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PASTOR GENERAL'S
REPORT
TO THE MINISTRY OF THE
WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD
VOL.2, N0.37
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA
"BORN-AGAIN POLITICS"
by
Herbert W. Armstrong
SEPTEMBER 15, 1980
On the front
cover
of this past week's Newsweek magazine was a pic
ure of the TV evangelist who comes on just ahead of me on our Tucson
Channel 11 Sunday mornings. His name is Jerry Falwell, and if I may be
forgiven for a harmless pun, he does fall well when it comes to UNDER
STANDING the Word of God!
The big-type red-ink headline atop his pie on Newsweek's front cover
is "Born-Again Politics." It reminds me of the poem of sixty years ago:
"The barefoot boy with shoes on stood sitting in the grass, and it rained
all day that night"--a parody of opposites.
Mr. Falwell is NOT "born again'' and has no understanding of what the
term MEANS. And if he were, he would never be in politics. When one is
born again he would no more be in politics than a barefoot boy would have
shoes on his feet--than a boy sitting in the grass would be standing, or
than day would be night.
Do I then criticize Mr. Falwell or condemn him? Not at all. Not at
all. God is not judging him--yet, and neither do I. But this is an apt
illustration, blared before the whole nation on Newsweek's cover, of what
did happen to the first man, Adam--and what is consequently the state of
ALL in the world today, EXCEPT the very few God has specially called.
Humanity has lost sight of all this. The religionists of "traditional
Christianity" think they believe the Bible as the Word of God, yet they
don't--any more than the barefoot boy has on shoes.
The first man Adam was the father--the progenitor--of the human race.
He was required to make a CHOICE between receiving God's Holy Spirit to
open his mind to revealed knowledge from God, or taking to himself know
ledge of what is good and what is evil. ADAM MADE THE CHOICE FOR MANKIND
as a whole--his progeny who would be born from him. He CUT MANKIND OFF
FROM GOD, from the Holy Spirit, and thus from revealed KNOWLEDGE from
God understandable only through the Spirit of God. All, that is, EXCEPT
the minute FEW God would specially call and choose.
God made Adam's decision BINDING on all EXCEPT the very few God would
call. That made God RESPONSIBLE, knowing well He was leaving Satan on
the throne to DECEIVE mankind. So God BLINDED humanity--left humanity
CUT OFF from Him and His KNOWLEDGE U N T I L the second Adam, Jesus
Christ, should overcome Satan, qualify to restore God's GOVERNMENT, and
Himself be inducted on the throne over the earth.
That means the world is CUT OFF and cannot UNDERSTAND God's knowledge
UNTIL the second coming of Christ and the removal of Satan. Meanwhile,