The Great Switch—Flattery and Gifts
Back to The Work of God
The contrast in teaching is unmistakable—and far-reaching. It seems impossible that so many brethren never stopped for even a moment to ask themselves who they were choosing to believe, and why. Did you notice in the final quote that Mr. Armstrong’s successor so easily inserted the very flattering idea that members who take doing the Work into their own hands are “gifted”? How easy would it be for human nature in people to yield to the temptation to conclude that they must do the Work themselves because they are GIFTED?
Now try to imagine Mr. Armstrong permitting anyone, anywhere, at any time, and in any fashion, to preach the gospel or warn nations—and then assert that they are doing it because they perceive themselves as gifted. He would never allow or even consider allowing such devilish confusion (I Cor. 14:33) to enter the Church, and the New Testament simply reflects no such pattern. Such thinking unleashed nothing more than unbridled vanity from thousands.
Let’s discuss this confusion problem a little further. If the Church allowed “open season” for doing the Work, every member would “do that which is right [or seems best] in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). Uniformity of approach throughout the Church would be impossible—and one could ask, “What would be the point of having everyone’s website look exactly alike, anyway?” Absolute chaos would ensue throughout the Church—and so would disagreement and competition. Virtually everyone would have reasons for seeing his way as the “best” or “most professional” or “most appropriate.”
This partly explains why the chaotic, disagreeing, competing confusion that forms the collective picture that is the splinters and slivers. God is not the author of confusion, and all of this could be avoided if brethren sought to find GOD’S Work, and where CHRIST is leading—and knew what to look for in their search!
Mr. Armstrong spoke often about how God had trained him for the job he was called to do. God does not train the lay membership of the Church in the same way He trains His top leader. Brethren are simply not equipped—not qualified—to take either the gospel to the world or God’s warning message to Israel. They lack both vital preparation and experience necessary for a host of duties they cannot even understand, let alone perform. (Even the training of pastors and evangelists, never mind local elders, limits how God can use them.)
In short, however sincere, lay members simply do not know what they are doing. Their job is to support, not spearhead.
Social or Church “Activism”
Most of God’s people have long understood that the Church tends to take on the nature of the age in which it finds itself. This has been the case throughout history. This tendency has a direct bearing on what we are discussing. Some material in this section is similar to a portion of Section II of Why The Restored Church of God – Should You Join? Though it is somewhat different from the subject of local evangelism, the thinking it describes is related, and this is why it is included.
In the modern age, many take up “causes” in an attempt to reverse real or perceived “injustices.” This has always been true in a world where there are many injustices. Yet, the Church was always different.
But a new activism has arisen among God’s people. Most brethren have been wounded and betrayed, some many times, and have been the recipients of injustices—some real, some perceived. This, coupled with Protestant “do-gooder” thinking taught to them before leaving the WCG, has caused many to take up “causes” for which they seek solutions, actions or remedies. Many have come to think that things are “out of control” in God’s Church or Plan—and that God now needs their help to return them to their former condition of happiness, doctrinal unity, peace, etc.
Of course, God’s Master Plan has never been even a tiny bit out of control! It is very much under His control!People’s lives and beliefs may be out of control. The beliefs and conduct of leaders are out of control.Organizations are out of control. But God’s Plan has never been out of control—not for even a split second of the last 6,000 years!
God’s people once knew that God is not trying to fix the world. Under Mr. Armstrong, the WCG never participated in ecumenical programs to change the world or make its Christianity “better.” Similarly, The Restored Church of God is not trying to change all the splinters in some pre-determined way. We do not have an “activist” agenda for improving the seventh era. We are not trying to counter the prophesied scattering of Daniel 12:7 by seeking to unify all brethren through this or that “joint effort” or “cooperation.” Neither is Godtrying to counter the Daniel 12:7 condition, now afflicting Laodicea! (Christ is calling those who anoint their eyes OUT OF THIS!) All such human efforts to do this will fail miserably—no matter how sincere the activists may be. Incidentally, this includes any “peace” and “unity” anticipated as a result of UCG and LCG’s efforts to discuss “mutual concerns.”
I have explained before that some, in the name of holding fast, have actually used the “scattering” to justify rejection of some of the most basic Bible truths. This is an opposite problem. They have sought to convince God’s people it is actually wrong to be part of any organization! In some cases, people have come to believe that the truest Philadelphians almost become a law unto themselves. They reject God’s government, the one true Church doctrine, doing God’s Work and the need to assemble regularly with those of like mind, among other things. (But, I repeat, God is calling individuals to “anoint their eyes” and return to His true Church and Work.)
Members of The Restored Church of God do not write letters on the Internet or to various church newspapers or websites bantering back and forth about “what needs to be done” with this or that problem (I Tim. 6:3-5)! Many of God’s people must learn again not to take up “causes,” following the democratic tradition of “the people have power.”
All those who are determined to pass on emails, maintain personal websites for “doing the Work” or to “fight to make things better” or to “unite the churches” or just to post personal opinions or ideas would never fit in RCG. We do not participate in these efforts, and this is why you may have noticed our brethren do not engage in ongoing Internet arguments that accomplish nothing.
What Mr. Armstrong Taught About “Activism”
Let’s take yet another look at what Mr. Armstrong taught about trying to fix or improve the world through human effort and human solutions, once again contrasting it to what the apostates replaced it with.
The second quote below describes a misguided proposal given to, but rejected by, Mr. Armstrong. It could easily have been written by any number of splinter leaders today.
Also, and this is related to the problem, many today do not seem to understand, or perhaps never understood, the true purpose of the Ambassador International Cultural Foundation (AICF), which Mr. Armstrong began in 1975. In light of various splinters giving to relief organizations, I decided to include some of his explanation of AICF’s real purpose. Be sure to read very carefully Mr. Armstrong’s description of its exact function—that of assisting his unique ministry.
You will see that Mr. Armstrong also spoke of “personal evangelism,” and it was so important to him that he had it included in the Church’s constitution and bylaws, as you will see in its point number four. But this phrase had strictly to do with his own (as we saw previously) prophesied personal commission involving kings, presidents and heads of state around the world. When understood, and put together with all the rest of what we have seen that he taught on this matter, the very constitution and bylaws of the Worldwide Church of God under Mr. Armstrong reflected the membership’s role as one of support for what God was doing through him!
One could not find statements from Mr. Armstrong more plain than these. Read and reread them until their meaning jumps from the page:
“Did Christ become divided, taking part in the politics of this world, taking part in this world’s affairs, trying to clean up this world, and make it a better world…? Is that the Church that Jesus founded? Go back and look at the Church as it started out. You’ll find it in the book of Acts.
“Did they try to reform Caesar’s government and try to show him what was wrong? And to make it a better world? Or did they just try to pull people out of the world and make them better individuals without trying to make the world itself better?”
“True Church,” WT Radio Broadcast
Of course, these are rhetorical questions. Mr. Armstrong did not answer them because the answer was so obvious.
“A 22-page typed proposal has been submitted to me...by [former WCG attorney].”
“Its purpose: to…provide a more workable solution to [the world’s] problems…”
“Brethren, this is exceedingly important. It leads me to begin a review of all the projects in which we are participating through the Ambassador International Cultural Foundation. These have been entered into to a limited extent in various parts of the world…I am bringing the Advisory Council of Elders into this review.”
“…For example, our project with the king of Thailand for the support of portable schools for the education of their mountain people has been very successful.”
“In Israel we have excavated in the area of the ancient throne of King David…Yet in so doing we did not try to doOURSELVES that which ONLY CHRIST CAN, AND WILL SOON DO! It only helped me proclaim Christ’s soon coming to bring us world peace—AS THE ‘PRINCE OF PEACE.’
“True, these projects we have supported in a LIMITED manner are the projects of carnal-minded men—and secular activities. The sole value to the Work of God in our participation is in giving leverage to proclaim Christ’s Gospel to more millions of people, and to encourage noted examples of world leaders in doing GOD’S WAY NOW—even though the world will not.
“I feel that many of our brethren have not fully understood some of these limited secular projects of the AICF. Besides, the AICF has given me a prestige and standing in the eyes of world leaders MAKING POSSIBLE THE SPREADING OF CHRIST’S GOSPEL! We are called to take Christ’s message TO the unconverted secular world. Yet we are forbidden to be OF the secular world. That precludes us from entering on such a project as outlined.
“We will honor all actual commitments made through the AICF. But we cannot, of course, start a project ourselves in which WE, as HUMANS for the benefit of coming generations, will try to correct the world’s evils, solve its problems and bring in world peace. That is going to require TWO THINGS: 1) Get rid of Satan the Devil, and 2) change human nature. ONLY CHRIST CAN DO THAT.
“God has called me to proclaim GOD’S WAY, call the world to REPENT of transgressing that way and proclaim the coming soon (IN THIS GENERATION) of Jesus Christ in supreme POWER and GLORY. Then, with Satan gone, HE will do what we are NOT CALLED TO DO—change human nature. Instead of imbibing Satan’s nature of ‘GET’ and SELF-LOVE and VANITY and hostile competition, people will begin to be partakers of THE DIVINE NATURE!”
“Proposal of an Armstrong Peace Foundation,” WN, April 6, 1981
The final paragraph of this quote adds two elements to preaching the gospel—(1) “proclaim GOD’S WAY” and (2) “call the world to REPENT.” Is your organization proclaiming number two in the list? If not, why not—and why are you supporting it?
Back to The Work of God