THE APOSTLE'S TEACHING

"GOVERNMENT"

Part V

Make-Up

In the last ad we gave quotes by God's end-time apostle, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong, introducing the doctrine of " make-up". What does make-up have to do with God's government?

We have proven beyond doubt that God instilled His government in the Church. The highest human rank under Jesus Christ is apostle.

Mr. Armstrong was an apostle. Any minister that states otherwise had better examine his credentials for his own authority would be in question.

Why does God have government and authority in the Church? In a nutshell isn't that what the gospel is all about? Aren't you and I qualifying for authority in God's government when Jesus Christ sets up the Kingdom of God ?

Revelation 2:25-27: "But that which ye have hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: And he shall rule them with a rod of iron."

We are qualifying to help fulfill the very gospel message. That is why God has a Church. It's not some social club. This is serious business. We must remain obedient to His government.

When the apostle, led by Jesus Christ, made a ruling on a subject of controversy within the Church, it became a doctrine .

Matthew 16:19: " And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

Chapter 18:18 " Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." After a ruling is made it then becomes a matter of WHETHER we obey God's government or not.

Those of lower rank than apostle (all of us) have no authority to change doctrine. Rather, we are to continue in those things (".. hold fast that what you have.." (Revelation 3:11).

Acts 2:42 states: " And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship..." I Timothy 4:16: " Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee."

Read the words of an apostle (HWA): "There has been much discussion at Pasadena between certain ministers of lower than apostle rank as to the CHURCH binding and loosing.

So now let it be MADE OFFICIAL --- by Christ’s present-day apostle --- that this binding and loosing PLAINLY, CLEARLY, was given to Christ's chief APOSTLE --- not to lower-rank ministers ordained by his authority --- not by the CHURCH as a body --- but by the APOSTLE!

When men who held office under the apostle, and by his appointment or approval, took it into their own hands, in his absence --- stealthily KEEPING IT FROM HIM --- to water down God’s TRUTH, alter His doctrines, assume unauthorized authority, then the living CHRIST moves His apostle to ACT SWIFTLY, to.....set God’s Church and Work BACK ON GOD’S TRACK !" (HWA GN Nov 20, 1978).

The apostle is no longer here, BUT HIS TEACHINGS ARE! They are from Jesus Christ. You are reading them in these ads! The apostle still speaks to us today with authority. You and I had better heed! Are we in accordance with God's government?

From the Make-Up booklet by Mr. Armstrong: " I repeat: GOD DOES NOT ALLOW YOU TO DECIDE WHAT IS SIN -- but only WHETHER you will sin."..." Whether the painting emphasis is on the eyes, cheeks, or lips, it is all the same so far as the principle of SIN IS concerned."

" GOD COMMANDS US NOT TO FOLLOW THESE ABOMINABLE PRACTICES AND CUSTOMS USED IN PAGAN IDOLATRY AND HARLOTRY! Facial make-up is one of them ! A woman may think she looks nice in the sight of the world with makeup. But how does she look in God's sight?"

"... the very purpose of painting and changing the appearance of the face is EVIL, and a little evil is still EVIL!"

" This thing of painting the face is now labeled by Jesus Christ as a SIN! It is a transgression of GOD'S LAW !"

" How about it? Do you want to argue that God doesn't mean YOU -- or that this does NOT apply to using makeup today? YOUR body is God's temple today, and if you defile it, God says He will destroy You!"

" Always, its use is an attempt to change the appearance of the face! It is an attempt to make the face appear to be (a DECEPTION!) more beautiful than it is. Always in one way or another it is vanity!"

" A woman may try to REASON and ARGUE around it, but every woman knows in her heart this is THE TRUTH. Every woman who has been CONQUERED by the Eternal God -- who is yielded to HIM -- who has repented and is converted who HAS AND IS LED BY GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT -- will admit this, and TURN FROM THIS SIN!"

" God's PRINCIPLE is that real beauty comes from WITHIN! Remember, GOD LOOKS ON THE HEART! Paint on the face will NEVER recommend you to God!"

" The very words "makeup" mean "not my real face, but my MADE-UP face." To MAKE is to re-CREATE. God says: "Who art thou that repliest against GOD? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, WHY hast thou made me thus?" (Rom. 9:20 ). Yet that is what women are replying AGAINST GOD when they change and falsify their faces !"

" Sure, God gives us TESTS of FAITH! Perhaps some of you women are going to have some TESTS OF FAITH! How about it -- can you TRUST God to make it possible to OBEY Him? That's part of the conditions to SALVATION! GOD WILL NOT COMPROMISE ONE IOTA!"

" Women do NOT have to be like the world in ways that transgress the spirit of God's Law! They do NOT have to wear lipstick or other makeup."

" There is so much more that could be said on this subject that I could go on and on and fill 100 pages! But I think this is enough! Every woman who wants that deceitfulness and wickedness removed from her heart is going to remove that physical colored dirt from her face once and for all!" (Make-Up booklet, HWA, 1964, 1968)

Further quotes: " Do women “change” (make-up) their faces to please God? On the contrary God’s Word shows it is DISpleasing to Him ! Does make-up show LOVE toward other people? Or do they paint it on to be like the world-to be one with the world? They do it because of VANITY, the root of all sin."

" Therefore God’s Church must rule that, even as cigarette smoking is sin, so is use of cosmetics."

" God’s Church can come to no other decision than that changing the face God designed and gave and following the world in make-up is SIN, and will certainly lead to DEATH in the LAKE OF FIRE!"

" Why does God’s true Church regard smoking tobacco as a SIN? No specific scripture ways “Thou shalt not smoke.”....The Bible says nothing about it. But I knew the law of God is the PRINCIPLE of LOVE."

" I asked myself, “WHY do I smoke?’ Does it express love to God? Definitely it is not “a sweetsmelling savour” in His nostrils. Did smoking express love toward neighbor?"

" ...I knew it was harmful to my health in my lungs, even though no one knew as yet it caused lung cancer. Therefore it violated God’s law of LOVE toward God and toward man. Therefore it is SIN! I stopped what little smoking I had been doing. That same PRINCIPLE applies to make-up. WHY do women do it?

" ..I applied this principle of God’s law to myself...Today cosmetics and make-up apply to women rather than men-but the PRINCIPLE is the same."

" Do women “change” (make-up) their faces to please God? On the contrary God’s Word shows it is DISpleasing to Him !" ...."They do it to AVOID appearing to have “ come out of the world, and being separate .” They do it to avoid criticism by the world."

" GOD designed and formed mother Eve’s face, and I for one believe it was BEAUTIFUL without make-up-and so would be women’s faces today if they would quit trying to CHANGE the way God designed them!"

" This alone ought to be all any truly converted woman, led by the Holy Spirit, should need to show her she is SINNING when she changes her face with changed eyebrows and cosmetics. And you women who have been trying to deceive the Church by taking it off for Church services while you wear it weekdays before the world of Satan, are only adding to your sin!"

"...I have to look at the state of God’s Church realistically. I think I see these things more soberly than formerly-perhaps more soberly than many of you ."

" Do YOU hunger and thirst after God’s righteousness , or after the ways of this world? Are you concerned with what GOD thinks of you, or what this world thinks-WHICH?" (HWA, PGR July 1, 1983)..

An apostle of God clarified the doctrine of make-up for us. Are you ministers going to obey God's government and teach it as Jesus Christ instructed through His apostle? Do you have the COURAGE to uphold these teachings? Or are you guilty of leading others away from God's truth? Think about it!

Will you members hold fast to these things or believe a minister that hasn't told you the whole truth, either by omission or through ignorance? It's decision time! We are being judged now (I Peter 4:17 )!

The teachings of Jesus Christ given through His apostle are binding on us. Do you want unity in God's truth? The Church is divided because we are not speaking the same things? What are you going to do?

I Cor. 1:10 : " Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing , and [that] there be no divisions among you; but [that] ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."

For further quotes and information the following are available upon request: Make-Up booklet, G.N. Nov 20, 1978 (article), PGR July 1, 1983 , What is a Liberal? (article), What is Sin?, What God Expects of Us, Hunger and Thirst for God’s Righteousness, First Day ULB 1985 (4 sermons) Philippians 1&2 (Bible Study).

Also, write for our booklet, “ The Work of God in the Laodicean Era”. It’s a real eye opener!