The Age of Compromise

Why is the Church so divided today?

Most of us have asked ourselves that question many times over the past few years, especially since the division has increased, not decreased. And we probably have as many different answers as questions. Remember this: the Church has become divided basically over one major issue, doctrinal beliefs. I think we can all agree with that statement. Most groups believe and teach somewhat differently past doctrines which the whole Church used to keep before the divisions took place.

Many changes in doctrine had already taken place in the Church before 1995, even though the leadership of the WCG was denying it at the time. In 1995, the largest split took place up to that point in time. Several smaller groups which had previously left the WCG were already in existence by this time. This larger split happened because the leadership of the WCG changed the teaching that we needed to keep the Ten Commandments of God, the Holy Days, tithing, etc. officially from Pasadena in December 1994.

The leadership of the WCG said that these were done away and did not apply today, just like the professing “Christian” churches of the world. It was the final straw for most that then left the WCG to form their own groups, the largest being the UCG. Bear with me here, for I want to stress a point that will explain the main reason why there are so many differing groups today.

Just before the 1995 split, a man who was still in the WCG and later left with UCG told me something that still rings in my ears. What he said to me happened just as he said it would, and he himself got caught up in his own prediction. He told me that the Church before 1995 was so far off track, that by the time some ministers would try to put it back on track again, they would never do it 100%. He said that they would probably get back to 80-90% being on track, and feel they were 100% on track, because they had either compromised or forgotten so much of what they had once believed.

Now he, himself, believes that he is fully on track because he has returned to about 90% of the doctrines as were once delivered, and has forgotten the others, or they are no longer important to him. He got caught up in his own compromise. Many ministers have fallen victim to the same deception, thus leading their congregations into doing the same, feeling they are safe, and they are all in great danger. Revelation 3:17 has happened and most don’t even know it or want to believe it. Compromise will lead to destruction. So now we have groups which have returned to maybe 95%, 90%, 80%, etc. of the doctrines. Some have openly rejected Mr. Armstrong as an apostle. More have rejected the teaching that he fulfilled the role of the “Elijah” to come. Some will teach both these, but still change doctrine, which amounts to not really believing it. All these assorted combinations have resulted in Satan misleading the Church as a whole.

A list of 318 groups, that was published in the April 30, 2001 issue of the Journal, shows us the Church has been divided even further into many more smaller groups. Some think that you can be in any group and be all right. Others think that their’s is the only true Church and the others are not. Now let’s consider that belief for a few minutes. They are saying that if you are not in their group, you are not in the true Church. That is the gist of what they are saying.

The real sticker for this belief is this: If they believe one coming into their group from another group is now in the only true Church, wouldn’t he need re-baptism then? For if such a one was not in their group before he came with them, he must not have been in the true Church. Was he in a false Church? That kind of thinking does not fit logic.

Being with a group or part of an organization or corporate structure does not make you a member of the true Church of God. Having God’s Spirit makes you a member of God‘s Church. Being led by God’s Spirit makes you a son of God in good standing with the Father and Christ (Romans 8:14). But just joining any of these groups does not make you a member of God’s true Church. Having His Spirit in your mind puts you into God’s Church. I Corinthians 12:13 “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, ....” Romans 8:9 says “...... Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

Those groups that are saying they are the One and Only True Church are not telling us the truth. They lie! That’s about as plain as one can put it. True, the Church of God is one spiritual body, and it is supposed to be unified, but today it is not. God makes it very clear that He wants us unified (Ephesians 4:1-16). Unity can come only through the truth no longer being compromised or polluted.

Malachi 1 states that the priests (ministers) are serving polluted bread upon HIS altar. Brethren that’s what’s being given to the Church. And it is being done through deception (verse 14). The majority of the ministry are telling you that you do not need to keep all the doctrines given through Mr. Armstrong.

Case in point: Which minister keeps the government as given? Which minister is telling you women that wearing make-up is sin? Do you see that compromise has been the order of the day by most groups? Don’t allow yourself to be compromised any longer. Get back to all those doctrines and keep them pure. Then God will cause His light to shine upon you once again.

But that unity can come about only one way. We must speak the same things (I Corinthians 1:10)! The same things as who? What standard do we use to measure, or compare with, in order to find out if we are speaking the same things? The answer is given in I Corinthians 12:28 and right there in Ephesians 4:11-16. Those scriptures not only give us the offices through which the truth and doctrines are to be taught but the order of importance each office to do this. The ministry is to bring the people together into unity through their teaching the truth as given to them from the apostles. Now to you ministers, answer these questions please.

The apostles are at the head of the list. Do you believe that Mr. Armstrong was an apostle? If you don’t, then you are off track for sure and don’t even realize it. But if you do believe he was an apostle, are you teaching everything as Christ instilled into the Church through him? An apostle’s office is greater than any leader of the Church today.

Did the apostle for this end-time teach us that there was going to be a voting government in the Kingdom of God? Or did he teach us that the Church is the Kingdom of God in embryo, therefore it must practice the same form of government which will be in the Kingdom under Christ, hierarchical in form? Did he teach that all three tithes were binding on the Church today? Did he teach that wearing make-up is sin? Did he teach us that the Church is our spiritual mother? You will find the answer to these questions in Mystery of the Ages and the many publications that he wrote for us in this end-time. Are you teaching these things to your congregations? All of them?

Some of you reading this have formed a group with no minister there to guide you. There are others who just stay home for Sabbath services. Is that what the apostle taught us to do? Some say they will decide for themselves how to spend their tithes and send out tapes and materials to others who would like them. This is done without the direction of a minister. That’s not what the apostle taught to us.

If you are a member of a group that has a wrong government, or does not live up to the standard Christ gave to us through His end-time apostle, you had better take another inventory of your spiritual life. Don’t allow compromise to give you the sense of a false security.

There are many of you in some of these groups who know that the leaders are not on track with what we had originally been taught before the apostle‘s death in 1986. Now is the time to stand up for the truth and be counted. Christ said that if you deny (not confess) Him (the truth) before men, He will deny (not confess) you before the Father. See Matthew 10:32-33.

We can deny Christ simply by remaining silent and not speaking up when we know better. Verses 34-39 tells us that will cause problems, but at least you will have done your part, and Christ will see to it that you will be with those of like-mind again. Don’t compromise anymore. To know to do good and not do it is SIN (James 4:17)!

In the meantime, check out our web page. Please write for our free booklet which is almost done, “The Work of God in the Laodicean Era”. It will be completed within the next few weeks, probably by the time you receive this issue of the Journal. It is hard-hitting, and straight to the point about the Work of God for His Church in this time of turmoil.