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Who are the reapers--the ones God commands to deal with the tares? Are they brethren? Fellow workers? No, they are angels (13.39). This has plainly not yet happened! The tares have not yet been supernaturally removed by God. The year 1995 was not the end of the age, and God's angels did not remove any tares from the Church at that time. The same can be said of 1992 and 1989, the other two great exoduses to splinter groups. The tares are still exactly where Satan planted them, so the prophecy remains yet to be fulfilled.

Later in the same chapter, Jesus tells the parable of the dragnet. It's not one that has been quoted extensively, but it has an interesting message. Again speaking of His Kingdom, God says that His net gathers "some of every kind", and only when the net is pulled in are the good and bad sorted out. In clarifying the meaning of the parable, Jesus explains that "at the End" the wicked and the just will be sifted apart, and the wicked destroyed (13.49). Think about it--this is God's Kingdom! There are evil elements to be sorted out from the righteous among those whom God draws to His Kingdom.

In Matthew 22.12-13, Jesus makes the same point in a parable about the Marriage Supper. Here, Jesus tells us of a man who has made it all the way to the Wedding of the Lamb. He was apparently called, he responded favorably, and he "stayed the course" ail the way to the End, before his true colors are known. At the Wedding, his irreverent actions belie his character, and he is seen for what he is--a son of wickedness. God the Father is pictured as commanding the angels to throw the man into outer darkness--the second death--for his lack of obedience.

So, to try to separate oneself from these "tares" prematurely, using one's own initiative, is a grave mistake; it is taking God's prerogative from Him. This strikes at the heart of this whole issue: do we believe that God is right to leave the tares among the wheat right up until the End? Do we trust Him on that? Can we endure sitting next to tares in services week after week until the End or is it just getting too intolerable to wait until God yanks the tares out?

We must also note that the sorting out is always indicated as a supernatural event--done by God's angelic messengers at His command. This is not something that the "wheat", the "good fish", the other "wedding guests", or even the workers do on their own, at the time that they see the problem reach heinous proportions.

When Jesus sent the seventy out for some ministerial training, He knew that they were going to be working in a hostile environment. In preparing them, He prayed for them to be protected, but He still sent them out as sheep amidst wolves (Luke 10.3). In other words. He was confident that His Father would protect them miraculously.

We should have the same confidence. The disciples were not spared the trial of being surrounded by the evil, the temptations, and the miss-truths of the world. [FN5 - They were not of the world, but they were allowed to be right in the middle of it (John 17.15-16).]

What was the purpose of this hostile environment? It was training. This is the preparatory period Jesus gave them. He sent them out for a period of time, then they returned, and between that time and the end of Jesus ministry, He took the learnings they gained in that training period, and helped them understand what worked and why.

We, too. are in training right now. And I look forward to the time when we will be able to have a "debriefing session" with Jesus Christ before we are made kings and priests--the occupations in which we will need to apply all these learnings. I like to think that the Place of Safety will provide a great setting for just that kind of re-cap.

Another passage which informs us of God's Will for us is Luke 22.31-32. Right before He was betrayed, Jesus said to Peter: "Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat." (v. 31). Jesus reassured Peter, but not in the way one might expect. Jesus did not prevent Satan from attacking Peter--He did not pray that Peter would be spared from the trial. And, Peter fell in this trial, denying Jesus. But, Jesus had prayed that Peter would learn from the test, have faith, and return to be a source of inspiration to others in the Church (v. 32). God answered those prayers. In fact, it was Peter who wrote us those terrific passages in I Peter about the meaningfulness of fiery trials which have "strengthen[ed his] brethren" (v. 32) for centuries.

I mention this passage because it again illustrates that God has a perspective on tests of our belief that run counter to human intuition. Years ago, I would have expected to read that Jesus hadn't really let Satan attack Peter. Anything else would have made God seem weaker than Satan. But, now I see that, just as Paul said in that classic passage in Romans 8.28, there is nothing--not even the attacks of Satan--which God cannot use to enrich the creation of holy, righteous character in the saints.

Paul writes in I Corinthians 11.19 that there must be heretical groups (refer to a Greek lexicon on the word "hairesis") within the Church. God intended it to be so. What purpose do they serve? This verse says that the heresies make visible "those who are approved". They reveal the wheat from the tares.

So, we should not assume that if there are heresies within the Church, God has left it, and we need to hunt down the True Body. Did any of us "find" the True Body when we were first called? No--God sought us out, and put a Plain Truth in our hands, or inspired us to turn on the television at 6 a.m. on a Sunday morning, whereupon we "happened" to see a World Tomorrow telecast. It was not our keen eye for Truth that helped us pick the right Church. We were picked, and put into it.

So, we certainly cannot go out from that Church and pick the "right" one now. To do so is to put our confidence in our own insight, and (whether we realize it or not) withhold full confidence in God taking care of us. Mr. Armstrong makes a strong point of this in the Mystery of the Ages chapter on the Church. When he writes of people "joining the church of their choice," he is condemning the action. He says that that is what unconverted people do when they choose to attend one of Satan's counterfeit churches. Mr. Armstrong knew that none of us has the prerogative to choose God's Church.

"... Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together ..." (Ephesians 4.15-16). "Therefore what God has joined, let not man separate" (Matthew 19.6).

Paul warned us that dangers would be extant in the True Church. He told the elders from Ephesus in Acts 20.29-30 that there would arise "savage wolves" from within and without. [FN6 -- One of these wolves is documented after Paul's death, in Ill John 9-10. A pastor named Diotrophes was disfellowshipping people for obeying God. Yet, John did not instruct members to leave that congregation to remain faithful to the Truth. The correct response to a savage wolf in a position of Church authority was not to leave the Church, but to look to God to sort things out.]

[INDENT QUOTE] "... take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God ... watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears." (Acts 20.28, 31)

He did not advise the elders to take the sheep from the fold and run for the hills. He did not say that the organization must be abandoned when evil men are in charge. No, he simply said to take heed, to watch, and to remember. These are actions which require faith.

It takes faith to see that this battle is not being waged in conference rooms in Pasadena, in board meetings, or in heretical sermons. It is a spiritual battle. It is in our heads, and that is the only territory Satan wishes to win. He does not care whether that happens through the WCG or any other group.

In II Thessalonians 2, Paul prophesies of a false prophet who sits in God's Temple and commands obeisance of all of God's people (v. 4). Paul doesn't blame anyone for the presence of this "son of destruction," he just says that before Christ's return, it has to happen. He even prefaces it with the phrase: "Don't let anyone deceive you ..." that Jesus could return without this abomination first happening (v. 3).

At the same time, there is a great falling away [Gk. apostasia]. or "detection"(v. 3). We have not seen so great a defection in our time as what has taken place in the 1990's. This is the same type of awful situation as depicted in Ezekiel and Jeremiah. Verses 10 and 11 say that many at that time will believe lies because theY simply didn't love the Truth. The way in which Paul expresses this is interesting, in light of what we've read so far about God's role in the apostasy: "... And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie ..." (v. 11). We see that the trial is something God is closely involving Himself with. God is, after all, the One who "sends them strong delusion" Himself.



	Why Stay - Part Four Who are the reapers--the ones God commands to deal with the tares? Are they brethren? Fellow workers? No, they are angels (13.39). This has plainly not yet happened! The tares have not yet been supernaturally removed by God. The year 1995 was not the end of the age, and God's angels did not remove any tares from the Church at that time. The same can be said of 1992 and 1989, the other two great exoduses to splinter groups. The tares are still exactly where Satan planted them, so the prophecy remains yet to be fulfilled. Later in the same chapter, Jesus tells the parable of the dragnet. It's not one that has been quoted extensively, but it has an interesting message. Again speaking of His Kingdom, God says that His net gathers "some of every kind", and only when the net is pulled in are the good and bad sorted out. In clarifying the meaning of the parable, Jesus explains that "at the End" the wicked and the just will be sifted apart, and the wicked destroyed (13.49). Think about it--this is God's Kingdom! There are evil elements to be sorted out from the righteous among those whom God draws to His Kingdom. In Matthew 22.12-13, Jesus makes the same point in a parable about the Marriage Supper. Here, Jesus tells us of a man who has made it all the way to the Wedding of the Lamb. He was apparently called, he responded favorably, and he "stayed the course" ail the way to the End, before his true colors are known. At the Wedding, his irreverent actions belie his character, and he is seen for what he is--a son of wickedness. God the Father is pictured as commanding the angels to throw the man into outer darkness--the second death--for his lack of obedience. But he was in the Church with us all the way to the very End! Through all three parables we see reiterated the sequence we first saw in Ezekiel 8-11: 1. A period of suffering for God's people, with growth, while they witness abominations done within God's House 2. God distinguishes those who are His 3. God supernaturally destroys the evildoers in one dramatic intervention 4. God delivers/glorifies/marries His people. So, to try to separate oneself from these "tares" prematurely, using one's own initiative, is a grave mistake; it is taking God's prerogative from Him. This strikes at the heart of this whole issue: do we believe that God is right to leave the tares among the wheat right up until the End? Do we trust Him on that? Can we endure sitting next to tares in services week after week until the End or is it just getting too intolerable to wait until God yanks the tares out? We must also note that the sorting out is always indicated as a supernatural event--done by God's angelic messengers at His command. This is not something that the "wheat", the "good fish", the other "wedding guests", or even the workers do on their own, at the time that they see the problem reach heinous proportions. Dangers for Student Teachers When Jesus sent the seventy out for some ministerial training, He knew that they were going to be working in a hostile environment. In preparing them, He prayed for them to be protected, but He still sent them out as sheep amidst wolves (Luke 10.3). In other words. He was confident that His Father would protect them miraculously. We should have the same confidence. The disciples were not spared the trial of being surrounded by the evil, the temptations, and the miss-truths of the world. [FN5 - They were not of the world, but they were allowed to be right in the middle of it (John 17.15-16).] What was the purpose of this hostile environment? It was training. This is the preparatory period Jesus gave them. He sent them out for a period of time, then they returned, and between that time and the end of Jesus ministry, He took the learnings they gained in that training period, and helped them understand what worked and why. We, too. are in training right now. And I look forward to the time when we will be able to have a "debriefing session" with Jesus Christ before we are made kings and priests--the occupations in which we will need to apply all these learnings. I like to think that the Place of Safety will provide a great setting for just that kind of re-cap. Another passage which informs us of God's Will for us is Luke 22.31-32. Right before He was betrayed, Jesus said to Peter: "Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat." (v. 31). Jesus reassured Peter, but not in the way one might expect. Jesus did not prevent Satan from attacking Peter--He did not pray that Peter would be spared from the trial. And, Peter fell in this trial, denying Jesus. But, Jesus had prayed that Peter would learn from the test, have faith, and return to be a source of inspiration to others in the Church (v. 32). God answered those prayers. In fact, it was Peter who wrote us those terrific passages in I Peter about the meaningfulness of fiery trials which have "strengthen[ed his] brethren" (v. 32) for centuries. I mention this passage because it again illustrates that God has a perspective on tests of our belief that run counter to human intuition. Years ago, I would have expected to read that Jesus hadn't really let Satan attack Peter. Anything else would have made God seem weaker than Satan. But, now I see that, just as Paul said in that classic passage in Romans 8.28, there is nothing--not even the attacks of Satan--which God cannot use to enrich the creation of holy, righteous character in the saints. So, we're not at the whims of corrupt men or even Satan himself; we are safe in God's hands. Apostolic Advice Paul writes in I Corinthians 11.19 that there must be heretical groups (refer to a Greek lexicon on the word "hairesis") within the Church. God intended it to be so. What purpose do they serve? This verse says that the heresies make visible "those who are approved". They reveal the wheat from the tares. So, we should not assume that if there are heresies within the Church, God has left it, and we need to hunt down the True Body. Did any of us "find" the True Body when we were first called? No--God sought us out, and put a Plain Truth in our hands, or inspired us to turn on the television at 6 a.m. on a Sunday morning, whereupon we "happened" to see a World Tomorrow telecast. It was not our keen eye for Truth that helped us pick the right Church. We were picked, and put into it. So, we certainly cannot go out from that Church and pick the "right" one now. To do so is to put our confidence in our own insight, and (whether we realize it or not) withhold full confidence in God taking care of us. Mr. Armstrong makes a strong point of this in the Mystery of the Ages chapter on the Church. When he writes of people "joining the church of their choice," he is condemning the action. He says that that is what unconverted people do when they choose to attend one of Satan's counterfeit churches. Mr. Armstrong knew that none of us has the prerogative to choose God's Church. [QNDENT QUOTE] "But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased" (I Corinthians 12.18). "... Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together ..." (Ephesians 4.15-16). "Therefore what God has joined, let not man separate" (Matthew 19.6). Paul warned us that dangers would be extant in the True Church. He told the elders from Ephesus in Acts 20.29-30 that there would arise "savage wolves" from within and without. [FN6 -- One of these wolves is documented after Paul's death, in Ill John 9-10. A pastor named Diotrophes was disfellowshipping people for obeying God. Yet, John did not instruct members to leave that congregation to remain faithful to the Truth. The correct response to a savage wolf in a position of Church authority was not to leave the Church, but to look to God to sort things out.] So, what did Paul instruct the Ephesian ministers to do about these predators? [INDENT QUOTE] "... take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God ... watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears." (Acts 20.28, 31) He did not advise the elders to take the sheep from the fold and run for the hills. He did not say that the organization must be abandoned when evil men are in charge. No, he simply said to take heed, to watch, and to remember. These are actions which require faith. It takes faith to see that this battle is not being waged in conference rooms in Pasadena, in board meetings, or in heretical sermons. It is a spiritual battle. It is in our heads, and that is the only territory Satan wishes to win. He does not care whether that happens through the WCG or any other group. In II Thessalonians 2, Paul prophesies of a false prophet who sits in God's Temple and commands obeisance of all of God's people (v. 4). Paul doesn't blame anyone for the presence of this "son of destruction," he just says that before Christ's return, it has to happen. He even prefaces it with the phrase: "Don't let anyone deceive you ..." that Jesus could return without this abomination first happening (v. 3). At the same time, there is a great falling away [Gk. apostasia]. or "detection"(v. 3). We have not seen so great a defection in our time as what has taken place in the 1990's. This is the same type of awful situation as depicted in Ezekiel and Jeremiah. Verses 10 and 11 say that many at that time will believe lies because theY simply didn't love the Truth. The way in which Paul expresses this is interesting, in light of what we've read so far about God's role in the apostasy: "... And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie ..." (v. 11). We see that the trial is something God is closely involving Himself with. God is, after all, the One who "sends them strong delusion" Himself. So, how are we to respond when this destroyer gains control? The admonition is clear: <END OF PART 4> Click Here to Continue to Part 5