For a Divided Church

God Wants Unity Part III

Repentance

Using the Bible and the writings of Mr. Herbert Armstrong I have shown, in these articles over the past couple years, where leaders of all major and most smaller splinter groups of God’s Church today have withheld, compromised, omitted or altered doctrine as given through God’s apostle. They are serving polluted bread on God’s Altar!

“... O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? ... Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible. ... ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible..... But cursed be the deceiver,” (Malachi 1:6-7, 12,14).

There is only one place where God’s Altaris today, His Church! Can we now more clearly understand why Jesus Christ is not pleased with this era of the Church? While serving polluted bread many leaders still want to blindly plunge ahead and preach a message to this world. Christ will not have it! They are without excuse!

“ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold (back, withhold) the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.....so that they are without excuse :” (Romans 1:18-20).

These leaders have brought a curse upon themselves and those who follow their lead. They have proven themselves unfaithful in teaching the full truth to God’s Church as given through His apostle. They preach a polluted doctrine. They are deceiving God’s people! We just read where God says: “... Cursed be the deceiver!..” (Malachi 1:14).

Jesus Christ says to the ministry today: “ Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods” (Matthew 24:45-47).

Christ wants us to really grasp this, for it is repeated in Luke 12:42-44. Why? Note this: “ MEAT IN DUE SEASON”. Listen brethren! Polluted bread is NEVER MEAT IN DUE SEASON! He is making a point for us to grasp.

Men that serve polluted bread (doctrine) upon God’s altar certainly cannot be trusted to faithfully preach the gospel in it’s purity to the world. Their message would be polluted at best. Jesus Christ does not approve of a polluted message.

Leaders attempting to preach the gospel to the world without Christ’s backing bring even more problems with which we must deal. He wants His Church to be cleaned up and set back on the track first. Because the majority of leaders are not doing this, He has closed the door for this era of the Church to preach the gospel as was done in the Philadelphia era under Mr. Armstrong.

If these men truly want the same success Jesus Christ gave to Mr. Armstrong, they would do the same as he did. He admitted openly when the Church got off track, repented and immediately began setting it back on God’s track. That’s one reason why he held the office of an apostle. In what areas of doctrines were we off track? Please go back and review WHAT Mr. Armstrong put back on track.

Christ says we in this era of the Church need to repent! To one degree or another, we all somehow somewhere slipped into a Laodicean attitude! In Matthew 25:5 it says “ They all slumbered and slept”. This is speaking of the Church today. First thing to do is admit we have been wrong, then turn and go the right way. We need to repent!

Preaching the gospel to the world is not the most important duty of ministers during this era until they get back on track spiritually and doctrinally. Getting right with God takes precedence over everything else if we are seeking God’s approval. Trying to do a work without His approval will prove futile and has only caused further confusion in the Church.

Loyalty to God’s righteousness and His doctrines is a pre-requisite before doing any work for Him. Jesus tells us: “ But, seek ye first the kingdom of God , and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you ” (Matthew 6:33 ).

Meanwhile, the work of developing Godly character, which Jesus Christ is doing in us individually, can continue only IF we continue to submit to His will and truth. Those individuals who do get the work Christ is doing in them back on track He will use collectively to do a work for Him. We must keep our priorities straight.

If the spiritual problems of the Church are not first taken care of, any work which leaders attempt to do will be done in vain. They will not be accepted by Jesus Christ no matter how right they may seem. Note these verses:

“ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21 -23).

Hopefully we can now better understand why splinter groups are having very little success today in trying to reach the world with the gospel.

It all comes down to this conclusion: if ministers speak differently on doctrine than that which was given to the Church from Jesus Christ through Mr. Armstrong, flee from them!! “ To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20 ).

Ask God to lead you to one of His ministers that is teaching His truth and doctrines the same as taught through Mr. Armstrong. Follow his lead as long as he continues to follow all doctrines given to us through His leadership as an apostle during the Philadelphia era of the Church. That minister will be used by God to do His Work.

God’s Work is: l) Preach the Gospel and Warning Message and 2) Feed the Flock. Instructions to do this were given by Mr. Armstrong in his final book, Mystery of the Ages (pp. 265-266). Even then, as described by the apostle, each minister must stay within the limitations of his office in doing these things.

Because of the problems extant in the Church today, it is obvious Jesus Christ has closed the doorfor the Church in this era to preach the gospel to the world on any large scale.

At present, it seems only three small groups of God’s Church have truly repented and are striving to be back on track in doctrine. They are: “ Church of God-Faithful Flock” headquartered in Modesto , California pastored by Alton “Don” Billingsley, “ Church of God in Wales” headquartered in the United Kingdom pastored by Jonathan Bowles, and “ Stedfast Church of God” headquartered in McMinnville , Oregon pastored by Arlen Berkey .

These three groups have members scattered all over the world. Their leaders are working for unity in the Church. Members are being served pure doctrine as taught through God’s apostle.

Please request the following free literature for a more in-depth understanding of these things: “The Work of God in the Laodicean Era”, “Just What is an Apostle?”, and an article on “The Elijah to Come”.