Making Plain the Work
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This next and final statement from Mr. Armstrong was part of one of the longest Co-Worker letters he ever wrote. He was explaining to the Church the injustice of the court-appointed California receiver who illegally entered the Church in January 1979:
“THE CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS:
“The object and purpose of this Church of God according to Constitution and Bylaws says in the very first paragraph: in order to carry the great commission of Jesus Christ, to preach and publish the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to all nations as a witness. That is the main purpose of the whole Church. And that requires the expenditure of money for:
“1) radio broadcasting;
“2) television broadcasting;
“3) magazines, booklets and other means in print;
“4) personal evangelism, even around the world into all nations.
“The Church was established in order to do those things, which requires the expenditure of money.
“The entire court suit, it seems to me, is centering on whether we are expending funds for the PURPOSES for which we incorporated. That’s why I had those PURPOSES included above in this letter—to proclaim the Gospel to the world, by radio, TV, print, personal evangelism. When we have expended the smallest amount of money of ANY DEPARTMENT IN THE WORK, ON OUR BUDGET, for proclaiming Christ’s Gospel Message around the world by my personal evangelism, they try to MISREPRESENT that as siphoning off money for my own pocket. Perhaps I will have a steward on our jet plane write an article of what he actually SEES me…do on trips around the world. We are busy every minute. I am writing articles, letters, or proclaiming THE GOSPEL on my typewriter on the plane, in my hotel rooms almost every minute I am not out preaching to big crowds in Ghana, Liberia, Kenya, India, Japan, Thailand, Holland, South Africa, Jamaica, the Bahamas, the Philippines (many times), Costa Rica and many other countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, South America.
“Am I too old? Am I ‘senile’? Who else do you know at near 87 years of age who in one year turns God’s Worldwide Church around, rooting out the dissidents, the false doctrines, being used of GOD to set His Church BACK ON HIS TRACK? IT IS NOT I WHO DOES IT—IT IS GOD using me as His instrument. God brought me back to life from complete heart failure and death, in August 1977 FOR A PURPOSE. That PURPOSE is to FINISH proclaiming His Message around the world—to be used in setting His Church back on His track—and in leading you brethren of His Church into a condition where you are finally PREPARED, and MADE READY, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but HOLY—the Bride of Christ who shall have made herself READY! I will have MUCH MORE ABOUT THAT to write you or say to you later.”
Brethren and Co-Workers Letter, April 16, 1979
There is so much in this final statement that could be discussed. First, there is Mr. Armstrong’s plain explanation of his personal work. Then, notice how he was completing putting the Church “back on track”—“rooting out the dissidents and false doctrines.” If only God’s people could recall just one such exhortation from him.
Also, did you notice that Mr. Armstrong believed in 1979—and was already teaching the Church at that time—that God’s people were to be getting ready for the Wedding Supper? Obviously this did not equate in his mind to an end of the Great Commission.
Contents
The Great Switch
Of course, those who took control of the Church after Mr. Armstrong’s death blurred the plain meaning of his words and teaching about the Work, and replaced it with all the elements of the classic view taken by the world’s churches. And you will see that these men had no fear of overtly sneering at and directly attacking Mr. Armstrong’s understanding that his and the Church’s task was to announce God’s coming kingdom rather than seek to change this world for the better. Here is a tiny sampling of what these men taught, and what their still loyal “disciples”—those now leading the splinters!—perpetuate so faithfully:
“The old excuse, ‘People don’t need do-gooders, they need God’s government on earth,’ is nothing more than a cop-out to justify inaction.”
“Personal from Joseph W. Tkach,” WN, Jan. 12, 1993
“If we don’t participate in our community we are self-centered and self-righteous. Good grief. We were told to come out of the world and let our light shine and we didn’t know how to do it. A bitter, Satanic mind doesn’t want to accept these new truths.”
Joseph W. Tkach, sermon taped on Nov. 21, 1992, sent to be played in all churches
Think of what this in-your-face attack on Mr. Armstrong’s teaching was actually saying about him. Yet, who noticed?
While Mr. Armstrong did not specifically talk about trying to unify or reunify those of the seventh era—how could he?—even he could not have envisioned the appalling division existing among those professing to still believe what he taught as the truth of the Bible. But his comments on the previous page speak in principle to the idea of “activism,” both within the Church and in the world at large.
“Be Subject to the Higher Powers”
There is another problem—actually a form of illegal conduct—that is connected to the posting of Mr. Armstrong’s literature on personal websites by those who are not the copyright holders.
All of God’s people in RCG are quite familiar with this issue as it went before the American courts, beginning in the late 1990s. The Restored Church of God has had to address it in the most difficult and draining way that could be imagined. Because of basic legal constraints, the entirety of God’s truth had to be rewritten for His Work to be able to continue. Chapters Fifteen and Sixteen work together to tell this remarkable story. It was evident after the courts had ruled (including appeals) that the principle described in Acts 5:29—“we ought to obey God rather than men”—had absolutely no bearing on the matter. As much as we might have wished it to be so, all of us in RCG had to recognize that there is no biblical command whatsoever that we must fulfill Matthew 28:19-20 and 24:14 by using the exact same wording in our literature as did Mr. Armstrong, no matter the law or any court ruling. This command is just not there—and I had to accept that no amount of mental gymnastics could put it there. (Chapter Sixteen also looks at this moment more closely.)
Some have ignored this fact and have, in certain cases, recklessly and willfully chosen to disregard—with no apparent fear—God’s instruction on this matter! Let’s examine what He says to such people.
Understand! All Christians have contact with, and live under, human governments. So then, how does God tell His people to view and respect those governments?
Here is what the apostle Paul wrote:
“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be areORDAINED OF GOD . Whosoever therefore resists the power, resists the ORDINANCE OF GOD : and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
“For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Will you then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and you shall have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid; for he bears not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that does evil.
“Wherefore you must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For for this cause pay you tribute [taxes] also: for they are God’s ministers attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor” (Rom. 13:1-7).
This passage contains a great deal to consider. It leaves no question that all people (it says “every soul”)—this certainly includes Christians—are subject to the “higher powers” of men’s governments, because they are “ordained of God.” To resist them, God says, is to “resist…GOD.” This is most serious, brethren! God asks, “Will you then not be afraid of the power?”
Many are not, but they should be!
Two Sides of the Coin
The apostle Peter also gave important instruction about what God expects of Christians in their responsibility toward civil governments. He recorded this:
“Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man FOR THE LORD’S SAKE : whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with welldoing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men…Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king” (I Pet. 2:13-15, 17).
As Christians we must “submit ourselves” to civil authority. The term “for the Lord’s sake” clarifies that it is Godwho expects us to submit to “every ordinance” of men’s governments.
Note that Peter did not state, “OBEY every ordinance.” Why? Because some ordinances are contrary to God’s direct commands and cannot be obeyed! But we must submit to punishment for them.
But there is another side to this, and since Peter was also involved, he knew the difference. The following account from the book of Acts illustrates this important point, and gives an example of when one should “Obey God rather than men.”
In Acts 4 ALL, the apostles had been commanded by the authorities (Acts 4:16-18) to no longer preach anything about Jesus Christ, or to invoke His authority. Here is how they responded: “But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge you” (Acts 4:19). The account continues in the next chapter, after the disciples had been arrested, imprisoned and called to account for disregarding the command to cease preaching Christ’s name. Acts 5:29 states, “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”
A conversation ensued. Gamaliel, a respected teacher of the law, urged the Council to stop further harassment of the apostles. The account continues, “And to him [Gamaliel] they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go” (v. 40). The apostles correctly submitted to the beating. And they did not lash out and hurl accusations and epithets of every conceivable kind against those who had so unjustly dealt with them. They willingly accepted—submitted to—the consequences of putting God’s Way before the wrong-headed instructions of blinded men. Then they continued right on with what brought the beating.
They obeyed God rather than men!
When obedience to the Sabbath, Holy Days, tithing, clean meats, or any other law of God, is in question, each of God’s people must discern Acts 5:29. But this passage has no application to those who would violate, and in the most fundamental way, basic federal copyright laws. God help those who break such laws thinking that they are “doing the Work.” No matter their protests, they are doing an EVIL work in direct violation of PLAIN biblical passages—and of their God-ordained position of support. In fact, they are themselves fighting God! And this would be the case even if they were authorized to preach the gospel themselves.
The People Rule
By now the reader realizes that the word Laodicea means “the people rule, judge or decide.” I can think of no better living fulfillment of this word than what is practiced by lay members, but also ministers of various ranks, attempting to do the Work on their own authority, because they have “decided” or “judged” themselves qualified to act on their own. They may be sincere, but such are sincerely WRONG!
This is a presumptuous age, in fact the most so in history. Many people presume that they have the “right” to do anything they want—express opinions, alter doctrines, accuse whom they will, and tell leaders how to act and what to decide. This includes taking matters into their own hands whenever they see fit. No doubt Satan knew that the introduction of local or personal evangelism would take deep root in the Laodicean era. I can envision few things being more natural to all those converted but lukewarm minds looking to do things their own way…especially if one feels “gifted.”
As in the Worldwide Church of God under Mr. Armstrong’s human leadership, in The Restored Church of God, it is GOD who rules and decides! If God’s people truly believe that Christ is “the Head over all things to the Church” (Eph. 1:22), they will understand that it is neither I nor any group of men who are “running the Church.” This is God’s Church, God’s Work, acting under God’s government and proclaiming God’s truth and gospel to the world and God’s warning message to Israel!
May the all-powerful, living God help everyone to comprehend what is written here—and to never forget it!
But other important questions remain, and they must be addressed…
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