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Correction in a Godly way, faithful to the Word of God!
Fred R. Coulter—September 3, 2022
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Greetings, everyone! Welcome to Sabbath services! This Sabbath will be a very important Sabbath, because we need to cover a very serious topic. I'll explain that a little later as we go along so we know what the situation is.
Jer. 23 is an interesting prophecy, and we see it unfolding today especially in Protestantism. I got a letter—e-mail—the other day asking: Is God correcting us? I answered: Yes, and He's correcting the whole world! We read in Jer. 25 that God has a controversy with all nations.
So, we're seeing things on a magnitude that we haven't seen before. Yet, isn't it interesting that we have the communications to get the information on it.
Jeremiah 23:20: "The anger of the LORD shall not return, until He has executed and until He has performed the purposes of His heart…"
That's leading up to the first resurrection! But remember that every purpose of God is going to be fulfilled! Not in the timeframe that we may think or that we may surmise, but according to God's timetable. We have an outline of that with the Sabbath and Holy Days. But it doesn't tell us how far ahead, or how far in between.
For example, this coming year beginning with Atonement starts a Jubilee year. A lot of people think that Jesus is going return in a Jubilee year. If that's the case then it's off 50 years! But what if it's not the case?
"…in the latter days you shall understand it perfectly. I have not sent these prophets, yet, they ran; I have not spoken to them, yet, they prophesied" (vs 20-21). That comes in all forms, sizes and shapes, and all different religions and even within the Church of God.
Verse 22: "'But if they had stood in My counsel… [whatever the council of God is, everything must be rooted there] …and had caused My people to hear My words, then they would have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings. Am I a God Who is near,' says the LORD, 'and not a God afar off?" (vs 22-23).
He is near to anyone who calls out, anyone who cries to God; He will hear! He has the power, means, the mechanism, and everything about it.
Verse 25: "I have heard what the prophets said, who prophesy lies in My name, saying, 'I have dreamed, I have dreamed.'"
That's what we have today. I was listening to a Protestant who was saying, 'Just before the Tribulation takes place we're all going to be raptured away.' He didn't raise off the stage.
Verse 26: "How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies…"
- there are lies that are direct lies
- there are lies because of misapplication of what you think is the Truth
"…and who are prophets of the deceit of their own heart? They scheme to cause My people to forget My name by their dreams, which they tell, each one to his neighbor, as their fathers have forgotten My name for Baal" (vs 26-27).
Here is the key, and also the title of this message; v 28: "The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream. And he who has My Word… [all the words of God] …let him speak My Word faithfully…."
That's what God wants. A lot of us have lived through a lot of upheaval within the Churches of God. We have heard how many speak things that were not correct? So enticing and alluring that fully 40% of what we knew as Worldwide Church of God went from Sabbath-keeping to Sunday-keeping! Think about that!
"…'What is the chaff to the wheat?' says the LORD. 'Is not My Word like a fire?' says the LORD… [yes, indeed] …'and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets who steal My words each one from his neighbor. Behold, I am against the prophets who use their tongues and say, "He says," when I did not say'" (vs 28-31).
Verse 36: "And you shall mention the oracle of the LORD no more. For every man's word becomes his own oracle… [in other words, everyone does what he thinks is right in his own eyes] …for you have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God."
How do you pervert the words of God?
- by taking them and making them say what is not true!
- by taking them and misapplying them in situations that actually changes the Word of God
We will see that a little later!
Verse 37: "Thus you shall say to the prophet, 'What has the LORD answered you? And what has the LORD spoken?' But since you say, 'The oracle of the LORD, therefore, thus says the LORD, "Because you say this word, 'The oracle of the LORD'—after I have sent to you saying, 'You shall not say, "The oracle of the LORD."'" (vs 37-38).
Think about this with the Protestants, because they do this more than anybody else! We will get to the situation where it happened just recently in Christian Biblical Church of God. But remember this:
Verse 39: "Therefore, behold, I, even I, will completely forget you, and I will forsake you and the city that I gave to you and your fathers, and cast you out of My presence."
Did God do that with Jerusalem and Judah? Yes, He did! So, when we're talking about the Word of God, we need to do it and handle it correctly!
Psalm 50:17: "…you cast My words behind you."
- Isn't that what the Protestants do?
- Isn't that what happened after WCG split and went into many pieces? Yes, indeed!
Here is a warning to all of us. Remember that every elder, minister and member must speak faithfully the words of God; especially those who are teaching!
Proverbs 30:5: "Every Word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.… [it's interesting that this is in Proverbs] …Do not add to His words, lest He correct you and you be found a liar" (vs 5-6). That is true!
- every word of God is pure
- we have to take care of it properly
- we have to speak it properly
Especially the elders!
Psalm 12:6: "The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. You shall keep them, O LORD; You shall preserve them from this generation forever" (vs 6-7).
God's Word is always true and written down for all of us. What is this important for us at this particular point? Because we need to have the Truth of God! Everything we do has to be based on the Word of God.
Psalm 115:9: "O Israel, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield. (vs 9-10).
Notice that he starts out with the whole nation, then the house of Aaron, and:
Verse 11: "O you who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield"
We trust in God because of His Truth! Let's see more about trust and then we will compare what else it says.
Proverbs 3:5: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding."
IF you're trusting the Lord with all your heart and trusting in the Word of God because it's pure and true, this is what we have to teach!
In our experience, and with the Christian Biblical Church of God we have had to fight every heresy and every wrong doctrine! Look at all of our books and look at The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version!
It's possible to do that because all of those who made the errors and changes in the Bible recorded them and we know where they are. That's how we were able to do a proper translation faithful to the Word of God, A Faithful Version!We don't lean to our own understanding! Everything about the Word of God we have to lean on the Word of God. All of us who have the Spirit of God, we need to use the Spirit of God to rightly divide it as we will see here in just a minute.
Verse 6: "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes… [don't get lifted up in your own council] …fear the LORD and depart from evil" (vs 6-7).
We're going to talk a little bit about correction here, because we need to cover something in the way of correction. Correction is not easy. Some correction can be handled face-to-face, person-to-person. When the mistake is egregious and public, it must be addressed publicly!
If it's really serious, you don't have 'Oh well, I'm sorry I did it,' and then 'kiss' and make up and sweep it under the rug! NO! There must be a change in heart and mind and repentance in approaching the Word of God!
Jeremiah 10:23[transcriber's correction]: "O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself…"
See how that ties in with Proverbs 3:5: "…lean not to your own understanding."
All of you know what I do when I have a thought that's not from the Bible. But it may be something that could portend. What do I do so you know that it's not the Word of God? Ring a cowbell!
- if it's a little deal, small cowbell
- if it's big deal, large cowbell
Everybody knows then that it's not in the Word of God! That means that if we have things that we're thinking about, we need to get the Word of God to compare with our thoughts to see what it is that we are doing.
Jeremiah 10:23: ""O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man who walks to direct his steps."
- Isn't that true?
- What human being can direct his own steps without the Word of God?
Look at the trouble that's in the world today!
- all this error
- everyone doing what is right in his own eyes
Look what happens when Satan takes over and lies become the general topic of news and conversation! Then lies come in that are purely satanic like this changing the gender of children in school. I still do not know how they got that power within the schools to not even tell the parents. That permanently changes those poor kids.
Verse 24: "O LORD, correct me…"
This is what we need; we all need correction! Sometimes correction is easy; sometimes it's not!
"…but with judgment; not in Your anger, lest You bring me to nothing" (v 24).
What we're covering today is not to destroy someone, but it's to let the Church know that when there are serious and grievous problems committed by an elder—I won't mention his name here today because it was done publicly on GTM—and all of those who saw it, several hundred. A lot of people were calling, 'What is this? What is going on?' many of the elders called me, as well. I'll tell you more about that in a minute.
I want everyone to know this: in what we're going to cover today, we're going to do it in a Godly way. This doesn't come from me as a person to correct this elder. I have counseled with all the elders to get their input so that we know what we're doing. We want this to be inspired by God for His correction for the elder who transgressed, and it was really, we will see, a very serious error. And for all of us that we all learn and that we understand!
Proverbs 3:11: "My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor be weary of His correction; for whom the LORD loves He corrects…"
We love this elder and we want him to repent and be reconciled and restored. Remember the three R's:
- repentance
- reconciliation
- restoration
We want that!
"…even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights" (v 11).
Here's what happens if correction doesn't come:
Proverbs 15:5: "A fool despises his father's instruction, but he who listens to correction is prudent."
Verse 10: "There is grievous correction for him who forsakes the way; he who hates reproof shall die."
So, correction is good! What do we do? I don't know how much of the problem that happened in WCG could have been avoided if they would have followed the Bible and corrected the problem with Scripture. But because they didn't, it has caused problems.
1-Timothy 5:17: "Let the ordained elders who are leading well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who are laboring in the Word and doctrine." All of our elders are laboring in the Word and doctrine!
Verse 18: "For the Scripture says, 'You shall not muzzle an ox treading out the corn,' and, 'The workman is worthy of his hire.' Do not receive an accusation against an elder, except on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Those elders who sin should be corrected in the presence of all in order that the others also may fear" (vs 18-20).
When it's a public matter—which this was—there has to be correction publicly, and we have to state what the problem is.
When it came to my attention, I knew nothing about it. It was on GTM—Go To Meeting—and then it was brought to my attention. So, the first thing I did, because it was recorded on video, I had a transcript of every word that this elder spoke on GTM. When I got the transcript I listened to the video that was recorded and it was word for word!
So, I have the transcript of the words that were spoken, and what caused the uproar among the brethren—which is was! All of us are very sensitive when things are not spoken correctly, because we have come out of all the things of the craftiness of men, and we want to stick with the Word of God. Here's what the problem began with:
From the transcript: We're going to focus on the fast! Fasting is a very distinct importance of the Day of Atonement.
That is true! Fasting is for every single one! Read Deut. 16; it starts out with the high priest and then all the Levites, and then all of the people. All fast on Atonement. We are fasting to God, humbling ourselves!
We will see a little later miscue about affliction and fasting.
Psalm 35:13: "But when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting…"
That word can also be translated afflict! So, afflict and humble and fastingare all connected on the Day of Atonement! But what is this for? Toward God!
As Michael Heiss explained last night on GTM, we all learn the lesson: in God we live, move and have our being, and everything about us depends upon God! That's why we fast, toward God! Atonement is a very special day!
"…I humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer returned into my own bosom" (v 13). Let's keep that in mind!
continuing with the transcript: Sidebar: The commandments for Atonement is not fasting….
Yet, he says that it is! So, there's confusion there!
…In Leviticus it does not talk about fasting when it talks about Atonement….
When it says you shall afflict your soul, everyone knew that was fasting! No question!
…What it commands is afflicting your souls….
How do you do that unless you fast?
…I want you to bear that in mind, because that is a very important description of the people that come out of the Day of the Lord.
He wants to apply the fulfilling of the Day of Atonement to the people who are coming out of the Tribulation and coming back to the Holy Land. We will see that has nothing to do with Atonement! Though in Joel 2 it talks about blowing the horn. Well, the horn was blown… When was it blown the most? Trumpets! But every single Holy Day it was blown! On Atonement every 50 years they had the Jubilee. They blew the horn in a special way. So, that cannot be applied to the people coming out of Tribulation in Joel 2.
continuing with the transcript: We're talking about a fast on Atonement. I want you to read this with the understanding…
He's talking about Isa. 58 and what kind of fast does God want and so forth. NO! That's any fast in Isa. 58, not Atonement!
…of what it's talking about on Atonement. This is a description of why we fast on Atonement!
Let's look at Isa. 58. Is this why we fast on Atonement? No, it's not! On Atonement we are to fast and to do no work, no labor! We are to afflict our souls, which means fasting!
We will begin in v 1, and when we get to v 5, he says that's why we fast on Atonement. But if you read the verse before you will see that it cannot.
Isaiah 58:1: "Cry aloud, do not spare, lift up your voice like a ram's horn, and show My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. Yet, they seek Me daily… [no special day] …and seem eager to know My ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and one that did not forget the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; they seem eager to draw near to God. They say, 'Why have we fasted, and You do not see? Why have we afflicted our soul and You take no knowledge?'…." (vs 1-3). Fasting and afflicting go hand-in-hand!
"…Behold, in the day of your fast you pursue your business and exploit all your workers. Behold, you fast for strife and debate, and to strike with the fist of wickedness; you cannot fast as you do this day, and expect to make your voice to be heard on high" (vs 3-4).
You have to take those first four verses of Isa. 58 and then come to v 5. You cannot pull v 5 out and say this applies to Atonement.
Verse 5: "Is this such a fast that I have chosen? A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast and a day pleasing to the LORD? Is not this, rather, the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bands of wickedness…" (vs 5-6).
This is for fasting on any day other than Atonement. Who gives the atonement on the Day of Atonement? God does! It comes directly from Him for all the people to cover all their sins and transgressions! This is talking about a fast that is not Atonement.
"…to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed ones go free, and that you break every yoke? Is it not to give of your bread to the hungry…" (vs 6-7).
- Any sense of this in Lev. 23 or Lev. 16?
- Does it say after the fast is over that you give your bread to the hungry?
- No it doesn't!
When you get down to it, the two most important things concerning the Day of Atonement is the goat for the Lord and the goat for Azazel. There's another problem, as I cover in presenting Atonement: there are those who say that both goats represent Christ. If they both represent Christ, why does there have to be a lot drawn for the Lord. There would not lot because they would both mean the same thing. Through Scripture and prophecy of Rev. 20, we know that this goat to Azazel is the removal of the sins that he causes in our lives that we know nothing about of what he's doing.
Just like today, we're victims of this more than anything else. Example: Have you heard a commercial on TV or radio and it's a catchy little tune. You don't want to remember it, but you can't get it out of your head. Has that every happened? Yes! Takes about three days! Satan has committed sins against humanity from the beginning and he must pay for his sins against human beings. That's why the goat for Azazel has all the sins put on his head, because he started it! And all the subsequent sins of humanity down through time. That's why!
Since a spirit being does not die, the goat is sent off into the wilderness where no one lives. You can't understand how that applies to removing Satan into the darkest blackest forever and into the Lake of Fire and also into prison. You can't understand that until Rev. 20. There you find the three stages of the punishment of Satan and the demons:
- locked up in jail right after Christ and the saints on Trumpets come to the earth, and on the Day of Atonement; locking up Satan and the demons
After the thousand years are finished he is loosed for a short season What does he do? He starts a war, because the incorrigible wicked in Gog and Magog will be happy to participate in this war to try and capture Jerusalem because it has no seeable defense.
- fire comes down from heaven and devours all of those human beings who came against Jerusalem; then Satan and the demons are cast into the Lake of Fire
- Satan and demons are removed to the blackest darkness—somewhere in the universe—forever
That's what the goat for Azazel means!
Isaiah 58:6: "Is not this, rather, the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed ones go free, and that you break every yoke? Is it not to give of your bread to the hungry, and that you should bring home the wandering poor?…." (vs 6-7).
This elder says that these "…wandering poor…." are those coming out of the Tribulation. It doesn't indicate that here at all.
"…When will you see the naked and cover him; and not hide yourself from your own flesh?" (v 7).
That's a complete misapplication of Scripture and does not apply to Atonement. So, that answers that question.
We will cover the other complete misstatements that actually changes the meaning of the Day of Atonement. All of th at could have been avoided if there would have been conferring with other elders or conferring with me. Since this was sprung out on everybody as a big surprise, we have to answer it publicly. People will wonder what is happening!
We're going to follow exactly what it says in 1-Timothy 5, the elders that sin, correct them so that everyone will understand.
(break@41:22 )
Let's continue going through the errors that were given by this elder on GTM. We will see that his statements actually changes the meaning of Atonement. After that we will see from 1st & 2nd Timothy how all elders are to handle the Truth. This is important.
If the elders of God cannot be entrusted to preach the Truth of God to the people, what have they done between them and God? They have broken the trust that God gave them! Pay attention to this:
continuing with the transcript: Today we afflict our souls on Atonement, because that is what the people whom God rescues out of the Tribulation and the Day of the Lord are. They are afflicted!….
They may be afflicted, that is true, but that's not why we afflict our soul on the Day of Atonement! No way!
…We fast on Atonement for the remnant…
Nowhere is that found in Scriptures!
…that is to be rescued out of this captivity and bondage and slavery that's coming upon this earth!….
No, we don't fast for that! We fast, every one of us, so that we acknowledge to God that everything that we are and have comes from Him!
We fast because the remnant fulfills Atonement…
No, they do not! Atonement is fulfilled by God in relationship to our sins and getting rid of Satan the devil! That's why we fast! We don't fast for some people who have never been born. We don't fast for people coming out of the Tribulation!
It very well may be as they're coming they're fasting and praying and crying out to God. That is true, but that has nothing to do with Atonement!
…because they're saved from that bondage and slavery! They're brought out again! Saved by the Lord! They turn to the Lord with weeping, fasting and mourning!
That's not why we do it!
…because the people of the captivity who come to Jerusalem will enter into covenant with God (Joel 2).
Well, the prophecies show that Christ and the saints will be at Jerusalem. When the people are brought out of captivity they'll come under the jurisdiction of Jerusalem, but they won't be coming directly to Jerusalem.
This is talking about people who are mourning, so this is definitely Atonement.
With these statements made publicly and hundreds heard him, that has to be corrected publicly. That's what Paul says that if an elder sins, correct before all!
As we have mentioned, we want repentance, restitution and restoration! This elder can be a very good elder, and we hope and pray that this is a great lesson for him to learn. All of us to learn, too! Many of us who have gone through all the battles of Churches of God, we are very sensitive to anything that comes up contrary to the Word of God, and we ought to be because God is entrusting us with His Truth!
I'm going to read you what the command is for keeping Atonement:
Leviticus 23:27: "Also, on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be a Holy convocation to you. And you shall afflict your souls…"
We know that that's fasting from Isa. 58, but it doesn't say to fast. It says to afflict…
If you go to Psa. 35:13 you will see that fasting and humbling and affliction are all together!
…your soul. Why doesn't it say fast? Because Atonement is about the rescuing of a people who are afflicted in their souls from the devastation of the Tribulation in the Day of the Vengeance of God
He brings us to the end of it! When it's brought that way, there are going to be some people whose minds are not really focused on what's being said, and it will go over their head.
Why doesn't it say fast? Because Atonement is about the rescuing of a people who are afflicted in their souls from the devastation of the Tribulation in the Day of the Vengeance of God
When you understand what atonement is, and then you put these statements up against what it means, these are way out there!
Atonement is a day of afflicting our souls through fasting…
So, he's going back and forth and causing confusion!
….because we're not the captives. But we are fasting, that God would save those people…
No we're not fasting so that God will save those people. It has nothing to do with Atonement!
…and bring them out of all this terrible destruction, pain, death and sorrow that is going to happen to these people. It's because we see these people and we want them to be in God's Kingdom.
We don't even know who they are, what they are or where they are! In the timeframe of things that are happening, we don't know exactly when it's going to happen. How many times have people said, 'We're getting close to the Day of the Lord'? Probably in our lifetime in WCG we heard that 10-15 times! Did it happen? No! What was one of the major booklets that built the WCG? 1975 in Prophecy and There's a Way of Escape!
- Did that bring a lot of people into the Church who just wanted to escape and it was just another form of the rapture?
when it didn't happen:
- Is that why many people just quit and left?
I'll just let those questions hang!
continuing with the transcript: We are fasting on Atonement:
- before it happens
- before the Day of the Lord is in reality
- before the people are rescued from the terrible captivity and bondage/slavery
- for them of the future
Where does it say in Lev. 23 that you're going to fast for the afflicted in the future at the end of time? Nowhere! Nowhere in the prophecies of any of the Prophets!
continuing with the transcript:
- that they will cry out to God
- turn and return to God with weeping, fasting and mourning
That's what Atonement is all about, saving the people who were afflicted!
That's not what Atonement is about! I'm sorry and sad that it was a public thing and it came to this. But since it's a public thing, we must answer it in public!
Remember what happened in WCG when someone got in trouble and they weren't around anymore? Nobody told them anything, especially in Pasadena! What happened? Everyone was saying"
- Where's so and so?
- What happened to so and so?
- Where did this one go?
- What's going on?
We can't have this with people having a separate definition of what the Day of Atonement is from what it is actually portrayed the Bible.
That's what Atonement is all about, saving the people who were afflicted!
…We have thoughts toward the people of this earth being a part of God's Kingdom.
These are all his words, because I had the transcript made. I was shocked to read it when I got it and was shocked that it did happen.
That's is what Atonement is about! Atonement literally means covering! It is what God will do for these people when they come to Jerusalem and enter into a covenant with Him.
When we talk about Atonement, we have to understand that cleansing is not the same as forgiveness….
That's partially true! When you repent, you're forgiven! But what has to happen? There needs to be a cleansing after forgiveness!
Michael Heiss brought out last night in the message that he brought on GTM, if you spill wine on a tablecloth you tell the person, 'Okay, that's all right,' and you forgive them. But to make the thing completely whole, you have to take tablecloth and cleanse it, scrub it and get rid of the stain. This is what it is with us with forgiveness. For this elder to say:
…we have to understand that cleansing is not same as forgiveness. They don't know enough to ask for forgiveness, yet.
No, that's the first thing they will ask for! What's the first thing you ask God for when you're afflicted with something?! You ask God to forgive you! He does! Then what do you have to do? You have to, with the Spirit of God and the Word of God, do the cleansing! So, they go hand-in-hand! It's not two separate operations!
But just like the Israelites, they passed through the Red Sea! They were baptized, cleansed, sanctified, washed. Their sins weren't forgiven, yet, but they were cleansed.
He has that all backward!
This is what Atonement is about. It is about the time at the end of all this incredible destruction, destruction that the earth does to itself and destruction that God brings on in His vengeance.
- it is a time when they turn to God…
No! you're not fasting for them! It has nothing to do with coming out of the Tribulation. Are there people coming out of the Tribulation? Yes! Will they be fasting and praying? Yes! But that doesn't mean that it's an Atonement event! That doesn't mean that now we change the meaning of Atonement to fit a prophetic event that has not yet happened!
- it is a time when they cry out to God
- it is a time when the shofar trumpet is blown
- it is a time when the Jubilee is announced…
We don't know if they're being brought out o captivity in a Jubilee Year. Think about the Jubilee Year: you can't plant, harvest, build, any of those things. What's the first thing that needs to happen with people coming out of the Tribulation? Maybe God is going to have to feed them manna a first; we don't know (speculation); but they've got to be fed, clothed and housed. That has nothing to do with Atonement!
- it is a time when they are gathered and brought by ships and land from all four corners of the earth down to Jerusalem
- it is a time when Christ sanctifies them and enters into a covenant
- it is the precursor of the incredible new Millennial rule of Jesus Christ when all the world will be changed
Complete change of meaning as to why we fast and keep the Day of Atonement! I've never heard this anywhere before. Yet, he brought it without talking to anyone else and didn't talk to me.
When I said, 'You broke a trust with me because you talked to Michael Heiss.' But I talked to Michael Heiss and he said that he didn't bring anything up about that. But we're going to see when we examine 1st & 2nd Timothy that a trust was broken! Not to me, but to God!
continuing with the transcript: I hope this gives you a new perspective, not just Atonement in prophecy and the sequence of events, but also on it.
The Bible tells us what's going to happen in prophecy with Satan the devil and with the people's sins. Finally, he says
- why you afflict your soul
- why you fast
- why you are doing these things
here's why:
- thinking about the people whom God is going to save
that's not on our mind at all!
- bringing in a new government
Atonement doesn't do that!
- bringing in a new way of life
It doesn't do that!
None of those definitions actually fit the Day of Atonement, and yet, he called his message An Atonement Event! This is why this has to be brought out in public, because all of this was given in public and we must correct it. My hope and hope of all of us is for:
- repentance
- reconciliation
- restoration
We're going to see some thing in the books of 1st & 2nd Timothy for all the elders so that they stay with the Word of God! We will see that one of the requisites of the Word of God (2-Tim.) is that we 'rightly divide' the Word of God! All of this was completely wrongly dividing the Word of God! Look at the trouble that it caused!
1-Timothy 1:3: "WhenI was going to Macedonia, I exhorted you to remain in Ephesus, in order that you might solemnly charge some not to teach other doctrines."
What is a doctrine? A teaching! That becomes something that we are to follow and obey! None of this conforms to a doctrine in the Word of God! It's another doctrine, which should not have been brought.
Verse 4: "Nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which lead to empty speculations rather than to edification from God, which is in faith. Now, the purpose of the commandment is love out of a pure heart…" (vs 4-5).
The whole purpose of everything that God wants us to do is to help all of us to grow in grace and knowledge and the love of God.
"…and a good conscience, and genuine faith" (v 5).
Verse 11: "According to the Gospel of the glory of the blessed God, with which I was entrusted."
God wants that for all the elders, but also for all the people. When you have all the Word of God and you can read it and study it, you are personally responsible to God to do it! But all the elders especially! We can't come off with some silly idea!
Look at the stupid man who said that he was one of the two witnesses and that he would reveal who the second one is a little later. Do you know who that turned out to be? His wife!
Verse 12: "And I thank Jesus Christ our Lord, Who has empowered me, that He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry."
That's something we need to understand and do! All elders! Now, every elder listen up! I don't care if you're in Christian Biblical Church of God or another Church of God. You have the Bible! You have the Word of God! You are in charge of helping the brethren! You make sure that it's according to the Word of God! Even if the hierarchy doesn't like it, you better stick with it.
If feel sorry for all the poor people in the various Churches of God that have been told that you must only follow the teachings of Herbert W. Armstrong! NO! He had a good amount of Truth! But we must follow the instructions of Jesus Christ and God the Father through the Apostles and the Prophets and Moses, which is the complete Bible!
Verse 18: "This charge I am personally committing to you, my son Timothy, in accordance with the prophecies that were made long ago concerning you; in order that by them you yourself might wage a good war, holding to the faith and a good conscience…." (vs 18-19).
Paul had the same thing here! We'll read in 2-Tim. 1 that Paul said, 'All in Asia have left me!' Think about that! That's quite a statement!
"…For some, having cast aside a good conscience, have made shipwreck in regard to the faith; of whom are Hymeneus and Alexander, whom I turned over to Satan in order that they may learn not to blaspheme" (vs 19-20).
This also tells us that if we go too far, what does God do? Turns us over to Satan!
1-Timothy 3:14: "These things I am writing to you, hoping to come to you shortly; but if I should delay, you have these things in writing, so that you may know how one is obligated to conduct oneself in the house of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the Truth" (vs 14-15).
This is why you've heard me say many times: it has to be the Truth, the Truth of God, the Truth of God!
Why? Because God is a God of Truth! Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life! No one comes to the Father except through Jesus Christ! We're not going to come to God with thoughts like this completely removed from the Day of Atonement! Some of them may be applicable for the coming out of the Great Tribulation. That's a separate operation! But it cannot be joined to Atonement to change the meaning of Atonement! Cannot do it!
1-Timothy 4:13: "Until I come, devote yourself to reading, to encouragement, and to doctrine. Do not neglect the spiritual gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the elderhood. Meditate on these things; give yourself wholly to them so that your growth in the faith may be apparent to all" (vs 13-15).
All of us as elders and ministers must be growing in grace and knowledge! We must be teaching the brethren that same thing! Why? We are all being prepared by God to rule the world! Do you understand what a great and fantastic thing that is going to be? Taking over the world:
- all nations
- all governments
- all people
That is an awesome thing that only God can do!
He's preparing us to be His servants, to bring it to the people of the world. When you look at it that way, our calling is so great! Why do we want to fiddle around with silly doctrines and thoughts of our own, which are not in accord with the Word of God?
Verse 16: "Be diligent…"—vigilant!
That's what we're doing today. We are being diligent and vigilant with the Word of God to correct an error that was publicly pronounced to hundreds of people!
Verse 16: "Be diligent with yourself and with the doctrines; continue in them. For in doing this, you will save both yourself and those who hear you."
When there are problems in the Church, if they are not corrected, then we have to leave like all of us did! That's what Paul says here:
1-Timothy 6:3: "If anyone teaches any different doctrine…"—which this is! What I read you about what he gave concerning Atonement is a different doctrine!
"…and does not adhere to sound words, even those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the doctrine that is according to Godliness he is proud and knows nothing…." (vs 3-4).
The one who did this is going to have to examine his own heart and mind and find out spiritually where he's standing with God.
I have five different elders who are going to work directly with him. I'm in communication with him to help bring about the process of repentance, reconciliation and restoration!
What happens if it gets carried on? This has not gotten this far as it talks about here in 1-Tim. 6, but we need to read it so that we understand that if we don't correct it, it could get to this!
Look at what happened to the Church of God when the ministry was neglected in taking care of these things publicly. Rather than try and bring about repentance, reconciliation and restoration, they just got mad and disfellowshipped people right and left!
In many cases, the brethren were right and the hierarchy was wrong! We've lived through that extreme. Look at what Paul says here:
"…Rather, he has a morbid attraction to questions and disputes over words, from which come envy, arguments, blasphemy, wicked suspicions, vain reasonings of men who have been corrupted in their minds and are destitute of the Truth…" (vs 4-5).
Look at what happens! I know of people who have left the Church of God and have abandoned all thought that Jesus is the true Messiah! That's a terrible thing to consider.
Verse 6: "But Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and it is evident that neither do we have the power to carry anything out of the world" (vs 6-7). All the pyramids in Egypt prove it, too!
Now, here is the charge to all the elders; it would be good if all the elders would study word for word 1st & 2nd Tim. and Titus and 1-Pet. 5.
Verse 20: "O Timothy, guard the doctrine, which has been entrusted to you…" God gave it to Paul and entrusted it to him!
Now Paul is giving it to Timothy, because he knows he's not going to be on the earth very long, and entrusting it to him! To all the elders in the Christians Biblical Church of God, you are being entrusted with the Truth of God! One day I'm not going to be here!
- What will you do?
- Will you all be faithful and work together?
OR
- Will you have some difficulties in your mind that now you're going to bring them up after I pass.
Then you go off on your own and brethren follow you!
So, I need to bring this up to everybody! In my case, I've had to always fight for the Truth, and God has helped establish a lot of Truth because of that. Not because of me! I'm only a tool to get done what God wants to do through me. When I'm done, He'll be through with me until the resurrection!
"…avoiding profane, empty babblings, and contradictions of false knowledge that is called science; through which some, who are personally professing these false views, have missed the mark concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen" (vs 20-21).
If this is not answered publicly, then people are going say, 'What's going on?' then what's going to happen? Gossip! Innuendos! Wrong opinions! Then we have to go through them all.
2-Timothy 1:13: "Hold as the standard for doctrine the sound words that you heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good thing that was committed to you by the Holy Spirit that is dwelling in us. You know this, that all those who are in Asia have rejected me…" (vs 13-15).
Think about that! How did that happen? By false doctrine when Paul wasn't there, and nobody corrected!
2-Timothy 2:14: "See that they… [faithful men] …remain mindful of these things, earnestly charging them in the sight of the Lord not to argue over words that are not profitable in any way, but which lead to the subverting of those who hear. Diligently study…" (vs 14-15).
It also has to be, what is your motive in doing it? It has to be to learn the will of God! Is it going to be that you're searching for a great doctrine to bring up to the Church? No! Don't search for it!
"…to show yourself approved unto God, a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of the Truth" (v 15).
If you wrongly divide the Word of Truth you create and error! That's what this is: error that must be corrected!
This is the whole thing: Michael Heiss doing the Old Testament, and me doing the New Testament to publish the Faithful Version! That we, with the Word of God, tremble in fear if we don't do it right!
2-Timothy 3:16: "All Scripture is God-breathed… [each and every word] …and is profitable for doctrine, for conviction, for correction…"
Today we had some correction! We need to correct it! What is the best way to be corrected? With the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, you correct yourself! Isn't that the easiest and most comfortable? That's a whole lot better than being confronted face-to-face with someone saying, 'Hey, look what you're doing!' Correct yourself!
"…for instruction in righteousness so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work" (vs 16-17).
2-Timothy 4:1: "I charge you, therefore, in the sight of God, even the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is ready to judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His Kingdom: Preach the Word!…." (vs 1-2).
Like we started in Jer. 23; 'He who has My Word, let Him speak My Word faithfully!'
"…Be urgent in season and out of season; convict, rebuke, encourage, with all patience and doctrine. For there shall come a time when they will not tolerate sound doctrine…" (vs 2-3).
That has been lived through the Church of God down through time. We have lived through it in our day!
"…but according to their own lusts they shall accumulate to themselves a great number of teachers, having ears itching to hear what satisfies their cravings; and they shall turn away their own ears from the Truth…" (vs 3-4).
How do people do that? By an elder somewhere beginning to teach something that is not right, and it's not corrected!
"…and they shall be turned aside unto myths" (v 4).
How do you think we got Halloween? Christmas? New Years? Easter? All of that!
Verse 5: "But as for you, be vigilant in all things, endure hardships, do the work of an evangelist; fully carry out your ministry."
Brethren, sometimes we have to do things because it's necessary to be done even though they're not pleasant! Even though some people might not like it, however, we're told that if an elder sins rebuke before all so that we can have, as we started:
- repentance
- reconciliation
- restoration
Let's all be faithful to God in everything that we do!
Scriptural References:
- Jeremiah 23:20-23, 25-31, 36-39
- Psalm 50:17
- Proverbs 30:5-6
- Psalm 12:6-7
- Psalm 115:9-11
- Proverbs 3:5-7
- Jeremiah 10:23
- Proverbs 3:5
- Jeremiah 10:24
- Proverbs 3:11
- Proverbs 15:5, 10
- 1 Timothy 5:17-20
- Psalm 35:13
- Isaiah 58:1-7, 6-7
- Leviticus 23:27
- 1 Timothy 1:3-5, 11-12, 18:20
- 1 Timothy 3:14-15
- 1 Timothy 4:13-16
- 1 Timothy 6:3-7, 20-21
- 2 Timothy 1:13-15
- 2 Timothy 2:14-15
- 2 Timothy 3:16-17
- 2 Timothy 4:1-5
Scriptures referenced, not quoted:
- Jeremiah 25
- Deuteronomy 16
- Joel 2
- Leviticus 16
- Revelation 20
- Titus
- 1 Peter
FRC:bo
Transcribed: 9/7/22
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