Part09_Why

This comes back to the point that we should be thinking about others, not ourselves. Mr. Armstrong prayed that good things would happen to His enemies. In a sermon tape I have from Atonement, October 8, 1981, he said that he did not pray that God destroy his enemies -- he prayed that they would be converted, and receive God's forgiveness. We should be praying for these individuals in the same way -- especially the leaders. Perhaps when God hears those prayers, He will see that we've learned our lessons about love for our enemies, and will fulfill this prophecy about Joshua, to everyone's astonishment!

Many who have joined themselves to splinters from the WCG have said in their disgust with the WCG, "I am no longer being fed in the WCG -- I want to go where I can be fed!" That is reminiscent of the frequent complaint of members of the Church in the Wilderness, whose desire to get food for themselves was at odds with what God had planned for the people (Exodus 16.3; Numbers 11.4-6; 20.2-5; 21.5). Their desire for food and for safety for their children (another concern of many who have removed themselves from the Church) even led them at one point to threaten to "select a leader" of their own (Numbers 14.1 4). They lost confidence in God working through a man who appeared to be taking them into danger and famine.

Of course, there is some truth in the Israelites' negative perception -- there was no food which they could see, and they heard reports of dangerous foes blocking their way into the Promised Land. And so it is in the Church today: the spiritual "food" being served up currently by the preachers in the Church is most often just a thin gruel. It might be characterized as milk (versus meat), but perhaps that is being too generous. More often, it is like dung (Malachi 2.3). This is immediately apparent to any former WCG member who returns to attend a service these days -- it is vastly inferior to the services of years gone by. But, how is it that God continues to feed His people within that Church? Surely it is not by the preaching of filth.

Well, it is not by that which was expected, and it was not immediately apparent to any of us who stayed in the fray. But it has become evident over time. It is by "what's it" -- manna. The heretical preaching has stirred God's People to study, pray, meditate, fast, and fellowship as never before. That intense asking, seeking, and knocking has yielded what many have said is the most concentrated period of growth in their spiritual lives. Just how it has happened defies explanation -- sort of a spiritual "what's it". Ironically, the exam has proven to be the best learning of the semester. It was not necessary to strike out on our own, after all. Each weekly test incites us to learn more and grow more.

The answer to this point is stated in Hebrews 5.12-14 (and elsewhere in Paul's writings). He tells us that we should not have to be spoon-fed, or have readily-digestible food served to us; rather, we ought to be the ones feeding others. Many still have an expectation that we should be able to come before a speaker in a Sabbath service and be fed a ready-made digestible meal every week. But, as we see the course of this trial unfold in WCG and in all the splinter groups, it becomes apparent that God is not granting us that mode of learning. As some of the Scriptures mentioned so far indicate, that's not a complete tragedy, and it's not the work of mere men.

We can let the Bible give us a positive perspective on this change. It is a new mode of learning: it requires more initiative on our part, and it yields in return more intimate knowledge of God's Word than we ever had in the golden days of the 1980's. This is a period of time in which God's Word is getting etched onto our hearts. It is painful, but exciting, and hope-imparting.

Many have said that they would not have run for cover in a splinter group were it not for their concern for their children's spiritual health. They did not want their children to hear deceptive sermons and a false gospel every week -- understandably so. But we can look to the Scriptures on this issue, as with the others. Two main passages deal with this point.

First, Jesus Christ says in Luke 14.25-33 to forsake all for Him. This passage is one of the most important and powerful Scriptures which one can study in preparation for the baptismal commitment. I remember how overwhelming the message seemed as I first read it with a mind to being baptized. Reading this passage stopped me cold in my tracks. I was not to be baptized for another 4 years, in large part because of my recognition (from this Scripture) of all that was required of me. That is probably just what Jesus Christ intended in making the statements. These are hard statements, intended to give us all pause to consider how far we will go in giving up "what we want" -- our will -- to uphold our commitment to our Savior (14.26-27).

The passage is certainly familiar to us, especially the phrase "count the cost". But consider Jesus' comment about "hating" (loving less) our spouses, siblings, and even our children. It is really strange, as one considers it, to think that there may come a time when your children might come between you and your commitment to God's Will, but there the admonition is. As Mr. Armstrong often said, one's children and spouse represent an extension of one's own self. Love for them represents a human desire to protect one's "empire" (remember how he coined a term 'the empire-ical self'?) A desire to protect them that comes between my love for God, is sin.

Abraham understood this. He had to choose between his covenant with God and his own son (Genesis 22.2). Even more poignantly, this son was promised to be a means by whom God was to bless Abraham. Submitting to God's Will in our lives doesn't get more difficult than this.

To be fair, I don't think many people who give this as their defense really chose to leave the Church for this reason primarily. Other reasons of personal distaste for the environment of heresy probably had primacy, and this was just a reinforcing justification. But it is not a valid reason. God has blessed a number of families who chose to remain in the Church while rejecting the heresies. Their children (of various ages) are just as able to choose the Tree of Life as their counterparts in the splinters. Additionally, the children of GRUMPs get to see their parents stick to their beliefs under fire, which has a more positive effect on the shaping of young psyches than any youth Bible lessons taught during the sermonette.

2. Study the Bible (by which I mean more than "read") with our children, guiding them in forging the same personal relationship we have with God, through what He tells us in the Book.

In the United States of America, President Clinton has authority over me. I did not vote him into office, and I cannot remove him from office. God says that He places these leaders as it pleases Him. God says that if I resist these rulers, I bring judgment upon myself (Romans 13.1-2). If I should not resist them, and am told to be subject to them, how much more the religious leader through whom God administers His government on earth?

Now, while President Clinton may "have the rule over me," he does not hold sway over my political, judicial, and moral opinions. There is a difference between submitting myself to someone and adopting his ideology. Otherwise, how could Peter have told wives to submit to unconverted husbands? When God commanded that Judah submit to Babylonian captivity in Jeremiah 24 and 42, He certainly did not mean that He wanted His people to violate the first commandment! God was just giving them a challenging environment in which to learn some lessons.

So, holding on to the Truth does not require that we reject any man's authority. This is, after all, the way in which we live in our respective countries. There is no civil, religious, social or commercial organization with whose philosophies one will completely agree, but that doesn't mean we live as hermits. We obey God, and live in the world without being of it (John 17.15-16).

Our behavior is an important factor. I can believe what I wish but it is unwise to preach to others in an environment like this. So, if I open my mouth and publicly spout my difference of opinion, all bets are off. Most organizations, including God's Church, rightly do not permit discord to be sown. Amos 5.13 puts it succinctly: "Therefore the prudent keep silent at that time. for it is an evil time."

In the Church of God, the leaders do not determine my beliefs. But I have to submit to their authority as surely as I must submit to the embarrassing, lawless leadership of the United States. And that submission is commendable before God.

When we go to a Sabbath service in the WCG, is God present? If not, how can we justify attending? How can one pay tithes to the WCG? Don't those tithes simply finance sins and destructive deeds by false ministers?

There are some answers to these questions in 1 Samuel 1. Here, we find Hannah and her husband, Elkanah keeping the Biblical custom of bringing their offerings to the one place where God placed His name (I Sam. 1.3; Deuteronomy 12.5-7, 11-14). The priest at that time was Eli, and his sons were corrupt and lacked God's Spirit (I Sam. 2.12). As Eli aged, he did not keep his sons in line, and they made a mockery of the ministry (I Sam 2.22, 29). 1 Samuel 2 tells us that these guys misappropriated the offerings brought

to the temple, extorting them by threats from those who brought them, and committed immoral acts with women who came to worship (I Sam. 2.16, 22). This was the "corrupt organization" to which Hannah and her husband gave of their livelihood, and it was into this dangerous environment that God allowed Hannah to come before Him in worship (I Sam. 1.12).



	Why Stay -- Part Nine This comes back to the point that we should be thinking about others, not ourselves. Mr. Armstrong prayed that good things would happen to His enemies. In a sermon tape I have from Atonement, October 8, 1981, he said that he did not pray that God destroy his enemies -- he prayed that they would be converted, and receive God's forgiveness. We should be praying for these individuals in the same way -- especially the leaders. Perhaps when God hears those prayers, He will see that we've learned our lessons about love for our enemies, and will fulfill this prophecy about Joshua, to everyone's astonishment! [BOLD & ITALIC] "... When we sat by the pots of meat and ... ate bread to the full." Many who have joined themselves to splinters from the WCG have said in their disgust with the WCG, "I am no longer being fed in the WCG -- I want to go where I can be fed!" That is reminiscent of the frequent complaint of members of the Church in the Wilderness, whose desire to get food for themselves was at odds with what God had planned for the people (Exodus 16.3; Numbers 11.4-6; 20.2-5; 21.5). Their desire for food and for safety for their children (another concern of many who have removed themselves from the Church) even led them at one point to threaten to "select a leader" of their own (Numbers 14.1 4). They lost confidence in God working through a man who appeared to be taking them into danger and famine. Of course, there is some truth in the Israelites' negative perception -- there was no food which they could see, and they heard reports of dangerous foes blocking their way into the Promised Land. And so it is in the Church today: the spiritual "food" being served up currently by the preachers in the Church is most often just a thin gruel. It might be characterized as milk (versus meat), but perhaps that is being too generous. More often, it is like dung (Malachi 2.3). This is immediately apparent to any former WCG member who returns to attend a service these days -- it is vastly inferior to the services of years gone by. But, how is it that God continues to feed His people within that Church? Surely it is not by the preaching of filth. Well, it is not by that which was expected, and it was not immediately apparent to any of us who stayed in the fray. But it has become evident over time. It is by "what's it" -- manna. The heretical preaching has stirred God's People to study, pray, meditate, fast, and fellowship as never before. That intense asking, seeking, and knocking has yielded what many have said is the most concentrated period of growth in their spiritual lives. Just how it has happened defies explanation -- sort of a spiritual "what's it". Ironically, the exam has proven to be the best learning of the semester. It was not necessary to strike out on our own, after all. Each weekly test incites us to learn more and grow more. The answer to this point is stated in Hebrews 5.12-14 (and elsewhere in Paul's writings). He tells us that we should not have to be spoon-fed, or have readily-digestible food served to us; rather, we ought to be the ones feeding others. Many still have an expectation that we should be able to come before a speaker in a Sabbath service and be fed a ready-made digestible meal every week. But, as we see the course of this trial unfold in WCG and in all the splinter groups, it becomes apparent that God is not granting us that mode of learning. As some of the Scriptures mentioned so far indicate, that's not a complete tragedy, and it's not the work of mere men. We can let the Bible give us a positive perspective on this change. It is a new mode of learning: it requires more initiative on our part, and it yields in return more intimate knowledge of God's Word than we ever had in the golden days of the 1980's. This is a period of time in which God's Word is getting etched onto our hearts. It is painful, but exciting, and hope-imparting. [BOLD & ITALIC] "But my children ..." Many have said that they would not have run for cover in a splinter group were it not for their concern for their children's spiritual health. They did not want their children to hear deceptive sermons and a false gospel every week -- understandably so. But we can look to the Scriptures on this issue, as with the others. Two main passages deal with this point. First, Jesus Christ says in Luke 14.25-33 to forsake all for Him. This passage is one of the most important and powerful Scriptures which one can study in preparation for the baptismal commitment. I remember how overwhelming the message seemed as I first read it with a mind to being baptized. Reading this passage stopped me cold in my tracks. I was not to be baptized for another 4 years, in large part because of my recognition (from this Scripture) of all that was required of me. That is probably just what Jesus Christ intended in making the statements. These are hard statements, intended to give us all pause to consider how far we will go in giving up "what we want" -- our will -- to uphold our commitment to our Savior (14.26-27). The passage is certainly familiar to us, especially the phrase "count the cost". But consider Jesus' comment about "hating" (loving less) our spouses, siblings, and even our children. It is really strange, as one considers it, to think that there may come a time when your children might come between you and your commitment to God's Will, but there the admonition is. As Mr. Armstrong often said, one's children and spouse represent an extension of one's own self. Love for them represents a human desire to protect one's "empire" (remember how he coined a term 'the empire-ical self'?) A desire to protect them that comes between my love for God, is sin. Abraham understood this. He had to choose between his covenant with God and his own son (Genesis 22.2). Even more poignantly, this son was promised to be a means by whom God was to bless Abraham. Submitting to God's Will in our lives doesn't get more difficult than this. To be fair, I don't think many people who give this as their defense really chose to leave the Church for this reason primarily. Other reasons of personal distaste for the environment of heresy probably had primacy, and this was just a reinforcing justification. But it is not a valid reason. God has blessed a number of families who chose to remain in the Church while rejecting the heresies. Their children (of various ages) are just as able to choose the Tree of Life as their counterparts in the splinters. Additionally, the children of GRUMPs get to see their parents stick to their beliefs under fire, which has a more positive effect on the shaping of young psyches than any youth Bible lessons taught during the sermonette. There are two things which parents should do: 1. Be conscious of what our children are learning by what we do, and 2. Study the Bible (by which I mean more than "read") with our children, guiding them in forging the same personal relationship we have with God, through what He tells us in the Book. [BOLD&ITALIC] "You can't sit there every week and tell me it doesn't affect you." In the United States of America, President Clinton has authority over me. I did not vote him into office, and I cannot remove him from office. God says that He places these leaders as it pleases Him. God says that if I resist these rulers, I bring judgment upon myself (Romans 13.1-2). If I should not resist them, and am told to be subject to them, how much more the religious leader through whom God administers His government on earth? Now, while President Clinton may "have the rule over me," he does not hold sway over my political, judicial, and moral opinions. There is a difference between submitting myself to someone and adopting his ideology. Otherwise, how could Peter have told wives to submit to unconverted husbands? When God commanded that Judah submit to Babylonian captivity in Jeremiah 24 and 42, He certainly did not mean that He wanted His people to violate the first commandment! God was just giving them a challenging environment in which to learn some lessons. So, holding on to the Truth does not require that we reject any man's authority. This is, after all, the way in which we live in our respective countries. There is no civil, religious, social or commercial organization with whose philosophies one will completely agree, but that doesn't mean we live as hermits. We obey God, and live in the world without being of it (John 17.15-16). Our behavior is an important factor. I can believe what I wish but it is unwise to preach to others in an environment like this. So, if I open my mouth and publicly spout my difference of opinion, all bets are off. Most organizations, including God's Church, rightly do not permit discord to be sown. Amos 5.13 puts it succinctly: "Therefore the prudent keep silent at that time. for it is an evil time." In the Church of God, the leaders do not determine my beliefs. But I have to submit to their authority as surely as I must submit to the embarrassing, lawless leadership of the United States. And that submission is commendable before God. [BOLD & ITALIC] "Is it possible to come before God in the WCG? Should we still tithe?" When we go to a Sabbath service in the WCG, is God present? If not, how can we justify attending? How can one pay tithes to the WCG? Don't those tithes simply finance sins and destructive deeds by false ministers? There are some answers to these questions in 1 Samuel 1. Here, we find Hannah and her husband, Elkanah keeping the Biblical custom of bringing their offerings to the one place where God placed His name (I Sam. 1.3; Deuteronomy 12.5-7, 11-14). The priest at that time was Eli, and his sons were corrupt and lacked God's Spirit (I Sam. 2.12). As Eli aged, he did not keep his sons in line, and they made a mockery of the ministry (I Sam 2.22, 29). 1 Samuel 2 tells us that these guys misappropriated the offerings brought to the temple, extorting them by threats from those who brought them, and committed immoral acts with women who came to worship (I Sam. 2.16, 22). This was the "corrupt organization" to which Hannah and her husband gave of their livelihood, and it was into this dangerous environment that God allowed Hannah to come before Him in worship (I Sam. 1.12). <end of part nine> Click Here to Continue to part 10