CHAPTER ELEVEN –SOURCE OF PERSECUTION?
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I have become convinced that some of the final greatest persecution, prophesied to come on God’s people at the end, will be driven by the cult-leader mentality of certain splinter leaders. Of course, true Christians will always suffer some persecution for the truth. But it may be that the bizarre, absurd, odd and strange actions of many brethren, and certain particularly unsound and unbalanced leaders, claiming to follow the truth, will be one reason that Christ’s true disciples will eventually be “hated of all nations for My name’s sake” (Matt. 24:9)—and will be pursued by an army described in Revelation 12:17! Surely, it is false Christs and false prophets who exhibit the very worst of strange, cult-like behavior!
Will you follow the PLAIN TRUTH or a man? Mr. Armstrong continually told God’s people to believe their Bibles, and I never found him in disagreement with it. So I follow the truth that God taught me through him, because it can still be proven. You should never follow a man unless he is absolutely following Christ (I Cor. 11:1). Obviously then, you should never follow a man who seeks to take offices of Jesus Christ to himself!
The Restored Church of God does not bend on or compromise any of God’s doctrines. But I have seen every conceivable compromise imaginable throughout the sister groups that collectively form the seventh era. Yet, RCG is absolutely determined to retain exactly what the whole Church once had!
Are you?—Will you?
In recent years, I have known many who left the Philadelphia Church of God. Sadly, so many of these have been virtually ruined by their time in his organization. They were so violated and abused, and witnessed so much attack, slander and accusation of others from their leaders that, in many cases, they now seem no longer able to remember how a Christian is to conduct himself, even in the most basic matters. It has been painful and truly heart-rending to hear of so many who were torn to pieces over their dilemma before leaving. While some did escape his organization, they seemed to collapse twenty feet outside his door, unable to continue. Others left but seem unable to shake his form of thinking and behavior, going on to join a small offshoot “sliver” or “moon” of similar thinking, thus remaining trapped in the gravitational attraction of this false prophet’s “planet.” All of these small groups ultimately bear no real fruit, and this eventually becomes the case of all those within them.
Section V of the book covers a great deal of information that will be particularly helpful to those of God’s people who have been able to leave this man, but who may not have recognized that they are struggling with certain attitudes or, if they have identified some of these, they have not understood what to do about them. The reader must be sure to read all sections of this book. It will help you understand why so many ex-PCGers seem never to break away from their PCG roots, tending to find agreement, support and comfort only in its (PCG’s) various tiny offshoots—where their thinking is never challenged, but rather welcomed and reinforced.
On the other hand, it has been heartwarming and inspiring to see that many who left the apostasy very early have been some of the most zealous people I have ever met. Many have had to repent of attitudes they developed (I had some) toward so many former brethren that they never knew, merely because they never separated them from the thinking of their leader.
Think for a moment. Any leader who claims to have written the “little book” of Revelation 10 ALL has literally “added” to the words of Revelation. We must believe God, and conclude that He will “add to that person the plagues written in that book.” God help this man to repent before it is too late—for either himself or those blindly following him, and the words he has added! Pray for this man and for others like him. They are in infinitely more trouble than they know.
The book has come full circle back to its title. On the cover, it asked, “Is ‘That Prophet’ Alive Today?” By now, you know that the answer is a resounding “Yes!”—AND HE IS SITTING IN HEAVEN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER AS THE HEAD OF HIS CHURCH! The living Jesus Christ is the God of the Old Testament. He declares that He is a “jealous God,” which means that He wants you to worship Him, not the false Christs or false prophets that He warned 2,000 years ago would plague the Church and confuse and seduce so many from the truth at the end of the age!
Understand. You are the captain of your own ship. You must determine where you will steer it. You must point it toward God, His full restored truth, His government and His true Church and true Work. Be willing to help your friends do the same. Take a moment to read James 5:19-20, Galatians 6:1-2, Proverbs 24:11-12 and Jude 21-23. They will encourage and inspire you to help others save themselves from the deadly trap described in what you have just learned. Focus on these and other scriptures given here, and on all that Mr. Armstrong taught, as you help yourself and strive to help those you care about!
I have tried as hard as possible, with God’s help, to firmly but lovingly warn you about false prophets and false Christs, and to teach the truth about “That Prophet.” Correction hurts, and this section certainly contains some. And it means that you may have to make some painful decisions.
First, before this can happen, carefully read all the other sections of the book. As you read, continue to prepare yourself to face the question—the decision—of what action you will take on all that you have learned.
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