By Herbert W. Armstrong - 1956
THE NEWS today is nearly all bad. There’s a reason why! Not only do we have war, and much strife between nations, but we also have competition and strife in business. We have quarrels leading to divorces in the home. We have a growing, younger generation - nervous by blowing up steam and getting into all sorts of troubles that we call "juvenile delinquency."
What’s the matter with us anyway? Are we afraid to stop and look this situation in the face? Do we dare recognize the FACT that we’re bringing all this fear and worry, this heartache, this suffering, this frustrating emptiness on ourselves?
There is a reason. But are you afraid to hear it? Will you deny the true reason?
The Basis of Life
If you find the TRUTH - that God Almighty, the Creator, set in motion invisible, SPIRITUAL LAWS for our happiness and for our good, and that ALL our woes and troubles are the DIRECT RESULT of our rejection and transgression of those laws - you’ll probably say. "But I’ve been taught that those laws were abolished by Christ!" Or, "Why, that’s a religious and theological question that I know nothing about. It has nothing to do with my practical, down-to-earth, everyday life anyway."
You’re wrong! It has EVERYTHING to do with your everyday life. It has everything to do with all the bad news we hear and read about every day. It has everything to do with the fact that you are restless and discontented, that you’re not as happy as you want to be, and would like to be. It has everything to do with today’s chaotic world conditions, with social unrest, with the troubles that you probably are having in your own home!
You’ve probably heard that the ten commandments were done away. You’ve been taught that the ten commandments either are the same as, or a part of, the ritualistic law of Moses, and that they didn’t even EXIST until Moses, and that they lasted ONLY UNTIL CHRIST!
This is no mere, irrelevant theological or religious question. This is the very ESSENCE OF YOUR LIFE - your home life, your social life, your business life. It’s the very crux question behind world troubles today. Strange as it may seem, the ten commandments have been in FULL FORCE and effect SINCE HUMAN LIFE HAS EXISTED ON THIS EARTH!
They constitute a spiritual law that is inexorable and eternal. A law that is LOVE and the fulfilling of which is love - a law that was set in motion for our happiness to produce everything good which we have foolishly denied ourselves. These ten commandments are ENTIRELY DIFFERENT AND SEPARATE FROM the ritualistic law of Moses which was just a code of physical laws, not spiritual laws.
Proof that Commandments Were in Force at Beginning
The ten commandments were first made known to Adam in the Garden of Eden. Why? Because that is the very law that he broke in the "original" sin. EVERYONE of the ten commandments was then in full force and effect. It was SIN to transgress any one of them between the time of Adam and Moses. You can read this in your own Bible.
When did this thing that we call "sin" start anyway? Did it start with Moses?
We read the answer in Romans 5:12, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and DEATH BY SIN; so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." And in verse fourteen "Death reigned FROM ADAM TO MOSES."
"Sin is NOT imputed when there is NO law," you read in the 13th verse. yet sin was imputed because death did reign from Adam to Moses. There must then have been a law from Adam’s time.
What Is Sin?
People have numerous IDEAS about what sin is. In Hollywood, years ago, I saw in a number of newsstands, a book titled How to Sin in Hollywood. Visitors from all over the world would come to Hollywood and would buy the book.
Actually, the book was quite harmless. When you bought it, it just gave you names of restaurants and similar places. Most of them were eating places without any entertainment.
There wasn’t necessarily anything that pointed really to sin, but sin always seem to be the forbidden fruit that is most glamorous and that would be most desirable if only some unfair God had NOT denied it to us. That seems to be what human beings think of sin.
What is sin? Is there a BIBLE definition? Is there any place in the Bible where it says, "Sin is ..." and then follows the definition? The answer is in I John 3:4, "Sin is the transgression of the law."
SIN IS THE TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW! Do you realize that God Almighty is not only the Creator of matter - solid matter, liquid matter and gaseous matter, as we know it - but God also is the Creator of FORCE and of ENERGY and of EVERY POWER and of EVERY LAW. The laws of physics, the laws of chemistry, every law that is in motion and is energized. Do you realize that God Almighty also created a SPIRITUAL LAW? That spiritual law regulates your happiness.
Happiness Instead of Suffering
You want happiness. You want to be happy above al things. Everyone does. You want to lead a life that is pleasing and pleasant. You would like to lead a life that is just full and abundant and INTERESTING - as a matter of fact, a little bit exciting all the way along, wouldn’t you? And you want a life where everything is pleasant, where there are no pains or suffering.
You don’t want a life of boredom. You don’t want a life of sorrow, pain or suffering. You want a HAPPY life, and you would love to feel well, jolly and joyful - happy all the time.
You could have a life like that. Everyone could.
This ENTIRE WORLD could be like that - if we only UNDERSTOOD the WAY!"
God Almighty in His great love for humanity set a law in motion. That law was DESIGNED to produce just that kind of life for YOU.
But you’re not living that way! You’re breaking that law and that law has been breaking YOU a long time, because that’s precisely what happens.
That law is merely love. It’s the way of love. It’s the way that love should be expressed - love toward God and love toward neighbor.
The apostle Paul tells us what sin is in Romans 7:7, "What shall we say then? Is the law sin?" People think that the law is all wrong, that it’s sin. Paul continues, "God forbid,. Nay, I had NOT KNOWN SIN BUT BY THE LAW." In other words, by the law is the KNOWLEDGE of sin, as Paul had said previously in Romans 3:20.
The law gives you the knowledge of what sin is. It directs you and guides you as to what you ought to do.
We Were Born Ignorant
Do you realize that when you were born you didn’t know one thing? Do you realize that you were not born with instinct like the dumb brutes? Dumb brutes don’t have to "know." They don’t have to be taught a law to know what to do; they don’t have to learn about a law that they can receive in their minds and that will show them what to do to be happy, and what not to do to avoid suffering. Animals are just dumb brutes equipped with instinct. They live as the Eternal Creator designed.
But you and I are made AFTER God’s image. We were put here as free moral agents for the purpose of producing character - holy, righteous, spiritual character. God is REPRODUCING HIMSELF, and He’s given us a mind like He Himself has, except our minds are very limited. Our minds are fallible, God’s is infallible and unlimited - that’s the ONLY difference.
What Is the Law?
You don’t KNOW what is right and what is wrong without its being revealed. Paul would not have known what sin was if the law had not told him. Human nature will not teach you. Human nature has evil in it. As Paul says, "I had not known lust," that is, he wouldn’t have known that lust was evil or wrong; he didn’t have such instinctive knowledge, "except the law has said, ‘Thou shalt not covet.’" The law that said, "Thou shalt not covet," TAUGHT the apostle Paul what was sin. And that is the tenth commandment. So the law that taught that principle IS THE TEN COMMANDMENTS!
In Romans 7:12, Paul’s says that "the law is holy and the commandment holy, just and good." That isn’t what you have been taught today, is it? Many people have been reared in the belief that the law is UNHOLY, that tit is altogether WRONG, and that Christ had to do away with it.
In verse 14 of Romans 7, the apostle Paul’s says, "For we know that the law is spiritual." The law is spiritual.
Paul said he was carnal. He was fleshly and material. So are you. So am I. But the law is a SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLE, and it REGULATES YOUR HAPPINESS - a spiritual matter.
The Original Sin
Every one of the ten commandments WAS IN EXISTENCE during the time of Adam. It was SIN to break any one of them PRIOR to the time of the law of Moses. The law of Moses, we know, didn’t come UNTIL the time of Moses - 430 years after the time of Abraham. But the SPIRITUAL LAW has been in existence from Adam!
The original sin is recorded in Genesis, beginning with chapter 2, verse 15: "And the Eternal took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to dress it and keep it. And the Eternal God commanded the man saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat."
God gave him permission. God is Supreme Ruler. God is giving the orders. He is teaching. The hand DIDN’T KNOW. The man had to be TOLD. He had to be TAUGHT and INSTRUCTED. Here is the instruction - the command, and a sentence. Notice: "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil," a MIXTURE of good and evil, "of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt SURELY DIE!"
"The wages of sin is death." God was preaching the gospel of the man. There it is! The very fact that God said, "In the day that thou eatest thereof ..." shows that the man was ALLOWED to do it, that the man was a FREE MORAL AGENT, that the man himself had to make the choice. God designed that you and I CHOOSE whether or not we will obey His law, or not.
Animals don’t make a choice. Animals have instinct.
God ordained that you and I must make a choice. And if we choose the right way to live, according to that law which God set in motion to produce happiness and contentment and a FULL, THRILLING, ENJOYABLE life, we can have it. But if we’re going to choose to live the other way, we’re going to have suffering, sorrows and curses - that’s what we’ve elected to do.
The First Lie
To continue:
"Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Eternal God had made, and he said unto the woman, ‘Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?’ And the woman said unto the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which in the midst of the garden, God had said, Ye shall NOT eat of it nor touch it LEST YOU DIE.’ And the serpent said unto the woman ‘Ye shall NOT SURELY DIE.’" (Gen. 3:1-4)
YOU SHALL NOT SURELY DIE - there was the first lie that we have any historic record of. It was not told by a man, but by the DEVIL. "You will not surely die." "You’re an IMMORTAL SOUL." Or "You have an immortal should that WON’T DIE." That’s what the DEVIL said.
Continuing: "For God doth know that in the day that you eat thereof, then you eyes shall be opened and you shall be as gods knowing good and evil."
In other words, the devil said that God knows better; God has been lying to you - that’s what he wanted the woman to believe.
"And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food" - she used her own judgment and didn’t obey the law of God - she used her own human reason -" ...the tree was good for food, and it was pleasant to the eyes, and the tree was desired to make one wise; she took of the fruit thereof and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her and he did eat" - the first human sin!
The Commandment Broken
Analyze exactly what happened GOD is the One we obey. Do you realize that’s one of the definitions of God? Whoever you obey is your God. Whatever you SERVE is you god. it might be your automobile. Maybe it’s an idol. Whatever it is, that’s your god.
Adam and Eve had another god in place of the true God - they broke the first commandment. They dishonored their only Parent. How? In Luke 3:38 Adam is called the "son of God," because God created him. Adam was not God’s son by begettal or birth.
Adam not only dishonored his only Parent, but he also broke the TENTH commandment. There was LUST when the woman saw that it was good for food and desired to make one wise-vanity, egotism and pride entered into her heart.
Lust is what usually causes a person to have an inordinate desire to have something is not legal. Lust causes you to steal and Adam and Eve broke the EIGHTH commandment by STEALING what was not theirs.
FOUR OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS WERE BROKEN IN THE ORIGINAL SIN.
And in other ways EVERY ONE of the ten commandments were actually broken in that very first sin.
How Did Cain Sin?
Consider their first son. Genesis 4, beginning with verse 6. "And the Eternal had said unto Cain [their elder son], Why art thou wroth and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well," God said, "shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, SIN lieth at the door."
Notice what sin was in those days - in the days of Cain! "Cain talked with his brother, Abel; and it came to pass that when they were in the field Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and slew him."
He was a MURDERER. Sin did lie at the door.
And the Eternal said unto Cain, "Where is Abel thy brother?" And he replied, "I know not." He LIED and broke another one of the commandment. That was sin, too.
Cain broke the sixth and ninth commandments. Every one of these commandments was know from creation, because God had revealed them to Adam. He thus revealed them to mankind at that time. But humanity has rejected them.
Idolatry Committed Before Abraham
Notice Joshua 24:2. "And Joshua said unto the people, Thus saith the Eternal God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nachor, and THEY SERVED OTHER GODS." IDOLATRY WAS A SIN in the days BEFORE Abraham and that was 430 years BEFORE the law of Moses!
Now turn to Genesis 35:1-4: "And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there and make there an altar unto God that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau, they brother. Then Jacob said unto his household and to all that were with him, ‘Put away the STRANGE GODS that are among you and be clean and change your garments and let us arise and go up Bethel and I will make there an altar unto God who answered me in the day of my distress and was with me in the way which I went.’ And they gave me Jacob ALL THE STRANGE GODS WHICH WERE IN THEIR HAND."
They could hold these gods in their hands. Notice: "And all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem." it was a sin to WORSHIP IDOLS and they had idol god in their own hands.
The Third Commandment
Notice the THIRD commandment in Leviticus 18:3,21,27. "After the doings of the land of Egypt wherein you dwelt SHALL YOU NOT DO." Here’s the instruction of God to the Israelites in the time of Moses, but IT WAS SIN TO BREAK THAT THIRD COMMANDMENT BEFORE MOSES!
"And after the doings of the land of Canaan whither I bring you SHALL YOU NOT DO, NEITHER shall you walk in their ordinances ... And thou shal not let any of thy seed pass through the fire of Molech, NEITHER SHALT THOU PROFANE THE NAME OF THY GOD, I am the Eternal."
There’s profanity, or profaning the name of God. Now the 27th verse: "For ALL THESE ABOMINATIONS have the men of the land DONE which were BEFORE YOU" - before this generation during which the law of Moses came.
In previous generations PRIOR to the law of Moses "ALL THESE ABOMINATIONS have the men of land DONE which were before you and THE LAND IS DEFILED." It was sin. One of the sins was to profane the name of God. Therefore, profanity - taking the name of God in vain - was a sin before Moses.
The Fourth Commandment Observed
Coming to the fourth commandment in Exodus 16:4, "Then the Eternal said unto Moses" - this was WEEKS before they came to Mount Sinai and BEFORE THE LAW OF MOSES was given or before they ever knew there would be a law of Moses - "Behold I will rain bread from heaven for you and the people may go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may PROVE them WHETHER THEY WILL WALK IN MY LAW OR NO."
Here is God’s law. He was going to see whether the people would obey it before the law of Moses was given - WEEKS BEFORE they even came to Mount Sinai where the law of Moses was added.
Verse 5, "And it shall come to pass that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily."
Now notice verse 22: "And it came to pass that on the sixth day that they gathered twice as much."
Verse 23: "Moses said to the people, This is that which the Eternal hath said, Tomorrow is THE REST OF THE HOLY SABBATH UNTO THE ETERNAL."
Then on the following day, verse 25, Moses said, "Eat that today, for today IS a Sabbath unto the Eternal, today you shall not find it in the fields. Six days you shall gather it, but on THE SEVENTH DAY, WHICH IS THE SABBATH in it there shall be none. And it came to pass that there went out some of the people on the Sabbath for to gather and they found none!"
God was showing them by miracles from heaven which day was the seventh day. TIME HAD NOT BEEN LOST.
Some of them thought it didn’t make any difference. They would wait to go out on the following day - on the Sabbath - BUT THERE WAS NONE! Did that make any difference? "And the Eternal said unto Moses, HOW LONG REFUSE YE TO KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS AND MY LAWS? See that the Eternal hath given you the Sabbath. Therefore, He giveth you on the sixth the bread of two days. Abide ye every man in his place and let no man go out of his place on the seventh day." So THE PEOPLE RESTED ON THE SEVENTH DAY!" (Verses 28-30.)
That was WEEKS BEFORE they came to Mount Sinai - BEFORE THE LAW OF MOSES! It was the law of God at the time.
The Fifth Commandment
Now turn to Genesis 9:21. "And he (Noah) drank wine and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. And Ham, the father of Cannan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brethren without. And Shem and Japheth took a garment and they laid it upon both their shoulders and went backward and they covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness."
Continuing: "Noah awoke from his wine and saw what his [Ham’s] younger son [Canaan] had done unto him, and he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. And he said, Blessed be the Eternal God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant." (Gen. 9:21-26.)
DISHONORING A PARENT WAS A SIN and a curse was pronounced in those days.
And now notice the seventh commandment against adultery. Genesis 39:7-9, "And it came to pass after these things that his [Joseph’s] master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph." This occurred when Joseph was in Egypt, long, long before the law of Moses. " And she said, ‘Lie with me,’ But he refused, and he said unto his master’s wife, ‘Behold my master knoweth not what is with me in the house and he hath committed all that he hath into my hand, there is none greater in his house than I, neither hath he kept back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife. How then, can I do this great wickedness and SIN AGAINST GOD?"
Adultery was sin - hundreds of years before the physical law of Moses.
Now we come to the eighth commandment against stealing in Genesis 30 verse 33: "Everyone that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and brown among the sheep shall be counted AS STOLEN WITH ME." This is Jacob and his experience with Laban. Stealing was a sin.
We come to the ninth commandment about lying" Genesis 20, the first nine verses. "And Abraham journeyed toward the south country and he dwelt in Kadesh and Shur and he journeyed toward the south country and he dwelt in Kadesh and Shur and he journeyed to gear and Abraham said to Sarah his wife, ‘She is my sister.’ And Abimelech, the king of Gerar, sent and he took Sarah." He was going to take her as his wife. He would have committed adultery with her, but God sent an angel to him in a dream to warn him. "Yea I know that thou didest this in the integrity of thine heart." The king, remember, heard Abraham say of Sarah, "She’s my sister." "And also I" - God says - "withheld thee from sinning against Me; therefore, suffered I thee not to touch her."
Abraham was lying. It would also have been a sin to commit adultery. Of course, Sarah was Abraham’s half-sister; but, nevertheless, the intent was all wrong. It was a lie.
What about coveting? Notice Genesis 6:1-3, 5: "And it came to pass when men began to multiply upon the face of the earth and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair, and they took them wives of all whom they chose." "God saw the wickedness" - SIN - "of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Eternal that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him in His heart.
Coveting was a sin even in those days! There it is. Every one of the ten commandments was in existence from the creation. It was sin to break any one of them between the time of Adam and Moses. What are you going to do about it?
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
KEEPING THE SABBATH AT HOME
KEEPING THE SABBATH AT HOME
Herbert W. Armstrong, "Short Questions from Our Readers," Plain Truth, April 1968:"Nowhere is there any prophecy that Christ's ONE TRUE CHURCH should become great and powerful,exerting influence in this world. Rather, Jesus called it the 'LITTLE FLOCK,' despised, persecuted, scattered by the world -- totally separate from the world -- yet living in the world.""The receiving of God's Spirit and the MIND OF CHRIST (Phil. 2:5) upon repentance and baptism PUTS YOU INTO, baptizes you into God's true Church!""Church attendance is not the most important thing! Church attendance does not, by itself, mean CHURCH MEMBERSHIP in God's sight! Some people view 'church going' as an end in itself. But it most definitely is not."God expressly forbids His people ever to join in with the worship of counterfeit church bodies -- no matter how 'close' to the truth they might seem!""Your eternal salvation is at stake! May God help you to heed this warning!"Herbert W. Armstrong, Which Day Is the Christian Sabbath? 1976:"Often, when people learn about the Sabbath, they seek some religious group to assemble with. But it is not enough to meet with just any religious body because it may accept the 'Sabbath argument.' This does not necessarily mean it is the TRUE Church of God."Herbert W. Armstrong, "Should We Listen to Others?" Good News, May 1960:"If you have truly repented, you have stopped using human reason and acting according to the way you look at it! If you had the faith in Christ as personal Saviour to be baptized into Him, you were accepting HIM as your Lord and Master, to obey what HE says -- not the way you look at it. If you have received God's Holy Spirit,it is to lead you into all TRUTH -- which means understanding of GOD'S WORD, and what it instructs on all these questions, so that you know what to obey."Suppose you live in an area where GOD'S Church has not yet established a local congregation.""It has seemed to many in this situation that, since Seventh Day Adventists keep the right DAY, it would be all right to attend the nearest church of their denomination. Besides, is it not necessary to keep your children in Sabbath school?"It has come to our attention that several of our members have reasoned in this manner. Isn't it necessary,as a Christian duty, to attend regular church services?""There is only one passage in all the New Testament giving any direct instruction to assemble together with others: '...and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.' (Heb. 10:24-25)."Even there, it is not a direct command that you must assemble together with others in the church -- for the simple reason that God knew, when He inspired His instruction to us, that some would be living where there is no church to attend. Notice, the command is: 'not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.' The very words:'not forsaking' mean you are not to 'abandon' -- not to 'refuse' assembling -- not to 'desert' assembling.""If you live where God does not have a church near enough to attend, then you are certainly not refusing,abandoning, or deserting attendance, because that attendance is not in your power.""The Sabbath is a holy convocation (Lev. 23:2), which is a commanded assembly -- one you are commanded to attend. But of course this command applies within realm of your ability.""During apostolic days many local churches were established.... Some merely met in the houses of members. 'The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.' (I Cor. 16:19). In Col. 4:15 you read of the church in Nymphas' house in Laodicea -- and this
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evidently was one of the important churches. There was a church in Philemon's house (Phile. 2).""With whom are we to have FELLOWSHIP?"The Apostle John, in his first letter, declared God's TRUTH in order 'that ye also may have fellowship with us...' showing we can have fellowship ONLY with those who know and obey the TRUTH. Do you know any other Church that knows, believes, preaches, and OBEYS the TRUTH? -- that keeps the true Sabbath, and also God's Holy Days and Festivals; that knows the Resurrection was on the Sabbath and the crucifixion on Wednesday; that knows God's PURPOSE is that we, now mortal, are to be begotten, and then, after a life of overcoming, growing in knowledge of Christ and in grace, developing godly CHARACTER, are to be BORN of God at which time we BECOME divine members of the very God family; that the soul is mortal; that this is not the time God is trying to save the world, but only His 'first-fruits'; that Christ is coming to rule all nations with God's WORLD GOVERNMENT, on earth, for a thousand years; that the Gospel is the Message of the KINGDOM OF GOD, which is both the world-GOVERNMENT of God and the FAMILY of God into which we may be born; and many other TRUTHS held and proclaimed ONLY by this one and only TRUE Church of God!""YOU are to have fellowship only with those who know and obey the TRUTH!""Our fellowship is, first of all, WITH God the Father, and WITH Jesus Christ [I John 1:3]! If I have fellowship with Christ, and YOU have fellowship with Christ, then HE joins you and me together in fellowship.You cannot have true Christian fellowship with any, except those who also have fellowship with God the Father and with Christ.""Brethren, that narrows fellowship -- assembling together for worship -- down to ONLY those who are in God's TRUTH -- the true LIGHT -- and who OBEY it. And that means ONLY those whom God has, by His Holy Spirit, put into HIS TRUE CHURCH. We are barred from fellowship or worship with any others.""'God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Now Beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, THAT YE ALL SPEAK THE SAME THING, and there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.' (I Cor. 1:9-10)."We must have fellowship only with Jesus Christ, and those who are joined together in the TRUTH -- all speaking the same TRUTH.""Now suppose you try to find fellowship with members of a Seventh Day Adventist church. They may worship on the right day, but they do not keep God's annual Sabbaths and Festivals; they do not proclaim the true Gospel of the KINGDOM OF GOD which is to rule THE EARTH for the millennium; they do not believe we are to be actually born into the divine, glorified FAMILY or Kingdom of God; and they do break the second Commandment with their many idolatrous pictures of a long-haired man they falsely call 'Christ'; they do believe lies and errors, such as their 'Sanctuary Question,' 'Investigative Judgment,' Mrs. White's inspiration as God's' Prophet'; going to heaven, etc., etc.""God commands you: 'Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness (keeping of God's Commandments) with unrighteousness? and what communion hath LIGHT(TRUTH) with darkness? ...WHEREFORE COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM, AND BE YE SEPARATE,SAITH THE LORD.' (II Cor. 6:14-17)."All this does not mean that we cannot have any contacts with the world, or people of other beliefs.""Paul clears this up: 'I did not mean you were literally to avoid contact with the immoral of this world,with the lustful and the thievish, or with idolaters; in that case you would have to leave the world altogether. What I now write is that you are not to associate with any so-called brother.... Associate with him? Do not even eat with him.' (I Cor. 5:10-11 Moffatt translation)."We are not to have social or religious FELLOWSHIP -- close friendship -- with any except those who know and OBEY the TRUTH. We must not try to WORSHIP with them -- attend their churches.""Again God instructs through Paul: 'Have NO FELLOWSHIP with the unfruitful works of darkness.'(Eph. 5:11)."You can WORSHIP GOD three times a day -- in a private room, behind closed doors -- on your knees, in prayer. DO YOU?"You can have FAMILY WORSHIP in your own home -- husband, wife, and children -- every morning.DO YOU?""If you hunger for fellowship, remember you can, and MUST, for true worship, have regular daily
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fellowship with Christ, and with God the Father, to whom Christ has given you direct access in prayer!""'Well, the way I look at it,' some might say, 'is this: it would be discourteous not to admit [those of other beliefs], and that wouldn't be "Christian," would it?'"BUT HOW DOES GOD LOOK AT IT?"God says, 'My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.' (Isa.55:8)."What does God COMMAND?"'For many deceivers ... are entered into the world.... Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not (obeys not)in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God.... If there comes any unto you, and bring not this doctrine (of Christ, and of God's true Church), receive him not into your house, neither bid him God-speed: for he that biddeth him Godspeed is partaker of his evil deeds.' (II John 7-11).""[Jehovah Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists] will argue Scripture, in a spirit of contention, which your Bible forbids.... God says you, also, are partaker with them of their evil deeds if you receive them into your home.""YOU CANNOT CHANGE THEM! You cannot talk them into the TRUTH!""But all these temptations to ensnare you into the world -- into false doctrines -- into forbidden fellowship or false worship are mild compared to the one in our very midst, HARDEST OF ALL TO RESIST!""The Apostle Paul, speaking his farewell to the elders of the large Church of God at Ephesus, said:"'I know this, that after my departing, shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.' (Acts 20:29-30)."THAT DID HAPPEN IN THAT CHURCH!"The greatest danger of all is when one who is among us, supposed to be one of us, approaches you with some doctrine or interpretation CONTRARY to that of God's Church...."Whether it be a so-called 'Jehovah Witness' or even one supposedly a member of God's own Church,remember THIS COMMAND:"'If there come ANY unto you' -- it does not say member of another church -- it says if ANY come unto you -- ' and bring not this doctrine, RECEIVE HIM NOT INTO YOUR HOUSE...' -- DON'T LISTEN TO HIM!""What we say is, do not listen any longer to those who bring a DIFFERENT doctrine! If you have already seen these truths for yourself -- already PROVED them in your own Bible -- already proved this is the true Church of God, then God's TEACHING, as I have shown you in this article from the BIBLE, is, DO NOT LISTEN to those who bring a different doctrine.""He is coming with a different doctrine -- he is causing division, tending to stir up strife and introduce confusion -- and he must be MARKED, and disfellowshipped, and refused to be in the fellowship of any of our brethren!"This is GOD'S WAY of preserving UNITY!"58-lesson Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course, Lesson 49:"There were scattered Christians in south Italy [Acts 28:14] as well as in Rome, but at the time no organized congregations in either area, outside of family worship in private homes."Herbert W. Armstrong, "Why Many Don't Understand Pentecost," Good News, May 1981:"Do you realize that we kept all these Holy Days alone, by ourselves, while the Church of God members we then knew and fellowshipped with (Sardis era, Rev. 3:1-6) 'mocked us to scorn'?""Hezekiah sent messengers up into Israel, the northern kingdom, from city to city in Ephraim and Manasseh, to teach them God's Holy Days must be kept. But 'they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them' (IIChron. 30:1-10)."I had learned in my intensive, almost night-and-day study of the Sabbath question that we are commanded also to keep the seven annual Holy Days."I DID NOT KNOW WHY! I knew only that God said, 'DO IT!' My wife and I did -- alone! For seven years!"
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Herbert W. Armstrong,
"Why God Is Not Real to Most People," article reprint, 1974:"Inferiority manifests itself in a desire to belong to a group, club, society, church, faction, or nation. In order to avoid feeling inferior, the self instinctively desires to be accepted by other people.""One would fear to be disloyal, lest the others in this factional group consider him as a traitor -- and therefore as evil -- and he feels inferior, which is a painful feeling.""Only a few have ever been willing to break away from the established ideas and customs of their immediate society. All others have avoided them or persecuted them."58-lesson Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course, Lesson 27:"God has shown you in His Word that if you have truly repented of your disobedience to His laws, you will want to zealously begin keeping God's Sabbath Day.""On this day you will be especially close to God, and you'll grow in His spiritual grace and knowledge through PRAYER and BIBLE STUDY."But keeping the Sabbath as God commands does not mean that you must attend church on this day. You may KEEP THE SABBATH RIGHT IN YOUR OWN HOME for the present."Why stay at home? Because there are certain churches into which you might be misled. Churches which happen to observe the seventh-day Sabbath.... But don't be deceived!"Just because these churches have a 'form of Godliness' (II Tim. 3:5) -- have an outward appearance of' keeping' God's Sabbath -- does not mean you should attend their services! For in reality, these churches disobey God in most points of His law.""So keep God's Sabbath right in your own home by resting, studying your Bible ... and by praying to GOD!"58-lesson Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course, Lesson 30:"While a few other 'churches' now may 'observe' [the Sabbath], they do NOT live by every word of God."Herbert W. Armstrong, "Short Questions," Plain Truth, November 1949:"While we are instructed, in Heb. 10:23-25: 'Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering;and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching' -- yet, notice carefully we are not instructed to assemble with blinded, deceived people ... the instruction is to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together -- that is, true Christians who have the TRUTH,who are filled with God's Holy Spirit, truly converted, and WALKING IN THE LIGHT, living by every Word of God.""The point is, we must be sure it is with those who are CHRISTIANS -- those in the Truth -- those living by the directions in the Bible -- those keeping God's Commandments -- those filled with his Spirit, those in whom Christ is living His life. Not those merely professing to be Christians; professing to know God, but in works denying Him (Titus 1:6), being abominable."If you are converted and made righteous by the Spirit of God, 'what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?' (II Cor. 6:14)."No, God commands us, 'Have NO FELLOWSHIP with the unfruitful works of darkness.' (Eph. 5:11). If God has opened your understanding to His TRUTH, it is precious beyond price. 'If there come any to you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him Godspeed; for he that biddeth him Godspeed is partaker of his evil deeds.' (II John 10)."When the disciples asked Jesus if MANY were being saved, he explained that the many turn into the broad way that leads to destruction -- but FEW find the straight and narrow way that leads to everlasting life.Those in His true fellowship He called the 'Little Flock.' He said He would hardly find any faith at all in our generation today, when He is to come again.""Remember, our fellowship is WITH THE FATHER, AND WITH JESUS CHRIST first of all, and with one another only in and thru Christ (I John 1:1-7). You can have communion and fellowship with Him wherever you are. Withdraw at once from all other fellowship, except that of CHRIST, and those who are IN CHRIST, and Christ IN THEM."
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Herbert W. Armstrong, "Personal," Good News, April 1979:"There's no question about it -- God commands emphatically that we in His Church do 'all speak the same thing' (I Cor. 1:10)."For many years I have striven to bring all God's children into a unity of belief (Ps. 133:1)."Of all the religions and all the more than 250 denominations and sects in 'Christianity,' NOT ONE,except the Worldwide Church of God, knows WHO and WHAT God is! NOT ONE knows what, and why, MAN IS! NOT ONE knows the TRUTH about the nation Israel -- WHY God chose them, yet gave none but their prophets His Holy Spirit -- where they are today. NOT ONE knows what is the TRUE GOSPEL Christ proclaimed! NOT ONE knows what happens in the hereafter -- the transcendent human potential.""NONE but God's one and only TRUE CHURCH has the full knowledge God has revealed to His own Church. NOT ONE knows what salvation really is!"Doesn't it, then, become abundantly apparent that we must all know precisely what God has prepared for those who love Him -- and that we speak these amazing TRUTHS as they are -- all speaking the same thing?""But first, WHY is it important that we all believe and speak the same DOCTRINES? Continue in ICorinthians 1:10: 'that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.'""A corollary to I Corinthians 1:10 is Romans 16:17-18: 'Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.'"'Avoid them' means just that. Walk away from them. Do not invite them into your home. 'If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed' (II John10).""To the Thessalonians God made this a command: 'Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the traditions which he received from us [that is, from Christ's true apostles] ... And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him' (II Thess. 3:6, 14)."This is SO IMPORTANT to GOD that He had the apostle John, in the 90s, A.D., write, as quoted above,'If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine' (as received through Christ's apostles), 'receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed' (II John 10).""WHY DOES GOD WANT US -- COMMAND US! -- to mark and avoid those who come with a different doctrine? Because they create DIVISION among God's people!' 'And' (Rom. 16:18) 'by good words and fair speeches' they DECEIVE those who listen -- they claim to serve God -- but they DO NOT AGREE with God."L. Leroy Neff, "Beware of False Brethren," Good News, January 1960:"There are some among us who are not converted. They are not a real spiritually living part of the body of Christ. They are not letting Christ do His work in them. They have not truly and completely surrendered their lives to Christ in full repentance.""In New Testament times just one man caused a whole congregation to sin. Part of this account is recorded in I Corinthians 5. Because of this man's sin, the whole Church became puffed up (verse 2). They became guilty with him in his evil deeds.""Paul instructed the Church previously that the brethren should not company (associate) with those in the Church who were openly violating God's laws (verses 9 and 11). A Christian should not associate, or even eat withsuch a person!""God instructs us through the Apostle Paul: 'Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which causedivisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them' (Rom. 16:17).""Paul even makes this instruction stronger: 'Now WE COMMAND you, brethren, in the name of our LordJesus Christ, that ye WITHDRAW YOURSELVES from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after thetradition which he received of us' (II Thess. 3:6)."
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Herbert W. Armstrong,
"Can We Fellowship the Disfellowshipped?" Worldwide News, 1980:"Are some of us trying to be more kind, merciful and considerate even than GOD? Are we actually disobeying God in our soft, fence-straddling approach toward certain others?""'Now we COMMAND YOU, brethren, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly,' and, 'if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him...' (II Thessalonians 3:6, 14).""God is far more strict in all such matters within the Church than we have sometimes been inclined to be.""We MUST NOT appear to try to be more kind than God. Christ will say, 'Depart from me!' WE MUST NOT COMPROMISE! GOD DOES NOT!""I do pray for all such. I pray that God will BLESS THEM -- with whatever He in His supreme wisdomknows is BEST FOR THEM -- even though that may be severe PUNISHMENT!"Herbert W. Armstrong, "Which Family Comes First?" Good News, April 1980:"In Romans 16:17 it speaks of marking 'them which cause DIVISIONS and OFFENCES CONTRARY TO THE DOCTRINE WHICH YE HAVE LEARNED.'""In II Thessalonians 3:6, 14-15 is the COMMAND: 'Now we COMMAND YOU, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye WITHDRAW yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.... And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed ...'""It is a COMMAND. And if we try to be MORE KIND -- MORE RIGHTEOUS -- than God and DISOBEY THAT COMMAND, we convict ourselves of disobedience to God's COMMAND!""Judging and Discipline in God's Church," Good News, August 1958:"Millions of sincere but misguided people are mixed-up about the meaning of Jesus' words recorded inMatt. 7:1-5."How often have you heard someone reprimanded for stating his belief that someone else had done wrong by the exclamation, 'Judge not, brother. Jesus said we shouldn't judge other people, you know.'""Jesus showed that instead of pronouncing sentence upon sinners, as Israel's judges had in the past, it was now the duty of God's representatives to teach them the right way and command them to repent of the wrong way.""If, after [following the instruction in Matt. 18:15-20], the sinning party refuses to repent, Christ said that you are to treat him as an unbeliever. Does this mean you are to hate him or to hold him in contempt? It certainly does not. It simply means that you are to treat him as an unconverted outsider and have no fellowship with him."[Herbert W. Armstrong, "A Policy Statement," Good News, September 25, 1978: "In ordinary cases of a member having or feeling any criticism against his pastor, he should, first, obey Matthew 18:15 and take it to his local pastor in private."]"Up until recently most of us didn't fully understand the necessity or purging the evil out of God's church.We thought perhaps God would take care of it without us doing anything. And it seemed like it would be showing more love if we just tried to tolerate evildoers in our midst and hoped for the best."But can we show more love than God? Are our ideas wiser than God's plan? The answer is obviously'no.'"In his early ministry among God's people, Mr. Armstrong found by hard experience that if sinners are not put out of God's church as Christ commanded, a little leaven does leaven the whole lump. Sin spreads like wildfire if it is tolerated.""False teachers must be 'marked' and refused further admittance and association with God's church. This is the command of Almighty God. People who rely on human reason may think this is a lack of love. But this is God's way -- and God is love."Herbert W. Armstrong, "Organizing Local Churches," Good News, June 1951:"Thousands of you, we fully realize, long for local churches of God to be established in your various localities.""In the earlier days of this work, a number of little flocks were raised up in different localities throughout Oregon and Washington -- the result of the personal evangelistic campaigns by your pastor.
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"But there was no shepherd to leave behind to pastor and guide and feed those flocks. And it was neverlong until these groups were broken up. They would soon be quarreling among themselves, or various ones would lead the others off the truth on various wild tangents, or some wolf in sheep's clothing would come along and,pretending to be a true preacher of Jesus Christ, devour and destroy the flock.""We know how discouraging it is for some of you dear people to have to remain isolated -- way off by yourselves, away from others who also know and live God's true Way, surrounded by worldly people and paganized churches. We understand your problem in raising your children in such a world. Our hearts go out to you!""But we know also that ... no greedy 'wolf in sheep's clothing' is going to waste much of his time trying to draw off one single individual or family. The false prophets usually go after whole groups who are without shepherds."So, let's not grumble! Rather be thankful you are so much better off than before!"58-lesson Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course, Lesson 28:"PREPARE YOURSELF for God's Kingdom. You can do this by zealously studying God's Word -- the Bible -- and by praying to God on the Sabbath."You can be literally filled with God's Holy Spirit on this day of especially close contact with God -- the Spirit will then guide you into all truth (John 16:13).""If you worship God every Sabbath by praying to Him and studying His Word and its application in your life, and put it into DAILY PRACTICE during the week, then you will have God's Sabbath 'sign' in the true and saving sense. You will be PREPARING to enter God's Kingdom as a priest and ruler! (Rev. 5:10.)""However, we do know it is the earnest desire of true believers to meet together with brethren of like understanding on the Sabbath in obedience to God's injunction found in Hebrews 10:24-25. But for a few this may not yet be possible because they are scattered as salt of the earth and consequently cannot assemble on the Sabbath. Our Heavenly Father knows about this situation and, therefore, does not expect them to attend one of His church services on the Sabbath when it isn't possible!"Remember that our fellowship must be first and foremost with the Father and with Jesus Christ, and then,if possible, with one another -- but only in and through Christ (I John 1:3-7). Those not able to attend Sabbath services can have this communion and fellowship with God right in their own homes, or wherever they happen to be on the Sabbath!""Without a trained minister of God, disunity, contention and error will inevitably arise in a local group.They would soon be quarreling among themselves, or some dominant personality would lead the others from the truth into various wild tangents, or some wolf in sheep's clothing would come along pretending to be a true minister of Jesus Christ, only to devour and destroy the flock! Mr. Armstrong's past experience with such unshepherded flocks proves it!"So don't become discouraged if you can't fellowship with others of like understanding on the Sabbath.You can still keep in continual close contact with God's true Church by spiritually feeding upon God's Word.""So GROW in the knowledge of Christ and His Word right in your own home on every day of the week --especially on the Sabbath!"Herman L. Hoeh, "Should You Assemble Without a Minister?" Good News, October 1957; reprinted GoodNews, June 1959:"Many feel the necessity of social contact with brethren. They equally desire to learn more about the Bible. What could be better than meeting each Sabbath for Bible study, it is reasoned!""Immediately some will think of Hebrews 10:25. 'We should assemble ourselves together,' they will say.""But what will happen?"Wherever groups gather together a dominant individual inevitably arises. By force of personality others begin to look to him -- even though he may not understand the Bible as well as they. He becomes a leader. Yet he may not be capable of keeping order. He is usually the center of arguments, doubts and divisions. Dissension and error gradually arise. Some brethren leave in disgust -- soured on the truth."We are experiencing the same problem which confronted the early, inspired, Spirit-filled Church of God.The apostolic Church was a scattered Church (Acts 11:19). So are you brethren today!"
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"Paul did not establish churches without pastors! EVERY local church had its pastor.""Mr. Armstrong has learned by experience that every group needs competent spiritual leadership.... Even though many of you are scattered and have no regular Sabbath service, yet be thankful that you are being instructed through [the Church literature].""Let's realize our blessings and be thankful, no matter where we are."Herman L. Hoeh, "Talk About the Bible," Good News, January 1962:"Hundreds of you brethren still have no local church. Yet you can and do visit one another.""We have never said you must not talk about the Bible unless a minister is present. We have said you should not assemble as a local group for Bible study and teach each other without a minister.""If the Bible isn't something you should ever talk about, why talk at all? Why visit brethren, if you cannot talk about the very Book that tells you how to be brethren?"Why, the very reason you should want to be with brethren, instead of the world, is that you can discuss the Bible and spiritual topics. If you cannot talk about the Bible with each other, then you are no different from the world! The one thing that makes the people around you worldly is that they have nothing else to talk about except material things and other people! The one thing that ought to make your conversation different from the world is that you can talk about God and His Word!""If your brethren are feeling downcast ... inspire them by your experiences -- what God has done for and through you -- and turn to the Bible and read Bible examples of what God did and has promised still to do for ustoday.""The Sabbath ... is a day for us to study and pray, read and meditate on the Bible in private communion with God, or together wherever there is a local church of God. Yet some brethren carelessly have acquired the habit of visiting on the Sabbath without talking about the Bible. Shame on you!"God expressly forbids us to speak our own words -- worldly, material conversation -- on His Holy Sabbath. Isaiah was inspired to write: '...call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; ...honor Him,not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, NOR SPEAKING THINE OWN WORDS' (Isa.58:13). The Sabbath is the only day we especially ought to speak of, and talk about, God's words -- the Bible."At times some have even made the Sabbath a burden and not a delight by spending most of their time atthe homes of brethren instead of praying and reading and studying their Bible in their own home. The Sabbath is not a day for social fellowship -- it is a day for personal spiritual fellowship -- it is a day for personal spiritual fellowship with God in Heaven, and with Christ. Our spiritual fellowship with one another is always through Christ. Most of our time needs to be spent with Him, in prayer, in reading and studying His Word. Then, if time permits, it is encouraging to visit on the Sabbath for a little while those brethren who are elderly, or afflicted, or who have no other spiritual contact because of unconverted relatives and family. Read the Bible to them or the[Church's] magazines if they are unable to read.""Finally, brethren, remember this: you can and should open your Bible and read verses about a subject that might come up in your conversation. How else are you going to know exactly what God says about any problem?If you are not sure about it, you have the Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course, The Good News and The Plain Truth and the booklets to check up in."Herbert W. Armstrong, "Should You Welcome Visitors at Church?" Good News, September 1962:"Suppose you have a neighbor who knows you keep the Sabbath, and is not hostile. Perhaps this neighbor... asks you to explain a question about the Sabbath -- why we don't observe Sunday, or hasn't time been lost? orisn't the law done away -- or some other question. What should you do?"Unless you know that you thoroughly know the subject, and have the ability to explain it plainly and convincingly, it would be better to hand the neighbor a booklet -- or booklets -- that explain the subject.... Tell your neighbor that this booklet will explain it so much better than you could."In case you do feel qualified to explain it yourself (as you should be -- though most of you are not),follow this method:"First, ask the neighbor into your home, or go yourself to his. Have your Bible. When seated quietly, free from interruption, open your Bible, turning to proper Scriptures one at a time. Instead of reading it yourself, hand the Bible to your friend and have him read aloud each passage. Then you carefully explain and expound it, and
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turn to the next passage and have your neighbor read that, and so on."Herbert W. Armstrong, Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong, Volume 1, 1986:"My wife had become acquainted with an elderly neighbor lady, Mrs. Ora Runcorn. Mrs. Runcorn was anavid student of the Bible.""One day Mrs. Runcorn gave her a Bible study. She asked my wife to turn to a certain passage and read it.Then a second, then a third, and so on for about an hour. Mrs. Runcorn made no comment -- gave no explanatio nor argument -- just asked my wife to read aloud a series of Biblical passages."'Why!' exclaimed Mrs. Armstrong in amazement, 'do all these Scriptures say that I've been keeping the wrong day as the Sabbath all my life?'"'Well, do they?' asked Mrs. Runcorn. 'Don’t ask me whether you have been wrong -- you shouldn't believe what any person tells you, but only what GOD tells you through the Bible. What does He tell you, there?What do you see there with your own eyes?'"Herbert W. Armstrong, "What Do Churchgoers Believe and Why?" Good News, February 1984:"My wife and I became acquainted with a woman who, in some ways, was rather peculiar."This woman really had a religion. She read and studied the Bible every day. She seemed to understand it!She had definite beliefs and convictions, and she said the SOURCE of all of them was not anything she had heard at church, but what she read in the Bible. She said the Bible carried authority, and was the only source of knowingthe TRUTH."She actually studied the Bible to learn how to live -- not just on Sunday, but every day! Actually this woman was HAPPY in her religion. She prayed a great deal, and she seemed to really know God and to be on personal terms with Him!""This woman was a 'Bible Christian.' The SOURCE from which she got what she believed was the Bible."Herbert W. Armstrong, "Why God Is Not Real to Most People," Good News, January 1985:"Are you like the person who said to me, 'Oh, I believe in God all right, but it seems like He is so far off --so UNREAL'?""Yet the true God does reveal Himself, to those who are willing to comprehend and to obey.""When I was brought to ... repentance toward God and faith toward Jesus Christ, in early 1927, and was baptized, He gave me the most precious GIFT in all the universe -- His Holy Spirit."His Spirit opened my mind to SPIRITUAL COMPREHENSION. I could UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE-- a bit at a time, of course. In it, the living Jesus Christ began talking to me. I began to talk to Him -- often, daily,in a sense constantly, in spirit. When I studied the Bible, it was like listening to the most wonderful Friend I hadever known! It was WONDERFUL! It was INTERESTING -- INSPIRING -- REVEALING! So I studied the Bible often on my knees."You see, as I read the Bible, God was talking to me. But as I prayed, I was talking to HIM! And bystudying His Word on my knees, I was able to carry on a two-way conversation with Him -- mixing prayer withlistening to Him through reading His words."It was invigorating, rejuvenating beyond words to describe. He was TEACHING ME.""As He told me about Himself -- as He talked to me, instructed me -- and as I talked to Him -- I got to know Him! He BECAME REAL!"He was no longer WAY OFF! He was very NEAR -- in spirit, in the very same room."L. Leroy Neff, "'Please Give Us a Church!'" Good News, December 1959:"'We need a church where we can meet each Sabbath,' was a statement frequently heard at the recent Feast of Tabernacles.""Yes, God's Church was scattered almost nineteen hundred years ago, and it has remained scattered to this day! If it were contrary to God's will that the Church be scattered, then He would call people in local church areas only. Therefore, the scattering and calling of God is according to His own Divine plan and will.""If God's people were all congregated together, and not scattered, then it could not be said of them thatthey are the salt of the earth."
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"God knows that a very large percentage of you may never have a local congregation to attend. Has God made a mistake? NO!""If you are dissatisfied in not having a church to attend, have you ever read the statement of the apostle Paul in Phil. 4:11 '...I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.'""Some of you state that you do not have fellowship with others in the Church. What greater, more profitable, and more wonderful fellowship can you have than with Jesus Christ, the very head of this Church!When you read His Word, He talks to you. By prayer, you can talk to Him. That fellowship can be wonderful beyond all words."That is the fellowship you can have every day, and not just on the Sabbath.""If you are not able to attend local services, you are not alone. Possibly three-fourths of God's people are not able to attend local church services regularly.""Don't feel sorry for yourself, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ wherever you are."
Herbert W. Armstrong, "Short Questions from Our Readers," Plain Truth, April 1968:"Nowhere is there any prophecy that Christ's ONE TRUE CHURCH should become great and powerful,exerting influence in this world. Rather, Jesus called it the 'LITTLE FLOCK,' despised, persecuted, scattered by the world -- totally separate from the world -- yet living in the world.""The receiving of God's Spirit and the MIND OF CHRIST (Phil. 2:5) upon repentance and baptism PUTS YOU INTO, baptizes you into God's true Church!""Church attendance is not the most important thing! Church attendance does not, by itself, mean CHURCH MEMBERSHIP in God's sight! Some people view 'church going' as an end in itself. But it most definitely is not."God expressly forbids His people ever to join in with the worship of counterfeit church bodies -- no matter how 'close' to the truth they might seem!""Your eternal salvation is at stake! May God help you to heed this warning!"Herbert W. Armstrong, Which Day Is the Christian Sabbath? 1976:"Often, when people learn about the Sabbath, they seek some religious group to assemble with. But it is not enough to meet with just any religious body because it may accept the 'Sabbath argument.' This does not necessarily mean it is the TRUE Church of God."Herbert W. Armstrong, "Should We Listen to Others?" Good News, May 1960:"If you have truly repented, you have stopped using human reason and acting according to the way you look at it! If you had the faith in Christ as personal Saviour to be baptized into Him, you were accepting HIM as your Lord and Master, to obey what HE says -- not the way you look at it. If you have received God's Holy Spirit,it is to lead you into all TRUTH -- which means understanding of GOD'S WORD, and what it instructs on all these questions, so that you know what to obey."Suppose you live in an area where GOD'S Church has not yet established a local congregation.""It has seemed to many in this situation that, since Seventh Day Adventists keep the right DAY, it would be all right to attend the nearest church of their denomination. Besides, is it not necessary to keep your children in Sabbath school?"It has come to our attention that several of our members have reasoned in this manner. Isn't it necessary,as a Christian duty, to attend regular church services?""There is only one passage in all the New Testament giving any direct instruction to assemble together with others: '...and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.' (Heb. 10:24-25)."Even there, it is not a direct command that you must assemble together with others in the church -- for the simple reason that God knew, when He inspired His instruction to us, that some would be living where there is no church to attend. Notice, the command is: 'not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.' The very words:'not forsaking' mean you are not to 'abandon' -- not to 'refuse' assembling -- not to 'desert' assembling.""If you live where God does not have a church near enough to attend, then you are certainly not refusing,abandoning, or deserting attendance, because that attendance is not in your power.""The Sabbath is a holy convocation (Lev. 23:2), which is a commanded assembly -- one you are commanded to attend. But of course this command applies within realm of your ability.""During apostolic days many local churches were established.... Some merely met in the houses of members. 'The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.' (I Cor. 16:19). In Col. 4:15 you read of the church in Nymphas' house in Laodicea -- and this
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evidently was one of the important churches. There was a church in Philemon's house (Phile. 2).""With whom are we to have FELLOWSHIP?"The Apostle John, in his first letter, declared God's TRUTH in order 'that ye also may have fellowship with us...' showing we can have fellowship ONLY with those who know and obey the TRUTH. Do you know any other Church that knows, believes, preaches, and OBEYS the TRUTH? -- that keeps the true Sabbath, and also God's Holy Days and Festivals; that knows the Resurrection was on the Sabbath and the crucifixion on Wednesday; that knows God's PURPOSE is that we, now mortal, are to be begotten, and then, after a life of overcoming, growing in knowledge of Christ and in grace, developing godly CHARACTER, are to be BORN of God at which time we BECOME divine members of the very God family; that the soul is mortal; that this is not the time God is trying to save the world, but only His 'first-fruits'; that Christ is coming to rule all nations with God's WORLD GOVERNMENT, on earth, for a thousand years; that the Gospel is the Message of the KINGDOM OF GOD, which is both the world-GOVERNMENT of God and the FAMILY of God into which we may be born; and many other TRUTHS held and proclaimed ONLY by this one and only TRUE Church of God!""YOU are to have fellowship only with those who know and obey the TRUTH!""Our fellowship is, first of all, WITH God the Father, and WITH Jesus Christ [I John 1:3]! If I have fellowship with Christ, and YOU have fellowship with Christ, then HE joins you and me together in fellowship.You cannot have true Christian fellowship with any, except those who also have fellowship with God the Father and with Christ.""Brethren, that narrows fellowship -- assembling together for worship -- down to ONLY those who are in God's TRUTH -- the true LIGHT -- and who OBEY it. And that means ONLY those whom God has, by His Holy Spirit, put into HIS TRUE CHURCH. We are barred from fellowship or worship with any others.""'God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Now Beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, THAT YE ALL SPEAK THE SAME THING, and there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.' (I Cor. 1:9-10)."We must have fellowship only with Jesus Christ, and those who are joined together in the TRUTH -- all speaking the same TRUTH.""Now suppose you try to find fellowship with members of a Seventh Day Adventist church. They may worship on the right day, but they do not keep God's annual Sabbaths and Festivals; they do not proclaim the true Gospel of the KINGDOM OF GOD which is to rule THE EARTH for the millennium; they do not believe we are to be actually born into the divine, glorified FAMILY or Kingdom of God; and they do break the second Commandment with their many idolatrous pictures of a long-haired man they falsely call 'Christ'; they do believe lies and errors, such as their 'Sanctuary Question,' 'Investigative Judgment,' Mrs. White's inspiration as God's' Prophet'; going to heaven, etc., etc.""God commands you: 'Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness (keeping of God's Commandments) with unrighteousness? and what communion hath LIGHT(TRUTH) with darkness? ...WHEREFORE COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM, AND BE YE SEPARATE,SAITH THE LORD.' (II Cor. 6:14-17)."All this does not mean that we cannot have any contacts with the world, or people of other beliefs.""Paul clears this up: 'I did not mean you were literally to avoid contact with the immoral of this world,with the lustful and the thievish, or with idolaters; in that case you would have to leave the world altogether. What I now write is that you are not to associate with any so-called brother.... Associate with him? Do not even eat with him.' (I Cor. 5:10-11 Moffatt translation)."We are not to have social or religious FELLOWSHIP -- close friendship -- with any except those who know and OBEY the TRUTH. We must not try to WORSHIP with them -- attend their churches.""Again God instructs through Paul: 'Have NO FELLOWSHIP with the unfruitful works of darkness.'(Eph. 5:11)."You can WORSHIP GOD three times a day -- in a private room, behind closed doors -- on your knees, in prayer. DO YOU?"You can have FAMILY WORSHIP in your own home -- husband, wife, and children -- every morning.DO YOU?""If you hunger for fellowship, remember you can, and MUST, for true worship, have regular daily
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fellowship with Christ, and with God the Father, to whom Christ has given you direct access in prayer!""'Well, the way I look at it,' some might say, 'is this: it would be discourteous not to admit [those of other beliefs], and that wouldn't be "Christian," would it?'"BUT HOW DOES GOD LOOK AT IT?"God says, 'My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.' (Isa.55:8)."What does God COMMAND?"'For many deceivers ... are entered into the world.... Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not (obeys not)in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God.... If there comes any unto you, and bring not this doctrine (of Christ, and of God's true Church), receive him not into your house, neither bid him God-speed: for he that biddeth him Godspeed is partaker of his evil deeds.' (II John 7-11).""[Jehovah Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists] will argue Scripture, in a spirit of contention, which your Bible forbids.... God says you, also, are partaker with them of their evil deeds if you receive them into your home.""YOU CANNOT CHANGE THEM! You cannot talk them into the TRUTH!""But all these temptations to ensnare you into the world -- into false doctrines -- into forbidden fellowship or false worship are mild compared to the one in our very midst, HARDEST OF ALL TO RESIST!""The Apostle Paul, speaking his farewell to the elders of the large Church of God at Ephesus, said:"'I know this, that after my departing, shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.' (Acts 20:29-30)."THAT DID HAPPEN IN THAT CHURCH!"The greatest danger of all is when one who is among us, supposed to be one of us, approaches you with some doctrine or interpretation CONTRARY to that of God's Church...."Whether it be a so-called 'Jehovah Witness' or even one supposedly a member of God's own Church,remember THIS COMMAND:"'If there come ANY unto you' -- it does not say member of another church -- it says if ANY come unto you -- ' and bring not this doctrine, RECEIVE HIM NOT INTO YOUR HOUSE...' -- DON'T LISTEN TO HIM!""What we say is, do not listen any longer to those who bring a DIFFERENT doctrine! If you have already seen these truths for yourself -- already PROVED them in your own Bible -- already proved this is the true Church of God, then God's TEACHING, as I have shown you in this article from the BIBLE, is, DO NOT LISTEN to those who bring a different doctrine.""He is coming with a different doctrine -- he is causing division, tending to stir up strife and introduce confusion -- and he must be MARKED, and disfellowshipped, and refused to be in the fellowship of any of our brethren!"This is GOD'S WAY of preserving UNITY!"58-lesson Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course, Lesson 49:"There were scattered Christians in south Italy [Acts 28:14] as well as in Rome, but at the time no organized congregations in either area, outside of family worship in private homes."Herbert W. Armstrong, "Why Many Don't Understand Pentecost," Good News, May 1981:"Do you realize that we kept all these Holy Days alone, by ourselves, while the Church of God members we then knew and fellowshipped with (Sardis era, Rev. 3:1-6) 'mocked us to scorn'?""Hezekiah sent messengers up into Israel, the northern kingdom, from city to city in Ephraim and Manasseh, to teach them God's Holy Days must be kept. But 'they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them' (IIChron. 30:1-10)."I had learned in my intensive, almost night-and-day study of the Sabbath question that we are commanded also to keep the seven annual Holy Days."I DID NOT KNOW WHY! I knew only that God said, 'DO IT!' My wife and I did -- alone! For seven years!"
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Herbert W. Armstrong,
"Why God Is Not Real to Most People," article reprint, 1974:"Inferiority manifests itself in a desire to belong to a group, club, society, church, faction, or nation. In order to avoid feeling inferior, the self instinctively desires to be accepted by other people.""One would fear to be disloyal, lest the others in this factional group consider him as a traitor -- and therefore as evil -- and he feels inferior, which is a painful feeling.""Only a few have ever been willing to break away from the established ideas and customs of their immediate society. All others have avoided them or persecuted them."58-lesson Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course, Lesson 27:"God has shown you in His Word that if you have truly repented of your disobedience to His laws, you will want to zealously begin keeping God's Sabbath Day.""On this day you will be especially close to God, and you'll grow in His spiritual grace and knowledge through PRAYER and BIBLE STUDY."But keeping the Sabbath as God commands does not mean that you must attend church on this day. You may KEEP THE SABBATH RIGHT IN YOUR OWN HOME for the present."Why stay at home? Because there are certain churches into which you might be misled. Churches which happen to observe the seventh-day Sabbath.... But don't be deceived!"Just because these churches have a 'form of Godliness' (II Tim. 3:5) -- have an outward appearance of' keeping' God's Sabbath -- does not mean you should attend their services! For in reality, these churches disobey God in most points of His law.""So keep God's Sabbath right in your own home by resting, studying your Bible ... and by praying to GOD!"58-lesson Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course, Lesson 30:"While a few other 'churches' now may 'observe' [the Sabbath], they do NOT live by every word of God."Herbert W. Armstrong, "Short Questions," Plain Truth, November 1949:"While we are instructed, in Heb. 10:23-25: 'Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering;and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching' -- yet, notice carefully we are not instructed to assemble with blinded, deceived people ... the instruction is to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together -- that is, true Christians who have the TRUTH,who are filled with God's Holy Spirit, truly converted, and WALKING IN THE LIGHT, living by every Word of God.""The point is, we must be sure it is with those who are CHRISTIANS -- those in the Truth -- those living by the directions in the Bible -- those keeping God's Commandments -- those filled with his Spirit, those in whom Christ is living His life. Not those merely professing to be Christians; professing to know God, but in works denying Him (Titus 1:6), being abominable."If you are converted and made righteous by the Spirit of God, 'what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?' (II Cor. 6:14)."No, God commands us, 'Have NO FELLOWSHIP with the unfruitful works of darkness.' (Eph. 5:11). If God has opened your understanding to His TRUTH, it is precious beyond price. 'If there come any to you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him Godspeed; for he that biddeth him Godspeed is partaker of his evil deeds.' (II John 10)."When the disciples asked Jesus if MANY were being saved, he explained that the many turn into the broad way that leads to destruction -- but FEW find the straight and narrow way that leads to everlasting life.Those in His true fellowship He called the 'Little Flock.' He said He would hardly find any faith at all in our generation today, when He is to come again.""Remember, our fellowship is WITH THE FATHER, AND WITH JESUS CHRIST first of all, and with one another only in and thru Christ (I John 1:1-7). You can have communion and fellowship with Him wherever you are. Withdraw at once from all other fellowship, except that of CHRIST, and those who are IN CHRIST, and Christ IN THEM."
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Herbert W. Armstrong, "Personal," Good News, April 1979:"There's no question about it -- God commands emphatically that we in His Church do 'all speak the same thing' (I Cor. 1:10)."For many years I have striven to bring all God's children into a unity of belief (Ps. 133:1)."Of all the religions and all the more than 250 denominations and sects in 'Christianity,' NOT ONE,except the Worldwide Church of God, knows WHO and WHAT God is! NOT ONE knows what, and why, MAN IS! NOT ONE knows the TRUTH about the nation Israel -- WHY God chose them, yet gave none but their prophets His Holy Spirit -- where they are today. NOT ONE knows what is the TRUE GOSPEL Christ proclaimed! NOT ONE knows what happens in the hereafter -- the transcendent human potential.""NONE but God's one and only TRUE CHURCH has the full knowledge God has revealed to His own Church. NOT ONE knows what salvation really is!"Doesn't it, then, become abundantly apparent that we must all know precisely what God has prepared for those who love Him -- and that we speak these amazing TRUTHS as they are -- all speaking the same thing?""But first, WHY is it important that we all believe and speak the same DOCTRINES? Continue in ICorinthians 1:10: 'that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.'""A corollary to I Corinthians 1:10 is Romans 16:17-18: 'Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.'"'Avoid them' means just that. Walk away from them. Do not invite them into your home. 'If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed' (II John10).""To the Thessalonians God made this a command: 'Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the traditions which he received from us [that is, from Christ's true apostles] ... And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him' (II Thess. 3:6, 14)."This is SO IMPORTANT to GOD that He had the apostle John, in the 90s, A.D., write, as quoted above,'If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine' (as received through Christ's apostles), 'receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed' (II John 10).""WHY DOES GOD WANT US -- COMMAND US! -- to mark and avoid those who come with a different doctrine? Because they create DIVISION among God's people!' 'And' (Rom. 16:18) 'by good words and fair speeches' they DECEIVE those who listen -- they claim to serve God -- but they DO NOT AGREE with God."L. Leroy Neff, "Beware of False Brethren," Good News, January 1960:"There are some among us who are not converted. They are not a real spiritually living part of the body of Christ. They are not letting Christ do His work in them. They have not truly and completely surrendered their lives to Christ in full repentance.""In New Testament times just one man caused a whole congregation to sin. Part of this account is recorded in I Corinthians 5. Because of this man's sin, the whole Church became puffed up (verse 2). They became guilty with him in his evil deeds.""Paul instructed the Church previously that the brethren should not company (associate) with those in the Church who were openly violating God's laws (verses 9 and 11). A Christian should not associate, or even eat withsuch a person!""God instructs us through the Apostle Paul: 'Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which causedivisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them' (Rom. 16:17).""Paul even makes this instruction stronger: 'Now WE COMMAND you, brethren, in the name of our LordJesus Christ, that ye WITHDRAW YOURSELVES from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after thetradition which he received of us' (II Thess. 3:6)."
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Herbert W. Armstrong,
"Can We Fellowship the Disfellowshipped?" Worldwide News, 1980:"Are some of us trying to be more kind, merciful and considerate even than GOD? Are we actually disobeying God in our soft, fence-straddling approach toward certain others?""'Now we COMMAND YOU, brethren, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly,' and, 'if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him...' (II Thessalonians 3:6, 14).""God is far more strict in all such matters within the Church than we have sometimes been inclined to be.""We MUST NOT appear to try to be more kind than God. Christ will say, 'Depart from me!' WE MUST NOT COMPROMISE! GOD DOES NOT!""I do pray for all such. I pray that God will BLESS THEM -- with whatever He in His supreme wisdomknows is BEST FOR THEM -- even though that may be severe PUNISHMENT!"Herbert W. Armstrong, "Which Family Comes First?" Good News, April 1980:"In Romans 16:17 it speaks of marking 'them which cause DIVISIONS and OFFENCES CONTRARY TO THE DOCTRINE WHICH YE HAVE LEARNED.'""In II Thessalonians 3:6, 14-15 is the COMMAND: 'Now we COMMAND YOU, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye WITHDRAW yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.... And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed ...'""It is a COMMAND. And if we try to be MORE KIND -- MORE RIGHTEOUS -- than God and DISOBEY THAT COMMAND, we convict ourselves of disobedience to God's COMMAND!""Judging and Discipline in God's Church," Good News, August 1958:"Millions of sincere but misguided people are mixed-up about the meaning of Jesus' words recorded inMatt. 7:1-5."How often have you heard someone reprimanded for stating his belief that someone else had done wrong by the exclamation, 'Judge not, brother. Jesus said we shouldn't judge other people, you know.'""Jesus showed that instead of pronouncing sentence upon sinners, as Israel's judges had in the past, it was now the duty of God's representatives to teach them the right way and command them to repent of the wrong way.""If, after [following the instruction in Matt. 18:15-20], the sinning party refuses to repent, Christ said that you are to treat him as an unbeliever. Does this mean you are to hate him or to hold him in contempt? It certainly does not. It simply means that you are to treat him as an unconverted outsider and have no fellowship with him."[Herbert W. Armstrong, "A Policy Statement," Good News, September 25, 1978: "In ordinary cases of a member having or feeling any criticism against his pastor, he should, first, obey Matthew 18:15 and take it to his local pastor in private."]"Up until recently most of us didn't fully understand the necessity or purging the evil out of God's church.We thought perhaps God would take care of it without us doing anything. And it seemed like it would be showing more love if we just tried to tolerate evildoers in our midst and hoped for the best."But can we show more love than God? Are our ideas wiser than God's plan? The answer is obviously'no.'"In his early ministry among God's people, Mr. Armstrong found by hard experience that if sinners are not put out of God's church as Christ commanded, a little leaven does leaven the whole lump. Sin spreads like wildfire if it is tolerated.""False teachers must be 'marked' and refused further admittance and association with God's church. This is the command of Almighty God. People who rely on human reason may think this is a lack of love. But this is God's way -- and God is love."Herbert W. Armstrong, "Organizing Local Churches," Good News, June 1951:"Thousands of you, we fully realize, long for local churches of God to be established in your various localities.""In the earlier days of this work, a number of little flocks were raised up in different localities throughout Oregon and Washington -- the result of the personal evangelistic campaigns by your pastor.
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"But there was no shepherd to leave behind to pastor and guide and feed those flocks. And it was neverlong until these groups were broken up. They would soon be quarreling among themselves, or various ones would lead the others off the truth on various wild tangents, or some wolf in sheep's clothing would come along and,pretending to be a true preacher of Jesus Christ, devour and destroy the flock.""We know how discouraging it is for some of you dear people to have to remain isolated -- way off by yourselves, away from others who also know and live God's true Way, surrounded by worldly people and paganized churches. We understand your problem in raising your children in such a world. Our hearts go out to you!""But we know also that ... no greedy 'wolf in sheep's clothing' is going to waste much of his time trying to draw off one single individual or family. The false prophets usually go after whole groups who are without shepherds."So, let's not grumble! Rather be thankful you are so much better off than before!"58-lesson Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course, Lesson 28:"PREPARE YOURSELF for God's Kingdom. You can do this by zealously studying God's Word -- the Bible -- and by praying to God on the Sabbath."You can be literally filled with God's Holy Spirit on this day of especially close contact with God -- the Spirit will then guide you into all truth (John 16:13).""If you worship God every Sabbath by praying to Him and studying His Word and its application in your life, and put it into DAILY PRACTICE during the week, then you will have God's Sabbath 'sign' in the true and saving sense. You will be PREPARING to enter God's Kingdom as a priest and ruler! (Rev. 5:10.)""However, we do know it is the earnest desire of true believers to meet together with brethren of like understanding on the Sabbath in obedience to God's injunction found in Hebrews 10:24-25. But for a few this may not yet be possible because they are scattered as salt of the earth and consequently cannot assemble on the Sabbath. Our Heavenly Father knows about this situation and, therefore, does not expect them to attend one of His church services on the Sabbath when it isn't possible!"Remember that our fellowship must be first and foremost with the Father and with Jesus Christ, and then,if possible, with one another -- but only in and through Christ (I John 1:3-7). Those not able to attend Sabbath services can have this communion and fellowship with God right in their own homes, or wherever they happen to be on the Sabbath!""Without a trained minister of God, disunity, contention and error will inevitably arise in a local group.They would soon be quarreling among themselves, or some dominant personality would lead the others from the truth into various wild tangents, or some wolf in sheep's clothing would come along pretending to be a true minister of Jesus Christ, only to devour and destroy the flock! Mr. Armstrong's past experience with such unshepherded flocks proves it!"So don't become discouraged if you can't fellowship with others of like understanding on the Sabbath.You can still keep in continual close contact with God's true Church by spiritually feeding upon God's Word.""So GROW in the knowledge of Christ and His Word right in your own home on every day of the week --especially on the Sabbath!"Herman L. Hoeh, "Should You Assemble Without a Minister?" Good News, October 1957; reprinted GoodNews, June 1959:"Many feel the necessity of social contact with brethren. They equally desire to learn more about the Bible. What could be better than meeting each Sabbath for Bible study, it is reasoned!""Immediately some will think of Hebrews 10:25. 'We should assemble ourselves together,' they will say.""But what will happen?"Wherever groups gather together a dominant individual inevitably arises. By force of personality others begin to look to him -- even though he may not understand the Bible as well as they. He becomes a leader. Yet he may not be capable of keeping order. He is usually the center of arguments, doubts and divisions. Dissension and error gradually arise. Some brethren leave in disgust -- soured on the truth."We are experiencing the same problem which confronted the early, inspired, Spirit-filled Church of God.The apostolic Church was a scattered Church (Acts 11:19). So are you brethren today!"
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"Paul did not establish churches without pastors! EVERY local church had its pastor.""Mr. Armstrong has learned by experience that every group needs competent spiritual leadership.... Even though many of you are scattered and have no regular Sabbath service, yet be thankful that you are being instructed through [the Church literature].""Let's realize our blessings and be thankful, no matter where we are."Herman L. Hoeh, "Talk About the Bible," Good News, January 1962:"Hundreds of you brethren still have no local church. Yet you can and do visit one another.""We have never said you must not talk about the Bible unless a minister is present. We have said you should not assemble as a local group for Bible study and teach each other without a minister.""If the Bible isn't something you should ever talk about, why talk at all? Why visit brethren, if you cannot talk about the very Book that tells you how to be brethren?"Why, the very reason you should want to be with brethren, instead of the world, is that you can discuss the Bible and spiritual topics. If you cannot talk about the Bible with each other, then you are no different from the world! The one thing that makes the people around you worldly is that they have nothing else to talk about except material things and other people! The one thing that ought to make your conversation different from the world is that you can talk about God and His Word!""If your brethren are feeling downcast ... inspire them by your experiences -- what God has done for and through you -- and turn to the Bible and read Bible examples of what God did and has promised still to do for ustoday.""The Sabbath ... is a day for us to study and pray, read and meditate on the Bible in private communion with God, or together wherever there is a local church of God. Yet some brethren carelessly have acquired the habit of visiting on the Sabbath without talking about the Bible. Shame on you!"God expressly forbids us to speak our own words -- worldly, material conversation -- on His Holy Sabbath. Isaiah was inspired to write: '...call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; ...honor Him,not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, NOR SPEAKING THINE OWN WORDS' (Isa.58:13). The Sabbath is the only day we especially ought to speak of, and talk about, God's words -- the Bible."At times some have even made the Sabbath a burden and not a delight by spending most of their time atthe homes of brethren instead of praying and reading and studying their Bible in their own home. The Sabbath is not a day for social fellowship -- it is a day for personal spiritual fellowship -- it is a day for personal spiritual fellowship with God in Heaven, and with Christ. Our spiritual fellowship with one another is always through Christ. Most of our time needs to be spent with Him, in prayer, in reading and studying His Word. Then, if time permits, it is encouraging to visit on the Sabbath for a little while those brethren who are elderly, or afflicted, or who have no other spiritual contact because of unconverted relatives and family. Read the Bible to them or the[Church's] magazines if they are unable to read.""Finally, brethren, remember this: you can and should open your Bible and read verses about a subject that might come up in your conversation. How else are you going to know exactly what God says about any problem?If you are not sure about it, you have the Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course, The Good News and The Plain Truth and the booklets to check up in."Herbert W. Armstrong, "Should You Welcome Visitors at Church?" Good News, September 1962:"Suppose you have a neighbor who knows you keep the Sabbath, and is not hostile. Perhaps this neighbor... asks you to explain a question about the Sabbath -- why we don't observe Sunday, or hasn't time been lost? orisn't the law done away -- or some other question. What should you do?"Unless you know that you thoroughly know the subject, and have the ability to explain it plainly and convincingly, it would be better to hand the neighbor a booklet -- or booklets -- that explain the subject.... Tell your neighbor that this booklet will explain it so much better than you could."In case you do feel qualified to explain it yourself (as you should be -- though most of you are not),follow this method:"First, ask the neighbor into your home, or go yourself to his. Have your Bible. When seated quietly, free from interruption, open your Bible, turning to proper Scriptures one at a time. Instead of reading it yourself, hand the Bible to your friend and have him read aloud each passage. Then you carefully explain and expound it, and
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turn to the next passage and have your neighbor read that, and so on."Herbert W. Armstrong, Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong, Volume 1, 1986:"My wife had become acquainted with an elderly neighbor lady, Mrs. Ora Runcorn. Mrs. Runcorn was anavid student of the Bible.""One day Mrs. Runcorn gave her a Bible study. She asked my wife to turn to a certain passage and read it.Then a second, then a third, and so on for about an hour. Mrs. Runcorn made no comment -- gave no explanatio nor argument -- just asked my wife to read aloud a series of Biblical passages."'Why!' exclaimed Mrs. Armstrong in amazement, 'do all these Scriptures say that I've been keeping the wrong day as the Sabbath all my life?'"'Well, do they?' asked Mrs. Runcorn. 'Don’t ask me whether you have been wrong -- you shouldn't believe what any person tells you, but only what GOD tells you through the Bible. What does He tell you, there?What do you see there with your own eyes?'"Herbert W. Armstrong, "What Do Churchgoers Believe and Why?" Good News, February 1984:"My wife and I became acquainted with a woman who, in some ways, was rather peculiar."This woman really had a religion. She read and studied the Bible every day. She seemed to understand it!She had definite beliefs and convictions, and she said the SOURCE of all of them was not anything she had heard at church, but what she read in the Bible. She said the Bible carried authority, and was the only source of knowingthe TRUTH."She actually studied the Bible to learn how to live -- not just on Sunday, but every day! Actually this woman was HAPPY in her religion. She prayed a great deal, and she seemed to really know God and to be on personal terms with Him!""This woman was a 'Bible Christian.' The SOURCE from which she got what she believed was the Bible."Herbert W. Armstrong, "Why God Is Not Real to Most People," Good News, January 1985:"Are you like the person who said to me, 'Oh, I believe in God all right, but it seems like He is so far off --so UNREAL'?""Yet the true God does reveal Himself, to those who are willing to comprehend and to obey.""When I was brought to ... repentance toward God and faith toward Jesus Christ, in early 1927, and was baptized, He gave me the most precious GIFT in all the universe -- His Holy Spirit."His Spirit opened my mind to SPIRITUAL COMPREHENSION. I could UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE-- a bit at a time, of course. In it, the living Jesus Christ began talking to me. I began to talk to Him -- often, daily,in a sense constantly, in spirit. When I studied the Bible, it was like listening to the most wonderful Friend I hadever known! It was WONDERFUL! It was INTERESTING -- INSPIRING -- REVEALING! So I studied the Bible often on my knees."You see, as I read the Bible, God was talking to me. But as I prayed, I was talking to HIM! And bystudying His Word on my knees, I was able to carry on a two-way conversation with Him -- mixing prayer withlistening to Him through reading His words."It was invigorating, rejuvenating beyond words to describe. He was TEACHING ME.""As He told me about Himself -- as He talked to me, instructed me -- and as I talked to Him -- I got to know Him! He BECAME REAL!"He was no longer WAY OFF! He was very NEAR -- in spirit, in the very same room."L. Leroy Neff, "'Please Give Us a Church!'" Good News, December 1959:"'We need a church where we can meet each Sabbath,' was a statement frequently heard at the recent Feast of Tabernacles.""Yes, God's Church was scattered almost nineteen hundred years ago, and it has remained scattered to this day! If it were contrary to God's will that the Church be scattered, then He would call people in local church areas only. Therefore, the scattering and calling of God is according to His own Divine plan and will.""If God's people were all congregated together, and not scattered, then it could not be said of them thatthey are the salt of the earth."
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"God knows that a very large percentage of you may never have a local congregation to attend. Has God made a mistake? NO!""If you are dissatisfied in not having a church to attend, have you ever read the statement of the apostle Paul in Phil. 4:11 '...I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.'""Some of you state that you do not have fellowship with others in the Church. What greater, more profitable, and more wonderful fellowship can you have than with Jesus Christ, the very head of this Church!When you read His Word, He talks to you. By prayer, you can talk to Him. That fellowship can be wonderful beyond all words."That is the fellowship you can have every day, and not just on the Sabbath.""If you are not able to attend local services, you are not alone. Possibly three-fourths of God's people are not able to attend local church services regularly.""Don't feel sorry for yourself, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ wherever you are."
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