"YOU LET DOWN YOUR GUARD AND ALLOW SATAN TO DECEIVE AND USE YOU when, once you have known the truth, repented, received God's Spirit, started on GOD'S WAY, you take a step away from that way, begin to liberalize, compromise with Satan."
—Herbert W. Armstrong,
" 'Satan Deceive and Use Me? Never!!' "
Worldwide News, December 8, 1980
"If someone tells me my house is on fire, I'm not going to laugh at him and refuse to take it seriously. I'm going to examine, and BE SURE! If he's wrong, then at least I shall KNOW my house is safe. I learned years ago that it can be very dangerous to carelessly ASSUME, or just take for granted. It's much wiser and safer to get all the FACTS, and then decide.
"And one's LIFE for eternity is much more precious than his house."
"I have given you God's Word faithfully. It is not popular. It is not what the popular majority will tell you."
"My responsibility ends with TELLING you. I have cried aloud. I have lifted up my voice."
—Herbert W. Armstrong,
Which Day Is the Christian Sabbath?
(Worldwide Church of God, 1972), pp. 7, 93.
"In His Message to His true Church of this time, which is yielding itself to be His instrument for shouting this very warning, and carrying Christ's GOSPEL to the world, Jesus said: 'Because thou hast kept the WORD of my patience, I will also keep thee from the hour of trial [Great Tribulation DAY of the Lord], which shall come upon all the world.' (Rev. 3:10.) But those that are lukewarm, careless, indifferent, Christ says He will spew out of His mouth. (Rev. 3:16.)"
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Comment: Here Mr. Armstrong wrote very clearly that the Church as a whole needs to yield herself to be God's instrument for shouting this very warning. God having removed the spearhead. That leaves you and me to decide whether we will do this as the collective instrument of God. God still calls His ministers, but they must be faithful to their calling.
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"... if by God's grace, thru HIS power, I can make this REAL enough, I can be the means of saving some of you. And your lives are VERY PRECIOUS! Every single one that is saved is worth all the effort – all the criticism from those who want soft and smooth things and deceits – all the persecution."
"YOUR life is very precious. It's a potential CHILD OF GOD! I hope to see you, and know you, and LOVE you, in the KINGDOM OF GOD! Yes, YOUR life is very precious to ME! I'm going to try to WAKE YOU UP to reality, if I can. Criticize and condemn me, if you will! God helping me, I can do no other than to MAKE THIS WARNING PLAIN! It's motivated by a spirit of LOVE! God help YOU to wake up and HEED!"
—Herbert W. Armstrong,
"Yes, I Know,"
Plain Truth, February March 1955
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Conclusion: On commenting on the prayer of the early Christians in the Book of Acts, Mr. Armstrong wrote: "Yes, suddenly this company realized their own human inadequacy – realized their need of renewed POWER FROM GOD. They didn't run from their difficulty! They didn't cower and tremble in fear. They didn't give up in their great commission. They went directly to the SOURCE of their power." Please read our article, Christians Have Lost Their Power.
The directors of the Bible Fund, and its supporters, look forward to explaining many of the above quotations and concepts at the Feast of Tabernacles to be held this year at the Wisconsin Dells. J. Graham Davies, a pastor ordained in June 2005, will be the main speaker.
While not being a corporate church, the Bible Fund seeks to be an example to the spiritual organism so that the same Spirit that was in the Early Church can once again stir us up to action. Paul, Peter, John, etc., were not members of any corporate church, yet they were part of the vibrant Body, the Church of saints made perfect, that will one day descend as a Bride, with Christ to rule the Earth for a thousand years, and then prepare to accompany Christ in all the rest of the Work that He has to encompass the entire Universe. May we all see Christ's vision and be part of it! bƒ
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