WAKE UP!

The Bridegroom Cometh!

Part II

In this end time the Church was given the true doctrines by Jesus Christ through an apostle's tutorship. Most splinter group leaders today have departed from at least part of these teachings. This is the MAJOR CAUSE for the division we find in the Church today. We are not speaking the same things (I Corinthians 1:10 ). Do we truly understand where all this is leading? We are in the Laodicean era of the Church. Does that knowledge even bother us? It should! We need to WAKE UP to what’s taking place!

In the last ad we stated we were going to show you where the three major groups are in error. The leaders of these groups KNOW they are not teaching some things as given through the apostle, Mr. Armstrong.

What you are about to read should make you brethren in the LCG, PCG and UCG think twice about your continued support for your leaders. This is a test of your loyalty; either to Jesus Christ and the doctrines given through His apostle, or to a ministry off-track today. We are told by Christ to HOLD FAST to those things given to us during the Philadelphia era of the Church (Revelation 3:11 ).

What are some of these errors being taught today?

From the Philadelphia Church of God :

“Revelation 6:9-16 discusses the martyrdom of the saints and the heavenly signs. BOTH are included in the Great Tribulation” (Gerald Flurry, Malachi’s Message, page 42).

Now compare that statement with what Jesus Christ says in your Bible:

“ Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: ” (Matthew 24:29).

What the apostle taught does agree with Jesus Christ. From the booklet Revelation Unveiled at Last by Herbert W. Armstrong, we read:

“... immediately after the Tribulation , the heavenly signs in the sun and moon and stars. Third, following the supernatural signs in the heavens, the terrible DAY OF THE LORD!”

“...this day of the Eternal's plagues shall not come until after the heavenly signs in the sun and moon. And those startling supernatural heavenly signs shall not come until immediately after the Great Tribulation!”

This is just one of several errors taught in the PCG. There is an internet web site where great detail has been taken to expose the false teachings of this leader. Here is the address: http://www.pcog.info

You members and ministers in the Philadelphia Church of God had better WAKE UP! You are under a strong delusion (II Thes. 2:11 ).

Now from the leader of the Living Church of God explaining his view of the Church not being our “mother”. He states: “At this point, I would like to cover an idea that often confuses people. For we have sometimes taught that the Church is the “ Mother of us all.”

On the surface, this is a nice sounding idea. But, in reality, the Bible does not say any such thing!”

“The key passage some people use (though many scholars do not) to prove that the Church is a “ Mother” is found in Galatians 4:26 : “...but Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.”

“But the Church here below is not “ Jerusalem above,” is not yet married to Christ, and so does not have children. So the human Church--sometimes misguided and subject to false teachers-- is definitely not our “mother” according to the Bible” (Roderick C. Meredith, Church Government and Church Unity booklet 1993, pp. 17-18). He repeats this belief in another booklet: “When Should You Follow Church Government” on page 20 (1995).

Does this leader’s teaching square with what Mr. Armstrong taught the Church? The apostle’s teaching in Mystery of the Ages:

US ALL"--that is, of those in the Church” (page 258).

MEMBERS” (page 261).

to develop holy, righteous and perfect godly CHARACTER in those God has called--those God has added to the Church” (page 263).

DEVELOP THAT SPIRITUAL CHARACTER?” (page 264).

spiritual embryos and fetuses as yet UNBORN, although begotten by God's Holy Spirit--already children of GOD” (page 265).

7) “The CHURCH is like a human mother who is pregnant” (page 271).

As we can see the leader of the Living Church of God clearly does not agree with God’s apostle. Now, compare whether Mr. Meredith’s or the apostle’s writings agree with Christ’s statements about the Church being our “ mother”:

“ And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother” (Matthew 12:48 -49).

“ And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother” (Mark 3:34 -35).

“ And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it” (Luke 8:21 ).

“ And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent ” (Revelation 12:13-14). The woman mentioned here is definitely speaking of God’s Church. She had a child.

Is the leader of this particular group, the Living Church of God , teaching doctrine the same as Jesus Christ gave through His apostle? I think the answer to that question is obvious! A resounding NO!

In the past this leader has stated that doctrine should never beput into the Church through one man. He said a group of men must determine doctrine. Here is the LCG’s latest official statement:

“the Presiding Evangelist and Council of Elders of the Living Church of God, led by the Holy Spirit, have the responsibility to clarify and establish doctrine” (LCG’s 2003 Statement of Beliefs).

This is completely against what God’s apostle, Mr. Armstrong, taught. only apostles were used by Christ to put doctrine into the Church (PGR May 23, 1980). That teaching itself became a doctrine under the apostle. If someone rejects this teaching, they are rejecting Jesus Christ and God the Father! (Matthew 10:40). Did Christ inspire His apostle or not in this teaching?

The leader of LCG may be sincere and dedicated to what he believes. But he is sincerely wrong in some doctrines. In his own booklet he tells us:

“Faithful ministers must stand up for the Truth. When necessary, they will WARN the flock about the “trickery of men” if false teachers creep in with false doctrines” (When Should You Follow Church Government, pg. 35).

Well, brethren, do you believe these warnings? What are you going to do about them? Decision Time! This is just the tip of the iceberg! (To be continued...)

These things and many more are explained in our booklet, “ The Work of God in the Laodicean Era”. Please request it. It will open your eyes to many things pertinent today in simple understandable terms.