3Introduction
Back to The Work of God
Mr. Armstrong wrote and spoke thousands of times about The Great Commission given to God’s Church. Everyone knew his thinking was driven almost solely by a single verse—a prophecy—he referenced time and again: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matt. 24:14). Mr. Armstrong and the ministry shortened this commission to the phrases “God’s Work,” “The Work of God” or just “The Work.” Everyone knew what the terms meant. No one was in doubt.
Why would the subject of God’s Work need to be addressed? Is it really big enough to command a large book? And what is at stake in answering key questions about it in the twenty-first century?
You may find this the most interesting—and perhaps most astonishing!—book to the splinters. But this will only be true if you read it all. It will not be what you expect—or could have anticipated. It will expand your mind as almost nothing else could. In fact, if you pay really close attention you will find it a life-changing experience!
There is much—MUCH!—more to this topic than meets the eye!
Many are unaware that the apostasy produced new positions in thinking about the Work of God. Many independents and others, usually but not always in the smaller splinters, now believe there is no longer an ongoing commission, nor any need, to either ANNOUNCE the kingdom of God to the world or to WARN the nations of Israel. These believe that all such responsibility ceased at Mr. Armstrong’s death. Most others believe God has commissioned His Church to fulfill His purpose—to continue His Work—but have become confused as to what that is.
For instance, the Philadelphia Church of God (PCG) believes its main purpose is to “warn Laodicea.” Its offshoots then see a duty to turn and warn PCG! Most others see no need to warn the final, lukewarm era, thinking this arrogant and presumptuous. Similarly, they would give little or no emphasis to a SPECIAL WARNING to the great nations of Israel—what Mr. Armstrong often referred to as “the Ezekiel Warning.”
“Jesus,” Growing the Church and Evangelical Protestants
Over time, the apostates slowly conditioned the Church, without most recognizing it, to think the above approach was “unloving,” and that a different emphasis—one of “helping” people and “leading them to Jesus”—should be employed. They felt this should replace what was seen as an old approach of “doomsaying,” “sundowning” or offering a “save your skin” gospel connected to warning nations.
If I told you that most who think they are doing God’s Work today now believe it primarily consists of, or at least includes, Jesus’ role is central to the gospel—the Church or individuals giving to disaster victims and relief organizations—warning, particularly whole nations, is judgmental—or the Work as we knew it is finished, you would surely believe I am speaking of today’s Worldwide Church of God. Sadly, to one degree or another, these are the splinters. Worse, most who attend them have not grasped how far their leaders have departed from the commission that over 150,000 people helped carry out as recently as the mid-1980s.
This confusion has produced yet another related school of thought, and it is equally visible in both the bigger and smaller splinters, or those I call “slivers.” These think there is a new task—to “grow the Church.”
This idea derives almost solely from Christ’s instruction in Matthew 28:19 to the apostles to “Go…and teach all nations, baptizing them…” While this part of their approach is generally correct, their thinking also carries a near complete emphasis on just being sure those “called” understand the Sabbath and certain larger doctrines. Matthew 28:20—“Teaching them to observe all things”—is lost in their equation. This “new” position is little different from the thinking of modern fundamentalist evangelicals.
Evangelical Protestants see a duty to “spread the good news about Jesus Christ”—not the KINGDOM OF GOD—without much concern over details of belief and practice. The main difference in the splinters is that the Sabbath, a few other doctrines, and possibly a little about the kingdom is attached to a message about “Christ.” You will learn that this “Christ” has actually become the substitute “another Jesus” brought by “another spirit,” exactly as Paul warned in II Corinthians 11:3-4. You will also see this spirit is systematically destroying basic understanding once held by those who supposedly escaped the apostasy.
You will learn why the growing emphasis among the splinters on assisting the world’s relief organizations in the wake of disasters, now of course becoming more frequent and worse in intensity as prophecy advances. You will learn how this represents a kind of mass amnesia. You will also learn about a related condition I describe as “Alzheimer’s in reverse,” and how this is badly complicating the recovery process for those who want to do God’s Work, but have lost sight of what it is. Then, you will come to understand the profound—and truly chilling!—spiritual implications of this stunning change now sweeping the splinters.
All of the above-described ideas and emphases are radically different from what Mr. Armstrong taught for over five decades. Tragically, most have not noticed nor cared if they did!
These astonishing changes in priorities require this volume be written in a blunt fashion. Its language is neither for the faint of heart, nor the merely curious. The topic it covers is much more important than most realize. Therefore, it begins with a powerful statement from Mr. Armstrong’s September 1965 Plain Truth “Personal” to set the tone:
“The world has sunk into a complacent, indifferent slumber…The world is too busy enjoying this new-found prosperity, basking in the comfortable sunshine of luxury, to be much concerned about the on-coming NUCLEARWorld War III that WILL, unless prevented by Almighty God, simply erase human life from this planet!
“Soft words and pretty speeches do not arouse people out of this pleasant dream. It takes a jolt!”
Such straightforward statements fulfilled God’s command through Isaiah: “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet, and show My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins” (Isaiah 58:1). Mr. Armstrong always did this. He never feared the opinion of people, the “critics.” Similarly, I will not spare!
Isaiah continued: “Yet they seek Me daily, and delight to know My ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of Me the ordinances of justice; they take delight inapproaching to God” (Isaiah 58:2). Israel’s conduct was a CHARADE—they appeared “as” God’s people, but were not in conduct and faithfulness. They enjoyed “approaching” God, not doing what He said. This passage describes most brethren today—spiritual Israel—who think they are following God’s will in regard to His Work, but are not!
Tragically, this has become the case with so many clear points of Bible teaching that were once understood by the whole Church.
The Largest Splinters—and Their “Work”
Only a few organizations are making an attempt at the Work. Yet, none are even close to “holding fast” (Rev. 3:11) all God’s doctrines—including those at the front edge of the Work. However sincere, these are works of men, not led and directed by the living Christ who would only use those who will not compromise restored truth. These would fulfill the Great Commission under GOD’S GOVERNMENT. It will become obvious God could not use those who compromise to perform His Purpose.
Only those who will return to—or who come to believe—all of the truths that God taught His Church are candidates to join His final Work. Those firmly rooted in different ideas should attend one of the organizations that may still want to do some kind of “work,” but not be concerned about doctrinal precision. We bear such people no ill will, but know they will be more content elsewhere.
Partly because they do not see the crucial importance of doctrinal purity, all the big splinters also do not grasp the colossal importance of what is at stake in the true Work of God today. Only one or two organizations evenbegin to remember, let alone comprehend, that a powerful WARNING must reach 600 million Israelites in 22 nations and territories. And, again, no one seems to recognize another related warning must reach over 35,000 in the splinters or holding to some truths at home, with both of these to occur before the Tribulation. For this reason, this book will, at least briefly, reference the roles of “watchman” to Israel and “messenger” to Laodicea.
The destructive “spirit of error” (I John 4:6) that has entered all the groups is why so many now believe contributing to disaster funds and relief efforts is the more “loving,” “compassionate” and “Christ-like” approach to gaining “disciples.” Warnings are “too harsh.”
The apostle Paul wrote, “For [God] will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a SHORT WORKwill the Lord make upon the earth” (Rom. 9:28). Misunderstanding crucial verses like this, many—I repeat—now believe the Work as the Church did it for decades is finished, with all responsibility COMPLETED. These people have usually also come to believe the “famine of the Word” has arrived—and that this at least generally occurred from 1986—thus ending any duty to announce God’s kingdom to all nations or to warn Israelite nations. That two decades have passed and Christ’s Return has not occurred means some think that in the world’s most awful age (now much worse than Mr. Armstrong’s time), when a message of hope with a thunderous warning is more needed than ever, God’s servants are to stand mute, spectating without comment. They are to ignore the most basic common sense, and what Mr. Armstrong taught about preaching the kingdom and warning those headed to tribulation right to the end, and bite their tongue in silence. However sincere, such misguided thinking could not be more wrong!
These people also believe that, because the Revelation 3:8 “door” temporarily closed after Mr. Armstrong’s death, this nullifies any need to even attempt to preach the gospel—especially a warning to now more decadent, degenerate, sinful and lawless Israelite nations. This thinking comes from Mr. Armstrong being quoted out of context as believing God’s Work would end with his death. Incredibly, this reasoning even suggests it is rebellion to proceed against his supposed “stated will” before he died.
We will see the opposite is true—that Mr. Armstrong never believed any such thing! In fact, as Paul foretold, a final, closing, immensely powerful “short work” remains, and God’s true Church is completing it!
Understand! All the elements of God’s truth and Work have their own attraction to those who love them (II Thes. 2:10). Those who truly love these things will run through fire barefoot over broken glass and jump deadly snakes to reach them. Nothing will stop them! Conversely, if one does not love true doctrine, nothing will change him. If one does not care about precision of belief, you cannot “sell” him on why he should. Truth, including each of its facets, carries its own attraction intrinsic to its value. The convicted seize it like a pit bull a bone!
The same is true of how people feel about the Great Commission. As this book will demonstrate, Mr. Armstrong taught that God’s people must be deeply convicted about what is a duty. But if a person never internalized this commitment early on, it is unlikely he can do so now. Such people will likely not be moved by what is written here. But those once convicted about the towering importance of the Work of God are candidates to recapture that same sense of commitment and responsibility!
Back to The Work of God