What About Incorporation?
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There is a somewhat related argument that must be addressed in regard to the tiny slivers that came from the first splinter that formed (PCG), the one supposedly led by “That Prophet.”
A school of thought now exists among at least a few that incorporating God’s Church is somehow wrong. This idea springs from the fact that the apostate leaders were able to seize the corporation (The Worldwide Church of God, Inc.) and, the reasoning goes, could then destroy it. The argument continues that the real problem was not entirely that of false doctrine or false leaders, but also of a false understanding of the purpose, or even need, for the legal entity known as a corporation.
How shallow and ludicrous! But let’s understand.
During his 52-year ministry, Mr. Armstrong led three separate corporations, including the Radio Church of God until 1968, and the Worldwide Church of God until 1979. He was then forced to temporarily establish a Corporation Sole in Arizona to thwart the court-appointed receiver who had seized corporate headquarters in Pasadena. Some time later, Mr. Armstrong resumed his active leadership position in Pasadena over the Worldwide Church of God, Inc.!
Though he never placed any spiritual value on corporations, Mr. Armstrong certainly did understand theirpractical value in “Caesar’s world.” He understood that incorporation gave the Church non-profit, tax-exempt status so that contributors could legally deduct tithes from their tax liability. Also, in the end, tax-exemption permitted the work of the Church to be much greater. Of course, a variety of other legal advantages exist in the United States, where churches can work under a “corporate umbrella.” This is a truly wonderful blessing, not something that is WRONG! In fact, if Mr. Armstrong had never incorporated, the power and impact of the Work would have been reduced to a fraction of what it became. This would have meant a great many fewer would have been converted—probably including YOU!
As an aside, many today have blurred Mr. Armstrong’s view and statements about the WCG as a corporation, and its immense difference from the Body of Christ, in order to conclude that that Body is able to be divided today. (THE TRUE CHURCH addresses and clarifies in extra detail the truth of this confusion. So do my books“ANOINT YOUR EYES” and THE GOVERNMENT OF GOD.)
Certainly, leaders can abuse corporations, and this happens every day in the world. But that does not makecorporations intrinsically evil. People get drunk, but alcohol is not sin. Some gamble, but that does not make alldecks of cards wrong. Are all movies wrong because some are pornographic? Is all dancing wrong because some is sexually suggestive? Is all music wrong because some is no more than rotten lyrics set to noise? Are all cars wrong because some people drive recklessly? Is the Bible evil because some misquote it?
Those few who have come to believe that incorporation is wrong have unwittingly become tools that divide God’s people—and prevent a certain few who believe this idea from feeling they should ever again come under one “corporate umbrella” to do or finish the Work. Of course, these people know that this means coming under a central government—under “restraint” and “intrusive” AUTHORITY!—something many are determined never to do again.
Contents
Baptizing During the “Scattering”—and What This Means
Let’s revisit an earlier question. Some have written me explaining that no one else can be converted after Mr. Armstrong “finished” the Work. The recently reviewed letter is one example. Notice the writer had elevated himself to the status of “lively stone.” All others called later apparently fall into a lesser category known only to him!
Some now believe that a kind of “dispensational door” has been shut and no one else can be called in this age—that Christ can no longer add to His Church as before (Acts 2:47)—all because an apostle died. The truth is that God will yet call some to replace the carnal minds who have devised this ludicrous, illogical thinking, a thinking that will disqualify them from the very salvation they would deny others.
We have baptized many hundreds of people since RCG began (more every year), and these have been baptized into the very same truth and understanding as were people called 30 years ago. They were counseledthoroughly, evidenced the gift of repentance and received God’s Spirit as Acts 2:38 describes, with fruits of conversion following. While many are surprised at this, half coming to RCG are completely new to God’s truth.
It is dangerous, foolish, presumptuous and PLAIN WRONG to suggest God is no longer converting people in this age! Jesus warned the Pharisees about a blasphemy that would not be forgiven, this “against the Holy Spirit,” in other words, against the work of that Spirit (Matt. 12:31-32). Mark these words well. Anyone believing he can arbitrarily decide that others can no longer receive God’s Spirit risks committing this sin! So does anyone who ascribes the God-inspired Work of The Restored Church of God to the devil, as so many splinter leaders do.
Matthew 12:30 in Matthew 12 ALL sets the context for how Christ defines those in danger of committing the unpardonable sin. Mark well His words: “He that is not with Me is against Me; and he that gathers not with Mescatters abroad.” This is most serious! (Statements from Mr. Armstrong in this regard form a significant section of THE GOVERNMENT OF GOD. It must be seen how and why some LEADERS today are in fact directly opposing Christ.)
Be careful of limiting—through artificial explanations that bypass Him—how Jesus Christ may work today.
Prophecy Not an Endorsement
Consider this carefully. Some think the Daniel 12:7 “scattering” is actually God’s will merely because Heprophesied it. I have read letters from some who believe that brethren should not come together to do the Work for the single reason God foretold this end-time “scattering.” This ridiculous logic also has some people at least bordering on the unpardonable sin, or worse, committing it! Look at how.
God prophesies that there will be much murder in the end-time. Is this an endorsement to kill? He prophesies rampant adultery and covetousness at the end of the age. Should brethren commit these sins to harmonize with prophecy? Terrible lying, deceit, theft and violence are foretold to occur on a massive worldwide scale from now on. Is this a “prophetic license” to participate? Because wolves were prophesied to enter the flock (II Thes. 2:3), with the predictable and natural result being that the sheep would flee to escape, should brethren embrace the trend? To quote Paul, I speak as a fool. Do not forget Matthew 12:31-32.
Prophecy is never an automatic endorsement to help fulfill the prophecy, to do wrong or to in any way oppose God!
Remember, many declare that the Work ended at Mr. Armstrong’s death. Supposedly, his successor was secretly told to focus the Church entirely on preparing for the Wedding Supper. Consider this. Did the fact that Mr. Armstrong gave instruction to get God’s people ready after his death mean that while he did the Work for 52 years the Church was not simultaneously preparing for the Wedding Supper all through those years? Of course not! He merely told his successor to give greater emphasis to this.
What of Later Conversions?
Here is a worse problem flowing from the “Great-Commission-ended-with-Mr. Armstrong” fallacy. What about the many thousands of baptisms that occurred in the WCG in the years following Mr. Armstrong’s death? Dare any suggest that all these baptisms (after the Work was supposedly finished) could not be valid—simply because they occurred contrary to Mr. Armstrong’s supposed instruction? Remember, this idea purports, in effect, that all these earlier baptisms were also products of rebellion. (The book on THE TRUE CHURCH explains in greater detail the way to approach the validity of baptisms occurring today in RCG and some few in the splinters.)
Further, many of these late-80s baptizees entered a splinter and stood up for at least much of the truth. Whether they later fall away, remain just lukewarm or become truly zealous after anointing their eyes and join themselves to Christ’s uncompromising Church and Work, their fruit makes obvious that many of these were converted. But, it is equally true that thousands in the splinters, converted during Mr. Armstrong’s ministry, would say that they were already working toward the Wedding Supper long before his death. I was.
Would you not say the same?
It certainly could be said that brethren should have begun working harder on this personal development after Mr. Armstrong’s death. So, there is a two-way problem here, both with baptisms after 1986 and with already-occurring preparation for the Wedding Supper before his death.
Consider. I have baptized more than 600 people in my over 40-year ministry. Frankly, I am more certain of the conversion of people I and our other ministers counsel for baptism now than those from the early 70s forward. Because of events that the Church lived through, I have a greater appreciation of how precious the truth is, and my counseling today—and more that of our entire ministry—reflects it.
Thousands of people with no Church of God background are contacting us from around the world. Their interest and sincerity has been real. As time has passed, we have found that baptisms of brand new people haveincreased in number. And their fruit has evidenced real conversion. Many are “on fire.” We have expected this to continue and even to speed up. So far it has.
Therefore, for this additional big reason, the idea that the Work ended in early 1986 is terribly flawed thinking!
The “Famine of Hearing the Words” and Philadelphia’s “Open Door”
Recall that Amos 8:11 prophesies the long-awaited “famine of hearing the words of the Lord.” This said, Revelation 3:8 states that God set an “open door” before either Philadelphia or its leader.
Mr. Armstrong wrote the following in MYSTERY OF THE AGES: “To this era—or to its human leader—God had set before it an open door…this Church and/or its leader had but little strength” (p. 238, softbound edition). You may want to take time to read this quote for context and accuracy. Clearly, Mr. Armstrong was not surewhich—the Church or its leader—had the open door, and his statement permits no firm conclusion.
But either way, the door is still open before the organization into which Philadelphia is being gathered. It does have “little strength”—and obviously less now in numbers than when Mr. Armstrong was alive.
Going further, some have come to feel that if one continues the Work, he either does not believe that we are even on the front edge of the famine, or believes that a door for a GIANT Work capable of producing thousands of conversions still exists before Philadelphia’s remnant—or possibly both. Because of unique circumstances ten years ago, and because I did not yet grasp how God would rekindle His Work, I did then believe we could be in the beginning of the “famine of the word.” But few seem to recognize that just the time limit now governing the age precludes vast numbers of conversions.
Mr. Armstrong taught, and I believe, that the famine will come at the outset of the Tribulation. (The next chapter examines this more closely.) It is worth repeating, however, that I have never—and I repeat NEVER!—believed that any of this is an excuse to not attempt to both continue the First Commission, or to neglect to innovate in order to expand through every possible means. In fact—and this is another subject—I feel that it is probably most true that those who continue the Work will in the end be rewarded more for their effort than for what they actually see in number of conversions. Again, I do not think that RCG will yield more than a fraction of the fruits of Mr. Armstrong’s ministry in this regard. I repeat: There is no longer time to do that size Work, anyway. To believe otherwise IS to think, “Our Lord delays His Coming”—a belief trap we avoid!
Nevertheless, and I repeat this once more, the size of the WARNING to Israel and the ANNOUNCEMENT of the kingdom to all nations will stagger the imagination!
Make yourself focus on what this means to you!
No prophecy shows an “Elisha” would follow the final Elijah. But grasp this. When Christ sends an apostle, a large Work is intended! The Two Witnesses—two prophets—will certainly also do a powerful witnessing Work, but neither are they a “work of Elisha.” These men will not baptize or convert anyone! Their arrival ushers in the famine of God’s Word—meaning the end of our Work.
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