Last week Lance Armstrong, a professional cyclist who captured the admiration of millions of fans for his record-setting Tour de France victories, confessed to cheating during the races for each of his seven wins.  Lance Armstrong’s life will be turned upside down because his history of cheating and lying has stripped him of the core pieces of his identity. In the public view, he who was once an inspiring victor is now a cheating liar who can’t be trusted. Many people, including me, have inwardly defended him over the years as he endured the accusations of taking performance enhancing drugs to win races. Even though he has decided to come clean and tell the truth, many people who were once his fans will refuse to support him now because they feel deceived and betrayed. Because the trust of the public has been violated so blatantly, it will not be surprising to see even his professed genuine honesty called into question, as he begins the process of making right what he has done wrong. There is a long road ahead for Lance Armstrong, as he attempts to rise from this great fall.

Even though it is significant, the fact that Lance Armstrong cheated in order to win is not what is interesting to me about this story. What is interesting to me is the study of character and the effects of decisions made in the past and present. In a general way, this situation is something that is probably familiar to the life of a Christian, from many angles. Just as Lance Armstrong cheated and lied, people including Christians choose to do what is wrong and make mistakes. This is the sin that we work so hard to overcome. Just as Lance Armstrong negatively affected the lives of people directly and indirectly through his wrong behavior, when a Christian sins, there are ill effects. Just as Lance Armstrong has chosen to admit his wrongdoing and follow the right path even though it may be difficult, a Christian must turn from the wrong and do what is right and godly, no matter what the world around may think. And just as Lance Armstrong will suffer consequences of his past behavior, sin bears its ugly and disgusting fruit. You and I may not be world class bicycle racers, but we should all relate to this story.

There are several lessons that we can extract from this story, but the lesson of repentance stands out the most to me. Admitting when we are wrong and doing what is right is a primary duty of a Christian, and often it is not easy. Yet, repentance is absolutely required for a Christian. In Matthew 3:8, John the Baptist states that we must bear fruit that is worthy of repentance, meaning that merely acknowledging fault, but doing nothing about it is not enough. James 2:22 reminds us that our actions prove our faith. And we must have faith that following the righteous path will bring about results that are pleasing to God, even if the world around us rejects us. The fruit born of righteous behavior and a genuinely repentant heart is pleasing to God, if no one else.

Doing what’s right, even though there are negative consequences, is what characterizes integrity.  Integrity is an element that is tightly bound to the act of repentance because the change in course of action involves indicting ourselves and facing the consequences of our sin. By cheating, Lance Armstrong’s seven Tour de France victories have been stripped from him, and his eligibility to compete in professional events has been suspended. Beyond that, even by admitting his guilt, there will be consequences which may prevent him from being trusted. While I hesitate to extend much praise to him, admitting wrong takes serious self-examination and integrity for any man, including Lance Armstrong.

When we repent of sin, we are forgiven by God and spared from the penalty of eternal death, but this does not necessarily mean that other results of our sins will come of no effect. When David sinned by committing adultery with Bathsheba and coordinating the murder of her husband Uriah, he repented, but the consequences of his actions were multiplicative. From that day forward, David’s house saw conflict, the baby conceived by David and Bathsheba died, and his own son committed sexual sins with some of David’s concubines in plain sight (compare 2 Samuel 12:10-14). Yet, David was forgiven for his sin by God because he had the right, repentant attitude and character. By admitting his fault and facing the consequences with a humble attitude, David demonstrated the trait of integrity in a way from which we can all learn. The life of a Christian must be lived with behavior that proves his or her integrity, because doing what is right is what God requires, no matter what.

On January 16, 1986, Herbert W. Armstrong died.

Who was Herbert Armstrong? Many of you know that he was the late founder of the Worldwide Church of God and many other national and international organizations. But many may also know that he has been described and labeled in just about every way imaginable.

He has been viewed as a prophet, an apostle, the Elijah to come—a saint with almost superhuman insight who spoke and wrote under godly and unalterable inspiration. Some have actually given him a God-like status, just falling short of worshipping him.

Others have condemned him as a false prophet, a wrong teacher who perverted the gospel. They have accused him of the most gruesome personal sins and shortcomings.

Who was Herbert Armstrong?

When they received the news of his death, political leaders and dignitaries from around the world responded and called him “a giant man” who did “an important work,” and whose “good deeds were felt in many corners of the world.”  He was described as a “great spiritual leader” and a “great man of vision” who “led a life of benevolence, altruism and the drive for better understanding among peoples.” He was referred to as a man “truly dedicated to the cause of serving humanity” whose death constituted an “irreplaceable loss for the world at large.” He was especially called, among others, a friend of Israel, Thailand and China.

Some accused him of being “in it for the money” and of ulterior motives–of being a racist who advocated war, not peace.

Prior to his death, the King of Belgium gave him a special watch to honor him as one of four individuals who “had made the most significant contribution toward world peace.” He was called “an ambassador for world peace” and “a builder of bridges between the nations.” At one time, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

So who was Herbert Armstrong?

The answer is simple. He was a man with “a nature like ours” (compare James 5:17). He made mistakes. He sinned, repented and received forgiveness from God. However, he was not guilty of any of the accusations alluded to in this Editorial, which have been launched by ill-informed or malicious people who distort and lie about the truth. Yet, Herbert Armstrong was no superman and most certainly not a God-like being (he himself thundered against that notion in sermons, hitting the desk with his fist for emphasis)—but he was also not a false prophet or a wrong teacher.

Rather, he was an “apostle”—one who “was sent” to preach powerfully “this gospel of the kingdom” “in all the world as a witness to all the nations” (Matthew 24:14). He did not speak or write with godly infallibility, and he was willing to change when proven wrong, but he restored—as no other individual during his lifetime—fundamental truths and biblical values to the Church of God.

In a member letter, dated January 12, 2006, I wrote the following about Herbert Armstrong:

“Mr. Armstrong was a remarkable man. I remember how he encouraged all of us in one of his last sermons to continue learning and overcoming… Those who think and teach that the fullness of God’s truth was restored to the Church during Mr. Armstrong’s life refuse to follow one of Mr. Armstrong’s most fundamental instructions—that of CHANGE when one is found to be wrong…”

But I also wrote this:

“Mr. Armstrong would be the first to dismiss, with his thundering voice, the concept that the Church should ever refuse to continue to preach the gospel into all the world…”

Where does this leave us, today? The Work which God began in these end times through Herbert Armstrong must be continued by God’s true servants. But Mr. Armstrong warned the brethren before his death that a falling away from the truth would occur in the Church. It has occurred, as we all should know, but it’s not over yet.

I would like to close with these concluding words from the January 2006 member letter, and pray that those who mislabel Mr. Armstrong in any way might begin to uphold and follow what Christ led him to do:

“Mr. Armstrong is dead, but Christ is very much alive (compare Isaiah 63:16)… the truth that was revealed continues to be taught and grows among those who are faithful to the Head of the Body—Jesus Christ! It is the living Christ who cleanses His Church and prepares it for His Coming (Ephesians 5:25-27). Those who follow Christ (Revelation 14:4) will have made themselves ready, when He returns (Revelation 19:7).”

In late November of 2012, just a few weeks ago, the Church of England voted against the ordination of women bishops. In 1975, they had voted for women priests, and the ordination of women bishops was considered to be the next logical step.  On 12 March 1994, the first 32 women had been ordained as Church of England priests.

The measure to consecrate women as bishops was backed overwhelmingly by the Church of England Synod, but fell short of the required two thirds majority among the laity.   Having set up their own voting system, it appears that when that system doesn’t deliver what the majority wants, then recriminations start.

Many prominent people uttered their dismay.  The current Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, warned that the decision would diminish the Church’s credibility in the public eye.  The Archbishop elect also wanted the measure to go through as did Lord Carey, a previous Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Prime Minister was disappointed with the outcome, and one prominent politician said that there was no theological reason why women shouldn’t be bishops, and he was bemoaning the lack of political considerations in the church!

The good and the great lined up to decry the result, and there was talk of having another vote soon. One speaker said that the church must reconvene to discuss this, meaning that the wrong result was reached. That reminded me of the situation where the Euro was voted against by Ireland and another vote was taken later when the decision was overturned. Just keep voting until you get the answer you want!

Headlines in UK newspapers included “Women bishops: a failure of leadership”; “Women bishops: Did feminism undermine the campaign?”;  “Church has lost credibility in society, says Archbishop”; plus many others.

There was discussion about the “antidisestablishmentarianism” issue, which means “opposition to the disestablishment of the Church of England”; that is, not to remove the Anglican Church’s status as the state Church of England. Some thoughts were expressed that perhaps now was the time to separate the national church from the state.

In the interviews I saw and the reports I read, Scripture was generally conspicuous by its absence. The biblical teaching that women are to keep silent in the churches (1 Corinthians 14:34; 1 Timothy 2:11-12) was raised once in my hearing, and not answered. One submission was that since Jesus was born of a woman and the first person to see Jesus after the crucifixion was also a woman, women should be allowed to become bishops!! I felt that that was hardly a convincing argument!

Should we be surprised? For years, the Church of England has had senior figures giving the distinct impression that they didn’t believe in the Word of God.  Some years ago, one bishop was reported as saying that the crucifixion was a “conjuring trick with bones.” This same person became one of the first clerics in the Church of England to publicly bless a civil partnership between two homosexual men, one of whom was a vicar! It seems that it is expected that God has to conform to the requirements of modern society.

There is little fidelity to the Bible today in the world outside of the true Church of God. His instruction manual is consistently ignored. Those of us who believe in the Bible are not subject to the dictates of men or political pressure; nor are we pressed into “modernising”. We simply let the Bible be our guide and had the Church of England taken the same stance, the voting over women priests and women bishops would never have been undertaken in the first place, and much angst and difficulties would have been eliminated.

For more information, please read our Q&A, entitled “Sermons by Women?” and our booklet, “The Keys to Happy Marriages and Families“.

When the lights go out and we are left in the pitch black, typically the first thing we search for is a source of light – a flashlight, a candle, etc.  Without light, we are prone to stumble and fumble.  Sometimes the smallest things will trip us up in our quest to find what we are looking for.  Also, along the way we will grasp several wrong items as we probe for the right one.

Spiritually speaking, the same condition currently exists today.  There is a pitch black that has descended upon this world. Because of it, people are wandering blindly, grabbing and taking a hold of whatever they run into, believing it to be a means of helping themselves.     

In the darkness, they have grabbed a hold of guns for protection; politicians or parties for guidance; money for deliverance; man-made or contrived philosophies for salvation; science for true knowledge; war for accomplishing peace; poisons for healing; the unjust for justice; and the list goes on and on as the blind continue to follow the blind.

The world as an overwhelming whole has rejected the ONE thing that can shed light on these subjects and give us the answers we are looking for: God and His Way as outlined by the Bible.  Of course, those who have not read and studied the pages of the “Owner’s Manual” will scoff at the idea that this could possibly be the solution for the ills of mankind.

Isaiah describes the condition of man in this way: “Therefore justice is far from us, Nor does righteousness overtake us; We look for light, but there is darkness! For brightness, but we walk in blackness! We grope for the wall like the blind, And we grope as if we had no eyes; We stumble at noonday as at twilight; We are as dead men in desolate places” (Isaiah 59:9-10).

BUT, before we begin to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to, we need to reflect on whether we still have blind-spots, things God wants us to see, but that we cannot notice because we are not walking completely in the light?  Do we see everything clearly that we need to, or is it vague because we have not come completely out of the shadows?

We were once floundering in the dark, trying out the misdirected ways of the world, but God in His mercy has turned on the light for us, “in the hope that [we] might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us…” (Acts 17:27).

Expectations for the coming year of 2013 are not full of hope! Rather, there seems to be a sense of resignation that problems will not be resolved and that things are steadily getting worse!

Violence fills the earth as nations arm themselves with ever more potent ways to kill. Wars are being continually fought, but peace is never achieved. Senseless mass shootings tear apart communities and there just doesn’t seem to be any way to understand “why.”

Not only this coming year, but the years immediately ahead are destined to be the darkest in all of human history—Jesus prophesied of this:

“‘For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened’” (Matthew 24:21-22).

And…

“‘And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken’” (Luke 21:25-26).

We cannot, we must not, ignore the reality of the future! For those who have the understanding of God’s Word and who believe what Jesus Christ reveals to His servants, now is the time to become even more diligent in our calling, to overcome and to persevere. Note that Jesus has very clearly prepared us for what is coming when He said, “‘See, I have told you beforehand’” (Matthew 24:25).

In spite of the bad news of the immediate years ahead, there really is good news in our future, and it is found in the Gospel message preached by Jesus Christ, by His faithful apostles and by the Church of God throughout the generations!

As we face both next year and the tumultuous times ahead, we have reason for hope and unwavering confidence in the future that lies just beyond—Jesus stated:

“‘Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near’” (Luke 21:27-28).

Years ago there was a character in the pages of the funnies, called “Dennis the Menace.” Some of us may remember that character. Around Christmas time, they had a cartoon of him, sitting on a pyramid-shaped six feet high pile of toys and gifts, saying: “Is this all?” This typifies the slogan that “greed knows no bounds.”

When is enough of anything enough? 

Imagine for a moment that God gave you eternal life, perfect conduct, wisdom and beauty, and the possibility and ability to carry out your responsibilities. Would that be enough for you?

It was not enough for Satan.

Ezekiel 28:12-17 tells us this: 

“Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes Was prepared for you on the day you were created. You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, Till iniquity was found in you.

“By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within, And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, That they might gaze at you.”

Something happened to the symbolic “king of Tyre”—none other than Lucifer, the bright star of the dawn, who became Satan, the prince of darkness. Along the way, he became corrupted by pride and as a result, his position and what he had been given were not enough for him. He not only wanted to possess and rule the whole physical universe, but also the spirit realm where God dwells. He convinced 1/3rd  of all the angels to follow him and went up to heaven to overthrow God. This attempted coup did not work, and he and the demons were cast back down to earth.

Isaiah 14:12-14 informs us of this:

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.”

When his mind became corrupted, he felt dissatisfaction with his lot in life, and he wanted more. This whole attitude of craving for more permeates this holiday season.  People receive gifts and think they should be bigger, better and more expensive. They may also feel they deserve additional gifts. Not that the custom of giving gifts at Christmas times is anything biblical to begin with, but the accompanying attitude of many of those who receive gifts is even more telling.

No one seems to think about the admonition from Paul, as we read in Philippians 4:10-13:

“But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

What Paul is saying is that there are good times and not so good times, but he learned to be content with what he had, and he looked to Christ. What a lesson for people in the world today who never seem to be content with their physical possessions, who suffer from greed and who never know when enough is enough.

So we are left with this question: When is enough–enough?

With the recent elections behind us, the focus for the USA is now on what the future will bring. Ongoing talks about a compromise to solve or at least “help”  in some way the outcome of the fiscal cliff and the economic issues is the immediate center of attention for this nation.  However, either way one looks at this, the outcome, as we know it, looks grim. This nation will never dig its way out of the hole it has dug, which appears to look more and more like a grave. That is, until Christ returns to put a stop to all of this. 

This is no surprise to those who actually understand what the Bible is saying and what the Bible has prophesied since the beginning, about the fate of this country and the Commonwealth nations of the British Isles, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and others. The current state that this nation is in, is the result of a selfish attitude to put matters in their own hands and ignorantly giving in to Satan, instead of looking to God for help. 

God the Father has given for now His authority to the god of this world, Satan the devil, and the leaders and nations of this world have unknowingly followed Satan instead of the one true God (Revelation 13:4-5).  And so have many of the people we may know, including close friends of ours, who have been deceived by keeping the things that God prohibits and thereby not keeping the things that God commands. God’s plan for this nation is quite evident and clearly prophesied.  Since we are aware of it, we have to be extra vigilant that we don’t slip up and “forget” His plan and purpose. 

At the same time, what we must understand is that God is in overall control of this entire situation, as He is in control of our individual lives.

As we pointed out in our free booklet, “Human Suffering, Why…and How Much Longer?”, “Satan has been given authority over continental Europe, Russia, China, India, as well as the United States of America, Great Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand—the WHOLE WORLD… Is there a conflict then? Is it Satan or God who has control over man? There is no conflict. Although God has not yet taken Satan from his earthly throne, Satan can only do what God allows him to do! Satan is still subject to God’s Will.”

God is the one who places certain individuals in power to FULFILL His purpose, for “He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding” (Daniel 2:21). God is very clear in the book of Hosea as to who should rule a nation. In chapter 13 and verses 9-11, God says: “”O Israel, you are destroyed, But your help is from Me. I will be your King; Where is any other, That he may save you in all your cities? And your judges to whom you said, ‘Give me a king and princes’? I gave you a king in My anger, And took him away in My wrath.” 

In another place, He says to those who forsake Him: “They set up kings, but not of Me; they made princes, but I did not acknowledge them” (Hosea 8:4). God does not take pity on those who rebel against His law for, “He shall come like an eagle against the house of the Lord, Because they have transgressed My covenant And rebelled against My law” (Hosea 8:1).

Just as God has a specific plan for you and me, He also has a predetermined plan and purpose for all the nations (Acts 17:26).  Today, the leaders of this world are not in search of the one true God, to have God fight their battles; yet they look to their own reasoning and resources.  What about us? Do we look to God in EVERY situation we are faced with? 

Situations will become more severe and we will have to stand up for what is right despite what politicians and leaders insist on what is “ok,” but contrary to God’s law.  We must NEVER leave Him out of the picture, but put matters into His hands (2 Corinthians 1:9; Jeremiah 17:5; Deuteronomy 1:30). This is very difficult to do at times, especially in the heat of the moment.  We must keep our head high and look to God for help.  It’s not going to get easier for this nation, but it’s necessary in light of prophecy and God’s plan, for He states in Jeremiah 27:5, “I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are on the ground, by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and have given it to whom it seemed proper to Me.” 

Satan may have his glory here on earth, but it is only temporary, for God is in complete control and the end result will be fulfilled victoriously, according to His plan.

The Bible teaches us that in our weakness, we are made strong if we rely on God (2 Corinthians 12:10). For that we can all feel relieved. We can trust in God to defend us and fight our battles. We know that we must rely on God for any strength that we might be able to claim. Indeed, all our strength comes from God. Since any strength that we have is not our own, does that mean that we don’t have to work to build our strength? Can we just sit back and relax while we wait for Christ to return? The answer is clearly, “No!” We cannot give up growing in strength just because that strength is not our own. While we know we are weak, we must become strong.

When Joshua was taking over the leadership of the nation of Israel, God told him through Moses, and personally, that he must be strong. In Joshua 1:7 we read an admonition to Joshua from God that we might also take to heart: “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.”

Instead of telling Joshua to simply let things happen as they might because God was in control, He tells Joshua to be strong! The strength Joshua is told to have is for the conviction to follow God. It takes effort and courage to face the world that is so set against the ways of God. Strength is absolutely necessary for a Christian to build, develop, and nurture.

Increasingly, the world that we live in is turning away from God. Because of this, anyone who follows God will stick out like a sore thumb. To face the ways of the world and to overcome them we encounter inevitable conflict. Without strength, training, and preparation, we put ourselves in a position of vulnerability. Building up our strength is absolutely vital to our salvation as this world becomes more contrary to God.

It is on our responsibility to become competent and capable of making the right decision in God’s eyes as we navigate through this life. What that means is that we need to be accountable for our understanding of God’s Word. We need to own it. We need to prove the truth to ourselves so that we are strong. Unlike previous generations on the earth who did not have access to even read the Bible, we have the privilege to have God’s Word available to us constantly. We lack no opportunity to learn from the Word of God. Modern technology even allows us to carry a completely searchable Bible in our pocket. We simply have no excuse precluding our ability to become very strong in our convictions.

In an effort to become strong, we must remember that it requires more than adopting a set of correct beliefs. Strength is developed by exercise. It is not enough to know that we need to keep the seventh day- Sabbath; we need to know why. It is not enough to know that God is a Family; we need to know how those Family relationships are defined. The principle here is that knowing doctrine is not enough. We need to be able to prove doctrine – to ourselves. Only when we can prove doctrine to ourselves, does it become truth in our minds allowing us to withstand the evil we encounter (Ephesians 6:13-14).

If we are not absolutely strong in our beliefs, we fall prey to becoming influenced by rhetoric rather than truth. Without investing the effort to increase our strength in our convictions, we increase our odds of choosing paths of behavior that we will later regret, leading to death. Fortunately, we have the opportunity right now, to spend our efforts wisely – to build our spiritual strength by learning and proving our understanding. Indeed, it requires work to become strong, but our efforts will prove to be worthwhile. By unwavering in our commitment to follow God, we will reap a reward much greater in magnitude than our relatively tiny investment of time and effort today.

News from every part of the world floods across our media—often in real-time! We are able to observe catastrophic disasters such as earthquakes and horrific weather disturbances; rebellions and wars; vile and indecent human degradation; and other endless affronts to virtue and peace.

What exactly are we witnessing, and how do all of these things relate to us on a personal level?

According to the Word of God, these are signs of the times, which herald the end of this age and the ushering in of the Kingdom of God!

In His wide-ranging statements about what signs would foreshadow just this time, Jesus warned His servants to “watch” and “to be ready” (Matthew 24:42, 44; 25:10, 13). Notice also what He said would be the prevailing attitude of the world in general:

“But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:37-39).

People are accepting the status quo—whatever it is at the moment. They don’t seem able to grasp the need to separate themselves from societies that are descending into the mire and from which God warns us to come out!

When you notice the evil, do you sigh and cry, or have you become so inured to the sin all around us that you just accept it as the inevitable way of the world?

We must not grow complacent with ungodliness—rather, we are to continue to be on guard, watching and even warning others of the impending punishment that evil-doing will suffer in God’s righteous judgment!

“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them” (Ephesians 5:1-7).

There is nothing new under the sun, but unless we get up early in the morning, we might miss the sunrise.  During the day—busy as we are—we might not even notice the storm clouds, and when the winds begin to blow and the rain comes pouring down, darkness has overpowered us, before we know it.  I’m talking in figurative terms, of course, speaking of doctrinal changes. They are like a dam which first allows a little bit of water to get through, until it breaks down entirely and the resulting devastating deluge tears down everything in its path; or they are like an avalanche, which buries everyone and everything under it.

Many of us have experienced abominable changes in the Worldwide Church of God (“Worldwide”), after Herbert W. Armstrong had died in 1986. Under the new leadership, a proverbial apostasy or falling away from the truth set in, destroying everything that Mr. Armstrong and those loyal to the truth had worked for. The changes were introduced subtly at first, and many were caught unawares, until the changes became bigger and swallowed up those who embraced them. Today, most unsuspecting, gullible or willingly ignorant “victims,” as well as the actively promoting perpetrators, have lost just about every aspect of the truth which they had once embraced.

We write about these horrible changes in the last section (“Why It Matters”) of our free booklet, “Are You Already Born Again?” If you don’t know the history of the apostasy in Worldwide, and how these changes were introduced, please read this booklet immediately.

Because, you see, the past will repeat itself—in fact, we are already seeing the beginning stages. Changes are taking hold in unsuspecting and trusting members of certain organizations, which are reminiscent, even though under a slightly different mantle, of what we all experienced in the days of Worldwide’s heresies and spiritual downfall. Make no mistake—the apostasy is not over, but ongoing, and it will raise its ugly head again with strong deception and persuasive temptation. Jesus said that because lawlessness (sin) will abound, the godly love (“agape” in Greek) of many (in the Church of God) will grow cold (Matthew 24:12), and many will be offended and betray and hate one another (verse 10).

When a Church organization changes established teaching and attempts to introduce “new truth,” one must ask the question, “Why is this being done? What’s the motive? What’s behind the move?” Now, sometimes, the leaders or those advising them might not know themselves where a particular change may lead, but Satan, the originator of everything in opposition to God and His truth, knows very well what he is doing, and whom he may be able to use to carry out his purposes.

Some are teaching now that the end-time apostasy, which Paul talks about in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, describes a major religious organization outside the Church of God, and it is claimed that the apostasy will set in with full force when that church becomes very influential and powerful. But this is most emphatically NOT what Paul is addressing here. (Compare also our Q&A in this regard). Paul is saying that in the end-time, when the man of sin is being revealed, an apostasy or falling away from the truth in the Church of God will occur, and many Church members will be deceived, because they did not receive and maintain the LOVE of the truth (verse 10). After all, the very word “apostasy” describes a falling away from the truth—it must be talking about the Church of God, which alone has the truth (compare 1 Timothy 3:15). How can an organization fall away from the truth, which it never had, to begin with?

The recent apostasy started, without any question, in Worldwide, after Mr. Armstrong died, but it is ongoing. And it will raise its ugly head again and become extremely powerful in the very near future. This means, God’s people will be severely tested, and many will fail. They must be warned today, not to fall for religious deception. Most in the Church might say: “It can’t happen to me.” But don’t be too sure. Paul warns us: “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Religious deception will not begin with obvious and big doctrinal changes. No Church of God organization will declare right away that the Sabbath and the Holy Days need not be kept anymore; that we are now free to eat unclean meat; or that we don’t have to tithe anymore. When Worldwide introduced its changes, they did not begin to address the “big ones”—they began by fooling around with seemingly minor issues, so that most did not even realize, at first, that real changes were being made.

Some changes might be tolerated or even accepted by some, because, so they reason, they are unimportant, non-salvational, or only a matter of semantics—changes related to concepts such as: Are we already born again? Are we allowed to serve on the jury or vote in governmental elections? Are we embracing the idea that Christ was created by God the Father? Are we saying that the Holy Spirit is God; that is, a separate and third entity?  Must we celebrate new moons today? Should we begin to create our own calendars for the determination as to when to observe the annual Holy Days? Should God’s ministers perform interracial marriages, or a marriage between a believer and an unbeliever? Should we teach that the Sacrifice of Christ has nothing to do with physical healing? Should we teach that the woman riding the beast in Revelation 17 is the USA riding Europe? Should we teach that Christ is going to return on Pentecost? Should we believe in a rapture and that we are going to go to heaven at some point in time? Should we teach that the marriage supper is going to be celebrated in heaven?

All of these ideas are, and have been circulating in certain corners within some Church of God organizations, but not one of them is biblically correct or sound. However, far too many have already begun to entertain or even believe and teach these and other concepts. But not one of them is new, as there is nothing new under the sun.

Let’s take the marriage supper as an example. Some preach that Christ will return to resurrect the saints and change those alive, and take all of them to the third heaven, where the marriage supper will be celebrated, and then return together with the saints to the earth. The concept is that He comes first FOR the saints, and then later together WITH the saints. This is clearly a variation of the false secret rapture teaching—a doctrine of demons. Some even teach or have taught that after Christ’s “third” coming with the saints and their short stay on earth, Christ and the saints will return to the third heaven to rule the earth from heaven during the Millennium.

The idea that Christ will “rapture” the saints to celebrate the marriage supper in the third heaven was introduced by some in the Church of God as early as 1997, if not even before then. At that time, the Global Church of God (“Global”) decided, for biblical reasons, NOT to teach this concept.

At that time, I sent a memo to Global’s leading ministry. After discussing the Scriptures which were used to support a marriage supper in heaven, I wrote in November of 1997: “The above-mentioned scriptures do NOT prove that we will go to heaven, not even for a short time. Further, there is NO Scripture which says that the wedding banquet… will take place in heaven. Rather, all implications are that it will take place on earth.”

After discussing those passages, I set forth the following conclusion: “I would feel that we would make a big mistake if we were to preach that it [the marriage supper] will take place in heaven, as this runs absolutely contrary to the long-standing teaching of the church under Mr. Armstrong.”

At the same time, Evangelist Colin Adair submitted a paper on the matter, in which he wrote: “I believe it would be a mistake to teach as established fact and doctrine that the marriage supper occurs in heaven… We should not be looking for something ‘new’ just to please some brethren who think that growing as a church means discovering some new doctrine or teaching. Growing as a church means personal spiritual growth as Christians and getting the Work done, not ‘some new thing.’”

Others raised similar concerns, and so, the decision-making body of leading ministers in Global decided correctly at that time not to teach that the marriage supper will take place in heaven. The Church of the Eternal God and its corporate affiliates in Canada and the UK–the Church of God, a Christian Fellowship, and the Global Church of God—maintain that it is unbiblical to teach that the wedding supper will take place in heaven or, that there will be a rapture of some kind and that Christ will return twice, and we have written several Q&A’s, http://www.eternalgod.org/qa/11537 ; http://www.eternalgod.org/qa/4125; http://www.eternalgod.org/qa/16  setting forth the biblical reasons for our stance on the matter.

We can learn from all of this that it is important to stick to the trunk of the tree and not to change anything, just for the sake of changing and pleasing somebody. We should and must only change an established teaching, when the Bible dictates the necessity of such a change. It is too dangerous to fall into the trap of wanting to declare something new—because the avalanche of change might ultimately bury those unaware, who are busy altering teachings and approving new doctrine. The Bible warns us, and not without reason: “Do not associate with those given to change” (Proverbs 24:21).