Pastor’s Comments 12-24-04

Dear Brethren,

In this letter to you, and perhaps the next one or so, I intend to deal with a couple of subjects that need to be clarified because some members are being misled into believing what is not true and because of it are in grave danger.

This first one has any number of members confused because of well-known evangelists and other pastoral leaders using a correct subject, but misapplying it in their corporate Churches that are clearly off-track with the doctrinal teachings God used His late apostle to RESTORE within His Church.

Because of those wrong teachings they are clearly making known they are NOT of the God we know and serve. It goes further! Not only the misapplication of this important subject, but using it to their advantage of keeping members with them.

God’s Spirit is a Spirit of TRUTH (John 14:17)! Further it is His WORD that is TRUTH (John 17:17). Jesus also said His Holy Spirit would guide us as members of His Church into all of His truth (John 16:13). In addition, Jesus Christ said His true people would be sanctified (set-apart) by His true teachings (John 17:17). God’s TRUTH which has to do with His true teachings as found in Scripture, not by what well-known Church leaders have said or are saying.

It comes down to the question of who are we following?  Jesus Christ and His truth – or men who claim they are of God, but who are also cleverly and subtly moving away from the restored doctrinal teachings of God 

This subject is God’s GOVERNMENT!

The Government of God —

There are any numbers of members who are remaining in the former parent Church though they know the leadership has fully embraced the Protestant teachings. However because they still retain the Government that God used His late apostle to restore within His Church they feel the need to remain there; A THEOCRATIC form of government.

What is the meaning of THEOCRACY?

The Reader’s Digest Great Encyclopedia Dictionary “THEOCRACY”

1. A state, policy, or group of people that claims a deity as its ruler, as ancient Israel after the Exodus. 2  Government of a state by a god, or by a priesthood claiming divine authority, as in the papacy. 

Such a government comes under the heading of the following word and its definition:

Theoonomous : Governed by God : subject to God’s authority

God’s Theocratic Government was one of the restored truths that was in the Church of God for years under the leadership of God’s chief shepherd, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong! It was THEOONOMOUS for it was SUBJECT to God’s authority during the life of God’s late apostle. 

Examining Theocracy — 

When we examine the Greek word, Theocracy, we find Theo in the Greek means God. When the nations or churches, such as the Catholic Church, have this form of government, THEO, God, is not there! And as such they only have the empty framework of God’s type of Government without His being in it.

The Catholic Church indeed does have this kind of government. In addition, Mr. Armstrong has said that Church is a real counterfeit of God’s Church; the closest of all of the Christian Churches.

In regard to the former parent Church, and the other corporate Churches of God who have this form of Government, we can ask the needed question: Because that structure of government is practiced by them, is God there?  Are they subject to God’s authority? If not – why are true members still there?

Let us consider this subject more in detail.

Taking A Look At Our Past ----

Think about what took place after the death of Mr. Armstrong: Before he died he turned the leadership over to the one he named to be the pastor-general of the Church! The reason he was chosen above all of the other evangelists was that Mr. Armstrong believed this man would be faithful and fight to retain those true teachings.

A man who had NOT been ordained as an apostle, but only with the office of evangelist!

The same man over a nine-year period of time (January 16, 1986 to December 1994) turned completely away from those teachings that he had fought for some few years before during the struggle with the State of California who was trying to take over control of the Church.

In December of 1995, this apostate leader and his administration then totally embraced the Protestant teachings, with the exception of what then had become an empty form of theocratic Government. Theo, God, was NO LONGER in it for they were no longer being governed by Him. 

It now had become the same as the Catholic Church.

With this in mind, can one actually believe, that though the former parent Church was once the true Church, that it is yet a Church that is subject to God’s guidance and authority even though it retains that empty form of Government?

An Example of the Reasoning  —

One family who chose for a short time to come with us after the scattering from the parent Church told me that he felt compelled to return to that Church because of it having been the Church of God.  He further told me that if they were to disfellowship him he would then feel free to leave it.

NOTE: It is my understanding they do NOT normally disfellowship tithe payers even though these members still are clinging to the true teachings, including this man.

Sometime ago it came to me they were going to disfellowship all of those with them who were still being faithful to the true teachings – UNTIL, they found they were the only ones who were faithfully tithing.

The Claim of Government —

One well-known evangelist claimed he was remaining there because the Government was still there and he had to remain for that reason.  Perhaps that was a true statement, but he had also accepted at least one, if not more, of their teachings.  It was clouded over somewhat by his own choice of wording, as, THE THINKER – a form of the Trinitarian teaching.

I know this to be true for he gave a sermon on the subject here in the Modesto Church just before the parent Church fell apart. It also came to me that afterwards he was still teaching this in Bible studies with others.

A Conversation of Justification —

Please note a conversation he had with one member at the Feast of Tabernacles some few years ago:

“_________  spoke at the Feast of Tabernacles at Keystone and Vail,Colorado, in 1993. My family and I had the privilege of hearing him speak that year, and meeting with him privately.

“On opening night at Keystone, _____ addressed the state of the church. [He said] Those who had left WCG to start "competing churches" were attempting to do Christ's job for him, _______ [he] asserted, because it is Christ's job to correct church leaders from the top down.

“In OT Israel God corrected his earthly government as necessary, in His own time and way. God's government today, _____ [he] said, was in the Worldwide Church of God -- as evidenced BY the fruits from 1934 to 1986, WHEN the true gospel went out to every nation on earth.[It ceased after his death along with the true gospel.  This same evangelist personally told me that Mr. Armstrong had said this leader would end the Plain Truth. And he did from the way we knew it.]

“During the middle of the Feast, ________ spoke in Vail. He told the people not to leave WCG. The church goes off the track from time to time, but it is still the church [HOW SO?], he said. Parents sometimes make mistakes but the children do not leave them [SOME DO], and are commanded to honor them [SOME DON’T].

“__________ said he was the only one of the pioneer students still in the church because he understands government. He said that in 1974 there was a ministerial conference in which a man on stage said "If I were not in 100% agreement with the doctrines of this church, I would not be here."

“__________ then whispered to his wife, "In a year he won't  
 be here.”

“Near the end of the Feast, I and two of my children spoke with ________ after services, in what turned out to be a lengthy conversation. I asked him many questions about the state of the church.

“He told me that Mr. Tkach was "ambivalent," unable to research matters fully and relied on his advisors, who themselves were "in the dark" doctrinally [YET THIS APOSTATE LEADER FULLY WAS IN AGREEMENT AND PREACHED STRONGLY AGAINST THOSE WHO WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE CHANGES AND MANY WERE DISFELLOWSHIPPED BECAUSE OF THEIR REFUSAL TO ACCEPT THEM].

“He said [admitted] there had been a great loss of truth since Mr. Armstrong died.

“I asked him if he still believed "Mystery of the Ages" and he said that he did, but that there were a few historical errors in it. [If he really believed those writings, why did he preach – “The Thinker?”, for Mr. Armstrong wrote about the fallacy of the Trinity.]

“I asked him about the Global Church of God and he said "We [PLEASE NOTE “WE”, HE WAS IN AGREEMENT WITH THE DISFELLOWSHIP] didn't disfellowship Dr. Meredith until after he had announced plans to start another church. ... [END OF CONVERSATION WITH _________]

“For years I prayed that God would restore the three leading pioneer students and evangelists who were taught directly by Mr. Armstrong – _______, __________ and _________ -- to love, peace and unity. I think God sometimes allows trials to expose flaws in human character, so that they may be repented of and healed. I'm glad that in God's kingdom all things will be restored (Acts 3:21).”   Writer’s name withheld [Emphasis throughout are mine]

Further this same writer wrote:

“Sometimes I think that if we all followed __________ advice about not leaving the parent organization, at least we would not be all divided up and scattered today. [The Church had to be scattered to fulfill prophecy.] And yet I realize that we should not allow ourselves to be poisoned by false doctrine and lies. [VERY TRUE!]

“Before I left WCG in 1995, I had studied far enough to realize that 1.) the Spirit of God is the Spirit of truth, 2.) that it is impossible for God to lie, and 3.) that when you know the organization is lying to you, then you can also know that the Spirit of God has been exchanged for the spirit of Satan in the organization. On those grounds I left WCG, so that my children and I would not have to hear lies preached to us from the pulpit. [VERY TRUE AND HE WAS RIGHT IN LEAVING]

“I suppose that_______ [apostate leader] "shut off" the government of God on earth, much the same as GTA did during the seventies, as Mr. HWA said had happened before he set the church back in track in 1978. Yet, we still have the bible as our rock solid foundation.

“I believe that the bible is the foundation of the church, and that if we obey Jesus and his apostles (through their writings in the NT) that we are obeying God's government over us. As _______ [the evangelist] once said (referring to our time today): the bible is above the apostle; the apostle is not above the bible.”

Again – writer’s name withheld

The Lamp of God was Removed ---  

When Satan takes over the government in God's Church and changes its teachings, God's presence is no longer in that corporate Church just as His presence was removed from the Temple of God in Jerusalem due to the Jewish people departing from Him, as the prophet of God wrote:

Jeremiah 7:3-4, 8-12, 15  Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place, DO NOT TRUST in these lying words, saying, ‘The Temple of the LORD, the Temple of the LORD, ... Behold you TRUST in lying words that cannot profit.  Will you STEAL, MURDER, COMMIT ADULTERY, BURN INCENSE TO BAAL [incense is symbolic of prayer and worship while embracing the teachings of Baal and Astarte, and it is being done] , and walk after other gods whom you do not know, AND THEN come and stand Me in this house which is called BY My Name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” says the LORD. “But go now to My place which was at Shiloh, where I set My Name at the first, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel. ... And I will CAST YOU OUT OF MY SIGHT, as I have cast out all your brethren …”

Soncino Commentary, Jeremiah 7:4

“The false prophets maintain that the presence of the Temple of the LORD is a guarantee for the safety of the city. ...”

God’s Threat to Remove His Lampstand —

The lamp was removed from the parent Church just as the letter from God to the Ephesian Church Era made known it would be unless there were needed corrections made.  After commending them for TESTING those who claimed to be God’s ministers and proving them to be false (verse 2), He then reproves and threatens them in other areas UNLESS a real change was made by them:

Revelation 2:1-7 “... You have LEFT your first love.  REMEMBER therefore from where you have fallen, REPENT and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly AND ‘REMOVE’ YOUR LAMPSTAND FROM ITS PLACE — UNLESS YOU REPENT ...”

The definition of the LAMPSTAND is given as being one of the 7 Church
Eras (Revelation 1:20).

It finally was moved into the Smyrna Church era.

The Sardis Church Era —

Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong did not continue to remain associated with the Sardis Church after the two restored true teachings he had submitted to Mr. Dugger were rejected though he admitted they were the truth.

Upon Mr. Dugger’s written refusal to accept them in a letter to Mr. Armstrong, he quoted to him the following Scripture:

Hosea 4:6 “...  Because you HAVE REJECTED knowledge, I will also reject you ...”

In that Church era, he saw and worked with ministers in that Church who he found to be Pentecostal in belief and teachings. Some little time after that God led him to begin the Philadelphia Era of God's Church because the other was dying due to not strengthening themselves by accepting the truth of God:

Revelation 3:1-6 “... I know your works, that YOU HAVE A NAME (Church of God) that you are [barely] alive, but you are [for all practical purposes – dying] dead. BE WATCHFUL AND STRENGTHEN THE THINGS WHICH REMAIN, that are READY TO DIE. ... REMEMBER therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast [to what you have] and REPENT. ...”

In 1953-1954, I saw for myself through receiving and reading their monthly magazine they were embracing a known Pentecostal minister.

The Dead Church —

It is my opinion, based on Scriptures and history, that the parent Church began dying spiritually after God removed His presence from it beginning after January 16, 1986. It was said by someone who knew the very next day after the death of Mr. Armstrong this apostate leader directly disobeyed what Mr. Armstrong had told him in regard to NOT moving his administration up to the 4th floor where Mr. Armstrong had his office. 

Think about in connection with what the prophet Samuel said to King Saul after he failed to obey what had been told to him by Samuel.  This was a TEST on Saul just as it was in principle on this man (I Samuel 15).

He disobeyed placing no real value on the promise he made to the apostle and the Elijah to come.

That corporate parent Church fully died in 1994.  Some months later this apostate man died a most terrible and painful death. It has been said to me by more that one that just before he died, he whispered that he had been a fool. If he truly recognized this then perhaps he will come up in the 2nd resurrection.  I hope so.

Remember, God takes no pleasure in the death of anyone.  It is His desire that all repent and come to have eternal life (Ezekiel 33:11; John 3:16). That includes ALL of mankind.  However there has to be real godly repentance and that means change – as with King David.

Members Fleeing —

Most of the true members fled after hearing the voice of shepherds they no longer recognized just as Jesus said His people would do:

John 10:4-5 “... the sheep follow Him, FOR they know His voice (the true Shepherd, Jesus Christ, and those whom He has chosen and who have remained faithful to God and His true teachings] yet they will BY NO MEANS follow a stranger 

When the Righteous Turns Away —

The following Scriptures should sound a real bell of warning to us if we value the future we hope to have at the return of Jesus Christ:

Ezekiel 33:13-14 “The righteousness of the righteous man shall NOT deliver him in the day of his transgression; ... When I say to the righteous that he shall surely live, BUT HE TRUSTS IN HIS OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS and commits iniquity, none of his righteous works shall be remembered; but because of the iniquity that he has committed, he shall die.”

There are many laudatory words said at a funeral of any well-known leader even though he has not remained faithful to the Church and its true teachings.  We should know that men will not be the final judge, but God.  And He judges by His spoken and written words found in Holy Scripture.

Regardless of we are, myself included, our past good record will not do us any good in the time of the final judgment IF we turn from the right way to the wrong way, wrong beliefs and teachings! From these Scriptures and others we should be able to see we would be in very serious trouble with God, UNLESS there is a real change brought about by godly repentance in this life (Verses 14-16)..

The Fear of God —

There seems to be NO REAL FEAR anymore of God and what He tells us in Scripture! Ministers do not seem to be stirred up and CRYING ALOUD AND SHOWING GOD'S PEOPLE THEIR SINS ANYMORE!

In addition there are the leaders who are laid back and do nothing to try and help God’s true people while enjoying their retirement even though their health is still relatively good.

In some cases leaders have even taught, or are presently teaching, the lies of wrong religious teachings in whatever corporate Church of God.

It becomes very easy to develop an air of self-righteousness because of office and past deeds.

All of us had better learn from Scripture and realize God will not justify anyone who is following a wrong leader! We cannot think just because of his, or their, longtime tenure, they must be right in what they are doing and where they are, and that is where we must be. Salvation is an individual struggle (Philippians 2:12)

Those who are remaining because of it having been the true Church while Mr. Armstrong was alive and/or because of Government, are wrong for being there regardless of what the well-known evangelist was quoted as saying earlier in this writing was the reason he was there! Such people are wrong in their reasoning. 

I simply cannot see where there is any justification from God’s word for his remaining there any more than I can of anyone else. 

Whatever his real beliefs were, by his remaining there, he gave the wrong example to the people of God who placed great value on his past teachings. Perhaps because of his remaining there, and what he taught, could cause these members to end up in the Great Tribulation.

A Recent Letter ---

Please note the following comments in a recent letter I received from a member in another state in the context of the subject of this writing by me:

Dear Mr. Billingsley:

.... Mr. Armstrong was, and is now, even though asleep, a unique individual. God calls for purpose. Mr. ______, of UCG, once told you that “Mr. Armstrong was not perfect” [infallible]. The statement is true enough on the surface but to reason in one’s mind that since he (HWA) was not perfect, then he must have been just like me, a man who tries to do what is right in the sight of God, only serves to diminish the special calling that Mr. Armstrong had. It also leads one to think that they can take his place in the “Work”.

While many of the Churches believe that proper government is from the top down, no form of government will work, or last, unless the top is truly converted, and is in place with a servants attitude. World history proves it. We were called to serve. To give. Not to get.

I think it is interesting to note that government reflects the personality of the one behind it.

Mr. Armstrong’s writings are powerful. They are to the point and they are PLAIN. Everything he wrote, or spoke about in sermons, was pointing the reader/listener to God. Even the manual for Spokemans Club was structured that way. What man is there who can do what God had this man do? Not a one, unless God gives him the job.

Thanks for letting me share thoughts with you. After all these years it is so good to communicate with one such as yourself. I hope to meet you one day.”

NAME AND LOCATION WITHHELD

The Laodicean Church —

I think most of us realize the Laodicean Church Era has not materialized yet as an entity, but the spirit of it began developing within the Church as far back as 1969. This is the year that I remember Mr. Armstrong first began speaking about it. And that attitude is being reflected more and more with leaders and members within the Churches of God. 

It is interesting to note that it is also an attitude we see in the nations of Israel as well.

That attitude has become very apparent within the membership! And because of it they have some very serious problems! When the entity does fully materialize, we should know it is still God’s Church. Thankfully God is still trying to work with them even now.

The Words of God’s late Apostle —

Please think about the following excerpts from two letters from God’s late apostle.  The first one:

THE GOVERNMENT OF GOD ON EARTH CAN BE OVERTHROWN BY SATAN, Personal, Good News, December 1976:

“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 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.”

CHRIST NOW MOVES TO PUT GOD’S GOVERNMENT BACK ON THE TRACK   “7 Proofs of god’s True Church, PT, March 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 constitution of foundational law. The super-angel 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.”

QUESTION:  Since this was true at that time, is it any less true with our former parent Church whose leadership also accepted the way of lawlessness by rejecting the 10 Commandments and other laws of God?

The Time to Flee —

A final thought.  When the word comes from God to the Church that He is working with, as the remnant of the Philadelphian Church Era, the elect, how will the members who are remaining within the former parent apostate Church, or elsewhere in the wrong places, come to know this very important message from God? 

And if they do learn of it, will they believe what is said based on the fact they are NOT NOW willing to listen to the true ministry that they should leave immediately from a Church who has the right form of Government, as does the Catholic Church, but God is not in it anymore than He now is in the Catholic Church. 

Please, think about it!  Your hope for a future life may well depend on the answer.

Until next time, our love and prayers,

Don Billingsley